"Um... Can I help you?" you asked, keeping a good distance between you and the strange man.

.

.

.

"The cards tell me that there is an 84% chance that you can" the stoic man replied.

'That's some pretty decent odds you got there...'

You weren't exactly in the mood to deal with cryptic strangers on your doorstep this morning, especially after watching two giants leave your bakery via solid, yet not solid, mirror. Your brain could only process so much information at a time.

"If you're looking for the town then you need to follow this footpath and turn near the bakery at the bottom" you directed.

You decided to approach your own house because, surprise, it was your own house. The man at your doorstep gave you the courtesy of moving out of your way so that you could enter your house freely, going the extra mile to put some distance between you both as well.

"I am well aware of the whereabouts of the town but there is no point in me going there if I can't buy anything there" He stated in a very matter of fact tone.

The lock on your door clicked open but you didn't open it. Instead, you turned to face your blonde stranger.

"Why wouldn't they sell to you?" you raised a curious brow.

"89% chance to do with my occupation"

"Which is?"

"Captain of the Hawkins pirates, Basil Hawkins" he replied

"And the other 11%?" you asked

"Appearance" he immediately answered.

He was seemed to be taking the fact that he was going to be denied service partly because of his looks. Still, it wasn't like he was ugly. He had a very chiseled face. He had a few tattoos above his eyes and one at the base of his throat. However, that didn't distract you from his penetrating gaze. He wore purple trousers, black boots with a white coat with a ruffled neckline. Apparently, you also had another applicant for your school on how to button your clothes.

"You're being very cooperative, answering all my questions. Is there a reason for that?" You gave him a skeptical look.

"The likelihood of you helping my crew and I stock up would increase" He stated plainly.

'Is it me or am I running into a lot of efficient people lately.'

You both held each other's gaze, in what would've been a very intense staring competition. However, it was interrupted when a single raindrop splashed on your nose, causing you to blink and scrunch up your face in annoyance. Looking up didn't give you much to go off seen as how there were no clouds but you assumed that it would be on and off light showers. A small sigh escaped your throat as you turned to face your new companion

"Look I was going to go into the market place later on. If you're ok with waiting for me to get changed and freshen up I will gladly help you in stocking up... Hawkins was it?" you offered a tired smile.

Hawkins curtly nodded, seeming quite satisfied with your answer. You opened the door to your home and walked inside. Peeking over your shoulder you realized that Hawkins was still patiently standing outside in the drizzle, even though you'd left the door open for him to follow.

"You can come in and sit down you know" you giggled.

For a split second, Hawkins was taken aback by your trust in him, his cold demeanor breaking, only to be quickly restored by his poker face. He had every right to be surprised by your trust but compared to previous introductions from previous pirates, his was definitely the most refreshing. That and you weren't exactly in the right frame of mind, still trying to get over giants traveling around via mirror. Hawkins followed obediently trailed behind you and sat down in the seating area whilst you trudged upstairs and got ready.

'So much for a nice long hot well-earned shower... I can always treat myself to a bath later...' you sighed.

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You stepped out of the shower wrapped in one towel and used another to try and dry your wet (h/t) hair. Humming a little tune you picked out some appropriate clothes and slipped them on. You left your hair down and added some flowers to it.

'Looks like the rains stopped for a while'

Once you were finished with that you made your way downstairs, but something caught your attention which caused you to slow down.

'I'm pretty sure I only left one person in my house, so why am I hearing a conversation going on' You crept closer and peeked around the corner.

"Are you sure those things work?" Liam asked

"I'm pretty sure my old man told me those are fake" Ian shrugged.

"I can assure you my readings are 90-100% accurate" you saw Hawkins re-shuffle his carefully arranged deck.

"But (Y/n)'s reading is so weird: Pure of heart inside and out, But the power in her blood will bring worldwide doubt, When fate lies in the devils hands, every breath will be held across the lands ... It doesn't make sense" Liam recited.

"Well how about this! Where's the best place to successfully hide a dead body?" Isaac's eyes sparkled.

"Why would you need to know that?" Hawkins paused but his tone was still monotone

"Future reference" Isaac smiled.

"Well if it's only for that, the best place to hide a dead body with the lowest probability of being found would be-!"

"WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU EVEN TELL THEM THAT!? AND SINCE WHEN IS FUTURE REFERENCE A SUITABLE REASON!?" you screeched.

"(Y/N)!" The boys exclaimed

They were all spaced out in your living room. Hawkins had his cards spread across your coffee table with his back facing you. The boys were sat around him but when they heard your voice they shot up like fireworks, excitement written all over their faces. Each one scrambled over to you to greet you, while Hawkins remained unfazed.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of you troublemakers?" You placed a hand on your hips.

"We came to see why you really closed the bakery!" Ian smiled.

