Hey everybody,

here is the next chapter, hope you will enjoy it ;-)

Extra chapter 18 - And the winner is…

-Mihawk-

"The time has come! There can only be one, and that's why I'm challenging you! Whoever among you thinks you can stand your ground against me, dare to come forward."

"Is this really necessary? The evening was long enough, can you not just…?"

"Hawk Eyes! Stop destroying the tension!" Shanks spun around, obviously angry. "It's about the honor of us pirates and I need worthy opponents. So..."

"I'm in," Roronoa remarked, giving Redhair his most dangerous grin, "and I won't lose."

Mihawk groaned softly and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Of course, Roronoa would not be able to resist such a challenge.

"Oh, I think I'll join, too. It's been a long time since the last time, right, Zoro?"

It surprised Mihawk a bit when the Navigator of all people stepped next to Roronoa, but Roronoa only nodded to her briefly in appreciation.

"Okay, who else? Nobody? Two of the Straw Hats against me, means, we need at least one of the..."

"I have been no pirate for a long time," Jiroushin interrupted Shanks a little too quickly. "As a soldier, I should stay out of pirate squabbles."

"Scaredy-cat," the Navigator immediately condemned him, while Shanks turned to Mihawk with a broad grin.

"But you're still a pirate and for lack of crew, you don't have anyone to represent you. So you have to..."

"I do not even think about..."

"But it's about the honor of the..."

"I could not care less..."

"Mr. Dracule must not join this nonsense under any circumstances," Doctor Chopper chimed in. "It would be far too dangerous, and besides, you've already drunk enough wine today. As your doctor, I strongly advise you not to do so."

"You heard it, Redhair. Doctor Chopper does not think it is advisable."

"Spoilsport," Roronoa muttered as he looked at him with a raised eyebrow, but whatever he thought remained his secret.

"And just to have said it. I don't think it's good for anyone to do something like that. It can be quite..."

"Don't get all upset, Chopper. Not all of us are as sensitive as Mihawk," Roronoa grumbled and gave him that nasty grin that Mihawk liked so much about him.

"I've stuck both hooves in your abdomen too many times for that to calm me down," Doctor Chopper remarked dryly.

"But never because of alcohol."

"No," he admitted with an exasperated groan. "Never because of alcohol. And I'd really prefer it to stay that way."

"Okay, then it's settled!" Shanks laughed out loud and pushed Chopper aside, not letting his enthusiasm be stopped. "The three of us. Lou, are you in, too?"

"Not today, Captain, haven't finished eating yet."

"You have been eating non-stop for five hours," Mihawk grumbled, shaking his head. "Well, whatever, do what you must."

Then he sat down on his expansive armchair and pulled out the newspaper, ignoring the annoying Straw Hat, who was singing songs loudly together with his crewmembers and other Redhair Pirates, and ignored the annoying redhead, who was now emptying the dining table while Roronoa fetched beer barrels.

Sighing, he lowered his gaze onto the lines. These were those rare moments when he missed the solitude of Kuraigana.

"Reading a newspaper? At your own birthday party?" Jiroushin asked indignantly and dropped down on Roronoa's sofa opposite him. "You're a bad host."

"I did not invite anyone, as you well know," he replied coldly, without even looking up. "Besides, if this is a celebration in my honor, then I should be able to spend it as I please. Not that those boozers over there are interested in anything else."

Jiroushin sighed. "Well, they're still so young, and young people do stupid things."

"I demand your pardon? Redhair is almost as old as I am."

Not only Jiroushin, but also Beckman and Nico Robin suppressed a quiet laugh as they joined them.

"He's four years younger than you," Beckman remarked, "as you know, because it's his birthday today, too."

"Just like our ship's carpenter. He would be the youngest of the three of you, wouldn't he?" commented Nico Robin unnecessarily.

"Oh, leave me alone."

As a matter of principle, he concentrated on his newspaper again, but he could not completely ignore the surrounding conversations. Not even the drinking contest at the table, although it was already obvious who would win.

Not Shanks.

While Roronoa complained about the empty beer barrel and the Navigator eyed Lucky Lou very attentively, Redhair had slumped over his beer mug and mumbled incomprehensible things.

"Nope, no beer left," Cutty Fram remarked when asked by Roronoa. "You've super drank it all."

Beckman, on Mihawk's left, sighed barely noticeably. "Finally, the drinking contest is over."

"What? Just because the beer is empty? What's the point of this castle having a wine cellar if we don't use it?" grumbled Roronoa, already rising.

"No way," Mihawk replied, putting the newspaper aside. "If you want to behave like barbarians, go ahead, but you will not use my supplies for it."

Roronoa eyed him coldly.

"And here I thought you loved me."

"Emotional manipulation, I am almost impressed," he replied, his cheeks getting hot. "But in this case, I support Doctor Chopper. I can refrain from losing you to a ruptured esophagus; not an experience to be recommended."

They looked at each other over the background noise of those present and at least this time, Roronoa was as readable to him as an open book.

"Fine," he admitted defeat and fell back onto his chair. The Navigator, on the other hand, was still looking at Lucky Lou, who was just toasting towards her, and it was obvious that a new rival had been discovered.

"Come on, Captain, let's get you to bed," Beckman grumbled and threw Redhair over his back.

"But I'm not at all tired yet," he mumbled almost incomprehensibly and without even making the slightest effort to defend himself.

Roronoa also rose.

"You want to go to sleep already?" the Sniper asked him, whereupon he just shrugged his shoulders and yawned. His gaze was on Mihawk for just a moment, and the corners of his mouth twitched into a smile before he left. His steps a tad softer than usual.

