A/N- Recent One Piece chapters have been an absolute treat. Everyone say "Thank you, Oda"
Something about the quiet Winter island was really pissing Kid off. They'd been here for five days now, half the time needed for their log pose to reset and though he couldn't put his finger on why, his patience was worn thinner than the skin of his teeth. Everyone else noticed rather swiftly on their fourth morning at the Maidenhair inn, their Captain's features tense as he ate in almost paranoid silence, storming out of the room after grunting out that he'd be on his ship.
"Any idea what crawled up his ass and died?" Sunnie asked, nodding his head towards Killer as the first mate readjusted his mask post meal.
"For once? I haven't the slightest clue."
He'd remained in the crow's nest for most of the day, secluded from the rest of his men as amber eyes studied their surroundings. It felt as if anxiety itself were tickling the nape of his neck, keeping him on edge though observation haki granted no sight of the supposed threat- And yet he sensed it regardless, chipping away at his sanity as tense muscles remained ready for action. Attempts to relieve him from watch were met with snarled refusals, Heat eventually bringing his supper up to the crow's nest to make sure he at least ate something while holed up there. He'd begrudgingly inhaled offered meal before kicking his navigator out again, snapping at him to make sure everyone was accounted for back at the inn.
The next day had passed by much the same way, with a confused crew meandering through the day whatever way they could in the nearby frozen town, looking to their first mate for clarification and receiving none whatsoever. Even their regular crowd of Fishfolk began asking questions, several of the rowdier ones having grown accustomed to joining whatever chaos the Captain cooked up that day, but with no answers in sight for anyone they simply kicked back with the rest of the crew or returned to work. Gambling had become a popular pastime among freed slaves now that they earned daily wages for their assigned chores, and the humans in their midst were quick to regret underestimating the Fishfolk's ability to bluff, a lifetime of slavery and expected subservience allowing them to easily fool the pirates out of several thousand beri each time.
Settling down for the evening without sight of their Captain for the second night in a row, several members of the crew noticed Beau curling up in Kid's empty futon after performing evening's routine. She lay on her belly, face buried in his pillow as she hugged it, a frown visible as green eyes peeked out over the top, looking like a strange turtle of some kind as thick covers ensconced her form. Staring at nothing in particular, the half Mink occasionally huffed out through her nose in irritation, evidently displeased with something as she opted out of evening chatter.
"What's got you so upset?" Killer asked, arms folded behind his head as he lay in the futon beside Kid's.
"I miss the Captain. These things o-only kind of smell like him, and it's better than nothing but I miss his voice and the smell of his skin..." She admitted, pouting as she freed her face from grasped pillow and rested her chin atop.
The little Miss was sulking because she missed Kid. He still wasn't sure why exactly his best friend had been so antsy over these past couple of days, considering it could just be another moronic attempt to distance himself from foreign feelings, though the more calculated nature of his vigil said otherwise. It was Heat that responded to Beau's admission first, lumbering his way over to sit in front of her and place a hand on her head as he spoke.
"That's kind of cute," He said, face mostly stoic despite the curl of tattooed lips, "I'm sure he'd think so, too- Not that the boss would admit something like that"
"You think so? Y-you don't think he's mad at us?" She asked, green eyes peering up at the large fellow as he ruffled brown hair.
"This isn't the fault of anyone here, I can tell you that much," Killer interjected, "I'm sure things will be back to normal eventually, try not to worry yourself too much"
A noise halfway between grumble and whine was the only response he received, before Beau grumpily flopped her cheek down against the pillow. Her own quiet little tantrum, endearing in a way as they witnessed her first free expression of personal irritation. She huffed once more before pulling the covers up above her head and forming a little disgruntled ball, failing to catch a wink of sleep as she tossed and turned in her cocoon. Eventually she gave up on her plan, unwrapping herself and sleepily scooching her way over to Killer's spot, gently bunting his free arm with her forehead in silent request that it be lifted so she could slip herself in against him. A breathy groan left the blonde as he woke to the gesture, silently pleased with her newfound boldness as he pulled smaller friend against his chest and indulged her. A nuzzle of gratitude was gifted to the underside of scruffy jaw, and the pair found sleep soon after Beau rested her weary head below his chin.
