#Camp AU | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

laawlesss · 1 year

Text

;; Camp Grand Line !! , pt. iii

>> link to pt i.

; words? ; 11.1k

; warnings? ; mild language, description of anxiety.

; genre? ; fluff, slowburn, eventual comfort/angst.

; request? ; no.

; pairing? ; portgas d. ace/reader || mild trafalgar d. law/reader, roronoa zoro/reader, eustass kid/reader.

; notes ; aha…. hey….. sure been a while, huh….. ahaha….. all jokes aside im sorry for the late update! life has been mad hectic recently. writers block came for my throat i stg. nonetheless, i hope yall enjoy this one, extra long to make up for my absence <3 crossposted on ao3 as always

The two of you had found Eustass laid out by the lake, reclined in an old lawn chair with his head resting on his prosthetic arm, a solo cup held in his other. Killer was sitting beside him carrying on casual conversation, seemingly just relaxing by the lake. Their chairs were plopped onto the shore, feeble metal legs shoved amidst the pebbles and grainy sand of the lake shore. It was a pretty view, that was for sure. The lake was deep in emerald greens, fading to the light cerulean shades as the water got more shallow.

Reeds and cattails framed the edges of the water, thick layers of lily pads decorated the shallows, soft chirps from frogs and crickets filling the air. Your eyes caught on a shiny dragonfly, watching it flit amidst the grass and pebbles before skittering out of your view. The long pier that stretched out into the lake was made of an old but sturdy wood, the sun-bleached planks always warm from the afternoon rays. It had a few inlets where small kayaks were tied, drifting lazily from the small ripples in the calm lake.

Trees bordered the perimeter and you could see one part of the lake drifting off around a bend, curious as to what lay beyond what was blocking your view. Distant coos from doves and summer birds sounded from all around you. The sky overheard was a crystal shade of blue and was scattered with soft, fluffy white clouds. You could make out the shape of a distant hawk soaring through the wide blue far over the tree line. The whole scene was picture perfect and seemed like something out of a postcard.

Franky’s shed stood to one side of the pier, affixed with a few signs warning campers to not swim alone, to wear life jackets, all the usual safety regulations. Its old wood was graying, but it still stood strong, kept in perfect shape by your fellow counselor. You knew he’d already checked out the interior, made sure all of the fishing rods were clean and functional, and that the oars were all sturdy and firm. He loved taking care of the things inside, and patching up the kayaks and canoes if there ever was an accident that damaged them.

The two men on the shore were alerted to your presence as your shoes crunched on the sand and grit, Ace trailing a few steps behind you as you marched over to Eustass, mustering up as much courage as you could. Why did he have your walkie? You could clearly see the hunk of metal that was his own walkie hanging from his waist, he didn’t need two of them. Besides, he had Killer with him too, and Killer had his own respective walkie as well.

“Long time no see, sweetheart!” Eustass cheered, his words falling into his signature raucous laugh as a twisted grin marred his features. He had pushed himself up from his chair, straightening to his full height of six-foot-nine. It was genuinely terrifying, and you had to will your legs to keep moving as you approached him. “Come to drink with us?” Eustass purred, clutching the solo cup in his grip and holding it out to you.

Quickly declining, you rubbed the back of your neck nervously. You heard Ace drop the box of walkies neatly on the shore, standing behind you with crossed arms. “Ah, no, that’s okay. I get you guys have your little ritual thing but I don’t really drink—“ You trailed off with a sigh, reminding yourself to stay focused. Who was he, anyways? Just some stupid mechanic blessed with a few extra inches of height. Nothing to be scared of, you’d be fine. “I actually came to get my walkie back.” You nodded affirmatively, steeling your nerves as you crossed your arms.

“Why do you have it, anyways?” Ace piped up from behind you, resting his elbow on your shoulder. “If you can’t figure out how it works, you can just ask for help instead of taking a second one.” The ravenette shrugged, his tanned skin practically glowing in the summer light.

“I know how it works, moron.” Eustass spat, a malicious sneer crossing his face. You internally begged Ace to just keep his mouth shut, you did not want to get on the mechanic’s bad side. “You’d probably say no if I just asked you outright, so I had to get a little sneaky.” The tall redhead shrugged, his eyes glinting with something dark.

“Say no to.. what exactly?” You frowned, furrowing your brow. What did he want from you? The two of you hardly ever spoke more than a word or two every week, so why was he so intent on getting you out here? You were on worse terms with him than Ace, which was saying a lot.

“You sound like a pervert, Eustass.” Ace deadpanned, idly scratching his head before shifting his weight on his feet. You shot him a glare, to which he just grinned as if he wasn’t purposely riling up the man who could probably break all of your bones with a calculated punch.

“And you are a pervert, Portgas.” Eustass sneered, unclipping your lovingly decorated walkie-talkie from his belt and striding over to you, pushing Ace away with a hand to his face. You resisted a giggle as the ravenette looked pissed off for half a second, then replaced his cool demeanor. Your amusement vanished in an instant as the mechanic dangled your walkie just out of your reach, entertained by your inability to recover your precious instrument. “Don’t be so eager, doll.”

You huffed, giving up in your tirade as you crossed your arms over your chest, an annoyed twitch of your eyebrow present as Eustass was beginning to piss you off. “What’s your damage, Eustass? What the hell do you want?” You growled, though something in the back of your mind was screaming at you to shut up and put as much distance between yourself and the violence-inclined red-haired giant in front of you.

If anything, your frustration only seemed to amuse Eustass further, and he grinned. “If this is one of your weird fantasies, Kid, we don’t want any part of it.” Ace shoved his hands neatly into his pockets as he whistled to some made up tune, kicking at the sand under his boots.

“Portgas I swear I—“

“What do you want?!” You shouted, repeating yourself again. You didn’t need the two getting into a fight on the first day. “I haven’t done anything to you, have I?” You huffed. You had scoured your brain for anything that you could have possibly done to piss the mechanic off, and you had come up blank.

“You’re the only counselor that hasn’t done the ritual.” Killer spoke up, standing just off to the side. His stature was confident, his shoulders broad. His golden blond hair shone in the bright light of the afternoon. He was just slightly shorter than his friend, his signature striped mask set securely in place despite the heat.

You were confused for a split second before your eyes widened. Thinking hard, you listed off every counselor in your mind. Luffy, Nami, Ace, hell, even Chopper did the damn ritual that Killer was talking about. Nervousness filled your body, and you took a step back, only to bump into Ace. You were effectively trapped in the circle of taller men, each of them staring at you.

The ritual was a yearly thing that the more daring of the counselors did in the days before the campers arrived. You had to climb up onto the tallest outcropping over the lake, one affectionately nicknamed “heartbreak hill”, and jump almost seventy feet into the water below. It was a feat not for the faint of heart, and you’d managed to slip out of it in your previous years. You knew Luffy, Ace, and Kid did it every year, finding some kind of sick pleasure in torturing themselves with the adrenaline rushes, but you were perfectly happy staying safely on the shore.

Turning and staring at Ace, he just shrugged, “I mean, he’s right.” You sent the freckled man a scowl, hoping that he would’ve offered you an out, but he seemed just as intent on your early demise as Kid and Killer. Your attention was drawn back to Kid as he cackled, loud and low.

“Can’t get out of it this year, dolly!” He grinned, bracing his arms on his hips. “Ya got until sundown, and one of us has to be a witness.” You gulped before shaking your head, your hands balling up into fists. You could say no! The boys were intimidating as hell, that was for sure, but they couldn’t force you to do anything you didn’t want to.

“You can’t make me jump.” You sneered, deciding instead to cross your arms over your chest. “The ritual is stupid anyways, I’m not an adrenaline whore like the rest of you.” Killer put a hand over his mask as if to cover his mouth at your words, and you heard Kid sigh.

“Nah, you’re right. We can’t. But, we can…“ He lifted your walkie-talkie in his good hand, before cocking back his arm. He was prepped to hurl your device to the deepest part of the lake, his eyes narrowed as a sickeningly sly grin stretched over his face. “..Do this!” He shot his arm forward, and you screeched a ‘No!!’ before leaping into the air and grabbing onto his forearm, your legs dangling slightly in the air.

“Fine! Fine, I’ll do it.” You grumbled, still eyeing the colors of your walkie in Kid’s grip. A triumphant grin stretched across the redhead’s face, his dark lipstick always impeccable. He lowered his arm enough that your feet hit the sand, letting you down as his eyes swirled with mischief. You huffed, letting go of him and putting distance between yourself and the ginger.

