Work Text:
Buggy had been trying hard to get Mihawk to warm up to him. They’d been friends for several months and were roommates in the college dorms. They were also friends with the boys living in the room across from them, Crocodile and Doflamingo, who Buggy was 86% sure were dating or in the world’s most laughable situationship.
Over the past months, Buggy couldn’t quite get his roommate to open up. Mihawk was very closed-off and an isolationist, preferring to spend his time outside class napping or being on his phone or laptop. Buggy thought he was busy with assignments but was surprised when Mihawk would leave their shared room a few times to take a call.
One day, Buggy decided he had the perfect idea to win over the loner—find him his perfect match. Of course, Buggy wasn’t quite sure where to start, and to be honest, he didn’t even know which way—or ways—Mihawk swung. Figuring he could find out “on the job”, he invited Mihawk, Crocodile, and Doflamingo out for drinks to commemorate their mid-year break.
As the four men clinked their drinks together, Buggy declared, “Tonight, I’m going to find Mihawk a partner.”
Mihawk immediately declined, “That will be unnecessary. I’m not interested.”
“Oh, come on. There’s gotta be someone who’s just your type,” Buggy reasoned. He pointed out a girl across the bar that he recognised as a model during his and Mihawk’s still life art module, Boa Hancock. “What about her?”
Mihawk physically recoiled. Buggy almost felt offended on Hancock’s behalf. “No.”
“What? But she’s the most beautiful girl at school!” Buggy baulked. He’d started high to gauge Mihawk’s tastes, but even the drop-dead gorgeous Hancock wasn’t within his sights. Perhaps he was—
“I’m gay,” Mihawk clarified, hiding his face behind his wine glass. “And again, this is unnecessary.”
Crocodile laughed as Doflamingo threw an arm around his shoulder. “Just leave him be. You know he loves his alone time.”
“I think it’ll do Mihawk good to have a reason to get out of the room every once in a while. It’s for my sanity too,” Buggy pointed out. He scouted the bar for any men he thought could be within Mihawk’s type—he probably liked a guy close to him, mysterious and broody. He spotted some guy with black wavy hair and weird facial hair and asked, “What about him?”
Mihawk didn’t spare him a glance. “No.”
“You didn’t even look at him!”
Sighing dramatically, Mihawk gave the guy a once-over. “No.”
Trying again, Buggy pointed out a man with blue hair and narrow eyes. “Him?”
Mihawk made a point to give the man a faux-considering look. “No.”
“You’re not giving them a chance!” Buggy complained.
Doflamingo burst out laughing, saying, “Because he doesn’t want them, dumbass! I’d say leave it, but now you got me curious about what Hawk-Eyes’s type is…”
Mihawk gritted his teeth, stopping stirring his drink in his hand. “It doesn’t matter what my type is. I told you from the start, Buggy, this. Is. Unnecessary .”
Buggy protested, “Give me one good reason why.”
“I’m not interested.”
“Then this is an investment! It’s not like I’m asking you to get with someone tonight, we’re just looking at your options!” Buggy bargained. “Come on, that last guy looked good, right?” Glancing at him again, Buggy’s face fell when some blonde guy with tan skin in a denim jacket swept the man away. “Oh. He has a boyfriend. Well, what about the guy before?”
Mihawk’s face twisted in almost comical disgust. “Not my type.”
“Then what is your type? You’re giving me nothing to work with!” Buggy cried. “Just tell me and I’ll find a guy for you, and if you like how he looks, you can talk to him! Then I’ll leave you alone!”
Fed up with Buggy’s insistence, Mihawk set his now-empty glass on the table and declared irritably, “I don’t want your help because I already have a partner!”
All three men froze, with Buggy and Crocodile in shock while a wide grin split across Doflamingo’s face. The tall blonde started laughing again, saying, “Oh, man! This is unexpected! Mihawk had a boyfriend the whole time!”
