Fae POV

I undressed slowly listening to the water fill the large clawfoot bathtub. I wrapped my exposed body with a soft fluffy white towel shutting the bathroom door. With in seconds hot steam filled the room. The walls dripped with sweat and the steam cling to my skin.

I picked up the crystal glass bottle of oil, noticing the liquid I swirled in side was a sienna brown. I opened the lid and a lovely aroma filled the room.

Leon was right it does smell like cinnamon. I poured a little into bath water turned the faucets off. The warm water welcome me the moment my toes touched the water. I have to say I love the smell of cinnamon but I prefer vanilla.

"Wow." I had to blink the burning sensation out of my eyes. "This scent is to over powering." I wiped the tears away and wrinkled my nose. It makes my throat a little sour every time I inhale and the more I inhaled the more I disliked the scent, I'll probably never use it again.

I soaked my body for a while thinking about Katakuri, hoping he enjoys the large cupcake I'm making for him. I just have to remember to make some small ones on the side for Leon.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard a creaking noise out side my door. I looked over at the door and I could have sworn I seen a shadow move under the crack of the door.

I listened hard, expecting Leon to say something but. . silence. "Hello? Leon?" No response. I feel like my mind is playing tricks on me. Leon is right I am being jumpy today. I wonder why that is?

After a few minutes I shrugged my shoulders allowing my mind to wander back to Katakuri. I could feel butterflies dancing in my stomach when I thought of him.

I wonder is he thinking of me or has these butterflies like I do? Of course he doesn't, Fae. You need to get a grip on your emotions before you ruin things before they even start.

I can't help it though, he's my first friend and I couldn't wait to see him again. I have a million more questions to ask him and I just, I don't know. . I just really wanted to see him again. I felt. . happy, happier then I felt in a long time but. . how long will he stay?

Eventually he'll have to go back home and I may never see him again.

I felt a stinging sensation in my chest when I thought I might never see him again. I shooed those negative thoughts away fast before they got the chance to sink in.

Enjoy the time you have with him. Don't ruin it by being sad. I just need to cherish every moment, the good and even the bad. Until I see him again. Those words to myself eased my mind and heart.

Not long after, my mind went back to playing with the water I was soaking in. I enjoy baths more then showers for the simple fact, I can play with in the water better.

I can bend small bubbles of water into different shapes like a star, a heart, a smiley face. I giggled when I made it wink at me.

After a while I got out drying off. I could just pull the water off my body and out of my hair but I can't without Leon noticing how dry my hair is. The man tends to notice the slightest things, it's beyond crazy.

That's why I need to be more careful. If I'm to happy or nervous he'll notice right away, I just hope he goes back into his room after breakfast and do what he calls 'business' or whatever.

I walked into my closet and decided I wanted to wear something nice but not to nice. I looked around my closet for a while before I found the dress I wanted to wear. It was a sparkly sky blue short dress with a low V neck.

It was beautiful and what I think is called sexy. I never wore anything that showed so much skin before but, I want to be sexy for katakuri for some odd reason. Is that weird of me? To want to be beautiful around him? And. . what's even weirder is, I don't know why. I pushed those thoughts out of my head putting my hair into a messy bow bun and walked into the kitchen to find Leon putting our breakfast on the table.

"Well, I hope you enj-" he cut himself off the moment he laid eyes on me.

"What? Do you not like it?" I asked feeling a little self-conscious as his eyes ran up and down my body.

"No, I like it a lot." Then he narrowed his eyes, "that dress. . It looks. . you look. . just forget it. Come and eat. I'm going to be in my room." He said dryly leaving the kitchen.

"Wait! Where are you going? Aren't you going to eat breakfast with me?"

"No, I lost my appetite. I'll be in my room, don't disturb me." He said coldly walking past me and stopped a few feet behind me. "I like the cinnamon aroma coming off your skin. I hope you continue to use it, whether if it's over powering or not," and he left leaving me with those words.

I was dumbfounded. I felt so lost and confused. What did I do? Was it the outfit? Should I go change? Do I really look bad in it? Am I trying to hard? Fae! Stop, it's not you! An inner voice yelled at me shooing the insecurities away.