"But when we came in we saw a new weirdo" Liam pointed at Hawkins, causing you to flinch.

"But then the creep started doing some cool card tricks and readings" Isaac laughed, making you facepalm.

'I need to teach you guys the difference between being honest and blunt' you sighed

"Guys you shouldn't call people names. I'm very sorry about that Hawkins, please don't take them seriously, they're just kids" You apologized

Hawkins didn't even bat an eye at you. He just glanced over his shoulder to look at you then went back to his cards.

"As for why I closed the bakery, I kind of got trapped in there yesterday so I just wanted a break" you laughed. "But now I have to help this man so you guys need to go back to your parents" you shooed them out while they all complained.

With one final push, you managed to get them out. It's not like you didn't want them around, you just had a little feeling that they wouldn't call Hawkins by his name so you would sound like a broken record. You leaned against the door and sighed.

"Are you ready to leave?" Hawkins asked, now standing right behind you.

"Agh! Hawkins! Don't do that!" You yelped as you tried to steady your racing heart.

He didn't say anything, instead, he just stood there and waited for you to answer him.

'This is going to be my whole day isn't it?' You internally groaned.

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'I knew it' you internally groaned.

Behind you, four of Hawkins crew members made themselves useful by carrying your groceries along with their own. You were against the idea at first but you found out that Hawkins was quite persuasive.

"So the last thing on your list is booze..." you read out loud.

Hawkins was right. Shopping with you made his life a lot easier, as soon as people saw you, they warmed up to you. Influence was very important on your island if you wanted to get things done properly. You could gain it from work, your achievements against previous captivity, or just simple popularity. Fortunately for you, you had influence to spare. Being the most ideal housewife had its perks, and after news spreading like wildfire about you turning down a 'proposal' from the king of Dressrosa, a shopping list for pirates was very simple. If you were vouching for someone, people would trust you, give you very dubious looks, but trust you.

"So you're telling me that your readings are 100% accurate" you peered at him in disbelief. "And that's how you found me, you didn't hear any rumors?" you interrogated as you walked along the cobbled streets.

"No. I merely looked at the cards and allowed fate to create a path" He answered simply.

'That's good. No rumors are being spread at sea' you sighed in relief.

"This place is great, it's a shame that we can't get to see more of the island." one of Hawkins' crew members started.

"How about when we finish up here, you show us around, for a bit (Y/n)?" another smirked.

"Now that sounds like a plan" his friend laughed.

You were about to answer but it seemed that someone had something else in mind.

"It's going to rain soon. You guys should head back to the house and drop off (y/n)'s supplies. After that, head to the ship and wait for me there" Hawkins said sternly.

He had phrased the line so that it sounded as though he was looking out for them, but you knew a warning when you saw one. His crew also seemed to get the message as they all flinched. With a few complaints, they reluctantly followed orders, but not before giving you a wink and a 'call us' gesture.

"Let us continue" He guided you away.

You gave him a questionable look before asking. "Why are you upset?"

"I am not upset" He grumbled.

"No, you most definitely are" you giggled as you watched the stoic man avoid your gaze. "Fine! don't answer that question, but at least answer this one" you smiled.

"Do you always live by probabilities?"

"I don't understand the nature of your question."

"I mean if the odds were against you, would you still go for it, or do you just go with everything that's in your favor?" you hummed.

There was nothing to say. The sound of people walking around and chatting, Salesmen chanting about deals and just the normal hustle and bustle from the market almost dampened as you watched the male think about your question.

"...Why should I go against what lies in my favor? Going against something that I already know is a failure is just foolish" He clarified before walking towards the brewery.

"Isn't that a bit contradictory to your 'occupation'?" you questioned, now chasing after him.

"Contradictory?" He repeated.

"Well the definition of a pirate is the freest person in the world, you're meant to be able to define your destiny, but you're still constricted by the probabilities narrowing the possibilities. I just think it's kind of counteractive" you replied.

Hawkins stopped again and honestly if this kept up, you wouldn't get anywhere anytime soon. Though his face held no emotion you found that his eyes were an open book. It seemed as though your comment had started an unintentional internal war within him.

'Well done (Y/n). You have successfully told this man that he's doing his job wrong' you face-palmed.

"... J-Just forget what I said Hawkins, Briggs is just up ahead" you exclaimed, trying your best to distract from the topic.

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"Thank you Briggs!" you called as you left the store.

"I'll see you around (Y/n)!" He chuckled.

Contrary to his appearance Hawkins was super strong, carrying two large barrels of liquor on his shoulders like it was nothing. Apparently, his crew was only allowed to drink on very specific occasions so they didn't need too much alcohol, just a top-up. As for you, buying alcohol for your stache could wait a bit. You weren't ready to haul the barrel up by yourself.

"I guess we should head back to where your crew is before the rain gets too bad" you suggested as you started to pick up the pace.

