Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

Chapter 37: Blind Desire

After they had finished eating, like Ace had promised, they took their departure from Lilac Island. Yami was a walking wreck by then, held upright solely by the prospect of getting away very soon.

She hadn't told Ace about what had happened when she had almost been killed, but mostly because she simply had forgotten in her tiredness. And she wasn't in a better mood now as she stumbled more than walked through the nightly town on their way to the raft.

Ace was mostly silent, and just this once she actually enjoyed it. He seemed to be thinking – well, duh. No easy stuff she had beaten him round the head with. He had taken it relatively calm in her opinion. If he had revealed to her that he had been set out to kill her, she would've punched him just because.

"Please don't tie me to the mast," she mumbled sleepily as they approached the pier where the little vehicle was moored. "I'll fall in."

"Yeah, just promise you won't stab me in my sleep," he replied dryly.

"Promise."

Ace let out a long sigh as he slowed down the raft, looking behind. Of course there was nothing but impenetrable darkness. They had left Lilac Island approximately one hour ago, and he had ensured that they get away as fast as possible. Which took its toll on him, sooner or later. So for now, he had to decelerate so as not to get too exhausted.

He looked down at the bundle on his lap. She had been fast asleep as soon as they had taken a comfortable position, and he took it as a strange compliment. Since she had really wanted to get away that much, and had seemed almost scared about it, he probably should feel flattered – since it meant nothing other than that she was at ease with him, and felt protected when he was with her.

But of course she would never admit something like that (yeah, she was independent and all, which automatically excluded any wish for protection), and perhaps it was only his fantasy and a few melatonin hormones too much for her, but he quite liked his own version of the story.

Also, on close contemplation, her explanation from before made him a bit too happy, somehow. "Because he was after you too, and he's the kind of bastard who strangles people in their sleep, and that I didn't want to risk," she had said, and didn't that, in a way, imply that she had fought for him? He certainly shouldn't bee so happy about this, because firstly, she could have had another intention in the first place; secondly, she might have said that only to appease him; and thirdly, he didn't need her to carry out his fights for him, certainly not.

But now as he was looking down onto her sleeping face, he couldn't help being happy about it. He hadn't often thought about girls and love and stuff, but in the few moments he had done it, his future girl had never been a coward, hiding behind him and dependent on his protection, and maybe (or rather, surely) that had been heavily influenced by his view on her as he had gotten to know her. Or, as he knew now, had gotten to fall in love with her.

It still wasn't easy to admit now. The thought that he, the free and unattached Portgas D. Ace, had taken such a step, and involuntarily, too … it was scary. Nobody had asked him for his opinion in this matter, because he certainly would have said No, loud and clear.

But that didn't change the fact that actually, he couldn't change anything.

They travelled through the night and the following day, and Yami slept through the whole time. Just when they finally reached the next island did she start to wake up, and only because Ace awoke her.

After exploring the island a bit, they found that it was actually quite big, unlike the ones they had been on before, though not as big as Alabasta. They spent the day wandering through forests and discovered two cities, before finally reaching a sandy beach which seemed perfect for Ace to train. Yami watched him from afar, leaning onto a tree trunk, and thought that it actually looked quite beautiful. Sometimes he seemed to dance with the flames, and the way the fire traced his movements only intensified the impression.

Soon she found herself wondering what fighting him would be like. Okay, apart from hot. And by watching him, she started to think about how to counter his movements. Evade, evade, disappear, get him from behind.

She idly asked herself who would win that fight. After all, he was way more dangerous than Dai, and she had only barely won against Dai, and only because …

… yeah, because of what? Sheer luck? Unrealistic. A higher power? Snort.

Even now she didn't know what had happened, and how. She only knew it had saved her life.

When the sun started to go down, Yami had enough. She was hungry, and they had wanted to check out the bars here anyway, to gather information about Teach's whereabouts. And she had gotten an idea of how to surprise him.

Standing up, she slowly walked towards where he was standing and sending a huge fire blast in the direction of the sea, panting heavily and sweating all over. Grinning, Yami positioned herself and stretched out both arms, crossing her flat hands over each other, palms pointing in Ace's direction.

Catching his curious glance, she giggled before shouting, "SHADOW FIRE!", sending a gust of wavering and flame-like shadows onto him.

"WAAAH!" Ace shouted, jumping back.

Yami almost cracked up with laughter as she saw him landing in the waves rolling softly onto the shore.

"Why you …!" he shouted but soon landed on his hands and knees, weakened by the seawater.

Yami was still laughing her ears off. "Haha, I didn't think it'd work so well," she giggled before finally taking pity and running down to offer him a hand while securely avoiding the oncoming waves.

He made an effort and took it, and she pulled him upwards and out of the water – only to meet his malicious grin a split second before being yanked down with him.

