Heya everyone! So I'm going to cover a lot in this introduction just so everyone is updated! So first off this is the last story before the tourney! This is an AceXVivi story requested by AdamantiumKinesis (I had to check three times to make sure I spelt that right). I hope you like it my dear! There isn't much for this pairing, but there is is actually pretty adorable. Plus I've been in a romantic mood because I've been playing Mystic Messenger, Norn9 Vars Common, and replaying Code: Realize! OH~ I just can't get enough.
The deadline for the requesting is at Midnight between the 12th and 13th Saturday and Sunday! If you haven't heard of the tourney it is basically something I'm doing to fill in the last 16 slots to make 100 story chapters! In one of my chapters there is an informational one that states the rule on what needs to be done to be eligible to be in the tourney. You are allowed to enter more than once, but each individual request is separate and not all requests will make it, obviously. The way to get in is to impress me with your idea basically.
I will take a week to go through all the ideas and conjure up the list of who the last 16 are. And just to verify, I will then take a week after that to right the first story in the list. So all in all the next story won't be for two weeks! I know for those in America this is hard time for some due to the presidential election and the results. So hopefully this story will at least help ease the troubles around you a bit. ^.^ LOVE YOU ALL!
His flames were mesmerizing. When Vivi first saw him when he stopped Smoker and his Marines from capturing all of the Straw Hat crew and herself. His flames stopped the smoke from reaching them, rising into the air like wings. Vivi couldn't stop her eyes from watching them shoot up into the air, swirling around in a way that left her in awe. She almost didn't hear Luffy when he shouted towards them that he was his brother. The fire that erupted around him in that instant when he saved them was burned into her memory, no pun intended. The way that licked the air around him really did seem like wings that protected not only him but the area around them. It reminded Vivi of the story of the Phoenix that her father used to tell her about. A bird that was made of fire and wouldn't truly die. It wasn't that it was immortal, but once it passed, it would be born again from it's ashes. In Alabasta it was meant as a way to symbolize rebirth and life. If you had regrets in your life it wasn't too late to rebirth yourself in a way and live again.
"Vivi?" Nami called out, making the blue haired princess snap out of her mesmerized trance of awe from the fire wings.
"What is it Nami-san?" Vivi asked, putting on a smile and looking at the navigator of the adventurous crew.
Nami placed a hand onto her hips and gave a small sigh and a shake of her head. "Honestly, zoning out at this time?"
Vivi let out a soft laugh, showing how guilty she felt for not hearing Nami speak to her in the first place. But she just couldn't get her mind off of that scene in her head. No matter how she tried to convince herself otherwise, she kept seeing those flamed wings on his back around the jolly roger of his captain. They learned his name was Ace and that he was Luffy's brother. He was on a mission in looking for someone who killed one of his own. He ended up staying with them on their short trip, trekking through the Alabasta desert towards a common direction for both of them.
"Water?"
Vivi snapped out of her thoughts again that were all over the place. It felt like she was spinning around in one spot and then suddenly stop, leaving her mind in a swirling vortex of muddled information. She looked over at Ace who was walking next to her holding a water bottle out. "What?" She asked, forgetting what he had just asked her from the intense heat that was pouring down on her.
He gave a soft smile and twisted the cap off, before handing it over to her again. "Drink. You're going to over heat at this rate."
Vivi touched her forehead, feeling how hot it was and realizing she must have not been protecting herself enough. Even if she grew up in Alabasta, the heat was still intense enough to kill a person. She took the water bottle gently and gave a nod of thanks before drinking. "What about you? You seem fine."
Ace smirked and held up his hand, lighting up each one of his fingers one by one as if the fire were dancing across the tips. "I don't get hot or cold ever since I ate the Mera Mera No Mi. Pretty handy actually."
"That would be nice in this kind of place." She sighed, looking up at the pounding sun that was relentless today on them.
Life with Luffy and his crew was always fun, but now with Ace there to join them Vivi felt somewhat more relived because now there was more of an adult figure for them. It wasn't that they didn't have someone to reign them in, it's just…..Nami had a habit of letting her anger get the best of her towards the guys' antics. She saw the way Ace watched over Luffy, like a big brother or protector would. It was gentle, and yet stern….she could tell he really cared for Luffy. Soon their adventurous went towards different paths for the brothers, and they had to say goodbye. Vivi wished she would have been able to see those wings one more time…
"Princess Vivi!" Pell shouted, rushing up to her bedroom door out of breathe.
"What's wrong Pell?" Vivi asked with a carefree smile on her face. No longer was she in the clothes such as pants and a t-shirt. She now had to wear formal dresses of the sort to keep up her princess appearance towards the citizens under their rule.
