eeek i'm glad you're open to writing for koby ^^ ! if you aren't too busy, could i request just a few small awkward interactions between him and a marine/civillian reader pre-relationship? like yk when it's so obvious two people like each other but neither admit it... teehee 😼 thank you!
Tides of Hesitation
kobi × reader
a/n: first time writing about him so I hope it's good aw
words count: 3.8k
tags: fluffy, soft, you're a marine too
masterlist || ao3 || ko-fi
The Marine base is always alive with movement, recruits training, officers barking orders, and the steady rhythm of boots against the dock. But for Koby, it all fades into the background the moment he sees you.
You’re sorting through crates near the supply docks, uniform slightly wrinkled from a long morning of inventory. Your brows furrow in concentration as you check a list, completely unaware of the pink-haired Marine who just stopped mid-step upon spotting you.
Koby quickly looks away, pretending to focus on a group of recruits jogging past. He tells himself he’s just being polite, he’s a Captain after all, and he should be keeping an eye on the base. But he knows that’s not the real reason he keeps sneaking glances in your direction.
“Captain Koby!” a voice calls, snapping him out of his thoughts. Helmeppo strides toward him, smirking “You look a little lost there. Something distracting you?”
Koby flinches, straightening “N-No! I was just—” He stops himself before he makes it worse “Never mind.”
Helmeppo follows his gaze and immediately raises an eyebrow “Ohhh. I see.”
Koby nearly chokes “You don’t see anything!” he insists, but it’s too late. Helmeppo’s smirk deepens.
Before Koby can stop him, Helmeppo waves in your direction “Oi, Y/N! Got a minute?”
You look up, blinking in confusion before setting down your clipboard and walking over. Koby wants to disappear.
“Captain Koby, you needed me for something?” you ask, tilting your head slightly.
Koby opens his mouth. Closes it. Opens it again “Uh—I—”
“Yeah, Captain,” Helmeppo drawls, arms crossed “You did seem eager to talk.”
Koby silently vows to get revenge on him later. For now, he struggles to form a sentence under your curious gaze.
“I—I was just checking in!” Koby blurts out “You know, making sure you’re, um, settling in alright!”
You blink “I’ve been here for three months, Captain.”
Koby wants the sea to swallow him whole “R-Right! Of course! I just... uh...” He rubs the back of his neck “How’s inventory going?”
You look down at your clipboard and back up at him "…Fine?”
Helmeppo snorts, and Koby kicks him (it’s not subtle).
An awkward silence falls between you both, and so you clear your throat “Well… thanks for checking in, I guess? I should probably get back to work.”
“Y-Yeah! Yeah, of course. Sorry for interrupting!”
You nod and turn away, but before you get too far, Koby calls after you “Wait!”
You pause, looking over your shoulder.
Koby hesitates, then forces out “Let me know if, uh, if you need anything!”
You smile small but warme “Will do, Captain.”
The moment you’re out of earshot, Helmeppo claps a hand on Koby’s shoulder “That,” he says, grinning “was painful to watch.”
Koby groans, face burning “Shut up.”
Helmeppo just laughs.
Morning drills leave Koby exhausted, but that doesn’t stop his mind from wandering. Specifically, to you.
It’s frustrating. He’s supposed to be focused on training, strategy, and leadership, not on the way you smiled at him yesterday.
Helmeppo, of course, has noticed “You’ve been sighing a lot today, Captain,” he teases, leaning against the railing of the training ground “Something on your mind? Or should I say… someone?”
Koby nearly drops the training manual he’s holding “I have not been sighing!”
Helmeppo raises an eyebrow “Right. And I haven’t been watching you sneak glances toward the docks all morning.”
Koby stiffens, gripping the manual tighter. He refuses to dignify that with a response. Instead, he turns his attention back to the field, where a group of recruits is finishing their sparring exercises. He clears his throat, forcing his voice to be steady.
“Focus on work, Helmeppo. We’re not here to gossip.”
