Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OCs. Eustass Kid and Killer obviously belong to Oda as well as everything else from the One Piece Universe. This is mainly an AU story so if that's not your thing, bye! Also, yes I will be giving Kid and Killer AU names that correspond to their actual names. I'm a name nerd, can't really help it. I googled Kid's name and found out that it's a short form of a more commonly used named in Western society so when I mention his AU name that's what I mean, and as for Killer I found one that's fairly close to the name 'Killer' but I think it'll be kinda obvious why he chooses to primarily go by his nickname.
WARNING: This story contains swear words and mentions gang related violence, but this version will not give full descriptions. If you wish to read that, head over to AO3, the name is 'Sassafrass1009'.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The blaring alarm on the nightstand next to his bed sounded in his ears. He groaned as he brought his hand up over his eyes to shield from the sunlight that poured in through his bedroom window. Then he rubbed his eyes as he rolled over and hit the off switch on his alarm.
The first day of summer vacation didn't mean the same for fifteen-year-old Kid Eustass as it meant for other kids. He'd be busy all summer. He'd picked up a job at a local auto repair shop, stocking car parts and doing some basic custodian work there. It wasn't glamorous, the pay wasn't a lot, the hours weren't what he'd hoped for, and he didn't expect it to be fun, but it would help pay for his school supplies in September. As a bonus if things worked out well in a few years he could get an apprenticeship in the garage.
Kid knew by some people's standards his living situation wasn't ideal. At least he had his own room. His older brother had sectioned off part of the living room and had a navy blue bed sheet that he'd turned into a privacy curtain for his sleeping area in the living room, which he mainly used when he had company over.
His brother was nineteen, and worked as a line cook in a bar and grill, and he was fifteen. Things took an unexpected turn for them when their parents died in a drive-by nearly two years ago… actually it would be two years exactly one week before Christmas.
His brother had been seventeen, less than two months away from turning eighteen, so he'd applied for emancipation, took a test to get his G.E.D, and got the job in the bar and grill kitchen. After that he'd applied for guardianship of his little brother and got him out of the system.
Kid was grateful for his brother but he'd be lying if he tried to say he hadn't wished a few times that their parents were still alive. He ran his fingers through his fiery locks before standing up from his bed. He stopped by his dresser to get out a few items of clothing and heading into the washroom. He got a towel out from the cabinet under the sink and started running the water until he got it to a temperature he wanted.
He stripped off his clothes and entered the shower, pulling the white shower curtain over afterwards and began by washing his hair.
After Kid stepped out he stood in front of the mirror with the towel fastened around his waist. He used the blow dryer on his hair and applied his deodorant. Then he dressed in the clothes he'd brought in with him, black camouflage print cargo shorts that his brother had found at a thrift store, they looked brand new. He pulled on a white muscle shirt. He knew the auto shop was going to be giving him a uniform today to put on over his clothes so he didn't want to wear anything that would be too warm or fancy.
Then he got to work on his makeup, he first applied the concealer to hide the redness from the acne he was experiencing, then added a thin layer of foundation before applying a bit of eyeliner and red lipstick. Some guys at school would hassle him for wearing makeup he just shrugged it off advising them to quit telling on themselves or step fully out of the closet.
If they tried to escalate things further, he was quick to lay them out on the floor. He'd been suspended for fighting twice, but his brother would usually back him up stating that the school's zero tolerance policy should also apply to the people who got laid out shouldn't have instigated the fight to begin with.
He'd spoken to the shop owner as well as the manager basically letting them know that he preferred to wear the makeup for mental health reasons. He wasn't lying. He did have a bit of anxiety since his parents passed, and applying the makeup daily was a ritual he practiced to psych himself up to face the day. It was like he was hiding a bit of himself.
As he recalled having made this recent break-through in therapy he silently wondered if there'd ever be a time when he felt like he could let someone see him without makeup—well someone other than his brother.
His ex might've been one possibility but that was destroyed when she broke up with him after his parents deaths. He was already going through a rough time between grieving his parents, and being thrown into the foster system while he waited for his brother to be approved as a legal guardian.
He shook his head a little as he realized she'd never understand. She still had both of her parents, besides it was better they part ways anyhow. He'd changed since then. He was still a hot head with a short fuse, don't get him wrong—but his path didn't align with hers anymore.
Leaving the washroom he went towards the kitchen of the small one bedroom apartment, noting that his brother was still asleep from his late shift last night. He quietly as possible got out a small pot and filled it halfway with water and a little bit of salt. He put it on the stove top, turning the burner on and got down the oatmeal. He added a cup of the oatmeal to the now boiling water in the pot and began stirring it with a wooden spoon.
After the water was absorbed by the oatmeal he took the pot off the heat, and poured the contents into a bowl. His brother had taught him how to cook a few things, mostly breakfast foods, oatmeal, eggs, bacon, sausage.
He could also pan fry a frozen burger patty pretty easily, or a steak. Anytime he tried to make fish or chicken it always came out intolerably dry so he didn't eat those very often if his brother wasn't cooking. He got to eat cabbage rolls once a year on his birthday, it was a treat that his brother made sure to at least make the night before and store in the fridge so he could heat them up in the oven. They hadn't been able to find a microwave that would fit in their kitchen and they could afford.
They sometimes had fresh fruit for oatmeal, sometimes not. They usually had frozen fruit which he'd make his selection of and thaw the night before in advance. He grabbed the bowl of thawed mixed berries from the fridge and added them to the cooked oatmeal, then a dollop of peanut butter for some protein and mixed everything together.
Admittedly he preferred eggs and bacon for breakfast but if his brother was sleeping, and he normally was at this hour if he worked the night before, the oatmeal was enough. Today was his first day ever working. His first day working an official part-time job, he was as excited as he was nervous. He knew he could learn a few things about auto repair at this shop, and he was going to learn everything he could. He quickly consumed his breakfast, washing it down with a glass of water. He then began cleaning up the dishes he'd dirties, wincing as he heard the bowl and pot clanking together. He quickly glanced into the living room where his brother slept and didn't notice anything to indicate the sound had woken him.
'Good. He needs his sleep,' Kid thought to himself. He finished with the dishes and dried his hands. He then went to the bathroom to brush his teeth, and finish styling his hair with gel so it would be a bit spikey. He then grabbed his keys, and left the apartment, locking the door to C6 behind himself.