DOMINO - Eustass Kid x Reader

CHAPTER FIFTY NINE: Be

"You can keep it if you want. Suits you better, anyway." I would have been a lying son of a bitch if I had said my offer hadn't partially been due to the fact that a testosterone-fuelled part of me liked seeing her wear my things, but it wasn't the only reason. I couldn't even fit into it anymore.

"Sweeeeeeet. Makes me feel safe, I guess. Like you're always around'n stuff." She sat back up properly to continue gazing towards the ocean and I ran my hand down the face of my helmet. My patience wasn't the only thing wearing thin. My self control wasn't faring much better.

When I moved closer, the scent of whiskey hit me like a slap to the face, and I quickly glanced to the empty bottle beside her in the grass.
"Okay, bath, then bedtime. You reek." She didn't fight me when I picked her up, but she braced herself with a hand on my chest so I wouldn't sling her over my shoulder.

"I'm not potatoes, Killz, so don't go throwin' me around like a sack've 'em 'nless you're gonna make it fun~" How could I have trained so much, so vigorously, and been so unprepared for that? I didn't dare respond to the blatant, booze-spurred flirt, and just spun on my heel to carry her inside.

Be calm, be rational. She doesn't realise what she's doing. Neither does Kid. You've got to be the adult here. Don't slip. Don't.

Once I had a bath run for her, and ensured she was at least capable of not drowning herself, I made my way to her room. I never liked going through the belongings of my crew mates, but I had to try to limit her intake as much as I could.

In drawers, under clothes, even inside her pillowcase. She had hidden bottles she'd stolen from the kitchen everywhere. Even in the cat's bed, and I didn't at all appreciate having to touch the oozing, oily skin-bag to retrieve it.

Making sure they were safely back in the kitchen, locked elsewhere, I returned to the bathroom in time to meet her as she came out, yet again wearing my spotted shirt, the buttons done wrong, and far too few for my heart.

"You still smell like drink..." I muttered, glad she couldn't see the red in my face as I fixed her buttons once we'd returned to her room. I kept my eyes on her face, but that only meant I was trapped by her eyes.
"I dunno why. Maybe the soap is alcoholic or some'fin..."

So she's hidden some in there too? Fucking hell...

"No more. Seriously, you're gonna end up killing yourself." I squished her cheeks between my hands, which wasn't a great idea. She looked adorable, blinking up at me with those (E/C) eyes of hers.
"I'll consider it ifffffffffff...you show me your face."

That had been her consistent bargaining request. Every time I would ask her to do something, anything, she'd ask me to take my helmet off. I would do it, too. Every single time. I couldn't say no to her, and it was my biggest vice.

Off it came, and as usual, I avoided her direct gaze, staring at the wall behind her head instead.
"You happy now?" It wasn't discomfort I felt each time this occurred. It was a kind of embarrassment, or perhaps nervousness. I wasn't used to people seeing me as I truly was, and I felt exposed. Vulnerable.

My jaw clicked tight when she wrapped her arms around my middle, her cheek resting on my chest.
"Can I ask ya somethin'?" She asked, trying to rock me side to side with her but failing to do so.
"Mmm?" I hummed in response, stilling her with a hand to her upper arm.

"Kid told me to go be with you...Did he say somethin' similar to you, or nah?" Whilst only slightly slurred, it had been the clearest she had spoken to me in weeks, but I couldn't celebrate that. Not after that question.

"Look...Kid doesn't cope with loss well. He never has...so you can't take much of what he says seriously when he's like this. Just give it ti-"
"Did he?" She wasn't going to accept my attempt at avoiding an answer, much to my chagrin.