"Igaram is going crazy over a male pirate who says he is a friend of yours!" Pell explained, more worried about the man than for Igaram. The attendant had a habit of over exaggerating his emotions when he thought Vivi was involved. "Can you please calm him down?"
"Male pirate? Is it someone from Luffy's crew?!" Her excitement sky rocketed at the thought of seeing her friends once more, and instantly she was off her bed and running out of the door. She didn't give Pell a chance to either agree with her nor disagree, her excitement was now bubbling over and carrying her feet faster and faster down the hallway. You could hear her heels clacking against the floor, echoing passed all the doors in the corridor.
"It wasn't one of those men from the Straw Hat crew Vivi-sama." Pell said finally catching up to her with his speed. This made Vivi slow down until she finally stopped and the echoes along with her. The excitement that had built up before had suddenly disappeared, followed by disappointment that dropped her heart into her stomach. "We don't know who the man is, but he swears he knows you and wants to verify that you are alright."
Vivi dropped her shoulders wanting to argue against seeing this man now that she knew it wasn't Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, or Luffy, but she also knew it would be rude if she just turned him away. It was probably someone falsifying this just to catch a glimpse of her. She let out a sigh and stood back up, gaining her composure. "Alright. I'll see him still." Pell gave a nod of approval and led her towards the entrance way. Closer and closer they grew towards the room, and the closer they did the louder Igaram's voice could be heard shouting at the stranger and telling him to leave. Obviously the man had been telling Igaram no in his facial expressions or something of the like because it only made Igaram get louder and louder.
"Get out of this palace right now you miscreant! Princess Vivi is not associated with any dirty pirate!" Igaram shouted at him, pointing a finger towards the door. He didn't mean any harm by the words, but the Straw Hat crew left quietly for the exact reason of not associating themselves with Vivi's royal status. It would cause the Marine's to become suspicious of her and put this country under chaos again.
"IGARAM!" Vivi's voice cut through the air like a knife, shocking everyone around who could hear. She was angry that he would say wuch a thing, even if it was meant to protect her from harm. That was going too far. "That is no way to speak to a guest."
"But Princess Vivi!" Igaram had desperation in his voice, trying to get Vivi to see his reasoning for saying such things. The last thing he wanted was to make Vivi angry at him, which he seemed to actually do quite often.
"Igaram." Her voice was strict and stern, making a shiver go down his spine. She held her hand up and waved it to the side, telling him silently to move aside so she could see her guest. But as Igaram bowed his head in defeat and moved to the side, she sucked in a gasp, her hand dropping in shock from whom she saw.
There stood Ace with a beaming smile on his face and his bright orange hat resting on his dark wavy locks. The freckles on his face seemed to stick out more in the castles light than they did in the sun. Her mind instantly went back to the flamed wings she saw when he first bumped into them, and her heart that had before dropped to her stomach in disappointment, was now jumping into her throat in nervousness. What was he doing here?
"Yo! It's really you huh?" He said, tipping two fingers from his forehead outward. He took his hat off his head and let it fall backwards to his back. Trying to be polite in her presence. "Oh! Sorry." He bowed gently to her, letting his head drop lower than hers like he thought was the polite thing to do for royalty. "Forgive my intrusion. I saw the news of the kingdom in the paper and thought I saw you in the background and knew the habits of my younger brother and dragging people into trouble." He stood back up, this time giving an apologetic smile towards her. "I hope Luffy didn't cause to much damage towards your kingdom. I'd gladly take the repercussions of it."
Igaram's jaw dropped in utter shock at his polite behavior, questioning if this man before him was truly a pirate like he said. There was no way a pirate had manners like this, but from the smile that was spreading across Vivi's face, this must have been his normal attitude. Vivi quickly jogged up to him, bowing back to him as a way of respect and a greeting.
"Its good to see you are well!" She said happily, waving off his guilt of Luffy's excitable nature. She gave a small shake of her head when he tried to speak again. "Really. What Luffy has done has fully repaid anything that was harmed in the process. Buildings and roads we can build again, lives we cannot."
Ace shut his mouth slowly, a smile of surrender cracking his face instead. A small laugh echoed out of him and he reached out towards Vivi, patting her head gently like he would Luffy before letting his hand rub down the side of her head and let go. It was a way of him putting her at ease and thanking her, but it didn't stop him from seeing the blush that erupted on her cheeks and caused them to turn into cherries. This made his own cheeks turned red at the sight and he instantly clamped his hand onto the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Sorry. I forget that treating girls is different from little brothers." He said. "I guess that's one thing I need to brush up on in manners."
"That's right. Luffy said you learned all your manners because you wanted to be a respectable older brother and to thank….what's his name…Shanks? The one who gave Luffy his hat!" She pointed to the top of her head, signaling the object she was trying to explain. Ace nodded his head, feeling slightly embarrassed that Luffy told them all that. "But…it's fine how you are. You don't need to change." She gave a small laugh to him with her cheeks red. She felt like the flames he controlled were burning her cheeks the more he looked at her and the closer she got to him. And yet she wanted to get closer. She wasn't scared of these flames of his.
