Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Another day, another island. Luffy's as excited as he always is when a new adventure awaits. He's got that signature grin displayed across his face. If he wasn't a rubber person, I'm sure that shit would hurt like hell. But he sure infects the whole crew with his vivacity. My eyes follow in amusement as his arms stretch and yank both Usopp and Chopper to the edge of the ship with him to watch the nearing island. The panic in them caused by the sudden maneuver is quickly forgotten and by now all three idiots are participating in what I guess could be described as a celebratory dance. Luffy's just excited about what the next island has to offer, whereas the other two are grateful we're finally getting to touch some land after almost getting swallowed by a huge sea monster moments before.

We're close to docking now. I inhale a deep breath and the island breeze invades my senses. The air smells like a delightful mixture between freshly baked bread, some herbs and a hint of perfume. Humming in content, I turn to face Nami holding a bag of berry in her hand. "You smell that?" she asks, dramatically inhaling through her nose while shaking the bag in her hand, making the coins in it clink. "Smells like shopping." I huff out a laugh, leaning my back on the railing while giving Nami a challenging look. "Smells like you're gonna haggle the shit out of those poor, poor merchants." Nami smirks in return, declaring that the merchants won't know what hit them.

I turn back around, staring at the huge, lively island in front of me. Nami walks up next to me and I'm suddenly startled by Robin emerging on my other side. Always the sneaky one. "I'll join you, Nami. I'd like to buy some more books," Robin announces with a soft smile, eyes focused on the island before us. "And how about you, Y/N?" she continues, now looking at me. I don't grace her with an answer immediately. Instead, my eyes subtly drift to the lean man with a top hat who is now standing tall beside the dancing idiots. He's smiling. Just as I'm admiring how he carries himself, he's admiring his crewmates having the time of their lives. Savoring every moment, as if the friends he's made after being alone for so long are going to disappear in the blink of an eye. Then again, it's happened to him before. My brows furrow as I think about his tragic past. It always makes me emotional, yet he himself doesn't let what happened to him get in the way of enjoying his life now. How could I not be so entranced by him? I'm pulled away from my train of thought by Robin placing a hand on my shoulder, a questioning yet amused look in her eyes. Shit. I guess I wasn't being as subtle as I thought I was. I clear my throat, slightly embarrassed. "You two go on ahead, I think I'm going to stay here and watch the ship with Brook. Think I'm gonna do the laundry before we run out of clean sheets," I say with a shrug, though both Robin and I know that the laundry is not what's occupying my thoughts at the moment. Luckily she doesn't push it. I could just kiss her for being so composed. I can never really hide anything from that woman even if I tried really hard to.

We're docked now and I'm waving to the others as they leave to explore the city. I'm sure we'll stay here for at least a couple days so I'll have time to explore, too. But right now I'm going to take advantage of the time I get to spend alone with Brook. There's been tension between us for a while now, but I can't figure out if it's because he's feeling something, too, or if he's just freaked out about the attention he's been receiving from me lately. The shy glances, the lingering touches. They've been going on for a couple of months now. And I have no idea how to approach the situation. It doesn't make it any easier that Brook's been avoiding me for the last few days. Even now, after the others left the ship, he's already disappeared without saying a word. My heart drops at the thought of pushing away the man that I've grown so fond of in so little time. I have to confront him about this. I need to know how he feels, even if the answer isn't what I'm hoping for. I can't go on like this, it'a distracting me even when fighting an enemy ship. It's gonna get me killed if I don't do anything about it.

With a shaky breath and adrenaline spiking, I start going through the cabins of the ship, determined to find him. It must've taken me 10 minutes of stomping around when I heard his violin. The muffled sound of him tuning the instrument is coming from the aquarium bar. I stand at the door to the room, my legs suddenly turning into jelly and refusing to take another step. So do my fists clench, not making a move to actually open the door. That's when I hear it. He's done tuning. Instead, he has now slowly started playing Bink's Sake. Like every time I hear him play this, a wave of emotions rush through me and tears are brinking around my eyes. But I refuse to let them fall. I hesitate, feeling like I should be giving him some space but my hands have unclenched and are now firmly gripping the doorknob.

Slowly, so to make no sound, I twist the knob and quietly walk into the room. He's facing the aquarium, his back to me. He doesn't seem to notice my presence. I stand still for a while, just admiring his talent. The way his whole body moves alongside the art he creates. The way he quietly, longingly, gives voice to the lyrics behind the song. Before I know it, I'm slowly creeping to the piano next to the wall and sit down on the stool. I bite my lip, contemplating whether what I'm about to do would be a good idea or a disaster. I haven't touched a piano since I boarded Merry so I'm sure I'm rusty. But for some reason his playing is filling me up with confidence. I gently place my fingers on top of the keys. With one last glance at him, I hold my breath and close my eyes as I softly press down on what my fingers are lingering on.

Immediately and without hesitation, my fingers start dancing across the keys, joining Brook in playing the song. The concentrating frown painting my face turns to a soft smile as the music we create together sweeps me off the ground. It makes me feel the most free I've felt in a while, like all of my worries are lifted off my shoulders. The few slip ups I make are left unnoticed, our playing creating a beautiful harmony that shakes my very soul. My eyes are still closed when I suddenly realize that Brook has stopped playing. The feeling of insecurity returns and I bite my lip, my playing also coming to a rough hault. I dare not open my eyes and face him. I'm afraid the tears I've been holding back will fall as I'm still high from the beautiful moment we just shared. I'm afraid to come back down only to be rejected by the very man that just made me feel so alive.

Then, footsteps.

Brook is walking towards me, my heart beating to the exact rhythm of his heels clanking on the floor. By the time he stops moving, I'm sure he's standing right beside the piano. "Y/N," he softly whispers. My name leaving his lips, or at least where there used to be ones, sends shivers down my spine. I reluctantly open my eyes, still not facing him, though. I keep my stare on my lap where my hands are resting. A single tear escapes out of the corner of my eye, dropping onto my sleeve and leaving a small wet spot at its wake. Shit. I hope he didn't notice that. Suddenly, he's sitting down next to me on the stool. My shoulders tense at the feeling of his legs brushing against mine. Yet I feel at ease. His body is cold against mine but I've never felt such warmth. My heart is beating dangerously fast and the pace only quickens when Brook's hands land on top of mine. He softly takes them into his and brings them back onto the keys in front of me. My gaze follows as he places his bony fingers on the keys left to mine. And for the first time since I entered the room, my eyes search for what's left of his. He's not looking at me, though, he's focused on his own hands. And that's when he starts slowly playing, continuing where we left off just a few minutes ago.

I nod understandingly, though I'm pretty sure he can't see my gesture. I, too, turn my focus back on my hands and wait for an opening. Soon I'm playing alongside him, our tense bodies finally giving in and relaxing to the music. Whatever I felt a few moments ago when he was still playing his violin and me the piano is now taking over my whole body once again. I'm filled with serenity, and I don't ever want it to stop. But the song comes to an end, way too early if you ask me. The feeling, however, doesn't fade away just yet. The room falls silent after the last note rings through. Almost like we're both at a loss of words. That's the power of music, I guess. God, I really did miss playing.

The silence is broken when Brook finally speaks out again. "I didn't know you could play," he says while shifting on the stool to get a better look at me. I smile, closing my eyes again as flashes of my past invade my mind. "My mom taught me. I hadn't played since I joined the crew, though." He nods and we fall into silence again. I suppress the memories and return to the present. Opening my eyes, I finally meet his gaze. He seems... nervous? I'm reminded of why I came to find him in the first place. My smile fades and my brows furrow in thought, eyes dropping to avert his.

"Why've you been avoiding me, Brook?" I finally blurt out, lifting my eyes to face him again but he has turned his head away from me by now. He doesn't answer nor does he move a muscle. But this conversation needs to be had. I'm not letting him escape me again. "Is... Is it something I did?" I ask after sighing. My hands are sweaty now, dreading the answer I'm so eager to get out of him. But he stays silent. I hesitate before placing my hand on his shoulder, hoping he'll give me any reaction but he doesn't. "Because if it is-" "You didn't do anything, Y/N," he finally announces, interrupting my pushing. It should make me feel a bit better, I guess, but it doesn't. All it does is make me confused and frustrated. "Then what is it?" I insist, determined to get him to elaborate. But again, he doesn't. Instead, he stands up and grabs his violin along with the bow.

"Nothing's wrong, dear," he states before he starts walking towards the exit. I'm not buying it. Of course I'm not. He hasn't been his jolly self lately. Not with me at least. He shuts the door behind him and I'm left sitting alone in the aftermath.

There's no stopping the tears from falling now. I've been bottling them up for too long.

Chapter Text

I'm woken up by someone laughing so loud it almost feels like it's shaking the whole ship. That someone being Luffy, of course, who else? I groan and turn to lay on my stomach, pulling the pillow over my head so it covers my ears. When Brook left the aquarium bar, leaving me wallowing in self pity for what felt like an hour, I finally managed to pull myself together. However, I felt so drained that I let my feet lazily carry me straight to my bed and flopped down on it for a nice after-sob-session nap. 

Great job watching over the ship.

I quickly get up and fix my hair, hoping to make myself look like I wasn't just drooling on my pillow a few minutes ago when I was supposed to be on guard. The others would never shut up about it. I exit the cabin and make my way to the deck where the whole crew is now hauling in tons of stuff. Nami with about 7 different shopping bags, Zoro carrying a big barrel and a crate on his shoulders. The swordsman catches my eye and nods. I nod in return, no words are needed between us. We're getting shitfaced tonight. 

Though I'm close with the whole crew, I've always been my most comfortable self with Zoro. I think it's because he doesn't really sugarcoat stuff. He says what's on his mind and doesn't give a shit if it comes out a little too blunt. It's a nice contrast to my own personality, always wary of others' feelings. With him I don't need to be on my toes, though. I know that he can dish it out but also take whatever I give his way. That's why I like spending time with him. But if you asked him he would probably say something about hanging out with me because I can hold my liquor better than the others. And to be honest, after this disaster of a day, I can't wait to drown my thoughts in sake. 

"Y/N-SWAN!" The cook waddles towards me, hands behind his back. I smile at him, raising an eyebrow. Me shooting a smile at him seems to be too much attention to handle, seeing as his nose is now bleeding slightly. Damn, that man really needs to book an appointment with Chopper about that. I whip out a tissue from my pocket and hold it out for him, hoping to prevent blood stains on my clothes. It's used, still wet from my tears earlier but it doesn't seem to bother him as he accepts it with one hand, enamoured by my gesture. In return, he reveals his other hand, holding out a bouquet of some local flowers. They're beautiful and smell heavenly. I glance at Nami and Robin behind him, both holding similar bouquets. I bite my lip to stifle a giggle. This man... I give him a quick kiss on the cheek, thanking him and letting him know how thoughtful he is. A mistake. He's now lying on the floor, blood spurting out of his nose violently. Chopper runs up to us to try and stop him from bleeding, shooting me a dirty look as if to say "you know better than that" even though we both know he's gonna be up and about, romancing around the next minute. Say what you want about Sanji, but I personally like being pampered to death without raising a finger. And sometimes, I like to give him something in return. 

A few hours after the crew returned, we're now all sitting in a circle on the deck, laughing like maniacs. It shouldn't come as a surprise how an already loud crew can get even louder when alcohol is burning in their throats. We're all a little tipsy by now. Even Zoro, who's usually reluctant to show any kind of emotions, is grinning widely at the joke Usopp finished telling a few seconds ago. However, one laugh is missing. Though sitting with us, Brook is staring into the horizon. He seems to be in deep thought, not registering whatever the group is laughing about. Whatever, I don't want to ruin my good mood by thinking about our conversation earlier. I force my attention back to the others but apparently I'm not the only one who noticed Brook's unusual silence. Nami, quite the lightweight, is staring at him with glassy eyes. "What's got your panties in a twist?" she blurts out. My gaze turns from Nami to Brook, hoping someone else is able to drag that information out of him even if I couldn't. I swear his eyes (or lack thereof) meet mine for a split second before turning to look at Nami.

"Yohohoho, Nami-san," he laughs. "Quite the choice of words," he continues, referring to all the times he's asked to see the ladies' panties. Enough evading. "You didn't answer her question," I press for more, sipping on my umpteenth pint of beer. He turns to look at me again. If he still had eyes, I'm sure his stare would be burning holes in me right about now. He stays silent for a while. Everyone's looking at him, waiting for him to say something. And then he does. "Don't you think this party could use some music?" he smiles while reaching for his violin and bow behind him. That bastard. He knows he can avoid answering so long as he gets everyone excited to hear him play their favorite songs. And that's exactly what happens. Before I can open my mouth to stop him, the three dancing idiots from earlier are cheering loudly, completely unaware of his divertion. He starts playing and I close my mouth in defeat, sighing. "I'm gonna get another drink," I mumble. Time to switch to sake. 

I return to the circle with two bottles of sake in my hands, offering the other to Zoro. He accepts, squinting his eyes at me. He knows something's bothering me. But he stays silent other than muttering a thank you. He never goes out of his way to get me to open up to him, trusting that I'll do so if I want to. Thank god. I nod, flopping down to sit next to him.

The hours fly by, the air filled with cheerful music, drunken dancing and lots laughter. The sun is starting to set but I'm not nearly as drunk as I'd hoped to be by now. I stand up from my seat on the floor and slowly make my way to the side of the ship, taking in the way the lights illuminate the dark silhouette of the city in front of us. I'm not alone for long, the swordsman soon appearing next to me, holding out another bottle of sake for my taking. I grin, feeling like he read my mind. 

He doesn't say anything, waiting for me to speak up first. We're both sipping away in a comfortable silence. I lick my lips before finally breaking it. "Something's bothering Brook," I state before quickly taking another chug, hoping it'll burn away any shred of nervousness noticeable in my voice. He seems to mull my words over before doing the same. He wipes his lips with the back of his hand, clearing his throat. "And why does it bother you?" he inquires. "Because it's got something to do with me," I'm quick to reply. He nods, the bottle meeting his lips again. "Yeah? How so?" he continues, knowing I won't elaborate unless he presses. I shrug, just as clueless as he is. "I don't know, he won't tell me. Not just that, he's avoiding me." He humms before turning around and leaning back, eyes now blatantly focused on the skeleton. "Well shit, Y/N, there's not much more you can do about it then, is there?" I chuckle at his blunt choice of words. He's not wrong, though. "I guess not," I agree as my lips curl into a subtle smile. We go back to drinking in silence for a minute before the liquid courage starts to creep its way into me. "I have feelings for him," I finally declare. Zoro just smirks, getting verbal confirmation for what I'm sure he has already known for weeks. "Think they're mutual?" he finally asks, making me shrug again. "Well shit, Zoro, if he does then he sure has a funny way of showing it," I reply point-blank, mimicking his reaction from earlier. He turns to me, our eyes locking for the first time during our little heart to heart. And then we burst out in laughter.