High above in their ship's crow's nest, Kid found himself stretching and rolling his shoulders every few minutes, almost desperate to alleviate the tension that'd dug it's way into his muscles and taken hold nearly two full days ago. What was wrong with him? It felt as if someone powerful stood before him, poised to kill, and despite utmost confidence in his own strength and that of his men, being unable to actually see this threat unnerved him. Equally as upsetting was the fact that no one else seemed to feel it- Not even Sunnie with his superior observation haki, or Killer who's skills were on par with Kid's own. Dismissing the thought that he could simply be losing his sanity, he settled on the only other option that came to mind- The threat was focused on him alone. Whoever or whatever it was, it held no interest in those around him and was solely a threat to the Captain himself.
Fine, he'd continue keeping watch, and remain isolated atop their home to avoid dragging his crew into whatever mess was coming his way. Well, that was a lie- Most of his crew would be fine with it and could hold their own, but truth be told it was Beau he needed to keep out of the way. The thought of splitting his crew between the ship and the island had crossed his mind, quickly dismissed at the thought of falling into a trap and willingly thinning their forces. No, he could defend himself whereas Beau could not, so they'd stay with her and he'd stay up here on the ship until the threat either came out of hiding or left for good.
Cold days dragged on in a rhythmic blur, their ninth morning playing out much the same as those prior during breakfast with dumb squabbles and plans made on the spot. Beau expressed an interest in fishing up at the island's partially frozen lake, and had Fletch as willing escort with the promise of fresh fish for his troubles. With gifted rod still on the ship, it fell on Killer to retrieve it while delivering his Captain's breakfast, promising to stop by shared room to pick up both the rod and tackle box. With packaged food in one hand, he deftly scaled his way up to the look-out, unsurprised to see Kid remained in much the same position with minimal change since he'd last seen him. With two days to go before they set sail, it was high time they began re-stocking the ship and checking everything over- Tasks that couldn't be done while their Captain barred them from the ship.
"You're starting to smell rather awful, you know" He jabbed, handing the lukewarm meal to the redhead who barely acknowledged his presence.
"I'll shower later."
"Before or after you explain what's going on?"
Part way through tearing open his breakfast, Kid simply grumbled and placed it off to the side, returning amber gaze to the sea both to continue his watch and avoid looking at his friend.
"After. Piss off."
"You know, there's only two reasons I can think of for you to behave this way," Killer began, much to the chagrin of captive audience, "One, you're embarrassed about the reason you're on edge, and are hiding up here so you don't have to deal with it in public. Or two, you know we'd disagree with whatever reason you have for acting like this, so you're keeping it quiet because it's simply 'easier' than talking it through with us. Considering I can usually get at least some insight out of you when the topic is embarrassing, my vote's on the latter."
"You reckon?" Kid spat back sarcastically, heavy bags under his eyes from lack of sleep.
"So are you going to tell me? Or am I going to spend the day sitting up here until you talk?" He asked, smirk hidden as his Captain groaned through grit teeth, "That reminds me, I promised Beau I'd pick up her fishing rod on my way back, I'd hate to disappoint her..."
"Fucking- Fine!" Came yelled compliance, muscled arms flying into the air in exasperation as he finally turned to face Killer properly, "Look. I don't know what the fuck is out there, but there's somethin' watching me and I'm not letting it catch me off guard. The rest of you haven't felt shit so it's obvious I'm the only target"
"Captains do tend to be the main target for bounty hunters, but it wouldn't be the first time someone's come for your head. Why split off from the rest of us?" His friend asked, not understanding the sudden change at first, raising hidden brows as Kid bashfully moved his gaze away in silence, "Kid- You're not going to do this every time you feel threatened, are you? What do you plan to do if this happens at sea? You can't just push us all away, nor can you lock Beau up somewhere to keep her safe. We both knew bringing her along would put her in danger, and she knows what it's like out there- She's aware things could get nasty, or did you forget she first met you half drowned and bleeding to death?"
