Chasing Waves
Chapter 9
Here Come the Waterworks
Mia woke up the next morning in a good mood. She was humming on her way to Mihawk's quarters, looking forward to having breakfast with him. Whilst they sat and enjoyed bacon and eggs, courtesy of Mihawk's chef, they enjoyed pleasant conversation about the sea. Mihawk told her stories of his travels around the oceans, his conquers in the Grand Line and how he rose in power to become a Pirate Lord. He delved even deeper and revisited memories he shared with Shanks. He spoke with great respect for Gol. D Roger and Mia listened with much interest. After a while she assumed he got tired of talking about himself and he started asking more about herself.
Mia, not having much to about herself, went into detail about her nieces as they were primarily the centre of her existence. When Mihawk asked her about any adventures she may have had, she barely had any to account. Nama, Mia and Razy worked the Temple ever since they were of age - Mia explained how because of this they had minimal field work experience and as a result her healing surpassed any battle abilities she could've spent time developing. Mihawk snorted at this comment in good humour, obviously still impressed with the abilities she had shown up until now. She waved him off with a modest blush.
It was as if they had been friends for a few months now. She was much too comfortable in his company, much too sharing of her information and much too infatuated for her young adult heart to handle. But the sense of adventure had taken to her - she understood why her nieces felt the need to escape the Temple's boring hallways everyday. The Temple, however, was far from Mia's mind. Mihawk's exotic eyes and gentlemanly speech enticed her and she felt hypnotised after every interaction with him. Afterwards she would feel the exhilaration from talking to him spread lightheadedness into her brain. It was intoxicating.
After breakfast with Mihawk she spent the day exploring the ship. If a door was closed, she would knock - was there no answer, she would go inside and investigate. She figured if she was caught snooping around where she shouldn't be, Mihawk would protect her or at least overlook it. Nonetheless, she tried to be careful and light footed as she tiptoed through the long darkwood halls of the ship.
She was in what looked like a central living room for the crew. It was large, had many seats and tables scattered unevenly, and it was somewhat messy. No one was present, meaning everybody was probably busy on deck or somewhere else today. The large room had a few doors at the other side. Mia weaved between the scattered tables and chairs and took the far left door.
She found herself in what looked like a cafeteria with and open counter at the end. It was slightly larger than the previous room. The chef working in the back caught her eyes when he passed the open counter and greeted her very friendly.
He introduced himself as Gerome. He was extraordinarily tall, broad-shouldered and seemed to grow slimmer from the waist down. His dark brown beard was loosely braided where it rested, stopping before the end of his wide chest. He never seemed to stop smiling. Gerome welcomed Mia into the cafeteria. He went on about how the crew was very curious about her, yet too afraid of Mihawk to ask anything out of line. He went on to tell her how the crew speculated that she was half mermaid, or even a goddess. She giggled, on a high with flattery that day.
Gerome offered cakes, and cupcakes and even offered to make her anything she wanted. He asked her how her breakfast was and she praised him for the amazing food she'd been eating the last few days. His smile broadened cartoonily at her compliment. Mia was enjoying his company immensely and Gerome barked at one of the helpers in the kitchen to pull up a comfortable chair for her to sit at the counter so they could continue talking.
"Miss Mia," he went on as she took her seat. He insisted he make her something sweet to enjoy while they talked so she sat dutifully and watched him work. "Miss Mia, where are you from? The crew is curious! They spoke about how you may very well be from another planet. You don't look like the women from the surrounding oceans, and trust me, they would know. Now, myself, I'm married to my kitchen. Never had time for a woman. Captain seems to make time for you, however, if you know what I mean. Ah! But that's none of my business. Pardon me, Miss Mia. Get those pies in the oven you sack of sauerkraut!"
His animation while he talked was immensely entertaining. He seemed to carry the conversation by himself, not even giving her a chance to respond or answer his questions. Gerome spoke to her as if she was an honoured guest, then he would turn around vehemently and bark at the kitchen staff out of nowhere and they would jump at his booming voice that broke the kind chatter. Then he would turn back to her as if nothing happened and continue his ramblings joyously while he was frying something in a pan for her. By the way it looked, he might be serving her pancakes of some kind, which she happily looked forward too. He left the pan and started working on a reddish sauce of some kind, of course, never stopping his rambling.
