Well, I decided to do another one of these prompt things, but I think this one came out much better. The lengths of these are varying.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or its characters.
1. Introduction
"This is Portgas D. Ace. He'll be working with you for the time being," one of the crewmen had said.
"But-"
"Captain's orders."
The young woman pouted, looking over the newest member of Whitebeard's crew. She stuck out her hand to shake in greeting.
"I'm Hotaru."
2. Love
She hadn't expected these feelings to develop for him, nor he for her. Well, they figured, some things just happen.
3. Light
"I can't find my bag," Hotaru muttered as she groped through the room as dark as the pitch on the ship. "That has our map in it."
A flame ignited only inches from her face, on the tip of Ace's index finger, and she leapt back with a scream. He could only laugh as she punched his shoulder for scaring her.
4. Dark
She had never been a fan of the dark—didn't like being unable to see what was around her—but she felt it was more bearable when Ace was with her.
5. Seeking Solace
It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was worried about his clumsy little brother, but Hotaru knew better than to question him about it. If he wanted to talk, he'd seek her out.
6. Break Away
They were both loyal to Captain Whitebeard, to a fault even. When Marshall D. Teach broke away from the crew, they both volunteered to hunt him down; Ace was chosen for the job.
7. Heaven
She didn't know if Ace had believed in a Heaven or Hell. When he died, she prayed he'd gone to the former.
8. Innocence
"I thought a lady wasn't supposed to speak like that," Ace commented loosely. Hotaru scoffed in response.
"I'm a pirate. All sense of innocence of my mind has been long gone."
9. Drive
Ace's determination in a fight never ceased to amaze her, and she often wondered what kept him going.
10. Breathe Again
"You narcoleptic idiot!" Hotaru yelled as she pressed against Ace's chest repeatedly, trying to force the water from his lungs. It wasn't the first time he had fallen asleep and into the sea, and she feared it wouldn't be the last. As she forced more air into his lungs, he coughed up the water and sat up.
"What's the worried look for?" Ace asked, glancing around. Hotaru hit him upside the head with a muttered, "Idiot."
11. Memory
Ace still remembered the first time he saw Hotaru, before they were introduced. She had run out of the galley with a grin on her face and one of the chefs hot on her heels. In her hand had been a piece of cooked meat that she had stolen when the chefs weren't looking. It was in that moment that Ace figured he would actually enjoy being part of this crew he'd joined.
12. Insanity
Hotaru often wondered how the Spade Pirates had put up with a captain that fell asleep at the most inopportune moments. She was surprised none of them had lost their sanity.
13. Misfortune
"You lost the map?!" Hotaru asked incredulously.
"I didn't lose it. The wind blew it out of my hands," Ace answered in his defense.
"What unlucky star was I born under to deserve this?"
14. Smile
Hotaru would always mentally curse that damned smile of his that never ceased to make her weak in the knees.
15. Silence
Neither of them said anything as they watched the waves lapping against the hull of the ship. At that moment, they were content to just be there, and listen to the ocean. It was the closest thing to silence they would ever have.
16. Questioning
"You said your brother was curious. How bad, exactly?" Hotaru asked.
"Hmmm… Like, you, but twice as much," Ace answered after a moment.
"And just what's that supposed to mean about me?" Ace merely laughed in response.
17. Blood
His blood on the battlefield had sent her into a state of shock. Ace couldn't lose. He was too strong for that. She closed her eyes against the tears forming at the idea of Ace dying.
18. Rainbow
"You know what they say: sometimes to see the rainbow, you have to weather the storm."
"… That's a stupid saying."
19. Gray
Their roles on the ship were clearly defined: black and white. Beyond those roles, things got a little less defined.
20. Fortitude
Ace had to admit, Hotaru was braver than most women he'd met. Hell, she'd dived into the ocean to save his sleeping ass within an hour of meeting him.
21. Vacation
"Ace, wake up!"
"Wha?" he asked groggily.
"You're not on vacation. Do your job!"
22. Mother Nature
If there wasn't a God, then Ace was sure Mother Nature had it in for him. How else could this woman be so damn distracting?
23. Cat
Ace watched as Hotaru stretched out in the sun to enjoy the moment of peace she had, however brief it was. He couldn't help but think her name didn't suit her very well. She was more like a cat than she was a firefly.
24. No Time
"I'll have this fixed in no time at all."
"That's what you said last time, Ace."
