Eat Your Heart Out (Smoker X Reader)

An Unwanted Warning

It was still light out when Smoker took you back home and dropped you off. You got to meet Akainu at the police station and he was pretty much exactly how you thought he'd be. Smoker was gruff, Akainu was the kind of cop people absolutely hated to deal with. It was his way or the high way and his way involved following the law to the T. No exceptions. Ever.

He seemed to have a permanent frown deep set in his face and a glare that could make a grown man buckle from the pressure of it. But he seemed happy with how quickly you and Smoker were able to find evidence that the cannibal was in fact using the sewers. He seemed to still want to flush out Bartolomeo but you managed to convince him that could lead to more unnecessary death and you would find a better solution to bringing him to justice. Though you still weren't quite sure how you'd do that. Not yet at least.

As Smoker left you at home, promising to contact you later to find time to get together and figure out the next plan of action, Buggy stepped out of his home and gave you a cheery wave. You swear he timed this shit.

"I didn't realize you were gone." He commented, causally motioning to your car. It'd been there all day since Smoker had offered to drive for the day.

"Yeah, been out working."

"So you work with that guy?" He lit up, realizing Smoker wasn't competition. Not that there was any contest, Buggy still didn't tickle your fancy. Not that he ever would.

"For this case I do. Possibly more in the future but I doubt it." Not if Dragon could avoid working with the police that is.

"What about that other guy then?" He asked.

He was getting rather bold.

"Koby is a work partner." You still answered against your better judgement.

"No, not the kid. The other guy." He rolled his eyes and leaned against his front door.

"Other guy?" You frowned. "Unless someone from the police came over there is no other guy."

Buggy gave you a questioning stare. "Oh, well some other guy came over earlier today. He seemed a little odd now that I think about it."

You were a little weirded out that he noticed the comings and goings around your place but you were too curious about some other stranger coming over more than anything. Turning your attention to your front door, you noticed a note handing on it. Someone had stopped by.

You paled once you saw it was stuck to the wood with blood. Someone had gotten a smudge of it on the door and used it to tack the note in place. You snatched it off and read it over once, twice, and a third time for good measure.

"Hey Buggy?"

"Yeah?" He perked up, too happy that you were paying attention to him to see how visibly shaken you were.

"What did this guy look like?"

"Kinda weird. Blonde hair, wore a vest and shorts with some tall ass boots."

"Any noticable markings?" Your eyes didn't leave the note.

"Yeah, now that I think about it he had some tattoos. A cross on his chest and something like leopard spots on his arms. Do you not know the guy?"

"No. I don't."

You glanced at your front door and backed away. The house was probably empty but you weren't about to go in. You had to call the police, or at least Smoker. Things just took a turn you never saw coming.

----

You were taking a vacation after this. No ifs, ands, or buts. Koby was going to have to wait a bit before working with you again. There were two police cruisers parked in your driveway and Smoker's car on the street. Both you and Buggy had been questioned multiple times, the latter being very happy to be of use. But he was also more than a little unnerved that someone connected to Bartolomeo had been right next door.