#iceburg x reader

[ziinesso]

I should perhaps stop sleeping with his wife.

It’s a thought that comes to him every week. At dessert time. When you bring your famous pie with a big smile while your husband concludes his monologue. A long monologue, repeating how wonderful his life is. How he has it all. A beautiful wife, Y/N. An excellent friend, C/N.

You, his beautiful wife, also have it all. A wealthy husband, him. A generous friend, C/N. A friend who’s always welcome in your home. Whether it’s on Saturdays for your weekly gatherings or during the week when the house feels a bit too empty for your liking.

But let's go back to C/N and his resolution. A respectable resolution. Yet, to stop sleeping with you is complicated. Even since he met you during the wedding, that’s all he has in mind when he see you. It was hard to stop now. The way you sway in front of him, your accidental touches on his thigh don't help either. Your mere presence doesn't help either.

To stop sleeping with his friend's wife is a respectable resolution, but unfortunately, beyond his capabilities.

- nanami (jjk) ; mihawk, iceburg (op) ; eren (aot) ; shikamaru (nt)

[silenceofthecookies]

Iceberg boyfriend headcanons

Hi! It’s been a while. This morning I was talking to @quirkyseastone​ and I got reminded of how fine of a man Iceberg actually is... sooooo here’s some headcanons because if I didn’t get these out of my brain, I couldn’t work. 

Warnings: none! 

Iceberg is the type of boyfriend so spend as much time as he can with you, but he's busy. So instead, he'll try to make it up to you by bringing you presents. It's definitely not a daily occurrence, but every now and again he'll get you a bouquet of your favorite flowers, a book that you had been wanting to read, a funny or cute shirt that reminded him of you...  Small things, but things that'll show you that he loves you, and that he pays attention to you.  

He loves it to hold you. Iceberg loves nothing more than to have you cuddled up against his side on the couch while reading a book or watching a movie, one arm draped around you. He'll press soft kisses to your temple out of the blue, just because he can. Bonus points if you're easy to fluster. He'll lightly tease you with cute, surprise kisses like that, just because he wants to see your reaction. If you look in his eyes after one of those, you'll see nothing but love and devotion.  

Couple shirts. Those really dorky ones? Icerberg will wear them. He will urge you to join him. It's dorky, maybe even slightly cringy, but that's what makes it fun.  

Expect to have a zoo at home. He finds an animal on the street? Yup, it's coming home. All of them have crazy names too. And if you find an animal you wanna bring home? No problem. Instant approval. If you come up with a normal name for them though, he's going to be a little disappointed, and he'll come up with some crazy nickname for them, which will slowly evolve into their most used name.  

You will get the weirdest nicknames. There's of course the traditional ‘love’, 'darling', 'dearest',.. But there will be weird ones as well. Even cringy ones. And he'll hit you with them when you least expect it. You can see them coming by the small grin forming on his lips though. And he'll love it even more if you join him with the cringy nicknames, coming up with a cringier one every time. Even other people being around will not save you from these.  

After a long day of work, be it on a ship or in the office, he loved to lie his head down on your lap and just... exist for a little. Sometimes he takes a nap, sometimes he lies there and talks to you, sometimes he just lies there in silence. Your chest, with his ear right above your heart, is another spot he loves to lie down on. If you run young fingers through his hair, he will be putty in your hands.  

Iceberg gives the best kind of hugs when you're feeling down. He'll listen to you, wrap his strong arms around you and just hold you, gently rocking you. Maybe even hum you a little song. If you need any advice, he'll give you his opinion, but he never expects you to do what he says. You're just asking his opinion after all. If you do though, he always feels a little extra proud.  

Days off will often be days where he spoils you. He'll take you to fancy restaurants, go shopping with you, visit amusement parks,… anything to have a fun day and spend some time together. Let's not forget dorky matching hats of the amusement park mascot.  

Iceberg really loves the idea of dancing with you... but he's never learned how to. If you're up for it though, he'd love to take dance classes with you, both for classic dances and more passionate dances. The first are mostly for formal events that he, as the major, needs to attend. The latter is more for you and him alone.  

There is almost no way to make this man angry. Even if you yell at him, he will respond calmly and ask to talk it over. If he made you mad somehow, he has no trouble apologizing. If you're yelling because of hormones or stress, he'll give you some space and come back to the subject later. Iceberg will always want to settle arguments before bedtime though, because he wants neither of you to lose sleep over it, and he wants to sleep with you in his arms.  

Iceberg would definitely like to get married someday, but he first needs to find out if you want that too or not. If you do, he's going to set up the cutest, most romantic proposal he can think of. Maybe just you two, on a ship he build himself, with a glass of wine and some nice food he made,…  

[cyborg-franky]

Tonight me. Dj can I ask for some Iceburg??

It's beyond my control sometimes it's best to let go Whatever happens in this lifetime So I trust in love (So I trust in love) You have given me peace of mind - ALIVE [P.O.D]

He’d been shot, but he was alive, you were by his side, holding his hand and stroking across his knuckles with a softness reserved between lovers. Iceburg pat the little white rodents head, finding a calming effect from feeling his soft fur, his hand holding yours.

“Thank you” he said and leaned back against his pillow, you moved closer, enough to brush his hair back, tangled in a few strands of bandages, trying to make him as comfortable as possible.

“For what? I didn’t stop you from being shot” you mumbled, feeling his soft hair between your fingertips, unable to make eye contact with him.

“Being here with me, hm” The mayor looked up, making you meet his gaze. “Well, of course?” You chuckled, like you could have been anywhere but at his side right now..

“I mean it, you give me strength” you said nothing, just leaning forward and kissing his pointy nose.

EVENT CLOSED

[myonepiece]

could do as Iceburg kisses are, Paulie. (separated)please

iceburg, paulie kiss headcanons

description: iceburg and paulie (separate) kiss headcanons

-iceburg has a wide variety of kissing styles, it just depends on his mood

-most of the time they're tender and sweet, there's rarely a kiss lasting less than 3 second even if it is just a sweet goodbye kiss. his lips press to yours and they kind of slowly melt against yours, his hand cups your cheek or lightly grips your upper arm

-if he doesn't have anything to do he'll often go and find you, holding you close or pulling you to sit on his lap- his arms wrap around you firmly and your lips meet in a slow kiss that builds with the passing seconds. you'll pull away every now and then just to say something, you'll have a normal chat between kisses

-^^ going off of that, sometimes iceburg plants a series of kisses to your lips taking time between every few to talk to you

-he'll kiss you anywhere, doesn't matter who's there, he's not one for pda exactly but kisses are more than okay

-he always kisses you goodbye, goodnight, hello, doesn't matter how long he was gone or how long it's gonna be till he sees you next

-in the beginning of the relationship he's fairly shy when it comes to kissing and affection in general, but later on it's totally normal and it's like a routine to kiss you at least four times a day

-his kisses can be feather light, sweet, and innocent, or passionate and desperate

-he tends to get (secerelt/unnoticeably) worried before he leaves you to go do something because he knows how dangerous things are and he knows things can change so much so suddenly and he always tries to find the security in kisses with you, as much as he tries to savor the moment he also tries to get as much out of it as he can, hence the desperateness

-other times he just likes the innocence of the short kisses, and how quick they are, because he always gives you a quick kiss before he leaves to do something

-and he doesn't like pda much so the short quick kisses are nice while he's working

-his arms will always find their way around your waist, sometimes just one while the other moves to cup the back of your head and push you closer to deepen the kiss

[luccislegs]

Henlo Lunacifer, it is I again, that despicable damsel from your circle of hell. Could I pwease request HCs of Lucci, Kaku, Icebabie, Paulie, and Mihawk baking with their S/O? Thank you so much queen, and have a lovely day 🖤

henlo melon~

iceburg:

He’s…not much of a help. He does make it fun though. He’s honestly a childish goofball and is more likely to start food fights in the kitchen than he is to actually help you bake.

On the other hand, if it’s something he really wants to try, then he does ask you if he can help. He gives the most adorable puppy dog eyes and it’s an instant yes. He’s a very messy cook but he’s enthusiastic, so you can’t be too mad.

He’s also the type to lick the spoon clean with raw brownie batter or to eat chunks of cookie dough raw. Also will steal things off the rack when it’s still cooling, and has had his hand smacked with a spoon numerous times over it. Also prone to feeding Tyrannosaurus bits, even though sweets aren’t exactly good for mice…

Iceburg isn’t always a total dork in the kitchen though. He’s just a very playful partner. If he’s feeling more relaxed though, it’s such a pleasant experience. Just you and him, mixing ingredients and chatting about anything that comes to mind, the soft sounds of utensils on metal or knives hitting the cutting board. When you’ve got everything in the oven, you’ll sit at the kitchen island and continue to chat, heedless of time until the timer goes off again.

kaku:

You don’t even have to ask Kaku if he wants to bake. If he happens upon you already baking, then he’s in. He isn’t as bad as Iceburg about getting playful, but he’s definitely prone to scooping up a bit of chocolate icing on his finger and swiping it across your cheek. You’ll laugh and return it, and he’ll pin you to the counter and kiss you between giggles.

If you plan to bake while he’s there, though, you had better make sure you ask him or he gets all pouty about it. He enjoys doing the relaxing tasks with you, and it’s a 50/50 split on whether you’re talking quietly or doing it in silence. If he’s just gotten back from a mission, he’ll usually tell you about it, while you tell him what it’s been like since he’s been gone.

He finds baking cathartic and a good bonding experience with you. There’s no expectations and he’s good at it, so he very rarely has to worry about it turning out poorly. His favorite thing to do is bring home recipes for you from wherever you’ve been, and the two of you will test them out until you make the perfect batch. 

He is better at stealing from the cooling rack than Iceburg is and it can lead to playful fighting and yelling in the kitchen, leaving you breathless as you chase him around the counters calling him a thief.

lucci:

Lucci is surprisingly into it. In typical Lucci fashion, he doesn’t play around too much in the kitchen. When he first started helping you he was, but it slowly tapered off as he realized how relaxing it was. There’s no stress because he’s good at everything, and honestly, baking is one of the times when his softer side comes out. If he sees flour on your cheek, his fingers will gently brush your cheek, a soft chuckle leaving his lips as he tells you how messy you are.

Speaking of messy, he’s very meticulous, more or less a perfectionist in his task. It’s ridiculous how good he is at a task he has no previous experience with, but that’s typical of Lucci. 

Like Kaku, after a while he starts bringing home recipes he finds he likes, and some that he thinks you would like, and says he’d like to try making them. As opposed to Kaku’s excitement, he’s relaxed and willing to do it without you, but secretly would prefer you help him (because at that point that’s what it is, you’re helping him not the other way around). He very much likes to hold you from behind as you’re trying to do tasks, his catlike need for attention only when he wants it coming to the forefront when he sees you so focused on anything but him.

paulie:

Baking is literally one of the only times he isn’t freaking out over your state of undress, or stressing about his gambling debts, or Iceburg’s health. He isn’t very good at it because he’s afraid of messing it up (which is really funny for one of the best foremen in Galley-La, but everyone has their hangups). But he’s very good at following directions and he’s better than he thinks he is.

He’s constantly looking for validation. Asking if he’s stirred it correctly, if the amounts are correct, if it’s evenly spread. Over time, he does start to gain confidence, but he’s always still worried about making a mess of what you’re trying to do. The best way to counteract this is to do it more often, making it fun.

He’s surprised the first time you smear cream cheese icing across his cheek, looking at you as if you’ve lost your mind. But you’re laughing at the look on his face and when you move to do it again, he grabs your wrist, pulling you close and asking just what you think you’re doing. It’s your turn to be surprised by his forwardness because he’s usually too flustered to be that close without prompting.

He doesn’t bring recipes home, but if he happens to see something that looks interesting he’ll ask if you know how to make it and, if you don’t, enjoys looking up how to do it and then trying them out with you. Those instances, he doesn’t worry about messing it up because you probably do too at least once until you figure out the right way to do it.

mihawk:

He’s the hardest to get to join you. You have to pretty much beg and pester him into doing it the first time, or catch him when he isn’t doing anything else. If you try and ask him just after coming home from a journey or in the middle of his glass of wine, he’s less likely to agree.

That being said, he’s very good at it. Which is unsurprising, really. He bakes with the same delicate precision he uses when he’s wielding his sword, and watching him is very relaxing. He’s even more quiet than Lucci, and there’s almost no playful mess making. He adores you, but he isn’t an expressive man and if he’s doing something like baking, he wants it to be a bonding experience.

That being said, if you do happen to smear icing across his face, he isn’t going to get upset. He’ll chuckle and call you a child, grabbing your wrist before you can do it again and pulling your close, lightly kissing you before turning to wipe his face off. If you persist, you can get him to punish you later, but not until the baking is done.

