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layla4567 · 1 month

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aww

When The Straw Hats Fall In Love... (One Piece Request)

Pairings: Luffy x Reader, Zoro x Reader, Sanji x Reader, Nami x Reader, Usopp x Reader

Monkey D. Luffy

- When Monkey falls in love he's not even sure he can put his finger quite on what's happening to him. All he knows is that he likes it. A lot.

- Luffy gets excited when any new pirate joins his crew, his constant ability to see the best in people never ceasing to amaze the rest, but when you first set foot aboard the Merry it's better than he could have ever imagined.

- When you're around he feels a new level of confidence, like he's two steps closer to achieving his dream and everything is working out for him just how it's supposed to be. He wakes up every morning and practically bounces out of bed at the thought of seeing your smile and sharing his thoughts from the night before with you.

- He loves all his friends, but with you he feels a thousand feet tall, stomach bubbling up in excitement, no matter how much he's eaten. He's always bothering Nami at her desk trying to find cute islands to stop off at along the way, just in case that would make you smile and his life would feel complete once again.

- It would be Nami too that first helped Monkey realise just what he's feeling. The first time he skipped a meal to keep you company on your watch she'd realise this is more than just the usual Luffy charms. She'd be surprisingly thoughtful as she sat him down and talked him through what his feelings might mean, and if he thought it was at all possible he might like you more than a friend. What she wasn't expecting was for him to cheer at the top of his lungs, drawing the attention of the whole crew as he climbs aboard the table and screams for all to hear 'I'M IN LOVE!"

- Naturally the first thing he has to do is find you. He doesn't worry about if you don't feel the same way, because honestly that wouldn't make this feeling any less sweet, and if someone loved him this way, he'd definitely want to know. You'd be pulled from whatever you were concentrating on with a quick rap of knuckles against the door frame before Luffy charged in anyway, limbs flying everywhere as his feet skid to a halt just in front of you.

"Hey (y/n)! Nami just helped me realise I'm in love with you! Isn't that great?!" It's hard not to be taken aback by this, but with his big smile beaming at you, the young man practically vibrating with excitement at just the presence of his love, your heart quickly follows suit. Before you've even finished telling him that you feel the same his arms around wrapped tightly around you, pulling you into a hug of fierce adoration that he plans to repeat at least 100 times a day.

- Prepare yourself for; Surprise hugs and kisses when you least expect them, Luffy clinging to you every night without fail, afternoons spent on the ship's figurehead while he shouts echoing compliments to the oceans, midnight feasts, island adventures passed hand in hand, being told you are one of his new dreams, and unwavering support and loyalty.

Zoro

- Zoro knows exactly what that uncomfortable aching deep in his chest is, he just wasn't expecting to find it so distracting.

- Your voice calling his name echoes through his mind as he tries to practice his sword training, stirring enough that he finds himself glancing over his shoulder periodically just to ensure you haven't snuck up behind him, probably to check on him in that soft, selfless way you often do.

- Your face is the last thing that flashes before his eyes whenever he's in the throes of a sword fight, an extra consideration in how hard he has to fight to survive, to make sure he always makes it home safe to you. He'll never admit it but after a particularly dangerous day he'll often be found sleeping against the wall beside your cabin door. He finds he can't sleep sometimes unless he knows you're safe, and he'd never be so bold as to invite himself in.

- Your laughter always manages to bring a smile to his face, so much so that he envies Sanji's ability to make witless retorts that always manage to draw that sweet sound out of you. He asks Usopp to teach him a few jokes, but quickly leaves that lesson when he realises all these 'jokes' are just long stories of his so-called bravery.

- Zoro finds when he lays down to sleep, you are all he can dream of. The times you spoke that day, the way you looked as you shared a meal with the others, the efforts you put in to keep the crew safe and well. It floods his chest with warmth as you dance through his thoughts, spurring him to try and find even more excuses to be close to you the following day. To have a few extra moments by your side to help him drift off again.

- Zoro may think he's a stoic man of mystery, but after the first time he falls asleep leaning against your doorframe you start to get an idea of the depth of his feelings. You watch him warm to you and you alone, chasing your company every chance he can take it, and keeping a watchful eye over you whenever the situation turns dangerous. So after one of your more dangerous adventures, you listen out for the tell tale clanging of his swords as he sets up his camp outside your door, and finally you pull it open just a touch, enough for your words to escape without the swordsman having to face you.

"I always feel safer with you near Zoro, but why don't you come in so you can rest a bit more comfortably too?" You listen to the heavy pause your invitation leaves in the air until finally the door pushes slightly more open, and Zoro steps into your cabin, more bashful than you've ever seen him. As you take him gently by the hand and lead him to the untucked edge of your bed, you can feel your own heart swell with anticipation, the threshold of your door crossed and an invisible boundary broken down along with it.

- Prepare yourself for; furtive smiles thrown your way when no-one else is looking, a firm hand on yours whenever you two have to leave the ship, nights passed in peaceful quiet with Zoro's head resting on your lap, Zoro never far away when you're going about your day, grumpy grunts whenever Sanji flirts with you, and quiet confessions of the depths of his love when all is dark and still.

Nami

- Nami is furious. She's spent so much time and work putting up walls and barriers to keep her heart safe. To keep herself undistracted. To make sure she's a lone wolf that can look after number one when she needs to. And you hopped over every wall of her fortress with a simple hello and a trusting smile.

- Nami's the type to be in denial at first. She can't get lost in your beauty if she barely makes eye contact with you. She can't hang on your every word if you two hardly talk. She can't be in love with you if she convinces herself that she can't stand you, and keeps herself busy and out of your way.

- Unfortunately for her, absence only makes the heart grow fonder, and all of her efforts to change her mind only leave her craving your company even more. When she relents and sits next to you for the next cabin meal she feels a surge of guilt at her avoidance when you offer her the widest smile and say you're so happy to see her after she's been so busy. You were worried she wasn't looking after herself so you make sure Sanji gives her the biggest bowl before Luffy can come and claim it. At that point Nami knows there's no use fighting her feelings for the one person she can trust to look after her and her heart, even if she's spent most of her life convincing herself she doesn't need that. Her hand slides slowly across the bench until her little finger brushes against yours, the brief contact enough to light a spark in you both.

"I'll be around a lot more now."

- Prepare yourself for; Late night confessions under the stars, sitting with your legs intertwined as she works on maps, Nami always taking the seat next to yours and giving a death glare if one of the boys gets there first, evenings passed in small town bars learning card games and scooting your seats ever closer to each other, arms wrapping around your waist whenever you're working on something that requires your full attention, and being the safest place for one another in a chaotic pirate life.

Sanji

- Sanji has felt the aching touch of affection before, the ever flirty chef finding himself distracted by the beauty of many passing women, but from the minute he lays eyes on you, he knows he's never felt like this.

- He wants to flirt with you the way he's been practicing for years, but he finds whenever you smile up at him he gets short on breath and can only stare helplessly at you while you fill in the awkward silence. It takes him weeks of desperate longing before he can even hold a conversation with you, the sly smile plastered on his face more sincere than he would ever let on.

- He makes all your favourite foods, as often as he can get away with, putting in extra care and attention to the plate he plans to give to you. Every time you hum happily and praise his work, he feels weightless and euphoric, grateful for the hours spent honing his craft for the opportunity to impress you.

- It becomes a running joke amongst the crew that you're the only person Sanji won't flirt with, the behaviour all the more obvious by how red he turns whenever Zoro points it out to him, taking the chance to do an awful impression of Sanji flirting with you and coming out with lines Sanji views as completely unworthy of your ears. The truth is there's nothing he could say to make you love him with the unwavering depth that he loves you, no words that could capture the sheer wonder of your essence, the light that shines on him with every moment spent in your presence.

- You decide to take mercy on the chef one morning, waking before the rest of the crew and joining Sanji in the kitchen while he prepares to make everyone breakfast. He thinks about making a heartfelt comment about 'to what does he owe the pleasure of your company' or 'how it's unfair to visit him so early as it means his day will have already peaked' but he can't find the combination of words you deserve to hear so instead he just beams and says good morning, eyes devoted following your movements as you settle onto the kitchen counter beside where he's working.

"Sanji, why don't you flirt with me?" The question has hung in the air unspoken a dozen nights before, but today it's fired directly at him, sending his pulse racing as his mouth seems to seal shut of its own accord. He puts down the bowl he was intently stirring and approaches you instead, carefully tiptoeing the so obvious line between you.

"Well when I flirt with everyone else it's just harmless fun. It doesn't mean anything."

"And what would it mean with me?" He should have seen your follow up coming, the knowing look in your eyes spurring him to finally voice the affections that have plagued him for weeks.

"Everything." He watches open mouthed as your fingers run down the length of his tie before capturing the end, pulling him slowly towards your grinning lips and finally letting him find his confidence again.

- Prepare yourself for; breakfast in bed that quickly descends into heated kisses, being lifted onto the kitchen counter so Sanji can periodically stop by to kiss you while he cooks, cakes with soppy sentiment iced on top left outside your door throughout the day, unwavering physical affection regardless of whose around, a litany of sweet nicknames muttering directly into your ear as he nuzzles into your neck, and your lips being the sweetest thing the chef has ever tasted.

Usopp

- Usopp is no stranger to the feelings of love, having already stilled his heart once for a love that couldn't be, he finds himself once again falling head over heels when you enter his life.

- A man of outlandish tales and dramatic exploits, the first hint that you might be someone special to him is the fact that when he's alone with you he only wants to tell the truth. No dramatics, no exageration, when he's with you Usopp just wants to tell you everything that he's ever experienced exactly as it happened. He needs you to know the truth about his life, he needs you to see the real him, he needs you to look at him for exactly who he is, so you can decide if that's an Usopp you can love.

- He often offers to make you a warm tea before bed, when the ship is quiet and he can steal a moment of privacy, so the two of you can stare out the small rounded windows in your cabins and just let your thoughts and feelings spill out like water bubbling too close to the surface. He finds himself enthralled with your reactions to his tales, the kindness you offer him when he speaks of his mother, the genuine praise to even his minor accomplishments, and the shared joy when you two recount you time with Luffy.

- When he ends your talks, when you're both struggling to keep your eyes open and threatening to drift off in each other's arms and he finally gets up the resolve to excuse himself so you can rest, he always ends them by telling you that you're the only person who knows that story. You think he's just making you feel special, that he's known for sharing these glimpses into his past, but the truth is that you ARE special and only you have ever heard this side of Usopp before.

- Usopp speaks so honestly and so freely around you that he finds himself having to hold back describing his feelings for you most nights. He hates that that's the one thing he's yet to be honest about, but he knows that with every passing night, his confession only becomes more inevitable. What he doesn't expect is you leaning across the small bench you two are curled up on and placing a soft kiss on his cheek at the end of one night, and telling him you hope he will always share his stories with you. The beaming smile on his face as he promises he'll keep telling you stories forever, leaning back in for a kiss of his own, reveals as much as his words do.

- Prepare yourself for; Usopp dancing with you at inopportune moments, you being the greatest source of his strength and bravery, hunting through markets for little matching accessories, lying on the beach together whenever an island's weather allows, never keeping any secrets, and the arms of the bravest pirate boyfriend constantly wrapping around your waist.

#opla #opla sanji #opla zoro #opla luffy #opla nami #opla usopp

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layla4567 · 1 month

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Hello! I have been missing because I was on vacation but I am back

#opla #marvel #personal thoughts

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layla4567 · 2 months

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Opla old men with a short fem!reader || Buggy, Shanks and Dracule

☆ He's enchanted by you but also he's a dickhead so when he met you he took you to his circus

☆ Buggy enjoys the power dynamics and feels good about finally experiencing being in charge. He drags you from here to there, he places you in high places laughing mischievously (then he takes you down from there), etc. But let's not fool ourselves, Buggy is soft on the inside so when no one is watching he is very submissive to you and he lets himself be bossed around by you, which is fun because it's like watching a mouse manipulate a dog.

☆ But despite all that he has never maliciously made fun of your height (he only makes some harmless jokes and jokes). He knows very well what it feels like to be laughed at (nose problem) so he avoids going over the line. He just wants you to laugh with him :)

☆ In fact, if he finds out that someone hurt your feelings, Buggy himself will go after that person and maybe torture them in his tank of doom (oops!)

♡ Be prepared for a parental attitude because this man will be very protective to you. He's like a dad around you, he will make sure to watch over you and keep you close so that nothing bad happens to you, like he did with Luffy.

♡ Of course you aren't a child and he understand that but he can't help himself. It's only until you get angry that he gives you your space (but he keeps looking at you from afar)

♡ Shanks loves you just the way you are. Before losing his arm he loved carrying you in every way possible: bridal style, you on his back, on his shoulders, etc. He also liked to hug you by the waist and spin you around since you are very light.

♡ After losing his arm he still manages to touch you with only one arm or continue to keep you close, he puts his arms around your shoulders or your waist. His favorite part is when you sit on his lap with your arms around his neck and his hand resting on your thighs firm enough so you don't fall.

◇ This man couldn't care less how tall you are. That doesn't mean that he doesn't enjoys teasing you, in fact he does

◇ Sometimes he surrounds you like a carrion vulture and delights in noticing that you feel intimidated by him. Others simply stand behind you without you realizing it and whisper things in your ear to give you goosebumps (sometimes they just wait for you to turn around and jump in fright).

◇ But Mihawk can also be protective when he wants to. He always keeps you in his castle away from his work, it's not like you're in captivity, you're free to go and do whatever you want but as long as he's not around you'll have to stay.

◇ He protects you at all costs and if he has no choice but to take you on a mission he will always stay behind him, covering you with his sword. He sometimes calls you "pet" (not derogatory) and in fact he is so tall and you are so short that from time to time he forgets that you are near him and sometimes he has lost sight of you (although all he has to do is lower his head to look at you)

#opla x reader #opla #op #one piece #one piece live action #one piece netflix #dracule mihawk #shanks #buggy #headcanon #opla headcanons #opla buggy #opla shanks #opla mihawk #fem reader

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layla4567 · 2 months

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God, the part where they separate and she wants to follow her heart reminded me of the scene where Jane says goodbye to Tarzan but then comes back because her father told her to do so 😭

Being a native of Foosha Village and falling for Shanks would involve...

Shanks x reader

Sorry if the timeline is a bit wonky, I wasn't able to determine how long exactly the Red Haired pirates spend on Foosha nor how much time passes between the beginning of Luffy's adventure and him getting a bounty, at least in the Live Action continuity...

*****

🏴‍☠️ Being Foosha's resident doctor, you have known Luffy since he was a baby; he is usually in good health, but sometimes you are called to treat a small wound or a bruise he sustained while he played... or got into trouble as usual. You quickly grow fond of the child, who in turn comes to consider you as a sort of older sister. He routinely eats at your place when the Partys is closed, and you insist he regularly attends the village's school, pointing out even a pirate needs a basic education.

🏴‍☠️ One day you are called to the village's little harbour; a pirate crew has docked that morning, some members of the crew have come down with a sickness they cannot diagnose, and the captain has insisted none of them go ashore lest they infect the villagers. Privately you have your misgivings about their presence, in case your visitors are the sort of people who depredate defenseless villages and indulge in violence and bloodshed for the sheer pleasure of it, but as a doctor you have sworn to assist any person who needs it, so you take your bag, introduce yourself once you have reached the ship, and are admitted on board.

🏴‍☠️ You are quickly brought to the captain, and so you find yourself face to face with Red-Haired Shanks, one of the most famous pirates of the Four Seas... even though he doesn't look particularly glorious at the moment. He explains that the first signs of the sickness appeared three weeks ago, when a few of his men started coughing and complaining of chills even though it was summer, and soon many of them were struck down with the fever that, in the confined spaces of the ship, quickly spread to the whole crew, even though the captain ordered to confine the sick in their quarters... and then to do the same to the healthy ones, to protect them. There had been no one capable to treat the men, since the ship doctor had been killed in a scuffle with another crew two months ago, and since then they had not acquired another yet.

🏴‍☠️ "Not the wisest decision of my life, I know; I should have realized that a doctor is vital for a crew, more than a cook or even a navigator. I thought we would have more time, because we hadn't needed one in more than a year... please, help us." he says; he is lying on his cot, clearly weak and in pain for the fever, but there is an unquestionable, unquenchable energy in his eyes, the desperate fire of his force of will that has led him to become one of the most respected and powerful pirates of the Four Seas, burning as bright as his red hair "I will pay you well, you have my word, and I promise we came to your village to rest for a while and search for help; we don't want to hurt anyone. No, take care of my men first; some of them have been in pain for weeks. Save them, I beg you."

🏴‍☠️ The desperation in his voice, the sincere worry of a captain who deeply cares for the men under his command, would be enough to dispel your qualms, if you had any. You immediately start attending your patients, and are relieved to realize they are suffering from red fever, a technically fatal illness that can nonetheless be quite easily cured, that a few men probably contracted on the last island they visited and then spread to the rest of the crew. The number of patients to treat causes some difficulty, but fortunately Foosha's apothecary is well-stocked with the ingredients you need to prepare the medicine, and Makino and a few other women offer to assist you as nurses. It takes a few days, but soon Shanks and his men are on the road to recovery, the least sick already back to health.

🏴‍☠️ Shanks is immensely relieved for your help, and thanks you profusely; as he promised, he offers to reward you handsomely for your service, and seems impressed when you insist to accept your usual fee and nothing more, plus a compensation for your assistants. "I am a doctor." you simply explain, shrugging your shoulders and sincerely convinced there is nothing heroic, or even just commendable, in what you did "I swore to help whoever needed it, pauper or King, hero or bandit; you and your men were sick, and I could treat you. End of the story." "Nevertheless, I really appreciate your help, doctor; meeting you was a blessing from the Gods." Shanks says; he is back on his feet, his already familiar straw hat on his head, and you find yourself smiling back without realizing. He has a very nice smile. "I was happy to help; and please, call me (name)."

🏴‍☠️ As promised, Shanks and his men create no disturbance in Foosha; rather, they take such a liking to your little village that they decide to stay for a while, to rest before resuming their travels. The villagers quickly grow fond of them, and soon Shanks and his crew become part of your community, as if those men hailing from the four corners of the world had always been there. You are, for obvious reasons, one of the first they come to know, and you learn to appreciate their company... especially the captain's.

🏴‍☠️ Once he and his men no longer need your assistance as doctor, you would have no reason to seek Shanks' company, nor he yours; still, you end up meeting every day or almost, all of it because of (or thanks to, you'll think back later) Luffy. Becoming a pirate has always been your young friend's dream and aspiration, and predictably Shanks, an expert captain and famous corsair, quickly becomes his idol; he follows him around, hanging off his words, begging to know about their travels and adventures, which Shanks is always happy to. Soon your young friend become a sort of mascotte for the pirate crew, a younger brother they all like and are happy to entertain.

