Boldly Go

His gaze settled on you. “I was unaware we had an appointment.”

“You usually arrive before the afternoon shipment.”

“You noticed.”

You lowered your eyes to the ledger before he could see your expression. “You are difficult not to notice.”

He approached the counter and placed a wrapped parcel on it.

You stared at it.

“No.”

“You have not opened it.” Mihawk removed his gloves. “An unusual approach for a bookseller.”

“You keep bringing me things.”

“That is generally the purpose of a gift.”

The first had been a slim volume of poetry from an eastern island. You had mentioned the author once, nearly six months before, and Mihawk had returned from his next mission with the book tucked beneath his arm.

After that came a bottle of wine no merchant on your island carried. A set of brass page weights. Tea from a winter port. New gloves after he noticed the worn fingertips on yours.

He always presented them without ceremony, as though crossing several seas with something chosen specifically for you required no explanation.

You pulled the parcel closer and loosened the string. The leather binding beneath the paper made your hands stop.

You knew the book immediately.

“Mihawk.”

It was a first edition. You had seen one listed in a collector’s catalogue the previous year and complained for several minutes about the price.

He had been standing near the travel section at the time, appearing more interested in the book in his hand.

Apparently, he had listened.

“This is too much.”

“You wanted it.”

“That does not mean you should buy it for me.”

“Why not?”

You looked at him.

He stood on the other side of the counter, calm and composed, as though there were nothing strange about the greatest swordsman in the world remembering the idle desires of a bookstore clerk.

“Why do you keep doing this?”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “I believed you would appreciate it.”

Silence settled between you.

Nearly a year ago, while shelving a new collection of romance novels, you had told him love was merely foolishness made respectable by good prose.

He had asked whether you believed that.

You had laughed.

Believing another person would keep choosing you, you had said, was the most foolish part of all.

You had forgotten the conversation until now.

Mihawk had not.

“I return to this island because you are here,” he said.

The words were too direct. Too simple.

You stared at him.

He continued before you could speak.

“My interest in you has not been casual for some time.”

A sharp heat climbed your neck.

You pushed the book away.

“That isn’t funny.”

“I did not intend it to be.”

“You expect me to believe you cross the sea to visit a woman who sells you books?”

“I expect you to believe that I have told you the truth.”

“You could have anyone.”

His expression hardened.

“That has nothing to do with whom I want.”

Anger rose before you could stop it. It was easier than believing him. Easier than letting yourself consider how carefully he listened or how often his visits had become the best part of your month.

“You’ll tire of this,” you said. “Whatever novelty you think you’ve found here.”

Mihawk watched you for a long moment before he picked up his gloves.

“I will not defend feelings you have already decided are false.”

He left the book on the counter.

The bell rang behind him.

For the next six weeks, it rang for everyone except Mihawk.

You began looking up every time the door opened. You set aside a history of ancient swordsmanship he would have liked and kept it beneath the counter.

The chair he preferred remained empty.

You opened the wine he had brought you and discovered it did not taste as good alone.

When Mihawk finally returned to the island, he did not enter the bookstore.

You saw him through the window crossing the street.

By the time you reached him, you were breathless.

“Mihawk.”

He stopped.

His eyes moved over you, but he said nothing.

“I have wine at home.”

He glanced at the case in his hand.

“Yes.”

“I thought you might drink mine.”

One eyebrow lifted.

“With me,” you added.

His attention sharpened.

“At your home?”

You nodded. “Unless you have somewhere more important to be.”

“No.”

The answer came immediately.

Your house was small and crowded with books. Mihawk noticed every gift he had given you before he removed his coat.

The brass weights sat on your desk. The tea was beside the stove. The gloves he had given you hung near the door. The first edition rested on the table.

His gaze stopped on the history of ancient swordsmanship beside the first edition.

“That one is for you,” you said.

Mihawk looked at you.

“I bought it after you left.”

His gaze returned to the book. “I see.”

You poured the wine with unsteady hands.

“I shouldn’t have said you would tire of me.”

Mihawk was quiet for a moment. “You were frightened.”

“I was.” You set the bottle down. “But you were telling me the truth, and I treated you as though you weren’t.”

His eyes stayed on you.

“I missed you.”

Something changed in his face. It was slight, but you had spent a year learning him.

Mihawk set down his glass.

You approached before fear could stop you and touched the front of his shirt.

“I still don’t know what I believe.”

“Then do not make promises.”

His voice had gone lower.

