"THIS IS THE SIXTH DAY IN A ROW YOU'VE MANAGED TO CAUSE MAYHEM! HOW CAN SOMEBODY SO SMALL MAKE SO MUCH TROUBLE?! PLEASE, ENLIGHTEN ME, I'D LOVE TO KNOW!"

I just sat there, drumming my fingers on my lap as Paulie chewed me out for the sixth consecutive evening in a row. The whole tavern was staring at us, but it didn't phase me. I was used to Paulie losing his marbles.

"In my defence, I wasn't the one who placed a baby as a bet. That was Michael and Hoichael." I stated firmly, causally leaning away from Paulie as he started up again, avoiding his spittle.
"THEY'RE THIRTEEN YEAR OLD CHILDREN! YOU'RE AN ADULT!"

"Paulie, honey, calm down. You're making a scene." Guppy, who I had only met two days ago and was already head over heels for, gently tugged on my brother's arm to get him to sit back down. "She obviously wasn't going to keep the baby, so cut her some slack."

I like her. She's gonna make the best Paulie Tamer, I mean, sister in law ever.

"If I cut her some slack she's gonna end up burning the whole city to the ground..." Paulie muttered bitterly, crossing his arms across his chest in a huff. "So, you're heading off tomorrow, Kip? Got everything ready?"

I deflated when Paulie mentioned Killer's departure. A week had flown by far too quickly, and I wasn't ready to say goodbye. He'd been doing well at Galley-La, under the alias 'Kipper', which had honestly been the cause of me nearly wetting myself in laughter.

He had been a saint, working with Paulie, insisting on making at least breakfast for myself, Iceberg and sometimes Paulie, even trying to keep me in line. Adjusting was going to be a battle with him gone.

"Pretty much. Just need to grab some supplies and I'm set." Killer responded, taking a sip of his beer, and I copied him. I'd limited myself to one, maybe two for the night, so I just nursed it, mostly.
"It's such a shame to see you go. You fit in well here." Guppy said with a sigh, and I silently agreed. She knew his real identity, but didn't seem to mind one bit, thankfully.

"It's not half bad, but I have to get back. Can't hide out forever when I have responsibilities." I listened, watching Paulie steal one of my fries, our eyes meeting as he popped it into his mouth. We knew each other well, so he could tell something was off.

"Quit being quiet. It's weird." He addressed me, and I rolled my eyes, wishing he'd been a little more subtle.
"First you tell me to shut up, then you tell me to un-shut up. Careful with this one, Gups. He doesn't know what he wants." I whisper shouted to his girlfriend, but she held him back from snapping at me again.

"I'm sorry, but I did say only one week. Honestly, I should've gone back days ago, but I didn't want to leave you alone so soon." Killer leaned towards me a little, his voice hushed while the others spoke.
"Hmm? Oh, nah, I know that. I'm just tired from beating so many pipsqueaks at cards." I lied through my teeth, not wanting to guilt him any further than I already had.

"Since Iceberg's out visiting Granny Kokoro at the station, maybe you should come stay at my place for the night, (Y/N)?" Paulie brought me back into their conversation and I waved him off.
"Nah, I'd rather not. You two need to make me some nieces and nephews anyway, so I wouldn't wanna intrude."

Both Guppy and I snickered when my brother's face turned a vibrant shade of red, and even my stoic companion's shoulders bounced at the poor guy's expense.

"U..Um...(Y/N)..?"

I barely glanced to the side at first, but the second I realised who was speaking to me I scrambled like a spooked cat, my back quickly up against Killer's side. It was Timbley.
"Oh, for fuck's sake...Listen, man, I'm sorry for last time, but I swear, I'm a changed woman, so there's no need to call the marines!"

If I sprint, I may be able to dive out of that window over there...

Killer tensed behind me, and I could tell he was preparing for a fight, but much to my surprise the man before me raised his hands in defence, shaking his head.
"No! No, that's not what I was planning to do at all! I just...I heard you were back and I...was wondering if we could talk..?"

Oh, I was beyond sceptical, but we were in a crowded place, and both Killer and my brother were right there. There couldn't be any harm, could there?
"Fine...but you only get five minutes." As I stood to follow him over to another table, Killer seized my wrist and pulled me down to his level.
"Are you sure? We can just get out of here."

I mouthed that I was fine, waiting for him to release me before I went to sit opposite Timbley, who looked rather nervous.
"Okay, so what?" I asked bluntly, brow quirked. He looked awfully meek for a marine, almost mousey. They must have been desperate for new blood after the whole shit show in Marineford.
"I want you to know that, uh, I forgive you for knocking me out, and for running out on that dinner..."