🏴‍☠️ You are in the habit of going to the Partys every night, both to relax after work for a drink and spend some time with Luffy, and the pirates have likewise selected the bar as their favourite meeting point, which means that without either of you realizing (or wanting, which doesn't mean you regret it, or even try to avoid it) you and Shanks quickly become acquainted well beyond the simple relationship between a doctor and an one-time patient.

🏴‍☠️ The first opportunity you have to really bond happens during your village's yearly festival: there is music, food, dancing, even a firework display, and the pirates are obviously happy to join the celebration. You are sitting alone in front of a bonfire, having gotten momentarily separated from your friends, looking at the couples dancing as you vaguely reflect on your duties for tomorrow, when suddenly Shanks appears next to you. "You don't like dancing?" he inquires after you have greeted each other, as he slides on the bench next to you, a jug in his hands; you shrug, admitting that you actually do, but you haven't been invited by any of the men present. "Oh! Then they don't know what they're missing." Shanks seriously comments; he drinks a sip from his drink, leaves it on the bench, stands, and offers you hid hand. "Shall we?" he asks. "There is no need, really! You don't have to..." you hurry to explain, and he determinedly shakes his head. "I know I don't have to; but believe it or not, I enjoy dancing, and I am told I am pretty good at it. Come on, it is a night of celebration; let's enjoy it."

🏴‍☠️ You could point out that from what you have seen the pirates don't need a special occasion to revel and have fun, but you gladly accept Shanks' hand and let him lead you to the improvised dancefloor in the village's square. Shanks takes one of your hands in his, gently rests the other on your hip, and a moment later you are moving together in time with the music, and Shanks had not lied, he is actually a very good dancer, and you can't help smiling as you follow his steps, noticing that the red of his hair is even brighter than usual thanks to the light of the bonfire, and his smile brighter still. In the end, the rhythm changes to a slow dance, and Shanks gently circle your waist with an arm, just like all the men around you are doing with their partners. "Is this... all right?" he asks, suddenly uncertain, and you nod, intimately surprised of how all right it is, as you silently rest both of your arms on his shoulders, your hands overlapping behind his head. Another smile passes between you, a smaller, more intimate one; you suddenly feel shy, and giddy, and you wish this moment would never end.

🏴‍☠️ Unfortunately it does, in the end, when Shanks' men reclaim his help for a prank they are pulling; he then takes your hand and kisses the back. "The men of the village don't know what they are missing, you are a very good dancer." he says, and then the other drag him away, and you remain there, suddenly alone, and wondering why you feel so warm in the face, while the party goes on around you. Sleep eludes you that night, and when you finally dream, it is of him, still unsure whether what you are feeling is simply due to the moment of intimacy you shared during your dance... or this is something more lasting, and deep.

🏴‍☠️ You are still thinking about it that night, as you nurse your usual drink at the Partys, so lost in your thoughts Makino asks if you are all right. Before you can answer, "Is this seat taken?" someone asks pointing to the stool next to yours; it is Shanks, smiling at you, and you smile back as you nod, and he asks Makino for some dinner, his leg brushing against yours under the counter as he sits. Once more, you are quietly enjoying each other's company; as he eats, Shanks look at you out of the corner of his eye, and when your gazes meet and you realize, he smiles, not exactly unabashed but still not shy, open in his interest, and it is not the first time a man looks at you, but still, you feel yourself blushing... and, you discover, it is not an unpleasant sensation. Not at all. He asks about your job, and you reciprocate inquiring about a few places he and his crew have visited, and that you have always dreamed of seeing, even though you have never left Dawn Island, and have lived in the village your whole life. You doubt anything you can have to say could be of interest for Shanks, but he seems sincerely taken by your conversation... until his leg touches yours under the counter once more, this time not by accident, and you feel all the blood, and the warmth, of your body rush to your face.

🏴‍☠️ "I have made you uncomfortable. I am sorry." Shanks says after a moment, misinterpreting your silence for discomfort, and you quickly shake your head; you can see Luffy approaching on the street behind him, ready to demand his idol's complete attention, and you hurry to take advantage of the little time you have left. "Not at all. I... I am glad we had a chance to talk. I like it. I... I like talking to you." "And I like talking to you, (name). Really. You are... a really good person."

🏴‍☠️ After a while you decide it is time to go home. "See you tomorrow, Makino." you say as you take your bag and stand, and in a moment, Shanks has done the same. "I'll walk you home." he proposes, more as a request than as an order, and you are suddenly a young girl again, because your heart skips a beat. "But Luffy..." "Luffy is with the others, they can take care of them for a few minutes; there'll be no problem... unless you'd rather go alone, that is."

🏴‍☠️ Two minutes later you are walking side by side along the village's main street; you have slipped your arm under Shanks', his happy smile making you unconcerned about the gossip that will probably spread in the village as soon as someone sees the two of you together. You don't talk much, still enjoying each other's company, but Shanks uses his free arm to return the greeting of a few people who cross your path. "I love this place." he says after a while "The people here are so friendly and kind, I feel I could stay here forever."

🏴‍☠️ Usually a compliment paid to your village would please you; still, those kind words feel like someone had spilled a bucket of cold water on your head. "But you will not, right?" you realize, thinking out loud "You are pirates, the Sea is your home, and a stay in a town or village a simple vacation. You have been here for about two months; you'll probably leave soon, right?"

🏴‍☠️ Shanks' silence, and the touch of guilt in his dark eyes, is answer enough; he tries to meet your gaze, but you avoid him, suddenly feeling the stupidest, naivest woman of the East Sea. After a minute spent looking at your feet you hear Shanks softly calling your name. "I'm fine, don't worry..." "No, I mean... I think we're here, aren't we?" he asks, and your embarrassment deepens when you realize that you had indeed reached your house, and were it not for him you would have walked past it, and kept going until you crossed the whole village. "I'm sorry, I... I am so dumb..." you mumble as you begin searching for the keys in your bag.

🏴‍☠️ Shanks remains silent until he sees you open the door; he is serious, more serious than you've ever seen him, but his eyes are full of sadness. "I am sorry." you repeat, not quite sure what you're apologizing for, and he shakes his head. "I should be the one apologizing." he gently says; you're standing on the doorway, face to face, and you're torn between the impulse of closing the door, sparing yourself another moment of pain... and the desire to take advantage of the little time you have left, and invite Shanks in. You know he'll not decline (... right?), and it'll probably make it harder to say goodbye when he and his men will leave, and you're usually not one to let your feeling dictate your actions, but...

🏴‍☠️ "I better go." Shanks says, sparing you the need to decide, and for a terrible moment you think he means he's leaving Foosha right now, but he simply takes a step back, a sweet and concerned smile on his handsome face. "I am a pirate." he gently says "This is the life I have chosen, and... I will keep living it until there is life left in my body. I am not saying it is always easy, nor that I have never been tempted, but I could never live on land, no matter how... how good the company would be." "I would never ask you to." you assure him; the simple idea of a man who has probably lived a pirate life since he was a boy and has become one of the most notorious captains in the Four Seas, leaving everything behind for you, after having known you for two months, is risible, of course, but still, why can't you help feeling the tiniest bit disappointed? "Your men need you, and being a pirate is in your soul. You could never be happy otherwise, and... I want you to be happy, Shanks."

🏴‍☠️ There is nothing else to say, and after a quiet goodbye Shanks depart, and you remain looking at him through your window as you mentally chastise yourself, because how could you be so stupid to catch feelings for a man who you'll never have? You have only known each other for a few weeks, and the sooner he leaves the sooner your heart will begin healing, but you already fear you will never forget Shanks, not even in a hundred years.

🏴‍☠️ You begin avoiding him as much as you can, which means mainly avoiding the harbour and the Partys (you tell Makino this is a particularly busy period for your practice, not wanting her to think it is because of her; she looks at you, clearly unconvinced, but accepts your explaination) and hoping whatever feeling you have developed will soon start dissipate, like crushes often do, until... until one day Luffy shows up at your home, crying and more upset than you've ever seen him. "It's not me; it's Shanks." he says when you, terrified, start checking him for wounds or injuries "You need to come now, (name), he... he..."

🏴‍☠️ He wouldn't have looked for you if the patient were beyond helping, but Luffy is too upset to explain what exactly has happened to the captain, which can only increase the terror in your heart; you run to the harbour as quickly as your legs can carry you, and when you reach his cabin on the ship, Shanks, lying on his cot and surrounded by his closest friends, smiles, clearly pained but happy to see you. "Hey, here's my favourite dance partner." he says "I am fine, don't worry..." He clearly isn't, and your legs amost collapse under you when you see what has happened to his left arm; you are able to remain calm and focused as you clean the wound to avoid infection and then bandage it, while Shanks looks silently on, his eyes full of warmth and pain, not necessarily for himself.

🏴‍☠️ "What has happened to you?" you ask in the end, sitting on a stool Luffy has brought you before leaving with the others; Shanks quietly answers telling you all about the child's kidnapping, him intervening and having to fight the Sea King that inhabits the waters around the island, and this is when you start crying, overwhelmed by the courage and generosity of the man in front of you, who has paid such a terrible price for it. What will he do now? You know how tenacious and strong he is, but will he be able to fight and lead his men without an arm? You have already treated this sort of wound, and you know it might keep paining him for the rest of his days; what if an enemy takes advantage of his weakness and he can't defend himself...?

🏴‍☠️ "I am all right." he gently says as he uses the hem of his cape to dry your tears, and you feel more guilty than ever, because he has just gone through a terrible trauma, and still he is able and willing to comfort you "Truly; Luffy is safe and this is what matters. It is just an arm, I have a spare one to use..." "How can you joke about it?" you ask, crying and laughing at the same time, and then you have thrown your arms around his neck, sobbing and hating how useless you feel, and Shanks holds you tight with his arm around your waist and his cheek against your shoulder, feeling your very presence more soothing and healing than any opiate or medicine he could have taken. "It is so good to see you again." he whispers; you can both feel your hearts beating as one, a sensation whose beauty and sweetness you cannot describe in words "I know you've avoiding me. No, no, it's ok; I know why you did it, and it's probably for the best, even though I have missed you..."

🏴‍☠️ You don't answer, quietly enjoying the peace and comfort Shanks' presence always brings you despite the heartbreak; there must be dozens of men on the ship around you, but you are alone in the tiny, sparsely furnished cabin, enjoying a fleeting, precious moment of intimacy. In the end you turn your face to meet Shanks' gaze, and you do not vocalize your feelings, but he understands them all the same, and a moment later your mouths meet in the sweetest, most intense kiss of your life. Shanks moans, his lips avidly caressing yours, and a moment later you are running your fingers through his hair, and you want him so much your heart is about to burst.

🏴‍☠️ When you finally part, five minutes later, neither of you is smiling. "I don't want to cause you pain." Shanks says, deadly serious; his hand is holding yours, his thumb caressing the back "We are meant to leave in three weeks..." "And you will; I will not beg you to stay, and I know that saying goodbye will be harrowing; but it'll be anyway, since I can't stop thinking about you." you admit with a sigh "I want to be with you, Shanks, be it for a day or a year; if, ehm, you want to be with me, and I know you are in pain, and obviously as a doctor I am not supposed to date my patients..."

🏴‍☠️ You are blabbering, as usual when you are nervous, but Shanks is quick to put an end to your speech kissing you soundly once more, holding you as if he never wants you to go. You lie down on the cot together, your legs entwined and your bodies pressing against each other, but after a while you are forced to stop and change position, because a moan of pain warns you your side was pressing agains the stump of his arm. "My poor darling, I am so sorry for what has happened to you." you murmur, but Shanks smiles, and gently kisses your forehead. "Luffy is safe and you are here next to me." he says "As far as I'm concerned, it was a small price to pay."

🏴‍☠️ You and Shanks are determined to make the most of the little time you have, so you are nearly inseparable for the next three weeks. You don't want to neglect your work, since your patients need you, but if you are not at your practice, you are with him. You sleep in his cabin (the cot is tiny, but squeezing together is not a problem for the two of you) make sure his wound is clean and neatly bandaged, and walk with him on your favourite beach, enjoying his quiet, solid presence next to you, his beautiful smile, and the way he has to circle your waist and lead you in a dance when you least expect it, making you laugh. Luffy reacts with disgust the first time he sees the two of you sharing a kiss, but he is happy for you, secretly thinking you and Shank deserve each other - and for the future young King of the Pirates there is no better compliment than this.

🏴‍☠️ Before you become intimate for the first time, Shanks asks you to make sure you don't get pregnant, and you comply, privately thinking you wouldn't mind having his baby, were it not unfair to both to keep father and child separated, quite the opposite, because a child with his smile and eyes would alleviate the solitude you know you will suffer once he will have left. You feed him food with your fork at the Partys, fall asleep lulled by his heartbeat, and sit next to him at the end of the wharf, your legs dangling and his arm around your shoulders as you look at the sun setting behind the horizon, and wish your time together would never end.

🏴‍☠️ It does, unfortunately, and on one clear, warm morning, Shanks and his crew prepare to leave the village. Luffy is inconsolable, even after Shanks gifts him his most precious possession, his straw hat, with the promise to ask for it back when the young boy has become a great pirate; you, on the other hand, feel pain and heartbreak beyond words and tears. The two of you have spent the whole night making love, with an intensity and an abandon you had never experienced before, and he looked as grief-stricken as you feel while he whispered his feelings in your ear and promised he would never forget you, but still, your heart is full of doubts and anguish while you walk to the harbour to say goodbye to the man who has, in true pirate fashion, stolen your heart. He lied about your affection to comfort you, an unpleasant voice whispers in your ear. He has a woman like you in every town and port his ship visits. He will forget your face in less than a month and in two he won't remember ever meeting you. Worst of all, he will die soon, battling another pirate crew or drowning, and you'll cry for him for the rest of your days...

🏴‍☠️ A few of the pirates you have gotten to know in the last months say goodbye to you and you wish them good luck, having gotten sincerely fond of those brave, freedom-hungry men who have chosen such a dangerous way of life and can face any enemy with a smile on their faces. In the end, you and Shanks find yourselves face to face, and "Please, do not cry; I am already desperate, your tears would kill me." he softly begs as the tips of his fingers caress your cheek, and you shake your head: you can't help being sad, you admit, but you knew this moment would come and do not regret being with him, even just for a few short days, and no matter what the future has in store, you will keep him in your heart forever. "Just promise me one thing: find a doctor for your crew, as soon as possible; I can't stand the idea of you and your men travelling without someone taking care of your health." you ask him, and for the first time since you met, you see Shanks hesitating. "I will, I promise; but..." "But?"

🏴‍☠️ "But, I was hoping I wouldn't need to look for a doctor; that you would join my crew and fill the spot. I... I know it would change your life, and I won't lie to you, it is a dangerous life, especially for a person who is not a trained fighter and even if we would all do everything we can to ensure your safety. We have known each other only for a few months, but it would make me the happiest man on the Sea if... oh, forget it, it was a stupid idea, how egotistical can I be asking you to leave everything you know and love for..." He is mumbling, and looking at him in that moment, unsure but hopeful, all your doubts and fears disappear like snow at the first light of spring; he cares about you, he really does, much more than simply because of the advantges your presence on the ship would provide the crew, but since he could never renounce his way of life to be with you, he feels unworthy of asking you to do the same. How could you ever doubt him?, you wonder while tears of happiness begin falling from your eyes... and how can you say no to him?

🏴‍☠️ "Oh, Shanks... nothing would make me happier; I'd leave in a minute if it meant being with you." you sincerely answer "But I can't. I am the only doctor in the village, and it would take months to request the capital to send another one here; I can't in all conscience leave my patients without anyone caring for their health. And there is Luffy; he needs me, at least for a few more years. Believe me, I... I am not simply looking for an excuse; I really want to be with you, but..." "I know." he interrupts you, and the reassurance about your feelings for him doesn't make your refusal easier to accept. "I know what sort of person you are, how much you care for the people of the village; I wouldn't expect any less from you." You sigh, wishing for a moment you could actually disavow your professional oath and forsake the people you have promised to take care of, and follow the man you love towards whatever fate awaits him. You are doing the right thing, professionally and towards a boy you love as if he were a child of your body, but the prospect of losing Shanks forever makes you feel as if you were renouncing a part of you...

🏴‍☠️ "You know, it... It doesn't have to be forever." you tentatively add wringing your hands, a moment after one of the men has called to Shanks to tell him they're ready to go "It will be a few years, but one day Luffy will be old enough to take care of himself, and in the meantime I could instruct a new doctor for the village or ask for one to be sent here. And then, once I'm no longer needed... I-I could come. To you. I mean, I wouldn't ask you to wait for me, if you... met someone else, or if simply your feelings changed..." "I will." Shanks immediately answers; he's looking at you as if no treasure he could ever find would compare "I'll wait for you, and you'll wait for me, and once Luffy no longer needs you, I'll come back for you. And from then on, no one and nothing will ever separate us."

🏴‍☠️ The promise is sealed with a kiss, that you and your lover share on the harbour in full view of the crew and the villagers, and there is no need to say you love each other, because a look of Shanks's warm eyes is enough to reassure you and he can read the same feelings in your gaze. A few minutes, and you are looking at the ship disappearing into the horizon with Luffy by your side, not bothering to hold back your tears while a stubborn, fierce hope fills your heart.

🏴‍☠️ Ten years pass, slowly, often excruciatingly so, but at least you can keep busy instead of spending days and nights crying over your lost love. You focus on your work, finding gratification and sincere joy in taking care of the people you grew up and live with, and helping them when they are sick or wounded; five years after you said good-bye to your lover, two girls who have just completed their studies at the village's school ask for permission to follow you in your work, and you gladly take them on as apprentices. You write to the libraries of the larger towns in the island, asking for books written by ship doctors or that would help you specialize for your future responsabilities as a member of Shanks' crew, and follow his adventures in the papers.

🏴‍☠️ The news of your and Shanks' promise has somehow spread to the village, and save for Luffy and a few of your friends, most of the people think you are wasting the best years of your life, and should have never believed in him. "He said that to make fun of you, or at least to comfort you and make you think he actually cared." they say "He's a pirate, (name), he must have a woman like you in every harbour. By now he has probably been with ten others." "Even if he actually cared, ten years is ages to spend waiting for someone! What if he dies in the meantime? And even if he returned, are you sure you want to live such a dangerous life?" "Don't you want to marry and raise a family? A pirate ship is no place for a child, and in ten years you'll be past marriageable age; there are many good men here in the village..."

🏴‍☠️ They mean well (most of them do, at least), but you don't listen, and while you miss Shanks more and more every day and sometimes even wish you had forgotten duties and responsibilities to follow your heart, because whatever length of time destiny will allow you to spend together you will have still wasted ten years, you never waver, sure in your heart you have made the right choice, and you don't care how naive and idealistic you would sound if you said it out loud, you know he's also thinking of you, saddened by the distance between you and nonetheless carrying on, knowing nothing and no one will stop you from being together once the time is right. The idea of becoming a pirate is both terrifying and exciting, and had you not met Shanks, you would have been happy to stay in Foosha forever, single or otherwise; but now you know he is your destiny, and you will share whatever future and dream he will pursue, because you know he will always be worthy of your devotion.

