#tw: anxiety mentions

[elizabeaufort]

⸻ Once more the show for the week, a sentiment of fulfillment for her work, and Elizabeth was heading home, what surprised her was to see a man seemingly waiting for her in the dark in the parking lot. Liz squealed startled to the lowkey familiar face. 'Lux! There you are… It's me. Chon. ' The mysterious male appeared from the darkness revealing himself by the lights of the post, and Liz put a hand on her own thumping heart. ❛ Oh, thank God! I thought it was a stranger. How are ya doing, mate? Did you watch the show? ❜ The Aussie asked as he smirked at her questions. 'I couldn't watch it. I miss you at the club, is there any way that I can make you return? I have the contacts and they can re-hire you. ' Chon was trying out the small talk with her, in which she was falling easily on the bait. Chon was one of the guys obsessed with her, and ever since she left the strip club, he was hunting her down, stalking every movement she did. Sometimes, he gave her flowers when she finished her shift at the club. Occasionally, he gave her drugs, like on her birthday, he was the one to give her heroine. ⏤ ❛ Are you here because I owe you money? I told you I could pay for the drugs. ❜ Liz asked after a while. ' No, Lux. A gift is a gift, and I told you I don't want you to deal with the wrong people. I'm here to see you. And can you do me a favor? I don't understand much about pets. How about you help me to see if what I found is okay? It's in my car. Besides, you're an Aussie, and you people are good with pets. ' Chon said, and she rolled her eyes, she hates when people point out "oh, you're an Aussie, could you handle the snake? spider etc. " That's really annoying.

Liz was finding this conversation kind of weird. But shrugs off the oddities. She would excuse herself and leave if he was somebody she NEVER saw in her life. That was not the case. She went to see what he had on his trunk when he opened it, it was kind of dark before she was able to pick up her phone to turn the lantern on, he used a stone to hit on her head, knocking her out. Chon said 'sorry' to her, as he used tape to tie her up, put a mask on her face in which she couldn't see anything, and fit her inside. ⎯ After a long ride, he arrived at the house, in the middle of nowhere, away from the town. And put her in a basement with bad lighting, chained, in a place with rusty objects, including the chains on her, and bad hygiene.

…

MEANWHILE.

The elder Beaufort, was finding it odd. He double-checked the time on his watch. He decided to call Alex, but left a voice message: ❛ Hi, erhm… Sorry to bother you, but Lux is at your place? It's just she hasn't back from work. Normally, she just text me. Maybe she is mad at me, women! Ok, au revoir.❜ Message by Claude around 5. AM.

6 AM.

The twins woke up. ❛ Mamma! Mamma! ❜ Both rushed to the door, as they heard footsteps in the corridor. Claude went to spy, but there wasn't nobody. The Frenchman then decided to call to a few of her friends that he knew. ❛ Hi, I don't do this often but Lux is here? I need help with my grandchildren. ❜ And call to one, or two or three friends… Nothing. He organized his grandchildren to the daycare and prepared their backpacks, forgetting to put a snack in one of them, and the toys. Lilou went with messy hair, and Beau went to the daycare, with an unwashed face, and messy hair.

3 days later…

No sign of Elizabeth. And then he decided to go to Westside, it wasn't the days she worked there but the last time she left she went for work. 'I'm sorry, I didn't see her'. Her car was found, and he had a bad feeling. A worker from the parking lot saw Claude seeing her daughter's car, and handed him her purse, and the phone with battery died.

On the same day, Claude. ❛ Alexander, I have a bad feeling. I think she's gone. Help me to find my daughter. I don't know what to do. If I didn't know her better, I would say she did the same thing as her mother. I found her car, her phone and her purse, at work. Did you fight with my daughter? You two argue?! I need to know! ❜ Claude said distraught in the voice message.

2 WEEKS.

No sign.

Nearly, 3 WEEKS.

'No one will come to get you. This place is soundproof.' Chon said, looking at Liz. And the blonde just spits on his face. ❛ Let me out! ❜ She yelled, and Chon wiped her spit and slapped at her face, leaving her chained, and switching off the lights, leaving her in the darkness again.

@alexcalder

[briarrosedahl]

𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 a conversation with her older brother (asking if she could travel with Laurie), Martina smooched at Eli's cheek, before rushing to see her fiancé. She still could not believe, she was finally engaged to the man of her dreams. Laurie had spoiled her a lot on the night prior that was her birthday. She couldn't open up all the gifts, but she was already using one of the dresses, he gifted her. Since they had to depart, she decided to open everything up when she gets to her final destination, because everything was so well packed, and well, she didn't bring with her much luggage when she first arrived in Switzerland. A lot of things she had sold, to buy art supplies, but even her art supplies were in low quantity because one of the swans ruined them.

She gets inside the carriage (super fast, so she doesn't pay attention on the horses, the animal she fears), a bit breathless, because she delayed a little. ❛ Sorry. I just want to talk to my brother first, but everything is okay, amore mio. ❜ She assured him, and hold his hand. Her brown heart beating was skipping, mostly because she saw the horses, and traveling without them was inevitable. Especially for a long, journey.❛ We can go now.❜ If they were in complete silence he would hear her own heart beating, and her body tense. Cheeks blushed due to the heat of her own body. His carriage was very beautiful and comfortable.

💙 Laurie Rinaldi  @anxhoredheart​

[bejordan]

"almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you."

“do you remember the last time you stepped foot in this office?”

yes… or at least could i remember?

when your brain has been on overload for quite some time, it is possible that you could forget plenty of things — even your own responsibilities and attending therapy was one of those things for JORDAN.

before life became hectic, therapy session were a must for the young

male. at first he had hesitated at the suggestion as he had a deep

conversation about it with his cousin. but, two sessions in and he felt

himself motivated to becoming a better version of himself.

unfortunately, anxiety was a major setback for plenty of the

opportunities he just could not become comfortable placing himself

in.

going back in time when JORDAN was around 5 years old was when

he experienced his first anxiety attack. it was a windy day, bright on

the stage, but dark clouds filling up the innocent child’s still forming

brain. he had been front and center performing a dance routine that

him and his team had been working on for about 2 months. one thing

had led to another and JORDAN was laying in a hospital room.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“how are you feeling at this very moment? hold no emotion or thought back. ease your mind.”

JORDAN did not know where to begin. should he explain himself

in one shot or hold back? truth be told, he may of seemed happy on

the outside. but on the inside, his mind had been playing multiple

tricks on him. dancing had been his distraction for quite some time. if

he were stressed out even at the smallest things, you could find him

in a room with his favorite tunes blasting and his feet gliding across

the ground.

but this time felt a whole lot different and JORDAN was going to

make the attempt to resolve it.

[bjorkncaddel]

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄 about Neva, sometimes she did not realize when a person was joking or being serious, so when he said they would talk about it later, she imagined he was being serious. At this point, Neva should get used to her husband's joke. She bites his shoulder softly when he says she can sleep off at his 'no' as an answer. She may have said before she wanted a divorce from him, but all the time she truly did not mean that. It was the heat of the moment, and frankly delivering two babies and seeing her husband's smug smile, she really wanted to slap that face in that hour. It wasn't like nobody was in her body to know what she was going through or what her mind went through at that time. Giving orders is so easy, but she wanted to see people being in her place.

❛ It truly was Ry. You should've tasted it. ❜ She refers to the macarons. ❛ I don't know where Delia found them. I will ask her later. ❜ Macarons are not easy to find tasteful, some places make them so poorly. His grandma found it somewhere, it is just like the ones she ate in Paris. Every time she visits France, there is a bakery she loves in which they had the best macaron on the world to her. ⎯ The way he was stroking her head, combing her hair, making her drift to sleep easily. She loved hearing the sounds of his heartbeats, it was so soothing sound to her.

Neva heard him saying he was better now, but as he began to ask her about the wild idea, she already drifted to sleep, deeply. She was so sleepy, this is why the ratio of silence was long. For the first time in a big while they could sleep together, and be comfortable again.