[lunarhold]

─ pairing: iceburg/reader ─ au: witch ─ warnings: smut, angst ─ words: 12.9k

❣ summary: an island appears off the coast of water 7 and if he’s not careful, iceburg might find more than he bargained for

↔ a/n: this character isn’t very popular so i don’t expect a lot of attention, but i love him and wanted to post it anyway

“Iceburg, Iceburg!” The shouting of his name was accompanied by frantic banging on his office door. Iceburg looked up from the massive stack of paperwork on his desk towards the ruckus. He had been avoiding it for the better part of a week, much to Kalifa’s annoyance. Things had finally grown to the point where it couldn’t be ignored anymore, so he had been forced to buckle down on it.

Now, though, he had a new distraction.

“This sounds terribly important, Kalifa,” he said, and before she could open her mouth to argue, he had called them in.

The door flew open and two men-- from Dock 6, if he recalled correctly-- tumbled in. “Iceburg, you have to come quick. An island appeared.”

Well, that wasn’t what he expected to hear.

“An island, you say? Well, you had better show me,” he said, standing up from his chair. It had now become more than wanting to get out of work. How does an island just appear out of thin air? He didn’t doubt what his workers were saying, but he certainly had to see it for himself.

Along the way, the Dock 1 foremen joined up with them, wearing their usual scowls. The Dock 6 men must have passed along the message in order to get up to see him more quickly, and the foremen had taken it upon themselves to accompany him. They were no doubt the best option for the job anyway.

A crowd of citizens had gathered at Dock 6, all clamoring for a glimpse of this mysterious island. As Iceburg and the foremen approached, though, attention diverted to them. They were pelted with the usual praise, and questions about the island they couldn’t possibly know the answers to.

The crowd parted for them, until Iceburg stood at the gate and turned back to face them.

“My foremen and I intend to fully investigate this mysterious phenomenon, and will return with news shortly. Until then, I would ask you all to remain here where it’s safe while we determine the danger this island poses,” he called out, hoping to settle them down. While it was odd to speculate that the island itself could be a danger, it stood to reason that there was something wrong with it, and it wouldn’t do them any good to have a bunch of curious people wandering around while they were trying to scout. There was general acceptance, and calls of good luck, and he turned back to the massive gates of Dock 6, his thoughts already miles away.

You knew, from the moment your island had settled into the other plane, that this time was going to be different. In your usual custom, you had gone to the top of the highest tree, having long ago built your own sort of crow’s nest, to see if you had appeared near any type of civilization. It was much quicker than hiking to the nearest shore, to be sure. 

This time, though, you had appeared just a few miles off the coast of a stunning city. A sense of melancholy filled you as you watched the shimmering waterfalls pouring down from a massive fountain at the top. You enjoyed your solitude and had no interest in the throngs of noisy, pushing people that no doubt inhabited the island, but you couldn’t help longing to see it. But you supposed someone from the island would come investigate, and maybe they could be of some help.

As if you had summoned them, there was a ripple across the island as a group of people crossed the magical barrier surrounding the island. Your heart leaped into your throat as you scurried to the ground and half ran towards the beach they had landed on.

Optimism was tempered by caution; there was no guarantee they would be friendly. It wouldn’t be the first time you had had to defend yourself from dangerous people.

Still, it had been so long since you had seen any other people, you were more than willing to take the risk.

The beach came into view. From the tree cover, you could see a group of seven-- six men and a woman.

It took only a second for someone to look your way, a handsome man with long, curly hair. Even though you swore he couldn’t see you, it still seemed like he pinned you with a blank stare. The hairs rose on the back of your neck as a blond man also turned to look in your direction, though you never saw the handsome man’s mouth move.

In the blink of an eye, ropes were wrapped around you, binding your arms and legs and dragging you from your cover. Panic flared, your magic reacting in an instant. Blue flames leaped from your skin, licking up the length of the rope.

You were free in seconds and gone in less.

Iceburg turned to watch the debacle, sighing as you ran off.

“Paulie, that wasn’t necessary,” he said, walking towards where you had been hiding. There was absolutely nothing there to indicate you had been there in the first place, let alone where you had gone. The foliage was pristine, the grass not even crushed underfoot, like you were a ghost.

“Did you see that though?” Paulie asked, coming up next to him. Iceburg could see the sweat beaded on his brow, and the fear in his voice told him it wasn’t just the heat getting to him. “She lit on fire, her whole body. That ain’t normal.” He held up his ropes, showing the singed, frayed ends off. “She’s not human, a witch or something.”

“Well, it’s too late now,” Iceburg said, turning back to face the larger group. “Let’s carry on.”

Hours passed by, and they had encountered nothing but animals. Most of them were harmless, but they had run into several extremely aggressive predators. All so far had been far larger than normal and, while they were no problem for them, the citizens would stand no chance.

“Well,” Iceburg said, surveying the large tiger they had just dispatched, “I think it would be best to put the island under quarantine until we get a handle on these predators. Also, that woman…” He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about you. You would likely be the best bet to finding out about the island.

“Yeah, she probably has something to do with this, and these animals attacking. We should go find her,” Paulie said, snapping a length of rope in his hands. He scoured the trees around him, eyes lingering on every leaf and blade of grass that twitched in the wind.

Somehow, Iceburg didn’t agree with that assessment. If you really posed a threat, you would likely have made more effort to harm them. But they had seen nothing more strange than the animals.

“I think we should head back,” Kaku said, gripping Paulie’s shoulder. Iceburg could see in the way he looked at Paulie that he disagreed with the other foreman’s assessment, but knew it would be fruitless to argue. Once he set his mind, there was no changing it. “It’ll be dark soon, and we aren’t equipped to deal with things in the dark. 

There were more voices of agreement, and Iceburg nodded as well. “We’ll figure out what to do when we get back to headquarters. Right now, it would be pointless to continue.”

The trek back was quicker than it had been forward, making them feel as if they had made no progress. The sun was still high enough in the sky, but the island had begun to feel cold, like they were suddenly unwelcome.

Wondering if you had something to do with it, Iceburg looked around one last time. The treeline stopped some twenty feet up the beach. There was no gentle transition from sand to woods, it was just one and then suddenly it was the other. He hoped that maybe you would come back and try one last time to greet them, but there was nothing more than the gentle swaying of trees in the wind.

Unbeknownst to him, from the safety of your home, you watched the group in the glass surface of a mirror as they hacked a path through the island and back. You could feel the island was on edge, but you were fighting its compulsion to hurt them for harming it. You understood its want, but you still hoped to meet someone properly. Allowing harm to come to this group could result in something far worse. The island wasn’t indestructible.

One man in particular, the leader, it looked like, kept looking around as if he were waiting for something.

When they arrived back at the beach, his gaze kept returning to the spot you had been hidden. Taking a good look at him, you couldn’t help but wonder…

Was he wearing lipstick?

                                                          _____

Hours later, after the sun had completely disappeared and you knew the darkness would hide you, you moved your house to the beach, where you had the best view of the other island. It wasn’t the same one the men had landed on before, in case they returned in the night and caught you unawares. You didn’t know the name of the other island, but it was just as stunning in the dark as it was in the light. The whole island was lit up, casting beautiful shadows over the water, and the fountain was lit up like a beacon, the beams refracting off of it and creating the most amazing light show.

You were too far from the island to hear, but you could imagine the chatter of the crowded streets, the throngs of happy people greeting each other as they met for dinner or drinks. For the first time, you actually considered what it would be like to be in the midst of something like that. The thought didn’t stick around for long though, your natural aversion to anything social rising up to remind you of just why you were on this island in the first place.

Out of the blue, a ripple traveled over the island. Someone had landed-- just one. You hesitated, rubbing your wrists where the rope had bound you.

But there was only one, and you could disappear as easily as smoke if they proved dangerous. In fact, if you so desired, you could hide yourself the entire time that your island was in this plane. People could peer through your living room window and they would never know.

With that in mind, you cautiously made your way towards the beach where the group had landed earlier. To you, this indicated it was someone from that group, and you had a guess about who it was.

“...Hello?” a voice called, just within earshot of you. “Please come out. I want to apologize for earlier.”

You stopped at the treeline, poking your head around the trunk of a tree to assess the situation.

It was exactly who you had guess, the blue-haired leader. A small boat sat partially in the water behind him, too small to hide anyone to spring a trap. His hands were held out, palms up to show they were empty.

Biting your lip, you cautiously revealed yourself to him, watching for anything suspicious. You could feel the island pulling its own magic up, creating a shroud around you. It recognized the man from earlier too-- as a threat.

As you stepped into the light, Iceburg’s eyes widened, his hands falling to his sides. He took a step forward, and you took one back in response, so he paused, allowing you to approach at your own pace. He could see you were on edge, watching him with sharp eyes. He wanted to call out, to tell you he was unarmed and not going to hurt you, but he knew you had no reason to believe him. He had made the decision shortly after landing back at Water 7 to return, alone, to see if he could find you. He had no doubts that you would remain hidden if he returned with the others, especially Paulie, and felt he was in no danger from you.

At long last, you stood in front of him, shoulders tense, but you didn’t attack him, which he took as a good sign. 

“My name is Iceburg. I’m the mayor of Water 7,” he said, gesturing towards the city behind him. “I’m sorry my foreman attacked you earlier. Paulie can get a little overzealous.”

His eyes roved over your face, drinking in your sharp eyes and frown. He could feel his heart racing in his chest, hoping you would accept his apology. There was so much he wanted to ask you.

You didn’t respond for several long moments, and he could feel his hope fading away. Then you relaxed, your lips curling up at the corners ever so slightly. Your head cocked to the side, your hair falling from your shoulders, and his heart skipped a beat as he realized you were rather beautiful.

“_____,” you said, holding your hand out for him to shake. When he took it, he nearly swallowed it in his. His skin was rough against yours, and you could feel numerous calluses on his fingers. You wondered what kind of work a mayor did to have hands like that. The contact was drawn out as you stared at each other, each lost in your own thoughts, until you realized it had become awkward. You pulled away, looking out across the water towards the lights to cover it up, saying, “You called it Water 7. What’s it like?”

Iceburg started, pulled from his haze and followed your gaze to the city. It was a wonder, he knew, and it wasn’t often that he got to view it from a distance, let alone at night. “It’s a city built atop a city. We build some of the greatest ships in the world here.”

You could hear the pride reflected in his voice and smiled, glancing at him from the corner of your eye. He was smiling, the lights reflecting in his eyes as he watched his city.

“Well, I have so many questions,” he said, turning his whole attention to you. He was sure you had many of your own, but his curiosity was burning far too hot to be patient.

You chuckled, pressing your hand to your mouth to stifle the noise. “I bet. Can I guess what you want to ask first?” you asked, sitting down in the sand. The warm sea water came up just high enough to wash over your feet before receding. It had been a solid year since you had felt that sensation.

Iceburg followed suit, sitting as close as he could to you without touching, although you got the feeling he did that more out of consideration for you than for him. His gaze was just about burning holes in you, and you could already read more than curiosity in them. 

Instead of teasing him, you said, “Right. I would guess your first question is…’How did this island just appear here?’” 

“Correct,” he said, smiling at you. It widened when you pretended to cheer, then drew a tally in the sand. “So, what’s the answer then?”

“It’s a bit complicated,” you said, scooting away from him to create space before turning to him. You began to draw a crude picture in the sand, two circles, one large and one small, overlapping each other like a venn diagram. In the smaller one on the right, you drew an odd, squigly shape. “That one is my island. It’s in its own pocket dimension, if you can call it that, most of the time. Once every year, it jumps…” At this, you erased the shape and drew a new one in the bigger circle. “...to this one. Where it appears is entirely random.”

Iceburg studied it for a minute, pondering things he had heard from others. “I’ve heard legends, mostly from the older sailors, about islands that come and go. Could they all actually be your island?” he asked, staring at the diagram. His brain was working overtime trying to remember everything he had heard over the years. Even Tom had told stories of it. He had believed them, saying that stranger things have happened in the Grand Line, but Iceburg had always written them off as fairy tales.

“Most likely. My island doesn’t usually land near other islands. I get lucky...maybe once a decade. Sometimes, ships happen upon it in the middle of the sea. Their...log...poses?-- I think that’s what you call them-- don’t point to my island, though, so it spooks them. Most avoid landing,” you said, doodling absentmindedly in the sand. The water had washed away most of your drawing, leaving only a vague impression that anything had been there at all. It was sad, really. Even ships passing by were rare, and watching them flee was enough to make you feel more lonely than if you were to see no one at all.

“That would explain why no one can say how often it appears, and why there are ‘multiple islands’,” he said, pieces beginning to fall into place. “Now that I think about it, very few of the stories mention a witch living alone on the island, as the sole inhabitant.”

