Hello again, Angel here.

So I'm totally physced about the number of reviews and the sheer amount of support I've gotten. A few shout outs I must acknownledge.

Kmbrun and AllyCatt12 , love that your sticking with me. Your words make my day.

Coolfire30: Don't ever let anyone tell you that your reviews are too emotive. Honestly, your over the top words powered me through Chapter 10. That's right...we are going to keep going, this baby is not going to die.

So just a heads up. This chapter is mostly fluff between Tamara and Mihawk, with some minor looks into their devolpment and backstories.

Really hope everyone enjoys and a thanks again to C.S Skywalker for helping me out with this one.


The long-handled hoe cut into the hard ground. The unyielding dirt refused to let the tool through, making her grunt in irritation and strike again. With her hair tied back and beads of sweat forming on her forehead, Tamara was pretty sure this activity was a better work out in the long run. Sparring with Mihawk had nothing on good old fashion manual labor.

It didn't help that Kuraigana was having one of its rare "sunny" days -stray streams of light piercing through the gloomy clouds and heating up the environment. But it did make it easier to see what she was doing. Otherwise, she might have had to find some lanterns to illuminate the area.

She'd found the abandoned outdoor plaza weeks ago during her first explorations of the castle, though she hadn't dared leave the house then, merely glancing at it from the veranda doorway. At the time, she'd thought nothing about it, although the long-dead plants and shrubs made her a little sad. Tamara was sure at one point the terrace was beautiful, but now it looked abysmal and creepy.

Pushing away a stray piece of hair, she sighed and set the tool aside. Bending down to pick up a bucket, Tamara knelt and started yanking at the rotting stems of the previous greenery, fighting down a wince when the sharp ends poked at her skin.

"I really should have picked up gloves on Redemption," she muttered to herself.

"That would have been wise."

Yelping in surprise at the voice, Tamara jolted to the side, falling on her backside as she whipped her head towards the sound. Mihawk stood leaning against one of the large stone planters with arms crossed over his chest while holding an unopened bottle of wine in one hand. He had a smirk on his face that Tamara was only now able to detect after her long stay with him.

Scowling in annoyance, both at him and herself for not sensing him -not that she would have been able to- Tamara righted herself and started working again, "I've asked you not to do that, Mihawk-san."

"You have, but I do recall someone saying pirates were not known for being cordial."

"Maybe you should lead by example," she replied cheekily.

A low chuckle came from Mihawk in response as he walked closer. "Depending on whom you ask, I believe I already do."

It was becoming more of a common occurrence in their conversations for her to sass the Shichibukai, especially since they'd started her training. After all, it was hard to be polite and respectful all the time when one was getting flung all over the place. Granted, after her falling session, Mihawk had been tutoring her more on actual techniques. Yet all of them tended to involved her attacking him at some point, which didn't generally end well on her part. However, she was feeling more confident in her ability to protect herself, so that was something. Mihawk let her pick the pace of her training, not attempting to push her for more than she was willing to do. Tamara would indicate that she wanted to work with him by wearing pants and a long sleeve shirt at breakfast, and about an hour after the morning meal, the two would meet up and begin whatever lesson he felt like teaching her that day.

The other reason she was willing to verbally spar with the Shichibukai was that he didn't seem to care. In fact, Tamara swore sometimes he encouraged it, given that he would actively participate.

"You call slicing ships on a regular basis leading by example?" she said.

"I am not most people, Little Thing, you should well know that by now," Mihawk reached to where she was doing her gardening. "What are you doing out here?"

Nearly finished with the bed, Tamara pulled out a few loose roots and replied distractedly, "Replenishing the soil, it needs more nutrients to before I can grow anything in it."

Standing up, she walked over to a large pail a few feet away and upended the contents. Potato peels, coffee grounds, vegetable greens, and other organic compounds poured out of the rather heavy looking pail. Setting it aside, Tamara grabbed a narrow spade and started mixing the contents into the loosen dirt. Mihawk had taken a seat on a nearby stone bench and was watching her curiously.

