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Sinking into the kitchen chair, Ace couldn’t help but feel that his apartment was feeling empty all of the sudden. Sabo had moved out yesterday, making his way to the city of Baltigo to go and study law. They had been preparing for this very moment, but Ace couldn’t help but feel lonely all the same now that he was alone in Raftel.
Sabo had been preparing for studying law for a long time, but still. The moment he moved out never truly came until yesterday. He had offered to stay, but Ace just about hit him for even suggesting that. He was just feeling the empty home as Luffy was taking a gap year to travel the world and Sabo was moving three states over. It felt weird to be alone again after so long of being with his two brothers.
Sighing, he runs a hand through his hair, “I am one of the lucky few to have property is Raftel though. Prices for renting have shot through the roof, so at least I can have that going for me.”
While mostly a city for students, Ace was one of the lucky few who had always lived there already. His parents, back when they were alive had build a life here with his father being the Fire Station Chief and his mother being a freelance copywriter. He hadn’t known anything else but Raftel and with the hob offer coming to join his father’s old house he had planned on staying there for a long time.
But his brothers had other plans, meaning he was alone. Not wanting to sell, partly for the sentimental value and partly because of the insane rent prices, he knew he might be better off looking for a room mate to have come company. Make it a mutual beneficial scenario, where the other person can rent a room and bathroom (as Ace has his own en-suite) for cheap and he doesn’t have to be alone in this house.
Nodding to himself, he’s taking a hold of his laptop to place an add online to see what kind of people will come looking. He’s well aware there would be quite desperate types out there, but he was willing to give it a try. He knows enough people, including those at Whitebeard Rental, that could help him out in drafting a lease agreement and making sure everything that needs to be in order is in order. Old Newgate was a friend of his father’s so he knows he can ask if the old man isn’t able to help, one of his sons or daughters is.
Placing the add online after calling Newgate and talking it over with the man. Mentioning that he was feeling lonely which had him invited for dinner once a week since he was all alone. Accepting, he shook his head as he ended the call. Already seeing a large number of people who reacted to his add, most of those didn’t even take it seriously and the few that did he sent a text to meet up and see if they were compatible with him to live with.
—
As expected, a lot of the people who reacted to his add were students who seemed to think that they could just take over the apartment. When he kindly turned them down, some of them started pouting at him. For all that he was used to a lot of college girls doing so, they weren’t his type and he had no issue turning them down and telling them to get out.
One such person had been a girl bringing the whole of her sorority with her and being affronted that they were turned down at the door. If she arrived to a meeting like that, he just knew she would be having friends over at all hours of the night. He still worked as a Fire Fighter after all, having shifts on all hours of the day, dealing with a giggling gang of girls wasn’t on his to do list.
Rubbing a hand over his eyes, he was about to close the door when a voice spoke up, “Mr. Portgas?”
Humming, he looked up to see a woman of about his age standing there. The uniform she was wearing made it clear she was part of Raftel’s police force. The number of stars put her at a normal agent, no doubt recently transfered in from one of the other cities. Nodding, he held out his hand, “That’s men, you must be Ms. Nailers?”
She nodded, “Indeed, Isuka Nailers, nice to meet you.”
Instantly at ease, he welcomed her into the apartment, showing her around and mentioning why he was looking for someone to rent a room from him. Finding himself sharing that his brothers weren’t home and when his younger brother did return chances were he’d be over at his girlfriend’s apartment more often than not.
“That means you’ll have the bathroom and the left bedroom, and we’ll share the pantry, kitchen and living room. I don’t like being along, you see, and given Raftel’s insane renting prices I thought I could help someone else out too”, he smiles at Isuka and finds that she’s by far the best candidate he has seen all week.
On top of that, she’s cute and she’s a cop, so he knows she’ll have as crazy hours as he will be having which is a relief and a half.
Grinning a she leads her around, he can see she’s interested. Asking what brought her to Raftel and to his add. Finding that she did recently move here to work at the Police Station, she originally went to school in Marineford and was on the force there but wanted a change of scenery after a traumatic call and ended up here. He could find the logic in that, Marineford was a very large city with a lot of crime, he didn’t ask what happened but did mention that the worst she’d have to deal with here were drunken students.
