Chain Reaction
His pen tapped against the table in perfect rhythm against the kitchen table. He had been slaving over the charts. Or at least he had been trying. He couldn't help but think of how things had taken such an unexpected turn.
He and Shachi couldn't contain their excitement that first night at some no name bar. Smoke hung heavily in the air, and spirits were at an all-time high. Booze flowed freely and there wasn't a marine in sight. He supposed that was why the tactless Kid Pirates weren't starting any fights.
He gave a few enthusiastic pats to his friend's back when he started choking on his drinks. Shachi had noticed before Penguin. It seemed a rather drunk Eustass was hitting on their captain. He really thought the captain was going to cut off Eustass' hand when it traveled on his hip. But Law just gave a small chuckle accompanied by a smirk. Law turned to whisper something to the redhead. He gave a thunderous round of laughter. Law had always been so averse to forming bonds outside the crew that even this small gesture with Kid had come as a surprise.
Penguin jumped. Shachi had snatched the hat right off his head and rounded the kitchen counter. He supposed that was what he got for spacing out in the Heart Pirate cook's domain. He could clearly tell that the navigator was thinking about something, possibly too hard.
He sighed and stood up abruptly, the chair scraping against the flooring in an unnerving manner. Shachi lifted his head to give Penguin a mischievous look, "What, Pen? Missing something?" he waved the silly hat around, causing an exasperated sigh from his crewmate.
"Give me that. The Captain is going to kill you for horsing around. You know we're expecting some… Guests. How do you think he'll feel if you end up burning the food?" Penguin crossed his arms defiantly staring down the goofball.
That sure did the trick. Shachi's face fell. He had never had a poker face. He rolled his eyes and muttered, 'Killjoy' before tossing the hat across the kitchen. Penguin had almost regretted his choice to sit in the kitchen while he worked, but he felt so much more comfortable when he had company. He had known Shachi even before joining the Heart Pirates. And the guy sure knew how to fill the silence.
He put his hat back on haphazardly. It always got so cold inside the submarine. That's why practically every member wore a hat. Now it was just weird not to wear the silly thing. His nakama had spotted it in a shop window. Shachi had excitedly said that he should get the ridiculous garment. It even had his name on it! He kind of rolled his eyes, but he found himself walking into the shop for it when the captain muttered in agreement. Bepo enthusiastically clapped his hands and cried that it was perfect! Bepo really did act like a giant kid sometimes. Oh well. At least his had better sense that to buy a teal and pink puffy hat. Unlike some people.
He sat back down at the table and looked at his maps. A glance to his watch showed him that he hadn't really accomplished anything for the past hour. That wasn't really his fault. This entire situation was bizarre. At first he had thought that perhaps his captain was interested in a partnership with Eustass Kid. It wouldn't be a bad move. Sure, he had an awful temper, but he was really strong. He also wasn't a /complete/ idiot. So of course his captain could find some use for him.
He hadn't really expected the use he had found for the younger supernova. There were murmurs, but he didn't actually think that they had been… Knocking boots. He and the rest of the crew put the Captain on a pedestal, but he of course had natural urges. He didn't realize that the brazen Kid had been his type.
As a side effect there had been many visitations between the crews. At first it was pretty awkward. The crews were… Very different. He had tried to voice his concerns in the beginning, but they were met with a very strict, 'If I had wanted your advice on the subject, I would've asked for it' accompanied by a look that was less angry and more 'You aren't my mother. Please refrain from acting like it.'
Loud footsteps echoed above them. Well, the guests were here. Penguin rolled his eyes. Even Jean Bart didn't make that much noise boarding. The Kid Pirates really are something else. He snatched up his maps, tools and book and shoved them as carefully as he could into one of the kitchen drawers. He ignored the cook's frantic yelling, 'Hey! You can't put those there!' and ran up to the deck. Shachi could obviously stay below deck, but Law would probably find it impolite of Penguin to stay hidden off somewhere. He was pretty sure he was supposed to make sure no fights broke out while the two captains were alone. Even though it should've been Bepo's job as first mate, it wasn't the type of thing anyone expected the poor bear to be capable of.
