After the sweet satisfaction of so greatly disturbing the annoyance that is Fiadh's destined partner… She decided to mentally schedule the rest of her evening. She'd be arriving at the ship early afternoon, and factoring in the hour to settle her patient in; she would still have a few hours before her dinner date. Maybe she could try and contact her kid about her final choice and let him know she'd hunt him down after this job. Nah, better to just show up. Despite it being a ways away she always looked forward to the rare chance she got every few years to take a break and actually see the not so little shit.
"Hey Darra, you gonna join me for vacation after this job or you gonna wander off as always?" Fia asks her companion while sitting backwards in the saddle and resting on the vulture-like neck.
"Hrm…" came a noncommittal response from the bird.
"K then. Hey! How you doing poison breath?" Fia calls down to her patient getting carried below her, just along for the ride.
A loud growl came from the covered cage and Fiadh just giggled before deciding to leave them all along before she got dropped into the ocean. Darra had done it plenty of times before. Her mark suddenly was heating up and itching making her shift uncomfortably. For some reason whenever this happened her scar would also ache as if in obstinance in being ignored. As if she ever could. It covered such a large percentage of her left side and had disfigured her face.
For a moment Fiadh thought about what Katakuri must think of her. She rarely cared about what people thought about her, especially not as far as appearances go. Yet for some reason she felt curious about what the proud, yet awkward man might think of her. Honestly she doubted he'd even really care and had only taken her in at face value and seemed the type to care about strength over everything else. She wasn't anywhere near his level in strength so proportionally his interest would probably be in her use to his fucked up family… Who knows. He'd never seemed to avoid eye contact with her or look at her oddly for the scar anyway, and he himself was a fucking giant.
At times Fia wondered how men could ever look at her with any amount of heat or lust rather than simple, bland respect. Then she remembered that some men are basically animals driven on pure instinct. Only caring about the important bits, which she was not lacking in and regardless of her face she had a nice figure even if her muscles were a tad too built for a woman. They matched her tall frame in her opinion, but she'd been told in the past to slim down to appear more attractive. This had spurred her into more weightlifting training sessions and higher protein consumption of course. She has always been one hell of a spiteful woman.
Fiadh always laughed to herself when she thought about her old crewmates. Sassy Hanh had routinely lectured her on how to be more ladylike and tried to get her to change her training routines. Always failing and always ending with Fia falling asleep during the lecture. She had been a small asian looking girl who was a few years younger than Fiadh and was like a sister on the ship. They had shared a room and despite being polar opposites always got along and spent a large majority of their days together.
Hanh was the main chef to their small dysfunctional crew, and Fia would just help her as a sous chef when necessary. She was the one who had taught Fiadh most of what she knew now, and was one of many important crew members she had lost many years ago. Whenever thoughts of them intruded into her mind she would then be forced to relive the short flashes of what their end looked like. Everytime it would leave her with an empty feeling in her heart and a burning pain across her face and arm.
A flash of golden hair in the evening sun and a grin so dazzling it was hard to even look at crossed her mind. To which, Fiadh had to forcefully remove herself from her reminiscing when she felt the warm tear streaks become cold on her face from the sea breeze. These intruding thoughts weren't ones Fiadh fought anymore. Despite not letting herself linger she wouldn't ever deny them. Except for one. One was always too painful, even in that split second she felt her heart clenching painfully.
Regardless of how much time passed it still felt tender. Her scar had her skin crawling. Fia lifted a hand to her face and raked her nails down the side, clawing down her neck to where it disappeared into her shirt. She felt a small trickle of blood flow from the thin scar tissue down her neck. Grasping her scarred shoulder she took slow uneven breaths for a few minutes.
"Fiadh Dartraigh, relax." came a deep, calm voice.
"Hahh… Yes DAD~" Fia said snarkily but without her usual energy.
She knew Darra was just keeping her in the present, which she deeply appreciated. Running her hands through his neck feathers she turned and hugged her loyalist friend and the only one who'd always been there. Unlike a normal vulture Darra's neck and head was fully feathered and gave him a fiercer look with his angled golden eyes.
