Chapter Text
The air in the hold of the Victoria Punk was thick with somber energy. You lay on a makeshift bed, your breath weak, each cough bringing a new wave of blood.
Death danced on tiptoe around your body, and Eustass Kid sat beside you, his face drawn into an unfamiliar mask of helplessness. His usual arrogance was gone, replaced by sheer terror.
“I’m sorry, Captain,” Wire mumbled, “there’s nothing more we can do. Her wounds... they’re too deep.”
Kid just growled but said nothing. His gaze never left you. When you finally drifted into a fitful sleep, full of feverish dreams and sighs, he stood up.
He couldn't just sit there and wait. He left the cabin and headed to his own, needing to be alone with his thoughts, which were now just a chaotic tangle of despair and you.
As the door closed behind him, a shadow in the corner of the cabin moved. It wasn't a shadow, it was a figure, tall, slender, with eyes glowing like embers. An ancient, chilling power emanated from its every movement. Kid froze, his hand instinctively reaching for his weapon.
“You have a problem, Captain Kid,” the demon uttered in a velvety yet ominous voice. “A problem that is crumbling in your hands.” Its gaze slid toward you. “I can fix this.”
“What do you want for it, you devil?” Kid frowned.
“A price. There is always a price. Her life for... yours. Or at least a part of it.”
“Go to hell,” Kid snarled, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. “I would never sell myself.”
“Then watch her die. Her soul will escape you, and you will be nothing but a helpless spectator. Cruel irony for someone so powerful, isn’t it?” The demon smiled, cold and emotionless.
His rigid body relaxed and his eyes darted toward your cabin. He knew how bad your condition was. He felt something break within him, his pride submitting to despair. The choice he had just made was reflected in his eyes.
“Fine,” he breathed, his voice cracking. “I accept your damned offer. Take whatever you want, but let her live.”
The demon dissolved into the air like smoke, but its words and laughter echoed in the cabin.
“The deal is sealed. Do not forget my favor.”
The pain that had gripped you suddenly eased. Your breath returned, stronger, more regular. The wounds that had bound you to the bed receded and vanished.
You opened your eyes and saw Kid. He was kneeling by your bedside, his breathing rapid, as if he had just run a marathon.
“Kid?” you asked, your voice weak but clear. He turned his head toward you. His gaze was ashamed, but you also saw relief in it.
“Nothing. Everything is fine. You are safe.” He grabbed you and held you tight, pulling you close with such force that it nearly knocked the breath out of you, but you didn't resist. It was unusual to see him like this, but you didn't protest. You smiled faintly and pressed closer to him.
The days following your recovery were strange. Kid kept his distance. He was more irritable than usual, quick to anger, and often disappeared for long hours into his cabin, or avoided direct light.
When you spoke to him, his answers were curt. You thought it was just stress from the recent events, but in the back of your mind, something told you that something was wrong.
One night, you heard him from his cabin. They were muffled sounds, as if he were fighting something. You went to his door, giving a soft knock on the wood. No answer. You carefully pressed the handle and peeked inside.
Kid stood before the mirror, his back to you. His muscular shoulders were trembling. From his red hair, where there had been nothing just days ago, now jutted black, curved horns.
They weren't fully developed yet, they were sharp and seemed to be causing him enormous pain. He was trying to forcibly push them back, with a quiet, furious hiss.
It was then you also noticed the thin, pointed tail nervously coiling behind his legs. His skin seemed paler, his eyes, when he turned and saw you in the doorway, glowed in the dark almost like two red will-o'-the-wisps.
“Kid!” you gasped, concern in your voice. “What... what is happening to you?” and you stepped inside. His gaze fell to the ground for a moment, as if refusing to meet your eyes.
“Nothing. Everything is fine. You are safe,” he growled.
You walked up to him and placed your palm on his face. He flinched at your touch.
“You idiot! You absolute idiot! What have you done?!” you demanded to know what had happened to him.
Kid mumbled a brief response that you barely understood. But what you heard clearly were words like "demon" and "offer." You didn't have to be a genius to figure out the rest.
“How could you do something like that?! I don't want you to... to suffer because of me! Were you planning to hide this forever?!” Your eyes filled with tears, not of pain, but of pure anger and love.
“I’m not suffering,” he muttered, his voice raspy. “It was you who was suffering. And I couldn’t let that happen.” His gaze met yours. An unexpected tenderness, known only to you, shone in his eyes.
“You’re crazy. An absolute fool.” Your fingers curled in his hair and then slid to his cheek. “But you’re my fool,” you said more gently, resting your head against his chest.
“Thank you, Kid,” you whispered, your voice trembling. “Thank you for saving me. But next time... next time, at least tell me before you turn into... into this.” You gave him a weak smile.
His hand rose and gently cupped your face. His thumb brushed your cheek, wiping away a tear. His usual predatory spark returned for a moment, but it was softened by love.
“There won’t be a next time. I’ll never let you be on the brink of death again, if I can help it.”
His head tilted, his breath mingling with yours. And then, with an urgency that burned, his lips pressed against yours. The kiss was both rough and tender at once.
This was Eustass Kid, your pirate, your lover. And now, your demon. And you loved him more than anything in the world, even with his new horns and tail.