As soon as he reached the deck his suspicions were confirmed. He could see many of the crewmembers of the Kid Pirates. It was easy to spot them. They all looked more like they were members of a heavy metal band then a pirate crew. Although he didn't see the flame haired captain he knew that he had been there. His trademark googles had abandoned on the floor probably lost as a result of a 'struggle'. He smiled and shook his head. He knew from experience that this was going to be a long night.
"I'm sorry about our captain. When he sets his mind to something he really can be quite impossible," Penguin jumped at the sudden presence, his entire body tensing.
The Navigator forced himself to calm down and face the owner of the deep baritone. He wasn't surprised to see the blond first mate of the Kid Pirates. He was surprised to see that he had changed. Penguin hadn't thought it was been that long since he had last seen the man. It seemed as if Killer had cut off some of his hair. While it was still thick and completely wild, it now only went down to his ass. Before he had looked so slim that he was awkwardly unsure of his gender. Now he had gained enough muscle mass that Penguin was sure that the only reason his shirt was unbuttoned was because he could no longer close it. He got a real eyeful of the multiple scars that covered his toned body. He really hoped his gaze hadn't lingered too long on his chest.
Almost losing track of the conversation Penguin clumsily replied, "That's fine. I don't think our captain minds it too much."
Killer gave a deep chuckle and leaned against the railing of the deck. Penguin wasn't sure if he had ever heard the other man laugh before. It was surprisingly nice. As he thought back to his captain, he supposed that he really liked the sound of a deep voice.
The blond gave a bit of a sigh, "At first I really thought your captain was up to something. I thought, 'Trafalgar is just using Kid's lust to manipulate him. This is going to be one of those things that just blows up in his face.'"
Penguin had to stifle a laugh. He had never heard the normally distant blond speak so freely. It was obvious how close he was to his captain by the way he had completely dropped formalities, "And why are you telling me this?"
He made a sound that was somewhat between a laugh and a sigh, "Because I'm honestly starting to think I might've been wrong about it."
Penguin felt a little guilty considering that was one of his first thoughts about the situation, but he knew he shouldn't feed the man's paranoia. It was a pretty well-known by this point that Killer was the rational one, and Kid generally took what he said pretty seriously. The Navigator could be certain that there was a pretty heated debate on the subject of 'Trafalgar Law' between the two of them.
"What made you change your mind?" he asked as he leaned against the same railing, trying to discern the man's mood by body language. Penguin quickly gave into the fact that he was nearly impossible to read.
He shook his head. His hair made this simple gesture quite impressive, "The way Trafalgar pretty much attacked him when we boarded. He's always been more reserved than that. I guess Kid's not the only one that has been affected by this."
At first he tensed when he heard the word 'attacked', but as soon as he figured out the context he gave a dry cough. His captain did that? Man. He would've paid to see that. Even if he told Shachi, he'd never believe him.
He was pretty sure of the answer as he eyed the mask that always covered the blond's face, but he figured he should ask, "Do you want something to drink? We're probably going to be here for a while."
Killer stayed silent for a moment, and then nodded his head. That was more the Killer that Penguin was used to. Almost statuesque. But there was always a sense of danger around him. His reputation was well-known. He obeyed his captain and anyone who threatened him would be put down like dogs.
Penguin decided to lead him down to the kitchen. He was sure that Shachi was hard at work, but he felt like Killer was kind of opening up. And the best way to get to know another pirate? Drinking. And lots of it.
As soon as the galley door opened he could hear Shachi muttering to himself. When the cook saw Penguin he angrily gestured towards the cabinet, but all comments died in his throat when he saw Killer standing behind him. He tilted his head curiously, before running back to his work.
