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Five Times Iceburg Had to Be Told and One Time He Didn’t
1) Kokoro: Old Crush
Iceburg stretched, stepping out of the new Galley-La Company Headquarters and looking around the place full of workers. When he saw Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe carrying baskets with food with them, he went to them. “Nmaa, where are you going, Kokoro-san?”
“We’re bringing Paulie something to eat,” Kokoro said.
“Well, that’s nice but I have no idea where he is.” “Oh, but we do. He’s doing repairs on Puffing Tom,” Kokoro said.
“Repairs? Why?”
“It seems it was damaged slightly in the Buster Call yesterday.” Kokoro laughed when Iceburg fell in step with them. “Don’t worry, he’s doing fine from what I saw. At least where the repairs are concerned.”
“What do you mean?” Iceburg asked.
“He should rest first and let someone else deal with it. He barely stayed in bed after his wounds were dressed,” Kokoro answered.
Iceburg looked confused. “Why?”
Kokoro shook his head. “Just wait and see.”
When they arrived at Blue Station, they saw Paulie working on the train. He had his eyes closed and was running his hand over the surface of the train. Iceburg stopped, watching in fascination.
“Hey, Paulie-niichan,” Chimney called, “we brought you something to eat.”
Paulie smiled, not turning around. “Thank you. Just leave it there. I’ll take some when I’m finished here.”
Kokoro shook her head. “Really, Paulie, take a break. You’ve been working on Puffing Tom for hours.”
“It’s fine. It’s… it’s relaxing,” Paulie replied. He grinned. “And it’s not everyday that I get to work on Puffing Tom.” There was awe in his voice as he stroked over the surface again.
“Well, you got to conduct the train yesterday when you fled from Enies Lobby. But I didn’t know you knew how to repair the train. There was never a need for repairs, so I thought they didn’t teach you how to repair it.”
Paulie grinned shyly. “I’m working from memory and by copying what I see how other parts of the train are build.”
“‘Memory’?” Kokoro echoed, then nodded in understanding. “I remember. You were one of the little boys who were around watching Tom, Iceburg and Cutty Flam built Puffing Tom.”
Paulie laughed. “Right. See, it was… interesting watching them work. Everyone said they’re the best carpenters.”
“And your more personal fascination with Iceburg had nothing to do with it?” Kokoro asked amused.
Iceburg noticed with interest how Paulie blushed. “That’s…ah…ye know…”
“Paulie,” Kokoro chided. “I know you’ve had a crush on him for… how long now?”
Iceburg’s eyes widened. He looked at Kokoro, unable to believe her words, then back to Paulie, waiting for him to contradict.
“Ten years,” the young man mumbled however. He held a wooden piece up with his left hand up and started to turn to Kokoro. Suddenly he gasped, freezing in place. Pain made him drop the wood, instead grabbing his shoulder.
“Paulie!” Iceburg exclaimed, rushing to his employee, gently holding him upward.
“I…Iceburg-san?” Paulie stammered, looking at him in shock. “Since…since when…?”
“Long enough to know that the two of us have a couple of things to talk about,” Iceburg said. He gently caressed his hair to sooth the younger man. “Let’s go back to my house, shall we?”
2) Mozu and Kiwi: All Good Men…
Iceburg gave the signed documents to Mozu, his new secretary – or was it Kiwi? He still had to learn how to tell them apart. “Here, you’ll just have to wait for the plans. Someone should bring them here any minute.”
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door and Paulie entered. “Iceburg-san, I have the plans you asked for.” He stared at the woman. “What are you wearing, Mozu? Do you…”
“Nmaa, Paulie, the plans,” Iceburg interrupted.
Paulie quickly gave Iceburg the plans. “Anything else, Iceburg-san?”
Iceburg shook his head. “No, that’s fine.”
“Okay. I’ll be back at Dock 1.” Paulie glared at Mozu again, then left the office. They could hear him yell at Kiwi outside before she entered.
Kiwi looked at Mozu in awe. “Did you know? Paulie can tell us apart.”
“I know,” she gushed. “He just used my name. Well, then he started yelling at me because of how I’m dressed.” They giggled.
“He’s so cute,” Kiwi smiled dreamily.
Mozu nodded. “And strong. Do you remember how he fought the giants on Enies Lobby?”
“And how he saved us from falling to death during the Buster Call,” Kiwi continued.
“It’d be great to go out with him, don’t you think?” Mozu asked.
