Check out this AMAZING art I got!! Itâs based on the headcanon I have where Whitebeard gets a pearl from each of his sons. :)! Firefly was so lovely and actually DREW THEM ALL. đ Isnât that incredible?!? I just adore this so much.
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đ a/n: HAPPY BIRTHDAY @secretsnailor!! my lovely friend ahhh, this has been in the back of my mind forever and now it's done as a little gift for you <33 I hope your day has been lovely! you're such an amazing friend and ilysm
đ details: SFW//WB x oc//w.c: 1.4k
The end of summer was setting in, the sun dipping blue inky waves earlier each day and taking the warmth hanging heavy in the air with it. Part of Bee appreciated it, no more blisteringly hot days on the deck and the perfect weather to embrace her favorite soft and fluffy sweaters. But there was always the slight despondency to the loss of a dear tradition.
Tradition? She wasnât sure that was the right word. It was moreso a habit, watching the splotches of pinks, oranges and yellows sink below the sea line till the sky turned black and only then she rose from the bed to leave the cold room.Â
It wasnât the sticky humidity from weeks ago that made a person's skin crawl, chilly but refreshing. Like a splash of water in your face to wake you up from your sleepy mind. The wooden floorboards creaked under her footsteps but it was nothing, covered with the drunken singing of the crew below deck.
The deck was barren, the party slipping underneath it soon enough where there was more food and plenty more alcohol. It was also partially everyone trying to escape having to clean up, out of sight out of mind huh?
Whitebeard was calmly seated under the growing dark sky, soaking in the soft light of the moon and flickering warmth of the tiki torches. It was quiet, only the sound of the waves licking at the hull of the ship and the quiet sigh of content from Whitebeard being the only sounds in the quiet quiet night sea.
âAre you trying to scare me?â His deep voice rumbles, splitting the silence in half in the same way his devil fruit could crack the air itself. His tone is playful, a smile evident just in his words.
âScare you? No, itâs only August. Wrong time of the year to be trying that.â She laughs and wanders out onto the wide deck. Itâs always odd seeing it so abandoned, even with the food and party decorations strewn across the ground it felt empty this time of night. âI wanted to sit with you, can I not?â
He shifts in his seat, the old wood creaking loudly under his body and without any words he scoops Bee up into his lap. In comparison to the cold chill of the fading season, Whitebeard was warm. But when wasât he? Always fiery with energy and a gleam in his eye that could be compared to the sparkling sun.
âAugust eh?â He mutters the word under his breath a few times, rolling it around in his mouth and getting a taste for it. âItâs an important day, isnât it?â
Bee smiles, she canât help it. Itâs partly guilty but partly an underlying excitement that of course he knew. There was always an all knowing look in his eye, he always knew something.
âI guess so.â Bee speaks softly and Whitebeard chuckles, equally as soft. His large hand comes up to stroke her head and she leans into his touch. It was her birthday, black xâs on her calendar slowly leading up to this day in the year. âI just wanted it to be between you and me.â
âIs that so?â He muses, leaning back to stare at the starry sky and look back at the birthdays previous to this. Loud and wild, thatâs how the Whitebeard Pirates did things. Enough food to eat for days and days with no end in sight and songs that lasted till the sun came creeping back up, neverending energy fueled by a mission to show crewmates their love. âSeems like everyone was unaware of that part.â
There had been a party, a bit toned down in comparison to previous years but for a day solely to celebrate Bee, she was shockingly absent. Maybe it was the heat, still present when the sun shined clear in the sky. Or the book gifted a day earlier from the doctor was particularly enrapturing, leaving her hidden away in the quietness of her room.
âYou know your crew, donât you? Theyâd just throw me an even bigger party to try to win me over.â Bee can only imagine the lengths theyâd go to, a smile tugging at her lips in a slight adoration towards just how silly but lovable they are. âCake and a few birthday wishes are all I needed today, and some time with you.â
He tosses his head back and laughs. âWith ole me? Iâm honored.â
âWellâŠâ Bee shifts in his lap, scrambling to turn around and face the giant man. âHow else am I supposed to collect my birthday present?âÂ
âHow could I forget?â Tutting quietly he shifts to search for his present. Bee rolls onto her back, staring up at the night sky, surprisingly bright with all the little stars dotting the canvas of black. Even this later, the moon seemed to make Whitebeardâs golden hair shine in the milky white light.
He hands her a brown package, wrapped carefully with twine and a red stamp in the middle. The package crinkles with noise in his careful hand, passing it to Bee as if the gift inside was made of glass, making her mind buzz with possibilities. Unraveling it with great care, the stars catch on shimmering metal as itâs slowly unveiled.Â
A golden necklace, perfectly shiny and the right shade to compliment her tanned skin as she held in her palm. Small and delicate, with a little antique bee pendant connected to the dainty chain. It was small but precious, a closer look revealing every small detail carefully carved into the metal bee. And sliding out of the package into her lap were two hair clips, adorned with a shimmering sun and moon.
âIâve been holding onto those for a while,â he says softly, firmly pressing the gifts into Beeâs palm. âThankfully Iâm good with secrets.â He helps put the necklace on, the metal surprisingly warm from Whitebeardâs touch. The golden bee sits in the middle of her chest, just above her heart. âA gift for my dear little bee.â
Sheâs grinning wider and wider by the second, a kiss placed atop her head leaves her heart blooming with happiness. She fumbles with the hair clips in her hand, placing one in her hair then swooping forward into Whitebeardâs embrace. âI love them, theyâre beautiful. But you wonât mind me asking for one more thing?â
He raises a concerned eyebrow then grunts, prompting her to snatch up the idea forming in her mind and move on with it. Upon her motioning, Whitebeard holds her up closer to his face and she stretches out to take the golden strands of blonde hair in her hands. Theyâre silky soft, well taken care of and feel like velvet slipping through her fingers as she gathers strands.Â
Crossing strand over strand, she slowly makes her way to the end and Whitebeard lets out a knowing huff of laughter at what sheâs doing. He sits quiet and still, admiring her work and the way her face scrunched up in focus as she works without a word, the hair clip dangling from her mouth until the last strand has been crossed over the previous and a braid is left. With a smile on her face, she props herself up and slides the hair clip in place, adorned in the same spot hers was.Â
âThere we go, a perfect present.â She presses a kiss to his cheek and he erupts in laughter, leaning into her sweet touch.
âWhat would I ever do without you?â Sighing, he lets her press herself against his chest, melting against his skin and leaning back to watch the stars. The day would be over soon enough, the birds would sing their sound announcing a new day and the next one would have nothing special about it. A new day, leaving the past behind.
But as she plays with the Bee pendant in her hand, rubbing her thumb over the smooth metal she knows one thing will stay the same.
âA shooting star.â Whitebeard whispers and she glances up just in time to see the burning streak of light cross the sky, disappearing in a flash. âYou havenât made a birthday wish have you?â He snuggles her closer to his warm body, holding her firmly.
Bee shakes her head, stopping to think of what possible thing she could wish for. Everything seemed to turn up blank, but she wasnât upset.
Anything she could possibly wish for was already here.
Written for @onepiece-bingoâ for my free space! My friend got âfirefliesâ and I got JEALOUS cuz I wanted to do it. <3 So thatâs what a free space is for I guess haha.
Whitebeard x F!S/I / SFW Â / 800 words
Summary: Bee has never seen fireflies before, Whitebeard decides to show her.
Warnings: Bugs? Fireflies mentioned.
Distantly, Whitebeard could hear a pleased giggle and he stretched out his observation haki just to feel her.
Bee wound her way further and further from him on a meandering path. He couldn't even see her head through the grass, it was taller than her by a lot. Still, as Whitebeard cushioned his cheek in a palm, he wondered if she would say anything.
Idly feeling her out, he felt the moment she stopped. It was so quiet, aside from the crickets that sang their song, Edward clearly heard her noise of distress as she began to circle.
Still, he knew better by now. He waited a bit longer, taking another drink. She hopped a few times, likely trying to seeâin vainâover the grass.
Taking a few steps in different directions, he heard her call out a searching, "Eddie?"
"Over here, little Bee," he called back. Immediately he felt her reorient herself, before rushing towards the sound of his voice.
She broke through the grass the entirely wrong way, several feet away and facing the other direction. Confused, she turned until she spotted his large frame and brightened.
Edward chuckled under his breath as she hurried over. Bee always got hopelessly lost, it was almost magical how she managed it. Absolutely no directional awareness, she could get mixed up on her left and right. The only thing she could maybe follow was landmarks. But the way they traveled, they were never in one place long enough for her to learn any.
As it was, she did fine on the ship. And, privately, it amused him. Sometimes he liked to ask her which direction they were facing, out there in the open sea just to see how badly her guess was off.
Once, she'd peered up at him as he'd roared with laughter at another wrong answer. "Why's it matter?" Bee had asked. "The only thing I need to get to is you."
Well, maybe don't say it to his face but he'd always been a bit of a sap.
"Eddie!" she said eagerly in the here and now, "look at how many I have!!"
Fireflies winked out from her body, crawling up her arms. Her hair was the most impressive, frizzy and twinkling with buried insects.
He smiled at her warmly. Bee had never seen fireflies before, though she knew what they were (read about them, she'd commented when he'd asked). So he'd taken it upon himself to show her.
Really, he just wanted to see her face exactly like this, excitement and wonder shining in her eyes as she peered at the flashing bugs without all the distraction of his sons. Although most of the time he didn't mind, even preferred having them all together, sometimes it was nice to see her like this.
Just for him alone.
"You look good, like a princess of bugs," Edward said fondly and she wrinkled her nose at him.
"Bugs are cool though!"
"Until they bite you."
Bee froze, arms still outstretched before she looked down with worry. "They don't bite do they??"
"Gura ra ra ra!! Little late to ask that now, ain't it?"
She sniffed and threw up her nose. "They don't bite!! You would have told me beforehand if they did!"
"Would I?" he asked with a grin. Bee didn't back down.
"Of course you would!"
He hummed and didn't disagree. She was right, after all. Reaching out, he prepared his little sleight of hand trick. Edward had one of his sons teach him, it was easy enough and he wanted to see the joy light across her face.
"Got something to complete your outfit, princess of bugs."
"Oh?" Bee asked, intrigued as he showed her his empty palm. Quickly he twisted his wrist and a flower appeared behind his fingers. She gasped and fondness fizzled over him. She was so easy to please.
He wouldn't have it any other way.
Tucking the slightly-wilting flower behind an ear he said, "Saw this earlier and it made me think of you."
"You're so sweet," Bee gushed with happiness.
Edward shrugged. "A bit wilted." He'd picked it a while ago, on the walk over here. Still, he knew she didn't care and true to form, she didn't look bothered at all.
"S'kay, it's the thought that counts right?" He hummed before he leaned closer.
Sensing what he wanted immediately, Bee tilted her face up and meet him, lips brushing together softly.
"Thank you," she muttered out against his lips. "Sorry I've been boring tonight."
He chuckled pulling back to run a finger against her cheek. "We came here for you, it's fine. I'm just drinking and listening to you have a blast."
 Bee laughed, and the wind carried it away, like wind chimes on the breeze.
@itsthefandommash and I were having a conversation and she came up with this idea. XD And I found it so funny I couldn't NOT write a quick story for it.
Whitebeard x F!S/I / SFW Â / 1.7k
Summary: Being the newbie on a crew means that you often get the short end of the stick in terms of tasks no one else wants to do. Lucas has learned that being messager bird between Bee and Pops is one of those.
Warnings: Implied sex at the end, but not described. POV in random OC.
At first, Lucas didnât notice anything wrong. He was just going about his day on the Moby Dick , swabbing the deck. Okay, maybe not the most glamorous of jobs, sure but he was grateful to be on one of the most powerful pirate crews. He was a newly accepted son, a fresh face, and on the flagship no less. He was trying to make a good impression.
Still, as he swabbed near the nurseâs station, dipping his head in a nod and hearing them giggle, he didnât think this particular job was that bad. Glancing up at Pops to make sure the older man hadnât noticed, Lucas was relieved to see that he hadnât. The old man got testy when men flirted with his daughters. Bee said it was cause he was jealous, Pops said it was because he didn't want his sons to disrespect them.Â
The relief was short-lived as he took in the pinched expression on Popsâ face, frowning and looking broodily into the distance. His lap was suspiciously empty. Quickly, Lucas tried to think when the last time he saw Bee. Feeling his heart start to pound with trepidation he tried to hurry his swipes across the wood, hoping to get away from Pops before the man noticed him.
âAh, Lucas,â Popsâ voice boomed and he froze, eyes glued to the deck. Damn. No such luck. âYou mind doing me a favor, son?â
âW-well, Iâm kind of in the middle of doing something, Popsââ
âSomeone else can do that for you,â Pops dismissed immediately, and Lucas sighed recognizing that he wouldnât get out of this, and threw the mop into the bucket before looking up into the older manâs lined face. âGo find Bee, would you? See what sheâs doing, itâs been ages.â
It was on the tip of his tongue to say that it was hot and Bee was most likely attempting to escape the heat when a yell echoed across the deck. âThatâs right newbie! Go find Bee!â There was a round of laughter from the shipmates scattered about and Lucas sighed, knowing when heâd been beaten.
âAlright Pops, Iâll do that,â he said dully.
âGood, thank you son.â Pops settled back into his chair with a smile, looking much more at ease and Lucas sighed as he walked away, dreading what was to come.
It wasnât hard to find Bee, the woman was in the captainâs quarters, the room she shared with Pops. After he knocked and came in, the room was dark, the curtains drawn and a fan set up on the massive bed, blowing directly at Bee who sat against the headboard with a book in her lap. A den den mushi was playing music softly on the headboard and when dark brown eyes regarded him, Lucas tried to smile.
He didnât think he was quite successful.
âHey Bee, Pops wants to know what youâve been up to.â Beeâs expression shifted to a are you an idiot which Lucas didnât feel like he quite deserved.
âReading,â she said slowly. Â
Biting his lip, he shifted. Technically that was the end of what Pops had wanted but hoping to spare himself another trip, he went on, âPops was wonderinâ if you were going to come out onto the deck anytime soon.â
She scoffed. âUh, and bake under the sun? No thanks.â
Lucas tapped his foot a little before he asked, a little timidly. âIs there anything else youâd want me to tell Pops orâŠ?â
âJust tell him Iâm reading and I donât want to be on deck right now.â He nodded back before turning to the door feeling dejected.
Trudging back to Pops, Lucas relayed Beeâs message. From the corner of his eye, he could see shipmates gathering closer and closer to watch the show. Sweat started to bead on his neck and he hoped that maybe that would be the end of it. Maybe heâd escape this time.
As Popsâ face twisted into a scowl Lucas didnât think his chances were very high.
âTell Bee that Iâd just love for her to come on out now. Itâs barely that hot.â
âWell,â Lucas began, âit is pretty hot PopsâŠâ The glare he got in return had him clicking his mouth shut and as he turned to walk away, snickers could be heard following him.
Bee didnât look all that surprised to see him again, as she put a finger between the pages. âWhat does he want?â she asked flatly.
âThat heâd love for you to come up. He misses you.â Lucas hoped the comment would melt her just a little. He didnât add the âthat hotâ comment, heâd heard enough of Beeâs whining about the subject over the last few days of the oppressive heat theyâve had that he didnât think sheâd appreciate it overly much.
âThatâs nice,â Bee said dismissively opening up her book. âTell him Iâm good, he can go a few hours without my company.â
The remark didnât go over so well with Pops, who glowered down at Lucas as if he were to blame. He didnât cower though, just accepted a sort of quiet defeat.
