Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 8. Where Mihawk's patience is put to the test

Waking up to the shrill sound of the fire alarm with one of his boys jostling his arm wasn't one of Mihawk's best wake-ups.

Quite the opposite as the burning smell helped him wake up.

"Luffy tried to cook," Sabo explained with a rueful little smile and as if that wasn't enough, he added: "you missed your alarm. We're going to be late for school."

Mihawk cursed when he looked at the time on his phone and saw that it was already 7:35. They all had to be out of the house in less than 20 minutes so as not to be late. It was going to be tight, but it was playable. Probably.

"Wake up everyone on this landing," he ordered Sabo as he hurriedly got up from the couch and they left his office at the same time.

The father and son then separated to accomplish their missions: Sabo to wake up the rest of the family and Mihawk to prepare a semblance of breakfast.

The first step in the adult's journey was to open the cellar door and yell at Ace to wake up. Thankfully, he didn't need it since the boy emerged from his room at that moment, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Something burnt?" Ace asked, yawning heavily.

Obviously, Ace had felt something burning and it woke him up like the little arsonist he was. But Ace's tendency seemed to be limited to lighting the barbecue or the fireplace and Mihawk prayed that it would never go further. The adult didn't have time for one of his sarcastic remarks anyway and he just nodded.

They found the culprit hypnotized by cartoons in the living room and Mihawk turned off the TV before losing Ace too. This TV was a real demonic device, the adult was sure of it.

"Breakfast, now," he ordered in a harsh voice to cut off Luffy's complaints.

The kitchen looked like it had fought in World War I...and lost. There was flour, chocolate, and bits of eggshells everywhere, even on the ceiling. The smell wasn't any better as the room stank of burning and Mihawk found the origin of the smell in the sink where Sabo had thrown the pan and hosed it down.

"I wanted to make Dad's pancakes," Luffy explained quietly, afraid of getting argued, but he was lucky they were all too late for that.

Mihawk only wanted to clean the kitchen until it shined but, since the two monsters behind him were going to end up eating him if they weren't fed, he opened the window and got a new pan.

The omelets were almost cooked when the rest of the tribe, led by Sabo, entered the kitchen. They were almost all in pajamas, Zoro was in jogging pants and a tank top, Sabo in flannel pajamas, and Luffy in his dinosaur pajamas. Only Perona was perfectly dressed in her pink and black dress and her hair was styled in two ponytails.

Mihawk frowned at these get-ups and said, "I don't serve breakfast to those still in their pajamas."

Luffy was the first to run towards his room, followed more slowly by the others.

Instead of sitting and waiting to be served, Perona grabbed enough glasses and some juice. Fortunately, the teenager was there to give him a hand. Perona was a real help compared to the other boys who would starve if Mihawk wasn't there. To thank her, he served her first and he hesitated in front of Ace's plate, "are you dressed?"

The boy nodded and stood up to show off his outfit consisting of an oversized orange sweater, brown cargo pants that he had to convince Boa to buy him, and black rangers. Ace's fashion sense despaired Mihawk, but he was wearing real clothes and the elder didn't want to fight.

He went to his room to get dressed once all the boys were dressed and busy eating their breakfast. A poster of a K-pop star hung above the bed and a portable dressing room filled with colorful clothes proved that it was no longer exactly his room, but Perona's. The room he shared with Shanks was the only one available for the young woman since Mihawk couldn't see her sharing a room with one of the boys. He could have changed the rooms, but he hadn't wanted to and it was simpler that way.

He quickly put on a black Levi's and a blue shirt before returning to the kitchen. There, the children were arguing, but had all finished eating and convinced by Sabo, they had put their dishes in the dishwasher. The kitchen wasn't clean by Mihawk's high standards, but it would do for now. Mostly, he didn't have time to look in detail as he noticed Ace's eyes closing and his head getting dangerously closer to the granite surface. Mihawk just had time to cross the room and place his hand between Ace's head and the granite to spare him a bump.

It was a shock to everyone at first when Ace had started sleeping at any time in any place - especially to those outside of their family. Mihawk had been extremely worried the first time he had witnessed it, but Shanks had been there to reassure him, saying that it was a family thing that Ace had inherited from their mother. Since then the swordsman was accustomed enough to recognize the signs and catch up with his son at any time.

Still, the first time Ace had a narcoleptic moment in front of Perona, the young woman had screamed so loudly that Chopper had taken refuge under the table in the dining room. She had thought he was dead before she noticed he was sleeping and had since gotten used to it.

