Chapter 11
Marco POV
"Why do you let her get so close? This is so unlike you!" Izou asked me. I was extremely upset by this question, but I tried to stay calm. "Do you think I should have left her alone after she broke down in tears?" I asked him. "I don't mean that and you know it!" Izou replied a little louder. Yes, I knew what he meant and it annoyed me. The last years they tried to set me up with some chicks and even if it was just for one night but I never wanted that! "Leave now!" I just said, because I didn't feel like talking about it now. Izou didn't seem happy with it, but luckily Thatch pulled him out. When will they leave me alone with this subject? Don't they understand that I just don't want to think or talk about it anymore? Yes Izou was right that it was untypical to let someone get so close to me after such a short time but with Tiara it was different. What was different I couldn't say myself. I would also like to know why I let her sleep in my bed, why I take her in my arms and why I have that feeling that I did not want to leave her alone and want protect her.
A faint "Are you okay?" ripped me out of my thoughts. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" I wanted to know from her. Tiara just stayed in my arms and I actually kind of liked it. "I'm okay. It was just different this time. Up to now I thought you were all just fictional characters but you are not anymore and that is why I was more upset than I thought" she replied. I hadn't really thought about that yet. Now that she is with us, the knowledge that certain people are dying, or better, being killed, must be hard for her. "I wanted to know if you were okay because of what I told you. After all, you learned that three people you care about will die soon if we don't change the course of events." Tiara added. "It was a strange feeling to hear all this and it's hard to know that it was all triggered by someone on the crew." I started and stopped. "We should eat something first. Thatch brought us something earlier on Pop's order," I just changed the subject. I really didn't want to think about Teach and his betrayal anymore. "Now that you bring it up, I'm really a little hungry." Tiara laughed and I was glad that she took my abrupt change of subject so lightly and didn't ask for more. We both got up and went to the little couch that was standing in my room and ate first.
Tiara POV
After we had finished our very late breakfast we brought the things together in the kitchen and then went out on deck. Though Marco said I didn't have to help him, I wanted to help and the second reason why I wanted to go was to remember the way. Here everything looked the same and to be able to orientate yourself a little would be helpful. While Marco went to Whitebeard as soon as we reached the deck I sat down at the railing to draw a little bit. Before that we had taken my bag out of the guest cabin. I didn't want someone to find the One Piece Manga in my bag by chance. I trusted the commanders, it wouldn't be bad if they saw the manga but if Teach was the one, for example, it would look completely different.
While I was thinking about who or what I should draw I noticed that Thatch and Izou were watching me. It didn't really bother me, I just found it a bit strange. So I got up and went to see them. "Do I have something on my face or why are you watching me so closely?" I asked them. "Oh, and Thatch, thanks for the late breakfast," I added. "Please don't mention it. But to answer your question, it's just a little strange seeing you without our pineapple." Thatch laughed and I looked at him angrily. "Stop that!" I said, slightly annoyed to him. I hated it when people made fun of Marco. "Oh, come on, so far you've been with him every time we've looked for you," he said. "I think our girl here has a problem with the way you just called Marco," Izou said and I nodded my head. "Oh come on, that's funny." Thatch laughed. "No, it's not." I said, I was about to leave, but Izou was holding my wrist. "Why does it bother you so much?" Izou wanted to know. "I just don't like it. I can't really explain why." I replied. "Do you love Marco?" Thatch suddenly asked. "W-what? H-how?" I just got out and blushed. "That sounds like a yes," he laughed. "Shut up," Izou said to Thatch and walked a little bit aside with me.
"How did you get Marco to let you get so close to him?" Izou wanted to know from me but I didn't know what he meant. "What do you mean?", I asked him. "You know, it's not like Marco to let someone get so close, especially so fast. He even let you sleep at his place and allowed you to be in his arms. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind if you get close. On the contrary, it's even nice to see that Marco lets a woman get closer to him and doesn't reject her like he did the last years. I am only interested in how you did it," he told me and I was a little overwhelmed with the situation. Should that be true? But Izou had no reason to lie to me. "I didn't do anything. I just feel very comfortable with him. With Marco I can just let myself go, relax and he manages to suppress my nightmares," I started to tell and stopped. Again I had mentioned the nightmares without actually wanting to. "What nightmares?" Izou asked and looked at me a bit worried. "Never mind. Please forget it." I told him. "It does matter! It's the nightmares that made you take those pills, isn't it?" he asked. "Please, Izou, I don't want to talk about this!" I said louder. It was too much for me. I didn't want to talk about those nightmares, those terrible memories."What's going on?" Marco wanted to know who was suddenly behind me.