Fri Oct 27

16. HighSchool

Kidd - 14 | Killer - 18

Tags specifically for this chapter:

Puberty found Kidd

meaning inconvenient erections

and some possible pining but he's not ready to explore that

additionally, note the ages,

and that they are still sharing a bed

Killer's working for one of the island's bigger bosses

Kidd is really smart

even if he's essentially illiterate

Killer's using his mob connection to get Kidd textbooks

... and to better their lives in other ways

Read at A03 linked above or here below cut

Drabbles from Pocket Jack's KiKi-tober Prompt list

It's impossible to ignore that things are changing between the two of them. Life is change, but Kidd didn't remember a time not living in Killer's pockets and now he's got more him time then he knows what to do with. Where Killer used to be, Kidd is either alone or bullying the other Heaps punks that think he's easy pickings since he's solo. They don't make that mistake twice, and Kidd has to admit, the occasional throw down is exhilarating. He might start pulling his punches and hoping someone will come back for a round two.

Admittingly, Killer used to ditch him often enough to go hook up with Victoria, sneaking back in at the eleventh hour and Kidd would roll his eyes and pretend he hadn't been sitting up waiting for him to come crawling into bed. When she'd kicked the both of them to the curb last year, Kidd thought that would the end of that. Except Killer still was disappearing on him during the day now.

Killer'd been an early riser their whole lives, so Kidd was used to waking up alone. The older boy - man now, Kidd supposed - wasn't a deep sleeper to start with and had always had trouble sleeping past sunrise. But he rarely went far before Kidd was also up for the day. Lately, the moment Kidd picked his head off the pillow, Killer was heading out.

He'd maybe see him for lunch, but unless Kidd asked him in advance to stick around, Killer was a ghost until evening.

Which was whatever. Kidd didn't care. Hell - it was maybe a little nice in the morning, ever since Kidd had come to the mortifying revelation that the only time he didn't wake up rock hard these days was because he'd creamed his pants at some point in his sleep. Which could have been awkward as hell considering that most places they squatted were too small or too drafty to sleep in any configuration other then curled up together, including the dingy shack they were holed up in now.

Still lazying in their little shared 'bed' now - a broken singles' mattress filled with paper trash - Kidd had to think very hard about not imagining what it was like to sleep next to Killer every night, to imagine Killer still in bed with him in the morning. With a whine, he drug his fingers down his face, pulling his head out of those thoughts, and forced himself up and to his feet. He either needed to deal with this or clear his head, and then get on with his morning.

Killer had left him a filled canteen of clean water, a couple hard boiled eggs, fresh baked bread and a new book.

Another part of their new normal; breakfast and a gift. Killer had fell in good favour with one of the bosses back when they still ran with Victoria, and without her taking up his free time, Killer had been taking on more errands for the gangs. Kidd wasn't real sure how he felt about all that yet. He was vaguely aware Killer had been involved with the gangs before they'd become a duo, but an island wide coup d'etat left him on the loosing side. He'd been pretty paranoid about the bosses since then, but Victoria had to go and change his mind about them all not being vicious warmongers. Boss Athair didn't ask for Killer's loyalty and paid more coin for a single errand then the both of them usually scrapped together in a fortnight.

Enough for three fresh meals a day. Enough to pay someone to actually wash their clothes instead of rinsing them in seawater and beating them on the rocks until they were 'clean' or fell apart. Every one of Killer's safe-caches had a full coin purse, and now even Kidd's did too. 

If it kept up, they might even be able to rent a real room next winter, in a real building.

With blankets or even a fireplace.

An actual bed, without bugs and weird smelling mold spots.

A bookshelf for the text books Killer kept finding somewhere.

School books belonging to some Cailean MacCeannard according to the front end page. Killer had several of the guys books by this point, a few clearly ancient primers, but then some more advanced stuff that was way more interesting, like one on that claimed to be the 7th edition of Heat and Thermodynamics, or the Fundamentals of the Theory of Electricity. Granted, Kidd only probably understood a quarter of what the books were talking about, Killer reading out large passages to him some nights since Kidd's reading skills were pretty lacking. Killer didn't understand most of what he said, but Kidd urged him on regardless, Killer's steady voice bringing the author's ideas to life for Kidd.

