The Doctor's Heart

Shades

Riza's neck prickled and she shivered like someone was watching her but she couldn't see anything. Her novice level of observation haki couldn't pick up on anything either. Just the desolate town and barren island. A bright orange sun sank lower and lower on the horizon, casting odd and suspicious shadows across the pale sandy ground. "Captain? Benn? Can you sense anything?" Riza asked, warily. Both of their observation haki was far superior to Riza's.

Both pirates glanced around with small, pensive frowns. "Nothing. We haven't sensed anything." Riza shrugged and trusted their word. "Nothing. At all. No bug or animal." Benn added, elaborating at Riza's acceptance. Eerie and spooky. Riza glanced at where their hands hovered over their weapons.

Riza followed after Shanks and Benn, glancing at stone tree and the split geode. She ran to scope the two halves up and pressed the stone into Shanks' arms. "I'll be right back. The book shop had books on gems. I didn't think it was relevant but now, I do... I'll be back."

"Hey! Y'know we came to find you because you wandered off alone." Shanks called after the doctor. "You wandered off on a abandoned island, Riz'."

"I wouldn't be if Benn wasn't busy making eyes over at the bar."

Benn knocked her ankles out from under her with a sweep of his boot. Riza hissed in pain as she was dropped on her butt. "Fucking Ass!"

Benn kept walking past but Shanks with very little effort scoped Riza up and tossed her over his shoulder. An arm was secured around her waist to keep her from face planting into sand. Riza squeaked at the swing motion and stared down her Captain's back. It was a nice sight and a cute butt but she hated being handle like she was a child or toy. She reached and pinched his side. A rumbling chuckle echoed from him. "You can go lower if you'd like, Riza." He teased.

Sputtering and burning red, she buries her head against his back. "I don't like being manhandled, Captain." Riza muttered. She wrinkled her nose and then, pulled away. "You stink and you're sticky."

"That's not what Mark said and that's what she said." Shanks laughed. A flash of white hot anger and annoyance at both men encouraged her to tug a couple of sweaty red hairs at the base of his head. This time he let out a low hiss of discomfort and tightened his grip on the doctor. He still added. "I didn't know you were into that too."

Riza grinned at an idea. She's made him blush before. Surely, she could do it again and maybe, he would let her go. "I mean it's not a bad sight, Captain." She remarked, idly and slowly moved her hand lower. She let her palm skim down his back. Enough so he knew she was up to something. "You do have a very cute butt... it looks very pinch-able."

"Wait-."

She let her hand brush against the back of his shorts. She was preoccupied with what she was doing to pay attention to what Shanks was doing. One hand was still clamped around her waist but his free hand wrapped around her ankle. Pulling her foot up and angling it above his shoulder. Shanks let go of her waist for the briefest moment.

A brief sudden drop startled Riza. Her heart raced in panic as the ground rushed to her for a second. She gripped Shanks' upper arm and neck for security. "Ass." She hissed at his back. Riza still reached her hand back down and pinched his butt. Shanks had anticipated Riza's action and turned his head to bite her thigh. "Damnit! You bit me!" She cried out in shock. She rubbed her stinging side. He wasn't gentle with his bite. That wasn't what she wanted to happen. Not at all.

"So, what?"

Riza reached down again and pinched hard. This reaction was the one she wanted. A small yelp and Shanks dropped her. In the nicest way possible but he still dropped her. Riza stared up at the darkening blue sky and she saw Benn walking past, rolling his eyes skyward. Riza stayed on the ground to enjoy the light breeze playing across her face. The sand was hard and compact under herself but that was easy enough to ignore. "Come on, Doc. Don't dawdle. I want the crew back at the bar before nightfall." She ignored Shanks and closed her eyes to enjoy air brushing her face. "I will pick you up again. This time, it will be a fireman's carry."