🏴‍☠️ On the other hand, you do miss him. Fiercely, desperately, a feeling which is hunger (why is his warm body not flushed against yours when you wake up? Where are the avid and sloppy kisses you had already become dependent on, and that now you cannot do without?) and jealousy (is another woman flirting with him in this very moment? Touching him, smiling at him, catching his attention even if just for a moment? And how can you discover her name and city or village of residence, to go and teach her not to touch what belongs to others?) and protectivity (what if something happens to him and you're not there to take care of him? Has he found a doctor like he had promised you?) all in one, that becomes a permanent presence inside you, from the moment you wake to when you go to sleep... and sometimes even longer. His smile, his kind and determined voice, the subtle energy and power his very figure emanated... you even miss his cold feet, and that affectionate but vaguely annoying way that he had to pull your hair to get your attention. Deep in your heart, you know he is also thinking about you, that he remembers his promise and is honoring it, no matter how difficult it might be; but however pleasant and productive your days are, no matter the joy you feel in being in the company of your friends and in successfully treating your patients, his absence is still a weight in your heart, a dull but persistent pain that before long becomes as familiar as the colour of your hair of the medical coat you wear at your practice. You have not stopped eating (that would be bad for your health!) and you are not going to wither away like the protagonist of a romantic novel whose sweetheart has deserted her, but you miss him, deeply and desperately, and every time your eyes fall on a red-haired head, your heart skips a beat...

🏴‍☠️ Luffy is, as you expected, the only one who fully believes in Shanks' promise to you, just like you trust the pact the captain and the child have made about Luffy's future and the straw hat; you never told him he, and his well-being, is one of the two main reasons why you elected to stay in Foosha, because a child doesn't deserve to feel guilty for the choices of an adult, but Luffy is much smarter and more perceptive than he is given credit for, and in the end it is you who, exactly ten years after saying goodbye to Shanks, he tells he is finally ready to leave the village to pursue his dream... and you need to do the same. "I know you have stayed here to look after me, (name); and I appreciate it a lot. But now I can take care of myself, and I'm leaving to find a crew and become King of the Pirates. You have to go too; don't you want to see him, after all these years? I'm sure he missed you a lot too; find him, become his doctor, and say hi for me."

🏴‍☠️ You do. After an heart-felt goodbye ("Don't lose the first-aid kit I gave you! And please, Luffy, I don't need you to remind you to eat, but don't get cold!") you prepare a small luggage and your doctor's bag, entrust your practice to your apprentices (who by now are more than up to the task, and who you know will take as good care of the villagers as you did), and your home's keys to Makino, and leave. Part of you still can't believe you are actually doing it, that you are leaving everything you knew and loved behind, the village you were born in and all your things at home, to pursue a life you are probably unprepared for and that could cost you your life, but you don't care, and whatever happens, you know you won't regret the choice you have made... the choice to follow your heart.

🏴‍☠️ The only, but not negligible, difficulty you have to face is that you have absolutely no idea where Shanks is. Your deal was that he would come back to get you in Foosha once Luffy no longer needed you, but since you have no way to contact him, you can't ask him to meet; the most reasonable choice would be to wait for your young friend to make a name for himsef, either earning a bounty of fighting the Marines, so that news of him having left the village and become a pirate would reach Shanks, who would then know it is time to make good on his promise, but not knowing how long it would take, and determined not to waste any more time, you decide to take the matter in your own hands and go to Shanks yourself... even though you have no idea how, and where to find him. According to a by now weeks old newspaper article you had read, your lover has been seen in a certain island across the East Sea, so you buy a ticket to reach it, hoping to still find him there, or at least that he had left word of where he would head next.

🏴‍☠️ Ten days of navigation later, the ship has to make a stop along the way to resupply; you are walking down the dock as you wait for the captain to call the passengers back on board, trembling with excitation and hoping you and your lover will soon be reunited, when your eyes casually fall on a man walking down the pier, unhurriedly but with the sort of determination that leads anyone who crosses his path to give way. You have never met him, but your lover has told you about him, and you would have recognized him in any case, because Dracule Mihawk, the greatest swordman in the world, is not the kind of man you can mistake for someone else... if only for the enormous sword, as long as he is tall, hanging from his shoulders. Normally you would have no reason to approach him, not last because Mihawk doesn't seem the sort of man who tolerates being bothered without a good reason, but Shanks has told you the two of them know each other of old and are, if not exactly friends, at least good acquaintances; could the swordsman know where your lover is? Could he tell you, if you tell him you are also a friend of Shanks and he is supposed to meet you anyway?

🏴‍☠️ To approach him requires all your courage, since Mihawk, while perhaps not unnecessarily violent like some other pirates, is the most intimidating person you have ever met; but finding Shanks is more important than anything else in the world, and if you are to become part of the crew of an important pirate like your lover, you need to find your courage and learn to face danger with your head held high. So you reach him, and ask him if he knows where your lover is. "I mean him no ill will; actually... we are also good friends. I... I come from Foosha Village, my name is (name)..." you begin, stammering under the piercing gaze of the swordsman when suddenly he interrupts you. "You are the doctor, I gather. The one who remained at the village to care for the boy who had eaten the Devil Fruit." "Y-yes! It is me!" you exclaim, surprised and immediately flattered; Shanks has told him about you! "We had agreed to meet once Luffy had... well, I am looking for him now, and I am heading to the island where he was last seen but since you have known him for a long time, I thought that perhaps you know where he is..."

🏴‍☠️ Mihawk, apparently indifferent to your blabbering (he's probably used to people being nervous in his presence, and how could they not?) points out he is not Shanks' father nor a member of his crew, and as a consequence he is not in the habit of keeping an eye on his movements. "But coincidentally, I know where he is; in fact, I had in mind to meet him myself." he adds, before mentioning a semi-deserted island much closer to where you are than the one your ship is heading to "If you leave now, you can reach him before nightfall." It is the best news you have ever received, and you thank the swordsman profusely, forgetting for a moment how intimidated you are by his very presence. Mihawk simply nods, and then offers you a folded piece of paper. "If you meet Shanks, will you give him this for me? I think you know the person it concerns." he asks, and your eyes open wide as you open the bounty poster... Luffy's bounty poster! You haven't had access to newspapers during your journey, but it seems that in the few short weeks since he left the village your young friend has already made a name for himself, earning the attention of the Marines and, as a consequence, a remarkable bounty; you wouldn't have expected anything less from him, you think, your heart full of pride and happiness. "I thought Shanks would appreciate seeing it, given his interest in the boy." Mihawk points out "Will you give it to him, when you meet him?"

🏴‍☠️ Of course you promise, happy to save Mihawk the effort of going himself after the precious informations he gave you. Your heart pounding, you are quick to go back to the ship about to depart, retrieve your belongings and run, quickly telling the captain you have changed your mind and won't be continuing your trip with them. The smaller island you have to reach is very close but, you discover after asking around, there are no regular vessels that reach it, given that it is almost uninhabited (which is probably why Shanks and his men have chosen it as their base) but you are able to find a fisherman willing to get you there. And so, soon after dark, you finally lay foot on the same ground your lover is walking on, closer than you have ever been in ten long years...

🏴‍☠️ ... and you are immediately surrounded, a number of heavily armed pirates pointing their weapons at you, ready to shoot at the first sign of danger. "Don't, please! I mean you no harm, I am a friend!" you hurry to explain, recognizing a few of the pirates who were already in Shanks' crew when you first met and hoping they also remember you "I am (name), the doctor of Foosha village. Many of you were sick with red fever and I was able to help you, remember? I need to speak with Shanks, he's waiting for me... sort of..." Fortunately it works, and many of the pirates you had met ten years ago welcome you as a friend, still remembering what you had done for them, and lead you to their beach camp, where Shanks and the others are resting after an impromptu party.

🏴‍☠️ Ten years have passed, and still it takes you less than a moment to recognize the man sprawled in a hammock, even before the red hair and the lack of his left arm are visible; the handle of your bag slips from your fingers and falls on the sand. You must look horrible, you suddenly realize, tired after a long day of travel and with your hair tussled by the wind, and this is the sort of situation you would like to look your best for, but you don't care, you care about nothing in the world but the man in front of you, still lost in his hangover dreams.

🏴‍☠️ "Shanks." you murmur, theoretically too low for him to hear, but he does, even before his men can wake him up and tell him he has a visitor. He lifts his head, gingerly standing from the hammock, and in the darkness descending on the beach, he sees you, and for a full minute that's all he seems able to do, looking as if he can't believe his own eyes. "... (name?)" "H-hi." you stammer, suddenly shy and even scared; you have trusted him, and the bond between you, for ten years, confiding that what you shared could resist the test of time and that your lover would keep you in his heart like you have kept him in yours, but suddenly, now that the moment of truth has finally come, all your certainties seem to desert you. What if the people at the village were right, and you have wasted ten years of your life for a naive, romantic dream? What if Shanks has forgotten the promise you two shared? Even worse, what if he has decided to renounce it after time and distance ended up attenuating his feelings for you? You could go back to Foosha and resume your old life as village doctor, a good and productive life, but you know you will never survive the disappointment... "It's... it's good to see you. I came, ehm, I don't know if you remember what we had agreed to do once Luffy..."

🏴‍☠️ "You are here." Shanks murmurs, as if thinking out loud; suddenly sober, he stands and walks up to you, still disbelieving and at the same time delighted beyond words "I can't... you came. You actually came." "Yes, I did. I know we had agreed you would return to the village, but I have trained two new doctors, and Luffy has left to become a pirate, and you wouldn't believe it, he has already..." He stops you, not in words but with a hug; Shanks' arm has circled your waist, pressing your body against his, and it is all so familiar, from his scent to his touch to the sound of his voice, that suddenly you can't control yourself anymore, and you start crying, out of joy, out of relief, out of the simple and visceral pleasure of being with him, once more, with your captain, your lover, your Shanks. "I have missed you so much." you murmur, and his delighted laugh is music to your ears; Shanks presses his forehead against yours, still holding you close, while his crew rejoices all around.

🏴‍☠️ You walk together on the beach for a while, away from the camp, silently enjoying each other's company, until Shanks asks you about Luffy, who must have left the village since you did too, and you show him the bounty poster, that your lover observes with delighted pride. "I can't believe you asked Mihawk for directions..." "Well, I am not saying I wasn't trembling with fear, but I wanted to find you, no matter what. I... I have never stopped thinking about you, you know? And please, tell me you haven't spent ten years journeying through the Seas without a doctor." Shanks smiles, and explains that they actually found a doctor soon after departing Foosha, a capable man who took good care of the crew for ten years... and who just two weeks ago decided to leave, having met a special someone on an island they had docked at, leaving the position vacant. "I let him go, because I have never forced anyone to be part of my crew, but I had no idea you would come... Curious, isn't it? As if destiny had decided it was time for us to meet again, as we had promised."

🏴‍☠️ You shrug, mostly uninterested in assigning responsibility: whether it was destiny, or simple coincidence, you are together once again, not because of a concatenation of events but as a result of your own choices. You did what you thought was right, and now you are free, and determined, to follow your heart. "I came to join your crew, as you had asked me to do ten years ago." you tell Shanks, turning to face him; those words do not need to be said, but you want him to hear... to know that for a whole decade, you have never let him go in your heart "To be your doctor, and your lover, if you'll be mine. What do you say?" Shanks doesn't immediately answer; his hand touches your cheek, gingerly, as if he feared you were just a mirage about to disappear if he only looked too closely. "How beautiful you are." he murmurs "My (name)... ten years ago, I told you meeting you was a blessing from the Gods; I didn't know how right I was. I have never stopped thinking about you; I was sure Luffy would leave the village soon, since he is almost a grown man, and I was ready to come to you as soon as I was certain he didn't need you anymore. But now you're here, and I'm never letting you out of my sight."

🏴‍☠️ It is a promise and a declaration in one, nothing less than what you expected and the only thing you would have accepted. Shanks' hand finds yours; the night enveloping the beach hides a kiss that tastes like homecoming and cheap rhum, your lover's body welcoming you in the warmth and security of his embrace. From now on, your life together begins; from now on, you're part of the Red-Haired Pirate crew.

#shanks #red haired shanks #op #opla #opla shanks

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layla4567 · 2 months

Text

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN Pt3

Mihawk x Thief!Fem!reader

Pt2

Summary: The third time is the charm they say. It's time to end this once and for all. Mihawk will find you again and this time it will be forever, will he let you go or will he keep you just for himself?

Warnings: teasing, kissing, kidnapping, shanks apricion, worries, canon divergence, y/n use, swearing/bad words, injuries, beta read, ooc maybe(?, mention of sword fights, mention of blood, lil make out

Wc: 6,524 (phew)

A/N: I listened to a lot of Rosalia songs before writing this, I have no idea why lmao

gif divider: @k1ssyoursister

A good day of profits, yes indeed. Your life continued as always, the small changes made before (thanks to the inspiration and advice of a warlord) have improved your existence. You had gained more muscle mass and resistance, now people called you "The light of the east blue" and not "The shadow" and that fascinated you. You never thought that so much satisfaction would come from helping the poor survive (and making the government angry, of course)

It was so fun to see the humiliated faces of the men who chased you after being defeated by a woman. Your wanted posters were still scattered all over the island, the reward on your head was very large but you didn't give it any importance, they would never catch you alive, you had learned a lot and evolved. Besides, it was flattering to see your face everywhere, they had even brought out the good side of your face.

You walked happily around the island strutting and swinging your hips like a cat. You already expected all eyes on you and you appreciated the audience. The people around you looked at you satisfied, happy, proud. You were his salvation. You stopped in front of a rewards sign. Your face was shown in all its glory, you put your hands on your hips and smiled widely.

"Even my nose is correct"

You walked safely home, waving your hair while you felt all the eyes behind your back. When you entered your humble abode, you took off your heavy sword and took off your hat. As you hung it on the coat rack, you quietly resisted when you saw Mihawk's wide-brimmed hat. You still hadn't returned it to him. You were planning to keep it for a while longer, so he would have to. look for you instead of you looking for him. The game of cat and mouse was fun for you and you had taken a liking to it.

You sighed tiredly and were about to lie down comfortably on the couch when a knock came on your door. Grumbling you jumped up and went to open the door. Oh surprise! Some uniformed men with unfriendly faces had stopped in front of the entrance. They were taller than you and looked angry. Those of the government.

"Excuse me miss, are you y/n y/l?"-One of them cleared his throat

You tried to hide your surprise by crossing one leg in front of the other and resting one arm on the door frame, how quickly they had discovered your name. Of course you didn't tell them the truth.

"Sorry, I don't know who you're talking about, you must have the wrong person"

You were about to close the door when one of them stopped it by placing his palm on the wood.

"I don't think so. Maybe we should try one more time, shall we? Are you the one they call The Light of East Blue formerly nicknamed The Shadow?"

Shit. They knew, they weren't genuinely asking, they had found you, they knew exactly who you were and they just wanted you to confirm it. You could see a flash of evil amusement pass through their eyes and it infuriated you, they were treating you like a poor devil. But you weren't stupid

"Gentlemen, with all due respect, I think it's not the right time to chat now, why don't you come later?"

Again you made an attempt to close the door but they kicked it with so much force that you almost lost your balance and fell. Staggering, you backed away in a state of alert. Now were they coming to break into your own house? That never. The two men approached slowly with sickly smiles, believing themselves to be the hunters and you the prey, poor idiots, they must have understood for a long time that it was the other way around. Your eyes scanned your entire room and when they found your sword you looked back at them and cautiously approached your weapon. With a quick and accurate movement you grabbed your trusty sword and threatened them, brandishing it in front of them, you moved your sword from side to side to make them move away. They angrily retreated and you took the opportunity to push them and run between the two of them.

You ran at full speed trying to lose sight of them. At a safe distance you turned your head and saw that other men had joined the chase. The people around were booing the government and cheering you. This undoubtedly gave you the strength to continue running to the beach. Your feet flew in the sand although the men behind you still did not give up. Suddenly you saw something from afar that made your blood run cold, or rather someone's. The famous warlord stood with his Yoru sword, appearing to be talking to someone through an intercom in his ear. With satisfaction you noticed that his dark, slightly curly hair was waving in the wind, you celebrated that the hat you stole from him was the only one he had because his new appearance didn't look bad on him at all.

Dracule had turned as cannons continued to fire and sent the sand flying behind him. As he did so, he saw you running and raised an eyebrow curiously when he noticed that some men were chasing you.

"Well, well. What trouble have you gotten yourself into now?"-he thought quietly

Mihawk tightened his grip on his sword and raised it to his shoulder. You hadn't stopped running but you were getting closer to him. The closer you got, the stronger the explosions became and you had to crouch down slightly, covering your head so they wouldn't shoot you. You arrived agitatedly next to him and looked at him from below, when he had his hat on you were intimidated by looking at him that way since it made him look taller than he is, but now you simply licked your lower lip and gave him a mocking, shit-eating smile. He stooped slightly to see you better and tilted his head.

"What happened now?"-he said tired

You feigned innocence "What? I was just in my abode calmly resting when these ruffians appeared in front of my entrance"-You pointed with a pout at the men who were approaching.

The warlord looked up at them and growled softly

"I see… good luck with that"

He turned to leave with more important matters to do when you, offended and indignant, grabbed his arm and roughly forced him to look at you again. You were no longer afraid of him getting angry, you knew that physical contact was not his thing. Dracule focused his gaze on you again and his eyes twinkled at you. You didn't remove your hand from his arm yet. It had been a long time since your last meeting, you still remember the tickle of his jaw against your skin, his whispering voice in your ear. For weeks you tried to suppress that annoying tickling that appeared in your belly when you thought about him, at that moment or when you saw him.

"You're not going anywhere, Warlord, or have you already forgotten that you rebelled against them too? I don't think they'll be very happy to let you go"

Mihawk growled lowly, looking at the government men and then looking at you. You were right. They would never leave him alone again, and all to help you. But could he complain? No, deep down Dracule was entertained, finally something that took him out of his boring life.

"Fine, I'll help you one more time, little bird. But you owe me one" -he said, getting into an attack position by your side

You smiled satisfied, having gotten what you wanted, you always have. Now the men were getting closer and closer and when he was only two meters away from you, you and Dracule grabbed your weapons tightly and began to fight. You had to admit that Mihawk was an excellent swordsman and he didn't wear the name warlord in vain. Back to back he quickly finished off the men who were coming at him, his height protected you and he made sure that no one touched you, despite knowing how to defend yourself alone. When one of them came dangerously close to you, Mihawk with a wide movement of his arm passed his great sword over you while you crouched down. Yoru's blade sliced through the man's torso. Exhausted they looked around, the panorama was devastating. Fallen bodies everywhere, it seemed like the end of an arduous civil war.