You nodded and smiled, then snapped your fingers, causing blue sparks to fly. “That’s me. There are so few with me in it because not many people know I’m there. I can count on less than ten fingers how many people I’ve met in the last decade.” You held your hands up to prove it. “You make seven.”

His eyebrows rose in surprise. “So few. You must be lonely. Why do you stay?” He watched your smile morph, not quite happy, but not sad. It was...content, maybe?

“I can’t leave the island. My magic binds me, trapping me here.”

“Oh,” he said, and reached out to touch your shoulder. “I’m sorry. Can you leave at all?”

The warmth of his hand radiated out, soothing you. It was doused immediately when he pulled away. You wanted to feel it again, but pushed it away. No doubt he would find it strange if you reached out to him and leave, and you most definitely wanted him to stay.

“I can,” you said, rubbing the spot his hand had been. The action was unconscious, and didn’t go unnoticed. “But the distance is small.”

Iceburg looked from you, to the island, then back to you. “Do you think…”

But you were already shaking your head, looking forlorn as you stared ahead of you. “I already know it’s too far. I think it’s on purpose, but the island has never once fallen within a distance I could leave.”

Iceburg could practically feel the disappointment radiating off you, and reached out again, grazing your hand. You jumped, but allowed him to take it, relishing the warmth.

“How long before you leave?” He asked it as if you were just on vacation.

“6 days. Always 6 days,” you said, suppressing the urge to lace your fingers through his.

He stood up, using his hold to tug you up as well. “Alright, well, since I can’t bring you to the island, I’ll bring some of the island to you. How does that sound?” he asked, leading you further down towards his boat.

He watched your face light up, and felt his heart pick up its pace again. No one had ever looked at him like that, and it made him want to see more. “I’ll be back tomorrow night, since I do have to work. Will you meet me here?”

You nodded enthusiastically, but he could see the happiness change to something darker. He covered the hand he already held with his other one, rubbing your knuckles with his thumb. “Don’t. I’ll be back before you know it.”

He found it harder than it should have been to release your hand, and as you grew smaller on the shore, he had to fight not to turn the boat around and return to you. He couldn’t imagine how lonely you must have been on the island all those years, but he couldn’t forego his responsibilities. Still, he would give you what he could while you were here.

                                                        _____

The announcement that the island was off limits went over about as well as Iceburg expected. The citizens were outraged, but Iceburg was firm. He hadn’t discussed with you at all about it, and wasn’t sure how you would feel having your island overrun with nosy strangers. Couple that with the oversized predators roaming the island, and it wasn’t safe. The foremen could handle it, but couldn’t be taken from their jobs to play babysitter. It would force the whole of the city to essentially shut down, which would be fiscally catastrophic for the island.

No, it was better that he make the island off limits, at least until he talked to you. He could make plans later, if you were okay with it.

He retired to his office amid boos, which was a first in all his time as mayor, but he would take it, and they would get over it. He was exhausted today, and laid down on his couch to nap. Even Kalifa, who had been nagging him to get his paperwork done all week, left him alone.

His eyes drifted shut, his mind racing with thoughts of you.

                                                          _____

You watched the city begin to light up as it got darker. Instead of leaving your house hidden, and therefore having to sit in the sand again for hours, you settled it down on the beach to wait for Iceburg. You had no doubt that he would show up. He seemed as interested in you as you were in him.

Not too long after sundown, when the lights had finally stopped turning on, you made out a shape approaching the island.

Iceburg chuckled when he saw you waving from the front porch of a house. 

Wait, a house? There hadn’t been a house there last night.

Tonight, he had brought his own personal yagara, since he knew now that it was safe to leave him floating in the water. But it snorted and began to slow the closer they got to shore, trying to resist Iceburg’s directions. That was strange for his normally docile bull, and he was just wondering if something was wrong when it suddenly surged forward, in a rush to reach the beach.

He looked up and saw you standing in the water, up over your knees, your hands turned up as if encouraging him. His suspicions were confirmed just seconds later when the bull pulled up right in front of you and headbutted you gently.

“Animals can sense the island isn’t normal. They take some coaxing,” you said, rubbing its head gently. “What is this, anyway?”

“This is a yagara bull. They’re used to move through the city,” Iceburg answered, watching you. The bull was eating up the attention, and you seemed equally as smitten.

“Why do you need to use them?” you asked, looking up at him. You couldn’t see why an island would need a water animal as the main mode of transportation. Iceburg determined that the yagara could go no further, and got out to stand in the warm water. It rose only to his shins, and he was glad he had kicked his shoes off in the boat. There were a few bags in the back seat, and when he hoisted them up in his arms, your eyes lit up with curious excitement.

Giving the yagara one last pat, you waded after him towards shore, almost bouncing in anticipation. As you ushered him towards the house, he remembered that he wanted to ask you about that.

“How is there a house here now? There wasn’t last night.” 

Your hand on his elbow stopped him, and you said, “Watch.” 

Of course he expected the answer to involve magic somehow, but more in the realm of ‘teleportation’, and not ‘bird legs underneath the foundation’. 

As quick as it rose, it settled again, looking once more like a nondescript log cabin beach house.

Iceburg was at a loss for words as he searched for any sign of the massive legs. Of course he had known you were magical, as was the island itself, but this was the first direct display of true magic he had seen so far, and the most unsettling. He did his best to hide his unease but, judging by the vaguely hurt look on your face, he hadn’t done a very good job.

“We can just stay out here, if you’d rather. I know it takes some getting used to,” you said, rocking on the balls of your feet. You couldn’t fault him; it had taken you a while to get over the shock as well.

“Well, no,” he said, shifting the bags in his hands. “It’s just different. I’d like to see it.”

The smile you gave him blew his discomfort out of the water, and he suddenly couldn’t remember why he had been bothered in the first place as he followed you up the stairs like a puppy. Inside was somehow larger than it looked like it should be but still proportional to the outside of the house, like the room was constantly in flux. He wouldn’t be surprised to find out that was the case.

Surveying the living room as he crossed it revealed a lot about you, and the way you lived. There was a large portion of one wall dedicated to a bookshelf, which was overflowing to the point that a lot of the shelves were crammed full and haphazardly double-stacked. He would have to browse through and see what you liked, and if you wanted anything from the island. He wasn’t sure how often you managed to get new reading material. The rest of that wall was dedicated to potions and ingredients. Plants, both in pots and overflowing to grow up the rafters, decorated the ceiling. An empty bird perch stood next to an open window on another wall, beside a cold fireplace. There were three other closed doors, but he wasn’t rude enough to ask where they led.

The kitchen itself was rather modern, more so than he would have expected, but the counters were cluttered with an assortment of strange objects and ingredients that he had never seen before. A large plant sitting on the end counter caught his eye, its long tendrils wrapping around your arm as you passed.

You caught him staring and picked it up, moving it out of the way as you said, “It’s harmless, but does like to steal things. The leaves are tough, and can be made into twine and rope, among other things. You can set those down here.”

He did as told and placed them where the plant had previously been and began to pull things out of bags, arranging them in the limited space you had given him. He felt your arm curl around his side, your body pressing against him before you peered around him at what he was doing, an excited smile on your face. With plenty of space to either side of him for you to watch from, he could have called you out, but held his tongue. Heat still crept up his neck, though, because he found he didn’t really mind.

In his haste to collect things up and get to you, he had ordered everything on the menu at the water water stand, followed by some of the normal foods at other stands. A stop at Blueno’s bar had raised questions about whether he was throwing a party, but he brushed it off with a laugh.

The last bag was particularly special. It had been on a whim that he bought it, passing by the shop after the rest of his shopping had been done.

You felt the air shift, tension coming into his shoulders as he removed a box from the last bag. You moved around to stand beside him, eyeing it suspiciously while you waited for him to explain.

“There’s an island not too far from here that holds festivals everyday,” he said, opening the top box to reveal a stunning porcelain mask. He lifted it up and cradled it gingerly in his hands, allowing you to view it. The nose was long, the tip angled down, with intricate purple and black lacing painted from the corners of the eyes down to the chin. The lips were painted a vibrant green.

“It’s gorgeous,” you said, running a finger delicately over the paintwork. “This has something to do with the festivals?”

“Oh, well, yes. They wear masks like these, among other costumes. We have a shop that hand makes them. I wanted you to have one,” he said, smiling down at you gently. It was one of the few things special-made on the island that he could actually bring to you. A ship was just out of the question.

You took the mask from him, examining it with a softened grin for a moment, before tucking it back into the box. Then you turned back to him and, to his immense satisfaction, threw yourself into his arms. He cradled you gently to his chest, practically glowing that his gift was so well received.

“Thank you, Iceburg. I love it,” you said, trying not to cry on his shirt too much. It was the first time you could recall receiving a gift since you were human, and the nicest gift you could recall ever receiving, period.

“I’m glad you like it so much,” he said, caressing your hair.

Neither of you moved for several moments, but eventually you pulled apart. It was a mutual decision, with neither of you really wanting to.

With your face much warmer than was comfortable, you focused on the enticing smell coming from the remaining bags. “What is all this?”

“Well, I figured you probably haven't had...er…” He had almost said proper food, but felt that would be too rude. He glanced up to find you smirking, as if you knew exactly what he was thinking. Clearing his throat, he continued with, “Modern food in a while. So I brought you plenty to try.”

You laughed, patting his arm in appreciation before going for plates. The two of you settled on the couch, covering the coffee table with the numerous boxes so you wouldn’t have to get up for more. Between everything, you didn't even eat half of what he brought, but tasted everything at least once. It all tasted spectacular to you, especially the water water dishes. When you told him so, he seemed especially pleased.

“That’s a Water 7 specialty,” he said, sliding his plate onto the table. Normally, he wouldn’t be so rude, but he was so full that he couldn’t move. Judging by the satisfied expression on your face, neither could you.

“That was fantastic, Iceburg,” yo said, smiling at him. “Thank you so much.”

To your surprise, he reached out and took your hand, giving it a solid squeeze. “I told you, you’ve only got a week, so I’m going to bring Water 7 to you.”

Tears pricked your eyes again, but not solely because of Iceburg’s kindness. His words were like cold water, reminding you that, soon, you would return to the solitude of your dimension. After that, it was unlikely you would ever see him again.

Which was all the more painful to think about, because you were pretty sure you were falling in love with him. 

Which was absolutely ridiculous because you had only known him for two days. Still, he had shown you more kindness than you had known in decades, even when you resided in this dimension, so maybe it wasn’t. To top it off, you had seen so few people since you took the island, that it shouldn’t have been surprising that your emotions flared up like gasoline on a fire.

Iceburg realized that he had said the wrong thing when you didn’t answer and your smile fell into a frown. You seemed to see through him, fixing an empty stare at a blank spot on the wall behind him.

“I’m sorry,” he said, moving closer to you and taking your other hand in his. “Is there no way to break the island's hold on you?” He didn’t have much in the way of hope, but maybe there was something he could do that you couldn't.

You were taken by surprise at his question, then realized that he had mistaken your sadness over never seeing him again as sadness over being stuck on the island. It was sweet, how upset he seemed to be on your behalf, and you felt only a little bad that you allowed him to continue to think so. The truth would be so much harder to explain.

“I wish,” you said, leaning to rest your head on his shoulder. It was comforting, knowing he was willing to help you, even if it was under false pretenses. “‘Only by passing the contract on to another will you be unbound from this island’,” you said, repeating the words the witch had spoken to you before she left, leaving you alone on the island. It had been the best deal you had ever made.

Iceburg hummed, then you both fell into an uneasy silence. His brilliant mind couldn’t see anyway to get you out of it, and he already knew you would reject to submitting anyone else to this. Besides, even bringing it up would be selfish. Still, he would be a liar if he said it wasn't tempting. At least you would be free, able to stay with him. He wanted to get to know you more, show you around Water 7, and...and…

...And that was a dangerous line of thinking. Did he really want to get tangled up with someone he had so little chance of seeing again?

Once more, he had the strange feeling you could read his mind as you sat up and pinned him with an unreadable look.

Instead of giving into the screaming temptation to cup your face and claim your lips with his, he gave your hand a gentle squeeze and stood up. He caught the fleeting look of disappointment on your face before it was replaced with an understanding smile. You stood as well, and together put away the leftovers before he headed towards the door.

His yagara was waiting exactly where he had left it, and he waded out into the water.

“Thank you, Iceburg. For the mask, and the food, and...everything,” you said from behind him.

He turned to find you had stopped at the waterline, the waves barely lapping your toes. You were still wearing that sad smile, and sounded like you were saying goodbye.

But that wasn’t what this was. He wasn’t going to just leave you alone for your remaining time here, just because he was unsure of how to proceed. There was no doubt that you felt the same, but he had yet to decide what he wanted.

“You’re welcome, _____. I’ll be back tomorrow. I’ve had an idea I think you’ll enjoy,” he said as he patted his bull on the head. He winked at you before climbing into the boat on its back.

