Two Lines (Shanks x yn)

2. Caught

As nightfall approached, I packed my medium size duffel bag with essentials. Some clothes, another pair of shoes and a couple trinkets. I had an entire room full of books about medicines, herbs, botany, you name it. I also had 5 years worth of notebooks with studies that Hongo and I have done sitting on my desk and on the shelves. None of these things would be able to come with me. There is no way I'd be able to carry any of it. But one would say that I had a skill that cannot be taught, you needed to be born with it. I had the ability to retain information extremely well. Let's just call it a photographic memory. I remember everything I've learnt, I can even remember maps just by studying them for a day or two. Anyway, enough about the trivial stuff. Knowing I didn't need to pack any books with me, leaving them for Hongo to have in his possession made me feel a little bit better about leaving. They'd be in safe hands with him on the ship.

'I think this is all I need' I mumbled to myself while stuffing the crackers and a couple bottles of water into the bag. At this point, I had a realisation that I didn't actually know where I was going to go. I stopped packing and ended up in deep thought. We are on a local fishing and trading island at the moment restocking supplies and having a momentary break from everything going on in the world. The crew had a big night drinking so I would assume they're all passed out by now. All I had to do was get onto another ship that is headed for somewhere else by morning, but the chances of anything leaving this late at night are probably slim. What to do, what to do...

After about 10 minutes of deep thought I decided to just wing it. I'll sneak out and work it out from there. We're docked on the coast away from the actual marina. I'll make my way to the marina and see what ships are leaving first thing in the morning and catch a ride on the earliest one. No matter where it takes me, I can make it work. I can make a new life for myself and my child where I know we are safe, where I know my crew isn't weighed down by us and we can all live freely.

The air was warm around the ship. All the crew were indeed passed out in different areas on the deck. Luckily for me no one was near the exit so I crept out without coming into contact with anyone. It was bittersweet. Seeing them all with drunken, blushed cheeks knowing that this would be the last time I'd ever see their faces. Men that helped me through a lot over the last 5 years. Men who trained me to be a better fighter, to be a better apothecary, to be a better person in general. I'm forever grateful for them.

I climbed down and my feet pressed firmly on the ground giving me a huge realisation that I was actually doing this. Leaving. Holy crap my heart started beating so fast. Anxiety swept over me and I almost gave into it until I clutched my lower belly, remembering why I am doing this. 'No y/n, snap out of it. I have to leave now' I said trying to hype myself up.

The moon was bright in the sky as I walked along the dirt track but after about 10 minutes of walking, I heard the voice of the one person I was terrified of facing. The man whose baby I was carrying. My captain, Red Haired Shanks.

'Bit late to be foraging herbs don't ya think?' he said, very casually.

I stopped in my tracks. How long has he been following me? Or maybe he was on his way back from the bar in town and saw me. No that's not right, he was drinking on the ship with the crew. Shit, he followed me.

'Not gonna say anything?' he continued. 'So you're just going to run away like a thief in the night? Now why would you possibly be doing that?'. At this point, he was right behind me. I could feel his presence loud and clear.

I don't know if it was the hormones, the anxiety from leaving or Shanks's heavy presence behind me but all I could do was turn around and face this man and as soon as I did, seeing his eyes, the same look of sadness that he had when I told him that we wouldn't sleep together again, I broke down.

Tears flooded my eyes. My vision was so blurry I even surprised myself how much I could cry. My whole life I barely cried. Even after being kidnapped, being hurt in battle, losing people I cared about, I barely shed a tear. I thought it was because I had a cold heart. After growing up with no actual family myself and being cared for by a woman who worked at the bar of my local town by day and a lady of the night in the evenings, I lost the ability to.. care perhaps. I saw it all from a young age and was lucky that I found the local apothecary to take me under his wing when my bar maid carer could no longer look after me. Hell, that could've been my future.

Now, back in the present, for some reason, it was like a lifetimes worth of emotions came flooding into my eyes and I couldn't handle it anymore. Damn it. Damn it all. I'm stronger than this, why am I crying so much right now?

That was when a warm hand grabbed me, pulled me into his chest and hugged me. My wet cheek pressed against his bare chest and I could hear his heart beating. It was a rhythmic thump, almost hypnotising. I listened to Shanks's heartbeat. Thump. Thump. Thump. That was when I realised my own heartbeat slowed down, my tears stopped and I could once again switch on and focus on the situation.

I pulled myself off his chest and looked the red haired man in the eyes. He was still looking at me with the same expression and I could tell he was worried.

'Please y/n. Tell me what's going on. Why are you leaving?' Shanks questioned.

'How did you know I was leaving? Was it your haki telling you or was I not quiet enough that you heard me leave?' I said looking at him in the eyes trying to not cry again.

'I was awake. I was watching the waves on the shore and saw you leaving the ship. Decided to follow you to see what you were up to this late at night and realised what you were doing. Are you sick of us? Can't stand our drunken behaviour anymore?' he asked.

His question kind of bothered me. Not once was I ever sick of any of the crew. Even as rowdy and drunken idiots, I loved being around them and being apart of it. I never showed any signs of disliking it at all.

'What, no! I'm not sick of anyone' I replied with a bit of anger in my voice.

'Then why are you leaving in the middle of the night? Makes no sense hun' the red haired man said looking at me with a bit of confusion now.

This was it. This was the moment I tell him the truth. With my heart pounding so loud I thought it was going to jump out of my chest. I looked him dead in the eyes and told him the truth.

'I'm pregnant. I'm sorry.'