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Smoldering Embers

Summary:

Prompt: “You are dying but nobody cares” (Well Bay cares and everyone else doesn't know)

(Y/n) is dying, they decide to run away so that the Whitebeards won't have to mourn their death. Unfortunately for them, they happen to leave mere hours before Thatch gets murdered. The Whitebeards assume the worst.

Work Text:

(Y/n)’s heart clenched in their chest. Tears stung at the corners of their eyes. This was something they had brought upon themself. (Y/n)’s body was finally giving up on them. The familiar rocking of the ship that once welcomed them with open arms. Where (Y/n) used to be considered family. Now was the last thing they would ever see. Being regarded as anything but part of the family. It made them think of the unfortunate string of events that led them to where they were now. 

Maybe if they had chosen to share their dilemma with the captain things would have gone differently. (Y/n) had picked the worst time to make their departure. On the same night, they left the Moby Dick a crewmate was murdered. The culprit fled into the darkness a few hours after (Y/n) had made their escape. Which left the crew to infer that (Y/n) had a hand in the murder of Thatch. Something which brought a different kind of pain into their heart. (Y/n)’s head lulled to the side at the sound of the door opening. Numbly staring at the figure who entered. Their mind was so muddled they did not register who it was that had entered. 


Bay’s eyes were wide when she heard the news, “Wait!! What!!”

“You must not have heard. (Y/n) betrayed us and fled the Moby Dick.”

“When was this?!”

“About a month ago.”

Bay’s eyes narrowed as she demanded to see (Y/n) for herself. With some reluctance, she was allowed into the room (Y/n) was being held. Bay was left alone in the room with them. (Y/n) had their back turned to her. Bay could tell that they were suppressing their pain from where she stood. Their head shifted to glance unseeingly in Bay’s direction.

“(Y/n),” Bay said softly crouching down a little ways away from them. (Y/n) faintly recognized her voice, eyes flitting to her figure. Bay’s heart clenched at the limp form before her. Trails of blood smeared across (Y/n)’s lip and chin. 

“...Bay…,” (Y/n)’s voice cracked as they forced words out of their throat. Bay quickly shooshed them. Moving closer so she could cradle their head on her lap. 

“Stupid… why did you not just tell them?”

“I thought it might be easier if they thought I left…” (Y/n) muttered eyes glazing over slightly, “Guess that did not work out…”

Bay ran her fingers through (Y/n)’s matted hair. Soothing the younger as the life drained from their sickly form. With one final breath (Y/n) let out their final words. Bay being the only one to hear the last thing to be uttered from their mouth. Tears clouded her vision as she held (Y/n) closer muttering incoherent words of apology. 


The crew was confused at Bay’s distraughtness as she stumbled out of the “cell.” Her eyes were red and puffy, she had obviously been crying during her time with (Y/n). Bay had been in the room for quite some time before she finally exited. She was fighting back tears as she took notice of the crew’s staring. This was one of the rare moments that they had seen Bay cry. Her face hardened at the sight of her crewmates staring at her. 

“The hell are you looking at?”

“What happened in there?” Marco inquired, glancing over at the door Bay had just excited. 

Something deep inside of Bay snapped at his words, even though she knew he did not know he could not help but yell at him, “They are fucking dead are you happy?!”

“What?!”

“Instead of them living out their final moments free you had them caged up like an animal.”

“But they—”

“—There is no universe where (Y/n) would have tried to kill Thatch. You knuckleheads were too fucking dense to see beyond what was right in front of you!”

One of the other crewmembers piped up, “Why did they leave then?”

Bay let out a deep sigh, “They are—were sick, it was terminal and there is no cure.”

“What—what were their last words?”

Say goodbye for me…”

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