#(though if you're not sure my travelers navigation has what I have an easier time writing for) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

yukipri · 4 years

Text

On the Baratie, Part 5 Epilogue - a One Piece Mermaid AU Text Story

Here’s the final part of the Baratie series!

Includes my personal headcanons for Thatch’s backstory in this AU (and possibly canon, as I doubt we’ll learn much more about him sigh).

WARNINGS (actual warnings this time):

＊Trigger warnings for non-graphic violence, gore, unwilling self-harm, mention of thoughts of suicide, and body horror. Canon-typical dark backstory.

Slight ship warnings for: minor Sanji x Luffy, Thatch x Luffy, hint of bg Sabo x Luffy, but not ship-focused.

Continues off of past parts!

👒🐟On the Baratie, Part 1

👒🐟On the Baratie, Prologue

👒🐟On the Baratie, Part 2

👒🐟On the Baratie, Part 3

👒🐟On the Baratie, Part 4

They've been traveling together for a while now. With more additions to the crew, Sanji's no longer the newest member. They leave East Blue, crossing over to the Grand Line. Their voyage continues onward.

Fitting into his role as the second cook of the ASL Pirates was easier than Sanji could have ever hoped, and he knows it's largely due to Thatch. Thatch, who, for all his incredible skill and titles and history, turns out to be...a remarkably normal person. It takes less than an hour for Sanji's awe over Thatch being his childhood idol to turn into pure indignation when the other cook professes his love for Luffy, and now their daily proposals to Luffy with food are just part of routine on the Merry.

(Sanji still knows his cooking is amateur in comparison to Thatch's, but none of their crew seems to realize, and Luffy eats all their food with equal gusto. Even Thatch himself only ever compliments Sanji, often with ridiculous faux outrage that Sanji's cooking looks better, which is absolutely false, Sanji would know. But even so, the man sounds so genuinely offended that Sanji can't help but appreciate the lengths the older man will go to in order to keep Sanji from feeling inferior.)

It's during a rare moment of calm, when the skies are clear and Deuce and Nami seem relaxed about their progress, when Sanji decides there's never going to be a better time to ask. He finishes washing the last of the pastry plates from the desserts the crew had just finished devouring (his hands momentarily pause on a plate that Ace had to pull out of Luffy's throat when she swallowed it whole along with the pastry, and Sanji allows himself a moment of imagining that the plate with her slobber is somewhat like an indirect kiss...), before he exits the kitchen to go to his locker.

From the locker, buried beneath gravure magazines of buxom ladies whose beauty will never compare to Luffy's, he pulls out a magazine far more valuable to him, the only one of its kind that he'd brought with him from the Baratie.

Back up on the main deck, Sanji finds Thatch sitting by the mast while watching Luffy and Usopp play with some new contraption the latter made. He looks up when he senses Sanji's approach, grimacing when the movement makes the wind blow his now loose hair into his mouth.

"I need a hair tie if Marco's not going to send me my damn hair wax," Thatch complains, even as he pats the ground next to him for Sanji to sit.

"You could always ask our lovely navigator," Sanji grunts as he drops down, careful not to fold the magazine, which Thatch has yet to notice.

"Ah, beautiful Miss Nami might have one, but her hair's pretty short...honestly more likely Deuce'll have one." Thatch sulks, because he'd really rather get a hair tie from a pretty lady, but as it is, Thatch probably has the longest hair on the crew at the moment, followed by their first mate. "If only our ladies had longer hair...ah, my darling Seastar with long hair..."

Sanji lets himself get drawn into imagining their most dazzling Lady Captain leaning against the rail of the Merry, sunlight sparkling off the waves in the background paling in comparison to her radiance. Her face is shadowed by her trademark straw hat, before she raises her head, causing long, silky strands to ripple around her like dark angel wings, glittering threads of black diamond dancing across her cheeks before she tucks them behind her ear with a small smile--

Both cooks sigh dreamily in perfect unison.

"Hey Luffy, they're thinking somethin' pervy about you again!" Usopp shouts in the background.

Both cooks ignore him, likewise in perfect synch.

Thatch regretfully pulls out of his Luffy Vision first. "So, you got something to talk to me about?" He knows it can't be about dinner, because they'd already started prepping for that.

Sanji blinks, and oh, there's Luffy, with her short hair, still just as lovely, probably doing something incredibly stupid and dangerous, but that's okay because Sabo's stepping in, and the Revolutionary may be batshit crazy but he won't let Luffy hurt herself--and right, he wanted to talk to Thatch.

He carefully brings the magazine out in front of him, and Thatch leans over curiously. The pages easily fall open to the column, remembering the page Sanji poured over countless times. Sanji hears Thatch's breath hitch.

"This you?" Sanji asks, looking at the faded photo of the smiling boy, before his eyes flick to Thatch.

The older man's eyes are wide, glued to the page. Sanji wordlessly offers him the magazine, and Thatch slowly takes it, his hands handling the paper carefully as though worried it'll crack.

"Yeah, that's me alright," Thatch murmurs, eyes scanning the column before his lips twist into a wry smile. "How the hell did you get your hands on this fossil?"

"Found it while we were looking for stuff for the Baratie's collection, some old second hand shop," Sanji says, and it's not a lie, but it's not like he can admit he was obsessed with them and actually hunted for them after obtaining the first ones.

Thatch makes a low sound of understanding, before he starts flipping through the rest of the magazine, pages that Sanji honestly doesn't even remember. "I wonder if this magazine's still even going..."