Helmeppo snickers “Oh, you might not be, but I certainly am.”
Before Koby can protest, a voice calls out from the direction of the supply docks “Captain Koby!”
He turns so fast he nearly gives himself whiplash. And there you are, jogging toward him with a clipboard in hand, eyes scanning a sheet of paper.
“I need your signature for the new shipment approval. Do you have a second?”
Koby straightens too quickly “Y-Yeah! Of course!”
You stop beside him, close enough that he catches the faint scent of salt and parchment ink. He takes the clipboard from you, trying very hard not to let his hand brush against yours as he signs the form.
Helmeppo, standing a few feet away, watches the exchange like he’s witnessing a drama unfold.
You shift on your feet “The shipment came in earlier than expected, so I figured I’d get the paperwork done now.”
Koby nods, handing back the clipboard “That’s… really efficient of you.”
You blink at him, then let out a small laugh “Well, I try.”
Koby realizes, belatedly, that he’s still staring at you. He quickly averts his gaze, clearing his throat “Uh—good work. Keep it up.”
You tilt your head, amused “Thanks, Captain.”
Another awkward pause. Koby swears he can hear Helmeppo physically holding back laughter behind him.
You give him a small nod before heading back toward the docks. Koby watches you go, feeling his entire face heat up.
The second you’re out of earshot, Helmeppo claps him on the back, nearly knocking him forward “Captain, that was tragic.”
Koby groans, rubbing his temples “Please. Stop talking.”
Helmeppo grins “Oh, absolutely not.”
Koby has survived brutal training, impossible missions, and direct battles with some of the world’s most fearsome pirates. And yet, none of those things compare to the sheer terror of sitting across from Vice Admiral Garp while Helmeppo tries very hard not to choke on laughter.
“So, Koby.” Garp takes a massive bite out of a rice cracker, crumbs spilling onto the table “You got a crush?”
Koby nearly chokes on air “W-WHAT?!”
Helmeppo completely loses it, practically keeling over with laughter “Oh, this is amazing.”
Koby grips the table, staring at Garp like he’s just declared war “Where did you—who told you—what are you talking about?!”
Garp snorts “Oh, come on, boy! You think I wouldn’t notice? You get all stiff and weird whenever that supply recruit’s around. Like a nervous little sea slug.”
Koby buries his face in his hands “I do not get stiff and weird…”
Helmeppo, still wheezing, barely manages to say “Koby, you literally bowed yesterday when Y/N handed you a clipboard. A clipboard.”
Koby groans “I panicked!”
Garp laughs so hard the entire table shakes “Panicked?! Boy, if you freeze up over a clipboard, how do you plan on ever confessing?!”
Koby immediately launches into damage control “There’s nothing to confess! Y/N and I are just—we’re colleagues! That’s it! Absolutely nothing else!”
“Right,” Helmeppo says, smirking “That’s why you turn the color of a cooked lobster every time they talk to you.”
Koby’s about to protest when a voice calls out from the doorway “Captain Koby?”
His soul leaves his body.
You step inside the room, looking between the three of them, clearly confused “…Did I interrupt something?”
Helmeppo immediately straightens, looking like he’s about to combust from holding back laughter. Garp, meanwhile, just grins like he’s enjoying the show.
Koby, on the other hand, is desperately trying to appear normal. He sits up way too straight and forces a totally casual smile “N-No! Not at all! What’s up?”
You glance at him suspiciously before holding up a document “I need your signature on the cargo report.”
Koby nods too quickly “Of course! Right! Cargo! Work!” He grabs the paper and hastily signs it, nearly snapping the pen in half with how hard he’s gripping it.
You hesitate for a second “…Are you okay?”
“Yep! Perfectly fine! Why do you ask?” he blurts out.
You blink “…Because you’re sweating?”
Koby internally screams “I-I was just… uh… training! Hard training! Very intense!”
Garp chuckles “Yep, boy’s been real worked up today.”
