Irreplaceable

Part 14: Dull and dry

- "How can two bad apples create someone so gentle and caring?"

Perona chuckled as she set up for a punch line. Hancock looked at her offended and Mihawk just shrugged.

- "Two negatives cancel each other out."

She laughed, Mihawk seemed amused and Hancock even chuckled a little. Her husband, Dragon, smiled seeing her loosen up a bit. They were visiting with Ace. December had started and they would be abroad for the rest of the year. Ace had insisted they visit so he could give Zoro his gift in person. It had been a stuffed tiger and Zoro had been extremely excited. He didn't quite know how to express his thanks to Ace, for he was too small, but Ace understood.

- "He's an idiot." He had said as he hugged Zoro.

The adults had talked while on looking their play, when the talk had trailed off towards her late husband. Perona found it funny how her husband had been so different from his parents. Hancock wasn't the most caring person, but she was out-going. And Mihawk was a lawyer which made him evil by default. Somehow they had given birth to the most perfect human she could imagine.

When Hancock, Dragon and Ace had left, Mihawk had looked weird. So Perona asked if something was bothering him.

- "He wasn't perfect. But he thought a lot about how other people felt around him. And made an effort to please others. He doubted himself a lot and was scared people might abandon him. It was painful at times to follow, how he tried hiding all his insecurities and flaws just so people would like him.."
- "I know that."
- "I don't know if you knew, but he had doubts about you too. He struggled constantly with the concept of you being a mother. Even after Zoro had been born, he was hesitant and needed me to confirm that you were in fact a good mother."

Perona had known he had issues with his mother and he had told her about his hesitation, but she thought they had solved all of them before Zoros birth.

----

- "She's amazing and yet I'm afraid. Afraid she is doing this just for me not because she wants to, but because I asked her to. I'm scared she'll leave like... mother." His voice was a mix of bitterness and regret.

- "Have you spoken to her of these fears?" Mihawk felt responsible that his son's image of motherhood and mothers had become so distorted.

- "Yes, and she insists she wants this too and I know she speaks the truth, but still there's a voice in the back of my head telling she'll leave as well." He sounded miserable. Mihawk wanted to talk in person, but again he was on a business trip. He wanted to be more with him, but also didn't want to intrude. He had the right to live his own life.

- "Your situation is completely different. You've had the time to live together and get to know each other... I wish I could get rid of these feelings for you."

- "It's alright, father. Just talking helps."

They ended the call soon after and Mihawk sighed. He knew that his son was going to call him again about this same issue.

----

Mihawk refrained from using the door bell, instead he send his son a text. Soon he was let inside by him. The fresh father quickly snuck back to the bedroom. Tough they had tried to avoid it, the door had woken up the child. He followed him to get a peek of the little one, not wanting to bother the child or the mother, but his son was carrying the baby to the living room.

- "Hush now. Daddy will do something about that loud door, don't you worry." He smiled a beaming smile at his father. "Here is Zoro, my little boy wonder."

He passed the baby onto Mihawk who gently smiled at the tiny little thing. He took great care to remember every detail. The tiny button nose, the little fingers, tufts of green hair, how the skin felt like the finest velvet. He was enamored by the small being, just like he had been years earlier holding his own little boy.