You put your hands on your hips and closed your eyes, smiling contentedly. Dracule watched you carefully, memorizing your features as if he wanted to remember them later. It's been a long time since he saw you. Suddenly his deep voice broke the silence.

"I noticed you haven't brought my hat. Do you plan on keeping it longer?"-he said sarcastically

You looked at him mockingly. "Maybe, is there a problem with that? So I can continue admiring your beautiful curls in the wind"-you said with a shrug

You started to walk away from the beach towards the grass and Dracule rolled his eyes. Following you closely as if it were your shadow. He wasn't going to leave you so quickly now that he found you again.

"Are you some kind of vulture or why are you following me so closely?"

When you passed by a palm tree Mihawk took a step forward and stood next to you, unsheathing his sword and placing it in front of you with his arm extended to the right, stopping you. You looked at him irritated.

"I really would like my hat back, my dear"

"I'm sorry, that's not going to be possible, I realized that I like the perfume it has" - you said, smiling mischievously, Mihawk's smell was like that of grapes with a mixture of sandalwood.

You turned in front of the palm tree to go in the opposite direction when Mihawk crashed his yoru again against the trunk, preventing you from passing. You slammed the heel of your boot on the ground in anger and drew your sword.

"Alright if you want it that way"

Dracule, unlike you, seemed entertained by this new game, he realized that provoking you in that way had something…delicious. Now you two were facing each other with the palm tree in between the two of you. You raised your sword trying to cut him in the face when he was faster and gave you a light spank with the non-sharp part of his sword. The surprise was more than the pain and you opened your mouth and eyes as wide as you could while you brought your hands to your sore butt. You almost noticed Dracule's facial muscles trembling slightly trying to suppress a smile perhaps. Outraged, you ran towards another palm tree but the warlord did the same thing again, only this time the blow was a little stronger. You squealed, closing your eyes as you caressed your buttocks, surely now you would have a nice red mark.

"You are a rude pervert!"

"And you are stubborn"-he said calmly

You lunged at him and finally your sword collided with his. You fought with all your fury and great efforts while he simply moved his wrist and dodged the edge of your sword, it was like child's play for him. His arrogant attitude made your blood boil even more. At one point you brought your wrist forward and he grabbed it, put his head under it and spun you around until you crashed into his chest. You tried to get away but the arm Mihawk was holding you was against your back, only your other free hand was left which was now resting on Dracule's naked torso. He was breathing noisily through his nose from the effort. Your gaze lingered on his pecs for a second, trying to process what was happening. Again those annoying tickles like fluttering butterflies appeared in your belly. You looked up and noticed that Mihawk was looking at you. In fact, he hadn't stopped looking at you, so he also noticed how you were looking at his bare chest.

"You've come this far darling, now I'll ask you one more time. Give me the hat back now, please"

His deep voice resonated in his ribcage, it was funny how despite him now being under control his manners were not demanding and he asked for things please like a gentleman. His honey eyes piercing yours, his deep and manly voice, his soft and elegant gestures, his way of asking for things being calm and not rude. Damn. You could have melted right there if it weren't for him holding you tightly against his warm skin. You hated him and that stupid feeling that you tried to ignore but now you knew it was love. You tried to maintain your composure

"Fine was just playing, you bitter old man"

He loosened his grip and you finally separated from him like a hot breaststroke. You headed towards your house with him behind you. The entire way you avoided eye contact. When you arrived he stood at the entrance watching everything, afraid to interrupt your home. To tell the truth, its dark appearance made a strange contrast to your house with light walls and a warm appearance. You grabbed his hat from the rack and walked towards him. You caressed the fabric and the feather lovingly one last time and handed it to him. Dracule placed it on his head solemnly, stroking the wide black brim. When he looked up his eyes this time saw you softer.

"Anyone would think you fell in love with my hat"-he said raising an eyebrow

and not only with the hat

You rolled your eyes, smiling in amusement, and gently pushed him away.

"Ok you have what you wanted now go away and don't bother"

Dracule turned to leave and as he did so his black cape fluttered like a flag in the wind, so elegant. You slammed the door and sighing, you slid your back along the wood until you fell into a sitting position. What had all that been about? Did he realize the dangerous game he was playing? You put your hands to your hair, combing it back and trying to process what you experienced a few seconds ago. You shook your head, trying in vain to suppress all those feelings you had for the god of war that were increasing more and more like a giant snowflake rolling downhill, an avalanche of emotions and thoughts that you couldn't control. His naked torso was still stuck in your eyes as if you were seeing it right now. What would the rest of his body look like without clothes?

"Ok enough, I better visit my mother to distract myself"

You stood up and went to your room to get a large backpack where you would put everything you needed. Since you had become a thief and stole for the poor, your mother now lived much better. Many would say that it is selfish because you are helping someone in your family and not a stranger, but only God knows the bad times that both of them went through years ago. Although now she could buy her own things, you always brought her something as a gift, whether it was food or something else. You decided to wrap a couple of cookies and put them in your backpack. You started walking towards his house, people as you passed greeted you as if you were a rock star, you simply smiled and nodded back at them. Your mother's house was quite far away but you were used to walking so much so when you arrived you began to contemplate its facade. Painted white with two stories, the house was definitely beautiful. Your mother had been in charge of planting many flowers to give color.

"Mom! I'm here!!"-You screamed putting your hands around your mouth.

Your mother opened the door and ran towards you to hug you. The two merged into a warm embrace as if they were one.

"Honey, it's good to see you! I was missing your visits."-she said with a slight loving reproach.

"I know, I know. But my job is not easy…"

"Don't worry, come in and let's talk better inside"

Inside the big house was filled with plants too, hanging pots, tiny cacti, pothos and ferns, etc. And you loved it like that, it gave more life and purity to the home. You both sat on a soft sofa, you handed her the cookies and she thanked you tenderly. They spent the hours chatting like the old days when the two of you were alone at home and she taught you how to cook, knit, or paint. It's like all these years had never passed, everything was better with her and she made you feel safe and happy.

You looked at the wall clock "Oh, I'm sorry but I have to go now."

Your mother tilted her head a little sadly but then she got up and grabbing you by the cheeks gave you a loud kiss on the head.

"It's a shame sweetheart but I understand. Just come visit me more often when you can, okay? Don't forget it"

You nodded vigorously and she walked you out. Before you left she grabbed your wrist and held you for a moment longer.

"Please honey, take good care of yourself and don't put yourself in unnecessary danger, I want you to be safe. And remember that no matter what you do, I love you and I'm proud of you."

You felt your eyes begin to water, everything you did was for your mother and for her to tell you that was the best gift of life. You hated that they saw you cry so you looked away and wiped your tears with the back of your hand.

"Thanks mom, I love you too"

You walked away from the house and walking at a brisk pace you went to your house. When you arrived you felt fuller and happier, your mother always had that effect on you. You took off your boots and changed your clothes into something more comfortable. You chose a wide beige shirt and short brown pants. You realized that you were a little tired so you stretched like a cat and let yourself fall exhausted into the big chair to take a nap. And without realizing it you dreamed of Mihawk

Two hours later you woke up suddenly and you didn't know why. As in your dreams, you heard some dull, muffled and distant knocks. The knocks were insistent and were starting to tire you out, someone was knocking on the door. Annoyed because someone interrupted your nap, you got up and opened the door abruptly.

"WHAT?!"

A smiling face with brown eyes appeared before you, with fiery red locks falling on his forehead. He was wearing a navy blue shirt and you noticed that he was missing an arm. He had a slight smell of alcohol and his gaze ran over you from top to bottom until he stopped for a few seconds on your shirt that had opened and revealed your bra a little. You rolled your eyes and snorted which caught his attention and he quickly looked back into your eyes.

"You have 6 seconds to tell me who you are and what you are doing in my house"-you said bluntly

He cleared his throat "Hello doll, sorry for bothering you, my name is Shanks." He bowed slightly, winking.

Brilliant. another sycophant, you thought.

"I came to ask you something… Are you the new Robin Hood walking around these parts?"

You laughed sarcastically, Robin Hood… yeah, sure.

"I don't know what they told you or how you found me, but just so you know, they call me "The Light of East Blue," not Robin Hood"

"Sure babe, whatever you say"

Shanks knew very well how he had found you, to tell the truth it was not difficult to keep track of you. You were strutting around like a peacock. Also, by chance he had seen you talking to Mihawk near your house once and he was very curious about you, especially to know what your relationship with Dracule is. Your patience was running out and you started drumming your fingers on the door frame.

"Ok, ok I'll be brief. I like your style, I think you do noble deeds and you could be a great collaboration for my crew."

Shanks had to be joking. You worked alone and there was no chance you would join his crew or any other. Besides, you had the feeling that he hadn't come just for that reason, because of the way he smiled at you and how he seemed to eat you with his eyes. No, you were definitely better off alone.

"Ha! Shanks, right? Look, I work alone, okay? I don't need a crew or a pirate ship." You slowly got closer to him to intimidate him. "And believe me, I already know how men get in the presence of a girl and I don't need of that daily dose of idiocy in my life"

Your face was now closer to his. Shanks, far from being offended or angry, widened his smile, looking at you playfully.

"More girls should have your courage and toughness, I like it. Are you sure you don't want to come with us? We wouldn't need more feminine intuition."

You sighed rolling your eyes “NO!”

You walked into your house and slammed the door in his face. The redhead stood there for a few more seconds and then started laughing fun, turning around.

"We'll see each other again, then. I'm sure," he said quietly.

DAYS AFTER

You were walking calmly on the island, cooling off with the fresh breeze and smiling enthusiastically as usual. You walked through the stores looking at the clothes and jewelry in the windows, rubies, emeralds, silks and linen. You were about to enter a store when a thin girl with purple hair and a backpack stopped you a little abruptly. You turned around startled and frowning. The girl looked at you and seemed worried.

"Sorry to interrupt you but you're Y/N right?"

You looked at her somewhat surprised, almost no one knew your real name. You nodded confused.

The girl let out a sigh of relief "Oh thank God I found you, your mother asked me to call you urgently"

Your intrigue grew even more, how was it possible that she knew your mother? And what had happened to her? The girl noticed your confusion and hurried to say

"I'm Suni, her maid, she hired me a month ago. But now she's seriously ill and I don't know what she has, you have to help her soon!"

A whirlwind of emotions crossed your entire being and confusion gave way to panic. How had your mother gotten sick if a few days ago she was fine when you went to visit her? Why did he never mention Suni, had he forgotten? You couldn't waste time with questions so you ran with her to your mom's house. Your heart was beating fast and you feared the worst. When they both arrived you saw the house a few meters away and felt a little relief. When suddenly a headache invaded you and your vision blurred until it became black and you fell flat to the ground. Suni had hit you from behind with a bottle that he had taken out of his backpack. He smiled satisfied as he looked at you unconscious on the floor.

"You already have her?"-a voice behind her asked

A member of the government approached at a sure and fast pace, anxious.

"Yes, it was easier than it seems. It turns out that our little thief has a sensitive heart. Now pay me what you owe me"

The man paid without even looking at her, he only had eyes for you. They had finally caught you and they wouldn't let you escape. The man called his comrades and between six men they lifted you into the air and put you on a boat without being seen. Luckily, almost no one lived in that part of the island.

...

You woke up on a cold, wet floor and with a severe headache that almost made you nauseous. You slowly opened your eyes and had to get used to the darkness, you weren't sure where you were or what had happened to you, you only remembered being about to enter your mother's house and then that unbearable pain that left you faint. Suni… sure, Suni. That bitch set you up, but why?

Very slowly you sat up and realized that your hands were tied tightly with a rope, luckily they had not gagged you but you assumed it was because you were in a place where no one could hear you. Suddenly you heard sounds of splashing water and turned your head to see. In a round window you could see the sea, you were on a damn boat

You sat up with difficulty to see outside. The salty breeze hit you squarely and gave you the strength to wake up and get into action. You were about to come up with a plan when you heard footsteps approaching. A governor approached your cage and placed a hand on the bars to open the cell. You froze in place waiting for the moment to attack.

When the man entered you approached quickly but he stopped you by taking a gun out of his pocket.

"Don't even try, dear" He said while pointing at you

You stepped back in resignation as he smirked. You hated it

"Why the fuck did you lock me in here?"-you spat out the words like they were poison

"Simple, you were causing us a lot of problems especially when you started allying with Mihawk. But that's over"-he said playing with the gun

You approached again with a bitter smile. "You think you're very virile, don't you? Locking up a woman, believing that this way you'll gain more power, what did they offer you in exchange for my head? Money, a higher position? They wouldn't give you that even if I You're just another pawn in this chain, an idiot who delights in the inferiority of others, I feel sorry for you. You're just a miserable son of a-!"

A loud crack was heard throughout the cell and reverberated. The son of a bitch had slapped you. You fell to the ground with a pitiful moan, feeling like your lip had been split. You licked it and felt that iron taste.

"I'm not the one who's tied up, do yourself a favor and shut your fucking mouth."

The man spit on the ground and left to lock you up again. You felt alone and tears fell towards your cheeks without being able to stop them. You thought about many things but above all about Mihawk, you wanted him to come rescue you. You no longer cared about all those stupid feelings you had for him, because they weren't stupid. They made you feel good, loved and safe. You promised yourself that if you came out of this alive you would confess your love to him.

...

Dracule had gone out as always to do his job, kill. But he thought he felt a little lonely and realized it was because you weren't there. He would never admit it but his games and teasing towards you had a deeper meaning than just making you angry. He was amused when you challenged him but over time he realized that he had also fallen in love. Love…was it possible to feel that? Was it possible for someone like him to love? With you everything was possible.

With his Yoru on his waist he walked the beach looking for you, it was strange that you weren't turning around or running away from someone. Suddenly he saw someone but unfortunately it was not who he wanted to see. Shanks came running agitated and disheveled towards his friend.

"What do you want now Shanks? I'm not going to drink with you this time."

"It's Y/N! She's in danger, I saw how the government took her away!"-he said breathlessly

So the pirate hurriedly explained how he had seen Y/N and a girl in the market. He followed them and saw when they beat her and took her away. Dracule's eyes seemed to flash and turn yellower as his hand tightened on the hilt of his sword until his knuckles turned white. He turned around and with long steps walked away from there.

"Wait! Where are you going?"-Shanks shouted.

Mihawk without turning, said "I'm going to save her"

...

You were still in your cage racking your brain thinking about an idea to escape from there, you couldn't take it anymore. From time to time some men would approach your cell to whistle at you or laugh in your face. Suddenly you saw a loose screw in a wall and started rubbing the ropes to untie the ropes. It took you several tries but you got it. Just in time when a uniformed member of that ship came to bring you food. You pretended to still be tied and approached, hunched over a little. When he opened the cell you got up and kicked him to run away.

You felt him shouting orders to catch you but you didn't hear him, you just ran towards the deck, eager to get out of there. When you came out you saw a large number of men surrounding you, some holding guns, you decided to take the risk and fight with all your strength.

There were too many of them but you managed not to get hit. What you didn't take into account was that you felt the fatigue of being locked up and your strength was leaving you. Suddenly while you were fighting with an admiral you felt a gunshot and a burning sensation in your arm. With a grimace of pain you first looked at your bleeding arm, the bullet had grazed you but still cut you, and then you looked back. The man who had locked you up was holding the gun towards you.

"She's mine"

They fought, although it didn't last long. He was stronger and soon with a blow to your jaw and belly he left you lying on the ground. You felt your body burn and you held back the tears of pain that wanted to appear in your eyes. You crawled as best you could on the ground to get away from him.

"That's it, crawl like the bitch you are. You know, you were right, I love feeling superior to the weakest"-He laughed as he kicked your legs, making you scream in pain.

"Don't worry, I'll spare you the pain, it'll just be a quick death" He said sarcastically as he prepared to shoot.

You closed your eyes in fear and your body tense as you waited for the shot. but that never came, instead a strong shake made the ship shake, someone was firing cannons. With great effort you propped yourself up on your elbows and saw Mihawk's ship in the distance. You sobbed in relief.

The ship got closer and closer until it soon collided with the other and Dracule jumped towards where you were. You were feeling very sore so you could only pick up a few things, like how Mihawk seemed angrier than usual as he moved frantically and killed the men mercilessly. When he had finished he approached you with a genuinely concerned face, you've never seen him like this.

"M-mihawk...?"-you said almost without strength

He crouched down to your height. "Shh, don't say anything. Let's get out of here."

He picked you up from the ground and you complained about the pain, he tried to be as delicate as possible and taking you to the wedding reception he walked away from there so he could leave you in his castle. Your vision became blurry again and you became unconscious.

...

When you woke up you noticed a soft, pleasant warmth. You opened your eyes and noticed that you were in Mihawk's castle and that heat was from the fireplace. Dracule was sitting right in front of you, you smiled shyly and wanted to sit up but a sharp pain in your abdomen made the air escape from your lungs and you fell back into the chair. He approached, afraid that you had hurt yourself, and put his hand under your neck.

"Don't move, you still need to rest."

You looked down at your body and noticed that your shirt was gone and a large band on your abdomen was pressing against your skin. On your arm there was also a tight white band to stop the blood. You instinctively touched your lip and noticed that it was no longer bleeding.

"I called a doctor myself to treat you, he said that your injuries are not that serious and you will be fine."

You looked at him and suddenly remembered everything you had been through. All the accumulated nerves and tension were triggered and came out in the form of crying. Without realizing it you began to sob bitterly. Mihawk was worried and wiped away your tears, holding your cheek with his hand.

"Darling, what's wrong?"

You cried harder as you held on to his hand. How would you tell him that you loved him in a state like that? When you realized that you were about to die, you thought about him, how much you loved him and how much you wanted to spend the rest of your life with him. And now he had been so nice to you, as if he were someone else. You really felt that he cared about you and also felt love.

"Mihawk, I… I don't know where to start. Something like this had never happened to me, I- I felt afraid, very afraid. I thought I was going to die and the only thing I thought about was you" you felt your voice break "Thinking about you gave me hope, you were my anchor so I wouldn't give up and I realized… that I don't want to live without you, I love you."

Since you couldn't stop sobbing, Dracule approached you and kissed you on the lips. At first it was a sweet and tender kiss but soon you two realized that it was not enough, it was not enough to show all the love and desire that you had been suppressing so he placed a hand behind your neck and deepened the kiss. . You gasped in surprise when you felt his tongue run through your mouth but you gladly let him do it. Mihawk rested his knees on the cushions of the chair, cornering you while he raised your thighs and you surrounded his waist with your legs. Your hands surrounded his neck and he began to kiss your jaw and run his lips and his facial hair along your neck, tickling you.

"I didn't realize how much I loved you either until I saw you lying there, helpless" He whispered against your skin "All these games were starting to take their toll on me, you've cast a spell on me angel"

His words and his whispered voice were beginning to cause that tickling in your tummy that you already knew with the addition of a throbbing in your groin.