Helmeppo snorts so loudly he has to cover his mouth.
You still look confused, but eventually just nod “…Alright then. Thanks, Captain.”
With that, you turn and leave, and the second the door closes, Koby slams his head onto the table “Kill me. Right now.”
Garp howls with laughter, slapping Koby on the back hard enough to nearly knock him over “Boy, you’re hopeless!”
Helmeppo wipes a tear from his eye “Hopeless and hilarious.”
Koby just groans, face still pressed against the table “…I need to be reassigned.”
Koby tries to avoid Helmeppo for the rest of the day, but it’s nearly impossible when the man keeps appearing everywhere just to smirk at him.
At one point, Koby swears he sees Helmeppo whispering to Garp about something before the old man grins in his direction. He doesn’t have time to question it, though, because the universe decides to make his day even worse.
“Captain Koby! I—oh—wait—ah!”
Koby barely has time to turn around before you crash directly into him, nearly sending both of you to the ground.
He instinctively reaches out to steady you, hands awkwardly hovering before actually making contact with your arms “Are you okay?!”
You immediately straighten up, waving your hands “I-I’m fine! I wasn’t looking where I was going!”
Koby quickly steps back, rubbing the back of his neck “No, no, it’s okay! I wasn’t paying attention either!”
There’s a long, awkward pause as you both look anywhere except at each other.
Helmeppo, standing a few feet away, slowly puts his head in his hands “This is painful.”
You clear your throat, still visibly flustered “Um—right! I was actually looking for you!”
Koby’s brain completely shuts down “M-Me?!”
You nod rapidly “Yeah! I mean—yes! Because I, uh… I had a question! About… the, um… the thing.”
Koby blinks “The… thing?”
You shift your weight, clearly struggling “…The… Marine thing. With… the reports?”
Helmeppo audibly groans “Oh come on, Y/N, even you now?”
You snap out of your panic mode and shoot him a glare “Excuse me?!”
Helmeppo gestures wildly between the two of you “This! This! The mutual awkwardness! You’re both acting like nervous cadets instead of normal people!”
Koby sputters “W-We are not!”
You cross your arms, cheeks heating “I’m acting perfectly normal!”
Helmeppo gives you both a look before turning on his heel and walking away “I can’t do this. You two are a lost cause.”
There’s a moment of silence. Then, you nervously rub your arm “…I really did need to ask about the reports, though.”
Koby straightens “O-Oh! Right! Of course! Let’s—uh—go over that.”
You both walk toward his office, keeping at least a two-foot distance between you the entire way. Neither of you say a word. The tension is so unbearable that even the recruits passing by seem uncomfortable.
At this point, everyone in the base is starting to notice.
And everyone is waiting to see how long it takes before one of you finally admits something.
Koby does not want to be here.
Not because he doesn’t respect Vice Admiral Garp, he does, a lot even. But because you’re here too, standing stiffly beside him, and the moment Garp notices, Koby knows he’s doomed.
The Vice Admiral leans back in his chair, massive arms crossed over his chest, eyeing the both of you with a smirk that immediately puts Koby on edge “So. You two are spending a lot of time together lately.”
Koby nearly drops the stack of reports in his hands “I-It’s not like that! We—we just—work! We’re colleagues! Just normal colleagues doing normal Marine things together!”
You nod aggressively, gripping your own paperwork like it’s a lifeline “Yes! Exactly! Just work! That’s all it is!”
Garp snorts “Right. And I’m the King of Alabasta.”
Koby sputters “Sir, we’re serious!”
Garp waves a hand “Oh, I know you’re serious, boy. That’s the problem.” He leans forward, grinning “Because you’re so serious that it’s painfully obvious you’ve got it bad.”
You immediately stiffen “I—what?!”
Koby turns bright red “That’s—that’s completely incorrect, sir! I have no idea what you’re talking about!”
You nod far too quickly “M-Me neither! No idea! None at all!”