"Guess it's just us, huh…" Fia mumbled.
"Us against the world" Darra mumbled back quietly.
Fia laughed at the fact he still remembered the exact words. The exact words they'd said that shitty ass day in the Grand line decades ago. Their past would always haunt them but Fiadh was strong. She'd never stop from the pain or the past no matter how tempting it might be. Fiadh had almost succumbed that day in letting herself just lay down and die with her crew. Darra hadn't allowed it and neither had Branwen apparently, as that's the only sensible reasoning to explain their successful escape. Regardless, there was always something in her living, waking life for her to work for. Now it was her few remaining friends and last bit of family, her shitty kid. Even if he wasn't her biological child, she had still taken full responsibility of him and would see it to the end.
When they finally landed on the Sweet commanders ship Fiadh jumped off and Darra actually landed on the ship instead of just taking off like usual. He leaned down and headbutted Fiadh right in the chest to which she wrapped her arms as far as she could around his rounded beak and head. The crew were all chattering in the background but Fiadh tuned them out as she wiped her face off in her friends face feathers before waving him off.
The entire ship dips and groans in protest at his departure, but it quickly settles and everything is quiet again. Fiadh turns to wheel her patient down below deck and she catches a glimpse of Katakuri sitting on the ship railing casually spinning a donut on his finger. It would strike her as odd if she didn't already know the man's obsession with the desert so she just smiles at him tiredly and waves. His attire was the same as ever which Fia couldn't help but appreciate, she'd never complain about his lack of interest in shirts.
Katakuri makes no return gesture besides nodding his head slightly. Meanwhile he was wondering why Fia looked so exhausted and why he could see tear stains on her face. Thinking that something happened he followed her below deck as she wheeled her patient to his designated storage room. He said nothing and let her do her thing and once she seemed satisfied with her sleeping patient he kicked off the door frame he was leaning on.
"What's wrong?" He says more gruffily than he meant to. He's glad Fia didn't look offended in the least, just surprised.
"What do you mean?" Fia says with a head tilt.
Sighing, he ruffles his hair. He can't tell if she's avoiding the question or genuinely unsure what he's referring to. This entire situation made him think back to times he'd confront his sister Brulee when she seemed to be struggling or having issues. Maybe that was why she pulled at his heart as she did, besides the whole mark thing of course...
"You… Look tired." Katakuri ends up deciding that's the safest thing to comment on.
Fiadh looks shocked once again, "Hm, guess I shouldn't have expected no one to notice. Just haven't slept much thanks to the mutt. He had a bit of a rocky surgery and kept me up, then the rest of the time I spent in travel."
Katakuri nods but can clearly tell she's hiding lots within that description. He decides not to push it and instead steps towards her closing some of the awkward space between them. Reaching out he ruffles her hair and tilts his head wordlessly asking her to follow.
"Uh… okay? We still have dinner plans, can it wait till then?" Fia asks only wanting to scrub her face and change her clothes. She's certain he noticed the tear streaks and was quite glad he hadn't blatantly brought it up.
Grunting Katakuri mumbles, "It can wait if you want…" He seems a little upset at her question.
"Well just let me change then we can go." Fia concedes, despite still having some bitterness she didn't want him to think she was trying to avoid him this time.
Nodding Katakuri moves out of the doorway so Fia could exit. As she passes Katakuri can smell campfire smoke, a distinct medical scent, and earthy forest. A very interesting combination to say the least, he was very curious where she had gone to, but knew it wasn't his place to pry. The mounting things he knew he couldn't ask about was frustrating, but he knew he couldn't complain if he too couldn't open up.
Fiadh changed quickly into stretchy pants that hugged her legs and her oversized hoodie that she had greatly missed during her trip. She had forgotten it in her rush and relished in the cotton material and nostalgic smell it always had. She also had simple sandals on and her hair was pulled back in a messy bun, strands hanging free randomly from her hasty arrangement of the hair.
"Alright, I'm good to go."