After our short but surprisingly sweet conversation Zoro and I rejoined the others to enjoy the rest of the night. One by one the crew is getting tired, excusing themselves to go to sleep. Zoro is getting up now, yawning and stretching. Him going to sleep now would leave just me and Brook on the deck and he's more than aware of that. He mutters a good night to us, shooting me a reassuring look. I glare at him but he just turns to leave and silently chuckles on his way to the boys' cabin. Immediately Brook is gathering his things, also getting up. I sigh, sick of this game. "Brook," I start, making him tense up. "Stay..." I'm almost begging now. He sighs. "I'm exhausted, Y/N." My brows furrow, frustration rising inside of me. "Yeah? I'm tired, too. Tired of you running away from me every chance you get." He's looking at me now, thinking about what he's going to say. "I'm not running away from you." "Sure you are." "Y/N-" "Tell me, Soul King, what do you feel when you're around me?" He stays silent, just staring at me pleadingly. He doesn't want to have this conversation? Tough. It's happening. I stand up and take a step closer to him. And then I fill the silence he refuses to break. "Because when I'm with you I feel tranquil. I feel a sense of belonging, like I don't have to prove myself. Yet at the same time you make me want to be a better version of myself. I feel-" I hesitantly take another small step towards him. "I feel comfort and longing. It's like some invisible force keeps pulling me towards you, and I don't really want to resist." I take another step closer, growing bolder by the second. "I feel as if every moment I spend with you is a verse in the most beautiful ballad." I exhale a shaky breath, taking one last step closer. My eyes dart towards one of his hands as I slowly approach it with my own. I take his hand in mine, gently brushing my thumb across the bones. "Brook..." I begin, looking up at him again. "I admire you. And I need to know how you feel when you're around me before that admiration turns into something more." 

He doesn't say a word. He just keeps looking at me for what feels like forever. But that's just another thing being around him feels like, like time stands still and we're the only people on this planet. Finally, his mouth opens the slightest and I close my eyes, relieved. He places his free hand on top of mine and gives them a soft squeeze. I smile, enjoying the feeling of him. His hand then moves to brush a strand of hair off my face, tucking it behind my ear. Then, his voice fills the silence. "Such beautiful words. Making an old man's heart beat impossibly fast. Except I don't have a heart." I laugh ever so slightly at his stupid joke, grateful for his attempt at relieving tension. I look up at him again, waiting for him to continue. "You're certainly a beautiful, passionate woman inside out," he pauses for a few seconds before continuing. "Which is why I have to be the voice of reason here," he says while sliding his hands away from my body to his sides. My smile drops at the loss of touch. "I'm an old bag of bones, Y/N. I can't give you what you yearn for, what you deserve," he sighs, looking at the ground now. Tears are building in the corners of my eyes, making my vision blurry. "I was lucky to get a second chance at life. You don't have that option, and I couldn't live with myself if I let you waste yours on someone like me when I have so little to offer." The tears are now streaming down my cheeks. How could this man not see himself as worthy? Why does he get to decide what I deserve?

I'm just about to open my mouth to protest when a cabin door swings open. Out of the cabin stumbles none other than Luffy, his eyes closed. Is he sleep walking? Brook sees an exit, taking one last look at me before wishing me a good night and walking inside the boys' sleeping quarters, closing behind him the door that Luffy left open. I wipe my tears, refusing to let anyone else see me like this. I'm angry at Luffy for interrupting at the worst possible moment. I'm angry at Brook for giving me hope and then snatching it away just as quickly. I'm angry at myself for falling for the one man that apparently will never let himself fall for me. And I'm definitely angry that I now have to wake the idiot captain up before he swings himself overboard in his sleep.

Chapter Text

The next morning I'm woken up by Robin sitting down on the edge of my bed. I sleepily open my eyes halfway to look at her and I'm sure they're still swollen from crying myself to sleep. I'm too tired to care about her seeing me in this state, though. She would figure things out eventually anyway. She places her hand on my arm with a concerned look. "Don't worry about me," I whisper. The words are masked as a reassurance to her, but in reality it's more of an order. After the rejection I suffered through last night I don't want a single person to feel like they have to worry about my happiness. About what I deserve.

She nods understandingly, smiling softly. "Sanji's made breakfast. Everyone's wondering where you are," she states before standing up and leaving the cabin. I groan as I sit up on the bed. My head hurts so much it feels like someone's twisting a dagger in the back of it. Sure, I've got a hangover but all the goddamn crying just adds to the suffering I'm going through right now. I get up and grab a clean set of clothes, changing them on. I'm about to go join the crew when I accidentally catch myself in the mirror, and thank god I did. I'm gonna have to do something about my eyes. I'm emotional as shit but that doesn't mean I like to show anyone that side of me. I splat on some makeup, making the redness surrounding my eyes, well, less red. I can't work miracles, after all.

"G'morning," I mumble to the others as I enter the kitchen. "Guess I stayed up a little too late," I force a small laugh, scratching the back of my neck as I sit down on the empty seat between Robin and Usopp. I catch Zoro staring at me from his seat with a cocked eyebrow and a smirk. In return, I shoot him a look that lets him know that whatever he thinks happened last night most definitely did not. I reach to grab some bacon and fruits onto my plate, along with some of the fresh bread that I smelled yesterday when we were docking. "Why were you sad last night, Y/N?" Luffy blurts out in between stuffing his face with whatever he can grab. My shoulders tense and I almost choke on some bacon. "What do you mean?" I ask before gulping down a whole glass of water. God, I'm so dehydrated. "When you shook me awake you looked like you were crying. And you were meaner to me than usual," he states, bits of food flying from his mouth on the table. "I just miss my family," I shrug, hoping my lie sounded as nonchalant as I thought. "And someone needs to start chaining up our captain here to his bed at night before he sleepwalks straight into the ocean," I continue, trying to change the subject.

Luckily it works, everyone now concentrated on the revelation of Luffy's new tendency to sabotage his dream of becoming king of the pirates. Everyone except Brook, who's staring at me from his seat straight across me. I don't meet his eyes but his gaze on me is so intense my cheeks are starting to turn scarlet. The anger I felt last night has turned into embarrassment. I feel humiliated and more than anything I want him to stop giving me any sort of attention. I don't want it. Not after pouring my heart out to him only for it to be crushed right then and there. My fault for basically begging for him to tell me how he felt about me. I can't be mad at him for giving me an answer I wasn't ready for. 

After breakfast everyone went to do their own things. I'm back in the girls' cabin, making myself a bit more presentable and stuffing my bag with all the things I'm going to need in the city. I'm going there today to do some exploring of my own, eager to be distracted from the shame that's gnawing at my mind. After doing what I can about my looks, I head out to the deck where the crew is now relaxing. With a hand on my hip and the other on my forehead, shielding my eyes from the sun, I call out to the others to get their attention. "Oi, I'm heading out to the city. Want to do some exploring of my own," I declare before turning on my heel. But I'm quickly stopped on my tracks by Usopp. "Great! You can go with Brook then. He's about to leave, too." I freeze. Sure enough, the tall, lanky skeleton is now emerging from the boys' cabin. Usopp is searching his bag for something, taking out a peculiar looking plant. He holds it out for me and Brook to look at. "If you two come across these plants, could you grab some? I'm running low." I nod at Usopp's request, letting him know I'll keep an eye out for them. 

The walk to the city has been silent till now. My eyes have been darting around the wilderness surrounding us, trying to locate any weird looking plants for Usopp. I haven't looked at Brook once but I'm pretty sure he's been doing the same thing. It's ironic how the tables have turned in just one night. Yesterday I was complaining about Brook avoiding me, now I'm doing the exact same thing to him. "Y/N-san, would you please stop?" he finally pleads. My walking comes to a halt but I don't turn to face him. He lets out a sigh and walks up to me, softly turning me so my body's facing him. Still, I keep my eyes focused on my feet. "Look at me," he orders. I don't want to give him any reaction but I can't help the shivers running up and down my body when I hear his assertive tone. I slowly look up at him, deciding not to be as stubborn as he was when avoiding me. "You're angry at me," he says, the assertive tone of his morphing into a disappointed one. I shake my head as I turn around, starting to walk again.

He follows right behind. "I'm not angry at you, I'm embarrassed," I confess, though it comes out sounding angry. "Yohohoho, there's no need to be embarrassed-" he starts with an amused laugh. Read the room, idiot. I'm quick to interrupt him. "Can we just forget about it? I was drunk and tired. Clearly I wasn't in my right mind," I sigh, glancing at him over my shoulder. He's silent for a while before nodding and muttering a "sure thing". I nod, satisfied with his answer. "Great. Look, can we just go our separate ways now? I was looking forward to exploring on my own. I'm sure you had your own plans, too. No need for us to slow each other down." I can practically feel his disappointment in my bones when he grabs ahold of my shoulder and turns me around again to face him. He's searching for something in my eyes, but what it is I wouldn't know. "I think we should stick together. We don't know what dangers this island holds," he notes. I shrug, determined to get some distance. "We're both capable of keeping a low profile. I'm sure we'll be just fine." With that, I turn on my heel and start walking at a quick pace, hoping he chose to take one of the other paths leading off from the intersection we were just standing at. Seems like he did. And now I'm a sobbing mess again. Goddammit.

It only takes me a couple hours before I'm returning to the ship. Nothing eventful happened, but the views were amazing. I bought some books and new clothes in the city before heading back to explore the nature. Even managed to find some of those plants for Usopp. I'm sure he'll be pleased. I climb aboard, greeting the crew still sitting on the deck. Brook's not back yet and the others ask me about that. I tell them that he stayed behind to listen to some street artists and that I'm sure he'll be back soon. But I'm filled with dread. What if something happened to him? Shit. I would never forgive myself. Silently, as to not alarm the others, my mind starts spiraling, thinking about all the worst case scenarios. Shit, shit, shit. I'm pulled away from my horrid thoughts when I hear him climb aboard mere minutes after me. Thank god, not a scratch on him. Also, nothing else on him. I guess he didn't find anything worth buying. "We were just talking about going to that huge bar in the city later," Nami announces. I smile at her, the idea of alcohol soothing me. And then the idea of that idea making me silently wince. I can't let alcohol become a problem. But for now, anything to drown out the storm of emotions raging in my mind.

Chapter Text

We're now seated in a corner booth at the bar. I'm currently in the middle of a drinking game with Zoro. Whoever finishes their beer last has to buy another round. Of course, I'll lose. I might know how to hold my liquor but I'm still no match for him when it comes to drinking pace. Still, I'm happy to keep the drinks flowing one way or another. I'm tipsy again, and I'm starting to feel the awkwardness slipping away. Zoro takes one last chug of his beer, licking his lips while slamming the now empty pint back on the table a bit harder than necessary. He grins as he watches me finish my beer anyway. I shoot him a glare that soon turns into me chuckling, my hands flying up in defeat.

"New game," he starts with a smirk, his eyes now focusing on something behind me. "If you manage to hook up with anyone tonight, I'll be buying every round next time we're out. If you don't, you'll buy." I cock an eyebrow at him before glancing behind my shoulder to see what he's looking at. Another pirate crew, sitting at the counter. Not bad looking men, either. After returning from the city I ended up spilling every detail of the excruciating 20-hour window where all seemed to go to shit. This is him trying to cheer me up. It's kind of sweet, really. I turn to face him again, holding out my hand for him to shake, signaling that I accept the terms of the game. Whatever, how can I make things worse anymore, anyway? At least this way I might get some long needed action, Zoro having to pay for my future drunk self is just a nice bonus at this point. 

Zoro shakes my hand firmly and it's game on. I leave our table, slightly staggering as I make my way to the counter. I take one last look at Zoro, mouthing "watch this" as I release my long hair from the bun I had spent an eternity constructing earlier. My hair falls and sits perfectly on my curves. I make sure to adjust my shirt and bra so that my breasts are more on display. I smirk as I approach the other crew, making my way between them and leaning on the counter, making sure to lift my ass up so high it hurts my back but still looks innocent enough. I can feel the pirates' eyes on me, ogling me up and down without a shred of shame. Men are such simple creatures. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" one of them speaks up. I turn around and lean back on the counter. With this new angle I'm able to push my chest out, my cleavage now on perfect display. I don't mind the staring, really. It's just skin.

I look at the stranger, letting out a small laugh. "Is that your go-to pick-up line? Does it ever work?" Odds are he really is trying to place my face. After all, I'm sure he's seen it on wanted posters all around the Grand Line. He chuckles in return, licking his lips. He's not too bad to look at. "You've got a smart mouth, woman. How about you let me buy you a drink, beautiful?" To be completely honest, this man has a way with words. "I'm supposed to be buying a round for me and my friend there," I reply, nodding my head at Zoro, who has an amused smirk displayed on his face as he eyes the situation closely. The stranger takes one look at Zoro, his eyes widening for a split-second before returning to me, inspecting me closely.

"So that's why you looked so familiar. Tell me, should I be afraid of the pirate hunter slashing me open for speaking to you or are you free game?" he smirks, now towering over me as he leans on the counter with one hand. I shoot him my best seductive smirk. "Zoro won't bite, but I might. How about you buy me those two beers and we'll see if you can get me to warm up to you." I'm just playing, I'm already eager to get him into bed. Drunk me is always so goddamn horny. He chuckles, accepting the challenge and ordering two pints of beer. I leave one on the counter, while strutting back over to Zoro to give him the other. "Get ready to lose, Roronoa," I wink before turning around to return to the fine man waiting for me at the counter. 

I've been shamelessly flirting with the stranger for the past half an hour. I have a new pint of beer clutched in my hand, already having finished the one he bought me earlier. My vision is starting to blur a bit and my speech comes out slurring. That's odd. I haven't even drunk that much yet. Maybe I shouldn't have downed so many beers in a row with Zoro. It doesn't take too long for my condition to worsen. My head is spinning. Alarms are going off inside my head. I look at Zoro but he's not concentrated on me anymore, now in the middle of laughing his ass off with our crew members.

I try my best to stand up from the stool I'm sitting on but the stranger next to me slowly pulls me down. He doesn't need to use any force, my muscles are getting weaker by the second. "Where you going, beautiful? The fun's just getting started," he smirks down at me. By now I'm having difficulties processing his words. "Actually, let's continue the night elsewhere," he continues, standing up and pulling me to my feet. I have little fight in me, not enough for anyone to notice what's happening here. He wraps his arm around my waist, holding me up so I don't face plant on the sticky floor.

