Stranded with fire
Portgas D. Ace x Reader
warnings: ooc (a bit, i think, idk canât tell), slow burn, donât know if i placed commas right (placed them like i would in german), Cringy!!! awkward moments
You were on a mission, sailing with a small crew under Captain Portgas D. Ace. As the shipâs doctor, your role was vital, but you hadnât signed up for what came next.
The night came with no warning. A violent storm cracked across the skies and churned the sea into chaos. Waves slammed against the ship like fists, threatening to drag it under. Sea spray drenched the deck, and the salty wind howled.
âAce, get inside!â you screamed, fighting to stay upright. But he didnât respond. The ocean water had already weakened him. âdamn alway these Devil Fruit usersâŠâ you complained.
Then, it happened.
A monstrous wave hit the ship broadside, nearly flipping it. Ace lost his footing and slipped over the edge.
âAce!!â Without hesitation, you jumped after him, ignoring the panicked cries of your crewmates behind you.
You hit the water hard, the cold shock slamming the air from your lungs. The sea tugged at you, dragged you down, but you reached him, unconscious, limp in the water. You wrapped your arms around him, doing everything to keep both your heads above the waves, trying your hardest to stay alive.
But it was impossible. The light of the ship faded into darkness as exhaustion and water claimed your senses. And then everything went black.
You woke to sunlight burning your face. Coughing violently, you spit out seawater and gasped for air.
âShitâŠâ you rasped, trying to gather your strength. Every muscle ached, but panic drove you forward. âAce?â you croaked, eyes scanning the empty shoreline. You forced yourself upright, wobbling like the undead.
You were alone.
No ship. No crew. No Ace.
A pit opened in your chest, already assuming the worst. Until something orange caught your eye. His hat. You stumbled toward it and picked it up with trembling hands.
âPleaseâŠâ you whispered, then shouted. âAce!!â
You pushed forward, yelling his name over and over until you finally saw him. His body lying still in the sand.
You dropped to your knees beside him. âAce! Damn it, come onâŠâ You pressed your ear to his chest.
Heartbeat. But no breath.
Without thinking, you launched into first aid, tilting his head back and starting mouth-to-mouth. One. Twoâ
He gasped and coughed up water violently.
âFuckâwhat happened?â he choked, eyes fluttering open.
You exhaled in relief, flopping onto the sand beside him with a shaky laugh. âYou scared the shit out of meâŠâ
But then reality hit again. âWeâve got a problem,â you said. Ace was still groggy, looking around. âWeâre stranded. No ship. No log pose.â You pointed at his wrist. âAnd unless youâve hidden a Vivre Card in your underwear, weâre screwed.â
âNope⊠mustâve lost both,â he muttered, sitting up. His eyes drifted over to you and lingered a little longer than usual. âBut Iâm not the only one who lost stuff.â
You blinked, then looked downâyour clothes had been mostly torn off by the sea. All that was left was a bikini top and your shorts. âOh⊠right. Great.â
Ace quickly looked away, ears turning red.
âseems like we have to wait for the others to pick us up with their vivre cardâ
âWell,â he said, grabbing his hat, âat least youâre with me. That means survival is guaranteed.â
You took his hand and smiled as he helped you up. âLetâs explore. Maybe weâre not as doomed as we think.â He says and you nod.
The island was wild and lush. Together, you went through dense forest, fought off beasts (Ace did), and found signs of life: water, fruits, animals. Enough to survive.
It almost felt like an adventure. You laughed more than you thought you would. Being with Ace made everything feel less terrifying. But you didnât notice the eyes watching from the shadows, following you silently back to camp.
By dusk, you were building a campfire together. You nudged him with your shoulder. âIâm really glad itâs you I ended up stranded with.â
Ace tried to play it cool, but his heart skipped a beat. âYeah?â
âYeah. I mean, your fire powers? Super useful,â you teased.
Oof. You saw the flicker of disappointment in his eyes. He didnât reply.
You smirked. âWhat? You happy to be alone with me or something?â
âShut up,â he muttered, turning away with ears completely red now. âjust go to bedâ he lies down turning away from you.