And now he was pouting, slumping in his swiveling seat as he glared at nothing in particular. Of course, Killer was right and now the past few days had him feeling like an idiot. Not that he'd say so out loud. Satisfied his point had been made, the masked man rose with a sigh and headed for the hatch, pausing to look over his shoulder once more.
"Come on, get yourself cleaned up and take a nap, I'll tell them you'll be back with us for dinner"
Striding through town atop long, sturdy legs, Fletch had the chance to reflect on his life choices and ponder how he'd ended up here, with Beau's fishing gear in one hand, and the lady herself sat atop solid shoulder as his other hand helped secure her legs. It wasn't as if she'd asked to be carried, it was simply faster to do this than it was to slow himself to the short woman's pace, but it still felt strange to be so intimately close with someone he barely knew. Thinking about it, he wasn't sure Beau even trusted or liked him that much- He wouldn't lose any sleep over such a thing, it wasn't as if he lived his life striving to please people and get them to 'like' him, but she'd been part of the crew for almost four months at this point, and having no idea what she thought of him seemed a little strange. Sure she'd claimed affection for them all as a group, but compared to how boisterously everyone else usually made their opinions known, such sparse declarations seemed incredibly reserved, along with her lack of complaint for the way they behaved- Or rather, misbehaved. He'd offered the odd pat to the head or shoulder as most of his friends had, and lack of fearful flinch implied she at the very least tolerated him.
Contented humming accompanied their trek up into the island's small boreal forest, the path towards intended destination well worn and signposted by the locals to prevent any accidental strandings during the more frigid seasons. Saltwater lake in sight, Fletch placed their bucket of equipment down and carefully peeled Beau from his shoulder, setting her down at the start of wooden jetty as she thanked him for offered assistance. A short walk to the end of the jetty provided an opening for Beau's rod, the deeper waters still soft at the surface with half frozen slush yet to form solid ice. Fletch sat himself down next to her, legs and arms crossed to preserve bodily heat as he watched her tie a small silvery lure to the end of her line, quickly slipping freezing fingers back into leather covered mittens before they grew solid enough to snap.
Dropping chosen bait into the waters below, tense concentration gripped her, eyes trained on the line as she held rod's base in one hand and the reel with her other. Boredom was short lived, as fish who'd been deprived of prey leaped to the chance for food, rod quickly sagging under the weight of her first catch as the half Mink startled to stand and began reeling with all her might. Fletch filled their bucket with a generous slosh of icy water in time to hold the plate sized fish, iridescent silver and yellow flashing along smooth scales as it thrashed. Killed quickly with the butt of her rod, the little woman beamed at first success, setting her tools down to fling her arms as far around the large man's waist as she could.
"We got one! Thank you thank you thank you! It's been so long since Faust t-taught me how, I wasn't sure I could do it but there it is!" She babbled out while rubbing her cheek against Fletch's belly. Caught off guard, her escort simply offered her a pat to the head, scowling to himself over heated cheeks at excited gesture.
"Well, better get your line back in the water if you want to feed everyone" Was all he managed to offer.
Morning eventually gave way to evening, and with their large bucket mostly full of meaty looking fish, the pair agreed on one more cast before calling it. Excusing himself for the call of nature, Fletch left Beau to handle things by herself, their final fish snagging her line before he'd even made it off the jetty. Fighting harder than any of the other fish so far, Beau's final catch had her worried she could be pulled in as tired arms ached and gifted rod groaned under the strain. She considered cutting the line when it suddenly grew slack, a relieved sigh leaving her as she slowly reeled in the assumedly snapped line. Unexpectedly, instead of finding a clean cut in the light green thread, a sopping wet muzzle appeared out of the water, fluffy white fur drenched and sticking into little peaks as beady black eyes stared back into Beau's own. With two large paws the bear took hold of the fish in it's maw, removing it in order to say-
"Oh- I'm sorry. Is this fish yours? It looked really tasty so I... Couldn't help myself..." He explained, much to Beau's shock. The creature himself seemed to drool at recollection of the prey in his paws, eyeing it with a hungry stare.
"U-umm, I think you might've found it first s-so, it's ok, you can h-have it" She relented, unsure how to process this situation. What was he doing under the water? And were those orange clothes of some kind?
