Curse of Ink (One Piece x Reader) [ON HOLD]

Avoiding the Conversation

Meeting up with Luffy and, speak of the devil, Robin, we headed to the front desk. I couldn't help but flinch at the feeling of her stare boaring into the side of my head. The burning in my leg seems to have dissipated, but the gaze digging into my cheek is a bit distracting.

Robin went to school with me and has been my friend since grade school so she knows me like the back of her hand, but she's also quite the conspiracy theorist when it comes to soul marks. She met her soulmate almost right after getting hers due to the accuracy of her assumptions, so she's been trying to help me find mine ever since.

The receptionist looks up at our group and smiles as Shanks starts talking to her. The buzzing in my brain made it next to impossible to focus on the conversation as worry for Sabo fills my heart. I shook my head slightly to try and focus, looking over at the youngest here only to frown. His tears had dried in streaks through the light powdering of soot that graced his cheeks, his raised scar under his eye red and irritated.

"C'mon, he's in room 368 so we gotta take the elevator."

I look up at Shanks as he glances between me and Robin, eyebrows raising. I glare at him as I shake my head. He sighs as he leads us into the grey lift, pressing the third floor button.

The only sound was the tapping of a foot, clearly coming from Shanks' loafers. Luffy silently grips my hand as we get settled in the generally large lift and I squeeze it reassuringly in response. My heart aches as his shoulders hunch, his face far too serious for the usually sunshine filled teen.

The door slides open on the second floor and my chest erupts in static as the smell of antiseptic fills my nose from the hallway. I meet the eyes of one of the doctors here and panic slightly, squishing myself further into the corner of the suddenly much too small space.

The raven doctor quickly steps in and stands in front of me, barely glancing at the keypad of floors. As the elevator starts moving again, I notice he glances back at me repeatedly like he's trying to make sure I don't disappear. I can feel Luffy's hand tighten around mine, and I snap out of my trance, focusing back on Luffy and Sabo.

As the door opens a final time, we all step out, the doctor leading the way. It seems he was the doctor Sabo was placed in the care of.

"So, I'm assuming you all are family of the patient?" the raven asks, his voice smooth and calm, but his eyes betray his exhaustion. His dark circles don't take anything away from his sharp eyes, though. A short goatee framed his chin as sideburns framed the rest. Tan skin, tall, and with a professional air about him as he fully stops at Sabo's room. He was incredibly handsome, but my mind refocused quickly as Shanks piped up.

"He's his brother, but me and these two ladies are emotional support. Hope that's fine with you, Doctor...?"

"Law, Trafalgar Law." He continued for him. "I have no qualms, but I do warn you before we enter, he is under quite heavy anesthesia. His soulmate mark is fine, though he has quite large burns on his abdomen and one above his eye. We were lucky enough to be fast enough and have avoided grafting the abdominal ones, but his eye won't require such drastic measures either way."

He slowly opens the door to reveal Koala sitting next to Sabo's unconscious body, softly gripping his bandaged hand.

A wave of jealous pain hit me, seeing her like that with him. I forced a small smile and quickly excused myself. Sitting on the bench back by the elevators, I held back tears as I rubbed my sternum to rid it of the residual static. Waves of guilt and shame wash over me as I realize how petty my actions were.

Light footsteps came down the echoing hall as the static in my chest returned. Dr. Trafalgar sat next to me and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, making my tattoo light up in warmth. I meet his eyes and he gives me a small smile.

"Are you alright?" he asks softly.

"Why do you care? I'm just here as emotional support, not like I can even do that well." I glance away, tears still fighting to spill as each word nails my jealousy deeper into my heart.

"What, I can't worry for my soulmate? Don't tell me you didn't notice," he chides with a smirk, gently moving my gaze to meet his again. In any other situation my heart would have skipped a beat at such affection. However it just filed my irritation.

"Listen, Dr. Trafalgar, I'm not interested in the whole soulmate thing. I appreciate you caring, but I'll be fine. I just need to get my shit together." I stand, leaving his grip as his face falls slightly. "I don't mean we can't talk, but if you're only interested in me because of the tattoo, then please drop it."

Before he has a chance to respond I walk away, ignoring the slight stabbing feeling coming from the black markings on my chest. I steeled my heart as I walked away, reminding myself of his position and my own.

I get to the door of the room before catching the end of the conversation.

"-is soulmate mark should have been the thing to burn, not his face! Look at him! And his soulmate is nowhere to be found, even though I'm sure they felt the pain he was going through! This is ridiculous!"

My stomach drops as I listen, a swirling mixture of emotions growing in my gut.

"Now, Koala, I'm sure you don't mean that-"

"I absolutely do! It's the only thing keeping us apart! He keeps going off, looking for his 'black dragon' or whatever and can't focus on us!"

My eyes burn as I turn to leave, since I'm clearly not wanted here at the moment.

"So that's why." I whipped my head over to see Dr. Trafalgar leaning against the hall across from me. "You have more than one and didn't want to hurt me. How silly," he says as he takes my hand.

I froze, surprised he figured it out so quickly. "I- yes, but it's not like-"

"Let's go somewhere private to talk. I would like to get to know you as well, and I just got off work." I look up at him in astonishment at his bold suggestion. We just met. "We can just go into my office, I'm not a kidnapper," he assures with a chuckle.

"Uh- you know what, sure," I conceded. He smirked and tightened his hold on my hand as he led me away from the upsetting conversation.

"She's a killer, Queen~"

Realization hit at the familiar tone I had set for my boss. I slipped my free hand into my pocket to read the familiar text across the screen.

"Ah! Shit! I gotta get to work!" I give him an apologetic look as I slipped out of our entwined fingers and scurry off answering my phone.

"(Y/n), dear, where the hell are you?"

"My apologies sir, my friend Sabo got in an accident," I scurry along the halls and avoid the elevator for the sake of the call, "It was in the orphanage arson today, so I'm at the hospital nearby," I glance at the sign above the doors as I slip outside. "Uhhh... it's the True Heart Hospital, can you send someone to get me? My car is still at home," I ramble out, my heart thundering in my chest as I hope to any deity there is that I didn't just lose my job.

"Don't worry little mouse, Vergo is already on his way. But I have someone important I want you to meet so I do hope you're dressed well~ Fufufu~"

"Sir, you know damn well I'm never wearing what you, the top fashion designer in Grand Line City, would call nice. And before you ask, it's a hoodie, jeans, and sandals," I sigh out, knowing he's already thinking of what to dress me in today.

Damn flamingo of a boss.