You laughed softly as the night deepened and eventually fell asleep beside the fire.
Stranded on an island, with no log post or a vivre card, forced to wait for your crewmates⊠couldnât get worse. Except for that part where you wake up tied to a wooden stake like a witch in the center of a strange village. Islanders circling around you, chanting something about a âsacrifice to the fire god.â
âWhat the actual fââ You didnât even get to finish the sentence.
One of them approached with a torch, flame flickering closer and closer to your bound legs. Your heart pounded. This wasnât a joke. You were about to burn.
You closed your eyes.
Thenâ
Boom.
A blast of heat surged past your face.
âCouldnât stay out of trouble for one night, huh?â
Your eyes flew open.
âAce!â you cried, relief flooding your entire body.
He stood there in all his fiery glory, flames crackling around his fists, eyes burning brighter than the torch that was meant to kill you.
âTime to return the favor,â he grinned.
The ropes burned away in a sudden flash of heat, but you didnât feel pain. Only warmth. Aceâs flames licked at your bindings without touching your skin, as if they knew exactly what to avoid.
You looked up at him, breath caught in your throat, still stunned. He stood there, shirtless, soaked, yet burning like a god. One arm pulled you close by the waist, the other raised and ready to launch a fiery counterattack at the crowd of stunned islanders.
For a moment, everything was still.
Then chaos.
âFire Lord!â one of them screamed. The rest dropped to their knees in worship, hands raised, heads bowed. âFire Lord! Fire Lord!â
You blinked. ââŠWhat the hell?â
Ace was equally frozen, eyes darting between them and you. You leaned in, whispering, âI think⊠they think youâre the Fire Lord they summoned.â
His brows furrowed, and his nose scrunched in disbelief. âYouâve gotta be kidding meâŠâ
âJust go with it,â you said quickly. âItâs better than getting sacrificed. You know Iâm not big on the whole âviolence firstâ method.â
He sighed like youâd asked him to babysit a sea king. âFineâŠâ
With a roll of his eyes, but a small smirk twitching at the corner of his lips, he scooped you up effortlessly, making you yelp.
âWhat are you doing!?â you asked, cheeks flushing as he walked toward the ornate chair the villagers had brought forward.
âNot letting you out of my sight,â he said, tone serious, gaze straight ahead. But the moment he sat down and settled you in his lap, you could feel his muscles tense. He realized how long his hand had been on your waist and awkwardly moved it, looking off to the side like heâd just noticed the sky was interesting.
âThey might try to take you again,â he mumbled an excuse.
You raised an eyebrow. âOh? And thereâs only one chair, right?â you teased.
That snapped him back into his usual self. His smirk returned. âExactly. Unless youâd rather sit somewhere else?â He leaned in, voice low and hot against your ear. âOr is my lap just that distracting?â
You squirmed a little, pulse racing. âYouâre impossible,â you muttered, but didnât move.
The two of you were carried through the village on that chair like royalty, a full parade forming around you. Villagers danced and sang strange chants, but the words âFire Lordâ rang out clearly again and again. Even though you couldnât understand the language, the reverence in their voices was unmistakable.
You looked around in awe. The village was primitive, sure, but not exactly uncivilized. Their clothes were simple, robes in earthy colors, and their homes were built with care. Still, it was clear this wasnât any modern island.
Meanwhile, Ace remained sharp and alert, eyes constantly scanning the crowd for danger. His hand occasionally brushed against you as the chair wobbled, and though he didnât say anything, his protective instincts were clear. He didnât trust any of themâŠnot yet.
Eventually, the procession stopped in front of a structure that looked like a ceremonial house. A raised pavilion with open sides, sheer curtains fluttering in the wind, and a circular bed in the center.
You both stared at it.
âThey seriously think youâre their god,â you said, wide-eyed.
Ace looked at the stairs, then at you, deadpan. âLetâs just burn this place down and bolt.â
âAce.â
âKidding.â (âŠmostly.)
You hesitantly took his arm and started up the stairs together, aware of every eye watching. The silence was crushing. But when you reached the top platform, the crowd exploded into cheering and chanting again, as if your very presence confirmed their beliefs.