He succeeds in walking me out of the bar without anyone noticing my absence. We're walking towards a dark alley and I whimper, the little sense still present in my brain protesting what's about to happen. We're not alone, a handful of his crew right behind us. Suddenly I'm pushed against the wall, a sharp pain shooting down my back while the coldness of the surface soothes it instantly. I wince as I feel the stranger's hand on my face. Suddenly I'm reminded of the fact that I don't even know his name. Or the pirate crew he's a part of. I close my eyes tightly, preparing for the worst. But his body is abruptly pulled off of me. "Gentlemen, is that any way to treat a lady?" is the last thing I hear before my mind goes blank.

***

When I wake up, I'm in my own bed. I'm still wearing the same clothes from last night. I have a pounding headache and I feel sick. I can't remember a thing from last night. Shit, did Zoro finally make me reach my drinking limit? Next to my bed is a bucket, which I'm forced to use before the contents of my stomach are decorating the floor. At least drunk me had some sense last night to prepare for a hangover of the century. I hold my head but it does little to soothe the agonizing pain. There's a glass of water on my bedside table and I gulp it down in one big chug. I sit up and make my way to the shower, reeking of old booze. I've gotta change those sheets, too. Shit, are there clean ones? I never got around to doing the laundry like I told the girls I would a couple days ago.

After showering last night's sins away, I stumble to the deck. Zoro, Brook and Sanji are sitting on the lawn and I join them, hoping that the sun on my skin makes me feel a little better. "Well don't keep me in suspense, what happened last night?" Zoro breaks the silence after a few minutes. I shoot him a questioning look, not at all sure what he's talking about. "What do you mean what happened, you weren't there?" He shoots me an amused look, his brows furrowed. Then he bursts into a chuckle, lying down on his back with his hands behind his head. "No, but if you had asked me I might've been drunk enough to seize the opportunity. Would've been a win-win situation, don't ya think?" he ends with a smirk. "What the hell are you on about, Zoro?" I look at him sternly. He lifts his head so he can see the confusion on my face, then shrugs. "Did you or did you not sleep with the rugged-faced pirate?" he asks impatiently. I blush, taken aback by his directness. I'm not really comfortable discussing my sex life in the presence of the man I was declaring feelings for just two nights ago. My lips are slightly parted. I'm trying my best to remember the events of last night. What pirate is he talking about? 

"She did not," Brook chimes in, his focus on his hands wiping his violin with a cloth. Zoro chuckles. "I win," he declares. Now I'm even more confused. What did he win? Why does Brook know about my bedroom activity? What rugged-faced pirate? Just on queue, a news coo flies over us, landing to rest beside us. Sanji grabs a newspaper and slips some berry into the bag hanging from its neck in return. And then the gull is off to find other customers. He flips through the pages, hoping to find something of interest. By the surprised look on his face I can tell that he did indeed find something intriguing. He nudges Zoro, showing him the paper. "Oi, mosshead, isn't this the rugged-faced pirate?" Zoro glances at what Sanji's showing him, raises his eyebrows and shoots me a stunned look. Sanji's now looking at me too, I can't really put my finger on the expression on his face. Is that worry? Admiration?

I grab the newspaper from Sanji's hands, eyeing the page in front of me. There are sized down wanted posters of a handful of pirates. On top of their pictures is the title written in big, bold font. "Infamous pirates hospitalized with multiple laceration wounds" My eyes widen from shock. Bits and pieces of last night are coming back to me. I recognize the good looking pirate in the middle, I remember talking to him. Tears brim my eyes, though I'm not sure why. I stand up, pointing at Zoro with the paper. "What the hell did you do!?" I shout at him. He looks almost hurt by my outburst, throwing his hands up in defence. "Wasn't me," he mumbles. I now remember the game Zoro challenged me to. I remember flirting with the pirate and then later leaving with him. I huff out a sarcastic laugh. "Sure, it's just coincidence that they were slashed open right after leaving the bar with me," I shake my head. "Goddammit, Zoro, you can't kill people over a game!" I'm back to shouting. Zoro also jumps on his feet, furious at me. "I didn't even see you leave the bar! And might I remind you that I'm not the only one on this crew with a goddamn sword?" he's now shouting back at me. 

I'm in a staring battle with Zoro and everything else around us is blocked out of my vision and hearing. And then realization hits. My head whips to look at Brook, who's still concentrated on taking care of his violin. Everyone else's attention is on him now, too. He stops on his tracks before looking up at me, then the others. The silence is loud. And then his focus is back on the violin.

"They drugged you, Y/N," he mutters. My fists clench at the claim. I don't remember a lot from last night. Which makes sense if I was drugged. But I'm not stupid enough to have let that happen. Right? Brook sighs. "And they were going to-" he pauses, as if to contemplate what words to use. "Hurt you," he finishes, slowly meeting my eyes. Flashes of being pushed up against the brick building flood my mind. Flashes of how weak I had felt. It makes my skin crawl. I clench my fists even tighter, my nails painfully digging into my palms. And then I let the tears fall without making a sound. How could I let that happen to me? I'm staring right at Brook with a hollow look. I feel my knees give out but Zoro, standing right beside me, is quick to catch me before I collapse onto the floor. And again, I give in to the darkness as I drift off from consciousness.

Chapter Text

I wake up in Chopper's office. He's reading a book on his desk. I groan softly as I sit up and Chopper is quick to run by my side, telling me to take it easy. Doctor's orders. He starts doing all kinds of tests to see how I react, looking at me with worry and love in his eyes. I guess the others told him about last night. I bet the whole crew knows by now. Great. "I'm fine," I tell Chopper, hoping he backs off. But he doesn't, now ordering me to follow the light he's blinding me with. He goes on to tell me that the drug is out of my system by now. He must've done some tests while I was out of it. I smile weakly at him, grateful for his care even if I'd rather sink underwater right about now. "You woke up just in time. Sanji's just finished making dinner. You need strength, let's go." I'd rather not face the others. I've never been more embarrassed. But I've never been hungrier, either, so I follow Chopper to get some fuel for my body.

Entering the kitchen, everyone immediately falls silent, their eyes fixed on me. I cringe, not enjoying the attention. "Yes, I did a stupid thing last night. But I'm fine so let's never, ever, talk about it again. Please," I beg as I flop down between Brook and Nami. No one says a word. Except Zoro. "I shouldn't have let you out of my sight," he states, eyes filled with anger and regret. I shoot him a warning look. "What did I just say, Zoro? I swear, I will beat you up." We both know it's an empty threat. Luffy finds it amusing, though. He's bursting into laughter, making the others grin, Zoro too. I've never been happier about Luffy's cheerfulness. Bless him. I smile weakly at the sight in front of me as the crew goes back to babbling on about whatever is currently on their minds. My focus is turned to my hands on my lap when a set of long, bony fingers land to rest on top of them. It feels nice. I hum as the digits hook around one of my hands, giving it a soft squeeze before withdrawing from me way too soon. I glance at the skeleton sitting beside me, he's looking at me. I mouth a "thank you" to him. If it wasn't for him I don't know where I would've ended up last night, or in what condition. He nods, then turns to join the others in the conversation. I'm left staring at him, not really caring if someone notices. He turned me down not too long ago, yet every day I keep falling for him harder.

We're still sat on the dining table, now laughing at Luffy and Chopper who've done their usual bit of sticking chopsticks up their nose. Idiots. It's been a few minutes since Brook excused himself from the table and left the kitchen. I stand up from my seat and start piling empty plates on my hand, bringing them to the washing station. It's not my turn to do the dishes but it's no trouble helping a bit. I wash and dry my hands, thanking Sanji for dinner before making my way to the door leading outside. I'm hoping to find Brook so I can thank him properly. And there he is on the deck, leaning on the edge of the ship that's facing the city. Hesitantly, I walk up beside him. He doesn't turn to look at me nor do I look at him. Instead, we're both quietly staring into the horizon. I'm the first to break the long silence. "You saved me from those men," I say, though it comes out almost a whisper. He nods. "I did what anyone on the crew would've done," he states. He's not wrong, we would all die for each other if it ever came to that. "But you're the only one who noticed what was going on," I note. He doesn't speak, so I continue. "Thank you, Brook. Really." He nods again. "Of course, dear." The term of endearment makes my heart flutter everytime he calls me that. It's just a word he uses to address most women, yet I can't help but selfishly wish I were the only one. I inhale the island air deep in my lungs, preparing for what I'm about to say. "You never told me what you feel around me." Although it's hard to see with his lack of muscles and skin, he stiffens at my statement. I refuse to break the silence now, waiting for him to open up to me. Except he doesn't. We've been standing still for at least a few minutes now. I finally give up, my gaze dropping from looking at the city in front of us to watching the waves hit our ship right below us. I softly sigh in defeat, turning around. I stay standing like this for a while, deciding it's time I let whatever feelings I have for this man fade away. And with that, I start walking towards the girls' cabin. 

I've only taken a few steps, though, when I hear the faintest whisper from behind me. "Alive," he quietly says, his voice almost breaking. I turn to look at him. His gaze is now dropped to watch the waves like mine was a couple minutes ago. I slightly cock my head to the side, waiting for more. "You make me feel alive," he elaborates with more volume in his voice this time, still barely louder than a whisper. He turns his head to look at me. His stare is intense, and it's making my heart flutter. Tears brimming my eyes, I nod. He has just finally opened up to me, his look full of trust and fear at the same time. I slowly make my way back to my spot beside him, not breaking eye contact. When I reach him, though, he turns his gaze back to the city. I rejoin him in studying the island before us, not wanting to make him any more uncomfortable. He's leaning his hands on the rail of the ship and I can't help myself reaching out and placing one of mine on top of his, hoping it sends him a message that he's safe to give voice to what's on his mind. He takes a quick glance at our hands, then returns his gaze forward. It takes him a little while to continue but I don't mind. Now that he's taken the first step, I could stand here and wait for hours. "You make me feel human," he finally continues. I nod slowly. "You are human, Brook." He shakes his head. "I'm merely a remnant of one. A soul attached to a pile of bones," he insists melancholically. I turn my body to face him, shifting my hand from on top of his to rest on the spot where his heart once beat. "That soul is exactly what makes you as human as the rest of us. You've seen the monsters we've fought, Brook. Most of them have had skin on their bones and a beating heart, but that didn't stop them from doing the most inhumane acts imaginable. It's not a physical body that makes a man, it's the spirit inhabiting it. And yours is the most passionate I've ever known." My chest is tight not only because I'm nervous about my confession but because it aches me to hear how little Brook thinks of himself. I'm holding my breath, searching for a reaction in him. It's hard to read someone without seeing their eyes, and for the first time ever I wish he still had them so I could figure out what he's feeling. 

I clear my throat as my hand moves to hold his arm and forces him to turn his body towards mine. I grab a hold of his hand again, following the movement of my fingers as I intertwine them with his. Then, I look up at him again. "What else do you feel around me?" He just stares at me. After a while he opens his mouth as if to say something but quickly closes it after. Instead, his other hand cups my cheek, sending shivers down my spine. He softly leans his forehead on mine and the affection is causing butterflies in my stomach. I hum, fully enjoying the closeness. My free hand slides across his cheekbones to his hair. And with that, I slowly close the small gap between us, pressing my lips to his teeth on the spot I'm sure once held his own lips. My eyes are squeezed shut. Electricity is running down my throat to my stomach, then lower. I don't want to pull away. I'm high from his touch and I don't want to come down. But I'm forced to do just that when the hand on my cheek moves under my chin, pulling my lips apart from his teeth and raising my head to meet his gaze again. And I just know what he's about to say. But I won't let him.

He opens his mouth but I speak up before he can get a word out. "I know what I want, Brook. And what I want is you by my side." His mouth closes. I guide the hand of his that I've been holding to rest on my chest, right on top of my racing heart. "Feel that? This is how you make me feel. And I wish that you never stop." A single tear appears from the dark pits of where his eyes would be, and it slowly glides down his cheekbone to hang on his chin. I think back to the time when he was telling us about his bodily functions after joining the crew. "I don't know why, but it seems I can only cry out of joy," he had confessed back then. The memory makes me smile as I'm now following the tear drop from his chin to the floor. I return my gaze to meet his, holding back tears of my own. He then presses me flush against his chest, resting his chin on the top of my head. "How could I refuse to grant a wish as sweet as that?" he whispers, tightening his hold around me.

Chapter Text

It's been two weeks now since Brook to let me in. We're... something. It feels weird to put a label on it. I can't call him my boyfriend, he's too old for that. Manfriend feels too pretentious. Partner? I guess that's slightly better. Though it still feels off. We've never really talked about what we are. We only know we have big feelings for each other. He makes me happy and he keeps telling me I do the same for him. We've rarely been apart since that day. We still sleep separately in our respective quarters, but Franky keeps half joking he'll have to do something about that. I hope he delivers. Neither of us have yet to say the three big words to each other. I have fallen in love with him. I'm just afraid that if I say it out loud, things'll change. And things are good now.

We've sailed off to another island by now, this one less lively than the previous one. Most of the island is covered in thick forest but there's a village in the heart of it. The others have gone to greet the villagers that have warm-heartedly welcomed us and shown us what secrets the modest looking island actually holds. They left Brook and me alone on the ship as per my request. I know he thinks I don't know about it, but it's his birthday today. He doesn't really celebrate it anymore, but I wanted to do something nice for him anyway.

We're lounging on the deck, he's pouring us tea. It's become a routine of ours at noon every day. He's got an arsenal of different flavored teas and he insisted I try and rate every single one of them. Fourteen days, fourteen flavors. And we have only scratched the surface by now. I accept the filled cup he offers, smiling at him. "You're suspiciously quiet today, dear," he gets the conversation going while pouring tea for himself. I chuckle, taking a sip of the delicious tea he's brewed for us today. Honeysuckle and pear. Interesting combination, ridiculously good. "Aren't you glad that I've shut up for once?" I answer, shooting him a nod to let him know I enjoy the tea. He laughs when I lick my lips dramatically to emphasize said deliciousness. He turns to look at his own cup, looking for an answer. "It's making me quite nervous," he smiles before bringing the cup to his mouth.

