"I don't see why I can't help carry anything."

Kid looked down at me as I walked alongside him, raising a brow as he carried a crate full of gold on his shoulder as though it weighed nothing.
"You're carrying somethin'."

Looking down at the small basket of perishables I was holding, I frowned.
"No, but I mean, the gold and crap. I'm not that weak. Why can't I help with that?"

When Kid laughed, I felt my annoyance bubble, along with another feeling I was really trying hard to keep at bay.
"You couldn't even lift this an inch of the ground, girl. Just carry your little picnic basket and let the men do the real work."

Nevermind. He's an ass.

"Here I was thinking you were gonna be nice to me after our sleepover. You suck." I huffed, speeding up so I'd overtake him and the rest of the crew.
"Sleepover..?" Killer looked to his partner in question, as did many of the others in earshot.

It was subtle due to the striking red of his hair, but Kid's ears weren't too far off in colour when I glanced back.
"F..fuck off! She burst into my room at fuck o'clock and wouldn't leave! Kept me up all night with her stupid icy feet on my legs! Dumb bitch!"

Not my fault you were warm...

"I see..." Killer hummed, drumming his fingers against the wooden crate he had in his arms. Skipping ahead, I reached the castle first and let myself inside, deciding to leave the basket in the entrance hall for somebody else do deal with, seeing as they wouldn't let me help properly.

Instead, I left them to their lugging and hauling, making myself comfortable in Kid's large, plush seat at the dining table, kicking my legs up over the opposing arm rest. None of the guys seemed to mind that I wasn't helping out, and it bugged me.

Sure, I liked lazing about as much as the next person, but Kid's words had rubbed me the wrong way. I wanted to pull my weight, not sit there looking pretty, or my below-average version of that.

"Kid's gonna be mad at you." Heat warned me as he passed by with a barrel. "He doesn't like people sitting in his seat." Shrugging my shoulders, I crossed my arms snug over my chest.
"I'm not scared of him. He can do his worst."

Shaking his head, knowing that I was in for it, Heat plodded off, and I remained seated, stretching myself out and watching the world go by with a bored expression.

"That's my chair." Letting my head fall further backwards over the rest, Kid's frown looked more like a goofy smile as I viewed him from the wrong way up.
"Mine now, Kiddo. Ya snooze ya lose." I smirked smugly, yelping and curling up like a kitten when he lifted me by the scruff.

Oop-

Instead of chewing me out or tossing me aside, Kid began to walk off with me in hand, and I just hung there, letting it happen. I was all talk, after all.
"So, uh, we going for a stroll, huh? Cool. I was just about to suggest that..." I chuckled nervously, pleading to Killer with my eyes as we passed him.

"Kid, you're gonna stretch out her shirt. Do you really want to be waiting around while she shops for more next time we dock?" He tried to help, but Kid just scoffed, ignoring him as we continued on. Killer just shrugged, silently telling me he'd done his best.

Being carried the way I was wasn't entirely uncomfortable, but I felt far too small as he wandered down into the dark, dungeon-esque workshop he loved so much. Once we were inside, lamps lit, he finally set me down on the only clear counter top.

"You know, you could've just said hey, bitch tits, follow me to the workshop, and I would've walked here myself." I pointed out, kicking my legs as they hung above the floor. The benches were tall, more suited to a man of his stature than someone like myself.

I nearly fell backwards when he threw something into my chest, and I looked down to find a pair of goggles, identical to the ones I rarely took off.
"Put these on if you don't wanna go blind." He instructed, and I eagerly slipped them on, blinking a few times to get used to the tinted world.

"Are you gonna teach me how to make stuff?" I asked excitedly, leaning forward as he picked up a welding iron, pulling his own goggles down.
"Nah, I just wanted you out of my chair. You'll pick things up better by watching, anyway. If you got questions, you can ask 'em, but don't go overboard or I'll kick you out. Got it?"

So that's technically a yes.

"Got it, Captain!" I beamed, settling myself in to watch as he worked. He sure hadn't been joking about the risk of going blind. The welding iron was brighter than I had expected in such an enclosed space.

For once, I didn't feel the need to speak. I wasn't exactly sure what he was working on, but Kid's face seemed much calmer than it usually did as he tinkered with his project. I could tell this was his safe space, and I felt grateful that he allowed me to be a part of it.

I wanna know more about him...

"Hey, Kid?" I called to him at my normal level of volume once he paused with his welding, but he didn't look in my direction.
"Mmm?" He grunted, signalling that he'd heard me.
"You're from the South Blue, right?" I knew that to be fact, but he confirmed it with a nod nonetheless.
"Yeah, why?"

Lifting my legs to stretch them out, I looked past the toes of my boots to get another good look at him from where I sat. He looked...good like this. Calm, cool, and human.
"How did you and Killer meet? You two go way back, don't you?" I queried, immediately regretting my decision when his shoulders tensed up.

