This fic is just about making Katakuri donuts with Brulee
Katakuri had left Komugi Island to handle so work as one of the three sweet commanders of the big mom pirates which meant I was left all alone in our home now what does one do when their giant sweet husband leaves to do his job? Obviously they enlist his younger sisters help to make him his favorite dessert, which is how I ended up here yelling at a mirror
I grabbed the mirror on both sides shaking it slightly as I yelled "Brulee I know you can hear me! You're favorite in law needs your help!" Suddenly Brulee's head popped out of the mirror as she said loudly "I heard you the first time!" I let go of the mirror smiling brightly as I clapped my hands together as I said "Brulee! I need you're help"
Brulee crawled out of the mirror saying "yes I heard that part" when she got out of the mirror and stood up fully I had to look up to stay looking at her face, she looked down at me asking "what do you need help with?" I said very excited about my plan "I want to make some donuts for Katakuri before he gets home, and I would like to enlist your help" I had a feeling Brulee would agree, I know she loves her older brother so I didn't think I would have any problem convincing her to do something nice for him with me, Brulee crossed her arms saying "Fine I'll help you make my big brother donuts"
I smiled hugging her the best I could with her large frame saying "thank you Brulee this is why you're my favorite sister in law!" She blushed looking away saying "whatever let's make the donuts" we walked to the kitchen together, I always really liked spending time with Brulee sure she could be rough around the edges but that's all of the Charlotte siblings not that I could blame them, still I tried to get along with all of Katakuri's family because I knew how much they mean to him, we arrived at the kitchen and I pushed the door open holding it for Brulee before following her inside, she looked at me asking "so what type of donuts are we making?" I responded quickly saying "I'm thinking a few types strawberry, jelly filled ones, glaze, oh and some blueberrie ones" she hummed nodding as she said "I see why you got my help" I nodded saying "okay let's get started"
Me and Brulee spent a lot of time baking, and like always I was really impressed by how good the Charlotte's were at baking it was really impressive, we plated up the donuts after that Brulee smiled at me saying "well now that we're done I well be leaving" I looked at her confused as I asked "You're not staying?" She responded "no I'm not staying I have other things to deal with" she stared walking to the door but before she opened it she said "tell Katakuri I said hi" I smiled at her saying "I well, it was great seeing you Brulee" she looked back at me smiling as well as she said softly "it was great seeing you too" after that she left
I sat alone in the house for a while till I eventually started hearing the clicking of Katakuri's boots against the ground, I quickly made my way out of the kitchen and over to him, he seemed surprised I was in the kitchen of all places, he asked softly "why were you in the kitchen?" I grinned up at him saying "it's a surprise" I grabbed his pant leg pulling him along with him because he was just a bit to big for me to pull along by his hand, I looked up at him and said "and no ruining the surprise with your observation haki" He said softly "I wouldn't dream of it sweetie" when we reached the kitchen door I said "now close your eyes and no peeking" Katakuri nodded closing his eyes, I pushed the door open leading him over to where the donuts me and Brulee made were, I took a second making sure everything was perfect before saying "okay open your eyes now"
Katakuri opened his eyes seeing the plate of donuts in front of him he took a second before looking down at me and pointing to himself as he asked "are those donuts for me?" I nodded happily as I said "yes they are, I got Brulee to help me make them for you so I hope you like them" He said softly "Brulee helped you make them?" I nodded "yeah she said hi but she left earlier" he nodded he looked touched that we would put in this effort for him, I could tell even if it was a bit hard with half his face covered, he reached up taking off his scarf, I always felt honored when Katakuri was welling to take off his scarf around me, I knew how much he hated people seeing his face so I was happy he trusted me enough to show me, after slipping his scarf off he grabbed a donut, he took a bite of it and I could see the smile spread across his face, he quickly started eating more of the donuts
I looked at him asking softly "do you like them?"
He looked down at me before crouching down to be on my level saying softly as he smiled "their delicious sweetie" I always found his sharp teeth so cute when he smiles, I reached up placing my hands on both sides of his face saying "I'm so glad you like them" He put a hand on my waist leaning in and kissed my cheek, he pulled away saying "thank you sweetie"
Hello! I was wondering, did You ever wrote down how your Suguru and Tiny Satoru end up meeting each other?
No, not yet. I've been meaning to though! I have a pretty good idea how it would go. There's this old drawing that was supposed to take place before they properly met.
Time for more request fulfillments! This time I combined two different requests that had similar ideas of OP men comforting the reader after they've had a rough day. This is for @redtailears who asked for Katakuri and a lovely anon who asked for Crocodile, Mihawk, Law, and Smoker! ♡
"...Katakuri praising or comforting reader after a long stressful week of work..." + "...Crocodile, Mihawk, Law and if possible maybe Smoker and what they do to make reader feel home. Like, when our day has gone to hell (Work or just a general terrible day, up to you) these men find ways to make us forget the stress cuz we're home with them, y'know?"
✦♡✦ You Feel Like Home ✦♡✦
♡ Katakuri, Crocodile, Mihawk, Law, Smoker x Fem!Reader ♡
♡ Tags: Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Reader Is Regular Human Height For Katakuri's, Small Threat Of Violence Towards Others In Crocodile's (Crocodile Being Crocodile), Drinking In Crocodile's & In Mihawk's
♡ Words: 3.2k Total, 600~ Each
♡ Katakuri ♡
It was late in the day when Katakuri found you in your office - fully slumped over your desk, head down, and surrounded by strewn about pieces of paper. As gingerly as the big man could, Katakuri approached you and knelt next to your chair, softly whispering your name. A small, disgruntled noise emitted from your throat before you spoke up.
"If I have to look at one more line of text, my head is going to explode," you mumbled against the surface of your desk, leaving your face planted against the woodgrain. Katakuri's face softened behind his scarf at your languished display as he placed a large hand onto your back, rubbing along your spine in soothing motions. Your body practically melted under his comforting touch, the tension in your shoulders and back immediately loosening.
"How about we get you out of here? Away from all of this." His deep voice rumbled next you as he continued his one-handed massage. "I prepared some dough earlier and was going to make donuts, do you want to join me?"
That got you to finally turn your head to look at Katakuri over your arm, interest now beyond piqued. Retiring for the evening did sound nice - having your sweet husband in the kitchen with you, making his near-heavenly donuts sounded even nicer. You sat upright in your chair and nodded your head, making Katakuri's eyes crinkle upwards.
Leaving your office, and thus the center of your stress behind, you followed Katakuri to the kitchen where he gently picked you up so you could sit on the counter to watch him work. It was one of your favorite activities to do with him and a fair amount of days you actually joined in as his assistant - as much as you could at your size, anyway.
As he got to making up a batch of donuts from his prepared dough, Katakuri started to hum, deep and low in his chest. It was a song you knew by heart at this point, the one your husband always sang while he happily treated himself to his favorite snack. Resting back on your hands, you joined in with your own soft humming while you lightly swayed your head and shoulders side to side.
Katakuri looked over at you, his eyes warm and loving while the two of you hummed his little song together. You couldn't help the bashful grin that broke out across your face under his adoring gaze. The smell of freshly made donuts permeated the air and you felt your stress from the day already quickly dissipating.
Soon enough, a plate full of massive, sugar coated donuts was ready and Katakuri placed it beside you on the counter.
"You get first pick, love," he said, gentle as ever. You looked over the delicious pile of pastries next to you but ultimately settled for the first one, right on top.
You took a hearty piece of it, leaving the rest of the gigantic donut for your husband to have. Katakuri tugged down his scarf and finished his portion in two bites while you enjoyed your piece, savoring the exquisite, sweet flavor.
"Delicious as always, Kata," you complimented him and the big man flushed lightly at your words. Leaning down so he was face level with you, Katakuri gave you a tender kiss while you were in between bites and you smiled against his lips.
Between his sugary kiss and the delectable treat in your hands, your workload had been shoved to the far corners of your mind, left to deal with for another time.
♡ Crocodile ♡
With a small sigh, you closed your eyes and began to idly rub at your forehead, attempting to combat the oncoming headache you could feel creeping its way through your skull. You had all but collapsed onto the cushy, leather couch in your living room when you came home, exhaustion from the day leaving you feeling like a husk of a human.
As you were taking in another deep breath, you heard the familiar click of dress shoes as your husband entered the room.
"Something wrong?" You heard his deep voice from across the way and slowly opened your eyes to see Crocodile looking at you from over at the bar cart. With your elbow resting on the armrest of the couch, you pressed your forehead further against your fingertips and tried to wave him off. Not having it, Crocodile poured some amber liquid into a glass before speaking up once more. "Somebody bothering you? Do I need to have them taken care of?"
"You do know that murder isn't always the answer?" You dropped your hand from your forehead and gave him an exasperated look, one that matched your tone. Crocodile, drink now in hand, sauntered over to you, arrogance radiating off of him. Stopping in front of you, he handed you the drink as you tipped your head back to look up at him.
"Hm, seems to regularly work out for me, sweetheart." The way he smirked at you had you fighting the smile that was tugging at the corner of your lips. It was nearly impossible for you to deny his lethal charm and he absolutely knew it.
Placing his hook on the back of the couch by your head, Crocodile leaned down to hold your chin between his finger and thumb, causing your head to tilt back further. Those piercing eyes of his made your breath hitch, like always.
"So?" His voice was husky and low as his thumb rubbed along your lower lip. "Give me a name."
Your grip on the glass in your hand tightened as you stared at him for another beat, a small shiver running down your spine. Lolling your head to the side as much as you could in his grasp, you released another soft sigh, knowing he was genuinely waiting for an answer.
"There's no name to give. No one has been bothering me, Croc." You told him, holding his gaze to show him you were serious. His eyes flicked over your face before he shrugged his shoulders, conceding, but you could've sworn you heard him murmur shame.
Your eyes then flitted downwards, "It's just been a really long day." You let your exhaustion come through in your voice and Crocodile moved his hand so his knuckles now brushed along your cheek. A rumble came from his chest, like a noise of affirmation before he sat down on the other end of the couch.
"You want to talk about it?" He asked you, almost nonchalantly, as he pulled a cigar out from his vest. His question had caught you slightly off guard, but you decided to take him up on it. With a small, half shrug, you began to tell Crocodile about your day.
As you spoke, the two of you moved in sync with one another.
You used your unoccupied hand to light his cigar for him and as you sat back, Crocodile grabbed your legs so your body shifted horizontally on the couch and your feet were now across his lap. You swirled the drink in your hand and he puffed on his cigar, listening to you talk about the difficulties you had faced today. Here and there, he'd weigh in and you'd sip at your drink, feeling his hand languidly caress your leg as he did so.
It was a quiet, simple evening between the two of you, but as you settled further against the couch cushions, feeling yourself be lulled into a sleepy, relaxed state by his deep, rich voice and lazy touch, you found it to be exactly what you had needed.
♡ Mihawk ♡
You quietly closed the tall, looming front door of Kuraigana castle and nearly jumped out of your skin when you looked up to find Mihawk right in front of you in the entryway.
"What is the matter?" His head tilted as his keen eyes examined you from head to toe. With one hand on your chest, you let out a long breath as you tried to will your heart to calm down from the minor jumpscare he had just given you.
"Wh-What makes you ask that?"
"Simply from the way you closed the door, something is very clearly upsetting you."
"The way I closed…" You trailed off, looking over your shoulder at the door behind you before back at your lover. He truly didn't miss a single thing, even the slightest change in your body language, apparently.
From the way he still stared at you so intently, those golden, alluring eyes boring into you, it was evident he wasn't going to let up. And he wasn't exactly wrong, anyway.
You sighed and shifted your weight to one foot, looking away from Mihawk.
"Okay, yes, I'm feeling a little down today." At your words, Mihawk stepped closer and his head tilted further, silently asking you to go on. Fidgeting with your hands, you glanced at him before you looked away again, "There's not much to say. It's just been one of those days where nothing is going right and I tried to go for a walk to clear my head but it didn't do much."
Mihawk nodded in understanding before he took one of your hands into his and brought your knuckles to his lips, giving your hand a soft kiss. "How about I try to turn it around and make this day start going right for you?"
"You're welcome to try," you told him, giving him a wan smile. Mihawk gave you another kiss, gazing right into your eyes and causing your heart to skip a beat.
"Come, let me pour you a drink while I begin dinner."
With your hand still in his, Mihawk lead you to the kitchen and, with effortless ease, picked out the perfect wine for the evening. You leaned back against the kitchen counter with your glass, taking a sip here and there, while he got to assembling what he needed for tonight's dish. In between steps, he'd glance over at you, like he was checking on you and it made your heart flutter once more.
Letting the meal lightly simmer on it's own for the moment, Mihawk stepped away from his cooking to stand in front of you. Placing one hand on your lower back and threading the other through your hair, he pulled your bodies close together.
