Coby could not help but gaze down at the smaller hands that held onto his with a somber look in his eyes and frown on his lips. A sense of dread and worry cascaded over him the longer he held them, and he found it difficult to look away. Not even the soothing breeze that brushed through the woods could bring any sense of peace to his mind. The only distraction was caused by the rustling of his Marine coat as well as the realization that the individual in front of him, the girl whose hands he held onto, was looking at him with an expression of obvious concern.
He wanted to smile in a reassuring manner, tell her everything was okay in spite of the fact that his mind was racing. He wanted to express the happiness he felt as he stood there with her, especially after going through all the trouble of sneaking away from his group without anyone noticing him and asking too many questions. He wanted to show her how much she meant to him, even if no words were expressed between one another. He knew that doing something like this - sneaking away to meet with a girl, especially a pirate captain, in secret - was going to cost him more than just an arm and a leg, but his dreams of becoming a Marine Admiral as well.
Nevertheless, despite that fact drilling into the back of his mind, Coby was there. The Marine Captain snuck away successfully, headed into the forest where she told him to meet her, and found her standing there, waiting for him with an adorable smile and open arms. It was as if what they were, who they were, meant nothing to her. It was like the reality the currently lived in only existed in a fairytale, and all she was concerned about was seeing him again after what seemed like an eternity of being apart.
And yet, Coby still felt anxious, uneasy about what he had done and the consequences that would surely follow if anyone were to find out the truth.
"Coby?" He heard her voice speak up. He could hear the worry laced in her tone, sensing her concern over his silence, yet he said nothing.
Usually, he would be flustered and embarrassed by the fact he was holding hands with a girl, especially a girl that genuinely liked him and someone he found pretty. She would laugh at the blush that would form on his cheeks as he tried to have a decent conversation with her, even if he was a bit awkward on his part. He wanted to assure her that he was okay, but even he had to wonder if that was the truth or a white lie he came up with just so she did not have to worry about him. Then again, even if he did try to lie, she would see right through it. She always did have a way to read minds. That or Coby was not a good liar. The latter sounded more reasonable, much to his chagrin.
When he did not respond to his name, Coby felt the girl's gaze vanish suddenly. She had looked away, he noted, as if trying to come up with a solution to what she may have believed was a problem. It only lasted a moment, however, as she returned her gaze to him and stared at him. After a beat, he watched her squeeze one of his hands before hesitantly moving it toward her. She stepped closer to him, close enough so that they could feel each other's body heat, and moved his arm to wrap around her waist. It was enough to cause a brief reaction from the captain. His eyes widened a bit in surprise, and a blush began to form on his cheeks. He was still not used to the close contact with her, and the fact that she made such a bold move surprised him enough to bring him back to reality. In her eyes, it looked like he was becoming his old self, even if it was only for the briefest moments. Unfortunately, he still could not bring himself to look at her no matter how much he wanted to do it, and she was quick to notice this fact.
"Hey..." She cooed as if she was still trying to get his attention. However, she garnered no response yet again. Instead of remaining silent, though, she whispered, "You know, now that we're closer to each other, it kinda looks like your staring at my chest. Just a little."
Within seconds, Coby's gaze shot up to look directly into the girl's teal eyes, his face burning as it turned bright pink with embarrassment. The girl grinned sweetly and giggled at the sight of the sheepish captain, moving her tanned hand to his arm and resting it there, while her long, light purple haired swayed with the breeze. He took a moment to look at her face - from the way she smiled at him to the way her small braid brushed against her cheek - and admired it before he smiled.
"S-sorry, Momo," he muttered, squeezing her other hand a bit. "I'm...feeling a bit distracted today."
The girl, Momo, continued to smile up at him.
"I can see that," she stated softly. "I was expecting you to frantically apologize over and over when I said you were staring at my chest." Her smile faded a bit. "Clearly, something's bothering you, and it must be important if you're not reacting in the way you usually do."