I put my cup down, closing my eyes as I let the sun do wonders to my skin. "What shall we talk about, then? Art? Politics? Or the fact that it's your birthday and you haven't told a soul?" I open my eyes to look at his reaction and am not disappointed. His mouth is wide open, which makes me chuckle. "How did you know?" I shrug, smiling slyly. "Robin told me. She has a file on each of us. Probably from her days with the Revolutionary Army. You'd be surprised by the shit she knows." If possible, his mouth opens even wider at the revelation. I giggle, making my way to kneel before him on his chair, between his legs. I rest my hands on his thighs, looking up at him softly. "Why didn't you tell me?" I ask. He shrugs, stretching his arm under mine to help me up, shifting me so I get seated sideways on his thigh. I rest my arms on his shoulders and intertwine my fingers behind his neck. "I haven't celebrated in years. Or rather, haven't had anyone to celebrate it with." I pout at his answer, reminded of how he had been truly alone for so long before joining our crew. He notices my reaction. "Yohohoho, Y/N, you can't be sad on my birthday." he jokes. My frown turns into a grin while I shake my head. I place a kiss on his forehead before standing up, holding a hand out for him. "I was gonna save this for later, but I guess now's as good a time as any. Come on," I nod at my hand, gesturing for him to hold it with his. He does and I eagerly help him stand up before dragging him behind me to the womens' quarters. 

"What are you-" he starts but I interrupt. "Just wait," I say as I get on my knees and pull out a small, decorated wooden box from under my bed. With a big smile stretching on my face, I hold the box for him to take. "Happy birthday." He looks at me in disbelief, slowly reaching to take the box from my hands. "Oh dear, you shouldn't have," he states, staring at me until I urge him to open the box. He smiles softly when he does, revealing several bags of tea inside. I look to see if he recognizes what makes it special, but impatiently blurt it out anyway. "It's tea from your home town." A piece of information I also managed to fish from Robin, though I plan on getting this man to tell me everything about his past sooner or later. He stares at the gift for so long it's starting to make me nervous. And then he lifts his gaze to meet mine. "Y/N... What a thoughtful gift. How did you get your hands on this?" he asks, amazed. I'm instantly relieved by his reaction and go on to tell him that I found a shop that sold it at the last island we visited. He nods, softly closing the lid of the box again. "Now you get to taste it, too," he comments, smiling. I return the smile and cup both of his cheeks, pulling him in for a kiss. He still stiffens up every time my lips meet his teeth. I really hope it's a pleased reaction instead of an uncomfortable one. 

I pull back, softly stroking his cheeks with my thumbs. He clears his throat, relaxing into my touch. "Well then, I only ask for one more thing. Since it's my birthday and all," he says. I chuckle, amused that he's taking full advantage of the attention he's getting. "Anything," I reply, bowing to him theatrically. He leans down so close his breath is tickling my neck. I swallow, the sensation sending sparks all over my body. "May I see your panties?" he finally asks in a lower voice than usual. It takes everything in me to stifle the needy whine that almost leaves my lips when his voice vibrates in my ear. I bite my lip at the thought. Him asking that used to be daily thing, but he hasn't asked me that even once in the last two weeks. A smirk creeps its way onto my lips as my hand slowly glides up his spine to stop at his neck, holding his head in place. Then, I turn my face so that it's now my breath tickling his neck. "Sure. But only if you undress me yourself."

He straightens his back so fast I'm pretty sure I can hear something crack. I'm still smirking up at him, waiting for him to make a move. He's staring at me up and down, mouth agape. I raise an eyebrow at him. All bark, no bite, huh? Hesitantly, he reaches over and starts unbuttoning my shirt. He's breathing heavily, and I'm pretty sure his fingers are shaking as they work to reveal what's under the piece of fabric. I bite my lip as I watch him work, excitement starting to build deep within me. He manages to undo the last button and slides his hands on either side of my waist, his cold touch making me shiver and close my eyes in pleasure. He slowly, gently, glides his fingers upwards, taking ahold of my shirt and sliding it off my shoulders, making it pool to the floor behind me.

I suck in a sharp breath, feeling a chill at the loss of clothing. Noticing my reaction, his gaze shoots up from my chest to my eyes. I smirk up at him. "Don't tell me you're gonna stop now?" I challenge. He doesn't waste any time, hooking his fingers under the straps of my bra and dragging them down inch by inch. They're left hanging loosely when he reaches to my back and works to unhook the only piece of clothing covering my upper body. It takes him a while but I don't rush him. I've never been more patient, enjoying whatever touch he graces me with. I push my chest to his, giving him easier access. And then I hear the familiar snap signaling that the clasps are no longer secured. I take a step back from him, letting the straps along with the rest of the bra slip down my body. I look up at him, suddenly feeling vulnerable. I haven't bared myself like this for many men, and certainly not for anyone as important to me as Brook. By the way he's staring at me and holding his breath, it seems like it's been a while for him, too. Of course it has. 

I reach for his hand and grab it, placing it over my chest the same way I did on that day two weeks ago, letting him feel the way my heart is beating for him. He releases his breath at the touch and it comes out shaky. I bite my lip, giving him all the time he needs to take it all in. He takes a step closer, letting his hand drop from my chest. As it does, his fingers graze my already hard nipple, making me squeeze my eyes shut. I don't think I've ever been so turned on, and he hasn't even really touched me yet. The hand he dropped is now on my hip, his thumb teasingly dipping under my trousers. It makes me jolt a little and I quickly grab onto his arm to keep myself balanced. I'm sure if I could see any muscle movement on his face, he'd be smirking at the way his touch is affecting me. He moves slowly, as if wanting to savour every moment. His thumb is now fiddling with the single button on my trousers, his other hand moving to help him undo the button. It pops open and he pulls his hands away from me before placing them back on my waist. He moves us so that he's now sat down on the edge of my bed with me standing between his legs. This way I don't have to break my neck trying to meet his gaze. 

I smile at him reassuringly, letting him know he's free to continue. That I trust him. Not long after, his hands are back on my hips, fingers slipping under the waistband of my trousers, making me hum in anticipation. With agonizingly slow speed, he starts pulling the trousers down. They're halfway down when he has to start leaning down to continue removing them, his face getting dangerously close to my heat. Once the trousers are dropped to my ankles, I step out of them along with my shoes, kicking them to the side in the process.

I'm left in nothing but my lacy underwear in front of him and it's making me blush. He's looking at me like a prized treasure. The thought of him finally being shown some panties after so many requests makes me grin and hold back a giggle. I wish I could hear his thoughts right about now. I grab his hands, sliding them down my body to rest on top of the only garment on me at the moment. He rubs his thumbs on my hip bones, making shivers travel throughout my body. "What do you think?" I ask him in a whisper, biting my lip. He doesn't give me an answer. I yelp in surprise when he suddenly yanks the underwear down, baring me to him completely. With my mouth open wide, I look at him with a surprised expression. It doesn't require a genius to know, to feel, that he's smirking at my reaction. He slowly traces his index finger up my inner thigh, making me shudder and hold back a moan. And then he's back to rubbing slow circles on my hips. I guess now that he actually got to see panties he was more excited about what's underneath them. 

I look at him intently, eager to see what his next move is. His hands are slowly running up and down my body, taking in every curve in display only for him to see. His touch feels like he's just found something that he's been missing for so long, and I'm the most delicate and precious thing he's ever held. Wherever he touches me, he leaves a lingering echo of devotion behind. And every touch leaves me longing for more. His right hand stops to rest on my waist, while the left one drops to the back of my thigh. "Beautiful," he finally manages to whisper. My hand flies to hold his chin, forcing him to meet my eyes. I'm looking at him like I've never looked at another man before. Like I don't care if this is my last day on earth, just as long as I get to be cherished by him. I place a soft kiss on his teeth, making him softly squeeze my thigh in return. Suddenly, I'm very aware that I'm the only one exposed.

I move my free hand to cup his cheek, smiling when he leans his head to my touch. I glide my thumb over the bone, it feels rough yet smooth at the same time. Then, the fingers that were hooked under his chin move down to fiddle with the blue scarf around his neck. His breath hitches in his throat as I manage to untie the fabric. His gaze is focused on my hand as I softly drop the scarf onto the bed behind him. He seems nervous, understandably so. My hands are back on his shoulders. They grab the collar of his suit jacket, tracing their way down the hem to the two buttons restricting me from exposing his front in full. I swiftly unbutton the jacket, trying my best to move as slow and gentle as he did but failing miserably. I quietly take a deep breath, forcing my nerves to calm down. I don't want to rush this. I want him to feel as treasured as he made me feel. If anyone is deserving of a tender touch, it's the shell of a man in front of me. 

I decide to leave the jacket hanging loose on his bones for now, turning my focus to the hat sitting on top of his head. Maybe it’s best I start with something smaller. But he beats me to it, reaching for the hat and taking it off his head, letting the rest of his hair loose. His head moves to the side to stare at his own hands as he lowers the hat on the bed beside him. After the hat is neatly placed on my pillow, his hands return to his sides. His gaze, however, is still fixated on the headpiece next to him. I have to hook a finger under his chin again to carefully make him look at me. I slightly raise an eyebrow and tilt my head to the side, studying his face for any sign of discomfort. I don't find one. But then again, he's hard to read. I'm only at the beginning of my journey to comprehending the complexity of this man. And it's a journey I'm going to enjoy thoroughly, I'm sure. 

"I don't have to-" I start whispering lovingly but trail off when he softly wraps his bony fingers around my wrists. He only nods slowly as he guides my hands back to his jacket. I smile at him, at the trust he's putting in my touch. And with that, I slowly slide the jacket off his shoulders. There was the slightest shift in his jaw as his hand nervously rose to his chest as if in an attempt to feel a heartbeat that wasn't there. And even though there was no physical heart anymore, I felt the essence of one where Brook's ribs rose and fell in a slow but uneven rhythm. I took in the frame in front of me, mouth slightly open. He was looking where his hand was laying atop his chest. "I haven't..." he started, clearing his throat to give himself more time to gather his thoughts. "I've never shared myself with anyone," he continued, dropping his hand from his chest to his side. "Not like this," he finished the thought, his voice wavering. I closed my eyes at the words, feeling honored yet sorrowful at the revelation. When I opened my now teary eyes, he was looking at me.

"I hope you're not unsettled by it- by me," he said in a whisper, examining the single tear that was making its way down my cheek. My hands found their way onto his chest while I shook my head. "You could never unsettle me," I reassured and slowly started tracing my fingers along his ribcage, my eyes following the movement. "I see you, Brook. I see the man you once were. And I see the man you are now. And what I see..." I suck in my bottom lip, at a loss for words. I move my hand back to lay on his chest, right where his own hand was desperately trying to feel something moments before. My eyes are burning when I meet his gaze again. At a loss for words indeed. So I say the only thing that comes to mind. The only thing that's been on the tip of my tongue for so long now. "What I see is a man who I'm deeply in love with," I smile nervously, unsure if now was really the right time to confess. Unsure if the feeling was mutual. I didn't really care, though. I just needed him to hear it. To know that he is seen and loved. His face doesn't move an inch as he stares at me. I wonder if I made him uncomfortable. Shit. Did I just make things awkward? I go to open my mouth to reassure him that he doesn't need to say it back, but before I can get a word out he pulls me flush against his chest, holding me tighter than ever before. "That man is desperately in love with you, too," he whispers into my hair.

Chapter Text

The bright morning sunlight is evading the room through the closed curtains. It wakes me up from my slumber, blinding me even with my eyes closed. I squeeze them even more shut and turn my head away from the direct light. Just a few more minutes of sleep, please. "Hmmm," I hear from behind me. Brook is holding me with my back to his chest, his arm draped over my stomach while the other is laid out under the crook of my neck. A perfect fit, he had said the first time we cuddled to sleep in this bed. Our bed. 

When Franky found out about Brook's birthday the morning after it, he told him he would have a gift ready for him by the end of the night. That was after he along with the rest of the crew gave him hell for not telling them about his special day. Franky quite literally kicked the whole crew out of the ship for that whole day. We didn't fight back, instead making our way to the village in the heart of the island. We had grown quite attached to the villagers by then, so much so that we could genuinely call them our friends. We had planned to set sail in the next couple of days, so we wanted to spend us much time with them as we could before that. Naturally, Luffy had asked at least half the village to join our crew. None of them took the offer, which I was thankful for. Not because there was something wrong with them, but because of the limited space we had on our ship. 

When we trudged back to the ship by the end of the night, Franky was standing on the deck, waiting for us with his hands on his hips and a wide grin on his face. He had joked about it before, but he had really done it now. A bedroom. Just for Brook and me. Although it was really a gift for Brook, I was the one bawling my eyes out and thanking Franky like a maniac over and over. I had no idea how he managed to work his magic, but I was grateful nonetheless. So, so grateful. Because now we had a private space just for us. One where I could fall asleep in Brook's arms every night. 

And wake up there, too. Just like now. I smile lazily as he tightens his hold around me, nuzzling his face in my hair. "Hmmm to you, too," I say with a groggy voice, laying my hand on top of Brook's and intertwining our fingers. He squeezes my hand and humms again, earning a soft giggle from me. His hand leaves mine to slowly run up and down my bare side, leaving goosebumps in its wake. I don't think he realizes the effect he has on me. How just the slightest touch from him makes my toes curl. 

Our morning is slow. So slow that we miss breakfast with the others, skipping right to our afternoon tea. Today's blend: eldenflower and peach. Delicious, like always. But my mind is on something else completely. Flashes of Brook's hands on my body a few hours ago occupy my thoughts, making me slightly squeeze my thighs together. My eyes are fixed on his fingers as he lifts his cup to his mouth. I can't help but wonder how they would feel on... other parts of my body. The thought makes me bite my lip. 

"You're staring, love" Brook says before taking a sip of his tea. I blink and look away, my cheeks heating up. He chuckles at my reaction, making me blush even deeper. Brook's just about to say something but Zoro appears from inside the ship, calling his name. "Luffy wants to talk to you," Zoro says to Brook while plopping down to sit between us. Brook nods while setting his tea down and standing up. "I'll be right back," he says, turning on his heel to find our captain, leaving me with the swordsman.

"May I borrow a moment of your time, your highness?" Zoro asks with a mocking tone. I raise my eyebrow at the choice of words. "You having a stroke?" I counter, lying down with my hands behind my head. He just grins, reaching for Brook's cup of tea. "We haven't hung out in weeks," he starts, bringing the cup to his mouth and taking a sip. A sharp pang of guilt shoots through me. Shit. He's right. I've been spending so much time with Brook that I've barely said a word to my friends lately. The thought of my behavior makes me cringe. There's no way I've become that person who forgets everyone else when getting in a relationship. Ugh.

"So, what? Been too busy in the sack?" he continues to fill the silence I was too in my thoughts to fill. I take a sip of my tea to buy me some time. "Actually, we haven't-" I start saying quietly but trail off when Zoro starts choking on Brook's tea. He starts laughing, shooting me a look. "You're telling me you've been dating for over a month now and you've never tested the springs on that fancy bed of yours?" 

