[There’s been fire in Quentin’s voice, in his movements since Koby had first stepped shivering and teary into his room, but it only registers now, with the ferocity of his words, refusing to accept something that Koby’s known to his marrow for years now. It stops the self-loathing spiral in it’s tracks, leaves Koby wide-eyed, blinking a few times at the savage tone, at the possibility that someone, anyone could look at him and not see all the ways he’s lacking. There’s no room for argument, not when Quentin looks at him that way, not with those eyes locked to his own, deep and bright and stormy.

Koby draws in a shuddery breath, still trembling, still half-caught in the roil of emotion he’s never, never let out before. Then he exhales, and his hands slowly move up, covering Quentin’s, seeking the space between his fingers and squeezing tight.]

Luffy found me. He – saved me and sank the ship. And I went with him, and I joined the Marines and…and it was hard and it was complicated and I wanted to give up, b-but. [A shuddery breath, more tears on his face, but his voice getting stronger with each words, his hands white-knuckled on Quentin’s, a tether, a guideline, a true north in a storm.] But I didn’t. I didn’t give up. And I proved myself, and my commanding officer saw it and he said – he said I did well. He said he was going to train me himself, because.

[A shuddery inhale, half-laugh, half hiccuping sob.] Because I had potential. Because I wasn’t…I wasn’t what Alvida said I was. I wasn’t useless and pathetic and a waste of space and I wasn’t her toy anymore. [Koby sniffs, exhales, tips his forehead to press to Quentin’s, nose bumping his, hands loosening in favor of stroking both thumbs across his knuckles, breathing in the scent of him, the sound of him, the warmth of him there, real, real and bright and unyielding like the sun itself.] And now I’m here. With you.