I'm like an hour late! Sorry! Enjoy!
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Waiting for the end.
Dagger pov. Age 28, a couple of years after he joined the revolutionaries.
My feet crushed the snow beneath it, making a sucking noise as I went. The harsh hail banged against my black hood and added more weight to my tired body. "There has to be a village here somewhere." I mumbled to no one. I was on my own, which is something I do often if you think about it.
I tilted my head up to look at the foggy atmosphere and dark clouds. Well, didn't I pick the wrong time to travel. I sighed but kept moving. The bag on my back shifted with each step I took. The snow was starting to penetrate my black boots. Maybe I shouldn't have walked into a blizzard with a cloak, sleeveless shirt, baggy pants, and an old pair of boots? No turning back now.
After an hour, something caught my eye. No, it was not a village, but something else. White powder laid in uneven lumps, instead of its usual blanket. My curiosity ran me, making me walk over.
Laying there was a boy, not a regal human boy, but a mink. Interesting. It was shivering… I wonder why? Oh, never mind. I dusted the trembling child with my gloved hands. He looked about four years old. He had jet black hair with red tips, small round ears- wait. He isn't a mink, he has no fur. A devil fruit then? Even more interesting. The body had some blood dripping from his arm as one of his small hands clutched it.
Well, might as well save him. I tucked the small child to my chest and made sure my cloak secured him enough. The kid was still shivering, I had to get to a village fast. Luckily, it was only a few more miles away.
When leaning over the village from a cliff, I determined it wasn't a popular village and that it was poor. Kind of like mine. I slid down the cliff, still gripping the child. When I got to the bottom, I ended up at the back of a building. The place was made of dark wood and was a two story. My legs moved on their own, looks like I was colder than I thought.
A sign hung over the front roof of the building. So it's a bar? My gloved hand pushed against the wooden door, making a creak echo in the room. My frozen boots tapped on the floor. It almost looks like our bar. "I'm sorry we are cl- are you ok!?" A woman's voice asked. My vision became blurry and before I knew it, my knees gave out on me. My arms pinned the child to my chest as a last resort, "help him."
Those were my last words before everything went blank.
(0)-(0)
Something moist was dripping down the side of my face, making me shift uncomfortably. My eyes opened to an unfamiliar ceiling; the sight made my nose scrunch. Using my elbows, I propped my body up on the bed. I was stopped mid-way by a force on my chest.
My emerald eyes trailed down my torso until they landed on a mop of dark hair. Hands folded on my chest to support the woman's head as she slept. I could tell it was a female from the breast pressing my waist and her narrow hips.
Footsteps caught my attention; it was a small child. They had raven hair with red tips and green eyes. When I saw the small ears protruding his locks, I remembered what happened. "How long was I out." The child carried two cups of tea. He placed one in my hands and the other on the nightstand next to me.
The hot mug made my cold hands stinge. "A week." The child mumbled. His eyes wandered around the room, I could tell he was bored. "Do you like to read? What is your name?" The kid's head tilted downwards from the statement. Great, I already pushed a nerve.
"I don't have a name, or a family. I live alone… so I don't know how to read." He responded.
A moment of silence passed before I sighed, "well that can't do I'm afraid. Everyone needs a name." The child picked his head up and looked at me with wide eyes. I tapped my hand against my chin and pursed my lips, "I'm awful with names… what letter do you want it to start with?" The child only shrugged, he has never thought about it before. He lived in the woods around the perimeter of town. But when the blizzard pulled a surprise attack, he was unprepared.
My eyes went down as I felt someone shift in my lap. Messy locks and dark eyes looked up at me dazed. She gets prettier. She had a pointed chin, high cheekbones, long lashes (top and bottom. ), slightly thick brows, and reddened lips. Her lips were full, unlike the usual woman. Her skin was tanned, and her hair was wavy.