"I'm telling you Miss Mia, this kitchen would fall apart without me. Prepping takes forever. You can only imagine how much these brutes stuff down their throats when it's dinner time. That's why I make food that's filling and easy to supply in large quantities. In the winter, soup and stew is a big favourite. They start tearing up the cafeteria until I make it for them. In the summer and spring I take to vegetables and meat. They don't always eat the vegetables, so I try to sweeten them when I can. They'd give their right arms for potatoes. But I only make 'em for a special occasion. Sometimes we'll barbeque. Captain got me a sweet grill as a Christmas bonus last year. I make burgers and ribs and lamb chops on it and the crew goes crazy for my special barbeque sauce. That recipe is so special, we got invaded by another crew and the other captain was more set on getting my recipe than anything else! Too bad he didn't know whose ship this was. Clean this damn counter you rotten lettuce! So I said to the captain I'll burn all my recipe books just in case. Got it all memorised anyway. Ain't nobody got time for reading on this ship." Miraculously he took a moment to focus on the pan and not talk. Mia took the opportunity to talk herself for once.
"How long have you been part of Mihawk's crew, Gerome?" she asked quickly, in case he interjected and went on without a care. Despite being busied in the pan and flipping a pancake three feet into the air, he was able to answer her as he caught it.
"Miss Mia, I joined the captain's crew right after he became a Pirate Lord. Don't know what happened to the previous chef, though a lot of crewmembers left when he started working for the World Government. I was working in the Government's Main Headquarters as a Sous Chef. He had one of my special rib burgers with my secret sauce and insisted I become the new chef on his ship. I ain't never been a pirate, Miss Mia. Never worked on a ship a day in my life until I started here. But it didn't matter. I could have a kitchen in hell and still run it with my eyes closed. Get those patties out of the freezer you stewing meatbag! But the crew warmed up to me when I served them those same rib burgers. The previous chef put no effort into flavouring. So here I am. And this kitchen has been my home for the last few years. I'd be happy to die here. The captain is very good to me. To all of us."
Some of the kitchen staff nodded rigidly in agreement, others agreed verbally. Mia saw their loyalty, as they wore it on their sleeves. Mihawk ran his ship with an iron fist. He seemed to lay emphasis on hard-earned respect and loyalty. Not to mention you probably had to be strong to join his crew.
"But he takes no nonsense, Miss Mia! Trust me. When the captain says jump, you ask how high. If he picks up one shred or scent of betrayal or mutiny, you're thrown overboard or even marooned on the nearest island. You challenge him, you die. But Miss Mia, that's why you're so interesting to the crew! The captain is different around you. He said if any of us touched you, we would die. If we were rude or crass in front of you, there would be severe punishment. We thought he was courting you. It ain't no secret the captain's looking for a wife-"
"What?" she spat out, cutting off Gerome who no doubt still had much to say on the subject. The instant she let it out, she regretted it. Looking for a wife? Surely that was just pure rumour? How could the crew possibly know something so personal about their captain? And why would they think that?
Gerome nodded at her, wide-eyed. "Oh yes, Miss Mia! But you're still so special. We never have a woman on the ship. Captain has no problem having them on his crew, he just doesn't recruit any because he can't be hard on them. He's too much of a gentleman. He's got a soft spot for the ladies, but he ain't got time for no whores. But Miss Mia, when you walked on deck we knew you weren't no whore! You got them blue hair and eyes, and the captain likes soft colours on a woman. He likes thick hair and a soft voice. He likes a respectable lady that's upright and takes no nonsense! Get those chopped up you worthless watermelon! And I think you're that lady, Miss Mia!"
"How on earth do you know Mihawk's specific taste in women?" Mia laughed good-heartedly, deciding Gerome was in his own world and she shouldn't take his gossip too seriously.
"Miss Mia, we hear these things around the ship. Captain's not always around, but news travels. His first mate knows everything about him. That's Igorn, that is. He's the one with the scar on his nose and the black bandana with the golden pineapples on it. So when you see him, you can ask him," Gerome said, lacing a batch of steaming pancakes on a plate next to him.
