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Laughter rang through the room, loud and boisterous, but none dared laugh louder than the Shogun Orochi who watched Komursaki with hungry eyes. For a moment, Coco felt bad for the woman. Drawing the eye of the Shogun was good for the pocket but it wasn’t without risk; his temper was legendary.
A man leaned into her space, his breathing breaking her out of her thoughts and she tore her eyes away. Saké was heavy on his breath and she smiled indulgently as she refilled the cup he held up. Light pink eyes took a moment to roam around the room, watching as courtesans coyly waved off the affections of drunken men while a fellow geisha performed a dance with two fans. The two subsets of professional women mixed and mingled at the Shogun’s parties, all of it creating a flurry of bright colors. The smell of sakura blossoms drifted past her face as a breeze blew in from the open doors before it died away and the smell of alcohol, sweat, and perfume once more filled her nose.
Coco didn’t mind. This was the life she loved, after all. As a geisha in the Flower Capital, nights like these were what she signed up for. A life entertaining those around her, smiling and bringing happiness where she could.
Tonight was no different. Except , except. The Tobi Roppo was supposed to show up. Normally they didn’t, choosing instead to celebrate on Onigashima but sometimes there were exceptions. Coco hadn’t heard what they were today. When she had been told it was hard to hear past the rushing in her ears.
Yet when she let her eyes drift over the crowd, her painted lips crooked up in a pleasant smile in case she caught anyone’s eyes, the person she wanted to see most wasn’t among the gathered. Coco pushed down the swell of disappointment, choosing instead to flick her eyes to the man seated next to her and ask a pointed question to get him going on some topic that he enjoyed. Listening idly, her fingers twisted in the sleeves of her new kimono.
“What happened to your last kimono, Coco-chan?” the man asked and she straightened, smoothing out her hands on her thighs.
“I got a new one!” she said happily. “Do you like it?”
His face twisted into a grimace. “I dunno… It seems really bright?” He reached out to finger at her sleeve over the white lily pattern. “The green doesn’t go with your hair at all.”
“No?” she asked, voice slightly strained as a heartbeat’s worth of worry shot through her before she let it pass. Voice back to normal she asked, “Well, a lot of colors don’t really go with lilac right?” Coco tilted her head at him as she slouched so her body was low enough to peer up at him through her eyelashes. Sometimes it was hard being so much taller than everyone else in this profession; men liked girls who were shorter than them. Still, she made it work and it was a boon for taller clients.
The man blushed and then quickly walked back his statement, almost falling over himself in reassurances. She giggled quietly at his forcefulness. Before she could tell him it was fine, the noise of the room suddenly died down to muttering as a group of new voices progressively got louder. Coco turned with the rest to watch, heart suddenly in her throat. The Tobi Roppo burst through the door, obnoxious with their squabbing. Not all of them were present but when she saw a shock of green hair, Coco turned back around with a pleased smile.
Good. As long as he came then that’s all that mattered.
However, Coco was a professional. After being reassured that he was in the room, she rooted herself to her task. Pleasing to look at and talk with, she chatted and served drinks to anyone who sat next to her. She could get up to wander, she knew. Coco wasn’t paid tonight for a specific client, just for a general companion to anyone who approached or who she approached. But she didn’t want to instantly zoom over to the one she wanted to see the most.
Time passed slowly as she got lost in her work. Coco didn’t allow her ears to strain for a hint of his gruff voice or let her eyes wander. She could get up close and personal later . (Or at least, she hoped she could. They haven’t met up in a lot of large gatherings like this anymore, not after the first few they had met at. Instead he paid for more private parties, just him and his crew. They were easier to sneak away from; would he not want to spend time together with so many around?)
Coco started gathering empty bottles and generally tidying up the table in front of her as the man beside her got up and wandered off for other fun.
“Well now, look what the cat drug in!” a voice said from above her with a high-pitched giggle. A warm body pressed against her side, stinking of booze and Coco smiled indulgently.
“Kyoshiro-san,” she greeted pleasantly. “How are you?” The man giggled again as he leaned against her heavily, but she didn’t budge.
“Ohhhh, fineeee,” he drawled with a smile, cheeks a rosy red as they generally were. He was drunk enough that she could barely see his eyes, which wasn’t unusual for these sorts of parties. “Been poking at a certain drunk with three horns about you.”
“Three horns?” she asked, for a moment bewildered. Kyoshiro’s grin widened and his eyes opened enough for her to see the glee in the dark orbs.