Mihawk looked at his watch to keep an eye on the time as he held Ace's forehead with his other hand and gestured for the others to put on their coats and shoes. He would drive Ace to school himself if he didn't wake up in the next three minutes. The administration would accept this delay since it was considered medical, but Mihawk suspected Ace of using this excuse to hang out outside the school with his skateboard.

Luckily, Ace woke up two minutes later.

"Perona will drive you to school, we're too late for you to go there on a skateboard. I'll drive Luffy," he added toward the young woman so that she wouldn't have to make a detour to the elementary school. He would be late to work but he could afford it.

"But..." Ace started, ready to complain.

He was cut off by Perona who already had Shanks's keys car in her hands, "Come on, little terror. No way I'm going to be late because of half a portion like you."

"Hey! I'm not small!" Ace protested, running behind the laughing teenager.

"No, you’re just the perfect size for an Umpa-Lumpa!"

In the end, Mihawk did not arrive five minutes late for work, but a good fifteen minutes since he had bought a coffee after dropping Luffy off at the elementary school. He needed his daily dose of coffee to get through this grueling day and he hadn't had time to drink one this morning. He was already late anyway, so he might as well take advantage of it.

He entered the living room expecting to find it empty, but his fellow Shichibukai coworkers were all there, ensconced on the couches. There were still free places between Teach and Boa, and Mihawk easily made his choice. He sat down next to his sister and took off his trench coat which he placed on the backrest, he wanted to be as discreet as possible so as not to be argued with by his boss. But Jinbei simply greeted him as he passed and warned him that the casting of lots had not yet taken place.

Each year, the Shichibukai's lawyers had to work with the government's senior lawyers; the "Admirals". They were as proud and vain as their names suggested, at least for the most part. Until now, Mihawk had always pulled the right person. The first year he had worked with Fujitora and the second with Admirals coordinator, Sengoku, and each time the partnership had been fruitful, ending with an ambitious and successful project. Both partnerships ended over a meal at home because Shanks wanted to meet Mihawk's colleagues; he was certain that Luffy and Chopper had traumatized Sengoku's goat.

Others had been less fortunate like Doflamingo who had worked with Kizaru and Akainu, and Crocodile who had to put up with his lover's complaints. Doflamingo was complaining again now, but no one was listening to him, so he changed tactics.

"So, Hawky, who did you have sex with last night?" Dolfy asked, licking his lower lip and creating a terrible awkward tension. No one dared to speak anymore and Mihawk could feel all eyes on him, especially Boa who was delighted to hear gossip about her brother.

"No one," Mihawk replied, thinking back to how he had been rudely awakened from his couch less than an hour ago.

"That’s not what your shirt says."

Mihawk looked down at his navy blue shirt. It certainly wasn't his since its color palette ranged from burgundy and purple to white and black. Plus, as if that wasn't enough, it was too big in the chest area and revealed a little too much skin and muscle. This display was a far cry from the three-piece suits with jackets and ties that Mihawk usually wore. He wasn't even wearing a tie, which could be considered sacrilege by Mihawk standards. At least he felt nice and comfortable in it. And whether Doflamingo liked it or not, Mihawk had always made the secretaries drool even if he only wore a shirt and jeans. They had nicknamed him the 'model' for a specific reason after all.

"If you're looking for gossip, you'll be disappointed. I went to the wrong closet this morning, the shirt belongs to Shanks."

"Tch, so you're going to be one of those idiots who wears their mates' clothes to feel safe," scoffed Dolfy who was in a nasty mood this morning, he was certainly nervous.

Mihawk didn't intend to respond to this attack, but he was saved by Crocodile who replied: "You're one of those idiots. You were wearing my shirt last time."

"It wasn’t for that reason!" Doflamingo laughed as his face turned pink with shame.

A wave of disgust echoed through the room as the implication of why Dolfy would wear a shirt from Crocodile. These were mental images that Mihawk would have been fine living without, especially on a Monday morning.

"Anyway," Dolfy continued, turning his attention back to Mihawk, "you should follow my advice: getting laid will do you the world of good. Trust my experience, it will help you feel better."

Mihawk rolled his eyes as this topic was brought to the table again by the same blonde dressed in pink. He didn't need to get laid like Dolfy said for the simple reason that he wasn't an animal. He had no urge to satisfy, other than to commit murder as quickly as possible. Above all, Mihawk found it quite inappropriate that Doflamingo told him to fuck someone else while he was wearing Shanks' shirt and his ring was shining on his finger.

"I didn't ask your opinion, Barbie," Mihawk replied sarcastically.

He received two grunts in response. The first from Dolfy because he didn't like being compared to a plastic doll, and the second from Crocodile because if he fucked Barbie then he was necessarily Ken.

