#no 7

Your eyes couldn't focus on his, they kept glancing back at the marine you just killed. You felt fear wrap around your mind, thinking of the horrors that would happen now that you murdered a Lieutenant. Worst of all, there is a witness. Your mind screamed at you to run but your body just sat there shaking.

"Did you just kill this marine, [Y/n]?" The man asked you, his deep stoic voice drawing your attention back to him.

"Yes..." You wanted to lie, but your shaking form could only speak the truth. 

"You realize what will happen to you once they find out you killed a marine, a Lieutenant at that."

"Yes..." You felt tears prick the corner of your eyes.

"Which means you can't go back to your life before."

You nod your head, zoning out of the situation at hand and watch the images of your inevitable fate play through your head. Rounded up, thrown into a ceil, starvation, mistreatment from guards, and the horrors of what the prisoners would do to you. Chills of unsettlement crawled down your spine. You shiver and go to hug yourself, your body desiring to go into a fetal position, yet you're unable to. Checking back into reality, you see yourself being taken away from the crime scene. 

'This is it,' you thought to yourself. 'This is your fate, [Y/n].'

"Quit dragging your feet and walk faster."

Your eyes widen in surprise. You glance up to see you were being escorted by Crocodile, his face as stoic as ever. You picked up your feet, trying to match his speed, he only hastened now that you were moving on your own. 

"Why-"

"Listen to me, [Y/n]," Crocodile instructed before you could say anything. The sternness told how serious he is. "You as long as you stick with me, they will never find you. Leave and you will be caught. Do you understand?"

His eyes bore into yours. Entranced by them, you felt at ease in his grasp. You nod, trusting every word he said. 

"Good."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ah!" You jump back, making eye contact with a marine. You tremble under their confused stare, you inch yourself to the wall and want nothing more than to disappear from their sight.

From the right of your ear, you hear the sands whisper for you to look away. You close your eyes and turn away from the marine. Wind blows past you and you hear the sound of a branch breaking before you felt a hand on your shoulder.

"It's alright, [Y/n], they're gone now," Crocodile soothed your fear. He gently tucked a hair behind your ear so you could look at him with those big scared eyes, and how they trusted him so. You clung to Crocodile, shaking like a twig. He wrapped his large arms around you, petting your hair. A grin is written on his face as he holds you in his grasp.