"It is," Sanji informs him. "It's changed a lot, but we still get it delivered."

Thatch laughs then, shaking his head as he closes the magazine and hands it back to Sanji with the same care. "I'm sure it has changed, after what happened, oh man..."

Sanji frowns. So something did happen.

"So how did the kid in this end up a Whitebeard pirate?" he asks, but he means, How did the boy's adventure end?

"Mm, you sure you wanna know? It's not a particularly nice story, though I suppose it has a happy end." Thatch leans back heavily against the mast, his hand subconsciously reaching up to brush hair away from his face, lingering on the deep, if old scar around his left eye. Sanji wonders if it's related.

"If it's something you don't mind sharing. I'm sure I can handle it."

They're interrupted by a crash, and look up to see Sabo heaving Luffy up back over the rail by the end of her tail. She'd clearly almost fallen overboard, again, but is laughing as carefree as ever, even as Usopp wrings his hands apologetically behind them. Sabo doesn't look mad though, and is stroking Luffy's hair now that she's safely back on deck and in his arms, his face disgustingly besotted.

Deuce and Nami come out of the cabin at the noise, and Ace and Zoro startle awake from their respective naps as well. Deuce takes one look at what's going on, and launches into a full blown scolding session for all three of the members involved, clearly dissatisfied with the way Sabo handled it. It had only taken the first mate a few days in his company before Deuce had determined that no matter how sensible Sabo may seem at times, he's still Another Stupid Brother, and therefore gets the same treatment.

The rest of the crew listening in winces when Deuce hurls a, "Luffy being stupid is one thing, but you're WAY too lenient with her, you foolish Revolutionary!" Nami and Koala cheer him on in the background.

("Told you," Ace mouths, before hastily looking away when Deuce's gaze snaps to him.)

Usopp looks thoroughly chastised and sincerely sorry, Sabo looks weirdly pleased as though being told he's lenient is a compliment, and Luffy looks bored and is searching for an escape when her gaze lands on the two cooks.

"Thatch! Story time?!" is all the warning they get, before Luffy's arms grab onto the mast behind them and the mermaid torpedoes head-first into Thatch's chest. It's a testament to the Whitebeard Commander's sturdiness that all he does is grunt at the considerable impact, even as Sanji winces in sympathy. That'll definitely bruise.

"Alright, yeah story time, if anyone wants to hear my boring old past," Thatch agrees, and Luffy cheers, turning herself sideways and flopping down on Thatch's crossed legs to look up at him with eyes sparkling with expectation. Sanji isn't even jealous, because in her new position, Luffy's thrown her tail across Sanji's lap, and he begins reverently rubbing circles into her soft scales, heat creeping up his cheeks when her flukes flick with pleasure.

Deuce sighs, giving up on his scolding as everyone gathers around the cooks. But he doesn't seem too disappointed, and pulls out his notebook as he joins them, as though he intends on recording whatever Thatch's going to say. Ace plops himself down on Thatch's other side, ruffling Luffy's hair distractedly and hiding his curiosity poorly. Sanji gets the feeling that despite knowing him for much longer, Ace hasn't heard much about Thatch's past either.

"Well, so..."

Thatch was born to a middle class family in a relatively active port town on the Grand Line. His parents ran a modest diner, certainly nothing high class, but popular enough among the locals to almost always have full seats.

Thatch was what they called a "child prodigy." He'd started helping in the kitchen simply because he wanted to do the same things as his parents, but by the time he was seven, he'd already surpassed both of them in skill. His parents decided to leave the kitchen to him, while they focussed on management.

With Thatch behind the menu, the restaurant's popularity grew, drawing more traffic. Among their visitors were occasional food critics, who spread their business's reputation and made it something of a cult tourist spot.

When Thatch was nine, his father came up with the idea that it might be good publicity, for people to know that a literal child was behind their now famous restaurant's food. And in the name of said publicity, he also decided to have the restaurant officially under Thatch's name, although is parents still managed it.

"Child prodigy chef owns his own restaurant," was definitely a headline that journalists latched onto. The berries were rolling in.

Thatch himself, he didn't really care about that. He rarely ever left the kitchen now, constantly cooking, constantly coming up with new menu items, constantly training new chefs as their once small family diner expanded into a chain. He didn't really mind it, he loved cooking after all, but he often wished he still had time to talk to patrons, or explore town. While there weren't any child labor laws in their country, he couldn't go to school or make friends or do anything a normal child might otherwise enjoy.

So when the largest, most prominent cooking magazine sent a representative to talk about a potential column centered around him, Thatch was hopeful. He'd always dreamed of leaving the island, and it'd never seemed like an achievable dream. He wanted to exposure to new things to expand his cooking repertoire, and he wanted to be able to challenge himself as a cook--but more than anything, he also just wanted go and see what might be out there, outside of his diner's kitchen.

His parents reluctantly agreed. At this point, Thatch had trained enough experienced cooks, and their reputation was established enough that Thatch's temporary absence wouldn't damage them. And Thatch knew his parents were drawn by the potential for greater publicity from the column, and Thatch (and their restaurant) possibly becoming a household name not just on the Grand Line, but across the world.

(Thatch never thought his parents were bad people, or even bad parents. He hadn't wanted for anything, and they let him pursue and nurture his passion. That they were business-minded, and had also come to see Thatch as an asset and publicity tool was something he understood. They still loved him, in their own way.)

