The Kidd Pirate Café [Heat x Fem!Reader]

Catharsis

They discharged you the next day.

Kureha was satisfied with your recovery and handed you a bottle of pain killers and a note with the date of your next check-up and then booted you out the door.

You could have called Robin or Jinbe for a ride, but you wanted to take this time to exercise and clear your head. Sitting in a bed for a week had your legs feeling like jelly.

But you should have known better than to let your feet take you where they wanted.

It shouldn't have been a surprise when you looked up to find yourself standing in front of a particular bench on a particular hill that overlooked the lower part of Grand Line City.

You stared longingly at the nondescript bench, eyes roving over the peeling green paint and rusting metal arm rests. The slats of wood making up the seat were in even worse shape than they had been on your last visit; half of them had cracked under the weight of snow over the winter.

But it was still the most comfortable looking bench in this whole damn city.

You sat down in one of the clear spots and took in the view. Spring was fast approaching, and it was going to be a warm one if this weather was any indication. A bright sun was melting away the snow banks, creating streams in the gutters and washing away a bit of the winter muck that was clogging the city streets.

You frowned at the downtown panorama.

It hadn't changed at all in the last five months.

The most important building in Grand Line City had burned down, but everything went on as usual.

Oh, wait. There was a change.

Dressrosa Tower was decorated in a bunch of blue banners. They must be celebrating the company's new leadership.

Well la dee dah.

You scowled at the tiny people going about their daily life far below. You knew you shouldn't be angry at the world for continuing on without you. Of course no one else cared. No one else even knew.

But you still felt rage.

You pushed off the bench and made your way back to Packers Drift. Each step felt like you were dragging your feet through molasses.

When you finally rounded the block, you jerked to a stop and let out a whimper.

You hadn't thought it would be this obvious.

Even at this distance you could make out the black-stained emptiness that had been the Calico Hen. Soot smeared the sidewalk and half the road; it looked like they'd tried to wash it away but had only pushed the colour deeper into the pavement.

You forced your feet onward, ducking under the yellow tape that still cordoned off the scene. Step by step you dragged your heels until you stood before the... nothing.

Jinbe had been right.

There was Nothing left... not even the building's frame remained standing.

You stared at the charred debris.

Pieces of wood and metal scattered the ground. The blackened husk of your car sat near the curb, tires deflated and melted and glass gone, no doubt ready to be picked up by a scrap truck soon.

And the guys had just fixed it up for me...

The guys...

Your anger stirred again.

The sides of the neighboring buildings were stained with char, but it looked like they had little actual fire damage. Lucky bastards.

You took one step through what should have been your front door.