"I am always here for you. Let me help you relax, my darling." Mihawk whispered against your lips. Your eyes slowly began to close as you anticipated his kiss but then, from above, there was a loud crash and the combined yelling of the two young adults that were also currently taking up residence here. The two of you looked up at the ceiling before you let out a small huff of a laugh, shaking your head.
"See?"
Mihawk pulled back from you, eyes still trained on the ceiling before he turned to make his way for the grand hall, where the staircase leading upstairs would be. "Keep an eye on dinner, please, darling. I will be right back." His tone was still the same as it ever was - cool, even, and almost apathetic, but you caught the slight edge that hid underneath.
Over head, you then heard Mihawk's slow, prowling footsteps and the clamoring of Zoro and Perona's futile attempt to get away.
You rested back against the kitchen counter once more and hid your small smile behind the rim of your wine glass.
♡ Law ♡
The day had finally come to a close and without even thinking about it, your feet had brought you to Law's door - a common occurrence as of late. When was the last time you had actually slept in your own bunk? You didn't even intend to do much this evening, if anything at all, but still, you had naturally found your way to him.
Entering his private cabin, an unsurprising sight met you as you laid your eyes on Law at his desk, hunched over a pile of books. You gently closed the door behind you and passed by him to rummage through the small stack of spare clothes you now kept in his closet. It had been Law's idea, something he had suggested offhandedly one night, and you still remembered the way his face flushed fiercely as you hardly contained the grin you had given him.
Grabbing your favorite cozy lounge clothes, you quickly changed before you perched yourself on the edge of his desk. Law looked up from his book, cheek resting against his fist, and his eyes flicked over you - a quick once over to find anything immediately amiss.
"Feeling okay?" His question was simple, the same one he always started with. Shrugging your shoulders, you chewed your lip for a moment.
"Long day. Kinda drained." Law nodded at your brief reply and you lolled your head back, lightly sighing through your nose. "So, I don't know about you, but I'm going to go stare at the ceiling for a little bit."
He raised his eyebrows at your wry statement before he looked over his hoard of books across his desk. "You know, I think I could go for that too." His equally dry response made a small laugh slip past your lips and Law gave you a half smile, his eyes alight with adoration for you.
Standing from his desk, Law made his way onto his bed and propped himself up against the pillows. "Come on," he lifted his arm outwards in your direction, inviting you to join him at his side. You bit your lip as your heart raced, trying and failing to fight against the growing smile on your face - especially seeing the tips of his ears now pink. This sort of thing was out of his wheelhouse but seeing him try for you, and after a day like today, made your heart soar.
You joined him on the bed, curling up along his side and resting your head on his chest. Draping his arm around you, Law held you close and already you felt a little lighter.
The soft, droning hums of the Polar Tang filled the silence as the two of you laid there, staring off into the distance. You almost broke the serenity of it by laughing - surprised by how it was actually working to help you feel better about your tiring day.
While your mind usually went a mile a minute, being here with Law slowed everything down and you found yourself thinking about nothing for once. Not when he had you pressed against him like this and all your senses could focus on was him.
Tilting your head up towards him, you saw Law already gazing at you and now it was your turn to blush.
"What?" At your question, he glanced away and rubbed his hand along your arm.
"I'm glad you come here, to my room," he said quietly, before he looked back down at you. "I like just being with you, even if we don't actually do anything."
You put your head back down on his chest and traced along the parts of his tattoo that peeked out from his shirt. Maybe that's why your feet kept bringing you here, day after day.
"I feel the same."
♡ Smoker ♡
When Smoker arrived home that evening, all of the lights were off and absolute silence radiated throughout your shared quarters. If it weren't for your work shoes that looked to be haphazardly kicked off near the door, he would've thought you were still out. Smoker called your name while he removed his own boots but he received no reply.
As he continued to take off his gear to get more comfortable, you still didn't make your presence known and his brow furrowed. He entered your shared home further as he contemplated where you could be, the living space only illuminated by the soft rays of the setting sun slipping through half closed blinds.
The first location Smoker intended to check was the bedroom but on his way, his exploration was cut short as he quickly discovered you - on your side, back to him, and curled up as tightly as you could be on the couch. At first, he was going to leave you be, figuring you were asleep, but then you slowly turned to look at him over your shoulder and he caught the sad, distant look in your eyes.
Smoker was at your side in an instant.
"Hey… I'm sorry," your voice was barely a whisper as you rolled onto your back.
Smoker crouched down beside you and caressed the top of your head, "No need for sorry, pretty girl." His pet name made a minute, shy smile appear on your face. "What's going on?"
You took in a deep, rattled breath, your brow creasing and smile disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.
"It's just been a really shitty day," your voice broke at the end of your sentence and you pressed your hands against your face.
"Come here," Smoker took you into his arms, pressing you close to his chest. Seeing you come undone like this made him frown deeply and in his mind, he rapidly tried to flip through some options to try to make you feel better.
Cook you a meal? He could certainly try, but somehow he figured it'd end with half - if not all - of it being inedible.
Or maybe you'd enjoy something like a bubble bath? Then he thought about trying to get the water to soap ratio right and the tub over spilling with bubbles crossed his mind.
Smoker was internally grumbling to himself on what to do when you curled up further into his arms.
"I just want this day to be over," you somberly mumbled against your hands and that made it click for him.
"Okay."
Tucking you in tighter to his chest, Smoker smoothly stood up and held you bridal style. He turned to leave the room while you let out a squeak, removing your hands from your face and looking up at him.
"Where are we going?"
"To bed. The day's over." Your mouth slightly fell open at how seriously he said it, helpless in his arms as he made his way to the bedroom. Once there, Smoker carefully put you down to help you change out of your work attire and into a cozier outfit. After switching clothes himself, he drew back the comforter and the two of climbed into the large bed together.
You made to just lie on your back but Smoker was quick to grab you, pulling you close yet again so now you were both on your sides, your face to his chest. His strong arms curled around you, creating almost like a protective barrier around you, and he could feel the way your body went weightless against his.
"I got you," he murmured into your hair, lips pressed against the top of your head. The way you burrowed your face further into his chest made his arms constrict around you even more. "Is there anything I can do?"
You shook your head and mumbled softly against his pecs, "This is perfect."
Smoker contentedly sighed through his nose, taking his own comfort in knowing he was helping you relax even the slightest bit - promptly ignoring the light flush dusting his cheeks.
Also tysm to @i-am-beckyu for proofreading! I always forget to say that xD
Chapter 1
Chapter 8
Chapter 10
Word Count: 2,071
Warnings: None. Welcome to fluff town xD
It was night, Dream was asleep, and Tommy was determined to see what was under the man's mask. For the entire time Tommy had been with the human, he hadn’t seen his face, not even once. Dream never took his mask off around the teen, and whenever Tommy pestered him about it, Dream would either avoid the question or just give him dumb reasons, like; “I’m too handsome, I can’t show off too much,” and; “I got mauled by a bear once. Nobody wants to see that.” Tommy was pretty sure that Dream’s excuses were bullshit.
He wanted to know what the human’s face looked like. He was pretty sure that Dream was a human, and not a hybrid, because he had normal human ears and didn’t have any horns or anything obvious to give it away. With a smirk, Tommy had the thought that Dream might be a bunny hybrid. Then he frowned. That wouldn't fit in with the sheer size of the human. Maybe he was a donkey…? That would certainly explain the slight wheeze to Dream’s laughter whenever Tommy said something particularly hilarious.
Tommy had stayed awake until he was sure that the human was asleep, listening intently to the great whooshing lungfuls of air Dream took until they evened out to a slow, steady rhythm. When he was certain that Dream was dead to the world, Tommy crawled out of his makeshift bed and made his way to the entrance of Dream's satchel.
It had gotten too hot during the past few nights, the last of the fall heat resurging with a vengeance, so Dream had taken to leaving the flap of the satchel cracked open for the inchling. It had gotten to the point where Tommy didn’t particularly feel like running away, and Dream trusted him enough to not keep him totally captive all of the time.
Neither of them wanted another repeat of the cave spider incident, so Tommy stayed near Dream. If he really needed to, he could make a run for it when they made it to the city, but...after all that Dream had done to keep Tommy safe...he wasn’t as inclined to escape anymore. Even if...even if Dream had killed people.
Tommy pushed past the flap of the bag and beelined towards the dark monolith of the human’s sleeping figure. Dream was curled on his side, but he still towered over Tommy, the dark shadow of his shoulder almost ten times higher than the miniature teenager.
The human was turned towards the bag, one thick arm pillowed underneath his head and the other resting on the ground in front of his masked face. He had removed his cloak for once, having spread it out over the mulchy ground to sleep on for the night. His mask glittered in the moonlight filtering in from the canopy, a stark white compared to the murky greys and blacks of the night forest.
Tommy sidled closer, slipping carefully underneath the gap between the human's arm and chest. He paused for one long moment, grimacing at the heat he could feel radiating from the human’s skin, but pushing past it to listen closely to Dream's breathing. Deeming it safe, Tommy began inching along the small space until he reached the small gap between the human's huge hand and stubbled chin.
Now was the moment of truth. Tommy let loose a wicked grin as he reached for Dream's mask, chest fluttering with excitement. Finally, he would see what Dream's face looked like!
Just as he set his hands on the edge of the white porcelain, there was an abrupt rush of movement, and something huge wrapped around his whole body, sweeping him off of his feet and jerking him high into the air.
“Prime, fuck!” He yelped, body attempting to lunge out of the way, but it was too late, and he was trapped. His chest began to stagger, lungs stuttering for air as he realized that it was a colossal hand that was wrapped around his body, fingers way bigger than he could ever hope to be firmly squeezing around his limbs.
Tommy couldn’t help how his heart began to frantically pound behind his ribs, shoulders creeping up to his ears as he squeezed his eyes shut against the creeping terror that snagged the back of his neck. Shit, this was a bad idea, What was he thinking? What if Dream got mad that Tommy had woken him up? He’d…he wouldn’t hurt Tommy over it, right?
What if the human was too tired to be careful with Tommy?
The fist rose into the air, and Tommy’s eyes snapped open at the muddled groan that warbled out of the human’s broad chest. Pale shoulders shone silver in the moonlight as the colossus pushed himself upright, one knee curling upwards as he hunched over the smaller blond.
Tommy fought back the shiver that crawled up his spine, wriggling fruitlessly against the rough, calloused fingers wrapped around his body. He could feel the pattern of the fingerprints pressing into his limbs, almost like sandpaper against his skin.
A low, indiscernible mumble had his breath stuttering, and Tommy snapped his gaze upwards, past the dark chest in front of his face to the bright, silvery mask looming over him like a hanging moon.
"Tommy," Dream groaned, glancing up at the dark, starry sky past the canopy and then back down at the tiny teenager. "What are you doing?" His dirty blond hair was a dark grey in the shadows of the night, but his mask glinted brightly, contrasting heavily with the muted colors of grey and silver and black the moon created.
“You weren’t trying to escape again, were you? I thought we were past that.” Dream’s voice was thick and gruff from sleep, but there was still a gentle underlying tone that made Tommy’s shoulders relax. This was Dream. Tommy could trust him. Dream…probably wasn't mad, and he definitely wasn't going to hurt Tommy if he actually was.
Tommy forced a scoff and attempted to pull his right arm free from the warm prison of the fist. “No! I was trying to look at your face!” He could barely even twitch his fingers, much less move his whole arm. He was hopelessly trapped, until Dream decided to let him go.
Tommy choked back an odd lump growing in the back of his throat and tried not to panic. This was a situation that he had put himself in, after all.
The human adjusted his grip suddenly, fingers peeling away from Tommy's body and hand tilting until the palm was a platform that the inching could stagger to his feet on. Relief washed away the budding panic, and Tommy huffed out a shaking breath as he regained his balance.
Dream seemed to squint at him for a long, long moment before a low, long yawn escaped from behind his mask. “You don't need to see my face. I'm too ugly,” he drowsed, reaching up with his other hand to blearily bump it against his mask. He flinched, pulling his hand back and tilting his head at it accusingly.
Had...did Dream forget that he had the mask on? That was hilarious. Tommy forced back an amused smirk and strode forward over the bare palm instead, cocking his hip and pointing an accusing finger up at the bright mask.
"You don't have a face, huh? Is that it? It's gotta be!" He exclaimed, waving emphatically at the huge disk. “I bet that’s why you wear it. Because you’ve got like, no nose or something!”
"It's to protect my identity, you doof," Dream huffed, exasperated. "Nobody's ever seen my face."
"Not even your mother?" The teen shot back. Dream sucked in a breath to reply, but before he could say anything, Tommy pushed on. "Are you just that butt-ugly, then? Not even your mum wanted to look at you?"
That drew out a startled laugh from the human, a laugh that quickly devolved into a long, strangled series of wheezes. Tommy leaned back on his heels, slightly concerned. He’d never heard Dream make a sound like that.