Katakuri nodded before turning and leading her to the direction of the kitchen. For a moment she wondered if he was going to ask for sweats, but instead he was just picking up a box of what smelt like pre-prepared food before turning and walking a floor lower to a storage room. Fiadh watched in increasing interest as Katakuri grabbed another larger box before walking in the direction of his quarters. She couldn't smell anything from the other box and it had nothing on the sides to give away what the contents could be.
"Sooo… What're we doing?"
"Taking a break." He says curtly, not giving much of anything away.
Well Fia thinks it'd be a good way to close that weird distance that was there before. Just taking a break and relaxing together, not something they'd ever really done. They'd done plenty of work and even sparred once… Besides that there were some odd interactions in kitchens but always food involved. Seemed about the same this time just without the work involved.
For a moment Fiadh laughed to herself at how awkward this would all be with her just talking to herself. Then they both arrived at Katakuri's room which when he opened she saw he'd set up a couch and a coffee table where a wall had previously been empty. Looking around nosely Fia also sees on his desk something that makes her jaw drop.
Her old wanted poster.
"No fucking way!" Fiadh says with a gasp. "Where the FUCK did you find this old thing?!"
Katakuri freezes and even seems to stop breathing. There on an old, decomposing, yellow piece of paper was an image of a much younger Fiadh. Clad in a black bikini top, jean shorts, a green sash, and a torn bandana holding back wild red hair. On her chest a jolly roger is clearly tattoo'd between her breasts. A demon-like skull with twisting horns, a pistol, and bone crossing behind it. The mark of the Ryoshi Pirates. Her face and body scar free save for small lines barely noticeable along her pale arms, and she was scowling at the camera man while flying the bird at them. The solid sum of $200,000 bounty and "Wanted Dead or Alive" could be made out under the photo. For a Grandline bounty as a rookie crew it was something she had been fiercely proud of at the time.
"Damn… I was hot back then." Fiadh whistles as she admires her lost youth. She buries all true emotions related to seeing herself at that time.
Katakuri's face had gone through all five stages of grief and was now flaming hot in embarrassment. He knew for a fact that was not where he had left that poster, and now Fia thought he was a damn creepy stalker. Fiadh turned and grinned at the sight of the suffering Katakuri.
Deciding to mess with him even more she says, "You really dug for this, huh? I peak your interest, dough boy~?"
"Fuck…" He says in a pained voice.
"Hm? Nothing to say for yourself? Bet you paid big bucks to find this." Fia says smuggly, knowing damn well how expensive information on her is.
Sighing Katakuri accepts his embarrassing fate, "Yea… Sorry, it was brought up with the background check we ran."
His flaming red ears spoke a different story to Fiadh, but she just grins and shrugs. Walking over to the couch she flops down and kicks her feet up with a sigh.
"Damn, if you were so curious you could've just asked me." She says sarcastically.
They both knew damn well she would never have answered honestly so Katakuri just snorts before following her to the couch setting the large boxes next to the short table. Opening the lids he pulls out the cheese board the chefs had meticulously put together, then a few dishes containing what he deemed comfort food. Steak, potatoes, some spice noodle dishes, and some vegetable sides. The next box held bottle after bottle of wine, rum, and beer. All expensive and high quality, he offers a bottle of red wine to Fia to go with the cheese and set another white wine bottle on the table as an alternative.
"Ohhh, really outdid yourself!" Fia said honestly, she grinned at the man and said, "Thank you Katakuri, I really appreciate the effort."
Fiadh feels a flood of warmth in her chest at the clear effort he had put into the arrangement. He had clearly thought about it and even looked into her tastes in food. For a woman like her, this was more than enough to thoroughly please her, she preferred the little things in life rather than extravagance.
He nods and says, "You're welcome. Sorry for digging through your past. It was only on Mama's orders. The world government really has hidden almost all information pertaining to you..."
