Leaning back in her seat, Aria smiled at the little black-haired boy climbing on Shanks' shoulders. The red-haired man laughed as Luffy begged him for another story.

Makino, the green-haired woman running the bar here in Foosha Village, watched them happily as she poured drinks for the crew. She set a plate of food in front of Aria. "Seems like the captain has a new fan," Makino said.

"I just hope he doesn't beg Shanks to take him with us," Aria remarked lightly. "That kid's a little pistol." Boundless energy, even for a seven-year-old, and stubborn. She hadn't known Luffy long, but that much was clear.

Makino giggled in response and walked off. Behind Aria, the rest of the crew was eating or drinking, and she heard several games being played. Someone talked about the last ship they raided, and someone else was apparently showing off their new gun.

Aria sipped her ale and watched Shanks try to pry Luffy from his back, half listening to everyone else. She wouldn't be surprised if Luffy joined them on the ship later. He'd only known the pirates for a week, but he was almost glued to Shanks already. He'd tried to climb up the side of the ship several times, each time whoever was closest plucking him off.

"Aria, you going to join us later?" She turned as Limejuice approached, his staff in hand. A few of the others behind him turned and watched them. All their eyes glittered with excitement.

She knew they meant a sparring session on deck. "Sure." Something that was becoming a regular occurrence as more crewmembers joined.

He cocked his head. "It'll be a two-on-two. Will that be okay?"

"Who's sparring?" she asked.

A screech made them look over to see Luffy sitting on Shanks' shoulders. "Are you guys gonna fight?" The captain winced as Luffy wrapped himself around Shanks' head.

Giving Shanks a sheepish shrug, Aria looked at the kid. "No, but we'll be sparring, not fighting. Just practicing."

"Can I come watch?" he asked, his grin stretching across his face. His eyes shone at the idea and she couldn't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm.

Shanks groaned. "Come on, kid, it'll be dangerous for you. And it won't be that much fun, anyway." He shot Aria and Limejuice a heated look, clearly indicating he was against the idea of Luffy being nearby during their session.

Aria turned around and ate her food quietly, avoiding his gaze. Her haki let her know Limejuice joined the others, and Shanks' flame and salt spark was intently focused on her until Luffy distracted him.

"You'll never get rid of him now," Makino sighed quietly, removing the empty plate a moment later.

Something pulled Aria's braid and she looked down to see Luffy standing by her. "Can I please come watch?"

She resisted her immediate answer of yes. "You'll have to ask the captain if it's okay, Luffy. He's right, it can be dangerous." As if, but she knew Shanks didn't want to encourage him too much.

He turned to Shanks. "Pleeeeeeaaaasseeee?" he drew out the word, and Aria bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. Behind them, Benn chuckled as he drank.

Shanks looked at Luffy, then at Aria, and let out a dramatic groan, his forehead hitting the bar. He turned his head enough to glare at Aria. "Alright, but Aria's in charge."

She yelped as Luffy flung himself at her, latching onto her shoulders. "I'm not a tree, Luffy!"

The crew's laughter echoed through the bar as he clung to her.

"Are you going now?" Luffy asked, laying his chin on her shoulder. His arms were around her neck and he kicked his feet slowly.

She glanced at Shanks, who gave her a nod, and stood. "Sure, if the others are ready."

"We'll be there in a little bit, Aria," Limejuice called over. "Still figuring out who's sparring today."

"I'll come with you to the ship then," Shanks said, standing up.

Luffy was almost bouncing with excitement now.

Laughter broke out again as Aria carried Luffy out, Shanks right behind them.

Luffy jumped down and ran ahead.

Aria ran a hand through her hair, the beads clacking gently. She'd been adding them back in, one by one, twisting her hair into small braids to hold them. The beads felt heavy, but she was getting used to it.

As her hand lowered, she felt Shanks grab it and twine his fingers with hers. She stifled a sigh but didn't remove her hand. He did this a lot when they were alone.