You watched him disappear in the dark with a pounding heart.

                                                         _____

All the next day, you were an anxious mix of excitement and trepidation. 

Whereas yesterday you were certain he would come back, today you were almost positive he wouldn’t. You wouldn’t really blame him, if he didn’t. If you were him, you wouldn’t think twice about getting involved with someone in your position, at least not so quickly. In fact, you were on the fence about it yourself. Was it really such a good idea to kindle something that would be snuffed out in a matter of days? It was slim that you would ever see him again. Would you regret it if you let it slip by?

Hundreds of variations of those thoughts plagued you all day, only adding to the tremendous stress on your nerves.

When night finally fell, your nerves were so fried that you were tempted to pick up and leave to the other side of the island and hide out until you shifted back to your plane. But you didn’t, like you knew you wouldn’t, because that was childish and unfair, so you sat out on the porch to wait.

The lights put on their usual show, dozens blinking on at a time until the island cast a shadow on the water.

From the darkness came a shadow, and you felt like you might cry as you watched Iceburg come closer. When he got close enough that you could see him properly, you found he looked as happy to see you as you felt seeing him.

Instead of getting out of the boat, however, he gestured for you to come to him. You slowly made your way out to him, feeling the sand slip beneath your feet with the ebb and flow of the current. The water was up above your knees by the time you reached him, dangerously close to the edge of your shorts.

He held his hand out to you while trying to keep the yagara from floating too far away. “I know you said you can’t go far, but I hope you’ll allow me to get you as close as I can. I really would like for you to see it.”

You frowned, looking from him to the city, your outstretched hand suspended in midair as you deliberated. The first and last time you had attempted to leave, you had almost drowned when your new found magic had tried to strangle you, resulting in you falling into the water. It wasn’t even like you were trying to actually go anywhere, you had simply been testing the boundaries.

“If not, that’s alright too.” He had thought it was a good idea, but maybe there was something else you had neglected to tell him. “No, I want to,” you said, slipping your hand into his at last. You trusted him well enough to risk it. “Just...I have to be careful. The magic is aggressive if it thinks I’m trying to leave.”

That put Iceburg on guard. The last thing he wanted was for you to get hurt. He helped you into the boat, feeling it rock ominously beneath his feet as you climbed over the side. You clung to him as the yagara turned back to the city. Just as quickly, you let go and focused on the approaching city, watching the lights grow steadily brighter, thus missing Iceburg’s frown.

But as he watched the wonder fill your face, he wasn’t too upset. Even if you grew angry at him, or left without anything more happening between you, he would never regret that he got to be the one to show you this, to see you so happy.

You turned to him, smiling and ready to say something, but then froze. Your hand came up, clutching at your chest, eyes growing wide and seeming to plead with him for help. Instead of going to you as you fell to your knees, beginning to hyperventilate from the pain, he yanked the reins on the bull, urging it to turn back to the island. He didn’t go very far; as soon as he heard your breathing ease, he stilled the yagara.

He was by your side in an instant, the small boat rocking as he knelt down beside you. One hand held yours, the other at the small of your back, rubbing gentle circles as you breathed deeply.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, taking in your pale, scared face. It had sounded like you were choking, and it had happened in an instant. He saw now why you were so hesitant. “We’ll go back. This was a terrible idea, I’--”

He was cut off when you reached up and cupped his cheek, your skin soft against his as you pressed your thumb gently to his lips. You gave him a weak smile, but he could see that, somehow, you were happy.

“It’s not your fault. The magic has a mind of its own. This happened the last time too.” The warning the magic gave you was small, right before it slammed into effect. “I knew it would happen. And it was a wonderful idea. I didn’t think I would get anywhere near, but you did it.”

Iceburg helped you to your feet, keeping one hand around your waist in case you collapsed. You were still shaking, could still feel the flare of magic in your chest, lying in wait in case you strayed too far again.

He was relieved that you weren’t badly hurt, couldn’t imagine how he would feel if it was because of him. His arm tightened around you and, before he realized he was doing it, he pulled you close, tucking you into his side. To his relief, you didn’t pull away. He looked down, watching your fist curl into his shirt and realized that, regardless of how much he fought, he had lost the first time you smiled at him.

Keeping his hold on you, he used his free hand to steer his yagara around to face the city, then led you to sit.

Your pulse thundered in your ears, unable to contain yourself as he curled his other arm around you, effectively caging you to his chest. More than ever, you could recognize just how strong he was, what he could do if he so desired and yet he cradled you so gently. Protective, not possessive, he was warm and comforting.

You knew it was a lost cause to fight it in that moment. No matter how you thought you would feel when it came time for you to leave, it would pale in comparison to the regret of having let it pass by.

“You know, I never did ask you. I think I was too preoccupied with knowing about the island, but how did you come to be chained to it?” he asked. The yagara floated gently in the water, and he kept a watchful eye to make sure it stayed within a safe range of your island.

You laughed a little, realizing that to answer his question you would have to reveal that you had lied, even if it was only by omission. Still, you didn’t think he would be too upset, if he even saw it that way. So you told him your story.

“I was raised in a large, poor family in a small village on an island in the West Blue. I suppose I was pretty enough that a wealthy man wanted to marry me, even though I was still so young. I don’t think that my parents wanted to, exactly. But he offered a large sum of money to my parents, in exchange for me and...they agreed.” When you had first found out, you had been livid and hurt, thinking your parents had betrayed you. Which, technically they had. But as you grew older, you began to realize that they had done it only out of necessity, with several other children and themselves to take care of. It didn’t negate the hurt, and you couldn’t be sure that that was how they felt, but it helped take some of the sting out to believe it. “I ran away and sailed for a few years. It wasn’t long before I finally realized that everywhere was like my village, either poor and in need of help or overrun with powerful people who think they can do whatever they want to others.”

That was enough to make Iceburg’s skin crawl. The idea that your parents essentially sold you to another person was nothing short of slavery, and as he looked down at you, he couldn’t blame you for running away. His hold on you tightened, which you didn’t miss. It wasn’t hard to figure out what was upsetting him when you looked up and saw the black anger in his eyes. But it softened when he locked eyes with you, one hand coming up to brush the hair behind you ear. “So how did you end up on this island then?”

“Oh, yeah,” you said, trying and failing to fight the blush creeping over your cheeks. In the moment, you had forgotten you were telling a story. “Well, one day when I was sailing through to a new island— I never left the West Blue, unfortunately— I happened upon this island. The witch at the time was telling me about how much she wanted to leave, but couldn’t because of the magic. It sounded like a pretty good bargain to me, since I was tired of traveling and of people. Having the magic to keep people away as well as protect myself sounded like a dream. Of course, she didn’t tell me about the whole ‘island shift’, so that was an experience.” You shifted so that you were settled between his legs, your back pressed to his chest, and his arms fell to your waist. “The weather there is terrible, but it’s nice and quiet.”

It was strange, how much you talked about disliking people, and yet here you were curled up with him and talking like you hadn’t had a decent conversation in years. Which probably wasn’t far off, based on what you had said before. He wondered if that made him special, and he chuckled at the thought.

All of that raised another, pressing question which had never actually crossed his mind until now. At a glance, you appeared to be young, 20s, by his guess. But you hadn’t said how long you were traveling before you found the island, and you said it had been a decade since you had seen anyone. “How...old are you?”

You laughed and he immediately realized how that must sound. He definitely hadn’t meant it in a bad way, but he couldn't think of any way to ask politely. 

It was a valid question, you decided, but it made you wonder the same. “I’ll tell you if you tell me how old you are,” you said, eyeing him playfully.

“Well that’s easy. I’m 36.”

“Ah. Well, when I signed the contract, I was 25. That was 73 years ago,” you said. The smile grew a little more rigid as you waited to see his reaction. You knew the answer off the top of your head, because you kept strict track of when you came to this plane. You had no way of knowing for sure, because you hadn’t asked the witch before she left, but it always shifted the day you had signed, and you wondered if that happened to her as well. She had been older than you, with streaks of grey in her hair and a deep frown. She had seemed almost sad when you began to sign, like she regretted that you were doing it, but hadn’t stopped you. You supposed she had thought you would be unhappy, but it was fortunate that it was more than you could have hoped for. “Since then, I haven’t aged. I suppose it’s the island’s way of making sure there’s always a witch.”

“You talk about the island as if it’s a sentient thing,” he said, rubbing his chin. He hadn’t quite wrapped his head around the fact that you were almost a hundred years old, but that didn’t stop his curiosity.

“It is, or the magic is, at least. I know it doesn’t make sense, but the magic owns me, not the other way around. I can see it and control it to some extent, but it isn’t mine. I don’t even know why the contract exists, or who made it, or anything. All I do know is that the witch before me was bound for 230 years, the one before her for 150, and so on.” The house, you had found, passed ownership with the contract, and the possessions of the others remained inside. At least until the next owner cleaned it out. You had found documents and journals going back nearly 1000 years, but there was nothing on how the island came to be what it was. It made you wonder just how old it was, that that information was lost. “I’m pretty sure the witch was tricking me into signing, but based on the way they talk, they don’t want to trick people the way I was, but the loneliness becomes too much, never seeing other people for more than a week at a time, if they see anyone at all that year.” You wondered if you would ever get to that point. Sure, sometimes it got to where you wanted someone around, but it was always fleeting. You wondered if something was wrong with you.

As if he could read your mind, pulled you close, laying his head on top of yours. He too wondered how you managed to last so long with no contact, but it wasn’t his place to ask. If you were happy, he couldn’t see how you were wrong. “Well, if you’re happy, that’s all that matters, right? It’s wrong that they’re tricking people, but, well, after so long, I don’t think I could resist either. We’ll make the most of the time we’ve got left, hm?”

You grinned, burying your face in his neck to hide the furious rush of embarrassment. He had said ‘we’, and even the knowledge that there wouldn’t be a ‘we’ after this week wasn’t enough to douse the warmth of happiness. You had someone, even just for a little while, and it was enough.

“I suppose since you know so much about me now, it’s only fair you talk about yourself. How did you become mayor?” you asked, looking out towards the city again. The yagara had floated a decent ways sideways, closer to the massive door of Dock 6, but remained well within the boundaries your magic had placed.

“Ah,” he said, looking up at the door with a fond smile. He started off explaining to you about Galley-La’s history, which led farther back to Tom and Tom’s Workers. He began to grow sad as he explained what had befallen his mentor, and his friend Cutty Flam, and you laced your fingers with his in silent sympathy. After that, you fell silent, content to rest your head on his chest and listen to the beating of his heart.

He didn’t have much to say after that either, caught up in reminiscing about old memories he had never talked to anyone about. Even Kokoro, who was intimately involved in the whole ordeal, didn’t talk about it with him. And there was no way Franky would, he still felt the sting of guilt for causing it.

After a while, the gentle sway of the boat, accompanied by the warmth Iceburg provided, became too much. Your eyes closed, and you fell asleep.

It took him a little while to realize it, but he chuckled when he did. You looked peaceful, not unlike the content look you wore whenever you looked at him, or talked about your life. But it was nice in a different way, and he wondered if you always looked like that when you slept, or if it was just him. 

He turned the yagara back towards shore, guiding it as close as he could. You looped your arms around his shoulders when he lifted you into his arms, snuggling closer to him as he waded through the water. As he stepped through the front door, he realized he had no idea which of the other three doors led to your bedroom. He hesitated, but then you pointed, and the door straight ahead opened.

He chuckled at that, thanking you quietly as he entered. Your bedroom was markedly less cluttered than your living room, with a bed, a wardrobe, and another bookshelf the only furniture in the room.

And you had moved that clingy plant in, as well.

He gently laid you down on your bed. You let go easily enough, but before he could pull back, you had sat up, looking tired but determined. Your face filled his vision, and then he felt your lips on the corner of his mouth.

“Thank you, Iceburg. I don’t have the words to describe how happy you’ve made me,” you whispered when you pulled back.

Your eyes were closed, and you were still close enough that he could feel your lips move against his. There was no thought as he cupped the back of your head with one hand, tangling his fingers in your hair as he captured your lips properly with his. He could feel your soft hand at his neck, the other curled around his arm, using that to pull yourself closer. Sooner than he would have liked, you pulled away, gazing up at him with a tired smile. His thumb stroked over your lower lip as he fought against the temptation to kiss you again. He still had to sleep and work in the morning.

“I should go,” he murmured, but made no move to leave.

Only when you nodded, giving him a playful push did he step back towards the door, which closed behind him when he was through.

Before you fell asleep, you couldn’t help but laugh. Turns out, it wasn’t lipstick.

                                                          _____

Iceburg was exhausted the next day.

It was the early hours of the morning by the time he got back, and that combined with the previous late nights had finally caught up with him. He was flipping mindlessly through paperwork, signing whatever Kalifa placed in front of him without reading it.