Garp glances between the two of you. Neither of you can hold eye contact with him or with each other. You’re both standing like you’re facing a firing squad, shoulders locked in place, expressions frozen somewhere between denial and horrified realization.
Then, Garp starts laughing.
Not just any laugh, a full-blown Garp laugh. The kind that shakes the entire room and nearly blows the papers off his desk.
“Oh, this is golden!” he howls, slapping his knee “You two look like a couple of schoolkids caught passing notes!”
Koby groans “Sir, please!”
Garp wipes a tear from his eye, then gestures toward the door “Go on, get outta here before I start planning your wedding.”
You both immediately move for the exit, neither of you daring to say another word. The second the door closes behind you, you and Koby stand there, stiff as statues.
For a long, awkward moment, neither of you move. Then, Koby slowly turns to look at you “…That was horrible.”
You nod, face still burning “Yeah. That was… a nightmare.”
More silence.
Then, you clear your throat “…Well. See you later?”
Koby nods way too fast “Yep! Later! Definitely! Okay bye!”
And with that, you both practically sprint in opposite directions.
From inside the office, Garp just shakes his head, grinning to himself “Hopeless.”
Koby swears he’s never been this embarrassed in his entire life.
And that includes the time he tripped in front of Admiral Sengoku. And the time he saluted the wrong superior and didn’t realize it for a full minute. And definitely the time he panicked and called Garp “Dad” during a training session.
But this? This is a new level of humiliation.
Because ever since the disaster in Garp’s office, the entire Marine base has started talking.
It starts small. A couple of recruits whispering when he walks by. A few smirks from officers who normally never pay attention to his personal life.
Then it gets worse.
Way worse.
By noon, Helmeppo has fully weaponized the situation. He strolls up to Koby while he’s trying to review patrol reports, looking far too pleased with himself “Hey, Captain.”
Koby doesn’t even look up “No.”
Helmeppo grins “I didn’t even say anything yet.”
“I know you’re going to say something, and the answer is still no.”
Helmeppo leans on the desk “Fine, I’ll just show you instead.”
Before Koby can react, Helmeppo holds up a sheet of paper.
Koby squints “…What is that?”
Helmeppo beams “It’s a petition.”
Koby feels instant dread “…A petition for what?”
Helmeppo flips it around. At the top, in very large, very bold letters, it reads:
“MAKE KOBY AND Y/N STOP BEING AWKWARD AND JUST ADMIT IT ALREADY.”
Koby makes a strangled noise “What—WHAT IS THIS?!”
Helmeppo chuckles “Oh, just something the crew put together. You’d be amazed how many signatures we got. Look, even Garp signed it.”
Koby’s eye twitches as he scans the list.
Not only is Garp’s name right at the top, but nearly half the base has signed.
“WHY IS THERE A WHOLE PAGE JUST FROM THE KITCHEN STAFF?!”
Helmeppo shrugs “Apparently, they’ve been betting on you two for months.”
Koby slams his head onto the desk “This cannot be happening.”
And just when he thinks it can’t get worse—
“Hey, Captain, I need to—”
Koby’s head shoots up.
It’s you.
And you’re holding a stack of documents, looking just as awkward and uncomfortable as he feels.
For a second, the whole room is silent.
Then Helmeppo, still holding the petition, smirks “Oh, perfect timing.”
Koby lunges for him “DON’T YOU DARE—”
But Helmeppo’s already turning to you, holding up the paper like it’s an official Marine decree “Hey, Y/N, wanna add your name to the list?”
Your eyes widen in confusion “ uh? For what?”
Koby desperately grabs for the petition “IGNORE HIM! IT’S NOT REAL!”
Helmeppo dodges, still grinning “Oh, it’s very real.”
You look between the two of them, clearly so confused. But then you catch a glimpse of the title. Your entire face turns red “…Oh my god.”
Koby groans “I’M GOING TO JUMP INTO THE SEA.”
You look horrified “WHO SIGNED THIS?!”