“What the fuck? Why didn’t you tell me in the first place?” Buggy questioned, appalled.
“I didn’t want to tell you about him at all,” Mihawk muttered. “I thought you’d give up if I kept rejecting all your suggestions but I underestimated your persistence.”
Buggy felt like a new light had been shone on his roommate. Each time Mihawk was on his phone or laptop, he might've been chatting with his boyfriend. Buggy asked, "We've known each other for months, why hasn't your boyfriend visited you then?"
Crocodile smiled—Buggy felt he wasn't truly interested in Mihawk's love life, but thought it'd be funny to egg Buggy on. "Yes, why is that?"
Mihawk gritted his teeth, obviously annoyed by his questions. A light flush appeared on his cheeks. "He's busy with college too, and he's studying abroad. It'll be inconvenient for us to visit each other."
Doflamingo leaned across the table, interested as he asked, "Let me guess. He's in Canada?"
"No." Mihawk's face got even redder. Whether from anger or embarrassment, Buggy couldn't tell. "I don't owe you an explanation for our relationship so stop asking me about it. I didn't want to tell you about him in the first place."
"Is he the person you keep calling at night?" Buggy inquired, eyes blown wide, and Mihawk abruptly stood up.
"I'm sick of your questions," Mihawk said, storming out of the bar and earning curious glances from some of the other patrons.
Once he was gone, Doflamingo asked, "So we all think he's lying, right?"
"No, no. I've seen him call someone sometimes," Buggy defended. "I think he's serious. Why would Mihawk lie about this kind of thing anyway? We all know him, he'd just say he's single and not interested."
"True," Crocodile agreed. "It's not something he cares about enough to lie about."
"Alright," Doflamingo conceded reluctantly, obviously more amused by Mihawk lying about something stupid instead of him telling the truth. "What do you think his boyfriend's like?"
"Probably just like him," Buggy mused, trying to conjure up an image of what Mihawk's ideal guy could be like. "I don't see him going for someone all quirky and happy."
"Me neither," Crocodile said, getting more invested in the conversation. "Does Mihawk even have the energy to keep up with someone like that?"
"That guy does sports in his free time! Of course, he does," Buggy dismissed. "What a secretive dude... He's so uninterested in everything and everyone, I just gotta know who got him interested!"
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
Buggy was determined to find out who Mihawk's mysterious boyfriend was. Never mind the curiosity to know what kind of guy was Mihawk's type, but also the urge to discover what miracle worker pulled his attention, and the hope that he could find peace in his college life by organising something nice with his boyfriend for Mihawk.
He tried his best to pay more attention whenever Mihawk got on his laptop or phone when they were both in their dorm. Mihawk mostly sat on his bed with his laptop to do homework, only sometimes talking to ask Buggy something or answer a question. The only thing notable was that Mihawk sometimes played music that didn't seem like something he'd listen to naturally.
The other day, he played some pop song that caught Buggy's notice. He leaned over in his chair to Mihawk's bed, asking, "You listen to pop music?"
Mihawk rolled his eyes, turning his phone volume down. "Nosy."
"Stop making fun of my nose!" Buggy snapped, then pushed again, "I didn't think you'd listen to that kind of music."
"My boyfriend sent it to me and I happen to quite like it," Mihawk replied, returning his gaze to his laptop. "If that's all, I want to continue doing my assignment."
"And he laughs at all my jokes, and he says I'm so American. Oh, God, it's just not fair of him to make me feel this much," the pop singer sang from Mihawk's phone. "I'd go anywhere he goes, and he says I'm so American. Oh, God, I'm gonna marry him if he keeps this shit up. I might just be in love..."
"Aw, wait. This is sooo cute," Buggy said teasingly, tapping Mihawk's foot with his own. "He sent you this song as a love letter, didn't he? Who knew you were such a softie?"
Mihawk's face burned and he shut the song off completely. "Shut the fuck up, clown."