At long last, he was done. Looking at the time, he decided there was enough for him to get in a few hours sleep before he returned to you.

In the meantime, you had been tending your garden. Though you tended to roam the island most of the time, there was a special spot in the center of the island that was clearly the house’s “nest”. It was a literal nest, made of massive amounts of grass and foliage. It was also where the previous witch had kept her own garden, and you were sure that it had been in use for centuries, making it the richest soil on the island. 

The plane you spent most of your time in was shrouded in fog, and you had never seen the sun there, so the plants were specially cultivated to live with little to none. That meant that, when you felt the shift begin, you covered them with a tarp to protect them from the harmful sun. 

Still, they needed water, and the few minutes they would be exposed wouldn’t hurt them. Most of them were ready for harvest, which you would do when you got back. That thought made you wilt a little, but you pushed it down as best you could. You didn’t want to spend any more time moping. It was almost funny how in a few short days Iceburg had weaseled his way into your heart so much that you would forego your solitude for him.

You had started tending later in the day, when the suns rays were weaker so, by the time you were done, the shadows of the trees were starting to blend in with the darkness of the approaching night.

Rising to your knees, you covered the plants back up with the tarp and looked at your hands, deciding to shower on the way back to the beach.

It was past the time he usually arrived by the time you arrived at the beach, but not by much, so when he wasn’t there, you wondered if he had been so impatient that he didn’t wait at all. 

But that didn’t sound like him. No, something must have come up.

You decided to wait, allowing the house to settle down on the sand. Hours passed and there was still no sign of him. Trying to stem the tide of disappointment in your chest, you finally gave in and went to bed.

                                                          _____

Iceburg awoke to the first rays of sunlight hitting his eyes. When he realized that, he jerked up from his prone position, wincing at the pain in his back. That couch wasn’t good enough for a short nap, let alone a good night’s sleep.

There was a knock at the door, and Kalifa entered, looking not at all surprised to find him there.

“You’ve been running yourself ragged, Iceburg,” she said, setting a steaming mug on his desk. She turned to look at him, a knowing glint in her eye. “It’s going to catch up with you.”

He hugged out a tired laugh, even though guilt was eating him alive inside.

“Well, that won’t be a problem for much longer,” he said, standing up. Tomorrow, he reminded himself, it won’t be a problem anymore. He picked up the cup she had just set down and blew on it before taking a sip. The taste of strong black coffee made him wince. It wasn’t the way he normally took it, but today wasn’t a normal day. “Thank you, Kalifa.”

She nodded and made her way out with one last knowing glance.

Finishing his coffee, he made his way to the bathroom. Although it wasn’t something he made a habit of, there were enough occasions where he had spent the night in the office to warrant keeping a spare set of clothes handy.

As he glanced at himself in the mirror, he couldn’t deny that he had needed the sleep. Still, he could only imagine how you must be feeling. He supposed he could only hope you would understand.

It was this hope that allowed him to get through the day, absentmindedly filling out the remaining paperwork as he watched the hands on the clock circle around.

When the bell chimed to signal the day was over, instead of immediately rushing out to you, he decided to go home and shower, changing into something more comfortable. While he was near desperate to get to you, he also needed to feel a little more human after sleeping in the office.

At long last, he was properly ready to face you. As if he sensed his master’s urgency, Iceburg’s yagara took off, weaving through the streets as fast as he could without being a danger.

The island came into view, and his heart leapt into his throat. Relief collided with apprehension when he saw your house sitting where it had every other night. He had thought he would have to go searching for you, that you would be too angry to see him.

But he saw you on the porch swing, watched you perk up as you caught sight of him and step off the porch as he splashed down in the water.

You hesitated at the shoreline, waiting until he stood in front of you. Before you could even open your mouth, he was grabbing your hands and apologizing.

“I fell asleep yesterday and didn’t wake up until this morning. For what it’s worth, I woke up terribly sore. I’ve been waiting all day to come see you. I’m so sorry, _____.”

You let him ramble without interrupting, and when he finally opened his eyes, he found you looking up at him with the softest smile.

“I was upset last night, don’t get me wrong. But...after I slept on it, I realized you must have had a good reason.” Realized wasn’t exactly the right word. Really, you had placed all your hope on it. The gamble had paid off either way, because he now stood in front of you. “I should apologize as well. I didn’t consider how hard it must have been on you, working and then spending most of the night with me,” you said, placing your hand over his heart. The steady rhythm drummed under your palm, a little faster than normal.

He returned your gentle smile, eyes closing halfway as his hands cupped your cheeks. His lips were soft against yours, slanting over them and claiming them in the gentlest way he could manage.

Your hands settled on his stomach, content to lean into him and let him lead. His tongue ghosted over your lips and you willingly parted them. You were met with the fresh taste of mint as his tongue swept over yours.

His hands left your face, sliding down over your shoulders, all the way to your thighs. Before he could try and lift you up, you pulled away, taking his hand in yours and leading him up to the porch. You would be damned before you got caught out on the beach, even if you were never going to be seen again. At the door, he got impatient and pinned you against the wood, skimming his nose down your cheek as he peppered kisses to your neck. His hands massaged your hips, your shirt beginning to hike higher up your sides. You laughed and gently pushed him back, reaching down to skim your fingers over the prevalent hard on in his pants. His hips twitched, and he glared at you as you slipped from his arms, disappearing into the house. 

Somehow, you were nowhere to be seen, but your shirt lay on the floor just inside. He caught sight of your shorts flung over the back of the couch. As he approached your closed bedroom door, he saw your bra hung off the handle.

He couldn’t hold back a laugh as he picked it up, heat rising up his neck to engulf his face. Sweat beaded at the back of his neck as he picked it up and examined it before opening the door. It swung inwards without a sound, and if he wasn’t hard before, he was when he found you laying back on the bed, wearing only your panties. You were propped up on your elbows, watching him stand in the doorway, his eyes taking in everything before him.

Carelessly, he tossed the bra to the floor, making a beeline for the bed. You scooted higher up as he came to hover over you, one knee pinned between yours, trapping you beneath his immense frame.

“Took you long enough,” you said, ending on a chuckle. You reached up, threading your fingers through his hair, destroying his hard work, but he couldn’t be bothered to mind.

Instead, he leaned down, gathering your bottom lip between his teeth and tugging. “You’re a witch, you know that?”

At that you actually tipped your head back and laughed. “Yes, yes I do.” 

You pulled him back down and forced his lips to yours, allowing your fingers to skim down until they found the buttons of his shirt. By feel rather than sight, you made short work of it and pushed it off his shoulders. You groaned against his mouth as you ran your hands over his shoulders and down his sides, feeling the skin and hard muscles flex under your touch. He certainly had the body of a shipwright, strong and lean and tanned from working on ships day in and day out.

You heard the sound of a zipper followed by the rustle of clothing hitting the floor and moved your head to the side for breath, and so you could take him in. He was just as gorgeous as you had expected him to be under all that clothing, standing up straight and proud as he stood completely naked before you. His cheeks were tinted red, and only deepened the longer you stared, until he couldn’t take it anymore and knelt back down on the bed, settling his hands on your knees. Long, delicate fingers slid up your thighs, squeezing here and there, trailed closely by his lips. Your breathing deepened, butterflies fluttering in your stomach in anticipation, until his hands parted your thighs properly, pushing your legs out and over his shoulders. His nose skimmed your outer lips, his tongue licking from the bottom of your quivering slit up to your clit, drawing it into his warm mouth. He sighed, feeling your juices drip down his chin and brought his hand up, slipping just the tip of one finger inside you.

Your hips jerked, one hand fisting the sheets, the other reaching down to gently card your fingers through his hair, breathing out how good it felt. That one finger finally filled you, brushing over a particularly sensitive spot instantly. On the next stroke in, it was joined by a second, and you couldn’t help the moan that followed it’s entrance.

“Iceburg,” you moaned, tugging gently at his hair. His tongue flicked out, lapping at your clit as he set a slow, steady rhythm, seeking that spot he had touched earlier. 

It took him a few tries, but he found it, judging by the stutter or your hips and the breathy gasp you took. He curled his fingers up, massaging gently, until you fluttered around him. 

“Oh, oh,” you cried, back bowing off the bed as the coil in your belly snapped. He was so gentle as he eased you through it, drawing it out until you begged him to stop.

He came up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and climbed back over you. You gave him a wavering smile, your eyelids fluttering. Your pussy was still throbbing, but you still wanted more, and jerked your hips up, rubbing along the length of his cock. He groaned, rolling his hips down to nestle between your soaked lips, grinding against your clit in the process. A jolt of pleasure zipped through you, tempered by your being still sensitive, but you didn’t care. You wanted him inside you, and you moaned, asking with your hips for it.

“Are you sure?” he asked, even as he braced himself on his elbows over you. The height difference between the two of you had never been more obvious as he towered above you; you had to tilt your head back in order to make eye contact with him, but you nodded, begging him with your eyes.

He angled his hips down, catching the tip of his cock in the opening of your pussy, his entrance eased by your dripping walls. You had just came, but were already so wet for him again, his hips stuttering as you clenched around him. He was only halfway inside you, but was already panting, his head drooping down to rest on his forearm. Your hands were wrapped around his wrists, nails digging into his skin as you held yourself still for him. You couldn’t stop yourself from squeezing around him, your body aching for him to seat fully inside you.

Finally, his hips met yours, cock throbbing inside of you as he was fully engulfed in the warm heat of your body. His breathing deepened as he pulled out and rolled his hips back down, driving deep inside you again. With every meeting of your hips, he was grazing your still sensitive clit, but you were past caring at this point, lifting your hips to meet his desperate thrusts every time. You were already speeding towards your second orgasm, somehow, your ankles locking around his back and limiting how far he could pull out of you.

He made up for it by driving harder down into you, grinding deep into you and trapping your clit between his body and yours. You jerked, crying out as you careened over the edge, unable to help yourself as you rolled your hips up into him, begging him not to stop. You were so lost in it that you almost missed the low call of your name, his arms shaking as he worked to hold himself up over him even as you milked him dry. His head came down to rest on the bed, his chest heaving then flexing as you ghosted your fingers down it.

He laughed at the tickle and rolled off of you, flopping down onto the bed with an arm behind his head. The room was silent for several minutes as you both calmed down and steadied your breathing, then you scooted closer to him, laying your head in the dip of his shoulder.

Your eyes fluttered shut, and you were on the verge of falling asleep when he moved, wrapping his arm around your shoulder. His other hand came up to cradle your chin, tilting your head up enough that he could claim your lips. Even though you were exhausted, you knew you only had this one night and didn’t want to waste it by sleeping. You pushed closer, slipping your tongue out to graze his lips, and felt them turn up into a smile against yours.

“I feel the same, but I need a moment. I’m not as young as you,” he said, pushing the hair stuck to your forehead back.

You laughed, hitting him playfully in the chest at his joke. “98 years young and still pushing better than you.”

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around your back and gently pulling you until you sat up and straddled him. He was only half-hard, but viewing you as you sat atop him was doing wonders for that.

It wasn’t long before he took you again, just as gentle as the first time, then again, and again. The last time was almost desperate, all grabbing hands and passionate kisses, like you knew it was going to be the last time. He held you close as you sat in his lap, riding him until the wave broke again, and even after, you didn’t move for a long time, not wanting to admit that it was over.

At last neither of you could deny it and he pulled his soft cock out of you and laid down, settling you on his chest, legs wrapped together, his fingers tangled in your hair. Sleep came quicker than you wanted, but you were content.

                                                        _____

You awoke the next morning sore and still tired. As you tried to roll over, something pulled you back into the warmth of the sheets. For just a moment, you laid back down to snuggle up, then reality hit.

Your gasp startled a still groggy Iceburg, who looked at you in confusion. You rolled over in a panic, hovering over him as you shook him.

“Iceburg, you have to go. Once the island begins the shift, you’ll be trapped,” you said, pushing on his chest.

That got his attention, and he sat up, immediately scouring the room for his clothes. It wasn’t until you were both fully dressed and hurrying across the porch that he paused to look at you. Warmth filled his chest, tempered by a terrible sadness, when he realized that, even though you no doubt wanted him to stay, you were willing to let him go because you knew he couldn’t.

He wanted to, so badly he could almost taste it, he would trade his soul for it; it was so tempting to throw caution to the wind and remain with you.

But he couldn’t and he wouldn’t. Too many people relied on him, and his conscience wouldn’t allow him to abandon them.

Still, he could only imagine how you must be feeling, and he reached out to grab your hand, pulling you to a stop.

“Iceburg, what are you--? You have to go,” you said, trying to tug free. He needed to leave, and quickly, if he wanted to escape. You knew, by the way he talked about Water 7 and it’s citizens, that he could never be happy leaving the city he loved, and you would never ask him to choose between it and you.