“Atta’ girl.” His grin turned into a dark smirk, and you suddenly felt safer with the pyromaniac behind you than you did with the mechanic in front of you. “I’ll just hold onto this for ya, for the time being. Wouldn’t want it to sink in the lake after you jump, now would we?” Kid leered, clipping your walkie back to his belt and giving the side of it an affectionate flick with a painted nail.

You were nearly fuming, and still entirely unsure as to why Eustass was so adamant about you doing the ritual, but you had put too much time and effort into lovingly decorating your walkie-talkie that you couldn’t bear to see disappear into the depths of the crystalline camp lake. It wasn’t just a hunk of metal to you, you had memories attached to the little box. Every year you had added something new to the design to remind you of that summer’s events and it was covered in mementos and inside jokes that were priceless to you.

Scrunching up your face, you stuck your tongue out at Eustass, before spinning on your heel and stomping away. You needed to build up your courage before sundown and that was nearly impossible with the giant staring you down. “Remember your deadline, angel!” Kid cackled, not bothering to follow after you since he still held your walkie hostage. You flipped him off over your shoulder, shouting for Ace to get the box and follow you.

Ace had scrambled to scoop the box up, his boots digging into the dirt as he hurried to catch up to you. It was quiet for a moment before he broke the silence, watching your back as you stormed down the path away from the lake.

“You coulda said no, y’know! Eustass is a bastard, but he wouldn’t have forced you to jump if you really didn’t want to.” He shrugged, adjusting the box under his arm. In an instant, you had spun on him, nearly getting steamrolled before Ace quickly stopped in his tracks.

“Thank you for your input, peanut gallery, I know.” You rolled your eyes, picking up a stick and smacking Ace on the shoulder, the bundle of leaves still attached nearly suffocating him as you attacked him weakly. He managed to dodge most of your swings, but the last one caught him in the mouth and he was left sputtering leaves. “But my beloved walkie would have suffered, and I really don’t want to see it sink to its watery grave.”

Pivoting, you kept ahold of your branch in case Ace decided to say something else that you deemed stupid. “Okay, fair point, but I didn’t need to taste leaves for you to get your point across.” He huffed, picking up the pace behind you. “If it makes you feel any better, the jump really isn’t that bad, just close your eyes and hold your breath and it’s over in a second.” The ravenette spoke matter-of-factly, nodding his head as the trail widened enough for him to walk alongside you.

“That’s not the part I’m worried about, pyro. That part of the lake isn’t as deep as the rest of it, and the rocks at the bottom of the cliff are definitely real.” You used your hands to mimic jumping off the cliff and landing with a big explosion onto the boulders and mires at the base of the rock face.

Ace laughed, hearty and deep, a sound that nearly had you swaying on your feet. “Nah, you don’t have anything to worry about. The water’ll catch ya. Now if it was someone like Zoro jumping, he might need to freak, since he’s more dense than you are. Literally and figuratively.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t shatter, since you’re about as dense as the cliff itself.”

“Why thank you, sweetheart.”

His cheeky retort had you scoffing, choosing instead to focus on the path ahead. Pacing back to the main road of the camp, the two of you looked around for other counselors. Most everyone had retreated to their assigned cabins, even the kitchen of the dining hall was empty. You heaved a sigh since it meant you’d have to wander all across camp again. Your poor, poor legs.

You had decided to take one of the smaller boxes from the dining hall and divide up the rest of the walkies. Ace would take the ones for the Newgate and New World cabins, while you’d take the ones for the TSGM and doctor cabins. You smiled as you admired each of the carefully decorated instruments, enjoying that you could see each counselor’s distinct personality in the way they designed their walkie. You were more than happy to get away from Ace, especially since you no longer needed his help now that the box was much lighter.

He’d gone off with a wink and a flick of his sun-bleached orange hat, promising that he wouldn’t be gone for too long, to which you stuck your tongue out and hoped he’d get lost in the woods around camp. You went to find one of your closest confidants, Nami.

+++

“What a dirtbag! Who does he think he is, forcing you to go through something like that!” Nami was pacing back and forth in the admissions building, her walkie secured beside her three-part walking stick that hung on her belt. It was designed cutely, with tangerines and pinwheels neatly painted on it.

“Exactly what I was thinking. But I don’t want my walkie to become fish food, so I have to jump.” You sighed, slumping over the main desk as you toyed with a stray pen you’d found, spinning it in your hand.

“Why does he want you to jump so bad anyways? Why’d he take your stuff in the first place?” Nami was working herself into a tizzy, fuming as she paced. She was just as frustrated as you were, if not more so. Your old friend was pretty protective over you, especially when it came to drama over men. You could tell that she was just itching to smother Kid with his own bunk pillow.

“No idea. I’ve found it’s better to just think he’s insane rather than to try and find a motive.” You nodded solemnly, watching as the pen you were messing with left little ink marks on the counter when you twirled it.

The ginger huffed, letting out a noise of frustration. She seemed to regain herself as she turned to you, leaning against the counter. After watching you twirl the pen, she let out a soft sigh, releasing some of her built up anger. “…So are you actually gonna do it?” Nami absentmindedly turned the friendship bracelets she had on her wrist.

You dropped your head onto your arms, letting out a groan. “…Yeah. I’m trying to work up the courage right now. I didn’t exactly plan to jump off a seventy-foot cliff when I left for camp.” Your mind was spinning in circles and nervousness tugged at the pit of your stomach. You never were the type to go chasing after the wild somersaulting of your heart that came with adrenaline rushes, you preferred to leave that to the trio of impulsive brothers that you were friends with.

You tugged on Nami’s hand until she held it out to you, using the pen you were fiddling with to draw little scribbles on her skin. Her soft brown eyes followed your movements as you inked miniature flowers and hearts. “It’s not that scary in hindsight, if it helps any. It’s over in an instant so you don’t really have time to be scared. Then again, Luffy did push me off for mine, so it could be different for you.” She spoke with her usual melodic tone, something that offered you comfort.

You were reminded of the year prior when Nami had made her way up to heartbreak hill claiming she was going to jump, before her anxiety got the better of her. Luffy had run up behind her and given her a massive shove, sending them both tumbling into the cold lake below. Neither of them were hurt, but Nami held a grudge for most of the summer and Luffy wasn’t able to stop laughing if someone brought it up.

“What about that part of the lake? Aren’t there rocks and stuff?” You hummed, chewing anxiously at the inside of your cheek. “What if I hit one? Can you die from falling into water from that height?” Each of your questions were perfectly reasonable, and caused Nami to give you a caring smile.

“It’s safe. Well, as long as you don’t jump like Eustass did last year and land on your stomach.” The two of you shared a look before busting out into laughter, remembering the events of the summer prior. Eustass had been boasting and chasing his adrenaline high, forgetting to pivot his body in air as he fell. He landed with a loud slap into the water, earning raucous, hysterical laughter from Ace and Luffy, a smirk from Law, and concerned gasps from most everyone else. He’d pulled himself out of the lake, a bit woozy but otherwise fine, a crooked grin on his face. You had no idea how his ribs weren’t shattered, but the male counselors at camp seemed to have a running theme of superhuman resilience.

“I don’t plan on doing that.” You giggled, still covering the back of Nami’s hand in faint doodles. “Is it cold?”

“At first you don’t really notice because of everything going on, but then it hits you all at once. You know how the lake is always freezing, even at noon?” Nami watched you give her little tattoos. “It’s kind of worse because you can’t predict just how cold it is when you finally land. It’s more just a quick shock than anything, not any worse than when Sabo threw you into the lake last year.”

You gave an involuntary shiver. “I’m really not looking forward to this, Nami.” You groaned, putting down your pen and laying your head on the counter of the main desk. The girl lay a soft, newly-decorated hand on the crest of your head and gave you a meager smile.

“Can you just… say you did it? I’ll vouch, and I’m sure the rest of the guys would too.” She nodded, and your heart warmed. Your friends would always have your back.

“No. Kid said there’s gotta be a witness, him or Killer, and I don’t think Killer is gonna lie on my behalf.” The two of you sighed in unison, before the sound of the front door opening drew your attention. Sabo was pushing the old wooden door open with a foot, arms piled with boxes of stuff that was likely going to be used later on for events. Setting them down onto the floor and pushing them out of the way with his boot, Sabo looked up and saw the two of you, his eyes lighting up.