I didn't ask for forgiveness, but whatever floats your boat, buddy...

"Yeah, my bad, man. I did kinda feel crappy after knocking your lights out." I sighed, leaning back in my chair a little bit. "I'm surprised you haven't called the cavalry on me. You seemed really mad when I left."

Fidgeting with his hands in his lap, Timbley looked nervous. I was too, but at least I could conceal it.
"Well, I was...but I've had time to think, and I've cooled off. We started off on a sour note, and I didn't want it to be like that, you know?" He admitted, and a sneaking suspicion began to creep up on me.

"Cool, now we've ended it on a better one. Was that all, Timbs? I was kind of in the middle of bullying my brother." I thumbed over my shoulder, not having to look to know that they were all staring intently.
"Ended?" Timbley cocked his head, and he really resembled a gangly little puppy. "Your mother told mine that you'd changed your mind...That we were still engaged..."

Oh, she did-fucking-not!

The look on my face said it all, and the poor baby marine began to squirm in his seat.
"Th..They really are set on it..! I mean, it wouldn't be so bad, would it? I know I'm not exactly the greatest catch or anything, but I can provide, and it would be better than being used by a pirate..."

That stung far more than I had expected it to. If Kid had been telling the truth, he had used me, and the fact that this little shit was trying to use that as leverage to convince me into marrying him made it a thousand times worse.

My body was torn in several different directions. I wanted to punch him in the face, I wanted to run, and I wanted to cry. None of those options would help me any. I hadn't even seen my parents since I'd returned. How had they managed to screw things up from a distance?

Before I could choose one of those three options, I felt somebody lean over me from behind, a large, familiar chest pressing onto my back and a hand landing in front of me.
"She's taken." Killer's voice was a low growl when he spoke, and a very confusing wave of chills and tingles shook me to the core.

Timbley looked absolutely terrified to begin with, and I couldn't blame him. When I squished myself down and turned my head, even I was a little unnerved by the man. His face was completely neutral, but his eyes threatened otherworldly violence.

"Wh..who-" The boy's voice cracked and he cleared his throat, trying to sound tougher and failing miserably. "Who are you?" Killer's hand dragged against the table until it reached the edge, jumping from wood to settle upon the upper flat of my chest.
"I should be asking you the same question, boy. Name's Kipper. Couldn't help but overhear your bullshit about stealing my fiancee."

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Every fibre of my very being went into overdrive, trying to stop myself from reacting outwardly, but I was positive the heat on my cheeks was visible. Timbley looked beyond taken aback, his chair squealing as he scooted back a bit.
"Wait...wh..what..? Fi..ancee..? But...I was told we were-"

"Did (Y/N) explicitly state that she intended on marrying you?" Killer asked, still so concerningly calm, and the boy shook his head.
"Um, no, but-"
"Well, she explicitly stated that she wants to marry me. Didn't you, sweetheart?" The blond tugged me closer into his chest and I gulped, forcing my head to show I agreed.

I'm not equipped to handle this right now, holy shit.

Timbley's mouth opened and closed like a beached fish, and Killer guided me to a stand, still holding me close to him in a posessive display.
"No hard feelings. Now you know. Have a great night." He lead me back over to our original table, going so far as to pull out my chair for me. I was at a complete loss for words.

"I should be freaking out over what I just witnessed...but honestly..? That was a great performance..." Paulie murmured, and his girlfriend nodded in agreement.
"Damn straight it was. He looks like he's about to cry. Nice!"

I just sat there, trying to register the last five minutes, only snapping out of it when I felt a nudge to my shoulder.
"You wanna leave?" Killer asked, and I nodded quickly, barely muttering my farewells before we headed out the door.

"That was...a whole lotta something..." I finally spoke once we were partway back to Galley-La Headquarters, and Killer snorted.
"Yeah, sorry about how I handled that. It just seemed like the least violent way to get him to back off." He apologised, hands pocketed.

"No, it was just...not what I was expecting. I didn't mind..." I murmured, puffing out a long breath as I kicked a loose pebble into the canal. "It'd make things a lot easier if it were true, if I'm honest...My parents think they can marry me off like they're trading old trinkets at the market..."

Not like I'm not used to that kind of crap from them...

"Can't say the idea isn't a temptation..." Killer hummed, avoiding my eyes when my head whipped around to look at him. Under the light of the moon his ponytail looked like a stream of silver, trailing behind him as we walked. "If they keep persisting, call me, and I'll come back and sort it out. As myself, not Kipper."

Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I fell behind a little as we reached the pathway leading to the manner, finally stopping.
"Then...why don't we?" Was I really that stupid? I had already nearly severed my relationship with Killer before by acting on a whim, so why was I doing it again?

Killer stopped and turned, that scepticism back on his face, just as it had been when we had talked in the hallway a week ago.
"Why don't we...what..?" He asked slowly, cautiously, despite already knowing exactly what I was about to say.

"H...Hear me out, okay?" I took a few steps towards him, but kept my distance so my nervous energy wouldn't be a slap to his face. "We love each other, and we work well together. I..I'm not saying right away, we could have a long engagement, but-"

"Our love doesn't match. We've been through this, what, two? Three times? It's starting to seem like you're purposely trying to hurt me..." Killer's voice was stern, but it wavered.

"I do love you, and yeah, it's probably in a way I shouldn't because of what's happened, but I do! You have no idea how many times that fact has sucker punched me in the face the past few weeks since we left!"

I'm not trying to hurt you...

What was that expression he wore? Disbelief? Anger? Pain? Confusion? I couldn't tell in the dark, at my distance. Raking a hand down his face, Killer took two steps backwards, a slightly odd, pitchy chuckle escaping his lips.
"Okay, okay, how many beers did you sneak past me, huh? We're not doing this again."

Shaking his head, he turned and continued down the path, but I hesitated, his words wounding me a little.
"I..I didn't even finish the one! Killer, I'm completely sober! I know what I'm saying right now!" I ran after him, catching up as he opened the door.

That was when he began to laugh.

It was such a unique sound, pushing from his throat. Unhinged joy would be the only way to describe it. I had wanted to hear him laugh for so long, and even though I enjoyed the sound, I couldn't feel glad about it in this scenario.

"God, you don't! You really don't! Do you even hear what you're saying?!" He cackled, though the laughter wasn't at all reaching his voice. "Fuckin' christ, I just can't with you! When you say that stuff, do you not realise how it messes with me?! How hard it is to keep control of myself?!"

I'm not trying to mess with you...

I wanted to say it out loud, but Killer wasn't having it, rounding on me and backing me into the manor, kicking the door shut behind himself.
"Kid fell in love with you, and I stepped away, because that's what I do! I put him first! I always have, and I was fine with that! He-"

"Kid has absolutely nothing to do with this!" I forced my words over his, and his laughter died out instantly. "Y..Yeah, I loved Kid. I did...and then he threw me away like I meant nothing to him. That's done. It's over. I'm talking about you a..and me. Nobody else is in this equation."

I had never seen Killer like this. Erratic, confliction written all over his face in bold. Complete doubt.
"You really think he meant what he said to you..?" Killer scoffed, slowly beginning to advance on me. "What he said to me? He only did what he did because, deep down, he's just a scared little boy, like the one I found in that tree."

When he grew close, I took a step back for every one he took forward. I wasn't scared of him, not at all, but I was nervous. Horrendously so.

It doesn't matter...

"You think that matters to me..? Whether he meant them or not, he said those things. They hurt me. We're done. What I said to you, just now? I mean them. I know I'm stupid where it counts, and I make dumb decisions constantly, but why would I lie about something like this? Where would that get m-"

My back hit the wall, and just like that time in the hallway leading to the galley, Killer pinned me, except this time I could see the expression on his face. His eyes, the coolest of blue, were burning, and his mouth hung slightly agape as he saw down to my very soul.

"I told you...if you keep talking like that...I'm gonna do something stupid..." He breathed out, his tone holding what I could only interpret as a dangerous promise.

I took a moment to search myself. Yes, I still held love for Kid. That wasn't something that could magically disappear, but I couldn't ignore the way in which my chest thundered, or the way his deep stare had me weak in the knees.

"W..Well...I'm stupid...so..."

Killer gave me his everything in that kiss. His frustration, his confliction, and the love he truly felt for me. It felt right, unlike the first time we'd locked lips. Instead of keeping me pinned, he dragged me flush against his body with an arm tightly wound around my middle, his other hand finding a home at the back of my neck.

I had felt this before. The full-body shock coursing through me, when being kissed by a man I loved. It hurt, thinking about how things had changed so drastically, but at the same time, it felt good. Things were new. This wasn't just a haphazard decision I had made on account of being lonely.

Nobody could have known how long that initial kiss lasted for, but when we pulled back we were both breathless, eyes half-lidded and cheeks darker in hue.
"What are we doing..?" Killer murmured, his eyes darting to my lips, silently asking for more.

"I don't know...but it feels right..."

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***Again, a whole damn lot of you asked for this...

...but does it come at a price?

You'll see :)

Next Time: My Only Regret***