The Marionette

Chapter 14: Welcome Aboard

"Stop moving, you're making this more complicated than it needs to be!" It was hard to regard Trafalgar as Captain now, but it was a title you could eventually ease yourself into calling him by. It wasn't your fault, you weren't used to much human contact, so every movement he made instinctively caused you to jerk back.

"I can do it myself, I don't need your help!" You argued back as you watched him tightly bandage half of your shoulder down to your bicep. Even back when training with Diamante, you never let him help patch you up.

This earned a stern look from Trafalgar who began dabbing a cotton swab against the puncture wound on your chest, the liquid causing it to burn as he cleaned the area. "Damn it, I just told you to stay still," he snapped while throwing the cotton swab into a trashcan that was sat beside the medical bed you were sat on.

After spilling everything you knew about Doflamingo down from who he was partnered with to the factories he was building, your new captain relocated you to the medical bay of his ship and began medical treatment on you just like he promised. Although he did try and force some information out about yourself, you refused to reveal too much as you blatantly told him knowing who your deceased father was enough.

"Captain maybe you're hurting her," Bepo, who joined the two of you per Trafalgar's orders timidly pointed out as he nervously stood on the other side of you.

Trafalgar who was sat in a swivel chair in front of you paused what he was doing to sarcastically look up at you and raise both of his brows, "am I hurting you?" His words slipped out in a mocking tone while a less than enthusiastic smile decorated his lips.

"No," you hissed back as you completely pushed yourself away from him, "you've done enough." There was a pulsing tension between you two, the feeling of mutual indifference clear as day which caused you to even question why he wanted you to join his crew in the first place. It would have been easier to just kill you off, but for some reason he was determined to do the opposite.

You watched as Trafalgar sat back in annoyance while resting his elbows on the armrests and promptly spun around to scoot towards his wooden office desk. "Age?" He called over his shoulder as he clicked his pen against the desk and grabbed a file from his cabinet.

"Why," you immediately shot back while inspecting his wrapping job to make sure it was to your liking.

"Stop arguing with me and answer my damn question," he angrily shouted back followed by a few grumbles under his breath.

"Nineteen," you replied sourly while staring at the back of his head. He had taken off his white hat and sat it down beside him, revealing his short, messy black hair. You could hear him scribble down your age as he rested his head on the palm of his other hand, "you're twenty two, yeah?" You casually asked while laying back and propping yourself up on your elbows.

"Doesn't concern you," he bitterly said which caused Bepo to let out an awkward cough as he looked at you and shyly nodded his head.

"You come from the North Blue?" You probed him some more, "Doflamingo mentioned something about you being sick and dying at some point." You pulled out the photo of your captain that Doflamingo supplied you with all those years ago, "but you look pretty alive to me." You could tell this struck a cord with him because of how fast he spun around in his chair with an enraged look, Bepo gasping at the sight while covering his face.

You didn't know why, but you felt a little pleasure in seeing his reaction, after all, he humiliated you already and interrogated you. You glanced between the picture of his younger self and current him, "don't worry, I have no interest in your past anymore," you added with a shrug.