"Ah! Thank you!" He beamed, quickly plucking the stranger's lure from his meal's mouth and offering it back to her, "You're so kind... Ah! But I have to go, I'm sorry, I'm supposed to be collecting algae!"
Just as quickly as the stranger had arrived, he was gone again, leaving Beau in stunned silence until Fletch returned and questioned his crew-mate's look of shock.
"A bear wanted our fish" She said, blinking down at the large opening he'd left among laketop slush.
Alright, enough excitement for one day. Returning to the inn in much the same manner as they'd left, Fletch helped cart the bucketful of icy water and fish into the establishment's provided kitchen, much too large a task for any regular person- Let alone their resident runt. Once their haul had been tipped into a large metal sink, the little woman turned on her heels to ask-
"So which ones would you like? I p-promised you fish for coming with me, so it's only fair you get the first choice" She offered, stepping aside to allow her companion a closer look.
"Doesn't bother me," He shrugged, "I'm just lookin' forward to eating it. Any idea what you're gonna make?"
"Well... I was thinking of baking them in foil? W-with some snowapples and herbs inside, for flavor. Is that ok?"
"Sounds good to me"
With Cheep's help, the sizeable haul was cut and cleaned, each fish stuffed full of local herbs and slices of snowapple, drizzled with oil and individually wrapped in foil to be gently cooked alongside their brethren in the large industrial oven. With a couple of different sides as accompaniments to compliment main meal, supper was ready to be served as the pair carefully piled it all onto wheeled serving cart, slowly pushing it down wooden hallway to deliver the day's effort to hungry companions.
Showered, shaved and feeling like shit, Kid sat back in his crew's shared room, dodging questions and insults from men who hadn't seen him in days and were rightfully annoyed by his almost childish silence. The creeping paranoia hadn't left him yet, and every noise or shout had amber eyes darting to glare, unwilling to be caught off guard by whoever threatened him. Shooting his stare towards the door as it slid open, hard eyes fell on soft greens, widening in excitement as Beau registered his presence. Before greetings could be exchanged or meal delivered, she all but ran for him, launching herself in his direction as slender arms wrapped around his neck and soft cheek rubbed voraciously against his own.
"Woah- hey, hi, take it easy yeah? Stars you'd think I'd been gone for months" He complained, betrayed by the thump of his heart as she pressed herself against him, cheeks flushing pink as the little woman began blessing his jaw with sweet kisses in front of everyone.
"But I missed you! So so so much, I thought I might die!" She exclaimed, settling sideways upon his lap and purring furiously as she repeatedly bunted the underside of his jaw with the top of her head.
Kid sighed, aware of all the shit eating stares thrown his way as their smallest celebrated his return. He'd been too preoccupied with paranoid watch to spare much thought for anything else, but as the past several days crashed down on him he realized he really had missed her. And now here she was- On his lap, wriggling around to rub against him and smooch his face, purring uncontrollably as she hugged the arm he'd unknowingly wrapped around her waist. With Killer's assistance dinner was served, and he allowed himself to sink his nose into her hair and inhale once ravenous men were distracted by freshly caught fish. There it was, that smell of soap and herbs, though a light fishy undertone reminded him evening's meal came from her earlier excursion.
"You catch all these?" He asked, nodding down at the steaming fish on the table in front of him.
"Mhm, Fletch helped too" She clarified, turning to press her back against his chest so they could both access their dinner.
"I kinda just watched" Came gruff refusal, the large man tuning into their conversation at the sound of his own name.
"But you helped put water in the bucket, and with carrying things" Beau argued.
"Mm, guess I did didn't I"
With their small debate settled, the evening took on a merrier tone than that of days prior, Fishfolk and pirates alike relieved to have the Captain back among them as his usual outbursts and outlandish arguments brought life back to the group once more. By the time Sunnie and J.C. started an unfortunately off-tune duet, the alcohol in Kid's belly had left him mostly at ease, still aware of the tingle present at his neck's base but forcibly relaxed enough to at least partially unwind. Wriggling upon his lap drew amber gaze downward, smaller friend adjusting herself to lay across muscled lap, head resting atop crossed arms as she sighed contentedly. Did she really miss him this much? it wasn't like he'd left her alone, she'd had the whole crew to keep her company over the past few days, and they seemed to get along well enough with her to include her. Prior claims of being her favorite came to mind as he played with her hair, finding the odd twig and fishscale among brown locks and plucking them from whence they didn't belong.