As she spoke, Coby's smile slowly faded completely before looking away, the same somber look as before appearing on his face. He began to tense up while unconsciously pulling her closer as if he was afraid to let her go, and he missed the light dusting of pink grazing the girl's cheeks upon this action. Momo frowned, however, when she saw the look on his face, and concern washed over her innocent features again. However, instead of keeping it, she began to pout and furrowed her thin brows. There was no way she was going to go through all that trouble just to see him after so long, and there was no way she was going to let him be around her in such a depressing state. Not while she was alive and breathing.
With a new vigor, Momo released Coby's hand and placed it against his cheek, turning his head and forcing him to look at her. Despite that, his gaze remained elsewhere. He was intentionally not looking at her, and it only upset her further. She, then, removed her other hand from resting on his arm and placed it on his other cheek, hoping it would make him look her in the eye. She noted how warm he was to the touch, and she thought it was because he was blushing at first. Upon closer inspection, however, she realized it was not the case as the shade of red that once consumed his face had vanished completely. He was just naturally warm, and it felt oddly comforting to know that. Unfortunately, her actions had no luck; Coby kept his gaze focused on something else, something that was not her. This realization made her sigh, yet she did not give up hope. It would take a lot more than that before she called it quits.
Momo pressed her body against his and began bringing his face closer to her, knowing just how nervous and awkward he became while being in such close contact with a female. Not to her surprise, it did the trick. The Marine Captain was quick to look at her, his eyes widening in surprise while his face began to darken just like before. She smiled at that, coming to the conclusion that he believed she was going to kiss him, before allowing their foreheads to touch. At any other time, had she done this, she would have closed her eyes and inhaled his scent, engraved it into her memory so she would never forget, but today was not that day. Instead, she focused on him and his well-being; the romance would have to wait...unfortunately.
"Coby, whatever's bothering you," she began to speak slowly, keeping her eyes locked onto his as thumb gently brushed against his cheek, "you know you can always tell me. I'm here for you if you need to talk."
Coby could not move. He could not look away from Momo this time, and there was no way he could move away from her. The close contact with her was enough to keep him rooted to his spot and frozen like a statue. Despite that, however, he started to feel more relaxed the longer he looked at her. He may not have been used to being pressed against her, let alone holding her close to him, but the longer they remained that way, the more relaxed he became. The more comfortable he became, the more he felt inclined to tell her what was on his mind without hesitation.
And he did just that.
Before long, Coby shut his eyes tightly while his other arm wrapped around her, pulling her as close to him as he possibly could. She did not react to that; instead, she remained focused on him and him alone. He inhaled deeply, taking in her soothing lavender scent that he could not help but admire before he found his words.
"I'm...I'm worried," he finally stated slowly. He felt a bit unsure if that was the right word to use, but that was the first thing that came to mind.
Momo blinked curiously.
"You're worried...?" She repeated, concern still lacing her voice. Coby said nothing in response, but it was enough of a response to confirm what he said. She frowned. "What are you worried about?"
"Us," he clarified slowly, unaware of the fact that her eyes widened as her heart jumped into her throat. "I'm worried about us, what would happen if...someone found out." He found the strength to open his eyes and look at her, noticing the obvious fear in her rounded eyes. After a moment, his eyes glanced away from her. "I know it's probably stupid to think that, but...it's such a huge risk meeting like this. And...well..." He closed his eyes again, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I'm worried...no, I'm scared of the consequences that would come not just to me, but to you as well, if the truth ever got out."
As he continued to speak, Momo relaxed a bit, yet her eyes remained wide with surprise. A sense of realization came over her, and she could not help but chuckle at his words once he finished speaking. Coby looked at her again, puzzled by the reaction, but he said nothing as she began to speak.
"Funny..." She muttered as her eyelids drooped slightly. "Knowing that you share the same feelings as I do is oddly comforting."
His eyes widened at that, shocked by her words.
"Y-you feel the same?" He inquired.