"Are you–are you fucking dying?" Tommy accused, brows furrowing as he hesitantly stepped closer. “That doesen’t sound fucking normal, man!”
Dream just wheezed harder, curling up over his lap as he struggled to force out words. He drew the hand holding Tommy closer to his chest, large fingers curling in around the teen as he struggled to breathe past the air squeezing out of his lungs.
"You—haaaaa—no?” Dream’s voice pitched up so high that Tommy almost couldn’t hear it, and a wide grin spread over the borrower’s face when he finally realized what was going on. Dream was laughing.
“You sound like—like a goddamn teakettle!” Tommy finally cackled, and then he couldn’t help it. An explosive sound, almost like a cough, ripped out of his throat, and then he was doubling over, overcome with barking laughter.
“You—” Dream squeaked out, planting his free hand over the face of his mask. “You sound like an asthmatic duck.” And Tommy lost it, nearly keeling over from the explosive giggles rattling out of his small frame. Dream almost seemed to compose himself, but then a small snicker escaped from his lips, and it was all over.
It was almost compounded. Tommy would start to catch his breath, but then he would hear a particularly high whistle from Dream and lose it all over again. Tommy was on his knees in Dream’s palm, guffawing roughly enough to send Dream back over the edge of hysteria.
“We sound—ridiculous,” Dream finally managed to gasp, massive chest heaving as it struggled to draw in enough air to compensate for everything he’d just choked out.
“You sound like a fuckin’ donkey, man,” Tommy coughed, pounding a hand against his chest to try and clear his throat. There were tears in the corners of his eyes, and he felt nearly breathless, but in a good way. He hadn’t had a laugh like that in a long time.
“I’ll have you know, my Ma likes the way I laugh, thank you very much,” Dream mumbled, but the grin was still evident in his voice. He glanced up at the sky again, audibly yawning, and looked back down at Tommy.
“What time is it, even?” Dream muttered, turning in place ever-so-slightly. He reached down to his cloak and poked around a pocket for a minute before he pulled out a coin-sized golden disk on a chain and squinted at it. There was a dark half-circle taking up half of the front surface of the disk, and a tiny white dot decorated the right quarter section of the dark half.
Dream groaned and all but rolled backwards onto his makeshift bed like the world's gentlest landslide, hand underneath Tommy steady despite his uncoordinated movements. His hand dropped down suddenly, and the palm tilted, forcing Tommy to slide off of his palm and onto the human’s expansive chest.
Tommy lunged for the human’s face the moment his feet hit solid ground, intent on tackling his mask, but a broad, heavy palm dropped over his back and flattened him against the warm cotton stretched over the human’s chest.
“Go to sleep, Tommy,” Dream yawned, bringing his left hand to cover the seam between his mask and chin. “It's way too early to be awake…”
His free hand moved down to join the one pressed over Tommy, reaching around to cradle the back of the right hand and create a dark cave against his chest. The palm pinning the teen rose up, freeing him, but before he could make another attempt for Dream's mask, a thumb bigger than he was slid around to block his way out of the shelter Dream's hands made.
With his way out blocked so efficiently, Tommy grumbled and sprawled out onto his back. Even though it was dark, he could feel the presence of the palms hanging above his head, and could feel the warmth radiating from the skin underneath his back. Each breath Dream took rocked Tommy's body in a steady one, two, three out, one, two, three in, and he couldn't help the way his eyelids drooped.
Despite the last-minute fall heat, the warmth generated by Dreams’s body heat wasn't unbearable. In fact, it was rather soothing, lulling Tommy down into the deep dredges of sleep.
🪷-anon: Can I please request Law x reader who has Ptsd and he accidentally triggers it or something happens to start it???
A Surgeon’s Apology
Trafalgar Law x fem!reader
cw: brief mention of blood, light hurt/comfort
a/n: hope you enjoy pookie 💛
Law Masterlist • One Piece Masterlist
~
You don’t realize it’s happening at first.
One second you’re standing beside Law in the infirmary, watching him clean blood off his hands after surgery, the room quiet except for the hum of the submarine. The next—
The smell hits you.
Iron. Sterile alcohol. Too familiar.
Your chest tightens.
Law is talking—something about post-op recovery—but his voice starts to blur, stretching and warping like it’s underwater. The walls feel closer. The lights too bright. Your fingers curl into the fabric of your sleeves like they’re trying to anchor you to now.
You don’t answer him.
“…Y/N?”
He turns, finally really looking at you, and freezes.
You’re pale. Shaking. Breathing too fast, like your lungs forgot how to slow down.
“Hey,” he says immediately, tone changing, scalpel forgotten on the tray. “What’s wrong?”
The word wrong is enough.
Your vision tunnels. Your heartbeat roars in your ears. You’re not on the Polar Tang anymore—you’re somewhere else, sometime else, and your body reacts before your mind can catch up.
“No—” you whisper, backing away, eyes unfocused. “I can’t—please—”
Law’s stomach drops.
Oh. Oh.
He moves too fast at first, stepping toward you—and you flinch hard, slamming into the counter behind you. The sound makes you gasp, hands flying up defensively.
Law stops dead.
“I—” His voice cracks, just barely. He forces himself to lower his hands, to soften his posture. “I’m not touching you. I swear. You’re safe.”
Safe.
The word feels unreal, but his voice—steady, low, grounding—cuts through the noise just enough to cling to.
“You’re on the Polar Tang,” he continues carefully, like each word matters. “In my infirmary. It’s me, Law. You’re not alone.”
Your breathing stutters. Tears spill without warning, hot and humiliating.
“I didn’t mean to—” he says, guilt flooding his expression. “The blood. The smell. I should’ve noticed.”
You slide down the counter, knees giving out. Law’s heart lurches.
“Can I sit near you?” he asks quietly. “I won’t touch you unless you ask.”
You nod. Just barely.
He sits on the floor a short distance away, back against the cabinet, making himself smaller—less threatening. He keeps his eyes on the ground instead of on you, giving you space.
“Breathe with me,” he murmurs. “In for four. Out for four. I’ll count.”
He does. Steady. Patient. Never rushing.
Slowly—so painfully slowly—the room comes back into focus. The hum of the submarine. The cool floor beneath your palms. Law’s presence, solid and real.
When you finally look at him, his eyes are full of something raw and unguarded.
“I’m sorry,” he says. Not clinical. Not detached. Just… Law. “I would never hurt you. And I hate that I did, even by accident.”
Your voice trembles. “I didn’t tell you… everything.”
“You don’t have to,” he replies immediately. “Not now. Not ever, if you don’t want to.”
After a moment, he adds softly, “But I’ll learn. Whatever your triggers are—I’ll memorize them. Like anatomy. Like law. I won’t forget.”
That makes you laugh weakly through your tears.
He risks it then. “Can I hold your hand?”
This time, when you say yes, he reaches out slowly, giving you time to pull away if you need to. His hand is warm, grounding, steady.
You squeeze back.
And for the first time since the panic started, you feel like you can breathe again.
Chapter 8 of "Minuscule" is here ! Thank you for your patience ! Gustave intends to give the wedding ring back to the Dessendre but mid way, he makes a crucial decision.
And finally you have it !!! After 90 pages, Gustave and Verso meet again ! That was one hell of a slow burn hihihi (sorry)
What's going to happen next ? 👀 You'll see on the next chapter !
The Whole Cake Island winter festival was always a spectacle — bright lights, floating sweets, and enough sugar in the air to make anyone dizzy. But Katakuri had avoided most of it, slipping away from the noise and chaos the moment he could.
He wasn’t hiding.
Okay, maybe he was hiding a little.
But only because he was doing something he had never done before.
He was making a gift.
For you.
And Katakuri, undefeated in battle and feared across the seas, had never felt so… unsure.
He stood in the quiet kitchen, arms crossed, staring down at the tray of freshly glazed donuts like they were a battlefield. They were perfect — of course they were — golden, warm, dusted with sugar and filled with the softest mochi cream. His favorite. His comfort. His joy.
And now, somehow, his gift to you.
He exhaled slowly. “This is ridiculous,” he muttered to himself. “It’s just a present.”
But it wasn’t just a present.
It was the only thing he could think of that felt honest.
He’d never bought gifts. Never needed to. Never wanted to. But when he thought of you — your smile, your warmth, the way you treated him like he was more than a monster or a soldier — he wanted to give you something that mattered.
Something that meant something.
Something that was his.
He boxed the donuts carefully, tying the ribbon with hands that could crush mountains but trembled slightly now.
When he finally stepped out of the kitchen, he found you waiting in the hallway, wrapped in a cozy scarf, cheeks pink from the cold.
“There you are,” you said, smiling. “I was starting to think you vanished.”
Katakuri cleared his throat, suddenly very aware of how big he was, how small the box looked in his hands, how warm his face felt beneath his scarf. “I… was preparing something.”
You tilted your head. “For me?”
He hesitated, then nodded once. “Yes.”
He held out the box, stiff and awkward, like he was offering you a treasure he wasn’t sure he deserved to give.
You took it gently. “Can I open it?”
Another nod.
You untied the ribbon, lifted the lid — and your eyes widened.
“Katakuri… you made these?”
He swallowed. “They’re donuts. My favorite. I thought—” He paused, searching for words that didn’t sound foolish. “I thought if I gave you something I love, it would… mean something.”
Your heart melted instantly.
You stepped closer, placing a hand over his. “It does. It means a lot.”
He blinked, surprised. “It does?”
“Of course.” You smiled up at him, soft and warm. “You shared something precious to you. That’s the best kind of gift.”
Katakuri looked away, ears turning pink. “I wasn’t sure what people give on holidays. I’ve never… done this before.”
You squeezed his hand. “You did perfectly.”
He let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “Good. I wanted it to be… right.”
You rose on your toes and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek — the one not hidden by his scarf.
His entire body went still.
Then, slowly, he leaned down, resting his forehead against yours, voice low and rough with emotion he rarely let anyone hear.
“I’m glad you like it,” he murmured. “You deserve the best of what I have.”
You smiled, brushing your thumb over his knuckles. “You’re the perfect present, Katakuri.”
He made a quiet, flustered sound — one you’d tease him about later — and wrapped an arm around you, pulling you close against his warm chest.
Outside, snowflakes drifted over the island’s candy rooftops. Inside, held in his arms, you felt safe, cherished, and loved.
And Katakuri, for the first time, felt like giving a gift wasn’t scary at all.
Hi if you’re up for it can you write baking fluff for Katakuri with fem!reader please?
baking donuts with Katakuri
X fem!reader • fluff
One Piece Masterlist
The kitchen smelled like warm sugar long before the donuts were even finished. Katakuri had been up since dawn — of course he had — prepping dough with the same precision he used in battle. Except this time, the stakes were much higher.
You were going to help him decorate.
He’d never admit it out loud, but he wanted everything to be perfect for you.
When you padded into the kitchen, still sleepy, you found him hunched over the counter like a giant, intimidating gargoyle… carefully piping pink frosting onto a donut the size of your face.
He froze when he noticed you watching.
“…You’re up,” he murmured, ears turning pink beneath his scarf.
You smiled. “You started without me?”
“I was… testing the consistency.”
Which was Katakuri‑speak for I was nervous and needed something to do with my hands before you got here.
You stepped beside him, nudging his elbow. “Then let me help with the fun part.”
He hesitated — not because he didn’t want you to, but because he was terrified you’d think his decorating was childish. But you reached for a bowl of rainbow sprinkles and held it out to him like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Here,” you said. “You sprinkle, I frost.”
His eyes softened. “Very well.”
And just like that, the two of you fell into a rhythm.
You spread frosting in messy swirls — pink, blue, chocolate, vanilla — while Katakuri sprinkled with the precision of a sniper. Not a single sprinkle landed out of place. Meanwhile, you were getting them everywhere: on the counter, on your shirt, in your hair.
He noticed.
“…You’re very enthusiastic,” he said, voice warm with amusement.
You flicked a sprinkle at him. “It’s called creativity.”
He caught it mid‑air with Observation Haki and deadpanned, “Is it.”
You burst out laughing, and something in his chest melted. He loved that sound more than he loved donuts and that was saying something.
When you reached for another donut, your fingers brushed his. He went still, heat blooming across his cheeks. You didn’t pull away. Instead, you laced your fingers with his and guided his massive hand toward the frosting bowl.
“Try it,” you whispered.
Katakuri, the undefeated Sweet Commander, the man feared across the seas… was suddenly shy.
He dipped a fingertip into the frosting, hesitated, then carefully spread it across the donut. It was uneven. A little lumpy. A little crooked.
You gasped dramatically.
“It’s adorable.”
He groaned. “Don’t call it that.”
“But it is,” you insisted, leaning up to kiss his cheek. “Just like you.”
His entire face went red.
He cleared his throat, trying to regain composure. “You have frosting on your face.”