Kiwi nodded. “Yes. Too bad he’s gay. You know what they say: all good men are gay.”
Iceburg had followed the exchange with increasing surprise. “What are you talking about? What makes you think Paulie’s gay?”
The two women giggled again. “Oh please. His reaction – or rather lack of reaction – to attractive women, his obvious love for you…”
He stared at them. “Love for me?”
“Of course. It’s really obvious in the way he looks at you or how he followed your every word or how he reacted to the agents who betrayed you,” Kiwi explained.
Iceburg closed his eyes, leaning his head back, suddenly assaulted by memories. Paulie, looking at him with eyes full of admiration. Paulie, blushing at a simple word of praise. Paulie, facing off against CP9 to try and protect him. Paulie, trying to get him out of the house. He stood abruptly. “Excuse me.” Then he quickly left the room.
Kiwi grinned at Mozu. “See? It’s just like I said. All good men are gay.”
Mozu nodded. “Yes, that or taken.” She looked at the door. “Or both.”
They both giggled.
3) Franky: Brotherly Advice
Hey Bakaburg,
How are you guys doing? I hope my followers are not in trouble. Really, they shouldn’t have sent me away. They’re sure to get in trouble without me there? What about Kokoro-san, Chimney and Gonbe? Are they already back at their station or did they decide to stay in Water 7. I had no time to ask them because some people decided to force me to join the Straw Hat. And don’t even pretend you had nothing to do with it. I know you. By the way, how are your boyfriend and the other men doing?
Either way, life here is rather good on the Thousand Sunny (yes, they choose that name), although they’re certainly a crazy bunch. I’d tell you about the crew of bounty hunters we fought yesterday but they’re doing who knows what out there and I don’t trust them to take good care of my ship. Really, did you see what theirs looked like?
Franky
Franky nodded in satisfaction. Yes, that would do. Hopefully he’d soon get a reply so he’d know how they were doing.
Franky quickly opened the letter he’d received, curious what was going on in Water 7.
Franky,
I know the Straw Hats are a crazy bunch, as you say. That’s why I was sure you’d fit right in. And I’m not pretending I wasn’t involved in tricking you.
Your followers are doing fine by the way. They’re working for me now at GalleyLa Company. Yes, Kokoro returned to the station with Chimney and Gonbe. They’re also fine, as is everyone else. The World Government is quiet. Either they decided not to bother with us again or they’re just waiting for a good opportunity. Time will tell.
Just one question: who do you mean with ‘my boyfriend’? I don’t have a boyfriend, or girlfriend for that matter. There are always some people with a crush, especially women trying to become my new secretary but that’s it.
Iceburg
P.S.: Take care, will you.
Franky shook his head. “Bakaburg’s definitely a fitting name. That guy is more clueless than anyone else I know. You’d think that after so many years, he’d have learned when someone’s in love with him.” He quickly got himself something to write.
Bakaburg,
Who do you think I’m talking about? Paulie, of course. You’d have to be blind not to see that the guy’s in love with you. Hell, even the Straw Hat noticed. Did someone tell you that they considered asking him to become their shipwright? They decided against it because they recognized that he’d never leave you. And don’t tell me you just hadn’t noticed yet. In case you forgot, that boy’s been following you around for about nine – count it, NINE – years.
So just say something. Or are you hoping he’ll also get over it some time like I did? Because I don’t think that’ll work. Okay, so I had a crush on you but not for long. Certainly not for nine years. Talk to him, will you. Just be careful what you say because Kiwi and Mozu will have your head if you hurt him. They have quite a crush on him since he saved them.
Franky
P.S.: Thanks for taking care of my followers.
Franky was awaiting the next letter from Water 7 with even more impatience than the last time. Perhaps he’d been a bit too direct but who could blame him? Iceburg’s blindness where people in love with him were concerned where enough to drive anyone up the walls. And no, that had nothing to do with the fact that he could relate to Paulie.
“Hey, Franky, there’s a letter for you,” Nami called.
“From Iceburg?” he asked eagerly.
“No, from Kokoro-san,” Nami said.
“Huh? Well, give it to me.” He snatched the letter and started reading.
Dear Franky,
Iceburg told me that you and the pirates are fine. That’s not why I’m writing you, however. I’m writing you to thank you. Your last letter had quite an effect on Iceburg. The evening after he received the letter, he invited Paulie to eat with him. No one really knows what happened and what they talked about but the next morning, they were officially together. The majority of the female population and quite a few of the men are not happy with your for helping them along but I thank you.
