The Puppet Master [One Piece]

Reunion

~Echo's POV~

I woke with a start in the middle of the night. My wires were somehow gone, but nobody could have removed them from me while I was sleeping. Perhaps this was part of my new and improved wires, maybe they just magically appeared and disappeared as needed. That was going to take some getting used to. The air around me was heavy and black as I slowly sat up. Blindly I felt the bed around me and felt panicked when I realized it was empty. Where was Shanks? How late was it?

Hurriedly I slipped from the warm covers and made my way through the darkness. There were raised voices coming from the main deck, but I couldn't make anything out. The door creaked as I pushed it open and the moment I stepped outside, I shivered as the brisk night air coiled around me. Strong fumes from various alcoholic beverages permeated through the air causing me to wrinkle my nose as I slowly made my way toward the main deck.

There were pirates and revolutionaries passed out at random all over the deck. I carefully weaved around their unconscious forms stepping over sleeping bodies as I went. As soon as I stepped around the corner of one of the cabins onto the main deck, silence fell for the briefest of moments.

"ECHO-CHAN!" My fan club screamed and I was suddenly being swarmed by a plethora of the crew and passed from one hug to another in such rapid succession I felt like I was going to be sick.

I somehow managed to fight my way away from them and ended up stumbling and bumping into a very inebriated Ace who struggled to catch me in his arms.

"Hey, Echo." Ace laughed as he managed to keep me from toppling over.

"Hey, yourself." I attempted to peer around him through the crowd of pirates and revolutionaries but I didn't see my red-haired captain anywhere, "Have you seen Shanks?"

"He's having a chat with Whitebeard up there." Ace pointed to the upper deck.

"Thanks." I disentangled myself from him and sprinted toward the stairs leading to the upper deck. My heart raced as I tore through the crowd of inebriated pirates. I had to see him. I had to make sure we were okay.

Benn and Yassop attempted to block my path on the stairs, but I easily slipped past them and ran as fast as my legs would take me, up the stairs. "Oy! They're not done talking!" Yassop yelled after me.

"SHANKS!" I burst onto the upper deck startling Whitebeard and Shanks from their conversation. They both turned to me with concern filled questioning stares.

"Echo? Are you alright?" Shanks asked worried.

"You weren't there, when I woke up." My voice came out in a desperate whine. I suddenly felt meek and vulnerable.

Shanks smiled warmly and held his arm out in invitation. I stepped forward and threw my arms around him as he pulled me into a loving embrace. He kissed the top of my head and squeezed me tightly, "I had hoped you'd sleep a little while longer so I could be."

"We can discuss it more tomorrow." Whitebeard noted dismissively.

Shanks swept me off my feet and managed to cradle me against him with ease, not seeming the least bit hindered by his handicap as he carried me down the stairs. The crew hooted and whistled and shouted obscene catcalls, though I paid them no mind as I melted into Shanks' embrace. He still hadn't said much to me, and the silence was driving me insane.

"On a scale of one to ten how mad at me are you?" I asked meekly as he somehow managed to maneuver me into the bedroom with little difficulty and kicked the door closed behind us. A shiver rolled down my spine as we were suddenly encased in darkness.

His lips gingerly brushed against the delicate curve in my neck causing my skin to burn delightfully beneath his kiss. A gasp escaped me as he bit down seductively. "I'm not mad, Echo." His voice sounded husky and breathless.

"You've barely even looked at me-."

"I can't look at you without wanting to devour you." He breathed sending my heart aflutter as he crossed the room and gently dropped me onto the bed.

"What?" My voice came out in a breathless gasp as he trailed a line of maddening kisses from my neck down my chest along the very low plunging neckline of my starlight gown.

"You have no idea what you do to me, Echo." Something in his voice stirred me up inside and made my head swim.

"W-what?" My voice came out in a soft squeak.

"I love you, Echo." He captured my lips in his, stealing my reply in his passionate kiss and instantly taking my breath away, wiping every last thought from my mind. In that moment, we were the only two beings in existence, nothing else mattered.

Video-  "Fire in My Bones" By Fleurie