"KYAAAA!" she exclaimed as she, too, landed in the shallow waves in a loud splash. Panic flooded through her before she managed to prop herself up on her arms, spurting seawater.

She heard him snicker next to her and wanted to splash some water in his direction, but found that it was hard to even raise an arm.

"Bastaaaard!" she yelled, gathering her strength and swooping down on him.

He evaded only barely, laughing hard. "Come and get me, crazy girl," he taunted and made a dash for the sand – 'dash' meaning scrambling through the water slowly, which was as fast as he could in that situation.

"Oh no you don't!" she grinned, grabbing his leg and trying to pull him back.

After several minutes of playful fighting, they finally managed to climb onto dry ground again, both panting and exhausted.

"You brat," Ace mumbled, letting his arm fall onto her stomach as they lay on their backs next to each other on the beach.

"Right back at you," Yami smiled, giving a weak punch into his side. "And seawater sucks."

"Well, it was the decision we made," Ace said. "It's not like Devil Fruits get eaten by accident." He gave a snort. "Unless your name's Luffy and you just eat everything you get your hands on."

Yami giggled. "What, really?!"

"Really." He chuckled at the memory of his brother's story.

"Hmm-hmm." Yami stared up at the beautiful orange sky, thinking back to the moment when she herself had purposely changed her own life so drastically that there was no way of ever going back again. "How did you get yours?"

She saw him shrugging. "Found it hanging on a tree."

"Those things actually grow on trees?" Yami asked, surprised.

"Well, what do you think? That they're emerging from the sea?" Ace snorted. "How did you get yours, then?"

She closed her eyes. It would have been better not mentioning this, but she had started it. Partners, she reminded herself. "The crew I was with had found it somewhere, I don't know where. They didn't tell us children. And nobody dared to eat it, for fear of what could happen."

"So you ate it?"

"In a way." She smiled weakly. "Children are stupid."

"Yeah." He gave her a quick glance from the side, as if he sensed that she wasn't telling him everything, but said nothing, for which she was glad.

Back in one of the cities they had passed through, they immediately found a bar and made themselves comfortable.

"What's that?" Ace asked the barkeeper, pointing at a strangely blue drink in front of another customer, who was chatting vividly with who seemed to be his girlfriend.

The young man grinned. "This is this island's speciality," he said.

Ace shrugged. "Then two of those, please."

"Hey, you didn't even ask me!" Yami complained, but Ace waved it off.

"I know you're curious as hell, so stop pretending that you're not dying to find out how it tastes."

Damn, he knows me, Yami thought and pouted. When did he learn that?

While Ace interviewed the barkeeper about Teach and ordered their food, Yami took a seat in the corner and watched the people in the bar. When he came after her with the drinks, he looked disappointed. "Couldn't tell me anything," he sighed. "Let's go to the other town tomorrow. He had to pass here at some point, so there has to be somebody knowing something."

"Well, at least you know you're on the right track," Yami stated and toasted him. "There's just this one way here." Taking a sip of the drink, her face contorted into a grimace immediately. She gulped and put her hand onto her mouth. "Ewwww!" she uttered when she was able to speak again, and looked at Ace, who seemed rather amused. "That's awful! Don't drink that!"

Ace shrugged and took a sip now himself. "Why? It's good!"

"Then you can have that, too," she said, shoving her drink towards him. "Ewww."

They discussed how to proceed now, and came to the conclusion that it would be for the best if they now found themselves a place to stay for the night and went on to the next city the next day. If there was also nobody knowing about Blackbeard, they could just sail on.

Ace really drank both of the cocktails, and even ordered a third. The barkeeper, however, started to frown. "Okay, one more, but two is really the limit," he mumbled, and Ace and Yami looked at each other in confusion.

"Doesn't taste like there's so much hard stuff in there," Ace snorted as the guy had disappeared behind the counter again, and Yami nodded.

"Don't know what he's on about either. And didn't he see you've already had two?"

"Don't tell him. That stuff tastes really good."

Yami shrugged and dug in her plate generously filled with rice and salmon. She would keep to her sake, that was for certain.

After their meals, she leaned back contentedly. "What about playing cards or so? Perhaps we could encourage some of those people to a game or two …"

"Mmh." Ace yawned. "Do that without me. I'm tired, I think I'll go now."

"You what?" she asked incredulously. "What's with you so suddenly?"

He shrugged. "Narcolepsy?"

"As if your narcolepsy needed to give any warning in advance, cowboy. You should know better."

"Well excuse me, but just for you to remember, it was me who kept himself awake the whole night, while a certain someone was sleeping soundly," he huffed, seeming a bit annoyed now. "And snoring, by the way."

"I don't snore," Yami pouted. "Fine. I'll go with you. We have to find a hotel together anyway. But I'll go back after that."

