DOMINO - Eustass Kid x Reader

CHAPTER TWELVE: Impressive

"I don't like people in my workshop." He stated bluntly, but it didn't look like he was about to get aggressive, so I didn't react as such.
"My bad. I was just curious. Don't worry, I don't plan on stealing anything from you again. I learnt my lesson the first time." I chuckled, hands behind my back as I wandered along the skirts of the other benches. "Seriously, man, this is awesome. I always wanted to do stuff like this back home."

I could feel his eyes on me. I always could when he was around. It was a heavy feeling, but not entirely unpleasant.
"Why didn't you? It's not like Water 7 doesn't have plenty of scrap."

Three words.

"I'm a girl. I know there are plenty of handy women in fields like that, but my family...well, they wanted a little princess. Take two doting parents, and an overprotective big brother, and what do you end up with? A renegade teen who steals shit for a living on the other side of the world. I never got the chance to make cool things like you do."

Humming along to my answer, Kid began to fiddle with a socket wrench, tossing it from one hand to the other.
"So, what? They made you wear frilly dresses and go to dumb tea parties and crap?" He snorted, and I snapped my fingers, shooting him a thumbs up.
"Yup. You're looking at the previous Little Miss Water 7 for three horrific consecutive years."

There was a short silence before Kid broke out into wild laughter, banging the wrench on the bench behind him. I couldn't blame him. It was hysterical, looking back on it.
"I would give my left arm to see that!" He cackled, using the heel of his hand to wipe a stray tear from his eye.

"Don't get any ideas of dressing me up all princessy outside of heist or intel missions, Kiddo. I'd sooner walk around in my birthday suit than wear that at any other time." I warned half-heartedly, coming to a stop by his side and lifting myself to sit on the bench.

His arm moved, and he pressed the wrench flat against my upper chest, only releasing it once I had taken hold.
"I'll tell you what. You quit being so damn annoying all the time, and I just might let you into my workshops sometimes and teach you a thing or two."

Wait, for real?

"Seriously?" I perked up, feet kicking excitedly in the air. "Like, for real, do you actually mean it?" I really was excited. Paulie had never once directly taught me anything to do with building. He had always insisted that I was too fragile, or I'd get hurt. The fact that Kid was offering to was astounding.

"Don't get the wrong idea. You're still a bitch, and you still owe me for sparing your life, but you had every chance to double cross me, more than once. You could have ratted us out to the Marines when you went for the key, and the other day you could have easily swiped one of the lifeboats and made an escape." He explained in all seriousness, folding his arms again. "I mean it, I'm not trying to be nice and friendly with you. If you're gonna be on my ship, you need to know how to fix and build stuff to my standard. Got it?"

Giving him a salute, very nearly smacking my own head with the wrench I held, I grinned like an honest to god idiot.
"Aye aye, Capt'n Kiddo!" Rolling his eyes, failing to hide the ghost of a smile that played on his lips, Kid snatched the wrench away before I could actually hurt myself, tapping me on the head with it.

"Quit calling me that. It's Captain, Kid, or Eustass. None of that Kiddo shit. Now, get the hell out of my workshop before I weld your pissflaps together." His threat was mostly playful as he shooed me away, but I only skipped a few steps backwards.

"Hmmm...Nah, I think I'll be sticking to Kiddo. You never call me by my name, so why should I use yours properly?" Acting like a smartass was probably going to get me beat up again, but nothing ticked my funny bone more than seeing the man's angry face.