You weren't going to do it. No way. Nu-uh. Foooooooorget it!!!

Wrap, wrap. Crinkle.

If anything, you were going to avoid it all together!! It seemed to be the only way.

Tape. Crinkle. Fold.

Yes, definitely the only way.

Fold, fold. Crinkle. Tape.

You smoothed down the brown paper before you stuck on the last piece of tape, stretching the clear strip down over the corner like an expert gift wrapper. Smiling, you picked up the wrapped item and nodded, deeming it a job well done.

No one would be able to tell this was Killer's shirt. It looked unassuming and boring, just the way you wanted it. You could walk down the hallway without anyone taking notice, they would just think you're carrying a plain old package; nobody would ask you why you had the man's shirt, where you'd gotten it, and what you needed it for. You were already embarrassed enough that you had to use it, but if anyone saw you carrying a man's shirt around they might get the wrong idea...

You already have enough confusing ideas to allow any wrong ones. Ideas that seemed to revolve around a certain masked man...

You were already confused and worried about seeing him again, not after what happened those few days ago when you were almost caught naked in the hallway. It'd been one of the most embarrassing moments of your life and it was only made worse that Killer was the one to catch it happening. Not only that, he helped you out. He had given you a false sense of security by lending you his clothing so you could get back to your room with some kind of cover. He'd been nice enough to turn around while you changed and even sounded sorry that he had no pants small enough to fit you.

And just when you thought he was being a good guy, he went ahead and demanded payment. That's right, payment!! The man had cornered you against his door, trapping you in his room with nothing but his silk shirt flushed against your skin as he pressed you into the wood.

Then he had told you to close your eyes.

You should have ran at that point. You should have pushed him away and wiggle free through the entrance and run back to your room without a backwards glance. But no, you did as he had ordered. You had anticipated him touching you, groping and petting until you were weak in the knees and wishing for more.

Wanting so much more.

You shook your head, face flushed as the thought crossed your mind and hugged the package tight to your chest. Then you glared at the bed in frustration, knowing it would be a bad idea to think about that day. To remember his featherlight kiss on your cheek. How his strong arms had enveloped you, body pressed close and rubbing against your mostly naked one.

The package fell from your grasp as you flailed your arms about, as if hoping that you could physically shoo away the events of that day like it was a mosquito. An annoying mosquito that just wouldn't leave you alone and was driving you insane as more and more images of Killer holding you, cooing over you, kissing-

You had to stop!!

Scowling, you picked up the package again and paced about your room, glaring at nothing in particular as you stomped and huffed like a grounded child. You had to work this out, you had to get him out of your head or else you'll actually want to be around him. And you didn't want that at all!!!!

...Right?

Before you knew what you were doing, you had brought the enveloped shirt close to your nose and inhaled, catching Killer's scent despite the item being wrapped up tight. You closed your eyes and stood still, shoulders relaxed and arms hugged loosely around the brown parcel. It smelled of oil and polish, obviously from the many hours working with your Captain on various projects for the ship. The polish was from his weapon supplies, used to clean and take care of his blades with the utmost care. These smells were normal onboard, but the shirt had another scent to it. Something vaguely...cedar.

It was like you were standing in a forest of incredibly tall trees, all gathered together in the sunlight with their green leaves rustling in the light breeze. Their limbs would stretch out, trying to touch the bright blue sky, knowing they would never reach. It was peaceful. You could practically feel the summer sun warming your skin as you inhaled again, just wanting to lay down on the soft grass and listen to nature at it's best.

Then you realized you were laying down, the ship's hard floor rocking back and forth on the swaying sea. The package was crumpled in your arms and you quickly smoothed it out, fearing that you ruined the shirt inside.

Damn it, you were wasting time!! You had to get this thing out of your life before you started sleeping in it!