When they quitted the bar, the young man behind the counter waved after them, grinning. "Have fun!"

Yami frowned back, but then they were already out and she shrugged it off. Strange fellow. "I think I've seen a hotel as we passed that street there today," she announced and started walking in the appointed direction. Ace followed her, but he seemed really tired, almost unable to keep her pace. And she didn't walk fast there.

After five more minutes, he stumbled over his own feet. "Hey!" Yami said, grabbing his arm. "Cowboy, are you okay?" She looked at him worriedly, and at first he didn't react. His head was bent down, and when he lifted it slowly, he was staring at her hand on his arm as if he had never seen such a thing. "Cowboy …?" Yami asked and took her other hand up to give him a slight slap on the cheek, just in case he was already falling asleep here and now.

A gasp left her mouth when her eyes met his.

Blue.

They were blue.

But she didn't have much time to think about it. It was a matter of seconds: in one moment, she was standing there, her hand raised half-way to his face, the other on his arm, staring incredulously.

And in the next, she found herself grabbed fiercely and shoved against the next house wall, and none too gently, with her hands pinned down against the rough façade above her head. "Ooouch! What the …!" she managed to gasp as she stared at him and his strange blue gaze wide-eyed, only one second before his lips crashed down onto hers, and her head hit the wall hard. "Mhmmf!"

She couldn't believe what was happening. Was that really … Was he really just … kissing her? Well, attacking was the better word here, anyway. Keeping her unable to move with his body pressing up against hers, almost crushing her against the hard wall, his mouth savaged hers in a fierce onslaught that couldn't be called 'kiss' anymore.

She simply didn't get it. Had she lost her brain somewhere on the way? Because just now, it was as empty as a sieve. She could only stare into nothing as his tongue pushed its way through her lips wide open with surprise, and the hand that didn't hold hers slipped beneath her shirt, making its way upwards.

When he grabbed her right breast, squeezing hard, Yami cried out into his mouth, and managed to yank her head away from him. "Ouch! What the hell! What the hell, cowboy! Leave it! L…hmmmf!"

His mouth was on hers again, taking her words and her breath. She could only gape at him – was that really him? – as his hand was suddenly behind her, sliding lower until it rested on her butt, pushing her against him. And for the first time, she noticed that there was something there that shouldn't be, something he had always carefully hidden from her in the mornings. Oh … Oh! And she realised that he was freakin serious about this.

"Ouch! Dammit, OUCH! Cowboy … no, please … this isn't the right time!" she panted as soon as he took his mouth off hers. He let her hands go, to use both of his to take her up against him, and she involuntarily wrapped her legs around his thighs.

He was staring down at her, and she saw the raw desire in his eyes. If they hadn't been blue and glowing uncannily, this would have been the moment where she would have given in, no matter how much her shoulder was aching and throbbing under that rough attack of his.

But even through the heat that had come up inside her, even through her own awakening desires and the wish to throw reason overboard and just go with the flow – she knew that something wasn't right.

"Please, cowboy," she whispered breathlessly. "Please don't. You're hurting me. Seriously."

He only growled in response, and then she knew that he had lost it. And that this was definitely wrong. She wanted him, of course she did, she had wanted him all along, but not like this. Not with him in a delirious state where he didn't notice anything anymore. Because that was how it was – she didn't think him the type of guy who'd purposely and seriously hurt the girl he wanted to sleep with.

It wasn't she who had lost her brain somewhere along the way – it was he.

"Go on and you'll make this a rape," she whispered, looking at him intently. "Please don't. Portgas, please don't."

But instead of letting her go, he bent down to continue with assailing her neck, biting down, sucking and licking the sensitive skin. It really did hurt – he was rough and didn't care about her injury. And despite the various shivers that were running down her spine, she could still think clearly now, and she knew what she had to do.

Transforming in a split second, she swooshed behind him, and before he could even grasp that she wasn't where she had been before, she struck out and crashed him into the wall face-first. He gave an agonised moan before sliding down the wall and landing on the floor, out cold.

Yami panted heavily. Her hand still raised, she watched his slumped form until she was sure that he was knocked out. "Sorry, cowboy," she muttered silently, "but I'm not gonna be raped by anybody, not even you."

Author's note: … and once again I'm a little bitch. I'm sorry! But I just love these cliffies :-P

Coming up:

Yami face-palmed. "Seriously. You should stop thinking, man. Do I look to you like I'm fucking shy?" – haha, I love that sentence …

A loud crash made her jump with fright, and the brush fell to the floor with a clattering sound. – uh-oh …

It was that little voice in the furthest back of her mind that reminded her of the absolute no-go-ness of this situation. She wanted to ignore it, but the bastard was persistent. – I'm still congratulating myself on the "conversation" that follows these sentences …