She still wasn't sure how to feel about it. It had been almost a year since they rescued her, and Shanks had been…not possessive, but protective. He had also become more forthcoming about his desires. He never pushed her, only teased and grabbed her hand like he did now, but still. Sleeping in his bed hadn't helped, but then again, she hadn't had much choice; it was there or a hammock in his cabin, and the bed was too comfortable. Hongo had refused to let her join the crew until she was stronger.

Sometimes Shanks joined her, and she'd wake up to his arms around her, or he joined the crew. Those nights she had found a little lonely sometimes, but it was also a pleasant break. Aria knew Shanks meant well, but she hadn't expected him to treat her like she was made of glass still. She still needed to thank Benn for setting her up on watches Shanks wasn't on after she rejoined the crew below.

Benn had been a lot more understanding, at least asking her if she was okay with something before assigning her any tasks. And occasionally acted as a buffer between her and Shanks, distracting the captain long enough for Aria to move elsewhere.

"Are you okay?" Shanks asked quietly, breaking her thoughts, as they followed Luffy to the docks. "I saw you wince when he grabbed your hair."

She cast a sideways look at him. "I'm fine, but he hit me in the back with his knees really hard." He also pulled a few beads, but that was to be expected.

Shanks chuckled, but was forced to a stop as Luffy came running up. "Can I go on the ship now?" They had reached the dock. The Scarlet Storm was empty, aside from someone in the crow's nest.

Shanks let go of Aria and raced after Luffy with a laugh, one hand on his hat, as the boy took off before he could answer. "Wait for us!"

Aria watched them fondly and followed more slowly. By the time she reached the deck, Shanks was being chased by Luffy. She leaned against the rail and watched them for a while until Luffy slowed down.

"I'm tired…" he whined, rubbing his eyes and walking over to Aria.

"I can take you home if you want," Aria offered. He probably did need a nap after all that running around. And if he took a nap while they sparred, she wouldn't have to worry about him accidentally getting in the middle somehow. The kid was like a living cannonball; he didn't stop until something else stopped him first.

He shook his head. "Grandpa's not home."

Shanks shot her a concerned look, and knelt by Luffy. "Well, where are you staying now?"

"Under the docks," Luffy said rather glumly.

Aria tucked her knees under her as she sat by him. "Why there?" The ride also rose up pretty high, so sometimes he must sleep elsewhere, but he didn't mention anywhere else.

He shrugged but didn't say anything.

She exchanged a worried look with Shanks. "Luffy, how long until your grandpa gets home?"

"Dunno," was his response.

Aria's fist clenched against her leg. How long had he been gone? She wanted to ask but now was not the time.

Shanks picked him up and Luffy clung to his back; she swore the kid had to be part monkey as easily as he did that. "Weeeellll, maybe I can let you sleep in my cabin for an hour." The feigned cheerfulness made her heart ache for the kid, but he needed cheering up.

And it worked. "Really?!" Luffy's eyes went wide and Aria pressed her knuckles against her mouth in an effort not to laugh as Shanks staggered. It clearly didn't matter how tired he was; if he got excited, he was up and running again. If Luffy napped at all, she'd be shocked.

She watched them walk through the door, then turned at the sound of footsteps.

The familiar scent of tobacco announced Benn's arrival before he asked, "Was that Luffy or Shanks screaming a second ago?" He joined her at the rail. Other crewmembers sat around the deck, all of them grinning.

"Luffy," Aria told him, "But in his defense, Shanks just offered to let him nap in his cabin."

Benn's chuckle was echoed by a few others. "Well, he'll miss the sparring, but I think the only one who will miss that is him."

"Maybe we should move off-ship then," Limejuice commented, handing Aria her glaive; she had forgotten it at the bar. Arthur and Yasopp were behind him. "Don't want to wake him."

Aria glanced behind him and bit her lip to hide her grin. "Won't be a problem." They turned around to see Shanks, with Luffy perched on his shoulders and very awake. Shanks pretended to be annoyed, but she could sense the underlying fondness in his gaze.

The crew scattered to the edges of the deck as Limejuice motioned for Aria to follow, shaking his head. "I guess we're staying here then. Partner with me or Yassop?"

She jerked her head at Yasopp. "We'll make it even. Sniper and Glaive verses Marksman and Staff?"

