Full Summary:

Living in the city is a new thing for Ace. After being raised near a cozy coastal mountain town through his childhood, it's definitely a change of pace, but it doesn't help when he loses his new job after an unfortunate encounter with actor Marco Newgate. He just wants to live- and meet his long time pen pal, Phoenix.

Marco knows that being an actor is hard, so he takes the little things when he can: writing his pen pal (and honestly one of his best friends) Fire Fist, flirting with the cute new waiter at his favorite café- not that he has a chance after a disaster on social media. But maybe fate really does give him a second chance when Ace shows up at Four Emperor Studios...

Hey, all! I know I haven't written here in a while, but this was my story for OPBigBang 2019 and I'm just in the process of cross-posting this.

Thanks to my partner, majoraop on tumblr, for betareading and making art!

Dear Fire Fist,

Even though I end up traveling a lot, I haven't ever moved cities before. I can only

imagine how stressful it must be for you. The most I've moved is just into my own apartment, but my family is still a short drive away, well, depending on the traffic. I can't imagine being so far from them for so long, especially since I work with some of them. It's good that you'll be with your brothers. You'll at least have some sense of familiarity.

Grandine is such a big city, so it might seem overwhelming at first. But if you're ever in desperate need for a guide, you know where to find me. No pressure though. I don't want to force you to meet up with me.

I know you wanted me to wait until you finished moving before we started sending letters again, but I couldn't help myself. Happy anniversary. 7 years is a long time. Here's to many more.

Sincerely,

Phoenix

P.S. I took another picture for you. We went here for work, but it looks a lot nicer at night when you can see the whole city light up. It gets crowded then, but if you can, you should go at night.

"Well, Ace. Looks like you're good to go!"

Ace turned his attention back to his new manager. To be honest, his mind hadn't been much on his new job even after the final interview to confirm that he actually got the job. He had been thinking about Phoenix's letter all morning. "Thanks! So I can start on Monday then?"

"Yeah. Can't have you start on a busy weekend and fuck up or something."

Wow. The confidence levels are through the roof. He knew he had to grin and bear it though, so he just smiled as he took his new uniform. It came with a bow tie. He'd ask Sabo how to tie it later.

Ace was finally free of the café that had been much too warm inside. Thankfully, it was a perfect day: sunny, but with a cooling breeze. He considered going home, but the day was still young. Someone was about to pass by him to go into the café, but he stopped them.

"Excuse me, but do you know the best way to get to Starsea Park?"

The guy didn't even lower his sunglasses, but he answered Ace anyways. "It's the last stop on the L Train. There's a station a block from here on Red Street."

"Thanks!" Ace waved as he started walking towards the station (he barely heard the "No problem, yoi" from the stranger as he walked away).

The L train dropped him off in the middle of the city, right next to the archway entrance of Starsea Park. The smell of food immediately hit him as he entered, and his mouth watered when he spotted the countless food stalls lining the entrance.

"God I love this place."

He balanced a hot dog, a pretzel, and a pork bun in his arms as he walked through the park, glancing at the signs to find the location that Phoenix had photographed for him. Starsea Park: Ocean viewing patio he had written in beautiful cursive on the back of the polaroid.

"Huh. Well, I don't know what I expected." It wasn't the ocean (because of course they were in the middle of the city). The "Ocean" was just a shiny lake that reflected its surroundings like a mirror. He luckily found an empty seat to eat his snack, grumbling when people shoved past his chair to take pictures. Well, Phoenix did warn him that it would be crowded.

Yeah, it was definitely a tourist city, but now it was his. He had made it.

Ace honestly though he was going to live in the mountains his entire life, only coming down to help in his mother's flower shop or buy groceries.

That changed when Rouge decided that they needed to go to school.

Sabo and Luffy were certainly eager to start school. Sabo loved learning and Luffy was eager to make new friends. Ace had only agreed to it since he knew it was a burden on Rouge to homeschool them, especially when she wanted to focus on her flower shop.

The commute to the nearby city of Goa was a definite pain in the ass, but even so, Ace and Sabo started as freshman while Luffy entered middle school.

Things went south when Ace found out that he and Sabo were in different classes, which was to say that things went south immediately.

"You didn't want to come take the placement tests with me," Sabo sighed. "That's why they put you in standard classes."

Standard was pretty easy. Rouge had worked hard to teach them the basics, and Ace was far from stupid.

It was the other kids who were the problem.

A prissy kid with his shirt all tucked in staggered up to him on the first day. "You're one of those hick wolf boys who lives in the mountains right? Bark bark!" He laughed, but it didn't last long. Ace decked him in the face.

That first day principal's office visit set a precedent for his high school career.

Well, it would have if he hadn't met Phoenix.

Makino was the school guidance counselor. She was also a family friend, so it wasn't strange for her to visit them over the summer. He had just come home from spear-fishing in the river when she waved him over to join the conversation she was having with Rouge.

"There's this pen pal program that I think would be good for you, Ace," she had said. "You'll have a friend to talk to when you need one, and I'm hoping this can help you get along with others."

Ace snorted, crossing his arms as he slouched down in his chair. "That's dumb. Why do I have to write some stupid letter?"

But Rouge took his hand, squeezed it, and said, "Won't you at least try it, Ace? I want what's best for you and I think this would really help."

And so Ace sat at his desk that night, writing up a storm. Oh and a storm it was.

"Sincerely Fuck Off, Fire Fist. "

"Who the fuck signs a letter like that?" Sabo asked. Ace turned and lobbed an eraser at his head, but Sabo dodged as he rolled his eyes. "I mean, Fire Fist? Really?"

