Chapter Text
The deck was crowded, men packed shoulder to shoulder near the steps leading to the city dock. In actuality, the crew wasn’t that large compared to other pirate crews, but every sailor available wanted to be present for this particular mission. Marines be damned, they planned to succeed no matter the cost.
“Alright, does everyone understand what they need to do? We’ll be splitting up into two groups, so now is the time to ask questions.” Benn Beckman, vice-captain of this motley band of troublemakers, scanned for any raised hands. “Yeah, you. What is it?”
One of the subordinates took a step forward. “Wouldn’t it make more sense for all of us to look for the drug? It’s why we chose to land here. More eyes means we’ll find it faster, don’t it?”
Benn shook his head. “Not quite. While the medicine is top priority, we still need to restock our supplies. It won’t do Uta any good to get cured if she’s just gonna starve right after. If things go south after we find the medication, it’d be best for us to set sail immediately.”
“That’s where our group comes in!” Yasopp and Lucky Roux, the head sniper and chef respectively, stood tall before their half of the crew. Yasopp gestured to the doctor beside Benn. “While Hongo’s team focuses on little Uta, we’ll be able to give them some peace of mind. They’re trusting us to do our job quickly and accurately.”
His group cheered, invigorated for their seemingly routine task. Meanwhile, Hongo handed slips of paper to the rest of the crew. “Here’s the name of the drug I need to bring Uta’s fever down. Substitutes aren’t an option since most of them aren’t safe for someone her age. We’ll split up in pairs, so if you find it, send your partner out to inform the rest of us.”
As the supply group headed out, you felt a flicker of guilt. Aside from your new captain, you were the only one staying on the ship. It had only been a few days since you joined the Red Hair Pirates and you still were nervous about running into anyone who might recognize you from before. You weren’t exactly popular in your hometown and there was no way to guess what repercussions they had in mind for you as punishment for leaving.
After all, ‘good Rohdarians’ should be honored to be selected for the council’s fuel service. Cramped mine tunnels, noxious gases, and wild explosions were in style and considered valiant work – assuming you lived long enough to see anyone on the surface again. Why would you ever want to run away from such success?
“You’re dwelling on it again.”
You looked up to see Benn standing in front of you. His sympathetic smile helped put you at ease. That wasn’t going to be your life, not anymore. “Yeah, sorry. I guess I’m more on edge than I realized.”
He gave you a pat on the back. “It’s alright. No one can fault you for being worried. That was slavery, plain and simple.”
“That’s for sure.” You watched the medicine party leave next, Hongo staying behind to wait for Benn. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to wait here? This is urgent, isn’t it?”
Benn shook his head again. “You’re fine. Just because you’re on the ship, doesn’t mean you aren’t helping. Shanks is busy, so it’s a good idea to keep someone on standby in case someone were to attack. Plus, if anything changes in Uta’s condition, you can come find me and Hongo. The captain has my vivre card. You can use that if things get serious.” His smile shifted into a slight smirk. “Does that quell some of your doubt?”
As a matter of fact, it did. There was a sense of empowerment that came with the new perspective. You were chosen as the protector. Everything the men cared about was guarded by you. This wasn’t the time for second-guessing. “Thanks, Benn.”
“Call me Beckman.” He turned away and soon enough, you stood alone in the cool sea breeze. Winter was making itself known and it wouldn’t be long until it came in at full force.
This was a good time to memorize the layout below deck, you realized. You’d been struggling to remember the hallways and doors, constantly finding yourself confused or just plain lost. The crew wasn’t here to witness it though. You wouldn’t have to be embarrassed! Lost in the excitement of learning a whole new lifestyle, you jumped down the hatch steps two stairs at a time.
Sure enough, you almost immediately got lost. You’d been able to find the galley and one of the restrooms. Now you were searching for the room you shared with most of the other subordinates. (Only the officers got their own quarters, though even they usually found a roommate amongst themselves.) So far, you managed to pass the same cabinet three times. You had to be close, just from the number of options you’d ruled out.