Today's book was Nonlinear Magnetohydrodynamics and Kidd had not the foggiest what that was suppose to mean, but he flipped through it, studying the diagrams with little context, but still fascinated as he munched on one of the eggs. This one lacked Cailean's name, but did have a some Marine Base Library Stamp on it and it filled him with glee to read the "Library Copy. Do not Remove from Premises" embossed on the title page.

"Mine now," he cackled to himself.

Chapters: 1/28 Fandom: One Piece (Anime & Manga) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Characters: Eustass Kidd Additional Tags: Time Travel, deals with the death of parents, Parental Abuse/Neglect, Age Regression/De-Aging Summary:

He’s not sure why it feels like he’s still asleep, even long after he’s woken up, tiny child body curled up under smelly blankets in a dingy back alley. He wonders where Killer wandered off to this early, his friend’s body heat sorely missed in the dreary summer rain of Kutzk. The air is wet and cold and he reaches up to pull the blanket higher, water beading and rolling down the wool as he huddles under it. It keeps trying to slip off his left shoulder, the stub of his arm aching, partially the phantom pain that regularly haunts him, and then something deeper driven by the bleak weather.

Things are not what they seem when Kidd wakes up in the wrong place, the wrong time.

wip title. i’ll think of something eventually

Nov 18 Utah Grizzlies vs Colorado Eagles

6. Lipstick

Kidd - 11 | Killer - 15 | Victoria - 15 almost 16

Tags specifically for this chapter:

Killer in dresses and makeup

Teenagers doing teenager things

Victoria is a mill girl

Read at A03 linked above or here below cut

Drabbles from Pocket Jack's KiKi-tober Prompt list

Victoria had been a mill girl since she was 10, a doffer for the older women in the textile mill, and earning herself a bed at the Women's Boarding House, tucked away on the city side of the mill complex, blocking the city's view of the textile manufacturing building and the waste it dumped freely out into the Heaps. She was well aware of the good fortune she'd fallen into, having seen the conditions other girls and boys her age outside of the walls lived in. She was almost 16 now, and still sleeping in the same bed night after night.

The years of being underpaid and overworked left her with a roof over her head, three square meals a day, and never having to worry about the things that go bump in the night.

Never had to worry about the unwanted attention of the older boys as not a one of them yet able to sneak past the Widow Matron of her building.

 That wasn't to say Victoria had not been sneaking a certain younger boy in for a couple of years now.

Three years actually - right under the nose of the adults - with the exception of one of the nurses who'd taught Victoria herself the tricks on a night the young woman preferred not to remember. It was a good thing Killer made a convincing girl, prettier hair than her own, and a wore her dresses and heels as naturally as she did. She just had to make sure he was out by curfew or someone was bound to notice the extra girl at head count.

Once, on one of her free weekends, her dress had torn along the back when it got caught on a nail or something. Instead of going home - and possibly be misunderstood as forfeiting her remaining free time - she'd convinced Killer (and Kidd because she'd forgotten to lock the door) to follow her into a shop's bathroom and put her dress on so she could sew it back up as properly as one could on the fly.

While using him as a dress form - she wasn't particular well devolved and he was about as wide chested as she was and it fit him well enough for the task - Kidd had asked the two if that meant Killer was a girl.

Killer had looked upset, it was too close to the ugly things the other boys called him and while she knew Kidd didn't know any better, it was still bordering on hurtful.

"What's wrong with being a girl?" she had demanded of him. Kidd looked surprised, before slouching against the main door, looking properly told off, muttering "Nuthin'."

With a frown, she'd turned back to her stitching, when Killer spoke up, his voice timid in a way she wasn't used to, "Victoria wears pants most of the time, does that make her a boy?" he asked Kidd.

"…no?"

"You're wearing one of her old shirts right now - does that made you a girl?"

The boy shook his head no.

"It's just clothes and stuff."

"Okay." Kidd agreed, sounding like right now he just want the conversation to end.

But Victoria had looked at Killer in her favorite yellow dress - it was the wrong colour for him, but made a cute silhouette.