“Oh, hey! You two didn’t invite me in on the gossip?” The blonde smiled warmly, crossing his arms and raising a brow in false hurt. He tugged his recognizable hat off his head and set it on the main desk, before leaning on the counter on the other side of you.

“It’s not really gossip—“ Nami exhaled, an irritated look crossing her face again.

“I have to do the ritual this year or else Kid’s gonna waterboard my walkie.” You frowned, giving your friend a lazy wave. Your voice was flat and sounded tired, causing Sabo to narrow his eyes. Concern was rising in him, and he turned to you.

“What do you mean?” His tone had dropped all of its previous glee, and his eyes were dark. You rarely saw such a serious side of him, his demeanor went from kind and placid to dangerous in an instant. You held your hand out to Sabo, and he recognized what you wanted to do in an instant, tugging off one of the gloves that he usually wore and placing his palm in yours.

As you began to doodle on his hand much like you did Nami’s, the girl spoke up and began to explain. “Kid is holding her walkie-talkie hostage if she doesn’t jump off of heartbreak hill. We can’t vouch and say that she already jumped, because Kid or Killer has to be a witness.” Sabo seemed frustrated, but he held his hand still for you.

“What a jerk.” He muttered, resting his chin on his free hand, seeming lost in thought. “Are you gonna do it?” He repeated the same question that Nami asked earlier, looking at you with concern. Shrugging your shoulders, you nodded again, trying not to think about the mess you had gotten yourself into. It would probably be best if you just got it over with instead of making yourself crazy thinking in circles about it. You comforted yourself by telling your brain that when you jumped it would be over in an instant, then you could get your walkie back and forget about the entire thing.

“I’m kind of putting it off. We have, what, two hours until sunset?” You asked Nami as you sat up and began digging in the cardboard box behind you to find Sabo’s walkie. He gave you a thankful look before he clipped it to his belt, then held his hand up to get a closer look at the scribbles you had inked.

“An hour and thirty.” Nami nodded, checking her various weather apps installed on her phone. Her face scrunched slightly in worry for you, and she chewed anxiously on her bottom lip. You pushed yourself up out of your seat as your best friend shot you a look of apprehension, her bright brown eyes still unsure. “Are you gonna be okay?”

Sabo turned to you as well, waiting for your response. You gave another half-hearted shrug as you put your pen away, stretching your arms above your head. “Yeah. I just gotta get it over with. Will you two come with me?” Wringing your hands together you looked nervously between your two friends. Your courage was starting to build from what everyone had told you, but anxiety still roiled in the pit of your stomach. Nami moved to link her arm through yours, and Sabo placed a warm hand on your shoulder, the two of them showing their support for you.

“Of course! If they try anything else, I’ll pummel them!” Nami made a fist with her other hand, her eyes darkening significantly. Her expression was matched by a wild fire burning in Sabo’s gaze.

“Ditto.” The blonde nodded, and you laughed softly to dissuade the newfound tension. The two relaxed at the sound, sending you gentle and comforting smiles. After scooping up your box, the three of you marched out of the admissions building, making small talk and catching up as you strode down the road towards the lake.

Nami’s idle chatter made a pleasant background to your thoughts as the three of you walked, your boots crunching on the gravel path. You didn’t know why exactly Eustass was so adamant about having you jump, maybe he was going crazy? You didn’t have any dirt on him, you had hardly spoken more than a few sentences in the couple of years that you’d known him. Trying to lighten the mood, Nami had made a joke about him bullying you because he liked you, which only shot a wave of fear through you. Eustass? Liking you? You resisted a shudder.

“Heyyyy! Where are you guys goin’?” A cheerful voice called, breaking you out of your thoughts. You had about three seconds to brace yourself before strong arms wrapped around your shoulders, nearly knocking you over as Luffy jumped onto your back. You grunted as the walkies in your grasp threatened to spill out of the teetering box before you could right yourself, but ultimately couldn’t be upset at him due to the look on his face. His boyish smile was back, he was happy to see you.

“The lake, Luffy.” Sabo stepped away from you to tug Luffy off of your back by the collar of his shirt, holding him in the air for a second as you recovered.

“Ohhhh! Sounds like fun, can we come too?” You could hear the grin in his voice, turning to see Zoro, Law, Usopp, and Chopper all pacing down the path from the TSGM cabins. You perked up as you dug through the box, making sure everyone got their respective equipment, before Sabo took the box from you to carry instead.

“Yeah, you probably won’t want to miss what’s going down.” You laughed nervously, rubbing the back of your neck as Law’s brows furrowed.

“What’s going down?” Zoro piped up, his interest newly piqued. “Someone gonna fight?” He crossed his arms over his chest, tilting his head to the side as he fixed you with a smirk. He looked as though he’d just woken up from a nap, but then again, that was kind of his resting state.

“A FIGHT? I want in!” Luffy cheered, pumping his fists excitedly as his boundless energy overflowed.

“Not quite, I’m jumping this year.” In an instant, each of the newcomers’ eyes had widened, and they shouted in unison. You ran a hand over your face, your stress only amplified by the overlapping and very loud voices that surrounded you. It took Nami hitting each of them, save for Chopper, on the head to get them all to shut up. Seeing your annoyance, Sabo took the lead and re-explained everything that you had told him.

“Seriously?! That guy is a top-notch asshole.” Usopp scoffed, kicking his boot at the soft earth below. “What’s he got against you anyway?” He huffed, earning a nod of agreement from Chopper. Law wasn’t saying anything, he instead had his eyes downcast as he was deep in thought. Zoro was staring at you with a look of what could have been concern, his brows knitted and his fists clenched.

“That’s exactly what we’ve been trying to figure out.” Nami sighed, and you patted her shoulder good-naturedly.

“Whatever it is, I just have to jump, and he’ll leave me alone! No biggy.” You grinned half-heartedly, but it definitely wasn’t fooling your group of friends. Chopper hurried forward and wrapped his arms around you, cheering you on with sweet words of encouragement.

“You got this, Y/N! If I can do it, so can you!!”

You couldn’t help but to relax and give him a genuine smile, ruffling his hair gently. “Thanks, Chopper.” He wiggled with excitement, before Luffy decided to get in on the hug too, squeezing you a bit too hard for your liking.

“YEAH! It’s fun!!!” Luffy leapt back onto you, smushing you and Chopper into another hug. This time, Law was the one to pry him off, and the doctor sent you a glance that conveyed any words he wanted to say. You nodded, reassuring him, and he shoved his tattooed hands into his pockets, not fully believing you when you gestured that you’d be fine.

His concern for you continued to build, and he felt like something was certainly off. First you had to bunk with Ace, who he wouldn’t trust further than he could throw him, now Eustass, who he trusted even less than Ace, was coercing you into doing something he knew terrified you. It filled him with anger, and he kept his hands in his pockets to disguise how he had them curled tightly into fists. He’d definitely have to have a chat with the mechanic later, after he made sure you were alright after your jump.

“…We’ll see.” You lightly flicked Luffy’s straw hat, then wriggled out of his embrace, hooking your arm back through Nami’s as you continued your march down to the lakeshore. Your newly formed group followed you, chattering and filling the air with a multitude of friendly voices.

Soon you were ushered onto the lakeshore, taking deep breaths as you stared across the lake to the hill where you’d soon be jumping. You gave a look to Nami, and she showed you her app, listing an hour until sunset. She offered to pull your hair up for you, and you nodded, taking a seat on one of the chairs by the lake as she slowly swept her hands over your hair. It offered a soothing comfort, and you stayed quiet as your friends continued their conversations around you.

Ace arrived at the lakeshore a few minutes after your group, alongside Koala and Marco, who were discussing the classes they were going to hold, and Thatch and Sanji, who’d been cleaning the kitchen and going over inventory. The second Sanji saw you and Nami, he was spun into a frenzy, fawning over the two of you, until he was knocked out of it by a hefty smack on the head by Zoro. They launched into their usual bickering, turning into frustrated grumbling when Luffy told them both to knock it off.

Bepo had hurried down from the doctor’s cabin in search of Law, and was practically clinging to him for dear life as your friend tried to hide his annoyance. Ace got into a playful scuffle with his younger brother, only to drag Sabo into it when he tried to break them up. A comfortable and familiar kind of chaos surrounded you, one that filled your heart with a warm sense of calm. You had sunk back into your feelings of camp being your home the second you’d arrived, with your friends around you being such a big part of what made the camp one of your favorite places.