"A friend of Vivi's?" Everyone in the reception room turned towards the new voice to see Vivi's father, Cobra, standing there with a carefree and welcoming smile of his own. "Please! Stay her for awhile then to rest up! Anyone who is a friend of Vivi's and a family member of Luffy's is welcome here!"
"But your majesty! If the Marine's find out we sheltered a pirate….!" Igaram argued, turning angry eyes on the King who was known to act on impulse occasionally as well.
Cobra held up his hand to stop Igaram. "He is a guest in need whom we believe is a traveler. What can they be mad at us for?"
Igaram dropped his shoulders in defeat and let out a deep sigh, giving up on the father daughter pair who acted so much alike it was tiring on his old body. He ended up showing Ace a room he could stay in for the time being and a few other places around the castle that he'd be able to visit for food and entertainment.
Vivi spotted Ace a few days later in the courtyard, doing some kind of training that must help with his concentration. Occasionally he let the flames lick from his fingers into the open air like they were hungry animals desperate for the oxygen. She leaned her arms against the open sill of the glassless window and watched his movements with fascination. Every time the flames leaked from his fingers she felt like the temperature around her got warmer. Maybe he did this so he could control the wild flames better? She couldn't help but stare at the Jolly Roger on his back and imagine the flames that would surround it like wings.
"It'd be a lot easier to watch if you just joined me down here." Ace spoke up suddenly, turning his head slightly and looking at her from the corner of his eye. Vivi felt her face explode in embarrassment at being caught. She ducked down below the window quickly, but she knew it was too late to hide from him. His laughter only agreed to that. She breathed out deeply, trying to compose herself before standing back up. He waved to her to come down, and though she argued against it, her feet were already taking her there. She ended up leading herself down to the courtyard to a bench. She fidgeted in place, feeling embarrassed not only for being caught, but for actually coming down here to watch him. "You seemed to be watching me but at the same time imagining something." He raised his eyebrows in a teasing way. "Is the dear princess thinking dirty thoughts?"
Vivi's face turned even more red at the tease. "I am NOT!" She shouted, clenching her fists and stamping a foot down in stubbornness. She really wasn't thinking bad thoughts…..she was just…transfixed….on his bare…..on his bare back…..She felt her face get even hotter as she thought through what she had been doing. "I was…..! I was just….!" Her mind flashed around for an answer that didn't make her seem like a total pervert in the mind. "I was just wanting to see your wings!"
"Wings?" He asked, tilting his head and facing her with his arms crossed.
Vivi felt her throat constrict with her embarrassment, which was now off the charts. She pointed an unsteady hand at him, her pointer finger directed towards his back with the Jolly Roger. "The…..the flame wings."
Ace quirked an eyebrow and tilted his head at her, still confused on what she was referring to that had to do with him. Of course he could control fire, but he never had wings. The one with flame wings was Marco, his crewmate, and he's never made anything like that. "I'm sorry. I don't know what you are talking about."
Vivi shook her head and waved a hand quickly in front of her in apology. "I'm sorry. I know I'm not making any sense huh?" She swallowed and breathed in and out repeatedly, hoping to tamper this heat down again. "I just like looking at your flames."
"Oh! Is that all?" He smiled proudly and held out his hand, letting the small flame jump from one finger to the next in a dance again. Her eyes trailed behind the flame with concentration, purely amazed and awestruck by the sight of it. It made Ace feel proud of his ability to control these flames if he could impress her so much. The flame on his finger multiplied to each finger before erupting into a ball of flames in his hand. This made Vivi jump, but still her eyes were transfixed upon the flames like they were something new to her. Ace smiled again and let the flames burst around him completely, thought Vivi jumped, she made no move to step away, instead she stared at him with the light of his flames shining in her wide eyes. It was as if she were looking into him deeply and not just at the flames surrounding him. It made Ace feel self conscious and embarrassed, something he had never really felt before.
"Wings….." She muttered in a small whisper, but Ace was so focused on her he was able to decipher what she had uttered. He tried glancing behind him, but of course it wasn't like he'd really see anything. All he saw were the flames licking the air and swirling around him protectively, as if they were their own being, but obviously what Vivi saw were wings made from the flames. She watched him so intently it only made his cheeks turn hotter, and it wasn't from the flames he controlled. Vivi's mind told her she should back away from the searing heat from the flames and get somewhere safe, but her heart wasn't frightened and she ended up staying where she was and watching them dance around him like wings that exploded from his back. She wanted to touch these flames that showed hardship from a life Ace must have lived before. They showed the strength he had to have to work a new life in. Her foot took a step forward, ignoring the flames that flicked out everywhere. It was a deep feeling within Vivi that told her of the pain he went through, and watching him stand there in the flames no longer made her feel like he was protecting others, but like he was protecting himself from others. He was alone in there with no one to comfort him and it made her sad. Slowly she made her way forward, unbeknownst to Ace who was looking away to hide his red cheeks.