You face felt hot as it turned a bright red, package held impossibly close to your chest as you imagined wearing Killer's shirt to bed. His scent would surround you as you would close your eyes for the night, it's soft folds acting as his arms and holding you gently. The fabric would rub against your bare skin, as if it was Killer petting and touching you until you wiggled and gasped. You could hear his low voice in your head, whispering sweet words into your ear as he'd pull you to his chest with his warm hands resting on your back. His long, blonde hair would be spread out beneath the both of you, tickling your skin and making you want to run your fingers through every tendril.

It would almost be like he was there...

No. No. No-!!

You stood quickly, cheeks burning with embarrassment as you exited your room and stomped your way to Killer's. You were determined to get rid of this thing as fast as possible. No more smelling, no more daydreams, no more Killer!! Yes, no more Killer. It was the only way to fix all this!! You'd give him back his shirt, tell him to never talk to you again, then proceed to go about like none of this ever happened! Life will go back to normal, you can focus on proving your worth as a crew member and making the best of this adventure.

Killer will never bother you again, which was good.

You turned a corner and glared at your feet, eyes straying from your shoes to the item in your hands. It was rumpled again, the paper looking more and more worn from the many times you gripped it. You could already feel the guilt build in your chest, hoping that you hadn't accidentally ripped the shirt from handling it too much. The man may be a colossal jerk and went around messing with you, but he had helped you. It wouldn't be good manners to return someone's property in tatters.

Even though you couldn't see or even picture his face, you knew how he would react. He might cross his arms and tap his finger against his bicep, as if thinking of a proper way to get revenge and just stand there, all tense with frustration. Or his shoulders would slump slightly, nothing too noticeable, but still convey his disappointment. Just thinking about him being angry with you made your stomach churn with a mixture of emotions.

You don't think you could handle Killer being upset with you.

"Oi, you okay?"

A hand was waved in your face and you were quickly brought back to reality, blinking and looking up to see Eustass Kid standing right in front of you with an annoyed expression.

"About damn time you woke up," he sneered and crossed his arms. "I was starting to think you lost it for a second."

It took a second to register what your captain had said, bewildered as to why he was here and talking to you...then realized you were standing in the middle of the hall, giving no real room for anyone to pass. Had you really been that lost in thought?

"I-I'm sorry," You replied, quickly moving out of the way while your Captain raised an eyebrow at you. He bent down to your eye level to stare right in your face, as if trying to figure out what was wrong. You fidgeted from one foot to the other, not sure what you were supposed to do under your captain's gaze when another voice suddenly piped in.

"Hey, can you two make goo-goo eyes later? I want to get to my room!"

Kid stood up quickly and turned, glaring at another man who was standing just behind him. "Goo-goo eyes??? What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"

It was Heat who had spoken, arms crossed and stitched mouth in a deep frown. Next to him was Wire, almost too tall for the hallway and having to bend over just a little so he wouldn't scrape his head against the ceiling. The tall man looked slightly uncomfortable, but who could blame him? He probably wanted to get to his room as quickly as possible so he didn't have to experience this awkwardness for long, and here you were, blocking the way like some idiot.

"It means go make out later so I can go take a nap!!" Heat scowled as he ran a hand through his long, grey-blue hair.

"What the fuck are you talking about??" Kid looked pissed (which was normal) and confused - as if whatever Heat was saying didn't register.

The fire-breather rolled his eyes and continued to argue about how Kid should take his flirting elsewhere so other people wouldn't have to watch. True to form, Kid wasn't going to take this lying down, snarling and calling Heat various names while also threatening to kick his ass. The two continued with their argument while Wire sighed and leaned down by you, eyes as dull and bored looking as ever.

"Are you alright? You seem troubled."

You blinked at the man, not following the argument happening between Kid and Heat in the background. You were about to answer that you were okay when you finally noticed him.

Killer was standing just behind Heat and staring at you, making no move to talk to anyone as the five of you continued to block the ship's hallway. You hadn't noticed him behind Wire, bringing up the rear of the group before they stumbled upon stupid you, standing in the middle of the hall in a daze like a damn idiot-!!!

"________?"

You looked down and hugged the wrapped shirt tightly, face slightly flushed and voice almost too soft for Wire to hear. "I-I'm fine..."