I groan, regretting saying anything. "It's not- he's not... Shut up, Zoro," I mumble, starting to turn red again. He smirks at my frustration, leaning back on his elbows. "You know, there are ways to go around that," he says, seemingly catching on to what I was trying to express earlier. I sigh, shaking my head. "I know, I know... It's just- I don't want to press him." I run my hand through my hair, sitting up to look at him.

"Sorry for being a shitty friend lately," I change the subject, making the swordsman grin. "I don't know, Y/N, I might need some convincing to forgive you," he says, making me chuckle. "Yeah? Like what?" I ask, amused. He shrugs. "Don't know. Maybe we could test the springs on that bed ourselves," he says, shooting me a wink. I roll my eyes, chucking my shoe at his head. He catches it before it finds its target, chuckling. He then stands up, playfully nudging my shoulder. "I'm gonna go work out. I suggest you two do a workout of your own," he starts, dropping the shoe on my lap before continuing. "To take that edge off," he smirks before sauntering off.

Chapter Text

"Y/N, watch out!" Zoro shouts from behind me. I duck and shield my head from whatever threat Zoro just warned me of. But nothing hits me. Instead, two men appear beside me on either side, hooking their arms under my armpits and hauling me up roughly. "Let me go," I warn them with a steady but stern voice. They drag me with them, turning on the spot so all three of us are now facing Zoro with Sanji a couple steps behind him. The latter is gritting his teeth in rage, whereas the former appears stoic, bordering on bored. 

"Not another step closer or I'll cut her throat," the man on my right says, holding a knife to my throat. If looks could kill, the one on Sanji's face would have my captors on their knees right about now. But the cook doesn't make a move. Both of my friends are looking our way, but they're not looking at me, no. They're looking at something behind us. Then, I hear the humming. I catch Zoro's eye and he shoots me a smirk. One which I return knowingly. 

The man on my left looks over his shoulder and his eyes widen at the sight of the tall skeleton slowly walking towards us from behind, humming an eerie tune. He reacts by grabbing a fistful of my hair, pulling my head back sharply while the one on my right presses the knife harder against my throat. So hard that it breaks skin, making blood trickle down my throat to my chest. Brook stops at the sight. "I said, not another step," the one with the knife warns again. He slowly traces the trickling blood with the knife, halting the knife in between my breasts, his gaze following while the corner of his lips curls up into a smirk. "Unless you want me to plunge this knife right into your whore's pretty chest," he continues. 

I raise an eyebrow at the man. Zoro chuckles, sheathing his sword. "Shouldn't have called her that," is all Zoro says. Tired of the game, I make my move. I take advantage of the way they're holding me, taking both of them by surprise when I throw myself backwards, kicking my legs over my head while grabbing their arms in the process. When I land back on my feet, I have the men's arms twisted under my grasp. Both of them are crying in agony, begging for me to let go. Pathetic. I twist their arms until I hear their bones crack, then shove them face first on the ground. 

I roll my shoulders, taking a few steps away from them. I turn to see Brook sauntering over to me. He rests his palm on my lower back and joins me in walking towards the rest of the crew. We stop in our tracks when one of the men behind us stands up, pulling a gun on us. I tense up but don't turn around. "I'm gonna fucking kill you, you bitch," he manages to say, taking the gun off safety. I close my eyes, concentrating on the air around us, readying my observation haki to counter the idiot's desperate attempt at coming out on top. 

"Oh, but I've already cut you," Brook announces nonchalantly. And right on cue, the man collapses on the ground.

I turn my head to look at the lifeless men on the ground, then at Brook. Shit, that was hot. Brook glances at me up and down as if to silently make sure I'm alright. Of course he knows I can hold my own in a fight, he knows he didn't have to use his sword on them. But the worry's still there whenever we face trouble. Just like I worry about him, too. He turns my body to his, wiping some of the blood off my chest with his thumb. "It's nothing, I'm fine," I tell him softly, earning a nod from him in return. 

"Let's find the others," Zoro speaks up and starts walking off. Sanji has to run after him and drag him back, muttering about his shit sense of direction in the process. I chuckle as I watch the scene in front of me, pointing behind my back with my thumb. "This way, Roronoa," I say before turning to said direction and start running, the others following, Zoro muttering something under his breath.

The previous two islands we were docked at were so peaceful that it caught us off guard when this one wasn't. We had run into another pirate crew not long after setting foot on the island. Luffy being Luffy, he tried befriending them but they were the arrogant type, claiming their mighty crew didn't need lesser allies. Luffy had just brushed off the insults. It wasn't until the captain of the rival crew started threatening and hurting the citizens that Luffy decided these pirates needed to be brought down. So that was what was happening now. 

On our way to the rest of our crew, fighting our way through the rivals, my blood started to boil. I was frustrated. Frustrated at having to fight off idiots, sure. But it was more than that. Zoro's words from the other day had got to me. I was on edge. Sexually. My own hands just weren't doing the trick anymore. I needed more. Needed Brook. And him defending my honor just now wasn't helping. Nor did the way he was fending off pirate after pirate standing in our path. 

We reach the rest of our crew just in time to witness Luffy deliver the final blow to the other crew's captain. He spots us, grinning widely. Zoro mutters something to him about hogging all the fun to himself. I'm out of breath as we had been running uphill the whole way. For nothing. Ugh. Sweat's dripping down my back, my throat and chest covered in my own, now dried blood. And then there's the heat burning its way down my insides. I shift slightly on my spot and my thighs rub together, accidentally creating friction inches above. I bite my lip to stop the sound threatening to come out at the feel of my saturated underwear. But even when I make no sound, Brook's quick to turn his head to me with a questioning look.

"I need a cold shower," I announce to no one in particular as I run a hand through my damp hair. Brook takes my hand and squeezes it softly. "Are you sure you're alright?" he whispers to me. I nod, slipping my hand free from his hold and starting the trek down the hill to get back to the Sunny. "I'm fine," I say to him over my shoulder, shooting him a small smile. A lie. I was far from fine.

Chapter Text

Though the sweat and blood is now washed off my body, the shower did little to help with my... problem. I was alone on the ship, the others stayed behind to celebrate the downfall of the other pirate crew. I bet I'll have some time to quickly take care of myself before they come back. I sigh as I stare at my naked body in the bathroom mirror. Why can't I just bring it up with Brook? We talk about everything. Why is it so hard to just tell him of my needs? I shake my head at myself, reaching for my towel. I dry off, then wrap the towel around myself. With one last glance at myself in the mirror, I exit the bathroom and make my way to our bedroom.

I open the door to find that I'm not quite as alone as I thought I was. Brook's sitting on the bed with his long legs sprawled out. I tighten the towel around me, startled. "Oh..." I blurt out, clearing my throat. "Oh? Yohohoho, don't get too excited," he chuckles as he eyes me up and down, making me blush. I scratch the back of my neck, huffing out a laugh myself. "No, it's just- I thought you'd be out celebrating with the others." He nods as he takes off his top hat and sets it down on the bedside table. "Something's been bothering you for days now," he says. I shake my head, striding to the closet. "It's nothing, I-" I start but Brook interrupts me. "Y/N, please," he begs. 

I sigh as I rummage through the closet, looking for clothes to put on. "Brook, I'm not in the mood to-" "Are you unhappy?" he interrupts me again. His voice is quiet and it almost breaks. I whip my head to look at him. Really look at him. And my heart breaks at the sight in front of me. He looks so... hurt. I make my way over to him, cup both of his cheeks and make him look at me. "I've never been happier in my life. You make me happy," I whisper, putting as much love into my words as I possibly can. "Then what is it?" he asks, placing his hands on my hips. I shudder, closing my eyes at the touch. "I've been- frustrated," I say quietly, embarrassment rising in me. "I've noticed," he nods. "No. Well, yeah. But I don't think you understand," I sigh. I take one of his hands, slowly sliding it down the towel until it meets my bare thigh. Then, I guide it upwards under the towel. "I'm frustrated," I emphasize, my cheeks turning red. 

Brook clears his throat, then swallows. "I see," he says, rubbing circles on my inner thigh with his thumb. "I wish you'd have told me sooner," he continues, softly pulling me closer to him. I sigh again, already feeling the heat build up under his touch. "I know I should have... But I just- I didn't know if you'd be comfortable with it," I suck in a sharp breath when he softly squeezes the flesh on my thigh, then continue with a shaky voice. "I've- I've been pleasuring myself but it's just not cutting it anymore." He stops rubbing my thigh. In fact, he stops his movements altogether. He drags his hand down my thigh, then lifts his chin to look at me. 

"Show me."

I'm blinking at him with parted lips, then swallow hard. "W-what?" is all I manage to stutter in response as my heart starts to beat faster. There's a faint movement in his jaw. The son of a bitch is smirking up at me. He stands up, towering over me. Still, his eyes are locked on mine. His gaze is so intense it sends a wave of chill down my body. It crashes with the heat between my thighs, making me tremble under his attention. With one hand on my waist he glides the other one up my towel to rest on top of my clenched fist - the one holding the towel snug around my body.  Finger by finger, he unclenches my fist. The towel falls off my body, pooling around my legs. I bite the inside of my lip when the cool air hits me. Both of his hands are back on my waist as he shifts us and gently pushes me down to sit on the edge of the bed where he just stood from.

"I want to see you pleasure yourself. Show me," he repeats, his voice deeper than usual. My thighs squeeze at his tone. Arousal and embarrassment are fighting in my body, both having a strong hold of me at the moment. The arousal only grows stronger when he parts my legs from their squeeze and drops down to his knees in between them. His hands find their way to rest on my thighs while I'm trying to find the self control to stop me from grabbing one and guiding it to where I really want him to touch me. Desperately.

His fingers press gently into my thighs as he leans in just a bit closer. "Go on, love," he whispers, but the usual sweetness in his voice has turned into something darker. Something challenging. I look away from his burning gaze but he's quick to take my chin in between his thumb and index finger, turning my head back to face him. "You wanted this, didn't you? Then keep your eyes on me," he continues, then nods down at my hands. "Touch yourself for me."

I take in a deep breath through my nose in an attempt to calm my nerves. I keep my eyes on him as my fingers start slowly trailing up the side of my thigh, grazing his hand as they make their way towards my heat. I reach my folds, letting out a small whimper as I let one of my fingers glide in between them. I huff out a sharp breath I was unconsciously holding while slowly sliding the finger up and down my folds. I can feel my clit pulsating but I refuse to give it the attention it's weeping for as I tease myself further and further, spreading the wetness that has already gathered. Just a few words and touches to my thigh had me pooling for the man in front of me. And he could hear it, I'm sure. Smell it. 

When I finally let my finger graze the swollen button, I lose all composure. The muscles on the arm I'm leaning on tense as I arch my back, letting out the moan I'd been holding back until now. I squeeze my eyes shut for a couple seconds before I force them open again to keep looking at Brook, like he ordered me to. But his own gaze has now moved downwards, following the way my fingers are now gently rubbing small circles on the bundle of nerves. His mouth is slightly open and I can hear his breathing deepen.

"Mmh..." I moan as I dip a finger in my entrance, just the tip, before returning my attention to my clit. His squeeze on my thighs has tightened to the point I'm sure it'll leave marks. But the pain only pleasures me further, making me throw my head back as more moans keep escaping my lips. Brook hums in appreciation of the sight, his grip on my thighs tightening for a second before loosening again. "I wonder," he starts, tilting his head and letting out a small, breathy laugh. His fingers twitch suddenly, as if he's restraining himself from touching me. Like he's trying his hardest to hold back. "Which one of us will break first," he finishes the thought, inching his fingers up my thighs but pulling them back just before he reaches where I need him most.

"B-Brook," his name falls off my tongue along with a shaky breath. My head is sent spinning when I slip a single finger inside myself fully, my thumb continuing with a back-and-forth movement on my clit. Tears start brimming in the corners of my eyes, the pleasure building up quick. I know I won't be able to last much longer. Not with him teasingly running his hands all over my thighs, not with him looking at me with such hunger. My cheeks are red and a thin layer of sweat glimmers on my body. After a while, another finger of mine joins in pumping in and out of me. I start rolling my hips to the rhythm of my fingers, chanting Brook's name over and over like a prayer. Like it's the only word I know. I can hear his breathing become heavier and heavier every time his name falls from my lips. I'm so close to the sweet release. I want to cum. Need it.

"Enough," Brook says sternly, his voice dark and demanding. Before I can react, his skeletal fingers wrap around my wrists, pulling them off of me and pinning them to the mattress above my head. I gasp at the feeling of him on top of me, and a moan slips from my throat when his thigh brushes against my wet folds. His face is a mere inch from mine. "Moaning my name like that..." he whispers as he deliberately shifts his clothed thigh again. It rubs my clit just right, making me breathe out his name once more. "Don't you think it should be me making you do it?" he finishes his thought. I reply with eager nods, trying to free my hands to touch him but his grip on my wrists is too strong.

"P-please," I manage to utter out in between shaky breaths. His jaw clenches at my pleading, his eyes fixated on me, on the needy whines leaving my lips. He lets go of my wrists only to spin us around on the bed and manhandle me so I'm now straddling his still clothed thigh. I shudder when his hands land to rest on my hips, stroking the flesh. "Use me, Y/N," he says, tightening his grip on my hips enough to guide me to softly grind on him. I throw my head back at the pleasure the slight movement gives, my back arching. The absent of flesh on his thigh makes the experience even better, his femur gliding perfectly between my folds, scraping my bundle of nerves just right with every small grind. He stops me before I can grind on him again, propping himself up. He backs us up into the wall behind him so he'll be able to sit up while still holding my hips. But before he does, he brushes a stray strand of hair behind my ear, then takes my chin in between his fingers and brings my focus back on his face. "Remember, eyes on me love," he says, the darkness in his voice now accompanied with so much affection. 

I nod, biting my lip. He closes the gap between our faces and I kiss him, putting my own hands on his shoulders to steady myself. I'm caught off guard when something wet brushes against my lower lip. I pull back only to quickly see Brook's tongue hanging out before it retracts to the depths of his mouth. I look at him with wide eyes, my mouth agape. I had never seen- never known that he had one. He only laughs at my shocked expression, closing the gap between us again. This time, I'm quick to give his tongue access into my mouth, meeting his with my own. Our tongues are in a battle for dominance, a battle which I don't really want to win. I want him to explore my mouth like it belongs to him. Fuck, I want this man to ruin me. 

He pulls back from our heated kiss after a while, giving one last lick to my lip, leaving me panting for more. "Now make a mess on me," he orders as his hands find my hips again. This time I don't need him to guide me, eagerly starting a slow rhythm of grinding against his thigh, keeping my eyes locked on his. Still, my initiative doesn't stop him from helping me as he drags me along his thigh, pulling me harder against him every few seconds. It doesn't take long for me to become a moaning mess. Brook's name leaving my lips echoes in the room again and again. 