His parents' only condition was that Thatch return in a few years, before he was fifteen. A "child prodigy" becomes less interesting with age, and eventually becomes "a normal adult." They wanted Thatch back before that, to reestablish his connection to their diner, before he inevitably faded out of public interest, or had to re-establish his identity as an adult cook.

And so at eleven years old, what seemed like the entire town saw off Thatch, who set sail on a small ship manned by experienced sailors, and chaperoned by the journalist who would be documenting his voyage.

For the first two years, the journey was everything Thatch had ever wanted. They would go to new islands, information provided to him by the journalist, and then he would be given free reign to do whatever he wanted, so long as it included food and cooking, which is what Thatch would have been drawn to do anyway. That there were always a handful of adults a few paces behind him, documenting everything he did and forcing him to voice his thoughts out loud, all eventually faded into the background. Thatch got used to voicing his inner thoughts for their benefit. It was hardly a chore, and Thatch was having the time of his life.

But all things eventually change. Due to the success of the column, Thatch's journalist was given a promotion, and the last stretch of his journey before Thatch was to return to his home island was assigned to a new journalist. Thatch had always known that their relationship was strictly professional, and was used to changing traveling companions at this point. It felt a bit lonely that the first journalist, the only person who had remained a constant, was leaving...but he understood.

It's just business, after all.

The new journalist replaced the old one, and their journey continued--or at least, it was supposed to.

Child!Thatch, adult Thatch would later think, was remarkably naive and sheltered for all that he was a veteran cook. He was used to having things being laid out in front of him on a neat platter, for the adults in his life to control all aspects of his life, conveniently convincing himself that it's what he wanted anyway. He was used to the adults taking care of all the details, because all Thatch had to do to make everyone happy was cook. He not once doubted those responsible for his life, and blindly trusted that they would keep everything smooth and safe for him.

Because when one day, thirteen-year old Thatch woke up to see red staining the walls of the cabin, and then looked around to find the corpses of everyone else on the ship strewn around him, it took a remarkably long time for him to process that this definitely wasn't what was supposed to happen.

He was disoriented, too numb to even feel panic or put up a fight when the new journalist came in and tied him up to pass him to the pirates who had decimated the crew.

Pirates. It wasn't the Golden Age of Piracy yet, and although the Roger Pirates and other famous names were often whispered about, most sailors didn't expect to personally run into pirates. Thatch had been warned of their existence, but hadn't really thought much on them, as they had seemed irrelevant to his own peaceful civilian adventures.

The pirates and the journalist had a deal, he gathered. The pirates had wanted to get their hands on the famous child prodigy cook, and were willing to pay good money. The journalist had agreed, and had summoned the pirates to their location. Everyone but Thatch and the journalist had been killed to erase witnesses.

Before handing Thatch off to them, the journalist demanded payment first. Thatch remembers wondering why the journalist hadn't demanded anything before agreeing to the deal--it seemed a bad business tactic.

Thatch was standing right next to the journalist when the pirate captain drew his sword. Thatch wasn't scared, because he knew he wouldn't be hurt. He was an asset. And he probably knew what would happen before the journalist did.

He still remembers feeling the whoosh of air as the sword came, the sound of it hitting flesh, the dull thunk, the loosening of the arms gripping the rope that held Thatch bound.

Thatch thought ah, so human heads can be severed just as easily as fish heads.

Thatch didn't put up a fuss, going with the pirates. It was clear he couldn't have stayed on the ransacked ship, because even if he did, he had no way of manning the ship alone, even if he even knew how. And so he wordlessly followed, and continued to do what he'd done his whole life: obey adults.

And at first it wasn't bad. A kitchen was a kitchen, no matter how dirty, and Thatch knew how to please people with food. The pirates seemed overjoyed with Thatch's skill.

But some part of Thatch really wondered if that's all they wanted from him, and that bad feeling manifested itself as reality soon.

Hey brat, the captain said one day, and dumped a sack of ingredients Thatch had never used before into the kitchen. Turn this into something good. We need to get rid of an entire rival crew, and they're gluttons.

Thatch may never have used them before, but he recognized the things in the bag. They were all things he knew to avoid.

The pirate captain was asking him to make poison.

Thatch was a cook. No matter the reasons why people wanted him to cook, no matter who benefited and what money was passed around, and no matter how terrible the conditions--Thatch was alright so long as he could cook. Thatch cooked so that he could make delicious things that would in the end, contribute to nourishing people. He polished his skills to make that experience better, to make his patrons happier, to make himself feel more accomplished as a result.

Poison...that wasn't something that a cook could make.

Thatch, for the first time, spoke back to an adult. He felt that numb feeling again, over any fear.

I'm a cook, I can't make anything that can harm people. Please let me start preparing dinner. Thatch stated it as fact, and to him, it was.

The pirate struck Thatch. It was the first time he'd ever been hit, because as a child prodigy, as an asset, he'd always been too valuable to damage. But now...

You'll make it, or we have no need for you.

Bars were added to the kitchen, making it Thatch's cell. All edible ingredients were confiscated. And every day, the pirates came in with more ingredients, more demands.

Make an aphrodisiac. Make a date rape drug. Make something that'll make someone lose feeling in their limbs. Make something that'll cause loss of senses. Make something that'll cause crazy hallucinations. Make something deadly, but undetectable in water. Make something that can dissolve guts from the inside out. Make something that won't kill, but cause excruciating pain. Make something that WILL kill, but only after several days.

The pirates didn't want a cook. They wanted a master poisons brewer. Which, Thatch was not.

