A/N: Ok, I just couldn't resist any longer. I had to write a Kaku x Lucci story, I simply had to. Also, I personally don't think that CP9 gets enough love either.

--- Told from Kaku's POV

Disclaimer: One Piece and its characters all belong to Eiichiro Oda.

Rating: T (Will go up in the future)

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Hold My Hand Harder

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It wasn't something that was particularly uncommon; no, in fact, this kind of thing happened quite a bit. Whenever Paulie was feeling especially generous with his earnings after a successful night of gambling, or when Iceburg would feel it appropriate to take his foreman out for a drink after a hard day's work, the few lucky members of Dock 1 would make their way down to Blueno's bar for a drink and a night of relaxation.

So, no, this wasn't a special night.

It also wasn't uncommon for a few of the foreman to get a little tipsy. I usually wasn't one of those few considering I was just barely above the drinking age and didn't really enjoy the taste of hard liquor anyway. Paulie, on the other hand, was prone to becoming quite drunk after about just a half an hour. Frequently, he'd end up getting so drunk that one of us would have to lug him home while he leaned heavily on the poor foreman's shoulder, breathing his thick alcohol laden breath in the man's face.

But … well, that was just Paulie. And, the next day, he'd return to his normal self and go about business as usual.

And like I mentioned before, this wasn't a particularly special night; so, like clockwork, about forty five minutes or so after beginning our celebratory gathering, Paulie was loud, laughing, dancing on tables, and … drunk.

I must admit, it did seem rather disgraceful to me. Getting so drunk that you completely lose yourself; it sure doesn't hold much appeal for me. Though it was amusing to hear Paulie's rendition of "I Will Survive," knowing that I was probably going to be the one who would have to take the man home, I was becoming increasingly less pleased. And he was probably aware of that in the back of his mind, but I doubt he was listening to reason currently.

And the reason I assumed I would be the one who would be lugging the foreman back to his place? Well, a quick sweep of the bar left me with an uncomfortable assurance that all the other foreman were well on their way to becoming just as drunk as Paulie.

Yet as seemingly normal as this night was going, there was one element that was extremely off. It was the kind of thing that rarely happened, so, when it did, I wasn't sure whether to be intrigued by this or slightly mortified.

Rob Lucci: My leader, my team mate, my fellow member of the most elite government organization CP9 … was drunk.

And not just a little drunk like he had merely had a few drinks, which wasn't uncommon as it were, but for Rob Lucci to be drunk drunk … it was odd. It actually wasn't a rare circumstance for Lucci to take a few men home as well. Hoisting them over his shoulder, giving me a silent goodbye as we parted, he would make his way into the darkness as one of the foreman told him an extremely unfunny joke and cackle madly in his face until I could hear the unmistakable sound of the drunkard releasing his stomach contents and wondering why Lucci wouldn't just kill them and be done with it. He was prone to do things like that.

But tonight it looked as if he'd be the one that needed someone to help him home.

Now, he was nowhere near as drunk as Paulie was. Because it was damn near impossible to be so without opening one's mouth. And Rob Lucci, even while drunk, kept his mouth quiet. Showing that even though his mind was probably hazing over and altering his judgment, he was still dedicated to our mission.

However unbelievable that was currently.

I could tell he was drunk by the way his face was flushed. An unmistakable red tint covered his cheeks and his eyes seemed so far away like he was in a completely different world. Hattori, I noticed, seemed to become irritated perching on his master's shoulder and shifted his feet nervously back and forth. Also, the way he would sway when he walked around from bar front to chair was another obvious indication.

Paulie noticed this change in Rob too, apparently, because he gave a very loud cry and exclaimed, "Well, I'll be damned! Rob Lucci: Drunk? Who ever thought that that was possible?" And when he sauntered over and swung his arm over Lucci's shoulder, and Rob swatted idly at the dangling appendage but didn't do much in the way of trying to fend off the other drunk man, I could tell that he really hadn't been too offended by Paulie's exclamation.