“——we wouldn't be having a serious talk about getting a divorce,” he shook his head, laughing lightly. “I’d say no, and you could sleep it off,” he teased, pressing a long kiss against the crown of her head. in truth, he would never try to keep her by force, but he also loves her so much he wouldn’t give up on her, or them, easily either. but he hadn’t thought of it anyway, didn’t have a reason to; even as she asked for a divorce, he paid it little mind, knew it was in the heat of the moment fuelled by her anger so only said what he thought wouldn’t enrage her more without seeming like he was dismissing her statement ( though, he was, he had forgotten about it the very next moment ). the nurses had seemed more concerned than him, also half terrified by her ability to throw insults with a wit —which, he found so damn hilarious and endearing, but god-forbid he was dead if he said anything at that moment.

taking a moment to breathe her in and just hold her as they laid there wrapped up in each other; this was the calmer and most relaxed he had felt for months. to just be enveloped in her very presence, her scent, to feel the warmth of her body pressed against his; just a calm moment without them having to stress or worry about anything at present. laughing lightly as she explained the story with the macaroons. “so I am lucky they were tasty,” he teased, pinching her side lightly. his hand continued toying with the ends of her hair, combing through them, effortlessly; it was soothing to him too, to be able to hold her like this now without worrying about the IVs or the bump or her back pain. her head resting on his chest paired with her steady breathing was easily melting the last of his concerns away. cupping the side of her face he pressed a kiss on her forehead; fingers delved into her hair, gently massaging the back of her neck. damn, to love someone so fucking hard, truly, deeply; what a fool he had been to think what love was before her.

she snuggled closer to him and he smiled. “rest, baby,” voice low as he spoke, as if to not disturb the quiet. they could rest, in fact, since Chiara could feed the twins should they wake any time sooner than expected, and they could care for them afterward; it had been a long while since either of them had a good rest. medication was making Neva drowsy and sleepy a lot of the time, but that did not take away the back pain or the swollen feet, or the twins kicking and moving. “better now…” he admitted; he wasn’t ridden with an uncopious amount of stress and anxiety and felt like he could finally breathe a little —he had been so worried something could happen to her, it was hard to rest; any time he tried to get some rest he was barely able to stay asleep, feared something could happen to her in the middle of the night. holding her now, in their bed, in their home, he felt calm. “I have a wild idea, but how about a nap?” he teased, stroking her back. he was half about to drift off, lulled by her warmth and breathing; having her there safe and sound.

[crxwnedbarbie]

💌 (lavinia & luciana)

❛ My kedves (dear) Vivi… I feel so sorry for missing the party you hosted, although it wasn't my fault for the further events that happened throughout the day. It wasn't like I could predict the future. But other than that, I want to say I think I won't even send this letter to you. I miss you so much. I'm not good at explaining my sentiments. I miss the time when you weren't a queen. When I think of those times, it seems like a dream and it never existed. Am I insane for thinking that it happened once upon a time? I know that some days we fight, but I want to let you know I love you entirely. You are my sister and my idol, and I'll always stand by your side whenever you need me.

With love,

Barbie. ❜

❛ My kedves (dear) Luci,

You're the sister of another mistress to me. I feel like you are the one to actually comprehend me. I hope you know you can count on me for everything. I have some news! I haven't told my sisters yet, because it is a secret. I met an intelligent count the other day, and he took me to the commoner's tavern. But don't worry, I was disguised as one of the servants from the palace, wearing their clothes and using a new identity named Nicole, which is the French form for my middle name Nikol. The taverns aren't really the place I thought it would be, but there's a certain beauty in it, in watching people being happy in the midst of chaos, even if it is momentarily. I can tell the commoners knows how to have fun! I'll ask the count if he could bring me there again, or well the 'NICOLE' to the taverns. Just don't tell anyone, it is our secret. I'm having so much fun being Nicole. I can tell the rest in person, but I just want to let you know first in letters. And please tell me some spicy gossip too!

Love, Barbie. ❜

[elizabeaufort]

[ panic ] sender helps receiver through a panic attack

⏤ In that room filled with 'rich people', everything was so good until… That woman. Was her mother? It looks like her. Elizabeth wasn't keen to find out. As a matter of fact, she told Damien, she would be right back, acting weirdly. Going outside from this party, desperate to find fresh air, she heard footsteps behind her. A hand was rested on her chest. ❛ Damien, I think I'm having a heart attack. ❜ She warns him, as she feels him approaching. ❛ This is so stupid! ❜ Ah, when she gets nervous, or upset… Elizabeth 'laughs' instead of crying. And then, she laughs nervously at feeling so stupid. ❛ I'm dying… ❜ No, she wasn't. She was only having a panic attack, and she felt him hugging her, and she hugged him back, with a trembling body, her breath ragged, trying to calm down. ❛ I promise I'm not like this… ❜ She hated that he saw her vulnerable state, a side that she hated. ❛ You think I'm crazy, am I right? ❜ She felt him petting her back to smooth her anxieties, that was working.

// @dtoussaint

[briarrosedahl]

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐒 bored, and she wasn't in the mood to do her things, such as drawing, playing instruments, or singing. Even the mass of the church, she wasn't going. First, she was sick, and now she is very unmotivated. Even her personal guard was trying to cheer her up, by making an ugly and awkward crown of flowers, and put on her head. She feels vulnerable without her prized possession, her ring (which was her stress reliever, without it, she feels powerless.). The Italian princess was looking at nothing, with a lost gaze, and one of her guards left her alone, knowing with her demeanor she wouldn't move from where she was. The less she knows, she noticed Lucille. Shit! The last person she expects to see... Especially after the little 'sleepover' at her son's chambers. ❛ Bonjour! ❜ Her heart sped up wondering whether or not that hag of Narisa told her about that little encounter with her son. 

@vipercille​ 

[hannahbarberra162]

Emperor's Prize (Alpha Shanks x Omega Reader)

18+ MDNI, on Ao3

Chapter 2

Oops! Accidentally wrote another yandere story. This time its Alpha Shanks and Omega Reader.

If I have to keep thinking about it, you can read about it. It’s cringe, it’s overdone, it’s annoying and I don’t care. I did proofread this, but I'll likely do so again in the coming days.

TW: depression, suicidal ideation mentioned, non-con, dubcon, whump, abuse

MIND THE TAGS!

~

Shanks gets more than just the Poneglyphs when he destroys the Victoria Punk, he gets you too. Shanks is kinder than your previous owner, but an Emperor doesn't let treasures slip through his fingers.

~

As you sat on the floor in Kid’s cabin, wrists shackled and chained to his bed, you heard the tell tale sounds of fighting. You knew that Kid was going after Red Haired Shanks in an effort to dislodge the Emperor and take his title. You would never say anything for fear of being slapped across the face or worse, but you didn’t think he was going to win. At least, you hoped he didn’t. You hoped the Emperor killed everyone on board, yourself included. It was what the crew deserved, and your torment would finally end. You would be free of the hell your life had become since the Kid Pirates had taken you from your home. It would probably be a better ending for you than anything else that would happen, anyway.

You’d been living on Beta Island incognito, hiding your status as an Omega. You didn’t want to be sold to a Celestial Dragon in your late teens, as your parents had planned for you. So you’d escaped your home island shortly before your 13th birthday, evading patrol after patrol, living your life on the run. Eventually, you found yourself on Beta Island, which suited you just fine. Only Betas were allowed to live on the island, avoiding all the trouble that the other two dynamics brought with them. You’d taken suppressants since your escape and because you’d never gone into heat, you were able to pass yourself off as a regular Beta. It had been an idyllic time for you, as you worked and made friends with the Betas on your island. You had even deluded yourself into thinking that maybe your life would be alright, when the Kid pirates attacked the island.

You were running away from the chaos and destruction downtown, trying to keep from being spotted as well as you could. Scrambling through an alley, you passed the Captain himself, who was laughing at the bloodshed and pain he was causing innocent people. You thought he hadn’t seen you but you suddenly felt yourself being dragged backwards, back towards the pirate. Panicking, you tried even harder to wriggle away and escape but it proved to be pointless. Later, you found out that he was magnetizing the grommets in your clothes to bring you towards him. Captain Kid grabbed you in his metallic hand once you were close and inhaled a deep whiff of your scent. When you were on suppressants, your ability to scent was dulled but you could still tell you didn’t like his acrid aroma. Kid smelled like sweat, blood, oil, and anger, not an appealing combination. Pushing on the gigantic metallic arm, you tried in vain to dislodge yourself from his grasp. 

