Left Behind || Sanji X Reader

MOVE, AXE-HAND, IT'S MY TURN

broken promises

Donatello x reader 

Summary:

Donatello wants you all to himself so you agree to date him, even though you yourself are not in love with him, yet. You make rules to make the realtionship work and you slowly develope feelings as well.

WARNINGS! PLEASE READ:

At the beginning Donnie doesn’t really get what consent is, so he wants to sleep with you (not a rape-scene, obviously!!) bc thats just what couples do, so you have to explain it to him.

At the end a stranger touches your butt (sexual harrassment)

Reader has a panic attack at the end (bc of the sexual harrassment)

PLEASE DON’T READ IF YOU’RE SENSITIVE ABOUT THOSE TOPICS

english is not my fist language so excuse any mistakes

Heres the AO3 Link:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/42065283

——-

It was Saturday. The perfect day for a hangout at the lair, you sat wedged between Leo and Raph, laughing at something Mickey had said. The atmosphere was chill and pleasant. April and you brought Pizza with you and the boys had set up a corner with blankets and beanbags for you all to lounge, relax and just talk the night away. With all the commotion, none of you noticed Donnie not saying a word throughout the evening. He just sat on the floor, taking it all in.

“Here look.” Raph said, unbinding his mask and tied it around your head. “Ha! See? It looks great on you!”

“Woah, looking like that maybe you should go on the next mission with us.” Leo said, wrapping his arm around you giggling. You laughed with him.

The Evening went on. April put on some music and pulled you up to dance with her. Mickey joined and grabbed your hand, twirling you around. You laughed and after the third rotation you became dizzy, stopping Mickey from turning again by hugging him.

“Slow down, Mickey.” You cackled, hugging him tighter. Suddenly Donnie sprang up from where he was sitting.

“(Y/N)!” Everybody looked at him. His expression was furious. “We need to talk.” He said looking at you, his brows furrowed.

“Yikes, he looks pissed, what did you do, (y/n)?” April questioned you. But you didn’t know either. Following him to his Lab you considered the possibilities. You didn’t break anything in his Lab, right? God, you hoped you didn’t. Did you forget an important meeting or something. Being in thought, you didn’t realize you already being at your destination, his laboratory. He had stopped walking and turned to you, you bumped into him.

“Oh, sorry, I-“ You began to say, but he grabbed the front of your shirt and pulled you up. You let out a shriek. He looked scary, standing in this half-lit room, with this dark look on his face.

“You-“ he said, holding you tighter by your collar. You started to sweat. “-are gonna go out with me.”

You looked at him confused. “Go where?” You asked, he scoffed.

“Don’t play dumb, I’m saying that I’d very much like you to date me.” Seeing you still looking confused he continued, letting your shirt go.

“I haven’t been able to uphold my composure for a while now whenever you touch the others. It’s really starting to agitate me. So, I’m just gonna make you mine!”

There was a short pause.

“Donnie, you like me?” you asked.

“I do.”

“…Romantically?”

“Certainly.”

“Your reason?” He looked thoughtful for a second before answering.

“I don’t really know. I’ve never been in love before? Ever since April introduced you to us, I’ve been watching you and it’s really been bugging me.”

Your mind started to remember something in that moment. It was a documentary you watched a few weeks back. It talked about Baby-ducks and how they perceive the first thing they see after hatching as their mother and subsequently develop affection for it. You blinked, understanding. This guy’s been living inside the sewers with his brothers for years, not really interacting with the outside world, let alone people his age. And if he did, it was because he had to fight them.

You being the first friendly acquaintance he spent a lot of time with, except for April, which you learned was more like a sister to the boys. He mistook the first stirring of attachment for someone as love. But you couldn’t tell him that, he wouldn’t understand. You didn’t know what to do. Maybe…

“Alright.” You began. “I’ll go out with you.”

“Really?” he looked bewildered.

“Yeah, but in exchange you can’t get angry anymore when I talk to the others…it’s annoying.”

Instead of explaining to him what you concluded about his feelings, you felt it was easier just to date him, until he realizes his mistake on his own.

“Okay, I understand.” He spoke. You held out your hand to shake his.

“It’s a promise then!” you said. “And if you break it, we break up.” He hesitated but shook your hand none the less.

“It’s settled then.” You smiled. He didn’t say anything in return. He just grabbed you by the shoulder pulling you toward him. His lips touched yours. You froze.

“I’d never imagined you’d agree to this so easily, I estimated having to put more effort into it, so my equanimity is kind of crumbling right now. But that means that from now on you’re all mine.” He grinned, walking out of the Lab, doing a fist-bump in the air. “Donatello, you did it again.” And he was gone.

Your knees buckled and you sank to the floor. “Shit.” You put your hand over your mouth. “What have I done.”

——-

After a few minutes of you trying to find your composure and slowing down your racing heart you began to walk back to the others.

“-and then they said yes and I kissed them and now we are dating.” You heard Donatello say and you saw him standing in front of the others his arms outstretched gesturing wildly. April and the boys looked at him dumbfounded. When they noticed you, their eyes fell on you staring at you questioningly. Donatello, realizing their eyes weren’t on him anymore turned around.

“(Y/n)! There you are!” he exclaimed, rushing toward you hugging you tightly. Your whole body became rigid and you blushed from embarrassment. You felt all eyes on you. Donnie then pulled back, only to lean in to kiss you again. In your panicked state you raised your hand and slapped him.

You heard gasps from the others, Donatello looking at you with wide eyes. You took him by the arm and pulled him back to the Lab.

He sat against the wall holding his face where you had slapped him, looking up at you. You paced in front of him then stopped and met his eyes.

“I would like for you to keep our relationship a secret.” You said.

“But why?” he answered with a hurt expression. “We are not doing anything we would need to hide.”

He was right. Under normal circumstances being loving in front of others was a normal relationship-thing to do. But seeing that you only agreed to date him since it would end quickly - as quickly as he would understand his mistake of loving you – you didn’t want the others to know. It saved you a lot of embarrassment and teasing.

“Well, it’s embarrassing, I don’t like the others staring. So please stop hugging me and doing other stuff in front of them.” You tried to explain. He didn’t answer, he just looked at your somber expression.

“Promise me, if you can’t keep your promise, I can’t date you!” he flinched then.

“Alright, alright….” He began. “I don’t understand what you mean, but if you don’t like it then I won’t do it. I’ll conceal our relationship and I’ll refrain from grabbing you in front of the others. I promise, so please…-” he held out his hand. “-stop making that face.” You extended your arm grabbing his hand in yours, shaking it.

You sighed and sat next to him, for a few seconds neither one of you said anything, then you felt his head drop on your shoulder. You looked at him. He was being needy. You’d never imagined Donatello being the kind of person to be needy with the one he likes. You felt him nuzzle closer to you. It looked adorable. For a few minutes you let him lean on you.

“We should get back to the others.” You said, standing up.

When you arrived back where the other were sitting you heard them talking with each other with hushed voices.

“There they are.” April whispered and you looked down ashamed. Donatello noticed.

“I was just joking.” He then proclaimed. The others didn’t look convinced. “You know me, Donatello, always the funny one. But I see my jestering didn’t get through to you. So, I’ll reiterate: me and (y/n) are not dating.” Mickey was the first one to react and speak up.

“Ha…haha, okay you got us there Donnie, uh- you two wanna sit back down?” You did, the rest of the evening went by with Donnie not once mentioning you or your relationship. April still teased you about it, when you walked out of the lair.

——-

It had been an uneventful day for you. It was getting dark as you walked back to your apartment. You decided to take the short route through the park next to your complex. As you had made it almost half way through you felt yourself being pulled into the nearby bushes. You wanted to scream and hit whoever had the nerve to touch you, but as you looked up you saw Donatello. He pushed you down by your shoulders so you laid on the grass.

“Alright, we should have some privacy here.” He said, kneeling down in between your legs.

“Huh? For what?” you asked.

“What do you think, we’re gonna have se-“ “-HEY, HEY, WHA-“ “Shhh, be quiet, do you want someone to find us?” He put his hand over your mouth. “Mhh.” Was all you could say. You had forgotten how strong he was, pulling at his arm to get his hand off your face was impossible for you. His other hand slowly went under your shirt. Tears began to fill your eyes. As he leaned over you, he saw your watery eyes and his widened.

“Are you cryin-“  In that moment both your hand came flying to his face from either side. He flinched back sitting up, you did the same and pushed at his shoulders to throw him off completely. You scrambled back.

“Are you insane?” you yelled at him.

“That’s what I want to ask. It’s fine, as long as the other are not here, right?”

“NO!” you sat down in front of him. “Why would you think it’s okay to do this- and in the bushes, at that.”

“We’re dating, let me at least do that.” He looked at you bewildered.

“If you want to do something like…that. You have to get consent from both parties involved!”

“Then give me consent.”

“No! Donnie, you’re being selfish! Kissing me without my input, wanting to have sex with me without my permission, you can’t do that, that’s not love! All you do is stuff you want, without thinking about my feelings first, wanting me all to yourself…it’s just selfish possession!”

You took a breath, you wanted him to realize this baby-duck-stuff on his own, but he was being an idiot. You had no other option than to tell him. Now he would get what a huge dimwit he’d been.

“Okay…I won’t kiss you until you agree, I won’t touch you until you agree and I won’t have sex with you until you agree.” He stood up, looking down to you. That’s not how you planned this at all. He reached his hand out to you and you flinched lightly.

“Come on, I said I won’t do anything.” He came down to your level. “Promise.” He held out his hand again and you shook it. You two were still dating.

—–

After your little incident in the park, Donatello kept his promise of not touching you.

For about a week your life got back to normal, you almost forgot about the whole dating thing.

Almost. You felt that he was unsatisfied with your arrangement. He tried not to show it, but his mood showed that he was frustrated. Today, the group had planned to have a movie night in the lair, when you and April arrived the boys already sat in the living room, except for Donnie. As you sat down on the couch, Leo came up to you.

“You’ll love this movie, (y/n), I picked it out with you in mind.” He slung his arm around your shoulder.

“Wow, now I’m actually excited to know, what you think it is I like.” You laughed lightly. Suddenly the atmosphere in the room changed, from light and happy to absolutely murderous. When you looked back, Donnie was standing in the doorway, with a dangerous look on his face. His face was twisted into a scowl. You stood up, walking towards him, taking his wrist in your hand, you pulled him to the side.

“That was just a friendly interaction, Donnie.”

“I didn’t say anything.” Suddenly you heard Leo giggling quietly. When you glanced at him, he was whispering something in Aprils ear, while looking at you.

“We’re not dating, Nardo!” Donnie said. “Come on, you’re making (y/n) uncomfortable.” Leonardo looked surprised then made eye contact with you.

“Sorry, we’ll stop.” You nodded, looking back at Donnie with one eyebrow raised.

“You do know that you were the one who told them in the first place, right?”

“I’m aware.” He looked sad. You wrecked your brain for a way to cheer him up.

“Donnie, after the movie…do you want to go grab a coffee with me?” His eyes widened and he looked at you.

“You…you don’t mind?”

“I’m totally fine with that, that’s why I asked.” You smiled at him.