âThat littleââ The rest of the sentence was lost under Popsâ angry muttering before he spoke louder. âSay Thatch will make one of those fancy drinks she likes so much if sheâll come out.â
âHey!â Thatchâs voice rose with complaint. âI didnât say that!â
Pops waved a nonchalant hand in Thatchâs direction. âOh please, if she asked you, youâd do it in a heartbeat.â
Before Thatch could argue, Lucas broke in. âAnything else?â he asked, a little desperately. He didnât want to do a whole trip there and back for such a little thing. Pops rumbled a chuckle.
âTell her captainâs orders.â Â
âNah. Not really worth it,â Bee said without looking up from her book. âAlso âcaptainâs ordersâ? Fucking bullshit, thought we were equals. Heâs lucky Iâm too hot to complain about that, or else Iâd march up there to give him a piece of my mind.â She was snarling down at her book when she looked up at Lucas. âDonât tell Edward that part. Just the first thing.â
Lucas fought to keep his expression blank and not to break down in tears. Sweat was pouring down his back at this point, and he was panting heavily. He had to go down several flights of stairs there and back every time they did this.
It was a rite of passage he had been told. Whenever Pops and Bee wanted to pass messages back and forth, a newbie was always chosen to be a messenger bird. They used to do it on the den den mushi, faster for all involved but then an article had been released.
âTrouble in Paradise?â The headline had shouted, with a detailed discussion of their conversation. Bee had had a fit apparently. So now shipmates did it instead.
And now it was Lucasâs turn.
âWould you like me to tell him anything else?â Lucas needled and Bee hummed before looking up at the ceiling.
âActually yeah,â she said brightly and his heart lifted with hope. âTell him if heâs so bored he can flirt with the nurses since Iâm not there to bitch at him for it. And tell him to stop bothering me.â
Closing the door behind himself, Lucas wondered if it was manly to cry now or after Pops reacted to that.
When Lucas dutifully repeated the message, the answering flare of haki almost knocked him out. He heard several thumps behind him as bodies hit the deck.
âThat goddamn woman,â Pops said angrily as he stood, nurses ducking for cover and trying unsuccessfully to stop him as he started pulling out lines. âFucking pain in my ass, come on Lucas,â he commanded as he grabbed up his naginata and started to storm away.
Dreading where this was going, Lucas jogged to keep up. When they reached the door, he tried one last ditch effort. âPops, could I maybe go back to my duties now?â
âNo,â Pops said immediately, dashing what little hope remained. âYou stand there while I deal with this. Go get Marco if the screaming gets too bad.â
Lucas almost wanted to quip âwhat kind of screaming?â just to be contrary but Pops spoke before he could. âIf youâre not out here when I come out, youâre off the ship.â
âWhat! Pops, no donât, Iââ
âThatâs an order son,â Popsâ voice was deadly serious. âYou stand here and guard this door.â
Lucas sighed as Pops went in and immediately two voices became raised. Idly he wondered if he could tear off pieces of his shirt and use it as earplugs as he heard the boxsprings squeal and Beeâs scream of rage.
More muffled yelling that slowly became more and more muted before they stopped entirely. Lucas leaned against the far wall and followed the line of the wood down until he came to his butt and he sat moodily,.
It was strangely quiet, now that their fight had suddenly ended. A loud moan abruptly leaked from behind the door. Lucas stared grumpily at the door as the minutes ticked by and he could hear the mattress squeak here and there, along with several giggles from Bee.
They always did this, or at least, when it got this heated anyways. Lucas had been informed that many times Bee would simply break and go out on deck after enough messages. Unfortunately for Lucas, the last two times heâd been forced to do this, this had been the outcome. Pops became enraged and sought out Bee himself with Lucas in toll. The first time, heâd told Lucas to wait around for a scream.
Heâd heard one and ran to get Marco. The commander had simply looked at him like he was crazy before he explained dully âwhen a man and woman loved each other very muchâŠâ Lucas wasnât sure the blush left his face for several days after.
The second, heâd simply skedaddled after he heard the first moan.
Another loud gasp before Popsâ familiar chuckle rang through and Lucas debated if he really wanted this that badly.
âEddie,â Beeâs voice cried out before ending with a drawn-out groan and he stood abruptly, realizing that no, it really wasnât. Hopefully, Pops would forget about him by the time they were done ahem, âfightingâ. Lucas beat a hasty retreat down the hall as Pops let out a loud burst of laughter, love and happiness more than evident in the tone.Â
I've been feeling sick these past two days and the lovely @aifozu did me a little doodle. ;u; Totally making my entire day. I have a COLD PRESS ON MY FOREHEAD. Thinking about getting cuddled by Whitebeard while feeling sickly seems SO nice and adorable and lovely.
Thank you (again) SO much Foz you're seriously so sweet to me. ;u;!!!!
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Written for @whitebeard-pirate-week ! I used the prompt "Joining the Crew". I included my headcanon that the Whitebeard Pirates use pearls as part of their accepting members into the crew.
This...got away from me. ;^; I meant to only write 1k to 2k but I started with Whitey Bay POV and just...kept going. But I had a ton of fun!
Whitebeard x F!S/I / SFW Â / 10.1k
Summary:Â Whitey Bay doesn't understand why everyone on the crew seems so in love with Bee, nor why Pops wants to invite her onto the crew.
Warnings: Mostly in Whitey Bay POV and some cursing. but otherwise no. ;u; I'm a sap.
âIâm thinking of asking her to join the crew.â
It took Whitey Bay a few seconds to process the statement. The utter fondness in Popsâ voice was distracting enough by itself that the actual subject matter almost passed over her head. It didnât of course, she wasnât one of the most experienced crewmembers for nothing.
âYou canât be serious,â she replied, casting a critical glance at the person in question. âSheâs a civilian; a pirate crew is hardly the place for her.â As if to solidify her statement, Bee laughed before blowing into a wand and bubbles began floating on the wind. Several of the boys hovered around her, some more obviously interested in the proceedings than others. Why Whitebeard insisted on adopting so many children, Whitey never understood. Well, she did and she didnât. She recognized the Fatherly love Pops had for his crew (not that she had ever experienced that kind of love before she met him) but it also led to a largely inexperienced crew, a death sentence if they werenât careful.
Whitebeard hummed, the air vibrating a little with the tremor of it. âShe fits in well.â
âIf youâre trying to get a replacement for Toki,â Whitey began and ignored the fierce glare Pops shot her way, âI donât think this is the best way to go about it.â
âNo? Whyâs that? Toki was a civilian if youâre so insistent on that being the reason Bee couldnât stay.â
âToki had Oden to protect her.â
âAlong with the entire crew. As Bee will have. Besides, wonât it be nice for you? Get you some female company and all.â
Whitey had to clench her teeth against the swell of rage that statement inspired. Had to bite down on the âwell if we had more female pirates that wouldnât be a problemâ, if Pops would let her recruit women, if, if, if. It was an often had argument and she wasnât interested in chasing down its familiar paths.
âI donât need it,â she finally gritted out, turning her head. The pearl she kept on a charm attached to her headscarf bumped against her cheekbone. A sign of her loyalties. Whitebeard Pirates had two things: the familiar Jolly Roger and pearls to welcome new members to the crew with.
Whitebeard eyed her and for a moment it felt like the light brown specks seemed to pull her apart, examine each piece of her critically, before making a decision and reassembling her. The moment his eyes flitted back to watch Bee, Whitey released a breath she hadnât realized sheâd been holding. Pops could be intense; he didnât get where he was by always being kind and it was always a sobering reminder.
âWe never asked Toki to be a part of the crew.â Oden? Yes. But Toki? While family, while loved, while protected? Never. It was that distinction that made it bearable.
Pops grunted, the information obviously disinteresting and Whitey scrambled for something else.
âWhen will you ask her?â Whitey asked, feeling a little desperate but it didnât show in her voice. The sense of injusticeâof unfairnessâthreatened to overtake her. Why would Pops let Bee join their crew when Whitey had asked, bargained, pleaded for more female members? Pops knew she didnât mean women like Toki, like Bee. Kind-hearted, caring individuals though they may be, the crew needed might, they needed strength. Women to teach the boys how to blow bubbles was hardly necessary. All her life Whitey had been laughed at for her dream to become a pirate, underestimated in a fight, undervalued on a crew.
After joining the Whitebeard Piratesâwho were men sureâbut men who respected her, who never laughed at her strength, who listened to her opinions and her orders, she thought sheâd finally found her home, her family.
It wasnât until after she had gotten settled, had carved out a little place for herself on the crew and looked around that she realized, why am I the only female. The answer is unfair and yet strangely still compelling enough that she hadnât left. Why she couldnât bring herself to leave.
âIâve never had a daughter before,â Pops had confessed to her once after she caught him in his room, enraged at yet another chance to get a sister-in-arms that Pops had refused. âI found the thought of you getting hurt under my name, fighting for my banner unbearable. I canât stop you now, youâre here, you belong here, daughter of mine. But I wonât subject myself to more.â
âGive me some time?â Whitey asked (pleaded). Her fingernails dug into the palms of her hands, likely drawing blood. Pops sighed as if it pained him, eyes glued to the figure Bee made. Her small frame surrounded by sun-weathered pirates, all with makeshift bubble wands, attempting to blow bubbles as she laughed, her black hair whipping around her face in the sea breeze.
âFine, fine. A week at most,â Pops conceded and Whitey nodded once before she spun on her heel and left the deck behind, rage following her every step.
The ship couldnât have women pirates. No, of course not. Yet some random girl they picked up from a Marine ship was okay. The exchange was so minimal, Whitey couldnât believe it had inspiredâŠall of this. They had rounded up the entire military crew on deck, after they had decided to attack them. Pops was surveying the crew, the Whitebeard Pirates scattered about the deck as the Captain of the vessel screamed curses and threats at Pops.
Pops had taken a step forward, as if to approach the Marine Captain when a woman had suddenly shot forward and flung herself at his leg. Pops had stilled and, once he stopped moving, the woman pulled back, shaking like a leaf before crouching down to pick something up. Whitey was too far away at the time to see what she held out in the palm of her hand, arm stretched out over her head to show Pops. She found out later it was a den den mushi, fallen from someoneâs pocket. (Bee would later tell the story that besides the intense fear of being boarded by a pirate crew, she had been afraid someone would step on the snail.) After that, Pops had ordered they take Bee along and left his sons (and Whitey) behind to destroy the ship.
Grinding her teeth together, Whitey decided sheâd talk with the boys later, see what they thought.
It took longer than expected to round them up and she didnât even manage all of them. Marco, Izou, Vista and the newest member of their crew, an awkward Thatch. Haruta managed to sneak his way inside, much to Whiteyâs annoyance. Haruta was barely ten (if that, who knew if he even knew his own age), the youngest crewmember by far.
Children, Whitey thought to herself as she watched them sit and complained about being in a storage room. It didnât matter that she was only a few years older in Vistaâs case, clearly the rest of them were no better than boys on a playground, battle skills notwithstanding.
âQuiet!â She barked and they quieted down slightly. âI wanted to get you dogs together to tell you something.â
âAw man, why we gotta be dogs, yoi?â Marco whined immediately and Harutaâs high-pitched voice joined, the light green pearl brooch he always wore on his shirt proudly shimmering in the low light.
âYeah! I dun wanna be a d-dog,â his stutter made him stumble over his words.
Whitey pursed her lips. âLetâs focus. Pops wants to invite Bee onto the crew.â
âLovely!â Vista broke in. âI was wondering when heâd ask her.â She bristled.
âWhy!â she roared in question. âWhy are you okay with that?! Sheâs not a pirate! Pops shouldnât be askinâ her to join the crew, thatâs madness.â A soft scoff got her attention and she turned to Izou who was perched delicately on the edge of a box. His own deep purple pearl shining from one dangling earring.
âNot sure why youâre so surprised,â he said in response to her silent question. âItâs obvious Pops is head over heels for her.â
The news clenched around her belly like an iron band and she hissed, âWhat.â Izou shrugged.
Haruta rubbed at his nose. âAinât Ma Bee and Pops already together?â
Ma Bee, how she hated that nickname.
âNah, not yet,â Thatch interjected. âDo you think heâll confess before or after he asks her to join?â He fidgeted with a ring on a chain around his neck, rubbing his thumb against the gold inlaid pearl. Not all of them displayed their pearls so visibly, it all depended on the person. Still, the conversation was getting wildly out of hand.
âWait, wait,â she held up a hand before someone else could break in and distract everyone even more. âSomeone explain this to me.â
âPops is in love,â Vista sighed, ever the romantic. âI think itâs wonderful.â
âYeah, donât you want to see Pops happy, Whit?â Marco asked with a grin. She glowered at him as his grin widened. âOr are you jealous.â
âOoohhh,â Haruta and Thatch said in unison.
âWhy would I be jealous,â Whitey seethed.
Marco shrugged. âDunno, youâre always bothering Pops for more women on the crew, shouldnât you be happy about this, yoi?â
âSheâs not a pirate.â
âNeither is Haruta,â Marco pointed out, ignoring the indignant âhey!â that resounded from the statement. âNeither was I at first, as you so frequently liked to point out.â
Whitey crossed her arms. âThatâs different. You at least knew how to fight, and Haruta will learn.â
âCouldnât Ma Bee learn?â Haruta asked and she waved a hand.
âSheâs too soft, she isnât even helpful for the crew, more of a burden than anything else.â
The deafening silence at that statement made her shift with uneasiness. âIsnât she?!â Whitey burst out. âName one thing she does that is helpful,â as Haruta opened his mouth she tacked on, âthat isnât how to make bubbles.â He closed his mouth.
Izou piped up. âMaybe you should spend a day with Bee? See what she does on the ship.â Whitey crossed her arms.
âWhy should I? I see her around; she doesnât do much.â Just wander around greeting everyone and chatting with anyone who would listen, she had seen it all before.
Haruta and Thatch shared a look before Thatch straightened. âI think itâs a good idea, myself. But Iâve got chef stuff to do, Haruta wanna come?â
âYesssss,â his lisp made him carry the âsâ for a moment longer than needed and Whitey flinched. Quickly the room emptied out until it was just Vista standing before her.
âWhat?â she asked crossly, irritated that the meeting hadnât gone to plan. They werenât supposed to be happy about this for godsâ sake. She had been hoping to get more people behind her, and talk Pops out of it but clearly, that wasnât to be.
âI agree with Izou,â Vista said firmly. âWhat harm could it do?â
âA waste of my time, for starters. Iâve got my own dutiesââ
âWhitey,â Vista interrupted, sounding disappointed. She sighed, aggravated.
âFine, Iâll do it.â
Later that night, in the womanâs dorms (with only the two of them. It has always housed either Whitey herself or one other woman; Toki didnât last long before Oden scooped her up into his own bed) she got ready for bed with a growing lump in her throat.
A den den radio played softly, as it did every night on Beeâs side of the room. They donât talk, not after Whitey had made it more than clear that she doesnât enjoy small talk. Now they only speak when they want something, âcan you turn the music offâ, âcan you turn off the lampâ, etc.
âSay Bee,â Whitey said, and the older woman hummed before glancing over the book propped in her lap at her. âI was wondering if I couldâ âshe had to fight a wince at the following wordsââshadow you tomorrow? See what you do on the ship.â
Bee blinked a few times in surprise, her dark brown eyes staring before she recovered. âOh! Yeah, if youâd like?â
âI would.â
She shifted before asking timidly, âIs there any reason?â
âJust curious,â Whitey answered mildly.
