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armiliadawn · 5 days

Text

A Taste of Strawberry

Word count: 2200

Synopsis: After a long day marked by a confrontation with the Marines, you attend the debriefing in the navigation room with Kid and his commanders. You didn’t expect a simple strawberry to become the object of a silent game between you and your captain, where every glance and every word seems charged with a tension you can’t ignore. Between subtle provocations and measured gestures, this seemingly mundane moment suddenly takes a troubling turn.

Tags: KidxF!Reader, very very light NSFW, reader gets caught in their own game.

Notes: I've been working on the translation of this text for a while. But Jintaka's little gift gave me the boost I needed to finish it. @jintaka-hane This text is for you. I hope you’ll like it. 🫶 English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes.

Tag list : @jintaka-hane @novemberhope @imveryyellow @pandora-writes-one-piece

The day's debrief seemed long, almost endless, and the atmosphere in the navigation room was thick with palpable fatigue. The orange glow of the setting sun filtered through the portholes, casting dancing shadows on the table cluttered with maps and reports. Kid, Killer, Heat, and Wire sat around you, exchanging practical details about the day's events.

You had crossed paths with a Marine ship, and even though the fight had been brief, it left everyone exhausted. Tense muscles, sore bodies, and the aftermath of the adrenaline rush left a heavy sense of weariness. Kid, though still brimming with energy, showed signs of irritation, his movements sometimes abrupt, as if he found this discussion as boring as it was necessary. You were seated at one end of the table, listening half-heartedly. Your own body reminded you of the effort you had put into the battle, every muscle aching, every thought slightly foggy.

Your attention easily drifted from the conversation, latching onto insignificant details: the sound of the waves against the ship’s hull, the soft glow from the hanging lamps, and most of all, the plate of strawberries in the middle of the table. It had been there since Killer had brought it earlier, a sweet comfort after a difficult day. Most of the fruit was already gone. Only a handful of strawberries remained, their vibrant red shining under the light of the lamps.

Kid kept glancing at them between sentences, as if, despite the ongoing discussions, a part of him was irresistibly drawn to those fruits. You knew he loved them, and every time his gaze fell on the plate, you couldn’t help but smile inwardly. There was something almost childlike in his fascination with strawberries, a rare softness hidden beneath his fierce, pirate appearance.

But tonight, the atmosphere felt different. The fatigue hung in the air, yes, but there was something else. A subtler tension. Kid was unusually quiet, more focused on his own thoughts than the conversation at hand, and every time your eyes met his, a strange shiver ran down your spine. His overwhelming presence filled the room, as always, but in this moment, it felt even more intense, heavier. There was something in the air, a charged energy that you couldn’t ignore, something that kept you on edge.

The exchange of words continued, but you felt strangely detached. Kid's gaze haunted you, even when he wasn’t looking directly at you. It was a feeling you had often experienced—this sense of being under his influence without him saying a word. You never knew if it was irritation he felt toward you, or something else… something more unsettling. Tonight, you couldn’t help but wonder: was it attraction? You had never allowed yourself to think about it seriously before, but the idea crept into your mind, more persistent with each passing minute.

The debrief finally came to an end. Wire was the first to rise, stretching long before turning to Heat and Killer.

“We’ve still got a few things to check on the deck,” Wire said, his voice breaking the sudden silence that had settled in.

Killer nodded quietly, casting a brief but meaningful glance at Kid, as if he understood something that you didn’t. The three pirates left the room, leaving you alone with the captain. The sound of their footsteps slowly faded, leaving behind only the gentle rumble of the waves against the ship and an oppressive silence.

You immediately felt the weight of Kid's gaze on you. The silence, far from easing the atmosphere, only seemed to make it heavier. There was always something palpable between you two, a tension you had never been able to fully define. Was it irritation? Or something deeper, something more intimate? Whatever it was, tonight, that feeling was magnified, invading every fiber of your being.

On the table, there was only one strawberry left. Kid eyed it with a possessive look, as if he coveted it as much as a rare treasure. The intense red of the fruit echoed the fiery color of his hair. His fingers tightened slightly on the edge of the table, and in an instant, you understood that he wanted it for himself.

Without thinking, and faster than you realized, you reached out and grabbed the strawberry right under his nose.

“I was going to take that,” he growled, his eyes narrowing slightly, a predatory gleam in his gaze.

An amused smile tugged at your lips. You had always enjoyed provoking him, even though, in moments like these, you knew you were playing with fire.

“Well then, come and get it,” you replied mischievously.

Without hesitation, you placed the strawberry between your teeth, lips slightly parted, a sly grin on your face. The challenge was set, and you knew it. Kid’s gaze darkened, a wild glint flickering in his golden eyes. He was not the type to ignore a provocation, especially one coming from you.

He stood up slowly, towering over you, his presence filling the room with an almost stifling heat. Every movement he made was deliberate, like a predator who knew he already had control over his prey. His gaze, intense, enveloped you entirely, pinning you in place. Even though you had started this game, in that moment, you realized he already controlled every move, every breath, and even your own will. You had lit the fuse, and now you would have to face the consequences.

Your heart pounded so loudly in your chest that it felt like each beat echoed in the air between you. Kid was approaching, slowly, his eyes locked on your lips, fixated on the strawberry with undisguised hunger. The air grew denser, charged with an electric tension that was almost tangible. You felt both nervous and drawn to the magnetic force he exuded. Your body betrayed you, every fiber pulling toward him, as if you had already lost this game before it even began. He leaned in closer, placing his hands on either side of the chair where you sat. There was no escape now, even if you wanted to.