Ace however heard the small shuffle that was closer than it should have been. He saw Vivi stepping into the dangerous flames that could burn her, and it made him jump and panic. But his sudden emotional panic was like fuel to the flames and only made them stronger. "Oi! Stop! You'll get burned!" But she only smiled at him with not only her lips, but her eyes. It was a smile that told him she wasn't afraid. She walked through the flames as if it were nothing, as if they didn't burn and that scared Ace more and more. Never was he scared of his own power, but now he was scared, not for himself, but for her. Yet as she got closer, he noticed the flames did not touch her. They swirled around her as if they were going to burn her, only to glide by as if they were reassuring her of her courage. She took one final step towards Ace and the flames dispersed quickly from where she stepped and stood, giving her a spot in front of him where the fire came out from behind her. This time it was Ace's turn to stare in awe at the flames that seemed to gather and expand from her back, like wings that wanted to fly. She looked like a phoenix, a bright red phoenix, but different from Marco's look.
"I got you!" She said happily, arms reaching out towards him and wrapping around his abdomen in a gentle embrace. She seemed proud of herself for making it that far to him.
The flames around them dissipated, leaving Vivi standing there with her arms around Ace who was now bright red in embarrassment. But her skin pressed against his made it hot; a heat he hadn't felt before because of his devil fruit power. Vivi seemed to realize what she had automatically done and felt her heart leap out of her throat and into the air. She was about to jerk her arms away from him, but then suddenly his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her into the embrace even more. It was a strong embrace and yet gentle at the same time. She held her hands splayed open, trying to keep from touching him more than she already was.
"I'm sorry! I….I don't know what came over me!" She stuttered out, feeling embarrassed by her suddenly grabbing a man from out of nowhere.
"Thank you," Was all he whispered to her, breath gliding over her ear hotly.
Vivi felt the genuine thanks in his actions and not just in his voice. Her hands pressed down onto his bare back, feeling the smooth skin where the Jolly Roger should be. For a moment they just stood there in the gentle embrace, as if they had the communication already transferring between them without any words. Ace was the first to pull back slightly, making Vivi pull back as well and look at him with a smile. His eyes looked at her fiercely, boring into her as if reading her inside completely. His hands glided up to her face, cupping her cheeks gently. Slowly he dipped down to her lips, enveloping them with his own and cutting off any words she had.
Heat erupted between them, the kiss deepening as their heads moved from side to side and his tongue glided across her soft velvety lips. She wanted more heat. Her lips parted for him, letting his tongue slip into her mouth and move across the inside. It was as if he were testing every spot in her mouth, memorizing how it was and where everything was so he wouldn't forget.
"Nng!" She groaned, hands gripping his arms desperately for air that was needed. Her lungs burned at the need for the needed necessity, but she felt like the heat he was giving her was much more intense. It was something that reached to the depths within her, wrapping it's coiling flames inside of her and capturing her completely. "HAH!" She took in a deep breath automatically as a smacking sound echoed between them. Ace had pulled away from her and looked down at her with gentle eyes. His thumb swiped across her bottom lips, cleaning away any saliva that had escaped.
"Sorry…..I couldn't seem to control myself." He whispered to her, looking into her bright eyes that still looked up at him in awe. He let out a chuckle and shook his head. "If you keep looking at me like that I won't be able to stop myself again. I might just have to go farther…."
This snapped Vivi out of her trance and made her open and close her mouth like fish trying to get water. She pulled away and covered her face with her hands, not believing she actually did something like that, and yet not regretting it either. She liked how it felt and if anything she wanted more, but it was like a drug she had to be careful with.
"Vivi-sama!" Igaram shouted from somewhere in the castle, looking for the princess who had gone missing for a bit. "Where are you?!"
She sighed in defeat and looked back at Ace with an embarrassed smile. "Um…"
"I'll be waiting here…" He said simply, motioning towards the one lone tree they had in the small courtyard.
There didn't have to be anything else said between the two of them. Vivi nodded her head and smiled, before taking off towards her attendant that was getting louder by the minute without her answering him. She had to use the crisp air to somehow cool her cheeks and get her back to normal before Igaram noticed something… But the thought of meeting up with Ace again had her heart leaping out of her chest in excitement. She was more excited now about Ace than she was about seeing Luffy and the crew again. She wanted to see the wings again and be entrapped by his heat…..even if it was only for a short time.