âI wake up at seven and leave the room by seven-thirty,â Bee said a little awkwardly. That was after muster, which is why Whitey always left the room before she did.
Whitey sighed, annoyed already. âAlright.â
Waiting for Bee to wake up was its own special kind of torture; fully dressed and ready at six oâclock, the routine fully ingrained into her. Still, once she flicked on a light and started idly flipping through a book, Bee woke up soon afterwards.
Her routine was simple but she apparently started the day out with music as well, a fact Whitey hadnât known but also didnât care about. They headed to the galley, breakfast already in full swing.
Breakfast was a normal affair. Whitey ate quickly then waited impatiently for Bee to finish her tea. Nakama wandered up to chat with Bee who greeted each person warmly, none of which surprised Whitey. Bee was known as a chatterbox.
Still, what was surprising was when Bee finally finished, she picked up her tray and motioned at Whitey. âCome on then.â Before leaving towards the kitchens. With a brow raised, Whitey followed.
Bee dumped her tray before leaving it next to a sink, which Whitey copied before she had to rush to keep up with Beeâs small steps. Whitey dodged around several chefs who were already preparing the next meal, along with cleaning up from the last. Keeping one eye firmly on Beeâs black hair as it bounced as she walked, she wondered what all this was about.
Finally, Bee came to a stop in a small corner of the kitchen, Thatch working away with his back to them.
âHey Thatch,â Bee greeted as she rested a hand on his back as she came up to his side. âHow are things going?â
âHey Ma!â Thatch replied, happily bending to wrap a quick arm around her in a side-hug. âGood, good. Took your advice about the clean-up duties, itâs been going a lot smoother. You here to help with stock?â
âHere to watch you do stock you mean. If I get more rotten banana juice dumped on me, Iâm never stepping foot in this kitchen again, mark my words.â
Thatch laughed before he turned and spotted Whitey standing here. He noticeably deflated. âOh, hey Whitey.â The tone was a lot less excited and she glared.
Bee smacked Thatchâs arm. âDonât be like that, Whitey wanted to see my routine.â
âIâm sure she did,â Thatch grumbled before he started to lead them away from his kitchen nook and up to a large walk-in refrigerator. Thatch held the door open and cold air struck Whitey across the face. Bee grabbed up a large jacket that was hanging nearby before zipping it up and pulling out a notepad from the pocket. The three of them went inside.
Produce lined the shelves as Thatch started mumbling to himself as he looked it over. âAlright, soââ
âWait, wait, Iâm not ready!â Bee interrupted, digging into the pocket before withdrawing a small pencil and thumbing through the pages. Hunching her shoulders, she nodded at Thatch. âOkay, go ahead.â
They ran through the stock quickly, which was good. The cold was starting to bother Whitey, and Bee was shifting foot-to-foot before they really even started. Only Thatch seemed unaffected, apparently used to it.
Once Bee handed over the notepad and said their goodbyes to Thatch and headed out of the kitchens, Whitey finally asked.
âWhat was that about?â
Bee hummed. âSometimes y'all would have the same meals? Which isnât a surprise but they didnât have that many different sides, just bread and meat half the time. Every time weâd dock weâd get more options, vegetables and fruits and things like that before that would noticeably drop off a week or so out of port. Sometimes shorter. Crew needs more than meat and bread, you know? So I asked.
âTurns out, Thatch was having a hell of a time trying to keep track of everything. A lot of the boys in the kitchens were more dish boys or prep chefs, none really bothered keeping track of stock. So things would go bad. They tried to keep that from happening by using up everything quickly but then that leaves large stretches of time where thereâs only the meat and bread left.â
Bee shrugged. âIâm not a cook or anythinâ like that. Hell, I donât really know shit about stocking really either. But itâs nice to have someone to run stuff by. I offered and Thatch agreed, so we do it together now. Occasionally I bring up ideas for things they can make which will keep longer if something is going to go bad soon but honestly Thatch has gotten so much better already! Heâs going to make an amazing head chef.â
âHe isnât already?â Whitey asked, snidely. Pops had personally asked Thatch aboard after tasting his food. Bee shot her a look from the corner of her eye.
âThatch is a great cook, but heâs still new, still nervous about stepping on toes or doing the wrong thing, of being a disappointment. Heâs young, heâll learn. A head chef is a title, nothing more. In the eyes of his division, heâs gotta earn that title, which scares him. He doesnât know if heâll make a good leader yet. I donât doubt heâll do it, and do it well, but I donât want to say heâs already achieved something that he hasnât. Not when heâs been working so hard to get there. I donât wanna cheapen his success when he finally reaches it by sayinâ heâs got it already.â
Whitey didnât reply, mind spinning. She knew Thatch was still finding a place here, brand new as he was, but the rest she hadnât thought of.
âWasnât he a chef before?â she asked. Bee laughed.
âWerenât you a pirate before you came to this ship? You still had stuff to learn, respect to earn. A former title doesnât mean a thing.â Bee stopped before the library before holding open the door for her. âAfter you.â
Stepping inside, Whitey had no idea why they were there. The âlibraryâ was a small room, with a few tables set up and bookcases mostly empty. Haruta swayed on a chair, a table filled with drawings in front of him, crayons scattered around.
âH-hey Ma Bee!â he stuttered happily and Bee smiled back.
âHey Haruta, ready for your lesson?â He nodded excitedly as Bee bent to grab a few books off a shelf.
âYouâre teaching him how to read?â Whitey asked, surprised.
âYeah. The way I was taught wasnât the best either, luckily, Iâve picked up a few books and Haruta already knew some basics. We also work on his stutter.â
âAnd my lisp!â Haruta added.
âAnd your lisp,â Bee repeated with agreement. Whitey sat across from them as Bee took the seat next to him and they ran through several exercises.
Overall, it was boring for Whitey who watched with half-lidded eyes. However, she could see the value in such a thing. Picking through a few things on the tabletop, she found a workbook and started leafing through the pages.
âWhy arenât you working on his math?â Whitey asked looking over some problems and Bee flinched.
âSome of the other boys help him with that,â she replied.
Haruta gestured wildly with a hand, pencil wedged firmly in his grasp. âLike Izou! Sometimes Jozu. I like Jozu better heâs, n-n-n,â his face started to pinch and Bee laid a hand on his shoulder gently.
âSlow down, take a breath. Itâs okay to stutter or slur the word, just work your way through it.â
Taking a deep breath, he tried again, âNicer.â Haruta turned to Bee with a wide smile and she smiled back.
âSee? You did it! You donât have to rush yourself.â
âBut why donât you,â Whitey broke in, trying to switch back to the matter at hand. âYouâre already sitting here with him.â
Bee frowned. âHe needs a break, for starters. We work through his reading and writing, along with whatever voice lessons Iâve managed to read about or ask about when we go into port. That already is long enough for a ten-year-old to sit through. Not to mention his other lessons, his training with Vista, helping with the shipwrights, what have you. His math is also better than mine, I donât have much to teach him in that department.â Whitey raised a brow in question and Bee explained.
âMy math is terrible,â she shrugged. âI canât divide or multiply, let alone anything more complex than that. Haruta here,â she ruffled his hair and he giggled, âis already leagues above me.â
âDo you join in his math classes? You could learn a thing or two.â Haruta wrinkled his nose at Whitey and she ignored it.
âNo,â Bee stated firmly. âMy math skills are that bad not for lack of trying or teaching. I finished higher education for fucksâ sake,â she glared at Whitey. âA fact Iâm proud of. But me attempting to better myself in an area that already has gotten enough of my tears? No thanks. For what?â
âCould be helpful for the crew,â Whitey said carefully. Bee rolled her eyes.
âIf thereâs one thing Iâve learned about pirates, is a lot of them are already mathematically inclined. Maybe they canât read or write but they can barter or sell faster than Iâve ever seen. Trust me, this is a fact Iâve known about myself. I donât get better, Iâve studied, taken tests, done a lot to try. Itâs just not a skill that can be improved upon, letâs just leave it at that.â
The lesson finished soon after, as Bee announced two hours had passed and Haruta took off immediately. Bee (and therefore Whitey) stayed behind to clean up the mess, tucking everything away before heading out.
This time they headed to the Medical Bay.
âDo you always do these same rounds?â Whitey asked.
âDepends, sometimes someone will ask for my help in a specific division. For a while Communications was a mess, I was in there most of the day.â
âWhyâs that?â
âNo one was keeping track of anything!â Bee burst out her voice suddenly angry. âIt was ridiculous. I couldnât believe it. Did you know an island asked for aid twice in one month?â
Whitey stopped them and leaned against a wall in the hallway they had been traveling down. âWhat do you mean? So?â
âSo,â Bee began, obviously getting riled up, âafter I looked into it, this same island had been asking for supplies and money several times each month, each time asking a different person in the division. The chain of command here is so fucked, they were basically robbing us.â She suddenly dropped her eyes. âOr well, you guys. You know what I mean.â
âWhat happened after that?â Whitey needled, intrigued. She hadnât heard about this.
âI spoke to Eddie,â Whiteyâs eyes widened at the nickname before Bee continued, âtold him what was going on. He asked me what I thought should happen. I worked with the division to create a more effective system. We put in some standard operating procedures, how things need to be discussed with the Division Commander before money is sent, in what situations a double supply run would be necessary, stuff like that.â
She took a breath, her words almost bumping into each other in her haste. âWhich also led into what happens when someone goes on a mission, where they report, what gets done. I helped with mission reports so we could keep track.â
Ah, that Whitey had heard about. The news had kicked up a major fuss, wanting each division to log their peopleâs coming and goings, when someone went on a mission, what happened, etc. Pops had stood firm, even when people had complained that they werenât the Navy, Pops! None of it mattered, Pops hadnât budged and his word was final.
In the end, Whitey could admit it made things smootherâbetter. Duty days were nicer when you actually knew who was on leave and who was just avoiding a watch. Mission reports were easier now, instead of having to remember which crewmembers had left and for how long and what they did, now it was all on a piece of paper.
âClever,â Whitey commented and Bee gave her a small grin, looking up at her through her eyelashes.
âItâs not much and I know a lot of the boys donât like it but sometimes itâs worth it to do things that are painful. Once it becomes commonplace, itâll be easy.â Bee side-stepped Whitey to keep walking and she followed slowly.
Their Medical Bay was barren, only one large room with several cots laying out, an âoperatingâ room in the back. Privately, Whitey always hoped that if she became injured enough to need that room, sheâd die before they got her back on the ship. There werenât that many doctors on the crew, not yet. All they had were men who vaguely knew how to sew stitches andâ
âMarco!â Bee called into the empty room and there was shuffling noise before a nearby closest door burst open, spilling Marco out, his large wings flapping to keep him upright.
âHey Ma!â
Whitey groaned. âDoes everyone call you that?â she asked.
Marco smiled at Whitey and she almost growled back. Bee went over to Marcoâs side and started fussing over him, having him lift a foot as she bent to unwound a coil of bandages that somehow had wrapped around his leg.
âNo,â Bee answered. âJust some of the boys like it. They asked me about it and it doesnât really bother me.â
âSheâs the best mom on the ship!â Marco replied sticking out his tongue at Whitey. âNothing like you.â
âI donât want to be your mom,â she hissed back.
âGood, youâd make a terrible one, yoi.â
âMarco.â Bee said and he shut his mouth easily enough. She straightened and started brushing Marcoâs shoulders as she tsked. âWhat have you been doing dear? Youâre so dusty.â
Marco seemed to puff up under the attention. âCleaning! You said to organize the supplies!â
âI told you to do that after you finished studying,â Bee corrected lightly. âHave you been studying?â
âYup!â Marco answered easily. âNeed your help! Been waitinâ for you to show up.â
âAlright then, letâs run it through.â
âSo now youâre a medical expert?â Whitey broke in and both turned to look at her with surprise, obviously forgetting her presence.
âNo, I just help with flashcards,â Bee answered as Marco snickered.
âIâll get the radio, yoi!â he said before rushing away as Bee settled onto a cot. She gestured to one nearby.
âMight as well get settled, if he wants the radio it means weâre going to be down here for a while.â
It was an understatement.
Marco was a cad, soaking in Beeâs attention. He got a station playing on low, propped his head up in Beeâs lap, and made himself right at home. They went through several stacks of flashcards.
Whitey had the sneaking suspicion that Marco played dumb for things he knew the answer to, as if to prolong the lesson. He even tried to get Bee to read aloud from a textbook of his, but Ma it helps, really it does! As Bee laughed at him and refused, saying she wouldnât be able to pronounce all the medical terms. They compromised with a book on navigation instead.
They went until the lunch bell rang and even then, Marco tried to convince Bee to stay longer. She waved him off, promising they could study more later, and hustled Whitey out the door, towards the galley.
Along the way they were stopped several times as shipmates found Bee and chatted. Whitey had always seen Bee talking along corridors and out on deck. She never bothered to listen in. Now that she was forced to, she realized that most of the conversations werenât just shooting the shit as she had assumed. Instead, they were actually filled with little updates, nakama letting Bee know that they finished such or such task, were freshly back from a mission, where the ship was heading to next, that sort of thing.
Bee was supportive and engaged until they moved on and the next person popped up. Occasionally there were a few conversations that were more run-of-the-mill things that Whitey would have expected, random tidbits or small talk questions.
What was unexpected was the few that came up to proudly show off some sort of hobby. An embroidered vest pocket was one of the stranger ones. Whitey waited until that crewmate had wandered off and they finally reached the galley where the loud chattering of the crew mostly masked their conversation before she asked.
âWhat was that about?â
âHm?â Bee asked, distracted as she craned her neck above the crowd, looking for something. Finally, she managed to catch Popsâ eye and she waved with a large smile before focusing back on grabbing her food.
âThe embroidery.â
âOh! He mentioned wanting pretty things but feels guilty about buying them. Apparently, he sends a lot of his money back home, I mentioned he could make his own things if he wanted. Itâs cheaper that way. We discussed a couple options and he tried a few things before landing on that. Heâs come a long way! He was shy about it at first but others have gotten interested so heâs becoming more comfortable.â
âI see,â Whitey said but it didnât appear like Bee even heard her, as she quickly ducked her way through the gathered crowd to rush to Popsâ side leaving Whitey behind.
She grimaced but followed. This wouldnât be a conversation she was looking forward to.
Bee was already talking by the time Whitey came up and glared at the man seated on Popsâ other side before he hurriedly gave up his seat for her.
Pops sat at the very end of the table, Bee on his ride side, now directly across from Whitey, her hands gesturing as she spoke a mile a minute as Pops looked down at her fondly. His light brown eyes flickered to Whitey.
âHeard youâve been accompanying our little Bee here, Whit.â
âSânot a bit deal,â Whitey defended herself against the implied accusation she heard in the statement. âI just wanted to see what Bee did around here is all.â
Bee started shoving salad into her mouth as Pops chuckled. The meal passed uneventfully, even though Vista caught her eye at some point and winked.
Now that she had been told about Popsâ feelings, she supposed she should have picked up on it sooner. It was obvious now that Whitey was aware of it. The attention Pops paid Bee, the way he leaned in to listen to her, it all told a story.
When was the first chapter? Whitey wondered. That first meeting, or was it sometime after? They were so absorbed in each other yet whenever nakama would come up to interrupt both easily stopped their conversation to listen and comment.