25. Trouble Lurking
Her heart began to speed up as her eyes darted around her. Where the hell was he?! Hotaru's feet pounded on the wooden boards beneath her as she ran through the corridors of the ship. Her breathing became labored as she slowed to a stop, searching frantically for any signs of an attacker.
In the next moment, she was tackled to the floor with a pair of strong arms around her. She couldn't speak for a moment, until recognition hit her.
"Damn it, Ace! Stop sneaking up on me!"
26. Tears
Hotaru wasn't one to cry easily; Ace knew this. When he saw the tears flowing freely down her face when he came back from a battle that had brought him to the brink of death, he finally understood how strongly she felt for him.
27. Foreign
"What do you suppose this is?" Hotaru asked as she turned the strange glass object upside down.
"Dunno, but we found it on that other ship. It's ours now."
28. Sorrow
Not once had Hotaru seen Ace cry. He simply didn't dwell on the past, so it could never bring him the sadness it would to other people.
29. Happiness
Hotaru watched Ace as he fought, taking notice of the grin that adorned his features. As rumored of those with the Will of D, he seemed to be happiest when in the midst of a good fight.
30. Under the Rain
The weather in the Grand Line was unpredictable, but there was one thing Ace was sure of: when it rained, it rained hard. He watched from the doorway of the galley as Hotaru ran onto the open deck and spun in circles beneath the pelting rain.
"You'll catch a cold," he warned loosely, though he knew that wouldn't deter her. Hotaru grinned and ran towards him, grabbing his arm. She dragged him into the downpour with her.
"Not when I've got someone warm with me," she answered.
31. Flowers
Ace had always figured Hotaru didn't care for flowers. That was, until the day he knocked a particularly thick book from one of her shelves and found dozens of pressed flowers within the pages.
32. Night
His narcolepsy only seemed to worsen after joining Whitebeard's crew. With her around, he certainly couldn't sleep at night.
33. Expectations
Hotaru wasn't sure what to expect when she'd been told Ace had gotten into a fight in the port town. She surely hadn't thought she'd see him with a wide grin and a shiner on one eye.
"You do this for fun, don't you?" she muttered.
34. Stars
They both sat on the open deck, backs against each other's, and stared up at the glittering stars above in silence.
35. Hold My Hand
Ace realized Hotaru had an irrational fear of serpents when she screamed and squeezed his hand tightly upon seeing a boa constrictor in their path.
"Kill it!"
36. Sex
"Well, I guess it's time to face the fact that our little firefly has grown up," a member of the crew murmured after hearing a particular noise through the wall behind him.
37. Eyes
Hotaru knew that a glare from Ace could send even the strongest of men running, but she wasn't bothered. She had seen those eyes soften in an instant when she was near.
38. Abandoned
Neither of them had had any real parents. Edward Newgate had been the closest thing to a parent to them. Perhaps it was that knowledge of the feeling of abandonment that kept them from arguing needlessly with each other.
39. Dreams
"Have a good nap?" she asked in an irritated tone.
"Yeah. You were in it."
"Really? How so?"
"You got stuck doing kitchen duty with me," he lied. Hotaru rolled her eyes and walked away, leaving Ace to return to his dreams.
40. Rated
"Don't forget, you still owe me. Two weeks worth of the menial jobs," Hotaru said.
"Two weeks? I thought it was only one."
"You forget about interest."
41. Teamwork
Hotaru stood on her toes, trying to reach the pans hanging from the ceiling. They were completely out of her reach, which was why she hated having kitchen duty. Seeing her plight, Ace crouched behind her and dipped his head between Hotaru's legs to lift her up on his shoulders. She squeaked in surprise before mumbling a "thank you" as she grabbed the pans she'd been reaching for.
42. Standing Still
"Don't move," Ace warned slowly as a giant snake slithered past Hotaru as she sat on a tree root. She froze in her place, immediately tensing.
"Roast it, now," she hissed.
43. Dying
Hotaru could only watch in horror as a large hole was punched through Ace's torso. She couldn't hear all of what was being said, but she could see the tears flowing from the pirate's eyes just before his life left him.
She screamed.
44. Two Roads
"Left or right?" he asked as they came to a fork in the road.
"How the hell should I know? You lost the map."
"I told you the wind blew it out of my hands!"
45. Illusion
There were some days when Hotaru was afraid to close her eyes, fearing she would open them again only to learn the man she loved was merely an illusion.