“What’s an Omega like you doing on Beta Island?” he asked, crushing your ribs with his gigantic fist. You weren’t sure if he knew his own strength, but he was keeping you in his clutches with ease.

“N-not O-omega,” you grunted out, trying to breathe through the constriction of his hand. You were still squirming, trying to get away from the large pirate.

“Oh yeah? You sure? Your pussy smells like Omega. It’s practically cryin’ for me to take you right here,” he sneered. “Oi! Killer! Take this one back to the ship, lock ‘er in my cabin.” He yelled to a man in a full face mask. Leaning closer to your face, he licked your neck and leered at you. “We’ll find out later if that pussy is Omega or not,” he said, handing you off to Killer. You tried to get away from the masked man, to no avail. Killer was just as strong as his Captain and wasn’t letting you down. Kicking, screaming, pounding his back did nothing as the first mate advanced towards the ship. 

Quickly chaining you to the Captains bed, the first mate considered you for a moment. “I’m going to give you a piece of advice, Omega. Lose the attitude. Otherwise, you won’t last long here.” 

He wasn’t wrong. 

Kid had come back to his cabin once the pirates had sufficiently destroyed your peaceful home. You huddled in the corner of the room, as far as your chains would let you, but the Captain had you before him in seconds. Covered in the blood of your former friends, the Captain had disrobed you, ripping through your clothes like they were paper. 

“Lemme see yer,” Kid said, ogling your now naked form. You tried not to cower, but you couldn’t help but tremble before the raw bloodlust in his eyes. You’d never taken a lover before, you had been too nervous it would interfere with your hormones and expose you as an Omega. Kid's leering had led to groping, which led to much more. That first night he’d bitten, clawed, bruised, kissed, and abused you, leaving you broken in spirit and body. You never fully recovered. You quickly learned he didn’t want you talking, didn't want you making eye contact, didn’t want to hear your crying, didn’t want anything from you except your body. He used you as he saw fit, as ruthless to you as he had been to your island. He never even asked your name, most often calling you ‘Omega,’ or ‘Bitch,’ among other colorful names.

You were the Captain’s sex doll, and the crew treated you as such. No one paid you any mind except to tell you to move the fuck out of the way, or to laugh at you as you stumbled out of the Captain’s quarters when he let you. Killer would occasionally bandage your wounds, but Kid preferred you to wear the marks he put on you. Kid wanted the mating bond to form between the two of you, to solidify the fact that you were his and prevent any rivals from taking you. To do that, he needed to bring you into heat. To try to get you to go into heat, he had tried any old wives tale he could find. He locked you in his quarters, denied you food except for his cum, kept you naked for days on end, bit your neck in a claiming bite, anything that might work. None of it did, but it all left you weakened, depleted, and suicidal. 

Even though you could practically feel his disdain for you, Kid sometimes told you his plans late at night after he finished pumping you full of his come. As you laid with tears drying on your cheeks and blood dripping from fresh wounds he’d given you, he told you about his simmering hatred for Red Haired Shanks and how he wanted his revenge. During these conversations, you encouraged him, praising his strength and skill, and told him that he absolutely was powerful enough to take on the Emperor. You were surprised that your voice held out while you were talking, both from disuse as well as from the effort you had to put into lying to his face. Once when you voiced these opinions, he’d stroked your skin while in thought, the first time his touch hadn’t hurt you. 

The day finally came that he attacked the Emperor. You’d heard him powering up his attack, laughing maniacally as he planned to wipe out the fleet of ships you could see from his cabin window. You cringed, waiting for the sounds of the dying….except it never came. Instead, a sonorous voice boomed out “Divine Departure,” bringing a deafening blast to your ship. Screams had followed, but not the ones you were used to. Rather, you detected the screams coming from the crew, yelling that they didn’t want to die, that the Captain had been defeated, that Killer was also knocked out. 

You couldn’t help it, you laughed long and hard, cackling into the darkness that had consumed the ship. You knew your voice had been ruined from too much choking and screaming, your vocal chords permanently damaged at the hands of your would be Alpha. The sounds you made were harsh and coarse, like a ghoul laughing from beyond the grave. Normally you were too ashamed to speak with your butchered voice, but you were too joyous to care. You were happy he’d received vengeance for some of the violence he brought to the world. You could only hope the ship sank and the rest of you with it. 

A few moments later, the door banged open and Emma stood before you, tears running down her face. She didn’t address you, just unchained you from the post on the Captain's bed and pulled you along with her. She was carrying the Poneglyphs, the Captain’s most prized possession aside from you. Emma was running, giving you barely enough time to avoid being dragged, as she brought you to the center of the deck. She bowed, and when you didn’t follow suit right away, kicked you so that you fell to your knees. Glancing up, you saw why.

All powerful Emperor Red Haired Shanks was on the Victoria Punk, staring down the crew impassively as they pleaded for their lives. You dropped your head, not making eye contact with the Emperor. You’d been hit enough to know that Alphas didn’t want you making eye contact with them in any capacity. Shanks approached Heat, who now held both the Poneglyphs and the end of your chain.

Shanks POV

Shanks observed the panicking Commander as he advanced towards their Captain. Kid’s crew were begging for Shanks’s forgiveness, something that would not be given. They had tried to annihilate his subordinate crews and would have, if Shanks hadn’t acted so quickly. Drawing a gun was dangerous, it put your life on the line. And Kid had been given a warning when Beckman shot off his arm. Some lessons had to be learned the hard way. 

A young woman brought the Road Poneglyphs in her hands, along with someone attached to the end of a chain. Handing her Commander both items, the blue haired girl bowed in supplication to Shanks, awaiting his judgment. Noting the chained woman didn’t do the same, the girl kicked the battered woman, bringing her to her knees. Shanks took the Poneglyphs from the Commander, who also handed him the end of the chain of the cowering woman. Shanks had no interest in slaves, he didn’t keep or want any. The slave kept her gaze averted, looking at the ground as she trembled. Her body was littered with bruises in various stages of healing, as well as cuts and welts. She bore a savage mating bite that was clearly infected, along with bruising circling her neck. Breathing in deeply, Shanks hid his surprise as he realized the small woman was an Omega. 

Omegas were exceedingly rare in the world, they were either sold to Celestial Dragons for an incredible amount of money, or outright stolen from their homes. If an Omega bred with an Alpha or Apex Alpha during their heat, the offspring was guaranteed to be either an Alpha or Omega, unlike other pairings. Because the Celestial Dragons took or bought nearly all of the Omegas in the world, wild Omegas were unbelievably scarce. Shanks hadn’t heard of one being found in over a decade. How the Kid pirates had managed to find one and kept her a secret, Shanks didn’t know. 

He said nothing as his own ship passed by, his crew calling out to him. Shanks removed his Emperor’s cloak, covering the shivering woman in its warmth and his scent. Your small trembling fingers took the fabric and held it shut around your body, as you sniffed the material. You still hadn’t said a word or looked at anything besides the floor, but there would be time to investigate later. Throwing the Omega over his shoulder, Shanks took the Poneglyphs in hand and stepped on the railing of the enemy ship. You were light and put up no struggle when Shanks took you, the only sound emanating from you was the clinking of your chains.

“Look over on the island!” Shanks heard the offending crew yell as he launched himself onto the Red Force. The Omega didn’t shout or scream, just gripped his shoulder a little more tightly as he darted into the air. Landing on the Red Force, Shanks yelled out for Hongo.

“Meet me in my cabin. Ten minutes,” Shanks ordered. The doctor nodded his assent, and went below deck, likely to the infirmary to gather supplies. Handing the Poneglyphs to Beckman, Shanks shifted the Omega in his arms so he was carrying you with his arm under your legs. You moved your face so it was buried in the crook of Shanks’s neck, avoiding looking at either the ship or the crew assembled on the deck. He hoped you were acclimating yourself to his scent, it would make your transition away from your previous mate easier. Even through the fear and pain Shanks smelled on you, he could tell your scent was absolutely delicious, like no other woman he’d smelled before. His cock twitched with the thought of claiming you for his own, though your medical issues needed attention first.