"Thank you, Gerome. I don't think I'll ask though, but I appreciate it," she smiled as she responded, eyeing the pancakes Gerome was drowning in a deep red berry sauce.
"Ah, Miss Mia. You're such a lady. I'm sure the captain wants to marry you badly," he commented offhandedly as he reached into a fridge and pulled out a bag of strawberries.
Mia laughed, throwing her hand over her eyes as she felt herself turn red. No doubt Gerome would be an endless source of entertainment while she was on the ship. He decorated the pancakes with a handful of strawberries and then proceeded to slather the top with some whipped cream he pulled out of the fridge.
Proudly, he served her the plate on the counter and she dove in without waiting. It was divine. She assured Gerome it tasted heavenly and she would gladly eat anything he made for her. It was as if she made his day with her compliments, and he went on talking in a sing-song voice while she ate in satisfied silence. By the time she finished, she got on her feet and Gerome turned to take away her dirty plate.
"Thank you so much, Gerome. Guess I'll be spending my days here getting fat," she laughed, dusting her hands on her dress. Gerome smiled broadly.
"Miss Mia, I can make fat free treats too," he assured her with a gruff laugh as she made her way back through the cafeteria and she waved before she left through the same door she came in. Feeling bubbly and pleasant, she closed the door behind her and chose the second one.
She decided to knock first. To her surprise, she heard a rough voice bark behind the wood 'come in'. Hesitantly she opened the door and peeked her head through the opening. A man with a big scar on his nose who was wearing a black bandana - decorated with golden pineapples - looked up from his working desk. Apparently she was intruding on the First Mate's office hours.
"Miss Mia!" he let out, surprised. He swifty moved to stand up from his desk and bumped his knees hard whilst doing so. He 'oofed' as he got on his feet and Mia had to bite down hard not to laugh. He was almost a little taller than Gerome, very powerfully built and tanned considerably. He had a few tattoos on the left shoulder, mostly of fruit.
"I'm sorry, I was just exploring the ship," she commented apologetically. He shook his head and moved to open the rest of the heavy door for her.
"Come in, come in," he insisted, pulling out the chair in front of his desk. His office was a little packed, and nowhere near as comfy as Mihawk's quarters. He had a window behind his chair and a small potted plant in the corner of the room. His desk was huge, taking up most of the space in the office. Papers and scrolls were everywhere. There didn't seem to be a system of filing or organization. The steel cabinet against the wall was overwhelmed with documents.
"I'm the First Mate. Igorn." He stretched out a hand after closing the door behind them and Mia took it graciously. His grip was obviously slackened, probably out f courtesy for her small pale female hands. She smiled slightly and he indicated with his hand for her to take a seat.
"You're lucky you caught me in my office because I'm not usually here. I have to run everything on deck most of the time when the Captain's not there." Igorn leered at the clock on the wall. "It's almost nap time for him so I can't stay here too long."
Mia nearly giggled at the mention of 'nap time'. She thought back to when she was running from him and woke him up from his nap. No way would she ever want to see him after he'd been rudely jerked out of his slumber. She could only imagine the intensity in his eyes and furrow of his brow as he was about to draw his sword on you.
"What can I do you for, Miss Mia?" he asked, trying to frantically move and order papers around on his desk, clearly a little embarrassed.
Mia shrugged. "I was just exploring the ship. I was in the cafeteria first and Gerome made me some pancakes. Then I ended up here."
He nodded, giving up on the mess on his desk. Interested, he met her eyes when he realized what she had said. They fell into small conversation for a few minutes. He inquired whether or not she had any complaints he could take care of for her and she shook her head. The hospitality on the ship had been wonderful.
Igorn was gruff, and nowhere near as chatty or gossipy like Gerome. He was more business-like but at the same time Mia saw the hardened pirate in him. Out of curiosity she asked him how long he'd been working as Mihawk's First Mate. He explained that he'd been part of Mihawk's crew for a good 20 years now, but only became First Mate after the origina left when Mihawk became a Pirate Lord. He mentioned that being First Mate was a lot of work - especially since the crew is affiliated with the World Government, most things had to documented, something he was never qualified to do. However, he learned and, echoing Gerome, said how Mihawk was very good to him and Igorn would gladly take a bullet for his leader.