“…yeah…yeah, I’ll get coffee with you.” He said quietly, holding his hand in front of his face to hide the blush. Your mouth opened in surprise, Donnie was overcome with joy and was trying to hide it. His blushing face was adorable.

After the movie ended you and Donnie began your walk to the nearest coffeeshop. He was wearing his hoodie, so he could hide his face. You were in thought. Donnie had protected you. Sure, it was just from his brother, but it made you happy. Maybe continuing to date him was a bad idea.

As you opened the door you heard a bell chime, Donnie and you ordered some coffee. As you waited a few feet away from the counter you looked at him. He was looking at you, his hood darkening his features while his eyes were half lidden.

“You kind of look like a dog right now.” You said smiling, your hand reaching out to pat his head.

“I’m a turtle…” he answered, looking away from you blushing.

———–

You sat in Donnies Lab on a chair, he had put in there just for you. You were on your phone just scrolling, Donnie tinkering with one of his newest inventions. You were getting kind of bored and got up, deciding to get something to drink. When you were almost out the door you felt something tuck on the back of your shirt, you turned. It was Donnie, he had stood up and held on to your shirt with his hand. When he realized what he’d done he let go, looking away.

“Sorry.” He just mumbled. You looked at his face, it was slightly red. You turned and walked up to him.

“Donnie, if you want attention, you can just ask.” You told him.

“I wasn’t thinking that.” He answered, sitting back on his chair. You did the same, rolling your chair up to his.

“But I was wondering…do you have any experience in this kind of area?” He looked at you.

“What area? Like…like that?” He frowned.

“No…just dating-stuff.”

“No, not dating.” You contemplated for a few seconds. “But I had crushes before, like that one guy in Kindergarten…” you twirled your chair, coming to a stop with you facing away from him.

He dropped his head on your shoulder then.

“Donnie?” you asked slowly looking at him.

“I love you…I love you…I love you (y/n)!” You felt his face scrunch up.

“I thought that if I started dating you this weird feeling inside me would go away, but no such luck. I’d hoped that if I make you mine physically, I’d settle down, but I guess not.”

And you realized when he said that, that he was absolutely and utterly serious about you. You did something horrible by agreeing to dating him. This whole thing wasn’t a misunderstanding of his affection for you. He truly and desperately wants you. You were the one with the wrong idea, you were the idiot, you had no intention of accepting these strong feelings from him. You couldn’t do this to him anymore, it was horrible.

“Donatello!” You turned around, facing him. “I…I can’t date you anymore!” you said grabbing his arms. His face went from shock to sadness.

“Why…” he began, his voice quiet. “-would you say that? If you’re not satisfied with-“

“No!” you interrupted him. “It’s not that, I actually didn’t agree to dating you because I liked you-“

“(Y/n).”

“-or because I could grow to like you. I also didn’t do it to be nice-“

“(Y/n)!” He said a little louder, you stopped talking.

“You agreed to dating me because I’m your friend and it would’ve been annoying for you if I was constantly begging you to date me. You decided you would just do it, until I’m satisfied.” You blinked.

“How…”

“Yeah, duh, I already knew that, you know I’m a genius, right? Don’t underestimate my deduction skills. (Y/n), I just didn’t care. I wanted to make you mine through any means possible. So, I know all this so please-“ he looked at you with pleading eyes. “-don’t break up with me.”

“Donnie, I can’t give you anything.”

“I’m saying it’s fine, it’s enough for me to know that I’m the one closest to you.” Your stomach churned.

“Please, stay by my side.” He was wearing this unbearable expression of worry and sadness. It didn’t fit his character at all, his cockiness and narcissism gone. Because of you. You rushed to hug him.

“Okay Donnie, we won’t break up, I’ll try to fall for you, so please-“pulling back you took his face in your hands. “-don’t make that face.” He averted his eyes but kept a small smile.

“…kay.” He just said, looking at you again. He then leaned in closer, stopping a few inches from your face.

“Can I?” Your eyes widened, Donatello asked for permission. This is a whole new problem. You couldn’t really refuse him.

“Yes, but, slowly please, and no more than kissing.” You said closing your eyes. Donatello looked at you, face flushed, eyes closed, fully trusting him. If he could fall any harder for you, he would. Instead, he leaned in all the way, closing the gap. His lips were warm against yours. As he pulled away, both of you looked each other in the eyes, blushing.

——-

“I’ll try to fall for you” is what you said, but how does one even begin to try to fall in love with someone? You didn’t know, and the internet wasn’t giving you any answers either. You would just try harder, yeah, that sounded like a good plan. You were sat on a bench in the same park that Donatello so gracefully pulled you into the bushes that one night. It was getting dark, just like last time. You were waiting for him. He was supposed to meet you here, to have a coffee date. That’s one thing you started doing with him regularly, you met, talked for a bit and said goodbye with him asking for a kiss. Up until now everything was really easy.

“Hey.” Donatello was making his way to you and he plopped down on the bench.

“Hi, Donnie. I got your coffee right here.” You held the cup up, he grabbed it.

“Thanks.” You sat like that for a minute before you decided to lay your head on his shoulder. Donnie jumped slightly looking down at you. He didn’t move and the both of you lingered like that. But then you decided to grab his hand and hold it in yours. He then lightly shoved you off.

“What are you doing?” you asked him, but seeing his annoyed expression you shut up.

“Don’t force yourself, dummie, just because we are officially dating now, doesn’t mean we have to do couple things.” He tried to explain himself.

“No, but if you are serious about me, then I will be serious about dating you. I told you I would try my best!” You were irritated, it seemed that Donnie didn’t believe in you.

“That’s a nice gesture, but in actuality it is me who has to put in labor, you don’t have to do anything.”

You didn’t understand why he wanted to put work in all by himself, he almost never worked alone. His brothers almost always beside him. So why would he insist on it with you. He should trust that you’ll fall for him eventually.

“I don’t want to leave it all up to you.” You said. “Donnie, I want to fall in love with you, too.”

There was silence between you for a second before he spoke again.

“No way!”

“Why not?”

“Just sit there quietly and date me.”

“Donnie, don’t ignore my feelings!” When you said that he hesitated.

Donnie knew that it was impossible to force feelings, no matter how much work someone put into trying. And since he lacked any kind of confidence that you’d eventually fall for him too, of course he didn’t understand why you’d force yourself. You looked at him with sad eyes and started to mumble.

“Don’t you want to hold my hand?” He blushed at that and grumbled slightly, holding out his hand. You took it smiling and laid your head back on his shoulder. After a few minutes you spoke again.

“You were so adamant about the no couple-stuff. But is it possible you’re just embarrassed?” It was funny seeing him so flustered just to hold hands, since you two kissed before.

“You’ve got no self-preservation, (y/n). You do remember me jumping you? In this park to be exact.” You let out a huff. You grabbed his hand tighter to reassure him.

“Yeah, I remember, but you won’t do that again, because you promised.”

You two sat like that for some time, until both of you realized how late it was and decided to head home. After you stood up and said goodbye to each other his hand came up to your face, stopping before touching you and he made eye contact.

“May I kiss you?”

“You may.” You giggled. He smiled, his hand caressed your cheek and he leaning in for a quick kiss.

——-

You were standing in the kitchen, looking for some food when your phone started vibrating in your pocket. You leaned against the counter pulling it out. Donatellos name flashed on the screen. You put the phone up to your ear.

“Hey, Donnie, what’s up?” You weren’t expecting his call.

“Greetings, I was just wondering if you were doing anything tonight?” Donnies voice was excited, but you could tell he was trying to sound cool and collected.

“No. I didn’t plan anything. I was just about to make some food.” You answered, opening another cabinet, looking inside.

“Well, cease that action.” You closed the cabinet-door. “I wanted to ask you if you’d like to go for dinner at Run-of-the-Mill Pizza, just the two of us. If you want. Of course.” You smiled, that’s why he sounded so nervous.

“A date with Othello von Ryan. How could I say no to that.” You chuckled and heard a scoff on the other end of the line.

“Your insolence is high today I see.” You could hear the grin on his face.  “I’m gonna be there in 10.”

As you expected, exactly 10 minutes after you hung up there was a knock on the door. You made your way out and walked with him for a few minutes before stepping into a dimly lit alley. You then stepped through the entry portal that was hidden behind a graffiti mural. You sat down in one of the booths and ordered a big pizza to share. While waiting you made small conversation, landing on the time he fought the purple dragons.

“-and then these buffoons stole all of my Tech to use for their evil doings!” Donnie was gesturing wildly, obviously still mad at the small club for using his Technology that way.

“I kind of get it, you know?” you said looking thoughtful. “Your Tech is really amazing!” You looked at him. “I mean, you built so much cool stuff in your Lab, even creating artificial intelligence.” He stared at you for a second then he sprouted a cocky grin.

“Are you hitting on me, (y/n)?” You blushed but then rolled your eyes.

“Okay, you know what, forget I said anything.” Crossing your arms you leaned back against the cushion, smiling.

“No, no, go on, I’d love to hear more about this cool stuff I create.” His arrogance skyrocketing. You tried to jab back.

“Don’t get cocky with me von Ryan!” you said leaning in, poking his chest with your finger. He let you push him back against the backrest. He looked at you through half lidden eyes.

“Sure, we better not start something you can’t finish.” He shrugged smugly.

“Oh, you little-“ you were about to say, but the waiter came to your table with your Pizza.

The rest of the date was really calm. After you had finished the food, Donnie took out his purple wallet and paid for the both of you. When you looked like you wanted to interject, he held up a hand, saying that he had invited you, so he would pay. You got up and he walked you back to your apartment. Standing in front of your door, you opened it, looking back at him.

“I had fun today.” You spoke. He looked at you with adoration. You started to redden under his intense gaze.

“Me too.” He averted his eyes then looking at the floor. You knew what he wanted to ask.

“You can kiss me goodbye, Donnie, we always do.” You said softly. His eyes met yours again and he smiled, coming closer, his hand coming up to the back of your neck, pulling you up very slowly and giving you the gentlest of kisses. You closed your eyes. When both of you pulled away Donnies face was flushed. He said goodbye and hurried away. You stood in the doorway for a minute trying to get your bearing. Something was wrong with your stomach, it felt like the Pizza inside you was doing pirouettes.

——-

“Come on…come on…Piece of-“ your hand came down on top of your TV, which at the moment only showed static. You really just wanted to wind down with your favorite show, but you stupid TV had foiled your plans. You had a rough day, your patience thin, you really didn’t need this right now. You groaned falling back, laying on the floor. You contemplated to just go to bed, but you weren’t tired at all and you really didn’t wanna miss an episode. You put your hands over your eyes, you knew who to call, and you knew that he would drop everything to help you.

You felt bad calling him over just to fix your TV, but you decided if he wasn’t busy saving New York, he could spend his time saving you.

Donatello was sitting next to your TV, with cables everywhere. He was making his in-absolute-concentration-face. You were just sitting next to him, having no idea what Donnie was doing. After about 5 minutes of him just pulling and re-plugging cables he took a step back admiring his work, looking satisfied.