A shrill cry distracted you before you could explore the final corridor available.
Following the sound, which carried on for several minutes, you found yourself in front of a dark chestnut door. You’d noticed it before during your hopeless wandering; it stood out from the other heavily worn and lightly stained woodwork. The crying was coming from the other side and you debated on knocking.
Then a familiar voice pleaded, rough from sheer exhaustion. “Sweetie, shh. Please calm down. I’m doing my best here. There’s not much I can do to make you feel better until Hongo finishes your medicine. I’m sorry, I know you don’t like it. Can you go back to sleep? Take a nice nap for Daddy?” The wail that followed answered that question. “Uta! Please stop. I’m sorry!”
No doubt about it. That was Shanks and it sounded like he was at his wit’s end. You cleared your throat and spoke up. “Captain? You doing alright in there?”
There was a pause from both of them. “Y/n?” Shanks replied. You winced as Uta cried even louder. Shanks had to practically shout for you to hear him. “It’s unlocked. Come on in! Crap… Shh, shh. It’s okay, Uta. Daddy’s here. Shhh…”
You cracked the door open, peeking inside to see what kind of chaos you were about to walk into. Shanks sat cross-legged on the floor, bouncing the fussy little girl on his knee. The room was a mess, with child-sized dishes littered about and thick board books everywhere. Looking back at your captain, he was in no better shape. There were dark bags beneath his normally bright eyes. You couldn’t even begin to fathom what created the stains on his white shirt.
“Woah…” You stepped inside, almost speechless. “Rough day, I take it?”
Shanks groaned and hung his head. “Yeah, something like that… She was resting so peacefully a little bit ago. Now I can’t even get her to stop crying. I’m so tired…”
“I can imagine. No offense, but you look like you haven’t slept since we left Rohdaria’s borders.”
He nodded. “Just about. I originally figured this was going to be a typical winter cold, but Uta’s downright miserable. I clearly need to get better at understanding her signals and knowing when something’s wrong. Maybe if I had noticed sooner, she wouldn’t have gotten so sick.”
“I don’t think that’s very fair to you,” you replied. While you’d only met Shanks a little over a week ago, you already disliked seeing him so down on himself. He’d been so kind to you ever since you met and never once did you feel like he put his own desires over those he cared about. “From what the crew’s told me, you only adopted Uta a month ago, right? You’re brand new to this parenting stuff and I think anybody would need time to learn everything. Hell, I’m not even sure you can learn everything about being a parent. Each kid’s different and no situation is going to be the same as the one before. It’s obvious you love her, so don’t be so hard on yourself.”
Shanks stared at you with wide, starstruck eyes. “Wow, that’s… That really helps me feel better. Thank you, Y/n.” He patted the floor beside him, scooting a sippy cup out of the way. “Mind keeping me and Uta company? It’d be nice to talk to someone that actually responds with words.”
You felt your heart skip a beat or two as your face got warm. You shoved the feeling aside though, instead settling in beside Shanks. Uta’s tiny sobs had quieted down some. Her big amethyst eyes stared up at you, clouded by the shimmering tears filling them. “Hi there,” you said softly. You hesitated to reach out, worried that her father would get upset at you for touching his ailing daughter.
Your anxiety must have shown on your face because the next thing you knew, Shanks took your hand in his – nope, you weren’t going to acknowledge the hitch in your breath – and brought it in front of her. Uta’s hands wrapped around a couple of your fingers curiously, temporarily distracting her from her discomfort. “No need to be shy,” Shanks reassured you. “I like seeing her interact with the crew. We’re her family, after all, and now that includes you too.” His eyes met yours and the smile he gave you made you melt inside. In barely any amount of time, he already had full trust in you.