After blinking a few times to adjust to my face, she gaped in shock. "Y-ou're awake!" Her fingernail pushed past her lips and bit it nervously. Her other hand tried to dust off my torso, as if she was filthy or something. "Is that a bad thing?" I asked amused. Red started to bubble on her face, "no! Of course not!" She waved her hands in the air to assure me.
I could tell she was shy, easy to read too. It's kind of cute. "Thank you." She stopped waving her hands in the air and tilted her head down, "It's not a big deal… you were hurt so I helped you. Your bag is on the floor next to you." I looked to my side and saw the black bag I took with me.
"Good, now, do you mind helping me pick out a name?" I reached down to grab my bag. The woman looked at me with a furrowed brow, she didn't know what to say to that. "Why a name?" My hand came up to ruffle the kid's hair. "For him, duh." The kid next to me stared at my grin, as if it were treasure.
The girl smiled as well, "well, my name is Toka, what about you."
"Dagger. But how about for the kid." Toka tapped her finger against her chin and scanned the boy. His red and black hair was the most interesting feature about him. "Shinako?" She suggested.
My fingers snapped together, "perfect! Now you have a name!" The boy's lip quivered as he tried to form the words with his lips, "Shi-na-ko." I clapped my hands together, "there you go!" The boy kept repeating the name till he could say it together naturally. When he did, he climbed onto the bed I was laying on and started to cry.
I could tell there were tears of joy. Which made my face split with a grin. The woman, Toka, stared at the two of us with fond eyes. "You are a very kind person." She muttered under her breath. My gloved hand rubbed the child's back, "thank you, do you mind if I stay for a while? I don't have to stay her-"
"Of course, I live alone. You both can stay here." She cut off. Toka started to rub the boy's back as well with a smile. Something about her blissful expression made my body shudder. She is very pretty, but it feels like that isn't the only thing attractive about her. "Why am I drawn to you?" I blurted.
Toka moved her head up to look into my emerald orbs, she batted her long lashes until she realized what I said. Her cheeks pinkened while she sucked in her lip. "I don't know… no one has ever said that." Her eyes diverted away from me as she spoke.
Something about the loss of eye contact irked me. My slender fingers gripped her chin softly before turning her head towards me at a slow pace. "I'm going to stay here until I find out."
My determined tone made her release her lips from shock. More blush spread across her face, making an unknown emotion boil up inside me. "O-oh ok!" She exclaimed in a nervous and high voice. A smile peered from my lips, "good."
(0)-(0)
The child perched on my shoulders giggled and laughed at the weird faces I made at him. It has now been four months since I was first brought here. At first, I was determined to leave, but then I did something stupid. I fell in love…
"Dagger, Shinako! I made you both dinner!" Toka called from behind the bar.
Shinako looked down at me with his big green eyes, "are you going to tell her now?" I pulled the kid off my shoulders and sat him on the table.
"It's harder than you think Shin." I told the boy about my feelings for the woman a month ago. But he already knew, he said my stares were a dead giveaway. Shinako tilted his head, "no it isn't." He said in a matter-of-fact tone. His midget finger waved in the air as his cheek puffed out. His ears twitched, which I figured out is a part of his devil fruit. He ate the panther-panther fruit, the ears are him activating it.
My hand came to ruffle the boy's head. His hair has gotten a little longer, it frames the side of his face and is wavy. It reminded me of my dad's hair style. I have even called him Shanks before, that was when I told Toka about my parents. She almost passed out from the overwhelming news. I had to tell her to breathe multiple times before she listened.
After having a small freak out, she apologized to me about not knowing. Which I laughed at. Some things I have noticed about the woman is that she is very clumsy at times. I have even had to catch her after she tripped over air. Another thing, she bites her nails when she is nervous. I find it cute in a way.
Toka is also smart, but in a different way. She hates to read about science and anything academic, but she'll stay up all night reading a book about romance. She gushes about it to me every time she finishes one.
Which is why I bought her one for her birthday today. I didn't buy it necessarily; my mother is also a sucker for them. I asked her to send one to me after I explained my situation. Makino couldn't stop ranting about how she wants grandchildren and how she was our number one fan. Toka has talked to my mother over the den den, they both clicked like two pieces of a puzzle.