The man didn't seem to believe you, but you didn't expect him to, not when you were still looking so frazzled. You chanced a peek at Killer, wondering what he was thinking as he stood off to the side as Kid and Heat bicker.

"Will you just shut up!?!!" Kid snarled, eye twitching and metal arm shaking with a need to smack the fire breather around.

Heat crossed his arms, looking from Kid to you then back to your captain. "You know...you two would look cute together."

You stared at Heat with wide eyes, wondering why he would say such a thing. Then you noticed Killer standing more tense in the back, his head looking from Kid to you slowly. Kid looked equally annoyed and started to yell again, but your focus remained on Killer. He was looking more and more tense as the argument grew louder and angrier, the Captain and Heat flinging insults back and forth at one another with comments about you injected here and there.

Killer knew that you didn't feel anything other then respect for your Captain, right? He knew that what Heat was saying was utter nonsense. There couldn't be anything happening between the two of you and that the first mate had nothing to worry about. You gave Killer a pleading look, hoping he would realize that none of this was true. But it didn't seem to work, in fact, Killer wouldn't even look you in the face now, body slowly turning...

Oh god, he was leaving! He couldn't leave! Not with him thinking that you had feelings for someone else!! You had, no, needed to make him understand that none of this was true. That Kid was your Captain and nothing more and Killer was... Killer was just so much more to you!! The way he always seemed to annoy you, how he would sneak in gropes and pets when you weren't paying attention. How he would trap you and do things that made you so flustered that you would feel weak and needy with the hope that he would continue. You couldn't stand the thought of him ever being upset, to have him think that you didn't care at all.

It made your heart ache.

You wanted him to stay. You wanted to talk to him, to be near him, to hear his voice and feel his touch. You wanted to hug his torso and bury your face in his chest, to feel his arms wrap tightly around you and hold on for the rest of your life. You wanted him to know that he meant so much more to you then Kid ever could!!

Wire looked worriedly at you, seeing your face turn pale as you watched Killer make his way down the hall. "______-"

"I don't feel that way about the Captain!!" You shouted suddenly, your mouth working before your brain could fully catch up.

The men stopped their arguing to look at you, eyes wide in shock that you raised your voice at all. You were always so quiet and polite to everyone that just seeing you act out of character even made Kid look worried. You would have blushed in any other circumstances, with your Captain and crew mates looking at you oddly, probably wondering if you had a screw loose to act so out of character. But you weren't paying attention to them, you were keeping your eyes on Killer who had stopped his trek down the hall. You waited for him to come back and let you explain that your Captain could never hold your attention like he did.

But he didn't even turn around.

You could see his back muscles were still tense, his shoulders looking stiff and his hands clenching and unclenching subtly as he kept his back to you. Just seeing him act this way, so closed up, made you want to grab hold of his masked face and stroke his cheek.

'Please. Please, just turn around.'

Someone gripped both your shoulders and started to guide you down the hall, pushing you towards Killer who still hadn't moved. The person touching you spoke and you realized it was your Captain.

"Look at what you did, Heat. You've gone and made her angry."

The fire-breather shifted uncomfortably, actually looking a bit guilty. "I was only teasing..."

Kid scowled and gave you a little push, almost knocking you into the first mate who was now looking over his shoulder at Kid.

"Get her away before Heat starts planning a wedding," Kid said in a hushed tone, hoping his friend could handle this so he wouldn't have to.

Killer nodded to the Captain, ignoring you once more as he continued down the hall. It felt like someone was taking a knife and stabbing you repeatedly in the heart when he didn't even glance at you.

'Look at me, Killer. Please, just look at me!'

Your Captain gave you another little push, gesturing for you to follow after the massacre soldier so he could finish dealing with Heat and his stupid, big mouth. You gazed up at him but was shooed away before Kid turned back around, ready to start yelling and cursing some more. You looked back to Killer, eyes widening when you realized he was already turning the corner without you, giving you no chance to gather your thoughts as you rushed after him.

