Smokeless War - One Piece

(25)

"Samara. Good morning." I smiled, wrinkling my nose at her and the mess she'd left me.

"Ma'am." She murmured, her eyes squeezed shut. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I climbed in through your window because..I thought you'd be lonely, and I couldn't find you anywhere on the ship. But you weren't here so I waited..and then that hottie knocked on the door and he had you in his arms and I was gonna say come in but I made that instead." She made a vague motion to the art she left in front of the door. "Anyways, I'm a tired drunk so I fell asleep. Sorry."

"Eh, it's okay. I think I would have thrown up on the floor if I'd slept in here anyways." I dismissed and started stroking Alice and Biscuit, their purrs physically upsetting Samara as the nicest they were to her was not hissing at her. "I'm going to get food for the cats, can I get you anything?"

After a moment of her slit eyes at the animals with an unfortunate dislike of her, she shook her head and covered her face with a pillow.

"Okay, I'll bring some tea and food."

"You're the best sis." She saluted me weakly, as I closed the door I swore I heard round two of wrenching and hoped it wasn't dripping down the wall behind my bed because it'd be hellish to clean up.

After months of living here, I can say now with a little more confidence why a princess would need attendants to her every need to do things for her. At the very least I must get in a mile or two when I walk back and forth from one room to another.

I had no more soreness in my legs though and I felt considerably more perky as I'd taken a 'walk'. The kitchen was pretty clean smelling as well since we'd cooked on the pirate's ship only and I'd cleaned up a bit earlier.

Mixing some herbs I thought would relieve Samara and maybe myself's hangover symptoms, I found myself automatically mixing a separate pot all together for Mihawk. He'd never really requested tea from me so when he did he meant more and I took more care in the little things, how clean the cups were, how fresh the tea leaves were, and most importantly the water's temperature.

Only when I'd prepped the tea leaves so they hopefully wouldn't be bitter even if they were left a little longer did it hit me I had no clue which room he'd reside in today. I could usually never tell and walked to the rooms he frequented until I found him.

A frown at the thought as I walked on, it also hit me he might know what I go through and yet he still doesn't let me know where he'll be.

Observation haki came to mind but I didn't know its uses outside of battle so I relied on my usual, very unproductive means.

When I finally found him, a frown firmly on my face, I now knew it wasn't a coincidence as he eyed me with a smirk, no shame whatsoever.

Setting down the cup and pot before pouring him some tea I cleared my throat lightly, struggling to put a neutral expression on.

"Sir, I must request that you.." I hesitated and regretted it thoroughly as he gave me his full attention, those piercing eyes reading every expression flitting across my face. "You kindly tell me where you'll be at a given time so I may reach you in a more..orderly fashion."

A now lightened smile, he sipped his tea and set aside a stack of papers. I unconsciously started fiddling with my lip as he again, took his sweet time answering.

"Certainly." At the short answer I almost rolled my eyes but held back respectfully.

"Thank you, please let me know if I can get you anything else." I replied tersely, fixing to leave before pausing for a moment as my eyes quickly skimmed over the books lining the tall book shelves I hadn't paid any mind to before. There was a great many of them and I couldn't help turning to see them all, his desk and leather chair only took up a small amount of room in the large room and there was no reason to go any further before.

"You may look at them as you wish." I heard his voice and was brought back to reality, barely registering what he'd said.

"Sir?" I inquired, any negative emotion now far from my mind because I'd never really gotten to read books before.

"Take as many as you'd like."

"Thank you, Mihawk." I quietly responded, a smile on my face before I started to leave. "I'll finish up my business and come back then."

Some exhilarating feeling ran through me and I almost sped up my pace before a meek throbbing in my head almost brought me back down again.

I can't imagine how Samara must be feeling! I almost kicked myself at forgetting her momentarily. And the state of my room was..grievous to say the least. It might be a few hours of laundering and scrubbing then, before I can spend time in the library.

Almost tearing up at the thought, as fast as I could I grabbed the other pot of tea that had cooled down considerably and found some soup I'd had earlier, heating it up so Samara could taste what I had.

******

"Oh my god, this is really good." Samara groaned as she shoveled the hot soup in her mouth. "You're an angel. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd be fine, you have a brother to take care of you don't you?" I inquired to which she almost laughed but decided to keep eating instead before pausing to take a sip of tea.

"Please, he's a completely different person with you. You have no idea how real siblings are. I'd probably have to pay him a million berries before he did anything close to take of me like you do." She chuckled sourly before a thoughtful look came over her face. "But then again, maybe he'd have to pay me too."

"It's an amazing feeling though, to do things for others. You don't help anyone else like this?" I asked to which she shook her head.

"Everyone is pretty self sufficient on a pirate ship. Always doing their own thing unless they're injured or asking for a beating. Dunno, it's just a different environment than here for sure."

"Hm. It sounds like it works out though."

"It does in its own way. We're all family on the ship and we'd lay our lives down for one another but at the end of the day we're also just humans stealing from other humans. That's one thing plain and simple. I think.." She paused, eyeing me for a moment and making her mind up. "I think one day I'd like to just..be a cook. On land. Sometimes, I find myself loving the thrill of wondering if I'll wake up the next day and then there will be times where I long to stay on an island we visit."

"You like to cook?" My eyes widened at the honesty at which she'd shared her thoughts with me, to which she smiled wistfully.

"I do sometimes. I know I'm not that good at it but I know it's something everyone likes and..I can't help falling in love with the cultures we run into. If I can find something I'm good at or not, as long as I love the people I'll go through hell and high water for them. Maybe I'm doomed to be a pirate forever, though. And maybe it's not such a bad thing."

I stared at her with new understanding, before the feeling gradually faded as she dropped soup all over her top and sloshed tea over its rim, her smile widening at my expressions as I shook my head.

"Come on sloppy girl, let's get you cleaned up." I chuckled at her expression before she gave in and suddenly brightened considerably.

"We should dress up again! You don't want me walking around with these dirty clothes right?" She grinned, a plan obviously forming.

"You're free to anything in my wardrobe, leave me out of it though!" I covered my ears at her sudden barrage to give in to her.

"Come on! It'll be fun. I promise, you'll be an elegant woman on the outside too after I'm done with you." She gave one last final push before I nodded slowly and she shoved me into the bathroom.