Ignite

Chapter One: The Bar

"A marine, huh?"

A flood of wariness surged through her system at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. Instead of turning to look at the source, however, she continued in her efforts to focus her slightly bleary eyes on the damning amber liquid filling the shot glass settled on the wooden bar before her. Some part of her mind was absently noting that she really should have stuck to only one glass. Her inability to hold her liquor was legendary among the marines stationed at her base.

Just because Kennit had taunted her by betting he could drink her under the table any day did not mean she should have followed the comment with what had now become an unknown number of shots. The number hadn't been enough to cause her to reach pass-out level, but she was reasonably certain that at least her motor functions were affected and perhaps her judgement as well. Or at least, they should have been at this point if the haze of her thoughts was any indication.

At the amused chuckle that followed her refusal to look at whomever had talked to her, she shot an irritated glare in his direction. The glare existing only because the amusement in his chuckle was completely matched by the amusement coloring his annoying handsome face.

"What's it matter?"

Even as the rather irritable words escaped her lips, her brow furrowed with yet another bout of annoyance. She could have sworn that her words weren't usually as mumbled as that- especially when she was supposed to have been making a sharp comment to warn off the unknown idiot that thought it was a smart idea to talk to her. The longer she stared at him, however, the more certain she was perhaps there were two idiots. Two idiots with dark, shaggy, unkept hair, black eyes, and an innocent dash of freckles across the bridge of his nose.

Somehow, something about the rather disarming appearance the boy wielded sent a scowl to her lips.

"Nothing," he replied with a grin.

"Then shut the hell up. Your voice hurts."

If anything, the amusement in his expression only grew.

"You're not supposed to get a hangover until after you've finished drinking," he pointed out.

"Go to hell."

"Not the people sort, huh?"

The next set of words that escaped her lips were far from complimentary, but so mumbled that even she had difficulty understanding what she'd been trying to say. The feeling behind it must have been obvious, because in an instant his irritating face was showing an even brighter grin than before, flicking a hand up to catch the bartender's attention.

"Whatever she's having. Obviously, it must be good."

Her glower was once again sent in his direction, something that seemed to amuse him to no end as he instantly proceeded to chuckle in response.

"So... a marine," he mused onced again.

"Aren't you observant?" she retorted, turning away pointedly and raising one hand to the tip of her shot glass.

Would another drink be a bad idea this point? Some part of her said yes, yes it would be. The rest of her, however, questioned what the harm was in taking another drink and perhaps flirting with a handsome stranger. The only other marine that was currently gracing the bar- rare as the bar was the most common place to unwind after a long day at the base- was passed out after their bet. Which meant that no one else would witness it if she was to let herself have just a little bit of fun.

"I'm glad you think so," he replied, not at all put off by the rather barbed edge to her words. Instead, he leaned forward so tha the could brace his cheek against his palm, putting his face into her line-of-sight despite her obvious annoyance. "Portgas D. Ace, and you are...?"