“I know,” he said, but still pulled you around and into his arms. Before you could say anything more, he covered your lips with his, feeling you go limp as you gave in. He put his all into the kiss, conveying every unspoken emotion through it, because he knew he might never have another chance.

You allowed yourself this last moment with him, your arms wrapping around his neck to hold yourself to him. You had known it would be hard, had prepared yourself as best you could, but no amount of preparation could compare to the actual stinging pain of separation. Still, you couldn’t regret it. It was the first time in a long time you could say you would be unhappy going back. Even if all you had were memories, you would treasure them.

There was a growing sense of urgency as you felt the push and pull of magic. The shift wasn’t instant, but once it began it would be too late. You sloshed through the water, unheeding of the way it soaked your shorts. His bull was neighing, sensing the powerful change in the air. You stopped and turned his hand palm up, pressing a small object into his hand. “This will guide you to me; it’s imbued with the island’s magic. Just set it on the bow of your ship, and it will point my way. Now go, you’re out of time.”

You pushed him towards the boat, but he turned around one last time and kissed you.

He climbed over the side, his restless yagara already turning towards the grey city walls, and turned to look at you, drinking in your face in the hopes it would sear into his memory, like you had into his heart. 

“I’ll see you again. Maybe years from now, but I’ll find you,” he said as tears began to cascade down your cheeks.

His heart wrenched as you smiled through the sadness and nodded. “I’ll hold you to it. Goodbye, Iceburg.”

Even as you said that, you found yourself moving out, following him until you could almost no longer touch the bottom, watching him grow smaller and smaller until he was just a speck.

He couldn’t remember the ride back, only that he continuously turned around to watch you grow smaller, standing alone in the water. He couldn’t remember getting to work, only the concern his workers expressed at his having been late, but he waved them off. Locking himself in his office, he let only Paulie and Kalifa in, alternating between busying himself with paperwork and watching the island.

He could see now what you meant by a gradual shift, and why it was so important he leave. He supposed being on the island, it wouldn’t ever appear as such, but from his office the island appeared opaque, and seemed to be smoking. It grew more pronounced as the day carried on, until it was more smoke than island. The shadows of evening had long since swallowed the beach up, but you had moved your house hours before, and he thought he could understand why. Watching from his window grew to be too painful at times, at which point he would draw the curtains, obscuring his view. 

Inevitably, though, he would open them again, scouring for a glimpse of you.

It was almost a relief when it grew too dark to see the island anymore, but it also brought with it pain, because he knew it would be gone in the morning.

As if it had bit him, he was reminded of the object you had forced into his hand. At the time, he had deemed it infinitely less important than the final moments he had to hold you in his arms, and so had stowed it in his pocket.

He now pulled it out, finding it to be a battered log pose. Examining it more closely, he determined that it was broken, the needle snapped off at the stem. Yet, as he moved around the office, it always pointed in the direction of the island. He clenched it in his fist, being forcibly reminded of you as he felt the magic roll off of it in waves. Maybe it was because the island was saturated in it, but he had never felt the pull quite so intensely as he did with that log pose in his hand. 

He made a mental note that he would need to get a sturdy container to protect it until he needed it next. A calendar sat on his desk, and he picked up a pen, marking the days that he had spent with you. Not that he could forget them, but he wanted a physical reminder, something tangible he could hold onto.

He sat back, his chair creaking underneath him with the motion, and smiled. He would find you again, he knew it, even if he had to wait a hundred years.

[cacti-are-like-flamingos]

The Devil’s Advocate

One Piece Imagine

- Your warnings to Iceburg -

...

“Oh wow, this place really is beautiful.” You commented, an amazed look on your face. Iceburg looked at you, a soft smile on his blue-painted lips. “Yes, it is. Say, (F/N)?” You hummed. “I’d like for you to meet the shipwrights. Would you mind?” You turned your head to the mayor and old-time friend of yours. You furrowed your brows,“ Why?” Your words sounded harsh, but he knew better. He chuckled, “Dunno. Maybe because I talk about you non-stop to them and they’re now majorly curious about you.”

“Oh? You talk about me?” You teased, earning a light blush from him. “Maybe.” He muttered as he cast his gaze downwards. You giggled, “I guess so. When do I get to meet them?” Iceburg looked back up at you with a smirk, “How about now?”

Ahhh, there they are. Excitement coursed through your veins as you finally got to meet the members of the secret CP9, and company.

They were huddled up along the entrance of the docks, converting amongst each other only to focus their attention on Iceburg before gazing at you, as the two of you approached them. However, just before arriving, you calmly spoke, out of the random, I might add, “Trust is but a fickle thing.”

It was then that Iceburg knew that you had predicted a betrayal in his life. And he knew, he’d be a fool if he didn’t take your words like a grain of sand. “How fickle?” “Nonexistent.”

He watched as a small smile painted itself upon your lips, a soft ‘hello’ slipping past your lips. His gaze switching from you to Paulie as he commented on the clothing you wore and how revealing they were, to which you simply laughed. Shaking his head, he decided to play along, your words carrying a heavy weight.

 “Guys this is (F/N)…”

...

(A/N): This is before the Water 7 Arc.

Hope you enjoyed!

[cyborg-franky]

could i perhaps get 2 and 4 from the love prompts with iceburg ? <3 thanks so much , keep up the lovely work 💗 i sincerely hope you’re well

I picked one for you! and thank you <3 I am well and hope you are too!

Iceburg x GN Reader SFW Prompt: Trying to concentrate on a task, but your lover is kissing your neck, making your head spin Word Count: 332

You understood that your husband was a busy man, you did, he was the mayor, a very good mayor. He cared about people and as much as you admired that about him you didn’t want him working himself to death. He might shrug off his responsibilities when it came to boring stuffy meetings but he cared deeply for the people, he was loved for it.

Watching him hunched over his desk, at least in comfortable clothes, a slight blessing you mused, he wrote away at his paperwork, the lantern on his desk flickered with he breeze of the open window causing shadows to dance across the walls of the room. You wished he didn’t bring his work to the bedroom, yet here he was.

You walked over to him as he flipped the page in his book, making a grunt at an error, crossing it out and scribbling the correction under. “You should come to bed” you said, hands resting on his tense shoulders.

“Nmaa I just have this left to do..” He mumbled, his shoulders slumping as you rubbed gently feeling the knots that had tangled his muscles from how he had been sat for so long. “You said that an hour ago” You applied pressure to his aching muscles, and he started to loosen up, body relaxing into your touches.

Before he could reply with another excuse you leaned down and started to kiss his neck, you smirked against his skin when the sound of his pen crossing the paper stopped. You had his attention now it seemed, good.

“Nmaa stop that..” You could tell form his tone he only half meant it, the way he shivered as your teeth grazed along the skin of his neck, kissing your way up to his ear, all the way back down to his collarbone. He dropped his pen, pleased with yourself you stepped back, he swivelled in his desk chair and gave you that look,

“I guess I can come to bed”

[cyborg-franky]

Hello Franky. I hope you're handling the heat in your neck of the woods okay. Fingers crossed cooler weather is heading your way.

I saw your latest prompt game and I wanted to submit an ask. As always, toss it if it's not your thing. I feel like I'm in your ask box a lot. Shoo me away if I'm a bother.

My first thought was Crocodile: mafia au, strangers to lovers trope, with #2 prompt (whole lotta f-bombs)

But then I saw “my hands are really dry. sorry about that” (prompt # 16) and I thought, what a bizarre thing to say. I like it. Maybe with Iceburg, library au, & meet messy trope?

Two very different ideas I know, and the characters might be challenging. I'm sorry. I'd like to leave the choice up to you, whichever one you prefer. As always, thank you for the work you do and for considering.

I picked Iceburg because I don't dislike Sandy pants I just don't think I'd be able to write him well.

Iceburg x GN Reader SFW Modern au/library au Word count: 341

He was a strange man, a well dressed handsome, oddity. He was always polite and friendly to anyone he delt with but his whole mannerisms were unlike anyone else you’d ever met and that was saying something, the library often got some real specimens of the human race sneaking in to look at things they shouldn’t on the public computers.

The man was a good kind of odd, his taste in books ranged from ‘how to look after mice’ ‘criminal justice system’ ‘how to build a boat’ and various other strange tittles. Normally you could tell lots about someone from the stack of books they brought to your counter, but this man. He was still an enigma.

“Hello again sir!” You chirped, happy to see the tall man. “Oh my call me Iceburg, sir makes me feel so old” You nodded to his comment and watched as he placed a small stack of books in front of you. “Iceburg? Got it! Did you find everything you were looking for today Iceburg?” even his name was something of an oddity.

“Yes, I did” He offered you a small smile, such a polite man. He went to hand you his card, your fingertips meeting before you took it.

“My hands are really dry. sorry about that” Iceburg looked embarrassed about the fact, such a weird thing to say. “No, they felt soft actually” what the heck? Your own reply was so awkward and strange.

“Oh my we have something in common it seems” He tried to appear cool but nothing about this encounter was anything less then amusingly odd. “We do, and you like this book, it’s one of my favourites” You showed him the cover.

“Well, I’d like to take you out for a coffee one day and see what else we have in common, do you like aquariums?” You couldn’t help but laugh, the strange handsome man with the equally interesting name had asked you out and puzzled you with a question out of nowhere.

“Yes, I’d like that I think!”

[cyborg-franky]

Hey =) It's for a matchup, hope it's not too late ><' I'm 26, she/them, I'd like a male matchup, I'm small (under 1m60), I'm a big reader, 2D artist, I like to be in a quiet or calm environment, I get stressed very easily, I prefer actions over words, I'm clumsy, I get injured all the time just by existing, I like to chill a lot, I'm very tactile and empathic, love cuddles without saying a word, I love dark/sarcastic humor. I smoke a lot (Hope what I said is ok ^^')

I was very between two characters for you but I ended up going for..

I match you with Iceburg

Hear me out. His office and his household would be a quite and calm environment. He's big into reading and being a chill person, even when he's so busy and has lots of duties he's just very chill. He never shows signs of stress around you which helps you stay calm. He's very sympathetic and will always help you if you hurt yourself.

------

The streets had been busy, you’d only wanted to go and buy some new books to curl up and read but the hustle and bustle of the town had been too much, being so short you got bumped around a lot and pushed to the side in the busy streets and crowded stores. You felt so flustered, you’d tripped over your own feet at least twice and almost fell into the waterways.

You huffed rubbing your arm, little grazes on your elbow from bumping into a wall. You were so relieved to get back home, tired, sore feet and emotionally drained. You opened the large doors to Iceburgs office and sighed, you dropped your backpack by the large armchair and walked over to him.

He glanced up from his paperwork and saw the tired expression on your face, he pushed his chair from under the table and you collapsed onto his lap, arms around his neck and nuzzling against him. He dropped his pen and wordlessly held you closer to him, one hand rubbing your back in a soothing circle, kissing your forehead.

All the stress drained from your body, eyes fluttering closed and letting out a happy sound as Iceburg just kept you close.

MATCH UPS CLOSED

[myonepiece]

Could you do some young iceburg headcanons with the reader that likes to sing

oooo yes 💛

young iceburg with an s/o who likes to sing

description: young iceburg with an s/o who likes to sing

-he loves it! it's so soothing and comforting, after a tough day (with franky) he loves to have you sing to him while he relaxes

-often times he'll have his head in your lap and he'll stare up at you with a completely serene expression while you sing and gently stroke his cheeks

-tom asks you to sing whenever you go to the workshop, if you do sing then he'll loudly cheer you on, he's just so supportive and he'll yell at franky if he ever makes a snarky comment about you being annoying (he likes when you sing too though don't worry!)