“Where?”
He gently cupped your chin with two fingers — so careful, so impossibly gentle for someone his size — and wiped a smear of pink frosting from your cheek. Then, before he could overthink it, he tapped the frosting onto your nose.
You blinked.
He smirked.
“…Katakuri.”
“Yes.”
“You’re dead.”
You lunged for him, and he dodged effortlessly — but he was laughing, actually laughing, the sound low and warm and rare. Eventually he let you catch him, pulling you into his chest as you both dissolved into giggles.
When the donuts were finally done, the counter was a disaster. Sprinkles everywhere. Frosting bowls empty. A few donuts slightly misshapen from your chaos.
Katakuri looked at the mess, then at you, and murmured:
“This was… nice.”
You leaned into him. “We make a good team.”
He rested his forehead against yours, voice soft enough that only you could hear:
“We always will.”
And when he kissed you — slow, sweet, tasting faintly of sugar — you decided donuts might not be the sweetest thing in the room after all.
summary: Trafalgar Law discovers you’ve been hiding a severe injury from him
a/n: another req from the end of dec last year! back then i still wasn’t very confident with Law’s character but i think i should be good enough with it now :3c
contents: pre-relationship, descriptions of bodily wounds, infection, angst to fluff, hurt/comfort, very soft!Law
wc. 1.5k
wanna be on my taglist?
the first thought that comes to mind when you wake up in the infirmary feeling super groggy and sore is: “fuck.” pulling aside the blanket draped over you reveals an impeccably clean, fresh bandage wrapped firmly around your torso where, the last you remember, underneath it lays a gunshot wound you hoped the others would never find out about
you can barely recall the lightheadedness and nausea you felt before you passed out. it turns out re-stitching and re-dressing your own infected wound is a lot harder than doing it for someone else, especially when you have to muffle your groans of pain during the process
you’d gotten the injury during a battle against enemy pirates and you’d decided that since the bullet made a clean exit, you needn’t bother your captain for medical assistance–especially since, at the time, he was busy helping the Straw Hat’s doctor with the more severely-wounded allies. having some experience doing first aid, you foolishly assumed you’d be able to handle it all on your own, that it was a small matter not worth adding to your captain’s already-overflowing plate
on top of the bedside table sits a jug and two plastic cups, one of which looked like it’s been used. there’re also numerous boxes of different medication and a handwritten note that says “do NOT leave this room until you’ve finished your entire course of medication” in Law’s familiar handwriting
knowing that he’s aware of your state–and most likely the person who treated you to begin with–eases your anxiety a little. at least now you don’t have to stress over hiding it from him and your other crewmates
what doesn’t help with your nerves is how for the following week you spend recovering, you don’t see Law at all. everyone else has taken turns coming in to spend time with you: Bepo takes naps with you, Shachi brings you comics to read together and Penguin sneaks you little snacks but not once has your captain shown up at all. your crewmates don’t seem too keen on talking about him when they’re with you, too, which only means one thing: he’s super pissed
you begin to worry and overthink as you near the end of your mandatory bedrest, dreading the inevitable moment Law finally shows up and you have to face the consequences of causing even more trouble for him than if you’d just asked for help right after the battle a week ago
it gets worse when you’re alone with no one to distract you from any intrusive thoughts. what if he thinks i don’t trust him to be my captain? what if this ruins his view of me as his crew member permanently? what if he kicks me out of the crew entirely?
you end up lamely falling asleep with tears staining your face and end up in such deep sleep that–like every night before–you don’t stir at all when Law enters the room and takes a seat by your bedside. he sighs deeply and rubs his face, eyes burning from sleep deprivation, as he leans back in the chair and readies himself for yet another whole night to watching over you and leaving right before the sun rises
Law notices your tears and feels a pang in his chest as he recalls a conversation he had earlier with Penguin; the latter had asked him to come see you while you’re awake since it’s obvious to everyone you’re worried he’s mad at you
“i’m just saying, Captain, it might be better to clear the air sooner or later,” Penguin said as he scratched the back of his neck. “(Y/N)’s been looking more miserable by the day.”
“good. she should be.” Law’s response comes out a lot colder than he wanted it to but Penguin knew him well enough to understand that. “what was she thinking hiding an injury like that? had she hidden it any longer or if Bepo hadn’t found her passed out in her room that day, a near-fatal fever would’ve kicked in at any moment!”
he stopped himself before he could get even more riled up, knowing it wasn’t Penguin’s fault so he shouldn’t be suffering the brunt of his captain’s fury.
as he sits in the darkness of the infirmary, the room only barely illuminated by the moonlight shining in through the open window, Law thinks about what he held back from saying aloud: how learning that you’d fallen unconscious with a badly infected wound made him question everything he thought he knew about his capabilities as a captain
he knows he doesn’t need to sit by your side every night–and deprive himself of much-needed sleep–but he’s deadly paranoid. just a week ago he’d ignorantly assumed his crew members were fine and directed all his attention to Luffy’s crew, only to find out days later you’d been walking around with a bullet hole through your body this entire time
what if i’m missing something else? he wonders, eyebrows furrowing as he rapidly blinks away the sleepiness in his eyes. what if her condition worsens if i leave?
giving in to temptation, he picks up your hand and holds it carefully, before idly running his thumb over your knuckles and the individual joints of your fingers. it’s something you do to him often, especially during the nights when he shows up to your room unannounced, silently pleading for company
you aren’t dating. not yet, at least. though it’s obvious to the two of you–as well as everyone else–that your relationship doesn’t quite fall under the category of ‘friends’, either. for a while now, you’ve been something in between for him; someone whose opinion of him he’s more sensitive about and whose company he yearns for any time you’re not within his sight. he knows you feel the same way, too, from how you spend all of your free time ‘bothering him’ endlessly to how willingly you let him crawl into bed beside you when he needs your warmth and companionship to keep away the nightmares
Law’s pulled out of his own thoughts when he catches a glimpse of the tears still clinging to your face, the moonlight having reflected off the wet surface in a way that caught his attention. without thinking, he reaches out to dry them only for your eyes to flutter open once his fingers make contact with your cheeks
“Law?” you croak and almost instantly he begins pouring a cup of water for you before bringing it to your lips. wordlessly, you drink as he tilts the cup gently, careful not to spill anything. there’s an odd pause between the both of you when he places the cup back on the bedside table and then turns back to looking at you without saying a thing.
he catches the way you fiddle anxiously with a corner of your blanket and a single word fumbles clumsily out of his mouth before he can stop himself.
“sorry.”
you look at him, confused. he swallows thickly.
“i’m sorry i haven’t come to see you. i heard from the others you think i’m mad at you.”
“are you, though?” you reply, biting your lip. “mad at me?”
Law sighs and rubs his face again. “no,” he answers honestly. “i’m mad at myself for not noticing sooner.”
“i’m so sorry,” you gasp suddenly before fresh tears begin pouring down your face. he panics internally and reaches out towards you almost as if to grab your shoulders but he pauses before any contact is made, his hands hovering over you. “i’m sorry i hid it from you and the others, i just didn’t want to cause you any trouble but i just ended up making things even worse.” you wipe frantically at your face, almost embarrassed to be crying about such a thing in front of your captain.
“no, no, (Y/N),” Law shushes, finally finding the courage to touch you, resting his large hands on your shoulders before squeezing gently in an attempt to ground you. “don’t cry. i forgive you, okay? just don’t hide such a thing again. it’s my duty to take care of you. it’ll never feel like trouble, no matter how busy i am.”
you nod as you sniffle and smile wobbly at him and the sight sends an arrow straight through his chest. his heart begins to race when you reach out as if asking for a hug.
“sleep with me tonight? and maybe tomorrow night, too?” you ask softly in such an innocent manner it knocks the wind right out of his lungs. not trusting himself to speak without fumbling like an idiot, Law simply responds with a smile and a nod before crawling into bed beside you.
the infirmary bed is much smaller than your personal one–seeing as it’s made for only one adult–but neither of you have an issue with the proximity forced upon you two due to the lack of space. if anything, you welcome it happily, humming with content when you feel him wrap his arms firmly around you, holding you pressed to his firm chest. Law buries his face in your hair as he feels you nuzzle into the junction of his neck while he falls into some much needed sleep.
As much as Violet was enjoying the nature documentary she and Ian were watching, she couldn’t keep from being distracted by him. From her seat on the arm of the couch, all she had to do was look to her right to be reminded of how absolutely enormous the human was compared to her. Each time she did, she felt a flutter in her chest as her feelings toward him flared up again. It was becoming a constant problem, and one Ian certainly wasn’t helping to solve, intentionally or otherwise.
She jumped slightly when she felt his arm casually settle onto the armrest behind her, her face completely red as she tried to focus on the documentary instead and failed. Despite being so incredibly shy about him, she couldn’t help but want to be closer to him, to feel the muscles in his arm behind her. So, she began to slowly scoot herself backward, trying to keep it subtle until she made contact with his arm. Feeling it shift behind her, she knew without a doubt that she had his attention right then.
She saw him turn his head to look at her from the corner of her eye, yet she didn’t look back at him, she couldn’t. She wouldn’t be able to handle fully seeing the soft smile on his face as he noticed what had happened. The shy, nervous part of her wanted to run and hide from him, but another part of her knew that this was also exactly what she wanted, to have his attention on her. How could she simultaneously want two things that conflicted with each other so much at the same time? Emotions were confusing, and she was increasingly annoyed by it. She folded her legs up, wrapped her arms around her thighs, and buried her face against her knees.
“Everything alright, Vi?”
His voice drew her from her thoughts, and she lifted her face from her knees to see his concerned eyes on her.
Nope, I’m a total wreck.
Of course she wasn’t going to say that.
“Yeah, I’m just tired,” she lied, averting his gaze. She’d seen a hint of doubt in his eyes, but thankfully for her he didn’t press further.
“Well, if you’re tired, maybe you should be somewhere a bit more secure than the armrest. How about you come and lay on my chest with me instead, would you like that?” Ian asked hopefully, himself finally finding the courage to try to figure out where their boundaries were.
Violet felt heat in her cheeks immediately. She’d been sitting on his shoulder, held in his hands and held to his chest many times before since she started staying with him. While this wouldn’t be the first time she’d be laying on his chest, it would be the first time in a situation in which it wasn’t being done out of necessity or comfort. She was being asked if she would like to, just to relax, and part of her wasn’t sure if her little heart could handle being so close to him in this context with the feelings she was actively trying to wrangle. There was no way she was declining his offer, though. Meekly, she nodded her head and heard him chuckle softly in response.
“Alright, come here, Violet.”
She was grateful to already be sitting because she was certain she would have collapsed from weak knees after hearing him address her so tenderly. She felt his arm withdraw moments before his fingers gently wrapped around her, lifting her off of the arm of the couch and bringing her to his chest. He then adjusted his position on the couch to lie down on it, making sure her tiny body was settled on his chest over his heart. Peeking up slowly, she saw his green eyes locked onto her with an expression of warmth and admiration, her tiny heart racing as she tried to settle her nerves.
Ian wasn’t afraid to admit at this point that she looked absolutely adorable resting on the vast expanse of his chest like this, registering only the tiniest amount of weight on top of him. Their size difference was glaringly obvious and accounted for between them as he held the entirety of her tiny body with no effort. He felt her nervously shifting, however, and gave her a gentle nudge before speaking softly.
“Is this too much?”
“No, no, I’m just…” Violet trailed off, not wanting to finish her thought.
“Shy?” Ian asked, finishing it for her.
“Y-Yeah, that,” she mumbled, embarrassment weaving through her. This was ridiculous, not so long ago he’d called her such things as ‘resilient’ and ‘extraordinary,’ yet right now she felt like she was neither as she fell entirely vulnerable on his chest. Frustrated, she buried her face against his shirt.
Ian chuckled again, ever so slightly jostling Violet as she clung to him.
“This doesn’t work if you’re too shy to make yourself comfortable. Think this will help you relax?” he asked, bringing in his hand and carefully resting it over her. Violet gasped softly when she felt it covering her entire body up to her shoulders.
Feeling the weight settling over her immediately made her feel more secure, as did the soft stroking of his thumb down her hair and over her shoulders. She felt less exposed and lessened the intensity of her grip on his shirt, but she still held onto it. As more of the tension in her muscles began to slowly ease, she was able to process more of what was happening around her and take it all in without feeling quite so overwhelmed.
That didn’t mean she was entirely calm about her situation, though. No, her face was still beet red as she paid attention to the details around her. His heartbeat was difficult to ignore from directly atop it, and she didn’t fail to notice that it was beating a tad faster than the other times she’d heard it. His breathing, however, was still smooth and deep, gently lifting her up and down with each breath. Over time, she finally found herself relaxing enough to nestle in and make herself more comfortable.
“There we are, settle yourself in,” he urged softly.