Is this what parents were like? Ever since Bee had come aboard she had really only spoken to Pops one-on-one, avoiding both when they were together. She wasnât interested in âgetting to know Beeâ or anything like that. But now seeing the way they both responded to Popsâ children, Whitey wondered if this wasnât the real reason the âMaâ nickname was spreading through the crew like wildfire. Everyone seemed equally happy to listen to Bee offer commentary as when Pops did. In fact, on one occasion while Pops was talking to Jozu someone else interrupted and Bee smoothly redirected Popsâ attention back to Jozu, who hadnât finished his thought.
Parents were never this kind, Whitey decided, after watching them and the way they navigated around each other.
Sometime during lunch, Marco wandered over to their table and squeezed in between Bee and Pops. Bee easily made room while Pops laughed.
âMa, Ma, donât forget youâre supposed to help me still, yoi!â Marco said in between mouthfuls of food.
âDonât talk with your mouth full,â Bee replied.
Pops stuck a finger into Marcoâs side, making him lurch with a laugh, spewing even more food.
âEddie!â Bee reprimanded, handing Marco a napkin.
âNow son, I havenât seen our little Bee all day, you can get her tomorrow.â
âAw but I wasnât done! How am I supposed to be a doctor like this!?â Marco complained. Whitey snorted as she leaned against a hand, elbow on the table.
Pops sighed loudly. âYou can just heal people, son.â
âBut not everything! I still gotta know how to do other stuff! How can I call myself a doctor otherwise, yoi?â
âHeâs also learning navigation,â Bee pointed out.
âYeah Pops!â
Whitebeard rolled his eyes. âYou can study with her tomorrow, or later tonight. I think the Captain deserves a little time too.â He winked at Bee who ducked her head with a pleased smile.
Marco opened his mouth to argue some more before Whitey broke in before he could. âGive it a rest why donât you bird brain,â she said, boredom laced through the words.
As she expected, Marco immediately got distracted as he focused on her and started bitching. Bee and Pops shared a look over his head before the both of them smiled, a secret shared between the two of them.
After lunch, Whitey lingered at Beeâs side as she quickly made her way through the ship.
âYou donât have to come?â Bee said over her shoulder looking up at Whitey who shrugged.
âYouâre just gonna talk to Pops right? I can come along. Why arenât you heading up on deck?â
âIâm grabbing a book!â
That explained it. Bee was an avid reader; Whitey swore that half the books in the library were because of her and she hadnât even been there that long.
She leaned against their shared roomâs doorframe as Bee went inside and started looking around. âWhy even bother if youâre just going to talk to Pops?â
âSometimes he gets distracted,â Bee answered, not bothering to look up from her search. âOr someone will come up with ship-related stuff so Iâll just read until they leave. Ah ha!â Triumphally pulling out a book she held it aloft for a second before hustling out the door, Whitey stepping aside to let her by before falling into step beside her.
âDonât you have your hands in everything on the ship? Why does it matter if itâs ship-related or not.â Bee shot her a look before she stopped walking abruptly.
âDo you have a problem?â Bee asked and Whitey crossed her arms.
âIâm just asking a question.â
Bee narrowed her eyes, unimpressed. âI donât know shit about navigation nor with anything to do with battle plans or with the weapons division. Thatâs why you havenât seen me hanging around your division, not that you would like me being there even if I was only looking around.â Weapons were Whiteyâs area of expertise. âLook, you donât like me, fine whatever. But if you have a problem, we can address it now, rather than let it fester until I leave.â
Focusing on the very tail end of that, she asked, âAre you leaving?â A sudden dread filled her stomach at the thought.
Pressing a finger to her bottom lip, Bee chewed on it in thought before releasing it. âI know I wonât be around here forever, whenever Edward decides itâs been long enough, Iâll leave without a fuss.â
âThat so?â Anxiety knitted her brow and she blocked Bee who tried to walk around her. âWhat about if Pops wanted you to stay?â
Bee raised an eyebrow, attempting to step around her. âNot sure why he would, Iâm not a pirate.â She sighed. âDo you mind?â Whitey was still blocking her path.
âNeither was Toki,â Whitey pointed out. Even if Bee hadnât ever met Oden and his family, she knew who they were, the crew mentioned them often enough.
âToki wasnât a part of the crew, Oden was,â Bee said as if Whitey wasnât aware. Finally, she managed to dodge around her and hurried down the hall. Easily Whitey kept up with her.
âDonât think that mattered to Popsââ Bee was walking up a flight of stairs when she turned to look down at Whitey, a glare freezing enough to cut her off.
âI donât want to talk about this anymore,â she said darkly. Whitey sighed but said nothing and they continued up.
Once they made it onto the top deck, Bee made a beeline (Whitey chuckled under her breath at the thought) to Popsâ chair. Clambering up, Pops was quick to wrap a hand around her waist as she made herself comfortable on his lap.
Whitey watched from a distance, far enough away to not be able to overhear but she wanted to watch them for once. She never had before.
It was about as disgusting to watch as she expected. Sickening sweet as the two smiled at each other and the gooey looks Pops shot her when she had her face turned away.
âYou see it now, hm?â Vista asked as he slotted up to her side. Whitey blanched as Pops grabbed Bee up, bringing her close to his face and rubbing his moustache on her as she shrieked.
âNot sure how I missed it, to be frank, theyâre so obvious.â
âYou didnât want to see it,â Vista said simply.
She hummed. âMaybe not. Bee thinks Pops will ask her to leave, how blind is she?â
âLove makes fools of us all.â Whitey huffed.
âNot me.â
Vista smiled at her. âGive it time, you never know.â
Whitey shot one last look at the picture they made, Pops now holding her up as she braided small braids into his hair, using the tail of one to swipe at his cheek now and then, the looks they were shooting each other full of love and longing.
âMaybe.â
Whitey waited impatiently outside of Popsâ room. It was late, as it usually was. He liked to stay up to drink with his sons. Finally, she heard the familiar stomping of his boots and she stopped her pacing.
âWhit,â Pops greeted calmly before opening his door.
âPops,â she replied, following him in. âGot something to say to you, if youâve got a minute.â
âSure, sure, always time for my favorite daughter.â
âIâm your only daughter.â
He flicked on the lights and the familiar sight of his room made her smile. Pearls hung down the wall behind his bed, long strands of every color imaginable a pearl can be. They were different shapes and sizes, some lumpier than others. A pearl for every child of Whitebeard. She couldnât wait to see the room in a few yearsâ time, how much the walls would be covered, how he would manage to squeeze them all in.
"Perhaps."
Whitey rolled her eyes. "Don't act like Bee is going to be like another daughter to you, we both know it's more than that." Pops chuckled.
"I was referring to Toki, but you have a point," he conceded. "Did you need something?"
She steeled her spine as she straightened. "Wanted to tell you Pops that I approve of you asking Bee to become part of the crew."
Pops raised a brow at her in question as he sat on the edge of his bed. She placed both hands on her hips. "I was shadowing her todayâ"
"I saw," Pops rumbled with a smile.
"âand she does more for the crew than I originally gave her credit for," she finished.
"She fits in well, as I said," Pops agreed with a nod. "I'm happy you can see it too."
Whitey frowned. "I still think taking a civilian is a big risk for the crew, just to be clear."
"We have literal children onboard m'dear."
"If someone finds out how much you care for her, they could use her against you."
"I care for all my children, anyone could do that for any of them."
"I meant," Whitey says, tone hard, "the fact that you love her, Pops."
He tensed and she rushed on before he could argue, "When are you going to tell her? Before or after you ask her to join the crew?" she echoed the question Thatch asked yesterday.
The air crackled between them, tense and heavy before his shoulders relaxed and he huffed. "When did you get so brave, hm?"
"You've taught me well."
"I've got a bunch of brats, you mean." Pops sighed as he reached down to kick off his boots. "Not sure," he said in answer to her question. "What do you think would be better?"
Whitey scoffed. "I'm not giving you love advice, Pops."
"No?" He grinned. "A shame. I could use it."
She thought about the way Bee looked at him, the devotion she saw in her brown eyes, and Whitey shook her head. "Nah, I don't think so. I'm gonna hit the sack, get some rest too you hear?"
Stepping forward, she brushed a quick kiss against his forehead as he muttered. "Not a child, don't need to be tucked into bed like one." She rolled her eyes.
"Oh please, Pops. Would you give Bee this much trouble?"
"Is this going to be a theme with you? Not sure I like the attitude."
Whitey grinned, the edge of it sharp and pointed. "I think you're just going to have to deal with it, old man."
Even if she might have a slight, grudging respect for Bee now, that didn't mean that she had to stop feeling bitter about the rest of it. She might be happy for Pops but that didn't alleviate the pain that his refusal to have more daughters caused her, the lack she felt at being the only one.
The way she felt alone sometimes, even when she was surrounded by others, the lonely only daughter of Whitebeard.
"What's all this about?" Bee asked, utterly baffled as the boys gathered around her, trying to keep in their giggles as they basically dragged her down a hall. For a moment, she wondered what the point of all this was. Some sort of prank? But it was so blatant. Usually, they tried to be more clever (or at least, when they bothered. She had made it very clear that she would only tolerate certain pranks/jokes).
Directing her in front of a room, Marco was there waiting, looking excited and proud, his body practically vibrating. âMa! Good youâre here, yoi.â
âHere for what?â She shook off several of the hands that had been pushing her forward.
âThis!â Marco announced as he threw open the door. Bee flinched, expecting something to jump out. When nothing did, she slowly took a step inside. She felt Marco rush in behind her before slamming the door shut.
It was just a small room with a single large chest in the middle and nothing else. Looking around she couldnât imagine what on earth they were in here for.
âMarco, whatââ
âOpen the chest!â he interrupted with a large smile. He held the knob with his hands behind his back, bracing against the door as loud knocking thudded across the wood.
Bee folded her arms and tapped her foot. His smile turned a little pleading. âAw, Ma, itâs not a prank I promise. They just wanted to be included but we canât all squeeze in here. I know that would make you anxious, yoi.â
The thought alone made her shiver. She hated crowds especially in cramped spaces. âAlright, thank you for the thought.â
A loud bang made him jolt against the door. âMaybe make it quick?â he offered and she shook her head before crouching before the chest.
It was a struggle just to open the thing, the lid was so heavy. As she lifted the top up, she tried to hold on to keep it from slamming but halfway through gravity took over and she dropped it, causing a bang against the floor. Bee flinched at the noise before the sight before her made her gasp.
The chest was completely filled with pearls. Heart in her throat, she held a hand over her mouth in surprise. She glanced over her shoulder at Marco who beamed back at her.
âPops wants you to join the crew!â
Shakily she dropped her hand. âIâm not a pirate though I donâtââ
âYouâre plenty helpful, yoi!â Marco argued. âThe whole crew agreed.â
She highly doubted that, thinking of a certain blue-haired pirate. Marco read her thoughts immediately.
âEven Whitey, yoi.â Bee shot him a disbelieving look and he grinned. âI swear! Told Pops and everythinâ.â
Glancing back at the pearls she ran a hand over them, feeling the smooth texture across her palm. She dipped her fingers in, before wiggling to just watch them roll across one another.
âYou gotta pick at least two, but thereâs no limit.â
âNo limit? What, so I can take the whole chest?â
Bee didnât need to see him to hear the smile in his voice. âYup! Someone did that before, we have more chests hidden around.â
âI see.â Moving the pearls around slowly she spotted a black pearl, not her normal preference, and was about to let it roll away when her skin caught on it in a weird way. Picking it up she examined it. It was carved with the shape of a whale along with smaller patterns decorated the surface.
The sight of it made her smile and she clenched her left hand around it. For no reason at all, she started digging, just to feel the pearls move along her hand and to hear them click against each other. Something large and white caught her attention and she unearthed it. It was a larger than average pearl, almost the span of her palm slightly flat. For some reason, it called to her and she stood.
âDone already?â Marco asked. âYou can always take more time, Ma.â
âNah, Iâm good. What happens now?â
âNow we go to Pops!â
On the way over, everyone who had gathered outside the door followed, wanting to see the pearls Bee picked. They were passed around and, as they approached Whitebeardâs door, she couldnât stop smiling, the edges of it hurting her cheeks.
Whitey Bay stood waiting outside of the door and their little precession stopped abruptly. Someone handed her back the pearlsâshe thought it might be Thatchâbefore Whitey sighed.
âJust wanted to welcome you to the crew,â she explained airily. There was a meaningful cough from the crowd and Whitey scowled before she met Beeâs eyes. âMa,â she said, a little disgruntled.
Bee blinked and then she couldnât help it, she burst into laughter. Walking forward she grabbed Whitey up for a brief hug. The other woman didnât have much time to react before she pulled back, not wanting to push her luck.
âThank you, Whitey. You donât gotta call me that, just Bee is fine.â
Whitey sighed with relief. âThanks, they forced me.â She waved her hand towards the crowd behind Bee.
âSheâs a good ma!â Someone called out and Whitey snorted before she looked down at Bee. They shared a look before bursting out into laughter.
âBetter get goinâ, Iâve been hearing Pops pacing in his room. If you keep him waiting, he might just break down the door,â Whitey whispered and Bee nodded.
âOkay, got it.â
Whitey squeezed her hand before giving her a small smile. âGood luck, Ma.â Immediately she scowled as the crowd exploded into cheers. âShut up!â
âYou said it, we all heard it!â
Quickly, Bee slipped away and opened the door before she could get caught up. Closing it behind herself, she made sure to lock it before turning.
Whitebeard was standing, looking very much like she caught him mid-pace. She cracked a smile and he chuckled at himself before taking a seat on his bed.
âLittle one,â he greeted with an affectionate rumble. âWhatâs going on out there?â
The ruckus could be heard from inside, although muffled by the door.
âAh,â she shrugged a shoulder. âWhitey called me Ma.â Eddieâs eyebrows rose in surprise before he laughed.
The tremor of it shook the walls and made her heart lurch with fondness. She loved his laugh, loved how each one he put his whole body into, leaning back his head and how his moustache and hair shook with it.
When it ended, he opened his eyes to stare at her before offering a hand. She took it gently, allowing him to tug her closer.
He smiled down at her. âYou know,â Whitebeard began, âone of those pearls is supposed to go to me.â
âSupposed to?â she echoed with a cocked brow. She knew how this worked, the pearls in his room explained it well enough. âAre you saying you donât want one?â He chuckled.
âNot that I donât want one, just...â He hesitated. Strange. Bee had never seen him hesitate before. âI just need to be sure itâs what you want.â
Bee stared at him, confused. âWant to what? Be on the crew? I wonât be able to do much butââ Eddie sighed, agitated before a large hand brushed against her face and the rest of her sentence died in her throat as a thumb tilted her chin up.
She was still trying to work through what was happening when he leaned in and brushed his lips over hers. It was such a simple thing, just his slightly chapped lips on hers, the brush of his facial hair sweeping against her face.
Her heart pounded so hard, her body shook with it. Unable to respond, the kiss was short-lived as he drew back, opening his eyes to look at her. The honey-brown of them held her captive as she gaped.
âTo be on the crew, sure. But mostly if youâd want to be with me.â His eyes darkened with promise and all the blood rushed to her head as she tried to work out exactly what he meant.
âWait, hold on I donât, uh,â she stumbled over her words as the hand that was holding hers wrapped around her back and pulled her closer. Standing between his spread legs, his large frame looming over her, Bee didnât feel fear. Instead, it was just a lot of uncertainty and anxiety, hope and doubt equally at odds with each other.