“Your little friend? You may be subtle but he most certainly is not.” Kyoshiro held two fingers up above his head, with his other hand an index finger pointing out from his nose. It was vague but her mind finally released his meaning and she flushed.
“I-it’s not—”
Kyoshiro leaned forward and grabbed onto her cheeks, forcing her to make fish lips and cutting her off. “Ah, ah! As I said, you might be good at keeping it under wraps but our mutual friend is not.”
When he released her cheeks, she pouted just a little bit and glanced around anxiously. “Did he tell you?” she asked in a hushed whisper, hoping no one was listening in on them. They agreed to keep it under wraps. She could get in big trouble if her house found out she was kinda-sorta dating someone. Relationships like that weren’t allowed.
“No.” Kyoshiro reached out with a hand towards the table and she rushed to fill a cup before he shot it back. “Sasaki’s not subtle, like I said. I kept the teasing to a minimum though, don’t want him getting upset and spilling the beans to the whole party, eh?”
“Thank you,” Coco breathed out with relief. Her heart beat a little quicker at the mention of his name.
“Say, Coco-chan.” He nudged her playfully. “Wanna make him jealous?” She quirked a delicate brow at him.
He snickered. “Yeah! It could be fun—”
“Oi,” an annoyed voice said darkly behind them and both turned to see Sasaki glowering down at the pair. Coco instinctively smiled up at him. Sasaki’s green hair hung down his pecs and her eyes took in the familiar shape of his tattoos as he gestured at Kyoshiro with the bottle in his hand. “Get out of here, you leech.”
“Who me ?” Kyoshiro crowed back with delight. “Don’t think I’m the one with lecherous thoughts.” Still, he easily caught one of Coco’s hands and brought it up to his lips. “Until next we met, lovely,” he said smoothly, pressing a kiss against her knuckles and sending her a heated expression that made her laugh. She knew he was just trying to rile up Sasaki who kicked at the man as he scurried away, giggling.
“Fucking ass,” Sasaki grumbled as he collapsed beside her. Deep blue eyes looked her over. “Have you had anything to drink?”
“Just a bit, here and there,” she confirmed and Sasaki scoffed before grabbing at a discarded cup and filling it from his own bottle.
He shoved it at her, some of the liquid sloshing out. “Here.”
Coco bit her tongue against the smile that threatened to form. Sasaki wasn’t looking at her, gaze firmly off to the side. The cup trembled a little in his grasp. She took it without comment. “Thank you,” she said sincerely.
“Don’t thank me, I didn’t do shit for you,” he quipped. “You should drink, you’re at a party ya know.”
Knowing the kind of alcohol Sasaki preferred, Coco knocked it back quickly, hoping not to taste most of it. It burned all the way down, before dropping to warm her tummy. Although the warmth might be less from the drink and more from the man seated next to her. Sasaki propped his hands behind himself before turning to look at her.
His eyes traveled over her body slowly, taking her in and she didn’t fidget under his gaze although she felt her cheeks flush from the attention.
“Nice kimono,” Sasaki said at last. “I like the color a lot.”
Coco couldn’t help it, she beamed. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Green’s a fucking great color.” He shifted to grab up the bottle from the low table before them and took a swig.
“Thanks, it reminded me of you,” she said shyly and he started coughing in surprise. “Ah!” Coco started rubbing at his back as Sasaki curled into himself, a fist pounding against his chest as he wheezed through his coughing fit.
“Don’t—” He hacked some more before clearing his throat loudly, “just say shit like that!” Coco frowned before looking down into her lap, a little disappointed. She had bought this kimono with Sasaki in mind. The pale green didn’t match his hair or anything but it reminded her of him. That and the flowers that were scattered over the green made it look lovely she thought. Sasaki sighed.
She felt him flick her hairpiece, the dangling metal letting out little chimes as they hit each other. “Hey,” he began, “you look pretty. I like it. You just surprised me is all.”
Coco peeked up at him and it always thrilled her that she had to look up at him, rather than force herself lower. She batted her eyelashes just a bit, just enough to see him flush before she smiled. “I’m glad.”
They spent the rest of the evening together. Other men weren’t brave enough to sit on her other side, not with Sasaki next to her, ready to send a piercing glower to anyone who dared get close. He was awful for business but as she hid a laugh behind a long sleeve, she couldn’t find it inside herself to be that mad about it.