“What should I do?”

“Decide what you want now.”

You rose onto your toes and kissed him. For the smallest moment, Mihawk did not move.

Then his hand came to your face.

He kissed you back with enough force that your breath caught. His other arm circled your waist and drew you against him, closing the last of the space between you.

You reached for his shoulders.

Mihawk angled your face and kissed you again.

There was nothing tentative about it now. His mouth moved over yours slowly at first, as though he had no intention of allowing the moment to become hurried. Then his tongue brushed across your lower lip.

You parted for him without thinking.

His hand moved from your jaw into your hair, fingers spreading against the back of your head as his tongue slid against yours.

You had imagined kissing him before. More times than you cared to admit.

You had never imagined Mihawk wanting it this badly.

His mouth left yours only long enough to move along your cheek and the line of your jaw. Your head tipped back when his lips reached the side of your neck.

“Mihawk.”

He lifted his head at the sound of his name. This time you kissed him with more confidence, your tongue meeting his, and a quiet sound left him.

Mihawk took your face between both hands and kissed you with a hunger that made your knees feel unreliable.

When he pulled back his eyes were dark.

His thumb moved over your lower lip.

You caught it lightly between your teeth.

Mihawk stared at you.

The silence lasted exactly long enough for you to realize you had made a mistake.

He caught your mouth once more. When he drew back, you were still pressed against him, both of you breathing harder now.

“I did not realize you were so impatient,” you murmured.

Mihawk’s expression changed by barely a degree.

“My patience is the only reason this did not happen months ago.”

You blinked.

He looked entirely serious.

“You wanted to kiss me months ago?”

“I have wanted considerably more than that.”

Heat rushed into your face.

Mihawk watched it happen without mercy.

“But,” he continued, quieter now, “you had already made your opinion of love quite clear. I had no intention of pressing myself upon a woman determined to expect my departure.”

The words struck somewhere painfully tender.

Your hand slid from his shoulder to the side of his neck.

“I’m still afraid you will.”

“I know.”

His fingers moved lightly through the hair at your temple.

“You asked what you should do now.”

You nodded.

Mihawk leaned down until his mouth was barely touching yours.

“This,” he said, “seems an adequate beginning.”

You kissed him before he could say anything else.

This time, you felt him smile.

When you finally drew back, you stayed close enough that your nose brushed his.

“Will you come back after your next mission?”

Mihawk looked at you for a long moment. Then he turned his head and pressed a kiss into your palm.

“I always intended to.”

A wide smile broke out onto your face as you stood up from the table you had commandeered. You had been worried about being late due to the late night you had and the slightly early morning surprise you had this morning from a very enthuastitc vice admrial.

”Shigi!” You hugged the woman tightly as she hugged you just as tight. You had missed her and the calls you shared weren’t often, especially when she had transferred with Smoker to G5 but they had been turning the base around and it was always fun to hear her stories about the marines there and Smoker too.

“I’m so glad you’re here.” She let you go with a beaming smile. It wasn’t often she was this unguarded or happy but the two of you were close, she was probably your best friend as it was. “I was worried we wouldn’t get to catch up since you’re only here for a few days.”

You waved your hand and smiled brightly at her. “We’ll be a couple of more days, there’s a storm on the way and I’d rather be safe than sorry, Tsuru understood and she approved it. She said it was probably best if we waited it out and it would give our units more time to train together.” You eased her worries and she beamed at you.

“Great, I’ll go grab a drink and meet you back here.” She said and you smiled, nodding as you went back to your seat.

You were glad that you had chosen an outfit that covered the marks from last night. No one needed to know what you had been up to the past couple of nights when you’d sneak out of your guest quarters to a certain Vice Admiral’s who had been waiting for you to come to him. No one knew what the two of you were getting up to, no one was asking questions as to why your unit had visited G5 four times in the last three months but that was alright. They didn’t need to know what you and the Vice Admiral were getting up to.

Tashigi came back a couple of minutes later with a baked pastry, you had already eaten yours having been starving since Smoker didn’t keep much in his place and normally ate at the mess hall, but still, you smiled at Tashigi.

“So, tell me everything.” You leaned forward with a grin. since the two of you talked as often as you could, you knew all about the girl she had been going out with. They weren’t official and she was a daughter of a Marine and owned a bakery in town. You were surprised Tashigi hadn’t suggested there but you figured she wasn’t ready to introduce the two of you yet which was fine. You hadn’t told her about you and Smoker either. It wasn’t that you were unashamed of being with him, though you two were definitely a situation ship, who met up when your schedules aligned or you two were somehow in the same exact part of the New World at the same time.

