At First Sight

The Surprise

Screams pierced the air as chaos broke out in the crowd. The sound of canons and explosives booming in the background made her tremble, the feeling of being shoved and trampled overwhelmed her as she covered her head and did what any girl her age could only do – she cried.

'Y/N!' someone screeched her name. 'Y/N!!!'

She was sobbing, curling into herself, wishing for her mother to scoop her up and protect her from the madness. Praying for her father to push back the waves of terror that threatened to drown her.

'Y/N!!!!!'

Y/N woke up with tears pricking her eyes and her body covered in sweat. Kid's loud snoring was the only sound that broke the silence of the quiet room. Counting down 5 minutes and double checking that Kid was truly asleep, Y/N soundlessly snuck out of the room.

Wearing an oversized hoodie, she made a detour to the women's cabin before slinking outside in the middle of the night. The full moon was partially hidden behind wispy clouds as she padded barefoot on the deck, towards the open space inside the gaping maw of the ship's dinosaur figurehead. Sitting on the cold floor, she opened her red wooden box to pull out a large notebook and a feather quill.

Heat sighed behind his binoculars from his position in the crow's nest. He grabbed a baby snail transponder and made the call.

"Wh-what's going on?" a gravelly voice thick with sleep came through the line.

"Its Heat. Y/N is out on the bow again. It's the fourth time this week, Killer."

Silence, "How long has she been out there?"

"She just came out but Haikei isn't meant to take over my shift for another 2 hours."

"Fuck," Killer groaned. "I don't know man; she won't talk to me or Kid about it. Can you give it a try? I'll take over your shift since I'm up now."

Switching roles with the Vice-Captain, Heat cautiously walked over to the spot Y/N had tucked away. Knocking on the wooden frame of the helms room to announce his presence.

Y/N snapped the book she was working in closed. "Oh, hey Heat."

"Hey yourself. What are you doing out here so late?" He took a seat beside her.

She looked out to the dark horizon instead of at him, "Couldn't sleep."

"Another nightmare?"

That made her look at him, "What is the crew keeping count?"

"Just when you come out here..." silence fell between them. "I know you're private and all but you don't have to keep it all to yourself."

Y/N's face looked solemn in the pale light of the gas lamp she brought with her. Heat's face looked sincere amid his sadness; worry etched into his face as deep as the stitched scars that imbedded his skin. She didn't know why that made her want to show him. Arms moving numbly as if on their own volition, she opened the book to the page she had been inking in.

Heat cast her a silent question of consent and she nodded at him. His eyes landed upon a scene of chaos. In the distance on the sea was a ship being blown to hell.

"Worried we'll be ambushed and destroyed?"

"Sometimes," she whispered.

"May I?" Heat's fingers slipped under the pages to the beginning, only starting from page one once she nodded in approval.

Heat's face didn't betray any emotion other than the resting melancholy face he always had. Closing the book, "Are these all nightmares you've had?"

"Yeah."