She nodded her head, feeling his voice through his chest as he quietly reassured her. Though she was facing the tv, she’d long since stopped paying any attention to the documentary, her eyes simply looking at it instead of watching as her mind raced. As if it couldn’t get any worse, she felt another nudge for her attention from him.
“If you don’t mind me asking… Why have you been so shy around me lately, hm?”
Violet’s grip on his shirt tightened as she tensed up again. Of course she minded, he asked the one question she was hoping for her life he wouldn’t. She kept quiet, not wanting to say how she felt, but also unwilling to lie even just a little around him again. She felt his thumb smooth down her hair, then heard his voice once more.
“I won’t lie, I think it’s pretty cute, but I do want to make sure you’re not intimidated by me or anything. I’d hate to be making you feel uncomfortable.”
At that, she felt her heart skip a beat at the thought of him feeling like he was causing any problems, motivating her to speak out and allay his worries. She lifted her face from his shirt and shook her head.
“No, no, it’s not that. Well, I mean, it kind of is, but not in a bad way, I just kinda, you, I don’t know…”
Once more, she buried her face into his shirt and hid her blush.
“Violet… are you sure you don’t know?”
Ian’s knowing tone was already warm and gentle in and of itself, but the note of encouragement in the question and how soft his voice was gave her just a smidge of confidence. It was enough at least for her to peek up at him, and she saw his face also alight with a blush, feeling his heart speeding up below her. She looked away after, but didn’t hide her face in his shirt this time.
“I-I don’t know if I can answer that…” she said quietly enough that Ian almost couldn’t hear her.
His thumb reached over to gently tilt her chin up, giving her a soft smile.
“Well, given how red your face is, and how you’ve been acting around me lately… I think I already know the answer,” he said, keeping comfort in his tone. “Come here, sweetheart.”
As if she couldn’t be any more flustered, she felt her heart begin to beat rapidly as he confirmed what she’d hoped to be the case. She felt him brace her down to his chest so he could sit up without her falling, then found herself being gently pulled from his chest and up to his face, held lightly but securely in his fingers.
She saw in his eyes love and adoration as he simply held her in his curled fingers for a moment, his thumb brushing her hair back. He watched her closely as he held her, making sure he knew she wasn’t uncomfortable, that this was indeed the right move. He knew she was still nervous and shy, but in her tiny eyes he saw a glint of hope, and the softest little smile on her face.
When her gaze lowered from his eyes to his lips, he slowly brought her to them. With the lightest touch, he softly pressed them to the top of her head, and Violet felt multiple emotions deep within her all at once. Exhilaration was at the forefront, his size alone making the kiss a more intense experience regardless of how gentle he was. His lips were all she knew, taking up so much of her view as he showed her his affection with the greatest care. Following that was warmth, happiness, love, and many others as they all swirled within and nearly overwhelmed her.
She tried her hardest to keep herself composed, but failed in the end as the borrower instead melted in his hand, her arms draped over his fingers as he gave her everything she wanted at that moment. As he pulled her away, he exhaled with a soft smile as he saw the state she was in.
“You alright?”
She nodded her head, her eyes closed as she lightly clung to one of his fingers in complete bliss. He then brought her back to his lips and kissed her again, but this time she leaned into it and turned her head to give him a tiny kiss in return to his lower lip. An affectionate chuckle left him as he felt her face nuzzling against his lips, his thumb stroking down her hair with a deep sigh.
Pulling her away, he watched her open her eyes, saying nothing and everything as she looked at him pleadingly. Clearly she wanted more, and he was happy to oblige. He adjusted his hold on her before leaning in and kissed with a bit more force, gently pressing her back against his hand as her head and shoulders both fell under his lips this time. Violet was amazed at just how careful he was, firm enough to push her back, but not so strong that he smothered her. Everything about this was perfect.
He pulled her away once more, seeing her breathing a bit more heavily as she sat in his hand right where his lips had pressed her with a grin on her face. She began to giggle, wrapping her arms around a finger and hugging it tight.
“Was that enough for you?” he asked warmly, an amused grin on his face as he saw the pure delight she displayed.
She nodded her head, feeling a wave of relief that she no longer had to hide her feelings, that she could explore them without worry of rejection. Ian lowered her back down to his chest and cradled her to him, sighing deeply as he held her with both hands. She curled inward and relaxed much more quickly this time, now knowing that he felt the same way about her as she did about him.
Ian smiled to himself as he began to stroke his thumb down her side, wanting to do nothing more than simply hold her close to him. Feeling her tiny body tucked away under his hands provided him with reassurance that she was right there with him, and he knew now that it was exactly where she wanted to be. She snuggled herself up to him, much more eagerly soaking in the warmth and attention he gave her as opposed to simply laying there stiffly. She felt the rumble from a contented hum in his chest as Ian enjoyed the moment himself, feeling his chest rise and fell beneath her much more deeply than usual as he sighed.
“Mmm… I thought you’d been looking at me a little more closely than usual lately,” he mumbled, his eyes closed as he enjoyed just feeling her presence.
“Was it really that obvious?” Violet asked with a groan, a hand running down her face in annoyance.
Ian chuckled heartily, his hands bracing her just a bit tighter to avoid jostling her too much.
“You may be much smaller than me, but I could still tell when you were staring. You’re really cute when you’re flustered, you know that?”
Part of her wanted to disappear knowing he’d seen right through her, but she also knew that if it hadn’t been obvious, she may not have been where she was now.
“At least you thought it was cute and not creepy…”
“Adorable, actually. I may or may not have been putting on a bit of a show for you a few times.”
She sighed in exasperation, feeling a soft, amused hum beneath her as he opened his eyes again to admire her.
“Truthfully, I would have said something sooner, but with you being a borrower I wasn’t sure if you’d even consider pursuing someone of my size, since I’m not even supposed to know you exist in the first place.”
“I’m honestly surprised you thought about me like that at all, I thought I wouldn’t be enough for you since I’m so small.”
He used his thumb to lift her chin again, regarding her with sincerity in his eyes.
“You’re enough for me, Violet. If you truly want to give ‘us’ a shot, I don’t want you to ever feel like you’re less significant. You don’t let your size get in the way of anything else you do, so don’t let it start getting in the way now. You’re perfect just the way you are.”
She nodded her head softly and flushed, knowing that this insecurity was something she would have to work on if they were going to go down this road together.
“Your size is part of what draws me to you, actually. You take everything head-on anyway even if it gets challenging. You inspire me to push my own limits, and I wouldn’t change your size for anything.”
Violet smiled as his words gave her confidence, not realizing until then just how much of an impact she’s had on him.
“You’re also really, really cute like this anyway.”
He laughed as he watched her hide her face in his shirt and groan, giving her a gentle, reassuring pat with one of his hands.
“Teasing aside, you are very sweet. You wouldn’t be opposed to me holding you like this more often, would you?”
She lifted her face from his shirt and shook her head.
“No, I like this a lot… I feel safe with you. We both know I can take care of myself, but sometimes it’s nice to know I don’t always have to. It also just feels nice...”
He smiled and began running his thumb down her hair again, feeling her relax under it.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I want to respect your independence of course, but I do like to cuddle quite a bit.”
Violet reached out to place a tiny hand on the pad of one of his fingers, feeling it twitch in response.
“You’re a good cuddler, I don’t think I’ll mind,” she said with a small grin. She felt him give her a gentle squeeze to him, clinging tight to his shirt and nestling in.
Though she lied about it earlier, Violet found herself beginning to stifle yawns and trying to keep her eyes open as the warmth and affection surrounding her threatened to lull her to sleep. She heard an inquisitive hum from Ian, glancing up into his eyes.
“Are you actually tired now?” he asked teasingly.
She nodded her head as she finally gave in and yawned.
“Yeah, you can put me back down if you want.”
She shifted to sit up to allow him to do so until one of his hands gently pressed her back down, the other leaving her sight.
“Or,” he started, retrieving her pillow and blanket from his pocket and offering them to her, “you can take a nap here if you’d like. I’m not going anywhere.”
Though her borrower instincts briefly insisted that she never do what she was about to do, she pushed them back and nodded her head, knowing without a doubt that she could trust him. She took her bedding from his fingers, placing her pillow down and resting her head onto it before tucking herself in under her blanket. After yawning again, she looked up to see his eyes closed, feeling his thumb continue stroking her as she made herself at home. She felt like the luckiest borrower in the world, not only having a safe place to stay, but a human that cared about her deeply.
She knew for certain now that there was no way she was leaving.
Chapter 7 of "Minuscule", my Borrowers/E33 AU ! At the end of another borrowing mission, Jerome brings back a peculiar item that causes discord, reminiscing Gustave of old memories.
Chapter 7 of "Minuscule", my Borrowers/E33 AU ! At the end of another borrowing mission, Jerome brings back a peculiar item that causes discord, reminiscing Gustave of old memories.
You, a lone pirate who just arrived at Elbaf, crossed paths with Loki while he’s alone, adjusting the bandages over his eyes. He snaps at you for staring—but you point out he wasn’t hiding them well in the first place.
loki x gn!reader | ONE SHOT
tags: fluff, sfw, size difference, ooc, light angst(you wont even notice it)
a/n: this js me trying to write ffs, this is experimental and for fun only, so expect this ff cringe, and akward
word count: 2.6k
masterlist | ko-fi
The first thing you felt upon stepping into Elbaf wasn’t the weight of danger, but the weight of the ground trembling under each distant giant’s step. You had expected chaos and roaring warriors, yet the forest was strangely quiet, with only the wind brushing through towering trees that rose like spears to the sky.
Your boots crunched against the moss as you wandered forward, trying not to stare too long at any massive silhouette in the distance. But when another tremor rolled through the earth—much closer this time—your heart thudded in your chest. You turned, squinting upward, only to find a massive figure facing away from you, hunched slightly as if adjusting something around his head.
He hadn’t noticed you yet, which was impressive, considering his presence practically distorted the air around him. As you moved a little closer, you saw his fingers—each the size of a small boulder—tracing over a set of bandages wrapped around his eyes.
His long magenta hair shifted with the movement, the twin braids at the front dangling as he tightened the cloth with a frustrated growl. Then he sucked his teeth, tongue poking out slightly as he muttered under his breath, clearly dissatisfied with the results. For someone so massive and terrifying, he looked almost… annoyed in a very mundane way.
You probably should’ve turned around, but curiosity tugged at you until you took one more step, accidentally snapping a branch beneath your boot. The giant froze, the atmosphere thickening instantly as his head angled sharply toward you. Before you could even greet him, his voice boomed through the clearing—harsh, sharp, and dripping with hostility that rolled down your spine like ice water.
“Oi. runt! Did no one teach you not to stare?”
Your mouth opened before your brain could stop it.
“I wasn’t staring,” you said, then pointed casually. “Can't help it if you're not hiding those bandages well. They're practically waving hello."
The silence that followed was nearly comical—if the giant before you weren’t capable of flattening an island with his bare hands. Loki straightened slowly, towering high enough that you had to crane your neck until it ached just to see his expression. His slit-pupiled eyes were hidden behind the makeshift bandaging, but even without seeing them, you could feel the glare radiating off him.
“You’re brave,” he finally said, voice lowering into something that almost sounded intrigued. “Or stupid.” He leaned forward, his enormous face lowering until his breath brushed your clothes like a warm gust. “You think you can speak to me like that? To Loki? Prince of Elbaf?” The emphasis was so heavy you felt it drop onto your shoulders like an anvil. His horned helmet cast a long shadow over you, making you feel even smaller than you already were.
Still, you held your ground, lifting your chin as if that would help you not look like a pebble before a mountain.
“I don’t care what your name is,” you replied. “You’re still bad at bandaging.”
Loki’s jaw dropped slightly, and then—shockingly—he barked out a laugh so abrupt that it shook dust loose from the nearby trees. His gloved fingers twitched at his sides as if debating whether to crush you or applaud you. He finally stepped back, arms crossing over his chest, cape fluttering with the motion. “Tch. You really don’t know fear, do you?” he muttered, though the corner of his mouth twitched upward in a strange, begrudging smirk.
Then he tilted his head toward you and added, “Hmph. Fine. Since you’ve already seen me, I might as well tell you my name properly.” He tapped the metal shell over his nose with one finger. “I am Loki, prince of Elbaf. Remember that, little pirate.”
You gave a half-hearted shrug, pretending the reveal wasn’t a big deal even though your brain screamed that you’d just sassed a royal giant. Loki watched you closely, the bandages shifting slightly as his expression hardened again.
His shoulders tensed, like he expected you to fall to your knees or at least tremble, but you simply nodded and introduced yourself in return. The moment you said your name, his posture changed, his interest sharpening almost too visibly. It was unsettling—like being studied by a predator who found something faintly amusing about you.
“What kind of pirate walks into Elbaf alone?” Loki asked, stepping closer again, his boots thundering against the soil.