"How can I shut up? I just found out something so adorable!" Buggy laughed. He didn't expect Mihawk to be this kind of boyfriend, who'd fondly listen to a song his partner recommended that he would never have listened to on his own. "Bet he makes you mixtapes or something." Mihawk's face got the slightest bit redder and though he didn't grace Buggy with a confirmation, he knew he was right. "He did! Oh man, what a sap!
Mihawk grabbed his pillow and hurled it at Buggy's face, causing the other boy to fall off his chair in shock.
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
"No, that's ridiculous."
Buggy turned off his music but kept his headphones on to pretend he couldn't hear Mihawk's call. Mihawk didn't see through his façade, toeing his shoes off at the dorm's doorway before sitting at the shared desk. He set his bag on the floor and then propped his feet on the desk.
"You have every right to be angry about that," Mihawk said. After a few seconds, he added, "Yes, darling." Mihawk fidgeted with his jacket's zipper, glancing around the room as he listened to who Buggy was certain was his boyfriend on the phone. "You did most of the work on the project. You showed me. That guy has no right to claim he did it."
A small frown crept onto Mihawk's face, and then he spun in the chair so Buggy couldn't peek at his expression anymore. "Could you dispute it? I know you worked hard on it. I'm sure it'll be easy to prove you took on the brunt of the project."
A few minutes passed when Mihawk didn't speak at all, and then he said, "I understand you don't want to cause trouble, but it is your grade."
Buggy was so unused to seeing this side of Mihawk. Now that his roommate knew about his boyfriend's existence, Mihawk had slacked in keeping up the impression of being a single guy. It was staggering every time Buggy saw something like this, a glimpse into a softer side of Dracule Mihawk who actually paid attention to someone when they talked.
"If you put the boy on the phone with me, I can be the bad guy for you," Mihawk offered. He suddenly held the phone away as if his boyfriend was panicking loudly about that suggestion but through the muffling of his headphones, Buggy couldn't hear him. Mihawk smirked when he returned the phone to his ear. "I'm joking. You can handle it yourself. Whatever you decide, I'm sure you will make the right decision. You already know my opinion."
Quiet once again before Mihawk said, "I know, but I'm busy tonight with an assignment due tomorrow. We can call in two days." He smiled as though his boyfriend was happy about that, and then he said, "You're such an idiot. Have you eaten today?"
The rest of the conversation turned away from the boyfriend's project, now focusing on Mihawk checking if his boyfriend was keeping up with his wellbeing. He asked him if he'd eaten; if he'd been sleeping well; and if he received the package of gifts he'd mailed to him! Buggy could hardly believe Mihawk was the kind of boyfriend to send a box of presents. It was mind-numbing to fathom this being the same guy who glared daggers at Buggy for breathing too loud.
Almost an hour after Mihawk returned to the dorm, he finally said, "Alright, alright. I have to get started on the assignment if I have any luck in completing it tonight." He smiled and held the phone away from his ear again like his boyfriend was loudly protesting it. "You'll have my full attention tomorrow night. It'll be the weekend so we can stay up all night if that's what you want. Happy?" A few seconds passed when his boyfriend said something, and then Mihawk replied quietly, as though paranoid Buggy could overhear him through the headphones, "I love you too."
He tossed his phone to his bed and sighed. It was almost immediate, the way the tension in his shoulders returned almost immediately after he ended the call. Grudgingly, Mihawk pulled his laptop out of his bag and opened the screen.
He turned around to look at Buggy in his bed and waved his hand to get his attention. Buggy pretended to pause his music before pulling his headphones off his head, asking, "What's up?"
"Can you go out with Crocodile, Alvida, or whoever tomorrow night?" Mihawk asked.
"Why?"
"I just want the room to myself," Mihawk replied.
Knowing it was just so he could call his boyfriend in peace, Buggy pretended to be annoyed and rolled his eyes. "Sure."
"Thanks."
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
Buggy was shocked to return to his dorm after class to see a small box at the door. He unlocked his room door and brought the package in, looking over the sender and recipient details.
