Closing Time
This is the first in a Chaos Prompt thread that I did with some friends. This particular prompt was "Closing Time", so I thought I would keep things simple.
Goodness, what a day. Makino wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. The muggy summer air was getting to her. She set the last chair up on the table and dusted her hands. Well then, it was done. Time to go home and take a nice bath.
She took off her apron and went to the door, and paused, the sight of the sea catching her eye as it always did, glimmering with moonlight. It was so wide and Luffy was out there, with nakama now, thank goodness, but what a rough man he'd seemed to have fallen in with. Not that she was worried per se. That boy could smooth out anyone's rough edges. Even one who had seemed to be all rough edges and flinty points.
An arm slipped around her waist. Only one. And somehow between then and now she'd gotten used to it. There was the smell of whiskey that went with it and the smell of the sea, always that, briny and intoxicating but frightening too, in a way.
"You're leaving tonight," she said. He smelled too much of whiskey to stay around until the morning.
"I have things to do."
"Liar." But she spoke affectionately. "What happened to all your pirate's freedom?"
"Everything comes with a price," he said, pressing a rough whiskey kiss to her cheek. "Even freedom."
She turned her head to capture his mouth and it turned gentle because he was a gentleman after all. Calm on the surface but wild as sea waves. His hand brushed over her stomach absently like feeling the tune of a guitar and she took it and moved her mouth from his to kiss the backs of his fingers.
"We're closed, sir. Get out," she said, swatting her apron at him. He grinned and moved around her.
"As you wish," he said with a little bow and then turned away, just like that, to start back toward ship and sea, lamp light on his red hair, black coat swirling around him.
"And come back," she murmured, though if he heard, he gave no acknowledgement. He would come back, in some form or another. And when he did... She smiled and put a hand low on her belly. They would be waiting.