I Remember (Shanks X Mihawk)

Chapter 8: Passing Time

The summer heat was never forgiving, especially since Mihawk and Shanks lived in a place where the sun could emit its intense heat well. The two pretty much spent the days lying down on the floor while sweating like a pig. But maybe this was a good time to use the pool.

"Hey Mihawk."

"Yeah?"

"Let's go swimming. It's too hot to just lie around."

"Uh, you can go ahead. I don't like swimming."

"What? Oh, come on~ Let's go swimming together~"

"No I don't want to. You can go have fun by yourself. I'll watch."

"Is it because you can't swim?"

"No, it's... it's not that."

"Then what? If you keep rejecting my offer, I'll drag you off and throw you in the pool myself."

Mihawk looked like he's given up hope in convincing Shanks that he didn't want to swim. He sighed, and looked away. 

"I don't want to swim because I don't want to expose my body."

"What?"

"It's... Look. I'd rather not talk about it."

"But..."

"It's about my past work place."

Shanks went silent as Mihawk responded to his question. Of course it was their fault. Whenever Mihawk felt uncomfortable about saying something, it was always his previous agency's fault.

"Oh. I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me then. But I'll be there if you want to talk about it."

"Thank you. It's just... I... My body..."

"If you feel uncomfortable talking about it, then don't."

Mihawk remained silent for a while. He was thinking about whether he should tell Shanks about his past, but then again, would he be judged for it? Mihawk always hid his body in the eyes of the public, so he didn't really want anyone to find out about it. But he knew Shanks was reliable. So far in the month of living together, all Shanks has done for him was for him. He was reliable and trustworthy, not to mention the fact that he was his boss. Maybe he should tell him.

"I think I need to tell you about it... Just so we can get it out of the way."

Mihawk took a deep breath. He let out a sigh, and took off his clothes. Underneath his t-shirt were various amount of tattoos, scars, and markings, completed with piercings. Shanks acted rather calmly about it, looking over these marks carefully.

"My previous manager... He was into people with tattoos and piercings. So while I was under his group, he... forced me to get tattoos and piercings... I've hidden them from the public because I thought people would judge me for it. It's hideous, I know. What's worse is that those aren't my only piercings."

Mihawk gently brushed away his hair blocking the views of his ears, only to reveal more piercings. They were all lined up neatly in a row along the edge of his ears. Shanks was no doubt shocked. Would the police find him if he went off to punch those guys right now?

"Please don't tell any one else. I don't want people judging me for what I have."

"I won't. And look. I don't care whether you have piercings and tattoos or not. As long as you work under me, I won't let others judge you for it."

"Thank you, Shanks. You know, I only keep them around because it acts as a reminder for my past. Like how I failed to save myself, yet now I'm out of the reach from those guys. It reminds me that I've managed to get away from the horrible past, and that there's always a better life ahead of me. It's silly, isn't it?"

Mihawk sighed as he flopped onto the ground. His back was full of scars and tattoos, but to Shanks, his body looked beautiful. It was like a canvas that told the story of how hard Mihawk has fought to get to where he was now. 

"Hey. Since you've shown me your secret already and all, why not go swimming now? Unless you still have more things you haven't told me?"

"No, and yeah I'd like to go swimming now."

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They didn't know how long they swam for, but they stayed out in the water until the sun was setting. Because the pool was located at a spot perfect for watching sundown, Mihawk and Shanks agreed to stay out a little longer to watch the sun set. To brighten up the mood, Shanks went in and came back with a bottle of wine. They sat in the Jacuzzi with their glass of wine and watched the sun slowly fall below the horizon.

"You know, this isn't half bad. I've always watched the sun set by myself, and let me tell you; it gets pretty lonely out here."

"Well good thing you have me now to keep you company."

Realizing what he has just said, Mihawk quickly shut his mouth. He sipped on his glass on wine and looked away, avoiding eye contacts with Shanks. But Shanks noticed how Mihawk was blushing. That kid really is just like how he was in his past life. Maybe a bit more shy this time around.

They both sat in silence as the last bit of the light disappeared from the view. Nighttime came by, and the stars shone bright in the dark sky. The moonlight dimly lit the area around the two, illuminating the path leading back to the house. Shanks kept on sipping on his wine, while Mihawk was playing around with the left over liquid in the cup. He swirled it around in silence, focusing on the rotating liquid as it created a small whirlpool inside the glass. Shanks noticed the awkward silence around them, so he spoke up.

"Hey. Wanna get going? It's getting a little chilly, and I can feel myself getting tired."

"Oh. Yes, I'd like that."

Shanks got out of the water, and shook off the water that was on him. He offered his hand to Mihawk to help him up, and this time, Mihawk accepted the help. He grasped Shanks's hand tightly and was pulled up from the water. He grabbed the towel lying near by him, and started walking towards the house. It was a quiet walk back to the house, but they spent the time gazing up at the night time sky. 

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After showering, Shanks went up to Mihawk's room to check on him. He knocked on the door and entered into the room. He wasn't sleeping, but he wasn't very lively either. Obviously, Mihawk was dead tired and was on the verge of falling asleep. He laid on his bed faced down with only his pants on, and barely lifted his head when Shanks entered the room.

"Hey. How's it going?"

"Oh. Hey. Just tired."

Shanks walked towards Mihawk and sat on the edge of the bed. He yawned as he looked over his shoulder to see what Mihawk was doing. 

"You should sleep if you're tired. We have to wake up early tomorrow."

"Yeah I know. I just wanted to check in on you."

"Don't worry about me. I'm doing fine. Thanks though."

Mihawk shifted his position so that he could see Shanks. He flashed the red haired man a smile, and re-positioned his body so that he laid comfortably on the bed. Soon enough, he fell asleep. Seeing how much Mihawk has changed over the short amount of time that they have been together, Shanks smiled. It was as if Mihawk was slowly becoming like the man he used to be back in their past life.