"Good girl," he pants, starting to slightly lift his thigh up in a steady rhythm, creating more pressure on my already sensitive bundle of nerves. "Mark me," he continues, his own head now flying back towards the wall behind him as he lets out a long, deep groan. He's quick to gather his control and return his gaze to me, though. One of his hands travels up my body, squeezing my breast. "I'm yours," he whispers, flicking his thumb over my nipple. I whimper at the sensation, picking up my pace on his thigh. I'm too far gone to be able to reply with anything but his name. 

Brook.

His thumb is replaced by his mouth, his tongue swirling over the bud, circling around it. He softly bites down, careful not to hurt me. "So beautiful," he mumbles against my skin.

Brook.

Then, his hand glides down my body, settling on my inner thigh, rubbing circles on it before he reaches with his thumb to rub even slower and gentler circles on my clit. "Let me take care of you," he whispers, softly pressing down on the bundle of nerves. "Let go for me," he continues, his tongue licking a stripe up from my breast to the side of my neck. 

BROOK!

The orgasm hits me fast and hard. All the pent up tension inside me explodes in a flash of heat. My back arches as my whole body convulses at the force of it. I keep crying out his name, my hips still jerking to ride out the overwhelming bliss. "There we go, love," he says out of breath, then continues, "Don't hold back." Tears are streaming down my face and my legs start trembling. Never have I felt pleasure like this before. It's not just the sex, but the way I feel so loved, so safe under his touch. 

I finally collapse, falling forwards and resting my head in the crook of his neck, fighting for air. His hand flies to my hair while the other one lovingly rubs my back. And this is how we stay for a couple of minutes, neither of us saying a word. Not until my breathing calms down and my body stops convulsing. I sniff, planting a kiss to his jaw as I pull my head back to look at him. The hand he was stroking my hair with moves to wipe some tears off my face. I place my hand on top of his on my cheek and give it a small squeeze, smiling softly.

"From now on, you come to me," Brook breaks the silence. I nod, a pang of guilt searing through me. "Whatever need, whatever want, I'm going to take care of it. Take care of you," he promises, brushing my cheek with his thumb. I nod again. "I'm sorry," is all I can think of saying in reply. But he shakes his head. "No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not realizing your needs sooner. It's only natural for you. With me, well, that side of me has been dormant for so many years now, I'd forgotten what it feels like." I reach my free hand to cup his cheek, offering him a small pout. "But today, just now, you awoke something in me I thought would never surface again," he confesses, leaning his forehead against mine. 

I smile at his words, stroking his cheek bone. "Then let's not ever let it fall dormant again, huh?" I whisper, brushing my lips to his teeth. He nods, pulling me closer and giving my bottom lip a lick in response, making me softly giggle. "If only I'd known you've got a tongue like that..." I trail off, smirking at all the sinful thoughts flooding my mind. Well, I don't think I need to finish that sentence.

Chapter Text

Y/N’s POV

This island seems… off. We’ve been exploring it for three days now and haven’t encountered a single person. Yet there are clear signs of people having lived here. Houses, though unkempt. Faded laundry still hanging on lines, long bleached by the sun. It’s all very… eerie. As we walk through what used to be a town I notice what looks like a child’s toy lying in the middle of the road, covered by a muddy newspaper. I squat down to inspect the toy, eyes darting all around me to try to locate its possible owner. Brook squats down next to me, reaching for the back of the toy and fiddling with it.

‘’It’s an old music box,’’ he says as the worn out figures adorning it start moving in stiff circles, a beautiful but sorrowful tune ringing out, slightly out of tune. ‘’Without the box aspect, it seems. Yohoho,’’ he chuckles but his laugh quickly fades. He seems unsettled. ‘’How old is this thing?’’ I mumble to myself. Brook reaches for the dirty newspaper on the ground, flipping through the damaged pages to find the front page. ‘’This paper’s from four years ago,’’ he states. I turn to look at him, confused. ‘’So this island’s been empty for four years? Where did the people go?’’ I ask with a puzzled look. Brook just shrugs, letting the newspaper fall to the ground. I sigh, going back to studying the music box, or what’s left of it.

‘’Something’s not right about this place,’’ I say as I go to gently set the item back down where I found it. As I stand back up, something brushes my left shoulder, making me yelp and jump closer to Brook on my right. I glance around, trying to identify whatever it was but nothing’s there. I swallow, a shiver running through me. I shake the feeling off, returning my focus to the road in front of us, squinting my eyes to locate the rest of the crew ahead of us. I sigh while shaking my head, starting to walk to catch up to them. I don’t get far, managing to take two steps before something grazes my shoulder again. The sensation makes me suck in a sharp breath and nearly knock Brook over as I jump into his arms out of fright. He holds me as I once again look around but am only faced with houses after houses surrounding an empty road.

‘’Yohoho, you’re such an easy target,’’ he says and I feel him start to shake while he’s holding me, unable to hold in his laughter any longer. I whip my head to look at him, thrown off by his reaction to my nervousness. His long, bony fingers reach out to slightly brush my shoulder in the same manner as the two times before. My eyes follow the movement, and as realization hits I push myself out of his hold. ‘’Asshole,’’ I mumble as I begin walking again, faster than normal. Brook’s still laughing behind me, holding his stomach. With his long legs, it doesn’t take much effort from him to quickly catch up to me. He grabs one of my wrists and spins me around, pulling me back into his arms. ‘’I’m sorry, dear. I couldn’t help myself, you’re so jumpy,’’ he confesses into my hair, letting out one last chuckle. I roll my eyes, fighting back the smile that’s tugging at my lips. ‘’Mhmm… When I get my revenge, I want you to remember who started this little game,’’ I say as I pull back, shooting him a wink. 

‘’Oi! Brook, Y/N! C’mere, we found something!’’ Nami shouts from afar. The glint in her eyes is almost blinding. They must’ve found treasure.

Brook and I run up to them to be faced with just that. A cave filled with piles and piles of gold, jewellery and chests probably filled with some more of those. My mouth hangs open as the scene unravels before my eyes. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Chopper and Usopp are diving into the piles of gold, emerging with jewellery wrapped around their necks and crowns adorning their heads. Nami’s making what could only be described as gold angels as she lies on a pile and swings her arms and legs back and forth. Robin’s already creeping deeper inside, intrigued by some cave paintings decorating the walls. God knows where the others already disappeared to. The cave seems to go on for a while.

I also step inside, eager to explore what it has to offer.

Brook’s POV

The others had long scattered throughout the vast cave. They weren’t too far, judging by the continuous laughter echoing from the walls surrounding us. I had followed Y/N deeper in, watching the glow in her eyes grow at all the little trinkets she found beautiful. She had found a small opening to the side of the cave and ventured in. Like everywhere else, this spot was filled with treasure. I stayed behind, leaning against the rock at the entrance to the opening as I watched her get excited about the little things. My breath catches in my throat when she suddenly whips her head around to look at me, hands on her hips. So beautiful. She cocks her head to the side, smiling at me. ‘’You’re not impressed by all this junk, huh?’’ she asks innocently. I don’t know how many seconds passed with me just staring at her, not answering. How could I not when she’s smiling at me like that? With the same smile that, for a second each time, makes me forget about everything else. It’s unfair, really. That just a simple smile can be my undoing, and she doesn’t even realize it. 

I softly shake my head and huff out a laugh, nervous. She has a way of making me feel that way. ‘’My dear, why would I need gold when I have the most precious treasure in you?’’ I answer her, making her roll her eyes but the smile doesn’t leave her lips. ‘’That’s so cheesy, Brook,’’ she says, laughing as she returns her focus to the piles. Ah, the way my name leaves her lips is like music to my ears. Her laugh rings out as an echo, not in the cave, but in my head. There’s a sort of light in her that I’m sure not even death could take away. It makes me wonder if I was given a second chance at life just so I could witness her. 

I watch her with the utmost love in my eyes as she bends down to pick something up from one of the piles. An old mirror, covered in dust. Her delicate fingers brush some of the dust off, tracing the carvings on the frame. She raises the mirror to catch her reflection on it, offering me a small glimpse of her as light bounces off from the mirror to illuminate her face. My bones almost go limp at the sight. I flex my fingers, bringing one hand to rest on my chest to calm down a phantom beating of a heart. I let out a soft breath. ‘’If only I could be whole for her…’’ I whisper, barely loud enough for me to even hear it myself. ‘’For even just a day…’’ I trail off, softly sighing at the thought. It’s not possible. Even though she deserves it. She deserves to know, to feel how she makes me feel every second of every day. But I’m stuck in this lifeless body, and she will never be able to feel what I really feel. She deserves better.

However, something in the atmosphere shifted at the quiet desire spoken in a whisper. A gust of wind heavy with something otherworldly swept past Brook. There was the slightest flicker of the light penetrating the cave from the cracks in the wall, and an almost imperceptible tremor rippled through the air. Y/N didn't seem to notice any of it. Brook, however, did. As a shiver ran down his spine, he looked over his shoulder. No one was there. Yet he was sure he felt someone's presence. He stared at the darkness behind him for a moment, but nothing changed.

It wasn't meant to be more than a quiet confession. But something ancient was listening. And as Brook made his way to the woman he loved, in the silent darkness behind him, a whisper was left unheard.

"Granted."

Chapter Text

The cave went on and on. We explored it for hours and ended up bringing some of the treasure already back to the ship with us as we called it a night, deciding on picking up from where we left off after a good night's sleep. After dropping the gold off, we ventured out to find something to eat. Zoro had promised to get us some meat but we all knew how that would've turned out. Sure, no one doubted his skills to cut down an animal. But if we let him go alone, dinner would've soon turned into tomorrow's breakfast with his sense of direction. So we all went with him. Safe to say, he wasn't pleased with us. 

"Did you figure out what the cave paintings were about?" I ask Robin as I cut down an overgrown plant from out path. The jungle was thick with all kinds of growth but we hadn't seen a single animal. "Some of it, yes. But there was more to it, I'm going to – Treinta Fleur – have to continue tomorrow to get the whole story," she says while sprouting a bunch of arms to roll off a huge boulder that's blocking our way. I grin as I watch her work. She's so dependable. "I'm dying to know the whole story," I continue, offering her a big smile. She nods at me and lets out a soft laugh. "Me too. I'll make sure to let you know as soon as I make sense of it all," she assures me. 

I'm caught off guard when a puff of cool air hits my exposed neck. The sudden feeling and the chill it forces to travel down my body makes my legs turn to putty under me, making me stumble. Before I face plant on the ground, though, I'm once again pulled into Brook's arms. He rests his chin on my shoulder, and with how close his mouth is to my ear, another chill travels through me when he softly blows air towards it. "May I see your panties?" he asks in a voice that is clearly meant to try and scare me more instead of the suggestive tone the words are usually laced with. 

I huff, annoyed that he was able to startle me again. But shit, I'm also kind of turned on now. I've got to talk to Nami later about how I'm gonna get back at him. But for now? Let's have some fun. "Sure, honey. Here, hold my knife," I say innocently as I hand him the small hunting knife Zoro once gifted me. He takes it from me, dumbfounded when I move my fingers onto the buttons on my shorts, fiddling with them. For a moment, he just stares at me with his mouth hanging wide open. When he returns to his senses, though, he's quick to grab my hands and pull them away from myself. 

"You wouldn't," he says, gasping dramatically as he looks around if anyone saw. Other than Robin, who's quietly snickering at the situation, no one seemed to notice. "Oh, I totally would," I challenge, starting to lift my shirt upwards in a teasingly slow pace. Of course he's right, I wouldn't really go through with it while surrounded by others. But he doesn't need to know that, and I'm really enjoying the sight of him getting all flustered. Again, he stops my movements by yanking the shirt back down. I smirk as I place my hand on his chest, letting it travel up to the back of his neck, ending the movement with a soft stroke to the bone with my thumb. A simple trick that always gets him on his knees for me, oftentimes quite literally. 

Y/N didn't stay to see Brook's reaction. Instead, she let out a soft giggle before turning around and leaving him to his thoughts as she started jogging to catch up to Robin. If she had stayed, though... If she had lingered there with her hand on his neck, she would've felt something she had never felt before on him. Warmth. It didn't go unnoticed by Brook. His own hand flew to where Y/N's had been just a moment ago as he started feeling an odd sensation. He shouldn't feel warm, he thought. Not a single bone in his body had felt nothing but cold for years on end. Not only that, there was an even more alarming sensation going on lower south. It almost felt like... blood rushing? But that was impossible, of course. He looked down, and blood was indeed nowhere to be seen. He laughed at himself, though his laugh held a tinge of nervousness. His neck turned cold once more and he let out a sigh of relief. Whatever he felt, he must've been imagining it. At least that's what he kept telling himself as weird occurrences kept happening throughout the day. 

We're on hour three in the jungle. By now we had divided into groups to speed up the process, careful not to let Zoro go alone, though. I was strolling along with Franky, groaning out of frustration and hunger. Was there not a single animal on this goddamn island? We're approaching a clearing blocked by plants and trees when we overhear an interesting conversation.

"Mine's clearly bigger," I hear Sanji say with a bored but challenging tone. "You blind, cook? See how thick 'n long mine is!" Zoro raises his voice, annoyed.

"If this is their idea of foreplay, 'm gonna need therapy," Franky nudges my shoulder, making me laugh. "What? Aren't you curious about who's winning size wise?" I nudge him back, winking. 

Sanji laughs mockingly. "Yours is all bones and no meat, mosshead," he says as we step into the clearing where they're standing beside two huge wild animals, hunted down. You'd think spotting animals that big wouldn't take three fucking hours. "Mine will feed us longer," Sanji continues. I clear my throat, letting them know of our presence. Both of them whip their heads to look at us, crossing their arms. "Doesn't matter which one's bigger, Luffy's gonna down those in five seconds anyway," I say jokingly, then nod at the both of them in appreciation for their hard work. "You two strong enough to carry those back while we find the others or do you need help?" Franky asks, though he knows the answer. Of course they're strong enough. The way both Zoro and Sanji narrow their eyes at Franky makes me snicker as I drag him along to go get the others.

Brook watched from afar as Y/N locked arms with Franky. He listened as she giggled at something Franky said. Ah, that sweet sound of her joy. Brook couldn't help but feel envious that it wasn't him that got that reaction out of her. Wait... was that jealousy? Couldn't be, he thought. It was a feeling he hadn't known in decades. Not since the warmth from his veins and the beating from his heart had been taken away by death. It startled him, that twist in his chest. He convinced himself that during all these years he just hadn't had the reason to feel jealousy. It was true, of course. Yet he refused to acknowledge what was right in front of him. For a man with no heart, why did his chest feel so tight?