"Hahah! I would certainly hope so. They had one job with that shit show. Well it's nothing new to me, everyone likes to pry into my life. I appreciate you letting me know yourself and that it wasn't necessarily your choice." Fia smiles again at him. She was surprised that she kind of felt relieved he'd found that piece of herself. It was the hardest to talk about so it was sort of one less thing to explain.
"You…" Katakuri hesitates for a moment before solidifying his resolve, "You can ask or request anything of me in return, as my apology."
Fia looked at the man in shock before smirking like a cat that just caught it's prize, "Hmm, anything?"
Katakuri feels sweat drip down his face before nodding in confirmation.
"Okay… Well you can deny this request since I can think up another! But I want to see your face. You've seen the face I've kept hidden from the world, and even dug around my past life. I think it's only fair you share something you keep hidden." Fia looked down at the floorboards, despite being straight forward to a fault she still understood when she was pushing boundaries, then said, "It's fine if you don't want to. We all have things to hide regardless."
Katakuri looks heavily conflicted and sits staring at Fiadh for what felt like a century to Fia before sighing. He rationalized it was only fair and in reality was of equal value to all the information he had dug up on her. Part of why he had ever so meticulously set this up was as an apology for both ignoring her before and now for prying into her past. Despite all of that reasoning what stood out most to him was the feeling in his heart, he felt he could trust her despite them not being family or tied in any way. He had always been distrubed how he naturally felt she was an equal to him, something not even most of his family could innately receive.
"It's not something so amazing. Regardless, I have a question and a term you must agree to first." Katakuri says in a deep, serious tone.
"Okay." Fia makes direct eye contact with unwavering magenta eyes.
Katakuri decides to take a deep breath and says, "Do you know we're… soulmates?"
Instantly they both have bright red faces, but they retain their eye contact with one another.
"Um… Y-Yes..?" Fia says stuttering in her flustered state. "I… didn't think you were aware."
Katakuri smirks to himself as he realizes they both were morons.
"Yea, since your first week at the Cake Chateau."
"What the fuck… Took me way longer than that! At least to fully confirm it, I basically knew then too." Fia looked irritated, but really she was relieved that one thing burning her up inside was finally cleared. Seems they're really both airing their dirty laundry tonight. Taking a nice swig from the red wine bottle she passes it over to Katakuri before realizing the insinuation behind doing so.
Instead of looking at all bothered by this he says, "Well that was easier than I thought… But I need you to promise me something…"
"Sure." Fia says nodding easily.
"Don't run away..?"
It sounded more like a question than a request so Fiadh simply held out her pinky finger. The most juvenile and fitting thing for the current situation as both adults were absolute children when it came to this awkward situation they were in. Despite feeling the innate draw to one another, and the beginnings of some sort of emotions blooming, neither truly could say they loved the other. However, there was an interest there clearly, and in the end Branwen is never wrong…
Their pinkies intertwined and Fiadh feels the most pleasant warmth spread through her heart stemming from her back that has her genuinely smiling up at the taller man. The smile was so exceptionally radiant Katakuri can only dumbly stare as his jaw goes slack. Internally he can only think to himself that he could get used to this…
"I promise I won't run! You don't run from my ugly ass scarred face, so I can at least give you the same courtesy." Fiadh says with a childish giggle.
Katakuri nods despite feeling the need to rebuttal that her scar was not ugly at all. Figuring his own face would do the trick in proving her wrong he simply reaches up and pulls his scarf down. He closes his eyes expecting a screech or scream of fear. When nothing happens he opens his eyes and sees literal sparkling eyes.
Fiadh looks exactly the opposite of scared. Instead she is reaching up a tentative hand and traces the scar on the left side of his mouth closest to her. Katakuri can't help but flinch and his mouth opens slightly to which Fia gasps.
"Wow! So cool. Why would you hide this? Your teeth are badass." Fia couldn't help her childish fascination, it was increasingly rare to see any human-fishman crosses especially any that didn't end up looking ridiculous. Katakuri was far from ridiculous, he looked exceptionally sharp and quite handsome to her.
Katakuri didn't know how to respond to a compliment like that, but he felt blood rush to his face. Unintentionally he snaps out, "Don't fuckin lie to me!"
