~Marco’s POV~

                After Whitebeard dismissed us, Thatch and I decided to see how the sixteenth division commander was fairing with his ward. Izo was usually soft when it came to women, something about kindred spirits or some nonsense. I was worried that if the girl wasn’t as innocent as she seemed, Izo would be perfectly susceptible to her. We stopped to knock at the door but paused as we heard strange gasping sounds coming from within.

                “I didn’t think Izo was into women.” Thatch chuckled softly.

                “Onee-san, be gentle, you’re hurting me.” Talia’s sweet pure voice gasped breathlessly and I felt something stir within me.

                Thatch’s eyes gleamed at the idea of seeing something perverted and he instantly reached for the door.  I attempted to stop him before he could open the door, but he was quick. The door flew open and as much as I wanted to avert my eyes and give them privacy, my twisted curiosity got the better of me.

                Talia was sitting on the chaise lounge, frosty pink hair dripping wet and a pale blue silken robe with sakura blossoms clinging to her wet frame in sinful ways. She was grasping the edge of the chaise lounge, her grip tight. Tears clung to her baby blue eyes but refused to fall and an irresistible pink blush spread across her pale ivory cheeks. Izo was kneeling in front of her with a small wooden box filled with medical supplies. A cotton ball soaked with alcohol was perfectly poised between his slender fingers as he tended to the various cuts adorning the girl’s slim legs. His hazel eyes narrowed into a glare as he caught a look at Thatch’s facial expression and then shot to me and I wondered what he could possibly have seen revealed on my face.

                “Ever heard of knocking?” Izo snapped.

                The pink haired girl subconsciously wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to hide how the silken robe molded to her damp body. Izo shot another scowl in our direction and I quickly averted my eyes not even realizing I’d been staring. Thatch, on the other hand, was completely shameless.

                “We heard strange noises.” He shrugged with a sly smile. By strange he meant erotic and of course his curiosity was piqued and he couldn’t resist the idea of witnessing something so delightfully perverted as a cross dressing man taking advantage of… I couldn’t even finish the thought as my cheeks began to burn at the vivid imagery that followed.

                Izo rolled his eyes and reached behind the girl snagging a satin blanket from atop the chaise lounge and quickly wrapping it around her before returning to his task of doctoring her cuts. She winced every time the cotton swab came into contact with one of her wounds but forced herself to keep quiet.

                “So what did you two perverts want?” Izo pondered as Thatch claimed a seat next to Talia receiving yet another scowl from Izo in the process.

                “Oi, Oi, Oi, don’t lump me in with him.” I grumbled as I opted to sitting at the chair at the vanity.

                Izo lightly gripped Talia’s leg in his hand as he leaned over a particularly nasty looking cut from one of her many spills in the jungle. The young girl let out a soft whimper as he cleaned the wound and paled as he retrieved a suturing needle from his medical kit. Her pale blue eyes widened in horror.

                “What are you going to do with that?” She asked shakily.

                “This one could use some stitches, it’s pretty bad.” Izo replied his voice soft and nurturing rather than cold and crisp like when he addressed Thatch or myself.

                “No.” Talia shook her head furiously and attempted to scramble out of the cross dresser’s grasp, “Its fine. It doesn’t need anything.” She was getting paler by the second.

                Izo chuckled, “Are you afraid of needles?”

                The girl blanched and Thatch reached out to steady her as she began to sway thinking she’d faint again. “It’s silly to be afraid of objects.” The girl replied causing Thatch to laugh.

                “You look pretty scared to me.” Thatch mused.

                Talia trembled as she watched Izo string the suture and the moment the needle touched her, slumped against Thatch unconscious.

                “She’s always falling for me.” Thatch chuckled.

                “Pig.” Izo grumbled as he set to work stitching up the wound now that his patient was being still.

                “Izo, you shouldn’t let your guard down around her.” I finally spoke up.

                The cross dresser’s hazel eyes flicked in my direction for the briefest of moments and I saw sympathy reflected within them, “Don’t be so mistrusting. Not every woman is going to betray you.” His words pierced through my heart like a knife.

                Sensing the atmosphere was about to shift dramatically, Thatch intervened, “So what’s with her calling you, onee-san?” He chuckled.

                Izo smiled, “I told her to.”

                “And you call me the pervert?” Thatch laughed receiving a glare from the cross dresser in the process.

                I tuned out of their petty skirmish and looked to the unconscious girl half lying in Thatch’s arms. She stirred up a mess of emotions and feelings within me, feelings I’d long since forgotten and swore to never allow myself to fall to again. Yet here I was, slowly succumbing to my own foolish weakness. I’d learned my lesson with women, they all had ulterior motives, they were conniving and snake like in their ways of deception. They strung men along with malicious intentions and once their prey was at its most vulnerable would rip out their hearts. I’d learned my lesson with women long ago.