âNow what?â you muttered.
âNo clue,â Ace replied, still watching them all closely.
Then came the line of villagers. One by one, they stepped forward, placing offerings at your feet: fruits, carved trinkets, bundles of cloth, even a small live animal (which Ace gently set free when no one was looking). It was overwhelming. Bizarre. And honestly⊠kind of hilarious.
âTheyâre serious about this,â you whispered.
âThey really think Iâm their Fire LordâŠâ
The rest of the day passed in a blur of dancing, music, and offerings. You started laughing at the absurdity of it all. Ace⊠not so much. He remained stone-faced, arms crossed, but you caught him watching you whenever you laughed.
By nightfall, the villagers dispersed, leaving you and Ace alone in the pavilion under a canopy of stars.
You sat on the edge of the large circular bed, legs dangling. Ace sat beside you, arms resting on his knees, frown still etched on his face.
âWe should leave,â he said, his voice low.
You shook your head slowly. âI donât think they mean harm.â
âThey literally tried to roast you alive this morning.â
âYeah, but I donât think they can. Fire doesnât hurt me⊠not when youâre around, right?â You turned your head, eyes soft as they met his.
He looked at you like he wanted to argue, but the words didnât come. Just silence. And maybe a little awe.
ââŠYouâre unbelievable,â he muttered.
You smiled. âSo Iâve been told.â
Night fell slowly over the village, the firelight outside flickering against the silk curtains of your pavilion. The sounds of the drums and singing had died out, replaced by the quiet chirping of insects and the soft crash of waves far off in the distance. Moonlight beautifully shining into the pavilion.
You sat at the edge of the round bed, still stunned by the dayâs madness. Ace stood by the open curtain, looking out over the village, arms folded tight across his chest.
ââŠYouâre not gonna sleep?â you asked.
âI donât sleep well when people are chanting my name like Iâm some god,â he replied dryly.
You chuckled, but he didnât.
âAce, I donât think theyâre gonna hurt us. Not anymore. I mean they think your a godâ
âThat doesnât mean I trust them.â He turned to you, his gaze lingering for a second longer than it shouldâve. âEspecially not after this morning.â
You felt the tension in the air shift, just slightly. Your heartbeat picked up. The memory of him pulling you into his lap came flooding back, and you suddenly found the pattern on the blanket extremely fascinating.
You cleared your throat and scooted back, trying to lie down like it was no big deal. âWell, if Iâm gonna be sacrificed again, Iâd rather be well-rested.â
Ace smirked. âFair.â
But when he turned and walked toward the bed too, you froze.
You knew the bed was round. You knew it was the only one. But somehow you hadnât fully processed what that meant until he sat down beside you.
Very close.
Too close.
You swallowed. âYou, uh⊠you can take more space if you want.â
âIâm fine.â He stretched out one leg and leaned back on his arms, eyes on the sky. âNot like Iâve got a lot of options.â
You turned on your side, facing away from him, but you could still feel the heat of his body behind you. Fire user or not, he was always warm. Comforting. Safe. But now your thoughts werenât exactly innocent.
You could feel every little brush every time your arm bumped his by accident, every shift of the blanket that moved the air between you. And neither of you said anything about it.
The next morning came far too soon.
You were both up early, standing at the edge of the pavilion as the villagers gathered once again. This time they werenât chanting or singing.
Instead, one of them stepped forward solemnly and extended a small bundle wrapped in soft cloth. The fabric fell open to reveal
ââŠAre those baby clothes?â you asked, voice a pitch higher than normal.
The villager beamed and nodded enthusiastically, holding the tiny shirt up proudly.
You blinked. Then blinked again.
Ace stared at it, eyes wide in frozen panic.
There was a very long silence.
Thenâfooshâa tiny puff of fire flashed in his hand, and the baby clothes were instantly incinerated, ashes fluttering down between you.
âAce!â you hissed, grabbing his arm.
âThey were weirdly confident! What else was I supposed to do?!â
The villager didnât seem offended. In fact, they bowed and walked away as if that was somehow the correct response.