âDonât? You donât?â Eddie repeated, gaze intense. Trying to buy some time, Bee reached out and slapped a hand over his eyes. Trying to catch her breath, she stood there as he froze beneath her hand. ââŠBee?â he finally questioned.
âIâm processing, hold on.â
There was a brief silence.
âCan Iââ
âShhh! No.â Tucking the pearls in her other hand into her pants pocket she took a second to admire him. âKeep your eyes closed,â she instructed as she pulled her hand away.
Edward huffed but did as she said. Slowly she trailed her fingers up the sides of his face. Brushing across his eyebrows and lightly against his blonde eyelashes.
âCan I look now orââ he asked, peeking at her through one scrunched-up eye. Bee covered it.
âNo, Iâm still processing.â
He hummed. The hand, still a warm presence on her back, put a bit of pressure on her, indicating he would like to push her closer but it was light enough she could stand her ground if she wanted. She didnât budge.
Releasing his eye, she ran her hands down to his moustache and went to touch it when he suddenly turned to the side and pressed a kiss against one hand. She frowned and with the other hand tugged at a bit of his hair.
âHey mister, Iâm still processinâ here.â
Edward chuckled. âAre you? Seems to me youâre just wasting time.â
âKeep up that attitude and Iâll leave,â she threatened. He sighed but relented, settling back down.
One hand still in his hair, she buried it deeper while with the other she grabbed onto his chin. Tilting his head to the side, she started laying little kisses against his cheek, and he sighed again, this time sounding relieved.
Luckily, he kept his eyes closed as her hands directed his movements, laying kisses all across his face: his cheeks, his nose, his chin, his brow line.
Gathering her courage, she fisted a hand in his long hair before tilting her head and bringing their lips together at last.
Immediately the hand at her back tightened and he didnât waste any time bringing her body closer, as if the thread of his patience had finally been broken. He groaned into her mouth before her feet left the ground as his arm picked her up.
Bee yelped in surprise, trying to pull away but Edwardâs lip chased hers and once again caught them in another searing kiss. Somehow both her hands got tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck as he deepened the kiss, a hot swipe of tongue against her lips.
Opening her mouth, she felt like Edward was trying to devour her. Surrounded by the entirety of him, there was nowhere to go, there was simply him.
Gasping for breath she finally succeeded in pulling away, panting into the space between them. Edward rested his forehead against her as he grinned.
âSo, what was your answer?â he asked cheerfully.
âThat wasnât answer enough!?â Bee shot back with another tug at his hair. He threw his head back in a laugh before gathering her further up towards his face as he nuzzled into her.
âCareful,â he mumbled, voice dark with promise. âKeep pulling on my hair and I might end up liking it too much.â Eddie turned his head to look up at her with a large smile. She huffed and started to wiggle.
âHa ha very funny, let me down, Edward.â
âAh little Bee, I just love teasing you, you know that.â
âSânot that funny,â she grumbled.
He straightened and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. âI love you,â he confessed lowly, pulling back to look her in the eye. âI want you to stay here with me, with my family. I know youâre not a pirate and I donât give a damn. Weâll train you up a bit and it might be a hard life, with scary moments. I canât change the kind of life I live.
âHowever, as long as youâre with me? Iâll protect you with my life, that I can promise you. The whole crew would as well, that I have no doubt of.â Edward ran a revenant thumb across her cheek, achingly gentle. âBut only if you wanted. If you didnât want this kind of lifeâwell, I wouldnât blame you.â
âWhat, so if I wanted out, Iâd get to keep my pearls and the kisses?â Bee asked, tone teasing. His eyes crinkled in a smile.
âThe kisses were free.â
âOhhh really?â
âYes, more of a bonus for me. Just in case.â
âJust in case what?â she wheedled, still joking around.
âJust in case you decided to leave, I didnât want to let you go without kissing you at least once,â Edward answered, completely serious.
Beeâs breath left her in a whoosh. âYou canât just say shit like that, Eddie.â He raised a brow.
âWhat?â
She shook her head. âWho knew you were a secret romantic.â
Whitebeard rolled his eyes. âYou still havenât given me an answer,â he pointed out.
âItâs a yes. Of course it is, how could it be anything else?â
His arm squeezed her before his lips left little dots of kisses all over her face and she laughed, joy fizzling in her gut. Slowly he brought her back down to the floor and she stumbled a little when he released her, weak in the knees.
âNow about that pearlâŠâ His eyes looked hungry and while she knew it wasnât because of the pearl she pouted.
âWhat kind of confession is this? Give me some kisses and then demand payment? Rude of you.â
âItâs a promise,â Edward said, voice dark and heavy with meaning and she couldnât help but shiver at it. âA bond. The pearl shows that you mean it, little one.â
She hummed, glaring just a little as she dug into her pocket. âI said yes already, I donât say things I donât mean.â
Edward smiled. âI know. Itâs just a physical representation, thatâs all.â
âThatâs all,â she repeated, just a little snottily, just to be a pain. Bee could tell how much this meant to him though and easily held out a clenched fist. âHere, I picked this one because it reminded me of you.â
Eagerly, he held out his palm and Bee dropped the pearl. It was the large white one, looking almost the size of a normal pearl in his huge hand.
âItâs beautiful, thank you.â
She couldnât resist rolling her eyes, Eddie saw probably more pearls than most people saw in their entire lives. But the earnestness in his voice kept her from saying anything. Instead, she stood on her tiptoes and tilted her head up.
Catching on what she wanted immediately, Whitebeard leaned down to kiss her again. And again, and again. A whirlwind of kisses, hugs, and muttered promises somewhere in-between, as they got lost in each other.
âEdward,â Bee announced loudly, her hands on her hips as she faced him on the deck days later. âWhy have you taken my pearl hostage?â
âHostage?â he repeated, cheek propped on a fist, in his normal chair. âWhat makes you say that?â
Her nose flared, not buying his act for a second. âI asked for it to be made into a necklace and I havenât gotten it back yet. When I asked they said you had it.â
Pearls could be made into jewelry, standard fare for the Whitebeard Pirates. Edward triedâand failedâto look innocent.
âNow there must be some mistake, I didnâtââ
âEdward,â she cut him off, expression clouded as her brow furrowed with displeasure. âWhere is my necklace.â
He sighed before he patted his lap. Begrudgingly she came closer and he snatched her up, positioning her himself, leaving her grumbling at the treatment.
âI was hoping this would be a surprise to have in my cabin, not out on deck,â Edward started as he dug into his pocket.
Immediately her expression cleared as she straightened. âA surprise?â Eddie knew her well enough by now that just the very mention meant it was as good as ruined, she wouldnât wait to get whatever it was.
âYour necklace.â He dangled the carved black pearl on a silver chain in front of her and she snapped it up greedily before looking it over. It didnât look any different than what she was expecting and she looked up at him with confusion.
Eddie shrugged a shoulder. âPut it on, the surprise is next.â
Bouncing with excitement, she unclasped it before reclasping it around her neck. She was almost tempted to ask Edward for help but with his large hands it would take forever and impatience already tugged at her.
Once it was settled, she peered up at him and he looked a little awkward before holding out a fist. âItâs not really for you,â Edward attempted to warn.
Already she was tugging at his fingers, âLemme see!â
With another sigh he unfurled his fingers, leaving a gleaming silver ring settled in the middle of it. She grabbed it before turning it over in her hands and she gasped. The white pearl she had picked for him was laid in the ring.
âItâs my pearl!â A hesitant hand curled around her back.
âI wasnât sure if it was presumptuous of meââ
âBecause itâs a ring? Why would it bother me? Put it on, lemme see what it looks like!â
He grimaced, the hand that was around her back sliding away to accept the ring back. There was a slight pause before he quickly slipped it onto the ring finger of his left hand.
Bee blinked a few times before she took his hand into both of hers to stare at it.
âI can change it, if it bothers youââ
âI love it,â she whispered, interrupting his thought.
Edward heaved a relieved sigh. âDo you?â
âYeah IâŠI really do.â A warm kiss was pressed against her temple, the silent vow hanging heavy between them. âYouâll keep it there, right?â she asked.
âI will,â Edward breathed. Bee raised her face to his and they sealed the promise with a kiss.
A follow-up to my last Modern!AU. It's my first nsfw for a self-ship so. ;u; Kinda embarrassing but you know. I feel like the sex isn't long enough considering how long this is but I got carried away with little discussions/moments, ahhhh.
Whitebeard x F!S/I / NSFW Â / 10.8k
Summary:Â After a New Years' party, Edward and Bee go to his place for some fun.
Warnings: Modern!AU, some cussing, blow-job, size difference, cums inside (no breeding kink, discussion of birth control beforehand).
It took longer than Edward would have liked to leave but it was still shorter than his usual exits. Normally he took his time, let his sons get out all their goodbyes and well wishes before leaving. Tonight, however, he was anxious and kept cutting the routine short, making sure to keep his eye on his little Bee.
Although so confident when she had first approached, it seemed her courage waned slightly after spending some time with him and confronting his own interest towards her.
No matter, as long as she was interested, heâd keep it up. If Bee wanted to go back on her word, that was fine, but she had to say it to his face, so Edward knew she meant it. Thus, he kept an eye out so she wouldnât try to slip away as she grabbed her jacket and purse then lingered near the edges of the party.
Finally extracting himself, Edward met her with a wide smile at the exit. âReady to go, dear?â She clutched at the strap of her purse tightly but nodded, biting down on her bottom lip.
Edward had to resist the urge to growl, press her against the nearest wall and replace her teeth with his own.
Later, he promised himself.
He lasted till the parking lot.
Who knows how it started, Bee had grabbed onto his arm as they descended the concrete steps, and between one breath and the next he had her against the wall, kissing her deeply, her hands buried into his hair.
The taste of her filled his mouth as he breathed in the sweet smell of her perfume, and his hands clutched at her small body. He could almost fit his hands around her waist and didnât that send a thrill through him? She whimpered into his mouth as one of his hands trailed beneath a thigh and he growled back, finally biting into her lip like he wanted to, and she gasped so sweetly her legs clenching around his body.
He couldnât resistâhe really should have known betterâ but he couldnât stop himself from working a hand under her dress and pressing a curious thumb against her slit. His blood boiled when Edward realized how damp she was already, causing a bit of moisture to rub against his thumb as she broke away from his kiss with a broken moan, echoing around the enclosed parking lot. Her nails dug into his shoulders, but he hardly felt it, past the buzzing in his ears as he contemplated how best to situate her where he could ground his growing bulge against her core and also kiss her when a loud whistle along with some cheering broke him from his thoughts.
Bee ducked her head under his chin, obviously embarrassed as he shot a fierce glare over his shoulder and his cheering sons skittered away, giggling to themselves. Still, it wasnât a bad reminder of where he was, and he slowly brought her back to her feet. Gods, but he felt like a teen again, necking in the backseat of his fatherâs truck in some abandoned parking lot.
She grabbed at his forearm as if to steady herself once he let go completely and he held still before she straightened. âAlright?â
âFine,â Bee answered, voice already raspy and strained, the sound of it made his cock twitch in his slacks. Later, he reminded, as he cleared his throat.
âThis way,â he said, laying a hand on the small of her back and directing her forward.
They came up to the familiar dented and nicked blue exterior of the Moby Dick, his old-fashioned van serving him for many many years. It might groan and croak like she was dying, but she had always treated him well.
That was, until a haggard sigh came behind them and he turned to see Haruta standing there with his hands on his hips. He remembered at the last second but before he could defend himself, Haruta was already talking.
âPops! Why do you always do this?! I can just give her back if you keep forgetting you gave her to me! Just trade me with your current car.â
Edward sighed and rubbed his forehead. âNow son, thatâs no way to speak to your fatherâŠâ He could feel Beeâs curious stare as she looked between the two of them.
Haruta let out a short laugh. âMore like you canât trade me or else Marco would kill you, just admit it old man. We can just trade for the night and swap in the morning?â he wiggled the keys with a wide smile.
For a moment he was tempted, Moby Dickâs familiar drive calling to him before Bee tugged at his jacket. Edward glanced down at her.
âWhatâs your current car?â she asked politely. He sighed before pointing across from where they were standing. She glanced over and her eyebrows rose.
âIs that a corvette?â
âThe newest model,â Haurta crooned, and Edward winced. He hated the display of wealth, but Marco had gotten it as a Christmas present, a gift from a large swarth of his sons. Theyâd all come together to get it for him, and you wouldnât want to disappoint them, yoi Marco had commented, a meaningful glint in his eye.
Privately, he hated the thing but what could he do?
âOoh, Iâve never been in one, can we take that Edward?â
Haruta let out a cry of outrage, but Edward was already nodding and pulling her forward, happy that the stupid car could come in handy for this one thing.
âNot fair Pops! I know you hate that thing!â Haruta whined. He rolled his eyes before he clicked the keys and the doors unlocked, popping open Beeâs side for her and she ducked inside.
Getting into the driverâs seat was always a hassle, the car way too low for his bulk. Once he got settled, seatbelt fashioned, all the lights of the dash jabbed at him like a headache, and he had to clench his teeth as he started the engine.
Bee looked around as she buckled up. âWhy do you hate it?â
He shrugged. âNot really my style. My sons picked it for me.â She hummed.
âIt does seem a little small for you.â
Edward snorted. It was an understatement.
âWhy donât you get something else?â she asked.
âGift from my sons, be a bit rude, wouldnât it?â
âBut if you hate it, shouldnât they want you to get something you liked?â Edward had a flash of yearning for the Moby.
âPerhaps but I had been driving the van for years. Before some of them were even born; they were all worried it would crap out on me. I kept insisting it was fine, but they collectively put their foot down. Said if Iâve got money, I should at least show it some of the time.â Belatedly he wondered if he shouldnât be mentioning his money. Was that a good or bad thing on a first date? Was that what they were doing, or just a one-night stand? Shit, itâd been too long since heâd done something like this. Edward had been so distracted with his sons and his company that everything else had fallen by the wayside, dating (and fucking) included.
Bee hummed before digging into her purse and pulling out her phone. Awkwardly, Edward turned up the radio wondering if she would become absorbed in the thing, as many of his sons did.
Immediately she turned the volume down. âWhat about this one?â she asked when he stopped at a red light, holding out her phone. He glanced over and was surprised at a photo of a nice older vehicle. It was still low to the ground, a two-seater but was a convertible, the design was good. Nice, rounded edges with large headlights. The kind of look that was timeless.
âNot sure if my sons would approve of another old carââ he began before she shook her head.
âThis is a Morgan Plus 8, they were originally built in the 60s but were remade a few times. Some of these were released in 2019, thereâs the newest model that came out in 2021. You could get a newer one, the design hasnât changed that much.â
He thought it over in silence. âPull up a picture of the dash, would you?â
At the next red light, she showed him, and he winced at the small screen he could see behind the wheel. âWish all these new cars didnât have screens,â he muttered with annoyance. There was an attempt to be true to the original, he could see in the design of the speed dials and such but still.
Taking the phone back she tapped a few times before holding it back out, another dash looked back at him, no screens in sight.
âThis is the 2019 model, itâs very classic.â
Edward chuckled under his breath. âIs that what I am, classic?â he wondered. Bee grinned back.
âEveryone has their own style.â
âWhat do you drive?â he wondered aloud.
â2009 Volkswagen.â
Edward roared out a short laugh. âA bug!â
âWhatâs so funny?!â she demanded, and he shook his head.
âJust suits you.â
She laughed under her breath making him smile. They drove in silence once more before he had a realization.
