A Fairy's Tale (Kidd X OC X Killer

Chapter 14: Bath For a Rat

Kid took her to his private bathroom.

He sat her on the toilet lid and quickly moved away, pointedly avoiding her curious gaze as she tracked his movements. He busied himself with the bath, turned the nozzle and focused all his attention on the rush of water flowing from the tap. It wasn't enough to fill the silence, and he could still feel those fucking eyes on his back.

"I really hate to waste limited water on a scrawny little rat like you," Kid jeered at her over his shoulder, anything to break up the tension, "but here we fuckin' are. You're welcome."

Loklynn didn't respond at first. Then, a sweet, soft little giggle sounded from the other side of the bathroom behind him. He stiffened briefly as the hairs on his arms and shoulders stood straight on end. Fuckin' hell...

"I met a rat in the brig, you know," she told him, and goddammit he could practically hear the twinkle in her eyes through that bell-chime of a voice, "He tried to bite my toe off. I might be scrawny, but I don't really have much of a taste for toes."

"Tch. Yeah, I heard through the door," Kid grunted. She was pissing him off now, AGAIN; the girl was just a glutton for punishment, wasn't she, trying to make friends with everything that hurt her. "You probably have rabies now, idiot. Might have to put you down."

"Well, if you do... maybe leave an arm or a leg in the brig for awhile. I told the little guy he could eat me if I died."

That statement, delivered in such a matter-of-fact and teasing manner, made the captain whirl around to stare at her. The corner of her mouth was tilted mischievously, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

"...You're not afraid," he observed aloud. "Why?"

"Oh, I'm very afraid of you," she said seriously. Her smile faded as her lips pursed. "But I'm trying not to be, at least right now. It would be rude, wouldn't it, when you're doing something nice for me now?"

What.

"I'm not doing this outta the kindness of my heart, you little leech!!" The captain snapped. He had to stop himself from taking a threatening step toward her. "You haven't had a bath since your visit to the brig. You stink. That plus the dried blood... look, You get sick again, you're on your own!"

Loklynn smiled ever so slightly. Not a happy smile, just... resigned. "I see," she sighed. She looked away. "But regardless... thank you."

Kid's teeth bared themselves in a reflexive sneer as he turned away to prevent himself from wrapping his hands around her little neck. "You're so fuckin' weird. Wipe that look off your face before I rearrange it for you," he grumbled.

They sat in silence as the bath filled up. Eventually he turned off the water. He didn't turn around for a few moments.

"Strip."

He heard quiet gasp and a shuffle. So that was all it took, huh? A little nudity? His mouth tilted into a wicked smirk as she fumbled and stammered over her words.

"Wait, I... do you really have to-"

Kid abandoned his smirk in favor of his usual scowl before turning around to pin her with his stare. "I dunno if you're aware," he drawled sarcastically, "but passing out in the bath would be bad for your health. So strip. Now."

He almost felt bad for the girl as she hesitantly stood and began slowly unbuttoning the ruined shirt that he'd be chucking in the trash as soon as they were done here. She kept her eyes downward, so she didn't notice that Kid was keeping his gaze carefully trained on her face even after the shirt was dropped to the floor and the boxers removed.