Every time Thatch refused, they beat him. They threatened to cut off his legs, because why would he need them, when all he needed were his hands? They threatened to carve out his eyes, and the captain stabbed a knife close to his left eye to show how serious he was. They left Thatch with running water, but didn't give him anything to eat, other than the deadly, horrible ingredients they'd left inside the kitchen for him to turn into even worse poisons.

Thatch sorted the ingredients by those least harmful, and kept himself alive by reluctantly eating those first, but knew that the longer this continued, the more permanent and fatal the damage those ingredients would cause.

(He tried to come up with ways to use what he had to nullify effects, but he was just a kid, and it was his first time trying to make actual medicine. His experiments were risky, and often failed.)

Thatch didn't know how long he was in there, his sense of time and self muddled as he survived off of numbing agents and aphrodisiacs and hallucinogens. They barely kept him alive, and made him feel horrible. He tried to remember why it was so important he kept eating them, and rationing them like they were valuable.

In the corner of the kitchen was an ever growing pile of bright, beautiful fruits that he knew would cause immediate agonizing death...but they looked so lusciously juicy and ripe, and it was getting harder to remember why he couldn't eat them.

Perhaps it was the hallucinogens, perhaps it was everything wrong with his body that Thatch had unwillingly caused himself by eating, but one day, Thatch realized he was going through the movements of peeling those fruits, chopping them, squeezing the juices and watching with fascination as they sizzled into the bubbling pot he was brewing. He was too entranced by the concoction to even notice that his hands were burning and blistering, or perhaps they were just too numb.

He added spices, adjusted heat, and hummed. It had been too long, since he had cooked.

Except he wasn't cooking, because this wasn't food.

It smelled quite delicious, Thatch thought, mildly impressed with himself. Something tropical and fruity, mellowed by mushrooms and a great many other herbs. And it looked aesthetically pleasing, with its dancing, hypnotic colors. If he hadn't known what had gone into it, he'd consider it presentable to critics as his next seasonal special.

But now that it was done, and ready to be served, Thatch had no clue what to do with it.

He hadn't thought that far (he wasn't thinking at all), and didn't know how to think about the thing he made, when it wasn't edible.

He supposed he could possibly see if it could melt through the bars of his cell, though he wasn't sure where he'd even go if he could escape. The cell didn't have any windows, and Thatch wasn't even sure they were at an island, they could still be on open water. Thatch might be able to throw it on a pirate, as a weapon. But there were dozens of pirates on board, and not nearly enough for all of them.

He could drink it himself. It would be an escape of sorts, he supposed.

It never crossed Thatch's mind to offer the concoction to the pirates, as a creation to be used.

He stood in the kitchen for hours, aimlessly stirring the pot, watching the brew get darker and darker, its magical colors turning into murky brown. Eventually, it became a thick, black tar-like substance that reflected no light, that looked like a void as Thatch stared into it.

A thin gray haze gradually began filling the room, and Thatch was well aware of it. He was already starting to feel noticeably worse than before. He supposed that was one way of giving himself a time limit: he'd either decide what to do with the brew, or succumb to the fumes first.

He distantly heard muted sounds overhead, and he realized the pirates may be fighting someone. It happened once in a while. But it was usually with other pirates, and he doubted it was the marines, and no civilian vessel would dare get close to such an obvious pirate ship. And well, if it was pirates...that's just more of the same, wasn't it?

Thatch eventually heard footsteps approaching the room, and someone coughing as they inhaled the fumes, now dense enough to be a dark smog that made it hard to see his own hands (or maybe that was the effect of the poison in him).

A creak--the cell doors were opening.

Thatch could barely think anymore, but made a split second decision. He didn't know what the consequences would be, but had a hunch he wouldn't survive long enough to find out anyway, so what did it matter.

He picked up the pot, and hurled all of its contents at the approaching figure.

There was a FUCK! and then--

Thatch won't ever forget what happened when that brew hit a human body.

But as he fell, the last of his strength gone, wondering if he should feel horrible or proud that he killed someone on his way out, Thatch saw the room light up, the black haze vanishing into searing, brilliant turquoise flames.

"And so that's how I met Marco!" Thatch says, voice surprisingly chipper, even though Sanji feels like retching.

"You melted him," Ace says flatly, voice a mix of horror and awe.

"Sure did, if he had been anyone else they probably woulda been a puddle of human goo, and even he got halfway there," Thatch agrees, his hands stroking Luffy's hair harder, as they'd been doing all throughout his story telling. "Though lucky me, to have thrown poison at possibly one of the only people in the world with instant self-regeneration and possibly immortality."

"Was he mad? Pineapple bird-man. Melting doesn't sound very fun," Luffy frowns. She'd admittedly fallen asleep for most of the story, but woke up again when Thatch's hands in her hair got more tense, more urgent. She contentedly nuzzles into his thigh, more interested in making sure that Thatch's alright than in his answer, and she purrs when he crooks his fingers to scritch her reassuringly.

"Oh sure, he was mad for a little bit, but he's a nice guy and was a worry-wort even back then, so he brought me to Pops. And well, it took a while, but we're best buddies now and have been for years! Fancy that."

Deuce was shaking his head. "I still can't believe that stupid crew wanted to take down Pops with poison of all things, and were stupid enough to enter his territory without it even being ready."

"Well, it's not like they could have won in direct combat, and to be fair, back then the Four Emperors weren't that established, and territories in the New World were a lot looser than they are now." Thatch shrugged. "If nothing else, it was a creative angle, if a poorly thought out one, unlike some people's way of challenging Pops." Ace fidgets uncomfortably here, and Deuce snorts.

