After a few minutes you leave the storage room. You couldn't get the feeling of the kiss from earlier to leave your mind while you sat in the room and you understood why Killer had left to cool his head.

When you reach the deck and feel the cool breeze on your face, and the smell of salty air you feel a lot of the heat leave you. The sun was still up, and there was something about being in it that left you feeling exposed. It felt a little like everyone on the ship knew exactly what had transpired because the sun had told them about it.

"Hey Brat," Heat pipes up behind you, getting your attention and causing you to nearly leap out of your skin.

"H-h-eat, hi, hello." You let out the excess air you'd sucked in and smile awkwardly. "What's up?"

Heat's looking at you with a crooked smile on his face and confusion in his eyes. "Nothing. You alright? Getting nervous about the job, maybe?"

"Huh? No, yes, I mean, I'm fine." You laugh nervously and consider just leaping off the ship into the open ocean.

His crooked smile turns a bit knowing, and he leans down to tease you. "I see what it is, House has you practicing on live crew members, is that it?"

The very vivid idea of flirting with Killer came into your mind and all the blood rushes back into your face. "N-n-no, nope – ah, not... yet." You cover your face with your hands. Kissing someone for the first time apparently makes you a fool. "Is that gonna be something she does?"

Heat laughs and ruffles your hair. "I don't know, brat, but she might if she thinks you need the practice. If you can keep a straight face flirting with the Captain, you'd be solid no matter what."

"Pfft, haha! I cannot imagine flirting with Kid," Your hands fall away and you're beaming a smile back at Heat. "I can't imagine the Captain actually flirting." You admit, after giving it some thought.

You didn't notice Heat's smile go from knowing to mischievous. "Yeah, Killer would make for more natural practice."

Your eyes and mouth go wide as your brain just short circuits. Not only had you walked right into that, but you were also sure you helped Heat build the trap with a smile on your face.

"Smooth move, short stack." You hear Killer sigh behind you.

"Heat?" You ask, looking down at the deck.

"Yeah, brat?"

"Toss me into the sea."

"You'll have to come back onboard sooner or later." Heat reminds you with a laugh.

"Tease her later, Heat," Killer says, his fingers slipping over yours as he tugs you to the stern of the ship with him. "Let's talk."

"Ohhh." You hear Heat mumble as Killer leads you away.

Killer prompts you to sit on the crate you had before, and then leans against the rail nearby. You have no idea what to say, and Killer is keeping his gaze out into the sea. After a moment, you look out into the water as well, and realize it's really calming to watch the steady shift of the ocean break against Victoria's hull.

"Only me, huh?" Killer prompts after you've lost your thoughts into the shifting waters. You flinch, more at the sudden sound, soft as it was, than the words themselves.

Your face is hot, and you steal a glance over at him before looking out to the horizon. "Only you," you admit. "I really thought about it too. I thought about Kid and Heat and Wire. I thought about House and Hip 'n' Hop, and Reck. I really thought about the whole crew, and even people I'd left behind." You sink against the rail a little, "I even thought about Nezumi."

You can feel Killer tense at that name, but you'd known since it was first brought up that he didn't like the plan from the beginning. You thought at first it was just because he was too kind, or you were too new, but after earlier you realize it was for different reasons.

"I... Killer, I don't know how to talk about futures," You're looking at him and you're sure he was looking back. "I've had seven more years of freedom than I already thought I would. I don't know what stretch of time is going to see me at the bottom of the ocean, or in chains for CP9. And... a few weeks ago, that didn't bother me."

Killer turns toward you, wrapping his arms around your shoulders, and letting you rest your head against his chest. You can hear the surprisingly calm rhythm of his heart, and his embrace is gentle. If you weren't a mess of emotions and embarrassment, you could easily fall asleep like this.

"My priority," He begins, his voice steady, his tone firm, "will always be Eustass."

You nod, and mumble, "Of course," and feel his body tense.

"Of course?"

You reach your hands out and slip them around his waist. "Of course. Eustass is the Captain, he has to be the priority for both of us or it's not gonna work."

"... I was not expecting that." His tone makes you smile; you hadn't heard Killer legitimately confounded before.

"I almost left," you look at him seriously. "I've thought through the possibilities and risks and threats every single day for the last seven years. Even before then it was beat into my soul to assess. Assessing correctly means success. Failure is unacceptable. Relationships are a risk, connections to people who can't be used are a risk. I couldn't afford risks. I had to stay ahead of CP9 if I wanted to remain free.

"Physical contact can escalate. Putting someone else before you means risk. I've left every person who was even remotely beginning to matter to me. I've never known. I've never tried. I've..."

You swallow, a terrible realization dawning on you, and you can feel emotion welling up in your eyes. "Never, really lived, in a way."

Rough warm hands wipe the tears from your eyes before they reach your cheeks. The action was so kind that it makes you cry harder. You hold his hands in place with your own and smile even as the tears overtake you.

"It's relief," you assure him.

He leans down and taps your forehead with his mask, like he's giving you a kiss. "In the end, you're still crying."

"Heh, you were expecting me to cry?"

You can feel him nod, "I didn't think you'd be okay with my priorities."

"As long as you're not prioritizing kissing Eustass over me-."

"No." Killer pushes away from you, holding your shoulders, and keeping you at arm's length as you start laughing. "Don't even joke about that."

You try to stifle your laughter, and without saying anything just start laughing harder. "Sorry, I'm sorry, oh that's a terrible thing for me to think, sorry!"

His hands flex against your shoulders. "What's a terrible thing to think?"

You put your hands over your face, hiding yourself from the unseen gaze you could feel. "It's terrible to think you wear that mask to keep Kid from kissing you."