“Your kind usually travels in packs. Weak things often do.” There was bitterness there, buried under layers of aggression so old it felt fossilized. His tongue flicked out in a lazy motion as his red-tattooed arms crossed again, muscles shifting beneath the ink. “So? Why are you here? Don’t tell me you got lost. That would be pathetic.”
You resisted the urge to roll your eyes at his tone, though you suspected he’d be able to sense it anyway.
“I came to explore,” you said. “Not that it's any of your business.”
Loki’s eyebrow twitched beneath the bandages.
“Everything in Elbaf is my business,” he snapped, but there was no heat behind it—only the faintest trace of curiosity, like he didn't want the conversation to end.
You gave a pointed look at his crookedly tied bandages.
“Everything except dressing yourself, apparently.”
The noise Loki made then was somewhere between a scoff and a choked growl.
Loki’s entire massive frame stiffened, his cape rustling like irritated wings as he inhaled sharply. His fingers curled around his forearm, glove creaking with how tightly he gripped it. You’d clearly hit a nerve, but instead of lashing out, he tilted his head with exaggerated slowness, like he was trying to understand what kind of creature dared speak to him this way. A predator studying a bizarrely bold prey. “You’ve got a sharp tongue,” he said, voice low but steady. “Be careful. I bite back.”
Without missing a beat, you replied,
“I’ll take my chances. You don’t look like you bite well with bandages over your eyes.”
Loki’s expression became almost comedic in its disbelief.
He leaned down so far that his chin nearly scraped the ground, and you could see the faint outlines of his slit pupils shifting beneath the cloth. His breath blew your hair back as he growled, “Do you want to die today?” But there was something off—something subtly wrong with the threat. His voice wavered, not in weakness, but in confusion. He genuinely didn’t understand you.
Which made sense. A life of isolation, hatred, and constant war probably didn’t prepare him for someone talking to him like a normal person—or worse, like someone who wasn’t afraid. His voice dropped further, barely above a whisper. “...Why aren’t you trembling?”
Your heart skipped at the vulnerability in that question, buried so deep that even he didn’t seem aware he’d let it slip.
“Because you don’t scare me,” you said softly. “Not really.”
Loki reeled back like he’d been struck.
He stood upright again, muttering curses under his breath as he tugged the bandages off entirely and held the mess of cloth in his hand. You barely caught a brief glimpse of his strange black sclera before he covered them again, hastily pulling the fabric up. His movements were clumsy—surprisingly so for someone his size—and the wrap immediately slipped again, dangling over one horn like a defeated flag. You couldn’t help it. You snorted.
Loki whipped his head toward you.
“…You think this is funny?”
You shrugged. “A little. You’re terrible at that.”
For the first time, Loki actually looked embarrassed—just a flicker, but real.
He made a frustrated sound and crouched again, the ground shaking beneath him.
“If you think you can do better, then fix it,” he snapped, thrusting the bandages toward you like an offering the size of a carpet.
“Go on. You mocked it. Now fix it.” Despite his harsh tone, there was something almost shy under it—like a child begrudgingly asking for help.
You climbed onto a fallen log to reach him better and took the bandages, the cloth surprisingly soft in your hands. Loki stilled as you began rewrapping them, his breath unusually steady as his bandages rested across your palms.
“Don’t pull too tight,” he muttered after a moment. “I don’t like when—” He cut himself off, jaw tightening instantly. “...Just don’t.”
You softened your movements without commenting. He noticed.
You continued adjusting the final loop of bandage, careful not to press against the horns jutting through his helmet. Loki didn’t move, didn’t breathe too loudly, didn’t even twitch, as if the smallest motion might ruin the moment. His eyes, hidden beneath the cloth, shifted lightly, following the sound of your hands. His cape swayed faintly behind him as a gentle breeze passed, brushing stray strands of magenta hair across your wrist. The warmth radiating from him was strangely comforting, like standing too close to a bonfire—intense but not unwelcome.
“You’re… surprisingly gentle,” Loki said, so quietly you almost missed it. His voice lacked its usual snarl, softening into something closer to weary honesty.
“Most people flinch when I get close. Even the warriors here. Even the ones who pretend they don’t.” The corners of his mouth twitched downward, expression twisting with something old and aching. “Guess they learned better.”
You tied the last knot of the bandage and stepped back, examining your work with a small nod. Loki blinked behind the cloth, adjusting his helmet once more as if testing the new fit. “...Huh,” he muttered. “It feels… not awful.” For someone who acted like showing gratitude might kill him, it was practically a heartfelt compliment.
“It won’t slip now,” you said. “You’re good.”
Loki sniffed, crossing his arms abruptly. “…Hmph. Of course I am.”
The prince suddenly dropped into a sitting position, the impact sending a flock of birds screaming from the trees. His long legs stretched out before him, boots carving shallow craters in the dirt. He leaned back on his palms, head tilting toward the sky as if exhausted by simply existing. Though he’d tried to return to his usual aloofness, you noticed the faint relaxation in his shoulders—like he’d let go of tension he didn’t know he carried.
“Well?” he said without looking at you. “You fixed my bandages. What else do you want?” His tone was meant to be dismissive, but there was an unmistakable pull to it—a reluctant invitation for more conversation. His long magenta hair draped across his back as he turned his head slightly in your direction. “People don’t approach me for no reason.”
You walked closer, adjusting your bag. “...Maybe I wanted company.”
Loki froze mid-breath, his throat bobbing in a visible swallow.
“…Company?” he repeated, like the word was foreign.
He let out a short, incredulous laugh. “You’re either bold or stupid.” He paused, then added quietly, “Probably both.” But when he set his hand down beside you, palm open on the earth, it wasn’t a threat—more like a place to sit if you chose to. And you did.
The silence that followed wasn’t uncomfortable—just unexpected, a stillness that felt like shared space rather than distance. Loki tilted his head back again, and for a moment, he looked less like a tyrant and more like someone weathered by storms no one bothered to shield him from. The bandages you’d tied stayed perfectly in place as he exhaled through his nose, cape rustling lightly behind him. “People don’t talk to me like you do,” he admitted, voice low but steady. “Most just bow. Or run.”
You rested your arms around your knees, gazing up at him.
“Maybe they should stop doing that,” you said. “You’re not that scary.”
Loki’s tongue peeked out as he snapped his head toward you, scandalized.
“Not—?!” He pointed at himself. “I am a giant! A prince! A terror of the battlefield! How am I ‘not that scary’?!”
You shrugged. “You’re more dramatic than terrifying.”
He stared at you for a full three seconds before turning away, ears slightly red under his helmet.
“…You’re insufferable,” he muttered. But the faint smile tugging at his lips betrayed him.
The wind shifted again, carrying the distant sounds of Elbaf warriors training somewhere deeper in the village. Loki’s posture stiffened slightly, the old hostility creeping back into the shape of his shoulders. His voice dropped when he spoke again, quieter and rougher, like gravel underfoot. “They only stopped whispering because they’re scared," he said. "Not because they believe anything different.”
You sensed the change immediately—the subtle fracture in his mask, the one he clearly didn’t show often. He kept his face angled away, avoiding even the idea of eye contact. “...Doesn’t matter,” he muttered. “Always been that way. Always will.” His gloves tightened around fistfuls of earth, the ground cracking under his grip. “That’s how Elbaf works.”
Your reply came gently.
“Maybe it doesn’t have to.”
Loki’s breath hitched, just for an instant.
The vulnerability dissipated as quickly as it came, Loki clearing his throat loudly as if physically rejecting the moment. He straightened his back, flexing his tattooed arms as though reminding himself (and you) of his own strength. “Tch. Enough of that,” he snapped, though the edge was softer than before. “You talk too much for someone so tiny.” His tone was meant to be condescending, but there was a hint of fondness attempting—and failing—to hide beneath it.
You shot him a playful glare. “And you sulk too much for someone so tall.”
Loki whipped his head toward you again. “I do not sulk!”
“You were literally sulking.”
His tongue stuck out in a childish yet somehow threatening manner. “Keep talking like that and I’ll step on you.”
“Then you’ll never get your bandages fixed again,” you said simply.
Loki froze. “…You fight dirty.”
He slumped back with a defeated sigh, shaking his head.
“I don’t know why I’m letting you talk to me like this,” he grumbled.
“Because you like it,” you replied without hesitation.
Loki sputtered like you’d thrown boiling water at him.
Eventually, the light began to dim as the Elbaf sun descended, casting long shadows across the forest. Loki noticed before you did, shifting as if suddenly remembering he had a kingdom to terrorize—er, oversee. He stood to full height again, cape billowing dramatically as he towered over you once more. “I should go,” he muttered, scratching his cheek awkwardly. “You… should not wander alone. Elbaf is not kind to small things.”
You smiled softly. “Will I see you again?”
He froze mid-step, shoulders stiffening.
After a long pause, he turned his head just enough for his voice to reach you.
“If you keep wandering where you shouldn’t,” he said quietly, “you probably will.”
His bandaged eyes shifted toward your direction, even if he couldn’t truly see.
“…And next time, don’t sneak up on me. I hate when my bandages slip.”
You grinned.
“I’ll bring better ones.”
Loki sucked his teeth, clearly flustered again.
“Hmph. Do whatever you want,” he muttered before walking away, each step shaking leaves from the trees. But just before he vanished between the trunks, he added—barely audible—
“…Thank you. For earlier.”
🖤💜Protecting (Charlotte Katakuri x Female!Reader) Pt. 2💜🖤
💚 = Lime/Lil Spicy
💛 = Lemon
💙 = Sad
❤️ = Angsty (won't do many of these unless prompted)
💜 = Fluff
💔 = Heartbreak (rare unless prompted)
🖤 = Normal
I KNOW it's been at least 2 months since I posted the first part of this, but here it is!~ I love Katakuri sooo much, if you couldn't tell, and I just kept writing, so this turned into a 3 parter!~ But BEFORE you curse my existence and get your Mogura, I already have it done!~ Literally fully completed, I just have to post it after this one.~ And I decided that your reward for waiting so long for this series was some ✨spicy✨ times.~ So expect that in part 3.~ Also, I'm so shocked at the amount of likes I got on the first part??~ Almost 70 likes??~ You guys are too much.~ Hope you like it!~ Mwah mwah, darlings!~
Part 1 <- - Part 2 - -> Part 3
Dread set in as everyone realized the untimely situation. We still had to deal with Bege and the Strawhats, and the last thing we needed was a raging Big Mom. I felt Katakuri's grip tighten on me as I let my emotions drift into him. I was scared and tired, wanting nothing more than to stay in my husband's strong and safe arms. Perospero stood there, thinking of a plan, and when his gaze landed on me, he perked up. He seemed reluctant to ask me due to Katakuri's possessive hold on me, but when our eyes met I had an idea of what he wanted from me. This was part of my job in the family, to help Mama calm down during her hunger pangs even if it was dangerous.
"Ah, Y/N? I'm sorry to ask this of you after the kind of day you've had, but", a nervous glance to Katakuri whose intense gaze slid to him the moment he addressed me, "would you help me out in calming Mama down? I have an idea that might work, but she seems a bit angrier than usual this time around, lick." Perospero's confidence dwindled the longer he stood under Katakuri's piercing gaze until I lifted my hand to lay it on my husband's shoulder. He focused on my soft face and quietly huffed before kneeling down to gently place me on my feet. Before he could make any threats, I snuck a quick peck on his nose, and grabbed Perospero's hand to run off.
"Kekeke, quite the little minx you've become with our brother.~" He glances back. "He's become a lickity blushing mess.~ I can tell even if he pulls up his scarf.~" A large wail followed by a nearby building being crushed brought us back to the grim reality of our task. Perospero put up a candy wall to keep us from being crushed as he explained his plan.
"We have three major problems right now and Mama is one of them. Katakuri is going to ambush the Strawhats on their ship while some of our brothers and sisters go after Bege. I want to get rid of Strawhat first and foremost, so let's set Mama's sights on him by telling her he has her wedding cake. This will give us a little time to figure out how to make the cake, though. . .", he trails off and tugs at his collar, "you know how Mama is with people who lie to her. Even if it's one of us. So, if this doesn't work out, you and I will be killed by Mama if that cake isn't made in time." That fact made me nervous, but Perospero looked even more scared than I felt. Mama liked me well enough, but I know she wouldn't think twice about killing me since I've seen her kill some of her own children before. As much as I loved Katakuri, that was something I hated about his mother. My gaze drops down to the mochi bracelet around my wrist, focusing on the emotions of my love.
Worry. Simmering anger. Determination. Resolve. I had to be steadfast like Katakuri and play my part in keeping everyone safe. I felt like I had the same responsibility as Katakuri, taking on the role of a protective big sister since I was his wife. I could see my antennae change to a deep red. My desire to succeed was rooted in my love for Katakuri. With a shake of my head, I straightened up and threw my lollipop to the ground before going around Perospero's candy shield to march towards the rampaging Yonko. A frantic scream sounded from the brother behind me as he ran up to my side and put on a wide smile with me as he called out to Mama.