Dolfy was about to respond when Mihawk's attention was attracted by Boa who wanted to see Sabo's birthday photos. Saturday had been March 20, Sabo's birthday, and the now 13-year-old had wanted to go to the City of Science. It had been quite an organization to take a group of five children ranging from nine to sixteen years old, most of whom were not interested in science. At least there had been fun activities to amuse Luffy, Ace, and Zoro while Mihawk was dragged by Sabo to the four corners of the congress and Perona had fun taking photos of them.

He had almost finished showing the photos Perona had sent him when the door opened to reveal their dear colleagues from the capital.

The time for the draw had arrived...

Now, it wasn't that the Shichibukai and the Admirals didn't like each other. Most of them hated each other. The admirals saw the Shichibukai as thugs to whom the government had managed to put a tie and a suit. Their more or less criminal, illegal, and disturbing past was known to everyone. Crocodile, Teach and Doflamingo were the worst since they used more than shady means and networks to ensure their victories; Jinbei and Kuma had been vocal activists in their youth; Moria, well, the man was just weird. As for the brother and sister, rumors wanted them to be made of ice. On the other hand, the Shichibukai saw the admirals as pretentious good-for-nothings; The Shichibukais wouldn't be here otherwise, isn't it?

As an exemplary host, Jinbei, their coordinator, let Sengoku and his men pick from the box whoever they would collaborate with.

Mihawk, who was more concerned about how dirty his kitchen was than who he would be working with, blinked when his name was called. He stood up to shake Sengoku's hand as a sign of respect before turning to his colleague. Mihawk had a bad feeling when he had to look up to make eye contact. He was not a small man, measuring 1m98, and he was not skinny either thanks to his titles as the best in the world.

When Shanks called him a shrimp, Mihawk always responded that he was slender and proportional. Above all, he never saw the point in having useless muscles. His goal had never been to look like a tank but to be agile and fast.

No, the man in front of him was just more massive; a real tank. Akainu must have been over 2m10 tall and had way too much muscle. If Mihawk had to guess, someone had something to make up for. Now, whether it was in the noggin or in the pants, Mihawk wouldn't know.

They shook hands and Akainu's hand easily encompassed Mihawk's.

"Is there something funny?" Asked Akainu who noticed Mihawk's smirk; he was still stuck on his analogy.

"Nothing," Mihawk replied flatly, tightening the hand in his to respond to Akainu's attempted intimidation. He only let go when he saw a hint of pain appear on the elder's face and his smirk grew.

Mihawk always won and Akainu would have to learn this lesson quickly if they wanted their partnership to be successful.

In search of equality, the youngest pulled out the paper to find out what subject their project should focus on and it came across "Sustainable Development". They then agreed with Akainu to give themselves a few days to think alone on their own. Well, Mihawk had decided unilaterally that he would think alone first and left his partner no choice as he left a few seconds later.

Instead of locking himself in his office, Mihawk went home, because he could never be productive knowing that there were dirty pans in his sink. So, for an hour, he cleaned his kitchen until it shined and ended up throwing away the frying pan that Luffy had used. There was a hole in it. How? Mihawk had no idea. He had long since stopped looking for logic in his sons.

The idea struck him as he was cleaning Luffy and Zoro's room and found a soldier fighting a whale. What interested Mihawk was not the symbolism of a soldier fighting alone against a marine mammal three times his size, knowing Luffy, this fight had no logic anyway. No, the whale referred him to the protection of animals, therefore the environment, and one thing leading to another, to sustainable development. And it so happened that Mihawk knew a maritime company that had just converted to sustainable development and its CEO was quite familiar.

He then went to his office where he was literally sleeping to search in the only cabinet that was reserved for Shanks. It wasn't that his husband had a less important job than his, Shanks was just less inclined to bring work home. Knowing what he was looking for, Mihawk rummaged through the redhead's 'organized mess' until he found his notebook of ideas. The little notebook was filled with the redhead's ramblings and some ideas were both fanciful and impractical, but some were actually quite good.

He sat cross-legged on the floor as he looked through page after page of Shanks' ideas until he found one he liked and that hadn't already been picked up by Beck and the rest of the crew. Mihawk didn't want to be accused of cheating, he was just looking for inspiration from the best sailor he knew. Plus, they were married. So legally everything that was Shanks's was his. And, the last justification that Mihawk found: what Akainu didn't know could not harm him.