Not being as chatty as Gerome, the conversation ran dry. She was rather taken aback he never once asked her about herself. No doubt the crew was very curious about her and she doubted Mihawk gave them much to go on. She didn't mind though. The less they knew, the better she supposed.
She left Igorn's office, wanting to finish her exploration of the other doors. The third one was a toilet (a dirty toilet may she add), the fourth was a storage closet with cleaning supplies and the last was a very disorganized abandoned office.
She had at least 3 more levels to explore, though figured she would check them out either tomorrow. She felt fairly sated for the day regarding her adventures aboard the ship. Curious, she made her way to the deck. For some reason she was below deck more than on it. Perhaps it was time to get some fresh air.
XxXxXxX
The sun was high by midday. The deck was cooking and the waves that broke glistened. Despite most of the crew being on deck, some of them were lounging. The ship was on course and the waters were steady after all. Nothing more was needed then to check the course and keep a lookout. Mia raised her head and used her hand to shield her eyes against the piercing hot sun of the afternoon. Someone was definitely alert in the crow's nest. Two more crew members swabbed the deck. Others worked with rope and attended to separate parts of the ship. She loosely started to dwell on the deck, lazily moving her feet.
The crew members would tip their heads and hats to her passing, muttering a gruff and shy 'ma'am' when she smiled back. Looking around, she saw Mihawk nowhere. There was a moment where she stood at the edge of the ship and realized she was bored out of her mind, but too lazy to do anything about it. She missed her nieces and their animated babbling. They fought a lot of course, usually about mindless and mundane things. She wondered where they were and what they were doing. Had they seen the massive bounty on Mia's head? Surely if they did, they'd see it nothing short of cool and amazing. No doubt their own bounties were going to pop up one of these days. Whatever Nera wants to do to her after then should just happen, because after the surprise visit from Nama and Razu, Mia felt a better about the situation. Honestly, at this stage, she was just winging it.
She dwindled around the deck some more, almost in a trance. Daydreaming, she passed a large bundle of rope that a few crew members were sorting through. They softly greeted her in passing and she nodded back lazily. She spotted Mihawk napping against the rope in the back of the bundle, hence everyone on deck greeting her softly. Tiptoeing, she walked up the stairs to the top deck so she could look out to the ship with a better view.
Yawning, she leaned against the ledge, seeing Mihawk's snoring form right below her. If she were a juvenile like one of her nieces, she would've opted to spit on him. But she wasn't a juvenile, and more importantly she had no desire to die by Mihawk's sword.
The ship entered a routine state. The crew on deck were well rehearsed to work silently and swiftly as to not wake their captain. She breathed in a deep sigh. Usually midday would be very calm with the Straw Hats as well. Zoro, of course, would be napping. The twins would train or squabble. Luffy would be whining about being hungry. She missed it a little.
An albatross squawked and the scout from the crow's nest scrambled. Mia looked up and saw him pull out binoculars. He signalled to the crew.
"Ship ahead! Non-government! " he called, and ropes were dropped in response. The whole crew scrambled around for a bit. Mihawk was still snoring.
The door leading to the deck slammed open and Igorn walked out, shoulders wide and face strict. He started barking out orders and proceeded to join Mia on the top deck, looking through a telescope a crew member handed him.
"Pirates, for sure," he commented, allowing Mia to look through as well. A ship, slightly smaller than Mihawk's (which was still quite big actually) was heading in their direction. The flag was black with a single large yellow star covering the centre.
"Will they attack?" she asked Igorn, lowering the telescope. Igorn studied the ship in the distance intently.
"They're coming at a fast pace. Directly at us. They should alter their course, but they're not doing it." He sounded almost frustrated.
"But you can take them, being Mihawk's crew?" Mia looked at Igorn took the wheel and adjusted the ship's course slightly. His knuckles whitened as they turned the wheel.
"Yes, ma'am," he answered stiffly, but no doubt with pride. "The problem is I don't want to wake the captain."