"You actually believe you can get anything to thrive in this war-ravaged earth?" he asked.

Satisfied with the mixed bed, Tamara started working on one of the planters. It had probably had some type of Liliaceae, as the leftover stems were long and hollow. She snapped the lengthy flora and dug at the dirt.

"Of course," she said, feeling the grains of dirt beneath her fingers. "The trees grow, and so do the grass and vines. Just because there isn't a lot of sunshine doesn't mean plants can't do well. I can prioritize shade tolerant shrubs and flowers to start with," she was starting to get on a roll. "I bet Hostas would do great. And their foliage is beautiful, so many different colors. I've also read about roses that grow well in darker conditions," her voice trailed off into thought. "Oh, that would be so wonderful! And on the trellises, I could put Morning Glories -or, no that wouldn't work, they need more light. Maybe Sweet Peas would be better, they're hardier. Also-"

Her rampant babbling was cut off by a guffaw from Mihawk. Glancing at him, Tamara saw the Shichibukai smiling. Actually smiling. Realizing she'd been running her mouth, Tamara paused in her work and blushed a bit and glanced away yet continuing to look at him from the corner of her eye.

"Sorry," she said, embarrassed.

Mihawk shook his head. "Don't be. I haven't seen that much passion from you in some time. It's refreshing. You seem to know much about flowers and plants -have you had a garden before?"

Tamara nodded and continued to dig out the dead roots. "My mother grew a spectacular garden. It had everything; aster, lupines, daisies. The roses were my favorite, so many colors, and all the different languages they spoke."

"How do flowers speak?" he sounded annoyed and mildly confused.

She giggled a bit. It felt good to know something he didn't. Normally he was the one with all the answers.

"All flowers can talk. Not in a literal sense, of course, though from what you've told me about the Grand Line, it wouldn't surprise me at all if some of them did. It's the symbolism that they carry that matters. And the color is also a part of it. Two of the same flowers can mean many different things depending on their color. Each flower has its own unique meaning and emotion attached to it. For example, lilies purity and refined beauty. White lilies are known for modesty and virginity, and orange lilies for passion."

A bit of a long silence followed her explanation as Mihawk absorbed all the information. She grunted in frustration as a particularly large rock refused to be moved. Finally, she got it out and tossed it aside, swiping a hand over her forehead to remove a layer of perspiration.

"Come to sit for a bit and rest, Little Thing."

Tamara glanced over and saw him pour two glasses of wine from his bottle. It was funny, she hadn't noticed him carrying those. She looked back at the pile of dirt on the ground, knowing that she shouldn't, but the bottle of wine looked so tempting, she couldn't resist. Tamara dusted off her hands on her skirt and walked over. Mihawk set the long-stemmed chalice on the bench beside him and shifted over to give her more room. He'd been doing that more lately, taking pains to avoid crowding her or creating situations where he might accidentally touch her. Tamara guessed he was still feeling guilty about what happened in the catacombs, even though she'd forgiven him for it.

Picking up the glass, she sat on the hard surface, still engrossed in her remodeling efforts. Some cushions would be needed to make it more comfortable, but the view would be lovely -that is, once she got the planters cleaned out and filled with fresh life. She took a sip of the wine, thinking about what part to tackle next. Maybe the west side, it had a lot of debris that needed to be moved.

Her thoughts ground to a sudden halt as the matured grape liquid touched her tongue.

It was incredible. The flavors exploded on her taste buds -smooth, rich and decadent. There was no alcoholic sensation of burning, only a tingling of absolute delight. Tamara hummed against her will, a noise that some might have called a moan before she caught herself and swallowed the mouthful of heaven she'd just experienced.

Clamping a hand to her lips, Tamara stared at the glass in shock before looking at Mihawk, who looked like a cat that had just caught a canary. She felt her face flame at the look but was too caught up in the moment to care about her embarrassment.