"Mihawk I-"

His mouth was now kissing your collarbones near your chest and making you sigh, you wanted more. You cautiously raised your hips until you bumped against his pelvis, wanting some friction as your hands were now in his hair. Mihawk kissed you again, sucking and biting your lower lip. Suddenly he got too close to your wounded belly and made you moan in pain. Startled slightly, he moved away from you a little, looking at you.

"Don't worry, it wasn't your fault, I'm fine."-You comforted him by stroking his jaw when you saw him so worried.

He nodded in relief and grabbed your hand to kiss your knuckles.

"Rest now my love, there will be time to enjoy the two of us"

You smiled a little blushing and he left you alone to recover. You never thought something like this could happen to you, or to him. Love love love. YES, that was it and you liked it that way. I resisted you thinking that at first they couldn't stand each other, and now… well only time will tell, but you were sure that this was the beginning of something beautiful.

...

That afternoon you went to visit your mother as you usually did. Now you were chatting with her in the same chair as always.

"Oh honey, the letters you sent me are very nice but you finally appear here!"-she laughed

Yes, it had been weeks since Mihawk let you stay in his castle, since you couldn't go out anywhere he suggested you write letters to your mother and he would send them himself. That's how you started telling your mother about your experience in the big castle, your relationship with Mihawk and what had happened to you. Until you recovered and were able to visit her like now.

"Well… what did you think? Did you read them all?"

"Of course yes! I admit that I was very scared when I read about the kidnapping, but it was lovely to know that they rescued you and left you in a castle!" She lowered her voice and looked at you knowingly. "Above all, I found the letters where you named Mihawk very interesting."

"Mom!"

You looked away blushing and embarrassed. In your letters you had told him what Dracule was like, but not what others could know about him but something deeper, what he was like inside. Your relationship with him had blossomed, you could say that you were already a formal couple. And your mother seemed happy about it. Of course you never clarified your intimate encounters with him, the way he touched you and made you sigh with pleasure.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to the castle, he's waiting for me for lunch."

"I understand love, I won't keep you anymore"

After a hug you said goodbye to her and ran towards the castle. Now you lived with him. You decided that after everything you went through you couldn't be away from him for a minute, ever again. You continued doing your job and his, sometimes separately or fighting together, that had not changed. When you arrived he greeted you with a small smile and a passionate kiss.

"Just in time, my angel"

"Always"

They both entered the castle holding hands, happy. As they say, the sun always comes out after the storm, right?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

taglist: @canthebest1

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layla4567 · 2 months

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Hello, I'm just here to say that I'm working on part 3 of "until we meet again" and after that I'm thinking of doing another Shanks fic. So if I don't post anything it's because I'm busy lol

#wip #opla #op #one piece #one piece live action #dracule mihawk #shanks

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layla4567 · 2 months

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The Zoro one was cute tho 👉👈

The Strawhats Celebrating Your Birthday Would Include…

Request: hello 🤍

my birthday is Sunday the 18 and if you’re taking requests still was wondering if you would write about how the Strawhats would celebrate your birthday!!

My lovely happy happy happy birthday!! I hope you had a really lovely day, and I'm sending you all good wishes and my biggest hug! :)

I'm getting back into the swing of writing after surgery, so please bear with me!

This is 5k, so quite a long one!

Warning: a little strong language, descriptions of light making out and mentions of being drunk/drinking alcohol!

(I do not own One Piece or its characters, all rights go to creators. Gif credits go to @icythot-bakubitch, @calim3ro, @zorobae, @adhdthomasthorne, @goodsirs and @icythot-bakubitch.)

☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°

Luffy

I mean, I love Luffy so much but it's hard enough to lug this man off you when it's not your birthday, but when it is?? You better be prepared to grow a fifth limb with the name Monkey D. Luffy.

You're trying to unwind with Nami on the sun loungers after your look out shift? Luffy appears on your lap like the crack of a reddening storm, raging clouds held in his eyes as he grasped his hands around your neck and bent you down. Without a second thought for Nami's grossed out grimace, Luffy's nuzzling his nose against your own in a fervent sweetness, his whole body aching and twisting against your knees as he sweeps little puppy licks up and down your face.

You need to talk to Sanji about what ingredients he'd like you to pick up on the next island the Going Merry is docking at? Because you legit tried to run away from Luffy's clinginess for a while, you and Sanji give each other nervous side glances as his cup of tea starts rippling on the counter. All that floods your ears is the sound of pounding sandals growing like thunder claps across the boards, before you're flung sideways with the intensity of Luffy's leaping jump onto you. What he didn't expect, however, was for Sanji to be baking a cake for you. Cue the bowl full of batter he was stirring disappearing in a splotch up in the air, only for it to land with a resounding splatter across the top of Sanji's blonde hair.

You try and take a moment to train with Zoro? Before the swordsman can even hand you one of his weights, a look of pure terror widens your eyes as two snake-like appendages come slithering around your waist. As the fingers spread comfortably across your bellybutton, latching together so you're caught in a powerful vice, you're flung backwards and into Luffy's grinning face.

Be prepared for at least a full hour of Luffy keeping you in his lap. His words become more and more jumbled as his lips drag across your neck, small swipes of his tongue over your skin making your breath hitch. From time to time you manage to make out breathless fragments of 'so sweet for me' as Luffy's fingernails dig almost painfully into the meat of your hips, followed by a devastating whine as he bucks his hips up against the curve of your bottom. Of a panted 'you're the best thing I've ever tasted' before Luffy bit down carefully onto your shoulder blade, teeth latching into your skin.

I mean, of course Luffy asked poor Sanji to prepare a huge feast in your honour! Before any of the rest of the crew can join, though, Luffy's has haphazardly balanced the plates along his arms, dragging you across the boat to join him for a make-shift picnic on the figurehead. He tries his best not to stuff all of the delicious meats, pastries and fruits into his face, he really really does. The two of you manage to find a compromise: Luffy will sit cross legged in front of you, feeding you the pastry he wants to scoff down himself in a birthday act of self restraint. Although his fingers nearly claw into your mouth with how excited he is, the best part of your compromise is how he's allowed to taste the crumbs my kissing them off your lips!

But bless his heart, he's so giddy to celebrate your birthday that his rubber body is vibrating so hard his head is almost slamming against the floor. You have to make him slow down, because he wants to run around everywhere on some grand adventure with you. The crew eventually give up trying to follow and head back to the ship, because Luffy is dragging you off to cuddle among the fields pocketed with fire-snapped wildflowers: crawling the two of you into the dark recesses of coves on a hunt for hidden treasure, and nearly getting the two of you stuck up the boughs of a prickly tree because he was trying to pick some exotic fruit as a present for you. The whole time, the tight grip he has on your hand is only loosened right before he gives your fingers an excited squeeze, (or when he realises he's running so fast his feet are nearly wheeling off the ground, his elongated arm and your poor panting body so far in the distance you look like little dots against the rolling hills.)

Before the two of you board back onto the Going Merry again, Luffy grabs both of your hands and stops you on the dock. There was an unfamiliar intensity in his eyes: something so aglow in his grin, in the study of his lambent eyes as they darted over your own that almost made you feel... embarrassed. Nervous.

Before you can make eye contact with your Captain again, the scratchy brush of something being placed on your head distracts you. With a lopsided smile, Luffy's hand pats the straw hat firmly down so it crests just above your eyes, before his fingers run down the string.

'Look! It fits you perfectly!'

He nips his thumb and pointer finger against your chin, leaning his lanky body down towards the warmth radiating off your body. You flush, believing your boyfriend is about to kiss you again, but this dopy ass lovestruck idiot is so overwhelmed and so so sleepy, that with a content sigh he falls on top of you. Before you can register your ass hitting the salt-stained wood of the docks, Luffy's cheek is pressed up against the side of your own, his mouth fluttering over yours as he snores soundly; as you try to shove him off, his arms wind at least ten times around your waist and effectively pins you to him like glue.

Big thanks to Zoro for being the only one on the crew brave enough to venture out and see why your flickering shadows were rolling about the pier: why there was so much mewling echoing out over the railings of the boat from down below. With a tired sigh, he just threw your boyfriend over his shoulder and tucked him into his hammock for the night.

Zoro

Roronoa Zoro, ahh the man who full on owns my ass. Let's be real though, since this man is so forgetful he would be such a teasing asshole on your birthday.

First off, this man definitely sleeps in. He's too busy hugging on to you: his calves are heavy as he slides them in between your own, a snort huffing out of his nostrils as he buries his face into the back of your neck like his salvation lay deep within the warmth of your skin. The tight security of his strong arm finally unwraps from around your waist when he gets up to train without another word: without any acknowledgement, any hint that the man knew how special today was.

But god, of course he knew - he knew everything about you: every detail, every idiosyncrasy, every quirk and giveaway and bad habit. And if he didn't love them all - if his constant observation, constant silent adoration of you didn't prick his sorry heart with a thousand deep lashes of longing.

Cue your confused frown as you finally got up to go look for your boyfriend training on the deck, only for him to be nowhere in sight. Wandering around the Going Merry, the annoyed grunt of your boyfriend's increasingly amplifying voice finally reaches your ears as you pass the kitchens.

Turns out, as Zoro asks for you to accompany him on look out duty in the Crow's Nest that night, that he had spent most of his day obnoxiously doing his best to threaten work with Sanji to create you the perfect birthday cake. The look of surprise that dawns like crested sunlight across your face as you notice the mountain of blankets spread out into a real makeshift nest, as well as the plates of desserts and charmingly wonky lantern lights strung along the wooden circle makes having worked with the waiter... slightly more bearable.

Before you can say anything, Zoro's pulled a bunch of dirt-strewn tiger lilies from behind his back with a bashful scratch of his rubescent neck. As you sniff their fiery sweetness, Zoro stumbles to explain how he’d actually asked for Luffy’s help to pick them; the problem is, the two of them are absolutely hopeless. They’d spent a full three hours trudging through the same field, only for Zoro to seethe once he realised they’d passed the same hollowed out tree trunk for the third time in fifteen minutes.

With the two of them hopelessly lost, it was by sheer dumb luck that Luffy finally managed to spot the flowers sprouting at the bubbling edge of a cragged little brook dotted between the tree line. The only thing was, as he leaped for enthusiastically to pull out the roots, his sandal got stuck between small pebbles and a heap of sticky mud residue lying underneath the water, and with all the tugging Zoro had to do to try and get them out the poor swordsman ended up soaked from head to toe.

At least he was better off than Luffy: the Captain had gone flying backwards over Zoro’s head with an increasingly frustrated tug against his hips, and ended up with his legs dangling comically out of a nearby tree he has been flung so far.

It was all worth it though, if solely for the wick of desperation that’s lit in the quivering pit of Zoro’s stomach as you lean on your tippy toes to kiss his cheek. For the warm glow of lingering affection that alights behind his hazel eyes as he offers you his hand, and the two of you fall into an entangled heap on the blankets.

Now that there’s no one around to annoy him with their antics and quipped comments, the former bounty hunter can finally release the wild beast of desire that’s been clawing against his stomach all day. Your birthday is the only day the usually stoic and reserved swordsman will allow you to hear him mewl against the shell of his ear as you scrape your fingernails down the tight, shaking muscles of his back. The tightness of your thighs as they quake around his waist: the hot pant of his breath as he tries to restrain himself from tearing you apart right there and then, the surprisingly sweet flutter of his kisses as he pins you underneath the contracting muscles of your abdomen are the best present you could ever wish for.

For a second, he pulls back, using his elbows to stop himself from collapsing completely on top of you. He swallows thickly, obviously embarrassed by the way his eyes suddenly are intrigued in scanning the holes and perforations drilled into the Crow’s Nest by the sea’s brackish breeze. It’s only when he starts muttering incoherently to himself, sliding his stumbling hand into his trouser pocket that you finally manage to catch bits of what he’s trying to convey.

He unfurls your hand from where it’s clawed into the mossy strands of hair above the nape of his neck, thrusting something into your palm.

Bless his heart, it’s a little gold sword earring, dangly and almost perfectly melded to reflect his own three.

’I thought you might like something… if there’s ever a day I’m not there to protect you’, he hides himself in the curve of your neck, pretending rolls of steam aren’t burning your hand as you cup the back of his head.

’I always knew you were a big softie deep down’, you tease, pressing a lingering kiss against the side of his forehead.

The love is there. The love is there. Even if it gets stuck in his throat, in his pride, it's there. In the way he lifts his head to bore his eyes into yours. In the slight curl of his lip: the almost imperceptible brush of his nose tip against yours.

’If you tell curly brows, I’ll toss you off the boat myself.’

Sanji

Since you and Sanji have known each forever: since you were two terrified children, trying to run away from the cruel wrath of his father in the Germa Kingdom, his main goal on your birthday is to make you feel as safe, as protected, as adored as you’ve made him feel his whole life. Even though you’re spending the next character of your adventurous life together as Strawhat Pirates on the Going Merry, he wants to bring a little bit of your former home - of the Baratie - back to you.

As soon as the sun hits the chef’s tired eyes, he’s nearly tripping over his own shoes as he runs across the boat and comes crashing into your quarters of the boat. On any other day he may have been embarrassed to come in unannounced or uninvited, but as Sanji jumps onto your duvet like a puppy with a firecracker under its tail, he can’t find it in himself to worry about anything else except kissing you absolutely, head over heels silly. For a moment as your tired eyes blink languidly awake, you're wondering why you're finding it a little harder to breath than usual. First, you register the feel of something heavy and smooth clench against your torso; Sanji's muscled thighs tremble in anticipation as he straddles you. Secondly, you wonder why you can't move your face side-to-side; Sanji's trying to collect his butterfly swarm of a heart by collecting his warm, calloused fingers by the side of your cheeks, spreading them delicately against the skin. Finally, you manage to make out the almost luminescent, closed eye and open-mouthed grin of your boyfriend as he leant forward and encased your body.

Once you finally manage to physically shove Sanji's needy lips off your face, he starts the day by settling into the easy, familiar routine the two of you fell into once you started at the Baratie. He sneaks you away; steals you, almost greedily, insatiably for himself from the rest of the world.

Because to Sanji, you are his entire world. He had spent so long living behind the colossal shadow of his father: curled up, deferential, strangled. It had been so stifling there, so dank and saturating that he had almost become friends with the loneliness. But you - you, god, by all the seas he swore he would never meet another person as ephemeral as you. You had brought the sunlight back into his eyes, making his whole body awaken and burn with such a want anytime you were near that, despite his overly gallant nature, it almost scared him.

He's prepared a platter of your favourite breakfast foods by the back of the deck: trays full of delicious smelling dishes, strewn gold, sea-shell, freckled honey rose petals flittering among the silverware.

He spends the whole morning trying to feed you each bite, dipping his spoon into the fresh cream sponge he had spent all night baking, and humming as he the edge of the metal against your bottom lip. Finding it far too fun not to tease him, you make sure to grab onto his tensing hand and hold the spoon in place as he tries to pull away. With direct eye contact, you drag the flat edge of your tongue up the back of the spoon, making sure to wet his thumb with the inside of your warm mouth along the way.

His crossed legs squirmed against your own, swallowing thickly as he did his best to straighten his spine and look presentable: not like someone who was finding it harder and harder to hide just how easily you had managed to make him become undone.

It doesn't work though, and you have to drop the plate resting on your knee to the floor with a crunching crack as Sanji begins to pass out on top of you. With a frantic slap across his forehead, you just about manage to stop your boyfriend from toppling face first into the depths of the ocean.

Once he finally comes back round, his head resting securely on your lap, he utters out a thousand apologies as he pulls out your real present. He unfolds a hand-written letter that, honestly, is almost comical; there are so many bullet points laid out on the parchment detailing in exquisite, minute, sometimes quite raunchy detail all the adoration and reverence pouring out of his heart and soul for you, that it almost rolls fully to the bow of the ship.

He makes Captain stop at a nearby island, so the two of you can spend the afternoon at peace together: running barefoot, chasing each other through the champagne waves as a lavender hued sunset bows above your heads, napping on each other's shoulders under the leaves of a coconut tree, and making out on the sand until it swipes over your heads and soaks the two of you. The two of you sneak towards the borders of the nearby village when you begin to hear a swirling brush of stringed music sway out across the little island. Holding out his hand with a bashful smile, Sanji pulls you against his chest until there's almost no space left to breathe, that mad fool so deliriously in love. Under the silky velvet of the waning moonlight, the two of you can barely make each other’s eyes, falling into a fit of euphoric, infantile giggles that almost give you away. The kind glow of the varnished barn lanterns that hang over the ring-wood of dusty buildings brushes over you and Sanji's blushing cheeks as the prince presses the jut of his chin into your forehead. With a content smile, he closes his eyes and pulls your shared hand over till it’s resting against his heart, continuing to sway the two of you back and forth.

The two of you spend the rest of the early morning snuggled up in the kitchen, (even if Sanji has to bar the door with a broom, and throw apples at the handle from time to time to stop Luffy's smooshed face from shoving through the crack and asking if you guys had any snacks left over your birthday breakfast.)

Just you sitting tranquilly on the perch of Sanji's knee, a shared blanket wrapped lazily around both your shoulders. One of his arms is wrapped around your side, stroking and tickling your bellybutton just so he can feel the vibrations of your back as you laugh against him. The other is cupped around some warm tea, refusing to let you exert yourself at all on your birthday; between languid kisses that neither of you want to pull apart from, Sanji dissipates the line of saliva arched between your lips by giving you sips of jasmine tea.

The two of you just cuddle and talk about everything and nothing as soulmates do... well, until Zoro gets fed up of having to wait for his sake and straight up kicks the door off its hinges.

Nami

You can absolutely tell that Nami is up to something. You just know it.

Although she's trying to act as elusive and nonchalant as ever, that sneaky little smirk she throws at you over the breakfast table is definitely what I'd call a massive giveaway. Without breaking eye contact, your girlfriend will pretend to be intently concentrating on peeling her orange, all the while she's busy making you choke on your food by running her foot up your leg and resting it teasingly on your lap. She presses her toes against the inner seam of your thigh as he finally places a slice in her mouth with an ostentatious pop of her thumb as she pulls it away from her lips, Sanji nearly comes running to give you the heimlich.

All Nami does is wink at you as she chews.

Even though the cat burglar abhors the idea of being anything less than stingy with her money after the trauma she's suffered since Cocoyashi's ambush by Arlong, you're the only person she's ever willing to loosen the purse strings for. She surprises you with an expensive gift: a looping necklace dotted with fine jewels and glittering beads that seemed to both melt and burn ablaze against the horizon with each glint of the light.

You wanted to cry. Not only had Nami spent her valuable berry on a gift for you, she had also remembered, taking note in the back of her mind that you had complimented the piece of jewellery during one of your dalliances out to the markets of Turtledove Isle a couple of months ago. Swiping off the idea of ever owning it as being a fanciful dream once you looked at the price tag, Nami had observed your wistful frown and had purchased it there and then, before you had even fully turned your back.