“Alright, I found the problem, if this should happen again- which it should not, but- look, you just need to take this blue cable and connect it to this one, I rearranged them so it’d be easier for you.” You looked at the cables, it really was easier to see what belonged where. You were impressed. When Donnie connected the blue cable, the TV sprang back to live, your show coming on screen.

“Woah! Thank you so much Donnie!” you shouted. “You’re the best!” You jumped on him hugging him tightly. After a moment you realized his body had gone stiff as a board and you pulled back fast. Donnie was looking at you with wide eyes. You felt bad.

“Oh shit, Donnie, I touched you without both of us agreeing, I’m sorry.” Donnies eyes seemed to focus then and he shook his head.

“No, please.” He pulled you back into him, hugging you tighter. “It’s alright!” There was urgency in his voice. “You don’t have to ask. I was just shocked you initiated it.” He tried explaining. You put your arms up and around his neck. You stayed like this for a while, hugging while sitting on the floor.

You were pulled out of your moment together when Donatellos Wrist-gauntlet started to beep. Donnie groaned pulling away slightly and answered the call.

“Don, where are you, we have a mission, Bro!” you heard Mickeys voice. Donnie let go of you then and began walking towards the window.

“I’ll be right with you, I had to take care of something.” He then pressed something on the screen and the call ended. He turned to you.

“Got to go, see you later. Have fun watching your show.” You walked up to him.

“Thank again, bye and be careful.” You said, while leaning up. He immediately leaned down too and you kissed each other goodbye.

——

Donnie didn’t know what to do, he was dating you, but he wanted more. So much more… But you, being the nice person that you were, were just indulging him. You didn’t love him, he knew that, he didn’t know how to proceed.  

He needed to talk to someone about it.

“Raph?” he walked into Raphaels room. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“Sure, Donnie, what’s up?” Raph sat on his bed, one leg hanging off.

“Do you remember when I said that me dating (y/n) was a joke?” he asked.

“Yeah?” Raph furrowed his brows.

“It wasn’t a joke.” Donnie looked to the floor. Raphs lip twitched.

“No way. Really. I never would have guessed.” Donnie looked up at his brother.

“But Raph, I want (y/n) to look only at me, is that weird?” he said sitting down next to him.

“No? I don’t think so.” He answered.

“So…is it normal to want to tie them up, lock them away, somewhere where no one can find them? And if someone finds them beat the crap out of that person for getting too close? I was told that those feelings are just possessiveness, not real love.” Raph listened intently, but seeing his brothers fearful expression, he had to smile.

“So why not do it?” He asked. Donnie looked puzzled. “Why not lock them up, beat others up?”

“No…Raph, they’d just get really sad and probably cry, so I’d rather see them smiling, than doing any of that stuff.” As Donnie finished saying that, Raph laughed.

“Brother, you have nothing to worry about, you’re fine. And listen, if they are dating you, they have to at least like you right?” Donnie stood up, walking to the door.

“Yeah, thanks, Raph!”

He went to his Room, laying on his own bed, his thoughts wandered to you again, like every minute of everyday it seemed. He decided to text you.

‘What are you doing?’ you read as you sat down on your bed. It was Donnie, you grinned.

‘Just got out of the shower.’ You wrote back. You sat your phone down but it immediately pinged again.

‘What a turn on.” You chuckled, to think Donnie would ever utter such words.

‘You must really like me, huh?’ You answered keeping the phone in your hand, expecting an immediate reply, but it didn’t come. You waited some more, deciding to get ready for bed. After an hour of him not replying you went to sleep.

You’re woken up by your phone pinging on your night table.  You reached for it, reading the message.

‘I’m crazy about you.’

You felt your stomach flip and you smiled, realizing that, the smile vanished.

“What am I so happy for?” you didn’t know what to write back, so you just fell back asleep.

——

It was the perfect rainy and cold weather for a lazy day playing video games in the lair. It was your turn to play and you went against April. The others cheering. After April beat you embarrassingly hard you decided to just sit on the couch and watch, sitting between Leo and Donnie.

“Man, I really need to practice.” You grumbled.  

“You’ll get there, April beats all of as at this game, except for Mickey.” Leo said, patting your shoulder reassuringly. You breathed out a laugh. When you looked to your other side you saw how Donnie was sitting, very straight, not one part of his body touching you. He had his eyebrows furrowed and when he saw you looking at him, he quickly averted his eyes.

“You good Bro?” Even Leo had noticed his brothers weirdness. Donnie began to sweat.  

“Yeah! What? Yeah! I’m just sitting here, with my friends, my just-friends, my Bros…my Buddies.” He was avoiding any eye contact, looking at anything in the room but you two. He finished off his blabbering with pumping his fist against your shoulder. “Right, friend?” He forced a smile. Leo and you just stared at him. He was acting very weird and you had an idea why. You told him to hide your relationship in front of the others, but he was trying too hard. You needed to talk to him.

“Leo, would you excuse us, I need to talk to my friend, here.” Leo just nodded and followed you with his eyes as you walked out the room with Donnie. In the hallway you turned back to him.

“Donnie, what are you doing? I know I said hide our relationship in front of the other, but geez.” He looked at you with guilt in his eyes.

“I know, I’m sorry, I was just trying to disguise it as friendship, but I guess I overcompensated.” His arm came up to rub his neck. He was nervous. “I just want to be close to you all the time and it’s hard to hold back.”

“Listen, Don, we’ve been friends before all this ‘relationship’-stuff, so just act like normal, like my friend Donatello. You can touch me. I just meant no kissing and hugging and stuff.” You smiled trying to calm his nerves. His eyes began to lighten up.

“That’s good to know, I really didn’t know what to do.” He smiled sheepishly. You swung your arm around his and walked him back to the living room.

——

You walked into the lair not knowing what to expect, Donnie had texted you and had asked if you had time to come over. He had mentioned wanting to discuss something with you. You looked around the room not seeing anyone.

“Donnie?” you called out, hearing crashing and some curses, before Donnie came out of his Lab. You walked up to him and gave him a quick hug.

“So, what was it you wanted to discuss with me?” you asked following him to his room after he made the hand motion to come with him. He sat down on his bed and you did the same. He was fidgeting with his hands before looking at you.

“I want to ask for something, but if you don’t want to, it’s totally fine.” He said, his voice unsure. You just nodded so he continued.

“I know, I’ve been asking a lot of you, and I should be fine with what you give me, so feel free to decline, but I wanted to ask if you would like to…um, I-“ he began to stutter. You grabbed his hand to reassure him.

“It’s okay, Donnie, talk to me.” You smiled at him. He smiled back looking relieved.

“I’ve been craving your touch a lot lately and I thought maybe we could…cuddle?” you blinked, not saying anything for a few seconds. Donnie face turned nervous again.

“Ah, I knew it was too much to ask, forget I said anything.” He smiled at you giving your hand a squeeze. Your stomach whirled. Was it okay for you two to just snuggle? Couples do that all the time. And you weren’t really against it. Donnie, always against physical touch. It was funny how he totally threw that out the window with you. You felt kind of happy about that.

“Okay.” You just said. Donnie paused, confused, he never thought you’d actually agree to this.

“Are you sure?” No, you weren’t. If felt like you were overstepping some line and once you would cross it, there would be no turning back. But you ignored the feeling and took his other hand, so you were holding both.

“Yeah, let’s do it. Where do you want me?” you questioned him, and he looked at his bed.

“Uh, just lay down in front of me, I guess.” So, you did, you laid down on your side. He laid down behind you, his arms coming around your waist.

“Is this okay?” you felt his arm hoovering over your body, not yet touching you.

“Yes.” Your face started to heat up after he dropped his arm and snuggled close to you. His face at the back of your neck. You felt his breath on your skin. You suppressed a shudder. This felt nice, cozy even. You just laid there snuck against his plastron, breathing calmly. You closed your eyes. You could fall asleep like this. Warm and comfortable, this felt so natural to do with him, you were amazed.

You woke up, you were confused for a second, not knowing where you were, this wasn’t your room. But then you felt arms around you and you remembered. Donnie had asked you to cuddle. You had fallen asleep.

“You woke up.” Donnies soft voice came from behind you, he sounded like he was smiling. You rubbed your eyes.

“How long was I out?”

“About half an hour.”

“Oh.” You just said, in your tired state you snuggled closer to him. You heard his breath hitch. Then he loosened his grip on you.

“Thank you for this.” He spoke, very softly shaking your shoulder. “But my family will be here soon.”

You slowly opened your eyes again, sitting up. He was right, you did not want the others to see this. Why didn’t you want that again? You got up and stretched, then turning to face Donatello.

“I should go then.” You spoke quietly. He looked up at you.

“Yeah. Thanks again, for doing this.” You smiled at him bending down, giving him a quick peck.

“You’re welcome. Uh…see you later, right?” you asked timidly. Why were you so nervous all of a sudden.

“Yeah.” He answered with a woozy smile.

——-

 You sat on your sofa, you were waiting for April, she had asked you to help her with something. Apparently, she snatched an interview with some boss from a company that she deemed ‘super-duper-suspicious’, and you had to come with her. You didn’t mind, it was a good distraction from all the Donnie-drama.

Then you heard a knock. April is early? But you realized the knocking didn’t come from the door, but the window. You walked up seeing Donnie hovering in font of your window. You opened it up.

“Donnie? What are you doing here?” you asked.

“What do you mean? It’s time for our coffee-date, like always?” he looked confused. Shit. He was right, you totally forgot to call off your meeting. You felt horrible.

“Oh, Donnie, I’m sorry, I have to help April, I forgot to tell you, I can’t today.” His expression became sad then.

“What about later, then? He asked. You thought for a minute, you didn’t know how long the interview would go on, but you were sure you’d be exhausted when you’d be back home.

“…No, sorry, I don’t think I can make it.”

“Oh.” You could tell he was disappointed, but trying not to show it. Your stomach sank, he was making that expression again, the one you couldn’t stand to look at.

“Well, I’ll see you later then and be careful.” He started to fly off, when you grabbed his arm.

“Ah- I just, don’t make that face, Donnie. Is there a way I can make you feel better?”

You wanted to make him feel better, you did. He had just asked for some kissing. But it had turned into a full on make out session. The way he was kissing you against the living room wall made you weak in the knees. He was too good at this.

“Donnie.” You whispered. Pulling back a little. “April is going to be here any minute.”

“Just a little more.” He answered, his face serious. “Are you okay with that?”

“Yeah…okay.” And he immediately leaned back down, kissing you again. His hands had taken your wrist and pushed them down next to your head. His grip on you was strong, you realized. It kind of hurt. Then you felt his tongue against your lips, you gasped surprised. His tongue then slid inside your mouth. It felt amazing and you whined against his lips. After you heard the noise you’d made, you started to freak out but you didn’t want to push him away either. You agreed to kissing him, but now your heart beat so fast and loud you heard it in your ears. You began to tear up. What was going on with you. Donatello pulled away then.

“I love you.” He huffed, but after realizing that you were crying, he withdrew his hands from you. Then he saw his Handprints on your skin, he took a step back from you, ashamed.

“No.” he said, his voice desperate. “I forced you again.”

“What? No, Donnie, we both agreed to this!” But he shook his head.