"Of course I do," she answered. "That thought runs through my mind almost every second of the day. The risks we're taking could very well cost us everything, even our lives." Coby grimaced at that but said nothing, knowing she was right. "It's like we're playing with fire. You never know whose going to get burned or when it'll happen. But..." Her expression became grim as she moved her hands from his cheeks and grasped his jacket, "but I'm more concerned with who will be affected by them more." She paused for a moment, smiled, and then looked at him. "Honestly, I pray to whatever higher power exists that I get burned more than you."
His jaw clenched at that, upset by her words before he drew back a little. Momo's expression did not seem to falter upon his reaction. She continued to smile, her eyes half-lidded as she gazed up at him in an almost loving manner. He did not understand how she could have that expression after what she had just said.
"How can you say that?" He questioned. Her smile faded a bit, realizing that he was genuinely upset by what she had said. "Why would you want to do something like that? Especially for me, of all people?"
She sighed and shook her head.
"I thought that was obvious, Coby," she muttered before looking at him again. "Because I care about you and what happens to you."
He stared at her for a moment before asking, "Even though...we're supposed to be enemies?"
Momo closed her eyes for a moment, trying to find the right words to convey, before looking at him once again.
"You could be my most beloved friend or my worst enemy," she started to say, moving one of her hands to his cheek once again, "and I would still risk my life a thousand times over if it meant you could achieve your dreams." She placed her forehead against his. "Because regardless of where your loyalties lie, you still deserve a shot at happiness just like everyone else."
Momo did not notice it before, but now that she was closer to him, she immediately saw his eyes glistening. It was clear indication that he was moved to tears by her words, but he was desperately trying to hold them back. She said nothing in response to it, assuring him that it was okay to do so by brushing her thumb against his cheek. However, instead of breaking down like she was expecting, he reacted in a manner she did not see coming.
Before she could comprehend it, his hands found their way to her cheeks, cupping them gently before pulling her toward him, capturing her soft lips with his own. Her eyes widened in astonishment, her cheeks flushing a bright red at the swift actions of the Marine captain, yet she relaxed as her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer while her eyes began to close slowly.
Never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine the sweet yet awkward Coby to make a move like that, to pull her into a kiss so passionate her knees nearly gave out. If she remembered correctly, she was always the one to make a move, but it was normally short and sweet due to how flustered he became moments afterward. This time, however, it was different; in fact, it felt different. Her thoughts of him being a little awkward during their first legitimately intimate moment were dashed in an instant as their kiss seemed to meld together with perfect rhythm and synchrony. It was as if she was kissing an experienced veteran rather than a nervous lover, and that thought alone was enough to surprise her even more.
Of course, she had no complaints with that, and she was hoping this moment could last forever. Then again, she also had to remember that this was Coby; such wonderful moments would certainly not last forever if it involved him.
As expected, before things got too heated, he suddenly pulled and gasped. Momo opened her eyes to look at him, confused by why he suddenly stopped, before smiling at the shade of crimson that had quickly flushed his cheeks. As she expected, he was embarrassed by what he had just done.
"I-I-I'm so sorry!" He began to exclaim frantically, removing his hands from her face and burying his own into them. "I-I should've asked before doing something like that! I-I just got so caught up in the moment that I just...I..." He shrunk away from her and groaned. "Oh, man! This is so embarrassing! I'm so sorry, Momo!"
Momo giggled in response, taking hold of his wrists gently and removing them from his face. His face still burned brightly as he tried to avoid eye contact and stared downward at his hands. At that moment, she could not help but grin mischievously.
"It looks like you're staring at my chest again, Coby," she teased devilishly. She laughed the moment he flinched and looked back at her, apologizing profusely once again as his face began to resemble a tomato. Instead of responding to them, she merely leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek, hoping to calm him down. It did the trick; he immediately went silent and looked at her as she pulled away. A wide grin was plastered on her face before she said, "Now there's the adorable Marine captain I know and love~!"