Bless her heart, she had even managed to find a little tangerine charm and had woven it through the flaxen silver.

When Nami asks to place it around your neck, it takes almost all of your self restraint not to leap up like a firework and pounce on your girlfriend there and then. Her shoes slide around your back, holding you in place as she straddles herself behind your back. Her knees knock familiarly against your arms as she places her chin against your shoulder blade and fixes the necklace so it settles between your breasts, her delicate fingers making your heart race with each tender scratch. With a firm finger pressed under your chin, she tilts you back to meet her lips with an earnest gaze.

God, do you have the cat burglar wrapped around your pinkie finger.

With just one soft groan brushing against her open mouth, she's pinning you to the floor and holding your wrists captive above your head. She lunges, famished and desperate clawing for an ounce of control despite the whirlwind you've released in her heart. Shoving your legs apart, she's quick to fill the space by crawling her hands up the inside of your legs until her stomach hits your groin. She grins deviously, but you don’t have any time to question it before her plump lips are open against the skin of your neck - soft and warm enough to make you whimper, but sucking enough to leave you breathless. She continues pressing those licking, trailing kisses up the tendons of your neck until she’s sure she’s unwound you into a flustered, whining mess.

The sweet cries leaving your parted lips can be heard in each corner of the crevice of the ship. So much so, that Sanji has to desperately hold onto Luffy's arms and drag him back into the kitchen, because the sweetly naive Captain was worried that someone was injured up on deck.

Before her big surprise, though, she thinks the two of you deserve some well deserved rest and a day off for being the only two non-idiots (affectionate) on the Strawhats crew. Cue the two of you sipping lemonade and lying sunbathing underneath her tangerine tree, holding hands and having an impromptu thumb fight.

Despite her competitiveness, your girlfriend's feeling pretty generous because its your birthday and lets you win. And of course the winner deserves a prize...

Thank goodness Sanji managed to block the kitchen door with his body to stop Luffy from pulling the hinges straight off with his fingers, that's all I'm saying.

Because she'd like a little privacy to properly celebrate your special day, she treats you to a candle lit dinner she had disembarked from the ship earlier to set up on Yukino Island. With the help of some elderly villagers more than happy to watch (and gush over) young love blooming, Nami managed to cover your eyes and lead you to the edge of the wild thickets. With nothing but the peachy wisp of the fireflies dancing and glowing between your intertwined fingers, and the lavender breaking through the boughs of the verdant trees to disturb you, everything seemed so perfect. Just you, the love of your life, and a bottle of blood orange cider shared between you to end the perfect night.

The two of you cuddle up under the stars after, before finally relenting and heading back to the ship. Thus you found yourself tied to Nami's hip, one of her arms resting around your neck and tucking you into the side of her ribs. You lay back against the warm plushness of the moonlit sand, unable to help yourself from grinning as Nami lifted your hand and swept it up in a swift and precise line, carving out your share of the stars.

'You see those ones? That's called Lynx. It was always my favourite when I was a kid. So faint, so far away, and yet so beautiful when someone's finally lucky enough to catch its glow. That's how I used to feel, when I first met you.'

She glances almost painfully shyly to the side of your cheek, before finally swallowing her courage again and meeting your eye. The two of you can't help the flustered giggles that burst out of your throats as Nami begins to smile, digging her face into the socket of your shoulder and just... breathes easily, for the first time since she was a child.

She was so thankful for you, and gosh - if she wasn't ready to spend every birthday, and every day between and after proving it.

Usopp

My main man Usopp is straight up throwing you a massive party, are you kidding me??

He's such a sweet boy, oml. He wakes you up by his bright little smile peering into your face like a curious robin, quite honestly nearly making you jump a mile in the dim light of your cabin. Once you come round and realise some stranger hasn't just materialised to ogle you from the side of your bed, your heart soars when you comprehend that the sun hasn't even risen yet and Usopp is already fully dressed and right by your side. Your boyfriend can barely keep still: his knees almost sounding like a foghorn with how quickly they were bouncing on the floor, trying his best not to jump up but stay kneeling by your side. With a pile of maple smelling pancakes steaming by your legs, and a little clasped box you'd soon find filled with a smoothed stone 'pearl' inside, Usopp was the perfect picture of restrained, nervous longing.

He also presents you with a hand-made card, a slightly wonky outline of the two of you holding hands, surrounded by winged hearts and flying arrows on the front. As he carefully places it into your hands, he tries his best to tell you how much he loves you, but bless his heart, he's so shy and stuttering that all that comes out of his blubbering mouth is a long string of confused 'uh' sounds.

When you lean forward and shyly kiss the side of his mouth, trying to let him know that you reciprocate all the adoration he's trying to form into an actual sentence, his eyes roll so far back in his head that you grab onto his biceps to stop him from falling onto his face on the floor.

While the two of you are quickly trying to run through your chores today for the very *ahem ahem* surprise party Usopp definitely didn't blurt out to you was happening as soon as he had the chance, the sharpshooter takes every opportunity to try and distract you. He can't help it, the soft peals of your laughter makes his heart feel so light he feels like he's floating among the clouds. Cue your boyfriend jumping up onto the railings and swinging back and forth like a bat as he tells you about the time he was nearly eaten by a giant seal; he nearly kicks Sanji off the side of the Going Merry during one incredibly vigorous, almost manic jumping impression of a mammoth, snapping oyster monster that the brave Captain Usopp had to defeat to find you the pearl he knew would be the only present that could measure up to a rare treasure like you.

When the crew leads you out into the middle of a nearby island's square, despite how you'd been practising your shocked face your hands covered your mouth in genuine surprise; peppered flowers woven through vines wind around the marble arches of the gothic buildings, the warm splash from the spray of the siren fountain flutters across the rustled curls of the crawling banners running across its arches. The energetic hum of the crowd pulses through the swinging band as Usopp latches onto the bottom of your fingers and pulls you into the thrum.

Most of the night is spent with your forehead pressed firmly against Usopp, the two of you trying not to choke up bubbles as you share two striped straws and race each other to finish a cocktail bowl. The only problem is, Usopp can't help but brag about you every time he goes up to the bar to fetch you another drink, but then the silly man gets so worried that someone's going to come steal you away that he makes a beeline straight back for you, like a stinger's stuck in his bottom.

Your boyfriend has a tight, clammy grip on your hand all night - except when he's throwing shapes on the dance floor, of course. With some unfound confidence, he tries to twirl you around and dip you down into his arms, but manages to send the two of you flying straight into the side of the fountain oops.

Slightly tipsy, very giggly, and so, so completely, blissfully, ecstatically in love, the two of you come tripping back onto the ship trying to shush each other between snorts. Stripping off the various memorabilia Usopp managed to collect during the night: funky sunglasses, a string of fairy lights dangling off his shoulders, and a captain's hat, lay strewn in a haphazard trail back to Usopp's hammock.

Sanji managed to pull the short straw; tip-toeing over to the guy's quarters, he peeks through the door with an incredibly nervous furrow of his eyebrows to try and see what the two of you were up to. With a sigh, he thanked the seas to find Usopp cuddled up to you like a clingy koala bear, a lingering smile brightening his face despite the honk mimimi snores that were rising out of his chest.

#opla #headcanons #opla headcanons #sanji #zoro #luffy #nami #ussop

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layla4567 · 2 months

Note

your welcome hun 😙

Can I request D-90 x TVA office worker reader? Mutual pining for each other and stolen glances but they never say anything!! Loki notices the way D-90 stares at reader and makes a little mischief to get them together?? Can u make it fluffy too? Thank you!!! 🥹💕✨

of course! by the way sorry for the delay in replying lol

A little bit of mischief

Pairing: GN!reader x Hunter D90

Summary: Office life could be boring but there was one person who always brightened your days in the best way. The bad thing is that you didn't know if he felt the same way about you.

Warnings: No Y/n use, slight description of the reader: use of glasses, swearing (a bit)

Wc: 1,758

divider credit: @cafekitsune

Away from the other common offices, you were sheltered behind your desk with your fingers typing rapidly on the typewriter while rows and rows of filing cabinets protected you behind and to the sides. The closer you got to see what you were writing, the more your glasses slid down the bridge of your nose. Frustrated with your index finger you put the glasses back into place.

Your task was to write reports and then put them on the shelves. You liked to walk through them, they were imposing and seemed to have no end. A perfectionist, detail-oriented and a neat freak, you liked everything to be in its place. You hated losing things or when someone else moved the files that you had already meticulously organized perfectly, even so, you wouldn't have complained if someone gave you a hand.

"I always have to do everything alone, I could use some company. Is that too much to ask?"-You grumbled under your breath.

What you didn't expect was that a familiar face was standing near you, watching you. But, of course, how could you even notice it? He was standing there like a statue always keeping guard, you would have easily mistaken him for a plant or a column if you didn't have your glasses. You were so focused on your typewriter that you hadn't seen him.

D90 looked at you smiling slightly. Strange for him since he was almost always serious. But with you he allowed himself to bring out his soft side that he had hidden very much. The man approached slowly and when he was close enough he cleared his throat to get your attention. You jumped in your seat, startled, you didn't expect to see him so soon.

"Sorry for scaring you, I didn't mean to…"

You smiled more relaxed when you saw him. "It doesn't matter, I was just concentrating on writing"

Hunter D90 smiled shyly, suddenly not knowing what to say. You two stayed silent for a few seconds just looking at each other. You raised your eyebrow while still smiling, waiting for him to let you know why he had come closer. But D90 could only see your pretty eyes that seemed to stand out and look bigger with the frame of your glasses. He realized that he would surely look like a fool standing there without saying anything so he turned serious and said

"I uh heard you, it seems like you needed help…or company"

You blushed slightly looking down, you never thought that that company would be precisely him. You scratched the tip of your nose a little awkwardly.

"Well I… I wouldn't want to take up your time, I'm sure you have more important things to do"

He shook his head, closing his eyes and making a face. "I insist. I wouldn't have come closer if I had other things to do. Standing alone waiting to have to prune a variant is something…boring"

You let out a nervous giggle with your eyebrows raised. So he was bored too, great, you could tell you had something in common with him

"Alright mmh in that case, would you help me by putting these reports on the shelves, please?"

He nodded and followed you behind. You quickly and nervously picked up the files and hugged them to your chest for protection. As you walked through the hallways you felt the presence of D90 behind you, like a thick cloud that followed your every step. You prayed internally that you wouldn't do anything stupid like stumble or stutter. Thank God you were soon on the right shelf.

"Ok, have these reports and put them on that shelf that says Number 172"

You handed him the papers and accidentally brushed his fingers. Your immediate reaction was to turn your head so he couldn't see your face as you bit your bottom lip and squeezed your eyes shut. It seems that he had also looked away because when you turned around again he was already looking at the shelves and not at you.

From time to time you sneakily looked at him out of the corner of your eye, you wanted to record his movements. His gestures were slow and careful but you realized that he did not organize things better than you, some files were slightly protruding while yours were perfectly placed in the same imaginary line. To a crazy perfectionist like you, that was unforgivable and it pissed you off, but since it was him you forgave him, just a small exception for a special person like him.

You smiled tenderly with those thoughts in your head as you absently dropped a report from your arms. You cursed under your breath and quickly reached down to grab it when you noticed another hand also reach out to yours to help you pick up the things. Your heart almost stopped when you realized that he had also crouched down in front of you.

Shit.Shit.Shit. You were trying to think clearly, trying not to sweat your palms. The last straw was when his hand collided with yours, you felt electricity through your veins, like a spark. You immediately looked up in surprise only to meet his eyes that also looked big into yours. The tension was felt in the air. Maybe in the end you weren't so wrong and he felt the same way about you. Embarrassed and red as a fresh apple you shook your head and abruptly grabbed the file, you stood with it imitating you like a mime and quickly put the file in its place. You placed it crooked, damn it. But you were too distraught to accommodate it, and cursing inwardly, you straightened your immaculate clothes.

"T-thank you for the help. Now if you'll excuse me, I must go back to my office. Excuse me"-You murmured without looking at him.

Without waiting for his response, you quickly walked away, leaving him alone and frozen in place.

- - - - - - -

Days later and you're still scolding yourself for your foolish reaction. You tormented yourself with the idea that he no longer wants to know about you. But you couldn't stop looking at him and sighing every time he passed by your workplace.

Loki, who happened to be passing by, saw you with the most dazed and dreamy face that anyone could have imagined. With your chin resting on your hand you looked at a fixed point. The god of mischief turned his head to know what you were looking at and he understood everything. D90 was standing looking at his shoes and rocking back and forth or adjusting his uniform and gloves.

"How pathetic mortals are sometimes…"

As if you had woken up from a dream you looked at Loki with a frown.

"I'm sorry?"

"Oh please, you know what I'm talking about. When are you two going to stop giving each other looks like slaughtered lambs? Talk once and for all"

You rolled your eyes and began to organize papers on your desk. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Loki sighed and approached your table with his hands on his hips. "If you don't plan to tell him, I'll tell him."

You laughed sarcastically. "Tell him what? That I think you're unbearable?"

"Ha, ha, ha very funny, let's see if you keep laughing when he finds out that you have a crush on him"

And immediately Loki walked away to approach D90. You opened your eyes in horror and ran up to him.

"Wait, wait ok ok. And what would happen if I really have a crush on him? Is that so serious?"-You said standing in front of him.

"Oh yes, it's very serious. Because if you keep making eyes at each other I'm going to get sick from disgust and I'm going to vomit. You two are so corny"

You huffed in annoyance. "I'm warning you, Loki, don't do anything stupid."

He smiled mischievously "We'll see about that"

After that the Norse god walked away whistling casually while you stood there and accidentally locked eyes with D90. You smiled at him and he smiled back. You sighed and returned to your seat.

- - - - - - -

Minutes later you had lazily gotten up from your chair to go get a snack. You had left your glasses on the table massaging the bridge of your nose. Sometimes they bothered you and you took them off, fortunately your myopia was not so great that you tripped or fell there. You were walking through the hallways when you remembered that you had forgotten the money on your table so you ran to look for it. When you arrived you noticed that your glasses were missing.

"Oh, oh"

You frantically looked for them everywhere, ugh, you hated losing things. You asked each person if they had seen them but no one knew anything. Loki happened to be there nearby and was smiling mischievously. No one knew that he had momentarily made your glasses disappear with his magic, a little prank or plot that he hoped would work.

"Fuck! Where are they?!"

On the other side of the TVA, D90 was at his guard post, bored. Suddenly he noticed that something was hanging from his pocket, it was hard like plastic. He reached down to his pants and touched some glasses. Your glasses. Suddenly he noticed you running with your hair messy, agitated.

Where are they? Where are my glasses? You thought desperately. As your vision was somewhat blurry, you collided with D90 and fell to the ground with him. You held your head a little sore.

"I'm sorry I didn't see you standing there, I just can't find my glasses-"

"You mean these?"

The man still on the ground showed you his clear-framed glasses. You squinted your eyes to see better, but yes, they were yours. D90 smiling, gently placed your glasses on you, you could swear that the skin on your face was getting hot under his hands.

"You look better with them"

You didn't believe your luck. You smiled flattered and he took your hand to pull you up. Again the endless stares, but this time you decided to listen to Loki and said

"I was just about to buy a snack, would you like one too?"

He nodded, delighted, and followed you hand in hand down the hallway. Nearby was a certain god of mischief standing with his arms crossed and a big smile, watching you.

"It wasn't so difficult after all."

#hunter d90 #marvel cinematic universe #loki show

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layla4567 · 2 months

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Valentine's day is for fools

Pairing: Sanji x Fem!reader

Warnings: Cigarette and smoke mention, y/n use, not proof read

Summary: You hate Valentine's Day, you think it's stupid and a waste of time. For you it is just another day and you have never celebrated it. Will it be different this time?

Valentine's Day, pfft, what absurdity. Always the same, a couple of caresses, words of love and then you end up with a broken heart. It's been a long time since you went out with guys because you were afraid of another disappointment. Of course it was something difficult, being part of the going merry you inevitably had to run into the cook Sanji, the flirtatious Sanji, the handsome and irritably sweet Sanji.

Nope, it wasn't going to be easy with those around you. Always flirting shamelessly but sweet at the same time. You didn't want to fall in love, not again. Furthermore, you knew that the blonde's compliments were not sincere since he did the same thing to every woman he came across. The last straw is that today was Valentine's Day so Sanji would be clingier than usual and what you feared most was that he would ask you out.

Sitting on a barrel you drummed angrily against the wood of the ship's railing. Luffy, who was sitting on the big sheep, jumped down and asked you what was wrong.

"Nnothing, I'm perfectly fine"-you said, clearly irritated.

Luffy would not give up, he did not like to see his crew discouraged. Without thinking twice, he sat next to you, smiling, ready to know what had you like this, or at least make you laugh.

"Come on! You know you can tell me anything"

Yes, you knew that very well. Captain Luffy was a great friend and confidant, you could always trust him but you still preferred to keep your secrets and emotions to yourself. As you seemed hesitant to respond he spoke.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it but I promise to do whatever I can to cheer you up, okay?"

Oh of course I would. He was the best at doing that. You looked at him moved and smiling animatedly.

"Hey! Also today is Valentine's Day, isn't that exciting?"

Enough. It only took mentioning that for your smile to magically disappear and your frown to return. You rolled your eyes and got up snorting to leave there.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"-Luffy exclaimed with his arms open, visibly confused.

You stomped towards the kitchen just as Sanji left to smoke a while. You accidentally bumped your shoulder and he turned his head to look at you. He was going to ask you why you were so angry but you left so quickly that he didn't have time. Sanji approached Luffy leaning on the railing.

"Do you know what's wrong with (y/n)?"-Sanji said taking a drag on his cigarette.

The straw hat captain shrugged his shoulders and moved closer to the cook.

"I have no idea, he got like that when I mentioned that today was Valentine's Day."

"Today is Valentine's Day?"

Luffy was surprised, it was strange that the most flirtatious crew member didn't know when it was precisely the day when he should flirt more.

"You really didn't know?"

"I should have forgotten…I have so many things to cook"-He just shrugged his shoulders.

Obviously Sanji knew that today was Valentine's Day, he just feigned ignorance because he was preparing something for (y/n) but he wanted it to be a surprise. Although now with your bad mood he wasn't so sure if it would be a good idea, it seemed like you didn't like Valentine's Day very much and he didn't know why.

୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧

Later at lunch everyone was sitting at the table while the blonde boy served the food and drinks. Your frustration had not calmed down, it had even gotten worse since the other members had no better topic of conversation than Valentine's Day.

"Hey, did you know that today is Valentine's Day?"-Ussop said, raising his eyebrows, smiling.

"For me it's just another day…"-Zoro said.

Thanks Zoro, finally someone who thinks like me

"It doesn't matter, we have never celebrated it"-Nami said

"Why not celebrate now? It would be fun. What do you think (y/n), do you have a lover in mind?"-Luffy asked happily with the intention of joining the conversation.

