Craving You [Eustass Kid X Oc Kumiko Kago]

3 (The Journey Begins)

It started like any normal morning for me, waking up from a restless sleep. Having my coffee as I leaned against my counter in my kitchen as I listened to the sounds of the bird chirping outside as they flew around outside; it was calming every morning and it seem to calm me and clear my head from the nightmare. As I was drinking my coffee someone knocked on the door so I placed the mug down and went to the front door to open it.

"Oh, hey Kid" I said a little surprised to see him here, I thought he'd be still at his ship. But what he said surprised me even more.

"Get packed you're coming with me" he said as he looked me dead in the eyes, I was stunned for a moment as I let it sink in.

"Huh?" I said still clueless at this moment, he sighed and grunted when he looking at the ground for a moment.

"I hate repeating myself, you are getting packed and are coming out to sea with me" he told me once more, I could see the little annoyance and irritation in his eyes as he waited for me.

"O-okay" I didn't know what to think right now, but I thought I should just do what he wanted to make sure he didn't lose his temper because of me. So I went upstairs and took out a big bag under my bed. "But what about my work?" I asked as I glanced over my shoulder seeing Kid leaning against the wall outside my room with his arms crossed.

"Took care of that, now pack" he said not bothering to tell me how he took care of it, I just packed the things I need for a long trip I was still confused as I followed Kid outside of my house all the way down to the harbor.

"Kumiko!" the voice of my friend Ayuma yelled out making me turn seeing her running over to me, I opened my arms ready for a hug that I knew was coming my way.

She crashed into my arm with a smile that was bigger than the last ones that I have seen over the years, which confused me. "So what are you smiling about?" I asked tilting my head to the left wondering why she was so happy, she kept me at arm's length as she looked at me with her sparkling eyes. "I'm happy for you! Your friend with the long blonde hair and helmet told me the good news" she said with her smiling growing more and more as she spoke.

"And that would be?" I asked wonder what she was talking about, she giggled thinking I was playing dumb with her at this moment when I wasn't.

"I heard that you're getting married, to the red head behind you!" the moment those words left her lips, my eyes became bigger than the sun. I glanced over at Kid over my shoulder seeing him growl a little and say something about killing Killer once he sees him. Ayuma giggled again as I looked over at her. "Don't forget to send a letter once you guys figure out the date" she said again as she jumped up and down giggling still.

"Oh, y-yea sure I'll try to remember that but um, we need to head out to sea now" I said trying to wrap my head around on what was happening right now, she nodded and hugged me again as I returned the hug before she let me go so we could head to the ship.

Kid was angry but not that bad, since I can tell how mad he is and this was like a medium tantrum for him, I had to bite my lip so I didn't laugh or something. But my fight of not laughing died down when his ship came into view, seeing everything detail in front of me made me pause in my walk as I looked at it surprised. Sensing that I wasn't beside him Kid turned around to look at me.

"What?" he asked raising a brow for a moment wondering why I stopped walking.

"Y-you used my ship design that I gave you?" I asked as I looked up at him, my words kind of took him by surprise as his eyes widened a bit. making him look away from him clearing his throat for moment before answering.

"Y-yeah, I did...." He answered stuttering a small bit that made me smile a little as I saw a small hint of blush on his cheeks which made me feel happy. "Let's get on the ship" Kid said again as he started walking towards it again, I soon followed beside him having us climb aboard seeing the men at work as we came aboard. They greeted Kid with respect as they spotted him, he just grunted and order them back to work; it didn't take Kid long to spot Killer talking to Wire at the end of the ship, I covered my mouth with my free hand seeing Kid walk over to him with a serious look on his face as I followed behind him.

"You couldn't have used a better excuse for Kumiko to leave with us!?" Kid yelled a bit as we were in ear shot for Killer to glance at us, I could of swore I heard him chuckle a bit seeing Kid's face when I couldn't.

"I think it was" Killer answered as he just shrugged making Kid's right eye twitch slightly as he stared at Killer for a while growling a small bit. "Is everything prepared here?" Kid asked as he crossed his arms together for a moment trying to keep his cool. Killer just nodded his head in a yes having Kid walk pass me grabbing my hand with his flesh hand dragging me a bit across the deck and vanishing into the lower desk where the rooms for the higher ranks were located, not long we came to a room; Kid opened the door for me to walk through first. It was a nice spot with a single bed against the left wall under the small porthole, a night stand next to the bed with a small lantern sitting on it; a lantern hanging above in the middle of the room as there was a desk to my right with a chair as well with shelves. And a small bathroom attached to it thankfully.

"Thank you for the room, its nice" I said as I glanced over to Kid who was leaning against the doorframe on the outside of the door, he was just an inch taller than the door which surprised me a small bit since it has been eight years since we've seen each other.

"My room it just down the hall to your right, Killer's is to the left if you need anything. Make yourself at home I need to go back up top" he said to me explaining a small bit where he was and where Killer was behind slightly turning to head back up to the deck. "alright, I'll be here for a while" I said to him with a small smile on my face as he just grunted for a moment before closing the door behind him, leaving me alone in the room. I placed the bag down on the bed and sat down on the edge of the bed thinking for a moment about what was happening, I was worried I would just be in the way once this journey began.

But I couldn't let that worry me now, I stood up from the bed and opened my bag taking out some of my clothes as I placed them in the closet in the room placing my toothbrush, brush and shampoo in the bathroom and putting this and that away as I soon came to the bottom of the bag and took something out of the bag, I smiled softly as I looked at it and soon placing it on my desk. It was the only picture I had of the boys all of us smiling brightly, Ace smiling his goofy smile with a mouth full of food, Marco just smirking as held a drink in his hand, Thatch was smiling as he held me on his shoulder tightly as I laughed. As Pops was smiling and laughing in the background as he watched us. I sighed as I turned away from the picture and stood on my bed looking out the small porthole seeing we were now away from the island and out at sea.

"I hope this will help" I said to myself as i stared out at the blue waters of the sea as we sailed through them.