Smokeless War - One Piece

(40)

a/n: oh my gosh guys y'all are crazy thanks for 12k reads!!,!, and for everyone that voted thank you for your support you make me want to continue writing <33 sry for the hiatus, also might be some mistakes but I had to get these chapters out alr <: thanks for understanding!

I gasped, my breath out blowing flour around in the air as my hands peppered Mihawk's dark shirt with prints of flour and I gave an airy chuckle at the sight. I desperately held back a nervous laugh, awaiting his response.

Not before he actually blew flour right back in my face to my surprise as sputtering cough left my chest. I waved uselessly to clear the air but I knew I'd not be leaving without a trace of his actions tonight.

I'm not sure when the mood became this light hearted, as when I walked in he seemed the most impatient I'd seen him. Especially when I accidentally revealed I hadn't known you had to feed yeast for bread, or how long it had to rise. He was..a patient teacher most of the time but this was not one of those times.

"Maera." At his use of my name I stiffened, the sound giving me this alarming feeling of a rush and some electric feel kickstarting my heart. I'll just blame it on the fact I'm nervous he'll not like finding out I disobeyed him that time..
"You've never baked before."

"Sir, I've baked..potatoes? And meats of all sorts.." I warily answered as I avoided his gaze and then answered with a sigh. "I've never baked bread successfully and I burnt the first loaves I was ever supposed to.."

I stilled again at the memory, how many lashes and days without food I'd gone as a younger teenager because of my failure. Then I made sure I'd never have to bake bread of any sort again, by whatever means I needed.

"Not a dessert either?" He inquired thoughtfully as he moved towards the fruits tucked in onto a countertop nearest to the pantry.

"Oh I've not checked the fruit for days, they may not be suitable now." I warily murmured, thinking about crossing my arms but deciding against it as it might aggravate my healing shoulder and instead settling on pinching my lips with my opposite hand.

"Please heat the oven and grab a small pan for a loaf of bread." He set down a few overripe bananas I normally wouldn't even let him lay his eyes upon before excusing himself for a moment.

So he'd told me the ingredients to gather and I had a mixing bowl filled with things I was unfamiliar with even though I was aware of the stock the pantry held. At the stiffness of my neck I tried to quietly stretch the painful muscles.

The way I'd broken our regime was bothering me, what might have seemed monotonous to someone else bringing me great comfort and a sense of purpose. Well perhaps that wasn't the only thing bothering me..

At his piercing gaze on my every action, I dreaded making a mistake and flinched when even flour got close to being knocked out the bowl. It then dawned on me perhaps that was the reason I was especially tense.

"Are you unwell?" He questioned with a murmur from his place near the doorway, as if he'd been guarding it from anyone else approaching. Not that there wasn't a back door, but at the look of his figure I would probably not have approached the kitchen at the moment.

"No sir." I answered, turning back to face him and registering his now more casual attire, a black dress shirt and pants that gave his unmarred pale skin a haunting look at the contrast. With a brief nod I turned back to my task of mixing the dry ingredients to put them into the whipped sugar, butter and fragrant vanilla paste.

Oh, it would be so pleasant if I could keep it more professional. I mused in thoughts, almost cringing at how I'd certainly stared at him.

"Well, since you could not teach me to bake.." He stated, his voice being so close to me it brought a shiver up my spine. How he moved silently I should have already learned by now but he's still an enigma to me. "I can take up a few of these tasks, seeing as you have yet to."

"Oh you don't have to, your instruction will suffice." I quietly told him, hoping he wouldn't think me disrespectful. Moving my arm was making me cringe more often than I'd liked though.

He didn't even grace me with a reply as he swiftly mixed the ingredients and he'd already gotten in my workspace without another word from me. At the flour coating my hands, I then gave unknowingly peppered his black shirt with flour as I clasped my hands together rather quickly.

"Oh." At the reddening of my face I brushed my hand as lightly as I could to get it off but I seemed to make it worse instead, and a stifled laugh turned into a chuckle.

One he noticed with a small smirk before blowing flour back at me so lightly I inhaled it to cough and feel my cheeks burn with a blush even more. After that I busied myself with grabbing a loaf pan and oil, even cleaning the counter surfaces and floors, anything to ignore that growing feeling.

At his opening and placing the pans in the oven I looked up in surprise.

"Was that all?" I asked with surprise, the simplicity of it all leaving me feeling strangely relieved.

"It was indeed." He seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking again. "I have something to tend to but, perhaps you'd..like to see more of the private gardens?"

"I'll await you there, then, sir." I smiled at his invitation, a growing feeling he'd have asked for a spar if I hadn't fainted with fever earlier crossing my mind but I dismissed it.

He took his leave and then it hit me I should probably have asked how long this bread should bake..for it to not burn like I'd done to those loaves all that time ago. But my questions were answered as Ms. Olly walked in with a somewhat pleasant expression at the scent of the kitchen and at how spotless it all was.

"Oh goodness lass, you'd be such excellent help when those pigs come into my kitchen. Wreak all that havoc and then leave me with shite to clean up for days! You wouldn't imagine what that ogre gets up to, Mara, they call er'." She scoffed at the thought and settled down at the small table nearest to the back door we rarely used.

"Excuse me ma'am, I couldn't bother you for a favor?" I inquired with a meek grin to which she gave a hearty laugh.

"Wouldn't dream of it, no. Interrupting that little thing you got going on today, and to stop you from seeing the master? Dammed be my soul. I'll watch the bread, don't you worry." She waved me off and I thanked her for a moment before rushing off, glad I wouldn't have to take out the burnt or raw bread when I got the timing off.

I'd thought the back kitchen door would be easiest to go through but underestimated the uncut path I'd taken last time with the help of Samuel when he'd unkindly kidnapped me from my solitude. The trees seemed to almost knit together with how thick they were and the mass of foliage made it hard to see any hint of dirt or mud.

At the humidity I'd had to wipe my hair away from my face already several times but the thick air was strangely refreshing. A twinge of regret hit me at the thought of Olly's words, how I'd be a good help to her in the kitchen. Whitebeard's crew was chaotic but also strangely homely and I missed it to a small extent, and I'm glad I could help Thatch as much as I could.

Spacing out in the growing midst of a dark forest wasn't the best idea, a snap of twigs alerting me immediately I might not have been alone. I wasn't even quite sure where I was going, much less armed.

With some unease I backed away from the cluttered path I'd taken into the awaiting arms of Samuel.

He only gave a dry laugh at my startled form, mischief written all over his face that I warily smiled back to. Clutching my rushing pulse I backed up from his embrace only for him to eat up my steps easily as he was still taller than me.

"What do we have here? Are you lost?" He inquired with a hint of mocking, his gaze saying much more than he apparently could.