"Captain?"
"Mm?"
"Can we take a bath?"
It was a quiet request, hidden by the cover of off kilter singing and competitive drinking, caught only by Kid himself as he stared down at the woman on his lap with uncertainty.
"Together?" He asked, needing clarification.
"I-is that ok?"
Swallowing the lump in his throat, the redhead wordlessly scooped Beau up and over his shoulder, heading out of shared room and making his way down towards the baths without so much as a glance at the few stares he felt followed them. Selecting one of the smaller private set ups, Kid placed her down on the stone floor, awkwardly glancing over the single shower that stood between them and the natural tub. The poor man's eyes nearly bugged out of his skull as he caught sight of Beau's shirt, pulled high above her head before joining her sweater in the provided basket, hands moving to undo the zipper of her skirt as she continued to undress.
"Uhh- Hey, look, I can go second if you want, I'll just wait outside" He offered, unsure if this was such a good idea after all. Beau turned to face him, wearing nothing but underware, shoes and a pair of tights as she stared up at him in confusion.
"But how can I wash your hair if you're out there? U-unless you don't want me to? It's ok if you don't! I just- I thought it's what you wanted since you said it sounded nice when I took a bath with Panda, and I missed you lots and thought it might help you relax because you've been so tense?"
A hard, questioning stare settled across Kid's face, watching Beau intently as he thought it over. She wasn't doing this just to please him, was she?
"It's fine with me, but what do you want. Forget about making me happy for a second, yeah? You don't have to force yourself through shit like this just to try and please me"
"But I'm not..." She whined quietly, staring up at him anxiously as brown ears lost their perk, "I just... Wanted to relax with you for a little bit. We're leaving tomorrow, so it's our last chance to use the volcano bath..."
He raised a brow at that, volcano bath? Did no one tell her what these were called?
"It's called a hot spring- And... Listen. You don't gotta get naked to spend time with me, I'm just busy sometimes, it ain't your fault and you don't have to do shit like this just to get my attention, ok?" He watched her face closely, a frown on his own as she began to look frustrated. Why? What had he said to upset her?
"I don't understand, I thought- You said to tell you what I wanted, a-and I did, I want to spend time with you and take a bath... Is that wrong? Are there rules for that too, like with kisses?" She asked, visibly distressed as she fiddled with the strap of her bra with uneasy fingers.
"It's not wrong, I just- Aren't you scared?" He blurted out, unable to beat around the bush any longer.
"Scared? Oh- Of b-being bare... I am, but, not with you," She explained, meeting questioning gaze with her own, "You're safe, a-and you've been near me so many times while wearing so little that if you really did want to hurt me, you already could've- But, I know you won't, I know you're never going to make me do those things, even if I'm not wearing anything, so... If it's only you, I'm ok with it"
As if to prove her point, Beau slowly removed the rest of her clothing, nibbling on her lower lip as shyness crept in. Kid stared dumbfounded at the little woman, realizing just how much she trusted him and how careful he had to be not to break that. With eyes glued to her face and refusing to wander lower, he fought to re-gain control of his voice as her gestures required a response, hastily disposing of his own clothing in the meantime to show he understood.
"So- Ahem, you uhh- Want me to wash your hair?" He fumbled out, briskly turning to prepare the shower as she padded along after him.
"Y-yes please!" She replied, giddily sitting herself down on one of the provided stools, tail wagging happily in anticipation.
Pulling up a seat of his own, Kid began the offered task by drenching her head with the nozzle, lathering the inn's provided shampoo into her hair and working it into a mass of bubbles as thick fingers scratched at her scalp. Several contented sighs blessed his ears for continued effort, rinsing out soapy locks to repeat the process with sweet smelling conditioner. What were they doing? What was this? It felt so intimate and forbidden but also innocent, another gentle interaction he'd found himself craving over time. Thinking back to the first time he'd felt the urge to bathe together, Kid shook his head- What was he getting himself into? She was obviously attached to him, even when left alone and encouraged to grow close with the others around her, but he still didn't see her as someone who could choose such things for herself. Even if she could, what good would it do? He'd lose her trust the instant she learned of the more carnal desires he tried so hard to squash down.
