Test the Waters (Cracker x Reader)

In with the Good, Out with the Bad

You waited for the day that you'd wake up and Cracker would return to his old aggressive habits, but it never came. Some days he'd wake up in a mood and that's the closest he ever got to it. You knew when those grouchy days came the second he opened his eyes. His usually piercing gaze would have a bit more sharpness to it and he'd keep you in bed with him a bit longer.

They weren't all that bad though. He'd curl up around you like you were some kind of pillow and have you stay longer to doze in and out of sleep until he decided he was finally ready for the day.

When you'd wander off to work on whatever you had lined up for the day, he'd do the same. He'd go off on his own to take care of work for the island or disappear into his office to touch bases with Big Mom or one of his siblings. They were quite well put together for pirates, maintaining a careful order throughout their large territory.

Over the span of a couple weeks he showed you around the city on the island, taking plenty of time to stop at any shops that caught your eye. It felt a little awkward to you the first couple of trips away from the mansion with both of you struggling to find common ground to bond with. Your uncertainty and his naturally short temper made things harder but it got easier over time.

It was definitely a slow buildup of trust. It was easy to lose it and difficult to earn. You'd lost all of what little trust you had in him in less than a month after all. It made sense that he'd have to work with you for a much longer period of time to gain it back. He stayed patient though, keeping his attitude in check as he started to learn your own habits and personality better. You couldn't lie, you were impressed. This was probably the hardest you'd ever seen him work for something and he was sticking to it. He really must feel something for you to be able to do that.

He won some major points with you when he reminded you that calling home was an option, even checking if you'd made calls from time to time. You got to fill Atticus in on everything that had happened and spend hours talking with him and the rest of the family on a regular basis. Though it wasn't hard for him to figure out what you were up to. You'd gone out on a few "missions" with Cracker now and the world government had gotten a wanted poster put together for you. Your bounty started out at about half of Cracker's, definitely an impressive start.

Charlotte (Y/n), The Hurricane. That's what they were calling you. It was quite the title for someone so small but it fit your devil fruit abilities perfectly. The only problem was it had the kids talking about growing up and being pirates and it was taking a real combined effort from you and Atticus to convince them there were better career choices out there. Cracker got a kick out of it of course. There was no better option to him than pirating. He loved being able to do as he pleased.

But having to argue with your younger siblings over why they shouldn't become pirates had turned into the worst of your problems. After the couple months of Cracker's improved behavior, there was no more feeling the need to avoid him, no more working yourself to the bone to meet an imaginary deadline. You felt like you could actually relax and most importantly, you felt happier. Things still weren't perfect, you doubted they ever would be, but they were better.

"Miss (Y/n), I don't get this word." Sylas puzzled over a sentence in a book you'd gotten him from the library.

You weren't happy when you realized the boy didn't know how to read or write, so you'd taken it upon yourself to teach him when the two of you had the chance. Most of the time you'd sit with him at the table in the kitchen where you knew no one would bother you and he could get to work quickly as soon as he was needed.

"Which one?" You leaned over his shoulder as he pointed. "Oh, enigma. It's like a puzzle, or something that's hard to understand."

He laughed. "Like the word is right now."