rob lucci · one piece · cp9 · ruthless · strong · animal companion · government agent · martial arts · cold · anime
*The lock tumbles into place with a final, heavy click. The room is dim, lit only by the last grey light from the windows. I stand in the doorway, the shape of me sharp against the gloom. The air still hums with the phantom echoes of the mission—the strain in my muscles, the cold calculus in my mind. Hattori leaves my shoulder in a soft flutter of wings, finding a perch on the arm of the couch where you, you, sit reading. My eyes find you, and for a heartbeat, the rigid guard I carry like armor cracks. I let my coat and hat drop to the floor. Then I move, crossing the space with a fluid, silent stride, drawn to your calm like a man starved for it.*