Hair rinsed, he reached for a clean towelette and worked a lather into the fabric, gently running it up and down her back once soggy hair was moved over her front. A rumbling purr was the half Mink's response, soothed by the gentle motions and steady pressure against her back. What should've been a chore felt more like a privilege, being allowed in the little woman's presence while so vulnerable, touching bare skin in ways that she allowed no one else- Only him. The possessive side of him beamed to the thought, of course only he was allowed, no one else had the right to such things... Unless she gave them that right, he reminded himself. The idea of another person being allowed so intimately close to her boiled his blood, but he needed to grant her that freedom, to allow her to choose who she did and didn't want to share such things with.
"Captain? Isn't it your turn now?" She asked, feeling warm water flow down her back as he rinsed prior lather.
"You don't have to" He offered, once more providing an out in case she didn't wish to reciprocate.
"But I want to, really, I do. I love playing with your hair, a-and I want to help you relax. I know I haven't seen you lots while we've been here, but I can tell you've been tense- Your neck is all stiff"
Grumbling due to his inability to argue, permission was granted. Beau stood behind him now, lathering shampoo into blood red locks as he tilted his head back and sighed. Stars it felt good. It was one thing for her to run her fingers through his hair, but the feeling of deft little fingers massaging his scalp with the aid of slick moisture had him melting into her touch in ways he hadn't thought possible. Humming away as she continued her task, Beau was happy to see tense shoulders slowly dropping, long standing anxieties fading from his mind for a moment as he shut his eyes and simply enjoyed the gentler treatment. He hadn't expected her to condition his hair, never seeing much point in doing so with the shorter length, though the chance to enjoy her ministrations for a little while longer had him biting his tongue to stifle the comment. It was when she began lathering soap against his back with her bare hands that he involuntarily let a groan slip out of his unruly throat, relieved when she didn't stop and essentially began to massage his back, neck and shoulders with the aid of soapy slickness.
Thoroughly relaxed and genuinely disappointed it was over, Kid sighed as the shower nozzle was returned to it's holder, skin tingling to the little butterfly kisses Beau gifted his shoulder before making her way towards the bath itself. He rose to follow, grateful that she took the lead as it allowed him the chance to hide engorged embarrassment from innocent eyes. What if she tried to crawl on his lap? In a bid to avoid such a dreadful outcome, the redhead slid himself down in front of her, sitting on the bath's floor rather than next to Beau on the in-built bench. No complaints fell from her lips, though he wondered if it may have been a mistake to position himself this way as she happily pressed herself against his back and wrapped her arms around him from behind, willingly giving him that same skin to skin contact he'd chided himself for craving.
She felt... Elated, over the moon, like her heart might burst through her ribcage any moment and run away from her as it beat furiously inside her chest. Normally it only raced like this when she was terrified, but since meeting the Captain she'd had the pleasure of experiencing it's increased pace in all manner of new situations, particularly those of joy and excitement. What was it Sunnie said? Something like, the way she felt making her want to do something about it? But what to do? The kisses she gave didn't feel like quite enough anymore, like they didn't properly convey the amount of joy he gave her with every interaction. Following gut instinct, Beau leaned forward to do the only thing that came to mind, gently licking at the underside of Kid's jaw as her purr rumbled through his torso from behind. This felt right, it felt like the correct gesture for expressing her affection and her genuine preference for his company, and though a flinch of shock was his initial response to the act, the man carefully tilted his head to allow her better access.
For all the victories leading him here, this was one battle Kid couldn't win. He didn't understand her actions, flinching as she began to lap the underside of his jaw like an affectionate puppy, blissfully unaware of the pooling arousal cultivated by each touch of her tongue- But if this was the closest they ever managed to get, then by gods he wouldn't stop her, tilting his head to the side as further invitation for her to continue lavishing him with sweet adoration. Fuck, he could take her right here and now, flip her over to kneel on the in-built bench and help himself to what was cheekily dangled in front of him. A contented sigh broke his crass trail of thought as Beau rested her chin in the crook of his neck, stretching her arms out in front of him before settling back to their prior hug. No, he couldn't- He wouldn't. Relevant promises aside, temporary relief wasn't worth hurting her for and the affections he craved couldn't be stolen like tempting fruit from an orchard.