Neither of you said anything for a moment, watching Uta explore the texture of your skin as she stroked your palm. She moved your fingers some, as if trying to see how they worked, and you were surprised to see how gentle she was being. You’d half-expected her to pull and tug your hand with no concept of any pain she might unintentionally cause but she was being incredibly careful. You couldn’t resist the urge to wiggle your fingers a bit. Uta froze a second and then burst out into a fit of giggles.
Shanks chuckled along with her. “See? She already likes you!” He squeezed your hand ever so slightly, though you couldn’t tell if the action was intentional or not. He seemed a little more like the goofball you’d met at the market and that was all that mattered, you decided.
“Say, Y/n, how are you doing?”
You blinked a couple times, tilting your head in confusion. “I’m not sure what you mean,” you admitted. “Do you mean right this second or…”
He shook his head. “I was asking in a general sense. Are you adjusting alright to life on the seas? I hope the crew has been helping you feel comfortable in your new home.”
“Oh!” His concern surprised you for some reason. Aside from Uta, Shanks never came across as a worrier. He was an optimist, the kind of guy to see an overworked stranger from a filthy little mining town and immediately strike up a friendly conversation. Next thing you knew, said stranger was laughing and opening up about his dreams. ‘I want to leave this place someday. I want to sail away and feel the sun on my face every day.’
Who could have guessed he’d make that far off wish a reality.
“I’ve been managing okay,” you replied. “There’s still so much I need to learn, but Beckman and the others have been very patient about teaching me. They’re good people.”
“They are.” Shanks stared at his daughter, but you could tell his mind had wandered elsewhere – to his own fond memories, perhaps. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around to welcome you better,” he said suddenly. “I’m the one that invited you aboard and yet I haven’t spent a minute showing you around. You ended up getting tossed in headfirst without any warning or instruction. That can’t be easy.”
You shrugged. “It couldn’t be helped. You needed to focus on Uta’s health. Besides, like I said, the others have been coaching me a lot. You keep looking after your little girl and I’ll work hard in order to blow you away once she’s better. It’ll be a surprise to look forward to.”
“I’m sure you’ll do amazing.” Shanks’ expression became more serious for a moment. “If there’s anything I can do though, tell me. Even if you just need to vent about feeling homesick, I’m here. A good captain always looks after the well-being of his crew and I want all of you to feel like you can talk to and rely on me.”
It was your turn to chuckle, but this one had a hollow tone to it, a mix of apathetic acceptance and bitter irony. “Trust me, captain, that’s not something you’ll have to deal with from me. I can’t say there was much left for me back there – nothing good anyway and you already know it would’ve gotten a lot worse. At most, it’ll feel a bit odd to spend the holidays somewhere other than Town Square this year. I got so used to our old-fashioned traditions that I have no clue what we will or won’t be doing together.”
“I suppose that settles it then.” Your brow furrowed as you turned to Shanks, puzzled. That big grin of his was finally back… and aimed right at you. “We’ll just have to make this season the best you’ve ever had! We can start our own traditions as a crew, ones that’ll be a lot more fun than the customs those stuffy councilmen came up with. We can have a great big party and everything!”
He gave Uta another quick bounce, making her squeal with delight. “What do you say, princess? Should me and the boys do something special for the two of you? It’ll be your first Christmas with us too.” Letting go of your hand finally, he booped the toddler’s nose. “We could even do up our room today. We don’t have tons of decorations, but I’m sure with a bit of creativity, we can do some incredible things!”
Uta started clapping and cheering, her excitement building with each bump Shanks created. Suddenly though, she stopped. You and Shanks tensed, especially when she began to cough. The sound was harsh, almost painful to even listen to, and each raw hack shook her tiny frame violently. Joy turned to distress. Uta’s laughter was replaced by more wails and screams.
“No, no! It’s okay! Shh… Oh, pumpkin… I’ve got you. Come here.” Shanks scooped Uta up and rested her against his shoulder. Rocking her gently, he patted her back and continued to hush and calm her. It didn’t do much, however. Uta clutched fistfuls of his shirt and while her volume lowered to a more tolerable level, it didn’t give her enough comfort to catch her breath.