46. Family
They were part of the same crew. They were family, whether they liked it or not.
47. Creation
"I've never seen glass like this before. Where'd you get it?"
"I made it," he answered dismissively. Hotaru smiled fondly and kissed his cheek.
"Thank you."
48. Childhood
She was raised by a pirate captain; he was the bastard child of Gol D. Roger. Was it any wonder they became pirates?
49. Stripes
Hotaru could only laugh as Ace noticed the tiger-stripes that she had painted on him as he had slept.
50. Breaking the Rules
"You're a pirate. Since when do you care about the rules?"
"I care about the captain's rules. He could very well kill us if we break them."
51. Sport
There wasn't much to do for recreation aboard a ship, so they often had to resort to less conventional means of entertainment: pestering the cooks.
52. Deep in Thought
As he stared off across the vast ocean, she couldn't help but wonder what was keeping Ace's mind so preoccupied.
53. Keeping a Secret
"Tell anyone about the snakes, and I'll kill you."
54. Tower
Hotaru had often seen Ace as a sturdy pillar. Where she was weak, he was strong. Where she would falter, he would stand firm. She could only pray that pillar would never crumble.
55. Waiting
She drummed her fingers impatiently on the bar. This was the third time he'd fallen asleep while she was speaking with him about a serious matter. There was a fist with his name on it when he awoke.
56. Danger Ahead
"It'll be fine. When have I steered you wrong?" he asked loosely.
"How about the last time we were in a port?"
57. Sacrifice
"I'd die for you, you know," she murmured one evening as they lay together in her bed. Ace frowned.
"Then I'll make sure you never have to."
58. Kick in the Head
"What the hell?!" Ace demanded as he was suddenly roused from his nap by something cracking against his skull. He looked over to see Hotaru holding her foot as she forced back a string a curses.
"I've been trying to wake you up for the past twenty minutes. Dammit! What is your head made of, iron?!"
59. No Way Out
"If we don't make it out of this," she started. He smirked, anticipating where this was going.
'Didn't know she cared so much,' he mused jokingly. Hotaru gripped the metal staff that was her preferred weapon tightly, taking a deep breath.
"If we don't make it out of this, I'll kick your ass on the other side."
60. Rejection
"Hey, Hotaru-"
"No. You're drunk and I'm not nearly drunk enough."
61. Fairy Tale
"You know," she mused, "they never have children's stories about a pyrokinetic prince."
"You're not exactly a princess," Ace answered, dodging the rock Hotaru threw at him.
62. Magic
Sparks flew behind her eyelids the first time he kissed her, and she wondered if magic truly existed.
63. Do Not Disturb
While Hotaru would often wake Ace from his spontaneous naps, he knew better than to bother her when she finally got a little rest.
64. Multitasking
Ace checked the map as he walked slowly along the path laid out before him. In the process of walking, he fell asleep and Hotaru watched as he fell to the ground. She rolled her eyes, knowing her job was to baby-sit as much as it was to aid in a fight.
65. Horror
Hotaru screamed when she saw Ace die. It was like her worse nightmare had come into being.
66. Traps
"Hold still," Ace warned and Hotaru stopped mid-step, one foot still in the air.
"What now?" she asked, somewhat irritably. Ace pointed down and Hotaru could see a trip-wire just beneath her raised foot.
67. Playing the Melody
Hotaru wasn't a musical person, but she sat at the piano of the bar anyway. She could only play the melody of one song with her right hand, but Ace thought it wasn't half-bad.
68. Hero
"I don't believe in mythological heroes. We do for ourselves."
He smirked. "I knew we'd get along."
69. Annoyance
"Ace."
"Hmmm?"
"Where do you think we should go from here?" There was only silence, which unnerved Hotaru greatly. After a tense moment, she turned her head to see that Ace had fallen asleep… again. "Idiot."
70. 67%
Hotaru figured Ace was asleep a third of the time she saw him, but there certainly wasn't a dull moment in the other two-thirds.
71. Obsession
After Ace had joined Whitebeard's crew, Hotaru began to realize a newfound fascination with flames.
72. Mischief Managed
"I could've handled that myself," she muttered with a pout on her lips.
"Not without wrecking everything in the bar."
73. I Can't
"Next time you tell me you can't do something because you're too tired, I'll give you a reason to be tired."
"What if I fall asleep on the job?"
"Then I'll get your sleepy ass to do it when you wake up."