She'd brought him an older blue one of hers a few weeks later. They'd snuck into the bathroom again, and she'd dressed him up and it looked so much better than the yellow one had.

And then they'd waltzed right in though the front doors of her boarding house, only barely keeping composed long enough to shut themselves away in her currently empty dorm room before they were laughing wildly, clutching at each other to keep from falling over.

"I can't believe that worked!" Killer was cackling, and neither could Victoria, and the thrill of getting such a big one over on the Widow Matron was a high she'd not been expecting.

Most of the time, Victoria was more than happy to hang out with both of the boys, but there was something exhilarating in sneaking Killer away from both his childminder duties and past the women of the boarding house. She was pretty sure some of the other girls had suspected something was up seeing as Killer - who had the audacity to introduce himself as Killer still - could never be found at meals or at bed check.

So far though, the only thing anyone had actually said was when Nicolette had still been in the room getting ready when Victoria and Killer slipped in one afternoon. Killer had quickly looked away from the half-dressed woman, blushing, and Victoria had felt a little offended he'd never reacted to her that way. Nicolette had frowned at the interruption but otherwise ignored them, at least until she was putting her things away. She held a little tube up thoughtfully, before tossing it to Victoria. Even surprised, she'd caught it with ease, looking confused.

"Killer'd look good in purple, I think." was all Nicolette said, before heading out for her own night on the town.

It was a tube of lipstick. Victoria and Killer looked at it thoughtfully.

Nicolette was right. Killer did look good in purple. It was a soft lilac colour that worked well with his straw yellow hair and ice blue eyes. Victoria found she liked painting him up in it, some times adding a touch of purple powder that she'd later pick up to the creases of his eyelids.

Sometimes, after he was all dolled up, they'd hit the town together. Other days they spend in her dorm room. "Just don't mess up your lipstick" was her only rule.

And then he'd either escort her back to the doors just before 10, or would be sneaking out the back, headed back to the Heaps. He had a small collection of makeup that was just his that he hid in one of his caches, along with the dress. The other clothes he would bring back to Kidd, who was more than happy to wear even the ugliest prints if not for anything more than the fact they'd never belonged to anyone else before him.

Kidd would watch him those nights, carefully washing the makeup off under the flickering of lamp light.

"You don't have to wash it off…" Kidd had said finally, "If you don't want to. I don't care if you like to look pretty."

Killer had smiled up at him, head tilted so his bangs fell away from his face for once, and he studied his younger friend, "You think I look pretty?"

Done for the Good Omens Holiday Swap 2019. I was lucky enough to be chosen to create for the awesome @holycatsandrabbits (go read her fic omg). These were done for the requested prompts: Crowley awake while holding a sleeping Aziraphale and Aziraphale & Crowley with halos and wings. Yes I did two, I am weak.

24. Evening

picture will *not* be included on tumblr.

It IS on the A03 linked above. While not sexual nor graphic it is probably NSFW so be aware if you go to A03 to read.

Kidd - 10 | Killer - 14! | Victoria - 15

Tags specifically for this chapter:

boys bathing

Kidd gets Victoria to help him give Killer a good birthday

Read at A03 linked above or here below cut

Drabbles from Pocket Jack's KiKi-tober Prompt list

…. 2400 words and i still didn't get to the original idea i had for this part!

this was supposed to go a different direction completely - Victoria gifts Killer with new clothes - like actually new, never worn clothes, that fit him correctly! - and takes them to dinner at her favorite Curry joint. But then Kidd just… stole all of it.

Kidd's just like.. nope. I know I'm homeless and 10, but I have to get my best friend - who is 14 now and also homeless - the perfect birthday present for his first birthday ever. I own nothing, we have no where to put anything, and i can't waste too much of our food money on things. what do i do? I arrange a shower for my partner

<><><>

He wasn't expecting Kidd to have remembered - he barely remembered; he'd been so tired and would have said likely anything just to get  to go back to sleep.

Honestly, he picked the day at random, the first set of numbers that popped into his head.

Well... that wasn't quite true. It wasn't a random day. It was the last day of the winter quarter, which lasted 83 days. 43 days after the winter solace. 32 days after the new year. 28 days until the spring equinox. 23 days after Kidd's birthday. The first day he'd vocally claimed Kidd as his.