"You're right" He agreed.

Hawkins didn't seem to be as distracted as before but you could see that your careless comment had done some damage. He seemed distant from time to time.

"Hawkins I should-" you started only to be cut off when a veil of drizzle slowly draped over the market place.

Everyone who lived here knew what that meant. Immediately townspeople and market-keepers started to pack up and close down shop. Everyone rushing to get home before the rain got too heavy.

"We should hurry! The streets become chaotic at this point" you urged, internally cursing for forgetting your umbrella.

Hawkins nodded at you and was about to pick up the pace until something caught his eyes. For the first time he showed emotion in his face, but it wasn't good, his face riddled with fear. In that instant, he dropped both barrels and leaped out to tackle you. It all happened so quickly that all you couldn't even scream in surprise as a spooked horse and cart rushed past. You both hit the ground hard, but instead of the cold cobbled streets, you landed on straw?

"(Y/n)! Are you hurt?" Hawkins asked.

"F-Fine! Th-Thank you" you stammered.

A small sigh escaped past his lips as his features relaxed. He was back to his un-emotional state. A very apologetic man rushed up to you both in order to set things straight. However, when Hawkins turned to face him, the man lost all the color in his face. It was almost as if he'd just seen death himself. Of course, he screamed an apology and scrambled away, before you could even utter a word.

'Is he okay?'

Around the same time, you realized that you were pinned down beneath the very good looking shirtless man, who was now covered in small droplets of water. It looked like an angel had slipped from a cloud and had used you as a crash mat. How does one build such a beautiful being and then everyone else? You were a blushing mess, stammering, and stuttering.

"For someone who was just warning me about how chaotic the streets can be, you are quite clueless" He sighed as he picked you up.

"Haha just add salt to the wound why don't you" you playfully rolled your eyes, allowing the rain to cool your face.

With one final check Hawkins was finally satisfied and went back over to check on the barrels of alcohol. You absentmindedly watched as he looked over the damage. It so happened that one of the barrels had been smashed after being tossed to catch you. Guilt swirled in your stomach as Hawkins hoisted up one barrel on his shoulder and began his trek again. The rain was starting to get heavier but before you could complain it stopped. Not the rain, but the impact of the rain on your skin.

"We're almost there" Hawkins muttered as he kept a straight face.

When you looked up you saw that there was a thick bundle of straw, branching out and protecting you from the rain. With further investigation, you realized that it was actually Hawkins' arm hovering over you. The water droplets bouncing off the straw and avoiding you. Hawkins, however, was getting soaked by the rain. From the looks of it, he had the choice of either shading you or himself. He chose you.

"I-Wow...Th-thank you! I mean..." You muttered in complete awe. You almost fell flat on your face from just staring, and not paying attention to the road.

'He's void of emotion, but he is one of the most considerate pirates I have ever met' you mentally gushed. ''If he gets a cold from this I deserve to be shot'

He glanced down at your petite form, observing how your face was starting to scrunch up from what he assumed was being wet when in reality it was guilt slowly trying to kill you from the inside. He allowed a small smile to ghost his lips, just before he looked away.

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You both got back to your home with time to spare. Before Hawkins could even say anything you dashed upstairs and tumbled back down, arms holding a fresh towel. Somehow you'd managed to throw the towel over his dripping head and started drying it.

"If you're not careful your gonna catch a cold!" You huffed, using this as a way to release your pent up guilt.

As you dried, your fingertips were able to brush his long damp silky smooth hair. Honestly, it was enough to make a grown woman cry. You didn't realize at first but the action brought him a lot closer to your face than you'd meant. In a nutshell, you were both at eye-level, except you were focusing on your hair and he was focusing on you.

"(Y/n)"

"Yeah?" You nodded still focused on drying him off.

"I've decided to reach for something, where the odds aren't in my favor" He declared.

That got your attention. You stopped drying and looked towards him. His eyes became two pools of silver determination, and to you, they were beautiful.

"It won't be easy" he continued. "But when I finally get her... it will be worth it"

'Her?'

"I thought you said it was something, not someone?" You raised a questionable brow.

Hawkins's cold exterior didn't falter, instead, he stood straight and headed for the door.

"Your help has been greatly appreciated (Y/n), thank you. I hope you like the charm" He waved.

"What char-?" you looked down at your wrist to see a new silver charm.

It was a small little voodoo doll. In the place where its heart would've been a jolly roger was engraved. For some strange reason, it smelt like fresh straw, but maybe that was just your imagination playing tricks on you.

"Hawkins! When did you-?" You glanced up only to be faced with an empty hallway.

'He left...' you peered at the door, the sound of rain lashing against it made you cringe.

You looked back at the charm on your arm and smiled. The smell of fresh straw easing your concerns.

'If I ever see him again, I'll give him a lecture on how to say goodbye'

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