A Taste of Forever (Katakuri x Reader)

Chapter 17 - Found

A/N:

Wordcount: 4247

"Touch her and watch me punch you across the New World, gurarara." Whitebeard slammed his empty tankard on the table, sending the poor man who had approached you earlier during the night stumbling away with shock written all over his face.

You sighed as you leaned your chin on your palm, watching the brownish liquid of your beer still shake slightly due to the small shock. Dating really was difficult considering your situation. Not just that you were on a pirate ship and were surrounded by your siblings all day, but whenever you got on land someone just had to be around and ruin things for you.

The man had been nothing but nice. The two of you had chatted comfortably about this and that. You learnt that he was a tradesman who bought and resold different goods across the New World. He liked music and he had a younger sister whom he supported financially. You two hadn't even started to flirt when your family decided it was time to step in and ruin your chances.

A consoling rub on your back shifted your attention to Marco who smiled down apologetically. Glancing at him from the corner of your eyes, you flashed him a forced smile before you glared back into your tankard.

"You know how they are, yoi," Marco hummed, his hand ruffling your hair which only earned him a pinch into his side from you. Not at all fazed by your little assault, he only chuckled at your display of frustration, the little sound earning him the attention of the men around the table. Whilst they had been busy snickering at your new friend's expense, their eyes quickly shifted onto your frowning figure, their tankards lowering onto the table as they studied your posture.

"What is it, lass?" It was Whitebeard. His voice was rough, yet comforting, and still, you could hear the suppressed cough in it. His sickness was getting worse by the day and moments like these were getting fewer the farther his sickness progressed. The older man leaned over the table to get a closer look at you. Due to his size, he didn't have to lean far though, and you soon you saw the reflection of his moustache in your drink. "Did you like him?"

You pushed out a whiny groan, shifting your eyes from the beverage in front of you to your father figure where you were greeted by a loving smile. He only meant well, you knew that, but constantly being surrounded by some of the strongest men alive did not only bring positives.

"I didn't," you sighed. Raising your head from your palm, you craned it towards the ceiling to quietly study the wood that had a couple of bullet holes in it before another sigh escaped your lungs. "I would just like to know, not that it's any of your business," you rolled your eyes, "what kind of man you would accept?"

He blinked at you, his eyes surprised, before another one of his loud laughs echoed through the bar.

"I told you, one that can beat me in a fight."

"You are the strongest man alive, I will die single like that," you complained as you let your head sink onto the wooden table. Your eyes narrowed at the floor beneath you, somehow it being the receiver of your anger even though it didn't deserve it.

"What about Marco?"

"EWW," Marco and you cringed in unison, earning muffled snickers from the other pirates around you. All of them quickly slapped their hands over their mouths to avoid being swatted over the backs of their heads from Whitebeard, Marco, you, or all of you.

"No offence, but in this case, I would prefer to die single," you immediately dismissed that suggestion. Yet, despite your disapproval, the smile that tugged at the corners of your lips indicated that your mood had lifted a little.