Just as Nami finished your hair, she gave you a soft pat on the shoulder, leaning over and wrapping her arms around your neck to give you a hug. You leaned against her arms, thanking her quietly, to which she gave you a playful wink. “You can pay me later.” She joked, and you let out a giggle.

The chaos around you quieted in an instant as heavy boots stomped up the shore, and Eustass came into view. He let out a low whistle, his non-prosthetic arm braced on his hip as he came to a stop in front of you. “Looks like you brought your entourage.” He grinned as your eyes narrowed, and a few sharp glares were fixed onto the wild redhead, save for Luffy, who was still very much trying to wrestle with Sabo. You shrunk down at his gaze, and could practically feel Nami fuming behind you.

It was dead silent, dark glares fixed on Eustass as you slowly pushed yourself up out of the chair. “Let’s get this over with.” You exhaled, clenching your fists as you faced off against the mechanic.

“You don’t have to jump—“ Nami shot forward, and if you had glanced behind you, you likely would’ve been terrified by what you saw. Law had his hat obscuring his eyes, his face shadowed except for his mouth, twisted into a scowl. Ace’s fiery glare was fixed sharply on Eustass, his jaw clenching. Zoro looked ready to get into a brawl, and even Luffy had stopped his scuffle with his brother, sensing something was up. You put on a light-hearted smile, though you didn’t really mean it.

“It’s like you said, I’ll be fine! I can’t be the only person who hasn’t done it.” You were trying your best to disguise your anxiety behind your somewhat positive thinking.

“Yeah!! You got this!! It’ll be fun!!” Luffy cheered, and Chopper quickly joined in on the cheer. Usopp gave you an enthusiastic grin, doing his best to hide his own worries for you.

“Looks like you made up your mind, sweetheart.” Eustass smirked, and crossed his arms over his broad chest. Your walkie-talkie still dangled from his belt, and he seemed even more amused every time you glanced at it. “Killer’ll row you out there, I wouldn’t wanna risk your precious tool’s safety.” He winked, and you did your best to control the annoyance he caused you. Turning towards the shore, you noticed that Killer had pulled one of the canoes off of the large racks and had it already in the water, though the blonde stood next to it.

Eustass gave you a little wave and strode off to lay back in one of the lawn chairs, bracing his arms behind his head. Your time to jump was slowly being eaten away, the sun ever betraying you by sinking lower in the sky. You began to walk towards Killer, only to be tugged back by a firm grip on your wrist. Glancing back, you saw Law, his brows knitted and his expression stern.

“You can back out of this. If you don’t want to jump, don’t. I’ll kick Eustass’s ass until he gives it back.” He muttered lowly, just for you to hear. You had no doubt the doctor meant what he said from the way his golden eyes were glowing. His firm hand relaxed a bit when you sent him a smile.

“It’ll be fine, Torao. As much as I’d love to see Eustass with a black eye, I think I’m better off jumping.” You gave him a quick hug, then started back off towards the boat. You knew if Law started throwing punches, Luffy would back him up, and there’d be a massive divide between the counselors for the rest of the year. “Lemme just get it over with so I stop worrying!” You laughed in an attempt to dissuade your anxiety.

Law watched with concerned eyes as you slunk into the boat, Killer slipping in after you and grabbing the oars. You stared at the bottom of the canoe, knowing that if you looked back at your group of friends you’d likely feel the urge to chicken out. Clenching your fists, you instead became determined to jump and prove Eustass’s idea of you being a coward wrong. Unbeknownst to you, one man in particular on the shore was watching you go with dark eyes, flaming with annoyance and anger at the mechanic. He tucked his hat down over his eyes, and paced off to another part of the shore. He wasn’t going to leave, for once he felt the need to make sure you were safe before he went anywhere.

The water of the lake was gentle on your ears, a soft swishing surrounding you as Killer rowed the two of you over to the little island in the middle of the lake, and subsequently, heartbreak hill. It was calm, sort of pretty, the way the setting sun cast deep pinks and oranges over the water. If nothing else, you’d at least have a stunning view before you jumped.

“It’s not all that bad.” Killer’s low voice startled you out of your thoughts, his expression hidden behind his mask as his muscles tensed when he pulled and pushed the oars. “It’s really over in a second.” The man’s kind nature was showing through, and he gave you a sympathetic tilt of his head. His blonde locks looked like pure gold in the melting sunlight, shining like treasure.

You let out a sigh. “That’s what Nami said.” Your shoulders slumped and you huddled into yourself, staring out at the slowly approaching hill. “I know it’s a stupid thing to be afraid of, but I’m not a junkie for terror like the guys are. It’s like they traded their common sense for adrenaline highs.” You muttered, rolling your eyes. A muffled but deep and warm chuckle came from Killer.

“Can you blame them? Seems like they’re always having fun.” The blonde nodded, his hair disturbed slightly by a thin breeze that blew over the surface of the lake. He continued to row, pulling the small boat along through the water. “Not a bad way to live, chasing excitement. ‘S how Kid is, believe it or not. It’s never boring.”

You frowned, crossing your arms over your chest. “It’s hard to believe Kid is anything but an asshole. I mean I didn’t even do anything to him!” You scoffed, rolling your eyes. Hell, the first year he’d started working at the camp with you, he’d chosen you as the object of his twisted affections and ceaselessly tormented you with pranks. He’d stuck bugs under your pillow, filled your shoes with mud, and one time he even locked you in the art hut for a few hours until Usopp came to save you.

“He can be a little brash,” You snorted at Killer’s words, “But he is a good guy underneath.” The blonde nodded, confident in his best friend’s true nature.

You still didn’t believe that Kid could be anything other than a jerk. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

The two of you went the rest of the way in silence, your eyes glued to the water that sloshed around the boat. The reflection of the sky was enough to distract your mind until Killer brought the canoe to a halt on the shore of the island in the middle of the lake. Once he hopped out, he used his strength to drag the boat onto the sand, seemingly unbothered by the fact that you were still seated neatly inside. Once he was content that the canoe wouldn’t slip back into the water, he held out a hand for you and helped you up, waiting until you found your footing on the sand before letting go.

You’d been on the little island before for a couple picnics and after-summer parties that the counselors threw, but now it seemed different. The trees seemed to loom over your head, the birds seemed quieter than what you remembered. You were coming closer and closer to jumping, and it made your head feel foggy.

“Been on the cliff before?” Killer asked as he led the way up the terrain, holding leaves and twigs out of the way for you as he went. You were definitely thankful, maybe some of the other men you knew could stand to learn a thing or two from the hulking blonde.

“Yeah, just not by the edge.” You ducked under a low-hanging branch that Killer held up for you. “Didn’t want to slip or anything.”

“Makes sense. The view is worth the danger, though.” Killer held out a hand to help you up a steep outcrop of stone. When you nearly lost your footing on loose gravel, he caught you and quickly hefted you up ahead of him so that you wouldn’t go tumbling down the path.

“If you say so.” You shrugged, though a part of you couldn’t wait to see it. You were an avid collector of beautiful memories, and you had no doubt that heartbreak hill would be absolutely stunning. The trees and bushes around you cast lengthening shadows across you and your companion, and by the time you reached the cliff the sun was a sliver of its former self. The wind whistled past your ears, surrounding you now that you were out of the cover of the tall flora, and you crouched slightly to lower your center of gravity. You wouldn’t go launching off the cliff until you decided to, dammit.

Killer was right about the view, it was breathtaking. The lake reflected the darkening sky above, and it seemed as though the cosmos was rising up from the water’s depths. Small stars sparkled above and below, their image only distorted by the canoes your friends had brought out onto the lake to cheer you on in. Luffy’s cheers reached your ears, and you spotted him rocking a canoe he shared with Zoro, the taller man looking quite annoyed by Luffy’s actions. In another was Nami, Sanji, and Chopper, and another held Sabo, Law, and Ace. Those not in a canoe stayed on shore, waving their arms and calling out to you. Kid stood safely on the docks, his arms crossed, and you could imagine him grinning slyly.

“You got this, Y/N!”

“Yeah, you can do it!”

“Don’t look down!”

Numerous cheers and taunts rang out from your friends, and you took a deep breath. Your boots reached the edge of the stone, and you glanced down, much to your immediate regret. Your stomach flipped and rolled as you stared down at the large rocks at the base of the cliff. What if you hit them? Would you die from a fall from this height? Anxiety was rife within you, and you stumbled back from the edge. Killer was quickly there to make sure you didn’t fall, stabilizing you with a light touch on your back.

