LOG - A Phone Call [Closed]
Who: Lucci and Kaku
What: Resolution: Part One. The Phone Call
Where: Kaku is in the guest quarters on the SDC. Lucci is in the Mens' Bunk on the Thousand Sunny.
When: 1:00 AM
Warnings:
After hours of tossing and turning, Lucci was finally asleep. Or at least he was, until a persistently ringing Den Den Mushi woke him up. He tried to ignore it for almost a minute, but when it became evident that it wasn't going to stop and that apparently no one else's ears were sensitive enough to be awakened by it and answer it for him, he sighed, sat up in his hammock, and traced the source of the noise...coming from his locker. Ah. He opened it and dug through until he found it - still ringing. He picked up the receiver. "What?"
It was in that moment that Kaku realized, much to his chagrin, that it was ridiculously early. Being in a submarine underwater tended to mess with one's perception of time completely. Besides, he'd not been able to sleep; in fact, he'd hardly had more than a few hours sleep in the past few days. Normally, that would not have bothered him so much, but...this was a different sort of restlessness.
Also, Lucci sounded very annoyed, which was to be expected. He'd even complained about being awoken at ridiculous hours of the night by him.
"Ah, My apologies!" he said quickly. "I'll call back later, I didn't realize it was so late!"
At the sound of Kaku's voice, Lucci's eyes went wide. "Wait," he said, and then lowered his voice, looking around the room - everyone appeared to be asleep, still, but he didn't want to take any chances waking anyone and having to explain the situation. "Wait," he repeated, more quietly, and left the room as silently as he could manage.
Up on deck, it was chilly, but Lucci barely noticed. He sat down against the wall. "...Hello," he said at last. He had to admit that it was good to hear Kaku's voice. He wasn't angry anymore - just tired and depressed.
"Hello." Kaku was surprised, and sounded it, though he was talking very quietly. "...I thought you'd be angry that I woke you. It's this submarine...I never know what time of day it is, and I've not checked my computer..." He also sounded tired, which was strange, as Kaku had hardly ever sounded tired.
"It's all right. I was...having trouble sleeping." Which was even more unusual for him than it was for Kaku. Talking to him again after several days was strange; Lucci didn't know what to say. "How are you? You sound tired."
"...I am. I've not slept very well myself..." Kaku rolled over on the bed that had once been his, before they'd joined the Straw Hats, and stared up into the darkness. The tone of his voice said everthing; he hadn't slept well because he was not home, because Lucci was not there. "Not even all that alcohol helped me sleep...it just made me...dream. Nothing as unpleasant as those dreams, but..." He trailed off and sighed. "And you?"
Those dreams. The nightmares about his family. Kaku hadn't had them for awhile...or at least if he had, he hadn't told Lucci. Lucci hoped that wasn't the case. "I'm...well, I'm alive," he said, with the faintest hint of mirth. "That's always good. ...But it's been...strange."
"Alive is good. I'm glad you're still alive. Otherwise this conversation would be history in the making." Kaku attempted to join him in the mirth, but it faded quickly. "...It has been strange...unsettling. I..." Kaku hesitated then, a thing he'd rarely done before. It wasn't that he was afraid, but he was uncertain, apprehensive. Also curious emotions that he'd rarely felt. "...Lucci...?"
"Yes?" Lucci said quickly. He tried to come his hair back into some form of order with his fingers, almost a nervous gesture. He did feel sort of...jumpy. And apprehensive as to what Kaku would say next.
"...I'd like to come home." It was a ridiculously sentimental response, but it was simple, and to the point, and expressed exactly how Kaku felt at the moment.
...Lucci was relieved. He didn't know what he'd been expecting Kaku to say, but it wasn't that. He was glad it had been, though. "I'd like that too," he said quietly. "...I've...missed you."
Kaku was very silent when he heard Lucci's admission. It seemed the night for sentimental responses. But, it was true, Kaku had missed him as well, deeply. This bed was far too cold and far too spacious. "...I've missed you too. I've realized that...these problems are...they're mostly minor and not to be fought over...I just felt..." Kaku stopped, because he knew that Lucci knew how he felt. "These things won't be solved by being apart. And frankly...I've no desire to keep this distance any longer."
Lucci was silent for a moment; unfortunately, it wasn't very possible to agree in silence over a Den Den Mushi. All the more reason to have Kaku home. "I know," he said simply. "I feel the same way. Can you...when will you be back?"
There was a movement in the background as Kaku sat up and turned on the light. He carried the Den Den Mushi in one hand and began to gather his things. It was a touch difficult using one hand to balance the entire snail and receiver and pack with the other. "...I'm packing right now. At top speed, it should only be a few hours at most. Tell me..." There was soft sound of a smile in his tone. "Have you missed my nose as well?"
