Cigars and Clouds

Sweet Lavender

Together?! This couldn't be happening. Smoker knew better than to put you in a situation where you would feel uncomfortable.

You peered into the hot spring in the military base. You gulped as you saw his jacket fall to the ground, his scarred and muscular chest facing towards you as he looked down.

Your ears turned bright red as you looked at the sight, slightly nervous to take off your own. He looked up at you to see your gaze fixated on him.

He snickered and raised his nonexistent brows. "See something you like?" He teased. He let out a laugh as you looked away, your face turning as red as Captain Buggy's nose.

The Vice Admiral walked up to you and tilted your head upwards, making you gulp the saliva that was forming in your mouth at the sight of him. It was hard to imagine. The two of you having known each other since you were in the womb- well as the phrase goes. His hair was still the same snow white and his eyes the beautiful amber hue. Your heart fluttered as he leaned in close to your face, beginning to say something.

You put a finger on his lips and spoke. "Admiral... I think you are well aware of how sensitive I am. Please don't play with me like this."

His eyes looked saddened and he nodded. "My apologies, Lieutenant." The word made a pit form in your stomach. He didn't even call you Shortie. You took his hands off your chin and went to the hot spring as you started to get undressed.

You supposed you brought this upon yourself, watching as he walked to the bath house with the other marine soldiers, wrapping a towel around his waist.

Why was he acting like this in the first place? Why were you acting like this? The questions that flooded your mind started to make your head throb.

You decided to just relax for the time being and begun to undress. You folded your clothes and put them in a cubby, wrapping a towel around your own waist and walking towards the bathhouse door.

Your reflection in the mirror startled you. You looked so unhappy. Smoker was back- so why were you moping about? You tried to forget the tension between you both and walked in to see an- interesting sight.

Smoker was laughing as the other men were asking questions about all of his scars. Your jaw dropped a little to see how many had accumulated and where some laid on his sculpted body.

"Y/N! Don't be so shy come sit with us." He smiled, his crossed legs covering virtually nothing despite their attempts.

"Y-Yeah yeah, I'm comin'." You took off your towel and some of the soldiers made joking whistles. You rolled your eyes, chuckling as you got in the water.

You dipped underneath the water for a moment, wetting your hair and slicking it back as you walked towards Smoker and some of the others.

Most of the conversation was about the hot girls they had seen or crappy people they met on the streets today. Meanwhile, you just tried to relax in the water, humming as you leaned on the side.

"Any lucky ladies in your life, Lieutenant?" One of the soldiers asked. It startled you a bit.

"Well..." you started off and Smoker's glare caught your gaze. Holy shit what was he pissed about.

"Isn't your superior officer's love life none of your god damn business, soldier." He took his cigar out of his mouth and stared the soldier in the eye.

"N-No sir." The soldier replied. "Sorry, Lieutenant."

"You're fine I guess..." you drifted off as you saw Smoker- pissed? Why did he care? I mean sure he was your close friend and all, but for him to say something like that was weird, even for him.

...

...

...

As time went on, most of the soldiers began to leave the bathhouse, eventually leaving you and Smoker alone to yourselves.

"You're totally on edge right now and it's stressing me out, Smokes." You murmured.

Your head had started throbbing again as you laid back on the cold tile, trying to relieve it.

"How am I on edge?" He looked confused.

"You can't just go speaking for me because then I'll get a bad reputation-"

"Well would you rather lie to him and tell him you're into women? I don't think so." He huffed.

You had told Smoker when the two of you were much younger how you leaned to like men more. You never really had anyone else to tell, so he was the only one who ever knew. And you remembered him being so accepting that it made you cry.

"I just don't know how they would respond to you liking men while we are all naked in a bathhouse." He laughed and you couldn't help but chuckle too.

However, you couldn't really stay so cheerful for long. You felt hot, sweating buckets on buckets. And your head felt like it was pounding against a wall.

You stood up, nearly collapsing. Maybe it was the strong scent of lavender in the room or something.

"Y/N, are you ok?"

"Yea just give me a moment..." you spoke as your legs shook. You went to step out of the water and you slipped back into the bath, Smoker catching you.

"Yea- you're not ok..." he murmured and he put a hand to your forehead. "Holy shit you feel like you're on fire."

"Feels like it too..." you groaned. You felt too bad to care that he had you cradled in his arms.

"Let's get you out of here, okay? You need to rest." He carried you out of the water and put a robe on the both of you, walking you across the hall to the master bedroom.

"Smokes... this is your room-" you looked like you were on the verge of fainting.

"Yea, but that's not important right now. C'mon Shortie, let's get you in bed." He walked you over to the bed and laid you down. "I'll be right back with a cool towel and a change of clothes for you."

You nodded and closed your eyes. Maybe a bit of rest wouldn't hurt...

...

...

...

You woke up, feeling a lot cooler. You felt the cold towel on your forehead, a bit relieved that Smoker had taken care of you.

Where was he anyway?

You wondered as you turned in bed and touched noses with him. Your eyes widened, not realizing he had fallen asleep beside you.

Your stirring must've awoken him, because his eyes slowly opened, amber discs starring at you.

"Do you know how beautiful you are, Y/N?" He said in a half awake voice.

'Wait what-' you thought as he touched your cheek.

"Smoker what are you tal- HMPH?!" He pressed his lips against yours and pulled you in by your waist.

Oh fuck.