"Oh my God, what is this?" she exclaimed. "It's like someone managed to bottle every drop of happiness and ecstasy ever experienced by humanity. My God, this is amazing." Tamara risked taking another small sip and closed her eye as the taste flowed across nerve receptors.

Mihawk laughed softly through his nose, "Of course it is. Ambrosia; one of the most difficult to come by vintages. Even in my collection, I only have a few bottles. Most are bought out by nobles in Mariejois, so the general public has limited access."

Tamara's eyes snapped open and she stared at the Warlord, who was now looking out over the terrace into the trees. She swallowed and thought hard about her next words.

"Why are you sharing such a rare vintage with me? You should be savoring this yourself, Mihawk-san."

He didn't answer right away, choosing to take his own mouthful of the angel touched liquid.

Finally, he spoke, somewhat quiet and wistful in his tone. "I've been finding recently that it's far more enjoyable to partake in the small pleasures of life with someone else. Even if that someone does insist on tearing up the grounds of my castle."

She felt both touched by the statement and also annoyed. She figured that was what he was going for. Tamara also wondered briefly if he was still trying to apologize to her in some way. Regardless, she scowled at him in an almost friendly manner before taking another drink. Against her will, she relaxed into the bench, tilting her head back and staring at the sky, feeling at ease in his presence and lost in her own thoughts.


"It'll be beautiful when I'm done. You'll want to be out here all the time," she said.

Mihawk glanced at the young women reclining beside him. She was content and calm. He was glad about that. There'd been times since the cave in where she'd flinched or shifted uncomfortably while near him, making him cringe inwardly with guilt.

"You believe you can make this area grow life?" he asked.

"Life thrives in all conditions, Mihawk-san. It lives in the bitter cold of winter and the scorching heat of deserts. It wants to exist, fights to do so in some cases. One only needs to believe it can be done to make it so. My Papa taught me that," she paused, seeming to realize what she'd said and flushed, "You must think me silly for believing that."

"Don't presume to know my thoughts, Little Thing. It's not foolish to have such a whimsical mind, it suits you well. Truthfully, you'd make a good pirate."

She turned towards him and confusion filled her face. "Eh? How do you figure that? I have a hard enough time learning to defend myself, let alone trying to hurt someone else."

Mihawk smirked a bit. It wasn't unexpected, her expectations of the pirate cliché. The World Government worked hard to maintain the image that pirates were the scum of the earth, deadly bloodthirsty devils seeking only to rip apart the fragile peace they upheld. To be fair, on some level, they were correct. He'd experienced the time of Gold Roger's era and as such, felt the need to correct Tamara's viewpoint. Besides that, it was a bit bothersome to him to think she might see him in that light, even if only for a moment.

"Causing harm or discord is not the pirate way," he said. "Or not how it should be seen, though some of these young rookies sailing about are truly vile creatures. Yes, if an obstacle is in the way, any pirate worth their name will remove it. But the purpose behind choosing to be a pirate is not to disrupt or damage the world. It is simply having the right to choose how you live without boundaries or limits."

She was quiet for a time, sipping her wine and thinking deeply. "So being a pirate is just wanting to live in freedom?"

Mihawk nodded.

She shrugged. "I guess that's a good reason to be one."

"You lived on an island not allied with the World Government, didn't you Little Thing?"

She shook her head in affirmation. "I did. Sanguine is a very small island. If you counted all the outlying houses and families, there's probably only about 300 people on it. It doesn't have a magnetic field, so finding the peninsula is kind of hard. I just always figured the Government didn't care about having such a tiny populace under their flag."
He leaned back, understanding more about the young woman beside him. Her personality made sense now like how she could be so carefree sometimes. Her clever mind and education were more of a mystery now though. Such small exposure shouldn't have given her the knowledge she had.

"So you grew up not knowing repression or discrimination. You're very fortunate, not many get that kind of upbringing," he said.

As he looked at her from the corner of his eyes, Mihawk saw her bite her lip in hesitation. It took a few moments for her to respond and he was well aware that she'd stifled the true question she wanted to ask. It was an unspoken agreement between them. Neither would pry into the others personal life. He was actually a bit surprised she'd spoken about her home island. Surprised, but also glad. She was opening up more, for one such as her, someone so guarded, it meant something.