"It will scare him off, Sabo! You'll see."

Makino was in charge of finding him a partner and sending the first letter. Thankfully, she didn't read what he wrote before she sent it off. Not that it mattered. The other kid wasn't going to write back.

"Ace, you have a letter!" Rouge called. It had been a week, and she had picked up the mail on her way back from the flower shop. Ace hadn't bothered to actually check the mailbox himself since it was at the base of the mountain.

Rouge handed him the blue envelope since he was too stunned to take it from her himself. "The guy actually wrote back?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Why wouldn't he?"

"Haha. Nothing, Ma." And with that, Ace rushed up to his room before she could ask more questions. He tossed the envelope on to his desk and laid down on his bed. He couldn't believe that he had actually gotten a response. Getting a letter like that should have scared anyone off. They'd probably sent an equally nasty response back, so Ace didn't plan on opening it any time soon. A nap sounded nicer instead.

Ace only woke up when he felt someone sit on top of him. "Wow. I didn't think you'd actually get a letter back, Fire Fist ."

"Shuddap, Sabo," Ace groaned, still groggy after the rude awakening from his peaceful nap.

"It's probably a restraining order or something. Though, that's probably what you wanted, right?"

"I'm not gonna read it, so it doesn't matter."

Sabo didn't listen to him, which wasn't anything new:

" Dear Fire Fist (what an unfortunate name you were born with),

Nice try, kid. It's cute how you're trying to scare me with that attitude of yours, but I have siblings, so you don't scare me at all. Well, when I volunteered to become a penpal to some troubled brat, I didn't realize that I'd get the fiercest one of the bunch. You're interesting, kid.

I wonder why I even bothered to send this letter. It's not like you're going to write back anyways considering that attitude of yours. I've probably left you speechless for even writing to you. Well, I won't expect a response then.

Sincerely,

Phoenix"

If Ace wasn't awake before, he was now. "Ugh! Who do they think they are?" He shoved Sabo off his bed as he leapt up towards his desk. "Speechless? I'll show them."

"Uh, Ace?" Sabo said as Ace started to scribble his next letter furiously. But Ace was in the zone, ready to show Phoenix who was wrong. "Nevermind."

Once again, Phoenix's response came a week later. "He took his damn time," Ace grumbled as he tore open the envelope. But as soon as he read the first line, his face went red.

Sabo read over his shoulder then shrugged. "You know, I was trying to tell you that he was baiting you to write another letter."

Glad to see you're up to this then. I'm looking forward to talking with you.

Ace wasn't a stranger to walking places (they didn't have a car for a long time back home and they had to walk most places on the mountain anyways), but he was looking forward to just collapsing on the couch. It was his bed- thankfully a pull out- since they only had one bedroom, and Sabo needed the space more than he did.

"I'm home."

"Ah, welcome back, Fire Fist!"

Ace wasn't expecting someone to pull him into a hug as soon as he walked through the door, but Shanks wasn't someone who was very predictable.

"As you can see, Shanks decided to visit," Sabo said, looking up from his laptop.

"Of course! Couldn't wait to welcome my little nephews!"

"We're not little anymore, you know," Ace said, laughing when Shanks messed with his hair.

"But you'll still be those three brats to me."

Ace still remembered the first time that Shanks visited. As an aggressive 7-year-old, he didn't appreciate having a bunch of strangers in his home. He tried to attack Shanks from behind to try and scare him off, but Shanks caught him instead with a laugh. "Take me seriously!" Ace had yelled, and of course Rouge's scoldings to leave them alone didn't work.

He only let up once Shanks had saved Luffy's life, something Ace would always be grateful for. From that point on, Shanks had pretty much been their uncle. Admittedly, Shanks was pretty amazing. He didn't let losing an arm define him, and now he was a big name director at Four Emperor Studios.

But to them, he would always just be Shanks.

"Get off your laptop, Sabo! I'm taking you two to dinner. My treat!"

Rouge always told them to be humble and pay for their own food, but Shanks insisted (and it's not as if they could have afforded the meal where Shanks took them anyways).

"Shame that Anchor can't be here," Shanks said, sipping his beer. He didn't care about being subtle when it came to his favorite of the three of them, which was obviously Luffy. "How's he been? I haven't visited lately."

"He'll come to visit eventually." Luffy wanted to come with them right away, but there hadn't been enough room in the car (and besides, they didn't trust Luffy to take the train back alone). "But he's still a crybaby. Same old Lu."

"And how are my other two favorite nephews settling in?" He always thought it was amusing that they started calling him their uncle, even if he did say that he was too young for that. But once Luffy decided on it, it just stuck.

Sabo swallowed a bite of his steak. "We're your only other two nephews, Shanks."

He laughed. "Yeah, yeah! It's more fun to ask that way. And hey, your mom wanted me to check in when I can. So if you two ever need anything, you know who to call. Speaking of that, I have a job for you, Ace!"

Ace, who had been engrossed in seconds, froze. He loved his uncle, sure, but when he got ideas, they weren't always good (at least for some parties involved).

At least it wasn't hard to refuse. "I already have a job, you know."

"Eh, really?"

"Yeah. At that two-story café near Red Street."

He wasn't expecting Shanks to shoot him a smug grin at his answer. "Ah? You know they purposely hire eye candy boys there, right?"

Ace went red. Sabo snickered.

"The job offer still stands. I need to protect my nephew's innocence!"

"Oi! Don't say that!"

His words certainly didn't make Ace feel any better when his first customers were a group of giggling middle-aged women, but he had to grin and bear it to pay the bills, right?

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