It's him. He's the one getting colder towards me and I don't know what I'm doing to make him act that way. I want to be close to him, like the way we use to be but, now. . he just wants to stay distant from me and keep me at arms length. If he doesn't talk to me, how can I fix this big gap that keeps getting bigger and bigger between us?

I sighed, I wanted to cry but I wasn't going to let his mood swings affect my day with Katakuri. I sniffed a little and shock my hands shaking off all his heavy words.

I took deep breaths of fresh air, calming myself down. I decided to push Leon's mess aside for now and focused all my positive feelings into making this delicious mouth watering dessert.

Katakuri POV

I went to the spot where I found Fae sitting down yesterday. I just wanted to make sure that yesterday did happen and when I found our faded names in the sand. I knew that yesterday wasn't a hallucination, that it really did happen. I wasn't imagining things and I wasn't going crazy. I really was going to see Fae again and my heart fluttered just thinking about seeing her beautiful face again.

"Katakuri?" I heard a angelic voice say my name and it sent an electronic wave of pleasure through my body. I turned to find Fae holding a large glass cake stand with a large cupcake in side it. I knew she was coming but I was still stunned to see her standing before my eyes.

She had on a gorgeous sparkly blue dress and for once I was happy that I was wearing a scarf where she couldn't see my mouth hanging open from the shock I was in. My mouth wouldn't say the words that my mind was begging for it to say. I wanted to tell she was beautiful and that I was very happy she came but I was spellbound. I couldn't move.

"I brought you a cupcake. I hope you like mint." She said sweetly but I could see the sadness in her eyes. The spell broke like shattered glass. I wanted to rip apart whatever was making her look at me with those sad beautiful eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked worried but the words came out more threatening then sincere. I got down to her level, I wanted to comfort her but I didn't know how. "I thought I could hide it but I guess I couldn't." She smiled but I could see tears forming at the corner of her eyes. It shattered my heart to see her like this.

"It's nothing serious, I just got into a small fight with Leon. Well, it was more one sided because I didn't know what I did to up set him so much." She walked in to my arms and clung to me. I put my shaky hand on her lower back thinking this is how normal people comfort others.

I could hear her soft whimpers, "I'm sad that I got into a fight with Leon. I'm sad that I might not see you again when you leave." I felt ecstatic that she was thinking about me but I didn't like being the reason she was crying. She trusted me enough to allow me to hold her but I wish it was under a different circumstance.

"Come with me." The words just fell off my lips before I realized what I was saying.

I looked down at her in a panic. I could tell I shocked her with my outburst but she seemed to be considering it. I knew the answer was probably going to be no but if she did say yes, it would make things so much easier for the both of us. I didn't want to rush her so I kept quiet for a few minutes letting my words sink in.

"You don't have to give me an answer right away. I don't know how long I'll be here but I'm not leaving right this minute." I lied knowing very well if she said no that eventually I would have to force her to come with me. She glanced up at me with her face still wet from her tears. She looked so serious when she met my eyes.

"If--If I go with you. . I need to know somethings about you, and I need to know if I can come back, because I can't abandon Leon. It doesn't matter how unbearable he can be. I can never abandon him. I want to go with you and this might be the only chance I get to see the outside world for a few days. I know Leon will get really upset with me but I think it'll be worth it, If you can promise I can come back then. . I'll go with you." She said smiling up at me melting my heart.

I can promise she will see Leon again because Leon will eventually come after her. Mama wants Leon and as long as we have Fae, he will try to retrieve her.

She distance herself from me but I could still feel her warmth on my skin. I wanted her to fill the small gap she created between us but I keep my desires to myself.

I nodded my head in agreement, which made her smile grow even bigger. Her smile was warm and welcoming. She made me feel. . I don't know how to put it in words but it's like taking a deep breath of fresh air for the first in a very long time and it's crazy because I've only known her less than 24 hours but I want to always be around her, to protect her and to be near her.

"So, which one are you. . a pirate or a marine?" She asked tracing my tattoos with her fingers. Her soft fingers sent waves of calmness through my body but at the same time it drove me crazy. Her touch was exhilarating but satisfying. I had to repeat her question in my head before I realized what she said.

