"Are you scared?" a soft wind blew through, tussling blonde hair messily, as the boy's wide eyes met his father's dark ones.
"Yes, sir-" the older man shook his head in disgust at the boy's response, turning with a flamboyant flourish of his coat. He strode confidently away from the trembling child, his shoes clicking across the open parlor, where the long windows of the estate stood open, letting the spring breeze in. The boy cupped his swollen cheek as he watched the lumbering form of his father. The boy no more than six stood uncomfortably in the middle of the room.
"Then you're weak."
"Judge, p-please. Don't bully the boy." The man paused mid stride and turned to look at the woman lying near, on the tile. Blood seeped from her, like a river of lava the color boring into the child's young, ocean blue eyes. There was a thud as the man's boot connected with the back of her head, her blonde hair sprawling like limp spider limbs around her face.
"You. A mere, weak woman dares to tell me what to do?" The child squeaked, stumbling back a step at the scene that was progressing before him.
"Dad no. You're hurting mom. She's a lady." There's a rustle of fabric and a click as the older man draws a gun from inside his coat pointing it at the boy, the child takes another step back and stumbles falling to his rear, his knees betraying him in his fear. Instead he scrambles backwards like a crab away from the barrel that has been leveled with his face.
"Judge, no! He's your son!" the man's hard eyes flickered back to the woman still laying under his boot as she reached up with trembling finger's to grasp his ankle desperately. "He's our son-"
BANG. The gun moves so fast the boy's eyes can't follow it as it swings in an arch, down to the back of the woman. The woman lays there for a moment, as the gun smoke wafts around like a mist, slowly dissipating between them.
Her frail hand slides down his leg, to his polished shoe still atop her head. And thuds lifelessly to the tile.
"Mom!" The boy croaks out, terror stealing away his voice and instead replacing it with sandpaper. The lava around the woman grew darker and began to seep towards him slowly like death's fingers were reaching for him as well. Breaths loud with fear, the boy scrambles to his hands and knees, then to his feet. And Sanji ran. His father's words echoing in his mind, chasing him '…you're weak.'
Sanji sprang upright from his uncomfortable slumber, only to be met with a blinding white pain that exploded across his forehead, he clutched at it eyes squeezed shut and cursed loudly
"God Dammit!" He heard hushed whispers, and as he slowly blinked away the pain and the sleep, he noticed several hovering forms around him, and heard the wails of an animal.
"You bastard, why did you sit up so suddenly?!" Sanji's eyes cleared, as consciousness finally fully chased away the shadows of sleep in his mind, as he gazed around blearily he saw the wailing form of Chopper rolling on the floor, his small hoof pressed to his head. Sanji rubbed his own gingerly. Ignoring the writhing doctor, the blonde eyed the forms of his crew mates around him,
"What's going on?" Sanji stretched at the kitchen table where he had fallen asleep.
"You were mumbling in your sleep" Usopp said "and screwing up your face like you were in pain. We were checking on you." The blonde felt oddly touched by this, and finally acknowledged the forms around him. Usopp, Franky and a still complaining Chopper stood there, concerned expressions slowly fading from their faces.
"Sorry, I must have been dreaming." Sanji reached down and patted Chopper apologetically, "Sorry, Chopper." The small reindeer, blinked away tears of pain, "how about I make some cotton candy to help with the pain?" Chopper lit up with childish joy and pranced around, wriggling happily, loudly shouting
"Cotton Candy, yah~ Cotton Candy, yah!"
"Alright, alright." Sanji stood and waved his hand at the doctor to quiet him down, he began to roll up his sleeves,
"What about us, eyebrows-bro?" Franky whined, "We were concerned for you too, ya know?" The cook rolled his eyes as the cyborg and sniper blinked round eyed gazes of pleads at him.
"Whatever, you bastards. Just keep it down, I'm getting a headache." A few moments later Sanji was swirling pulled, pastel treads of sugar around a stick, his three friends behind him watching in fascination and silence as the poufy treat grew larger, and Sanji's flexible wrists rolled expertly. Sanji handed the first back to chopper with a short, affectionate yet listless "for you, doctor." Which caused the reindeer to wriggle in happiness. The doctor's face lit up as Sanji's masterful treat dissolved on his tongue and he squealed stridently to show his approval. After each had been handed their sweet, Sanji settled back at the table and fished out a cigarette from his pocket.
"So what were you dreaming about, Sanji?" The long nosed sniper asked through a mouthful of sticky sugar, "you kept muttering, and twitching." Sanji lit his tobacco silently, taking a long draw,
"Not sure." He admitted lowly, "It wasn't pleasant though."
"I'll examine you after I finish this~" Chopper sung, his treat considerably smaller
"Don't eat so fast, Chopper." Sanji warned, then shook his head, blonde hair swinging "I don't need an examination, it was just a dream. Everyone gets 'em." Franky looked unconvinced,
"You also said you had a headache." Sanji's eyebrow twitched in annoyance
"Maybe because I head-butted a fucking antler?" Sanji hissed past gritted teeth, "seriously, guys. Can't a guy sleep in peace around here? Why are you all so God damn nosey?" the cigarette crushed in Sanji's teeth as he chewed on it in exasperation and annoyance. The crew around him averted their eyes, looks of hurt passing like a cloud over their expressions.
"We don't mean to be nosey. We just care about you." Usopp mumbled, finishing his treat and standing, tossing the now empty stick into the garbage. The only memory of the cotton candy that had once clung to it was sticky residue. Sanji's eyes grew wide, the sniper's voice echoing around his skull '…care about you.' The blonde fumbled for words as Usopp and Franky made their way to the door of the galley, their posture's reflecting their wounded feelings, "thanks again for the treat-"
"I'm ok, really." Sanji interrupted, stopping them. "Thanks though." The cook gazed at his hands, a small wave of embarrassment washing over his cheeks in a blush "for ya know…caring."
So more to come, I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this story yet. But it for sure will be about Sanji's past (my version of it)
I'll keep writing and see where the flow leads me. Please review and let me know how it is, and your opinions on where/what the story should lead/include.
REVIEW please!
-EACT