“You’re good, take a deep breath.” He spoke softly, waiting until you were collected. “It’ll be over in a second. Don’t think, just jump.” You couldn’t see it because of his striped mask, but you could hear his smile in his voice.

Nodding, you curled your hands into fists, and pushed yourself forward again, standing on the edge of the cliff. You took in the view again, doing your best to bring your courage to the forefront of your mind. Inhaling and exhaling, you took a few steps back. All at once, you darted to the edge and leapt into the air before your nerves could get the better of you. At the last second, your foot caught on a ledge in the rock, and you stumbled over the edge.

A screech left your lips as you went, free-falling through the air as wind whipped around you. You squeezed your eyes tightly shut, your heart racing and feeling as though your stomach was going to leap out of your throat. The fall lasted minutes, hours, it felt like it took forever for you to hit the water, even though it was mere seconds. When you did hit the icy surface, your lungs forgot how to function, and all the air rushed out of you at once as your body was shot under the water. Fighting the urge to gasp, you winced at the strain in your chest, struggling to claw your way back to the surface, desperate for relief.

You broke out a cough, water rushing into your mouth as your legs kicked fruitlessly, your hair obscuring your vision as it came out of your ponytail and it made you feel as though you were caught in a net. You didn’t know which way was up, and you began to panic. You heard nothing but the eerie sounds of underwater silence. It was freezing cold, moreso than you had expected, and it had your limbs locking up as they were unused to the frigid temperature. You weren’t sure just how long you’d been fighting to get to the surface, but you felt the strain on your entire body, your muscles weak from your struggle.

Everything around you was dark, and your brain was struggling to think. You knew you needed air, your lungs were screaming at you, but you couldn’t figure out how to get to it. Despite your preparations, your body wasn’t exactly ready for the temperature shock, and it took your system a minute to collect itself. However, during that moment, your instincts had told you to breathe, to gasp, as oxygen rushed out of you in surprise. Now you were stuck beneath the surface, clawing desperately at the water that surrounded you.

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around your torso, and you clung to the person, grabbing onto whatever you could. They pulled you up quickly, strong legs kicking at the water and drawing you from the depths. The second your head breached the surface you were hacking and spitting up water, gasping for air and scrambling for a safer hold on your savior.

“...I didn't think she’d nearly drown!”

“...Your fucking fault, Eustass. Stay the fuck away from her.”

Wild voices and shouts echoed from around you, overstimulating your worn out brain. Water and desperate tears mingled and ran down your cheeks, another broken cough leaving your lips. You strained to keep yourself afloat, but whoever had a hold on you was doing a well enough job keeping the both of you above the water.

“Hang on, stop flailing around. I gotcha.” A low voice rumbled, and you didn’t have the mind to place it. “Hold up your arms.” You did as you were gently commanded, releasing the neck of your savior for a split second. As you did so, someone grabbed a hold of your wrists and drew you up into a canoe, stabilizing you in the vessel.

“Are you okay? Is she okay?”

“Oh my god is she going to drown?!”

“She’s out of the water and breathing, Usopp, she’s not gonna drown.”

“You’re good, you’re out, you did it.”

You threw up water into the floor of the canoe, and slumped against one of the wooden seats. You were the definition of exhausted, leaning against someone’s legs.

“You good, Zoro?” Someone else shouted from another boat nearby.

“Yeah, don’t worry about me, I can swim back. Get her to shore.” Zoro must have been the one to save you. It made sense, he was one of the camp lifeguards. The sounds of him swimming echoed in your ears. Someone in the canoe hefted you up, pulling you into their arms.

“Alright, she’s in shock, we need to get her warm.” You recognized this voice as Law. You could hear oars hurriedly scraping through the water, though you were a bit too out of it to look around and see who was rowing. The familiar bump of the canoe hitting the sand of the shore rocked your body and you were hefted up again, and once you were on solid ground your stomach emptied all the water you had swallowed. Someone soothingly rubbed your back, mumbling little words to you that you couldn’t really comprehend. Your nose and throat burned, and tears pricked at your eyes from the discomfort and from the embarrassment that was beginning to set in.

“Y/N, look at me.” You heard Law snap his fingers, and saw him kneel down in front of you. You stared at him, your face burning. “Good, you’re conscious.” His gaze flickered across your face. “Think you got everything up?” He asked in a lower voice. You were trained in water rescues for campers, but you’d never thought about having to save yourself. How did you lose your cool so easily?

You nodded slowly, and a bit of the worry left Law’s face for a moment. It returned, however, when you gave a weak shiver, and he pulled you into an embrace.

“Does Franky keep any blankets in the shed?” Marco jogged over to the two of you, asking the general crowd. He kneeled down alongside Law, adding his expertise to his fellow doctor.

“Yeah! There’s some quilts for picnics in there.” Chopper piped up, scrambling over to the little shed at the end of the dock. As he did so, Law ran his hands up and down your arms, trying to warm you up. Marco rubbed your back, mumbling something about encouraging blood flow.

“Is she gonna be okay?” You heard Ace speak up from near you, sounding the most serious you had ever heard him in all your years of knowing him.

“I’ll be fine.” You weakly answered, your teeth chattering as a breeze hit you full force, freezing your sopping body to the bone. Ace entered your field of vision, looking extremely worried for your safety. You almost felt a warmth settle inside your bones at the expression, if it wasn’t for your heart still threatening to pound out of your chest. It didn’t look as though he really believed you, especially when you coughed again and it wracked your entire body. “God, this is embarrassing.” You muttered under your breath.

“Deep breath, hyperventilating is not going to help you right now.” Law’s voice acted like an anchor, stabilizing you and giving you something to focus on. Sand and gravel crunched behind you, and soon another figure was leaning over you. “Back up, Ace. Give her space.” Law’s voice undertook a sharper, more defensive tone, and you didn’t need to see his face to know that he was glaring.

You closed your eyes, trying to focus on catching your breath and slowing your heart rate. The world around you refused to stop spinning, and trying to focus your gaze on a single point was just adding to your nausea. Every noise was magnified, and the building crowd around you was doing the opposite of calming you down. Chopper arrived quickly with a large cotton blanket, but the feeling of it scratched your skin and everything began to overwhelm you. It was heavy atop your drenched clothes, and you felt as though you were being slowly crushed.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“That was awesome! I wanna jump now!”

“Luffy, get back here!”

“Take deep breaths, you’re doing fine.”

“Can I get you anything? Water? Er— maybe not—“

“Is my darling alright? Are you hurt at all, beloved?”

“Does she need surgery? Do we need to go to the ER?!”

“She doesn’t need surgery, Usopp, she needs food!”

As much as you loved them, your friends were causing a pressure to build up inside of you. Their worry was almost palpable in the cooling night air. Your head pounded with a fury, and your brow knit in distress. “Would all of you shut up?! I don’t need surgery, I don’t need food, I need to be left alone!” Attempting to stand, Law caught you quickly when you almost stumbled over. The growing noise died down immediately, and you immediately regretted your outburst. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like—“ You hurriedly moved to apologize, your heartbeat racing, but Law cut you off.

“No, you’re right. Nothing good’ll come from overstimulation. Bepo, c’mon, we’re going to the doctor’s cabin.” Law slung your arm over his shoulders and kept an arm around your waist to support you. “You’ll be fine, just need a little bit of rest.” He spoke affirmatively, and Bepo hurried after you two, a worried expression on his face. The sudden eerie silence was broken up only by the sounds of crickets and owls, night having fallen during the chaos. Embarrassment burned in your cheeks and your stomach, and you hunched into the blanket that was wrapped over your shoulders. “Feel free to disperse. She’ll be taken care of.” Law stated simply as he glanced over his shoulder before helping you make the trek up the hill.

Bepo’s nervous energy was rubbing off on you as he paced beside you, but you did your best to ignore it. Your throat still burned from coughing up lake water, but your head was slowly beginning to clear thanks to the cool, clear mountain air that filled your lungs. Law made sure that your shaky steps were stable, and you were thankful for once that your best friend wasn’t much of a conversationalist.

The silent walk took a good fifteen minutes at your ambling pace, and for the last stretch, Law just picked you up and carried you on his back. You were definitely thankful, because your legs felt like they were made of putty. Bepo hurried ahead of you two to open the screen door, and your friend set you down gently on the spare bed. You let out a sigh of relief, your eyes heavy from exhaustion. “Never doing that again.” You murmured, letting your head fall against the pillow.