One of Shanks' ideas eventually piqued his interest. In fact, it was a pretty crude drawing of the Red Force sailing the oceans while cleaning the water. In any case, that was what Mihawk understood from two lines coming out of a tank under the hull of the ship and the small dots which represented a "magic solution". On a corporate scale, Shanks' idea was impossible, but Mihawk had a way to make it happen if he had government support.

Before that, he should win the project call.

So, he sat down at his desk and began to explore the idea that obsessed him, so much that he didn't notice the time passing until Chopper asked to be taken for a walk and the kids came home.

Around 11 p.m., he sent an email to Akainu about what he had found and, exhausted, Mihawk didn't need to swallow any pills before falling asleep dressed only in a shirt on the couch in his office.

The next morning, while checking his emails, Mihawk noticed that Akainu had accepted his idea. Not only that, but the eldest added that he was going to contact scientists to find out more about a potential 'miracle solution' and that he was leaving the legal part to Mihawk. They had planned a meeting for Wednesday morning because it would be easier to bring their ideas together.

Mihawk had made more than good progress when Wednesday morning arrived. It had to be said that the lawyer received help from Shanks' comrades. He only had to send a message roughly explaining his idea to learn more in one conversation than by searching for hours on the internet. Again, Akainu didn't know could not harm him.

So, Mihawk was sipping his vanilla machiato when there was a knock on the door. He expected it to be Akainu and so didn't look up from his screen before inviting the person in. Maybe he should have...

"Hello, Mr. Hawkeyes. It's been a long time."

He looked up to see Outlook III of all people in his office. Mihawk didn't know why, but as soon as he saw that face, his disgust waged war with his anger without one of the two feelings prevailing over the other. It was even worse when he heard that nasal, false voice.

"You have come to the wrong office," he said in a flat voice, skipping the greeting, "I cannot legally represent you given our past, and I am even less keen to do so personally."

"I came here to find an amicable settlement."

These two words aroused the curiosity of Mihawk who left his chair to walk towards the nobleman.

"Didine and I want Sabo to return to his rightful place with us," Outlook explained in a slightly trembling voice as Mihawk moved closer to him. "We adopted a boy and we would like him to meet his big brother..." he coughed uncomfortably to regain his confidence, "these charades have gone on long enough. Sabo is our son and there is no way he will continue to live with your wild children. I know that you are alone in raising a troop of five children since the disappearance of your husband. I could relieve you a little..."

Outlook never finished his sentence as Mihawk grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and slammed him hard against his desk. There was a loud crack and Mihawk was more worried about the wood than the snooty nobleman's face. Outlook groaned in pain and tried to break free, but Mihawk's hand held him tightly.

In fact, Mihawk put his full weight on Outlook before whispering in his ear, "Blood or not, Sabo is my son. My family has already been torn apart enough, I wouldn't lose another member because you discovered a paternal fiber. So don't even try to take Sabo from us, from me."

"I am part of the government, which makes me your employer, you are obliged to return my son to me."

Mihawk turned Outlook around so they were face to face and he raised his fist to make his threat clear, "you want to test your theory?"

"You won't dare," Outlook muttered in fear, "hit me and you're a dead man."

"I'm already dead."

Mihawk was about to strike, his wedding ring gleaming, but a large hand grabbed his to stop him. He turned around and his eyes vibrating with anger met Akainu's serene ones, "let him go, Hawkeyes."

"Don't get involved in this," he spat, struggling to get his arm back.

"It’s my duty to stop you from doing something stupid."

Mihawk refused and tried to regain his fist again to complete his mission but Akainu did not give up. In fact, the Admiral clenched Mihawk's fist until it was painful and the younger slightly released his grip on Outlook's neck. The nobleman quickly got up and hid behind Akainu's large body to protect himself from the angry lawyer.

"I wanted an amicable agreement but a trial awaits you!"

"Don't push him," Akainu warned, grabbing Outlook's arm to force him out of the office. And before leaving, he promised to Mihawk: "I will sort this out."

"I do not need help."

Akainu raised an eyebrow, easily showing that Mihawk wasn't convincing, and ordered, "Take the day off, see you tomorrow for the project."

Mihawk didn't want to obey Akainu, he was no longer a child and had no orders to receive from anyone. But he felt his veins boiling inside and if he didn't come out, he might very well take the plunge and commit a crime. So, before breaking anything or killing anyone, Mihawk slammed the door to his office and left under the curious gaze of his colleagues.

That day, many Bobs died under Mihawk's punches. Enough for a tide of sand to be spread throughout the gym. Sweat was covering the athlete's body and his knuckles were cracked and bleeding when he was finished; when Rayleigh forced him to stop. This time no words of comfort were enough to calm Mihawk's anger. Knowing he couldn't let his son go like the caged animal he was, Ray offered a fight, then another, and another, until Mihawk was too exhausted to think about Outlook and his threats.