In astonishment you spit out the drink you were drinking, splashing the table. God, Luffy didn't know how to be subtle. Sanji came to the rescue with a kitchen rag and wiped the table while he filled your glass.

"Actually today is the day of love and friendship. Love can be shown in many ways not only for lovers"-Sanji said as he winked at you.

You thanked him stuttering and with a red face avoiding his gaze. Everyone noticed that you had become uncomfortable and an awkward silence settled at the table. Luffy felt a little guilty but soon everyone changed the topic of conversation. After eating you sighed towards the upper deck looking at the sky and the sails fluttering, Zoro, silent as a mouse, slowly approached you.

"Are you ok?"

You jumped a little on the spot, you hadn't heard him approach.

"Geez Zoro! You scared me.."

He smiled sideways and stood next to you. Zoro was the quietest and most reserved of the crew, he was almost always alone so it seemed strange to you that he was with you now. He didn't say anything, he was simply content to look at the sea like me. I appreciated his presence and his silence, without wanting to impose anything, just accompanying me. Suddenly in a burst of confidence you said

"Love sucks"

He looked at you "Is that why you were like this today?"

You nodded. "Let's just say my love life isn't very successful."

"I hate to agree with Sanji but he's right. Love isn't just for lovers. There are people here who love you and not in a romantic way."

You looked at him amazed. You didn't know Zoro could be so…philosophical. Despite his beautiful words, you decided to tease him affectionately.

"Are you meaning that you love me?"

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever, you know what i mean"

"Yes I know"

You smiled and gave him a small hug, he didn't return it and you expected that. But when you walked away he smiled a little and kicked the ground playfully. You walked away heading to your room reflecting on his words. You also loved that crew and not in a romantic way.

୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧

That night in your room you were resting in your hammock reading a fantasy book when you heard knocking on your door, you got up to open it and found a smiling face with blue eyes.

"Hello love, sorry for interrupting you, I just wanted to show you something."

Oh no, you had a feeling that he would ask you something you would regret. You shook your head in fear.

"Sanji, if it has anything to do with this stupid day, I-"

The blonde-haired man, still smiling, delicately took you by the hands.

"(y/n) I don't know why you hate Valentine's Day so much and I won't ask you because I know it's none of my business, but I'm asking you to please give me a chance to tell you something. When I said that Valentine's Day was Valentine's Day, love and friendship, I meant it. I love you more than anything, more than the sun and the stars themselves, but I understand that you are not ready to receive all this love and I understand it, that's why I tell you that I love you like a friend. But if at some point you give me the opportunity to love you as it really should be, you would be more to me than All Blue."

Your eyes began to water and your throat closed with emotion. His words moved you to the deepest part of your being and you gave him the warmest of smiles.

"Now, will you let me show you what I have for you?"

You nodded and he guided you by the hand towards the door of his room. He went in for a few seconds and then came back out with something in his hand. When you gave it to you you saw that it was a beautiful moonstone ring.

"I remember that you said that you liked minerals and precious stones and that your favorite was moonstone. And since I know that you don't like extravagant gifts or surprises, I decided to buy you this"

You covered your mouth with your hand, admiring the white stone that seemed to shine with its own light. If Sanji could remember little details like that maybe all was not lost. The cook grabbed your hand and slid the ring onto your index finger. You raised your hand happily looking at your new gift. Then you looked at him and saw his ocean eyes shine with love. You decided that maybe you could give it a try.

"Thank you Sanji, you have made me very happy today"

You gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, then you whispered in his ear.

"I don't feel ready to love you any other way and it may take time but in the meantime, will you wait for me?"

He smiled understandingly "I'll wait a lifetime for you if I have to and when you're ready I'll be here, I promise."

୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧

Happy valentine's day smooch

#opla x reader #op #one piece #sanji #opla sanji #opla #female reader #valentines day #op sanji #one piece sanji #vinsmoke sanji #black leg sanji #fem reader #sanji x you #sanji x y/n #sanji x reader #sanji x female reader #fluff #fluffy

138 notes · View notes

layla4567 · 3 months

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oh shit I think my heart was squeezed a little by so much sweetness. I'm going to cry

Wooden Swords (Part 3) │ OPLA! Shanks x f! reader

A/N: Okay, it's finally here! To everyone who has been waiting, I'm sorry it took so long, and I thank you for your patience as I worked through this. I don't know why, but it wasn't easy. I scrapped the whole idea twice before I finally decided on something. But now, I'm quite happy with the way it turned out, and I hope you will be too! Enjoy! And Happy New Year! Summary: After your accident, you and Shanks both have more time to think about your feelings. But the question is, are either of you brave enough to finally admit them? Word Count: 7.7K Warnings: English isn't my first language; mentions of pain, wounds, drugs (medicine), alcohol; allusions to sex, but nothing graphic; swear words; descriptions of making out; pet names (sweetheart, love, darling) Part 1 Part 2

After you woke up the following morning, you quickly realized that getting the wound was only the beginning of your suffering. It turned out that the healing process would be twice as painful. You had no idea how you managed to sleep through the night. Your only guess was that your brain has not yet registered the damage done to your body, and it only started fighting back once you woke up.

Your head was pounding, you could barely swallow due to your sore throat, and the pain from your wound spread in waves throughout your whole body. You didn't know what to do. You couldn't stay in one position because the pain was unbearable, but at the same time, any small movement only intensified it. It was like torture, and you were afraid that you were too weak to withstand it.

On the other hand, you tried your best to not let it show too much. You knew Shanks was worried about you and that he still felt guilty about what happened, even after your talk last night. You didn't want him to be more concerned than he already was. It might've felt as if you were dying, but Hongo said that you were going to be okay, and you believed him. He was the doctor, after all.

Still, just as much as you tried, it wasn't easy to ignore the pain. Shanks was with you the entire day, and he'd seen you frown; he'd seen your eyes fill with tears; and he'd heard you whimper when you were no longer able to hide it. He got up from his chair three times to get Hongo, but every time you convinced him to stay. You told him that the pain was just a natural reaction of your body, and there was nothing they could do to help you.

You tried to joke around, and you smiled as much as you could to calm him down. You couldn't stand the worried expression on his face every time he looked at you. You didn't want your well-being to occupy his mind. He shouldn't have to think and worry about you more than he already has.

But then the fever started. Now, you not only had to endure the pain but also the hotness of your entire body. You really thought this was what hell must've felt like. You even made a joke about it to Shanks, but he didn't find it amusing. He's been letting you pretend that everything was fine for too long.

"This isn't funny, Y/N." He shook his head. "I'm getting Hongo. You might have an infection." He added, standing up from his chair.

Before you could protest, he was already out the door. You could try to hide the pain behind the jokes and smiles all you wanted, but enough was enough. Shanks knew that having a temperature after a surgery was something normal, but he wasn't going to risk it. You were already hurting enough, and a fever could only worsen your state. He wasn't going to let that happen.

He came back with the doctor after a minute or two. They both looked concerned for your well-being, but Shanks seemed almost scared. You could see he was trying his hardest not to look too worried, but he wouldn't fool you so easily. You decided to have a little talk with him once you were alone again.

"What's going on?" Hongo asked, putting his equipment down on the bed.

"Shanks thinks I'm dying." You teased with a small smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"Can you stop?" Shanks scoffed, coming closer to the bed. "This is no joking matter. Why are you acting like this is nothing? Just a minute ago, you were crying from the pain, and now you have a fever. Can you be serious for a moment?"

That surprised you. The tone of his voice and the slightly annoyed expression on his face were not things you were familiar with. Every other time he behaved like this, it was directed at somebody else, never at you.

"I was just joking." You stuttered, the smile disappearing from your face.

"Don't." He said shortly. "I could pretend I didn't see how you were hurting when you asked me to, but enough is enough. Just tell Hongo what's wrong. I'll be outside." He added, and then he turned on his heel to leave the cabin.

You looked down as you felt your cheeks go red. For a moment, you wanted him to leave. He was treating you like a child. But then the guilty feeling hit you when you realized he was truly worried about you and you were belittling your health a little too much.

"Stay." You asked quietly.

Shanks was almost by the door, but he stopped in his tracks, and then he slowly turned back in your direction. Hongo was standing right next to the bed, silently looking back and forth between the two of you. He didn't know what to do with himself. He didn't expect this sudden exchange between you. He quickly realized that there was more than just friendly concern behind your captain's reaction, and he didn't know what to make of it.

"Please, stay." You said, keeping your eyes down as you played with the hem of the blanket. "I'm sorry." You added, raising your head to look at the red-haired pirate.

Shanks' face softened, and after taking a deep breath, he slowly came up to the bed. Hongo raised an eyebrow at the scene happening in front of him. Your private affairs were none of his business, but really, what the hell? This is not how a couple of friends act, no matter how close they are. There was something else in the air, and he felt like he shouldn't have witnessed it. It was awkward, to say the least.

He decided to interrupt whatever was going on between you and Shanks and bring your attention back to the problem you all gathered there to solve. He cleared his throat, bringing his hand to his lips.

"So…" He started, rocking on his heels slightly. "Should I examine you or what?" He asked, facing you.

"Yes." You nodded sheepishly, suddenly remembering he was still there. "Sorry about that."

"Tell me what's wrong first, and then I'll have a look at your wound." Hongo said, ignoring your apology.

He wasn't going to make you feel embarrassed more than you already were. And acting like nothing happened was the best way to do that.

It turned out that your fever was indeed just a natural reaction and that there was no infection in your wound. Hongo put some ointment on the stitches, and then he convinced you to take an opioid for the pain. You were scared to take it at first, knowing how easy it was to get addicted to it. You saw too many people get lost to opioids, but Hongo promised he knew what he was doing and that he would make sure you only ever took the safe dosage.

It definitely helped with your pain, and you were finally able to stay in one position for longer than a few minutes. Shanks adjusted your pillows so you could lean on the wall instead of lying flat on your back. He took his usual spot on the chair next to the bed once Hongo was done examining you.

After the doctor left, silence fell upon the two of you. You kept your head to the side, looking out the window. All you could see were miles and miles of water, but it made you feel oddly at peace. Everything was so calm and quiet. You couldn't say the same thing about what's been happening inside your brain.

You didn't know what to think. You knew Shanks was worried about you and that he felt responsible for you and for what happened, but you couldn't stop yourself from wondering if there was something else hiding behind his behavior.

You and him were always cracking jokes and teasing each other. No matter what was happening, you always found something to smile or laugh at. It was your way of comforting and caring for one another. So, you didn't really understand why he got so defensive all of a sudden. You thought he knew you well enough to realize what you were doing.

Did you really take it too far? You didn't think so. Did he care for you a little more than one cares for a friend, and that's why he reacted the way he did? Of that, you weren't sure.

Your own feelings for him could cloud your judgment, and you might've been seeing things that weren't there. Not to mention the physical and mental state you were in at that moment, which could also affect your perception of reality. Even though you wanted to finally get to know the true nature of his feelings toward you, you decided that wasn't the best time to do that.

Shanks, on the other hand, seemed to read your mind and disagree with your decision because he spoke up, breaking the silence between you.

"I'm sorry." He said softly.

"For what?" You asked, turning your head to look at him.

"For scolding you, I shouldn't have done that." He explained seriously, but his eyes were as warm as always.

"It's okay." You shrugged your shoulders slightly.

"I just don't understand why you didn't want our help." He sighed. "I know you're hurting; you don't have to play strong in front of me." He smiled faintly.

"I'm not ashamed of being hurt." You shook your head. "I just didn't want you to see it. I didn't want you to be more concerned about me than you already were. I can't stand the worried expression on your face every time you look at me. I know you still feel guilty about what happened, and…" You took a deep breath before continuing. "… and it brings me a different kind of pain." You admitted, giving him a miserable smile.

Shank's smile faded away at your words. He furrowed his eyebrows, another concerned look appearing on his face. You sighed, suddenly regretting speaking up, as you focused your attention on the water behind the window once again. Shanks stayed quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

"Y/N, darling…" He started, reaching for your hand.

When you felt his fingers brush against your skin, you turned your head to look at him

"How I feel doesn't matter right now." He continued. "What matters is for you to get well, and to do that, you need to inform me when something's wrong. Otherwise, I won't be able to help you."

"But…" You wanted to protest, to ask him not to belittle his feelings, but he didn't let you finish.

"No, Y/N." He said softly. "I don't want you to worry about me. You need to focus on yourself. Besides, there's nothing you could do that would make me feel any less concerned. I'll probably only stop worrying once you're back on your feet and once Hongo says you're healed." He smiled, squeezing your hand.

You took a minute to think his words through before you spoke.

"How about we make a deal?" You asked. "From now on, I'm gonna tell you about everything, but you'll have to promise not to panic every single time. And it would be nice if you stopped frowning every time you look at me."

"Only if you promise to call Hongo once the pain is too strong to handle. Because if I see you're hurting too much, I'll do it myself again." He warned you.

"Okay." You chuckled quietly. "I promise I'll tell you everything and that I'll ask for Hongo's help when I need it." You added, turning your intertwined hands so you could shake them once he said his vow.

"I promise to be calmer, and I promise to stop frowning." He swore, shaking your hand to seal the deal.

"Good." You nodded, laughing.

"Oh, by the why." He said suddenly, letting go of your hand. "I have something for you." He leaned back in his chair to reach into his pocket.

"What is this? Are you trying to buy my forgiveness?" You teased him, smiling slightly.

"If that was the case, I would've given it to you before I said I was sorry." He grinned, pulling out a small sack from his pocket. "I planned to give it to you yesterday, but I couldn't find the right moment, and then..." He sighed, giving you the gift. "Well, then it was too late."

You took the object from him and untied the strings. Your heart skipped a beat when you realized what was inside.

"Shanks..." You breathed out, taking the necklace out. "How did you even..."

"I saw you looking at it on the market when we were waiting for the supplies yesterday." He interrupted you with a smile. "It was obvious you liked it, so I had to get it for you." He continued, his smile only growing bigger at both your reaction and the memory.

"You're unbelieveable." You laughed in disbelief, tears welling up in your eyes. "Thank you so much." You smiled, spreading out your arms.

He chuckled but leaned in to give you a hug. He was so gentle with it that you barely felt his touch on you. As if he were afraid you'd fall apart in his arms if he wrapped his hands just a little tighter around your body.

"Did you notice how the sun reflects on it?" You asked, pulling away.

"Not really, no."

The necklace was simple. It was a blue pebble on a leather strap. Nothing fancy, and yet it was one of the most beautiful things you have ever seen. It caught your attention because the sun was shining on the stall, and the pebble reflected the light in a similar way the sea reflects it. And when you moved it around, it was even more magical.

"Well, then I'll have to show you tomarrow." You smiled with excitement. "Thank you again." You added, hanging the necklace over your neck. "I'll never take it off."

"I take your word for it." He grinned, returning to his previous position.

══════════

Later that day, when you were both in bed, Shanks already fast asleep right next to you; you couldn't sleep a wink. You tossed and turned, trying your hardest not to groan with every move. The opioids stopped working, and the pain once again became unbearable.

It was the middle of the night, and with your condition, rest was even more important. You tried to focus on falling asleep, you tried to count sheep, and you even tried nipping the skin on your arm to take your mind off of the pain in your stomach. Nothing worked.

You bit on your bottom lip to stop yourself from letting out a painful sound, but you forgot about the scab from your accident. The cut reopened in contact with your teeth, and you couldn't hold it anymore. Tears rolled down your cheeks, and you let out an exasperated cry. Bleeding was the last thing you needed, even if it was from a small wound.

"Fucking hell."

"Y/N?" Shanks murmured, still half-asleep. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." You replied, taking a deep breath.

The sound of your voice must've alarmed him, because his eyes shot open, and he propped himself up on his elbow to see you better.

"You're bleeding." He noticed, sitting up.

"It's nothing." You said, wiping the blood from your lip with the back of your hand.

He leaned to the side, grabbed a napkin from the table, which he moved closer to the bed so you could reach it, and he dipped the corner in the water. He then turned to you and gently pressed the napkin to your bleeding cut.

"What's going on?" He asked softly after a moment, seeing your teary eyes.

He took the cloth away from your lip so you could answer him.

"It hurts." You admitted, remembering the promise you made to him just a few hours earlier. "The medicine stopped working, and everything hurts again. I don't know what to do. I can't sleep." You cried out, rubbing your eyes.

"Do you want me to get Hongo?"

"No." You sighed, taking your hands away from your face. "He won't be able to help me anyway."

"Maybe he'll give you some more medicine." Shanks suggested, and then he pressed the back of his hand to your forehead. "You still have a fever."

"He won't." You shook your head. "I can't take another dosage yet. Not enough time's passed."

"But…"

"No, Shanks." You said warningly. "I have to be careful with the opioids, and you know that."

"Then what should I do to help you?" He asked quietly.

"I don't…" You whimpered, squeezing your eyes shut as another wave of pain went through you. "…know. I don't know."

"Alright." He sighed, lying back down. "Come here." He added, schooching a little closer to you.

You propped yourself up a little, letting out a pained groan, and then you slowly turned to the side. Shanks wrapped his arms around you, carefully pulling you to his chest. You let out a tired sigh, draping your hand over his torso. You took a few deep breaths, trying to take your mind away from the pain.

"Are you comfortable?" He whispered, stroking your shoulder.

"It's definitely better, but it still hurts." You admitted.

Your body relaxed at the contact with the warmth that emanted from him, and thanks to that, the tension on your muscles eased, relieving the pain a little. It was by far the most comfortable position you had been in ever since you found yourself in that bed.

"Try to fall asleep. I'll watch over your." He said, planting a kiss on your head.

"Can you tell me a story?" You asked quietly.

"A story?"

"Mhm." You hummed. "Maybe if I focus on something other than the pain, it'll help me fall asleep."

You didn't have to ask him twice. He wrapped his arms just a little tighter around you, and he started his tale while still gently stroking your shoulder with his one hand. You barely registered what he was talking about. It was as if the words didn't even reach your ears. But his voice was so soft and relaxing that it was enough to soothe you. You didn't even notice falling asleep.

When he felt your body loosen just a little more and he noticed your breathing even out, he stopped his story, but his hand remained moving up and down your arm, just in case. He sighed to himself, and then he gave yet another kiss to your hair.

Even though the situation was far from perfect, he couldn't stop the warm feeling from spreading over his heart at your sight. Having you pressed to his side with your head on his chest as you slept peacefully was just another proof of how safe you felt with him.

Your bodies seemed to fit like two puzzles. His own thoughts embarrassed him, but he really believed that that moment was the universe sending him a sign, telling him that his feelings for you were indeed well-grounded and he shouldn't suppress them anymore because this was where you belonged. This was exactly where you were supposed to be. Next to him, safe and sound.

He had a crush on you for as long as he could remember, but it stopped being just an infatuation a long time ago. He had no idea when it happened, but at some point, he noticed how much you actually meant to him.

You weren't just his friend. There was something else between you—something much bigger and much more intimate. You had a connection—an unbreakable bond that he was sure you were both aware of. He cared for you, and you cared for him. He'd die for you if he had to, and after what happened the other day, he knew you'd do the same for him.

He was certain it wasn't just friendship. It couldn't be. Not after everything that's happened between you. Apart from the bond you both felt, there was something else in him yearning for more.Yearning for your touch, even though you hugged and held hands many times. Yearning for your attention. For your eyes to be focused only on him and nobody else. Yearning for your lips. He had imagined kissing you more than once, wondering how it would feel to have you so close to him. Something in him was yearning for you, and he couldn't stop it.

Sometimes, he was almost certain that you felt the same—that there was something in you that wanted him the same way he wanted you. He had caught you staring at him countless times and in most random situations too. He felt your hand brush against his while you were standing next to each other. He noticed how your breathing quickened whenever he was close to you.

And you had that same effect on him. He'd usually use the fighting lessons to admire you. He loved having you lean against his chest whenever you lost your balance; he loved wrapping his hands around you to steady you or correct your technique. He loved spending time with you and having these small, subtle intimate moments.

He loved you.

And your accident only intensified his feelings. The sight of you hurting and begging for his help made his heart shatter into thousands of pieces. Just the thought of losing you made him feel weak in the knees. He didn't know what he would do without you.

He promised himself a dozen times that he would finally admit his love to you, yet he could never bring himself to actually say it. But now everything's changed. He realized how fragile life was and how easy it was to lose one another, and he decided to tell you the truth once you were feeling better. You had to know how he felt while you were both still alive. It didn't matter to him if you reciprocated his feelings. He wanted you to know how much you meant to him before it was too late. All he needed was just the right time to say it.

══════════

Two weeks had passed before Hongo finally allowed you to start walking normally again. Due to the pain and stitches, you spent the majority of your days lying down or sleeping, only ever getting up to go to the bathroom. Sometimes, on your way back to bed, you would take the opportunity to sit down on the main deck for a few minutes to get some fresh air, but it was nothing compared to finally being able to decide when and where you wanted to walk.

You still had to take it easy, and Hongo made it more than clear. He not only very seriously warned you about the consequences of overstraining yourself, but he even educated Shanks about it so he could keep an eye on you and make sure you followed your doctor's advice. Your captain, of course, was more than happy to be involved, and you couldn't complain.

Shanks took the promise he made to you to heart, and he stopped being so overprotective. Especially when Hongo said you were almost healed. But he never stopped caring about you and your well-being. And it was hard to admit it, but at some point you realized that you were going to miss being sick.

You knew that as soon as you got back on your feet, everything would go back to normal. He would have to return to his duties, which he has slightly neglected since your accident, and you would have to return to yours. There would be no more sitting together all day and sleeping in the same bed. There would be no more frequent hugs and kisses on the forehead. The whole new reality that you have become accustomed to would end. All of it.

The only thing you were looking forward to were the fighting lessons with Shanks. You couldn't wait to move around a bit, to finally hold the wooden sword in your hand again, and to go back to your usual teasing and flirting with your red-haired friend. You truly missed the fun you both had from these lessons.

"You okay?" Shanks' voice pulled you out of your thoughts as he came up to you.

"Yeah." You nodded, turning your head to look at him. "I just miss our lessons." You smiled, and then you returned your attention back to the sunset that you had been admiring from the upper deck for the last few minutes.

"Huh." He chuckled quietly. "Me too." He admitted, also leaning on the railing right next to you.

Your heart, as always, skipped a beat when his shoulder brushed against yours, but you were so used to it by now that you paid it no mind. It was funny, really, how your body always reacted to his touch, even though it was never the first nor the last time you were close.

"We'll get back to them soon, I promise." He said, looking ahead. "You just need to heal a little more."

"I know." You nodded. "But I miss the physical effort. I'm tired of sitting all the time. I'd love to move around a bit more."

"We can always do some other physical activities, you know?" He shrugged his shoulders.

You whipped your head to look at him, as an inappropriate thought entered your mind at his words. He noticed your abrupt movement in the corner of his eyes, and he instantly turned his own head in your direction. It was when he noticed your raised eyebrows and a smooth smirk that he realized what he'd said. You both burst out laughing at the same time, knowing very well what the other was thinking.

"At least buy me dinner first." You teased him, nudging him slightly on the side.

"That is not what I meant." He chuckled, shaking his head. "But I do have another idea, though. Can you meet me here in about an hour?" He added, turning to the side so he could fully face you.

"Sure." You nodded. "Do you need any help?"

"No, but if you could go back to the cabin and wait for me there, that'd be great."

"Oh?" You quirked an eyebrow at him with a small smile playing on your lips, but you pushed yourself away from the railing, ready to leave the upper deck. "Are you planning another surprise for me?"

"What do you mean 'another'?" He asked, reaching his arm out for you to take.

"First you gave me the necklace, and now you're planning something in secret." You explained, linking your hand around his. "That's two surprises in two weeks. You're spoiling me." You smiled, leaning a little more on his arm for support.

"How could I not?" He grinned. "You're my favorite girl, after all." He teased you, and then he gently pulled you to start walking.

You chuckled at his words, but you couldn't stop the blush from staining your cheeks. It was getting harder and harder for you to hide your feelings. Your own thoughts already made you question every single interaction between you, and him being such a flirt did not help you at all. You weren't sure for how much longer you'd be able to pretend that you weren't madly in love with him.

Because that's exactly what you were. You were in love with Shanks. For the longest time, you convinced yourself that it was nothing else than a little crush and that you were just another woman out of many who found him attractive. He was handsome and charming, and women often fought for his attention, which, by the way, was not that hard to get.

But, at some point, you realized that what you felt for him was not just a physical, sexual attraction. You didn't only see him as a beautiful man with whom you'd have a fling without a second thought. No. You noticed everything about him. From his appearance through his personality, bravery, passion, and protectiveness, up to his little harmless quirks that always made you laugh.

You wanted all of him. You wanted to experience his love. You wanted him to touch you in a way only lovers touch. You wanted him to call you sweetheart, darling, or love and mean it. You wanted those words to be reserved only for you and nobody else. You wanted to help him bear his problems. You wanted to be there for him. You wanted to support and protect him like he always supported and protected you.

You dreamed of kissing him, holding him, and making love to him. You dreamed of sleeping in his bed as his woman, not as an injured friend who needed to heal. You dreamed of him loving you like you loved him. You dreamed of him.

You needed him.

Yet, you couldn't bring yourself to tell him the truth. You weren't ready to risk your entire friendship for feelings that you weren't sure he reciprocated. On the other hand, you knew that, with the way he was acting and treating you, you'd sooner or later crack and confess your love to him. And it absolutely horrified you.

But little did you know that Shanks was thinking the same thing, and he was just a little less scared than you…

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Just like Shanks promised, he was done in about an hour. He walked into the cabin with a toothy grin on his face, clearly satisfied with whatever it was that he had prepared. You raised your eyebrows at his obvious excitement, but you got up from the bed and followed him out of the room.

"How's the pain?" He asked as you started making your way to the upper deck.

"Mild." You answered. "I almost don't feel it."

"So you didn't take the medicine today?"

"No." You shook your head. "You know, I stopped taking it four days ago. Why?" You said, taking his outstretched hand so he could help you up the stairs.

Walking was not a problem in itself for you, but you had some trouble climbing up the stairs. You always carefully took your steps and supported yourself on the railings, or, in this case, on Shanks. You had no idea why, but every single time you were together, he would always offer his hand to you, or he would wrap it around your waist to help you. You, of course, didn't mind, but again, the touching… He made your brain boil from all the thoughts.

"I'm just making sure." He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't want you to get hurt because of me." He added.

"Why would I…" You didn't get to finish your sentence because you reached the top of the stairs, and something else caught your attention.

There was a table with two chairs in the center of the upper deck, right where you used to start your lessons. Shanks put two candles, a plate with snacks, and a bottle of wine in the middle of the table. There was also a smaller table on the side, with the radio playing quietly on top.

"You shouldn't mix opioids with alcohol, so I thought I'd ask, just in case." He smiled, pulling you closer to the setup. "The last thing I want is for you to get hurt."

"Is this a date?" You joked, even though your heart sped up significantly at the sight before you.

"Do you want this to be a date?" He asked, making you both stop.

"Do you?"

"That was my main intention, yes." He chuckled.

The light blush that appeared on his cheeks didn't go unnoticed by you, but you decided to ignore it, just like you ignored the one on your own face.

"Then it's a date." You nodded, grinning.

Shanks smiled and squeezed your hand before letting go of it. He walked past you and pulled the chair away from the table so you could sit down.

"Such a gentleman." You teased him, moving your shoulders slightly as you came up to him.

"For you? Always." He sent you one of his smooth winks, making you blush even harder.

"Thank you." You said, quickly sitting down.

"Always, love." He laughed, sliding your chair closer to the table. "Always."

He then took his own seat opposite you and reached for the wine. You grabbed your glass and raised it so he could pour you the drink. Once both of your glasses were full, he leaned back in his chair with a small smile playing on his lips. There was a comfortable silence between you for a few minutes as you enjoyed each other's company and sipped the wine.

It was the most relaxed you had felt ever since your accident. The starry sky above your head, the candles, the wine, the music, and him just an arm's length away from you made you so calm that it felt like nothing else existed. You even managed to ignore the bustling of the crew on the main deck.

"How did you come up with all this?" You asked softly, not wanting to disturb the moment by being too loud.

"I've been thinking about it for some time now." Shanks admitted. "But when you said that you missed our lessons, I knew I had to do it. I can't remember the last time we had one of our wine evenings." He added, taking a sip of his drink.

"Me neither." You nodded.

"So I figured, why not combine the wine with a little moving since you're tired of sitting all the time?" He smiled, shrugging his shoulders.

"Shanks, we're sitting down right now too." You noticed, not really understanding what he meant.

"Not for long." He said mysteriously, placing his glass on the table.

"What?" You raised your eyebrows at him, even more confused than before. He chuckled quietly, shaking his head.

He stood up from his chair without a word and came up to you. You kept your eyes glued to him, following his every move.

"Dance with me." He asked, reaching his hand out to you.

"What?" You repeated yourself.

That was the last thing you expected.

"Come on." He smiled, keeping his hand in the air. "Dance with me, please."

For a very short moment, you weren't sure if you should agree or not.

The wound on your stomach was not fully healed yet, and even though the pain was almost imperceptible, you still had to be cautious. But since it was Shanks asking you, you knew you couldn't say no.

"Will you be careful?" You asked, taking his hand.

"When was I not?" He grinned, pulling you to your feet.

"Oh, I don't know…" You started, feigning thought. "How about that time when you tripped me and I hit my head?" You teased him, letting him lead you to the side. "Oh! Or that time when you elbowed me on the face and I ended up with a black eye for a week?"

"Woah, okay there." He interrupted you, stopping right next to the radio. "These were all accidents. I didn't mean to do any of that." He reminded you, raising your intertwined hands and then wrapping his second arm around your waist.

Before you could fully register the proximity of your bodies, his hand once again on your back, and his face just a few inches away from yours, you heard a loud whistle from behind you. You looked over your shoulder, while Shanks tilted his head to the side so you could both see the voice owner.

"Having fun?" Yasopp yelled with a grin, leaning on the railing of the stern.

The only person accompanying him was one of your crew members steering the ship, but he was so focused on his work that he paid zero attention to you or anybody else.

"Shouldn't you be working?" Your captain shouted back, not moving away from you.

Yasopp laughed loudly, shaking his head, but he pushed himself away from the railing to get back to whatever task Shanks had assigned him.

"Let's just ignore him." Shanks sighed, but even he had a small smirk on his face. "Can you do that?" He asked, returning his attention to you.

"Please…" You rolled your eyes playfully. "I'm a master at pretending he doesn't exist. This is no challenge at all." You joked, placing your other hand on his shoulder.

"Shall we, then?" Shanks chuckled, tightening his hold on you.

"We shall." You nodded, grinning.

At first, he was indeed very careful. He took the lead, gently swaying you both to the music playing on the radio. It was nothing compared to the physical effort you had to put in during your fighting lessons, but it helped with your tensed muscles.

"If it's hurting too much, tell me, and we'll sit down." He said when the song changed to a faster one and he sped up the pace a little.

"I'm fine." You promised. "You're quite a dancer. I like it." You complimented him, smiling.

"Oh, sweetheart…" He grinned, twirling you around. "Just wait till you're healed, and I'll show you what I can really do."

You threw your head back, laughing, but before you could somehow comment on his words, he was twirling you around once again. You've never been much of a dance person, but dancing with him came so naturally to you, as if you were born for it. Not a single move was planned, and yet you didn't stumble even once. You seemed to float in the air as your relaxed body swayed in his arms.

You looked so beautiful with the small smile playing on your lips, the light blush on your cheeks, and with your breath quickened just a little, that Shanks couldn't takie his eyes off of you. His own heart was racing, and it wasn't because of the dancing. It was you who had that effect on him, and he could no longer ignore it.

Once the song ended, he pulled you closer to him. You pressed against his chest, panting slightly. Your faces were now just a few inches away, and you had to resist the urge to kiss him right then and there. He must've been thinking the same, because you noticed his eyes fluttering to your lips for a split second.

He let go of your hand, moving his own to your cheek as his hold on your waist tightened to keep you in place. Pulling away didn't even cross your mind, but Shanks didn't know that, and he wanted you to stay right where you were. You remained silent, waiting for what was about to happen.

"There's something I have to tell you." He said softly.

"Okay." You whispered, placing your trembling hand on his chest while the other one stayed where it was—on his shoulder.

You could feel his heart beating rapidly under your fingers, even through the fabric of his shirt.

"I'm in love with you." He breathed out, caressing your cheek with his thumb.

For a minute, everything stopped. All the thoughts vanished from your head as you stared at him, barely registering his words. Your knees went weak, and if it wasn't for his hands steadying you, you'd probably fall to the floor. You didn't know what to do. But before you could somehow react, before you could say something, he continued.

"I know this is sudden and unexpected, but it's the truth that I can no longer hide. You mean the world to me, and I don't know what I'd do without you. That short moment when I thought I lost you was the scariest in my entire life, and I swore to myself that I would never let it happen again. I need you by my side, safe and sound. I want to hold you in my arms, hug you, kiss you, see you smile, hear you laugh…" He smiled, keeping his eyes on yours. "I'm sorry you needed to get hurt for me to finally admit it. I should've said it a long time ago, but I think I was too scared. I still am. I'm aware that you may not feel the same way and that you might've taken my flirting as nothing more than friendly teasing, but it was all real. All of it. And I want you to know that. I want you to know that I love you, and no matter what you decide, I will-"

You didn't let him finish. Your body and mind recovered from the initial shock, and you pulled him closer, pressing your lips against his as your fingers gripped at the front of his shirt.

The kiss was slow and gentle, but once you tasted him, you couldn't pull away. You moved your hand from his shoulder to the back of his neck to deepen the kiss. He hummed in response, wrapping his arm just a little tighter around you, still very mindful of your wound, so as not to leave any empty space between you. Only when you both couldn't breathe anymore did you break the kiss.

Your faces still remained close as you both let out a shaky breath, overwhelmed with emotion. You looked into his eyes, and that's when you noticed it. The warmth, the sincerity, and the love shining right behind them.

"You have no idea how long I've dreamed about this." You exhaled deeply, moving your hand from his chest to his cheek. "I love you so much. I always have, and I always will. I've never met or known anyone like you. There's no other person in this world that would mean more to me and that I'd love stronger than I love you. You coming into my life changed its whole trajectory, and I couldn't be more grateful because you make me the happiest woman on Earth. I've spent so much time trying to suppress my feelings and hide them from you. I now realize how stupid that was. I also should've said something sooner. If you didn't take the first step tonight, I probably would've kept to myself forever." You smiled, tucking his hair behind his ear.

"I guess we're both cowards then." Shanks chuckled, but the light blush on his cheeks betrayed how overwhelmed he was with everything.

"I guess we are." You grinned, linking your hands behind his back. "But still, you made the decision. Thank you for being braver than me."

"Braver?" He asked in disbelief. "My love, I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest."

"I know." You nodded, giggling. "I could feel it through your shirt."

He laughed, shaking his head in embarrassment. Then he let go of your waist just to cup your face in both of his hands.

"From now on, I'm not letting you go; I hope you know that." He said softly, leaning closer.

"Darling, I'm not going anywhere."

Shanks smiled for one last time, and then he pulled you in for another kiss. This time it was more intense, deeper, hungrier… His hands on your face kept you in place, and you pressed yourself harder against him, gripping the back of his shirt in your fingers. His touch on your skin, his lips moving against yours, and the warmth emanting from his body made you feel weak in the knees.

You were completely focused on him, but then something else caught your attention. You could feel someone staring at you, and you quickly realized who that was. From what you knew, Yasopp was still working on the stern, and it was more than possible that someone joined him. You reluctantly pulled away from Shanks.

"You know they can see us, right?" You asked, trying to catch your breath.

"Who?" He whispered, keeping his eyes on your face.

"Who do you think?" You laughed. "Yasopp and the others, of course."

"Eh." He shrugged his shoulders, not even bothering to check if they were indeed looking at you. "Let them watch. At least they'll know you're mine now."

"I'm pretty sure they already know." You smiled. "Actually, I think they've known longer than we have." You added, remembering how Yasopp teased you that night at the bar.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to make sure they know." Shanks teased, leaning closer.

You chuckled, but you were more than happy when his lips pressed against yours for the third time that evening.

Your friends were indeed standing on the stern, watching you in silence. If you turned around, or if Shanks looked to the side, you would see Yasopp smiling from ear to ear and a slightly less happy Benn right next to him.

"I'm waiting, Beckman." Yasopp said, sticking out his hand.

"I can't believe you were right." Benn sighed, but he reached into his pocket for the sack with coins that he then placed in his friend's palm.

"You'll think twice the next time you wanna bet with me." Yasopp grinned, gladly hiding the money in his own pocket.

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After that day, life seemed to pass by twice as fast as it did before. Before you knew it, every single one of your dreams had come true. You got to experience Shanks' love. You got him to touch you in a way only lovers touch. From that point forward, the words sweetheart, love, darling, and many more were reserved only for you. You could kiss him and hold him whenever you felt like it, and making love to him always made you yearn for more.

You mastered the fighting, and your lessons turned into practice faster than you realized. There were many occasions where you could demonstrate your skills. These were never pleasant moments, but the fact that you went through them together with Shanks made it all worth it. All this only strengthened your bond.

Life as a pirate wasn't easy, but you wouldn't have it any other way. You would follow Shanks to the end of the world, and you knew he'd do the same for you. Your life was perfect, and your relationship was pure and sincere, with the wedding bands on your fingers as the symbol of your everlasting love and the wooden swords on the wall in your cabin as a reminder of when it all truly began.

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