"You..." Sanji's finally recovering from his queasiness, because fuck Thatch's tale really wasn't pretty, especially from a cook's perspective. "You don't mind fighting, and killing people now?" He glances at the swords strapped to Thatch's belt, and thinks about his own insistence to never use his hands in combat.

"Well, I'd prefer not to do it, same as anyone else. But I don't mind fighting in general, and once Pops adopted me, I wanted to be able to defend myself." Thatch laughs here, and it sounds bitter, making Luffy look up. "Haruta actually suggested I use poison, if I knew how to make one that could almost take down the Phoenix, and, well...that's a no. May have thrown him overboard for that, but he deserved it. I told them I was good with knives, and Vista helped me develop my own style."

The conversation moves on then, the other crew members chipping in with questions, but Sanji sort of tunes it all out. He thought he was over his queasiness, but it's back again. Being forced to brew poison, and being offered nothing but harmful things to eat...fuck. Even Judge hadn't done that...

He feels something wrap around him then, and Sanji looks down, and realizes that Luffy's looped her tail so that her flukes curl behind his back, securely holding him, even as she continues to nuzzle Thatch's leg for attention.

How weak he must be, Sanji thinks, to need his captain's comfort now. But it helps, and he gradually relaxes.

Eventually the others realize that the story's over, and disperse back to their usual tasks, leaving Thatch and Sanji and a snoozing Luffy curled around both of their laps.

"Well, I guess that explains how the boy prodigy's journey ended," Sanji says, reaching over to Thatch's side to run his hand through Luffy's hair, smiling when she hums happily.

Thatch makes a soft sound, that sounds like possibly disagreement. "Well, sure, I ended up joining the Whitebeard pirates, and never ended up going back to my hometown. Everyone thought I was dead anyway, and being on the Moby was better than any restaurant for me, because I got to feed my brothers and travel, at least wherever the Moby goes, and that's still a fine adventure in its own way. But I guess you're right in that with a territory and a literal army backing me up...it's not quite the same kind of adventure, without the trill of the unknown."

Thatch looks up then, and when his eyes sweep across their little ship, and the small crew strewn about it, he looks fond. "But I guess in a way, that's what I'm doing now, isn't it? I may no longer be a 'boy prodigy,' but me traveling with you guys, going back up the Grand Line...it's sorta like that journey again."

Sanji blinks.

"The end of that journey...maybe you're on it with me, right now." Thatch winks.

Sanji snorts. "That's so cheesy," he says, but he doesn't meant it, not really, because he can't deny the giddiness that begins welling up in him at the thought.

Because what adult doesn't still have a child inside them, buried underneath layers of years, still craving those wishful dreams from long ago?

There's a moment of silence, before both cooks break out into laughter, carefree and boyish.

And so their journey continues onward.

Aaand that's a wrap! For this lil story series within this ever growing AU at least!

It may be a cheesy ending, but it still feels like an ending of sorts? which, is something I usually never actually manage to write to, everything I write is usually either short or abandoned....so I Feel Accomplished ^ ^;;

If you managed to get through it all, thanks so much for reading and sticking with this!!!! ;A; I’m definitely extremely curious to know if you have any thoughts regarding my take on Thatch's past, or anything else, because as always any comments are HUGELY appreciated!

Thanks again!

❀ ❀ Send YukiPri an Ask! ❀ ❀

~This ask has been added to the Mermaid AU Text Headcanons Compilation post~

#OnePieceMermaidAU #One Piece Mermaid AU #Thatch #One Piece #Vinsmoke Sanji #text headcanons #longpost #long post #ThatchLu #SanLu #genderbend

99 notes · View notes

alri-xo · 4 years

Text

Japan's Our Witness (BuckyxReader)

A/N: I know it's still quarantine for a lot of us... But how about travelling with Bucky?? This idea has been in my head for a while and I did my research. I hope you enjoy it though... This will be a travel au once again, like the corona virus never existed, the setting will be around mid-March up to the first week of April, long hair Bucky and just... Bucket List Realness 🌸 (I deleted this initially thinking it wasn't good enough. Thanks babe @witchymegg for thinking it's good as is ily 😭💓)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier) x Reader

Warnings: If you are Japanese or you are into Japanese culture, I may get things wrong here. Soft core making out sesh, kinda graphic (not really), swearing... uhm... Dumb joke about noodles... This being longer than usual and it has no page break because I AM ON THE APP.

Normal POV

"Japan is a place full of rich culture. A melting pot of ancient and modern, it doesn't fail to disappoint..." the video narrated as Bucky watched a travel vlog, holding the phone in his hands.

He watched the video as images of cherry blossom trees, temples and sushi restaurants graced the screen. His mind raced with the beauty of it all. The thoughts being all too familiar to him as he remembered your ramblings of wanting to travel the world.

Sure, you travelled a lot. However, that was for missions, not for vacations. Bucky recalled that one time you went to the grand canyon, but that's just about it. Plus, every other Avenger was there. Clearly, it wasn't alone time (or so the legend goes).

Nearly halfway through the video, you entered the common room and sat beside Bucky, making him jump a little, "Hey, Buck... Whatcha waaatchin'?"

"Things... uhm..." he says thinking about the 21st century term for the video is...

"Travel Vlog?" you answered your own question with the correct term as Bucky's eyes widened in agreement and nodded.