TO: DRACULE MIHAWK
FROM: YOUR BELOVED ❤❤❤ CALL ME XOXO ❤❤❤
Buggy felt a strong urge to open it and see what was inside but knew Mihawk would tear him apart if he so much as thought about it. He reluctantly left the box on Mihawk's bed and went off to take a shower.
Once he returned, Mihawk was back from his class as well, slicing the package open. Buggy grinned, glad he came back in time to get to see Mihawk open it, and said, "How cute. He sent you presents."
"Fuck off," Mihawk said, though his hostile words did little to hide how excited he seemed to see what his partner sent him. He neatly cut through the tape and opened the box, taking out each item before looking over them one by one. Fixated on his gifts, Mihawk didn't seem to mind Buggy watching him unpack them.
It was an assortment of items consisting of sachets of Mihawk's favourite tea; two floral shirts; a bracelet with a note reading 'I have a matching one :)'; a black ring; a small figurine of a hawk; a camera privacy cover for his laptop with a note that read 'You said you wanted one!'; a scented candle that smelled like roses; a note in an envelope sealed with a heart-shaped sticker; and a set of headphones.
Mihawk clicked his tongue when he saw the headphones and Buggy pointed out, "Most people would be happy to be gifted headphones."
"Yes, but I told him I would find a cheap replacement for mine and not to get me one. This model is a bit out of his budget," Mihawk explained, shaking his head. "I suppose he can't help it. That idiot."
Buggy was sure Mihawk wasn't aware he had a minute smile on his face as he said so, setting the headphones' box aside to claim the envelope. He tucked it under his pillow to refer to it later, out of Buggy's view, then went through the other items. He stuck the camera privacy cover on his laptop, put the hawk figure on his side of the desk, and slipped the black ring and bracelet on. He put the rest of the items away for later use and immediately got on his phone.
"Hello," Mihawk said. Buggy was honestly astounded at how fast the boyfriend picked up. "I just received your package. Thank you, they're all very nice presents. But I remember telling you not to get me those headphones."
Buggy listened to the conversation, pretending to focus on the candle's smell. A few moments passed, and then Mihawk said, "They're expensive! You said you're on a limited allowance. I'm going to pay for your groceries this month." He barely let his boyfriend say anything for a second before insisting, "I want to. Thank you for the headphones and everything else. I know you care about me so let me return the favour."
Another pause. "I haven't read it yet. I'll read it before bed." He stood silently for a few seconds, then spared a glance at Buggy. "I have company right now. I'd rather read it alone."
Way to be subtle, Buggy thought begrudgingly.
"Text me your grocery list this month. I'll order everything and have it delivered to you," Mihawk told him, and after a minute of his boyfriend rattling on, he said, "Yes, I know. Okay. I lo—" Remembering Buggy was there, he turned away and said quietly, "I love you too. Yes, my roommate's here. Goodbye."
He hung up and Buggy grinned. "You don't have to be embarrassed. It's pretty cute that you like your boyfriend so much!"
Mihawk turned to Buggy with the scariest expression he'd ever seen on anyone. "Call me cute one more time and I'll ensure you will never speak again."
"Sorry," Buggy cowered, huddling onto his bed to evade Mihawk's terrifying glare.
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
Buggy couldn't sleep. Exams were coming closer every week, and it was getting harder to find a moment of ease. He turned in bed and whispered across the room, "Hey, you awake?"
"What do you want, Buggy?"
"I need a distraction. I can't sleep," Buggy replied. "When did you meet your boyfriend?"
Mihawk sighed. "I'll admit I could use the distraction too, so I guess I'll answer some of your questions. We met almost two years ago and have been dating for almost one."
"Woah. That's a long time," Buggy said, surprised. Especially for someone like Mihawk who didn't seem to favour keeping up long-term relationships, romantic or otherwise, a year was impressive. "How'd you meet?"
