Eustass Kid x Reader Born to run AU

4

Thoughts were nagging your mind, memories from a time long gone, the animal inside of you keeping them alive and kicking. Your heartbeat echoed in your head, blood rushing in your ears as you sat hunched over on deck, hands hiding your face from the forming crowd. The meeting with the shadowed figure in the hellish waves down below was cut short when you were saved by the one and only John. Wire stood in front of you, his trident in his left hand, his knuckles white of the pressure of his grip. His voice was downed by the rush of blood flowing in your veins, but you knew by chance that he was yelling at the crew around you, and by the gods, was he mad. He never showed it truly, but he was like a big brother to you, one you would trust with your life more so than your captain. Now, that same man that was standing in front of you, showed two emotions that he had barely showed before: worry and anger. A shiver ran down your spine, remembering his gentle, yet rough, hands going over your whole body to check for the damage as you were trying to regain your ability to breathe.

Some crewmates were cowering back, a new presence coming forth, cutting through the crowd like a knife. Fiery red hair almost shone like a beacon of danger as he showed up to the scene, his piercing eyes already roaming over your wet and shaking form. One gesture was enough to seize the perpetuator in front of everyone's eyes and snap his neck with little to no effort. John sat in front of you, trying for you to look up, fearing for the wrath of his captain if you didn't at least acknowledge his presence on deck. Another shiver ran up your spine, your consciousness telling you that the piercing red eyes were directed towards you, but still, you didn't, no, couldn't look up and meet his gaze. Small droplet of red mixed with the salty water, rolling over your skin without a disturbance. In your chest, your heart was hammering wildly, raging against your ribs and between your lungs. Some deep breaths were taken, still shaky, before your hands were lowered slowly. The warm presence of John was soon taken away and exchanged for the colder one of your captain. His eyes were searching your gaze, and as you finally looked at them, you found a softening in his hard gaze. His lips moved and you tried your very best to understand what he was saying. His painted fingers trailed over your cheek before they grabbed your chin, holding up your head as your strength started to fail that simple task. Kid leaned on his knee, lowered to your height as he spoke, whispered his words for only you to hear. His touch, how small it was, held the gentleness he preserved for you and you only, his gaze holding the worry he seemed to express only when you were in danger. His breath was warm as it wafted over your cold skin when he sighed, now realising you might have not heard a word he had spoken out aloud. A last order towards his crew, a last move and the captain you held very dear to your broken and battered heart left you there for John to be tended to.

John flashed you a small smile before his hands were grabbing your upper arms and hoisted you up, dragging you towards the sickbay to get you treated. His sudden strength made you wonder why you had been protecting the boy. He was getting stronger with each passing day, yet you had failed to notice it the more you were thinking about it. Now, at the very moment he was helping you walk, you felt so weak.

In the small room you had been avoiding for the last couple of weeks, your nose still picked up the coppery smell of the blood that had been shed in here. Unbeknownst to you, your nose wrinkled up in slight disgust even your animalistic side couldn't supress this time. "I'm still sorry for everything you'd been through. For me." You heard John whisper, the roaring of your blood having calmed down in the small walk towards this place. Only one glance towards him was enough to let him know you didn't want to hear it, yet he disregarded your opinion altogether. "I mean, it should have been me to be shunned, not you. All those insults.. I know they aren't true."

"Stop it." You whispered, barely loud enough for the words to escape your lips.

"You're not weak, you're a warrior, a great fighter. You're not a whore. I've never heard you to have sex with anyone."