“Damn it, I want to treat you gently, it’s like I lose myself every time I touch you.”  Donnie knew why you were crying. You grimace told the whole story of you wanting to return his feelings but couldn’t. He forced you into this relationship, and he was beginning to regret it. In that moment the back of your hand tapped his chest.

“I didn’t agree to kissing you, to make you feel bad, you know? Don’t get in your head.”

He looked like he wanted to say something but a knocking on the door had you both looking to the entrance. It was April. You ushered Donnie out of the Window.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” You said, pecking his cheek, closing the window and opening the door.

—–

You laid in your bed with your face in the pillow. You had to organize your emotions and feelings. That was the task you wanted to achieve today.

You knew you liked Donnie, in the sense that his feelings were important enough to you to not ignore them. You also wanted to protect him. But you weren’t sure if that counts as romantic feelings. The fluttering in your stomach and your raised heartbeat could just be your nervousness.

This whole thing was taking a toll on you, even April commented on the dark rings under your eyes. You were worrying about returning Donnies feelings constantly, so much so that some nights you couldn’t sleep. Was it even possible to fall in love trough hard work, you’ve never heard of it.

“Shiiiiiiit.” You felt tears on your cheeks.

Maybe you could stop trying and let it come naturally, Donnie was smart, charismatic and for you he tried to be really considerate. But you wanted your love to come as fast as possible, to make him feel better, you didn’t want to cause him any more pain. But for that to work you’d have to fall for him, and you wanted to, but you’ve never been in love before and you didn’t know what to feel, this wasn’t like that kid in your kindergarten at all.

Wait.

You wanted to get you mind in order. You tried again.

If you’d confess your feelings for Donnie and he would recognize that your feelings weren’t real, he would make that awful face again, which scared you.

You did not want to hurt him, because he was important to you. You liked him. Yes, you did. If it’s romantic you weren’t sure, but you wanted to let him know these feelings that you had.

You wiped the tears from your eyes and began running, grabbing your jacket you made your way to the lair.

You excitedly climbing down the stairs. You wanted to tell Donatello about your feelings as fast as possible. You were almost all the way down, when your excitement caused you to lose footing and fall down. You hit the ground, but feeling no pain you looked down, seeing you fell onto Donnie himself. You got up, now sitting on top of him.

“Donnie!” you shouted. “Just the guy I wanted to see.” He groaned, holding his head.

“You need to be more careful when you climb the ladder, ow.” But you didn’t care about that at this moment.

“I have to tell you something!” you said eagerly. He just laid there, peering up at you.

“I want to tell you that I li-“ You were interrupted by Donnie pushing you off of him, when you got up again to ask him why he did that you saw his brothers coming in.

“They are gonna see.” Donnie whispered to you. You clenched your teeth. You were the one who told him that, you knew. But the rules were unimportant right now. His brothers came up to you.

“Hey guys.” Leo said. “What’re you doing on the floor?” You stopped to think, maybe confessing your feelings to Donnie in front of his brothers wasn’t such a good idea. You searched for an exit.

“We wanted to buy some coffee. You guys want anything?” you asked.

“Sure.” Raph spoke up. “I’ll get a-“ But you didn’t listen to the 3 boys telling you their order, you just looked at Donnie, he was eying you suspiciously.

“Yeah, yeah, okay, got it, we’ll be going then, won’t be long, buh-bye now!” you got up, pulling Donnie with you.

You two were walking the street toward the coffee-shop. Donnie looked at you from the side. He saw your dark circles under and the redness around your eyes. You had been crying again and now you wanted to tell him something. He had a bad feeling about this.

You came to a stop in front of the big store window and peeked inside. There were a lot of people. So many in fact, that you both decided you would go in alone to get the coffee, so people wouldn’t see Donatello. Which was okay for you, you could wait a few minutes before confessing to him.

As you waited in line you glanced outside. Donnie was leaning against a lamppost scrolling on his phone. You smiled. All of a sudden you felt a hand brush your butt. You froze, did you imagine that? Then you felt it again, this time the hand was slightly groping your ass. Instead of fighting back like you had thought your body would do in this situation, he betrayed you, completely freezing up. You thought of Donnie, but you couldn’t let him be seen. Shit. You were scared, terrified. This didn’t feel right, you tried to will your body to move. Your eyes started to burn and you blinked, feeling tears escape. When you heard the guy behind you pant, you lost it, you fought your stupor and rushed out of the building. You heard Donnie calling your name, but your mind was in fight or flight, and since you didn’t fight the guy, you ran.

It didn’t take long for Donnie to catch up to you. You still made it all the way to the park, where you and Donnie always drank your coffee. He pulled you back.

“(Y/n), Hey! What’s going on?” Your eyes darted in his direction unseeing. You were in a state of pure panic. Donatello understanding that, sprang into action. Pulling you down to sit on a bench he spoke to you in a calm voice.

“(y/n), you are currently having a panic attack.” He started. Rubbing circles on your back.  “I want you to know that whatever scared you is no longer here, you are safe. I understand that you are frightened, but I need you to try and breathe.” He helped you by taking some inhales and exhales together with you. After a few minutes you had calmed down enough for him to get an explanation out of you.

“-and then I heard him pant behind me and I just ran away.” Donnie couldn’t believe what he had heard. He would search for the security camera footage, he would find that guy, he would hunt him down, and he would kill him for touching you. Seeing his plotting-face you gently touched his arm.

“Don’t do anything stupid, Donnie, I can’t see you when you’re in jail.” You laughed. But Donatello was confused.

“Why didn’t you call out to me. I could’ve helped you, you know? I would’ve stomped that guy into the ground for touching you.” You blinked at him.

“I couldn’t.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Donnie, people would have seen you!” Donnie stared at you perplexed.

“Who cares about that while their being harassed?” You began to cry again.

“I DO! When he touched me, I thought about you, but I couldn’t risk you being exposed. And what if you hit him, the police would’ve been called, you’d be found out, you’d go to jail and it’d be all my fault.” You wailed. “When I realized that I stopped myself from calling out to you. You being uncovered, that’s even scarier.”

Donnie had listened to you intently. His hands were balled to fists.

“You know, ever since we started dating, all you have done is cry.” You looked down. He continued.

“I don’t understand it, it’s my first time after all. Loving someone this much. Wanting them all to myself. Wanting to cherish them. Wanting them to smile more. Wanting to change who I am for them.” He took a breath. “Earlier, if it were April or Sunita with you, you would have asked them to help, right?” He began to grin humorlessly. “I can’t even protect you, all I do is make you cry and force you into things and then wind up hurting you myself. I’m the worst.”

He got up from the bench then. You kept looking down.

“I’ll break up with you.” Your eyes widened. “For making you go out with me and for falling in love with you, I’m sorry.” Your brain didn’t compete what he had said. As he took his first step away from you, you heard voices coming closer. Leo, Mickey and Raph were making their way towards you.

“What are you doing here?” Donnie said, he really didn’t feel like talking with them at the moment.

“You told us it won’t be long, that was an hour ago!” Mickey said, worry in his tone. Right, you wanted to bring them all coffee, you totally forgot.

“There was an incident at the coffee-shop.” Donatello said. He looked down at you again, but you didn’t react to anything. He sighed.

“Let’s go home. (y/n) wants to be alone right now.” He ushered his brothers away, wanting you to have some time to yourself.

It all came crashing down on you. Donatello just dumped you, deciding to do that all on his own again. You wanted to go after him. But you hesitated. Maybe it was the best for both of you.

You bend over and laid your arms and head on your knees. Your eyes fell on a purple leather wallet on the floor. Wasn’t that Donatellos? You had seen it when he bought the Pizza. You picked it up and opened it. A piece of paper fell out. You reached for it folding it up. You read what was written on the little note, you breath hitched.

·       don’t get mad when they talk to others.

·       Hide that we’re dating

·       Don’t touch them in front of the others

·       Don’t touch them until we both agree

He wrote down the promises he made with you. The piece of paper looked worn and crumbled. It was proof that Donatello had read and reread and reread them over and over. You were sure that in moments where he didn’t know what to do, he vowed to at least hold these promises.

Your stomach fluttered and your heart beat faster. These two things happening a lot lately. You thought it was just nervousness, but you finally got it. It wasn’t nervousness at all.

Donatello, he’s an idiot, he’s narcissistic, he stubborn, he’s cocky, he’s arrogant, he’s a pain in the ass…But you didn’t want to lose him. Thoughts rushed inside your head. You were scared that whatever you were feeling wasn’t romantic, and when you thought about it, it wasn’t typical romance at all. The way you felt so comfortable with him and the way he would touch you making you weak. It wasn’t just a crush. What you were feeling for Donatello was love!

You got up wanting to run after him.

“Dona-“ you stumbled over your feet, falling down. You panicked.

“NOOO!” you screamed. Donnie turned around.

“I don’t care about protection and I don’t care about crying because of you, I don’t care, you make me feel safe, and you make me smile way more than you make me cry. Those are all part that I love about you!” You cried louder. He started racing in your direction.

“Don’t go!” he ran faster.

“Stay!” almost there.

“Stay by my side!” he finally reached you and he fell to his knees hugging you.

“I won’t leave, I’ll stay with you.” He panted. You hugged him tighter. Suddenly he stirred.

“Wait, you love me? Why didn’t you say anything?” He questioned you.

“I know, I just realized today! That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” You pulled back a little. Seeing his troubled expression, you smiled softly. “I’m sorry I made you wait, Donnie.” He blushed hugging you again.

“Aww, isn’t this just cute.” You heard Raph say from further away. Donnie pulled back then, holding you by your shoulder an armlength away, rubbing his eyes.

“Shit, sorry.” He started to say but you interrupted him with crashing your lips on his. After you pulled back you looked at his flushed face.

“Forget about the stuff you got written down. Instead- never ever let me go again!” Donnie began to smile, then he held out his hand.

“Promise.” He said as you shook his hand.

me joining hellfire just bc I think Eddie is hot but have no idea what dnd is

imagine katakuri resting his large head on your lap while you scratch his scalp like he's a big cat 💜

Kiss, Marry, Kill: Part 1/2 (LA!Buggy the Clown x F!Reader)

Summary: In which Buggy overhears a private conversation and uses that knowledge against you. Pairing: LA!Buggy the Clown x F!Reader Rating: Semi-explicit. Word Count: ~3k (of 5.3k) Warnings: Clown abuse, strong language, incorrect use of a straight razor.

Never had you on my mind Now you're there all the time Never knew what I missed until I kissed ya

---

By all accounts, Buggy should be having a great time. There's food, alcohol, gambling... hell, there's even a swimming pool. Not that he can partake, but he can live vicariously.

Instead, he's got a whole school of shark eyes trained on him as he sits on a stool next to Arlong's throne. This water park sucks.

He's not chained up or anything. The threat of a couple dozen sets of teeth ripping into him is reason enough to sit perfectly still, keep his mouth shut, and try to look as small as possible. No sudden movements, no change in expression, no—

"Kiss the clown, marry the waiter, kill Pink Hair."

Buggy sits bolt upright and looks around. Who the hell said that?

Arlong doesn't even deign to look at him. "Hear something?"