It was honestly amazing no one had caught on yet but you had a feeling some of the girls in your unit had but they weren’t saying anything to their captain. Not yet. You and Smoker kept it professional and almost cold when you were working. No one thought twice but they also didn’t know how his hands were warm and calloused as they held you at night while his voice, deep and husky, whispered the filthiest things against your ear as the edge of his jitte trailed along your side, taking away your devil fruit and keeping you helpless for the brief moments the sea prison touched your skin.

Your attention returns to Tashigi as a blush crept up her cheeks while you sipped your tea. You smiled as you listened to her. It was nice to see her so excited about someone and clearly, the feelings had grown since the last time you had talked. It was sweet and you wanted the woman to find her happiness too. Your chin rested on your hand while she chatted about the base, about the girl, about how Smoker seemed to be in a much better mood than he had been a week ago. You took a sip of your tea and you hummed.

“Oh, I wonder why he has been.”

Tashigi shrugged. “Who knows with him, but I’m glad he’s much better than he was last week. He was so irritable.”

You laughed softly. It sounded so much like him that it made you smile. “It’s nice to know he hasn’t changed.” You mused and she grinned at you.

“Alright, enough about me, what have you been up to?” She asked, pinning you down with the look of a woman who had known you since you were cadets. You smiled at her and shrugged.

“Working, catching pirates, defying orders.” You winked at her and she shook her head.

“You know better.”

“Hey, your Vice Admiral is just as bad.” You pointed out and she laughed softly, shaking her head. It was true. You and Smoker had very similar definitions of justice and were often on the same page with events and people as well.

“Besides work, anyone in your love life?” She wiggled her brows and you felt your cheeks heat up a bit as you brushed her question off.

“Me? A love life? I don’t think so.”

It was a horrible lie and one you knew she would catch onto by the end of the week. You and Smoker hadn’t labeled anything but you were together in a round about way. You weren’t sleeping with anyone else and you knew that he wasn’t either but there would be paperwork to deal with if you both officially came out in a relationship so you were fine with stealing moments with each other when the fates seemed to allow.

The events from last night were playing through your mind even as you spoke the words, his hands on your sides, his lips against your ear, promises of what was to come as soon as you’d stepped inside of his very nice quarters on base.

“Miss me?” He had muttered, the scent of cigars filled your nostrils and sandalwood, it was a scent that intoxicated you to the point where you had stolen one of his shirts that he had worn for one day. He hated shirts anyway and you were pretty sure the man didn’t own them until you found them in his closet.

“Mmm. Maybe.” You teased as your hands slid up his chest, enjoying the feeling of your skin against his. You had changed into a short dress before coming over to his quarters. It was late but you knew that the dress wasn’t going to stay on for too long either.

“Tch. Don’t lie to me, brat.” He leaned down to kiss your lips and you melted into it, sighing against his lips. It was always like this, he made you weak in the knees with just a simple kiss. It had been months since you’d seen each other this time, longer than usual, and you hadn’t even been able to sneak off to see each other the first couple of days of you being here.

“Maybe I did.” You whispered against his lips, eyes fluttering shut as he kissed you again, pulling you against him. Your chest against his, his hands on your waist, your hands on his shoulders, your breath mingling with his as he kissed you slower. Your lips curved into a smile as you pushed his admiral’s coat to the floor and took a step closer to him. He let the coat fall before his arms came back around you, pulling you with him into another heated kiss.

It was hard being near each other all day and not being able to touch one another in some sort of fashion. That was the downfall with relationships that were in secret. But, for now, it was the best option for the two of you. The safest option. But you weren’t thinking about that as his hands roamed your sides, sliding under your shirt and tugging it over your head. You giggled as he attached his mouth to your neck, lips sucking and teeth nibbling as he made his way to your collarbone. You knew what he wanted and you’d give it to him. You’d do anything he asked as long as he kept his hands on you.

“Smoker” Your voice came out a bit raspier as you arched into his hold, feeling his chest rumble with his growl as he sucked a mark onto your collarbone. It could be easily covered up but you liked when he left marks in more forms than hickies too. It was nice to carry him for a couple of days even when you parted. Your clouds tangled with the wisps of smoke rolling off his shoulders. He had put out his cigar so he could touch and kiss you. You found you didn’t mind the smell of cigar smoke or smoke in general when it was him. You weren’t trying to change him and that was something he appreciated.