You watched beside him as it didn't take long for you to figure out what's it about. Your eyes widened as it featured the century old Todaiji Temple and the Snow Monkeys.

"You're watching a vlog about Japan?? Oh my God-" your rambling came to a halt as you bit your finger trying to contain your excitement, "God, I always wanted to go there..."

Bucky smiled, his eyes crinkled as he saw how you were so giddy about it. He loves seeing you this way. His doll being all excited to travel, and it's not about a mission this time. Not that you were excited for missions but like, travelling in general.

"What's stopping you, doll?" He asks, his Brooklyn accent lacing every word he said making you blush.

"Well, y'know... Earth's Mightiest Heroes..." you said kind of sarcastically as his lips formed a small O shape in agreement. His eyes fluttered slightly as there was a small pause in the air for a quick sec, "We only travel for missions, Bucky..."

"Who said two of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes can't go on an actual 2-week vacation?"

🌸

"Good afternoon, passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 87B to Tokyo. We are now inviting those passengers with children, and any passengers requiring special assistance, to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately ten minutes time. Thank you." The radio said announcing your flight to Tokyo as Bucky munched on the plum tarts you made as snacks as you waited at the airport.

"Hm... Ten more minutes..." he mumbled taking another bite of the jammy tart you made for him. You smiled as you tucked a piece of hair behind his ear as a blush crept up to his stubbled cheeks. He looked fluffier as the layers of cloth on him, especially the hoodie you bought him made him look so huggable.

Thankfully they didn't stop you at the metal detectors because it went off because of Bucky. They let you in knowing that it's a prosthetic and he needs it. However, Bucky became embarassed as it went off so loudly that it made people's heads turn, and he's not one for attention.

So now, you're here, with your love. Waiting on your flight to Japan, munching on pastries as you stood up to face him with a hand on your hip.

"So you're gonna eat all that for ten minutes? I think we should get going, baby... We wouldn't want to miss Tokyo, would we?" You said as you held his metal hand, walking to the waiting area to ride the small bus to the plane. He blushed at the petname, making you smile and giggle.

He hummed in response and smiled at you, "In all honesty, I'd rather miss this flight than miss a day with you, doll..."

You blushed as you kissed his metal hand and rode the small bus, your two decent sized luggage bags behind you and very pregnant backpacks on your backs making you look like turtles in love.

You boarded the plane moments later, Bucky went in first since he had the window seat for a couple of good reasons. One, to look at the view and two, to be your human pillow during the flight. You looked at him as the flight attendants looked at him flirtatiously, he grinned back at the greeting as you saw them blush.

You huffed a little and carried on with boarding the plane. The greeted you as you half heartedly smiled back at them, feeling a little bit irritated trying to flirt with Bucky.

He sat down, smile lacing his face as he patted the seat next to him. Your heart melted in to a puddle as you loved seeing him smile. His beautiful blue eyes twinkling when he does. You placed the luggage on the shelves on then sat beside him.

You began to rub your hands together in excitement and nervousness as the flight attendant began to demonstrate how to put on your seatbelt and how to use the oxygen masks provided above your seats, following through with the instructions.

"How are you feeling, doll?" Bucky asks as he notices your mannerisms, knowing your feeling nervous, making him feel worried.

"I'm good, Bucky... I'm just feeling really excited... I mean come on... Japan???" You say feeling your heart beating faster, "With you??? That's even better!"

He smiles and plants a kiss on your forehead, placing your head on his shoulder as you kiss his cheek, "That's sweet, doll... But we need to rest now, I wouldn't want to deal with a cranky y/n now, would we?"

You pouted a little and shook your head, "No, sir..." Bucky smirked when you said 'sir' and he put his hand on your lap.

"That's my good little doll..." he cooed as you rested oh his shoulder, kissing it before you lay your head on it. You hummed in response as the plane took off...

🌸

You boarded off the plane then went down the escalator. Tony told the both of you that he hired a driver for you to drive you to the nearest hotel where you and Bucky will stay. You insisted that you can navigate Japan yourselves, but Tony wanted to give you and Bucky an easier time.

You saw a sign that says Robocop and Y/N. Bucky chuckled as you laughed at the sign, seeing that Tony's playfulness is worldwide.

"That man still has a few tricks up his sleeve no matter where we go..." Bucky smiled as you carried your bags once again, nearing the man with the cardboard sign...

"Welcome to Japan, Mr. Barnes, Ms. Y/L/N. My name is Hiroshi Hamada. I will be your driver for now..." he greets bowing, and shaking your hands, "Mr. Stark sent me for you..."

You thank him and you waited for him to park the car where you're going to ride to go to the hotel. You stopped over at a nearby convenience store and grabbed a few (a lot) snacks before heading back on the road to your hotel.

He drove you for 15 minutes to get to the beautiful hotel. You checked in and they lead you to the room. The room was spaceous, adorned with black, brown and neutral colors. You were in awe as you never thought that it would look as good in person but, boy you were so wrong.

Bucky was just as shocked as it looked so pretty. Dimly lit, smelt good, cozy and beautiful. He then looked at you inspecting every corner of the room. The beautiful and spacy bathroom, with a tub and other things, the closet and other lovely amenities.

"Isn't this amazing, Bucky?" You said as you slipped off your sweater, leaving you in your tanktop of leggings and plopping down on the soft bed. Bucky smiles and sits down beside you, lowering himself as he supports his head in his hand, his elbow raising him up a little bit.