"Captain?" She began, seeking his attention as usual before asking intended query.
"Yeah?" Oh how glad he was for the privacy of his mind.
"How come you have two names?"
He hummed to the question, realizing it must've never come up during their time together.
"Usually the second one is for the family- like who you were born to and shit. Only some folks usem, though" He explained, noting the way she seemed to sag against him.
"Oh... So what if the people you're born to don't have a second name to share with you?"
"Well, some people just make them up, or get them from someone else"
"Could I- Would it be rude if I said I liked yours?" She all but mumbled.
"Nah, it's a compliment. Thinkin' bout making one up for yourself?"
"W-what about... Using yours?" She asked quietly, unaware of the implications he'd failed to explain.
"Oh- That's kinda- Takin' someone else's last name is somethin' folks do when they get hitched" He choked out.
"O-oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean- I had no idea... I know you're too busy for those kinds of things" She apologized, pulling back into a fully seated position as embarrassment bid small hands to curl against her chest.
"Hey, it's fine, there's a lotta shit you never learned. Don't sweat it... Maybe I could- Idunno, I guess I could make time for something like that. If I really felt like it." What the hell was he saying? Was he trying to admit something to her? or perhaps to himself?
"Then I hope you find someone who loves you lots and lots" She declared, leaning forwards once more and pressing her cheek against his upper back.
'Yeah, fat chance' He thought, rolling his eyes at the idea of settling into your typical run of the mill marriage on some shitty little island someday. No, if he ever retired it'd be upon his metaphorical throne, living life to the fullest as the freest man on the seas, beating down any whelps that came with hopes of snatching his title. Would Beau still be there? Probably not, he knew Killer would stay with him till the end but never expected lifelong servitude from the rest of his crew, and that included their smallest.
Bathed and ready for bed, Kid allowed Beau to hug the arm nearest her as they sauntered back, feeling her rub her cheek against it and cling as if she feared he'd lock himself away again. She immediately settled atop him for sleep despite myriad other choices, breathing deeply through her nose to take in the personal scent she'd missed so much, and in doing so providing Kid with that familiar weight he'd sorely lacked.
Morning came all too soon, everyone hustling to re-stock the ship and check everything over as mere hours remained before the log pose reset. Tossing a crate of fresh linens into the cargo hold, Kid scowled to see various boxes piled near the back, at least thirty in number with unknown contents. Hearing a snicker from Fletch at confused scowl, the Captain whipped his head around to face the burly man with irritation etched permanently to his brow.
"What the fuck are you laughing at." He demanded.
Fletch simply dropped his own crate of supplies in the correct spot, before opening up a box and pulling out the first book that touched his fingers, waving it in the air before dropping it back down.
"It's all them books you wanted"
"Wha- HOW MANY DID YOU BUY?!"
"Idunno," He shrugged, closing the box once more, "You owe me sixty thousand, by the way"
"HA?!"
"Sixty thousand beri, pay up boss" He said with a hand outstretched, satisfied smirk stretching scarred face as his petty revenge was finally enacted.
"You fucker! I thought you'd nicked the change, not spent ALL of it!" Kid complained in outrage, jaw on the floor as he did the math... This man had spent more than a million on fucking books.
"You said to get whatever they had on display, so I did. Just followin' orders, Boss" The blonde reminded, flexing his fingers a couple of times as if to say 'Hand it over'.
Furiously digging through his pockets, Kid retrieved six more bills of ten thousand each, rolling them into a little bundle before angrily hurling them at his crew-mate.
"Shove it up your ass!" He howled, turning to stomp away as the money bounced harmlessly off of Fletch's proudly puffed chest.