The other residents of the bar seemed equally as amused. The lot of them taunted Lucci much in the same way Paulie had. Now, I knew, as well as everyone else, that it was all in good fun. After all, we are like a family. And I guess I wasn't the only one who thought that this might be a one-time thing.

"Guess we better get one of us to take Lucci home instead!" Lulu remarked, setting his beer stein loudly on the wooden table.

"I'm sure Hattori can help him home safely!" Tilestone boomed loudly, eyes cheery and causing the bar to erupt into explosive laughter. I even chuckled softly at the thought of Hattori trying to direct Rob all the way home with squawks and tweets.

Even still, Rob kept his usual, calm, and slightly drunk composure and sat collectedly, downing another drink.

Never having seen Rob drunk before, I wasn't sure what to expect. Was he a mean drunk? Sad drunk? A combination of both? I really didn't want to find out. I was just hoping for this evening to end relatively early so everyone could just get on home without anything too compromising happening. Unfortunately, I wasn't so lucky.

The next thing I saw made me do a double take. It was one of those times where something happens that really shouldn't be happening. Currently, and I don't know how the situation came about, but Rob was lying on one of the bar counters, shirt pulled up nearly exposing everything, as Paulie poured a drink on him and started licking up what he could. The liquid pouring lazily down Lucci's stomach and around his hips, Paulie's tongue worked quickly as it worked over muscle and skin.

I was shocked. And the whole bar too, it seemed. However, since they were in an extreme state of drunkenness, their hoots and hollers alerted to me that they found this quite entertaining. Everyone laughed and pumped their fists in the air for more alcohol for Paulie to lap up.

Horrified, I looked quickly over to Blueno, wondering if anything should be done about this situation. Returning my look with an extreme amount of passiveness, Blueno shook his head slightly and poured the men another drink.

The merriment only seemed to get louder as I went over in my head exactly what was going on. It was so unreal. I could never believe Rob Lucci to let his guard down so much in front of these people, almost family or not. But then there was a collective, "Ooh!!" let out from the group. I turned my head quickly to try to catch a glimpse of the situation.

His hands curled dangerously into Paulie's coat, face curled in a slight snarl, symbolizing to me that, whatever Paulie was doing, he had gone too far. Noticing that Lucci's pants were unzipped and pulled down a little under his hips, I had a good idea of what I had missed.

To think that Paulie was so promiscuous.

I had never considered the man homosexual, yet I never thought he really had a thing for the ladies either. I guess, to me, Paulie was just Paulie. A man scared of no trousers and who, at the very least, had an unhealthy thing for Iceburg. But an altered state of mind can make people do strange things.

So was Lucci really as drunk as I perceived him to be? I thought not, at first. If he was aware enough to stop Paulie's wandering hands, then surely he was aware enough to realize the situation he was in. But, when the snarl was unfurled and the fists unclenched, Paulie was suddenly flipped over by Lucci as he assaulted his stomach in much the same way his was. It was an embarrassing scene.

Walking over to the bar, I sat down far from the commotion and decided that I would chat with Blueno for awhile. If I could get the man to chat, that was.

-xox-

It wasn't hard, surprisingly. After trying to break the ice with stupid opening conversation topics such as, "So, how about them Yankees?" and "Great day today, isn't it?" Blueno let me know quite sternly to stop being moronic and talk to him like we hadn't just met.

And his point was clearly taken.

It had seemed like I had forgotten all about what was going on around me. Blueno was surprisingly up-to-date with a lot of the gossip. Of course, that is kind of the point of him being trapped in this tiny bar day in and day out. And after gathering all I could, it seemed like our mission was at a slight stand still. Iceburg wasn't revealing anything too surprising, so I guess we would just have to put it together.

The conversation continued on for some time. And the element that ended the conversation was the sudden intrusion of flapping wings and then the tiny scratching of little talons scrapping on the wooded table beside me. Flipping around in my chair, I saw Hattori perching over a small bowl of peanuts, nibbling on a few.

Looking perplexed that Hattori was alone, I threw Blueno a confused glance that he acknowledged with a shrug of his shoulders as he turned to refill another glass.