Law gently righted you back to a seated position, getting a stethoscope from one of the drawers. “Don’t lay down yet. I need to make sure there isn’t any fluid in your lungs.” You let out a groan, and he waved you off. “Bepo, see if there’s any gatorade or juice in the cooler.” The white-haired boy rushed over to the small refrigerators set on one side of the room, one designated to hold the camper’s medicines that needed to be cooled, like insulin, and the other for personal use for the counselors. Bepo set about digging through the personal one, humming to calm his nerves as he did so.

While he searched, Law stepped around to the other side of the bed to stand behind you. He lifted the back of your shirt, something that would have earned a slap if it was anyone else, his hands cold against your skin. “Cold!” You yelped, and though the ravenette was silent, you knew he was probably rolling his eyes. He settled the ear pieces of the stethoscope into his ears, then held the chest piece of the instrument up to your back. The metal was even colder than Law’s hands, and you flinched away at first.

“Deep breath in.” He listened intently as you did as he instructed, “Now out.” You followed what he said, and soon he stepped around to your front after putting the back of your shirt down. “Pulse next.” You tugged down the soggy collar of your shirt, and Law set the stethoscope piece over your heart. He repeated his process of waiting, before he pulled away and set the instrument around his neck. At that exact moment, Bepo came bounding back with a bottle of blue gatorade and some crackers he’d found.

Law opened them for you, making sure you drank at least half of the gatorade before he allowed you to lay back down. A knock at the cabin door drew the attention of all three of you, and Bepo ran to get it while Law crossed his arms over his chest.

“I figured you’d need a change of clothes.” Nami’s face peeked around the corner, and she was quickly waved in. You let out a happy sigh, eager to get out of your damp clothes, and ambled towards the door. The ginger gave you a quick hug, glancing hesitantly at Law as she did so. “I’m glad you’re okay. You really scared us all pretty bad.”

“I scared myself pretty bad.” You tried to joke, taking what Nami offered, and stepping behind the thin curtain that separated the spare bed from the rest of the cabin to change. Folding your wet clothes as best you could, you felt yourself relax as the dry fabrics offered you comfort and warmth. It was a spare set of loose jeans, a t-shirt, and a large sweatshirt that was a few sizes too big for you. It wasn’t yours, you weren’t really sure who it belonged to. Nonetheless, you slipped it on, tucking your hands into the sleeves.

Both of the boys gave you plenty of privacy as you changed, Law deep in thought as he went about sterilizing the stethoscope. When you had tumbled off the cliff, his heart had dropped in his chest. His grip on the canoe oars had turned his knuckles white, his jaw clenched as he felt pure anxiety ricochet through him, one of the first times since he was a kid. He never lost his cool, but with you, he almost dove straight in after you, worried like a mother hen. When you hit the water, his body still didn’t relax, waiting for your head to bob above the surface. Every second you were submerged felt like an eternity, and after you were under for about a minute, he pushed up his sleeves and leaned for the edge of the boat. He almost jumped in after you, despite his difficulty swimming, though Zoro got to you first.

You were submerged for two minutes before you had been hauled into his canoe, and for those two minutes, Law thought he was going to lose you. Your leap off the cliff didn’t have the momentum he knew you had meant it to, your little stumble causing you to forget to stay calm. Thankfully you had remembered to maneuver around in the air to hit the lake feet-first, but you had forgotten to suck in a breath just before impact. Law had been truly and utterly terrified.

After pulling you back to shore, your shock had worn off decently quick. He knew embarrassment probably still stung at your mind, but he would rather you be embarrassed than dead. Seeing you absent-minded, foggy-eyed, and panting for air, he almost felt all reason leave him. Thankfully you came to, and you seemed to be coping fine. He’d have to have a long talk with Eustass in the morning.

Nami didn’t stay long after dropping off the change of clothes, something you were thankful for. You didn’t really feel like talking to anyone for the time being. Bepo ran to the mess hall to grab something for all three of you, but you didn’t really feel like eating either. You wanted to go back to your cabin and knock out, and wake up late. Law took you back to the Newgate cabins, and made sure you were settled into your bunk, leaving you with an extra bottle of gatorade. He told you to drain both of them to replenish your fluids before bidding you goodnight, and telling you to call him if you needed anything.

Now you sat on your bunny-printed sheets, wrapped in one of your thick blankets, and one that Nami had let you borrow. She must have come in and made your bed for you, knowing that you’d be exhausted after your check-up with Law. You were still in your head about the night’s events, replaying it over and over and thinking about just how stupid you probably looked. You were a fine swimmer, how did you almost drown?

The door to the counselor’s section of the cabin swung open, and your tired eyes fell onto Ace, pushing the door with his foot as he held two plates in his hands and a bag of chips in his mouth. His eyes widened when he saw you, and he set everything down on his bunk. “Hey! I thought you’d be crashing with doctor boy. Feeling okay?” He crouched down so that he was eye level, his gaze scanning your face.

“…I’m better now, yeah.” You brought your knees up to your chest, resting your head on your shoulder. As tired as you were, after walking from the doctor’s cabin to the Newgate cabins, you had somehow gotten a third wind. Your body was aching and eager for sleep, but your eyes refused to close. “Did Sanji make dinner?” You asked, peering over Ace’s shoulder at the plates on his bed.

He perked up, snagging one of the plates. “Yeah. It’s barbecue, want some?” He offered it to you, and you hesitantly accepted. You knew you needed to eat, but you didn’t really feel all too hungry. “It’s pretty good. Then again, everything that blonde chainsmoker makes is.” Ace shrugged, grabbing the other and sitting down next to you on your bunk. Before he lifted his fork to his mouth, he gave you another look. “Are you sure you’re okay?” His cheekiness all but vanished for a moment.

You let out a sigh, leaning back against the wall behind the bunk. “Physically yes. I’m still a little shaken, but I’ll get over it.” You stared at your food for a few long moments, before taking a bite and realizing just how hungry you were. Within seconds you were scarfing down everything on the plate, Ace watching on with subtle amusement. You missed the glint of worry in his eyes.

“If you say so. I recommend maybe swearing off cliffs for a while.” He tried to joke, though it only earned him a glare. He laughed off the tension, digging into his own dinner.

You suddenly realized that Ace had brought two plates into the cabin with him, had he planned to eat both? “Did Law ask you to get me dinner? You didn’t know that I’d be back yet, did you?” You peered at him curiously, using a napkin to wipe your face. Ace seemed to pause for a second, before he shot you a blinding grin.

“Growing boys gotta eat.” He shoveled more barbecue into his face and you rolled your eyes. He wasn’t being thoughtful, he was being a pig. You let out a sigh, setting your empty plate on the floor. You were too tired to retort to his cheekiness. Even though the temperature in the cabin was warm, you fought a shiver, burying further into the blankets that you had wrapped tightly around yourself. It was as if the chill of the lake had seeped into your very bones.

A yawn left your mouth, and you propped your pillow up against the corner of your bed, leaning against it. Sleep still refused to claim you, despite your efforts. Your attention was drawn back to Ace when the bed dipped as he stood up, crossing the room to the doorway where he had left his backpack when he entered. Digging through the green and black bag, he exclaimed when he found what he was looking for. His long legs brought him back to you in minimal steps, and your eyes widened when you saw what sat snugly in his palm.

“I got it from Kid once you were on shore.” He nodded, his eyes shaded by his hat. “He won’t bother you again, for a while at least.” His voice was grim, something entirely unfamiliar, but you were too excited by what he held to notice that something was off.

“My walkie!” Launching forward, you grabbed it and held it to your chest, having forgotten the reason of your suffering. You let out a sigh of relief, setting it neatly on the small dresser next to the bunk beds. “Thank god.” You murmured, laying down on your bed. Ace shot you a smile, picking up your empty plate and stacking it with his. He’d take them back to the dining hall in the morning, but for now, he was happy to see some excitement return to your face.

Turning around and lifting his hat to rest it on a hook by the door, he felt a bubbly sensation rise in his chest. “Yeah, I made sure it was in good shape. There’s not a single scratch on it, and if there was, I would’a pummeled Eustass into the dirt.” When you didn’t respond, he slowly turned. “No need to thank me, really—“ He cut himself off when he saw that you had finally fallen asleep, bundled in your blankets so tightly that you looked like you were drowning in a mass of fluff.