But of course, there were some consequences to the two women meeting. For one, Toka calls me Shanks Jr, no matter how many times I told her not to. Also, she knows the history behind my tattoo and about Red. Toka started to cry from the story. It made a warmth bubble in my heart, the fact that she cared about me that much.
After we finished eating the dinner Toka made, because I can't cook, we put Shinako to bed. Before I left the room, the little boy threatened me, "if you don't do it now, I'll tell her tomorrow." I spun around to face the child, "is that a threat?" My amused tone made the small child grin with a nod.
I gave a playful eye roll to the boy and gave him a kiss on his forehead. My hand flicked the lights on my way out. Walking down the stairs, I heard a familiar song play in the bar.
Put 'em up like this
Let me see 'em now, yeah
I like that
Yeah
This is not the end
This is not the beginning
Just a voice like a riot
Rocking every revision
But you listen to the tone
And the violent rhythm
And though the words sound steady
Something empty's within 'em
Her enchanting voice sung along with the song, intoxicating my ears. The pale red skirt that ended at her knees, swayed with her hips to the beat. This song is my favorite, I played it so much that it is her's too. Her shoulder length midnight hair was down her back, with only a few small strands over her face. She scoured the tables in the bar, still moving her hips to the beat. The sleeves of her green shirt were rolled up past her elbows and her naked feet tapped on the ground.
We say, "yeah"
Fists flying up in the air
Like we're holding onto something
That's invisible there
'Cause we're living at the mercy of
The pain and the fear
Until we tell it, forget it
Let it all disappear
Toka turned when she heard my feet click against the wood. When she turned around, she smiled at the hand I was holding out. She accepted my hand and gave a small bow. Her skin was rougher than a normal woman's. The woman is the mechanic of the household, and Plummer, and everything really. We established that after I saw a roach crawling in the backyards. The disgusting creature made me sheik. Toka came out a few moments later and killed it. Till this day, she still hasn't let me live it down.
My other hand settled on her hip as our body swayed together to the music. Her chest flushed against mine and our eyes never tore apart. She looked so beautiful. Another thing that I have noticed about the woman is that she is always beautiful. Whether she is cleaning, fixing something Shin and I broke, or when she is sleeping on my lap. She is breath taking.
Waiting for the end to come
Wishing I had strength to stand
This is not what I had planned
It's out of my control
Flying at the speed of light
Thoughts were spinning in my head
So many things were left unsaid
It's hard to let you go
The child in the stairwell smiled at the two of us dancing in the middle of the bar. We both looked so happy, our eyes flickering at each other with love and passion. Even Shinako knows the song by heart because of how much it is played. His lips formed the lyrics in silence while moving his head to the beat.
One of Toka's hands went around my neck. We move slower to the softer voice in the song. The hand settling on her waist pulled her closer to me, making our faces less than an inch away. The smell of salt and fruits caressed my nose, making me almost groan. She smelled like my home. It was so comforting that it was almost unbearable. Keeping my hands off her is becoming more difficult by the second.
I know what it takes to move on
(Oh) I know how it feels to lie
(Oh) all I wanna do is trade this life for something new
Holding on to what I haven't got
Sitting in an empty room
Trying to forget the past
This was never meant to last
I wish wasn't so
At this point, I'm convinced these lyrics are trying to taunt me. Toka's hand let go of mine and placed it onto my cheek. She got onto her tip toes to be my height. Her forehead pressed against mine, making me taste her breath. As always, it was minty and fresh.
Her small thumb rubbed against my smooth skin. All my life I have been told I have a feminine face. It was another reason the people at my village would bully me. But right now, it was bringing me luck.
My shining green eyes flashed to her reddened lips. The lips I have been wanting to kiss for four months now. When suddenly, it finally happened.