Then again, he was far worst in that aspect.

"You sound like you're speaking from experience. Is that why you became a pirate, Mihawk-san?" her question made him pause and carefully consider his answer.
"In a way. I choose to forge my own path, to not be bound by expectations of others or forced into a life I didn't want."

Tamara hummed in thought. "That's good to hear. I'm glad. I'd hate for you to be unhappy."

Mihawk jolted a bit at her words, his wine sloshing in the glass. It was an innocent statement, she was too busy studying the terrace to notice how she'd affected him. But she had. She'd pierced him deeply with her words. She was only the second woman he'd ever known to be concerned with his happiness. The last one who had-

He crushed the thought, feeling pain clench in his chest. It had been a long time since Maria had crossed his mind.

"My welfare is not something you need to concern yourself with," he said, curtly. He didn't mean for the words to come out with such a harsh tone and the slight flinch she responded with made him regret the statement.

She recovered quickly, leaning her head back again and staring into the splitting clouds above. "I know. But I will anyway. There's really nothing you can do to stop it either."

Quick to forgive. She really was a lot like Shanks. Maybe that was the reason he'd asked her to stay with him.

Noticing that Tamara had emptied her glass, he refilled it. She smiled in delight, cheeks partially flushed. Yes, she was probably slightly drunk, given her small stature and the fact that she didn't drink heavily, but he was enjoying the looseness of her tongue and calm shine of her golden aura.

She started to kick her feet and his eyes were drawn to the bare toes wiggling in the air. He sighed in exasperation. Tamara looked over at him, noticing his gaze and grinned cheekily,

"Oh relax, my sandals are over there." Stubby foot digits point towards the discarded aforementioned shoes.

Mihawk leaned an elbow over the bench's back which partly turned him towards her. "That does little good if the items are not on your feet. Have you always had an obsession with running around barefoot?"

"I like to feel the earth under my feet and my fingers in the dirt. It's a botanist thing."

Mihawk snorted softly as he raised his glass up. "I'm quite certain it's more of your thing."

She laughed out loud, the sound tingling through the dead gardens. "Maybe. You should try it sometime."

The look he gave her in return had her giggling again as she sipped her beverage once more. "You know, I could probably get grape vines to grow here too. Never worked with them before, but I could give it a shot. You could try your hand at making your own wine then."

"Why would I want to do that?" he snorted.

Tamara looked at him with mischief dancing in her eyes. "Everyone needs a hobby, right?"

Despite himself, her playfulness made him smirk a little, sarcasm filling his tone. "And slicing up warships doesn't count?"

"Depends who you ask, I guess. Besides, you can't say you wouldn't be curious about what you'd get in the end. God knows you have the knowledge to make it, just need the supplies. You might get a really good batch."

She made a point, though Mihawk suspected his inherit laziness might be a factor in her master plan. He didn't say that out loud. There was a good chance she already knew that anyway, so he simple hummed his normal response.

That caused her to grin in childish glee. She raised her glass towards him. "Well then, to new beginnings, wherever they may lead."

Humoring her, he clicked the rim of his crystal globe to hers. The musical ting echoed through the air before both drank.


It was important to remain calm and clear-headed. This was an extreme challenge and given the target, one that would be hard to triumph over. But it was necessary. She would not be beaten, not lay down and just give up. It was unacceptable. And she had a perfect response.

"Never have I ever fired a gun."

Golden eyes blinked, and a handsomely angled face tilted in curious thought. "Does a cannon count?"

"Can you shoot it alone?"

"If required, though it is much easier with aid."

Tamara shrugged carelessly, trying not to be disappointed. "I guess so then."

Mihawk's glass raised and he took a drink of the ruby wine.

Night had fallen on Kuraigana and the two residences had moved inside. Once more, the duo was in the lounge room, though it was a very different seating arrangement than normal. Yes, there was a green fire burning in the hearth, but in front of the said fire was a large fur rug upon which Tamara was sprawled out on her belly.