"What?" I asked baffled by her question. How? . . How did she know? I could feel my eyes widen in surprise and I just realized the look on my face must have gave her the answers she needed because her smile grew.

"You said you were on a mission. Marines go on missions and pirates go on missions when there captain orders them to. So, with one are you?" She asked studying every inch of my face, waited for a reaction from me.

She's quite the sharp one isn't she? I wanted to smile when I realized she was cunning and smart but I had more important things to worry about like how my heart was sinking into my stomach and I need to give her a legit answer or she will grow not to trust me if she catches me in a lie.

"A pirate . ." I whispered nervously. She didn't so much as flinch away from me, not even a flicker of fear in her eyes just. . warmth.

She nodded her head, "I figured that's what you was but I had to be sure." She said looking into my eyes but whatever she saw she must have not liked because she was frowning at me. "Stop looking at me like that!" She pouted with her cheeks puckered out.

"Like what?" I asked confused and bewildered by the way she spoke to me. No one but Mama and a handful of my siblings has ever had the courage to speak to me the way she does. "Stop looking at me like I'm going to break or run away from you or whatever it is your thinking." She said lecturing me.

"Because I'm not running. . I trust you. If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't be standing before you." She said softly leaning dangerously close to my face. She could have easily ripped off my scarf if she wanted to and I probably wouldn't have notice even if she did.

I was scared and happy that she trusted me but it worried me at the same time. For one, I don't deserve her trust and for two, she trusted me way to easily without knowing me enough to trust me which means she would trust anyone who is nice to her. She needs to be protected or any scumbag could easily lure her away and take advantage of her.

Fuck! Just thinking about it drives me mad. Leon has made her so helpless, so gullible, so innocent. I couldn't help but run my thumb across her soft rosy red cheek and when she leaned into my hand it caused my heart to go into a frenzy.

Why?. . Why must she know Leon? Why must she be the only way to lure Leon to Big Mama? I hated this but as long as she's safe with me, that's all I care about at the moment.

I made up my mind, "we leave now." I told her seriously and her beautiful grey eyes grew big and wide.

"Now? But I haven't said goodbye to Leon and I haven't packed any clothes!" She said panicking. I put both my hands on the sides of her face. My hands practically swallowed her beautiful face but I was very gentle to not hurt her when I made her look up at me.

"Everything is going to be fine. You will see Leon again and besides, if he knew you was leaving, do you honestly thing he'll let you go?" I asked her and she seemed to calm down a bit.

"What about my clothes?"

"We will stop at the nearest island and I'll buy you all the clothes you want." I said and her eyes lit up with excitement but her eyebrows creased together causing a small wrinkle to form between her brows. It was very cute but I could tell she was thinking hard.

"But, I have plenty of clothes in my closet and I don't want you wasting your money on something I already have besides, I don't have any money to pay you back with." She said seriously, now it was my turn to frown.

"Don't worry about the money, let me worry about that. I'm the one who invited you to come along, so it's my responsibility to take care of my guest and all the things she needs. . not to mention Leon could probably hear you rummaging through your closet and we want to leave in secret with us both not dying in the process." I told her trying to make a joke and she giggled and smiled up at me. It was the first time I heard her laugh like that and it made me smile to know I was the reason she was laughing.

"Okay, I'm ready whenever you are. Oh! I'm sorry! I forgot to give you, your cupcake." She said picking up the large glass stand she put down earlier.

"You don't have to eat it if you don't want it but I just remember how we both really like trying new sweets so, um. . here you go." She said blushing nervously casting her eyes down on the ground holding the glass stand towards me.

She was beautiful when she smiled, she was beautiful when she frowned, she was beautiful when she laughed, she was even beautiful when she cried but she was even more beautiful when she blushed.

I took it from her, "thank you. I will most definitely eat this when I get the chance to." I told her putting my large hand on top of her head and her face grew even more red.

"So, um-w-where is your ship I can't wait to see it!" she said panicky trying to disguise her bashfulness.

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. I never been this happy before in my life, it actually started to make sense to me why Leon kept her hidden for so long.

She was everything we were not and now she is mine and I plan to keep it that way. I'm sorry, Fae but I can't keep my promise. I refuse to ever hand you over to Leon. I thought to myself as we walked side by side to where my ship was hidden.