He grabbed a few glasses and walked to the cask sitting in the galley. The rest were in storage. Although Shachi was somewhat of a scatterbrain, he was almost obsessed with keeping his kitchen tidy.
He handed a rather full glass of rum to his companion and sat at the table. And waited. He had to admit that he was more than a little curious as to what lay underneath that mask of his.
He expected him to lift the mask, at least partially. Maybe not take the entire thing off. (That seemed like it would be horribly inconvenient. The thing looked uncomfortable and awkward to wear and remove) He never expected him to pull out a straw and stick it through one of the many holes in the thing. He could hear Shachi snickering, but it was unclear if he thought Killer drinking from the straw was humorous or if it was because of the look on Penguin's face about the whole situation.
It didn't seem to bother the blond either way. Penguin gave a sigh muttered 'Unbelievable' and chugged a good portion of his glass. He couldn't see the smile that appeared under the mask.
"Uh… I'm going to take this is the mess deck. I'll leave the Captain and… Uh… Mister Eustass' food separate. You guys can eat in here if you want," Shachi seemed more awkward than usual. Maybe he was uncomfortable being around Killer. Strange. He had never gotten that impression before now. In fact. It was odd that Shachi wasn't demanding that he help him serve dinner.
The cook haphazardly set the small table for the two of them, though he didn't drop a single morsel of food. Shachi picked up the last serving tray and started a brisk walk. It turned to a dash briefly after ripping the hat off his friend's head. Penguin mutely gripped at his hair and gave his friend a confused look. He choked on the air when he read a message from his friend's lips.
'You look better without it. Good luck on your date.'
He might seriously kill that moron. What was wrong with him? Sure he could appreciate certain physical attributes of Killer's, but...
"So you're a brunet?" Killer broke the silence and possibly disrupting the absurd look on Penguin's face.
He ran his fingers through his short dark hair trying in vain to fix his hat hair. Not that he got the impression that it would bother Killer. In fact, he had no clue why he was even doing it. He could tell that he was staring at him and he felt oddly self-conscious.
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Killer could feel his heart skip a beat when those bright red eyes stared him down, "Yeah. Dark hair is pretty common up in North blue."
Lighter hair was more common in South Blue. Killer had always thought that was part of what had caught Kid's attention with Trafalgar. He looked so exotic. Killer hadn't seen the appeal, but he certainly could now. He wondered if those red eyes were treated the same in the North as they were in the South. Kid had gotten hell as a child just because he had red eyes (matched with that hair) and they treated him like a demon. And that's exactly what Eustass Kid had become.
But he didn't see consuming anger in these red eyes. He was nervous. Perhaps embarrassed. They were so calm. And it gave him an unusual sense of ease. It was almost cute the way he kept fussing over his hair. He wondered what it would feel like if those fingers were combing through his hair instead.
He knew he wasn't good at socializing. He unnerved people. He observed people. He would just sit there and find out their strengths and weaknesses. The way they talked. The way they moved. It didn't matter how hard they tried to hide, Killer could always see through it. That was part of why he admired Kid. He never tried to hide anything. He didn't have to watch him. Everything could be taken at face value. He was a force of nature. So he could just talk to Kid without the danger of missing something.
As he sat there quietly he knew he was doing it again. He was unnerving his dinner companion. He knew that he had lost a few points when he snuck up on him earlier that night, but he hadn't really been trying to surprise him. He had just been sitting around the deck watching over his fellows when he saw Penguin emerge. He waited a few moments for him to catch his breath (Because he had obviously been running) and he tried to start a conversation. And he jumped. It was kind of cute. So he tried to continue the conversation. And now here he was grasping at straws for a decent subject of conversation. Preferably away from the subject of their captains roughly fornicating somewhere nearby. He'd like to find some mutual ground that didn't have to do with them.
"Are you bored?" it was a simple question. It was a common mistake when he got a little too quiet.
"No. I've been told I'm rather introverted," this wasn't something that normally bothered him, but he was a little frustrated with himself at the moment.