It was like a weight had been lifted from your shoulders and you had finally relaxed enough to let sleep claim you. A soft smile rested on Ace’s lips, and he let out a breath, what was left of his worry leaving him as he observed you in such a peaceful state. Leaning down to you, he made sure you were tucked in well, before sitting back on his own bunk. His own stress was soothed at the gentle sight and sound of your chest rising and falling, the silent cabin disturbed only by your quiet breaths. Ace’s heart thrummed in his chest, and he carded his fingers through his shaggy black hair.

Tossing himself down, he stared up at the bottom of the bunk above him, folding his arms under his head. His heart had been through a lot that evening, it was almost therapeutic for him to see that you were sleeping soundly. He’d hated the idea of you jumping in the first place, he could see just how much it scared you in your jerky movements and shifting eyes whenever you discussed it. He wasn’t friends with Eustass by a long shot, but his little prank that he’d pulled on you made Ace decide that he didn’t like the mechanic at all. Shifty bastard.

He found his gaze drifting back to you, his breaths unconsciously matching the pattern of yours. He was happy that you were safe, more than anything. Sure, something in him had been a little annoyed that Law had pulled you into his arms instead, but you were safe in the end, and that was what mattered. Ace wasn’t expecting you to come back to the Newgate cabins at all that evening, but he was glad you did. Something about you managed to lift his mood.

“Guess it was a good thing I brought you a plate after all, yeah, Spitfire?” He mumbled under his breath in an attempt not to rouse you. “Crazy good intuition you got there, Ace.” He praised himself with a grin, the glowing feeling of pride in his chest that you had come back to sleep in the cabin with him instead of staying in the doctor’s cabin with Law. Ace drifted off to sleep with a grin on his face and a gentle murmur of “You don’t look too bad in my sweatshirt either”.

#portgas d ace x reader #ace x reader #trafalgar d law x reader #law x reader #zoro roronoa x reader #zoro x reader #eustass kid x reader #one piece #one piece x reader #camp au #one piece au #one piece fic #camp grand line

122 notes · View notes

hauntedjpegcollection · 5 months

Text

bloody nose

wc: 2877 au: camp counselor ch: benny, benji, xavier

The crying continues, even after the miraculous healing nature of the band aid. Benny smoothes it over and around the girls reddened ankle, watching big tears drip off her chin and onto her CAMP COLD HOLLOW shirt. Little droplets turn the baby blue a dark navy here and there. She sniffs bravely as Benny leans back and assesses her. More tears swell as she hooks the end of her (now properly messy) shirt up and rubs it against her face. He sighs and snaps off his gloves.

“Okay,” Benny says, tapping under Lorie’s elbow to get her attention. She sniffs even harder. She coughs on the wad of mucus that’s probably hit her straight in the back of throat. She sputters pathetically and then finally blinks wet eyes open to stare at his tattooed hand. Her eyes are shiny with the humiliated pain only a ten year old can feel. Her lip quivers, threatens even more tears.

“Tada!” Benny pops the word with enthusiasm as his other hand does a twirl next to her ear. Lorie jumps back at the sudden movement. Then her round, cherubic face lights up at the sudden reveal of a chocolate bar in his hand. Full sized, name brand, not even melted.

“For being so brave,” Benny says as he lets her shyly take it from him. There’s a moment where he feels a little squeeze around his heart as she softly tucks it to her chest, like hugging the little treat. “T-Tell your parents to s-send you in proper hiking boots.”

“Are there nuts in this?” She asks, plucking at the foil edged wrapping.

“I have every s-single one of you brats memorized,” Benny replies, tapping his temple as he shoves his chair away from the table she’d hopped up onto. He passes her back the loafer her parents stupidly thought would work for a summer camp. “I would never give y-you peanuts.” Her bashful smile continues as she slides off the table and wiggles her shoe back on. She makes for the door, but skids herself to a stop, like the rubbed raw ankle doesn’t even bother her anymore.

“Bye, Counselor Benji!” She nearly yells it, with a big, excited wave to the other man in the cabin. Benji, sitting on the medical desk across the room, lifts a hand in a friendly, lazy wave. He twirls a drum stick in his other hand idly, without much thought, a cassette player peeking out the back pocket of his jeans.

Once the kid is gone, Benny kicks the door shut.

“You’ve gotta st-stop hanging out in here.

“Didn’t realize you owned the cabin, mate.”

“S-suck my dick, Benji.”

“Got a magnifying glass ‘round?”

Benny makes a furious fisted gesture at his hip with a curling sneer of his lip while Benji rolls big, pretty brown eyes. Then Ben is pulling his pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and putting two between his teeth. As he does, he wanders closer, fishing out his zippo from the silly little lab coat he gets to wear. Pretend doctor shit, Medic Cabin privilege. A breeze rolls in from the cracked window that Benji sits near, well welcomed because of how hot and stuffy it’s becoming as summer continues on. His booted foot sits on a rolling chair, steel toe bobbing out some rhythm that only lives inside his head. Benny slaps the zippo across his thigh and lights either cigarette.

Without a word, Benji extends a hand. A cigarette gets tucked between his fingers as Benny pockets the lighter and then leans against the wall opposite his friend. They both take drags at the same time, smoke suddenly filling the little space.

“We still got seven weeks of this shit,” Benny says, picking tobacco from his tongue. He flicks it away and then stares at Benji. He’s awful about the counselor uniform; had ripped the sleeves off his the second he was given a shirt. And they’d got him a size up because—well, Benji’s not small. But that only made it fit fine around his shoulders, but short at the waist. That was the style these days, though, apparently. Benny noticed plenty of bare stomachs.

“Mm.”

“Crazy th-that they actually added another two weeks,” Ben lies.

“Yeah?”

“And they poisoned th-the lake recently. With radioactive crocod-di-diles. Wild shit, Benji.”

“Heard that,” Benji replies in a sleepy voice, fist tucked under his chin as he stares out the window. Every once in a while, the drum stick twirls again. Benny stomps forward and shoves himself into Benji’s space—which has the reaction he’s expecting. Two firms hands at his shoulders, shoving him back. Benny puts his weight forward, turns his head so he can look out the window and see exactly what distracts Benji.

“Volleyball your thing?”

“Fuck off,” Benji snaps against, shoving harder. He’s much stronger than Benny, who tumbles back onto the rolling chair and slides all the way to the other wall again. Only, he’s grinning ear to ear in that sneaky, somewhat nasty way he smiles. Benny slumps in the chair, throwing an ankle over his thigh and tilting his head. Benji’s cheeks go ruddy, but he shamelessly turns his face to the side—peripheral to the counselors setting up the volleyball net outside.

“You have bad taste,” Benny comments after a moment of silence between the two of them. Benji takes another short pull on his cigarette. Benny starts inching his way closer on the rolling chair. He knows better than to really work himself into Benji’s space—and he doesn’t really want to. He’d only popped that personal bubble to get Benji out his own fucking head. Moody, dramatic loser. Benny feels an overwhelming affection for him.

“Xavier’s so st-straight, you could use him like a ruler.”

“That’s a big assumption, yeah?”

“That Xavier’s straight or th-that you’re absolutely staring at him right now?”

Benji’s spine curves more as he finishes the cigarette and pops the butt into a soda can that Benny has been using all week for just that. He twirls the drum stick again, taps it a few times against his thigh. His silence only slightly unnerves Ben, because usually Benji’s hard to shut up. They have that sort of back and forth, this comfortable, if not snide banter. But then again, what queer hasn’t had the disgusting and horrific guilty sensation of looking at someone they shouldn’t look at (just looking, sometimes, that’s enough, that’s more than enough, that’s the sin all along)?

Guilt prompts Benny to continue.

“I’m f-fucking with you, Benji,” he says in an exasperated tone, throwing hands into the air. “Stare at the guy all you want—he’s hot, but he’s also sort of stupid—”

“No he’s not,” Benji immediately defends, sliding off the table. His boots are heavy and loud on the wooden floor. Ben starts to raise his hands in bored defense—but then his friend’s shoulders jump. His eyes pop wider, hands curling around the windowsill as he pushes himself close to the glass. “Fuckin’ hell, that—that look like it hurt.”

“Oh great,” Ben moans, scrubbing a hand down his face. He slowly pulls himself from the chair. The leather creaks as he does. “What kid t-took a ball to the face?” He pauses briefly to make a disgusted, snickering sound. But Benji doesn’t look amused—instead he flits to an immediate panicked expression. He swivels, hands awkwardly dropped by his thighs. Benji is shorter than Benny, but he’s never felt smaller. He’s thickly defined and loud in his fashion. In that moment, he looks incredibly fucking freaked.