Clear. Crisp. With a little bit of an accent, maybe. He's heard it somewhere recently, but where?

Certainly not here. It was a woman's voice, and Arlong Park is a bit of a sausage party at the moment. Not that he can tell on sight with fishpeople.

"Answer me, clown," Arlong rumbles.

He forgets who he's talking to for a moment. "Eavesdropping's an art," he snaps. "You can't rush art."

Big mistake. Arlong responds with a low, wet growl. "It's been three days. My patience is running thin."

Quiet chatter. The clinking of silverware. Someone chewing with their mouth open. The little pirates are at a restaurant, it seems.

He relays this to Arlong. He's less than pleased. He enunciates every word to show his teeth. "Care to be more specific?"

A shudder crawls up the back of Buggy's neck. He takes a swig of his drink to cover it. He places his fingers over his remaining ear, straining.

"You're shitting me." That voice he recognizes. The redhead. The one who ruined his show. The one Arlong's so interested in. Nadi? Nani? Noni?

The other woman speaks. "Nami, you rejected him," she says. "Girl Code only applies if you were dating."

Nami. That's her, the conniving little bitch. "No, not the waiter. I mean you'd seriously kiss the clown? He nearly killed us."

He'd recognize Rubber Boy's voice anywhere, the little shitheel. "And his nose would get in the way."

The mystery woman speaks up again. "That's nothing new. I’ve smacked noses with plenty of guys."

Okay, that narrows it down. It’s not the redhead, it can't be Rubber Boy or the bounty hunter, so that leaves...

...you. Of course it's you. How could he forget you? You're the only one who laughed at Axe-Hand Moron. Granted, it was more like a snnrrrk and you immediately clapped your hand over your mouth, eyes wide with horror, but it was a laugh all the same.

And in that moment, he knew he liked you. Bad sense of humor. Cute smile. A little bashful. He appreciates that. Sure, you helped humiliate him not an hour after the fact, but all's fair in love and piracy.

"Look, I'm not saying it’s a good idea," you continue, "but sometimes you gotta live dangerously."

The bounty hunter speaks, dry and droll. "Storms are dangerous. Bar fights are dangerous. You're just insane."

"Oh, c'mon, you're not seriously gonna hold Fu..." You pause. "Kiss Marry Kill answers against me."

So that's what's going on. "They're just chattering like they always are," he says to Arlong.

Arlong does not like that answer. He snatches Buggy up by the neck, lifting him clear off the ground with only one hand.

"Wait! Wait wait wait! They're still talking! I might have something!" He kicks and struggles, but it's no use.

You speak. "You think everything pops off? ‘Cause a gal could really— hyurk.”

Laughter all around as you’re cut off by something. Sounds like you choked.

“Thank you, Usopp,” Nami says. “I am not having that conversation.”

Arlong saunters over to the pool, carrying Buggy like a ragdoll. He has precious few seconds now. C'mon, he wills them, say something useful!

A slap, a spit, then a couple of hard coughs. “Nice shot,” you wheeze. “Use the unspicy peanut next time. I think I burned my windpipe.”

The new guy — Usopp — scoffs. “Spicy? Please. This isn’t spicy. Baratie spicy is barely a zip. Now, you want spicy, you gotta hit up the Great Pepper Isles. Their chilis are so hot, I had an out-of-body experience.”

And boom, there it is. Right as he's about to be dropped into the water, his ticket to life.

“Baratie! They're at Baratie," he chokes out. "That floating restaurant. That really nice one I got thrown out of, the pricks."

It was Cabaji's fault. Turns out whipping a unicycle out at the bar is frowned upon. Who'd've thunk.

Arlong 'smiles.' All teeth and gums and no mirth at all. "Consult our charts," he says to the nearest fishman. "I'll prepare our compass."

He grabs Buggy by the hair and yanks. In the interest of not getting his neck broken, he separates his head from his body. Unfortunately, gravity takes over and his body plunges into the pool.

Weakness swamps him like a rogue wave. He can't say a word as he's stuffed into a cloth sack and everything goes dark.

In both ears, all he can hear are the sounds of laughter.

---

Someday, Buggy will learn not to run his fat mouth. That day is not today.

Usopp barges into the galley and lobs his head through the air, a low slow toss. He only has a moment to appreciate not being overhand pitched before landing on the floor. Not on his nose, fortunately, but it still hurts.

He points at the blonde guy — Sanji? Sanji. "I can't take it anymore. He's your problem now. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

He tramps off as Buggy flips himself upright. “What’s his problem?” he asks no one in particular. “Sheesh, you make one ‘your mom’ joke and—“

A decidedly unmanly yelp escapes him as he's popped up into the air. The world spins and turns and he braces himself to hit the ground again, only to be caught in soft hands. He's spun around...

...and comes face to face with you, regarding him with curious, contemptuous eyes.

Oh, you're even prettier up close. The redhead's a looker, but she's still a kid. Soft. Pale. Set like a mousetrap, ready to spring and break some poor chump's neck at the slightest provocation.

But you? You're a grown-ass woman. Comfortable in your sun-kissed skin. A twinkle of experience in your eye and the ease of someone who's been sailing her ship for years.

He can't help but smile. "Well, well, well. Fancy meeting you here, gorgeous," he says with a wink.

From the corner of his eye, he sees Sanji shoot him a glare. Your expression remains cool and uninterested. Shifting his head to your side, you hold him against your hip like a laundry basket. Even through your trousers, the soft swell of flesh warms his cheek.

“Weren't you just on buggysitting duty?” you ask Sanji.

Buggysitting? Really? "I'm right here, y'know," he grumbles.

He's ignored, as per usual. Sanji straightens up and huffs. “New guy always gets the shit jobs.”

“Let’s trade,” you say. “You take my watch and I’ll mind our chatty compass.”

Rude. “I’m still right here.”

Sanji shakes his head. “Go get your beauty sleep. Not that you need it, of course."

Wow, that was a bad line. Buggy makes his displeasure known with a retch.

“Sleep is for people who don’t have coffee.” You flap your hand toward the door. "Shoo.”

Sanji glances between you and Buggy, but heads for the door. "Any trouble at all, love, and I’m a shout away."

A little smile colors your voice. "If he starts gnawing my ankles, you’ll be the first to know."

Sanji returns the smile, sickeningly sweet. As he leaves, you sit at the table, placing Buggy across from you.

He wants nothing more than to plant his leg on a stool, lean in on his knee, and give you a toothy grin. But alas, he must settle for the grin. "Alone at last. Come here often?"

You don't even bother to look at him, too preoccupied with picking up a very shiny straight razor and a strip of leather. Muscle ripples under your skin as you slide the blade back and forth.

"So you're the barber," he says. You don't respond. "Can't imagine you're too busy on a ship with a bunch of babyfaces." Still nothing. "Don't suppose I could get a shave, then? Last time I used a straight razor, I ended up like this!"

"Barber surgeon," you say as you inspect the blade. Dissatisfied with some invisible blemish, you continue stropping.

He shrugs, only to remember he can’t. "Say, doc, I can't feel anything below my neck. Could you take a look?”

Irritation tints your voice. “Not a doctor,” you say. You’ve clearly had to explain this countless times before. “Doctors treat the inside. I fix up the outside.”

“Splitting hairs, Miss Sawbones.”

Shiff shiff shiff goes the razor. "If you don't stop talking, we’re gonna see if cutting off the nose really does spite the face. Might be an improvement for you.”

That’s just low. “Keep talking shit and this bark is gonna turn into bite.”

You finally look up. You level the razor at him, glaring down the blade. “You’re the only one talking, clown.”

Damn. Your eyes are pretty. Warm as the first sunbeam of a summer morning, but dark as the blotches he gets in his eyes when he looks into a spotlight by accident. Hot like one, too. Heat lurks below the dark surface, like warm charcoal about to catch fire.

Nerves ball up in his absent chest. He swallows them and summons his bravado. “Can ya blame me? I’ve got shit else to do. I’ve met parrots with more to say than you.”

"Count the cracks in the ceiling."

"One, two, three—“ He gives an exaggerated groan. “Didn't you say you were gonna make coffee? Can I get in on that?"

You scoff, but you do stand. "Last thing you need is caffeine.”

“The last thing I need is to be held hostage by a bunch of greenhorn nobodies,” he says, "and yet here I am."

“Sucks to suck,” you say. You pull a pot out of a cupboard and fill it with water. “How do you take it? Sugar? Cream?”

“Black. Like my heart.”

You let out that snnnrrrrk of a suppressed laugh again. What a nice sound. “Something we got in common.”

“Black heart or black coffee?”

“Yes.”

Such a simple, easy response. Not even particularly clever. But the delivery with no hesitation, no intonation, no second guessing the punchline. He laughs. “I knew I liked you!”

You glance over your shoulder at him. “You try to kill everyone you like? No wonder you have no friends.”

He hops to the edge of the table. Not an easy feat with only a stump. “C’mon, babe. All’s fair in love and piracy.”

Calling you babe was a blindfolded over-the-shoulder shot in the dark, but it lands. You add a smile to your glance. “I’ll give you that and nothing more.”

Somewhere, miles away, his heart flutters. He lets it. “Will you still give me coffee?”

“Only if you shut up ‘til this water boils.”

In this state, he’ll take any scrap of stimulus he can get. He bites his tongue and bites it hard, willing himself not to speak.

Silence creeps in. Silence leads to stewing, and stewing leads to bad thoughts. Bad feelings. Lonely feelings. Like how long it’s been since he’s had a friendly cuppa joe with someone. Or had someone honestly laugh at his stupid jokes.

Especially not someone as quick as you. Or as pretty. Or with such a nice ass. Or who maybe-sorta-kinda-might-possibly be interested in him. Potentially. Hypothetically.

There’s no damn way, he tells himself. You’re humoring him. You’re definitely shacking up with that cook — young, charming, handsome. Or the bounty hunter, maybe — tall, dark, broody.

You wouldn’t give him a second glance. Him, a pathetic, painted, big-nosed weirdo. Who is currently a severed head. A temporary state, but still not a good first impression. Even though his actual first impression was trying to kill you and your buddies. This second first impression is just as bad.

A sharp groan escapes him before he can stop it. He eyes you, expecting you to snap at him or worse.

But you don’t. You pause in your pouring to peer over your shoulder at him, gaze soft. “Y’alright?”

There goes his heart again. Ugh. “Peachy. That coffee done yet?”

You curl your lip. “What’s got your panties in a knot?”

“Just realized I’m gonna need a straw or some shit.”

Still sneering, you set a shallow mug in front of him. “I’ll see what I can find.”

See? You definitely don’t like him. Stupid fucking jackass, letting his hopes get up. This is what he gets.

…A nice, warm cup of coffee. If you really hated him, you wouldn’t have given him coffee, right? Or be looking for a straw?

You’re just humoring him. You just want to save your friend. Catch more flies with honey and all that. He’ll be more agreeable if you’re friendly.

Across the room, you open a drawer. “Hey, bendy straws. Perfect.”

You’re breaking out bendy straws for him? There’s gotta be something there! At least a little something!

No. No way. Coincidence.