Laughing, Isuka agreed, “That’s part of why I moved here. I was supposed to rent an apartment with a friend of mine but she recently got married and moved in with her new husband so that left me stranded in a motel.”
Ace sympathizes with that, before mentioning that if she’s good to spend one more night in the motel she can move in tomorrow. A blush on his cheek as he admits that she’s the best candidate she has seen, “Especially because you’re a cop. I’m a fire fighter and I didn’t want to deal with a gang of sorority girls hanging around here at all hours when I come back after a double shift.”
She nodded in agreement to that, her eyes sparkling at knowing she could have this going for her. Asking when it would be alright to start moving, before they went over the drafted agreement and he waved her off.
Once she moved in, Ace knew he had made the right choice. Isuka was neat, cleaned up after herself and after the second week of living together they had an unspoken rule that the person home at 5 PM or close to that time was the one who cooked or ordered dinner. It became easy to live together and Ace had to admit that since doing so his crush on her only grew.
—
“So, what’s with the hot chick living with you”, Thatch asked the next time he passed by Old Man Newgate.
Blinking, Ace explained that she was his roommate and there was nothing going on there. He did admit that he would want that to happen, but didn’t want to scare her off.
Thatch laughs, “Well, I have it on good authority she feels the same way. Oden down at the Police Station heard her tell one of her colleagues that she has a bit of a crush on her hot fire fighter room mate but doesn’t know how to make the moves on him as she’s renting a room from him.”
Eyes widening, Ace doesn’t know what to think about that. He had seen Isuka putting down her phone with a blush at times when he enters a room. Just as much as he knew she would stare at him when he just woke up and walked around the apartment in just a pear of sport shorts. Biting his lip, he looks at Thatch again, trying to see if he’s trying to make a fool out of him.
The man takes a hold of his shoulders, “Not messing with you, bro. She’s hot and she looks to be totally into you. Better try your shot or someone else might just try.”
Huffing, Ace takes his word for it, thanks Thatch and makes his way home to start cooking. He had passed by Newgate’s to get a delivery that he hadn’t been home for and the old man had accepted on his behalf. Thatch, one of the man’s sons, had been there and they got to talking.
Once home, he got to cooking and forgot the time. Plating up his spaghetti when the door opened and Isuka entered looking beat after her long shift, a soft smile on her face at the smell of the pasta and the garlic bread he often made with it.
“Smells so good”, she whispers.
Smiling, Ace steps to the side to reveal everything was just ready, meaning she could just get herself a plate and they could start eating. For once being able to eat together, which seemed to be the perfect moment.
Clearing his throat as soon as they were finished, he looked at Isuka, “So… I may have a crush on you and someone told me that it could be mutual and I don’t want to scare you off but I did want to see what was possible?”
Flushing bright red at the literal speech waterfall, Ace wanted to slap his hands in front of his face and dissapear.
Isuka however flushed just as red, “I… ah… I do feel the same but didn’t know how to tell you being your tenant and all that.”
Blinking once, he lowered his hands, “For real?”
Giggling, Isuka nodded, “I’d have to be blind not to look at my hot room mate, Ace. You’re also so kind and I know you make sure to put on your shoes in the hallway when you know I had a late shift. You’re so considerate and anyone would be lucky to have you. I just never expected it to be me that you’d want.”
Looking at her, Ace slowly pushes his chair back before he’s standing and making his way to her, “Can I kiss you?”
Isuka nodded, leaning up and meeting him half-way. The kiss itself is everything it had to be. Soft and sweet, with the whole cliche fireworks going off inside of his had. His hands trembled before he was settling them onto her hips and pulling her closer to deepen the kiss.
Panting as he pulled back, he grins, “That was a great start, don’t you think?”
Nodding, Isuka leaned in, “Almost as good as being room mates, but I do think I like this better.”
Laughing at that, Ace pulled her close again. He wouldn’t go too fast, even if he had spend more than one night thinking about what Isuka would look like or sound like in bed. He was certain he would find that out in due time. Right now, he needed to concentrate on what this could be and how he could make the very best out of this. He also needed to remind himself to thank Thatch and to text Sabo and Luffy about Isuka in the morning.
But that would have to wait, for now, he pulled her close again. Swallowing her moan as he kissed her deeply once more. She was more important right now, the rest would follow soon enough.