"Hattori," I began, turning to the pigeon, "Where's Rob?" The question was surprisingly quiet, like I was afraid to scare the small bird. Of course, if he had lived with Lucci all these years and hadn't been scared away yet, I doubt he would've been scared of me.

The bird, for his part, flicked his head quickly from side to side, and ruffled his feathers. This obviously got me nowhere. Giving a loud sigh and slumping back into the bar stool, I responded, "Yeah, that helped."

But Hattori just looked at me and went back on his way to eat a little more.

Deciding to find Rob Lucci myself, I looked around the bar, figuring that Hattori must've gotten hungry and didn't want to wait while Rob and Paulie drank shots off of each other's stomachs. And when I didn't see him, I felt utterly confused. He would never leave Hattori, would he? Of course not. To my knowledge, Hattori was the only thing that Lucci even remotely cared for.

My thoughts were quickly quieted, however, when I realized that all the alcohol I had drunk finally caught up to me. There was plenty of time to find Rob after I relieved myself.

So, standing up, I pushed my bar stool in and walked swiftly over to where the bathrooms were, noticing as I went that the bar seemed to be just as lively as when we had first gotten here.

Oi. We were never going to leave here at this rate.

-xox-

Walking down the long hallway that lead to the bathroom, I reached the door and flung it open without haste. However, to my surprise, it was already quite occupied.

Paulie had Rob Lucci in an interesting embrace. Shirt pulled completely off, Lucci's garment was currently being used to tie his hands behind his back. Not only that, but his pants were pulled down to his ankles, erection clearly showing through his sheer boxers. Paulie was leaning close to Rob's face, jacket discarded off to the side, one hand yanking Lucci's hair, causing his head to tip back, exposing his neck. The other hand, however, held tightly to that head, keeping it in place for whatever it was he planning to do. Lucci's body leaned heavily against the wall while one of Paulie knees was pressed roughly onto Rob's genital region.

But the most vivid image of them all was the look on Rob's face. Lips puffy, cheeks a fiery red, his mouth was open just enough where I could catch a glimpse of those extremely white teeth. Saliva, as I could see, ran down from the corner of his mouth. His hair was matted to his forehead because of sweat, his face also showing signs of the extreme heat. However, it was his eyes that really caught my attention. Sharp, piercing, and extremely alert. They seemed to promise death and, yet, hold a little bit of something else that I just couldn't read. The green of his iris seemed to glow in the darkness of the tiny bathroom, pupils almost feline. And, there they were, looking at me. Glaring, but not by any means too angry. In fact, it was as if they were trying to tell me something else.

And maybe I could've figured out what that something was if … I hadn't ran from the bathroom as quickly as I had entered.

Stumbling down the hallway, I held on tightly to the dark, wooden wall and breathed heavily. I don't know how I had lost this much breath, it wasn't like I had run that far, but the feeling I was experiencing was just so hard to describe. But my breath tore through me, causing my lungs to hurt and my throat to start feeling raw. I couldn't hear anything besides my own heart thumping loudly in my ears, louder and louder and causing me to breathe faster and faster.

What was wrong with me? I knew people did things like that. Made-out in dark places so that no one would be aware of their activities. So … what the hell? And I thought about it, thought about the whole predicament, and then to those eyes. They just seemed to keep flashing back and forth through my mind. And my whole world was spinning faster, and I thought back to those lips, and the way his hair was being pulled so tightly, and to the way Paulie was pressed so seductively into Rob.

Then, all of a sudden, I was slammed back into a harsh reality as I felt hands grasping onto my shoulders and shaking me quickly.

-xox-

"Kaku! Kaku! Snap out of it, alright?!"

"Pa-Paulie?" I asked, blinking my eyes rapidly, trying to identify if the man I was talking to really was who I assumed it to be.

"Oh, thank God," Paulie breathed, releasing me and whipping a hand across his forehead, "You were freaking me out."