Getting Kidd up in the mornings was usually an ordeal and a half - especially on chilly mornings like today - so he should of been suspicious when there was absolutely no fighting him, and Kidd crawled out of their nest of blankets to get dressed with no fuss.

Instead, Killer carefully counted out their coins - they had enough to actually buy something warm this morning if they shared it - and still have enough for a smaller dinner if they couldn't scrap up much during the day. Winter was hard for lifting coins of passerbyers - few things got kept in outside pockets, everyone too bundled up trying to stay warm. But Killer had planned for that, and could usually keep them at least something once a day for about a week out.

It was a little bit of a walk from where they lived right now, but there was a vender who sold morning burritos that would over stuff Kidd's and charged them far less then they should, and it was worth the biting chill that the sun never quite chased away on days like this.

Kidd was bottomless these days, and if Killer didn't keep on top of that, he'd be up all night listening to the boy's stomach bitching. Kidd was at least old enough now that he didn't often complain vocally about being hungry, and Killer was grateful for that; should Kidd say but a word, Killer would go get him food, day or night, and had done so often when they'd been smaller. It had been stressful and exhausting, and neither one of them had liked the person it was turning Killer into. But Killer would do it again if he needed, no regrets.

He'd would do, and had done, many a things for Kidd with no regrets. He would never regret Kidd. Kidd, who still held his hand when they ventured into the city. Who brought him cool looking bugs. Who made him a little metal butterfly when they'd had to move before the cocoon outside the house they'd been caught squatting in had opened. Who would give up an afternoon of prime panhandling to sit outside a backstreet club - with an owner who would let them loiter outside no matter how bad it was for business - all because Killer had stopped once when they'd passed by, transfixed by the heavy beat music played inside.

Who apparently had made plans with Victoria - as she was waiting for them at their usual morning spot.

"I had an outstanding favour that needed to be cashed in, so I thought I'd hang with you two losers instead." The thing is, with Victoria, loser never sounded like a jab, or worse - pity. She didn't say it like she thought she was better than them. It was just a matter of fact with a little fondness thrown in. She wouldn't help in the thieving part, but she was always game to be a distraction, or just keeping watch for both their backs.

They worked though the closest thing a lunch rush had when it was cold, and Killer fingered the coins in his pocket, counting them without looking. It was not great, but it could be worse. He tried not to let it show, but Kidd & Victoria shared a look so he knew he'd not hid it well enough.

"So -" she said, clapping cold hands together, "I have a surprise, if the two of you are up for some B&E?"

A 'Do Not Enter' sign was an open invitation as far as Kidd was concerned - and Killer could not fault him for that. Do Not Enter usually meant something worth stealing - just as much as it meant something worth defending, so be on guard - and it must be good if Victoria had picked a place.

A place that ended up being the factories Victoria lived and worked out, much to Killer's puzzlement. Sure - every time him or Kidd snuck in, that was technically Breaking & Entering, but she'd never dressed it up like that. And he was beginning to think she'd done so solely for his benefit, as Kidd was grinning like he already knew.

"What's... going on?"

Victoria lead them around to one of the rarely used back entrances - one that had been carefully propped open, "So - and I mean this the kindest way possible - the both of you reek to high hell. I think at this point, Kidd would probably smell better if he rolled around in a dead skunk carcass."

Kidd just shrugged, it was what it was after all, even if Killer felt himself dying of mortification inside. If she as bring it up, it must be bad.

"So - I have made some arrangements to get you two assholes a spa day."

"Wait - what?" The secretive little smile was gone from Kidd's face, "Both of us?"

"Oh absolutely. I'm not going though all this for you to just sit and twiddle your thumbs. You getten' a bath, sunshine."

"Hey! Only Killer gets to call me that!"

She blinked, "Call you what?"

"Nothing." He said, far too quickly. Killer just subtly shook his head 'no' at her when she recalled her last statement, and she let it go.

<><><>

Banaltram had been the head nurse here for a few decades now, and was well aware of the rules and in nearly all ways was a strict enforcer of them. But, she was also a soft heart and she also liked to think she was a good judge of character. And for better or worse, she trusted Shiruton and her boys to behave themselves if she turned a blind eye to their friendship from time to time.