The three men nodded.

Her grip tightened and a split second later, she met Limejuice's attack before his staff hit her head. Her haki hummed in her ears and she focused it.

A crack sounded, followed by two more louder ones, and she saw Yasopp climbing the rigging. Arthur yelled something about that not being fair and followed.

Swinging her blade wide, Limejuice neatly dodged. He jabbed at her and she covered her arm in armament, grinning at the shocked look on his face. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

She shrugged and swung upwards. He barely dodged and a crack went off above them. Someone laughed. Focusing her haki close to her, she let him get close until she could hook her foot around his ankle. With a quick jerk, he landed on his back with a gasp.

There was a splash, making them turn, and a moment later Arthur climbed back onto the ship. He was soaked and his hair hung in his eyes. He flopped onto the deck with a groan before hauling himself to his feet.

Yasopp leaped down, landing on Aria's right. "I think that means we win." It hadn't been a long match, but Limejuice and Arthur were panting.

Aria held out her hand to Limejuice.

He grinned and took it, letting her help him up. "Seriously, when did you learn armament?"

She walked to the side as a few others stepped forward to spar; it seemed their match had encouraged the others to do it too. "Not sure really, but I started practicing a few months ago to improve it."

She had learned it in prison; one of the few things she had energy for in the beginning, and sometimes she wondered if that's what kept her alive so long laying on stones. But she didn't want to tell him that; it brought up painful memories of stone walls and hardly any food that she didn't want to remember.

There was a yell and she ducked as Luffy came running over, grabbing his shirt before he went too far forward. She saw he had been trying to grab onto her hair again.

He pouted and looked at her over his shoulder. "Not fair."

"Completely fair," she told him. "Like any of us would let you get anywhere close to someone sparring!" If he had kept running, he could've ended up in the middle of the two men wrestling on the deck.

His bottom lip stuck out and he crossed his arms.

Shanks grabbed him up. "She's right Luffy. Even though they aren't fighting, you could get hurt. We aren't kids playing in the street." He held a squirming Luffy and retreated to the quarterdeck, where they could watch without the young boy getting too close.

Yasopp sat down, his eyes on them. "He reminds me of my kid."

Aria raised her brows. "You have a kid, Yasopp? How old?"

"About Luffy's age," he said. "You…ah, it was when you weren't with us. I went back to Banchina for a little while. But I couldn't stay. I missed the sea too much and she encouraged me to come back to the crew." He looked away as he said that.

A lot of the crew didn't talk much about the five years Aria spent in prison, despite her telling them she was fine with it. Benn, Shanks, and Hongo were the only ones who mentioned things from that period without acting awkward.

But in this case, she didn't blame him. "Miss him?"

Yasopp grinned. "Yes. I may not be there for him, but I love my kid more than anyone other than my wife."

There was a cheer from the others and Aria saw Monster screeching and swinging around as Bonk rubbed his head. Gab was laughing. It was clear who won that match.

Aria shook her head and joined Shanks and Luffy as Yasopp and Benn set up targets on the figurehead. Luffy grinned and pulled himself from Shanks' grasp to jump on her. Catching him easily, she perched him on her hip, giving him a better view of the shoot competition the crew was now having. "Seriously, Luffy, I thought you were tired?"

"I heard everyone come back!" he exclaimed.

Shanks ruffled Luffy's hair. "When he heard Benn talking to you, I think our argument about coming out or not lasted a whole five seconds."

"I didn't want to miss anything!" Luffy grumped, crossing his arms.

Sighing, Aria watched Benn beat Yasopp. When a couple rounds had passed, she felt Luffy go limp and a second later he snored in her ear. She looked and he was deep asleep.

Shanks glanced over. "Finally," he muttered. After a few heartbeats, his eyes narrowed. "I'll talk with Makino later about finding Luffy a room somewhere. I don't like hearing he's sleeping under the docks."

"Me neither," Aria agreed. "And who is his grandpa? I'd like to talk with him about that."

