City Life. {Katakuri x Reader}

Rough Morning.

Something light brushing against your cheek causes your brow to twitch, it seems that the pills eventually kicked in and sent you into a deep and dreamless sleep.

A vague chuckle catching your ears as the cheek-poking continues. 

"G'way..." You weakly mumble into your pillow, only earning yourself another boyish giggle, your sore eyes slowly opening as you frown up at the raven-haired male that's stood beside your bed. 

You notice he's holding a random bird feather in between his fingers, you'd assume that's what he had touched your face with. 

Your brows now knitting together as your vision finally adjusts to the sunlight that's seeping in through your curtains, his facial features gradually becoming more clearer. 

"What d'ya want, Ace?" 

"Your undying love." The goon jests playfully, poking your face once again with the feather and causing you to pout as you slap his hand (as well as the epidermal) away.

"Stop touching me with that thing!"

the events of last night slowly begin to flash by in your mind; you had watched a few comedies with the goofball, you remember telling him to be quiet at least three times, you sung classic songs with him that Newgate used to play a lot and you told him a bit about your neighbours.

He wasn't happy to hear that Kid lives above you but didn't seem to care about the others.

With a tired groan, you sit up. 

Your head already beginning to ache as you roll out of bed, throwing on a jacket in attempts to look more 'awake' as you sluggishly make your way to your kitchen, Ace following hot on your heels.

 "I take it you're hungry?" Honestly, you had expected the boy to raid your cupboards for food as you slept without hesitation so you should thank him for his...consideration.

Yeah right, he's lucky I don't feel like cleaning blood off my floors, otherwise he'd be dead for waking up me like that.

"Yeah, I'm starving! What do you have?"

You're always starving, apparently.

"Cereal." Your voice is rather monotone as you grab the first box of cereal you see, pushing it against Ace's chest as a knock sounds at your door, your eyes falling closed in irritation as you point to the cupboards on the wall with your thumb. "Bowls are in there and the spoons are in the top drawer beside the oven, help yourself."

Whilst Ace is doing just that, you make your way to the door.

Admittedly you're far too conscious of your appearance as you twist the handle; your hair is greasy from sweat (courtesy of your nightmare) and your breath absolutely reeks of alcohol, not to mention your skin is as rough as a brick, you must resemble a homeless person right now. 

Of course, your stomach drops completely when you open the door, your eyes being met by an awkward-looking Katakuri. 

Nooo, you've got to be kidding me!

"I have an old tank for you, my fish died a few years back so it's just in the way now, you can have it since your last one got broken." It's only in this moment you realize he is in fact holding a fish tank, it looks brand new too.

Did he give it a deep clean or something?

"Oh, a-are you sure?" A very nervous smile spreads across your lips as you allow the man inside, of course he makes his way straight over to the spot where your last fish tank was, thankfully you had since thrown it out considering it was useless after your mop had finished with it. 

"Yes, like I said, it's in the way for me. You'll be doing me a favour." Of course, the first thing he notices upon entering the living room is Ace leaning against the doorway leading into your kitchen with a bowl of cereal in his hand, the raven nodding his head at your neighbour carelessly. 

"Yo." The freckled boy simply voices as he shovels a spoonful of breakfast into his mouth, earning himself a look of disdain from yourself before you force a smile, watching as the crimson-haired gent sits the aquarium down neatly on the stand.

"That's my brother, don't mind him." It isn't usually how you'd introduce Ace at all, you've never referred to any of the guys as 'brothers' before but you absolutely refuse to make yourself look like the kind of lady to sleep around the town.

Naturally, you wouldn't judge anybody else who does that kind of thing, you just wouldn't want to do it yourself.

Though, you have a lot of hot guys in your life right now so you could if it suited your fancy. 

"I'm Portgas D. Ace, nice to meet ya!" The freckled raven blurts out as he approaches your neighbour, extending a hand for the male but the redhead just stares at it for a moment before he hesitantly cups the boy's limb, giving it a small shake. 

"Charlotte Katakuri." 

It's in this moment Ace's face changes completely, his dark eyes widening and jaw falling ajar, although he's quick to pull himself together and force a grin before backing away into your kitchen.

"Cool name!" Is all he says before disappearing into the adjoining room. 

What's his problem?

At least Katakuri doesn't seem too fazed, the man merely just strolling back to the door. 

"I hope you like the tank, it was nice to meet your brother also." 

And with that, he's gone again.

You're not quite sure if this man has a form of social anxiety or if he genuinely just finds it hard to speak to you, it almost seems like he can't stand being in your presence yet he goes out of his way to indulge himself in it anyway.

You didn't ask for a fish tank after all. 

Perhaps he is just anxious...

"Oh man, you didn't say there was a Charlotte living in your building."

"I didn't know his full name until now, what's so bad about it?"

The raven loudly scoffing as he comes back into the living room, his bowl of cereal seemingly filled to the top again, the sight causing you to pout as he makes himself comfortable on the couch. 

There's a blanket laying messily on the arm of the sofa from where Ace had slept there last night, something you didn't even notice until this moment, you can only imagine what Katakuri must have thought.

Tramp! He must have thought that I was a messy tramp!

"His mother is likely Charlotte Linlin. y'know, that crazy old lady who also happens to be pops' business rival, the one with 80-something kids."

"Of course..." You couldn't sound less interested if you tried, Newgate's business affairs have nothing to do with you and even if they did, you wouldn't take it out on the woman's offspring.  

"Just try to keep away from that guy, [F/n]. He's bad news."