"This IS amazing, doll..." he pauses a little as he places his metal hand on your cheek, drawing little circles, "But you're more amazing..."

"Bucky, you've been making me blush even before we got here..." you say giggling as he chuckles pulling you closer to him facing his form.

"Got a problem with that, y/n?" He says raising a brow looking down at you as you mumbled a 'no.'

You yawned and you looked at the clock. It's nearing 3 o'clock in the morning since the flight took about 14 hours. Bucky notices and he proceeded to go to the bathroom.

You got up and sat up on the bed, your eyes fluttering closed every now and then, "Where are you goiiiing?" You whine as you heard water filling up the tub.

"I don't want my best girl to wake up all sticky and sweaty..." he says peeping his body from the bathroom with a chuckle, his smile making the crinkles around his eyes appear, his toned chest and abs on full display. You rolled your eyes at his response but it gave your stomach butterflies. In addition, he's shirtless. You can't wear blush every time he's around. He's got you covered since day one.

"And why is that, Sargeant Barnes?" You asked slyly, standing up walking up to him, hands behind your back.

He grabbed your wrist from behind your back and pulled you closer to him, he leaned down to your ear, "I'm the only one who's allowed to make you sticky and sweaty, doll..."

His words sent shivers down your spine and you blushed furiously. He pulled you in the bathroom, the scent of peaches and cherry blossoms filling your nose.

He kissed you softly and tenderly, until his lips barely touched yours. He was behind you so he kissed the top of your head down to behind your ear as he helped you strip off your tank top. He worked his way down your jaw and neck, feeling the cool metal of his bionic fingers unclasping your bra.

You moaned as he cupped your left breast with his left hand, kneeding it gently as he kissed down your shoulder. You reached down to his crotch, feeling his erection as you undid the button of his pants with your right hand as the left rested on top of his metal one as it carressed your flesh.

Needless to say, it was more than a warm bubble bath for the both of you...

🌸

You woke up nude, the scent of cherry blossoms in the room. The air condition whirring as Bucky's faint snoring filled your ears, his arms wrapped around you.

His face so angelic as you felt the air from his nostrils warm your face at certain spots. His stubble gracing his strong jaw and his pink lips emitting the sounds you grown accustomed to almost every morning.

You kissed his adam's apple and then his chin, "Wake up, my soldier..."

He groaned softly as he slowly opened his beautiful steel blue eyes, stretching himself out, "G'morning, ōjo..."

You raised a brow and slapped his chest a little, "What does that mean, babe?"

"It means 'princess' in Japanese, doll... aren't you my princess?" He says kissing your lips softly, you smiled as you kissed his eyes. You hummed in response as you kissed him again...

"Yeah, but we need to get going, Bucky... We still need to go to Harajuku and that's like an hour away..." you say as you sit up, covering yourself with the blanket. Bucky faced the ceiling with a groan, rubbing his eyes.

"Harajuku can wait, doll... We have all day..." He says facing you. You groaned in defeat as you plopped down next to him, cuddling him like a koala bear.

"But it's the Cherry Blossoms in Nakameguro, Bucky..." you whined. You always admired the place in pictures as it featured one of the most beautiful spots for Cherry Blossoms in Japan.

"That too can wait... We barely ate anything for breakfast, y/n... The plants can wait..." he says softly cupping your face, "We need to at least eat something..."

You just nodded and got up, "You're right, Buck... We should eat breakfast..."

You used the blanket to cover yourself, leaving Bucky naked on the bed making you laugh as he didn't do anything to cover himself up, "Your 'soldier' is getting cold..."

You pertained to his soft member. He smirked and chuckled playfully, "Care to warm him up, sweets?"

You blushed at what he said. You wanted to play with him and his little game... So you ignored him. You walked off to your backpack and took out your clothes for the day. You heard him get out of bed and walk on the floor.

He walked up behind you and carried you by your waist, you squirming to make you put him down but he just plopped you on the bed, you fully exposed for him.

"I want to hear you, doll... Care to warm me up or not..." he growled, you nodded as he held your wrists above your head, his member hardening against your thigh, he held your wrists tighter, "Use your words, sweetie..."

"Yes, Sir..."

🌸

You panted on top of him, skin to skin as the only thing covering you is the white blanket. The scent of sex filling the air as Bucky flipped you on the bed making him hover abover you.

You cupped his face and joined your foreheads, "Can we eat actual breakfast now?" You smiled coyly as he chuckled, "I want noodles..."

"Yeah... me too... But you know what's a noodle as well?"

🌸

You went back to your room after breakfast, feeling stuffed with the breakfast buffet. You waddled to the elevator as you felt so full, you couldn't move. Your shorts a little tighter than before as Bucky placed a hand on your lower back for support.

"I can't tell you're full, y/n," he chuckled as you rolled you eyes at him. He pulled you closer to his body as the elevator went up your floor. All you could do was groan in response making him laugh.

You got to your room and sat on the small table near the window. It provided just enough light for you to doll yourself up for your trip to Harajuku. You busted out your makeup bag as Bucky got out of the bathroom in only a towel.

You stood up and grabbed your towel and some of the skincare items you carried with you, Bucky looked at the amount of stuff you brought with you and he shook his head.

"You don't need all that, doll..." he whined as you giggled in response, "You're already beautiful without it..."

You blushed again, for the nth time. You placed the skincare on the bathroom counter as you said loudly through the door, "I need iiiiit..."

You heard Bucky scoff through the door as you turned on the shower, "Whatever, doll... I love you no matter what..."