-iceburg would love it if you sit somewhere safe in the junk piles and sing while he works

-he's actually good at singing so he might sing with you or just quietly sing with you because he just wants to hear your voice

-seriously there's nothing more that he loves doing then laying/sitting wiwth you while you sing to him, he falls asleep super easily when you do that

-he'll also sing to you if you want him to, he knows a few lullabies and shanties but only a handful of the lyrics

[myonepiece]

sorry i’m just too in love with iceburg so here’s some small headcanons

young iceburg, young franky crushing on you

(separate)

-he often invites you to have lunch with him and tom and franky and everyone, or sometimes he’ll go have lunch just the two of you, he likes that a lot

-whenever you’re around franky and him together iceburg always tries to keep franky in line and polite which results in a lot of fights between the two that make iceburg embarrassed when he realizes you saw

-a surprising amount of blushing, whenever you compliment him or your hand brushes against his he instantly turns red

-he tries to keep you away from franky most of the time because franky is always trying to embarrass him and always uses iceburg’s crush on you as blackmail (he threatens to tell you)

-despite how flustered he gets, he tries to be close to you as possible, when you’re sitting down he tries to have your legs/feet/shoulders touch slightly, he tries to brush hands while you walk next to each other 

-the two of you will walk together a lot talking about everything or nothing, walking really close so that you could, if you wanted to, grab his hand

-he tries to show off a lot so sometimes he’ll say things that are exaggerated or not true, so iceburg ends up correcting him and the two start arguing

-he goes to eat lunch with you a lot to talk about what he’s building and what they’re all working on

-when he gets flustered he gets like angry flustered, yelling at you to stop doing whatever you’re doing and then stomping away with his cheeks scarlet

-he takes you out on his ships and  shows them off, when everything goes wrong the two of you end up washed ashore, one (or 4) time he landed on top of you 

-this is  kinda weird but his hands. always get sweaty when he’s. around you and it makes him self concious of it so he has to wipe his hands on his shirt every 6 minutes

-but he still tries to hold your hand a lot, like despite everything. he’ll randomly try to grab your hand, you might be walking or sitting or standing and he’ll either reach over very quickly and grab your hand roughly, or it’s that brush against each other then slowly intertwine yours hands

[myonepiece]

Iceburg, Lucci, Paulie reaction to S/O greeting them with sleepy cuddles when he gets in bed at night

I’ve fallen in love with Iceburg

-although there are many many occasions Iceburg will cancel everything just so he can go to sleep with you, there are also times he can’t- but he reeeaaally wants to :(

-he was counting down the minutes until he could go home, his boredom growing with each hour passing until it was really early in the morning and he was able to go home

-as he’s throwing off his clothes near the bed he hears you mumble his name and immediately looks at you

-you more your arm unconsciously trying to find him in the bed, Iceburg coos at your cute antics and finally climbs into bed

-he watches with an amused smile as you scoot closer to him in your sleep

-once you’re almost to him he’ll reach out and take you in his arms, kissing your forehead and whispering a “good job” while he wraps his arms around your body

-he’s not exactly going to count down the minutes, but he tries to finish all work quickly so he can get home

-once he’s home and ready for bed he slips under the covers on the other side of the bed

-he sees you stir slightly and watches to make sure you’re sleeping alright

-when you turn over and search for him he doesn’t react, he nonchalantly watches

-he will however reach out an arm so you can find him easier

-he lets you get settled in his arms before pecking the crown of your head and falling asleep himself

-he gets distracted by hsi work sometimes and forgets he gets to go home and see you, but when it gets later the thought definitely consumes hs mind, wondering if you ate dinner, if you’re sleeping well

-he hurries home because he wants to make sure you’re okay and finally join you for sleep

-when he slides into bed and you move to wrap your arms around his torso his cheeks immediately dust a light pink

-he tries to push it away by getting angry at how revealing your pajamas are... but.. it’s just the two of you...

-he still thinks it’s absolutely adorable and will turn onto his side and throw his arm over your waist

-he quickly kisses your cheek before pulling away and burying his blushing scowling face in your neck

[silenceofthecookies]

Hello Cookie-san !!! First at all, I wanted to tell you that your writing is always a delight to read ! ^^ I'm quite new at all those request thing so I'm a bit shy to ask (I'm quacking in my boots Usopp style) ... May I resquest some OP hcs with Doflamingo and Iceburg planning a romantic lunch with laugh and teasing moments please ? I hope i'm asking correctly (if not feel free to ignore of course). Thank you for everything, love you ! <3

Hi there! Thank you, I’m glad you like my writing! 💖 Don’t worry about being nervous when requesting, from what I’ve heard most people have that (me included 😂). I hope you enjoy the headcanons! 

Doflamingo

Any date with Doflamingo is always planned out to the smallest detail. He loves spoiling you, and a lunch date is no different. He will have the finest food prepared for the two of you and he’ll make sure nobody even dares disturb the two of you. It’s his rare private time with you and other people have no business there.

If someone does disturb said lunch date, they’d better have a damn good reason because their life is on the line there, depending on who they are.

Doflamingo will compliment you at the start of every date. It doesn’t matter if you’re dressed up all fancy for a dinner date, or if you’ve just put on whatever. He always finds something to compliment you on.

Doflamingo is the master of mysteries though, and lunch is no exception. There’s always something you don’t expect there to be. Sometimes it’s a rare dish, sometimes it’s a little present,… If he can think of it, he can make it happen.

Even at dates, Doflamingo’s teasing doesn’t stop. He loves seeing you flustered or embarrassed, and he will try to make you as much as he can. It starts with compliments, some of which may or may not be on the suggestive side. There’s also the occasional making fun of you, though he’s always careful with his words so he doesn’t really offend you. Teasing should be fun after all, not hurtful.

He loves it when you try to tease him. It never works though, he usually throws it right back at you or answers with a smile.

If anything at all does not go according to how he planned it, Doflamingo will get really moody, if not actually angry. He instructed people to follow his orders, simple, right? Then how did someone manage to fuck it up? He had been clear enough in his instructions. Only you and a handful of family members are able to calm him down from a situation like this. If nobody does, it results in whoever messed up getting a serious scare and a punishment of some sorts. And that’s when Doffy is feeling merciful.

If all goes well though, you’ll be in for the perfect lunch date, with Doflamingo being great company and with amazing food. Thank him for the date with a passionate kiss, and his mood will most likely be good for the remainder of the day.

 Iceburg

Lunch dates are definitely Iceburg’s favourite. You’re more awake than at breakfast, but it’s not as much of a big deal as a dinner date. It’s relaxed and casual, just the way he likes it. That doesn’t mean that Iceburg doesn’t enjoy taking you out on a fancy date every now and again as well, quite the contrary, but he just prefers the more casual and less stressful dates to plan.

Most of the time, there’s not even any planning involved. He’ll just have his secretary clear out his schedule on a whim and he’ll come to get you. Just because he wants to see you and eat with you. Also maybe because his previous lunch plans were boring or annoying and he just wanted any excuse to not have to attend to them.

Lunch dates with Iceburg are simple. Most of the time he drags you to his favourite restaurant, a simple one that specialises in breakfast and lunch. What you do after that is up to you, but most of the time if you ask him to clear his schedule for you, he will.

All of the staff already know what the two of you want, so they’ll leave you alone for the majority of the time, giving you as much privacy and quality time as they can allow you.

Iceburg will want to pay for you, but if that’s something that upsets you, he’ll split the bill. He wants to treat you and spoil you, but he also doesn’t want something like that to turn into an argument or something that makes you uncomfortable.

Whether you want to talk a lot or just enjoy each other’s company in silence, Iceburg is fine with both. He loves listening to you talk about your morning, other things that happened or things you had been doing relating to your hobbies lately. Seeing you happy is literally all he wants.

He’s always a little sad when you part ways after a lunch date. He’s had so much fun, and he is so relaxed by the time it’s over, that he really just doesn’t want it to be over. He may try to persuade you to go to a nice little tearoom to continue the date there, regardless of your or his own schedule.

[luccislegs]

Cute fluff for Iceburg/Reader/Paulie just how they met and how their relationship dynamic works! ((Dumbass-no-mi))

here you go.

Iceburg and Paulie have worked together for ages. It was a boss/subordinate friendly relationship at first. Then Paulie became Vice President of Iceburg’s Galley-La shipbuilding company and things changed. 

Paulie liked Iceburg for a long time before he became VP. Unfortunately, Iceburg was entirely oblivious to his feelings, and Paulie was always too shy to say anything. It was painfully obvious to everyone else, and Paulie didn’t even try especially hard to hide them. He was like an open book, stumbling over his words and blushing whenever Iceburg did anything even remotely adorable. Fortunately for him and everyone else, he was all business when it came to the job, and it’s probably the only thing that saved him. 

Iceburg trusted Paulie with his life, let alone his company, so it was almost a given that he be given the position of VP. Paulie was more than capable, regardless of his weird quirks, which Iceburg found adorable if not a little strange. If he wasn’t so dense– which is something people said about him on a regular basis– he might have recognized it was because he returned Iceburg’s feelings (not they they were well hidden, Paulie was just as oblivious as Iceburg was to his). Although, Iceburg was always oblivious unless something involved his company, ships, or his pet mouse.

You come into their lives in the most typical way Paulie can manage. He calls you a harlot.

You were out running some errands and accidentally trip in front of them, and something about your position– or was it your legs?– sets Paulie off. As you’re picking yourself up, you hear what sounds like muffled yelling and when you look up, you find the mayor of Water 7 and VP of Galley-La in an…interesting position. Paulie was pointing angrily at you, running his mouth behind Iceburg’s hand, who was in turn looking at you with an apologetic smile.

“I’m terribly sorry about him. But, well, it’s just how he is. Are you alright?” he asks, ignoring Paulie entirely.

You can feel yourself blushing. Everyone knew that the mayor was handsome, it was a given. He’s also known to be friendly and gentle, if not a bit childish. He is well loved by the city, and he’s now staring at you expectantly. Paulie’s reaction is…strange, to say the least, but you knew about his weird reaction to women’s skin, and it was to be expected since you were in shorts. “I’m fine, really. Just in a rush was all.”

“Well, where were you headed? We were just on our way to lunch–” 

At this, Paulie finally manages to rip Iceburg’s hand off his mouth and yells, “Don’t invite this harlot to lunch with us! Look at her, she’ll attract too much attention.”

Your eye twitches at his words and you react on instinct, pointing at him as you snap back, “Not as much as you do in that stupid jean jacket. They went out of fashion 10 years ago.”

Iceburg laughs behind his hand as Paulie sputters, staring at you in disbelief. After a moment, he stops and looks away, crossing his arms in a huff across his chest. Iceburg then continues, “We were just going to get some lunch, if you’d like to join us…?”

“Oh, it’s ___, mayor Iceburg. And I couldn’t impose,” you answer, waving your hand emphatically. As much as you want to agree, you don’t want to interrupt them.

“Not at all,” he says, walking towards you. When he came to stand beside you is when you realize the significant height difference between you. You have to tilt your head all the way back to see his face, and he chuckles. “I would be glad for you to join us.”

Paulie huffs, watching from the corner of his eyes before he stalks around Iceburg and continues down the street. Iceburg puts his hand to the small of your back and leads you the same way, chatting amicably.

Over the course of the next few weeks, you run into them frequently. A part of it is you, you’re sure. After that first lunch date, you returned to the same restaurant a few times a week, hoping to see them again. Your efforts are rewarded– it seems they frequent the place as regulars. And more often than not– which is to say every time– you’re invited to join them.

Within the first 3 dates, you recognize that Paulie has feelings for Iceburg, but you’re beginning to suspect that Iceburg is oblivious, at least based on the way he reacts to Paulie. Equally, Paulie is very jealous of the attention Iceburg pays you, even if it’s no different than how he treats you. It quickly becomes obvious that they have feelings for each other, but neither are aware of it. Which begs the question of why Iceburg was so insistent on you joining them.

Your bonding moment with Paulie was a harrowing one. He showed up at the restaurant alone and invited you to lunch with him. Prior to that, he had barely spoken a word to you, so you were immediately on edge. True to form, he ignores you for the first few minutes, aggressively tearing up the napkin on the table and giving you dirty looks from the corner of his eye.

The longer you wait, the more antsy you get, until you decide to go for broke. You like Paulie. He’s handsome and, even though it’s never directed at you, he’s funny and friendly. You want him to know that you aren’t actively going after the man he likes, at least not to hurt him. Your personal preferences in a relationship aren’t always shared by others, but you’ve got the feeling that Iceburg does. And you hate to say it but, even if Paulie doesn’t, he’ll have to get over it if he wants Iceburg.

“I know you have feelings for Iceburg,” you say, picking at the corner of the placemat on the table. It’s coming up, ragged at the edges, and you tear off another little piece as you speak. You hear a choking noise and, when you look up, he’s bright red and frowning at you. It seems for a moment that he’s going to explode right there in the restaurant, but then he just…deflates.

“How did you know? You like him too, don’t you?” His question is really more of a statement, and you flush slightly as you nod. Paulie sighs and looks down at his drink, stirring the straw absently as he gathers his thoughts.

“You’re pretty obvious about it. You always turn red when he looks at you, or speaks to you, or just…anything really. It’s cute, actually,” you say, and watch the blush return to his cheeks. He chuckles lightly and meets your eyes fully for the first time.

“He’s an idiot though. Doesn’t notice at all,” he says, and there’s an odd relief tempered by wariness. You have feelings for him too and, though *he* won’t ever make a move, he’s unsure if you will. Though it is strange for you to bring it up like that if you were, unless you were going to *tell him* you’re going too…

“He really doesn’t, does he? He’s adorably dense but it must be so frustrating.” He nods in response and you can see the tension in his shoulders disappear. 