Shanks gazed at Luffy thoughtfully. "It sounded as if his grandpa's away a lot. Unless we stay here a while, we'll probably never meet him." He motioned for her to follow and led them to his cabin. Benn watched them and cocked his head, but Aria shook her head as they passed and he turned away.

When Luffy was covered up, Shanks sat at his table while Aria perched on the end of the bed. "How long do you think we'll stay?" she asked quietly.

Shanks hummed but shrugged. "No idea. A few months probably." His gaze lingered on Luffy briefly, then on her. "I'm glad you felt well enough to spar this time."

She snorted gently. "I've been feeling well enough for months, but this time someone didn't glare at me hard enough that I had no choice but to say no."

His lips twitched in a small grin. "Can you blame me?" He got up and joined her, sitting between her and the end of the bed. One hand found hers, and the other settled on her neck. "I can't help it. Not after how bad you were."

Aria closed her eyes at his touch. "I know." She opened her eyes and glared at him. "But I'm a pirate, the same as any of you. I'm stronger than I look." Even if she still got winded quickly, or tired sooner than anyone else. She turned her head as he leaned forward.

Planting a kiss on her cheek, Shanks sighed. "Aria…"

"You know I don't have an answer for you, Shanks," she shot out before he could continue, her voice bordering on harsh. "You know I like you, but can't that be enough?"

His face fell and she immediately felt guilty. "I just want to know if you feel the same as I do though. That's all. And you've never said yes, but also never said no."

She stood up and attempted to soften her voice. "I know…and I'm sorry. But I just…"

He tilted his head, not letting go of her hand. "I can wait as long as you need Aria." His eyes glittered and, not for the first time, she wished she could taste the air surrounding them again.

She hadn't been able to since being rescued, and while she was worried at first, then scared, now she just felt numb to it. Feeling blind, an entire sense cut off, had been disorientating. It had taken her months to become used to it, but even now, she felt cut off. She missed it.

After giving him a long look, she left the room, saying nothing more. He didn't follow, and she went down to her hammock. Maybe she should sleep for a while. She didn't see Benn until his arms kept her from running into him.

"Everything okay? You're usually a lot more observant than that," he asked as she steadied herself. He was missing a cigarette; no wonder she hadn't noticed him.

Nodding, she ran a hand through her hair. "Sorry, yeah. I just thought I'd catch some sleep and do the night watch tonight."

He cocked his head at her, a strange expression on his face. Before she could ask if something was wrong, his lips met hers.

She stiffened as his hands grabbed her shoulders, holding her tight. He tasted of ash, tobacco, sake, and something else warm and sweet. His hands were rough, but burned through her shirt, as if to sear her skin.

His fingers tightened for a second, then he let go abruptly. In the dim light, his eyes gleamed. "I had to do that at least once," he whispered. Then, before she could react, or even breath, he was gone.

She staggered back a step and whipped around, but the door to outside closed with a snap that echoed down to her. Aria hesitated, bring a hand to her lips, but she couldn't make sense of what just happened. Her skin still burned from where his hands were, her shoulders aching from his grip.

Part of her begged to find him, ask him what that was about. Another part said to sleep and think it over.

But another part asked if he had heard what her and Shanks just talked about.

I had to do that at least once. That's what he had said.

Did Benn…like her? But he had never treated her like more than a crewmate before. He spent the night with women enough that the crew teased him about it. Excluding Shanks and Hongo, she didn't interact when Benn anymore than the rest of the crew.

But he's always watching out for you, a little voice in the back of her head whispered. Since you came back, he's always nearby.

That was true. She thought back, but couldn't remember the last time he hadn't been nearby. On watches, he joined her. In the mess, he either sat with her or was close by. When she was still being looked at by Hongo, he always sat with her even though she was fine with the ship's doctor now.

Aria took a deep breath, her chest almost aching. She hadn't taken a breath since he let go of her, she realized. Almost stumbling, her mind reeling, she dropped herself in her hammock and stared at the ceiling. She wasn't sure how long she stayed that way, but quickly closed her eyes when she heard people coming down the stairs. She had no desire to talk to anyone right now, not until she had thought through what had happened.

Sleep did not come easily for her.