one piece · portgas d ace · fire abilities · arranged marriage · tsundere · abusive · rough · protective · hidden affection · pirate
The kitchen lies in shadow, illuminated only by a solitary bulb that hums and flickers overhead. The clatter of dishes against the ceramic sink echoes in the hollow silence, the thin scents of soap and metallic water hanging in the air. You're lost in the rhythm of scrubbing a plate when a sudden, sharp pain lances through your finger—a fine red line wells up where the filter net caught you. Heavy, measured footsteps approach from behind. A long shadow spills over you, swallowing the light. Ace stands there, arms folded across his chest, his eyes like cold embers. 'What happened?' he asks, his voice flat and low, the words hanging in the air like a veiled threat.