"Oi, Brook!" I hear Zoro call out, making both Franky and me turn on the spot. I see Brook sauntering over to Zoro and Sanji, though his gaze is fixated on me. His stare is intense, so much so that it makes me blush. "Huh, maybe the others aren't too far, either," Franky says while starting to walk back, pulling me with him. "Thought you were with Chopper, where'd he go?" Franky asks Brook as we near him. Brook doesn't answer, instead letting his gaze fall on our arms, still locked. I raise an eyebrow, slipping my limb free from Franky's and reaching for Brook's hand. "You okay?" I ask, worried by his unusually low spirit. He exhales, turning his head to meet my eyes again. He then snakes his arm around my waist, slowly pulling me to his side. 

"Chopper-san found some herbs for medicine. He's going to meet us back at the ship," he finally says, now looking at Franky. My eyes dart between the two men, it's like they're having a silent conversation. The cyborg seems to take the hint, nodding apologetically. The whole situation's confusing, though. I've always been this close with everyone on the crew and it has never bothered Brook before. Something's definitely up. 

"OOOOII!" Luffy yells as he runs towards the group with a big grin plastered on his face. Thank the gods he's here to relieve the tension. Luffy stops on his tracks when he sees the enormous animals. Drool starts running down his chin, tongue hanging out. "MEAT!" he shouts, stretching his arms around one of the animals, launching himself towards it. When he comes in contact with it, though, it shifts with an angry look on his face. "NOT DEAD, NOT DEAD, NOT DEAD!" Luffy blabbers as he starts running away from it when it starts swinging one of its horns uncontrollably. Luffy's quick to dock but not everyone is as lucky as he is. Distracted by whatever's occupying Brook's mind, he's too slow to move away from the beast's path and gets hit. The force of it is enough to send Brook flying. I gasp in shock as he lands and crashes onto a trunk of a tree. I shoot Zoro an angry look that tells him to control his prey before running up to Brook. He's back on his feet before I reach him. "Shit, are you okay?" I ask softly, cupping both of his cheeks, slowly turning his head to check for fractures. He places his hands on top of mine and lets out a laugh. "Yohoho, I'm fine, nothing to worry about," he says as he guides my hands away from his face. He starts walking back towards the group, leaving me to stand in place, concerned for him. 

I sigh out of relief as I watch him joke with the others that have now also found their way back to the group. Of course he's fine. I'm worrying for no reason. I shake my head, smiling to myself as I run a hand through my hair. Walking up to them, Robin stops me. "Y/N, you're bleeding," she says, nodding at my forehead. I furrow my eyebrows, touching at the spot on my forehead Robin was staring at, then look at my palm, smudged with the tiniest bit of blood. "Huh, I guess it nicked me, too."

It didn't. The blood was Brook's.

Chapter Text

"You wanna scare him to death or what?" Nami asks, getting frustrated at me for shutting down yet another unhinged plan of hers. We've been at this for an hour. I had asked her for help with the plan to get back at Brook earlier. She, being a supportive friend, had scribbled down a dozen detailed plans on how to get revenge. We were on plan number seven now. All the previous ones were devious. Almost a little too devious, even. This one wasn't faring any better. I wasn't going to push him overboard for a silly game, even if his safety was assured.

"I think that ship has sailed," I quip in and huff out a laugh. Nami rolls her eyes, crossing her arms. "You sound just like him," she remarks. Whatever, Brook would've loved that pun. I sigh, raising my hands in the air in defeat. "Okay, fine... We'll do whatever your next plan is," I promise as I place one hand on my chest. She flashes me an evil grin as she pulls out yet another scroll of hers. "If you back down now, I'll charge you 100 000 berries for the trouble," she states. I raise an eyebrow at her. It can't be that bad, right? Right?

Thirty minutes later I was now commencing step 1 of Nami's plan: setting up. The whole crew was hanging out on the deck after dinner. I was sat next to Brook, leaning my head against him with his arm hooked around my waist. I was shifting in his hold every once in a while, pretending to be uncomfortable. Finally, I catch his attention when a small fake whimper leaves my mouth. "Is everything okay, love?" he asks softly, giving my waist a small squeeze. Show time. "I don't know, I feel really weird," I frown, faking a wince when he moves his hand to the back of my neck. He immediately pulls his hand away with a worried look. Shit. I might not be able to pull this off. The poor man's already stressed and I haven't even really started yet. Unfortunately, I meet Nami's stare by accident and she seems to catch on to my thoughts. I clench my jaw when she rubs her thumb and index finger together, reminding me of the consequences of backing down. 

"Weird how?" Brook finally asks, now sitting up straight and looking me over. I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. "Just... weird? Like everything's on fire. My bones ache really bad and I feel dizzy," I say, blinking rapidly as if I was having trouble to keep consciousness. "It started right after we left the cave – so weird," I continue as I move my fingers to rub my temples. I can feel Brook tense beside me. "Yes... weird," he says quietly in thought before shaking his head and continuing. "Maybe we should get Chopper-san to look you over."

Before I can make a move Brook has already called Chopper over. Too bad Nami anticipated this and got to him long before we came out here. Chopper is trembling and stuttering as he tells me to come with him to his office, eyes wide. Poor baby, what did Nami say to him? I do as the doctor orders, getting up on wobbly feet. Brook's quick to take a hold of me and guide me after Chopper. When we get to Chopper's office, he helps me sit on the bed, takes a few steps back and watches as Chopper starts going me over with different medical tools. 

"O-oh..." Chopper finally says, putting on his best worried look. Brook turns to look at Chopper. "What is it, doc?" I ask, making sure to make my voice sound weak. "It's not looking good. I'm going to have to keep you here for the night for some tests," he says matter-of-factly. Brook looks around the room and finds a chair in the corner, sauntering over to it and sitting down. "I'm staying here with you," he says softly, voice filled with worry. I hate this. Seeing him like this. It makes my heart ache. I could still back down. But shit, I don't have 100 000 berries just lying around–

"No, Brook. She needs to be quarantined just to be safe. I need you to let me handle this alone," Chopper states with confidence before I finish my train of thought. Chopper's usually a shitty liar, how is he so convincing now? I look over to Brook, who's flexing his fingers on his lap. I can see his jaw twitch as he turns to look at me again. I'm unable to open my mouth. I know if I do I'll give it away. "I'll take good care of her," Chopper saves me, opening the door and motioning for Brook to leave the room. He reluctantly stands up from his chair, his gaze still fixated on me. "It'll be over before you know it," I finally chime in, offering him a weak smile. He slowly nods, sighing as he makes his way out of the room. 

As soon as the sound of Brook's footsteps die out, Chopper turns his head to glare at me. "You guys are evil," he says. I flop down to lay on my back, groaning. "I know, I feel so bad," I mutter out. Chopper starts placing his tools back to their places, shaking his head. "Why are you doing this?" he asks, concentrated on organizing his stuff. I sigh. "I wanted to prank him just a little, asked Nami to help me and in a moment of weakness I agreed to this plan of hers before knowing what it was and made a deal that if I backed out I'd owe her a fortune," I explain, cringing at the memory of me being an idiot. "Obviously, I wouldn't have agreed to that if I had known what the plan was," I continue, then huff out a laugh. The thing with Nami is, she never lets a debt go, friend or not.

I prop up on my elbows to watch Chopper work to reorganize. "What's she got on you, though? You really sold it," I ask, curious. His back and shoulders tense and he stops organizing for a few seconds before continuing. "I– I spilled some ink on one of her maps by accident earlier," he says while turning around to look at me with tears in his eyes. "She s-said I could either h-help you with this or pay her 50 000 b-berries," he sniffles cutely as he admits, then sinks to his knees. "I only h-have 90 berries, Y/N," he says with a shaky voice. Oh my... Nami broke Chopper. I look at him sympathetically before getting up and walking over to him. I pat his back softly. "It's over, Chopper, you did it," I offer him a smile. 

He stops crying, wipes his tears and lifts his head. "You're right!" he says excitedly, still sniffling. I smile at him. He's so adorable. "Y'know, one of these days we'll prank Nami to get back at her for all the times she's blackmailed us," I say, laughing softly. Chopper laughs at the thought with a big smile on his face as he nods, somehow looking like he wasn't just on his knees crying. 

I sent Chopper to go and get Nami. She was supposed to help me set up the final phase of the plan. She entered the room with a bag full of makeup, some old clothes and what looked like a jar of blood-colored jam, or syrup, I don't know. I hope Sanji won't miss it. Chopper left us alone to avoid our stupid, stupid scheming. I was sitting on the bed again, Nami was working on my face. She had already painted my face and neck pale and was now dabbing on different shades of purple eyeshadow all over me. 

"You look awful," she says with a smirk. "Good," she continues. I roll my eyes at her, then look as she reaches for the weird little container she told me had something called lenses in it, whatever that means. "These go in your eyes," she states while opening the container. I huff out a nervous laugh. "There's no way you're putting those things even close to my eyes," I state, crossing my arms. She groans. "C'mon Y/N it's fine. It won't hurt," she says, shoving one of the lenses dangerously close to my eye. "Nami, it's too much," I say, dodging her hand. She rolls her eyes. "Don't be a wimp, now open your eyes. You need to really sell it!" she tells me, forcing my head back closer to her with her other hand. I grunt but reluctantly let her place the lense on my eye. It stings just for a second, but the pain quickly fades. She puts on the other one, too. Then, she hands me a small mirror. "See? So much better," she says with a cocky smile. Well, damn. The lenses made me look really eerie. So, good for the plan's sake. They made my eyes look pale grey, almost white. I clear my throat, not quite wanting to give her the satisfaction of knowing that. "What's next?" I ask her. She rummages through the bag of old clothes, picking out a few for me to put on. "Now you wear these old rags so I can smear some fake blood all over you," she says smirking.

So here I am now, standing in front of the mirror, looking at my gruesome self. Looking at my deadly pale face with the purple and pink fake bruises. At the worn out rags I was wearing. At the blood – sorry, syrup – that was covering the clothes and my face, some of it added to look like blood was pooling out of my eyes, nose and mouth. I looked horrible. Dead. Just like Nami intended. She was lurking behind me, also eyeing me through the mirror with a smug smile on her face. "Oh, I'm good..." she whispers, admiring her work. 

I wince, then turn to look at her over my shoulder. "Nami, this is too much–" I start but she's quick to interrupt me. "Nuh uh, you wanted my help so now take it," she says. "But–" "No buts, Y/N," she says sternly as she steps closer to me and turns my head to the mirror again. Ugh... I don't even care about getting back at him anymore. I just want to go to sleep. Preferably in Brook's arms. "Now, what are you going to do next?" Nami interrogates me, making sure I remember the plan. I sigh before muttering the answer. "I'm gonna hide in our bedroom before he comes to sleep. Then, when he's on the bed, sleeping peacefully, I come out from hiding, wake him up and scare the shit out of him."

Fast forward a few hours, I'm now hiding in our closet, feeling ridiculous. The space is limited so I've been standing in a very uncomfortable position for a good hour. At least I can lean against the wall. Although I'm not sure if that's a good thing after all, seeing as I've caught myself nodding off a couple times now. I jolt awake once more when I hear our bedroom door click open. Brook is humming a tune, my favorite one to be precise. I can't help but smile. I also can't wait to get this over with so I can plop down on the bed with him and fall asleep in his arms. I listen quietly as he starts his usual bedtime routine. 

I hear him stride to the small, wooden vanity table opposite the bed and set his cane down next to it, letting it lean against it. There's a soft thud when he places his hat on the table, followed by the sound of his bony fingertips tapping on the wooden surface as he picks up a comb to go over his prized hair. He feels as if it's the only thing left of his past self, so he always takes the time to take good care of it. Though lately I've been the one to do that for him every night before bed. I hear shuffling when he jimmies out of his clothes to change into his usual pajama set. One that I had laid out on the bed for him before so he wouldn't come close to the closet I was hiding in. Then, still humming, he strokes the violin placed next to our bedside table and carefully swipes his fingers across the strings. "Good night, old friend," he whispers softly. A yawn, and the sound of bones cracking when he stretches his arms. The covers on the bed shuffle as he gets under them and lets out a content sigh right after. 

Brook always falls asleep fast. It takes exactly 2 minutes until the room echoes with soft snoring. I roll my neck and shoulders, mentally readying myself for what I'm about to do. I place my hand on the doorknob and am about to turn it to open the door when suddenly Brook jolts awake and seemingly sits up. He's silent for what feels like the slowest minute ever experienced. He's breathing heavily. Then, he jumps up from the bed and I listen to him rush to the small bathroom that Franky was kind enough to grace us with in addition to the bedroom. I pull my hand back from the knob, sighing quietly to myself. Great. I throw my head back and cross my arms while waiting for him to return from the bathroom. But he never does. Or at least, not for the 15 minutes I've waited by now. I furrow my brows as I start to get worried. What is he doing there?

My mind races with possible scenarios of what's going on in the bathroom. The thoughts are interrupted when I hear loud clanks coming from the bathroom, as if a bunch of products had dropped onto the floor, glass breaking. That's when I really get worried. Fuck the plan, is he okay? I turn the doorknob and hurriedly exit the closet, making my way to the bathroom door. I reach for the door handle, but hesitate at the sight of my gore hand. I listen for any sounds coming from the bathroom, but I can only hear heavy breathing. Too heavy, at that. I shake my hesitation off and grip the handle worriedly.

I fling the door open and practically throw myself into the crowded bathroom, my heart hammering in my chest. Brook is gripping the sink, head hung over it with his back to me. "Brook, are you okay?" I ask in a soft tone full of worry. He doesn't give me a response, still breathing heavily. My eyes follow as his back tenses in rhythm with his breathing. Something's wrong. I reach for his shoulder with my hand to turn him around, but even before he turns I'm met with something that throws me off. When he finally faces me, my breath gets caught in my throat. My eyes widen and I find myself taking a couple steps back, my gaze never leaving his face. 

But the face I'm staring at is not the one I've grown accustomed to. The man standing in front of me, still as tall as ever, is all flesh and skin and color. The familiar pajama set sits far too tight on the man's body, accentuating the way his chest heaves with each breath. He lifts his head to slowly meet my gaze. Gentle eyes filled with as much shock as mine replaces the previously empty sockets. Tears are sliding down his cheeks as he musters enough courage to whisper out my name, his voice trembling. I barely hear him, distracted by the full set of lips that move smoothly as he speaks. I've never met the man standing in front of me. Yet it's a familiar face — one I've only imagined from old stories and faded photos. All I can do is stare, breath stolen, my own plan forgotten entirely. Tears brim in the corners of my burning eyes when I finally manage to get a single word out.

