Guess who is back! Yep! Have about a week off so I'm going to work hard on getting some wholesome updates! Woot!
Take care and enjoy!
Once Vergo took his leave, Aokiji needed a moment to let his nerves settle. There wasn't a single word to describe the relief that had washed over him. Once his sharp ears heard her voice he had rushed to the second floor of the partly demolished building. Though a large part of him didn't like the fact she had been found with another man, the commanding officer wasn't going to leap into quick judgments. He needed to take one step at a time.
A long arm swooped downward and hooked the smaller woman into him. The towering man let out a heavy sigh before falling back on his rear once he was under the safety of the broken roof, tugging at the young female. Kuzan had leaned his back into the standing wall before he stretched out his legs and guided the brunette into his lap, facing him. Unbeknownst to him, Katie could feel him trembling and she knew it wasn't from the cooler rain. From the moment his arm had snaked around, she put it all together. In fact, she was utterly surprised. She didn't think her little stroll would have such a fearful impact on him.
The tiny female felt the sensation of his warm breath seep through her hair and onto the top of her head. His weight against her body, as she straddled his long legs, had grown heavy. It was when he wrapped his second arm around her smaller frame that she could feel the solid beat of his heart against her bosom.
"Kuzan", the young woman whispered.
"Shhh", the admiral hushed sharply. He wanted to calm down before the two spoke. Copper orbs had locked with large blue visions as Katie had tilted her head upward. The admiral swallowed painfully. It was dark but he could still see the clear color of the ocean in her eyes. The rain began pouring down in buckets. It was as if the sky had literally begun to fall. The aroma of wet moss and wood filled his nostrils but the man did notice the warm smell of fruit wafting off her velvety skin.
Slowly the marine's arms untangled and the officer's thick fingers slipped down over her angular cheekbones. Kuzan felt the sharp ping in his lungs. His breath had become labored. Anxiety began to reach its peak. The twenty-three year old who straddled his lap, shuddered at the brush of his fingers while they made their journey through her thick locks of damp hair. The smooth texture against his calloused flesh caused a heavy pressure to develop in his lower stomach. The young woman gasped to the officer's full delight. The admiral had managed to put her in a position of anticipation.
Aokiji's thin lips slanted slightly as he inched closer. The romantic notion of kissing a woman under a broken roof during a downpour was lost on him. The man merely was rocked by the single moment that he didn't want to end. The two were alone, behind a blanket of rain and shadows. The deafening ambient sound drowned out the world. They were out in the open, yet it was as if it were just the two of them.
The officer could feel his breath shorten before he swooped in with lightning speed. The texture of his lips sent a searing jolt down the young woman's spine. Kuzan tightened his grip. His palms scraping along the soft silky surface of her skin. The brunette couldn't help but take notice of rough callouses. Despite how he acted, the man wasn't lazy.
The admiral forced her tongue down with his own. Kuzan growled when she tried to flicker her moist appendage back into his own. The feel of her velvety invitation caused the marine admiral to deepen the kiss. Stealing every drop of air from her lungs and his own. His head became light nearly instantly. Not sure if it was the rush of having her in his arms, healthy and intact or from her naivety as she struggled to mimic his own movements. It was both painful and delightfully clear she was unsure of what to really do. Honestly, it thrilled him. No other had ever touched her, only he.
The curly haired officer almost lost himself to the sensation of her contours pressed firmly to his hardened frame. An arm removed itself, only to return around her waist while his right hand slipped to cradle the back of her head. His fingers flexed as her silky hair tickled the webbing between his long digits. Her warmth tantalized the marine; he wanted to be greedy. He wanted her every way possible now.
Katie had wrapped her arms around the man's neck. Her heart throbbed in her own ears. She needed a break, to take in cooler air but Kuzan continued. The man's dominating nature revealed itself as things began to pick up the pace. She simply wasn't ready for this but her loins and stomach didn't want him to quit. The brunette wanted to experience everything from the bathroom again.
As if the man could read her mind, rough pads of his fingers had somehow slipped under and up the fabric of her black tank top. Kuzan's digits had subconsciously begun tracing the curve of her spine; the touch sent a pleasant thrill to her loins. Her thighs tightened around hips. A hard buck of his pelvis into her own was a declaration of his own need. A muffled grunt vibrated her lips. In response the tiniest whimper escaped the long haired brunette, feeding the lustful animal stirring inside the marine.
Fiery touches soon came to reality. The admiral desired her but needed her more. This resolve doused any carnal sins he was about to perform. Slowly he broke the kiss. The officer panted for air and shuddered when her smaller hands slipped down the black fabric of his t-shirt. His long legs, dressed in grey cotton arched up and became more of a reclined chair for her back. Calmly the man guided the trembling woman to lean on his thighs. Seeing her gifted bosom swell under her black tank top forced a half stiffened muscle to come to life. It was embarrassing but Katie didn't seem bothered. Rather a confused expression had etched its way into her features though in the darkness, it was hard to see but he could still make out the heat in her cheeks. He didn't understand it but it felt good to see her in such a state.
"Any further and I might do something we'll both regret later", the marine choked. Her response was to lay her head back onto the top of his knees and swallow air. It was so easy to slide his hands down her curvy body and thumb every sensitive spot, starting with under her swollen endowments. His mouth buzzed from the kiss but the heat the brunette was causing nearly had him break into a cold sweat. Luckily for the little woman, Kuzan held himself to a bit of a higher standard than the average male.
It was so tempting to lay her on her back and truly fill her. He wanted to take whatever they were building, slow. It wasn't fair to Katelyn if he took the right to choose from her. She hailed from a small island and had stated previously, the local kids she saw as brothers, kept the others at bay. This world had just opened up to her. Being genuinely intimate so soon would only secure she be his. He would only be satisfied if she became his under her own volition.