When Mihawk returned home that evening, the children were already all home and safe. Zoro and Luffy were playing on the console while Perona was on her phone. He found Sabo and Ace in the kitchen bickering for some reason. They were cut off in their argument when Mihawk grabbed Sabo and hugged him.

"Dad?" Sabo asked, legitimately surprised by this embrace which had no apparent reason. If it had been Shanks, the boy wouldn't have been surprised, his father showed his love with affectionate gestures. For his part, Mihawk had more discreet ways to show his love.

Mihawk didn't respond while he was physically making sure that his son was there and he silently promised himself that he would do everything to keep him with them.

"Oh, I know," Ace scoffed as he approached his father and brother, "you got caught by the cuddle monster! It's going to swallow you!"

"Shut up, Ace," Sabo growled as he tried to kick his brother, but the older boy jumped out of the way.

In retaliation, Ace grabbed Sabo's cheek and squeezed gently, "Tatata, daddy's boys don't kick."

"Dad! Do something!" Sabo complained, grabbing Ace's arm to force him to let go.

Mihawk intervened by grabbing Ace by his sweater and instead of forcing him to move away, he brought him closer to hug him as well.

"Argh, I got caught by the cuddle monster too!" Ace laughed, although his arm circled his father's back and he made no attempt to escape.

Sabo stuck his tongue out at his brother, "we're going to get swallowed!"

"Heyyyy!" a small voice shouted indignantly, "I want hugs too!"

The three almost fell when Luffy jumped on Mihawk's back, but the adult held on and adapted easily. Not that he had a choice since small arms clung to his neck. Luffy had made enough noise to attract Perona and Zoro who looked at them without daring to approach so as not to be caught by the 'cuddle monster'; which did not prevent the teenager from taking numerous photos.

Once his emotional batteries were reset and Mihawk felt sufficiently calm, he let go of the two boys, but Luffy remained clinging to his neck.

"Shall we order pizza for tonight?" he asked even though he already knew the answer.

That evening, after receiving the many pizzas, Mihawk locked the doors and made sure the windows were closed before settling on the couch with his family. They watched a movie Zoro had chosen and for a moment, Mihawk allowed himself to relax.

However, Mihawk did not go to sleep and spent the night preparing an impregnable defense to ensure that no one would take Sabo away from them.

He also spent his night checking his emails and even more once the sun rose. He refreshed the page every few minutes and ignored any messages that didn't come from the government. At work, Mihawk jumped on his letters when the postman gave them to him, scaring the young man in the process. He didn't care though, too preoccupied to methodically check each envelope. Mihawk allowed himself to breathe when he found no letter from the government. There was, as usual, an orange envelope that contained a Polaroid of him taken against his will, but, for once, Mihawk didn't care.

The most important thing was that he had not received any summons from the government following his action the day before. However, his superiors always acted quickly when a member of the nobility was threatened. If he did not receive a summons today, there was a good chance that Mihawk would not receive one, and the matter would be hushed up.

Every minute was torture and every hour didn't pass quickly enough for his liking. This day had to end as quickly as possible, yet Mihawk's wish was not granted.

Maybe he had scared Outlook enough? Maybe the nobleman didn't have the courage to attack him? Or that he had decided that Sabo wasn't worth a trial with one of the best lawyers in the country and the best swordsman in the world? Perhaps the council of elders had refused his complaint because Outlook had already humiliated them enough in the past?

Lots of other 'maybes' preoccupied Mihawk for the rest of the day, but when Akainu knocked on his door early in the afternoon, he realized the obvious. Akainu must have kept his promise, probably. He was unsure to say since the eldest was as gruff as usual, ordering Mihawk to give his report and they began to work without mentioning yeatserday's accident.

The days passed, no message from the government arrived in his mailbox or letter box, and Mihawk finally relaxed.

Akainu had indeed protected him from Outlook and his shenanigans, but the elder continued not to talk about it and Mihawk promised himself to find a way to thank him before the end of their partnership.

In the end, Mihawk had to admit that working with Akainu wasn't so bad. Despite the muscles, Akainu was intelligent, at least intelligent enough to follow Mihawk in his ideas and not hinder him. He wasn't exactly nice, but he wasn't the cruel monster Dolfy had criticized. But Dolfy had a pig character and only got along with a closed circle of people, so Mihawk wasn't so surprised to discover that Akainu was a tolerable person. He wouldn't go so far as to say he liked the older man, there was no need to exaggerate, but they worked well together and Mihawk always owed him one.