There was a long pause that made Buggy think Mihawk wasn't going to answer, but then he said, "We haven't met in person yet."
Buggy shot up in bed, even more surprised. "Dracule Mihawk tried online dating?"
"It's not like we started talking on a dating app or whatever," Mihawk grumbled. Even in the dark room, Buggy could tell he was embarrassed by the implication. "We tried an app that connected you to pen pals. I did it because I was moving to America for college in a year and wanted to learn a bit more from locals, and he downloaded the app because he was bored. The system paired us up by chance and he sent a compelling first letter."
Buggy drew his knees up to his chin, invested in the story knowing he may not get so lucky in getting more details next time. "What did he say?"
"He told me he looked up every interest I listed on my profile and thought I was 'one of the coolest people he'd ever met'," Mihawk recounted, staring at the ceiling. "He asked questions about each one; how long I'd been training in Kendo; my favourite movies; classical music and book recommendations; and so on. He told me he was always interested in Kendo so it excited him to connect with someone who knew what he was doing. He also said he lived in America and could answer any questions about the country I had."
He paused, then continued, "I hadn't met anyone so invested in my interests. I thought, realistically, he was only trying to find any opening to continue the conversation. That's the goal of the app, after all. I answered everything and didn't expect a reply but he sent an even longer letter back, more enthusiastic than I could hope for. It kept going then—his interest never wavered. Anything I said about myself, he remembered. Any interest I mentioned, he'd look it up and get involved. He tried to slip as many jokes as he could into his letters to try and make me laugh. He'd attach pictures of himself or anything he saw that made him think of me. I was worried when he broke his arm playing sports, and he panicked when he learned I sprained my wrist during a Kendo class. A year into writing back and forth, he told me it might be a bit forthcoming to say so—given we hadn't met in person yet—but he'd caught feelings for me. I admitted I felt the same."
Mihawk cleared his throat awkwardly. It occurred to Buggy that this may be the first time Mihawk ever told anyone about how he and his boyfriend got together. "Long distance relationships, online dating, that whole thing... It's very new for us. Neither of us expected to like someone living so far away so deeply. He's a self-proclaimed clingy person who thrives on being able to touch his partner, and I admit sometimes I can view things and people as 'out of sight, out of mind'. We were hesitant given how out of our comfort zones this was, but we liked each other enough to try. After a few months of a trial run, we were surprised at how well we kept it up. We called and texted regularly, and sent each other care packages. We realised it worked, and officially labelled ourselves as partners."
Buggy nodded along even though Mihawk probably wasn't checking. "You're in America now, though. Shouldn't you be able to see him?"
"I told you he's studying abroad, remember?" Mihawk said unhappily. "It was just our luck. When it was time for me to start packing for college here, he got an acceptance letter to his dream university overseas. We didn't even have any crossover time—my arrival in America was the same day as his departure, and our flight times didn't align well enough to find five measly minutes to meet at the airport."
"That sucks, man," Buggy said, though he was getting an idea of how to win Mihawk over. All he had to do was find a way to contact Mihawk's boyfriend without him knowing... "Hopefully you can meet him soon. He sounds like a great guy."
A pause, and then Mihawk said, "I'm not going to show you a photo of him."
Buggy groaned, falling back in his bed. "Come on, Hawk! I want to see what face caught your attention!"
"It's not your business," Mihawk replied. "If you're distracted enough, go to sleep."
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
Buggy dropped his bag on the table with Alvida, Bentham, Doflamingo, and Crocodile, declaring, "I need your help."
"With what?" Bentham asked.
"You know Mihawk has a boyfriend, right?" Buggy started.
Alvida and Bentham's faces became comically stunned, with the girl shouting, "He does?"
"Yeah! He even told me their love story which is—ugh—kinda cute," Buggy explained briefly. "I felt bad for him after he did! He likes this guy a lot but they haven't had the chance to meet—they're long-distance—so I need your help to find any chance to get this guy's phone number without Mihawk knowing. I have a plan."