She could explain to them how to stitch someone up and how to wrap injuries, but they could never stay, they had to leave before curfew, no matter the wound. She also could provide no more meds - she'd done so only once and nearly lost her position when she'd not been able to provide an adequate explanation for them being missing next audit.

Still, she didn't regret all the worrying and stress that had come of it, seeing Shiruton with real friends. She was never really sure if the older one remembered her, but she knew Kidd did by the shy smile he'd give her as a greeting, before his face would scrunch up into what was likely it's natural state - that boyish disdain for the world in general.

Her infirmary was empty today, and she'd planned to be across the hall catching up on paperwork for the afternoon. A pot of tea was brewing, matching set of cup and saucers at the ready should one of her lovely young ladies decide she was not interested in watching two boys shower, and would like to visit with her instead.

Shiruton and Kidd exchanged some more conspiratorial whispers at the hall door, and Banaltram handed the young man the box that had been locked away in her office for safe keeping in the mean time. Kidd then used the box to playfully push Killer toward the privacy room off to the side where they where going to do their best to run this place out of hot water for the day.

"Tea?" she offered Shiruton.

<><><>

Kidd would not show Killer what was in the box - at least not all at once. There was a paper bag on the top that Killer would get to see now, although Kidd held back as Killer grinned stupidly at him as the hot water started streaming up the little room.

"You gonna shower in your clothes, or?"  Kidd trailed off. While they'd seen each other in various states of undress over the years, it was still a bit strange to be completely naked. Most 'baths' they got were dunks in the bay, fully clothed, usually an accident on Kidd's part and rescuing him on Killer's part. The thing was, it wasn't usually safe enough to be fully naked, not for very long anyway. Kidd would not blame his friend at all if Killer stayed dressed to some extent.

Killer didn't see to give it much thought at first, just a casual shrug. He'd stepped under the spray, and Kidd watched Killer's face go from nonchalant to soft awe. Then he was scrambling to get his wet clothes off, bare under the shower, turned up into the warm water like a zealot in prayer.

Being able to count the number of hot showers he'd had in his life on one hand, Kidd turned to give Killer a moment. He rummaged through the bag, growing fragile in the humid air, and pulled out a bar of soap and rag, before stripping his own clothes off. Unlike Killer though, he left them folded up next to the box to stay somewhat dry.

He didn't often get to play the mommy or daddy in his friendship with Killer; Killer didn't need to play pretend to be both roles for Kidd and he was lousy at make-believe anyway. So there was an amused sort of novelty as Kidd lathered up the rag the way Victoria had taught him and threw it in Killer's silly upturned smile. "Wash your face, dumbass."

Killer sputtered, face blanching as he spit out some errant soap bubbles, and Kidd chortled at the bewildered look on his face as he processed what just happened. Killer wiped his face down, looked at the rag and then back at Kidd, who felt a chill run down his spin, before Killer threw it back at him, square in the face. Kidd squawked when the soap got in his eyes, but didn't hesitate to grab the rag and chuck it blindly back to where he could hear Killer trying not to giggle.

Kidd has no idea how much water they wasted that day, wresting with each other and the rag, a strange game of trying to forcibly wash the other one, with it devolving to the point of them both sitting back to back under the falling water laughing stupidly at the terrible job they'd both done.

Killer had a funny laugh - one the Kidd knew troubled him - and it led him to a weird stoic bravado that he was absolute rubbish at maintaining. But here in the privacy of the shower, just the two of them, Killer cackled with abandon - a stupid noise of pure delight that had Kidd grinning ear to ear propped up against him.

At some point, their combined laughter trickled off in the humid room, the need to breath outweighing the carefree mirth that had settled over them. Eventually Kidd got up, hand lingering on Killer's back, "Stay here a sec."

In the paper bag - ruined at this point - was a few more items. Kidd took one bottle out, and dropped the bag in Killer's lap as he turned the water off for a moment. Killer made to look in it, but Kidd 'ehh!'ed at him, "Just hold it for a sec. And uh... close your eyes"

It was a testament to their friendship that Killer did so before asking, "Why?"

