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As usual, young Luffy had his daily questions. As usual, he came to Makino's tavern to ask them –confident finding the knowing clients of course. And as usual, the boy was made fun of by a red-haired captain, forever sitting at the bar. After laughing at him a good half-hour, Shanks left a few minutes.
Luffy took advantage to come up to Makino, finally free.
"Say Makino, what is a sweetheart?"
The manageress frowned, a little bit surprised by the question; then told herself it was suppose to happen a day or another, and the boy was growing up.
"It's someone you love very much…"
"Like Ace?" he asked, a little disappointed. She guessed he thought it was food, and smilled:
"No, it's not the same thing. You love your family in one way, and you're in love with your sweetheart. You want to see her all the time, spend time with her, talk to her, want to please her…that kind on things."
After a few seconds of silent he used to study carefully the answer, the dark-hared boy asked again:
"And screwing? Is it the same?"
Makino made a funny face, taken aback. Around them, people started to giggle to the boy's bluntness.
"No, not really. Aren't you a bit young to know that kind of language?"
"You forgot the heartaches, Makino-san!" Shanks exclaimed. "The heart bleeds at a missed date…one's blush in front of its sweetheart; it's one of the main symptoms of this beautiful disease."
"It's a disease?" asked Luffy worryingly
"You're in good mood captain" Makino noted with a smile. "Good news so far?
"You can say so. The beer delivers just arrived."
The manageress rolled her eyes before exiting the room to greet the newcomers, a small smile on her lips. Then, the dark-hared boy turned towards the pirate now seizing his tankard still half-full and stared at him, very seriously.
"Say Shanks, is it true you want to screw Makino because she's your sweetheart?"
The pirate spit out immediately his drink. A huge silence took place in the room: everybody heard the question, Luffy not being the most discreet thing existing. The crew burst out of laugher in front of Shank's inability to articulate an answer. Makino came back at that precise moment.
"Looks like you're having fun"
Shanks cheeks burned red as his gaze never left his mug, having a sudden interest in the fact it was very empty right now. The manageress, misunderstanding his behaviour for being disappointed in the evident lack of beer, took his tankard and started to fill it.
"Say Makino, do you know if Shanks is in is love?"
The woman ended her gesture abruptly, the drink nearly overflowing the boards. Her wide eyes fell on Luffy again:
"Why should I know?
"Because yesterday he was saying…"
"Luffy why don't you shut up?"
The pirate looked daggers at the dark-haired boy who, unluckily for the poor captain, didn't notice.
"So if you don't want to screw Makino because she's your sweetheart…you're in love?"
Shanks wasn't the only one matching his hair colour. Makino stopped in her movements again and stared incredulously at the captain who looked like he wanted to disappear in a mouse's hole. Apparently the said manageress "sweetheart" wasn't well-informed of her actual status.
Bursts of laughers were heard outside, all the way down the main road. The pirate had a hard time regaining composure and trying to sound amused –which didn't work with the killing glares he kept sending to Luffy.
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Shanks came back a few minutes before the closing of the inn. Nobody was left, as he expected. Makino was taking advantage of the lack of people to clean up the tables and didn't notice his arrival immediately.
"Good evening" he whispered loud enough for her to hear.
The manageress jumped, a little surprised, then turned towards him.
"Good evening Captain. I wasn't expecting your visit until tomorrow morning."
"I'm here to apologize. But I won't turn a blind eye to another beer."
The pirate sat down as Makino did her job. When she came back with his drink, she started:
"If it's about what happened this afternoon…"
"Makino, what Luffy said was true."
He was avoiding her eyes. The manageress had a small smile, and sat in front of him.
"It doesn't bother me, captain. We are adults now, no need to hide."
"It's the first time."
Makino lifted a brow. Shanks looked at her in the eye with an explicit gaze.
"It's the first time I'm attracted to someone that much."
The pirate's statement made her smile again.
"It's the fist time I'm being informed of someone's feeling this way"
Shanks bent his head and kissed her lightly on the cheek before kissing her lips. Makino whispered before closing her eyes:
"You better buy a huge ice-cream to Luffy, tomorrow."
And she kissed him back.
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HMMMM.....What d'ya think? Bagay ba sila?
