Treasure: ℛℯ-𝒲𝓇𝒾𝓉𝓉ℯ𝓃 |Pirate!England X Reader|

𝚇𝙸𝙸

"What about the Pirate King?" A deep voice from the crowd behind us speaks up. The crowded bar's noise fades to silence.

Your reputation precedes you, Kirkland.

I turn to look, and am greeted with a man with short, dark brown curly hair, and equally dark brown eyes. My gaze falls back at Afonso, who shoots back with an annoyed tone, "Not even the Pirate King, Arman."

"His hair the color of blood," the man rises to his feet, standing a head above most men in the crowd, eyes wide as he menacingly walks through them as if he's telling an old wives tale— one used to get children to behave. "His eyes as icy as the strew of blue corpses he left in his wake."

Hair the color of blood, icy blue eyes...? Are they talking about Kirkland's father?

"His teeth, sharper than the sword he used to cut down women and children," another man joins in. The men all scream and 'ooh', obviously entertained by their scary story. "I heard he looked so terrifying, anyone who laid eyes on him dropped dead!"

The men's boisterous laughter echoes into the streets of the town, and Afonso slams his glass down on the bar top, "Enough of this man of legend. He is dead, as is his crew." I grip my glass tightly, staring into the yellow liquid.

... They don't know that the Pirate King has a successor.

"Pirates are a plague to the world, and they will all be dealt with as soon as the Sea Snake gets what he wants," Afonso shouts above the crowd.

Arman's dark, mischievous eyes peer out from above the glass raised to his lips, "Even your irmão (1), Chefe?" His tone was nothing short of patronizing.

Afonso storms up to the man and, without saying a word, punches him in the jaw, sending him crashing to the floor. The men around disperse slightly as their leader rains blow after blow upon him, his knuckles already red with the blood spewing from the man's nose and mouth. The brunette grasps the man's collar and pulls him up to look him in the eye, "Even my pathetic excuse for a brother." Afonso holds him there for a moment before releasing him, watching his body crumple to the floor before walking out of the bar.

I quietly walk out into the darkness in an attempt to follow after him, but he's gone. "Princess." I turn my head to find Kirkland leaning against the wall outside.

"What do you want?" I ask, my voice somewhat slurred as I sharply turn away. "I thought you were at the dock with Leon and Chen."

"I was," he shrugs. "My Carpenter and Navigator said they have the repairs handled, so I came to keep an eye on you." My eyes practically roll into the back of my head and I cross my arms, staring into the dirt below me as I hear the blonde make his way to me, each step kicking up a little dust. His shadow cast by the lights of the bar show his arm reaching out to me, and I slap it away.

"D-Don't touch me!"

His voice was annoyed as he reaches for me again, "For someone who doesn't drink, you seem to drink a lot." I feel his hands tightly grasp my shoulders and force me around to face him as I continue to stare at the ground, and his hand cups my cheek, raising my head. My body freezes as I lock eyes with him. His usual, cold gaze was soft and warm; his eyebrows crease as his thumb gently caresses my cheek. "You are drunk— you need to drink some water."

I don't know if it's the alcohol, or maybe my mind is buzzing from the fight inside the bar, but something about him was different than when I first crossed paths with him. Back then, I was so afraid that I couldn't move; but, right now...?