“What do you typically do to soothe her?” you asked.
Shanks groaned. “We’ve learned that she likes when we sing, but I think she’s gotten sick of my voice these past few days. Beckman ended up having to put her down for a nap before he left because she just wouldn’t settle down for me. Even then, it took a couple rounds of Leave Her, Johnny to finally get her to sleep.”
Your heart ached as you watched Uta cry. Her face had gone red from the sheer effort it took to let her misery be known. “Maybe you should give it a try anyway. Can’t hurt, right?”
He looked doubtful. “If you say so…” Giving Uta a small nudge to catch her attention, he started. “Hush and dry your tears~ Wash away your fears~ There’s no crying here~” As Shanks predicted, Uta didn’t bat an eye in his direction. She merely squirmed more in his arms.
“That’s it? I kind of thought you’d do an actual song, instead of just a ten second diddy.”
“Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I’ve been at this for a while. You’re lucky I can manage that much. Lack of sleep, remember?”
You felt bad for teasing. Like you, Shanks was barely out of his teens. Yet here he was, running a full-fledged pirate ship while learning to be a dad. Small flashbacks of your childhood breezed by, with one particular memory standing out from the rest.
You fidgeted. “Shanks?”
He peeked at you through his crimson locks. “Yeah?”
“Would you, um… Would you like me to give it a go?”
“You’d really be okay doing that?” Shanks perked up. “That’d be amazing! Here, hold out your arms. You should hold her while you sing.”
Before you could protest or even prepare yourself, Shanks had Uta in the crook of your arm, her weight being supported by your lap as well. She looked a bit disgruntled by the change, but didn’t try to pull away from you or reach back to her dad. Muscle memory started to kick in for you. You held the girl more protectively. Ever so carefully, you swiped tears away off her pudgy cheeks and stroked her hair.
Shanks’ stare, which you could feel without having to even turn and look, was intense. It didn’t feel aggressive by any means, but it still gave you goosebumps as you tried to focus on taking a deep breath.
“May the waves rock you high… And the waves rock you slow… May the waves wash away… Any fear you may show… May the waves bring you near… To my warm, loving arms… So that I may keep you… From any sort of harm.”
Slowly, but surely, Uta’s eyes started to droop. You felt her body relax in your arms, the stress melting away like butter. It gave you a rush of confidence. You’d only realize later that you had completely tuned out Shanks in that moment.
“Hush now, my little one… You need not to fear, so long as I am here… Rest now, my precious child… So the waves may bring… you sleep tonight…”
It worked. The crying stopped and she was fast asleep.
“Wow…” You nearly choked hearing Shanks’ voice. When you peeked over at him, your heartbeat, which had just started to return to normal, hammered away until it seemed like it echoed throughout the room. His mouth was agape and there was a mystified fog over his gaze. The two of you were frozen, neither one able to turn away or break the odd spell.
It wasn’t until Uta shifted slightly in her sleep that you snapped back to the task at hand. “Where would you like me to lay her down?” you whispered.
“Huh? Oh, right over here, on my bed. Just put her in the middle and I’ll make sure she doesn’t roll off.”
Once she was stretched out across the maroon blanket, the two of you flopped back to the floor. “Where did you learn that song?” Shanks asked quietly. “I’ve never heard it before, but it was really nice.”
“It’s nothing special,” you replied, scratching the back of your neck. “When I was a kid, I used to watch some of the younger children in the neighborhood while our parents worked. I’d sing that song when they were too hyper to go to bed. It’s an old Rohdarian lullaby.”
“I might have to have you teach it to me sometime. Or maybe you’ll be my new go-to whenever Uta’s being restless.” To your surprise, Shanks threw an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into a partial hug. “Thanks again for all the help, Y/n. I’ve really been enjoying your company.”
“Y-Yeah, same here.”