"I'm showering, Bucky... Stop distracting me!!"

🌸

You arrived in Harajuku, it was full of life. You and Bucky were in awe as you hopped out the taxi. You thanked the driver and paid your fare as you kept up with the people crossing the street straight after.

You shopped, then crossed the street and the cycle repeats, and occasionally grabbing a couple of munchies. You did that for about three hours before the both of you realized you were exhausted. In addition, you were carrying your backpacks as well. Despite that, you and Bucky didn't fail to take lots of pictures, especially of you.

Bucky loves taking pictures of you, always asking you to smile for the camera where ever he wants to take a picture of a beautiful view, saying you make it look ten times better.

You also took a lot of stolen shots from Bucky. He's looks so angsty as he walks around the busy streets and side walks that he looks adorable. Even more adorable when you get a chance to take a stolen picture of him laughing, smiling or looking like a meme.

You stopped by a local Kimono shop as you were walking by the many shops of the district. Bucky saw the way you looked at the shop and nudged you, "Wanna go there, doll?"

You nodded as he held your hand, entering the establishment. Different colors and patterns gracing the building of garments. A red Yukata caught your eye as you were looking through the garments...

Bucky saw the red garment and smiled, "That's gonna look gorgeous on you, doll..." he whispered in your ear as he kissed your cheek.

A lady approached you and asked what you were looking for. You asked for the red Yukata as she proceeded to help you with your find.

You came out with more than the red garment as she suggested the other accesories that are meant to be with a traditional Yukata. You thanked her as she packed up your clothing and you paid, leaving with a smile on you and Bucky's faces.

Bucky shopped for his Haori set, as he wanted to match with you. Thankfully, there were shops that sold just what he wanted. Most of the garments looked so good on him, as he tried out different variations. He settled with the black Haori set and you headed off.

As you headed off to the Harajuku station, you stopped by the famous Cat Cafe nearby. Bucky's face lit up when he saw the place teeming with cats. You went in for a snack and furry cuddles as Bucky enjoyed himself wanting to pet every cat in the establishment, nearly not eating his food.

He took pictures of almost every cat in the cafe, comparing them to Alpine every once in a while. You pet the cats occasionally, being too busy taking videos of Bucky having fun.

🌸

You rode the train to Nakameguro, leaving your big backpacks at the train station for you to come back for it after your dusk to night stroll. The only things you were carrying at this point were your valuables and the shopping bags containing the red Yukata, Bucky' Haori and the accessories that go along with them.

You got dressed at a bathroom near the Nakameguro park, helping each other put your outfits together and sharing a couple of kisses on different parts of your body (wink wonk).

You exited the bathroom stalls together, hand in hand as the pink cherry blossoms graced your eyes. The place illuminated by dim red lanterns made it look like it's not real.

Bucky looked at you, eyes in awe reflecting the lights of the park in your (y/e/c) orbs. You looked like a girl who opened her eyes for the first time, admiring your surroundings.

He smiled as you walked down by the Meguro river under the dimly lit cherry blossom trees making you glow. His metal hand reflecting shades of pink and white as he held yours. You looked at him, his strong features highlighted by the lights of the location, his eyes sparkling as he looked ahead walking by the river.

He caught you staring at him, your puppy dog eyes making him melt and blush. He then held your waist and pulled you closer to him as you walked and whispered in your ear, "Like what you see, my doll?"

You blushed, a fluster of red adorning your cheeks and a warmth washing over you making Bucky smile. You covered your face with the fan you purchased back in Harajuku, making him giggle. He kissed your cheek, the fan covering your PDA and later, pecked a kiss on your lips.

Bystanders who were also taking an evening stroll looked at you as they heard your giggles, Bucky stiffened as you snorted a giggle behind your fan, "Guess it's not our own little world, doll..."

"It's okay, Buck... You're my own little world..." you said slyly into his ear making him chuckle as you gained on him throwing little pick up lines.

"Did you drink too much Sake, y/n?" He asks as you giggle. You shook your head in response as you looked at him under your lashes...

"I'm drunk in love, baby..." you said quietly into his ear giggling... He kissed your temple as you continued your stroll, the rustling of leaves and blossoms moving to the wind's touch filling your ears.

Cherry blossoms and their petals start to fall all over the area and all over you, your red outfit littered with with the beautiful flowers. Bucky had some scattered on his head making you laugh as he tried to blow them off.

The flowers sparked an idea in your head as you picked the flower on Bucky's hair as you placed it above his ear tucking it in snuggly.

Bucky smiled as you giggled, blushing you admire him. How he looked so adorable with the flower in his hair, "How do I look, y/n?"

"You look awesome, my love..." you say, making him blush as you kissed his cheek, "You always do..."

"Doll, you're gaining on me..." he says with a short laugh as he kissed your knuckle, making you blush in return... He pulled you closer to him, making you lean on his shoulder.

"I love you, Bucky..." you sighed as your walking slowed down, slowing him along with you...

"I love you more, my doll..." he says kissing you softly under the lights of Japan and its cherry blossoms.

Japan was the witness of you and Bucky's love. From that night on, let's just say it became the beginning of the best 2 week vacation ever.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this fic... It took me a while to make and it's probably the longest fic I ever wrote. I am a Tourism student so this is near my heart while I wrote it. I also hope I got things right heheh... I am sorry for not having a page break. Stay safe

-Alri

Taggies 💕

@witchymegg @amisutcliff @theaussiedragon @luna4501 @likeit-or-leaveit

46 notes · View notes