âGoing to my place was okay with you, right?â
Bee shoved her phone into her purse before glancing up at him. âYouâre asking me this now? Kind of late donât you think?â
He shrugged with one shoulder. âBetter late than never, eh? I can always drop you off at home if youâd prefer.â
âI want to come over,â Bee said firmly before she picked at the hem of her dress. âAs long as you still wantedââ Edward reached over and grabbed one of her hands, entwining their fingers.
Chuckling, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. âExcuse me, itâs been too long since Iâve done this. I want to.â
Her hand squeezed his. âNo worries.â
A buzz in his pocket broke the quiet moment. Followed by several more. He frowned, determined to ignore it. Then more and more answering vibrations went off, and he growled before dropping her hand and digging into his pocket.
âTurn that off, would you?â Edward asked, handing her his phone. She opened it curiously.
Immediately she giggled and he peered over at her as she clicked down through the conversation. âWhat are they saying?â he asked, knowing full well it was his sons' group conversation.
She began to read aloud.
Haruta â 12:34AM
oi everyone dont go over to pops tonight hes got a girllllll
Izou â 12:34AM
A girl!? What girl, what was her name??
Marco â 12:34AM
since when did anyone see them at the party
Vista â 12:35AM
Iâm assuming itâs the girl he was dancing with, in the green dress?
Izou â 12:35AM
Thatâll be Bee then, she said she wanted to try to sleep with pops
Marco â 12:35AM
???
Izou â 12:36AM
Shit not my phone, this is thatch
Haruta â 12:37AM
CONGRATS THATCH ARE YOU GUYS GONNA FUCKKKKKK
Edward cut her off before she could read more. âThatâs fine, just let them know that Haruta is right and that if they need to crash somewhere, to do it at one of their brothers.â
A part of him felt a little guilty, his home was the usual spot for them to come to whenever they needed it, New Years' was a big one for crashing at after they had stopped drinking. But he had a feeling Bee wouldnât be comfortable hearing the door bang open at all hours of the night.
She took a moment to type on his flip-phone, the light of the dash shining on the tip of her tongue as she stuck it out, concentrating. It was endearing and he felt his heart squeeze at the gesture.
Pops â 12:39AM
Edward said that if you need to crash somewhere, do it at your brothers! Also Thatch, I hope you guys fuck!
-Bee
âOkay, I finished,â Bee said as she snapped the phone shut.
âGreat you can just turn it offââ Immediately the phone started ringing. Her brows furrowed.
âItâs Marco?â she offered.
He cursed under his breath. âGo ahead and answer it, heâll just show up at my door if I donât, the brat.â
Bee opened the phone again. There was a brief pause, as Edward turned down the radio even more straining to hear. He couldnât make out much but if he had to bet, Marco had immediately launched into a rant.
âUm, hello?â Bee finally interrupted a bit awkwardly. âYes, this is Bee. No, heâs driving.â There was a hum. âOkay, Iâll tell him. Mmhm, bye.â
âWhat did he say?â Edward asked as waited for the gate to open.
âHe said to call himâis this your house?!â she asked, voice awed as the gate opened and Edward started to pull up the long driveway.
âAh, yes. You canât see it right now in the dark, but we have a lot of planter boxes, I garden with a few of my sons here and there.â
âThatâs so cute!â she gushed as he pulled into the garage. Instantly she got out and looked around. It was filled with numerous outdoor equipment. âYou have a lot of stuff.â
Gingerly, Edward got out of the car. âMostly my sons, so we can do whatever activity theyâre into at the moment.â
âYou really care for them,â Bee commented, and he smiled fondly.
âSure do. Theyâre my life.â
âIâm surprised you donât have more cars,â she said, stepping around the corvette and up to his side.
âGotta keep it clear in here, else my sons will fill the entire driveway and theyâll all start bitching about who has to leave and how. Not worth the headache.â
Edward gave into temptation and ran a thumb over Beeâs jawline and down over her velvet-covered neck. The shiver he got in return was worth it, sending his blood simmering.
âMarco wanted you to call,â Bee reminded gently holding out his phone and he sighed. Taking it from her, he flipped it open while leading the way into the house.
Dialing his number, he listened to it ring a few times before Marco answered, sounding disgruntled. âPops?â
âYes, itâs me son,â Edward answered. âWhat did you need?â
âWho did you leave with, yoi?â Marco asked, petulantly. Edward turned on the kitchen light as he passed before gesturing to the nearby living room for Bee. After she awkwardly trailed inside, he went further into the hallway.
âBee, Thatchâs friend. Donât think I need the check-in, son,â he replied, voice a little hard. This was one of the reasons he didnât date much. Although busy with his work and being there for his sons (plus the fact that most partners didnât understand the sheer amount of time Edward had to carve out for them all), his first son always acted like this whenever he did manage to bring someone around. Pouty and upset, like a child whose favorite toy had been taken away.
Not that Edward would ever make the comparison to Marco himself, but it fit. Luckily Marco was nothing but loving towards his brothers, but towards anyone Edward himself might see as a partner? For some reason, he felt like they might be competing. For what, he had no idea. His time? Marcoâs status as the right-hand man in their family? Who knew.
âIâm just worried, Pops! Youâre bringinâ in someone who you donât even know.â
Sensing a rant incoming, he tried to head it off. âNow son, Thatch likes her just fine. Iâd like to have just one night without all this concern. Itâs not like sheâs going to slit my throat in my sleep, right?â
The deadly silence that met that remark had a bead of sweat drip down Edwardâs back. âSonââ
âSee but thatâs the thing, you donât know anything her, yoi. She could totally do that and try to rob you andââ There was a scuffle as someone called out an annoyed âMarco!â
Edward held the phone away from his ear with a wince as the sounds of a fight broke out. Finally, someone came back on the line.
âHello?â It was the mellow voice of Namur.
âHello son,â Edward greeted with a tired chuckle.
âSorry about Marco, Jozuâs got him restrained.â
Edward rubbed his forehead. âItâs fine, see if you can convince him Iâll be alright?â
âWeâll try. At the very least weâll make sure he doesnât show up at your door tonight,â Namur replied mildly. A loud wordless shout in the background and he coughed. âCanât promise about tomorrow morning though.â
He sighed. âWhatever you can manage Iâd appreciate it. Iâll talk to him about it tomorrow.â
âSounds good. Turn off your phone for now, Pops. Ignore him, heâs just being a spoiled brat.â
âAll of you are spoiled brats,â Edward answered with a large grin, making his way back to the living room. Bee perched at the edge of the couch cushion awkwardly, a book opened in her lap, having already shed her jacket.
Namur laughed lowly. âSuppose so. Makes you quite the father huh? Love ya, Pops. If Marco heads your way tomorrow a lot of us will probably pile in, so might want to get your lady friend out of there pretty early if you want to miss the herd.â
âThank you son, be safe out there. Love you.â
âBye, Pops,â Namur answered before hanging up. Edward collapsed onto the couch next to her with an exhausted sigh. Quickly he remembered to turn the blasted phone off before he threw it on the coffee table.
âSorry about that,â he managed to apologize, looking over at her.
Bee shrugged. âItâs fine, everything okay?â
âOne of my sons, my eldest,â he rubbed at his temple, closing his eyes. âAlways gets so worried when I bring anyone around, heâs being a mother hen at the moment.â
âWhich one? The blonde with the weird hair?â she asked, and he felt her body shift. Cracking open one eye Edward peered over at her to see Bee holding out a photo album.
Both eyes opened with interest as he straightened and leaned closer. He smiled. âYeah, thatâs Marco. Is this the one with the baby photos? Even though he isnât my oldest son in age, I adopted him first and he was the youngest I ever had, so heâs technically been with me the longest.â
Silently she handed it over and he flipped through the pages quickly. âAh, thereâs the little devil!â he crooned with a laugh, pointing.
Bee leaned against his side to look. A tiny boy stood holding his hands out towards the camera, in a yellow raincoat with a matching yellow hat, and a duck face on it. âHeâs adorable.â
Edward smiled before Bee let out a loud yawn and her body pressed in harder against his side. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer, practically in his lap. âTired, little one?â
âMm,â she muttered in agreement. âDonât normally stay up this late.â Snapping the book shut he leaned forward to place it on the coffee table, easily taking Bee with him before he settled back, positioning her on his chest and she nuzzled into him with a tired purr.
With one hand he pulled down his necktie and struggled to take it off. Placing it on the couch cushion, he made a mental note to remember to pick it up later before it became lost forever.
Small hands distracted him as they started undoing his shirt buttons, and he lifted his neck as Bee undid about half of them before slipping a hand inside.
âYouâre not wearing an undershirt?â she asked. He sighed at the feeling of her soft fingertips trailing so gently over his skin.
âObviously not,â he replied. Edward grinned at a joke before he added, âWanna check what else Iâm not wearing?â
He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively down at her and she laughed before sitting up and bracketing his hips with her legs. Automatically his hands slide to her waist, loving the feeling of her soft dress beneath his palms.
âOh, you should know I do hate liars,â Bee said with a wicked smile. âSo, am I really about to get a surprise or no?â She tugged at his tucked-in shirt meaningfully and he chuckled.
âAlright, maybe not that much of a surprise,â he conceded, trailing a hand up her back and tangling into her hair. Her brown eyes closed as she pushed back into his hand, lifting her neck. For a moment, Edward was disappointed that the high collar covered so much, he would have liked to see the curve of her throat. He licked his lips, thinking about biting down on it. Later.
With effort, he didnât push, just left his hand tangled without trying to direct. Wanted to see what sheâd do next. After a few seconds her eyes fluttered open, before she yawned again, showing off straight teeth.
Eyes half-lidded she returned to trying to tug free his shirt. When she finally managed it, she unbuttoned the rest before pulling back with surprise. She stared silently.
âSomething the matter?â Edward finally asked after the silence had stretched, slightly worried.
âDo youâŠdo you seriously have a six-pack?â Bee asked, awe coloring her voice as she ran a reverent hand down his stomach, her fingers dipping into the panes of his muscles. He shivered.
âWork out with my sons,â he explained.
Bee blinked a few times before looking up at him. âDo you do anything alone?â
The question made him chuckle. âNot really, no.â There was a brief pause. âProblem?â
She seemed to come back into herself as she shook her head. âNo, sorry was just trying to compute this. Arenât you in your fifties?â
âYeah,â he grinned at her gobsmacked face. âNot bad, eh?â
âThatâs an understatement,â Bee muttered under her breath. âYou know what,â she said louder. âItâs late maybe I should get goingââ
He caught her as she tried to slip off his lap, standing quickly, holding her in a bridal carry. âNow, where do you think youâre going, hm?â
Bee squirmed in his grasp. âOh, not sure ifââshe gestured at herself with a handâ âIâm going to compete with all that.â
Edward chuckled darkly as he made his way through the house. âItâs not a competition dear, youâre beautiful.â
âHavenât seen me naked,â Bee denied.
âIâd like to,â he growled lowly, and she looked away.
Coming into his bedroom, he plopped her onto the mattress before moving to turn on the bedside lampâthe light was less harsh than the overhead lightâand clicked it on when she rose to her elbows.
âAre you leaving on the lights?â
âThe lights?â he repeated.
There was a slight pout on her face as she looked out the open doorway. âIn the kitchen and living room.â He stood there, feeling slightly off-kilter. Was she seriously telling him to turn off the lights? In his own house?
âWould you like me toâŠturn them off?â Edward offered at last. She nodded and he pinched the bridge of his nose. âAnything else, while Iâm up?â he tacked on, just the slightest bit annoyed.
âWater, if you have any,â Bee answered without hesitation. He walked away muttering under his breath. It was almost in him to be upset about the request but at the same time, she had been drinking. Water was probably a good idea. But still, all the stalling was getting to him. Riling him up and then leaving him hanging.
Not that she was teasing, not really, he reflected, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge. At least not on purpose. He wondered what sheâd be like if she was more comfortable. Probably a little demanding, he thought with a chuckle, as he turned off the kitchen, then the living room light. He followed the hall back to his room, a faraway yellow light his only beacon. Edward wondered if heâd like it, her self-assuredness, telling him exactly what she wanted, not quite so quick to back off. Heâd seen it in little moments here and there. He burned at the thought. Little Bee, so confident, so commanding. Heâd probably love it, come to think about it.
Coming in, he took a moment to admire her, laying there on his bed, her hair a mess against his pillow, the light of the lamp bathing her in a warm glow. She had kicked off her shoes and her hair clip was already on his bedside table. Bee smiled sleepily at him before holding her hand out. He handed her the water bottle before sitting on the edge of the bed to take off his shoes. He felt her body crawl behind him.
âWhatâs that?â she asked, pointing.
âItâs my sock suspender,â Edward answered, feeling a well of dread in the pit of his stomach. Hopefully, she didnât react the way his sons did when they saw itâŠ
The loud burst of laughter dashed that hope quickly. âWhy do you,â she struggled to breathe through her laughter. âWhy are you wearing garter belts for your socks?! Ahaha!â Bee fell back on the bed, giggling at the ceiling. Edward slipped off the socks and stuffed them into his shoes.Â
He frowned as he turned before grabbing the still open water bottle from her fist. âCareful, donât spill it,â he scolded before finding the cap and closing it. Placing it on the table, he bent once more to pick up his shoes and walked over to a nearby chair. Slipping out of his suit jacket and shirt quickly, he laid it over the back before placing the shoes on the cushion. Heâd deal with it all later.Â
Edward returned to the bed, seeing Bee look so small in the middle, a hand tangled in her hair as she still let out a giggle here and there. Crawling up, he came to a stop above her, arms caging her in.
Bee opened her eyes, mirth shining in the dark orbs before her hands came up to wrap around his neck.
âHey stranger,â she said with a knowing smirk.
âYouâve kept me waiting,â Edward grumbled, and she laughed again, like a bell ringing out.
Her hands trailed down his shoulders before letting her nails rack against his skin and he tremored at the feel of it. âHave I? Thought it was your sons that were distracting you.â
âYou were the one with the bloody lightsââ Bee pouted.
âItâs only polite to get a guest water, Eddie.â
He quirked a brow. âEddie?â
âAh, do you not like it?â she looked uneasy. âNevermind, sorryââ
The thread of his patience finally unraveled, and he leaned down to capture her lips in his. It was like a dam that had broken, as their touches instantly turned needy and desperate, wanting to get as close as possible. Her legs wrapped around him, as she opened her mouth with a gasp. Edward delved inside, hungry for her, while one hand grabbed at her ass, kneading one cheek while the other trailed up her back.
Breaking the kiss, he panted into her mouth, âHow do I get the dress offââ
Her keen wasnât an answer, but he groaned at the sound all the time. Leaving her lips behind, he trailed kisses over her throatâstill covered, damnitâbefore ending at her bare shoulder. He bit slightly, more of a suggestion of teeth than an actual bite and she arched her back with a loud moan, digging into his shoulders, pressing herself further into his mouth.
Edward growled around her skin and bit harder. âEddie,â Bee whimpered. âPlease, please, Iââ
âFuck!â he cursed as he withdrew. âThe dress, Bee,â he hissed, firm in the command. She likes biting, he filed the information away for later.
Small hands pushed at his chest and he reluctantly relented, giving her enough space to sit up. Her hands started fumbling with the back of the neck. âCan I help?â he asked.
âItâs small buttons,â she explained, panting. âUnless you think you can get it?â Bee shot a look at his hands, and he grinned.