“Don’t do that,” Sasaki ordered with a scowl as he pressed down her arm. “Don’t hide like that.”
Biting on her lower lip so she wouldn’t smile too wide, she nodded back and Sasaki gave her one last suspicious look before he released her arm and took another drink.
It was thrilling, being with Sasaki. Who knew she’d go for a pirate of all things? Coco hadn’t given it that much thought, to be honest. As other geishas whispered among themselves with fantasies of the type of men they could entice to buy their contract and be free to be with, Coco had just set herself on the task of being the best geisha she could be. They had taken her in when she had nothing , given her a home and a purpose. She didn’t need a man to do that for her.
Still… there was always a worry about aging out of the profession. Without a good safety net, it could be deadly. Coco had firmly pushed that thought aside, however, intent on living her life to the fullest while she could.
Meeting Sasaki hadn’t been that note-worthy. Coco had met a fair amount of pirates by then, Kaido’s and the Shogun’s men frequently mingling. It really was the feelings he inspired. They met at a few larger gatherings before Sasaki started paying for her to entertain his crew and it… went from there.
She’d never been in any sort of relationship before, although she knew other geisha’s who had. Before she’d been too worried about getting found out and kicked to the curb to risk it. Coco had never met anyone she was remotely interested in enough to risk that.
Not until Sasaki. Then everything changed.
Even if they were being quiet about it now, she could hear the disbelief from her friends if they ever found out. They would judge Sasaki for his rough exterior, his drinking, and his coarse interactions with others. Her friends might not believe her if she told him how sweet he could be, but it was true.
“Here, drink some more, you’ve barely had anything,” Sasaki groused, handing her another cup, almost overflowing with liquid.
She giggled. “I can fill up the cup myself.” He shrugged.
“Deserve to get treated sometimes, you do this shit all day. It’s not a big deal.” She fought not to melt at the words as she shot it back. Sasaki could be incredibly kind, she knew that with utter certainty. Still, whenever she saw the little ways he cared it made her feel incredibly special to know she got to see that from him. Experience that from him.
They drank and talked, both of them getting a little drunk and loud. Or well, Sasaki was loud. Coco laughed a bit more and ran her hands over his skin a little more often, wondering if the shiver she felt was from him or from her.
When he finally wrapped an arm around her waist and bent down as if seeking out a kiss, automatically she turned her face away.
“S-Sasaki, we’re still in public,” she muttered. Now it was clear that Sasaki was drunk, he never got this handsy unless he was. Usually he held himself back until they got someplace private. He growled before getting to his feet and holding out a hand.
“Let’s get out of here then.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to argue about how it would be unprofessional but as she glanced around the room, she realized no one at the party was paying them any mind. And, she reasoned, no one was bothering to try to get her attention with Sasaki by her anyway. She had already worked for several hours, would leaving right now really be a big deal?
His hand still hovered between them and she took it gratefully. Gently, Sasaki pulled her to her feet and she swayed a bit. It felt like the booze was draining from her head down to her limbs, making them heavy. He kept a firm grip on her hand as he led her away, the two of them side-stepping the crowd as they picked their way along to the exit.
Once they stepped outside, it instantly got cooler as the room’s heat from so many bodies left them, leaving only the cool breeze. Coco shivered—she couldn’t help it—and Sasaki glanced down at her. Without a word he dropped her hand and wrapped an arm around her shoulders tugging her against his side as she let out a small eep .
It was a lot warmer as they walked down the corridor, not talking. She soaked in his warmth and just generally basked in his presence. When he led her back into the building and through more empty hallways she started looking around with interest.
“Where are we going, Sasaki-san?”
“Tch. Told you before, don’t call me that when we’re alone. I know you gotta do it for your job or whatever but just—not like this.”
“Right, sorry I forgot.” When he looked down at her meaningfully, a brow raised she tacked on, “Sasaki.” And he grinned, fangs flashing in the low light. It was enough to make her stomach twist. “You didn’t answer by the way.”
“We were given rooms when we arrived. Figured we could go there.” Her stomach fluttered with nerves at the thought of being alone with Sasaki. “I fought for a good one too. Ulti had a fit.” He grinned. “But I won in the end.”