"That ain't none of your business." He muttered, immediately starting up again so the noise would drown me out if I tried to press it further. I knew better than that, and quickly wracked my brain for a new topic.

"Let's play two truths one lie. I'll go first!" I jumped right into action at the next pause, and Kid wasn't impressed.
"Instead, let's play the bitch has a three second head start before I start hunting her down?" He replied sarcastically, but I ignored the empty threat.

"Okay, my turn! I've swallowed five nails, I once got into a bar fight and glassed a marine in the face, and I've never once eaten onion." I rattled off, patiently waiting for him to just give up and join in. It didn't take long, and Kid eventually sat back, pulling his goggles to hang around his neck.

"It's a tie between nails and onion. Both sound like bullshit to me. Besides, I know you've had onion, so that's the lie. They both are, I reckon." He crossed his arms, and my brows furrowed.

"I've never eaten onion. The texture is nasty, I would rather perish." I insisted, but Kid simply scoffed.
"Well, I love to break it to ya, but Killer uses onion in basically every meal he makes."

I sat there in silence for a few moments, contemplating my very existence.
"That sneaky bastard...I never even noticed..." I muttered, and Kid laughed. It wasn't one of his cocky, nasty laughs, but a genuine one, and it made me feel warm inside my chest.
"Wire and Boogie hate 'em too, so he blends them up so they're none the wiser. You got duped, sweetheart."

I don't half mind when he calls me that...

"Nails are bullshit too, by the way. You've got no proof." He added, waving me away with his hand, but I held up a finger, prideful smirk pulling at my lips.
"Au contraire, my dear captain." Leaning back on the bench, I pulled up my shirt a little and beckoned him over. Once he was close enough, I pointed to the faint scar across my stomach. "See that? Surgically removed the pointy fuckers when I was four. Got into my old man's tool box and thought they looked tasty, apparently."

I hadn't known what I had been expecting, but it sure hadn't been Kid reaching out and tracing his finger along the near invisible silver scar tissue. His touch sent a fierce shiver up my spine, and I couldn't pull my eyes away from his face, even when he lifted his eyes.
"You're staring, brat."

Lord have mercy, I do believe I'm getting the vapours!

Shifting back, away from his hand, and looking at anything but him, I coughed.
"Y..your turn! Two truths, one lie!" My voice broke, and I mentally kicked myself for letting him see my flustered state so easily.

"Alright, I'll humour ya..." Kid sighed, remaining where he was, which was honestly far too close for my current state of mind.
"G..good. Go on, then." I tried to recompose myself, but it was proving difficult.

"I love curry udon, I first killed a man when I was eight, and..." Oh, he definitely knew what he was doing when he leaned in close, the sight of his unsupported hair falling over his forehead doing something dangerous to my brain. "...I'd probably screw ya if you gave me the go ahead..."

I'm going to die.

I was frozen in place, no doubt flaming red in the face and sweating like a sinner in church, but somehow my brain still worked through his list. As my fingers curled tight around the edge of the bench, aching from the strength of my grip, I swallowed loudly.
"The...udon...I don't think you like it..."

Kid seemed taken aback by my answer, and for far too long we just sat there, staring at each other almost nose to nose. He had obviously expected me to immediately say his last statement was a lie, but somehow I doubted it. We had chemistry, even though I didn't want to openly admit it. Not yet, anyway.

"You...sure that's the right answer..?" He asked slowly, almost as though it was a warning, edging just the slightest bit closer. My heart was pounding in my chest, in my ears, everywhere, but I didn't flinch back.
"Positive..." I murmured, hyper aware of his pupils blowing wider. They were directly in front of me. How could I not?

"Well, damn...You got it right..." Kid whispered, his voice taking on a rough, very purposeful tone. One that I couldn't misinterpret even if I wanted to. I couldn't move. His eyes were too intense, and his scent, so overwhelmingly strong with...him...just made me want to submit to him.

However, when I felt his fingertips brush against my thigh, I snapped out of it, turning my bones to liquid as I flopped, slipping out under the very small gap between his arm and his body and sprinting to the door.

"O..oh! Would you look at the time! I totally forgot that I promised insert name of one of your guys here that I'd help him with generic task that usually needs help with! What a shame! Later, Kiddlywinks!"

With that, I was gone, having absolutely no clue as to what state I had left the dangerous red head in. Once I was upstairs, I continued on until I made it to the small area within the mouth of the figurehead, panting and dropping to my knees.

My legs were like jelly, and my pulse was far wilder than it had been for a while, save for my recent near worse than death experience. Clutching my chest, I heaved out a shaky sigh before slapping at my face, trying to knock some sense into that thick skull of mine.

That...was way too close. Don't let him get to you! Not yet! Just...wait...wait until you're really sure...He's not the type of person you can escape easily...Just...wait...

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***Ayeeeee. Got a bit close there.

Next Time: Best Behaviour***