Kid moved his face closer to yours, his lips just inches away, and you didn’t move. The closeness between you became unbearable, but you couldn’t look away or pull back. His breath, warm and invasive, brushed against your lips, sending shivers down your spine. Your teeth sank lightly into the tender, pink flesh of the strawberry, letting a drop of sweet juice trickle down your lower lip.

Kid was taking his time, his eyes slowly drifting down to your mouth before rising again to meet your gaze. Every fiber of your body tensed under his fiery stare, your heart beating at an unreasonable pace. A predatory smile spread across his lips, a mix of challenge and desire. His hand lifted, brushing against your cheek before sliding along your jawline, sending a wave of shivers down your neck. That simple touch ignited a fire inside you, consuming you from within. You found yourself trembling under his touch, light as it was.

His fingers traced the line of your jaw until they reached your mouth, where the strawberry still rested, like an invitation. The tip of his finger grazed the red flesh of the fruit, then lightly brushed your lips with a nearly painful delicacy. You felt your breath quicken, your body instinctively reacting to this barely-there but incredibly sensual touch. Every inch of your skin felt like it was on fire, yet you couldn’t look away, captivated by his nearness, by his absolute control over the situation. Kid leaned in, moving slower than necessary, his movements calculated to stretch out your anticipation. He seemed to savor each moment, every second where you held your breath, trapped in this silent dance.

“You really thought you could steal it from me like that?” he whispered, his rough voice vibrating between the two of you, making you shudder from head to toe.

Without waiting for a reply, Kid leaned even closer, his lips almost brushing against yours. Only a few millimeters separated you, and with each passing second, the tension between you became almost unbearable. His warm breath slid over your skin, and you felt a heat gather in your belly, a primal desire you could no longer ignore.

His eyes never left yours, anchoring you to this moment, daring you to move or pull away. But you didn’t want to. Your whole body was drawn to him, like an irresistible magnetic force. Finally, Kid’s gaze dropped to the strawberry, and with excruciating slowness, he gently took the fruit between his teeth, biting half of it. His lips brushed against yours in a barely perceptible touch, but it was enough to send a violent electric shock down your spine.

The sweet taste of the strawberry mixed with the sharp heat of his lips, and you felt your body instinctively respond, arching slightly toward him. The sensation of his mouth against yours, brief as it was, left a burning imprint on your skin. He pulled back just a little, his eyes still locked on yours, an arrogant smile playing on his lips. He was savoring not only the strawberry but also the obvious turmoil he had stirred within you.

“So, is that all you’ve got?” he whispered in a low, rough voice, his lips still dangerously close to yours, like a silent invitation to continue this game.

You could still feel the rest of the strawberry between your teeth, but in that moment, all you could perceive was him—his warmth, his breath, and the overwhelming desire that had taken hold of you. Your heart was beating frantically, every fiber of your being drawn toward him. Kid was no longer just your opponent in this game of provocation; he was the only thing that mattered in this frozen moment in time. You felt both trapped and strangely exhilarated, as if this game had only pulled you deeper into a labyrinth where he was the master.

And just as his warm breath grazed your skin once more and you were about to answer his call, everything suddenly shifted.

“Hey, are you seriously sleeping during the debrief?”

Heat’s voice rang out, abrupt and unexpected, yanking you violently out of that intense moment. You jolted awake, still disoriented by the nearness of Kid’s lips, the sweet taste of the strawberry… except you were still sitting at the table, your head resting heavily in your hand, and Kid wasn’t leaning toward you. In fact, he was sitting in his seat across from you, giving you a curious look, just like Killer and Wire. Your heart was still racing, and the warmth in your body hadn’t subsided. It took you a few seconds to realize that it had all been just a dream. A dream that was way too realistic… and way too compromising.

Your face flushed violently. You blinked, trying to regain your composure, but it was impossible. Embarrassment washed over you. The memory of Kid, so close, of what he had whispered to you, of that almost tangible brush of his lips against yours… it all still felt way too real.

Heat was staring at you, a smirk tugging at his lips, his expression slightly teasing. He leaned toward you, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

“Seriously, you just fell asleep right here, during the meeting. Were we that boring?”

Killer, with his usual calm, raised an eyebrow behind his mask, while Wire barely concealed his grin. And Kid... Kid was looking at you with that same unreadable expression, his arms crossed, but you could sense the curiosity in his gaze. Had he guessed something? The mere thought made you blush even more, if that was even possible. You didn’t dare look at him directly.

“I… I’m sorry, I…” you muttered, unable to come up with a valid excuse. The heat in your face only seemed to increase.

Your eyes briefly glanced at the table, and to your horror, you noticed that there was still one strawberry left in the dish. Exactly like in your dream. The parallel was too unsettling, and you felt panic rising within you. If any of them made even one comment about the strawberries, you would literally sink under the table.

“It was a long day. You should go get some rest,” Killer finally said, breaking the tension in a neutral tone.

You nodded frantically, seizing this escape route with all the urgency in the world.

“Yes, I… I’ll do that. Good night.”

You stood up so quickly that you almost knocked over your chair. The four pirates watched you leave, and you could feel their eyes on you, burning into your back as you walked away. You didn’t even dare to steal a final glance at Kid, afraid of meeting his gaze—or worse, seeing any hint of understanding in his eyes.

Once outside the room, you leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath, your face still on fire. Your heart was still pounding wildly. Was it really possible to dream something so embarrassing, right in the middle of a debriefing meeting, and in front of him, no less?

You shook your head, hurrying toward your quarters. You’d probably need a good night’s sleep to forget that dream. But even as you slipped under your sheets, you knew that the burning memory of Kid, the strawberry, and the provocation that followed would haunt you for a while yet.

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