She felt his discomfort and wanted to help. "I could wake him accidentally?" she suggested softly, walking towards the ledge of the top deck and looking down to the slumbering captain everyone gave a wide berth as to not wake up.
Igorn gave her a dire face. "Still not a good idea."
"Just push me off," she mouthed to him, making sure no one was looking. "I'll fall on top of him and wake him up."
"You could get hurt."
"It's not a far fall."
He hesitated, but still looked very tempted. They both knew any altercation would wake Mihawk up regardless, but at the same time they knew what a heavy sleeper he could be.
"I mean, I wouldn't be grumpy if an angel fell on my lap and woke me up," he muttered, mostly to himself. Mia tried to hide her embarrassment and laughed it off.
After some thought and a quick glance to the approaching ship in the distance, he lowered his head to her. "Stand there. I'm going to wait for the other ship to make a move. If they do, throw yourself off and wake him up so he can just take care of it. I can't believe I'm actually doing this."
He took the wheel and barked over his shoulder, "Steady, crew!"
Mia looked down. Mihawk was still asleep.
The held their stations, awaiting the order. Mia, deciding it would be easier, lifted herself up on the ledge and sat with her back to the drop. She made sure she was directly above Mihawk. The distance seemed longer all of a sudden.
Oh Neptune, what was she doing? This always happened when she got too excited! Just a moment ago she swore to not dare wake Mihawk up, and now she was doing it deliberately. Did she have a death wish? Maybe it's not too late to back out and tell Igorn it was bad idea to begin with. Should she just climb off and send a wave to the ship instead? She was hesitant. What if that would make Mihawk mad?
Before she could climb off the ledge, a cannon shot off from the other ship. The whistle of the cannonball was high as it hit and tore through one of the sails. The wind picked up and the ship jerked.
Mia lost balance. Flailing her arms madly, she tried desperately to counter the fall. Her weight shifted back and she plummeted backwards, falling blindly to the sleeping pirate beneath her. For a second she almost forgot about him and though she would fall on hard rope instead.
The fall was short but it felt like a few seconds longer than it should be. She twisted her body to anticipate the collision and when she looked down she spotted the sleeping Mihawk.
She hit his bare torso with an 'oomf', her head nearly missing his. His hat jerked off in response and his eyes shot open to see her wide azure ones looking spooked.
"I-I fell," she breathed, her face reddening. What had she been thinking? This was the type of buffoonery her nieces would get up to, not her!
He grunted, pulling an annoyed face. She lifted her face in fear, trying to smile apologetically but failing miserably. "The ship is under attack," she added, hoping it would distract him from his irritation.
She thought he would roughly push her off, but instead he lifted himself and her as well with one arm to a stance. She may have imagined it, but she was sure his arm lingered around her middle a smidge too longer than necessary. He helped her over the bundles of rope, ignoring the scramble of his crew and patting her back in what she could only assume was assuring her he was not upset with her.
Than he turned around, picked up his sword and started walking to the front of the ship. Without a word and completely ignoring anything Igorn had to tell him about the situation, he trudged forward. His feet slouched until he reached the front of the ship.
He lifted his sword. Mia ran up the stairs and was just in time to witness him release a wave from his weapon that flew across the ocean like a soaring knife and promptly cut the enemy's ship in half. The other ship exploded and men could be heard yelling in panic. The ship slowly tore apart and justly sank. A few lifeboats deployed and Mihawk, out of an encouraged need to overkill from being woken up from his nap, cut them all down. Surely, no one survived.
The crew applauded. It was a victory and the captain was surely a feat to behold for them on the rare occasions he travelled with them. He sheathed his large sword, emitting a dangerous aura. His crew continued to cheer, yelling a celebration wasian order and Gerome had to make something special for them. Wordless, Mihawk walked like a zombie, not joining his crew in the celebrations. He passed Mia and to her absolute shock, gently grabbed her hand and pulled insistently for her to walk with him.
Without question, she followed, aware of his large rough hand touching her soft small one. She followed him as he, with little force, pulled her along and through the door into the lower level of the ship.