He didn't even try to wait for you, just continued down another hall while you huffed and puffed to catch up. His legs were just so long compared to yours that it took more energy to keep up with him. You weren't going to lose him though, not when you wanted to talk to him and make him realize that what you said was true and that he shouldn't be mad.

It took a whole other hallway and two corners for you to finally catch up to Killer, making you wonder if he was just making you run after him on this big ship to punish you. The worst thing was, you only managed to catch up because he'd finally stopped in front of a door, his arms crossed and his gaze elsewhere when you halted next to him and tried to catch your breath.

"K-Killer..." You wheezed out, fingers still gripping his shirt in your hands while you looked up.

Then you realized where you were, the two of you having made a full circle around the main floor of the ship and ending up right back at your room.

He gestured towards the door, "Here."

You gaze flickered from him to your door, feeling confused when he didn't say anything more. When you turned back to him to talk, he was already walking away.

No, he couldn't leave!! You still had to make him understand!!

You quickly reached out and grabbed his arm, making him stop and feeling his muscles twitch under your fingers. Your face became flushed and your heart sped up, a rush of happiness swelling inside you at feeling his skin against your fingers. It made you want to touch more of him, to hug and hold him until he knew how much you needed him around, how much he meant to you.

Killer looked over his shoulder at you, waiting for you to say something as you kept your grip firm on his arm. You couldn't read his body language like you usually could, his form was too stiff, his movements too little. It was like he was closing you out completely, like he didn't want you to know how upset he was. You wanted him to stop, you wanted him to turn around and let you shower him with warmth and affection.

Your heart was pounding and your hands felt shaky, sweaty, and gross. You bit your lower lip and looked right at his mask, wishing you could see his eyes for the first time.

"I like you."

You weren't sure where this confession came from. It felt like the first time you were hearing it yourself which only made you feel confused and jittery. But you didn't try to think about, you knew if you did you'd only baffle yourself even more. No, you wanted to keep your mind on Killer, on his reaction and on his response.

You just needed him to understand. You didn't want him to be mad anymore, to just go back to normal so he could tease you again. You wanted to be caught off guard in the kitchen where he could pet your head, or to be pressed into a wall so he could kiss you. You wanted so badly to hold his hand. To just wrap your fingers around his and rub your thumb in his palm, to feel the heat radiate off him so you knew it was all real.

"Killer-"

He quickly pulled his arm away, startling you.

Was he rejecting you? Had he finally had enough of you and just wished you could go away? You couldn't handle this, it was like your heart was shattering into a million pieces...

Then you noticed something odd about the male. He wasn't running away or refusing to look at you now, but he was still stiff. In fact, he looked more tense then he had all day, as if your outburst only caused him to feel more upset. You were about to try and grab onto him again when you saw the flush move down his neck, a light pink spreading more and more from his throat and to his collar. It disappeared beneath his shirt, but the pink continued to expand all the way down his arms and to his hands, the blush spreading so uncontrollably fast that nothing could stop it.

"W-What...?" He stuttered out, stumbling back and almost tripping over his feet.

He quickly righted himself, his movements clumsy and odd looking. Killer was always calm and collected. So...what the hell was happening?!

The male was even shaking slightly, his fingers twitching and looking hesitant, as if he wanted to reach out to touch you. You stared in awe, never seeing him look so frazzled before in your entire life. Was it even happening? Or were you just having a weird dream and you were about to wake up.

You stepped forward but stopped when Killer took a step back, body still looking bright pink instead of his usual tan.

Killer managed to mumble out an 'Excuse me' before he scurried down the hall, long legs too fast for you to stop him (though, you were in too much shock at this point to try). You watched as he took the turn around the corner too quickly, his body bumping right into the wall and smacking his helmet against it with a loud BONK!

He stumbled back but hastily righted himself before he went around the corner, leaving you to wonder if he was going to be okay and if he was still upset with you. Once he was out of sight, you hugged his shirt close and frowned, wishing you had been able to at least give it to him.

But you were okay with having it a little bit longer, especially if it meant he would come back to you.