They had almost finished the project when Mihawk treated himself to an evening of peace by leaving the children with his parents. He didn't like owing debts so the swordsman wanted to repay his colleague with Sushi and wine. It wasn't anything very formal since they had settled into one of the conference rooms and continued to work, but Mihawk was feeling better now.

Strangely, Mihawk had to admit that being completely alone with Akainu wasn't as weird as he had initially thought. They had moved to the side of the table to be close and were eating quietly, talking about work until Akainu closed his computer.

"I don't like to work while I eat," explained Akainu, who was certainly making an effort as his cap was on the table and there was no cigar in sight - Mihawk had made him understand that he didn't like the smell.

"I see and what do you want to talk about?"

Akainu shrugged as he ate a sushi, "how much do I owe you for food?"

"Nothing," Mihawk replied, relaxing in his chair. He had removed his upper layers until he was only in his black shirt with the sleeves rolled up. It felt good to talk to an adult who didn't look at him like he was going to break; even Crocodile looked at him like that from time to time and Mihawk hated it. At least, Akainu looked at him with respect and the swordsman preferred that. "We’re even now."

"I didn’t know you owed me anything."

"You stopped Outlook from carrying out his plan. Sushi is the minimum in my book."

"And you decided that sushi would be enough?"

"Well," Mihawk began before leaning forward to retrieve the bottle of wine, but Akainu beat him to it and filled his glass, "this bottle is a vintage. So you should feel lucky, I'm not taking them out for anybody."

"I feel lucky," Akainu confirmed, placing the bottle on the table. He leaned back in his chair before making eye contact between them and admitting, "It's a little surreal to be here with you."

Mihawk smirked, "Don't believe all the rumors going around, I'm not that bad. Although, it depends on one's point of view, I suppose."

"I don't listen to rumors," Akainu clarified as a small glint shone in his dark eyes, "I was talking about having the best swordsman in the world in front of me."

"This isn’t the first time we’ve eaten together, is it?" Mihawk asked, searching his memory and he was sure he had already eaten with Akainu. The only difference was that they had always had someone with them. Another Shichibukai, another Admiral, or Shanks had been invited as a husband. Previously, they had never had any reason to share a meal alone together.

Akainu hummed and a rare small smile appeared on his face, "I was surprised when you accepted Sengoku's offer to join the Shichibukai. I thought you would continue to shine in the spotlight. Instead, you retired after a fantastic victory. You were impressive that day."

Mihawk didn't even feel himself thanking Akainu as he was immersed in an old memory.

***

His second participation in the Olympic Games went much better than the first. First, because Mihawk had grown up, he was 22 instead of 18 and, even if he already thought he was mature at the time, he was much more so now. Besides, the jitters from the first time were gone, now the flashing cameras and the journalists shouting at him were usual, and Mihawk had understood the rules. Don't rush fights, take your time, and put on a good show. And the presence of the redhead full of energy who followed him everywhere helped enormously.

The first time, he had been alone since Hinata was no longer his mother and he didn't want her by his side and the people he wanted with him were too busy to follow him.

This time, Shanks was with him, accompanying him to every practice and competition, and distracting him from the pressure with smiles and jokes. With Shanks around, competing in the Olympics was no longer a chore, but a game.

And before Mihawk knew it, the game was ending today. One last match, one last victory, and one last medial to collect. Then, they will be back to East Blue and their normal lives.

"It's your last one, Hawky! You're going to beat that Russian," Shanks smiled proudly before looking towards Mihawk's coach and added seriously, "not too fast, okay?"

"I know," Mihawk huffed as he finished equipping himself, he wasn't annoyed, more amused. Since the start of the competition, Shanks had taken on the role of emotional coach - or mama bear - supporting him every step of the way; much to the annoyance of his real coach, Vista.

A countdown began behind them, a sign that the final match was about to begin.

Just then, Shanks' phone rang and the youngest apologized, saying it was his mother. Vista took advantage of the redhead's absence to give Mihawk his final advice

The countdown showed that there was less than a minute left and Mihawk was ready. He had recorded the final pieces of advice that he didn't need but that were still useful to hear. He was perfectly equipped and if his hand trembled on Yoru, it was out of excitement and nothing else.

Mihawk was about to reach the stairs when he was stopped by his favorite redhead. Except that instead of encouraging him, Shanks was crying and sobbing. The youngest had come to seek comfort in the only person he knew here and Mihawk didn't know what to do as his equipment prevented him from returning the hug.