Lucci winced at the memory of what he'd said, but didn't hesitate to answer. "Every inch of it," he said, hoping the remark wouldn't go poorly. "...I hope you know I didn't mean that. I really didn't."
"...I know you didn't." Kaku spoke honestly, though very quietly. He was tossing everything but the last set of clean clothes that he'd packed into his bag, including his laptop and what essentials he'd brought. "...At the time, I was unsure, but I realize that now." He began to throw on the pair of black slacks he'd managed to grab in his haste.
"I only said it because I knew it would hurt you. I know that doesn't make it much better, but..." It was the only condolence he had to offer; the only excuse. He had been cruel. "I'm sorry," he added, almost under his breath. He meant it.
"Surprisingly, it was the first time anything you've said out of cruel intent to me has affected me. I suppose because...it was because it was not some mental exercise." He threw on the slightly rumpled button down shirt and did half the buttons before slinging the bag over his shoulder and stepping into his shoes. "...I'm sorry too. For a great many things."
"We can talk about them later," Lucci said. "...And we should." This time, they couldn't let those things go undiscussed. He was sure there were things that hadn't been said as well, and neither of them would want to hear them, but it was necessary. "But we ought to have coffee first."
"I was about to suggest that," Kaku said with a smile as he quickly wrote a small letter thanking the crew for their hospitality and left it in a notable place. "But yes. Talk. Not scream, not insult...talk. We should have been doing this from the beginning." He sounded a little ashamed about this; he should have talked more about the things that bothered him; he was just as guilty in this as Lucci was.
"Yes, we should have," Lucci said softly. He had a feeling 'the beginning' extended back a bit further than either of them were truly aware. "Shall I see you when you arrive?"
"Of course. I'll call you when I've docked in the bay." Kaku took a breath as he quickly made his way to his craft; thankfully, the submarine had just crested the surface by the time he was ready to depart. The sound of seaspray echoed in the receiver. "Sleep a little more, if you must. I truly did not mean to wake you."
Lucci couldn't help but smile faintly at the concern. "I'll meet you there. And I'll try to answer more promptly this time."
"It's fine. I wasn't going to hang up until you answered anyway." There was a touch of that confidence in his voice at this, and perhaps a bit of a smirk. "See you in a few hours." There was a splash as the small craft hit the water, and Kaku jumped down into it easily.
Lucci huffed a bit in amusement at the confidence in Kaku's voice. "See you."
What: Resolution: Part One. The Phone Call
Where: Kaku is in the guest quarters on the SDC. Lucci is in the Mens' Bunk on the Thousand Sunny.
When: 1:00 AM
Warnings:
After hours of tossing and turning, Lucci was finally asleep. Or at least he was, until a persistently ringing Den Den Mushi woke him up. He tried to ignore it for almost a minute, but when it became evident that it wasn't going to stop and that apparently no one else's ears were sensitive enough to be awakened by it and answer it for him, he sighed, sat up in his hammock, and traced the source of the noise...coming from his locker. Ah. He opened it and dug through until he found it - still ringing. He picked up the receiver. "What?"
It was in that moment that Kaku realized, much to his chagrin, that it was ridiculously early. Being in a submarine underwater tended to mess with one's perception of time completely. Besides, he'd not been able to sleep; in fact, he'd hardly had more than a few hours sleep in the past few days. Normally, that would not have bothered him so much, but...this was a different sort of restlessness.
Also, Lucci sounded very annoyed, which was to be expected. He'd even complained about being awoken at ridiculous hours of the night by him.
"Ah, My apologies!" he said quickly. "I'll call back later, I didn't realize it was so late!"
At the sound of Kaku's voice, Lucci's eyes went wide. "Wait," he said, and then lowered his voice, looking around the room - everyone appeared to be asleep, still, but he didn't want to take any chances waking anyone and having to explain the situation. "Wait," he repeated, more quietly, and left the room as silently as he could manage.
Up on deck, it was chilly, but Lucci barely noticed. He sat down against the wall. "...Hello," he said at last. He had to admit that it was good to hear Kaku's voice. He wasn't angry anymore - just tired and depressed.
"Hello." Kaku was surprised, and sounded it, though he was talking very quietly. "...I thought you'd be angry that I woke you. It's this submarine...I never know what time of day it is, and I've not checked my computer..." He also sounded tired, which was strange, as Kaku had hardly ever sounded tired.
"It's all right. I was...having trouble sleeping." Which was even more unusual for him than it was for Kaku. Talking to him again after several days was strange; Lucci didn't know what to say. "How are you? You sound tired."