Tilting her head Fiadh looks thoroughly confused at Katakuri. She then scoots closer as if inspecting him closer. Katakuri tries to lean away to no avail.
"So… Does my scar make me horridly ugly to you?" Fia says deathly seriously.
Katakuri's eyes go wide and he says, "Fuck no! What the hell?"
"Hm, well I think you're far more handsome than I could have ever imagined." Fia does not let Katakuri avoid eye contact as she says this and he can tell just how honest she's being.
"Why..?" He mumbles out. Katakuri was expecting Fiadh to look surprised and slightly disgusted and that being the end of their charade. He couldn't help but shift his scarf back up a bit.
Fia made no move to stop him but looked immensely saddened by his movement, "I... ughhh, this is embarrassing." Shaking her head Fia grabs Katakuri's face and then slaps her cheek and his at the same time while saying, "We're both morons!"
Katakuri snorts loudly before uncontrollably laughing. Fia grins widely in success at getting the cold man to finally crack.
"I apologize if you find it oh, so disgusting that I think your face is attractive. Guess you're saying mine must be ugly." Fiadh knew damn well she was trapping the poor guy, but she didn't know any other way to get the stubborn ass to accept her words. She hoped she'd never have to repeat this method, but honestly wasn't certain…
Katakuri also knew what she was doing, but just accepted it.
"Fine… Your face is very attractive regardless of what you might think. Though your taste is… questionable." He says with a huff, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't overwhelmingly pleased though.
Fiadh grins cheekily at the man saying, "There we go! You have questionable taste too, so it's fair. Well… Branwen is the one who's really fucked up I guess."
Katakuri smirks at Fiadh and just nods, then he turns and takes a long swig of the wine Fiadh had passed earlier. He felt her shift to sit back and slightly away from him, so he swung his arm on the back of the couch to keep the distance from feeling as far apart as it had before. Katakuri really wasn't sure about his sanity right now. He hadn't even shown his face to his younger family members let alone a stranger. Well… Was a soulmate really a stranger after you both admit it? He didn't think so.
"Can I ask another question?" Katakuri asks tentatively. He felt he was pushing his luck but also felt he deserved it for barring his most coveted secret to the woman. The warmth in his chest proved it was the right thing to do, but regardless he still went through a lot of mental stress for it all.
"Hm… Sure, I don't see why not. We can just ask questions back and forth, seems the best way to open up to one another. Though we both can have a line we can draw in which we change topics." Fiadh says with a grin. She felt like she was back in her 20s playing similar question games with her crew members whenever they'd recruit someone new. It made her nostalgic in a good way.
"Okay. So even with my families searching we found nothing about you having a charge, or anything about an adopted kid…" Katakuri felt embarrassed talking about something he still felt lingering jealousy over, but he truly didn't find anything on the topic which made him wonder if she had just lied to cover it up.
Fiadh laughed loudly before saying, "Of course I would hide that perfectly! You're the first person I've ever even referenced him as anything besides a business partner. I do view him as my kid, but he's an adult now and has his own life he lives. Although as his guardian I make it my duty to embarrass him!"
Fia was honestly thoroughly enjoying being able to see Katakuri's face, and actually see his full expressions. She noticed how his teeth slightly stuck out and had to fight the urge to trace his scars again. It was odd to her how she could find his face so attractive, she'd never been one interested in looks, but she couldn't help but just stare at him.
Katakuri was forced to just take her words at face value as she clearly wasn't going to divulge any more information on the topic of her charge, "Ah, makes sense. Secrecy does protect loved ones."
"Precisely. So, my turn! Who do you presume your mother is trying to marry me off to in your family? Praline cued me in on it and she mentioned Oven, but yuck… No offense, but he's annoying." Fiadh's disgusted face made Katakuri chuckle.
He felt relieved at her clear distaste towards his brother, guess he'd have no competition. "Hm… Yes she discussed that with me. I diverted her attention so she's dropped it for now."