He pulled her into his quarters and shut the door behind them. Needless to say, she was slightly intimidated by his silence. Then again, she was slightly intimidated by most things he did. He left her standing a little dumbfounded in the middle of his sitting room as he moved to drink some water from his pitcher on the table.
"Are you okay, Mihawk?" she asked softly and he gave her a tired look.
"I have an ear-splitting migraine," he said in a grainy voice and took another swig of water. "Can you heal it for me, please?"
"Of course," she replied with soft smile. "It works best while lying down. You need to be relaxed. Lay your head down on my lap."
She took a seat on his couch and he followed her instruction to lay his head down on her lap. For a moment she was entranced by the stretch of his beautiful body across the couch. He closed his eyes as he laid down, breathing a deep sigh.
"Feels better already," he muttered, relaxed.
"I haven't done anything yet," Mia said.
"I know."
Biting her lip, she placed her hands on either sides of his temples. She began by lightly applying pressure and massaging to relax him further. Then, she closed her eyes and focussed on the swelling and negative energy surrounding his head. Her hands emitted energy that was a soft pearly bluish glow.
"Keep still," she whispered as she was almost finished. "Does it feel better?"
"Hm," he muttered lazily.
She worked for another few minutes until she dissolved all negative energy she could trace. The swelling had completely subsided. She opened her eyes and pulled her hands back, looking down at a handsome and serene man's face on her lap.
"Mihawk, I'm done," she said softly, daring to stroke the top of his head and run the palm of her hand over his short hair. He hummed in response, probably almost asleep, but he didn't seem keen on moving anytime soon. A few seconds later he was breathing deeply.
'Shame,' Mia thought, continuing to stroke his hair lightly with her hand. Poor overpowered Pirate Lord who just finished destroying an entire ship. She giggled softly as he hiccuped in his sleep. Mia had never thought of him as adorable, and of course she would never dare to say it to him, but he looked pretty damn cute sleeping on her lap. Something about the situation made her giddy being so close to him.
'Keep it together, Mia,' she reminded herself, still stroking his hair. She didn't dare move. She already felt bad waking him up from his previous nap and she had no intention of wanting to do it again. If she had known he was feeling bad, she would never had positioned herself above him to fall on him.
Where did the impulse come from to do something like that? Was it a pathetic attempt to try and get more of his attention? She was supposed to be a lady! Nera would drench her in ice water if she knew she had meant to fall on someone else on purpose to wake them. Mie felt embarrassed all of a sudden. She would apologise to him more formally when he woke up, she swore.
XxXxX
Mihawk had a deep dreamless sleep that felt like it jerked him into another timezone. He woke up, his head resting against something soft and nice-smelling. It was feminine. He adored it. Fully resting but not quite ready to wake up, he buried his face further into the softness and heard a sharp intake of breath from someone. He opened his eyes a smidge and met with gorgeous azure ones.
'Oh, an angel,' he thought, his vision unfocused and his mind still groggy. The angel smiled and he felt her hand lightly stroke the top part of his head.
"How are you feeling?" asked a sweet voice. He sighed in response, turning on the couch to bury his head further into her lap. He heard her giggle. What a soft creature.
"Mihawk, the sun is setting. Perhaps it is time to wake up?" she suggested, her voice carrying into his ears like a subtle wisp of sweet perfume. Her words took a moment to sink in. He forced his eyes open and saw Mia looking at him intently with a smile on her face. The more time he spent with her, the more he noticed her timeless beauty.
"How long have I been out?" he asked lazily, scratching the side of his head.
She smiled again. "About four or five hours, I think."
"And you let me sleep on your lap that whole time?" he asked, impressed and curious.
"I didn't want to wake you up," she admitted, her expression turning a little shameful. "I felt bad for falling on you and waking you up earlier, especially now that I know you must've felt terrible from the pain in your head. I am very sorry." Her blush was subtle, but noticeable. Mihawk raised an eyebrow at her apology. He wasn't upset she had woken him up. He'd thought he'd been dreaming when he felt the curves of a woman hit his hard body when he was napping on deck.
"That doesn't matter," he assured her, slightly grinning. "All that matters is that you're not hurt."
Bashful, her eyes twinkled when he said this. Finally more awake, he lifted himself gently from her lap, missing the warmth and softness the moment he did so.