Shaking my head a little, I supposed that Paulie had followed me after I had went running from the bathroom without a word. And noticing his disheveled state, I figured I wasn't too far off. "Sorry to have interrupted."

"Aw, hell," Paulie said, snorting a bit, "You didn't interrupt anything, ok? We were just, uh …"

I looked at Paulie, wondering how in the word he was trying to lie his way out of something I had clearly seen. Paulie seemed to understand my skepticism, because he gave a long sigh and, running a hand through his messy hair, continued, "All right, all right. So you know what you saw, but it's not how it looks!"

I couldn't image what else it could possibly look like, but I waited for Paulie to continue. When he didn't, I motioned my hands for him to continue and asked, "And?"

"And what?"

"What do you mean what? It most certainly looked like you two were about to engage in sexual intercourse. However, if I'm wrong and you merely showing him the inner workings of the bathroom with your tongue, then please: Correct me."

"I, uh … well … you see," Paulie stammered with no available excuse, "I mean, ok, so we might've been fooling around a bit, but it doesn't mean I was gonna have sex with the guy."

Paulie's speech was still incredibly slurred, so I decided I'd blame this incident more on the alcohol more than anything else. And even when Paulie begged me not to tell anyone or even mention what I had seen at all, I agreed. Rather reluctantly, I must admit.

One thing that I found particularly curious was Lucci's behavior during all this. He seemed stoic, almost completely aware, and I temporarily forgot that he was drunk too. His eyes, those same ones that had pierced my soul in the bathroom, were much less threatening now. And I remember thinking to myself, "I wonder if Paulie was scared of those eyes."

-xox-

After continuous promises to Paulie that I wouldn't tell anyone what had happened, or, rather, almost happened, he finally let me leave the small, dark hallway and enter back into the main part of the bar.

When everyone else had noticed us, they lifted their heads, stopped what they were doing, and Lulu asked, "Where the hell did you guys go?"

"We were checking out the lovely decorations in the bathroom. Kudos, Blueno." I tried to make it as inconspicuous as possible by giving a cheery smile and urging Paulie to do the same by elbowing him roughly in the side.

"Yeah, yeah," Paulie laughed, after letting out a raspy cry, "The bathroom! Great, uh, paint job you got goin' on in there, Blueno!"

Blueno shot us a look of pure suspicion, but, apparently, decided that it would be best if he just dropped it. And everyone else seemed satisfied, so I guess our stupid little lie worked.

Keeping an eye on Lucci, I made my way over to Blueno and sat down in one of the stools to chat with him some more. But, this time, I wanted to pry a little.

"So, you like paint, huh?" Blueno asked, causing my cheeks to become rosy slightly as it seemed he saw through the lie like I knew he would. I mean, come on, the man isn't stupid.

"Yeah, yeah," I sighed, noticing Rob sit down at the same table where Hattori was eating, sipping on the drink he had left behind, and then turned my complete attention back to Blueno. "Ok, so …"

"This has happened before."

The response was out before I had time to even realize that I was asking a question. "What?"

"This has happened before," Blueno repeated, "Rob Lucci has been the way I think at least one time previous. Of course, he wasn't nearly as …"

"Sexy," I offered, twirling my finger idly around a glass rim.

"Uh, sexy?"

"I mean … !! Uh, not sexy, sexually deviant!" Now where had that come from? Did I seriously just call Rob Lucci sexy? I mean, it was hard not to admit that the man wasn't attractive. But sexy? Surely that must have been a slip of the tongue. Clearing my throat, I repeated, "Sexually deviant. He's never been so sexually deviant."

"Oh no," Blueno responded calmly, "Rob Lucci's extremely sexual. I'm surprised you haven't noticed working with him as much as you do. What I meant to say was aggressive."

"Aggressive? How so?"

"Well you saw the way he interacted with Paulie. Usually, he keeps to himself in these kinds of situations."

"But it looked to me like the other foreman had never seen him drunk, either," I pursued, hoping to get some explanation for Lucci's random behavior.

"He hides it well," Blueno's sentence ended, extremely vague.