Kokoro
4) Zanbai: Loose Mouth
“Thanks again for letting us work for you, Iceburg-aniki,” Zanbai said. They were all having dinner together at the new Galley La Company Headquarter: Iceburg, Paulie, Tilestone, Lulu, Kiwi, Mozu, Kokoro, Chimney, Gonbe and Zanbai.
Iceburg sweat dropped. “I told you not to call me that,” he said while the others laughed.
“Really, it’s great to be working with GalleyLa. We already saw what your men can do at Enies Lobby, right, sisters?” Zanbai said, looking at Mozu and Kiwi for agreement.
The two of them nodded. “Definitely.” Once again they clung to Paulie. “It’s great to work with our hero.”
Paulie blushed. “Let me go! I told you not to do that!”
“They do that since he saved us from falling to our death during the Buster Call,” Zanbai explained to Iceburg, ignoring the three’s bickering.
Iceburg frowned. “Fall to death?”
Zanbai winced. He’d thought the GalleyLa foremen had told Iceburg everything. “Ah, yes? It… uh… it wasn’t that bad. Okay, I was sure we weren’t gonna make it a couple of times but we all got back safely.”
Iceburg looked at his workers, Tilestone and Lulu teasing Paulie. It was difficult to imagine one of them – all of them – not returning. He shook his head, preferring not to think about it. As Zanbai said: they all got back safely.
Zanbai was babbling on, not paying attention to Iceburg’s reaction. “Your men, especially Paulie-san, were impressive. No matter how many marines there were and how they were wounded, they fought on. I guess it’s true what they say: people fight more fiercely when protecting who they love.”
Paulie froze. “Y-you mean what we love, don’t you?” he laughed nervously.
Zanbai shook his head. “You don’t have to pretend. We know that -”
“Zanbai!” Paulie tried to interrupt him loudly but Zanbai ignored him, finishing “- you’re in love with Iceburg-aniki, Paulie.”
Without a word, Paulie stood up and stormed out of the room.
“Did I say something wrong?” Zanbai asked.
Tilestone and Lulu cleared their throats. “Ah… well…” They looked at Iceburg to see his reaction.
The mayor of Water 7 was staring at the door in surprise, then turned back to Zanbai. “Are you serious?”
“You…didn’t know?” Zanbai asked hesitantly.
Iceburg shook his head
“I thought everyone knew,” Zanbai mumbled.
“Well, some people are rather clueless,” Kokoro said, giving Iceburg a meaningful look.
“You are serious,” Iceburg said, stunned. Then he stood as well and left the room.
“Was it…wrong that I mentioned it?” Zanbai asked.
“I don’t know yet but at least now there might be some kind of change in their relationship after…oh… six years or so,” Lulu said.
The others nodded in agreement.
Iceburg looked up and down the corridor, hoping for a hint where Paulie had gone. To his relief, he saw him standing down the corridor, leaning his head against the wall. He quietly stepped closer, thinking how best to mention what he’d just learned. Then he froze when he saw a tear roll down his cheek. Had he unwittingly hurt him that much? Spontaneously, he stepped forward and hugged Paulie. “I’m sorry, Paulie,” he said gently.
The younger man looked over his shoulder at him. “I-Iceburg-san? What…? You’re not angry?”
Iceburg smiled gently. “Of course not.” Looking into Paulie’s eyes, he was struck by the urge to kiss the other man. Without thinking about it, he did so. “Definitely not angry,” he whispered after breaking the kiss.
5) Tom: Ghostly Visitor
Tom shook his head. Really, he’d expected his two apprentices to at least grow somewhat more reasonable with time. Well, no such luck. Since he’d become their guardian after his execution, he’d kept an eye on him. It was pretty much all he could do. Oh, sure, sometimes he could influence them somewhat and he’d been told that he could talk to them in their dreams if absolutely necessary but that was it. For a while he’d thought he’d need to talk to Franky, especially when that idiot had always got into trouble and then been as stupid as to refuse to go with the Straw Hat. Luckily they’d managed to convince him in the end. Iceburg was more reasonable, at least compared to Franky. It had been quite a struggle to keep him alive through the attack by CP9 but he’d managed. Professionally, Iceburg was doing well. Privately on the other hand…
It seemed it was time to talk to one of his boys.
