1.
He hadn't been expecting this when Hina had called him over. Actually, he hadn't expected Hina to approach him at all. Outside of drills and class, Hina tended to move in her own circles.
"What the hell, Hina?" He had no time for this shit. If he didn't finish his chores by dinner – he wasn't getting any. The Commander had been very clear about this.
Hina either wasn't aware of his assigned task this afternoon or just didn't care. Either way, to expect some sympathy from this demon was stupid. Smoker should have known better.
He did get a prompt smack upside the head for his reaction though. The baleful glare that pinned him in his place was just the cherry on top. Smoker merely grits his teeth but did not gift his peer with a retaliatory blow. Normally, an act like that would have him at her throat. Why the sudden change?
Well, Smoker might be a punk picked off of the back alleys of Loguetown, meaning he was perpetually spoiling for a fight – but even he drew the line at involving innocents. Hina knew that as well.
How the hell she knew that about him, how she knows anything about him still perplexes him greatly. But Smoker has already learned early on that anything Hina did or say that confused him should be filed away in his mind and promptly forgotten. Any other course of action would get him to no ends of trouble.
Hina probably knew that too.
Damn her.
"Don't be so loud! You'll wake him, Smoker-kun."
Too late for that, Smoker noted with a scowl. The thing was stirring in her arms. It did not look happy to be awoken either.
The sight of Hina rocking the dark-haired infant was unsettling his stomach. The hard as nails Hina he knew would not be acting like this. "Why do you have a baby?" Smoker hissed lowly. "Put it back!"
"Hina doesn't appreciate your tone, Smoker-kun."
Well, he didn't appreciate being punished some more – but Hina obviously didn't appreciate that either. Damn it! He was not going to be an accomplice to this kidnapping!
2.
It was awake.
It was smiling.
It was smiling at him.
Something was wrong here.
There was something about that baby Smoker didn't like. Maybe it wasn't something but just that baby in its entirety that put him off. That its demonic grin took up half of its entire face…or maybe because it was with Hina certainly wasn't reassuring Smoker in any way, shape, or form.
The way that it made Hina coo did not endear it any more in Smoker's graces.
It was actually downright unnerving.
Over the past few weeks since he's met his ally of sorts – he had learned quickly and painfully that nothing good happens to him when Hina was involved. That pink-haired demon was nice and harmless to everyone – everyone but Smoker. She had found great joy in using her damn Devil Fruit abilities in order to coerce him into humiliating subservience. Honestly, insult a girl once…
"Why do you have a baby?" Smoker almost didn't want to know at this point but had to ask again. But he had just received punishment from the Commander, and he was not looking for more trouble despite how easily he got himself into messes.
"Hina found him."
His temple throbbed. Obviously, she found it. Being difficult was Hina's default setting so Smoker didn't put up much of a fight. "Okay…"
3.
"What the hell is it – "
"Hina disgusted."
"Yeah, Smoker disgusted too." Smoker replied snidely, purposely mocking the demon's speech.
"He's… smiling." Hina noted, her youthful face drawn into a mask of confusion. "…at you."
The incredulous tone would have been insulting if Smoker wasn't also just as put off. His encounters with younger children usually ended up in someone crying.
"Yeah…"
"Hina doesn't like him anymore." Hina sniffed delicately. Smoker couldn't help but smirk. The thing had taken one glance up at the pink-haired girl and started whimpering. Not that he could blame it. Sometimes, Smoker felt like it too. Not that he would ever do it.
Smoker scowled. Yes, never.
Hina shoved the wrestling ball of baby into his chest. It was a testament to his reflexes that Smoker caught it when he did. "You keep him."
"Hina, what the fuck! Get back here!"
"Hina will go now." She smiled pleasantly and patted him on the shoulder. "Hina promised Commander that she'll visit before afternoon drills. Be good, Smoker-kun."
"HINA!"
4.
He stared.
It stared back.
"Stay." Smoker intoned, as gravely as a fourteen year old could.
He shifted an inch. Dark eyes widened.
Half a step backwards. Those eyes were getting dangerously misty, Smoker noted, not without some apprehension.
Smoker felt his stomach drop. Oh no.
It was that feeling.
He always got that feeling when he was about to get into a huge shit load of trouble. He did not want trouble.
One more step. Turn around. Walk away. Easy, peasy lemon – a whimper.
Oh no.
The heavy feeling settled in his stomach and stayed.
He was so fucking doomed.
The pout disappeared as soon as he reached for the mass of manipulating baby. The cute baby blue onesie did nothing to distract Smoker from its evil. Smoker knew better. "You win this time, brat." Bright, devious eyes glinted, as if to say, 'it's only just begun'.
The baby cooed softly in Smoker's awkward hold, completely content in the crook of his arm. So content was it that small clammy hands immediately started to tug and pull with amazing coordination.
Paying the brat no mind, Smoker assessed the sun's position against the sky and decided, yes, there was still time. He still had chores to finish - and hopefully, some scraps from dinner to scavenge. But he couldn't just leave the brat. Damn it, he had morals.
No, he can still finish his tasks – even with brat in tow. It couldn't be harder than training. It couldn't be harder than surprise drills. It definitely couldn't be harder than Commander's special brand of discipline.
Cool grey eyes clashed with dark ones. His gaze was challenging while its gaze was surprisingly docile. That did it.
"It can't be that hard."
Famous last words…