Crocodile raised an eyebrow incredulously. "You want to steal the phone number of the boyfriend of the most mistrustful person we've ever met? Good luck."
"That's why I need help!" Buggy said. "Look, Mihawk tends to leave his phone or laptop unlocked if he goes for bathroom breaks in the evening. I need one or two of you to keep him occupied."
Alvida's face distorted in disgust. "You want us to wait until Mihawk goes to piss? No thanks. I'm out."
"Sorry, me too," Bentham agreed.
"I'd say no, but I have a feeling Doflamingo is going to say yes and drag me along," Crocodile lamented.
"That's right, baby!" Doflamingo said. "I'm too invested now! I gotta see the fruits of Buggy's labour! Besides, our room's right across from theirs, we're the best choices for this."
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
That evening, Buggy waited until Mihawk left for the bathroom and then texted Crocodile to tell him it was time. He quickly ran to the desk where Mihawk left his phone, tapping the messages app. The most recently updated chat was with someone named "my beloved ❤️ ❤️". From the look of the boyfriend's contact name, Buggy wouldn't be surprised if he picked the name himself instead of Mihawk choosing it for him.
Buggy didn't bother reading up to find even the boyfriend's name. He didn't have time, he had to get his plan across to him and Mihawk's bathroom breaks were very fast given how close their dorm was to the main bathroom.
Mihawk: hey i'm mihawk's roommate i need to talk to you in secret for a bit
The typing bubbles popped up, disappeared, and then popped up again before the response came.
my beloved ❤️ ❤️: really uncool to use his phone without his permission. put the phone away
my beloved ❤️ ❤️: i will tell him you used his phone tho 🤷♂️ asshole
He didn't expect this, but as Mihawk's roommate, he felt a little happy that his boyfriend was so defensive of Mihawk's privacy. Buggy tried again, typing up a longer explanation.
Mihawk: no it's not like that
Mihawk: come on i need your help with something. mihawk told me about how you two started talking. his birthday is coming up and i'll actually fly you out here to meet him
Mihawk: are you free in like 2 weeks?
This time, the typing seemed less hostile.
my beloved ❤️ ❤️: you're serious?
Mihawk: yes. honestly the story was kinda sweet. i thought it sucked you guys couldn't meet. you don't see what he's like in person but you really make him happy. i think it'll be cool to surprise him like this. besides, it'll win me some points with him
my beloved ❤️ ❤️: i actually happen to be on break then. i can come over for a week!
Mihawk: nice. I'll even reimburse your ticket when you get here and i'll text you where and when to meet us.
my beloved ❤️ ❤️: save my number
Buggy didn't bother answering, knowing his time had run out. He quickly deleted all the messages, took a picture of the boyfriend's contact, and went offline, hoping it would signal that he was no longer on the phone. He left Mihawk's phone exactly how it was before he picked it up and leapt into his bed just as the door opened.
"Fuck off," Mihawk grumbled, annoyed as he stormed into the dorm. He slammed the door in Doflamingo's face and complained, "He wouldn't leave me alone outside."
"That's Doffy for you," Buggy said, pretending he wasn't just plotting with Mihawk's boyfriend. Mihawk picked up his phone, no doubt texting his partner, and it seemed like he didn't know about their conversation.
Buggy saved the boyfriend's number to his phone but didn't text him again, figuring he could text him once it was time to organise the surprise.
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
While Mihawk left the table to wash his hands, Crocodile asked, "Are you sure he's on his way?"
"Yeah, I texted him the address and time yesterday. He's had plenty of time to get here," Buggy said as he checked his phone. The boyfriend didn't answer with anything more than a thumbs-up emoji when Buggy texted him the details, and he hadn't texted since. Buggy didn't want to admit he was a little concerned. What if the boyfriend got lost or was stuck in traffic? What if he chickened out and wouldn't show up at all? Even though Mihawk didn't know about the surprise, Buggy felt he'd somehow kill him for it.
