If asked, you couldn't say what had you in such a funk. The cause of the deep, hollow pit in the depth of your stomach was a mystery. A cloudy hung low above your head, unseen but as tangible as your heavy heart. And it had settled in over time, so slowly and naturally that you didn't realize your lack of enthusiasm for anything that would typically hold your interest until it was much too late.
Even the dazzling beauty that surrounded the Cross Guild's base of operations didn't lift your spirits. Usually standing on the balcony of the castle--long ago abandoned by its former residents--and breathing in the fresh air of the coast was enough to bring a smile onto your face. At the very least list your shoulders a little higher than before you'd taken in the sights. But not today.
Despite the occasional thought of doing something, anything, to take up your time and to occupy your thoughts, your limbs lacked the initiative to move. Energy felt absent from every part of you. Yet even the thought of a nap held no appeal.
And so you stood there, leaning on the balcony in a strange state of numbness and discontent, disconnected with everything and no motivation to change it. Ugh.
It bothered you, not knowing what the matter was, and why you were feeling it so strongly. There were always things to do to help your partner with the day-to-day tasks that the Cross Guild required to properly function. Bounties didn't write themselves, and without someone to organize the communication and payment of rewards, everything would come to a screeching halt.
Perhaps Crocodile would have something to keep you busy. It was likely. There were few others that he trusted as much as you, even less he felt could get a job properly done like you could. But even the thought of the handsome former Baroque Works Leader wasn't enough to uproot your feet from the floor...
Proactive thoughts battled with your body's unwillingness to do anything. The frustration with yourself grew, to the point where you couldn't stop the first few tears from spilling from the corners of your eyes.
Now wasn't the time to be like this, you told yourself with exasperation. Without a reason to be so morose, you felt completely ridiculous. You could only imagine what cruelly blunt remark Mihawk would have for you should he stumble across you in that moment.
Pathetic, you think to yourself, squeezing your eyes shut tightly to try quenching the flow of tears.
"Magnificent..." A low voice behind you makes you nearly jump, but the familiarity of its tone settles the initial fear. Cold, curved metal slots against your side, pulling you that little bit closer to the tall body behind you. It's practically instinct that makes you lean in to welcome the warmth and comfort Crocodile's proximity provides.
"It's a shame how easily I forget to stop and have a good look around this place." He mutters, lips pressing gently into the side of your temple. Hot breath fans across your skin and hair. "Thank you for reminding me."
"I didn't do anything." You say, unconvinced.
"Nonsense." You can hear the smile in his voice without having to see it. "You live and breathe...what more could one need to see the world's splendor?"
You huff, amused and only half-heartedly frustrated at his soft declaration. "That was incredibly cheesy."
"And yet no less true." His hand reaches around to pull you closer, and you find your eyes softening, gaze roaming the island's natural beauty with a new perspective. "Even so...don't go telling Taka no Me. I have a reputation to uphold, after all."
The statement pulls a chuckle from your throat, but you nod. And for several moments, you simple stand there, quiet in the afternoon sun's warmth.
"Something troubles you?" He guesses, hand gently trailing up the length of your arm. The warlord had always been adept at reading your moods. It was both irksome and appreciated.
"I suppose." A sigh escapes you, your body settling into Crocodile's embrace with ease. You could stand there all day, just letting him hold you to his body, comforting and protective. You're of the heaviness that has taken hold of you all day lifts, but the weight is still very much present.
"I don't know what it is. There's just this...hollow feeling in my chest. I can't bring myself to do anything. I know there is much to do, and better uses of my time. And for all the sense I tell myself I can't seem to will my feet to move. I feel...stuck. Sad..."
"Hmm." Crocodile hums beside your ear, the vibration relieving. He thinks over your answer for some time. "And there's nothing I can do to lift your spirits?"
You shrug. "I don't know. I don't think so."
"Well, we can stay like this as long as you need. A bit of self-reflection is good for the mind." He reassures, but you move away just enough to look into his handsome face. Patience and love and all manner of other heartwarming feelings lay behind his eyes when he looks at you.
"But the bounties-"
"Can wait." He stresses, reaching up to lift your chin up and back towards the view beyond the balcony. "For now, just be. That is enough. Breathe in the fresh air and let your mind wander. Perhaps it will eventually sort out what's made you so glum, hm?"
It never ceased to amaze you, how easily Crocodile could reassure you. You wordlessly nod, and he settles behind you just as comfortably as before, his fingers mindlessly trailing along the back of your hand. And he doesn't speak again, not for a long time after that, once you break the silence yourself.
Taking in the view, you suppose, was much better when you had someone to do it with.
ns 15.158.61.12da2