We both shook as he convinced her with words while I coaxed her with a little emotion and thought nudging. Despite being such a feared pirate, Big Mom’s mind was easy to influence, like a child’s, which matched some of her behavior at times. The feeling of everyone watching us with bated breaths, and the direct tap of Katakuri's own worry made this all the more pressuring. The two of us just about fainted at her terrifying aura, purple taking over my previous red, as she promised to take our lives if we were lying before leaping onto Zeus and racing off towards the seducing wood. Not a moment after she was out of sight did Perospero and I share a glance before wailing out in fear. He fell to his knees on the ground, and I was heading to follow suit if Katakuri hadn't swooped in to pick me up off my feet again. I felt even more drained than before, but the love and comfort coming from my beloved husband and the few head caresses he was willing to give me in public made everything worth it. I trusted him to help me make sure everything worked out.
As Perospero fell further into despair about our current situation, a familiar voice from above called out to us. Peeking over my husband's shoulder until he turned around, I saw Pudding on her magic carpet.
"I'll make Mama's cake!" She proclaimed, and Perospero just about cried tears of joy at those four words. As she explained her plan of recruiting Chiffon to help her remake Mama's cake on Cacao Island, I knew the little time I had with Katakuri was coming to an end. Soon, he would be locked in a heated battle with Strawhat Luffy. Staring up at my husband's serious face as he listened to Pudding and everyone else, I took to admiring every perfect line and curve of his face that I could see. After so many years, I didn't even need to see the rest of his face to visualize it under his scarf. The tips of my antennae drooped into my vision, and I could see them lit up with a dark pink. With a small, embarrassed jolt, I covered the exposing appendages with my hands as the conversation came to an end.
I could hear and feel my husband’s amused chuckle at my embarrassment, making me flush further. This brought my attention to the tattling bracelet around my wrist, making me contemplate its importance right now. My emotions were all over the place and have already distracted him enough today. With pursed lips, I tugged at the mochi bracelet around my wrist. In an instant, Katakuri's full attention was on me, and his hand was preventing my own from completing its task.
"What are you doing?" He asks in a low voice, ignoring the gazes of his younger siblings around us. To everyone else, he sounded angry, but I felt he was just apprehensive and confused. I smiled and lifted his gloved hand to my lips for a soft kiss to his knuckles, which elicited a few 'aww's, before continuing to move the bracelet to my hair as a hair tie, which he allowed this time.
"I've worried you enough today, dear. You're about to enter a big fight, and I don't want to trouble you anymore. It's close enough to still feel my presence, but not my emotions unless you wish. You can focus on it for strength, if you need to. I'm sure I'm worrying over nothing again, but I'd rather be safe than sorry." With a soft smile and a peck to his cheek, I pat his muscled arm to be let down. Through my touch I could feel his unease and dissatisfaction at my words, but other than that, the only indication that my actions had bothered him was another crease in between his ever furrowed eyebrows. I knew he didn’t like this plan. He knew I didn’t like this plan either. But it was a necessary precaution, one taken to further ensure victory and protect the family. We held each other’s challenging gazes for a few bated breaths until Katakuri relented. He uncrosses his arms a bit, but before he could bend over to let me down closer to the ground, I slipped through the given gap, landed briefly on the spike band sticking out from his left knee and hopped to the ground.
"I'll stay here with Mont d'Or and Pekoms to stay out of you guys’ way. I'm sure they can protect me if something happens, right, boys?" I smile wide and hook my arms through one of each of theirs, causing them to puff out their chests and proudly agree.
"You guys just do your best, as always!" The dark pink of my antennae shifted to a burnt orange to show my low tempo joy and determination. Even though my bones ached with exhaustion, I took a deep breath and started to radiate feelings of rejuvenation and conviction for everyone as a boost. After I did so for a minute, I let my arm slip from Mont d'Or so I could subtly lean more into Pekoms' soft fur, who easily held me steady. As I lifted my heavy eyes, I could see Katakuri observing me closely before closing his eyes and turning away. Nothing got past him.
"That's enough time wasted here. Get a move on to the positions you've been assigned. Every second lost is a lesser chance of victory, but we will win." Everyone, invigorated by my powers and inspired by Katakuri's brief speech, gave out a battle cry and ran off to do as they were told. As everyone dispersed, Pekoms wrapped an arm around my waist, and helped me follow Mont d'Or and Tamago to where they'd be working from.
As I sat down and continued to rest against Pekoms, I thought about what happened earlier with that odd forcefield when I was about to be crushed. It had to have come from me since I felt the energy output of it, but I've never done that before. Maybe this was the awakening that Katakuri has been trying to draw out of me all this time, and it only just came out then because I was in real danger for the first time in my life. Of course, I've been in danger before, but ever since I married Katakuri, I've felt comfortably confident in my safety. I'd have to look into this development later.
With everything happening I didn't know when I'd be able to rest again, so I was going to take the opportunity while I had it. My gloves were starting to make my anxious hands sweaty, so I tugged them off and stuffed them into a pocket on my dress. A yawn escaped me as I snuggled more into Pekoms’ side and fell into a dreamless sleep.
<コ:彡ミ☆<コ:彡ミ☆ <コ:彡ミミ☆ <コ:彡ミ☆ <コ:彡ミ☆ <コ:彡ミ☆
Unsure of how long I'd been asleep for, I woke up with a start to the sound of someone crying. I sat up from the piece of sponge cake I had been settled on during my nap to look around for the culprit. It was Pekoms, and he seemed truly upset by something. The sight of one of my friends crying like that woke me up quickly. With a frown and dark blue antennae, I stood up and rushed over to the sobbing lion to comfort him. Once he realized it was me, he instantly dropped to his knees to envelope me in a tight hug. Before I could even open my mouth to ask what the matter was, he beat me to it.
"My brother! He's gone! How could this happen?! Gyah! Big bro Pedro!" My arms wrapped around his fluffy afro as I cooed at him in consolation. Without my gloves on, I could feel the full force of Pekoms' sorrow, and it cut deeply through me in my groggy state. Fat tears, the same as his, rolled down my cheeks until I managed to control the reception of emotions, yet it still left me sniffling and letting out a few tears. Normally, I'd try to calm the person down and make them calmer, but this was a hurt that needed to be let out naturally. It felt wrong to subdue the grief he felt for, what seemed like, the death of a very close person in his life. I looked over to the chicken form of Tamago, eyes still watery.
"Tamago-san, what happened?" My voice shook as I spoke, not able to completely dismiss my self-inflicted sadness. The teacup wearing man tutted as he walked towards me, using a wing to wipe my face of tears.
"Ah, do not cry-amour, tears do not suit your face, bon. Unfortunately, Pekoms' brother, Pedro, died aiding the Strawhats' escape from the island. He blew himself up to free their ship of Perospero-sama's candy, bon. From what I heard he took part of Perospero-sama's arm with him. " My breath hitched in horror at the information and loss from both sides as Pekoms cried even harder upon hearing the news again. Enemy or not, losing someone close to you is always hard. Not to mention Perospero’s loss as well.
"Shut up already! He was our enemy! He knew the risks of helping those Strawhats fight a Yonko’s crew! And what about Perospero?! Half his arm is gone!" I snapped my head towards Mont d'Or with a tear-stained glare and dark purple antennae for his insensitive comment which had him shying behind the giant book he held. I understood that he was an enemy, but that didn’t negate the fact that Pekoms knew and cared for him. Nothing was black and white in this world, especially family. Fortunately, Tamago was partially on our side, and engaged Mont d'Or's complaint. Not wanting my irritation to upset Pekoms any further, I took a few deep breaths, cleared my mind and continued to hug his head to my shoulder. Slowly, the deep purple faded back into a light blue.
"I'm so sorry, Pekoms. I understand what it's like to lose someone so close to you. If you need anything, I'll help you in any way I can." He didn't say anything, but nodded a little against my shoulder. I stood there silently after my condolences, tuning out Tamago and Mont d'Or's continued argument in favor of comforting Pekoms to the best of my abilities.
After a while, his sobs waned to sniffles, and from there he finally loosened his hold on me and leaned back to look at me. My exposed shoulder was drenched from tears, but I paid that no mind as I lifted his glasses and wiped the tears from his black, beady eyes. I offered a sad smile.
"Sorry for cry-" Before he could even think of finishing that sentence, I shushed him with a finger.
"You have nothing to be sorry about. What happened was horrible. Even if he was technically an enemy", a swift, bombastic side eye to Mont d'Or, who cowered again under my returned scolding gaze, "he was still your brother. I'm sure he still saw you as his brother even if you two had different ideals and paths in life." My speech earned an appreciative smile from Pekoms as he nodded and stood up. He took on a thoughtful look as he stared out towards the Seducing Forest. I just stayed next to him, thinking over all the events of the day.
"Y/N? Would you like to come with me to, uh, look around for any more injured people?" Pekoms’ somber and rough voice roused me from my thoughts yet again. That was an odd and random request, but I suppose he just needed something to do and focus on to distract himself. I was still a little tired, but I didn’t want to leave Pekoms alone.
"Of course, we need to find some first aid kits first, though." With an absent nod from him, I told the other two where we were off to, and Pekoms led me into the ruined city. The river of cream that had flowed freely earlier was now just a sludge that thickly coated the ground. Even though I was already a mess, I still held up the edge of my dress to prevent any further damage.
We stop by the abandoned hospital for two first aid kits before setting off back through the city in silence. I had tripped a few too many times over debris and thick cream puddles, prompting Pekoms to grab hold of my bare hand. I tried not to focus on his swirling emotions out of courtesy, but I could tell easily that the most prominent one was uncertainty. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Pekoms stopped in his tracks and spoke up again.
"Y/N, what would you do if you knew someone was going to betray the family?" Stopping at both his halt and question, it took me a moment to understand why he would ask it. My e/c eyes stared at his triangular sunglasses, feeling out his emotions more deeply as I did. I felt his anguish, guilt, nervousness yet a flaring storm of conviction was starting to overshadow the aforementioned uncertainty. It was clear what he wanted to do, and I was in no position to talk him out of it.
This is where I had to choose between my morality and true loyalty to Big Mom. Pedro was his family before we were, and I couldn’t ask him not to fight for the people that his brother died to protect. All the Strawhats wanted was their crew member back, a crew member that we took from them. All in all, I swore my loyalty and life to Katakuri, not Big Mom, and I knew he would understand any decision I made.
"I think that each person has their own values that they must hold steadfast to in any circumstance. Even if they conflict with other parts of our lives. Something you must ask yourself, though, is if you're willing to put your life on the line for those values and face any consequences that come with them." A beat of silence passed between us as I let my words soak in. I stepped towards Pekoms and wrapped my arms around him tightly, and he reciprocated. The warmth of his fur tickled a smile onto my face, lighting up my antennae yellow.
"I'll always think of you as my family, Pekoms, even if you leave us. Besides," I look up at him and give him a little wink, "believe it or not, Katakuri and I don't always tell the family everything if it doesn't affect them." Pekoms' lip quivered for a few seconds before starting up a new fountain of tears while hugging me even tighter.
"Gyah! I knew you were my favorite for a reason, Y/N! Thank you so much!" I wheezed out a laugh, happily squeezing him back as my yellow shifted into a peachy orange. This felt like the right decision.
Once Pekoms calmed down, we made our way to the ruined chateau once again. No one but the more prominent siblings in the family knew this, but Brulee had a mirror in her room in the chateau that she always keeps open. Whenever she was in the Mirro-World, anyone could access it through that mirror without her being present. It was useful for when we had meetings there, though we still needed Brulee to leave out of a different mirror.
It was tough figuring out where her room was now that the whole building was ruined and skewered on the city's tallest buildings, but after an hour of searching, we figured it out and stood before the mirror. Miraculously, it wasn't cracked, but we did have to sit it back up for us to enter. Pekoms abandoned his first aid kit, on the checkered floor but I kept mine in case we came across someone who was injured. The only news we've heard so far has been a report of the Straw Hat's ship sinking and the defeat of Germa 66, so I wanted to be prepared. Pekoms lost a bit of his drive at those disheartening reports, but refused to give up just yet. Before I could wander off, Pekoms stopped me with a paw to my shoulder.
"Listen, Y/N. I know you said you wouldn't tell anyone about me, uh, following my values, but I also don't want you to be labeled as a traitor because of me. I know you love Katakuri, and I want you two to be happy. That being said, if push comes to shove, I don't want you to associate with anything I do from here on out. I'll even act like I took you hostage if I need to! Gyah!" He clenched his fist in front of him as he declared this, making me smile and pat his arm.