"Mom wants me to come home as quickly as possible," Shanks explained through his sobs, "D-Dad has cancer... Terminal stage, h-he's going to d-die... s-s-soon. She wants me to say goodbye."

Yoru fell carelessly to the ground as Mihawk barely managed to wrap his arms around his boyfriend. The news was devastating, even for him who considered Roger his uncle. So, he didn't even want to imagine how Shanks must feel. The redhead's father was his whole world, the one who had taught him so much and who had even more to teach him.

Mihawk nodded even though Shanks couldn't see it, "let's go."

"Hawkeyes!" Vista yelled at him, "you can't leave! They're all waiting for you!"

"I don't care," he replied harshly as he felt Shanks tremble against him. He owed so much to the redhead who had helped him through the worst phase of his life when they weren't even friends. At this point, without Shanks, Mihawk might have accidentally committed suicide or the marks on his wrists would have been much more numerous. Shanks had been his friend, his best friend, and now his boyfriend, all in just four years. There was no way he was going to abandon him now.

The Olympic Games could very well put his absence where the sun doesn't shine, if Shanks left then Mihawk too.

"N-no, Mihawk," Shanks stammered, forcing himself to step back and let go of Mihawk, "g-go."

The countdown was getting closer to zero and his opponent was already on the stage.

"Shanks…"

"No, go ahead, kick his butt. I'll wait for you here," whispered Shanks, sniffling to chase away his tears, but they continued to fall. He tried to smile to assure Mihawk that he would be okay, but the smile was just fake and broken.

Mihawk hesitated, torn between his duty and his love, when a clock struck outside. Finally, knowing that there shouldn't be a plane right away, Mihawk decided to finish what he started. He kissed Shanks and promised against his lips, "I'll be quick."

The swordsman did not keep his promise to put on a good show for the spectators. Instead, he held the one he had just made to Shanks. Mihawk wasted more time getting to the stage than winning the three rounds. He didn't even give his opponent, a Russian, a chance, whom he hit with his button every time. The beeps rang out each time thanks to Mihawk, who made no mistake. He was methodical to the point of being mean, enough to enrage the Russian who lost many points.

Thus, after the first round, a vicious circle began. The Russian was getting angry and his posture was paying the price, and Mihawk took advantage of every flaw to hit his opponent's equipment with his foil. As a result, the Russian got angrier and, the only times he touched Mihawk, he made a fault.

The third round was even faster than the first, making Mihawk the undisputed winner of this competition. This quick victory also made him the best swordsman in the world according to journalists who watched the Olympic Games that year. Because the Russian was not bad, he was excellent, but he had come across someone better than him.

Above all, this time, Mihawk had not played the game.

He jumped off the stage to the cheers of the spectators after greeting the jury and ran back to Shanks.

***

"Mihawk? Are you okay?" Akainu asked worriedly, his hand on Mihawk's bicep to pull him back to the present.

The youngest shook his head and blinked the memory away, "yes, it's okay. Forgive me, did you say?"

"I said you were impressive that day," Akainu repeated, worry still permeating his voice. "Are you sure everything's okay? You're not going to pass out on me?"

Mihawk sipped his drink to force himself to chase away Shanks' broken sobs. It was complicated, but the alcohol helped. Once his glass was empty, Mihawk put it down and teasingly asked, "I'm only impressive this day?"

"No, all your matches were impressive, even the ones from your first participation. How old were you? 16?"

"Don’t make me younger, I was 18 the first time; 22 the second."

Akainu looked even more impressed, "you never regretted ending your career here? You could have gone much further."

Mihawk pondered the question while swirling the new liquid in his glass. It's true, he could have continued his career, but at what cost? Mihawk had no trouble imagining what his future would have looked like if he had continued on this path: constant boredom, opponents more incompetent than the others, and constellations of marks on his wrists - and the rest of his body. Instead, he had stopped his career at the right moment and saved his wrists at the cost of love and a family.

"There was nothing else waiting for me," Mihawk admitted honestly. "The Olympic Games were a childhood dream. A dream that turned out to be nothing more than a pipe dream. I guessed it during my first match where victory had been much too simple. This was just a show, my opponents touched me not because they were good, but because I was lettingthem. I thought the Olympics were the ideal place to meet the best in the world, but it turned out that none of them were a match for me. This proved even more true during my second participation. It would have been pointless to continue."

"Before this conversation, I thought you were a proud, vain man who is overconfident in his abilities."

"And now?" Mihawk asked, wondering if Akainu would have the bravery to say it.

And Akainu certainly had courage since he admited, "Now, I know you are all that and more."