Bringing you to his cabin, Shanks shut the door behind you quietly. Depositing the woman onto his bed, you shrank back further into the cloak as if to hide yourself. You gripped the hem of the garment so hard that your fingers were turning white, matching your face as the color drained out. Ah , Shanks thought to himself, she thinks I’m going to ravage her right now like some animal . It made sense, he’d put you on his bed, what else were you going to think? 

Sitting down next to you on the bed, Shanks didn’t speak. Instead, for the first time in the Emperor’s life, he purred. He was an Apex Alpha, a rare breed of Alpha who was able to control other Alphas. It came with Conqueror’s Haki, the two traits going hand in hand. Purring came to him instinctively, but he’d never felt the urge to do so before. He’d had lovers who’d requested it, but Shanks had always laughed them off like they’d told a joke. But seeing you distressed made the rumble come almost unbidden, rising from his chest like a balm. You still didn’t look at him, but your fingers relaxed incrementally. Shanks continued purring for you as you tensed at his presence next to you, tenderly picking you up to sit on his lap. You sat upright, stiff, your body rigid with fear and apprehension.

“Easy, little Omega, easy,” Shanks said between purrs. You didn’t respond but didn’t object either physically or verbally to anything he was doing. Shanks wound his arm around you, pulling you closer to his chest. The rhythmic sounds were working, lulling you into a state of relaxation and calm as your hands dropped to your lap and your head relaxed against his chest.

Your POV

You were gripping onto the Emperor’s black cloak like it was going to shield you from whatever was going to happen next. It was heavy and warm, smelling like tobacco, cloves, and oranges, a heady combination. Even if your life would be no better under the Emperor, at least this scent wouldn’t make the bile rise in your throat. 

You were still avoiding his gaze, your wrists shaking in the chains under his watch. He’d put you on his bed, likely for the same reasons Kid always had. At least he hadn’t thrown you against the wall or forced you to suck his cock first, making you choke until you cried or passed out. Much to your dismay, he began to purr for you. You’d heard stories during your childhood about the Alpha purr. There were whispers that it was a form of mind control, that it was used to beguile Omegas into doing things against their will. Kid had already done a lot of things against your will, the Emperor didn’t need to purr to make you do anything. You hoped this wasn't a precursor to something vile, though you were long past wishful thinking.

But as the Emperor continued to purr and moved you into his lap, you felt it working despite your efforts to remain alert. The soothing rumble had you taking deep breaths and relaxing your hands. You felt your exhaustion returning to you, adrenaline finally having run its course. Against your better judgment, you laid your head on the broad chest of the Emperor behind you. His well muscled arm encircled you, and you were content to forget the horrors that would likely await you in the coming days, feeling only the warmth and comfort of an Apex Alpha’s purr.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door of the cabin, making you jerk upright once again. You’d looked at the door when you’d been surprised, but you quickly affixed your gaze to the floor once again. You hoped Shanks hadn’t seen your mistake, or that he would be willing to forgive you if he did. But he didn’t move to strike you at all, just called out to whoever had the audacity to bother the Captain. 

“Come in, Hongo,” he said calmly. You wanted to hide your face in the crook of his neck again, but you knew there would be no solace found seeking comfort where there was none. Opening the door, a large man with blonde hair came inside, carrying a black leather doctor’s case. You said nothing and remained in place, it was the safest route for the time being. The man, whose name you now knew to be Hongo, walked slowly towards you and his Captain, as if he was walking towards a wild animal.

“How’re we doin’, Captain?” he asked, surveying the scene in front of him. The Captain obviously hadn’t been hurt, he was talking about you.

“Alright,” Shanks answered, arm squeezing you a little tighter. You flinched as the memories of being crushed by Kid’s arm came flooding back to you. “They had an Omega. She needs some help,” he said softly, patting your thigh over his cloak. You were acutely aware that you were completely nude below the cloak. You hoped Shanks wouldn’t take you in front of Hongo, or at least not for the first time. Kid had done whatever he wanted, it didn’t matter to him who saw what he did to you. 

“Sure, no problem,” Hongo replied easily, opening his bag. He brought out a stethoscope first, something you were familiar with. Winding the scope around his neck, he slowly pried the cloak out of your fingers in order to put the bell on your skin. You desperately wanted to stay within the safety of the cloak, but you knew you had no power. If they wanted to see you naked, they were going to get what they wanted. Surprisingly, Hongo didn’t remove the cloak completely, allowing you use it to cover your breasts and lower half while he worked. As Hongo placed the buds in his ears and reached towards you with the scope, you leaned back and away from the advancing hands. You hadn’t meant to, it was instinctive. Shanks started purring for you again as he gently but firmly kept you in place for Hongo, his arm across your waist.

“You’re safe, Omega, he’s not going to hurt you. He’s just checking your lungs and heart,” the Captain said softly. Hongo took his time listening, moving the scope around your back and front. Once he was done, he put the scope away and took out medical gloves. 

“I’m gonna check the wounds on your top half and neck, OK?” Hongo informed you. You said nothing as he began touching the injuries that you’d suffered at the hands of Kid. You kept yourself from making any noises of pain or recoiling when he touched something painful. You knew you looked beaten and ugly, despite avoiding the mirror. Kid always left bite marks, bruises, hickeys, and cuts whenever he was with you. Your breasts looked like they’d been mauled the last time you’d checked them. But the worst of all was your neck - between the times he’d choked you, the bite he’d given you, and the attention he gave your scent glands nightly, it was a column of black and blue. In spite of your efforts, you hissed when Hongo touched your neck tried to move away from his efficient hands. 

But the men weren’t going to let you shrink away from the medical inspection. Shanks cradled your head against his shoulder when Hongo inspected the agonizing bite on the spot between your neck and shoulder, purring all the while. You knew there was something wrong with it, but Kid had never let you touch it or clean the wound, saying that it would affect your mating bond. You thanked the seas that the bond hadn’t formed, but the throbbing pain of the bite had only gotten worse.

“You’ve got a lot of wounds on your torso and neck. Are there more below?” Hongo asked quietly when he was done inspecting your top half. You waited, not knowing if they wanted you to respond or not. Sometimes it was a trick, people would talk about you while you were there but if you responded, you got in trouble. 

“Hm, do you? I thought I saw some before,” Shanks asked you benignly, rubbing his fingers in circles over your skin. They were both quiet for a few moments and you realized they were waiting for you to respond. You couldn’t bring yourself to talk, so you gave a shaky nod while continuing to look at the floor.

“I’m gonna have to look, OK?” Hongo said, crouching down in front of the Captain. He was trying to make eye contact, but you steadfastly stared down, in order to show your obedience. You blinked rapidly several times, willing the tears not to fall from your eyes. You’d been naked in front of so many people, but the fact that Hongo was asking made you feel more vulnerable than ever. You nodded again, but your hands were frozen in place, gripping the cloak with all your meager strength.

“Brave little Omega, doing so well,” the Emperor said into your hair, kissing the top of your head. You didn’t know when the last time you’d been allowed to bathe was, you were sure you smelled disgusting. Shanks unwound his arm from your waist, and slowly tugged the fabric from your hands, letting it fall onto your lap. You tried not to squirm, not to move as the doctor touched your welts and cuts, but you felt humiliated and debased as he poked and prodded you. After a few minutes of inspection, Hongo sighed, stood up to his full towering height and snapped off the gloves.

“There’s a lot going on,” he said to the Emperor, who had rapidly covered you back in the cloak. “She’s got a lot of wounds, some healing, some new. That bite on her neck is infected, it needs to be taken care of immediately. She’s malnourished and has at least one broken rib. And she’s going to go into heat soon.” 

Your eyes finally snapped to the doctor’s, everything lost to the panic suddenly overwhelming you. 