“You fought for one?” His arm lifted from her shoulders before a wide hand pressed against her lower back, guiding her to a door that he flung open. “Sasaki you didn’t have to do that—” The words died in her mouth as she stepped into the room, slipping out of her shoes automatically at the entrance. It was huge which was expected but the view was incredible looking out into the Flower Capital. “ Oh ,” she breathed with wonder. Sasaki chuckled behind her.
“Yeah, figured you’d like it. It was worth it, don’t worry.” The sound of a cork behind her let her know he had found another bottle to drink from but she didn’t care as she wandered forward to check out the view. This part of the palace was right on the cliff side, their deck private as the mountain cut into the rest, blocking them from view of the other rooms, a rare luxury.
Sasaki came up to her side. “You like it right?” he asked and she didn’t bother to reply, just spun around before throwing herself into his arms. He caught her with a surprised grunt, her toes just barely skimming the floor.
“I love it!!” Coco cried with excitement before she allowed herself to surge up and capture his lips like she’d been longing to do.
This time he groaned into her mouth, and she used his open lips to snake a tongue inside, her hands winding into his hair, finally finally , tugging him down to her level. She barely noticed when her feet hit the ground, just felt his gloved hands grab onto her hips, keeping her in place.
In the flurry, she was too careless, unable to think of anything but his alcohol-steeped taste as their tongues twisted and rubbed together that when he pulled back, she whined and tried to chase after him.
“Coco,” he grumbled. “My fangs be careful.”
She huffed out a breath but didn’t argue, just tugged him back down and he followed her silent command. They traded kisses back and forth as Coco strained to get her body as pressed against his as much as she could manage. It was strange he wasn’t trying to back them into a wall, some distant part of herself thought, he usually did. Sasaki tried to push her boundaries and get more whenever possible. He backed off the moment she protested but he always liked to try his luck.
Not that she wasn’t willing, not that she didn’t want to. She just knew she wasn’t supposed to.
“ Fuck ,” Sasaki cursed drawing back and straightening from his slouch. She whined again, fingers digging into his pecs as she rested her chin on his sternum.
“Sasakiiii, come backkk,” she pouted, feeling the way her lips were puffy from their kisses and probably a glossy red, lipstick replaced with his spit.
He swallowed loudly before taking a step back. “Come on, got something to show you.” Walking to the deck he reached up and started digging around in the rafters above them. Something dropped down making her jump and he gestured to it with a large smile. “Ta da!”
“A… hammock?”
“Yeah!” he said eagerly, already climbing in. “It’ll be fun, come’re!” After he collapsed inside, it began rocking back and forth and Coco fidgeted with her fingers nervously.
“Are you sure it won’t break?”
“It’s fineeee, just get in!” Sasaki reached for her but she kept herself out of his arm’s length, dithering.
“What if it messes up my hair?” she asked anxiously, a hand flying up to her updo. “That would be really noticeable, Sasaki I don’t know if I should—”
“Coco.” He rolled his eyes. “Trust me, would ya? Get in.”
Gingerly, she took a step closer and quicker than she could see he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her on top of him, ignoring her shriek of terror.
The hammock swung wildly and she fisted her hands into his jacket, stiff with fear. What if it tore or tilted too far and dropped them?! What if they fell off the edge, they were right on the cliff, what if—
“Relax,” Sasaki’s voice focused her as he pressed against the furrow between her brows with a finger. “I gotcha, nothin’s gonna happen.”
“Easy for you to say,” she grumbled back but as the hammock started to sway slower, she let her body relax into his.
His hand caressed the side of her face, tucking in a bit of her hair behind an ear. “See? S’not so bad, is it?”
Tilting her head into the gentle touch Coco let her eyes close as she hummed. “It’s still a little scary,” she confessed.
“Nah. You got me, remember? It’ll be fine. We’re just hangin’ out.” He hesitated; Coco could feel it in the way his body shifted beneath her. “I missed ya.”
Emotions churned through her as she ducked her head, rubbing her nose against his skin, hands still tangled into the shoulders of his jacket. “I miss you too,” she said quietly.
A warm hand pressed against her spine. “Course you did,” he said gruffly. “I’m amazing.”
She giggled. “You are.” Lips brushed against her forehead and she sighed with contentment as the breeze blew over them. It didn’t chill her though, not when she was pressed so close to him and she felt her body relax completely, utterly soothed by the warmth and caring of him.
