So sorry. Had this chapter ready ages ago, but forgot to post it :/ Thanks for the reviews and reads everyone. Enjoy:

Shanks opened his eyes to find Zoro lifting weights. He smiled. He did not mind waking up to that same face for the rest of his life. He did not mind if it were to crease and wrinkle, if his green hair turned white and if his perfect pack was replaced by a beer belly. Zoro's good looks were only a bonus. What he truly loved was what was inside. Patting the bed, he called Zoro closer. Zoro scoffed as he continued doing what he was doing.

"I'm serious," Shanks smiled. Zoro could never take him seriously. His goofy smile always took away the seriousness of a matter. He placed the weights down and sat by Shanks' side.

"Just kidding," Shanks said as he wrapped his hand round Zoro's neck and pulled him in for a kiss. He pulled the swordsman into bed and once he was by his side he laughed. Zoro looked at him for a while with a smile on his face, slowly shaking his head before he ended up joining in.

"On a serious note," Shanks said, staring at the ceiling, "do you ever think of the future?"

"Yeah," Zoro smiled, "as the future world's greatest swordsman."

Shanks laughed as he ran his hand through Zoro's hair and grabbed it gently before pulling him closer to him, "I mean our future."

"Our future?"

Zoro froze as his eyes closed. The torment of losing Mihawk remained. He had thought of their future and it had ended with him single and heartbroken. He could not bear the thought of picking up broken pieces of his heart from the floor any longer. He did not want to lose Shanks. Not even Mihawk had made him feel the way he did for Shanks.

Sanji grinned as he looked at the rice balls he had made for Zoro. It was all so exciting. He was about to open the door when he heard the conversation going on inside. With his back against the door, he sat down and smoked his cigarette.

"Yeah, our future?"

That was Shanks' voice.

"I've never really thought about it," Zoro replied, trying to dismiss the topic. Why was Shanks doing this to him? They had come so far and everything was perfect now. Why did he have to ruin the moment by saying stuff like that? Why could he not let it be and enjoy living in the moment? They had just gone through an ordeal and needed to rest.

"I have thought of what I want to do now though," Zoro grinned as he began to remove his trouser, but was stopped by Shanks.

"This is something we need to talk about," Shanks said, "At the start; this was supposed to be a fling. I was going to leave you in the end and you were going to forget about me. Those were the conditions."

Zoro closed his eyes. He recalled those words. Shanks had told him not to fall in love with him, he had told him that he did not enjoy being bound down by relationships and also that if Zoro felt he could not meet these conditions, he should not sleep with him.

"Yeah..I remember," Zoro nodded.

"I've healed now," Shanks said, "My crew will be here in a few days time. I will have to leave you. We both knew this was going to happen."

He smiled and looked at Zoro who still had his eyes closed. Zoro opened his eyes when he felt Shanks lips against his, "...but I can't leave you though and I won't. I love you Roronoa Zoro."

That was the first time he had heard Shanks say his full name, "I love you too-"

"Just call me Shanks," the red haired said, but Zoro began to pester him for his full name. What was it?

Zoro stopped and looked at Shanks, "you said you were not going to leave me?"

"Yes," Shanks grinned, "let us sail the sea together. Let us go on adventures and grow old together. I want to be there to see your dream come true and I will help make it happen. We can spar together and I will teach you the way of the sword. After all, two masters are better than one. When you feel you are ready, I can take you to Mihawk. What do you say?"

Sanji's hand flew to his mouth. He knew that all Zoro ever wanted was to be a swordsman and there was no way he was going to let this opportunity pass him.

Shanks looked at the silent Zoro. Was he so happy he could not find words to express his feelings? "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? It's either you want to come with me or you don't?"

"I do want to come with you Shanks, but-"

"But what?"

"Stop raising your voice at me! Shanks, I love you. I told you that and I do, but...look at how Mihawk and I ended up."

Sanji gasped. He could not believe his ears. Zoro had been in a relationship with Mihawk too. What other secrets were going to unfold. He ate the rice ball he had made for Zoro as he continued listening. It was good Luffy and Franky were still not back. Luffy would have baited him out.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I was ready to give everything to be with him. I was going to leave the crew. Shanks, you have to understand, I just don't want to make the same mistake again," whispered Zoro, his voice shaky from having to talk about his past. He had never disclosed this information to anyone.

"I should have known," Shanks laughed as he looked at Zoro, the both of them still in bed, "I really should have known you would do this! It always has to come back to him doesn't it."

"Shanks.."

"No! How dare you compare me to Mihawk?"

"You are not listening to me! I just said-"

"Oh no! I heard you loud and clear. You don't want to be with me because somewhere in that head of yours you think that I will leave you. You think that like with Mihawk, this will end badly. So this is what you always thought of our future together? You thought that our relationship had a dead end."

"Stop putting words in my mouth Shanks! I am not the one who stopped talking just because of a few things I saw and misunderstood. Could you not have tried to be an adult about it and TALKED TO ME?"

"Oh we got over that didn't we? We talked it over-"

"No, you pushed it aside and pretended like it never happened. You apologized and like everything else, you thought it was going to make everything all better. Well it's not! I don't think I could forgive you Shanks! Do you know what I went through? Did you even take the time to ask–"

"Oh yeah, because the whole world revolves around you doesn't it? You think I didn't go through a lot of pain as well. Watching you kissing Sanji and you looked like you were enjoying it as well."

"Well I did! You know what! I would do it again and again."

Sanji grinned at the door, though he knew he was not supposed to, "yes Zoro. I feel the same way too."

Hurt and lost for words he shouted weakly, "The cake you cooked was disgusting!"

"Not as disgusting as your face!"

They both glared at each other. Not bearing the idea of being next to the other, they both left the bed and began to walk towards the door. Sanji got up and took a few steps away from the door as it swung open. Both Shanks and Zoro were struggling to get through the door and when they got out they both looked at each other.

"MIHAWK IS A BETTER LOVER THAN YOU'LL EVER BE!" Shanks yelled as he walked away.

"I COULD NOT AGREE MORE!"

They walked in different directions. Shanks stopped and looked at Sanji, "bring me two barrels of sake please."

Sanji nodded obediently and walked away. Shanks slammed his fist into the wall next to him. It was back to square one again.