You place an oddly long straw into the mug. He realizes it’s three normal ones jammed end-to-end, creating a pipe ending just about level with his mouth.

You just pulled some engineering shit so he can drink coffee with you. There’s definitely something.

An ice cube plops into the mug and you slide back into the booth with your own cup. “Might dilute it a bit, but can’t have you burning your mouth.”

His distant heart flips again. He has to say something. Before he can convince himself otherwise. He says the first thing that comes to mind.

“So,” he says, “‘kiss the clown,’ eh?”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. That’s the first thing he thought of? Seriously? He braces himself for boiling coffee thrown in his face.

You freeze mid-sip, brows raised. “Excuse me?”

Okay, you don’t look mad. “Don’t deny it, babe. I heard everything. Kiss Marry Kill? Nice job keeping it kid-friendly, wink wink."

You stare at him with those dark eyes. "No idea what you're on about."

"I know you know. And I know you know I know." He waggles his eyebrows, hoping for a laugh, but he gets nothing.

You watch the steam swirling up from your mug. "What do you want me to say, exactly? That I chose you to kiss?"

"I just wanna know what possesses a woman to make her want to shack up with the guy who tried to kill her and her friends." He lips the straw into his mouth and takes a test sip. Still quite hot.

"Circumstance. Process of elimination. Being put on the spot." You pick up the razor. Your fiddling with it belies your agitation.

"Don't lie to me, babe," he croons. "I can see right through you."

You stare at him. "And what is it that you see?"

What does he see? "A woman on a knife's edge of self-satisfaction and self-destruction. Once bitten, twice shy, but when he comes around the third time, you just can't help yourself."

Your fiddling becomes more insistent. You break eye contact to look at the razor. He's hitting on something. Time to push some buttons.

"You bet on the wrong horse every time. You think it'll be different this time. But it never is." He smiles bitterly. "Something else we got in common. Birds of one ugly feather."

Your gaze softens as you return your gaze to him. "So you found the problem, Doctor Headshrink. What’s the prescription?"

Shoot your shot, Buggy. "Kiss the clown and maybe we'll find out."

You're still for a few moments. Then slowly, carefully, you slide your hand across the table. You pull him closer as you lean lower in your seat to eye level with him.

He can't help the way his breath quickens. It's been so, so long since he had any kind of intimacy. Your reedy fingers trace his jaw down to his chin. Your thumb comes up to pull at his bottom lip, and he lets out a satin-soft whimper as he opens his mouth to you.

You strike like a snake, yanking his tongue out with one hand and readying your razor with the other. His choke turns into a scream as you bring it down, severing his tongue clean at the root.

It's one thing to disconnect body parts. Pop a leg off, drop an ear — he’s used to it. But it's a different story when said part is supposed to be inside of him. His tongue waggles like a fish as he tries to return it to his mouth, but you keep a firm grip.

"You can have this back in the morning," you say.

He wants to cuss you out, but what comes out is ew bihck, whadda fuhck iss won wif ew, gif ih bahck.

You laugh. And lord, what a laugh you've got. Loud, like a party gone late into the hours of the night. Clattery, like a dozen plates shattering on the floor. Full of mirth, like a drunk on payday.

And, for the briefest of moments, his rage is forgotten. He wants to make you laugh like that.

But it returns with a vengeance, replaced with a desire to see you squirm.

---

<<< | mastahpost | >>>

... And the Beast (Yonji Vinsmoke x Reader) Part I

Synopsis: You thought your little crush on Prince Yonji was a well-kept secret. Yonji is mean enough to exploit your eagerness to please in the face of his unrelenting cruelty; the thought of actually developing a soft spot for you never even crossed his mind.

Word Count: 6.1k

Tags/Warnings: Naive!Servant!Reader, No Reader Pronouns, Canonically Mean Vinsmokes, But Reader is Kinda Into It, Eventual Romance, Slow Burn, Name-Calling, Hitting, Reader Fell First, Yonji Falls Harder

Part I Part II

Notes: Welcome to my current hyperfixation. I guarantee you one hell of a roller coaster. Brace yourselves.

Ichiji had never seen anything like it. 

He had gone into Yonji’s room to talk about something, and from the sight of his brother’s moving lips, it was evident that his question was definitely being answered— by a long monologue, no less. But Ichiji couldn’t hear a word, not when you were zipping around the room, thoughtfully, pathetically doting on his brother as if he were a god. 

None of this would have been out of the ordinary for Ichiji if your position had been that of royal attendant. A butler, a valet, or even one of the maids would have been more appropriate when it came to fussing over his brother so early in the morning, and even if it had been an entire swarm of regular servants, Ichiji wouldn’t have batted an eye. But now that he considered it, Ichiji hadn’t seen a single valet in Yonji’s entire wing. 

In fact, it appeared as though Yonji dismissed all his personal aids in exchange for the company of the royal library attendant. 

The library attendant.

Despite being so far from your typical work environment, you seemed less than bothered by the fact that you had assumed an entirely different job than what you were originally hired for. Rather, Ichiji thought you appeared fairly eager to place yourself at Yonji’s disposal. He could practically see glitter in your eyes, and while he wasn’t exactly surprised— in fact, he was a bit disgusted by the fact that a lowly book roach had the nerve to even think about looking at a member of the royal family in such a way— Ichiji couldn’t help but feel that he’d missed something. 

The library had to have been halfway across the castle, not to mention that Ichiji wasn’t even sure if the library snail was currently docked to either Yonji’s or his own fleet in the first place. 

Yonji’s curly eyebrows creased as he gestured toward himself, continuing to talk— Ichiji still didn’t know what about. Yonji flexed the bare muscles on his bulky arms proudly. 

You held up two nearly identical shirts on two hangers to Yonji’s left, one a bit higher than the other. 

The only real difference between the two was the buttons. The one in your right hand sported large, clear buttons, while the one you held slightly higher had smaller, opaque buttons. Yonji barely spared you a moment of his attention, his eyes flickering to the white shirt with the opaque buttons. His glance communicated enough, and you swiftly placed the rejected shirt back into his ornate, hand-carved wardrobe. 

The two of you had done this routine before. 

Yonji made the shallowest efforts as you swooped in behind him, carefully pulling the fabric over his arms until it draped lightly over his shoulders and chest. He placed his hands in the pockets of his slacks, completely ignoring you as you maneuvered in front of him to begin buttoning his shirt. Yonji spoke over your head as you tucked it into his waistband. 

“Hey!” Yonji’s aggravated growl snapped Ichiji from his trance. Yonji had you by the sleeve, just about tearing your uniform off your shoulder as his nose contorted in a deep snarl. “Where the hell did you put my raid suit?”

“It’s right here, Prince Yonji!” You held up the canister like a precious treasure, eyes glinting at the number marked prominently on the side. Ichiji couldn’t recall ever seeing someone so enthralled by servants' work.

Yonji scoffed, heaving you forward by the corner of your uniform before pushing you back with double the force. He roughly snatched the canister from your hands before he turned to make his way toward the doors. 

“C’mon,” Yonji knocked a hand against Ichiji’s shoulder. “Let’s take a look at that new tech you were tellin’ me about.” 

“Right.” Ichiji nodded, the slightest bit heated that he had been made to forget why he’d visited his brother in the first place. He stood from the plush couch in the middle of the room to follow Yonji. 

“Goodbye, Your Majesties! It has been an honor to serve you today.” Neither brother turned back as you bowed at the waist. The heavy doors closed behind the two, leaving you alone to tend to your chores.

Ichiji considered the closed entrance for a beat before joining Yonji, who strutted down the plush carpet of the hall with an elevated cockiness. Ichiji gave him a once over, studying him with acute curiosity before averting his attention to the view of the sea outside the passing windows. 

“Does the library attendant dress you every morning?” he asked. Yonji let out an obnoxious, bellowing laugh.

“Yeah! And the best part is I didn’t even have to ask!” Yonji cackled in his usual boyish rasp. He shoved his hands in his pockets, leaning forward slightly to narrow his eyes mischievously at Ichiji. “What? You like my new personal attendant?” 

Yonji laughed again as the two stepped into a winding stairwell. The sound resounded upward, bouncing off the stone walls. He squared his shoulders back, a wide, self-satisfied smirk plastered to his lips. Ichiji hummed, trying to decide how invested he was. 

“Retaining a valet or two like Niji and me would be more logical. Perhaps a few chambermaids instead of some creepy roach,” Ichiji frowned. “Your taste in toys has always been… unique.”

“What can I say? I can never get sick of that stupid, wide-eyed face!” Yonji snickered behind closed teeth, tugging absentmindedly on the loose collar of his shirt. Neither he nor Ichiji spared a second glance at the soldiers who greeted them as they made their way across the courtyard. “I could kick it and still get an offer to shine my boots. A proper servant should consider it a privilege to serve.” 

Yonji continued to hiss, and Ichiji hummed again. He had grown tired of the subject, but Ichiji couldn’t help but consider that there was something about your dynamic that he couldn’t quite wrap his head around. 

“All this excitement over a little attention from a servant,” Ichiji muttered. 

Yonji’s self-assured smirk wavered as his pace slowed. He fell just short of Ichiji, who continued ahead. Yonji’s brows wrinkled in disgust, and his lips quickly contorted into a disdainful scowl. He huffed, turning his nose to the side, before widening his strikes to catch up with his older brother.

“I’m being treated the way royalty outta,” Yonji spat. He hardly noticed how the doors to their destination opened in their presence. “What does it matter if I get a laugh out of breaking this one, too?” 

Ichiji didn’t humor him with a response. The two brothers disappeared into the building, both finally tired from talking about you.

***

“Oh my god!” a cleaning woman gasped, quickly slapping a hand over her mouth as she gaped in horror at the sight just outside the window. A crowd of other house servants gathered around her, all careening to look down at the training grounds below. They muttered to themselves in panicked horror, causing more staff to drift from the hall and into the storage room to catch a glimpse of what was happening on the ground below. 

On one side of the yard stood all three Vinsmoke brothers, each donning their respective raid suits as they talked amongst each other. However, the Vinsmoke princes were the last thing the hoard of staff pressed up against the four medium-sized windows appeared concerned with. 

You stood directly in the middle of the opposite end of the training ground. Three large books were stacked on top of your head, and a basket of crisp, green apples was in your hands. You wabbled, teetering slightly as you tried to balance the books. Perhaps you could have if there were fewer of them or maybe if the princes hadn’t chosen an encyclopedia each. 

All the upstairs staff could do was watch as Yonji sauntered over to you and plucked an apple from your basket. He placed it on top of the stack of books, tongue poking out from his lips as he rotated the fruit on top of the book cover until the orientation was to his liking. 

“Don’t you dare move a muscle,” Yonji sniggered. As if he were studying a piece of art, he peered at you tauntingly with one eye closed through a box shape he made with his fingers. He chuckled again, pivoting to retreat to the other side of the training ground. Ichiji and Niji were already waiting for him, sinister smirks contorting their faces to reveal sharp incisors. 

“Oh my god, I can’t look! I can’t watch someone’s head get blown off!” one of the upstairs maids turned from the window to push through the hoard of gathered servants. Her spot was quickly filled in. 