Her companion chose to remain in his armchair, though he'd dragged in an ottoman that his long legs were currently resting on. One of the low tables normally kept beside the chairs had been moved to rest between them and currently held a partially eaten platter of cheeses, grapes, and crackers.

She wasn't really sure how they'd ended up in this spot. After sharing the divine Ambrosia vintage in the garden, Mihawk had insisted that Tamara come inside. She'd protested, then stood up and wobbled on her feet. Hence, she'd been marched into the current room and told to wait.

He'd left and come back with the tray of food and another bottle of wine. Obviously, her cooking dinner tonight was off the table. To her surprise, over the munching of appetizers he'd brought in and random conversation, the Warlord had suggested an activity.

She was actually playing a game with a Shichibukai.

The rules were simple. Say something that you'd never done and that you believed your opponent had also not performed. If it was true, they wouldn't take a drink of liquor. If they had done the deed, then the opposite would happen. It was also a great way to learn more about someone. The game was difficult, seeing as he was so well traveled and had seen so much, and she was the complete opposite, but that was what made it fun.

Tamara was disappointed after her cannon question. She had been hoping that Mihawk, as a melee fighter, wouldn't have handled combustible, long-range weapons. Evidently, she was wrong.

"When did you have time to shoot a cannon? Didn't you travel alone before becoming a Shichibukai?" she kicked her feet behind her while munching on a cracker with a slice of aged cheddar on top.

"For the most part, but I did end up being ferried from time to time on ships with larger crews, which would undoubtedly get into trouble. Hence, learning to operate an explosive weapon was somewhat required."

She rested her chin on her hand. "That makes sense. You were never tempted to join those crews?"

He paused again, looking over her back into the fire. "Sometimes, but inevitably they'd start to annoy me, or they were too weak to survive in the Grand Line. Or they tried to make me their Captain, which I opposed. So I left them behind."

"You never wanted to be a Captain? How come?"

He took a bit to answer, so much so that Tamara almost spoke up to retracted the statement. But Mihawk didn't like it when she did that, so she forced herself to be patient.

"Being the head of a crew means that you alone are responsible for those under you," he finally answered. "While many on the seas today see subordinates as mere pawns to be sacrificed, those that truly bear the pirate flag know otherwise. A crew is a family, its honor and its life. To lose such a thing breaks even the strongest of men. I simply did not wish to be placed in such a position."

Tamara decided not to comment on that. There was a note in his voice that spoke of something much deeper, but her alcohol tinted mind couldn't really process it well. Instead, she waved a hand at him. "Your turn."

Mihawk smirked almost devilishly and Tamara fought down a giggle at the thought that he looked incredibly hot with that look on his face. She was drunk and aware of it but currently was in the warm, comfortable spot where the world was a lovely, peaceful place. Everything everyone did was funny as hell.

After a few moments of thought, he finally spoke. "Never have I ever, started a tavern brawl."

"Oh, come on, really?" Tamara didn't bother hiding the skepticism in her voice.

He clicked his tongue and waved a single finger back and forth."Nuh-uh-uh, Little Thing. I did specifically state begin. I assure you I've finished many a number of fights in barrooms and otherwise."

She paused after that comment. "Fair point."

Tamara shifted and grabbed her glass, pressing lips to the rim and taking a deep swallow. The second bottle Mihawk had picked wasn't nearly as good as the Ambrosia, but it was still wonderful. In her hazy state, she'd completely forgotten the name.

At her action, the male quirked an eyebrow. "Now where did that come from, I wonder? Or are you the one showing little white fibs now?"

She moved the wine aside and stuck her tongue out at Mihawk. "Am not. Some merchant's boat came to the island and one of the crew was this prissy little high-handed jerk. Mother's flowers were decorating the flowers in the tavern and he started running his mouth about how her flowers were garbage and should be thrown out. Papa was going to cold cock him anyway. I just happened to get there first. Stomped on his foot and told him to shut up. He screamed like a girl. I still remember it."