"There's nothing wrong with that," he said this bluntly. There was absolutely no hesitation. That meant that it was his honest opinion. But Killer didn't miss the second part that was muttered under his breath, "It'd probably be a lot easier to figure you out without that mask."
That probably wasn't true. He had always been pretty good at restraining himself. Plus there was the fact that his bangs covered his face almost as effectively as his mask. Something his crewmates would tease him about. On more than one occasion Wire had volunteered to trim his hair. He allowed him to cut a good amount of it off and he already felt a little unbalanced without it.
He didn't really have a problem with showing his face. He just wasn't really comfortable with it. People had always stared at him. Gasping, whispering. Trying to work up the nerve to ask what happened to him. Of course his face wasn't quite as scarred back then as it is now. First he just wore a bandana over his face. After he met Kid, the little twelve year old brat welded him a mask. That wasn't the same one he currently wore, but he had become comfortable wearing one.
"Do you want to see my face?" it was a simple question. Killer had taken on some of his captain's bluntness over the years.
He looked shocked, with those honest eyes widened. His lips moved, but it seemed like his brain hadn't quite caught up. He scratched his head and a blush started to creep across his face.
Killer chuckled and shook his head, "It's not a trick question."
"It seems kind of like a trick question," he crossed his arms and rocked his body a little. He looked up in thought, biting his lip, "But yeah. Of course I do."
"'Of course'?" Killer repeated. He hardly saw why it would be assumed that he should be curious. Human nature, maybe?
Penguin gave a little sigh and seemed to have calmed down a small bit, "So did you just ask to see my reaction, or are you thinking about showing me?"
"I suppose if you're really that curious I wouldn't really mind," that was a lie. It would make him a little uncomfortable, but it was something he was willing to do. Although he wasn't exactly sure why.
He could see the excitement in his face, how his shoulders stiffened and he sat up straight. Bracing himself. He really was acting pretty cute. He supposed he had a hard time figuring that out with the stupid hat in the way.
He could finally sympathize with how he made people feel. He was pretty unnerved by the unrelenting stare that the brunet was sending his way. He swallowed the feeling and unfastened the mask and set it down on the table.
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At first he couldn't really see much. Apparently his bangs were as wild as the rest of his hair. He could see the lower half of his face, and probably the reason for the mask. He was heavily scarred.
Penguin cautiously leaned forward to brush the bangs away from Killer's face. If he had gotten this far already, you could bet that he'd see it through to the end. When his eyes locked with Killer's his chest tightened. He had never seen such a beautiful shade of blue and he had spent a good portion of his life staring at the sea.
If you discounted the scars, Killer's face was actually was androgynous. The scars couldn't actually take that away. Penguin found himself surprised at how breathtaking he found him. He couldn't bring himself to look away.
He still couldn't tell what the blond was thinking. He wondered what it would take to make him show some emotion. Then he noticed that Killer's lips curled into a small smile, "Would you mind if I kissed you?"
Penguin made a small sputtering noise and mumbled without thinking, "What kind of pirate won't even steal a kiss?"
Penguin squeaked when he felt a hand gripping his hair and pulling him across the table. His lips were rough, but he could feel the sparks ignite. Penguin couldn't help but give a small whimper. It was overwhelming, but exhilarating. Killer gently bit his lip. Taking the hint he shyly parted his lips. Their tongues danced so passionately that Penguin couldn't bring himself to care that he was losing the fight. How could he taste so good? It wasn't Shachi's cooking, but there was a certain spice. He fought with his brain which told him that he desperately needed oxygen. That was cut off when Killer abruptly released him for the same reason.
Penguin hadn't realized that he was now halfway laying on the table, but now as he stared at the odd man with incredible eyes he realized something. That he was going to start looking forward to the visits the same way his captain did.
A/N: I don't even know what I'm doing. For the love of god someone stop me. Beta asked where the rest of it was. So I might write a second part where they frickle frackle.