“I wonder what brought on such a brutal punishment,” a laundryman remarked to a pantrygirl. The gathering of servants shifted around to accommodate the new bodies that gathered. “Does anyone know what happened?” 

Cosette had just appeared at the end of the hall as the group's muttering grew louder. Unlike many other servants who gathered around the windows, Cosette had actual work to do in the kitchen storage closet. Still, it hardly took a moment of her standing in the doorway to realize something was terribly wrong.

“What’s going on?” she asked a scullion, a wave of dread washing over her like a bucket of cold water.

“The princes have someone down there that they’re using for target practice,” he answered, gesturing to the top of his head. The scullion ushered her forward, allowing Cosette to slide in at the edge of the very last window. She squinted at the sight below before gasping in horror at the sight of it all.

The books, the apple on top, and the giant basket of more shiny green apples that you gripped in your hands. 

And on the other side of the yard, Yonji was winding up.

“Who is that?” Cosette gasped in mortification. Your form looked more than familiar, but Cosette couldn't see your face from the angle she was looking. In a moment of realization, her eyes widened. “Is that who I think it is?”

“Someone said it was the library attendant,” another servant answered, and Cosette ran into the same question that every other servant in the room considered upon hearing that information. 

What business did the princes have with the library attendant?

Tormenting the staff, especially over the slightest perceived infractions, wasn’t out of the realm of possibility when it came to the Vinsmokes. However, given that your post was strictly the library, and nowhere else, none of the gathered staff could fathom a scenario in which the custodian of the library would even have to make contact with any of the princes—let alone all three. None of them ever held any interest in books, after all.

 Other than Judge, the other Vinsmokes assumed interests that they deemed more valuable than Germa’s extensive archive. Not to mention that all scientific notes and heavily referenced texts on technical information were kept in their own room near the central laboratory. On rare occasions when a member of the royal family wanted to seek knowledge that would enhance their combat abilities, they would have a servant deliver a text, no matter where it was stored.

The books you maintained comprised a vast collection of lesser-used texts. From general encyclopedias to old records and files to more niche topics, most of your domain was compiled during the days that Judge was strictly a man of science and included the extensive accumulation of the late queen. It was primarily due to record-keeping reasons— and perhaps sentimentality— that the Germa Kingdom kept a library attendant at all.

If your head were about to roll with those chances, the rest of the staff would have no hope.

“You better hold still!” Yonji warned. The motor in his gauntlet whirred to life. 

You stared straight ahead with your back erect and your muscles as halted as your untrained body could muster. Your teetering from before had subsided, and while you continued to shake slightly from effort, Yonji couldn’t help but consider that you didn’t look nearly terrified enough. And as you stared directly into his dark irises with your stupidly eager gaze, Yonji decided that he’d give you something to be afraid of for once. 

His winch whipped out of his forearm, the metal wire extending many times the length of his own body as he swung his weapon clockwise in a swiping motion. It barreled towards your head at lightning speed. The horrified screams from the gathered servants above were drowned out by the thundering boom that exploded as Yonji’s winch crashed into the castle wall to your far left.

And for just a moment, before the windows in front of the servants broke and the castle violently trembled, Yonji's winch swiped away the second book on your head. The green apple and the book it sat on fell neatly onto the text directly on your hair before you were blasted into the dirt. 

You tumbled across the training ground as the castle wall dented, the accouterments on your head leaving a trail to mark where you stood. The basket of apples had tumbled to the ground, causing the fruits to roll across the field. The three princes bellowed with laughter as Yonji recalled his weapon. 

“I told ya that you better hold still!” he sneered.

The dust cleared, revealing your overpowered body in the dirt. You lay motionless.

“I think your new toy’s broken!” Niji howled. 

Yonji’s brow creased in disapproval, taking in the sight of pages and apples strewn across the yard. He glanced around wildly, an undetectable hesitancy stalling him where he stood.

“Hey!” He stormed forward, jaw clenched as he kicked a few fruits across the lawn. “Hey! What the hell did I tell you? You better get your ass up!”

You propped yourself up weakly, barely mustering the strength. Yonji’s eyes bored into the back of your head as you tried to pick yourself up. His impatience trumped your efforts as he wasted no time in grabbing you and hauling you to your feet roughly. He shook you with barely restrained rage.

“You got the nerve to disobey me, huh?” Yonji jerked you violently, his grip around your bicep punishing. 

Your head snapped back, and only then did Yonji notice the water pooling in your eyes. The glossiness clouding your pretty irises was enough to redirect his rage into a wide, toothy grin. Self-satisfied, he let you drop to your knees.

“Prince Yonji!—” you cried out just as he turned to walk away. 

His earlier annoyance had just about melted instantly, and in its place came a righteous sense of power and control. Yonji had allowed you to fawn all over him for long enough now, and now that he had broken you, your novelty had worn off. He sighed to himself, letting his eyes close as you slowly stood somewhere behind him. It was time to find something new to play with.

—“That was awesome!” 

Yonji’s eyes snapped open, and without thinking, he pivoted on his heel to face you. The tears that he saw in your eyes were present, but the look on your face was nowhere near the expression of terror that he anticipated. Instead, you looked up at him with pure admiration and a dumb smile on your lips. The complete subversion of his expectations left him at nothing less than a loss as he couldn’t help but stare while you blabbered on about how amazing you thought he was. 

—“considering the width of the cable, the damage amounted to a force of equal magnitude to your highness’s strike—!” 

Yonji shook his head as if the physical motion would reset his thoughts. His hand came up to his forehead as he cringed into his glove. And with a motion of dismissal, Yonji turned away from you once again.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever! Just pick all this stuff up…” You didn’t need to be told twice. You grabbed your basket, ready to chase all the apples around the training ground. 

Just as you were about to reach for your first one, Niji kicked it into a nearby shrub.

“On your hands and knees. You can collect these with your mouth,” Niji taunted. He toyed with another one under his shoe, and lining it up with the side of his boot, he kicked it up into the air and right into the side of your head. “Fetch, doggie.”

“You better pick ‘em up quickly and get those books back on your head, library roach,” Ichiji gruffed. His red light energy glinted, sparking threateningly around his form. “We’re not done with you yet.”

***

Yonji eventually sent you to the medical ward. Although he immensely enjoyed looking at the nasty scapes and bruises that marred your skin, he considered the dirt and blood unsightly. So, when the Vinsmoke family was to be having dinner, you were given strict instructions to make yourself presentable and bring an extra helping of dessert back to Yonji’s quarters.

By the time you arrived, the kitchen was just beginning to wind down, having already presented the royal family with their courses. Cosette nearly jumped when she spotted you just inside the kitchen’s entrance, sputtering out a few more directions to her staff before making a beeline to you. Despite your refreshed uniform, Cosette’s eyes were immediately drawn to the tech bandages that littered your body. 

“Oh my god, you’re alive! Are you okay?” She ran up to you, placing her hands on your cheeks to inspect your head. (Your face was miraculously devoid of damage.) Having seen most of what you had gone through today, her question was clearly rhetorical: “Are you hurt? What are you doing here?” 

You took Cosette’s hands in your own. With the library always being so far away from the main parts of the castle and Cosette’s promotion to head chef, the two of you hardly saw each other anymore. And after what she had witnessed just a few hours prior, she worried about what had happened during the time and distance you had been apart. 

“Prince Yonji sent me to bring back dessert,” you answered, returning your attention to Cosette’s widened eyes. “Do you happen to have any cake?”

Cosette couldn’t help but recoil, hands hovering hesitantly between you. A cleaning boy passed through the tight space where you and Cosette stood. She pulled you out of the way as dirty water from a dish splashed the floor. 

She opened her mouth to address the servant, but your question blocked out any focus she had on kitchen affairs. Cosette blinked a few times as if your words would make sense. Your name crawled from her lips in confusion and concern. 

“What happened to the library?” she opted to ask. The crease in her forehead deepened with distress. She ran a hand down her face to center herself, but a bulky chef carrying the compost bag began to shimmy past the two of you. You pulled her out of the way, and both of you pressed yourselves flat against the wall as the chef passed. Cosette grumbled to herself, rolling her eyes. “Save that thought!” 

She determinedly nodded, pulling you through the kitchen and into the pantry. Cosette tugged the light on before closing the door behind the two of you. Your name left her mouth again in a frantic hiss.

“What is going on? Everyone was saying you were being punished for something. Everyone was watching because Madame Thénardier spied you from the third-story storage closet, and everyone thought you were about to die—!” She waved her hands frantically, pacing herself in a circle. —“And I told everyone to leave once I learned it was you—” Cosette curtly gestured in the air. —“But then Master Yonji hit the castle, and the glass was everywhere—!” You moved in front of her before she could hit her head on a bundle of carrots.

“Cosette,” you stressed, and she stopped for a moment. But only for a moment. You grasped her gently by the shoulders. “I am more than alright. I still work at the library.” You offered her a single, soft nod, but her shoulders remained tense under your grasp. “But Prince Yonji needs me sometimes, that’s all.” 

You glanced off sheepishly at a bag of potatoes. 

“He needs you…” Cosette glanced you up and down. You nodded adamantly. 

Cosette heaved a heavy sigh, drifting away from what you intended as a reassuring touch. She sat herself on a barrel of flour, both arms wrapped around the knees she pulled up to her chest. She puffed out her cheeks, not entirely eager to listen as her back slouched. 

“I don’t doubt that, but…” She nodded a few times in punctuation.

The door to the pantry opened. A cook with a pile of boxes quickly turned back around at the frantic wave of Cosette’s hand, letting the door shut again. She met your gaze, tilting her head to the side. 

“I don’t doubt that, but you almost got your head blown off today… I worry about you… I don’t know if you realize how scary today was.” Cosette trailed off, letting her feet fall back to the floor. She thought, zoning out on a random tile past your knees. “Getting so close to a person who doesn’t have a heart… it’s dangerous.”

The pantry went quiet. 

Noise continued outside. Pots clanged together. Water ran from faucets. The kitchen staff called out to each other; their voices muffled through the door. 

You took a deep breath before you spoke.

“Thank you,” you started. “For being so concerned about me. You’ve always been a great friend.”

Cosette didn’t answer you, and silence overtook the pantry once again, and the kitchen noise continued.

She wasn’t convinced about your safety in the slightest.

And with this talk about the Vinsmoke prince needing you, Cosette wasn’t even convinced that your own words convinced you. 

She remained quiet, at a loss for what to say or even think about the whole bizarre situation.

“I think he really likes me.” You smiled at your shoes.

Cosette most definitely didn’t know what to say to that.

Her shoulders deflated. She toyed with the end of her apron as she quietly considered you. You leaned against one of the shelves, admiring a basket of green peas with a quiet giddiness. 

“I think…” she pursed her lips, following your line of sight to the basket. “I think that perhaps his Highness likes the idea of you liking the idea of him liking you.” Cosette squinted her eyes, facing a random direction, as she lowered her hand in a slicing motion on her opposite palm. 

“You think he knows?” Your eyes widened at the prospect. You bolted up from where you were leaning, slamming the top of your head against the shelf above. “Ow!” You covered the sore spot with your hand. And as you were rubbing away the acute pain, you missed the softness that spread over Cosette’s gentle features. 