You covered your face with your hands. âOh my god. They think weâre married, donât they?â
âThey think weâre parents,â Ace corrected, looking horrified.
From that point forward, everything was awkward.
If he accidentally brushed your hand? You jolted like you touched lightning.
If you sat too close? One of you would scoot away immediately, pretending it was âto reach something.â
Every look held too long felt like a declaration. Every accidental touch? A scandal.
You were way too obvious, too. You caught yourself staring at his jawline, his hands, the way he wiped sweat off his brow. And when he caught you? You looked away so fast it made you dizzy.
You couldnât even meet his eyes without feeling your face burn.
And Ace? Well, he was trying to keep his cool. But you noticed the way his fingers twitched when you stood too close. How he avoided your gaze just a little too late. How the tip of his ears always, always, betrayed him.
âSo,â you said later that day, poking a fruit with your knife at the edge of the pavilion, âstill thinking we should burn the whole place down?â
He was lying on his back in the shade, one arm thrown over his eyes. âAt this point, I might burn myself out of secondhand embarrassment.â
You tossed a fruit at him. âCoward.â
He caught it without looking. âYou started this.â
You raised an eyebrow. âI started this? Iâm not the one who sat me on their lap like a royal consort.â
âYou didnât complain.â
ââŠI hate that youâre right.â
Silence hung in the air, but not awkwardly. Only the distant sound of the ocean and some chirping birds filled the space between you.
Then, Ace cleared his throat, too casual to actually be casual, and said quietly, âwould you be against it?â
You blinked, not even sure youâd heard him right.
He wasnât looking at you. His eyes were on the sky, then the ground, then anywhere but you. He was fidgeting with the fruit in his hand like it had personally offended him.
You tilted your head slightly, squinting. âWhat?â
Ace shifted, scratching the back of his neck. His voice dropped, almost like he didnât want the air to hear it.
âLike⊠being together. You and me.â
The words hit you harder than any storm wave. You just froze.
Knife still in one hand, half-cut fruit in the other, your brain completely short-circuited.
He glanced at you again, hopeful for a split secondâbut when you didnât respond, didnât even blink, his face fell.
ââŠForget it,â he mumbled, eyes dark with embarrassment. âThat was dumb. Nevermind.â
He looked up again, ready to awkwardly laugh it off. Until he saw you.
Stiff as a statue. Face glowing red like you were about to spontaneously combust. The fruit slipping slightly in your hand because you forgot how to grip things. The knife still hovering over it like your body forgot what it was doing halfway through.
âIâuhâI meanââ you stuttered, words catching in your throat as you avoided his gaze, looking around like the trees might offer a script.
Ace blinked. Then that slow, mischievous grin began to stretch across his face.
âOhhh?â he said, voice dropping into a tease. âSo you do like me?â
Your face somehow managed to get even redder.
âI never said that!â you burst out, panicked.
âYou didnât have to,â he grinned wider, now fully enjoying himself. âYouâre stuttering. Blushing. Is that fruit shaking in your hand?â
âItâs not!â
âItâs definitely shaking.â
âIâm justâshut up!â
Ace chuckled, leaning a little closer, his elbows on his knees as he watched you squirm. âSo, what would you have said? Hypothetically, if I did ask you out.â
You glared at him, then back at the knife in your hand, then tossed both it and the fruit dramatically to the side. âYouâre the worst.â
âAnd yet, here you are. Still sitting next to me. Still red as a tomato.â
You groaned and dropped your face into your hands.
He laughed, softer now, eyes crinkling. Then, after a beat, his voice lowered again, quieter, more honest.
âBut seriously⊠would you be against it?â
You peeked at him between your fingers, heart pounding. He wasnât teasing now. Just watching you, eyes sincere and a little nervous.
You exhaled slowly. Then gave him the smallest, shyest smile.
ââŠNot against it.â
And for once, he was the one caught off guard, his grin faltering for a moment, replaced by something gentler. Something real.
He rubbed the back of his neck, ears pink. âCool. Cool. Just making sure. You know⊠for future planning.â
You raised an eyebrow. âFuture planning?â
âYou know. Like which island we name the first kid after.â He teased.
