The sound of your heavy breathing was the only thing left in the cabin. The candle had consumed and was now just a little trembling flame, agitating the long shadows on the walls.
Every single muscle in your body felt numb. Your locks were knotted and scattered on your shoulders, your thighs encrusted with blood and other fluids, like the rest of your skin.
You couldn't remain on that bed stained with pain and pleasure.
The image of Kid's maniac smile flashed in your mind.
Air, I need air.
You jerked on your feet, tripping a little, grabbed the fur the pirate abandoned on the floor and stormed outside the cabin.
You ran to the taffrail of the desert deck and stumbled against it, grasping it and lifting yourself with an effort that seemed superhuman to your sore body.
It wasn't raining anymore, but the night was cold. You greedily swallowed big sips of still air.
The slow movement of the sea below you was somehow comforting.
Gradually, you felt your heartbeat calming down.
«Girl?»
A shiver shook your figure.
You really didn't want to see anyone. Especially not a pirate from that damn crew.
The imposing presence behind you didn't magically disappear though. It got closer instead.
When you felt it too close, you brusquely turned.
«What?!» you barked.
Killer stopped right in front of you. His mask hid whatever expression was on his face.
«You are alive.» he quietly observed.
A furious grimace deformed your features.
«Get lost, bastard.» you hissed.
At that moment, you hated him. Not just because your mind was kind of devastated, but also because the memory of him handcuffing you to the mast and shoving a gagball in your mouth was what started that long night.
In your abrupt reaction, you didn't even realize the dark red fur you threw on yourself didn't have any freaking button or closure. The garment hung loosely from your shoulders, completely exposing your naked body to the Massacre Soldier.
Still, you viciously stared at him where you supposed his eyes were.
When he slowly stretched his arm towards you, you suddenly became aware of your condition.
You pulled back with a broken gasp but you bumped against the rail.
However, when his hand reached you, he gently grabbed each end of the fur and closed it in front of your torso.
Your fist immediately snatched the grip from him, holding it yourself.
«I wasn't expecting to see you again.» he said, like nothing happened.
«Pity.» you replied with flat voice, eyes dropped to the ground «The good thing of dying would be I don't have to talk with you scum anymore.»
«You're angry. It's understandable.»
«You know,» you snapped, your head jerking up «if you weren't so fucking big, I would gladly beat the shit out of you right now!»
Surprisingly, Killer almost chuckled.
«You remind me of someone.»
«I don't fucking care about your childhood memories, pirate!» you snarled in frustration, turning back to the sea «Just leave me alone!»
He didn't. But he didn't speak for a while, leaning against the taffrail beside you.
The sound of the small waves breaking against the hull lulled the ship.
«Are you seriously injured?»
Your forehead wrinkled at the question.
«What do you think?» you whispered.
«I will be completely honest with you, marine girl: I don't know what to think.»
«[Y/n].»
«What?»
«It's my name. You didn't know that, did you?»
Killer turned to you, a hand still resting on the rail.
«[Y/n].» he repeated «Kid locked himself in his workshop. That's not the usual epilogue when he tortures someone. After tonight I was sure it was over for you. And here you are, walking on your legs and retorting with your tongue, with just a few bruises on your body. And don't give me that look: yes, I saw.»
Despite the absurd situation, a bitter giggle escaped your mouth.
«Did you? Then you must have a good idea of what happened.»
The pirate didn't reply this time, and you felt the rage taking you back.
«What is it, Massacre Soldier? You don't want to know what your captain did to me? I can explain if you want! So, after I dislocated my own thumbs to escape the handcuffs you trapped me with, I was tied to his bed, so he could play with me!»
You were so caught up in your outburst that you didn't notice him grabbing a rope from the cordage nearby and fastening it on the railing.
«At first he wanted to cut me in a lot of little pieces!» you uttered, throwing your free arm in the air «But nooo, then he decided to go for humiliation! He wanted me to beg, you know?»
The masked pirate tied the rope around his waist.
«So heWHADDAFUCK?!»
Killer suddenly pulled your weak figure against in his chest and jumped overboard.
In a last glimpse of lucidity, you locked your arms and legs around his solid body, burying your face in his shoulder.
If I'm dying now, I swear I'm taking this bastard with me!
You held your breath just in time.
The icy water violently swallowed you both. In an instant, you were in freezing darkness.
You grasped for dear life at your only source of warmth, his bush of hair enveloping your face. His muscular arm was secured around you.
Just when you were about to lose it, Killer gave two powerful kicks and re-surfaced, dragging you with him.
You sputtered some water in his face (or at least you hoped, your eyes were still shut).
«ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE?!» you yelled.
Something awfully similar to a laugh rumbled in his chest, but he suffocated it immediately.
What a weird sound.
You abandoned your chin on his trapezium.
«Fuck my life.» you groaned.
The blond climbed the side of the ship making use of the rope with a hand and holding you with the other.
Once on the deck again, your legs refused to support you any longer and you collapsed in a puddle of saltwater, pulling the soaked fur tight around your trembling body.
«You're crazy! Your captain is crazy! I swear I'm not surviving this mad crew!» you cried.
«Did you calm down a little?» he asked, somehow removing his T-shirt without unlocking the mask and ringing it out.
«Go die.»
«I'll take it as a yes.»
«And I believed you were the sane one here!»
Killer let out a soft scoff and you shot him a lethal glare.
«I used to do something similar to Kid every time he'd throw a tantrum. When he was still a skinny ragged boy, and I could lift him no problem.»
Your eyebrows furrowed.
Kid a skinny ragged boy? Was he ever in his life something that vulnerable?
The pirate rubbed his nape.
«Now that I think about it, it's been a while. I don't know what would happen if I tried now.»
The image set in your mind and you couldn't avoid it.
A soft chuckle wriggled out of your throat although you covered your lips with your hands.
Killer's arms relaxed along his sides.
The light of the dawn started to filter from the horizon.
You hugged your knees against your chest, leaning your chin onto them.
«I wouldn't mind seeing that.» you murmured.
The man was facing the dawn now, while your back rested against the taffrail.
«Looks like we'll be travelling together for a while.» he quietly said «Go back inside, take a warm shower and sleep. We don't need a sick sniper.»
«I'm not your sniper. I'm your prisoner.»
Killer shrugged.
«You'll have to fight alongside us again, whether you like it or not. No man of this crew would dare to lay a finger on you, except for Kid, and you seem to handle him better than all of us. You're free to try escaping anytime. We're all ready to bring you back to our captain by the scruff of your neck.»
His words made you grimace, your flushed cheeks puffed.
«I'm not your pet kitten.» you grumbled.
The Massacre Soldier turned to you.
«Move, kitty.»
You sharpened your eyes at him.
«I swear to god, Killer.»
That was the first time you called him by his name. You didn't even notice. He did.
Twenty minutes later, you were deeply asleep on the couch of the captain's cabin.