Kidd turned the bottle over, dumping a good size gelatinous glob on the crown of Killer's head. "Because this shit stings way worse that the soap." He warned, before starting to scrub the shampoo into Killer's scalp. Kidd had only done this once himself, again under Victoria's guidance, but as awful as those days had been, it had felt nice. He remembered that much.

And Killer had been tempting fate recently, his hair the longest Kidd could ever remember it being, enough to actually be pulled back. Usually it had gotten caught on something or ripped out in a scuffle by this length, or matted to the point they had to cut around the knots. But Killer has been trying to comb out the knots at night with his hands instead of letting Kidd hack them out. "I'm turning the water back on for a sec, don't open your eyes yet."

Kidd kept Killer's head under the spray until the water stopped coming away dirty, before turning it off again. Even wet, Kidd was in awe of the colour change. "You're like... really blond."

Killer had opened his eyes by that point, head titled up to look at Kidd in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Nope - head back down," Kidd ordered, reaching into the bag Killer was still holding for the second bottle. "But this time you don't have to close your eyes anymore."

When Victoria had helped him hunt down the contents of the paper bag, she'd told him he'd probably end up using most of the conditioner the first time; to let it soak and then try to comb the knots out while it was still in. So that what Kidd did, working it in until Killer's hair kinda felt a little slimey, but in a soft way. "Gimme the comb from the bag."

There was some shuffling, and Killer handed the comb to him. Just how Victoria told him, Kidd started at the bottom by Killer's shoulder blades and slowly worked his way up. Killer didn't make a single sound of protest when the comb would snag on a tangle but the condition worked like a miracle and soon Kidd was able to run the comb from roots to ends.

Killer's hair was still soft even after he rinsed out the conditioner, like spun gold under Kidd's fingers. He had no idea; he legit had never seen Killer's hair clean, he realized.

Later, after they were both squeaky clean and as they toweled down, Kidd climbed up on the counter to wipe the condensation off the mirror, staring back at the red haired boy in the reflection. Killer avoided looking at himself, but he did pluck at Kidd's own vibrant red hair.

"Oh!" Kidd said, "You still have a gift from Victoria."

"Wait, what?"

Kidd retrieved the box, plopping it down in front of Killer. He waited eagerly for Killer to look over before opening the flaps in a flourish. "Happy Birthday!"

"Its not... oh..."

"February Second - you said so. See, I remember things when it's important!" Kidd pulled out the soft plaid button up and brand new jeans Victoria had picked out for Killer, along with a package of clean underwear and socks that Banaltram had suggested when Kidd & Victoria had first approached the nurse about smuggling Killer in for a shower. There was also a pair of new shoes at the bottom, that Kidd had not known about.

Killer looked flabbergasted, frozen in awe. "Kidd.. I dont...."

"Did we do good? Were you surprised?"

Killer smiled, "Yeah. Yeah I was surprised."

thank you @a-bxtch-can-write <3

I want to send love to @schwazombie @adolfgrey @gratefulcheeses @chromatic-lamina @mikkeneko @armiliadawn @d-angel00 @juanathefunkyfish @pocket-jack @eustasscapitankid & @glitterygyaru for liking and sharing my work as of late - it keeps me motivated and i love yall for it

positivity train!

if you see this or are tagged in it, tag a couple of your favorite mutuals/blogs and let them know you appreciate seeing them on your dash!

@h0neysugarfree @blueberrylovv @bequiteanddriveeeeeee @cherri-bomb-bomb @eg0mechan1c @fatrexicisback

Dec 1st uvu vs wa

and the fight they tried to have once in the box

Vagabond - 😴 on Twitter: "Y'all, @Mekachu04 printed and hand bound a copy of Out of the Darkness for me and I couldn't be more in love. They even featured @Valerie_Sparkle's art! #GoodOmens #ineffablehusbands https://t.co/o9gOvLuDqb" / Twitter

Twitter

Vagabond - 😴 on Twitter

“Y'all, @Mekachu04 printed and hand bound a copy of Out of the Darkness for me and I couldn't be more in love. They even featured @Valerie_S

the feminine urge to stab <3