âNah, best not.â
Finally, the collar came off and she held her hands against her chest awkwardly to keep it from falling. He pulled her close between his parted knees as he kneeled on the bed. Leaning down to press a kiss against her cheek he whispered, âYouâre beautiful, little Bee. We can stop if you want but just know Iâve been wanting this since you first came up to me, so bold in your introduction.â
There was an intake of breath. âWasnât that bold, I hardly flirted with you.â
He hummed, rubbing against her face, trailing a few fingers down her exposed back. âBut you wanted to, didnât you?â
âYeah,â she whispered back, a breathy confession as she shook, whether from nerves or lust he couldnât tell. Edward pulled back to smile.
âLet me see you,â he ordered gently, pressing a quick kiss against her lips. She bit her bottom lip again and he grabbed at the side of one thigh, rubbing his thumb across the skin there. Patience, Edward had to remind himself firmly, wanting to press her back into the mattress rip off the dress and take.
But no, what he wanted more was her acceptance, Bee had to want it, just as much as he did. Finally, her hands fell away from her chest and the dress pooled into her lap.
His blue eyes took her in, licking his lips with appreciation as his fingers trailed up her sides and she flinched away from itâticklish then. Cupping her breasts he rubbed his thumbs across her nipples, bringing them to hardened perks before going to pinch lightly. Her small hands grabbed onto his wrists, and she shook her head.
âMâsensitive, you gotta be careful,â Bee informed as he froze. Edward chuckled under his breath before dipping down once more to kiss her, she meant his kiss eagerly as he pulled her against his chest with a hand at her back, using the other to help slide the dress down her legs and tossing it somewhere. Finally feeling her bare skin against his was quickly sending all the remaining blood in his head south.
Soft, his brain muttered as he used the distraction of their kiss to really let his hands roam over her body. Edward didnât understand her embarrassment about her appearance. If it was the fact that she didnât have a perfectly flat/toned stomach compared to him, then that hardly bothered him. If anything, he liked the feel of her against him. How he could grab onto her thick thighs and not be able to instantly close his hand around them.
Bee broke away from the kiss when his fingers tried to hook into her underwear, to get them to join her dress on the floor. âNo, no,â she said with a slap at a hand and deftly avoided him when he tried to duck down to capture her lips once more. âLay down,â she commanded with a shove at his shoulder.
âCheeky,â he said with a grin as he shuffled his way up the bed before laying down as she ordered. Edward watched as she settled herself between his legs. Grabbing at his prominent bulge she giggled.
âSomeoneâs excited huh?â she asked with a satisfied smirk. Edward rolled his eyes as his cock jumped in her hand as she rubbed over it.
âMaybe if someone hadnât been teasing me for so long,â he said meaningfully. She tilted her head, her hair falling over her shoulder in a wave of black curls.
âWho me?â Bee asked innocently as she began to finally, finally start to undo his button and brought the zipper down. âNot sure what you mean.â
Edward lifted his hips so she could tug down his slacks and underwear in one go. Once his cock sprang free, it instantly left a sticky trail of precum as it bounced against his stomach. Heâd really been on the edge too long, he thought, seeing the angry purple-red of his cockhead peeking out from around his foreskin.
Bee only got them halfway down his thighs before she stopped to stare. âWhat the fuck is that,â she stated flatly. He raised a brow.
âWhat do you mean?â
âThis needs a warning label, that is way too big.â
If Edward were a lesser man, he might have covered himself. As it was, he just blinked a few times. âI think it matches my heightâŠâ he trailed off awkwardly.
She raised her eyes from his dick to meet his gaze. âI donât think that'll fit.â He pursed his lips to keep a burst of laughter at bay.
âIâm sure we can figure it out,â he tried to soothe. Bee looked back down skeptically before working off the rest of his pants and throwing them to the floor. A hand shot out and wrapped around the shaft, giving his cock a hard squeeze. His breath hissed out between his teeth at the pressure.
âMy hand doesnât even come close to wrapping around it,â she muttered as his hips twitched upwards to meet her lazy strokes. He might have wheezed out a groan, eyes rolling back.
When Edward refocused on her, she was still staring at his cock like it was a puzzle she had to work out. Bee leaned down and licked a firm stripe across the slit, before covering it with her lips and sucking clean the precum gathered there. This time he really did groan as she quickly started lapping at it, pushing the foreskin down with her lips before lavishing the head with a volley of licks and sucks.
âShit, Bee,â he moaned as he reached out a hand to bury into her hair. Instantly she popped off.
âDonât push on me,â she warned darkly. âIâm still trying to get used to it.â
âIâm going to explode if you donât do something,â he complained.
She giggled. âAnd not the pleasant kind of exploding Iâm guessing?â
âBee,â Edward growled, and her head dipped down as both hands firmly wrapped around the base. She flattened her tongue as she started to bob up and down his cock, spreading drool around. After a few strokes she released his cock to spit over the head before using her hands to spread it over his shaft and he groaned.
She shot him a grin before she dove back down. He could tell she was trying to take him deeper and deeper into her throat. Her hands worked him over, as she gagged around his length.
Feeling her throat tightening around him, Edward couldnât help it, his hand shot out and forced her lower, just once to feel her gag again before he let go and she sat up, coughing.
âWhat was that for?!â she demanded, rubbing away tears from her eyes. Although he felt a little guilty, seeing her flushed face and wet eyes his cock gave another twitch at the sight.
âSorry dear,â he apologized, rising up on an elbow. âLetâs focus on you, eh?â When Bee hesitated, he quirked a brow as he sat up fully. âWhatâs wrong now?â
She wouldnât meet his eye. âI didnât exactly, umââ Bee pressed a finger to her bottom lip, chewing idly. He thumbed at it until she released it and looked up, startled.
âUm?â Edward pressed.
âI didnât shave,â she confessed lowly. âOr I donâtâŠI donât really shave at all so itâs natural I know most guys donât like thatâŠâ
Fire blazed through his veins at the thought, and he had to bite down on his tongue so he didnât growl and upset her. âThatâs fine,â he said lowly, voice gravely. âIt doesnât bother me, come here little Bee.â
Bee still looked uncertain and that just wouldnât do at all. Quickly he grabbed her up and flipped their positions, as she squeaked from the sudden manhandling. He had to force himself to control his breathing and calm down, as she stared up at himâeyes wide with surprise.
He stroked her cheek gently before dragging his fingers down her skin. Edward reveled in her shiver as he passed by the middle of her breasts and over her stomach. She quivered as his hand ended at her underwear, a simple black pair lined with lace.
âOkay?â he asked, and she buried half her face into the pillow, twisting her body a little. A half-lidded eye watched him as she nodded. Immediately, he hooked his thumbs at the sides of her underwear before tugging it down. Licking his lips at the curly mound that was exposed he casually tossed the underwear before running a few fingers through the patch of black hair.
It was coarse and a thrill shot down his spine as he untangled a few knots, watching as she squirmed. Finally, his fingers dipped lower and pressed against her folds. He delighted at how wet Bee was already, as she sighed once, the sound of it on a verge of a moan. A thumb circled around her clit before he pressed his middle finger in.
His other hand tightened the grip he had on her hip, as the finger sunk in deeper. Edward watched her face hungrily as he took a brief moment to compose himself before he started to pump his solitary digit in and out, her wet heat making the slide of it easy.
This time she really did moan, canting her hips up, chasing the feeling of his finger. He grinned as he went faster. Bee had closed her eyes, but the little âoâ of her mouth was intoxicating, as her brows furrowed.
More, he wanted to see more, as he pulled his finger completely out. Looking down, he went to watch as his ring finger joined the other, slowly going to press once more inside her, when she grabbed at his wrist and he stilled.
Looking up, he caught Beeâs pinched expression. âWhatââ
âI donât like two fingers,â she explained.
His mouth dropped. âIâm not sure youâre going to get stretched out properly with just one finger, my dear.â
Beeâs lips twisted into a frown. âFingers never feel that good if itâs more than one, canât I just get stretched out by your dick? Can you do it slowly?â
It took him several seconds to process the words before he let out a snarl, grabbed up her wrist and pressed it against the pillow next to her head. Quickly he laid his body over hers, loving the feel of it so small beneath him before catching her lips in a greedy kiss.
Her free hand reached up to tangle into his hair, as he swallowed down her confused noises. Thrusting his tongue into her mouth, he shifted to rub his cock against her stomach, spreading precum over her skin. When they separated he growled into her face.
âYou canât just say shit like that little Bee.â
For her part, she just panted at him. âSay what?â Apparently, he was distracting enough to make her a bit slow on the uptake. Edward flipped them again, making her land with an âoomphâ on his chest.
Immediately, his hands reached out to squeeze around her thighs. âYou start us then, I donât know if I can handle going slow if youâre going to be saying shit like that in my face, all innocent-like.â
Her expression cleared. Ah, must have realized what she said; Edward scoffed as she smiled, pleased as punch.
Wiggling her ass against him, Bee lifted herself before wrapping a hand around his dick. Lowering herself, he groaned when he realized she was only rubbing her cunt along his shaft, drooling warm juices along it. âUm,â she began as his patience fizzled unpleasantly. âDo you have condoms?â
Edward blinked at her before he cursed under his breath. âBedside table,â he answered. Smart of her, it hadnât occurred to him in the heat of the moment. It was lucky he had put her on top, he likely would have tried to press into that tight heat, just to hear her gasp. He had to reach down and squeeze his cock at the thought as she leaned forward.
There were a few seconds of digging before she settled back, box in her hands. She peered inside. âUhhh.â
He waited impatiently until she tipped the box towards him and showed an empty interior. Edward rubbed his forehead with a groan of irritation. âProbably some of my sons have been stealing them and didnât replace it.â
Bee examined the box. âThey can fit in this size?â
Edward made a noncommittal noise, disgruntled. âSome probably. Got a couple of shy ones who might have been swiping them. Or someone wanted to be funny.â Bee hummed.
âHilarious.â
In the meantime, his erection had flagged from all the waiting and resulting disappointment. That was until Bee shifted back to rub her folds once more across his dick, dropping the box onto the floor. Edward hissed as he grabbed onto her hips and forced her still.
âDonât tease me,â he growled, and she smiled, the edges of it just the slightest bit uncertain.
âIâm on birth control,â Bee began, licking her lips. âAnd Iâm clean, if you still wanted?â He stared.
âYou sure?â Edward pressed, not wanting to force butâhe was immediately interested. Idly, he rubbed small circles with his thumbs, still encircling her hips. She nodded.
âAs long as itâs okay with you. Youâre clean right?â
He snorted. Itâd been ages since heâd had unprotected sex. âYeah, trust me. Marco is a doctor, Iâve got a clean bill of health. Can show you if youâre interested.â
âI trust you,â Bee said quickly as she tried to wiggle her hips. He released her and she settled back. Worming a hand between them, she gripped the base of his cock before raising up onto her feet. âDonât move, thisâll take me a bit,â she warned before she lowered herself.
The moment his cockhead finally, finally breached her warm heat he had to grit his teeth, hissing out a moan. It was a struggle not to immediately buck up into that wet tightness, coiling so well along the head. Bee pursed her lips as she raised herself back up and almost off before dropping down a little further.
It felt like it took ages, as Bee worked her way down his cock. It was a challenge to stay still, as she went up and down every inch agonizingly slow. When she finally sank all the way, his cock buried to the hilt, she collapsed on his chest with a drawn-out whine, her walls clenching around him in a tight coil. They both had a thin layer of sweat from the wait.
His hips twitched upwards, and she groaned. âNot yet, Iâm still getting used to it,â she complained but her actions didnât match her words as her walls clamped around him, making him hiss.
âArenât you on it?â Edward bitched back. âIsnât this used to it?â He used his hands to wrap around her hips and grinded down, making them both moan. His breathing grew heavy.
âG-go slow,â Bee ordered shakily. If it was anyone else, in any other situation he would have made a quip about her being on top and why was she making him do all the work. As it was, heâd been on the edge for too long to even comment as he used his grip to raise up her hips, letting his cock do a slowww grind out of her sopping wet pussy before pulling her back down just as slow, resheathing his cock.
Bee moaned, long and drawn out, nails digging into his skin. Once they were pressed completely skin to skin, she started to babble.
âPlease, Eddie, more, more, moreââ she rocked her hips against him, trying to get further as if there was anywhere else to go. That didnât take long at all, and he would have scoffed if he had any brain cells left to think about anything else except more.
Tightening his grip, he did a couple of quick thrusts that had her keening; her juices dripped out between them, making the slide of it easy. Heat pooled in his gut and Edward knew he wouldnât last long, damn. Maybe another time he could draw this out, make her whine and beg as he went terribly slow. Just to see her face.
Not today.
Edward withdrew, his cock drenched in her wetness, and she made a confused noise, but he didnât explain. Just easily flipped her once again. Bee was so small, he wondered how many positions he could manhandle her in. Swallowing down spit at the thought, he wrapped her legs around his hips before pressing back in.
Bee gripped the bedsheets by her head as she moaned, back arching. When their hips met, she let out a sob of relief. âFuck me, Edward,â she begged, and he didnât need more encouragement.
With a grunt, he leaned forward on his hands before he started to thrust, no longer attempting to go slow. His balls slapped against her ass and fuck, she was loud. Little gasping moans and cries as he thrust into her, encouragements peppered the moans. His fingers clenched into the bedsheets, knuckles white. He really shouldnât touch her like this, balancing on a knifeâs edge. One to-tight grip could seriously bruise her.
But oh, did he want to, staring down into her face, drinking in every expression as their hips met, again and again as he thrusted. He could feel his orgasm building and he grunted.
âBeeââ he tried to ask what she needed before she keened at the sound of her name. Her legs rose even higher, and she tried to meet his thrusts, tilting her hips up. Â âFuck.â He reached out to try to thumb at her clit when she gasped out a broken moan.
Her hands reached out and clawed down his pecs. âCome here, come here!â she demanded as her legs tightened. When he leaned further over her, she exposed her neck. âBiteeee,â she drawled out the word, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly, trying to tug him forward.
Shit, heâd have to really crane his back for this angle, but he wrapped an arm underneath her, curling over her body. Edward let his teeth drag along her skinâteasinglyâas he slowly withdrew.
âEdwardddd, pleaseeee,â she whined before his lips closed over the flesh of her shoulder and he bit downâhard, while his hips snapped forward, burying himself to the hilt all in one motion. Bee screamed, her body a livewire as she shook in his grasp, orgasming around his dick.
He grunted and barely gave her time to still before he straightened out from his curl and pressed a forearm against the mattress before he began to really fuck into her, chasing his own release now. It hovered right there, as Bee moaned under him, grabbing her thighs and hiking them up further, so he slid that much further inside her with each brutal thrust. The noises she was making were slightly tenser, more pain than pleasure at this point.
The sound of their skin slapping together lit a fire through him, his skin tingling with electricity as his gut clenched. Edward pushed forward, practically bending her in half, as he stuffed himself full. He groaned as he released, pumping his cum deep inside.
They stayed like that for a moment, as Edward came down from his high before he slowly separated from her, letting her down. Bee groaned as they untangled themselves. Â
âMy back is gonna hurt tomorrow,â she complained. He snorted.
âYou and me both, little one. My backs not made to bend like that.â He watched as she turned onto her side and curled, pouting.
ââM to short you mean,â Bee mumbled.
Edward rubbed her hip. âI like it, youâre cute. Easy to move.â A low âhumph!â made him smile. Eyeing her closed legs, he pushed them apart, trying to get a glance at her likely dripping pussy when she sat up with a frown.