Unsurprisingly, most of the Fishfolk they'd grown acquainted with came to see them off that evening, the children and their parents crowding around Beau for final goodbyes while the usual crowd of rowdier individuals knocked back a few final drinks with the lads. It was Grammie and Cheep that arrived last, their eldest requiring assistance to navigate evening's cold as she shuffled forwards, clearing her throat as she stood before Heat to bid the tall man look down.
"You're the navigator, aren't you dear?"
"Hm? Yeah, that's me" He replied, flashing the ever present log pose on his wrist as Grammie hummed in thought.
"Then you're probably going to want this" She said, beckoning for Cheep to hand over the small wooden box they'd brought with them.
Carefully opening the intricate container, the pirate raised both brows in combined surprise and confusion, seeing what appeared to be a newer log pose inside with... Three separate pointers? He raised the questioning look to the object's prior owners, hoping for an explanation to follow.
"You're in the new world now, fryling. The magnetic signatures on this side of the grand line are erratic at best, and almost impossible to track accurately at worst. I'm sure you've had at least one or two incidents by now of being dragged all over the place? This version will help guide you more accurately, it locks onto three separate signatures at once and stops conflicting magnetic fields from interfering with the pointers- Don't worry about the price, you've done more than enough for us and it's not as if we need this old thing, it was a spare belonging to our master, so now it's yours" The elderly catfish explained, seemingly pleased with Heat's immediate acceptance of the situation as he removed the older model and slid overdue upgrade onto his wrist.
"How long has it been set?" He asked suspiciously, tapping the dome protecting it's contents, "Actually- Nevermind. Let's not mention that to the Captain, he'll be mad if we could've left sooner..."
A hearty chuckle turned cough was her only response, their chance for final goodbyes running out as Kid hollered boarding orders to his crew. Once again, there were people here to see them off, people they'd accidentally helped simply by doing whatever they fancied. Was this going to be a pattern in the new world? Part of Kid hoped not- He was getting sick of all these detours and side stops as he cleaned up other people's messes for them, but as he watched Beau leaning over the railing to wave exaggerated goodbyes towards quickly shrinking children, he considered that maybe some detours were worth stopping for.
"Captain, can we breach now?" Asked a man clothed in the stark white of a boiler suit, his name 'Penguin' spelled out across easily distinguishable hat.
"No, not until they're out of range. We're staying under until I can't sense Eustass-ya anymore"
"But Captaaaaaaaain!" Whined another one of the tired man's crew-mates, red hair jutting out from under his orca themed cap as he flailed equally white clad limbs in protest, "We've been down here for weeks, weeks! You sent Bepo out to get more algae for the oxygen farm, but he came back with a fish instead!"
"Yeah, the air is so stale we can hardly breathe down here, Captain pleeeeeease!" Whined Penguin, grasping his hands together as the pair of them begged.
With a frustrated growl, yellow eyes darted between the Captain's two friends, unable to escape them even in his study as they all but barged in and continued to complain. No doubt the rest of his crew shared similar sentiments, sending the pair of them in to whine on their behalf as they had the most experience with persuading the overly serious man.
"That's enough! Cut it out already, both of you. For God's sake, you're giving me a headache... Fine, we can breach in an hour. That gives us enough time to dive again if they spot us and decide to pick a fight. Happy now?"
"Why are you avoiding them in the first place? You gave one of them our number ages ago!" The redhead pointed out, much to their Captain's chagrin.
"I gave the Massacre Soldier our number because he's the reasonable one, if he calls us for a favor they'll be in our debt. If we casually dock on the same island as them we risk Eustass-ya picking a fight, and I don't have the patience to sew your limbs back on after one of his savages rips them off"
"Captain that's so cold..."
"It's ok Shachi, we have each other's backs- Even if the Captain forsakes us like this..." Penguin declared, one hand at his friend's back while he balled the other into a determined fist.
"Ugh FINE! Half an hour. Now get out!" Demanded the dark haired man, eyes squeezed shut as he massaged tension from both temples in practiced rhythmic motion, bemused pout betraying the hint of joy he felt at their insufferable antics.
"Aye aye, Captain!" Came suddenly cheery reply, both men saluting in unison before scurrying out of the room to prepare.
Forget their fellow Supernovas, Law's own crew would be the death of him first.