DOMINO - Eustass Kid x Reader

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT: Kid

The red-headed boy looked irritated as he hung there, but he still nodded, his nose scrunching up.
"Stop callin' me kid. You're a kid too." He complained, and whilst he was right, I wasn't about to take any more of his sass. Not while I was trying to do him a solid.

"You called me a sheep dog head, so I'll call you whatever I damn well want." I scoffed, already regretting my decision to help as I leant over in preperation. "Okay, you ready to grab my hand?"

The kid nodded again, but this time around I could see his nerves shining through. He was pretty young, after all, so I couldn't quite bully him about it without being a literal asshole. Wanting to get it over and done with, I quietly counted to three before harshly snapping away the tiny branches that held him in place, snatching for him as he dropped.

It was a close call. My entire system panicked when his hand slipped through mine, but luckily my reflexes went straight for his leg, catching him just before he fell too far for me to reach. With a grunt, and a yelp from the boy, I dragged him up into my arms. His arms flew around my neck as he latched on, and it shocked me.

He was shaking just like the leaves of the tree, and I could feel the instant soak of the shoulder of my shirt. The kid was crying. So much for being a tough guy. I wasn't mad though, or even irritated anymore. How could I be? It wasn't his fault he didn't think it through.

There was no way he was over six or seven, anyway. I just wrapped an arm around him and patted his back, using the other to keep myself steady so we both wouldn't fall.

At least he's safe now. I can get him back to whoever takes care of him.

It took a long while to convince him to climb onto my back, but once I had I began our descent, sighing out in relief when my two feet hit the ground.
"Alright, you're down now. Get off and go home. I have things to do." The boy didn't budge. In fact, his arms just grew tighter around my neck.

"Don't gots none..." He whispered, quietly against my back. His breath was warm through the ragged material of my shirt.

"Don't have no what?" I repeated his question properly, trying my best to pry him off. I managed to, but he didn't step back from me when I set him down on the ground.
"Don't gots no nothin'..."

Shit. He's a street kid, like me...

Now that I could take a better look at him, right side up, I was appalled by how skinny he was. Skin and bone, tufted with greasy red. Filthy, too, but that wasn't a matter I could speak on personally, considering I was a mess myself. I wanted to beat the crap out of the guilt that clawed at my conscience. Was I really about to do what I thought I was going to do? Was I insane?

"Well...you better stick with me for a while, I guess...But you're gonna watch your damn mouth. I won't take any of your attitude." I tried to sound as strict as possible, but it was hard to be when he looked so pathetic. "What's your name?" I was met by silence, and an awkward avoidance of eye contact. Eventually, he did answer me, but he definitely didn't seem to want to.
"Don't got no first one. Just Eustass..."

Nobody even bothered to name this pipsqueak? Yeesh...

Not wanting to dwell on it, I just shrugged and motioned for him to follow me as I started off towards the best possible chance for shelter.
"I'll just stick to calling you kid, then, until you think of something better. Come on, I don't want to freeze my ass off out here." It became apparent that he wasn't following me, but before I could completely turn around and scold him for being difficult he piped up.
"My leg hurts...I was up there for ages..."

Oh, I really had to compose myself. I wasn't mad, just agitated with the whole situation. The state of the country had been getting worse over the past couple of years. Even I could see that, and I was just a kid myself.

It didn't help that we lived in the worst district, either. People would breed and just dump their spawn to fend for themselves, or they'd die and leave them behind. I knew that from experience.

Heaving a long sigh, I approached the boy and turned, crouching down before him.
"Don't you dare get used to this, kid. I'm no pony." The boy climbed onto my back, his legs partially wrapping around my middle before I stood back up and started walking again.

"You got a name?" He asked me quietly, and I didn't want to admit that I was in a very similar boat. Nobody had bothered to name me. Kids like us weren't worth even that much in their eyes.

"Killer." I replied shortly, not wanting to elaborate. One of the kid's hands began to poke at one of the holes in my shirt, making it grow wider.
"Why'd they name ya that?" Of course he asked, but he wasn't going to get an answer. Not at his tender little age.
"Because I kill little red-headed brats I find dangling from trees when they ask too many questions."

"Really?" I palmed at my face when he bought my obvious sarcasm, laughing out loud.
"No, you dipstick, but that might end up being the second reason if you don't mind your own business." It was going to be hard trying to find somebody to pawn this child off to. People could barely afford to feed themselves.
"Your laugh is different. I like it."

I nearly stumbled over my own feet when he said that. My laugh was something people often poked fun at, because it was so weird. He was the first person to ever say anything positive about it, and it was tough trying not to smile and let him know it had been appreciated. I didn't need him getting any more attached to me.

"J..Just shut up and get some rest. I'll try to find us something to eat before it gets dark...We don't want to be out in the open when it does..."

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***I had a whole backstory planned out for these two, but then Oda dropped part of their real one, so I have to rework it xD

Next Time: The Real World***