I know what it takes to move on
(Oh) I know how it feels to lie
(Oh) all I wanna do is trade this life for something new
Holding on to what I haven't got
Finally, I could feel her soft lips on mine. She initiated the kiss, but if she waited a second later, I would have. It felt so right. One of my hands went to tilt her chin up when the other explored her back. Our bodies moved together with the music, keeping our long-awaited kiss.
It was slow and filled with passion, her warmth, her taste, her scent, I could feel it all from the kiss. A kiss I would never forget… and would change my life forever.
(0)-(0)
My eyes blinked numerous times from my wife's words. "Excuse me. Can you repeat that?" Shinako was in the same state, staring at the raven-haired woman dumbfounded. Toka's grin grew, "I'm pregnant."
Me and Shinako looked at each other and sucked in our lips with wide eyes. Shinako pointed at me and I pointed at myself, "are you sure it's his/mine?" We both asked in unison. Toka rolled her eyes and gave both of us a kiss. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into a hug. When she let go, she gave me a serious look, "do you not… like that?"
My gloved hands grabbed her hips and hoisted her into the air, "I love it!" I spun her around before placing her down. My chest pressed her against a wall to kiss her, but before I could, she brought a finger to my lips. "We need to tell him." Her head tilted to Shinako as she spoke through her teeth.
"Tell me what?" The boy asked. I have been in this village for a little over a year now. I got married to Toka two months ago, and since then, we have been talking about something very important.
A sigh left me before I turned to Shinako, "me and Toka wanted to ask you a very important question." My wife laid her head on my shoulder and wrapped one of her arms around my waist. She smiled at what I was about to say. "Shinako, would you like to be our first child?"
Silence. He kid was so in shock; he didn't realize tears were streaming down his face from the question. Seeing his green eyes shimmer from the water in them made me shed a tear as well. A tear of joy. I have known the small child for more than a year now, I know what his answer will be.
Shinako jumped onto me. His hands gripped at my shoulders to keep himself up. His legs tied around my waist to dig his head further into my chest. The boy sobbed and choked until he could fit air into his lungs properly. "Yes! Please!" He screamed.
Toka smiled at the two of us and rubbed the child's back with her tattooed hand. The tattoo was shaped like a diamond and said 'fiery red'. She got it the day we got married as a surprise for me. She pecked my forehead and eased the small boy off of me, but he only gripped onto her next. The sight of my child being held by my wife made my lips twitch upwards. I couldn't stop grinning. I never thought something so simple would make an incredible feeling inside me. Is this how my dad felt when he met my mom?
A small laugh escaped me. I really am a mini Shanks.
My wife placed her hand on my chest and leaned close to my ear, "I love you, Dagger." My hand gripped her's and twirled her closer to me. Both her and Shinako giggled. One of my hands went to Shinako's face, while my other settled on Toka's cheek. "I love both of you, now and forever."
(0)-(0)
A week after Dagger's death
The raven-haired woman gripped the paper until her finger's dug through it. Blazing tears streamed down her cheeks. A crinkle brewed in her stomach and pressure added to her chest. A screamed pushed past her lips, causing the small children upstairs to dash down.
The first child down had black hair with crimson tips. Following him were two twins. One had dark eyes, red hair, pale skin, and a pointed chin. The other had black hair, emerald eyes, long lashes, and a feminine face.
Shinako grabbed the paper on the ground while the twins tried to ask their mother what was wrong. The boy's eyes adjusted onto the paper until he was able to read it. His father taught him how to read a long time ago.
'Dr. Vegapunk, Eustass Dagger, died during the war of Marineford. Protecting his little sister from Akainu's attack. Soon after, Red Haired Shanks came and ended the war.'
Shock covered the boy, he didn't even notice the front door open, or the arms around him. Later he would find out those arms belonged to a green-haired woman. His grandma. Dagger's mom. The woman who has been crying the most.
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Little insight on Dagger. Makino is finally coming! Next chapter will be in Marco's pov! I hope you enjoyed! Since I was late and I feel bad about it, Yamato will be here soon too!
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