74. Are You Challenging Me?
Hotaru placed her hands on her hips and stared up into Ace's eyes—damn his height! He was new to Whitebeard's crew and, technically, had to listen to her. Yet here he was, challenging her authority aboard this ship.
75. Mirror
"That's seven years bad luck," she said as she stared at the shattered mirror on the floor.
"But it was your mirror."
"But you broke it. It's on you." As Hotaru left the room, a chef tripped and spilled a bowl of scraps on her.
"Still say it's on me?" Ace asked.
"Shut the hell up."
76. Broken Pieces
"You broke the mirror, you clean it up!"
77. Hands
He had rough, calloused hands from years of fighting, but they always seemed so much softer when he touched her skin.
78. Drink
Ace had to admit, he was surprised by the amount of alcohol Hotaru could handle. Not extraordinary, but certainly admirable. He wondered how much longer she could go before losing all sense of judgment.
79. Starvation
"How can you be starving? You ate a tavern out of its entire food supply!"
80. Words
There were a million words going through Hotaru's mind that she could say to Ace before he left on his search for Blackbeard. The only ones that would come from her lips were:
"Don't die out there."
81. Pen and Paper
Ace had found a dozen pieces of paper that were meant to be hidden in Hotaru's room. All of them had been scribbled on, as though she couldn't find the right words on her mind. There was a reoccurring phrase in all of them. I love you.
82. Can You Hear Me?
Hotaru gripped his old hat tightly in her hands, tears brimming in her eyes.
"I miss you, you narcoleptic idiot…"
83. Heal
She could only watch helplessly as Ace's wounds were treated, wishing she knew more than the basic healing techniques.
84. Out Cold
"For God's sake, wake up!"
85. Spiral
Ace figured his life had begun to spiral out of control the day he let Hotaru get a hold of him.
86. Seeing Red
"I can handle this myself!" Hotaru protested, grabbing Ace's wrist. He glanced at her battered and bruised form, and the scowl on his lips only deepened. Ace pulled his hand away from her and released a raging inferno on the crew that had ambushed the young woman.
87. Home
Home was where the heart was, as the saying went. They both agreed their home was within Whitebeard's crew.
88. Pain
Hotaru knew that no pain she could ever feel would compare to what Ace felt as he was killed.
89. Through the Fire
Ace grabbed Hotaru and carried her over his shoulder as he walked through the flames he had created. She pounded on his back, tears trickling from her eyes.
"You didn't have to save me, you idiot!" she yelled. "I took care of myself just fine before you came along. I don't need you to be saving me every time a few enemy pirates decide to come after me!" Ace didn't say anything. He knew it was the closest thing to a 'thank you' he'd get from her for this action.
90. Name
The crew had always picked on Hotaru for the meaning of her name. It only grew worse when Ace had joined: the firefly and the Fire Fist.
91. Drowning
"How many times have I saved your ass from drowning?"
"Who's keeping score?"
"This is the thirty-sixth time," someone piped in.
92. All That I Have
Hotaru sobbed that night, after losing her lover and her father-figure. She'd lost everything.
93. Give Up
"If you really want to give up, fine!" he yelled. "But don't expect me to help you next time."
"I never asked for your help in the first place!"
94. Last Hope
Sitting in the cell in Impel Down, Ace could only hope his bumbling kid brother wouldn't come to his rescue, and that Hotaru wouldn't find out about his execution until it was too late for her to endanger herself and the crew.
95. Advertisement
"Bleh! That tastes disgusting!"
"It's called false-advertisement. Happens all the time."
96. In The Storm
"Told you you'd catch a cold," he said, knowing fully well that he was walking into another kind of storm.
97. Hell
Whenever Hotaru saw the flames Ace created, she wondered if they were comparable to the Fires of Hell. She figured they must have been hell for anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in them.
98. Puzzle
Ace watched as Hotaru toyed with the strange metal rings that made a mental game. She was quickly growing frustrated with them and he could only chuckle.
"You think you're so funny, huh? You try it," she said and tossed the puzzle to him. After a few minutes, Ace had the rings free from each other and threw them back to her individually.
99. Solitude
She had lost her lover, her father, and her crew… She was now truly alone.
100. Relaxation
Ace leaned back and closed his eyes under the soothing touch of Hotaru playing with his hair. It was easy to relax when she actually wanted him to fall asleep, rather than induced by his narcoleptic tendencies.
Please review and let me know what you thought. :)