LS

Smoke Between Us The sea had never felt so endless. You stood at the railing of the Marine vessel, the salty wind whipping through your hair as another cloud of cigar smoke drifted past. You didn’t even have to turn around to know who it belonged to. Captain Smoker. He leaned against the opposite rail, arms crossed over his broad chest, white coat hanging from his shoulders like a cape. His silver hair glowed under the afternoon sun, and his expression—like always—looked permanently annoyed. “You’ve been staring at the ocean for an hour,” he muttered. “I’m thinking.” “Hm.” “…You always answer like that?” He looked at you from the corner of his eye. “You always ask pointless questions?” You rolled your eyes. “And people say you’re charming.” “I’ve never heard anyone say that.” A laugh escaped you before you could stop it. For the briefest moment, the corner of Smoker’s mouth twitched upward. Almost a smile. ⸻ Working alongside him wasn’t easy. He expected perfection. If you were late, he’d call you out. If you made excuses, he’d ignore them. If you complained… “You done?” he’d ask flatly. Still… You noticed things other people didn’t. He always made sure the youngest Marines ate before he did. He silently paid for meals when civilians couldn’t afford them. He hated corruption more than pirates. He acted like he didn’t care… But he cared more than anyone. ⸻ Days turned into weeks. Weeks became months. Somewhere between missions, arguments became conversations. Conversations became comfortable silences. One evening, after chasing pirates through a rainstorm, the two of you ended up trapped inside a tiny abandoned cabin while the storm raged outside. Water dripped from your soaked jacket. Smoker silently tossed you a dry blanket. “…Thanks.” He shrugged. “You’ll catch a cold.” “I thought you didn’t care.” “I don’t.” “…Liar.” He didn’t answer. Instead, he lit another cigar. The room filled with familiar smoke. Oddly enough…