LET ME PROTECT YOU [Ace X fem! reader]

Chapter 17 // Promise?

You hold your breath as you softly knock three times on the cold, wooden door. As the chilly breeze sneaking through the gaps of the doorway skims past your impatiently tapping feet, you curse yourself for taking so long to return home.

You completely lost track of time while you were at the Moby Dick, too swallowed up in your own bubble to notice how much had passed. Only when the first peach strokes of the slumbering sun flung across the sky did you remember you had somewhere else to be. Mila is waiting for you at home, completely alone. Your heart breaks when you think about how happy she was to spend the day with you and show you the ship, but you managed to disappoint her once again.

The worst part is that you don't seem to regret it as much as you thought you would. A spark of excitement, despite your lingering guilt, lit itself during your entire stay in the presence of a Yonkou. No normal human wouldn't feel a bit prideful if a man as powerful as Whitebeard wants an audience with you. Even when Ace proposed the most irresponsible suggestion you've ever heard, you couldn't help but, for the first time ever, feel drawn to this selfish option. Now that you've finally gotten a taste of it, the idea of experiencing real freedom has consumed you and there's no way you'll ever let completely go of it. And the guilt you've been feeling ever since you thought of this is eating you up from the inside. [YOU KNOW WHO ELSE COULD EAT YOU—?]

As your first knock receives no response, you decide to slowly screech open the door. You cautiously peek your head inside the cold room illuminated only by the dim milky light seeping through the shut curtains. The moonflower Ace gave you is still peacefully resting exactly where you left it on the dinner table. Just this time it's fully abloom, its petals glistening as they bask in rays of the silver moonlight.

A glimpse of slight movement from the corner of the room catches your eye. You let out a sigh of relief and carefully tiptoe across the squeaky floor. The painfully loud creaks slicing through the dead silence increase tenfold as you climb up the bunk bed and lay down beside your little sister. She flinches at your touch, making you hesitate before you begin to gently stroke her soft hair again.

"Hi crumbs..." you weakly whisper, almost inaudibly.

No reaction.

You take another deep breath to muster up the courage to continue. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have left you."

The tiniest of a grunt leaves her lips.

"We can go see the ship together tomorrow, ok?" You smile softly. "I can even show you some super secret stuff there. How does that sound?"

This time, a shaky breath interrupts the silence. "I... I don't—" she whispers, not moving a muscle. "I don't think I like Ace anymore..."

"Oh?" You raise an eyebrow, puzzled as to how she came to that conclusion. "Why is that?"

"B-Because he... he always steals you away from me..." she breaks down in a quiet, sob, twisting closer to you in a tight hug.

"Aw, Mi..." You quickly embrace her back, a lump starting to form in your own throat. "Nobody in this world can steal me away from you. I hope you know that."

She doesn't respond. She just continues crying into your, now, soaked shirt. It's only after a few more hicks and sniffles when she's caught her breath that you decide to continue.

"You know..." You brush away a tear from her cheek. "I don't worry about leaving you alone for some time anymore. You're a big girl now and I trust that you can take care of yourself for a while."

"BUTIDONTWANNATAKECAREOFMYSELF!" she sulks as a waterfall runs down her face.

A faint smirk sneaks up your face. "Isn't that something a patroller should be able to do?"