petite reprise - part 6

[mekachu04]

!!!! Some unfortunate things considering about Killer's upbringing !!!

somewhere is Killer's past, adults have taken advantage of him. this is touched on with him being a child solider - but it wasn't just his ability to kill on command that adults abused their power over him in regards too. Because of this, our young Killer assumes there are only a handful of reasons why adults would keep him around, and if its not to kill, it must be to "warm their beds."

Please skip this chapter if that might be upsetting, but know Luffy is quick to assure both boys that is not something he or anyone one his ship will ever ask of them....

Despite his disdain for Luffy's captain-ship, Kidd gets on with him far too well for the general comfort of Luffy's crew. Luffy and Usopp were already a set of pranksters when left unattended, Kidd is ten times worse, because there is no healthy Usopp level of fear to hold him back from the truly stupid plans Luffy comes up with; if anything Kidd is a sounding board to make the ideas worse.

Meaning anytime someone catches Killer solo on the ship, it's an immediate rush to find Luffy and Kidd before one or both of them falls overboard.

Many poorly thought out plans get foiled by crew interference before they can turn to utter disaster, even if there are a few close calls with spouting arms to catch Kidd while Luffy waits for rescue under the waves.

Still, its a surprise to all of them to find Luffy sharing his seat with Kidd more often then not of late. At this age, Kidd's hair is strikingly similar to the Sunny's figure head, and Luffy seems to find that reason enough to let Kidd in his special spot.

Luffy was never one for needing to hear someone justifications or reasons for their actions; he didn't need to know the whys. Just that asking for his help being reason enough. But neither Kidd nor Killer had asked for help; more that his crew had essentially abducted them, and held them as somewhat willing prisoners until they figure out how this had happen and where their crew was. And for as quiet as Killer was, Kidd was loud. Like he felt he had to talk enough for the both of them. And he talked endlessly to Luffy. The two sat together for hours - sometime under the pretence to fishing, otherwise just gossiping away. For two that would be rivals as adults, Kidd seemed to lose any animosity to Luffy very quickly into their stay. There is a startling similarity that the crew sees as the days go on - just how similar the two were are heart.

---

It seemed any good will made is gone now, an angry stand off between Kidd and Luffy, with poor Killer unsure of his misstep that has everyone upset. Things aren't free, and Luffy had seemed to have no interest in using Killer in a fight, leaving him with the second thing ship captains used him for, and had only meant to pay his and Kidd's passage.

But Kidd had freaked out, and had looked ready to throw them both in the ocean before he let Luffy anywhere near them, an action that had Luffy wearing his broken heart openly on his face. Luffy, who had not understood at first what they thought he was going to do, until Kidd's profanity drenched ranting finally started to make sense. He knelt calmly down before them, trying not to take to heart the betrayed look Kidd regarded him with now. He sighed, taking his hat and plopped it down on the mess of red hair, brim down between them to break the stalemate. "Come on. With me."

Luffy picked Kidd up, and held his hand out for Killer to take, walking them to the men's cabin.

"This is my hammock," he told them, dumping Kidd into the mesh netting. "Nami took the captain's quarters. Honestly, after Sanji joined, it wasn't worth fighting her over it. Beside, I like sleeping with everyone."

He picked Killer up next settling him in the hammock next to Kidd.

"We have great naps together."

Luffy hauled himself up next, and with some dangerous swaying, he got settled in with a child on each side. He felt a little bad splitting them up like that, but Luffy needed them to understand that no one on his crew would ask them for any payment. Certainly not something like that.

"And we just... take a nap.." Kidd said suspiciously.

"Yep."

It was clear from how quiet the boy was that he still didn't understand, and Luffy looped his arm around Killer so many times he was mostly rubber arm by the end of it. Kidd had not looked happy, but Luffy wasn't really sure which of the three of them he was most unhappy with. They lay in nearly silance, the waves and creaking of wood and ropes the only noise to fight with the upset harsh breathing and the battering of hearts. Eventually, Killer had dozed off, and Luffy wasn't far off, only still awake because he could hear Kidd thinking.

"You really mean it, don't you," Kidd settled for finally. Luffy looked down to see him looking at Killer's sleeping face - maybe the drool puddle his friend was leaving behind on Luffy's vest.

"I'm sure one day, you'll both have a lot of fun with sex, but we don't use that as currency on my ship. We wont ever ask that from either of you. Sex because you like someone and want to have some fun. Or hate someone - I'm never really sure with some of the people Zoro picks."

Kidd is looking at him now, face set in a deep frown.

"But you need to be like.. twice as old as you are now first."

"That's not .." Kidd seemed to rethink his statement, "You're really weird for a pirate captain."

Luffy shrugged. "Is it bad that I am?"

"... No." Kidd says finally. Luffy wrapped him up like he had Killer wrapped up in an arm and he grinned softly.