"Apparently so," I agreed, flipping around to gain a better perspective of the bar.

"What happened in the bathroom, Kaku?"

The way the question was asked seemed overly intrusive and slightly on edge. I wasn't sure why or where this sudden emotion had come from, but, when I flipped around and looked into Blueno's eyes, I simply responded, "Nothing. Nothing at all."

A frustrated sigh escaped Blueno's closed lips, eyes closing in what seemed to be defeat. "Fine. Bar's closing soon. Round everyone up and tell them, ok?"

-xox-

I had been stuck with the incredibly unlucky privilege of getting to take Rob home. Not that I didn't enjoy the company of a seemingly mute man, but after the awkward situation earlier, I really just wanted to crawl into bed and not get out of it for about a week.

He had insisted on needing no help and staggered lazily in front of me, clearly symbolizing that he was going to fall over at any minute. And as much as I hated to disobey an order from my leader on this mission, I decided that I'd rather be yelled at than have to report why Rob Lucci had accidently cracked his head open and went falling into the water, only to drown, all because he wouldn't let me carry his drunken body back to bed.

So, slipping an arm around his waist, I was met with surprisingly no resistance. In fact, and this might just be my imagination, but it seemed as if Lucci had leaned more into my body, letting himself rest a little. Of course, he did tense up at my touch, which scared me for a bit.

His breath was warm on my neck almost tickling me as we walked. And the evenness of his breathing was almost evident that the man was sleeping. But I knew that couldn't be true. His feet still carried him most of the way and I just felt a sense of alertness about him. He was surprisingly light. As my fingers ran accidently against his side, I could feel is muscles move and contract. His hair blended with the night and the indication of where it was happened when the wind swept it against my face and neck.

He truly was an attractive man. And my thoughts immediately went back to the word I had used in the bar: Sexy. Did I really think this man was sexy? It felt like it. The way I was describing his body to myself, the way my stomach fluttered as I brushed against his skin accidently every now and then, and the way I felt after seeing him like that in the bathroom. But surely it was the small amount of alcohol talking.

I was blaming many things on alcohol this evening.

-xox-

After gathering how to get to Lucci's place based on Hattori's directions, it was a little after two in the morning. Stepping into his small apartment, I realized how unlived in this place looked.

There was a small kitchenette, a bathroom, a bedroom, and one very tiny living room. The walls were bare and the only noticeable "decoration" was the long, draping curtains that covered each window. Also, a small couch sat in the corner, but there was no TV and no other furnishings.

Passing the kitchen, I noticed a small table with a chair, a refrigerator, cabinets, and the regular kitchen items. His bathroom was just as unfurnished, and, in his bedroom, was a bed, a closet, and bird cage.

And that was it. His living arraignments were so painfully simple, that it would be hard to believe that this man was actually a high ranking government member. Even as unfurnished and simple as my place was, at least it looked like a home.

I felt a little sad in this place. And, in return, it made me feel the same for Rob. To think that this is what he came home to everyday. Not even all the clothes had been removed from a suitcase that was stuck neatly in the corner. It was a good thing he had Hattori to keep him company, at least.

His body shifting beside me, I realized that while I was standing, starring and gawking at the strange living habits, Rob was beginning to become annoyed at our contact. Especially when he was where he needed to be and didn't need my help anymore. However, not quite wanting to let go yet, I sat Lucci down on the bed and sat down beside him for a quick rest.

Hattori immediately flew off to his bird cage to, I expect, go to sleep. A good idea.

"Well," I began, not wanting to leave without saying anything, but not really expecting a response anyway, "I guess I'll see you at work tomorrow."

And, like I had anticipated, no response. But what I hadn't anticipated was the firm grip of Rob's hand on my wrist.

Startled, I tried to leap back instinctively, but his grip was firm. Hair pooled over his face, covering his features from view. But as my body shook against his, trying to free myself from his grip, his body remained absolutely calm.

And I was suddenly flung through the air. Closing my eyes and bracing myself to hit hard floor, I was pleasantly surprised to land on the softness of Rob's bed.

