One-Shots: One Piece | One Piece x Reader

X Drake x reader | Forgetting Something (2021 TPS Birthday Special)

Happy Birthday... to me! (7/11) (slight change to speech style)

Did everyone forget?

There was a weight to your shoulders as you slumped at your desk, idly messing with the pen between your fingers out of boredom. The room surrounding you was completely dark and not even a porthole displayed any light - it was as pitch as tar. You couldn't hear a thing, there was no sign of life, and only the creak of the ship's wood sounded in a calculated rhythm with the sea.

You sighed, tapping the pen's tip along the map lying before you. It was large and most certainly old, something you didn't often have the pleasure of seeing; meaning it was making things a little more interesting for you. You were always the one making new maps and working, and there was no time for you to stop. Day in and day out, you worked. But really that was your own fault. You promised you'd help your captain no matter what, even now.

Even now as you felt the exhaustion clinging to your form and the darkness swallowing you up. Even now as it was only you who wasn't dead to the world, alone in the night. Even now, despite it was your birthday.

And no one remembered.

You were half inclined to just quit working and sleep. Today was like every other day despite the occasion, and it wouldn't really matter. But at the same time you wanted to cling onto the hour just a little more. You never know, someone could always show up even if...

Physically shaking yourself from thoughts, you huffed with irritation. There was no way in hell that anyone would remember, not now, at least. When you glanced up at the clock pulsing and ticking above your head, you noticed the hour was closing in on midnight. Heck, even ten minutes later would signal the end.

No matter how much you sulked, it was fruitless. It would remain to be you, the map, the clock on the wall and the gentle waves rocking you into a half-slumber. Your mind was the old thing seemingly working as little memories tried to poke their way through. You had never had a birthday celebration of such and in fact, it was always you celebrating other people's...

"Come in."

The muffled voice of your captain calling echoed from the other side of the door. There was a wide grin on your face as in your hands you gripped a small box, a little something you had thought to give him.

With one quick push, you entered his room. It was much more orderly than yours and visibly so. His desk wasn't a mess, his bed was made. His clothes were put away unlike your own, strewn across your bedroom floor.

"Hey." You held the box behind your back, the unusual behaviour enough for him to turn from what he was doing. "How are you doing?"

"... Did you come here just to ask if I was okay?"

While he raised one ginger eyebrow, you just scoffed playfully and rolled your eyes. The man was not dumb, and he was proving that he wasn't. You just had to attempt to get a little bit of conversation out of him.

"Yeah, why not?" You said innocently, tilting your head. "You're always working and I just thought that-"

"You aren't going to shoot me, are you?" Drake cut you off and his eyes flickered to where your hands lined behind you, smirking. You were a little caught off guard by his sudden switch so you were quick to shake your head, bringing the box into sight out of panic.

But you realised that was just his way of getting to find something out quicker, and you'd fallen for the trick. He never wasted time, not even on his own ship. You felt a little annoyed with yourself but what could you do, you were now holding out a present to him... though his confident look turned to one that was rather taken aback.