"And what happened after that?"

"One of the waitresses bundled me up and rushed us out as the whole bar went head to head. Merchants verse locals, I was told it was awesome. Papa came home a few hours later with a black eye. We weren't allowed back in the Yellow Snapper for a month."

Mihawk chuckled deeply at the story, looking highly amused. Tamara grinned back, lost in the moment of bonding between them.

Shifted to her elbows and grabbing a handful of grapes, she presented her next question, "Never have I ever dyed my hair."

The black-haired male actively paused and didn't move for some time. He remained quiet for a bit before raising his glass and taking a drink.

Tamara squealed in scandalous delight, squirming in her place as though she'd just read the steamy part of a smut novel. "No way! What color? And was it your whole head or just part?"

"That is something I intend to take to my grave," Mihawk's voice was deadpan and flat, which only made Tamara more amused.

Slumping onto the soft fur, she pouted prettily at the Warlord before muttering, "Spoilsport."

He chuckled in response. "I'm sure you'll survive, Little Thing."


Looking over her as she lounged in front of the fire like a human size cat, Mihawk ignored the nagging thought that Tamara appeared very fetching in her current position. He may have had just a tad too much wine tonight. As he studied her, the young woman buried her face in the velvety rug, shoulders shaking as she muffled tittering giggles in the fibers.

He could only guess at what her innocently drunken mind must have drawn up from his last response. Surprisingly, he wasn't upset or embarrassed that she might be imagining him with fuchsia colored hair, or whatever it was that had her so gleeful.

It was somewhat of a surprise to him that he was enjoying this little exchange. Over the last few days, Mihawk had realized just how little he knew about his guest. Overall, it didn't bother him much, but he did want to know a bit more. He was sure Shanks would be rolling on the floor in stitches if he knew that Mihawk was using the game he'd forced him to participate in. Normally, it was played in a much more explicate fashion, with the sole purpose to embarrass someone else.

And in some ways, it was being used like that.

Finally, she got control of herself and rested her chin on folded hands, looking at him expectantly. Amused, Mihawk humored her.

"Never have I ever broken a bone," he said. Tamara arched an eyebrow and he corrected his words. "Excluding the last few months, of course."

Her expression changed to tipsy delight, a smirk dancing on the edge of her lips as she took a healthy draw from her glass

"How old were you?" He leaned back into his chair.

"Mmm, nine maybe ten. I fell off the chapel roof and broke my collar bone," she said, nonchalantly.

His expression shifted to mild alarm. "Why were you on the roof?"

Tamara didn't seem to find his concern necessary and airily replied, "There was a nest of baby falcons in the bell tower, I wanted to see them. The baby's mom didn't appreciate my attempts and dive bombed me so, I slipped and fell off. Papa grounded me for a week after that. Mother made me swear to never climb again."

"Did it work?"

"For a month or so. Then, I wanted to eat the apples of the neighbors' tree. I didn't fall that time."

Mihawk threw his head back and loosed a hardy laugh before schooling himself, "So the moral is to not trust what you say if you want something, is that it?"

"Depends, but that's probably a safe assumption. I'm told I can be a stubborn person."

"Perish the thought." Tamara stuck her tongue out again at his sarcastic tone, but her blue eyes were sparkling in hilarity.

He chuckled again, reaching over to grab a slice of cheese himself. The small platter of food was likely the only reason Tamara wasn't passed out from the amount of alcohol she'd consumed. As it was, she probably wouldn't be awake for much longer.

She pressed one finger against her lips in thought, tapping the digit and drawing his eye unintentionally. They were stained a dark red from the wine, making them look lush and appealing. Mihawk shook off the unwanted thought as Tamara finally stated her next question,

"Never have I ever kissed a man." She looked quite pleased by her statement and added quickly, "Family doesn't count, by the way."

"Are you referring to a woman in your case?"

