Chapter Text
It started with those damned turtle neck sweaters. At least, that was when Beckman noticed it. Those damned sweaters. The thing about them was that they covered up too much skin. The Red Hair Pirates were different from other pirate crews in more ways than one. They had no Devil Fruit users on the crew. They were quite young compared to other crews. But the biggest difference was… they were all together. Together romantically. Realizing that they all loved each other had been a very natural development. It just felt natural. They had all always been close and that closeness grew into something else. A bond no one could break. Benn and Shanks may have their own rooms but they never really slept alone in said rooms. Someone was always sleeping in there with them. Benn preferred some of the smaller crewmates like Lime or Hongo because he could cuddle them close to his chest and hold them. Shanks would grab anyone he could. He liked to cuddle and to be cuddled. The rest of the crew would stay in the crew’s quarters. Sleeping together in a pile. None of them were shy about their bodies anymore… so when those damned turtle neck sweaters started showing up… Benn got a bit annoyed. Why? Because the one that wore them would usually leave his torso bare underneath his jacket. But now… he was covering up as much skin as he could… and why? There was no reason for it. He was good looking, as beautiful as the rest of them. Benn had thought they were past that insecurity.
It started with those damned gloves and turtleneck sweaters. That’s when Shanks noticed it. Those gloves that covered those amazing hands constantly, hiding them. He hated those gloves. The turtlenecks were tight enough to show the amazing abs underneath. But those damned gloves hid everything! The firm yet gentle hands that would touch you gently when it was needed… and deliver a great punch when it was needed. When Shanks asked about them the owner of said gloves and turtlenecks just smiled at him and said it was cold. The problem… The crew was near a summer island. It was sweltering outside. Everyone else was wearing nothing on their torsos and yet this guy wore gloves, turtlenecks and a jacket? Something wasn’t adding up! He was acting weird and Shanks didn’t like it when his crew were acting weird. It usually meant someone was upset, sick or injured. He didn’t like that. He didn’t like it when his crew was hurting. Shanks was very possessive and worried about what was his. You didn’t hurt his people. His person was hurting… and he was going to find out why.
It started with the flinching. At least that was when Yasopp noticed it. He had approached his partner from behind, wrapping his arms around his waist and hooking his chin over the guy’s shoulder. Only for the guy to flinch, almost violently. Yasopp had asked for forgiveness, thinking he had startled the blonde. He gave the blonde’s cheek a kiss and the blonde flinched again, not as violently as before.
“Are you hurt?” Yasopp asked gently.
“I’m fine, Yas,” was the reply he got.
“What’s with the flinching?”
“You scared me.”
“Not the second time.”
“Your hands are cold.”
“Oh, sorry,” another kiss to the cheek, another flinch. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m okay. I promise.” With that he walked away and Yasopp was left watching him walk away. A frown appeared on his face and he kept watch. At first he thought it was just him that caused the flinching. But the more he watched the more he noticed that whenever anyone touched him… he would flinch. The simplest touch would cause a flinch. Sometimes violent, sometimes barely noticeable. But Yasopp noticed them. He noticed them all… and it had him worried.
It started with skipped meals. That was when Roux noticed. It wasn’t that unusual for the blonde to miss meals during flu season. But… It wasn't flu season. It started with skipping breakfast. Then escalated to missing lunch. Then it turned into skipping dinner as well. Roux took feeding the crew very seriously. So, when he noticed that the blonde kept skipping meals he put it on himself to all but drag him into the galley to eat. Those gloved fingers were getting skinnier and skinnier. The blonde was already one of the smallest members and skipping meals was not good for him. He really should know better. Roux even told him that. All he got in reply was a sad sort of smile and a promise to not do it again. Only… He did it again. He skipped meals and if Roux brought him food he only ate a few small bites. He needed to talk to the others. Something was obviously wrong.
It started with the lack of singing. That’s when Bonk noticed it. Bonk may be the crew’s musician but the crew would always sing along. But Bonk noticed that something was missing. It took a few days but he soon realized what it was. It was one of the voices that usually sang with the rest of them. It took him a bit to figure out whose voice was missing but he soon figured it out. When he did he kept his eyes on the blonde. He would usually sing along to most of Bonk’s songs, but this time he didn’t sing to any. He just sat there quietly. He had a sad sort of smile on his face as he looked around at the rest of them… but he didn’t take part. Was he not feeling well? Did he have a sore throat? When Bonk asked, the blonde just smiled and said he was a little tired. But… that couldn’t be all that it was… could it?
It started with the absence. That’s when the rest of the crew noticed it… or more accurately that’s when they stopped denying the signs they had seen. But the absence spoke louder than anything. Their lover was slowly drifting away from them. They all tried to make sure no one slept alone on the ship. But… The blonde started doing that. Started saying no whenever someone asked to share a bed for the night, sexual or otherwise. Cuddles were denied. Offers for a good night’s rest were waved aside with small excuses that turned out to be lies. Their blonde drifted away more and more. Soon their lover’s bed was left empty. He spent his nights alone in the infirmary. He would not let anyone in. He would stay in there… alone. He would spend his nights alone and that was against the rules they had all set up. No one on the ship was supposed to be lonely. No one was supposed to be excluded and yet he was excluding himself. Distancing himself from them. They had all noticed it. They had all decided that they needed to do something about it. The problem? He didn’t let them. It had started with those damned turtlenecks and culminated into that one horrible sentence their doctor had just spoken.
“I’m leaving the crew.”