She quietly rose from her barrel and took your arm in hers. 

“Come now,” she sighed, opening the pantry door. “Let’s get that cake the prince was asking for. I wouldn’t want to make you late.”

***

You beat Yonji to his quarters, although it was probably for the best that you didn’t arrive after him.

You shut the doors quietly behind you with your shoe, taking in the eerie stillness of his room. It always felt odd being there without Yonji, and anticipating his presence left you with a nervous, looming feeling—like you weren’t supposed to be there. And, at least according to your job description, you weren’t. 

Most of the room was just how you left it. Yonji’s king bed sat opposite the door, with the headboard positioned in the middle of the wall. The microfiber sheets were neatly made just as you left them, and the pillows remained perfectly fluffed. 

All surfaces were clear and freshly dusted except for the circular table in the corner of the room near the door. Two large sake cups sat empty; condensation from earlier had already stained the wooden finish. You spotted the sake bottle on the floor.

You stepped down into the lowered lounge area to collect it and the cups. The two curved, leather couches were usually riddled with personal items, tools, and technical parts—which you were never to touch—but a space next to the table had been conveniently cleared off. 

You could only assume that the princes had been in Yonji’s room while you were in the medical ward. You wondered if you would be punished for your absence later.

The holo-screen glowed in the corner, and a large, detailed map of Germa’s next assignment was displayed and annotated with green and blue markers. 

You stared at the depiction of the sparsely populated city, placing the bottle with the cups on the table. In your other hand, you held the covered plate with Yonji’s cake. The green marker, a more neon color than the matte blue marker, depicted a series of vectors of the same size in various sections of the city, each ending with an “X” symbol. Meanwhile, the blue markings were dotted lines and small, boxed-in buildings. The trail ended at the coast.

“It’s fascinating, isn’t it?” 

Your heart nearly leaped out of your chest, and with it, the cake almost toppled over as you turned to face Yonji. You had expected him to tease you, but he stood silently with his hands in his pockets. His expression was not one you usually saw. Yonji gazed at the holo-map, face grave.

“I can’t say I’m a fan,” Yonji grumbled. His eyes flickered to yours, locking you into an intense stare with a frown. “But you know, now that you’ve seen this—” He pointed a finger at the map, tilting his head to the side.  —“I’m gonna have to kill you.” His face contorted into a wolfish grin.

“Oh, I see.” You glanced back at the annotations, unfazed by how Yonji’s nose scrunched up in amusement. He prowled around the upper level, approaching the two steps down into the lowered corner lounge.

“Mission information is confidential.” Yonji placed his hands in his pockets. He stood directly behind you, the minor elevation allowing him to more than dwarf your form as he quietly blocked your only exit. “For the eyes of Germa 66 only.” 

“The arrows,” the words slipped out of your mouth. “They’re the radius of your winch.” You had most definitely meant it as a question, but the observation came out with more certainly than you anticipated.  

You turned your head for confirmation. Yonji’s chin jutted slightly back in acute surprise, his curly brows knitting together as he sneered. You stared at him silently, waiting for an answer, but Yonji only continued to look at you disapprovingly.

“The arrows are the radius of Your Highness’s weapon,” you corrected (as if that was the issue). 

Yonji’s scowl deepened as he snatched the bottle of sake from the wooden table. Unexpectedly, there was still some left. He flicked off the cap, shook his head a few times, and took a swig.

“Yeah? So?” Yonji circled the upper level, eyeing you closely as you stepped closer to the map. 

There were several levels to the city upon closer inspection. The entire diagram rotated upon your approach, revealing a multi-layered, three-dimensional diagram. The markings followed, remaining proportional despite the new angles. 

“Is this Speleothem?” you wondered aloud. Yonji took another swig of his bottle somewhere behind you.

“Yeah,” he said, sounding distant. You hadn’t noticed. “You been?”

“I’ve only read about it in books.” You reached out to touch the hologram.

The motion sent it into a tizzy, the diagram spinning erratically, causing you to step back. But once the image settled, it revealed an entire blueprint of the island with the green and blue markings still trapped inside.

Speleothem was a nation comprised of a single, large mountain. Uninhabitable on the outside, the people who lived on the island dedicated generations to carving out the dense rock, leaving a vast network of tunnels on the inside and an extremely rocky coast in the surrounding waters. But most critically, at least to Germa, were its five small entrances. 

Two canals passed through the island's base, intercrossing in the middle to split the system into quarters. Just above the water’s intersection, a vertical tunnel had been dug straight through the peak of the mountain to let in natural sunlight. 

You could see the problem. None accommodated the circumference of Yonji’s winch, and the tunnel system was far too narrow to support his typical brute-force attacks without collapsing a massive sector of the island. You wondered why he was concerned with being careful in the first place, too lost in your thoughts to remember where you were.

Yonji swiped the cake platter from your hands. You stiffened as you were rudely snapped from your daze. Yonji laughed at you that time. He turned on his heel, flicking the top off of the container. It clattered to the floor where the sake bottle— now empty— sat once again. 

“The hell are you still doing here?” he chewed. Yonji pushed past you, shoulder-checking you on his way back up the two stairs into the center of the bedroom. The fork that Cosette included already had a second bite of cake on it. 

“I thought you needed to kill me.”

“Not worth my effort,” he announced, mouth still full as he waved a now clean fork behind his head at you. “And I don’t want your corpse making a mess of my room when I have shit to do in the morning.”

Yonji plopped down on a different pair of couches in the middle of the room. The two ornate fixtures boasted intricate designs and velvet seating, both flanking an equally intricate coffee table in the middle, on which Yonji kicked his feet up. The set appeared to be a part of the same collection as his wardrobe, and the craftsmanship was a stark difference from the technologically sleek appearance of the furniture in the lower corner lounge. 

The back of his head faced you as he took an oversized bite of his extra dessert.

You were sure his ignorance of you was your cue to leave. 

You picked the serving lid up off the floor and held it upside down. As quietly as possible, you placed the empty sake bottle and the two cups into it. Yonji didn’t spare you even a glance as you quietly made for the door, unamused by you at the current moment. 

With the apparent raid on Speleothem the next day, he was either very tired or in an extremely good mood. Whatever the case, you knew better than to mess with it. You pressed down the push button at the top of the knob, holding it there as you hesitated.

You should really leave.

You should really leave and take the dishes straight to the kitchen before turning in for the night. 

Ruining Yonji’s fortunate mood and continuing to talk out of term? What a surefire way to get yourself—

“Speleothem uses a water system. That’s how they’re able to keep the tunnels together and carve out more.” Your voice cut through the air. The scraping of Yonji’s fork against his plate died in an instant. You cringed, letting your eyes squeeze closed as you braced yourself. No strike ever came. 

You slowly turned around, hugging your makeshift basket close to your chest. Yonji had an elbow over the back of the couch. His face was nothing less than unreadable as he studied you.

“They have ventilation tunnels that the water gets pumped through, and if those were to be disrupted, I’m sure you—someone—could cause massive structural damage without collapsing the system on something important below.” The words tumbled out of your lips faster than you could stop them, if not for the sheer purpose of filling the uncomfortable silence in the room. 

You could feel his stare boring into you, but you didn’t dare meet his gaze. Out of all the Vinsmoke princes, Yonji wasn’t the strictest when it came to meeting his eye, but it didn’t feel like the appropriate moment to test his generosity. 

He spoke your name, and it sent a shiver through your core. All your better instincts were as on edge as the hairs on your arms, afraid of the powerful man sitting before you. But in a match-up of pure will and power, the fluttering in your chest swiftly outweighed your senses. 

“Yes, Prince Yonji?” You bowed your head. He liked being reminded of his royal status.

There was another beat of silence. 

“Get out.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” 

***

Speleothem was an eyesore. Just a large rock in the ocean surrounded by smaller rocks, Yonji couldn’t say he was particularly pleased about his assignment on an island so dull and fragile. Reiju had, after all, been the one initially assigned to the assassination, but since she had been called for another assignment, Yonji was the one to take her place. 

The entire mission had been too covert for his liking. Unlike his sister, Yonji didn’t have much in his arsenal to cover a large area without compromising the structural integrity of the entire Goddam island. Unfortunately for him, Speleothem needed to be (mostly) intact. 

Yonji couldn’t help but grumble to himself as he fought off another security grunt with a strong uppercut. The sturdy exoskeleton clattered to the side, his compilation of fallen enemies beginning to make a pile around him. A series of high-pitched scraping noises and clicking sounded from just down the tunnel. Yonji ran the back of his gloved hand over his forehead. He despised that he was already working up a sweat, but they just kept coming. 

He ventured down into the main sector to meet the battalion coming his way. Due to the narrow passageways, the footsoldiers practically charged at him in a single file line. Yonji made short work of each one, critically denting their outer armor with each swing of his enhanced fists, but no matter how many times he swung or how many guards fell, more seemed to replace their fallen comrades at a rapid pace. 

The number of troops in front of him didn’t appear to dwindle. By the third round of reinforcements, the dark smirk Yonji typically had during battle had disappeared. He huffed to himself quietly, occasional grunts of effort being the only noise to break the steady rhythm of communication clicks and insect-like scraping. 

When another battalion of guards began to make their way down the tunnel from the opposite end, Yonji was officially annoyed. Even using a fraction of his skills, Yonji could have made short work of the entire section of the island, and he knew it. And if the mission took place at any other location, he could have. Instead, he’d have to play glorified punching bag until Niji gave the signal. 

In the midst of the chaos, Yonji’s eyes flickered up to the tunnel’s ceiling. He had been able to hear the sound of rushing water since the moment he entered.

One of the footsoldiers tackled Yonji from behind, digging his sharp mandibles into Yonji’s shoulder. Yonji moved on instinct, punching up into the ceiling and letting the flood of water wash out the tunnel.

But despite a real lack of excitement, the assignment went off without a hitch. By the end of the morning, Niji and Yonji had safely retreated and were ready to report back to Germa’s central sector, leaving Speleothem flooded and leaderless.

“Smart thinking with the ventilation system! I couldn’t’ve strategized a better distraction!” Niji let out a deep chuckle and smacked Yonji hard in the center of his back. “How the hell did you think that one up?”

Yonji trudged forward, ringing some water out of his orange scarf. While he could fly over the flooding in every other tunnel, Yonji’s raid suit was still wet from the first ventilation duct he broke. 

“Read about it in a book,” Yonji grumbled as he trudged forward. The bite he endured earlier had caused minor damage, breaking the skin just enough for the wound to be irritated by his damp clothes. 

Niji stood behind him, fists on his hips as he let out another hearty laugh.

“You know how to read?”

Yonji hardly heard him, trudging in the direction of his quarters to change into more comfortable clothes.

Thank you to all who liked, reblogged, followed, and supported. Your support means so much and is greatly appreciated.

Notes: He will get better. The soft spot I have for the Germa 66 boys has been absolutely crippling. Alternate names for this fic included "Easy," "Glutton for Punishment," and, of course, "Beauty and the Beast."

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

im bout to be his first girlfriend im bout to be his only girlfriend im bout to be his WIFE

I randomly gave them a year of life just for aesthetics