“He’s coming to the cabin,” Benji says.

“Who?”

“Xavier is—do these windows open all the way?”

“What?” Benny watches Benji start to yank at the window, to try and crack it further open. It barely budges. Benji tries again, a vein popping in his bicep as he pulls harder. His boots scrabble across the flooring somewhat.

“Man, you wouldn’t fit even if it f-fucking did?” Benny laughs hysterically.

“This isn’t funny, dickhead,” Benji seethes between clenched together teeth.

“No, this is hilarious,” Benny replies. Instead of helping, he crosses the meager medical cabin. He goes straight for the little supply closet and opens it. It’s stocked mostly full because summer only just began—stocked with both supplies and also the hidden cache of alcohol he’d gotten just for the counselors. Benji might need it sooner than later, now that Benny thinks on it.

“Have fun with that,” he says with and closes the door.

—

Xavier cups a hand underneath his chin as he walks. The blood from his nose is thick and syrupy, metallic on the back of his tongue. Tacky all across his skin, miserable in combination with his sweat. The middle of his face throbs, a mean hot pulse that almost stops hurting altogether. He has to blink away tears as he steps through the door to the medical cabin. Xavier’s other hand awkwardly fumbles for the knob and yanks it close.

“Ben—I took a fucking volleyball to the face. Mouse—that bitch—I know she was aiming for me—”

It’s stuffy inside the cabin. Hotter, too; the sweat in his hair is itchy and the drying blood across his face and hand makes his skin crawl. Xavier stands there, staring at Benji, who stands there as well, staring back at him. For a long moment, nothing at all seems to happen. He’s sure—well, something happens somewhere in the world. Car accidents and babies born and all that other shit, but between them there is simply Benji staring at him, covered in blood and Xavier staring at Benji—in a ridiculously fucking short version of the camp counselors shirt.

His dizzy, addled brain takes a very long time to catch up.

“Uh,” he says, intelligently.

“Looks like it hurt,” Benji replies, gesturing a hand up. His other twirls a drum stick effortlessly. He has very nice hands.

“What?”

It makes Benji grin. He has a menacing sort of smile. A bit of a smirk that is a little too knowing. Xavier never seems to say the right thing in front of Benji, always finds himself losing all his sure fire confidence. Xavier is good at talking—or at least, he never seems to run out of the ability. He makes people laugh, he makes the girls around him flustered. Xavier swallows the blood in his mouth and tries smiling. It stretches the skin and makes the pain worse, but he doesn’t stop smiling.

“It’s not so bad.”

“Ben’s, uh. Think he went t’get somethin’.” Benji starts toward the desk. “Or he’s wankin’ off to car magazines. The car’s, by the way, mate, not the people in it. Real weird guy that one—I’ll get you patched alright.”

Xavier swears he hears something for a moment (a thump, maybe, or a something heavy thudding), so he looks around the cabin—but Benji is sort of magnetic. His eyes keep straying. They wander right back to him. Benji bends over to continue rifling through things. His shirt falls forward a little. The dark brown expanse of his back is briefly revealed, so Xavier immediately looks somewhere else.

“Sit?”

“Ha,” Xavier laughs, slowly taking a seat on an old rolling chair. “Bark.”

“Wassit?” Benji asks, his own laugh soft. A bit of the meanness to his smile has faded. The sarcastic curl of his sneer has dulled. His brows are tucked in together as he holds a little red first aid kit, confused but amused at the same time.

“You said sit,” Xavier jokes. He uses the leverage of his long legs to slowly pull himself closer to where Benji stands. The astronomical height difference between them suddenly feels oddly palpable. Benji is not much taller than Xavier even when he’s sitting as he is. “I’m like a good dog, is all. Woof.”

“Real good boy,” Benji replies smoothly and it makes every cell inside Xavier’s body feel briefly alive and on fire. He doesn’t understand where that comes from, why that pulls such a reaction from him, straight from his chest. How that feels better than anything anyone else at the camp has said to him. No amount of girls toying with his hair or playing with his hands, or staring at him from under their eyelashes has made his body have that reaction.

“Tilt your head forward, though, yeah? Backward’s just gettin’ it all down your throat. I’ll clean your hand, first—s’alright if you bleed on the floor. S’what you’re supposed to do when you’re hurt.”

Xavier goes quiet then. He holds out his hand. He does as he’s told, leaning himself forward, chin tilted toward the ground. Fat drops of blood hit the wooden floor and make audible little plunking sounds. He tries to focus on that, but when he glances up, instead he gets to watch Benji use alcohol wipes to clean up his palm. The nose is always dramatic. Xavier knows that because he plays just about every sport he can get himself into—and he’s broken his nose more than once.

The blood thins out to a cherry color. Benji bites his tongue in concentration. He hums a bit. Xavier tries so hard not to comment what he’d usually do in this situation; look at how big my hand is, haha, look at yours? Jeez, that’s crazy. Wow. You should hold my hand, just to see. Xavier has that one practically fucking locked and loaded—but it’s for the girls that take his big palms and ask about his star signs and offer to tell his fortune. His mouth goes dry without the blood wetting it.

“Think it’s broken?”

“No,” Xavier replies quickly. He tilts his head back. The bloods stopped, dried mostly on his lips. He resists the urge to rub at it—secretly hopes maybe Benji will start cleaning that next. He looks ready too, but instead simply puts a finger under Xavier’s chin and leans in closer. He smells like hair product of some sort, a nice soft but masculine scent. All those insane black curls are barely held back by a claw clip, something he’s seen his sisters using before. Xavier blinks rapidly.

“I’ve broken my nose twice, so I’m, like, totally good at telling. When it’s broken, I mean. Which it isn’t—I’d know.”

“Looks like y’didn’t need Ben after all, yeah? Need me t’get—it’s in your teeth a bit, actually.”

“How would you get it out of my teeth?” Xavier asked, brows pulled in confusion. Benji stares at him. There is a pretty dark red color to his cheeks that disappears beneath his facial hair. “Oh, you didn’t mean—uh. I can—I’ll wash up. Actually—”

Xavier stands suddenly. Their too close all at once because Benji had gotten so close to help him. He stumbles around the rolling chair. Xavier hooks a thumb over his shoulder, walking backward.

“I probably could just go shower. I should—I’ll do that. The steam—helps. It’ll—help swelling? Probably reduce it.” His now clean hand finds the door knob again and he jerks at it. “Thank you! By the way. Benji.”

“All good, Xavier,” he replies.

“Would you wanna hang out, by the way?” Xavier pauses, the door to the cabin pushed open. The outside air feels just as warm, but somehow soothing against his even hotter skin. His face burns still. Bloody flakes peel off and he can only imagine how fucking insane he looks, how deeply weird he’s being. Very uncool.

“Yeah,” Benji says quickly.

“Cause I got a canoe actually—oh, nice.” Xavier laughs, taking one step down the wooden porch of the cabin. “Right. The lake’s really pretty at night. You’ll like it. You haven’t been out on it yet, have you?”

“Not yet.”

“Oh sweet, I’m your first.” He presses his hand to his forehead, eyes squeezing shut. The pain has dulled to a sweet, bothersome throb. “Your first canoe buddy, is what we tell the kids—I’ll see you, Benji. I’ll swing by the second counselor cabin later.” Then Xavier finishes his awkward exit, stumbling down from the steps and out onto the dirt path that’ll lead back up to the full campsite area.

“I’d kill myself if I were you,” Lark comments, making Xavier scream and jump. His slender, form materializes from around the cabin, bloody volleyball in his hand. “Want to send this home as a souvenir first?”

“Shut up,” Xavier snarls, snatching it from him. “I’ll tell my mom not to send us any more care packages if you say one more fucking word.” Lark doesn’t, to his credit, say anything. But he does laugh the whole way back.

—

Benny slowly opens the door to the supply closet. He steps out and stares at the slightly ajar door that Xavier had left. The noise of the campsite is muffled, a low rumble of kids screaming and laughing, and counselors. A little dotted trail of blood shows his exact path from inside to Benji, and then back out again.

“Don’t,” his friend says, in a low threatening tone. Benny begins fumbling for his cigarettes once more.

“I take it back.”

“Don’t.”

“Th-that guy is not straight.”

#jlb #bp #xw #jlb x bp #xw x bp #camp au #writing

11 notes · View notes