"...I am. I've not slept very well myself..." Kaku rolled over on the bed that had once been his, before they'd joined the Straw Hats, and stared up into the darkness. The tone of his voice said everthing; he hadn't slept well because he was not home, because Lucci was not there. "Not even all that alcohol helped me sleep...it just made me...dream. Nothing as unpleasant as those dreams, but..." He trailed off and sighed. "And you?"
Those dreams. The nightmares about his family. Kaku hadn't had them for awhile...or at least if he had, he hadn't told Lucci. Lucci hoped that wasn't the case. "I'm...well, I'm alive," he said, with the faintest hint of mirth. "That's always good. ...But it's been...strange."
"Alive is good. I'm glad you're still alive. Otherwise this conversation would be history in the making." Kaku attempted to join him in the mirth, but it faded quickly. "...It has been strange...unsettling. I..." Kaku hesitated then, a thing he'd rarely done before. It wasn't that he was afraid, but he was uncertain, apprehensive. Also curious emotions that he'd rarely felt. "...Lucci...?"
"Yes?" Lucci said quickly. He tried to come his hair back into some form of order with his fingers, almost a nervous gesture. He did feel sort of...jumpy. And apprehensive as to what Kaku would say next.
"...I'd like to come home." It was a ridiculously sentimental response, but it was simple, and to the point, and expressed exactly how Kaku felt at the moment.
...Lucci was relieved. He didn't know what he'd been expecting Kaku to say, but it wasn't that. He was glad it had been, though. "I'd like that too," he said quietly. "...I've...missed you."
Kaku was very silent when he heard Lucci's admission. It seemed the night for sentimental responses. But, it was true, Kaku had missed him as well, deeply. This bed was far too cold and far too spacious. "...I've missed you too. I've realized that...these problems are...they're mostly minor and not to be fought over...I just felt..." Kaku stopped, because he knew that Lucci knew how he felt. "These things won't be solved by being apart. And frankly...I've no desire to keep this distance any longer."
Lucci was silent for a moment; unfortunately, it wasn't very possible to agree in silence over a Den Den Mushi. All the more reason to have Kaku home. "I know," he said simply. "I feel the same way. Can you...when will you be back?"
There was a movement in the background as Kaku sat up and turned on the light. He carried the Den Den Mushi in one hand and began to gather his things. It was a touch difficult using one hand to balance the entire snail and receiver and pack with the other. "...I'm packing right now. At top speed, it should only be a few hours at most. Tell me..." There was soft sound of a smile in his tone. "Have you missed my nose as well?"
Lucci winced at the memory of what he'd said, but didn't hesitate to answer. "Every inch of it," he said, hoping the remark wouldn't go poorly. "...I hope you know I didn't mean that. I really didn't."
"...I know you didn't." Kaku spoke honestly, though very quietly. He was tossing everything but the last set of clean clothes that he'd packed into his bag, including his laptop and what essentials he'd brought. "...At the time, I was unsure, but I realize that now." He began to throw on the pair of black slacks he'd managed to grab in his haste.
"I only said it because I knew it would hurt you. I know that doesn't make it much better, but..." It was the only condolence he had to offer; the only excuse. He had been cruel. "I'm sorry," he added, almost under his breath. He meant it.
"Surprisingly, it was the first time anything you've said out of cruel intent to me has affected me. I suppose because...it was because it was not some mental exercise." He threw on the slightly rumpled button down shirt and did half the buttons before slinging the bag over his shoulder and stepping into his shoes. "...I'm sorry too. For a great many things."
"We can talk about them later," Lucci said. "...And we should." This time, they couldn't let those things go undiscussed. He was sure there were things that hadn't been said as well, and neither of them would want to hear them, but it was necessary. "But we ought to have coffee first."
"I was about to suggest that," Kaku said with a smile as he quickly wrote a small letter thanking the crew for their hospitality and left it in a notable place. "But yes. Talk. Not scream, not insult...talk. We should have been doing this from the beginning." He sounded a little ashamed about this; he should have talked more about the things that bothered him; he was just as guilty in this as Lucci was.
"Yes, we should have," Lucci said softly. He had a feeling 'the beginning' extended back a bit further than either of them were truly aware. "Shall I see you when you arrive?"
"Of course. I'll call you when I've docked in the bay." Kaku took a breath as he quickly made his way to his craft; thankfully, the submarine had just crested the surface by the time he was ready to depart. The sound of seaspray echoed in the receiver. "Sleep a little more, if you must. I truly did not mean to wake you."
Lucci couldn't help but smile faintly at the concern. "I'll meet you there. And I'll try to answer more promptly this time."
"It's fine. I wasn't going to hang up until you answered anyway." There was a touch of that confidence in his voice at this, and perhaps a bit of a smirk. "See you in a few hours." There was a splash as the small craft hit the water, and Kaku jumped down into it easily.
Lucci huffed a bit in amusement at the confidence in Kaku's voice. "See you."