Eyes fluttering open quickly, trying to gaze out through the darkness, I suddenly felt a weight press down on my body causing me to give a strange cry. And, suddenly, his eyes were looking at me again. The same eyes I had seen in the bar. Glowing, bright, and looking straight at me. And the thing I couldn't identify was back again.

Yet, once more, I didn't have a chance to ponder on it as my lips were suddenly met by Lucci's.

Soft, smooth, and almost unnatural, this feeling that I experienced seemed so right; like our lips were meant to be together. Eyes going wide with an unclear emotion, I began thinking to myself, "Is he … kissing me?!" And yes he was.

Prodding my mouth open with tongue, Rob lifted his hands far over my head and pressed our nether regions together, causing me to moan in surprise. And, as soon as it all had happened, it stopped.

Looking around wildly and breathing deeply, my eyes met uncertainly with Lucci's. And, silently, he seemed to purr, "You were jealous."

His voice was deep, rich, and seemed to flow through my whole body easily causing goose bumps where it traveled. And I looked up stunned. It had been such a long time since I had heard the man speak, and, even then, he didn't really say much. Well, I suppose it hadn't been that long. In fact, I heard the man's voice every day. A version of it, at least. But hearing his true voice, instead of the one he used to talk through Hattori with, was simply amazing. My mouth hung open ever so slightly as a small smile crept its way onto Rob's lips.

In a way, I rather liked it.

Then he rolled away from me. Over to one side of the bed and shut his eyes. And, it seemed, within a matter of minutes, he was asleep. Me, on the other hand, well … I was now completely awake.

And I couldn't do more than stare at him. What was that all about?

-xox-

I reflected on leaving but wasn't sure if Rob had wanted to me to stay. Why would he? I've never stayed with him before. And I was seriously planning on leaving … if that damn bed hadn't been so comfortable. But I also got this feeling like I wasn't supposed to leave. And, well, whatever the reason, I stayed.

But, lying there, I began to think to myself about what Rob had said: "You were jealous."

Ludicrous. What possibly was there to be jealous about? That it hadn't been me in that position? That I wasn't the one pulling Rob's hair and causing him to look at me like he was? That I wasn't the one causing this seemingly stoic man to be so turned on?

Realizing where my current thought process was leaning, I ran my hands through my hair angrily and plopped my head roughly on the pillow.

Then, before I drifted off to sleep, I began to think, "Maybe I was jealous."

Definitely the alcohol talking.

-xox-

When I woke up the next morning, the sun was barely rising thus symbolizing to me that it was time to get ready for work. Turning over, I was at first shocked when I found myself in someone else's bed. And when I realized that it was Rob's and that he was no longer sleeping beside me, I got out of the bed frantically.

Running out into the kitchenette, I saw Lucci sitting on a chair, ready to go to work, drinking some coffee. He didn't acknowledge me directly, but I knew he knew I was there when he flicked his head over to the area of the bathroom. Taking the hint, I went to go get myself ready as well.

-xox-

He locked his door with a soft click and we began walking in silence to the docks.

It was so odd. I expected Lucci to be angry when he woke this morning only to find me sleeping in his bed next to him. Surprisingly, he must've remembered the night at least a little. Or I doubt I'd still be living.

As I contemplated my thoughts and ran the night over and over in my brain, I was alerted back to reality with a stern, "Kaku. You're falling behind."

Recognizing the unmistakable voice, I looked up quickly from the current sight of my feet to catch Rob looking straight at me, a tiny small gracing his features. And my heart skipped a beat.

Something was definitely happening to me. Something … I wasn't sure how to react to. Rob Lucci was stirring up something in me. And …

I was excited to find out what.

-xoxoxoxoxoxoxox-

End of Chapter 1

-xoxoxoxoxoxoxox-

A/N: I intent to make this story multi-chaptered, but as to how long it's going to be, time can only tell. I hope you enjoyed chapter one! Reviews are greatly appreciated, and thank you so much for reading!