DOMINO - Eustass Kid x Reader

CHAPTER NINE: Too Far

***KILLER POV***

"What do you mean sick?"

Kid glared at me in his usual, bratty manner, and if he had been able to see my face he would have soured even more at the roll of my eyes.

"Is there really any other way to simplify it? The girl is sick. You starved her for too long, you didn't let her clean herself, and you yanked her around like a damn ragdoll. She's lucky her neck hasn't snapped yet. She's sick." I explained, not sugar coating anything.

After the fleeting issue with the Navy, I had fed (Y/N), as instructed. She had barely been able to keep more than a mouthful or two down, but at that point in time I had thought it was just because it had been a while since she'd eaten anything significant.

Now, two days had passed, and not only was she still throwing up anything offered to her, but she was running a fever. A high one. Things weren't looking good, and we were to blame.
"Dose her up and she'll be fine." Kid tried to brush it off, but I wasn't having it.

It was my fault too, after all. I had caught her in the first place, and whilst I didn't regret that, I did regret breaking her wrist, and not doing more to ensure she was actually getting nutrition.

"No, she won't be. Kid. She needs proper medical attention, and better conditions. I know you just want to show off and punish her in front of the guys to make yourself look tough, but you'll end up killing her. I know you don't want that. If you had any intentions of actually killing her, she'd be dead already."

Despite having placed myself beneath Kid in the ranks, we were equals. We always had been, and always would be, so I could tell it to him straight, no holds barred. I was the only person who could talk to him like that and not wind up on the ground, or below it.

The crease between Kid's eyes became more prominent as he considered my words, shoulders hunching. He knew I was right, but he was stubborn and didn't want to admit it.
"Well, do whatever you want, then. She wouldn't be a bad addition to the crew, anyway, if she survives, I guess. Got a good eye, and we could use her skills..."

Translation, you've taken an interest in her and feel bad.

Shaking my head, I folded my arms across my chest, taking a single step back from the chair he sat in.
"Nope. This isn't just on me. I'll stick to trying to get her to eat, Boogie and Wire can sort out some medicine for her, but you're stuck with the rest of it. She's your pet, after all, right?"

He wanted to punch me, that much was for sure, but he refrained, simply balling his fists upon the desk and gritting his teeth. He could've thrown a punch if he really wanted to. I wouldn't have minded. This just proved to me that he actually somewhat gave a shit or two.

"You think I'm gonna let her think I'm a pushover after all the ground work I did?" He growled out his question, and my scoff bounced back from the inside of my helmet.
"What, to gain her respect? Do you really think someone who respects you would have pissed in your boots? Man up, Kid. You never know, this might actually make her like you."

Three, two, one...

"I don't want her to like me! I want her to fear me!" Kid barked, jumping to his feet and slamming his hands down flat against the wooden desk.
"Yeah yeah, whatever." I could see it, plain as day. The faint, dusty pink against his cheeks. "I'm going to start preparing some soup, or something else that's light. Think you can handle getting her cleaned up? Or can't you be trusted to do that?"

Muttering curse after curse under his breath, Kid simply stalked his way out of the room, making sure to bump my shoulder as he passed. I had no doubt that he could be trusted. Deep down, he was a good man. It just took a lot to get him to show it. If we could convince her to become a part of the Kid Pirates, she'd soon come to realise that.