“Missed you.” His voice was low and husky and so quiet against your skin that you almost missed it as his big hands removed your bra, letting it fall to the floor, while your back was against the door. His mouth trailed his kisses down your chest, causing your back to arch as his hands moved from your breasts. He’d give those attention sooner, later, and he couldn’t help himself. The two of you had all night, however, he slowly lowered himself to his knees, his lips trailing kisses down your chest and your stomach.

Your eyes fluttered shut as he pressed his kisses to your hip bones, dragging his teeth against your skin. You gasped as you felt his teeth tug at your pants before those large hands started to slip them down. He kept your underwear, a cheeky little grey thong, on as he dragged your pants down, you barely remembered to step out of them, letting him take them off of you and tossing them to the side. It was then that he pressed his face against your cunt, breathing you in, your eyes rolled back as your hands buried themselves in his hair. One of his hands tugged at your underwear, tugging them tighter on you as he growled, pressing his lips to your cunt and looking up at you with those stormy grey eyes.

“You’re so wet for me, already, aren’t you, baby?” He growled and you could only manage a weak nod while he smirked at you, leaving your pretty little cunt alone for now as he focused his attention on your thighs. He loved your thighs and more often than not the day or night ended with his head in your lap, pillowed against your thighs. His mouth latched onto the inner side of your right thigh, sucking a hickie there while his hand pushed them further apart. You were held up by the door and he wouldn’t let you fall, not while he was focusing on worshiping you. Your thighs drove him wild. He kissed, bit, and rubbed up and down, going from one thigh to another. Your thighs were always marked up the most by the end of your nights together with Smoker. You didn’t mind. It was always a delicious reminder of the little secret the two of you shared.

“Smoker” You whined as he continued to tease his way back up to your cunt. You wanted him to put his mouth on you again and you wanted your thong off and off now. You reached down to tug at it but a smoke tendril wrapped around your wrist and stopped you, pinning your hand to the door.

“Let me enjoy.” He growled, looking up at you, his eyes were dark and dangerous, causing your breath to hitch, licking your lips as you nodded.

“Okay.”

“Okay, what?”

“Vice Admiral.”

The use of his title made him growl once more as he continued his assault on your thighs before pulling your thong tight, causing you to moan as he did so. He kissed his way to your mound before going lower and hovering his mouth over your clit. He blew on it then, causing you to moan and shiver.

“V-Vice Admiral” Your eyes rolled back as he did so again. While he was torturing and teasing your clit with his breath, more smoke tendrils made their way up your body, skimming your sides and stomach until they found purchase on your breasts. Much like your own devil fruit of clouds and being able to feel what they were touching, Smoker’s smoke was the same. You knew he was enjoying it just as much as you were.

He pressed tongue against your soaking cunt, dragging it slowly through your soaked folds, causing your thighs to instinctively clench around his head. He didn’t stop you this time. No, Smoker would die a happy man between your thighs. He looked up at you again, your back arched, mouth agape, breasts covered in his smoke. It never failed to unlock something possessive in him to see you covered and being pleasured by his devil fruit, his smoke that was an extension of him. He felt himself grow harder in the confines of his pants, them becoming unbearably tight all of a sudden. How had he gotten so lucky to be the man between your legs, giving you pleasure, making you come undone with just his tongue and his smoke?

You felt that familiar knot start to build as he continued his assault on your pussy. There was no stopping this man as he lifted one of your legs to put over his shoulder, burying his face deeper into your cunt, his tongue pressing into your folds. Your eyes rolled back as your hips moved against his face as best as they could. You were on the edge and he knew it. Smoker smirked against your pussy, grey eyes watching you as you came undone. His hands squeezed your thighs as he finally slid two fingers into your soaking cunt along with his tongue on your clit. He knew exactly how to get you to cum.

“Cum, baby.” He growled against your pussy. “Cum all over my face, baby. Come on.”

At his demand, you came, the knot breaking inside of you as you cried out his name, one hand in his hair, tugging at his scalp while your other hand left marks on the door.

“Smoker, Smoker, Smoker.” You whined as he continued to work you through your orgasm. It was the first one of many and you both knew it. He slowly pulled his mouth away, dropping your leg from his shoulder slowly, smoke and his arms holding you up as he kissed your thighs then kissed his way up your chest, kissing your breasts one at a time before he kissed you. Your tongues tangled as you sunk into his hold, your arms wrapping around him.