When the sun rose the next day, Coco was momentarily confused. Loud snores echoed next to her as she struggled onto her hands, the world shifting for some reason under her weight. Her mouth was deadly dry and she blinked at the view of gorgeous oranges and pinks across the sky before looking down to see Sasaki’s snoring face, mouth wide open and drool dripping from the corner of his lips for a moment she felt such overwhelming love for him that it knocked the breath out of her.
For just that moment, she felt it rise within her like a wave, and she feared the crest, the heartbreak when it broke against the shore, but she knew it would be worth it. Anything Sasaki would give her, his time and affections, she’d gladly take, anything to spend time with him. To feel like this.
Then the moment passed and her brain kickstarted and she screeched as she tumbled out of the hammock and onto her feet, Sasaki waking up with a yell. In the mists of the chaos, the hammock swinging so wildly from her exit that it dropped him on the deck and he groaned with confusion.
Sprinting up to the mirror, she could have wept from the mess. “Sasaki!!” she yelled, ignoring his grunt of annoyance. “We fell asleep!? I’m a wreck!! People are probably so worried about me, oh my goodness I’m going to get in so much trouble.”
Sasaki yawned as he came into the room behind her, scratching his stomach. “Don’t worry about it, it’s fine.”
“It is not fine. Look at me!” she waved at the mirror, her makeup was streaked and her hair was falling out of its hairdo. “They would have been expecting me back and oh, they’re going to be furious.” Covering her mouth with both hands she let out a muffled scream. What kind of punishment would they dole out?! The rest of the geishas would have left already, she should have been among them.
“Calm down,” Sasaki ordered with another yawn. When Coco whirled around in a fit of anger he put his hands on her shoulders and stopped her short with a kiss on the top of her head. “I bought you out for the night. No one is gonna say anything.”
She blinked. Then blinked some more in confusion. “You did what? They don’t let us stay out for an entire night!”
Not with a solo client anyway, that would just be asking for disaster.
Sasaki smiled wide before pointing a thumb at himself proudly. “Told ‘em it was for the Tobi Roppo! I bet the others left around the same time we disappeared, so anyone would think we all just went back to a room to party separately. I told ‘em I’d escort you home. I got—” He bent down next to her and started digging through the dresser that was in front of the mirror. He straightened with a small box in his hand. “—this make-up box and hair shit from Black Maria. Fucking cost me an arm and leg in favors so lemme know if there’s something missin’ that you’d need because I really can’t tell.”
Numbly she took it from him before opening up the lid. Inside was everything she’d need to fix her face and hair. Her eyes filled with tears and when she looked up at him, Sasaki flinched.
“Hey, wait, are you upset??” he asked with concern, hands reaching out for her but hovering above her body, as if anxious if he was allowed to touch her or not.
She sniffed loudly. “T-this is s-so thoughtful Sasaki, thank you .” Coco tried as hard as she could to sound earnest and he sighed loudly, shoulders slumping with relief.
“Yeah well,” he straightened, rubbing at his hair. At some point, his familiar cap had gotten knocked off during the night. “Figured you’d be dead tired from the party. It was the least I could do.”
Quickly she turned back to the mirror, rubbing at her eyes so she wouldn’t cry and ruin her make-up anymore than it already was.
Sasaki was an incredibly thoughtful man. A little gruff maybe, a little rough around the edges but the ways in which he cared always astonished her. It made her heart clench with unsaid feelings as she quickly got to work. He lingered behind her, catching her eye in the mirror.
He looked slightly awkward, standing there and she managed to shoot him a large smile. “Really, thank you Sasaki. I loved spending the night with you, sorry I freaked out and couldn’t enjoy it.”
When he grinned back, the rising sun reflected off his fangs and made her gut twist with more unpure thoughts than simply how handsome he looked in the morning light.
“Yeah, no problem. You deserve the best, Coco.”
“What, like you?” she teased and watched with glee as he flushed before frowning as she giggled at the flush across his face.
He folded his arms with irritation. “The best ,” he repeated. “Whatever the fuck that means to you. Finish getting ready already, I’m starved.” Sasaki’s stomach growled, as if in agreement and this time she laughed fully.
“Okay, okay, I’m getting ready! Stop distracting me!”
“ Distracting you? Listen here little lady—”
The morning passed and she couldn’t remember one that was better. Nothing could compare to this, feeling appreciated and cared for by someone she liked (loved?) so deeply.
Even after Sasaki dropped her off, her stomach full and satisfied as she waved at his retreating back, Coco couldn’t shake the feeling of absolute delight and… well.
Love, she decided. It could only be love.