The admiral's heart was beating relentlessly in his chest. He could feel the pressure in his ears and for a moment, he thought it was going to explode. The man cupped Katie's cheeks. He forced her to look at him. "Don't ever... leave like that again", he growled. The marine was surprised at the sound of his own voice. He didn't realize how upset he still was after the entangled moment the two had just shared. The minute the marine spoke, the man knew it was a mistake. The lust, the heat, the want, all dissipated the moment his tongue hit the last syllable.
A sharp stab pierced his heart as the man watched that disgusting smile of hers creep along her lips. It was a lie. Anything she was about to say would be considered deceit. She was going to placate him and run away from her own feelings. It was a nasty habit of hers and honestly, it only served to piss him off. He understood the reasoning but it still burned in his mind. Kuzan's hands trembled. It was exhausting to go from one extreme to another but it wasn't anything unbearable.
"I'm sorry. I caused you a lot of trouble and it was something I wasn't trying to do. I just needed a little time to think and be alone." Katelyn's smile was warm and Kuzan could hear the honesty in her words but her feelings weren't behind it. If the admiral was correct, her blue orbs were on the verge of crying. His little friend who was wrapping her fingers around his heart was struggling and yet she still didn't feel comfortable enough to lean on him, to be fully open and honest.
Irritating as it was, Kuzan could easily deduce something had happened while he was away. For two weeks nothing had happened upon her arrival. It was almost a blissful dream. During that time she managed to fill a void that had started to eat at his very soul. Before the brunette entered his life the nightmares were almost becoming too much causing him to nap more during the day. His guilt of past sins reliving in his head. Now he had grown to depend on her. The exact time he felt restless, Katie would appear before him. Her nature relaxed him to the point his naps were deep and he could function without the headaches. So why couldn't she depend on him? The marine was sure it wasn't because she didn't trust him.
Spotting the corners of her eyes crinkle, gave the man pause. Kuzan growled. All the signs were there. Something had happened in his absence. He was certain Vergo had no part in it and probably came to her aide. Most likely the man waited for someone to either to come along or to walk her home after the rain had stopped. He needed to know for certain. In the marine's mind, it was the only reason that the vice-admiral would be there.
The admiral exhaled with a bit of force. The pit of his stomach dropped. He didn't want to ask because the expression she was revealing told him the bantam brunette was barely keeping everything together but the officer needed to know. "Katie...", he hummed softly. Barely spoke above the sound of the rain. "What happened while I was away", Kuzan continued. As soon as the taller marine felt her flinch, he cupped her cheek with his left hand.
"Nothing too bad", the female tried to explain. The brunette knew if she denied anything it would be a blatant lie. Something about how the black haired man lorded over her made Katie feel something horrible was at the front of his mind. Vergo did say he stopped him from taking something that wasn't his. That whole situation appeared to be messed up. It scared her.
"Vergo would know more", the young woman added. "I was asleep and when I woke I...", the pause was from the tears now slowly spilling from the corners of her eyes.
Kuzan didn't need to hear anymore. He knew who he could go to now. Katie was on the verge of crumbling. The added stress probably left her confused and the more the young woman sat on it, the more likely the brunette pieced together how close she was to something happening. Her credulous nature was sometimes her worst asset.
The admiral guided the young woman off his lap and stood to his feet. "Give me a moment." Without a word, the female nodded and watched the marine walk over to the edge of the building after using his ice to secure the structures of the building and form a full roof over their heads. Blue orbs watched on as the officer stuff his hands in his pockets and stood at the open wall.
"I knew it", he barked while he gazed downward towards the street below him. He could feel his pupil's presence but didn't want to believe it.
"Sss... Sensei!", Katie heard a young man's voice shout upward amongst the beating winds and heavy downpour.
Before the young woman appeared to be a boy a bit younger than Luffy. He had short black hair with a red mohawk. He sported the typical marine recruit pants but donned a white long sleeve sweater and black vest. The odd thing about him was the deep scar on the bottom left side of his face and the brace over his left arm. He seemed out of breath and nearly fell to his knees after the high jump to the second floor of the building through the missing wall.
"What do you think you're doing", the admiral in grey track pants and black t-shirt admonished.
"Sensei! I mean sir! I was trying to help find this Kane! I'm going to show everyone just how strong I've become", the boy declared with certainty.
Aokiji pinched his nose. "Grount I swore I put you on training duty only", the marine officer uttered under a growl. "But you're going to make up for that insubordination. This is Miss Laurel. You'll be watching over her. That man, everyone's hunting, has targeted her while she was trying to recover in the hospital. Her wounds still haven't healed so if he appears I'll need you to come get me."
"Babysitting", the boy groaned in disbelief. "Come on", Grount continued to bemoan.
"If you can't even watch over the fleet admiral's granddaughter then how am I going to trust you with other tasks", the officer rebuked sternly.
Grount seemed to have frozen in place. Red eyes widened before he cleared his throat. The slight wobble in his stance only served as a reminder of how soaked he was. His devil fruit left him weakened in the storm. Aokiji didn't like leaving Katie to babysit his recruit but he couldn't leave the boy to his own devices. Not only was there a heavy storm blowing over but there was also Kane who had shown in the past to not have remorse for children. The seaman could be used as a hostage and that was definitely something the admiral wasn't going to let happen.
The officer was sure this was the best course of action. Katie could take care of Grount without much of an issue. He also enjoyed the idea of the boy having someone he could go to who wasn't a marine. Despite his eagerness to become the strongest, Kuzan wanted him to take his time and heal. Not an easy task when everyone around here was just as eager to become the strongest. The man needed him to focus on controlling that arm of his and not run around trying to be the hero. The brat was going to get himself hurt if not worse... killed...