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The night had fallen and with it came the uncomfortable silence only broken by the waves hitting the ship. There was nothing but darkness surrounding it. In moments like this, Rene missed the crickets, those annoying animals were better than the terrifying silence around him.
He sighed, it was a cold night as many others, and, he was alone in the crownest as always. His shift was far from over and with no one to talk to, the time passed by slowly.
He shook his head, trying to shook off the tiredness from his body. Falling asleep during watch, specially night watch, was sadly common but something he could never do. If something where to happen guilt would eat him alive. He wasn’t a fighter, he was just a boy who did whatever he was told and so he needed to do his best. He only hoped Ace wasn’t planning on attacking Whitebeard during the night. If that where to happen and Ace fell onto the sea… Rene wondered if it would be bad not to alert anybody and just let him drown. His heart started to beat faster, guilt taking over him just for even daring to think about letting someone die. He hated his brain sometimes.
Creak.
He froze. His eyes moved around trying to catch any movement. He held his breath as he paid close attention to any sound other than the sea.
Someone was climbing to the nest. He waited without moving until the person had fully climbed, there was barely any light but he could make out enough of the person to know who they were.
“Shouldn’t you be with your crew?” Rene asked, turning away from the person and focusing on the sea. It gave him chills so dark the sea was.
“They are sleeping.”
“Shouldn’t you be sleeping as well?”
“Why should I? You’re not sleeping.”
Rene turned to face him, his heart momentarily stopping at seeing the man now standing right behind him, “I’m working,” he did his best not to sound scared.
“Keeping watch for enemies while ignoring one right behind you, nice job.”
“Last time I checked,” Rene sighed, “it was Ace the one trying to commit murder, not you, Cornelia.” Then he turned to face the sea again.
“Maybe Ace had decided to use us in his next attempt.”
That was certainly an option, but after more than ninety attempts without any help, Rene doubted Ace would actually use any of the Spades. Still… it was a possibility.
“What do you want?” Rene asked.
“Talk. You have been avoiding me.”
“Why talk?” He ignored the comment, “you’re going to run away in a week or so after Ace fails his mission.”
“Now now, who is gonna run away?”
“Well, either run away defeated, humiliated, or die for trying to kill an emperor. In any case, don’t see the point on talking to someone who will disappear soon.”
That was right. Getting along with Cornelia had been nothing but a mistake. He was going to disappear from his life sooner rather than later. If that was the case then he didn’t want anything. He was only going to get hurt and he was tired of missing people.
A hand on his right shoulder forced him to turn around, Cornelia was inches away from his face. He wanted to give a step back but he was against the wall of the nest.
“Aren’t you the one running away from me?” Cornelia asked, he had his arms on each side of Rene’s body, keeping him in place, “you’re not even looking at me.”
“I’m not!” Rene hissed, “go to sleep, I have to work.”
“Then look at me.”
Rene was looking anywhere but at Cornelia’s face. The white sails, the mast, anything was better than facing Cornelia because if he did then he would admit defeat. He would confess how he actually felt, and he didn’t want that.
But he was forced to face the other man.
“You look cute when you act angry.”
“Stop this,” Rene said, “don’t… do whatever this is because it’s pointless when you are gonna leave.”
“Didn’t I say I would take you with me, though? Don’t tell me you thought that was a joke.”
“And then? Have an emperor follow you and die a pointless death?”
“I’ll figure it out. I’m a pirate, I steal and do as I please.” After those words, Cornelia lifted Rene and forced the smaller man to sit on the edge of the crownest, keeping him in place by grabbing him by the waist with one hand.
Rene panicked as he looked down at the deck below him, he definitely didn’t want to fall. “Let me go!” He said, for some reason he didn’t scream or call for help. His voice sounded anxious, scared, but he didn’t raise his voice for anyone to hear and come to his rescue. Cornelia knew there were other people walking around the deck keeping watch and yet it was as if Rene didn’t want to be discovered by them.
Cornelia could definitely use that to his advantage.
“If you promise not to avoid me,” he leaned forward making Rene lean back just to then put his arms around Cornelia’s neck. A small whimper leaving him.
“Alright! I promise! Just…” he looked down again, “put me down already.”
“How do I know you are being genuine?”
“What? Do you want a pinky promise or something?”
Cornelia used his hand holding Rene to push the man forward, his other hand moving to grab him by the chin and forcing Rene to look at him.
“That sounds good,” he said, “but this will do for now,” he moved to kiss Rene before the other could say anything else.
Rene froze, not sure on what to do before slowly opening his mouth for Cornelia. His body shivered as Cornelia’s tongue invaded his mouth, he tried his best to correspond the kiss by doing the same as Cornelia but worse. He didn’t have any experience and Cornelia knew it.
“You should stop denying how you feel, you know?” Cornelia said as he left a small kiss next to Rene’s mouth.
Rene didn’t say anything to that.