âIâm going to the bathroom.â He pointed over his shoulder to the master bathroom.
âItâs that way.â
He couldnât help chuckling under his breath as she wobbled her way over, likely dripping cum down her thighs. He laid down with a satisfied groan. That was good. Edward drifted slightly, tiredness tugging at him when he heard the water running.
âToothbrushes are under the skin,â he called. Blinking slowly in the light, between one blink and the next she appeared, and he stared sleepily at her naked form, looking so ethereal in the yellow light before patting the bed next to him.
Bee hesitated. âI can get an Uber home if youâd rather not have me spend the nightâŠâ
âBee,â he growled. âGet in the bed.â
She smiled. âI need clothes then, to sleep in.â
âFuckingââ he got up, thoroughly disgruntled. âYou are the pickiest woman I have ever met I swear,â Edward mumbled to himself as he left the room.
âGrab my purse, while youâre out there!â Bee yelled at his retreating back. He cursed under his breath.
After gathering up everything (and making a run to the bathroom to clean off his dick, he may as well if he was up) he returned. Once more she took up the center of the bed, but this time she was buried under the blankets.
âComfortable?â he quipped and although her lips were covered, her eyes lit up, corners wrinkling into a tell-tale smile.
âIâll be more comfortable when you get me some clothes.â
He rolled his eyes but threw the shirt at her before placing the purse on the bedside table. She sat up, letting the blanket fall and he crowded in close before she could reach for the t-shirt. Peppering her shoulders with small kisses, he let his hands cup her breasts, giving them a small squeeze and she laughed. Sheâd put on her underwear already, he noticed.
âDonât know why you need them, you look just fine like this.â
âCharmer,â Bee said with a grin before she pushed at him. Reluctantly he released her tits as she pulled on the shirt. He watched them bounce before they were covered, and he let out a mournful sigh. One had a beauty mark on the side, he noticed. Cute. Bee leaned over to grab at her purse before kicking off the blankets. She pulled out a rolled-up ball of socks and he raised a brow.
Seeing his expression, she shrugged before leaning down to put them on. âMy feet get cold I always gotta wear socks.â Now properly dressed she smiled at him, and he hummed. Seeing her so covered, one of his sonsâ ratty old band t-shirts hanging off one shoulder he figured he ought to cover up some as well. Standing he quickly walked over to his dresser and slipped on a pair of black briefs before climbing up in the covers behind her, cuddling her close.
They took a few minutes to position themselvesâat one point Bee reached out to turn the lamp offâbefore they settled. Edward was plastered against Beeâs back, wrapping her completely in his arms. Feeling her small body against his, Edward felt a moment of calm, pleasant and sweet. Lovely, she was lovely.
Bee awoke to the sound of a door slamming before multiple voices indistinguishable from each other echoed down the hall. She tensed, Edward still behind her, arm wrapped tight around her middle, hand wormed up under her shirt and laid across her stomach. She shook his arm urgently.
âEdward,â she hissed, trying to be heard over the manâs snores. He didnât stir. âEdward,â Bee tried again before a figure came into the doorway and she froze.
Dark eyes surrounded by beautifully done make-up stared at her, hair piled in a neat bun, one long piece framing his face. He was beautiful and she felt for a moment like an ugly duckling in his presence.
âPops,â he said once, and she felt Edward snort himself awake at once. What the fuck, she thought, enraged. Thatâs all it took to wake him up!?
âIzou,â Edward greeted sleepily before pulling her in closer and nuzzling into her hair. Embarrassment shot through her like lightning, as she felt her cheeks alight in red. Bee couldnât bring herself to meet the mystery manâsâIzou she guessedâeyes.
âI thought Namur said you were going to get your lady friend out of here before the morning rush?â
âMust have slept through it.â
Izou folded his arms, unimpressed. âMarcoâs about to charge down this hallway you know he is, Pops.â Edward grunted. âWhy donât you get up and changed, and I help Bee out, hm?â
âI donât need help,â Bee denied as Edward groaned, giving her body one last squeeze before he rolled out of bed, scratching his head.
âFine, fine. God all my kids are such brats. Give me a second.â Izou didnât say anything, just stepped further inside and closed the door behind himself as Edward walked to the master bathroom and closed the door.
There was a moment of silence that stretched as Bee sat up and tried to figure out what to do. âShould IâŠâ she trailed off as Izou stared silently at her. âShould I get an Uber?â
âNo,â Edwardâs voice was garbled from the door as it was thrown open, toothbrush in his mouth. âI can drive you home.â
âEveryone is starting to make breakfast, why donât you stay?â Izou asked and Bee shifted awkwardly. She heard the sounds of spitting before Edward walked back into the room.
âOr that!â he said cheerfully as Edward went around to his dresser and started pulling on clothes, his hair pulled into a messy bun. She watched his back for a second, the muscles rippling before she turned her head away.
To see Izou smirking at her, and her faceâif possibleâreddened further.
âI wouldnât want to intrude,â she said awkwardly.
âNah,â Edward denied immediately. âGet to meet the family! I know Thatch didnât show you around last night nearly as much as he should have.â
âHow could he, when you practically abducted her?â Izou shot back while Edward sat on the end of the bed, bending to put on some socks.
He snorted. âDonât want to hear it from you, son. Thatch was drowning himself in drinks and making Bee listen to his pity party before you finally decided to spare him.â
Izou sniffed and Bee interrupted before they could descend into an argument. âI donât have anything to wear, I can just go?â
âItâs fine,â Izou said quickly. âI can grab you something. Pops go entertain the masses.â
Edward grumbled good naturally before surprising Bee by leaning over and dropping a kiss on her cheek. âSee you soon dear,â he said with a small grin before he left, Izou easily stepping to the side to let him pass.
âWait here,â Izou ordered before he moved to follow Edward out the door, closing it behind himself.
Bee sat there, in the suddenly quiet room, still feeling the echo of his kiss. It had to be one of the strangest morning afters of her life. âOh yeah hey, my family is here wanna have breakfast?â Her hips ached and her hair was probably a ratâs nest.
Still, Edward was one of the most charming men sheâd ever met. Self-assured and maybe a bit of an ass at times, but still overwhelmingly kind. She wouldnât mind seeing him again if he wanted.
Izou returned shortly after, something thrown over his arm before he gestured to the bathroom. âAfter you.â
Slowly, Bee left the covers behind before limping her way to the bathroom. Behind her, Izou snorted. She glanced over her shoulder. âWhat?â
âIâm surprised he didnât break you,â Izou said plainly. âIâll get you some meds when we sit down for breakfast.â
âRude, itâs just my hips that hurt,â Bee answered before deciding to start brushing her teeth. Izou leaned against the doorway.
âStill, itâs impressive. I think youâre the shortest heâs ever been with, he must have held back.â
Bee made a face at herself in the mirror, where Izou was watching her reflection. Her make-up was smeared as well. It was lucky she only wore stuff around her eyes, but it still made a raccoon look. She should really just leave. Spitting, she quipped, âTMI much? Why would you even know that?â He hummed.
âI have my ways. Here wear these.â Izou thrust a pair of leggings at her after she had put down the toothbrush and she eyed them skeptically.
âArenât these going to be too long?â
âHumor me,â Izou said lazily.
It took her a second of struggling but she managed to get it on, the bottoms well past her feet.
âGreat, sit down,â he gestured to the toilet and once she sat, he bent in front of her to roll up the bottoms.
Nodding with satisfaction he glanced up at her and tilted his head. Bee blinked back at him, confused, when he reached out and tugged at a sleeve, revealing more of her shoulder. âHe got you good.â Realization shot through her as a hand came up to touch it and pain radiated. She must have a bruise where Edward bit her. Izou stood.
âNow for your hair, hm.â Opening a few drawers he started shuffling around before he found a hairdryer and a curling brush. Bee stared with surprise.
âWhy does Edward have that?â she asked before Izou was pushing at her to turn her around.
âDonât ask, he has so much random stuff around. Letâs get started.â
Somehow at the end of it, Beeâs wild frizzy mop was contained. The fact that sheâd curled and set it with hairspray the night before should have made a messy frizz ball with a few curls. But now it was nice and sleek, curled perfectly at the ends. She stared in awe at the mirror, fingering at a perfectly cuffed curl. Heâd also touched up her make-up somehow, making it look meaningful and not just slept in leftovers.
âNow your shirt.â
âDo you have another one?â
âNo,â Izou answered before a hand shot out and started gathering it. She felt the familiar feeling of a hairband wrapping the shirt in a knot behind her, tightening it and bringing it higher on her hips. Bee pushed down the hem before Izou tsked. âDonât pull on it.â
âI can just have it loose, whatâs wrong with it?â
âBecause I want to watch Pops stare at your boobsâstop tugging.â
âUM?â Izou spun her around, ignoring her sputtering.
âLetâs see, okay it shows your hip a littleâgood.â
âAre you going to address that orââ
âNo,â Izou cut her off. âLetâs go.â
Timidly, Bee followed behind him as he led her down the hallway, into the large kitchen where several bodies were moving. She hovered at the edges as several men worked to set the long dining room table, as Izou left her behind and stepped into the mass in the kitchen.
She watched as he went up to Thatchâs side, grabbing onto the chefâs shoulder. Thatch moved towards him, and the ease they moved around each other made her smile. Izou dropped a kiss on Thatchâs cheek and the smile he got in return could have melted snow, it was so bright.
Eyes roaming over the gathered crowd she happened to meet Edwardâs gaze and he brightened at seeing her.
âBee!â he boomed. The sudden spotlight was intimidating as most everyone turned to look, but Edward was already moving towards her. So hyper-aware of his attention she didnât miss the once over he gave her before standing before her, large and broad. She had to tilt her head up to look at him and he leaned to press another kiss to her forehead. Affectionate, she thought, pleased. âYouâre looking cute! Izou worked his magic, eh?â
Before she could reply, Izou piped up. âNot much magic to do, sheâs already pretty on her own.â
âAh!â Her blush was back as Edward laughed before laying a hand on her shoulder and guiding her to a seat.
âItâs true!â Edward said with a large smile before he sat, gesturing to the seat next to him.
It didnât take long for food to be laid out and the others to sit. Edward sat at the very end of the table, the figurehead, Bee on his right. Marco sat across from her, eyes half-lidded and looking bored but she didnât miss the occasionally narrowed eyes at her as Edward laughed at something she said or reached out to touch her.
She started leaning away from Edwardâs touches, feeling awkward under Marcoâs intense stare. Bee wished desperately that Thatch could have sat beside her, but it seemed the man didnât sit during meals, instead flittering around grabbing up discarded dishes and doing who-knew-what in the kitchen. It was apparently normal, as no one commented.
Edward introduced everyone at the table, but it was so many she quickly lost the names as soon as they were said. Sheâd never been good in group situations or keeping track of stuff like this.
Still, it was pleasant to receive so much attention from Edward, and the food was great. The black-haired boy next to Marco started pestering him and she could relax slightly without his piercing blue-eyed gaze permanently fixed on her.
Breakfast passed soon enough, and she was itching to get home. Izou had passed her some ibuprofen but she was still sore and tired. The emotional energy of suddenly being in the mists of a large family gathering was also exhausting her.
Tugging at Edwardâs shirt he easily dropped the conversation he was having and leaned in closer to her. âIâd like to go home soon,â she said, and he made a disappointed face. Â
âSo soon?â A meaningful cough came from somewhere down the table and Edward glared in the direction before he relented. âAlright, alright. Come on then.â
âIâll grab my stuff, I should changeââ
âYou can keep the clothes,â Edward interrupted waving a hand. âNot a big deal.â
âWait, thatâs my shirtâOW!â
Bee stood there, frozen in confusion as the man she recognized as the one who wanted to trade cars with Edward last night started rubbing his head. Izou smiled silkily at her. âItâs fine, just return it later. Ignore him.â
A large hand pressed at the small of her back and led her away before she could comment.
Soon enough, she was back in Edwardâs nice car, giving him directions home. She yawned leaning against the window and he chuckled.
âTired?â
âYou wore me out,â she agreed, looking at him from the corner of her eye. He smiled out at the road, happy and pleased. A hand reached over and squeezed her thigh before it rested there, palm heavy and warm, heat soaking in past her tights.
âI enjoyed it too,â he said cheekily. She snorted but smiled out the window.
They drove in silence, the radio playing between them, his hand on her leg. Her eyes drooped, this was nice.
It didnât take that long to reach her place. Once he parked on the street out front, she turned slightly to him. âI had a great timeââ Warm lips interrupted her, and she sighed before leaning into it, tilting her head so his lips brushed against hers perfectly. With a hand, she stroked his cheek before pulling back.
He followed, chasing her lips, giving her quick pecks, littering her face with them as she giggled and tried to get away, as his hands tried to grope her breasts. âEdward!â she chastened.
âWhen can I see you again?â he asked, voice low and deep. She pursed her lips trying to contain her smile as she reached down to grab up her purse, jacket, and dress.
âWanna exchange numbers?â
They did and when she exited the car, Edward did too. She waited for him on the sidewalk, shifting foot-to-foot. âYouâre making it hard to leave,â she said.
Edward grinned, not at all ashamed. âJust want to make sure you make it to the door okay, little Bee.â
She folded her arms. âWhat if I donât want you to know which house I live in?â
He quirked a brow before pulling her in for a hug. âYou already said the number, dear.â
âHmph,â Bee complained before wrapping her arms around him. His bulk was so wide, she hardly managed it. They stood there for a few seconds before she pulled away. âOkay, Iâm leaving. Goodbye Edward.â
âCâya later, Bee.â
Quickly she walked up the steps to her tiny, shared apartment. Trying the door handle and finding it unlocked, she looked up and gave one last wave. Edward smiled back, one hand in his pocket as he wiggled his fingers back at her. Smiling so hard it hurt her cheeks, she walked inside and he disappeared from view.
My friend is a lovely soul who has gifted me with some Bee/Whitebeard fics and has graciously agreed to let me share on here. o((>Ï< ))o First is ADORABLE drabble with the prompt "fireflies!" Find him on Twitter!
âWhat the hell are those?â Beeâs amazed with it, reaching out to cup so gently one of the lights flitting about her head.
Haruta grins just beside her, nudging her with his elbow. âCâmon, youâve never seen a firefly?â
She shakes her head, annoyance lost in the beauty of glowing lights blinking in and out of existence all around them. âNo, no. We didnât have them on my island, theyâre beautiful.â A firefly bumps against her index finger and settles on the pad of her thumb, a golden ember illuminating her wonderment.
Thereâs a rustle behind her, a shift of movement as Vista steps forward and offers her a jar. âWhat the hell am I supposed to do with this?â she asks, brow furrowed.
âItâs for catching them, little one.â Edwardâs voice, even as hushed as it is, booms out over the forest clearing with the force of his grin. âSurely you can catch a few fireflies?â
Bee pouts, sticks out her tongue. âDonât bully me, Iâve never ââ
The clouds part above their group, moonlight casting the clearing in a silvery haze as her words falter and fade into silence that follows. Golden pinpricks of light dance in earnest with their revealing and carefully, Bee collects her first firefly in the offered jar.
Curious, she glances back at Edward. He only smiles, encouraging, and cups his hands around enough fireflies that he glows.
Then two fics he wrote for me, for a trade we did!! ;w;
A stowaway on the Moby, Bee learns what it might mean to love and be loved in return.
and
Three months after joining Whitebeard's crew, Bee gets her tattoo.
Find the ao3 link here!
Again thank you so much dearest, for all the love of my ship you're the bestest. ;o;