It’s a relief to be able to talk about his feelings with someone who actually understands. The others sort of know what it’s like, but the frustration and annoyance of trying to get Iceburg’s attention can only be understood by someone else who likes him. And Paulie finds he isn’t *too* upset by your feelings for Iceburg. You look so understanding and, if he stopped to think about it instead of getting jealous, you really were nice.

The rest of lunch passes in a blink and, by the end of it, you’ve got Paulie’s number and a text waiting for you when you get back to work, and you realize what a sweetheart Paulie really, truly is.

Upon your next meeting with the men, Iceburg immediately sees a difference between you and Paulie. Paulie had informed him of his lunch meeting with you, and he seemed happy about it. Iceburg was immediately suspicious but also happy that you were getting along. He hadn’t fully reconciled his feelings for you yet, but he knew they ran deeper than friendly. His big problem was his feelings for Paulie. He didn’t think he could have you both, but he didn’t know how to choose. Or if Paulie really felt the same. Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t sure you did either.

At lunch, you and Paulie are giggling like best friends, and Iceburg feels left out and more than a little jealous. In his typical manner, he turns childish, throwing things at the two of you and pouting. Paulie is confused, he’s never seen Iceburg act that petulant, but you wait and watch, and the frowns and glares he throws whenever either of you get a little too friendly is a dead giveaway.

It’s almost impossible not to laugh as you lean over and whisper into Paulie’s ear. He almost gives it away and, if it weren’t for Iceburg literally looking the other way because he’s so peeved, he might have figured it out. Paulie doesn’t want to believe it, doesn’t want to get his own hopes up, and on top of that, if what you say is true, things just became a lot more complicated.

Over the last few days, feelings of his own have bloomed for you. It’s the last thing he expected to happen because he hasn’t had feelings for anyone else in such a long time. But when he’s feeling down, or frustrated, or panicked, you always seem to know and find some way of reassuring him. He doesn’t even have to ask and he looks forward to hearing from you throughout the day. Without even realizing it, he’s worried when he hasn’t heard from you in a few hours, and will text you just to make sure you’re okay. You always are, but it makes him feel better. 

And on your end, it’s nice to know that Paulie cares enough about you to make sure you’re alright. Sometimes work gets in the way, sometimes you just don’t feel like talking, sometimes it’s something else. Paulie never pressures you to talk, just checks in and if you say you’re fine but don’t feel like talking, he respects it. It’s a total contrast to how he was when you first met him. Sure he still has his random outbursts, but they’re usually preceded by an appreciative look and followed by a flustered apology.

They both notice how quiet you get after you whisper into Paulie’s ear, and Iceburg worries that he’s actually upset. For once, Paulie doesn’t think that and wonders what you’re plotting. Iceburg perks up a little and tries to engage you in conversation, but you’re aloof.

In reality, you aren’t. You’re just trying to work up the courage to invite them to a movie– a date, if you’re being brave– since both of them are obviously too dense and too shy to make a move with each other or you. 

After you exit the restaurant, you’re standing around outside while Paulie smokes his usual cigar. Iceburg is still pestering you, trying to figure out what’s wrong. He just wants you to return to your usual, cheerful self, to prove you aren’t mad at him for his childish antics. Finally, you take a deep breath, your heart in your throat as you say, “Hey, guys, there’s this movie I’ve been wanting to see for a while now. Would you…maybe wanna go…with me?” 

You’re fidgeting with your fingers and looking at your feet, so you don’t see the reactions. Paulie’s eyes widen and he inhales too much smoke, so he turns around and starts choking. Iceburg just blinks a few times as he stares at you, almost frozen to the spot. He thinks you’re adorable and his brain has just stopped as he realizes you’ve just asked them both on a date.

“What do you think you’re doing, you hussy?” Paulie yells, and you flinch at his harsh words. Usually his outbursts would roll of you like water, but it was hard enough working up the courage to ask and your nerves were frayed and you–

“Paulie, stop. ___, I would love to go,” Iceburg says, cutting off your hectic thoughts. His hand comes rest on your cheek, forcing you to look up at him. There’s amusement in his eyes and excitement on his normally apathetic face and you nod automatically.

Paulie sighs beside you, encircling his waist around your back in a very out of character way. “I’m sorry, ___. If you really want me to go, I will.”

He says it in such a lackluster way, as if it’s a chore for him, but the flush on his cheeks and your intimate knowledge of how he is gives away how much he actually wants to go. He looks up to Iceburg and finds him giving him a strange, almost unreadable look. Or unreadable to Paulie, anyway, you recognize it as hopeful and you can guess what he’s hopeful for.

The movie is terrible. It’s unfortunate, but it happens sometimes. Paulie is walking in front of you, on a tangent about your terrible choice of movie and you’re grinning softly at his nonsense. Iceburg is at your side, watching Paulie push through the thick crowds in the theater when he feels you stumble into him. When he looks down, he realizes you’re being shoved around by the crowd and automatically wraps his arm around your shoulders, holding you close as he uses himself as a shield.

Your face is on fire and you resist the temptation to put your arm around his back for only a moment and when you do give in, you’re rewarded by Iceburg squeezing you tighter. When you finally make it out of the crowd, you’re outside and Paulie is nowhere to be found. You expect Iceburg to let you go, but he only squeezes you closer. You almost trip over his feet and laugh, both out of amusement and nervousness, and then Paulie comes into view again.

He looks annoyed, running his mouth about rude people and getting lost, and it changes to wariness when he sees you and Iceburg so comfy. Before he can get too upset though, you reach out and take his hand. He bursts out with his usual insults and you just roll your eyes, waiting for him to stop. You know he’s just embarrassed because he doesn’t actually pull away, and when he shuts up you tug on his hand to bring him closer.

Iceburg watches without a word, meeting Paulie’s eye over your head and something suddenly clicks. With his free hand, he reaches out and takes Paulie’s, chuckling a little as Paulie sputters and chokes. You’re smiling gently as Iceburg finally makes his move, even though you’re nervous about what this means for the three of you. But Paulie settles and links his fingers between yours, squeezing even though he can’t look at you.

You know you have a lot to talk about, and things might not fit together right away, but you can definitely accept how unbelievably lucky you are to have met these two men. And they won’t say it for a while, but you’ll eventually find out that they feel the same way. Paulie will be first, expressing how he doesn’t think he ever would have gotten with Iceburg if you hadn’t come along

[luccislegs]

Luna! Can I please have some Kaku, Lucci, Iceburg, and Paulie hcs with a civvie seamstress s/o please? Thanks you 🙏

iceburg:

He meets you purely by accident. He had been looking for some place to get an adorable costume made for Tyrannosaurus and you literally ran into him as you were rushing down the street towards your shop– which he was standing outside of. Very flustered and kind of sweaty, you led him into the shop and went about measuring Tyrannosaurus. Iceburg adored how you talked to the quite large mouse like he was a person, and all the care you put into the process of fitting him.

Iceburg fully expected you to do a good job, but he popped in over the next few days just to see you. He was surprised, however, when you seemed nervous and when he asked, you explained that you were afraid he thought you were doing a bad job. The little outfit was almost finished and looked wonderful, but he realized how it could have appeared to you now.

So he laughed and explained that, no, he just liked you. That got a rise out of you, but not as much as when the mayor of Water 7 asked you out on a date. That night, he picked you up and showed Tyrannosaurus to you, now decked out in your awesome new suit, and promised he was going to commission more for both himself and his pet.

Being a seamstress for the mayor (and his partner) has its perks. You get preferential treatment and a lot of business. Iceburg is unabashed in promoting your work, and you see a large upswing in sales. 

Of course, he always comes first when he puts in an order. He’s always careful not to seem too unfair though, and he makes sure that the other tailors don’t become too unhappy with his special treatment.

kaku:

Kaku met you through Lucci by way of picking up a new jacket for Hattori. Lucci had been going to you for years, but Kaku had never had the pleasure. After that first meeting, he started to casually offer to go and pick up Lucci’s things for him whenever he could. (Lucci would usually smirk and accept, having recognized Kaku’s true intentions. Besides, it meant he didn’t have to do it.) 

When you questioned him about where Lucci’s been, he flushes a soft red and averts his eyes, wondering if you missed the other man or something. But then you laughed and told him you really wanted to see Hattori in the pieces and he relaxed. For all his training, he really couldn’t hide his feelings well from you, and when he left that day it was with your mushi number in hand and promises for a date.

At the point when you meet him, he’s already past the Water 7 incident, so you know who he is. You don’t care much, because he’s terribly sweet and unassuming, but it takes a little while for you to trust him completely. He continues to pick up Lucci’s clothes for him (which he receives later and later each time), and even starts accompanying Lucci to his fittings, much to Lucci’s amusement.

lucci:

You obviously had to meet Lucci while he was looking for a new tailor. He had been to a dozen or so at that point and had not liked a single one, until he found you. The care you took and the gentle way you talked to Hattori endeared you to him, but what really settled it was the effort that went into your work, even for what was “only an animal.” And so, he began to frequent your shop.

Most times, Lucci was cool and professional, maintaining his uncaring facade as he placed his order with you. After a while, though, he began to respond whenever you would make small talk. Not that he ever ignored you to begin with, but he wasn’t as invested in the conversation then. It took him awhile to realize that he didn’t just like your work anymore, he actually liked you, and that both intrigued and perturbed him. He thought he was beyond emotions like that, and yet he found himself seeking you out more often for petty things like a new band on his hat or a new handkerchief for his pocket, flirting and teasing a little more openly as he waited for his orders to be done.

It didn’t actually come to anything until the day he caught another Marine flirting with you as you were opening up your shop. The utter relief in your eyes when you caught sight of him filled him with a feral pride, and his shadow loomed over the Marine, who spun around in surprise. It must have been the possessive, almost predatory look on his face because the man quickly fled, offering half-apologies and excuses as he ran off. 

It was silent as you finished unlocking your door and darted inside, unsurprised to find him near behind you, a small smirk on his lips and a playful glint in his eyes. He said nothing as he pulled you close into his arms and leaned down, waiting for you to reject him, before he kissed you deeply. Only after that did he ask you out, and although he expected the answer he got, there was still gratification there.

Even though you become his partner, he still expects a professional attitude, even if he finds it endearing how you become more lax about speaking to him and Hattori. He’s very supportive, allowing you to use him to try on some fittings, so long as he gets something out of it. He doesn’t admit it, but he likes the attention you pay to him. And he has no problems whatsoever with allowing Hattori to be your guinea pig for new outfits ideas, and genuinely likes every one of them.

paulie:

He meets you by virtue of chance, when he ducks into your little shop while running from his loan sharks. You watch in confusion as he scuttles into one of your clothing racks, pulling the hangers in front of him so he can’t be seen as they run past. When he exits his hiding place, he’s confronted by your bewildered stare, and his face turns tomato red as he realizes that 1) you’re gorgeous and 2) you just witnessed him being a total idiot.

So Paulie being Paulie, he freaks out, calls you a hussy, and runs off again. The next day, he appears again with a box of donuts in hand, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly before shoving it into your hands. His apology is muttered and embarrassed, his face the same shade of red as yesterday as he takes in your legs in the shorts you had worn that day. He really, really tries not to freak out, but he can’t help it. He bursts into a nosebleed, yells about how you’re a tramp, and runs off again. After he rounds the corner, he almost curses himself.

The third time, he realizes you’re a seamstress and so, steeling himself, he enters the shop and pretends to browse a little before finally approaching the counter. You’re watching him with a guarded look, your brows quirked in preparation for another outburst, and are pleasantly surprised when he lays a jean jacket on the counter. In a very gruff manner, he asks if you can fix the massive hole where a pocket used to be, and you don’t ask him how he managed it. Instead, you decide to tease him a little by asking why he always runs off calling you names. He stutters out some nonsensical answer and you cut him a break by laughing and calling him cute. It’s enough to send him into fits, and he hauls ass out of the shop in embarrassment.

For some reason you can’t figure out, he keeps showing back up to the shop, and you slowly but surely get to know him and when you get past his ridiculous flight reaction, you find him interesting and smart, and it slowly morphs into more. You’re pretty sure he feels the same, but you know he isn’t going to be the one to ask, so you do. In response, you get called a name but after a few moments of freaking out he relaxes and begrudgingly agrees.

Being with a Dock 1 foreman has its pros and cons. There are a lot of jealous people that throw looks your way when you’re out and about with him. They all want a piece of the foremen, and you’ve snagged one of them up. On the other hand, business increases because you’re seen with him so often, and Iceburg himself personally begins shopping with you.

Paulie is also not easy on his clothes. He’s strong and good at his job, but loose nails, his knives, fights with customers, and a whole slew of other things causes his clothes to tear and fall apart more easily than most normal people’s. After a while, you give him a heavy discount because he’s in there so often and so loyal, plus you know he’s broke from his gambling. It’s almost sad, if not a little endearing how he spends what little he has as an excuse to come see you.