Shanks POV

Perhaps having Dorry and Broggy destroy the ship wasn’t enough. As Shanks watched you flinch away from Hongo’s inspection, his rage rose by the second. He’d seen your naked form on the ship, but the dim light hadn’t revealed to him the depth of your injuries. It was practically a miracle that you were still alive, Shanks thought. It was well known that Omegas weren’t as durable as Betas and Alphas, they were generally treated with care like the treasures they were. But not only were you littered with wounds from head to toe, but you were a shell of a person. You hadn’t said a single word, you hadn’t made eye contact with him yet, and you hadn’t moved an inch outside of where Shanks had placed you. 

Now, with the information that you were going into heat soon, you were panicking. Shanks could feel your heart beating rapidly and saw your chest rising and falling too quickly. The Alpha in him was worried, wanting to soothe the Omega still perched on his lap. Shanks put his hand over your chest, trying to slow the beating of your heart. Even if the Alpha in him wanted to purr and cuddle you until you calmed down, the Captain needed to get a little more information out of you first. You were still lost in your own world, not responding to any stimulus.

“It’s alright, Sweetheart. Everything is going to be just fine. When was your last heat, hmm?” Shanks asked, holding your face in his hand. The touch seemed to ground you, causing you to blink rapidly as if you suddenly remembered there were other people in the room. You shook your head at his question, making Shanks frown at your answer. The longer an Omega went without a heat, the lengthier and more severe the symptoms were when it reappeared. Shanks hoped you hadn’t gone into heat during your time in captivity, it would increase the likelihood of an unwanted pregnancy. Looking at your body, he couldn’t imagine you were capable of carrying life in your current state. 

“What do you mean, little Omega? You haven’t had a heat in a year? Or longer?” Shanks asked. He knew you were scared and upset, but he and Hongo needed to know this information, it was part of the way they would take care of you. He gently turned your face towards his, forcing you to look up at him. You finally looked at his face, though you didn’t meet his eyes. You shook your head again.

“Tell me more, I need to know how to help you,” Shanks prompted, stroking your cheek. You sucked in a shaky breath, trying to gather yourself before speaking.

“Never,” you said in a hoarse whisper. Shanks recognized the voice from the laughter in the wake of battle.

“Never? What do you mean? This would be your first heat?” Hongo asked incredulously. Shanks hadn’t met another Omega, but it was known that they typically had their first heat cycle in their upper teens. 

You nodded, a tear running down your cheek. 

[elizabeaufort]

     𝐍𝐈𝐊𝐈𝐓𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐒 with her son, making some shopping, but she also planned to buy things for Blake's baby too, although she has no idea what was the gender of her baby. She also wondered if Blake was one of these people that would like to know the gender only on the day of giving birth. After all, there are tastes for everything. The blonde Russian was sucking her vanilla ice cream, with a few bags of shopping hanging on the baby stroller. Sasha was quiet, playing with his stuffed lion, which is his favorite toy.  ❛ God, this ice cream is so good. Anyway, I'll ask something it might be stupid but do you know the gender of your baby?! Or will you wait for birth day? I couldn't with Sasha. I'm too anxious. Besides, my pregnancy was very stressful for me. I was grieving and recently divorced at the same time.❜

@bakingblakemadden​

[briarrosedahl]

💙

𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄 the deal, there is only one person she does not mind to warn what she did. It is her twin. She knew the rest of her family will kill her. Or so this is what she thinks, the Italian princess was planning in run away for a few days, perhaps, her family would be so much better without her, but she does not know how to do it just yet. But she mentally planned on how she is going to escape. After a moment, she found her twin brother. ❛ Hey Gio. ❜ She waves her hand awkwardly, before going on, and the three guards that guards her was  a few feet away from her to give personal space. She was in fact 'caged', per usual. ❛ I have something to tell you. I broke the deal with the Dutch. I'm free. I will tell to Eli, but I'm afraid he'll hate me for ever. I can't... I just couldn't stay with that c family! I hope they don't throw a c on me now, or any of us. ❜ Martina never pronounce the word 'cursed', she always called 'c', because she is afraid of the cursed be infectious like virus. Maybe her queen was brainwashing her with foolishness at the beginning of the agreements... Terrorizing the princess, before her queen decided to be super fan of the Dutch to despise the Dauphin. Their queen HATED Laurie. ❛ Don't worry fratello, I know where I got myself into. I knew in my heart it is the right thing to do. And you all are free to hate me. I'm tired. I lost everything anyway. I have nothing to lose. ❜

@reinaxc​  | giovanni 

[elizabeaufort]

⎯ It was the day or sort of Alex would arrive from his trip, he warned her he would be out for a few days for work. Elizabeth brought the twins to his place too. The twins were making themselves comfortable, Liz picked them up early from the daycare, she didn't want to be alone with her thoughts and she would rather have the noises and mess from her babies. Whilst she was checking on their backpack, if they hadn't forgotten anything, it was everything in order. The two-year-olds were running around the living room, playing 'catch'. She also checked the daycare's schedule to see, if there were any upcoming events. It seems a new event organized for parents and babies. Liz didn't want to show up, but she would talk to Alex and let him know what he thinks. She turns on his TV, puts on Disney +, and puts on Aristocats. When Beau rushed passing in front of her, she grabbed him and pulled him closer to her, he was laughing, and she kissed his chubby cheek wrapping him between her legs not allowing him to run, and she did the same with Lilou. And kissed her chubby cheek, then she freed them and they both sat by their mother's side. Liz got her phone and was scrolling in the TikTok the for you page, until the twins heard the noise coming from the door, both of them left her alone on the sofa, and she watched where they went. 'Dadaaaaa!' Both twins said in sync, in the door anxious to see their father, clapping their tiny hands. Liz checked on the watch the time, and much to her surprise it was Lydia Calder. Alex always told her about his sister, and how he loves and adores her. There was a slight disappointment in the toddler's 'We want Dada!' Lilou said with a pout, and they went back to Liz. ❛ Hiii! ❜ She blushed at the sight of the brunette, and her hands rested on the toddlers who were hugging each of their mother's legs. ❛ I thought it was Alex. ❜

@blucfeathcrs

[briarrosedahl]

In a galaxy far away... 

                                             where: italy                                              title: the ring.

tw:  anxiety

𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆, 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 time ago, in Italy. Alessandro, the king of Italy was carrying a 5 years old, blonde in his arms that has a stuffed bunny snuggled at her short arms, and his wife held the hand of 5-year-old son, it was one of these moments of socialization. His elder sons were out somewhere, they had a special guest from another country. And she was put on the floor. Martina didn't deal well with the guest. She hides behind her father's legs, licking the guest's hand, and bit who pressed her rosy cheeks. And he made a little pressure on her to talk, instead, the little Italian princess,  threw herself on the floor, and throw a fit, screaming at top of her tiny lungs. The king didn't know how to deal with his own daughter and ordered the guards to bring her to her chambers, locking herself there.  The queen looked at her own daughter with disdain and disappointment when she was left.

Little did they know, the father of Alessandro, watched that scene unfold, and couldn't help himself but check on his granddaughter. When he met her in her bedroom she was hidden under the bed, but he called her out and sat on the armchair in the bedroom, holding a chalice with whiskey, hesitantly and she went to see her grandpa. ❛ What was wrong, child? ❜ His tone was serene yet warm, and inviting. The little blonde sat on her grandfather's lap. ❛ I don't like pressure. Adults are scary. You are not scary 'cuz you are mio nonno.❜ Martina spoke softly, as he booped playfully the tip of her nose.

❛ What if I'm giving you something special for a special little princess? It'll be our little secret, but don't tell your twin. ❜ He removed his own shiny gold ring, one of the millions he has on his finger, and put it on her hand. ❛ This ring has power. It'll protect you whenever you talk to an adult from now on. It'll make invisible barriers will appear around you. If you ever afraid to speak on your mind or talk to people just swirl it around your finger until the conversation is over, and you be on your own.❜ He explained as he put on her small fingers, noticing it doesn't fit until she grows. ❛ Reaally nonno?! But what about my brothers? ❜ Martina was surprised for having a 'magical object' in form of 'gold'. ❛ It's a little big on you lemme, fix that. ❜ He took off her necklace and put the ring on it, and then he put the necklace back on his granddaughter. ❛ Your brothers don't need it. This ring only chooses one person. You're the chosen one. Besides, they'll receive boys' gifts, but not as magical as this one. Now, little Thumbelina... Nonno has to go. And keep this safe, capisce? One more thing. You're my favorite. Don't tell your brothers.❜ He ruffles her hair, and she left his legs, hugging him, and he left the room.

[elizabeaufort]

⎯ Hope… It's funny how often this topic always came to her way. But she offered him a polite smile in return, nodding at his words. Hope was what kept her keeping going, in some complicated moments. ❛ I've been there. Not looking forward to going on it twice. ❜ After all, she is a widower. Despite not loving her husband as she should because she always loved her current boyfriend. She felt bad about how things ended for him. It is in the past. ⎯ New Orleans. ❛ It's the place of jazz or so I heard. Nice. ❜ She took a sip from her drink.

As his described the place. ❛ It sounded like a place where I grow up to. After my mother left me, of course. ❜ When she was younger it was hard to say out and loud that her mother left her when she was a kid. Over time, it no longer causes her no effect. She resents that woman. She drinks her gin, flavoring it. It had been a while since she drink anything other than wine. Wine was just easy, for the life she carries.

❛ It's a pleasure to meet you, Nick. ❜ She says genuinely. ❛ Likewise. I used to be a bit more fun. But… ❜ She didn't think he'd ever meet him again after this night… ❛ I feel a bit anxious. I was kidnapped recently, it was rough weeks… ❜ With tortures included but that part goes unsaid. ❛ If it wasn't me feeling anxious all the time, I would be more… Normal. ❜ Or fun.

He gave a small incline of his head in respect towards her comment. "Well- not all of us can be so lucky to be hopeful after anything like that." Honestly, Nick found those that gave those sort of comments already had it good to begin with. There was no harsh reality waiting for them on the other side. The common folk, well, all their problems were still waiting for them as well as maybe a hint of paranoia. It was the same reason he didn't drive anymore, why he got the shakes in his hand any time he had to get in one. Unfortunately, the machinery was a necessity to get anywhere these days. "Suppose if you need something heavier to weigh you down, you can be glad no loved ones have a funeral to plan." A bit of a grim side of it with perhaps a dash of humour, but everyone needed a different way to steady themselves.

Right, right, she clearly wasn't from around here by the accent alone. He gave a small chuckle, bringing his own glass to his lips for a drink before setting it back down Even people from the States but not the city likely wouldn't know the location off just a name. "New Orleans. It's part of New Orleans, cher. Specifically one of the poorest parts." Trailers, run down homes, those were his memories of the city as a child rather than the glitz Hollywood showed or Mardi Gras. "It's the kind of place where, and take no offense to this, a woman like you wandered in and everyone's going to think you made a wrong turn." It still hadn't fully recovered since Katrina, no thanks to any sort of official at any level.

"Nick," he gave his own name, holding out a hand to shake. Common enough name, he was thankful for that much. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth. Even if it's under- not so great circumstances. But trust me, nothing you say can surprise me. I've been around several blocks several times if you need to talk."

[bunny-lovers]

If you have anxiety or panic attacks, your f/o will absolutely learn how to best comfort you.

Whether that means holding you close, verbally assuring you that everything is okay, or just giving you some time and space alone, your f/o loves you and will do whatever you need them to to help you feel better.

proship/comship/neutral DNI

[sanders-sides-uncorrect-quotes]

Pre-AA Virgil save me

Save me

Save me Pre-AA Virgil

time taken: 2 ½ hours

[hannahbarberra162]

Under the Microscope, part 2 (Yandere Sabo x Reader)

18+ MDNI on Ao3

No smut, but some not great behavior from Sabo.

All other chapters

You caught yourself getting excited for your next shift guarding Sabo. It was sad, really, if you thought about it. You’d resorted to being friendly with convicted prisoners to relieve your loneliness. You were no stranger to being on your own, you had been since childhood, but the active hostility from the other Marines on the base had taken its toll on you. Was it so wrong to look forward to someone who was excited to see you? Who shared common interests? You decided to stop beating yourself up and to enjoy Sabo’s company while he was here. Soon he’d be transferred and you’d be all alone once again. 

You didn’t have a shift everyday, today you were just working on your research in your office. It was slow going, you wished you’d been given a research partner. You’d always done better when you had someone you could bounce ideas off of. But the nature of your assignment meant that you had to work alone. The other scientist at the base was a Marine biologist and your work didn’t overlap at all, so you couldn’t even use him as a sounding board. You had a lot to do, so you rolled up your sleeves and magnified until your vision swam. You weren’t any closer to figuring out the genetic sequencing and the meeting with Admiral Sakazuki was getting closer. Not only that, your hands were shaking so badly you couldn’t hold your cup of coffee. You decided to take a break to try to refocus.

Going outside, you realized it was already late at night. You missed lunch and dinner again, working in your office in complete concentration. You weren’t hungry anyway, your stomach twisted in knots. You sighed and looked up at the night sky. You’d always loved the stars and constellations. Your devil fruit had only enhanced your love, allowing you to see deep into the beauty of the cosmos. Your hands were shaking but you tried to magnify some of your favorite constellations. After a few unsuccessful attempts, you were able to see the Andromeda galaxy clearly. It had been your favorite since childhood, allowing you to remember that your problems were so very small and the universe so very large. You’d also loved the story about the princess in chains being rescued from a monster by a brave hero, and their happily ever after. Of course, such things only ever happened in stories, no one was coming to save you from your own life. 

You magnified the galaxy several times, enjoying the swirling stars in motion. The hairs on the back of your neck raised - you had the feeling someone was watching you. Looking around, you couldn’t see anyone in the darkness. But you couldn’t shake the feeling, it was unnerving you. You flicked your hand through the magnification, erasing it. You felt like an animal snared in a trap and you wanted to get away quickly. With a heavy sigh, you went back inside to continue working. You wouldn’t see Sabo for a few days, so you needed to concentrate while you had unbroken blocks of time.

~~~

You had barely been sleeping during the nights, and had early morning guard duty with Sabo a few days later. Well, not with Sabo, guarding Sabo. You had to keep reminding yourself that he was dangerous and violent, not someone to pal around with. You yawned as you entered the room, saluting to your fellow officer as he left quickly. You’d heard the other ensigns talking about how they didn’t like guarding Sabo, that he creeped them out as he silently stared through the bars. That they didn’t get within a meter of the cell for fear he’d hurt them. It was hard to reconcile that image when he spent most of your shift trying to talk to you and had been so relaxed when you’d stupidly gone inside. 

You took a huge gulp of your hot coffee and slumped down on the guard bench, dropping your papers next to you. You leaned your head back against the brick behind you and closed your eyes, taking a moment to settle in for the next few hours. Sabo was already lounging by the front of the cell, ready to engage with you.

“Good morning Sabo,” you stated, not opening your eyes. You could feel his stare already.

“Good morning, Mag. I’m so glad to see you again,” Sabo said exuberant. At least he had a positive attitude. You yawned again, covering your mouth with your arm. “Still tired, hmm?” Sabo queried. You cracked open your eyes. Not this again.

“Like always, I’m fine.” You knew you looked like death, but you didn’t have to admit it.

“Have you made progress in your work?” You stiffened. You still couldn’t talk about your work with Sabo. Besides, it was a sore point and you felt defensive. You hadn’t gotten as much done during your break from guard duty as you’d hoped. 

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I understand.”

“Your wounds look better,” you said, glancing over his body. You were glad to see he was healing. Sabo hummed, uninterested in that line of conversation. His eyes flicked over you for a moment.

“Are you aware you’re losing weight?” You frowned and looked down at your uniform. You hadn’t noticed at all, but he was right. Your uniform was baggy and loose, you might have to go ask for the next size down. You often missed meals when you were working, but even when you noticed it was meal time your anxiety decreased your appetite to practically nothing. 

“Oh, um, I guess so.”

“Do they not take care of you? Along with working you half to death?” You bristled at his patronizing words.

“They don’t need to take care of me. I’m a grown adult, I take care of myself.” You said testily, narrowing your eyes. You knew you weren't at your top physical condition, but you didn’t need yet another person to tell you that you were helpless and weak. Especially not someone who was currently in seastone cuffs and behind bars . Your hands started to shake, which didn’t help your point.

“Not very well, it seems. But that doesn’t matter. When we get back to the Revolutionary Army, I’ll take care of you.” You snorted out a laugh. Sabo was just referencing his joke from the other day, he was only kidding. You felt better, he wasn’t criticizing you or your lack of self care. You rolled your eyes and smiled at him.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Sabo said cryptically. 

“Probably not, but go ahead.” You never knew what Sabo was going to say.

“You think I can’t take care of you, because I look like this,” he said, gesturing to his frame. “Rest assured, when I get back, eat more and resume my training, I’ll be more to your liking.” You thought you were going to pass out from all your blood suddenly rushing to your face. That was nowhere near anything you were thinking about.

“Oh, uh, right. Sure. I mean, I can - uh - ask for you to get supplemental food, uhm, if you want,” you stammered. What on earth were you supposed to say to that? 

“Always so kind, Mag. You’re a diamond in the rough. But there’s no need.” Sabo gave you a soft smile. You supposed there wasn’t, it wouldn’t be approved by the higher ups. You drank your coffee to end this conversation and hopefully never bring it up again.

~~~

An hour later and your eyelids were barely open. The room was warm as always, but because of the early morning chill, it felt wonderful. The room was calm and peaceful, and you were leaning against one of the supports by the bench. You’d decided to give Sabo a long article you wanted to read but hadn’t had the time. It wasn’t specific to your research, so you didn’t see how it could hurt. It was better than him being bored and saying embarrassing things to you. He was reading in silence on his metal bed, and you on your guard bench. The quiet was comfortable, punctuated by the sound of turning pages. You had your book open in front of you and were re-reading the same paragraph for the eighth time. Your eyes kept sliding closed, your head lolling forward. You couldn’t fall asleep - that was the entire point of guard duty. If you were caught, you’d be in huge trouble. So you tried to keep reading, blinking rapidly to maintain your focus.

Sabo POV

Sabo watched you drift off to sleep, happy you were getting some needed rest. It warmed his heart to see that you felt comfortable in his presence, enough to let him watch you while you slept. You had dozed off leaning against the wall, your face now relaxing. You looked younger without anxiety clouding your features. You always insisted you were fine, but it was obvious to him that you were working yourself to the bone. He knew you’d taken offense at what he’d said, but he had meant it. You weren’t taking care of yourself - the weight loss, the sleeplessness, the anxiety, your shaking hands, all of these would take a toll on you the longer it went on. He couldn’t wait until he could leave the jail and take you with him. 

You were such a delightful person, Sabo couldn’t believe you’d become a Marine. In his experience, Marines were weak, idiotic fools who were sacrificing themselves for a government that didn’t care if they lived or died. They didn’t even see the issue in doing so, as long as they got to beat down some poor villagers now and again. But you were different, so very different. You were brilliant, even if no one saw that here but himself. You were kind, having helped him with his shoulder for no reason other than empathy. It had been a foolish choice on your part, Sabo could have easily killed you. But that was something he liked about you - you were completely clueless to the way the real world worked. You were so eager to learn and understand the world but so helpless within it. You’d be alright now, you had Sabo to look after you. You didn’t understand what kinds of people lived in the world and what they would do to such a weak little thing like yourself. Luckily Sabo had found you, and he’d keep you safe. 

Sabo had been to Bayonette on assignment from the Revolutionary Army a few weeks prior to his “capture.” The Army had gotten a tip off from a mole at the base that a gifted scientist had been tasked with isolating the gene associated with the Will of D., the practical application unknown. Sabo was supposed to derail the scientific progress in any way deemed necessary, including assassination of the scientist leading the project. Given the delicate nature of the research, he had assumed the lead scientist would be heavily guarded, with a large support team to help them with their work. Imagine his surprise when he found that the bright researcher was you, working alone, in a regular office. You didn’t have any additional support, guards, or even a lab. He supposed he shouldn’t have been that surprised, the Marines had never been good at resource allocation. Or anything, really.

He’d watched you from afar for about a week, monitoring your every move. He quickly realized the strength of your Devil Fruit, as he watched you poring over DNA for hours. Your fruit, combined with your intelligence, made you an incredible research scientist. He had no doubt that if given enough time, you’d be able to sequence the Will of D., to the detriment of the world. Yes, you needed to be stopped, but you didn’t need to be neutralized. Sabo didn’t think you had malicious intentions, he wasn’t even sure you knew why the Will of D. was important. He could refocus your work to something more beneficial to the RA, he was sure of it. 

You were unintentionally difficult to get access to - you didn’t leave the base or take missions. The only way he was going to see more of you was from inside the base. So Sabo had allowed himself to get “captured” by some weaklings and sent to jail to get closer to you. The more Sabo interacted with you, the more he liked you. You were smart, sweet, well spoken, and alluring. You drove him to distraction and he couldn’t always reign himself in when you were around. He felt like a boy again, always putting his foot in his mouth around a crush. He’d been kicking himself over his “darling” comment, along with a few others. Sabo hadn’t made such a bad slip up since he was a teen. He could tell he had embarrassed you and that you didn’t understand he was trying to flirt. You had just met Sabo, or so you thought, and were still reserved. That was ok, Sabo would have plenty of time to woo you once you were with him.

Sabo quickly realized why you weren’t utilizing your fruit as a spy or for counterintelligence. You were completely oblivious to almost everything. You didn’t notice him spying on you, you didn’t notice the way the other Marines looked at you lustfully, you didn’t notice when it was time to eat, you didn’t notice when others were jealous of you, you didn’t notice when he’d made it into the jail. You didn’t take stock of anything besides your work. You were so unperceptive, it was endearing. Even little rabbits knew when they were being cornered, but not you.

What did surprise him was the absolutely terrible state that the Marines pushed you to. Given your mild and intellectual nature, he thought they would have taken better care of you. Instead, he could feel the anxiety and loneliness radiating off of you. You were losing weight rapidly and looked like you hadn’t slept in months. Your fellow Marines treated you like garbage, speaking down to you and roughing you up. Sabo adjusted his gloves thinking about those who had hurt you physically and emotionally. It was a tell he’d tried to get rid of without much success. Dragon had warned him time and time again that it telegraphed his desire for violence, but when he saw you get checked in the guard room he couldn’t contain himself. He wanted to hurt anyone who made you feel less than - whoever told you that you weren’t beautiful, whoever had made up that gauche nickname, whoever told you that you weren’t useful, whoever was giving you more work than you could handle alone. Sabo had already taken care of Koji, and he was planning on returning to the base for some additional retribution in the future. It had been irritating allowing Koji to strike Sabo but he didn’t want to make it seem like his own attack was unprovoked. After all, he didn’t want to have to break free before his plans came to fruition. 

~~~

Your POV

You awoke with a start, immediately realizing two things. First, you had fallen asleep sitting up during guard duty. You prayed to a higher power (caffeine) that no one had seen you. Second, Sabo was staring at you again from within his cell. 

“Don’t worry, no one came in,” Sabo said calmly, assuaging your fears. 

“Ah, thank you. I… didn’t sleep much last night. I, um, didn’t mean to fall asleep.” You were feeling self conscious at the thought of him watching you sleep.

“I should hope not. What if I had escaped? Or caused some mayhem?” Sabo asked teasingly. The truth was, if either of those happened you wouldn’t be able to do anything. You’d have to call for help. But you felt comfortable joking back since it seemed he might keep your secret.

“Maybe I would stop you by boring you to death talking about my research,” you chuckled.

“Oh, no. That could never happen. I find it all very fascinating. In fact, I wanted to discuss this article with you.”

“You finished it already? It was over 60 pages long.” How long had you been asleep?

“Mm, I couldn’t put it down, it was engrossing.” He talked about the scientific article like it was a novel. The only other person who thought like that was, well, you. You came and sat in front of the bars, close enough where he’d be able to reach you if he wasn’t wearing cuffs. You brought your now half full coffee with you, wanting to finish the cup before you got another.

“I haven’t read it yet, actually. Can you give me the synopsis?” Maybe Sabo could help you just a little bit in getting your work done. He didn’t know the exact implications of the article, and it was publicly available. It would be no different than giving him a random book from the library.

“Sure!” Sabo said, grinning. He spent the next few minutes telling you about theories regarding Next Generation Sequencing, a way to look at many DNA fragments simultaneously. You nodded along and took a few notes. Without the right equipment available, it was unfortunately pointless for you to try. You peppered in a few questions, which Sabo was able to answer easily.

“I think that kind of sequencing could only be done by Dr. Vegapunk,” you mused. “I don’t even have a real microscope here, I do everything by hand, so to speak.” 

“Or, maybe you could try to expand the use of your Devil Fruit,” Sabo suggested. “You know, awaken it.” You frowned. You had heard rumors of what that meant but hadn’t met anyone who’d done it. You’d try to research it in your free time after your assignment. You drank deeply from your cup.

“Well, it’s interesting either way. I hope they use it to help sequence some of these Grand Line viruses, to help cure them.” Sabo laughed bitterly and your face fell.

“You don’t really think that’s what they’ll do, right? It’s always about control and power. It would get used to create biological weapons for warfare, something like that. Destroy some island without having to be there.” You looked away, thinking about Sabo’s words. You knew that your work wasn’t always used to benefit people, but surely some of it was. Or maybe you were just deluding yourself. The voice in the back of your head had often asked what your work was being used for, you just squashed it and took your paychecks. Your hands started to shake in your lap.

“I’m sorry, Mag. I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t want you to think of yourself -” Sabo started to say softly. 

“It’s fine, I can’t - it’s just a job,” you finished lamely. You looked at your watch, you only had a few more minutes with him anyway. You got up and collected your things quietly, thinking about the implications of your work. You weren’t told exactly what the “D” you were looking for came from or what it was connected to, that was outside the scope of your work. You were just a pawn, doing what you were expected to do. “Thank you for reading the article, I enjoyed discussing it together.” It almost felt like having a lab partner again. You hesitated - you wanted to give Sabo more to read but didn’t want to get in trouble. It had helped you to have a synopsis without having to do the work yourself, maybe it would be good for both of you. He'd have something to do and you could get some use out of his intelligence. 

“Can you - I can give you more to read, if you’d like,” you offered. Sabo nodded his head enthusiastically. You approached his cell, extending a textbook through the bars. He gently took it and smoothly turned it to look at the cover. It was about tryptophan receptors in centromeres, or how to turn key DNA on and off in difficult locations. Yes, it would confirm that you were working on genetic sequencing, but he had already figured that out. “Read as much as you want, we can talk about it my next shift.” With that, you left Sabo’s room. You were out the door for the changing of the guards when the other Marine stopped you before entering the cell room. Officer Shiff was cordial to you, you didn’t mind speaking with him.

“Are you taking the rest of Koji’s shifts?” Shiff asked. 

“For the next week, yeah. He assigned them to me,” you tried to keep the grimace off your face. Shiff looked at you confused.

“Mag, what are you - he was severely beaten, he’s in a medically induced coma right now. Koji attacked the Flame Emperor from within his cell, underestimating his strength. Koji’s not going to be working for months, or maybe ever again. You might have to cover for him until other arrangements are made.” Your eyes opened wide. Sabo had done that? While wearing seastone cuffs? You glanced back at him through the window in the door. He had taken off his tophat and was reading the textbook you’d given him. He looked up at you and grinned. You trembled and your hands shook so hard you dropped your papers. You quickly picked them up and scurried away back to the safety of your office.

~~~

Despite finding out the extent of Sabo’s fighting capabilities, you couldn’t stop yourself from enjoying your shifts with him over the next week. You had been right, Sabo was an excellent lab partner. He quickly understood any material you presented him with and you could discuss deep scientific ideas together. He was funny, polite, charming and so handsome. He hung on your every word - you didn’t think anyone had ever given you so much attention. But it wasn’t like he had a choice, you thought, he was literally your captive audience. Still, he seemed to enjoy your company as much as you did his. Sometimes you played with your Devil Fruit, showing him his own DNA or random cells and molecules. You showed him the cosmos, your favorite pastime, and shared your favorite stars. To do that, you had to get near the bars. You’d been more uneasy since you’d heard what he did to Koji, but you couldn’t resist. You were drawn to him like a moth to a flame. 

One evening shift, you had been magnifying space for Sabo, just for fun. You had brought an extra large coffee, filled to the brim with cream and sugar. The two of you spent hours looking through the cosmos, talking about space and making other small talk. You’d ended up showing him Saturn’s enchanting icy rings, magnifying them until you could see individual chunks of ice and rock. You sipped the last of your coffee and tossed the paper cup into the trash. It had kind of a salty aftertaste. Must have been a bad batch.

“Absolutely stunning, right?” you said, watching the icy rings.

“Mmm. Nothing compares,” he replied. You turned to look at him, and he was watching you. Your face heated. 

“Sabo, don’t.” He hummed and reached for you between the bars. His hand slipped through, uncuffed from the other. You froze. Sabo didn’t seem concerned, just brought his hand back and reapplied the cuff to his wrist. 

“They - they’re broken?” you whispered. You wanted to bolt from the room as fast as you could. You didn’t want to be the next Koji.

“Mm. I broke them before they were put on me. The seastone still works, though, if I keep them on.” Sabo was speaking conversationally, like you were still talking about Saturn’s rings, not about how he was completely free to do whatever he’d like. 

“That’s just to escape, right? You’re not going to hurt us?” you whispered, head down. You were truly scared.  You weren’t sure why he’d waited so long to leave. If he could break the seastone cuffs, he’d easily be able to break through the iron bars of the cell. There was nothing keeping him away from you. You would have maybe a second to react if he decided to do anything. 

“Not you - never you,” Sabo breathed to you. You glanced up at the earnest and dashing man in front of you, looking at you like you were worth something. There were many things you could do, many choices you could make. You should have rang the alarm, had others come in to fight the Flame Emperor. But the truth was, you didn’t want Sabo to have to fight, to be sent to Impel Down. You didn’t want him to be tortured, you didn’t want him to be hurt. Tossing and turning in your bed at night, you had occasionally thought about the possibilities if you had met Sabo in another life. If he wasn't second in command of the Revolutionary Army and you a Marine. If you would have been friends, or colleagues, or even lovers. You made your final foolish choice.

“They’re transferring you soon, you need to leave,” you said quietly. You looked at him imploringly. Sabo took his hand out from the cuff once more and cupped your cheek, to your shock. He smiled kindly at you. Your vision was wavering, maybe you were more tired than you thought.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be gone soon. I was just waiting for an RA ship to be close enough for us to leave easily.” You pulled back with difficulty from his grasp. Maybe he was still joking?

“I’m, um, staying here. I can’t come with you to the Revolutionary Army. I’m a Marine.” You had hoped to speak firmly but both your voice and hands were shaking. Your voice felt foreign to you, like someone else was controlling it. Sabo smiled at you condescendingly, like you were a small child.

“Mag, do you know what the other scientist on the base does?” You weren’t sure where he was going with this. It was becoming difficult to concentrate on his words.

“Mark? H-he’s a marine biologist. He’s working on s-synthesizing some kind of s-secretion from crabsss.” Mark’s research wasn’t classified, but you didn’t know how Sabo knew about him. You also didn’t know why you were slurring like you were drunk.

“That’s correct. Mark specifically works on synthesizing a toxin from Grand Line Blue Crabs that can be used as a benzodiazepine. He’s had a lot of success. He’s created a scent and odor free drug that can be added to liquids. Its use is primarily as a surgical anesthetic, but can also be used to drug unsuspecting victims, causing them to pass out quickly. It is highly effective, even in small doses.” You were glad you were already sitting down, your legs felt numb, like they were detached from your body.

“It has a slight salty taste, but if diluted in say, coffee with cream and sugar, it is rendered nearly tasteless.” You nodded, but which Sabo should you talk to? There were two now. And they both seemed to be leaving the cell.

“Go to sleep. I'll keep you safe.” You nodded again. That sounded like a great plan. You were carefully lifted from the ground and held tightly. “You’ll never have to worry again. I’m going to take care of you from now on.” You fell asleep to the sound of a crackling fire and the sensation of being carried by strong arms.