He went to Iceburg’s room, looking down on his sleeping form, then lowered himself into his dreams.
Iceburg was standing in his office, looking out over the city.
“Nice view, isn’t it?” Tom asked.
Iceburg whirled around. “Tom-san. But you’re...”
“Dead. Yes, I know.” Tom laughed. “You did very good, especially advising that pirate boy, the Straw Hat, to make Franky follow him.” He shook his head. “If only you’d recognize what to do in your own life.”
Iceburg looked at him in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“When you didn’t acknowledge Franky’s crush on you, I thought it was either because you were so inexperienced where love was concerned or because you didn’t want to cause problems building the Sea Train by rejecting him,” Tom said. “Now I’m starting to believe that you don’t notice things like that, period.”
Iceburg gaped. “Franky’s crush? What-? What are you talking about? Why are you telling me now?”
“It’s not about Franky’s crush, especially considering he’s over it and also just seeing you only as a brother. I’m telling you about this because it’s about time you noticed that that blond boy – Paulie – has been in love with you since... what was it? ... since the time you still were my apprentice.”
“W-what?” Iceburg stared. “Paulie...”
Tom shook his head. “You really haven’t notice yet. He’s been around you since he saw you working on the Sea Train. Did you see how he reacted when you were attacked? He is obviously in love with you.”
“He...he’s...” Iceburg sank into his chair. “He really is, isn’t he.”
“Finally you see,” Tom sighed. “Just make sure you remember this conversation when you wake up.”
Iceburg blinked at the ceiling over his bed. That had been a rather unusual dream. He’d often dreamed of Tom but always of his time as his apprentice, never anything else. He frowned, thinking about what Tom had said in the dream about Paulie.
…One Time He Didn’t
Iceburg walked out of the backdoor of his house, hoping to avoid the crowd at the main entrance. People were still asking a lot of questions about what had happened and all women of the city seemed to be trying to get the job of being his secretary. He smiled gently when he thought of Paulie’s reaction to the scantily dressed women. The poor man was going to have a heart attack one of these days.
He stopped when he heard Paulie’s voice. “I told you already: I can’t help you. You’ll have to apply for the job like everyone else.”
Iceburg looked around, curious who Paulie was talking to. Glancing around the corner of the house, he saw his talking to a young woman. Paulie seemed frustrated. He wondered what was causing it.
“Come on, Iceburg-san needs a new secretary and I think I’m very well suited for the job,” the woman said, straightening to show off her figure. Before Paulie could interrupt to berate her for her clothes, she finished, “And he needs someone to help him forget Kalifa.” She shook her head. “That poor man. To have his girlfriend leave him at a time like that.”
Paulie stared at her. “Girlfriend?”
“Well, of course. Everyone knows they were happily in love with each other.” She frowned. “At least everyone thought so but then she would have left him.” She looked Paulie up and down. “Or at least almost everyone.”
Paulie didn’t notice her gaze. He looked to the ground. “So she was… I see,” he mumbled. He looked at her. “Still, I can’t help you. You’ll have to talk to Iceburg-san if you want to apply for the position,” he turned away, looking in Iceburg’s direction without noticing him, “either position,” he finished, a look of pain flashing over his face. Then he quickly left.
Iceburg looked after him. He didn’t like the pain the conversation seemed to have caused him. He’d definitely not consider that woman, not after the way she’d talked to Paulie. He frowned, a sudden surge of protectiveness for the younger man gripping him, making him feel torn between telling the woman that it definitely wouldn’t consider her as new secretary and going after Paulie. In the end, he decided to see how Paulie was doing.
While he followed Paulie, he tried to understand why he’d reacted like that. It had been after that woman had told him about the – completely wrong – rumour about him and Kalifa, so it must have had to do with that. Okay, so it might be that Paulie was hurt that he hadn’t know something about the people he was closest to when the whole city seemed to know it. While this might explain a bit of the pain, it didn’t explain the… the heartbreak he’d seen in Paulie’s face. But why would the fact that he’d supposedly had a relationship with Kalifa cause him such heartbreak? Heartbreak…
Iceburg stopped. That was it. Paulie was in love with him. He shook his head, surprised at himself that he hadn’t seen it sooner – or things…related to that. He quickened his steps. It was time to tell him that not only had he not interested in Kalifa but also not in any of the woman lining up in front of his office. His type was rather different: male, blond, smoking, wearing goggles…
So, all six ficlets finished. Tell me what you think.