He noticed the swelling pressure in his head from before was completely gone. In fact, he felt very clear-minded and refreshed. He rubbed the back of his head curiously.
"My head feels lighter. There is no pain anymore," he mentioned, standing up from the couch. "Your healing is impressive." She remained seated and nodded happily at him.
"Thank you." He noticed how shy she became al of a sudden. He rather liked it, knowing he had such an effect on her. He loved watching the kind expressions on her perfect face reacting to his words. He noticed her fidget unsurely in her seat. She looked like she thought she should leave, but perhaps didn't want to.
"Would you like to have dinner with me?" he asked, moving to boil the kettle to make her some tea.
"I would love to," she responded a little too fast, getting up from her seat with a smile.
After tea, Mihawk had Gerome send them dinner to his quarters. They had a nice talk about many things again like they did that morning. Mihawk was quickly becoming very comfortable having her with him. He constantly had to remind himself that he would have to say goodbye in a few days and leave her unprotected. He didn't think he would end up feeling this responsible for her. The thought of Akainu getting his hands on her secretly terrified him. Akainu was ruthless to say the least, and he certainly had no chivalry to make up for it.
Mia would have to lay low for a few months. Part of him hoped she wouldn't go to the Grand Line, though he understood her need to find her nieces and reunite with them. He thought of taking her to his residence and letting her stay there in the meantime, but the risk was too great. He was paranoid she would still run off and get herself captured, and he had no intention of letting her slip through his fingers again. Although, he guessed this wouldn't be a problem anymore. She seemed to like his ship and crew well enough. The crew certainly liked having her around and stared at her when she wasn't looking, their eyes dazed and full of adoration.
He threatened to kill anyone who dared touch her or even think of making a pass at her.
Having her for dinner was splandid. She was intelligent, so very kind and otherworldly to him. Without her notice, he found himself staring at her at times. The clothes he had gotten for her fit nicely - dresses certainly suited her the best, but she looked amazing with anything on.
Once she left for her room, he finally jerked out of his infatuation. It was easier when she wasn't around. It was clear to him the effect she had on him at this point, and the worst was she didn't even realise.
No. He couldn't get attached. He knew he couldn't have her. That's why he was being like this. He was sure. Or was he? Or not. He didn't know.
Mihawk groaned in frustration, taking the seat on the couch Mia had occupied before. Her scent lingered and it tantalized him in a very unfair manner. The smell caused his thoughts to run away with him.
He couldn't remember when he last craved a woman. It had been years since he had allowed his eyes and thoughts to wander like that. Through the years he'd pushed it down to focus on his job and responsibilities as a Pirate Lord.
But the job was dreary. Politics were boring. There was nothing more to achieve. The position offered nothing more than security at this point. It didn't pay well, but he had enough riches and money to last him a few lifetimes. He could quit the position and take Mia home with him - that was the obvious way out.
There were just too many risks.
As much as he wanted to take her home, he knew in his heart the best option for the moment.
It was hard for him to fall asleep again, especially knowing he would have to say goodbye in a few days.
XxXxXx
The last few days on Mihawk's ship passed without Mia's notice. She spent a lot of time training on deck, entertaining the crew with her movements with water. The spectacle resembled dancing, and Mia essentially didn't want to do it in front of too many eyes. Her boredom got the best of her though and body ached to get some practice in. She was getting fat from Gerome's food.
She spent some time meditating. Mihawk was avoiding her. He was never in his quarters anymore and she never found him on deck either. She'd ask the crew and they'd all respond they didn't know, almost purposefully. It annoyed her a little, but she pushed it down. Part of her wondered if she had perhaps overstayed her welcome and he was waiting out the days for her to leave his ship. She still had no idea where he was taking her and of course she'd love to ask him, but for the life of her she couldn't find him. Guess that would be a surprise then.
It saddened her that he didn't want to spend more time with her, especially since it was her last few days on the ship. Her heart ached when she thought of the fact that she might not see him again. She'd allowed her feelings to go beyond what was acceptable to her current circumstances. Now it was difficult to deal with. Mia thought hard of when they would say goodbye. Would he even say goodbye to her at this point? He was nowhere to be seen! Was he even on the ship anymore?