"No, I've done that already." Mihawk fought down a jolt at the mental image of Tamara locking lips with a female that suddenly bombarded him. Disciplined as he may be, he was still male.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked quickly.

She grinned cheekily at his confusion. "What? Haven't you ever been caught under the mistletoe during the Winter Solstice celebrations?"

The tradition of the hanging of holly and the lovers embrace that partook under the plant during the holiday was something he knew about. He felt some relief at her words, though he didn't know why.

"Ah, that makes more sense. And no, I've never partaken in the Solstice festivities," he said coolly.

Tamara looked mildly horrified at that news. "Never? Oh you poor thing, you don't know what you've missed. Sanguine always had the best celebrations. Trees decorated, candles and lights lit, food for miles. And the singing and dancing, exchanging gifts -it's so much fun."

He chuckled at the enthusiasm, but kept his glass resting on the arm of his chair. "So you've kissed a female but not a male? Why is that?"

It struck him as odd. Tamara wasn't his preferred type of women, but she certainly wasn't unattractive. He watched her shrug like it wasn't a big issue.

"Mmm...never had anyone ask. There was this one boy who invited me out to dinner on my 18th birthday, but I never got over him pulling my hair and pushing me in the mud when I was 9, so I said no. Otherwise, I guess I've just been too busy to worry about that kind of thing. Are you going to drink ?"

"Certainly not, I can assure you, no male has ever been that close to me and live to tell about it."

Tamara's expression shifted to triumph and she rolled to her back, pumping her fist in the air. "Yes! Point for me!"

She rolled back over and fell into another round of drunken giggles. He smirked and looked on in amusement. Seeing her so relaxed and playful was contagious, she somehow managed to bring out a side in him that only an extremely rare few were ever privy to.

"If that's how you intended to play, I would have won long ago, Little Thing."

"You still have to follow the rules. No trying to see if I've met Mermaids or seen candy rain, that's cheating."

Mihawk laughed out loud again, "Wahhahaha! Do I need to once more remind you that I am a pirate first and foremost? Rules are somewhat of a useless barrier to me."

A pout formed on her wine kissed lips as she flopped into the rug again. "Now you're just being smug. Big meanie."

She was on the verge of falling asleep where she was. Her aura was waning and blue eyes were getting heavy with fatigue. For a few moments, he debated asking if he could move her, then passed the thought off. The fire was warm and he could stoke it before retiring so she'd be comfortable. Chances were good she was going to wake up with a killer headache anyway.

Rising, he walked over to the long couch and pulled off a thick blanket off the back. Returning to Tamara, who was almost completely asleep, Mihawk took great care to not make contact as he gently covered her with the throw. Sapphire orbs blinked up at him tiredly as he shifted to pick up her empty glass and set it on the table,

"You didn't ask me one," she softly slurred out.

"I doubt you'd be able to answer anyway, Little Thing. Go to sleep."

Tamara hummed in response and snuggled into the fur bed contently. "Mmm...I'm gonna ask you one then."

He smiled softly as he shifted back into his armchair, taking a long swallow from his glass. "Alright."

As she started to drift off, her hooded eyes locked with his. Even as far away as her glazed look was, he felt his chest clench a bit. Then she spoke.

"Never have I ever...seen eyes as beautiful as yours..."

Mihawk physically jerked at that, staring down at the now fully asleep women. His heartbeat increased and he had to forcibly bite back a curse. For a long while, he simply remained in place and listened to her breathing.

Finally, he shook himself and stood up. It meant nothing, she was drunk and speaking nonsense. Hell, she probably wouldn't remember half the things she said come morning. He looked over at the doorway, then glanced again at the resting blond on the floor before walking to the couch.

Stretching out and getting comfortable, while hearing Tamara's soft puffs of breathing, he calmed his mind and let sleep take him, convinced he was only resting here because he was too lazy to climb the stairs to his room.


And there we go. I've never written any kind of fluff before, so I hope I did alright with it. I'll leave this chapter up for a while and be working hard on the next ones. Thanks again all and leave reviews if you liked it.