"Don't worry, Pekoms, I'll be fine. I promise." Looking around, the winding and twisting walkways of the Mirro-World had me a bit lost. I had only been through here with a guide that knew where they were going. Luckily, Pekoms seemed to know what he was doing as he turned around to face the large mirror we just came through.
"Hey mirror, who all is in the Mirro-World?" The mirror, to my surprise, answered.
"Brulee, Katakuri, Flampe and a man in a straw hat are currently here!" I perked up upon hearing that Katakuri was still here with Strawhat Luffy. It's been a couple of hours since we heard the reports of the sunken Straw Hat's ship and Germa 66's defeat on Pekoms' transponder snail. Though, now it seemed that Strawhat was living up to his bounty and more. I was tempted to touch the bracelet in my hair but refrained. If Luffy was holding his own against my unrivaled husband, then it must require focus. I couldn’t let my own selfish whims worry him again.
“Pekoms, what were you planning on doing here? Although Strawhat has held out for this long, he seems to be struggling against Kata, and if he loses, anything you do could be for naught.” Even with his sunglasses on, I could tell that Pekoms was worried as he thought out his first course of action. It was hard for me to believe that Katakuri would lose, so the most the mink could do was aid in Strawhat Luffy’s escape when the time came. Before Pekoms could think up a plan of anything, his transponder snail woke and started a ruckus.
“Strawhat Luffy is in Chips Town!”
“No, he’s in Chockfull Town!”
“Green Town!”
Island after island gave reports of sightings of Strawhat Luffy appearing all over Tottoland. The fact that he was running around so many islands meant that he had Brulee, for the second time to my understanding, and was running from his fight with Katakuri. Pekoms seemed relieved to even hear that he was alive and kicking even if he was running for his life. To me, this news meant that Katakuri was stuck here in the Mirro-world just like us until Brulee was freed.
Just thinking about him spiked the craving of my husband’s feelings thrumming through my body. I had gotten so used to knowing the inner workings of his heart that I felt half empty without them. Without him, my nerves felt too open and vulnerable, so I shakily took out my gloves from my pocket and tugged them on. The anxiousness dimmed my bright antennae. Pekoms started to cheer which drew my attention to him and away from the remounting worries plaguing the edges of my mind.
“Gyah! I knew he would survive! He may be a bit stupid, but even he knows when to pick and choose his battles!” The mink turned to me with a wide smile and grabbed my shoulders. With his paws in contact with my bare shoulders, I could feel his strong relief and fierce motivation which brightened me back up. That was how I felt when I put my faith in Katakuri, and Pekoms felt this way about Strawhat Luffy? I suppose Strawhat was Pekoms' leader right now just as Katakuri was ours.
“If he’s trying to leave, then the rest of the crew has to be alive! They have to be! Big bro Pedro didn’t die in vain!” His voice wavered at that last sentence, but he kept his determined smile. I gave the invigorated mink a small, supportive smile and nodded.
“It seems they could be alive, but we can’t leave without Brulee here, remember?” Pekoms froze in his excitement at my words of reasoning. In a second, he was depressed on the floor. I laughed softly and kneeled next to his hunched form.
“Hey, don’t worry. I’m sure Brulee will be released soon, and you’ll be able to continue Pedro’s will.” Pekoms sniffled and looked up at me with furrowed eyebrows.
“You think so?” With a nod, I placed my gloved hand on his pink clad shoulder. The flow of his strong feelings seeping through my gloves had me taking a deep breath. Bright red blazed over the previous peachy orange. He really wanted- no, needed to help this rambunctious pirate running around Tottoland. For himself and no one else. That was a freedom not many people in this kingdom had. I wish Katakuri had that freedom.
“I do.” We shared a quiet moment before I stood back and put my hands on my hips. I was starting to feel tired again, but there were things that still needed to be done.
“Now, let’s go. Brulee has a few houses around here, doesn’t she? If you’re going to be masquerading as a robust vigilante aiding Strawhat Luffy, you need to look the part, right?” Pekoms jumped up and threw a clenched fist into the air.
“Gyah! Yeah! Let’s go!” With newfound energy, Pekoms grabbed my hand and dragged me along one of the many twisting and checkered paths.
<コ:彡ミ☆<コ:彡ミ☆ <コ:彡ミミ☆ <コ:彡ミ☆ <コ:彡ミ☆ <コ:彡ミ☆
"What about this one?"
"Um, too sparkly."
"This one?"
"Too frilly."
"Okay okay. This one!"
Pekoms pulled out a pink, skin tight mask with a few darker pink markings along the face and a star right on the forehead. It was one of the last costumes he had pulled out of one of the many costume drawers we found. Anyone who had met the Charlotte family would be hard pressed to deny the family’s. . . flamboyant clothing style, so a house in a central location solely for dress up clothes was well within their behavioral territory. I was laying along my stomach on a dangerously comfy bed as Pekoms sifted through all the clothes and outfits, helping him choose the right one. Who knew he would be so keen on matching his existing pink suit?
“Hmm, it matches your suit better than the other masks. Try it on?” I covered a yawn and closed my heavy eyes for a moment as the lion mink pulled on the tight face mask. When I opened them again, he had fit all his mane into the mask and I had to stifle a laugh at the sight. He looked like a giant cloud of cotton candy! Not to mention that the mask was so tight that it hid nothing to anyone who knew him.
“Gyah! I knew I looked stupid!” My giggles only increased as the embarrassed mink tried tugging it off and the mask didn’t budge an inch. His frantic attempts prompted me to get up, despite my sore body’s protests, and try to help him. After about five minutes of tugging from any and all angles, the tight mask stayed in its place on Pekoms. With labored breaths, I collapsed onto the soft bed as Pekoms sulked on the floor.
“Gyah! I have to defend Big Bro Pedro’s legacy in this? How shameful.” Once I caught my breath, I decided to encourage Pekoms again.
“It doesn’t matter what you wear, Pekoms. What matters is your actions. As long as you do what you think is right for your ideals, you have nothing to be ashamed of.” Another yawn drew out the last of my soft pep talk, and this time I couldn’t ignore the call of sleep. This day had drawn a lot out of me, and my aching bones settled as I slipped into my memories and dreams.
As I faded out of consciousness, the last thing I heard was the unsteady reply of my companion.
“Thanks, Y/N.”
Light filtered through the mosaic windows, casting hundreds of mini rainbows and refracted light spots across our cozy bedroom. It was one of the very few days that I awoke to my husband still by my side in bed. Even rarer, I was awake before him. Everything felt so bleary and light as I took in the warm air of our room, the large rises and falls of my husband’s chest underneath my arm, the softness of his arm settled against my body. It all felt so perfect. Too perfect. Yet, I didn’t want to lose this moment.
I treasured every moment I had with my busy behemoth of a man, no matter how brief, long, serene or fitful. I hardly stirred from my resting spot in fear of breaking the spell. There had to be a spell. My senses were so enchanted, so enraptured by the man resting beside me that at times it was hard to believe that I was his and he was mine.
Mine. That word still made me giddy to think about, let alone say, even after two years of marriage. Giggles threatened to bubble out of my parched throat, but I kept my whimsical feelings contained so as to not disturb him. He deserved the rest. He deserved the world. A world better than the one he lived in, one where he could be just as peaceful and happy as those he protected.
I wish I could protect him the way he did me. Protect him from everything that took away the shining light I saw in him every day. Protect him from the people that locked that light in a cage with a single window to shine through. But even as he is, scars and all, I knew he was perfect. My perfect husband in every sense of the word. The way he laughed, the way he smiled, oh his beautiful, unfettered smile, how he held me, those oh so gentle eyes when he told me he loved me. I was sure I was as pink as my antennae was bound to be by now. Every perfect thing I thought about him made it harder and harder to keep my smile down and my hands to myself. The hand on his chest trailed its way up to his uncovered face.
That was certainly the most perfect thing about him. The feature he hated most about himself is the thing that made me love him more when he finally showed me. Surprisingly, he didn’t move even as I cupped his scarred cheek. He was so warm. So soft. My lips itched to kiss him. To make sure he was really mine after all this time. Finally, I sat up at his side, looking down on his still slumbering face.
Slowly, I lowered my forehead down to his.
Nuzzled my nose to his sharp one.
My lips felt the exhales of his breath, getting closer and warmer until-
A loud, ground shaking rumble woke me up with a start. I sat up, my heart racing as I looked around to see where I was. I was still in Brulee’s dress up home, Pekoms lying on his back on the floor with loud snores coming from him. A pang stabbed my heart when I realized I wasn’t where my surreal dream-like memory led me to believe I was. Where I hoped I was. I was right, it was too perfect.
No, instead of Katakuri being next me, sleeping soundly, he was out there, fighting a dangerous pirate for our sake. If I had to guess, they were the cause of the rumbling that woke me up. With a weary sigh, I got up from the bed calling me to lay back down. As much as I wanted to rest, I still had to help Pekoms. Maybe I’ll get to see my husband at the end of his fight. The worries I had before resurfaced full force accompanied by a headache, but I made myself swallow any expressions of it back. Katakuri must be more tired and hurt than I am right now with such a long fight, so this is nothing. I have things to do.
“Pekoms, wake up. Wake up, Pekoms. It sounds like Kata and Strawhat are fighting again.” When my words did nothing to stir the deep sleeping mink, I crouched down and pulled back the tight mask still stuck to his face and let it snap back to his cheek. Pekoms was quick to react to that, a small roar of pain sounding from him as he shot up. His eyebrows were furrowed in anger as he rubbed his stinging cheek.
“Gyah! What the hell was that for?!”
“We need to go, now is no time for sleeping. Don’t tell me you already forgot why you’re doing this.” This time Pekoms heard me loud and clear, and jumped to his feet. I joined him a little slower as another tremor shook the house, knocking a few things from dressers.
“Of course I haven’t forgotten! I’ll never forget!” I smiled fondly at his persistent motivation before silently turning towards the door and making my way out of the house. The disarray of Brulee’s Mirro-World compared to how it was when we first got here was a bit shocking. It must be an intense battle for things to be in this state. My weariness was dragging my dread filled body down as I thought about my husband’s apparent struggle against this pirate. I had my faith in him until the end, but the fact that this has been going on all day and night is worrisome, to say the least. My mind ran wild with thoughts of the worst outcome, turning my antennae a lofty purple. Pekoms came up beside me with a look of uneasiness that matched my internal emotions.
“Geez, those two are really doing a number on this place.” He checked his watch. “It’s 10 minutes 'till 1 am. They’ve been fighting all day and through half the night, gyah! I think we should go see where the fight is. Maybe I can try to save Strawhat from an untimely death.” Pekoms seemed to also hold the sentiment that Strawhat wouldn’t be able to defeat Katakuri, which eased my worries a little. Although I know Katakuri isn’t omnipotent, like many are led to believe, his strength is nothing to write off. After seeing what he’s capable of for the past 3 years, I’d be stupid to doubt his abilities now.
All I could do was nod in agreement to Pekoms’ plan, and follow him as he started towards the source of the large tremors. Butterflies of nervousness had me feeling sick with each step I took. Anxiety was different from doubt. Eventually we got close enough to the fight that with each rumble, a wave of dust and Haoshoku Haki swept over us, and I fell to the ground at the unexpected onslaught of emotions. Pekoms was still standing, but upon noticing I wasn’t he knelt down beside me in concern.
When people use Haoshoku Haki, they put out their intentions and emotions with it. The stronger the Haki, the more intense the emotions. I could tell one was Katakuri because it felt familiar. His Haki was filled with conviction and love. The other Haki that was new and almost suffocating had to be Strawhat’s. His was also filled with love alongside persistence but had a dangerous edge to it. Like with one wrong thought, things could turn horrible, and that possibility shook me to my core. The lilac of my antennae flickered like a firefly that changed in brightness with each new wave that washed over us.
Pekoms must have seen something happening that I couldn’t because he suddenly picked me up and ran back the way we came a little to hide in a tunnel full of mirrors. He used his Devil Fruit and put his back to the entrance to block anything from coming in. I was still frozen as I held onto Pekom’s jacket. Katakuri’s opponent was more dangerous than I thought, and I was sure he knew that, but he was still fighting. Everything going on paralyzed me with overstimulation.
What if Katakuri lost? What would Big Mom do to him for losing? He’s never lost before, but she expects perfection from him. How would he feel if he lost? What would happen if he lost? Would Strawhat just leave with his crew? All these rampant emotions had my antennae darkening to a deep shade of brown from the muddied myriad of feelings cloudy my senses. I couldn’t control my powers in this state, so involuntarily I started to exude them out, trying to get rid of them. Pekoms was holding me tight, so I could feel the vibrations of him talking, but everything else drowned out his words.
Just be quiet, quiet,
QUIET!
And then. . . there was silence.
Hope you liked it!~ If I didn't already have the 3rd part made, I'm sure I'd be a horrible person to anyone reading this.~ See you soon.~