"You really are a brat." He growls, but there's a smile in his voice, that causes you to laugh again.

He lets go of your shoulders and you grab his hand and stop laughing. There's a dangerous look on your face you hadn't meant to make. After a moment, the serious look on your face turns to one of shock.

"I..." you let go of his hand after realizing what you'd done. You swallow, and then reach back out. "I want to keep touching you." Your face is red, but from the moment you'd told him to kiss you, it seemed silly to be shy with your thoughts. "If there's time."

"I can't promise you'll be able to keep holding myself back," Killer admits, his voice coming out thick when he finally speaks.

You lean forward, moving close to his ear. "I don't remember telling you I needed you to."

Killer's arm slips around your waist, pulling your hips against his chest and almost putting you over his shoulder. You can sit into the crook of his arm enough to steady yourself against his helmet. You laugh as he marches back to the cabins without a word.

Just like the other night you come across House again, but this time she looks up from her work and her mouth goes agog. You wave as Killer walks by without a word and give your best sheepish smile.

"Sorry doc, I'll be late for practice. I'm uh, getting... er-."

"Schooled." Killer prompts.

House laughs as you walk into the cabin areas proper, going through the hallways. She says something in response, but you didn't catch what it was.

.

.

.

Killer walks into what had to be his private room. There aren't any mirrors in here, and considering how he hides his laugh and his face you weren't surprised. He sets you on the edge of the bed and you can feel the need, the desire and the hesitation.

"You can cover my eyes," you say, closing your eyes even as you speak. "I don't know why you keep your face covered, and I won't demand anything about it. I can wait."

There was a long silence and then the click of his mask coming off, "Tomorrows aren't promised."

"No, but I'm sure I can spare you a few days," you smile, eyes still closed. "If you need time, it's okay. I'd rather wait and have you be comfortable, than have either of us regret anything."

More silence, but after a moment you hear a noise like fabric shuffling, and then a cool strip of cloth – silk maybe – covers your eyes. You can feel the heat of Killer's body near yours. You weren't surprised by the choice. Years of keeping himself tucked away like that couldn't be shattered in a single day.

You feel the heat rise in your face against the pressure of the blindfold settling into place. You feel like you have a kink you hadn't been aware of before. Your breath is already coming out heavier than you'd meant, and you shift further onto the bed, suddenly hyper aware of the body near you.

You feel the weight of him as his knee sinks into the bed between your own. You lay back as his hands push into the mattress on either side of your chest. You know you're caged beneath him, effectively trapped and yet free to leave if you so desire.

"If you react like this every time I mean to kiss you," He whispers, his breath rolling over your face as he draws near. "Then I'll need to soundproof the room before going further."

"I could... cover my mouth," you offer, your head is mush and your ability to think had gone out the door when you felt the weight of his knee come onto the bed earlier.

"(Y/N), I want to hear you." He shifts, pressing his knee against the crotch of your pants, causing you to suck in a breath at the sensation. His lips followed your gasp, hot and needy against your own, his tongue pushing deep into your mouth. It was more demanding than earlier, and almost desperate. The fire behind it made you needy in return, and you run your hands over his arms and down his chest, shifting your hips and pushing back against his knee.

The action causes a rush of pleasure and you groan into the kiss. Killer grabs your wrists, pinning them to the bed and breaking the kiss. He nudges your head to the side and you oblige, soft lips and teeth gently nip at your earlobe pulling small gasps from you. The kisses shift down along the line of your neck and pleasure builds as you squirm under his grip. Your squirms ripple through your body, shifting you against his knee and sending jolts of pleasure from the kisses on your neck to the heat in your belly.

"hnnng, K-Killer," He sucks the tender flesh on your neck and nips a little harder causing your voice to shudder and your body to shift under him again. "You... seem to enjoy... teasing me," you gasp.

"You seem to enjoy being teased," He replies, and you swear you hear your sense of reason shatter.

Oh. Oh, he is not wrong.

Releasing your wrists and shifting his weight enough to slip a rough hand under your shirt. "If you need me to stop," his voice was low and dangerous, and you could feel his lips dancing across your own as he spoke, "you need to say so before I claim those sweet lips again."

Your brain scrambles to think, and all you can think was that you want to disappear into this man and never surface again. "Here I was thinking you was going to be Schooled, Ki-Mmmngh."

Your words are stolen as the last wisps of space between you disappear. Killer's kisses scramble your thoughts and your body rolls under him, shifting like a wave from your shoulders to your hips. His hand slides up your side far too slowly, and you whimper at the anticipation of having those rough hands against your breasts.

His hand shifts around to your back, and you couldn't suppress a grunt of frustration as he lifts you slightly. You can feel him smiling against your lips as he shifts you both, ready to lift your shirt when a knock comes at the door.

"Killer, Captain wants ya'," Papas' voice comes from the other side of the door.

You feel Killer groan more than hear him, and he turns toward the door, "Can it wait?"

There's a pause, "He's coming down the hall now, so probably not."

"Dammit," Killer gets up and puts his helmet back on. You sit up as you hear him moving around and then there's a tug at the silk over your eyes and you realize Killer is taking it off for you. "Sorry."

You step up onto your tiptoes and kiss his mask. Walking by him you open the door to a surprised Papas, and when you poke your head out the door Kid slows his march down the hall. Realization dawns on him as you step out and head down the hallway.

"Sorry for occupying your man, Captain," you say as lightly as possible. "I still have some practice to do with House, so you'll leave you two to it."

There's a pause and then you hear Kid swear, "Uh, fuck, Killer, my bad."