Mia woke up on the morning of her last day with a heavy sinking feeling in her stomach. Gerome had sent her a lovely breakfast to her room for her last day. After eating everything, she'd made sure to clean her room as much as she could. She folded all her clothing and neatly placed them on her bed. For a moment she was unsure if Mihawk wanted it back. Knowing she wouldn't find him, she was lucky enough to find Igorn in his office and asked him about the clothing. He assured her she could keep it and gave her a bag to pack everything in. When he left her to attend to the deck, she realised she had completely forgot to ask him where they would be dropping her off. Sighing, she went back to her room and packed with a sad expression on her face.
It was early afternoon when the ship docked. Gerome was carrying Mia's bag for her out of personal courtesy and of course wanting to say goodbye in person as well.
Finally she spotted Mihawk. He was on deck. His face was stoic. When he approached her as the crew was docking for supplies, he seemed out of place for a second.
"We're on Dawn Island. This is Fushia Village. Shanks suggested I leave you with a friend of his here. The village is well secluded, very private. The marines don't stop by very often, but when they do, be sure to lay low," he spoke very low, keeping intense eye contact. Mia almost forgot that the marines were after her, having been too relaxed on the trip.
"I will walk you down," he said, a slight softness in his voice. She smiled. They followed Gerome off of the ship side-by-side.
A beautiful and kind-looking woman with dark green hair was waiting by the docks, waving at them friendly.
"That's Makino. She runs the tavern here. You'll like her," Mihawk said into her ear as they approach the young woman named Makino.
Makino pulled Mia into a hug without hesitation, surprising her a little. She smiled at Mia as if she was a familiar. "It's so nice to meet you. Shanks wrote to me and told me about you. And I'd love to hear how Luffy is doing from you!"
Mia was about to inquire, when Mihawk quickly interjected. He seemed antsy.
"I have to go. I can't be seen here. This is where we say goodbye." Mihawk turned to her and she focussed on his intense eyes, pushing down the lump in her throat. Without even thinking, she put her arms around him. He froze for a second, and gently placed one of his hands on her back.
"I can't thank you enough. You've shown me incredible kindness. I'm in your debt," she muttered into his hard chest, hoping he heard her. After all, he didn't have the best ears.
"Think nothing of it. I hope you'll stay safe," was all that he said. She moved away, missing the warmth and power of his body the moment she did so. Makino grabbed Mia's bag in the meantime and quickly spoke to Gerome.
Mia locked eyes with Mihawk. She wondered if he could tell she wanted to cry. Perhaps he did. His hand shot out and he took her hand in his. For a second she thought he wanted to shake it to break the uncomfortable situation. Instead, he gently stroked it with his thumb, lifted it with his hand placed a quick kiss on the back.
"Goodbye Mia." His voice carried weight. It was steady. She fought not to tremble.
"Goodbye Mihawk," she whispered.
He smiled, letting his eyes twinkle deviously at her. "We'll meet again," he assured her. He signalled to Gerome for them to take leave. Gerome, who was talking Makino to death about food, turned and pulled Mia into a bear hug.
"Bye Miss Mia! You take care now!"
She hugged him back, grateful she had met him. He let go all of a sudden and sniffed, turning away from her as to not let her see his tears.
They left. The ship departed while the sun was still high in the air. They caught speed and soon disappeared into the horizon. Mia was so caught up in her feelings of abandonment, she almost didn't notice Makino patting her back in comfort. "I know the feeling so well."
Mia turned on the spot. Carrying her bag for her, Makino put a sisterly arm around Mia's shoulders and guided her as they walked.
A few tears fell. Makino seemed to understand.
XxXxXx
A/N: And here I was thinking I would have to quit on this story because trying to write this chapter was such a challenge. I barely have time for anything these days.
So happy I got this done though! There's going to be a little lack of Mihawk from here on, but HE'LL BE BACK.
I really like Makino as a character and I think she and Mia would make best friends.
I'm really battling to keep the timeline canon with this fic. I hope it all adds up. If it doesn't. Well, tough shit.
THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS
