Work Text:
A roar of rage erupted over the deck and shipmates jumped at the volume before turning to watch another crewmate running at top speed. A tiny body followed behind him, screaming.
“Pops! Pops! Help me!” He cried out as he passed Pops’ massive chair. The man just laughed but didn’t say anything either way, eyes wrinkled in amusement. Still, when the pursuer followed, a massive hand shot out and stopped her in her tracks.
Bee slammed into the palm of his hand, grunted from the impact before trying to dodge around it, eyes still zeroed in on the man she was chasing. Whitebeard chuckled and grabbed her gently and lifted her towards him.
“Now, now, what’s all this?” Edward smiled. Bee’s face was still enraged, her fists hitting his hand in a vain attempt to get him to release her. He hardly felt her tiny blows but he decided not to prop her against his chest regardless. She was spitting mad, a rare look and he didn’t want to risk her being angry enough to pull his mustache or hair.
She was vicious when angry, Edward knew that well. Although generally kind, she had a mean streak when she got in a mood. It amused him. Such a tiny body and usually so sweet. But that sweetness had an edge to it and you never knew when you ran your finger across it.
It was that sharp tongue that originally interested him. Already well-established as a Yonko, his crew and name were well-known. Although Edward may as well have been inconsequential as an ant when his crew had rolled into a particular bar. Loud and rowdy—as they generally were—she had scrolled up, furious with a book in one hand and plenty of attitude in the other, as she gestured at him angrily.
Complaining about the noise, even when it was a bar for God’s sake. When he tried to explain that, Edward could have sworn he saw her very clothes puff out in outrage. It was two in the afternoon and they were being loud.
To call him smitten would have been an understatement, even if the rest of his crew didn’t understand it. Seeing this small girl—woman, he corrected himself. Gods above if she didn’t have him wrapped around her little finger. Calling her a girl would have amounted to an argument that wasn’t worth having. Anyway, having this woman be utterly unphased, even when he had loomed over her with a smirk that made most grown men shake in their boots. Not even when he had not so subtly implied he could force her to leave if she was so displeased.
She’d only widened her stance and not backed down an inch. And that’s all it took.
Blinking back to the present, Whitebeard smiled widely as Bee hissed in his hand.
“One of your sons,” she said the word like it was a bad omen, gritted out between clenched teeth, eyes flashing. He heard more than one man around them gulp. “Split booze on my favorite sweater Edward.”
“I thought they were our sons, eh?” Her icy glare in response had him changing the subject quickly.
“I’m sure he didn’t mean it,” Whitebeard said soothingly. Her expression didn’t change but he felt it was safe enough to bring her closer. Seeing the flash of grey above his fist made him wince internally. He wasn’t sure if that stain would be able to come out and she wasn’t lying, that was a sweater she wore often.
Settling her on his chest, she huffed as he used his thumb and index finger to tug on the back of the wet sweater. “Why don’t you take this off? Could get more comfortable.”
“I’ll still be wet,” Bee grumbled before wiggling down so she landed in his lap, facing him, and started pulling the sweater off.
“Don’t worry I can just lick you clean, gurararararara!” The chorus of groans around them didn’t break his laughter not even when Bee threw the wet sweater in his face. “I can just buy you another one,” he commented lightly as tossed the sweater away and heard an echo of a ‘slap!’ as it hit someone and they yelped.
Bee opened her mouth to complain but he saw her eyes widen as she tilted to see who was hit. It was the son who splashed her in the first place. She settled back into his lap without comment and Edward’s grin widened. That was a win for him.
“Buy me another? You?” She snorted. “Don’t make me laugh.”
“My dear!” Edward wrapped a hand lightly around her back. “You wound me so! Why wouldn’t I buy you a sweater?”
“You don’t buy things,” she answered with a pout, crossing her arms. Edward hummed.
“It’s a small thing, I think I can manage.” Bee rolled her eyes, unconvinced.
“You’ll probably pick something ugly. Or the wrong size. Or just make someone else buy it for you.” She narrowed her eyes in challenge and he smiled wider.
“Want to bet on it?”
“Sure,” Bee answered easily, still looking huffy and upset in his lap.
“Then get up here and seal it with a kiss,” Edward demanded lightly. Always lightly with her, she could be sensitive in her current mood. Usually, things hardly phased her—another thing he liked. But if she was already feeling prickly it was akin to poking the sleeping bear and just asking for trouble to use a certain commanding tone.
She mumbled under her breathe but stood and laid herself against his chest and he grinned with victory. Grabbing her gently, he lifted her up so their faces were even. Bee pressed a quick kiss to his lips before she started wiggling, a sign she wanted down. He chuckled.
“Now that’s hardly a kiss!” Using his other hand he tilted her chin up with a thumb. Still, he paid attention—if she pushed away he’d let her go. But she didn’t resist and he kissed her again. So quietly, he was the only one who could have heard it, she gave a breathy sigh and his heart squeezed. Sweet as sugar, this one. The things she could do to him, without even realizing it.
Pulling back, she laid a few more quick kisses on his cheek and jawline. Burrowing both hands in his blonde hair, her fingers started stroking, working out any knots they found along the way. He felt the tension in her body release in his hand as she cuddled into his neck.
His chuckled rumbled around them as he placed another kiss on top of her head. Edward saw the relieved looks on their sons’ faces. Bee on a warpath was never fun for anyone involved and seeing her temper cooled was always a relief. And, he thought with a smile, they were probably happy he hadn’t tried to urge her into a full blown make-out session in his chair. She kept pulling away, awkward to be out in the open like that.
Edward wasn’t worried. He’d keep releasing her when she wanted, but he knew one day she wouldn’t. One day she’d give in and kiss him with abandonment, for all to see. She’d done it already, on a few occasions when she had been tipsy enough to not let the embarrassment bother her. It was only a matter of time before she became comfortable enough to do it more often, without the booze to help her along. His stomach clenched at the thought. He couldn’t wait. Edward was already a lucky man, with his loving family, and the title and strength to protect them. But there was something to be said about having a woman’s love. It was the cherry on top of his happiness. Something he hadn’t been looking for but she had slotted into place in his life as if there had always been a gap he was unaware of. Edward could go on without her, but why? He was a pirate, he could have everything he ever wanted and more. The world was his for the taking, and he intended to seize the treasure of his heart with both hands.
And, if a few days later, Edward got his wish when he presented her with a grey sweater, his simplified Jolly Roger big and purple on the front right there on the deck and she kissed him just as passionately as he had been craving well—that was his own joy. Even the unhappy grumbling from his unimpressed sons couldn’t take that away from him.