âAce!â
He doubled over laughing, dodging the fruit you chucked at him like it was second nature.
That night, the village was quieter than before. No chants. No drums. Just the crackling of the campfire in front of the pavilion and the sound of crickets in the trees.
You and Ace sat side by side on the edge of the bed, knees just barely touching, the soft silence lingering comfortably between you.
He stole a glance your way, then back down at his hands in his lap. You were doing the same. Only sneaking looks when you thought he wasnât paying attention.
Then, his pinky brushed yours.
Neither of you moved.
Slowly, like gravity was pulling your hands together, his fingers found yours and gently, shyly, laced them together. You could feel the warmth of his skin, the roughness of callouses, and the careful hesitation behind the way he held your hand like it might vanish if he squeezed too hard.
You turned to him, breath catching, heart hammering.
He wasnât looking at you, not at first. His eyes were on your hands. âIs this⊠okay?â
You nodded, almost whispering, âYeah.â
His eyes lifted to meet yours, and for a second, the whole world slowed. He leaned in just slightly, gaze flickering to your lips and back to your eyes. He didnât speak, didnât rush it. Just that slow, silent question lingering in the air between you.
You tilted your head. Leaned in too. Your noses brushed.
And thenâ
Boom. A loud crash echoed through the forest followed by shouting from the far side of the village.
Both of you jumped, hands flying apart as you scrambled to your feet, wide-eyed.
Ace was already moving toward the edge of the pavilion, scanning the treetops. âWhat the hell was that?â
You followed him, nerves suddenly on edge again. The sweet, fragile moment shattered.
From beyond the trees, orange flames lit up the sky. Figures were running, shouting. The villagers were panicking.
Then, slicing through the night like a blazing comet, a massive figure came soaring above the treetops â Marco.
âACE!â his voice echoed as he dove down, blue flames trailing behind him.
âMarco?!â you gasped, heart leaping.
Aceâs eyes widened. âThey finally found us!â
Moments later, your crewmates came crashing through the forest edge, swords drawn, fire and smoke at their backs. Apparently, the search party had mistaken the tribeâs strange setup as hostile and a fight had broken out before things could be explained.
Ace raised his hands. âWeâre okay! Weâre okay!â he yelled, moving in front of you to shield you just in case.
Marco landed with a thud and looked between you two, eyes narrowing. âWhat the hell happened? You were worshipped or something?â
âlong storyâŠâ Ace muttered, already rubbing the back of his neck, awkward again.
The islanders, seeing Marcoâs flames, bowed once more, shouting something in their language and clearly assuming he was some other deity.
You facepalmed. âPlease, letâs just go.â
Back on the ship.
You sat on the edge of the deck, wrapped in a dry blanket, the island slowly disappearing behind you. The crew had finally calmed down, laughing and poking fun as usual.
You and Ace sat together in silence again, both staring out at the horizon. Hands not touching. Not saying anything. The moment from before was still hanging between you, untouched and unspoken.
You shifted a bit closer, voice soft.
ââŠLetâs not tell the others.â
He blinked, looking your way, confused, maybe a bit disappointed too.
âNot now. Theyâd be annoying about it.â
Ace smirked, clearly amused. âYou mean Marco would never shut up about it.â
âAnd Thatch would probably throw a party.â
âAnd everyone wouldnât shut up about itâ
You nodded. âExactly.â
Another quiet beat passed before he leaned a little closer, brushing his shoulder against yours, not by accident this time.
âBut,â he said with a small smile, âweâre not pretending it didnât happen, right?â
You smiled back, heart skipping. âNo. Just⊠keeping it between us. For now.â
He looked out at the sea again, quietly. Looking up you stared at his face, mesmerized. Then you smiled putting one hand on his cheek, making him face you. Before leaning closer, giving him a quick kiss and immediately pulling back, pretending nothing happened just in case someone was nearby.
ââââââââââ-
Waayyy different writing style from what i used in the past but itâs been ages since i wrote a fanfic. Kinda tried to copy other writing styles