Helmeppo cheerfully flips through the pages “Well, Garp, obviously. Most of the officers. Some of the cadets. Pretty sure the janitor added a heart next to his name. Oh, and the kitchen staff wrote a whole paragraph about how sick they are of you two pretending you don’t like each other.”
Koby wants to die “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING.”
You cover your face “I need to quit. I need to leave the Marines and change my name.”
Helmeppo grins “Oh, come on, you both like each other, just admit it—”
“WE DON’T—” both of you yell at the exact same time, which is the worst possible answer because now everyone in the room is watching.
Helmeppo just sighs, shaking his head “You two. Hopeless.”
And with that, he walks away, still holding the petition.
Leaving you and Koby standing there.
In the middle of the Marine base.
Surrounded by people who are very clearly eavesdropping.
Neither of you say a word.
Then, at the exact same time—
“I have work to do—”
“I should get back to training—”
You both turn and power walk in opposite directions.
The second you’re gone, one of the recruits sighs loudly “I swear, if they don’t get together in the next month, I’m quitting.”
Koby cannot take this anymore.
It’s been three days since the petition incident, and somehow, things have only gotten worse.
Everywhere he goes, people give him knowing looks. Recruits whisper the second he walks past. The kitchen staff has started serving his meals in heart-shaped portions.
And Helmeppo? Helmeppo has been insufferable, more than usual.
Koby really tries to pretend none of this is happening. But then, this morning, he finds a new note pinned to his office door:
“Confess or we riot.”
That’s it. That’s the final straw.
So now, Koby is marching down to the docks, fists clenched, heart pounding because damn it, if everyone is going to make his life miserable over this, he might as well get it over with.
And then he sees you.
You’re sitting near the supply crates, flipping through a stack of reports, completely unaware that Koby is about to have the most disastrous conversation of his life.
He takes a deep breath, walks up, and “WE NEED TO TALK!”
You jump so hard you nearly fall off the crate.
“What?? koby?!” You clutch your chest, eyes wide “You scared me. What is wrong with you?!”
Koby swallows, his face already heating up “S-Sorry! I just—I need to say something! Because if I don’t, I think I might actually die!”
You blink “…Okay?”
He exhales sharply “Listen. I don’t know when it started, and I don’t know why the entire Marine base thinks they have the right to butt into our business, but I… I like you, okay? There! I said it!”
There’s a long, horrible silence.
Koby’s entire body is on fire.
You just stare at him, mouth slightly open, as if your brain is still catching up “…You… like me?”
Koby nods aggressively “YES. VERY MUCH. A LOT, ACTUALLY.”
You blink again.
Then, slowly, your face starts turning red “…Oh.”
More silence.
Then you bury your face in your hands “I hate everyone so much.”
Koby freezes “…What?”
You groan, voice muffled against your palms “Because I like you too! But I was never going to say anything because I was convinced you didn’t feel the same and everyone was just trying to make fun of me, and now the entire base is going to rub it in our faces forever!”
Koby short-circuits.
“…You… like me too?”
You look up, expression absolutely miserable “Koby. Did you think I was just constantly being awkward for no reason?!”
Koby stares at you. Then he stares at the ground. Then he stares at the sky, as if begging for it to strike him down.
“Well, you thought that of me though… I am an idiot anyway”
You sigh “Yeah. Me too.”
And then, before either of you can say anything else.
“FINALLY!!!”
Koby whirls around.
Half the base is watching from the distance, cheering, clapping, and throwing their hats in the air.
Helmeppo is holding the petition, waving it over his head like a victory flag.
Garp is standing nearby, laughing so hard he actually wipes a tear from his eye.
The kitchen staff is clinking glasses.
Even the janitor is there, pumping his fist in the air.
Koby buries his face in his hands “…I should’ve transferred when I had the chance.”
You groan “We will never survive them”
Then, you both turn to look at each other and, despite everything, you both start laughing, because honestly this is exactly how it was always going to happen.
