***(Y/N) POV***

"You look like a potato." Ace commented with a snicker as he moved to sit by my side after stoking the fire. I rolled my eyes, tugging up the collar of my puffy parka, unable to argue.

"Yeah, well, it's cold, and unlike you I can actually get frostbite." Whilst we were hot on Blackbeard's trail, it was positively freezing where we had ended up. The Grand Line always threw me for a loop with the weather. One minute it was hot, the next it was cold. I could hardly keep up.

"I wasn't complaining. Now I have my very own teddy bear. C'mere." Ace pulled me into his lap, squeezing me tight around the middle, and I couldn't help but smile. At least for a moment.

"So, it looks like we're pretty close to finding him, huh?" As I spoke I rested my head beneath his chin, feeling him nod.
"Yep. From what that barkeep told me, he was here only a week or so ago."

Thatch...

Reaching up, I began to toy with the charm at the end of his hat cord, tracing the detailed carving.
"He took Thatch's Devil Fruit...Do you think he ate it..?" I had been thinking about that a lot as of late. We had no idea what powers that fruit held, so it was a dangerous mystery.

"Either that or he sold it, which would probably make more sense. Whichever it is, it'll be fine. I'm a Logia user. He can't hurt me." Ace nuzzled down into the top of my head, one of his hands trying to locate my hip beneath the puffiness of my parka.

Another thing that's been on my mind...

"Hey, back when we met Luffy's crew, one of the girls, uh, Nami, made a joke about something..." I spoke up, squirming when he finally gave my hip a meaningful squeeze.
"Mmm? Was it about your cup size?" He jested, immediately retracting it once I sat upright in his lap, glaring.

"She said maybe next time we met we'd have a...mini you or me with us..." I wasn't sure why I felt so nervous bringing it up with him. I had been trying to store it in the back of my mind since Nami had said it, but it just kept lurching to the front every few days.

Ace's face fell a little, brows scrunching together.
"Oh..." He murmured, looking towards the fire for a moment. "How'd you respond to that?" Now I felt awkward, and I was sure he did too, by his change in demeanour.

"I said very unlikely...but, um..." Why was I so worried about mentioning this? We were married. I had literally checked his testicles for ticks not two days prior, so why was this what was making me uncomfortable? "I realised we never actually spoke about kids..?"

Ace shifted beneath me, one hand on the small of my back keeping me from falling off. Between his heat and the burn of the fire, I was beginning to sweat. I was sure their warmth wasn't the only reason.

"Do...you want kids..?" He asked cautiously, and I huffed out a breath.
"I asked you first." I didn't want to be the one to start a possible issue, even though I had been the one to raise the topic in the first place.

Ace chewed on his lip for a long time, in deep contemplation. At least he was having as hard of a time as I was.
"To be completely honest...I don't want kids...At all. I'm the son of the worst man in history, and I don't want to keep that bloodline going, if I can avoid it...b..but if you want kids-"

"Oh, thank god!" I cut him off, throwing my arms around his neck before pulling back and taking his face in my hands. "I love you, and your bloodline has nothing to do with it, but I would make a terrible mother!"

I have never felt this much relief in all my life!

Ace was frozen in confusion for a while before he eased up, a smile gracing his lips once more.
"Damn, you really had me thinking you wanted a baby for a second there." He nuzzled into my hands, and I squished his cheeks together between them.

"Are you kidding? You know how I grew up right? Besides, I don't think I have a maternal bone in my body. Sisterly? Sure. Animal parent, definitely, but a human baby?" I shuddered at the mere thought of pushing one of those out of me.

"Then it's settled? Zero kids for us?" Ace sought definite confirmation, and I nodded without falter.
"Zero. I'll have to ask Marco to make me more of those contraceptives. You really do have a habit of getting lost in the moment." I teased, even though my statement was entirely true.

"Hey, it's not my fault you make me lose my mind." Ace laughed, dragging me closer by the middle. "I'm glad we're on the same page, though. Even without all our issues, this world isn't a place to bring a kid into. Not yet."

I completely agreed with him. The pirates, the Navy, the World Government, between the three of them, the world wasn't fit for new life. At least not in my eyes.

"Dibs on not breaking the news to Marco that he's not gonna be a cool uncle!" I touched my finger to my nose quickly, squealing out when Ace squeezed my ribs with his fingertips.
"No fair!"

It was comforting to know that Ace and I were happy with how we were now. Just us, and our crew, with our whole lives ahead of us. Once things were over with Blackbeard, and laying Thatch to a proper rest, everything would be perfect.

"Can we get a pet, though? I need something to love on when I'm mad at you." I teased, welcoming a kiss to my cheek.
"I mean, there's Kotatsu, he could be considered a pet..." Ace thought out loud, referring to the large Lynx who had originally been a part of his own crew. "But we could always just put a leash on Deuce."

There was no way I couldn't laugh at the thought of poor Deuce like that, and made a mental note to tell him that Ace had suggested it.
"Oh? So you'd prefer me to snuggle up with Deuce when I'm pissed off at you, huh?" I was purely just riling him up now, and it seemed to be working.

Ace furrowed his brows, huffing as he pulled me to straddle his lap instead of sitting off to the side.
"On second thought, why don't I leash myself for you? I'm sure you'd get a kick out of it."

Don't tempt me.

Curling my arms around his neck, I smirked, leaning forward so our noses touched.
"Demoting yourself from husband to pet? Is this a preference of yours that you're only just now telling me about, Pepper?"

Ace tilted his head a little, half lidded and obviously aiming to start something up that would definitely keep us both warm, if not scorching.
"I'd do anything for you, sweetheart...just say the word..."

Before he could steal my lips and turn my brain to a blissful mush I pulled away, climbing out of his lap to a stand.
"Nice try, but no funny business until I get a refill on those wonder pills Marco makes. We don't want an accidental Portbrat Ace crawling around, now do we?"

Ace deflated, making grabby hands towards me as I stepped back, still cautious so I wouldn't fall into the fire behind me.
"That's entirely unfair! I can be careful! Just a little fun?!" He pleaded, but I wasn't about to fall for it. I knew once we got started it would end up like it always did.

"You are the most uncareful man I've ever met! No funny business, and that's that. Once we're back on the Moby Dick, then you can do whatever you want with me, but not now. Behave." I scolded him for my own entertainment, starting to round the log we had been seated on to make my way to the tent.

"Uncareful my ass! I am so careful! It was one time!" Ace was really acting desperate now, which amused me to no end, and I tried to conceal my smirking when he stood up and stamped out the fire, preparing to follow me.

"No, it's been every time!" I retorted, recalling each and every instance of our intimacy where he definitely hadn't been careful.
"Nuh-uh! One time! The other times were on purpose because of those pills!"

Of course.

Rolling my eyes, I opened the flap to our small tent and shot him a look, one that I knew would really make him want to beg.
"Then you're still one hundred percent uncareful, if you look at from a statistical standpoint."

Ace spluttered, stumbling over the end of the log as he tried to follow after me, unable to make any kind of argument to prove me wrong.
"This is animal cruelty!" That was the best line he could come up with, referring back to our little pet talk, and I peeked back out from the tent opening, having to bite my lip to stop myself from breaking into laughter.

"No pets in the tent, then. Sorry. Nighty night!"

"Are you serious?! Hey...wait, (Y/N), quit holding the zipper..! Let me in!"

"Are you gonna be a good boy and keep your pants on?"

"......Fine."

"Okay, come on, then. I'm cold, anyway."

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"I said keep your damn pants on, Ace!"

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***The pants did not stay on.

Next Time: Found You***