"Brook...?"

Chapter Text

Stop staring. Say something. Anything. 

My mind is racing but not a single thought can be found. Looking at the man in front of me, I can’t help but feel like I’m seeing a ghost. In this case though, I guess it’s the opposite. I’ve always believed in miracles, even when I had never seen one happen myself. But this… How? Am I dreaming? I lower my gaze to my wrist as my other hand goes to pinch the skin there. There’s a sting. I set my gaze forward again only to see a pair of those same kind eyes staring straight at me, hopeful. Without a word, he takes a step closer to me. Swallowing, my heart starts beating faster and faster the closer he gets. He reaches for my hand with his and takes a hold of it. Skin to skin, he guides my hand to rest on his chest. More skin. No, it’s more than that — there’s a beating. Not the phantom one I’ve always felt in the shared intimate moments in the past, no. A real, steady beat.

‘’Do you feel it, my love?’’ he asks, voice full of emotion. My throat tightens, making it impossible for me to get a single word out. I shut my eyes, focusing on what I’m feeling. My hand slowly moves up his chest without me even realizing it until I’m cupping his cheek. What used to feel cold and rough had morphed into warmth and softness. I only open my eyes when I feel something wet hit my hand. A single tear had slipped down his cheek. I wipe it away with my thumb, following the movement with my own teary eyes. 

‘’How?’’ I ask in a whisper, with all the voice I’m able to muster. He doesn’t say anything for a while, and all I hear is his breathing. Then, his hand finds mine resting on his cheek. He locks his fingers with mine and nuzzles his cheek into my touch. He brings my hand to his lips and kisses each of my knuckles, one by one. ‘’Does it matter?’’ he then asks in reply to my previous question. I think, then slowly shake my head no. Now it’s me guiding his hand to my neck, letting it rest there as my other hand reaches up to the back of his neck. I gently pull him forward until our lips hover just a breath away from each other. ‘’No…’’ I say, resting my forehead against his before continuing. ‘’Not right now, at least.’’

With that, his lips crash onto mine. The kiss is slow at first, like he’s testing the waters. After all, it’s been decades since the last time he's really kissed anyone. Though you wouldn’t notice that in the way he pours out his love into the act. That love, though? It doesn’t take too long for it to turn into something else. I pull back slightly to catch my breath. My eyes search his and when our eyes meet, I’m met with a sight that gets me weak on my knees. That something else? Hunger. Before I can get a word out he’s pulling me back for another kiss, this time a deeper one. A needier one. His lips move in perfect sync with mine while his hand creeps up the back of my neck to my hair. Every kiss of his lands on a different spot on my lips, almost like he’s desperate to taste every single bit of them. Satisfied with his work, he licks my bottom lip with his tongue, making me instinctively part my lips to grant him access. He explores my mouth like a hungry man, exposing a side of him that I’ve never seen before. With the way he’s devouring me, I can’t help the heat building up in my lower body. 

‘’Brook,’’ I moan softly into the kiss, trying to maintain whatever’s left of my composure. He nips my bottom lip in response and softly grunts before backing me up into the wall behind me, easily pinning my wrists above my head with just one hand. He withdraws from the kiss only to latch his lips onto my jawline, kissing and softly sucking along it, making me arch my back off the wall. It’s been decades since he’s touched anyone like this, how is it so easy for him to make me melt under his touch? He seems to notice my reaction as a small smirk creeps onto his lips. The hand that’s not capturing my wrists is running up and down my side before slipping under my shirt to feel the skin underneath it. He kisses down my neck while his hand travels up to my breast. He takes his time massaging it while his lips are busy searching for the sweet spot on my neck. The thread of sanity I had somehow been holding onto until now breaks as soon as he finds that spot and starts sucking and nibbling on it, pinching my nipple at the same time. The pleasure makes me throw my head back and let out a moan, followed by another whisper of his name.

My reaction seems to spark something even darker in him as he keeps sucking harder and squeezing my breasts, switching between the two to give equal attention to both of them. After finishing with what I’m sure will leave a noticeable mark on my neck, he returns his focus to my lips, capturing them with his own as he finally lets go of my wrists. I eagerly wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me. His own hands roam my body for a good minute before he leans down, grabs the back of my thighs and lifts me up against the wall. His body goes flush against mine, making me gasp and break the kiss. 

I can feel him through his clothes. Every glorious inch of him. Fuck.

I swallow, anticipation rising deep inside me. Brook is studying my face carefully and seems to catch onto where my mind’s at, cocking his head to the side amusedly.

A thrust.

One thrust of his hips against mine is enough to make me cling to him for dear life. And if the thrust itself wasn’t enough, that deep groan of his that followed sealed the deal. I let out a shaky breath as I grab his chin and make him look at me. His pupils are so dilated there’s barely any color visible, and he’s looking at me like a starved man. The sight of him makes me let out a moan, though it gets swallowed by Brook as I pull him in for yet another passionate kiss. He keeps grinding into me, each movement of his hips a little more demanding than the one before. 

Suddenly, he pushes off the wall and starts walking out of the bathroom towards our bed while still carrying me, never breaking the kiss. We reach the foot of the bed and he gently lowers me down onto it, supporting his own weight with a hand braced beside my head. I smile softly, pecking his lips once more before moving backwards to be able to lie down comfortably. Brook follows, crawling on top of me. He doesn’t seem to realize that he’s not as light as he used to be, but I don’t mind. Not when he’s gotten back what he’s longed for for ages. He cups my cheek and strokes it with his thumb, his eyes following the movement. 

‘’You’re soft,’’ he mutters quietly, more to himself than anyone else. ‘’Of course, I’ve felt it before but it feels different like this,’’ he whispers. ‘’More real,’’ he says, his eyes landing on mine. I shoot him a loving smile and cup his cheek in return. ‘’Hmm… If anyone here feels soft it’s you,’’ I say, still a little stunned by the situation. He smiles. For the first time since I’ve known him, I see what his smile really looks like. Every crease, every wrinkle, one captivating dimple on each side of his mouth. So this is what he looks like when he’s happy. I’d imagined it before, in dreams where he looked like this —  whole. I never told Brook about those dreams. I didn’t want him to think he wasn’t enough the way he was. 

For a while, I just stare at the way he’s smiling. I’m overcome with so many emotions all at once. I have so much to say, yet I’m not able to express any of it at this moment. So I don’t. Instead, I roll us over with a gentle press to his chest, smooth and slow, until I’m straddling him. He licks his lips while his hands settle on my hips like they belong there. He sits up and kisses my jaw while he takes a hold of my shirt and starts sliding it up my body. He pulls his lips back from my jaw only to take the shirt off over my head, then returns to leaving small love bites along my neck. 

I close my eyes in pleasure, my hands now blindly searching for the hem of his shirt. It takes me a while but I finally find it and eagerly start pulling the shirt over his head, letting out a soft moan right after when his lips land on the sweet spot he was bullying earlier. My hands roam his upper body, greedily taking in all the muscles I had not been able to feel before. I pin him back down onto the mattress and start giving him the same treatment he’s given me, kissing along his jaw and neck. Except I travel further down, almost desperate to map out every inch of him with my lips. To feel him. To taste him. A soft sigh leaves his mouth when I kiss down his chest, the abs that weren’t there before tightening as I drag my tongue down to his stomach, leaving behind a wet trail. My hands are on his hips, toying with the waistband of his bottoms. I angle my head to look up at him through my lashes as my finger slowly makes its way under the fabric, silently asking for permission. I stroke his hip bone, making him gently thrust up off the bed at the sensation. 

Taking his reaction as a yes, I give one last kiss to his stomach before I start pulling down his bottoms. I kneel back to fully discard the clothing, throwing it onto the floor. Another sigh of relief leaves him when he’s freed from it. His eyes are closed, but his mouth hangs slightly open. My eyes, though? My mouth? Both wide open as I stare at what’s in front of me. He’s bigger than I ever dreamed he would be, with a slight curve to it in all its glory. He looks painfully hard, and all I can think about is how I can ease that pain. The sight makes me swallow, and I guess the sound of it is what gets Brook to open his eyes, too. 

I pause to pull myself out of my head and meet his gaze, needing to be sure. His lips curve into a small smile, his expression softening as he slowly nods, the act full of love and trust. I return the smile before leaning down slowly, pressing a gentle kiss on his tip. I pull back and look up again to see his reaction, but his head is against the pillow, his eyes squeezed shut. Encouraged, I lower my head again and slowly swirl my tongue around his tip. He sucks in a sharp breath, his thighs flexing. I stroke his hip bone with my thumb while my other hand travels down to rub his inner thigh. I start sinking down his length, slowly taking him into my mouth. He grabs a fistful of the sheets, his other hand moving to hold my hair with care. I sink lower and lower, taking as much of him as I possibly can. Reaching my limit, my throat closes up around his tip, and the sound he makes almost undoes me right then and there. A deep, broken moan rumbles from his throat, making me moan against him in return. The sensation forces him to jerk his hips up, getting me to gag around him. He gently pulls me back by my hair as he sits halfway up with a worried look on his face. 

‘’I’m sorry-’’ he starts to apologize but I’m quicker to push him back down, my mouth sinking down on him again. I move slowly, desperate to savor every second. To learn how his body reacts to different touches. He whispers my name, soft and vulnerable. I tear up, not because of the act, but because of the thought of actually being able to give him the pleasure he deserves. Gradually, I pull back, giving the tip one last kiss. I rest my cheek on his stomach as I catch my breath, enjoying the feeling of skin on skin. His hand moves to my other cheek, lovingly stroking it. As though he needs to ground himself, too. I smile at the touch, enjoying it for a moment before climbing up his body. I’ve barely made eye contact with him before he’s turning us over again with him ending up on top. His hands slowly roam my body, his eyes following. He traces his fingers along my still clothed thigh, inching closer and closer to my already soaking core. I close my eyes to concentrate on his loving touch, biting my lip in growing anticipation.

‘’I want to feel you,’’ he breathes out, his eyes returning to search for mine. I open my eyes to meet his gaze while my hand travels up his body to settle on his chest. Overwhelmed by emotions, all I can muster out is a simple, quiet ’'please'’. Brook wastes no time. His fingers find themselves at my waist, hooking under the clothing. He starts sliding it off with a patience that makes me forget how to breathe. By the time I’m completely bare under him, I’m trembling. It all feels so… intimate. I feel like my heart could burst out of my chest at any given moment. 

Brook steadies himself above me, his weight and the heat radiating off of him bringing me back to reality. He brushes my cheek with his thumb and places a soft kiss on my lips. He carefully settles between my legs and presses against me, his breathing already turning heavier. The look in his eyes is both asking and begging for a final permission, for me to trust him. Of course I trust him. Always. I cup his cheek and give him a small nod, letting him know just how much trust I hold for him. He takes my hand in his, holding it above my head as he aligns himself with my entrance. The way he enters me is unhurried, careful and full of love. As if he’s afraid he might break me, or the trust I have for him. A small gasp leaves my lips when he bottoms out, and my free arm flies to his back, desperate to have him closer. 

He stays still at first, giving me time to adjust. He strokes my hair while he kisses me, soft and lingering. He’s whispering sweet nothings to me, but I’m too far gone to register them. All I can think of right now is how complete I feel. Like the last piece of a puzzle has just clicked into its place. I softly roll my hips against his to let him know I’m ready, whispering his name into our kiss. He pulls back, slowly, then thrusts back in just as tenderly. A shaky sigh leaves his lips while he keeps stroking my hair through it. Every thrust is measured and deliberate, like he’s trying his best to make time stop right then and there. Like every passing second is touching his very soul, and he wants to stay in this moment forever. With his forehead pressed to mine, he’s leaving soft kisses everywhere he can reach, his eyes fluttering shut as the sounds we make melt into each other, creating a beautiful harmony. With every passing moment it’s like he’s set on reminding me how much he cherishes me. How devoted he is. That I’m his, and he’s mine.

The rhythm with which he’s moving is patient, almost torturous in the way he’s so tender. Quiet groans, raw and low, escape him as he keeps pushing deeper with each thrust. ‘’You’re so beautiful,’’ he whispers, his voice laced with urgency that makes my nails dig into his back to anchor myself. ‘’Always so beautiful,’’ he continues, his voice breaking as his eyes land on mine. His words make my body go tight, and I’m unable to control my moans any longer as pleasure builds up quick in my stomach. He realizes I’m nearing my end — of course he does — and his movements change ever so slightly, designed to draw out gasp after another from me. He adjusts his angle, his pace becoming more intent.

‘’Stay with me, love,’’ he says under his breath while his thumb brushes my cheek. My mind goes void of any thoughts. All I can focus on is him. How he’s looking at me with such warmth and passion in his eyes. His. All I ever want to be is his. 

The tension builds and builds and builds. I’m meeting his thrusts with my own, the pleasure becoming almost unbearable as shivers travel through my body. I’m trembling as I’m nearing my edge, his name falling from my lips on repeat like a prayer. He crashes his lips into mine just as my body gives in, swallowing my cries of pleasure. The orgasm rips through my body in waves. It’s like my whole body is on fire and he keeps adding fuel with every thrust that follows. I’m gasping for air, uncontrollably clenching around him. 

With the way I lose myself in pleasure, it doesn’t take long for Brook to become undone. His rhythm wavers before he’s burying himself as deep within me as possible. With a groan of my name, he lets go, letting himself fill me up to the brim. With shallow pumps he rides us through our orgasms until I’m holding back tears from overstimulation. Slowly, he stills and lets his head fall onto the bed beside mine, never letting go of my hand. For a moment, it feels like we’re the only two people in this world, breathless as he lets just a little more of his weight come down on me, still careful not to crush me under him. 

I’m lovingly running my fingers up and down his back as we catch our breaths. He’s so warm, so impossibly alive, I never want this moment to come to an end. I trace the muscles in his back, inching closer and closer to his neck before tangling my fingers in his hair. I can feel his body shiver under my touch. He raises his head to look at me, giving me a soft kiss. ‘’That was…’’ he starts, trailing off to seemingly think about how to continue. ‘’You’re…’’ he continues, but words fail him. I shoot him a knowing smile before cupping his cheek and pulling him in for another kiss. ‘’I love you,’’ I whisper into the kiss, knowing that it’s all that he really longs to hear in this moment. He buries his face into my neck, content with just being in each other's arms for as long as we can. That is, until his head shoots up again and he looks at me with an unreadable expression. ‘’My love…’’ he starts hesitantly. I look at him questioningly, waiting for him to continue. He shoots me an amused smile before averting his eyes. I follow his gaze to the pile of our clothes on the floor as realization hits me and I swear my heart skips a beat.

‘’What on earth were you wearing?’’