"Well, I have reasons to be," Mihawk confirmed without feeling any regret as he sipped his drink, "I like to win and crush my opponents in the process, because I can. That's probably why I chose law as my second career for the challenge of verbal combat. I see no reason to win if it is not by giving 100% of my abilities. Except that sometimes, it goes to my head." He shrugged before adding softly: "If you want to do one thing too well, you end up making the opposite happen."

"You sound like a perfectionist," Akainu scoffed and earned a quiet laugh.

"My kids would say I'm a control freak, but I much prefer your description."

"You chose family over fame," Akainu realized as he finished his own drink. He smirked before asking: "Or were you afraid of running into someone stronger than you?"

This time, Mihawk laughed frankly, "There is no such person. I have no equal."

Except maybe Shanks who had been trained by Rayleigh, but his husband had always preferred a different kind of fighting with a different kind of sword.

"You’re quite vain, I like that."

"And you're flirting with me," Mihawk finally realized as he felt Akainu's appreciative gaze on him. He received a lot of appreciative glances, so much so that he didn't really pay attention anymore, but not a few of them dared to flirt with him. First, his suitors backed away as soon as they he saw the ring on his finger, otherwise his frankness and his cold voice were enough to dissuade them, and, if it wasn't enough, the red-haired menace he had married finished them off.

Akainu's smirk deepened, "I plead guilty."

Once Akainu's intentions were clear - even more than that when his chocolate gaze moved to the swordsman's lips and lower to his chest - Mihawk knew he should have backed away, or ordered them to finish their meal before resuming their work. He knew that, except instead he let Akainu continue to flirt, even responding to it. It had been a long time since someone had flirted with him and desired him enough to dare approach his sharp edges. The last one was his stalker, but Mihawk didn't exactly want to count him.

Akainu wasn't Shanks in the way he stood, spoke, or behaved. The laughter was deep and dark rather than joyful, a tattoo was visible behind the Hawaiian shirt, and the differences only grew more pronounced the deeper Mihawk dug. But for the first time in a year, he felt alive and wanted. Akainu had treated him well so far: he had protected him, accepted his every ideas, and complimented him shamelessly. Beside, this evening was strangely nice.

Without knowing it, they had gotten closer to each other and Mihawk still didn't push Akainu away even when the predictable happened. The admiral raised his hand, not to grab his drink, but to cradle Mihawk's cheek and give him time to step back. Except Mihawk, without knowing why, did not stop Akainu from kissing him.

Even the lips weren't the same. Akainu's lips were thin and chapped where Shanks's were soft and plump. Yet the intensity and the passion were there, the possessiveness too. Then, Mihawk closed his eyes and imagined that it was not Akainu who was kissing him, but his dear husband.

Mihawk came out of this feverish dream only when he was manhandled on the wooden table, Akainu's big hands grabbing his hips and the kisses deepening in a precursor for more.

Getting laid will do you the world of good.

Only when he remembered Dolfy's advice, Mihawk placed his hands on Akainu's thick shoulders and pushed him away, "I-I can't…," he stuttered, out of breath after those fierce kisses, "I can't."

Because it was wrong in a thousand and one ways. The main reason was obviously that Akainu was not and never would be Shanks. Secondly, Mihawk knew how to contain his impulses very well. Sharing a meal with another adult was nice, flirting was entertaining, but cheating on his husband? Whether Shanks was dead, missing, or waiting for him at home? It was unthinkable. Besides, Mihawk was too stubborn to follow the advice of the evil Barbie. If Mihawk let Akainu fuck him on that table then Dofly would know and tease him until the end of time and even after that.

Instead of pushing for more like anyone would have done, Akainu sighed and sat back in his chair, "are you still grieving?"

"I…. yes," Mihawk replied sheepishly instead of specifying that he was still waiting, that would be hypocritical after what he had just done.

Akainu shrugged as he unlocked his computer, "no problem, I can wait for you."

When Mihawk got home after finishing work, the kids were already sleeping. Ray and Shakky were just as dead, asleep together on the couch and the TV still on. So, Mihawk sighed in amusement before turning off the TV and grabbing a blanket to cover his parents. He then, took the opportunity to sneak into the bathroom.

Mihawk wanted to rinse his face before falling lifeless onto his couch. Except that while cleaning his face, Mihawk was forced to look in the mirror and he had difficulty recognizing his reflection; his lips swollen, in particular.

"What did I do?" he asked to no one but his reflection.

However, despite his promise to never give in to temptation again, when Akainu suggested celebrating the victory of their project in Baratie, Mihawk accepted.