"Okayy… You are aware I won't marry into your family, correct?" Fiadh says with a sad smile.
Katakuri has to reign in his emotions for a moment and rationalize that her comment is perfectly sensible. However, he can't help his gut clenching and wanting to ask why she would just blatantly refuse. Clearly it was because of her job, and her distaste for the Big Mom Pirates, of which he couldn't blame her.
Unable to fully filter himself Katakuri says, "So, no exceptions then?"
Fiadh feels her heart clench at the large man's puppy like sad face, but she has to stay firm in this. "As much as I wish I could… I can't marry into the Big Mom Pirates, my morals and values are simply not in align with theirs."
"Ah… That's what I figured. So why are you amusing me with talking about our marks?" Katakuri couldn't help the frustration in his voice.
"Hm, well you are nothing like the rumors, nothing like most of your family, and I see no point in denying Branwen at this point in my life." Fiadh says in a matter of fact way. She sees with sad eyes Katakuri had yet again pushed his scarf back up, and realizes how much her words hurt him.
"Family is everything to me." Katakuri says simply before pulling his arm back to his side and thinking to himself how he wished he could actually beat Big Mom himself.
Sadly even if he was powerful he was no match for his Mama. He'd protect his siblings fiercely but even he knew just how twisted his mother had become in her tyrannical rise to power. The fact that his affiliation to his family was the defining reason his soulmate couldn't in true earnest hope for a relationship with him… Tore him up more than he expected. He felt denied of the last hope he had of some happiness in his life. The man hadn't even fully realized how much hope he had put in his soulmate, but he couldn't help his desire for what he saw his siblings having.
Sighing, Fiadh reaches a hand out in front of Katakuri's downtrodden sight and clarifies herself, "Right now isn't a good time for me to make promises that far down the road. We both feel this innate pull to one another, yea? I don't want to deny it, I also don't want to refuse any emotions I might develop towards you. I just can't promise you any public connection such as marriage due to both of our positions."
Katakuri puts his much larger hand into hers and intertwines his fingers. The warm, happy feeling it filled him with clears his muddled mind. Oh… She wasn't denying him. She was just trying to be a responsible adult, unlike him. He felt like a petulant child, and flushed in embarrassment at his own actions.
"I'm sorry… I got upset and tunnel visioned." He says softly.
Fiadh reaches up with her other hand and ruffles his hair, "Well why don't we just see where this goes?" She grins at the man while her ears burn red in embarrassment.
Katakuri's face flushes crimson and he can't form any response for a moment. "So we're giving it a try while knowing we can't really be together?"
"Hmm… Yup! Until something changes at least." Fiadh laughs, while she feels guilty at not being able to promise anything further than this. She also felt certain Branwen wouldn't have put the two together for no reason. Fia knew she just had to have faith that something would change for the better.
"If you're giving me permission now, can I actually court you properly? So long as it's kept quiet and secretive?" Katakuri asks, eyes looking curiously at the grinning woman.
Fiadh flushes and just nods her head. She now realized their hands were still intertwined and now kind of wants to take her hand back out of embarrassment. Katakuri tightens his grip as if realizing she might take her hand away. Instead to avoid eye contact Fiadh begins stuffing her face with cheese on the board in front of them to try and bury her embarrassment, oh how the man next to her enjoyed turning the tables for once.
In this moment he felt this feeling of rushing head first into whatever this was… But in reality they'd known each other for a few months now and spent damn near everyday together cooped up on a boat. Katakuri had felt comfortable around the woman since day one and that feeling had only grown since. Any previous skepticism had been blown away by the woman's translucent personality and way of speech. She was never one to beat around the bush and spoke her mind even around a man like himself. Fia didn't run at his face, or at his harsh mannerism, or even when he had ignored her… She was truly one of a kind and he couldn't help but think about just how different Fia was from anyone he'd ever met before. Unlike his family she didn't hold expectations for him, and he could be as close to genuine as he's ever been in his life.
"Alright. Let's just see where this goes." Both share a similar sentiment in going with the flow it seems.