Mihawk wanted to use this moment as an opportunity to end this celebration but was denied this opportunity when Jinbei sat down opposite him and wanted to engage him in a conversation.

Unfortunately, he was quite successful and at some point Mihawk noticed that the fireplace room had become remarkably quiet except for a few drinkers and more sleeping drunks, while the windows no longer seemed quite so dark.

"Oh my goodness," Jinbei laughed. "I think we also should get some rest. Who knows when else we'll get another chance."

So they said goodbye, for Jinbei was one of the few crewmembers of the Straw Hats who preferred to sleep aboard their ship, while most of them preferred the luxury of the castle; for the Redhaired Pirates, this choice expressly did not exist!

Not as tired as he should be, Mihawk walked down the corridors of his castle, his fingers gliding repeatedly over the cool bracelet. Once again, a facet of Roronoa that he had not yet known.

With a faint smile and a warm chest, he stopped just outside Roronoa's room before moving on. The days when he had sat on the edge of Roronoa's bed were over, as he realized with a soft sigh.

So he went to his room, looked at the opposite door, where Jiroushin had taken up residence as usual. This warmth was quite unusual. Smiling at this, he went into his room and stopped in the doorway.

Even in the dark, he could easily see the shadow between his sheets. He stared at him irritated for several seconds, then shook his head and quietly closed the door.

He pondered for a moment about what the wisest approach was, but then his tiredness won over, so he took off his boots, washed himself briefly and then finally stood in front of his own bed.

Sighing, he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"And what the hell do you think you're doing?" the figure grumbled into the pillow. "Wanna sleep, go to your room."

Mihawk sighed again.

"You are lying in my bed, Roronoa."

"Huh?" Almost surprised, he raised his head briefly and looked at Mihawk with a half-open eye. Then he dropped his head again, obviously not with the intention of getting up, but continuing to sleep on the spot.

"I hope you do not object if I intend to sleep in my own bed," Mihawk remarked, not sure what to make of this situation. He was slightly annoyed, but...

"Go ahead," Roronoa grumbled again, without moving.

So Mihawk climbed into his own bed, plucked his blanket from under his partner's heavy body, and sank into his soft pillow, the deep breathing of the other right next to him, his heartbeat slow and soothing. Even his smell mixed with sweat and cold alcohol had something pleasant about it, shockingly.

"Roronoa?" he mumbled, turning on his side to face Roronoa. "I love you."

"Huh?" the other said, and then mumbled what might have been a reply – or an insult – before digging a little deeper into the sheets and his feet brushing Mihawk's lower leg.

He looked at this man for a moment, then closed his eyes and welcomed sleep.

But sleep would not come for a long time, deterred by the lumberjack who had lost his way in Mihawk's bed.

-Zoro-

It was probably time to get up.

Not that he really wanted to, but even through his closed eyelid he could feel the warm rays of sunshine. In addition, he would fight Mihawk again today and therefore now would be the perfect moment to warm up a bit before breakfast.

There was only one problem.

"Are you fucking serious?" he growled, dropping his head to the side, and opening his heavy eyelid.

Mihawk was lying beside him. This did not surprise him much, after all, he had apparently laid down in his bed. The other was lying on his side, facing him, his eyes closed, breathing calmly, deeply, and firmly asleep... on Zoro's arm.

Zoro looked at this picture for a moment but couldn't find a solution to how he could free his arm without waking the other. No matter how fast he would be, Mihawk would probably notice. His breath tickled slightly the crook of Zoro's arm.

If this was one of those cheesy novels from the Cook, he would probably be watching Mihawk right now and philosophizing something about how young he seemed in his sleep, how gentle and innocent or whatever. But that would be the biggest nonsense. He still looked exactly as Mihawk looked, just as old, his beard trimmed just as usual, his hair perhaps a little messier like it was to be expected after sleeping. He didn't seem unusually gentle or innocent. He was still him, just sleeping.

And there was the problem, because Zoro would like to run a few laps through the forest and shake off the heaviness of the previous night. Besides, it wasn't his fault if the other thought he had to fall asleep on his arm. He could have chosen a real pillow or another bed – after all, this castle offered more than enough – and so Zoro shouldn't care if he woke the other up. No, more than that, he could just push him away, just as he would do with anyone – well, almost everyone – from the crew. It wouldn't be bad for the other to move a bit as well and it wasn't Zoro's fault that he thought he had to stay up until the early hours.

Yes, he should just pull his arm out.

Zoro remained lying down.

"You're such an annoying old man," he growled softly before finally sighing.

It reminded him of that morning, after the Marine ball, when he had found Mihawk hungover in his room on Sasaki. This bastard had been muttering something, then slammed into him and brought them both down – geez, Zoro had been so freaking weak in that other body – and then he had just fallen asleep. Zoro had lain there, wedged between bed and drawer, while his teacher had buried him and used him as a mattress to sleep off his drunkenness.

Zoro could still remember the face in his lap and indeed he could make out differences to back then. The worry lines were not quite so deep, no dark circles under the eyes, the mouth relaxed and slightly open.

Mihawk had told him that he had probably unknowingly fallen in love with Zoro that evening. Had this been the reason why he had gotten hammered afterwards? To drown these unwanted feelings?

Zoro didn't know, but he did know one thing. He preferred this sleeping Mihawk.

"Such an annoying old man."

Later was still enough time to go running.

With a sigh, Zoro closed his eye. He had been wrong.

It was clearly the time to get some more sleep.