The taste of yourself against his lips as he kissed you deeply made you moan once more. You felt his cock press against your thigh and you smiled just a bit as you slipped your hand down his chest, happy to feel those strong chest muscles of his. How could you not? He put them on display. He let out a low rumble in his chest when he realized what you were planning on doing.

“I can wait.” He grumbled as he gripped the back of your thighs, wrapping them around his waist. “Hold onto me.” He grunted as he quickly made work of his pants, shoving them down to his ankle. You moaned at the sight of him. He was gorgeous, thick and veined. You never failed to want more of his cock when you had the pleasure of having and seeing it. You love to worship his cock too but tonight you both were too desperate to even care about that. Yet, he never failed to take care of you when it came down to it.

Your pressed your lips to whatever skin you could reach, his shoulders, his neck while your hands roamed his back. You nails dragged down his back as he finally took his cock in his hand and pressed it into your cunt. You moaned, head falling against the door as he squeezed into you. His thick cock stretching you in the best way as he groaned with you, burying his face against the crook of your neck.

“Fuck, fuck, baby. You’re so damn tight.” His breathing was ragged as your nails dug into his skin, leaving marks, and scratches. You knew he liked it too much too. Your breath shuttered, eyes closed as you felt yourself adjust to his size. He filled you up so damn well and no one could ever compare to the way Smoker made you feel when he fucked you like you were something precious yet he could treat you like a whore when he wanted to. No mercy and gods, you loved it.

“Mhm. Mhm.” You whined. “Move.” You moaned as you pulled his face up to kiss him. “Fucking move, vice admiral. Please.”

That snapped whatever trance he was in as he was buried inside of you. His hands gripped your ass and thighs while his smoke tendrils still worked their magic on your nipples, adding to the stimulation you were feeling. The vice admiral was gruff and rough, but with fucking he had such a finesse with it. You moaned his name as he started moving inside of you. His hips were like a damn weapon as he fucked you hard against the door. It had been months since you’d last seen each other and you both were desperate.

Your moans weren’t quiet and neither were his grunts as he whispered praises against your lips.

“So good for me, baby.” He growled. “Taking me so damn well, look at you. All pretty and fucked out on my cock, aren’t you?” He kissed you roughly as you moaned your agreement. He never failed to make you lose your ever loving mind as he fucked you. It was rough, desperate, and you couldn’t get enough of it or him. You wanted to be as close to him as you could.

“Please. Please.” You moaned against his mouth desperately. “Smoker, please. Let me”

He listened to you as he hit that spot inside of you that made you see stars. You cried out as he did and then you felt it. The smoke tendrils on your clit, teasing and rubbing it to add just a little bit more. That was all it took. You came hard, squeezing his cock as you did so. Smoker moaned, barely hearing the splintering of wood behind you. His arms were holding you against him and the door as he buried his face against your chest. He barely felt the blood dripping down his back from the scratches you had left while he spilled his load into you.

Your walls were milking his cock as he gave a few more thrusts with his hips, causing you to come again. It was at that moan when the door gave way, his eyes widened as did yours as he pulled you full against him, still on his cock. You were still in the haze of your two orgasms that you didn’t exactly realize what happened until he grunted, stepping back.

“Well.” He grunted, causing your head to turn and your eyes widened once more at the sight of the door.

“Did we….break the door?” You asked and he nodded as he held you tightly against him like you weighed nothing to him. Your arms around his neck, your legs around his waist.

“Apparently.” He grumbled and then you laughed, bright and light, kissing his jaw and nuzzling his neck.

“Hmm. Well, Smokey. Guess you’ll have to get that fixed, won’t you?” You teased as he chuckled, carrying you to his room. He released his smoke from him to pull the door to again even if the hinges were broken now. He’d have it fixed tomorrow with no questions asked.

“Guess so.” He chuckled a he kissed you before tossing you onto the bed and smirking at you. “Round two and breaking the bed next?”

And just how could say no when Vice Admiral Smoker was staring at you like you were his prize for breaking the door. You spread your legs for him and crooked your finger.

“Come and help me break it then.”

Tashigi’s voice pulled you out of your thoughts as he pouted a bit. “Seriously, there’s no one at all?”

You smiled at her, shaking her head. “Nope. Just me, myself, and I. But it’s alright.” You told her, a mischievous glint in your eyes as you sipped your tea.

“Besides, I heard that Smoker’s door broke last night? What’s that all about?”