He texted the boyfriend again asking if he was reaching, then tucked his phone away as Mihawk returned.
"I told you I didn't want a party," Mihawk muttered, sitting down. "I had plans."
"Video calling your little boyfriend isn't a real birthday plan," Doflamingo said and Crocodile rolled his eyes.
"Of course, you'd think that," Crocodile said sarcastically, and Doflamingo's head turned sharply to him.
"Hey, wait. Didn't mean that..."
The waiter approached their table bringing the birthday cake and Buggy's heart sank. The cake signalled the end of their party—once they were done eating, they'd move on to drink in their dorm. The boyfriend was supposed to meet them here, Buggy wanted him to show up when they all gave Mihawk presents earlier, and now he looked like an ass who didn't prepare any gifts.
The waiter set the cake on the table and Mihawk immediately said, "I'll tip you 50% not to sing the birthday song."
"As you wish, sir," the waiter said, promptly taking his leave.
Mihawk stared at the candles, a slightly disappointed look on his face. If Buggy hazarded a guess, he was probably upset his boyfriend wasn't here to celebrate his birthday with him. Mihawk shut his eyes to make a wish or perhaps to recollect himself, and then Buggy saw someone slowly approach behind him.
Mihawk reopened his eyes and blew out the candles, then the boy behind him smiled and asked, "Did you wish for me, sweetheart?"
Mihawk's eyes widened just as Buggy registered whose voice that was, and he spun around to see who it was. "Shanks, you're here."
My fucking brother?! Mihawk is dating my brother?!
"Shanks?!" Buggy almost shouted, standing up in shock. "You're Mihawk's boyfriend?!"
Shanks grinned widely as Mihawk brought him into a tight embrace, one hand rubbing his back while the other wrapped around his shoulders. Mihawk's hands settled on Shanks's waist and the back of his head. He barely noticed Buggy, predictably more excited to see his boyfriend in person. "Hi, Mi."
"You're invisible right now," Crocodile said, amused as he pulled Buggy back down.
Shanks and Mihawk pulled away from their hug to look at each other for the first time face to face, taking in all the details. Mihawk cupped Shanks's face, in disbelief of seeing him in front of him, and Shanks smiled boyishly as he said, "Wow, you're even hotter in person."
"Shut up," Mihawk said, though it was clear both guys felt emotional about finally meeting.
"You're so pretty! I don't know why you don't take more pictures. I saved all of them. I even have you as my wallpaper, see." Shanks fished out his phone, showing off his lock screen that featured a selfie Mihawk took outside his college. "I show everyone my beautiful boyfriend. I literally can't shut up about you."
It felt unreal seeing this unfold. It made so much sense now that he knew the boyfriend was Shanks. He didn't recognise the phone number because Shanks got a new local number when he moved away to study abroad—it was honestly a little annoying that his boyfriend got his new number before his own family. Before he left for school, Shanks would regularly receive small packages in the mail from someone, but he'd lie and say he just ordered stuff. Whenever their mutual friends wanted to set Shanks up with someone, he'd immediately turn it down and say he wasn't interested in dating. To think the whole time, he was in love with his pen pal...
Holy fuck. Buggy suddenly remembered that Shanks's birthday was today. He and Mihawk shared a birthday?
"Stupidly romantic," Mihawk muttered. It took the words right out of Buggy's mouth.
Shanks giggled—giggled? The fuck?—and said, "I've wanted to kiss you for like... almost two years now, so..."
Mihawk didn't keep him waiting, pulling him in for a kiss. Buggy looked away, unsure whether to be happy for his roommate or upset that Mihawk officially could play the "I'm dating your brother" card.
Crocodile laughed, patting Buggy's back. "Look on the bright side. They both owe you one now."
"At what cost?" Buggy lamented, glancing at the two boys to see them practically making out. "At what cost..."