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"Hey, Shach."
"Hmm?" Shachi murmurs nonchalantly, his attention focused on the magazine in front of him. It was the usual Grand Line Weekly, with news of well-known pirates and Shichibukai donning most of the pages. Occasionally, there were other articles on famous islands and such, but none of them really caught Shachi's interest as he flipped the pages boredly.
It was a peaceful Sunday on the Tang after all, with no enemies ambushing them and the submarine well on its way to the next island, so Penguin coming to talk to him was a welcome preoccupation.
"Did you know penguins mate for life?" The familiar calm and baritone voice makes itself clearer as Penguin comes to stand in front of Shachi, hands crossed in their usual stance, so nothing was really out of the ordinary.
Except for that odd-natured question. It was weird, but not entirely unwelcome. This was Penguin he was talking to after all, and as if for the sake of irony, the guy’s favourite animals were penguins as well.
"For life? Damn, that's a really long time." Images of penguins huddled together for warmth cross his mind, and Shachi cracks a small smile. It was certainly more interesting (and more adorable) than the page of cultural monuments native to the exotic summer island he was glancing at, and worthy food for thought. “Why do you think they do that?”
“I don’t really know, but I guess that when they find another penguin and realize that they want to be with them forever, they settle down. They don’t have much time to find a mate anyway; the longest penguins can live on average is about 30 years.” Penguin shrugs, hands settling into his jumpsuit pockets and his back slouching in relaxation as it always did when he was around Shachi. “Loyal, aren’t they?”
“Yeah. I can’t imagine being mated for that long though.” Shachi turns the magazine to another page, and this time he’s met with a wall of text he can’t be bothered to read, so he looks at the pictures instead. “When do they mate, anyway?”
Shachi can hear Penguin tapping his foot in slow succession as if he’s thinking about it. “About a few years into their lifespan, I think. It varies between species, but I do know one species that mate generally around this time.”
That immediately spikes Shachi’s interest, and he finally looks up from his magazine with excitement shining in his eyes.
“Really?! What kind of species?”
His voice echoes throughout the break room that they’re in and nobody but the two of them hears the distant waves of fascination that are coming off of it. Any talk about winter wildlife was sure to make for a memorable conversation between the two of them, but as Shachi’s gaze stops to rest on Penguin, he very quickly realizes one thing that is amiss in their amicable exchange.
Penguin’s kneeling down on the ground, with one knee propped up and a nervous smile plastered across his face like a proud victory battle scar.
In his mind, Shachi knows he has a healthy amount of those, considering the fact that he’s had a rough childhood and is one of the most veteran members of the Heart Pirates. He knows all of this because he’s been there for all of it, having to survive harsh winters and the streets with him as his only trusted companion when the world around them was cruel and unforgiving to them. They had no choice but to turn towards brutality and violence to survive and even when Law had found them beating up Bepo, he was there.
He was always there, even as Penguin had confessed his own longing for him and their lives became even more intertwined. Nights of whispered sweet nothings and passion became a routine for them, and Shachi could not have possibly asked for anyone else other than the person who was with him through thick and thin.
But as he gets up from his bean bag and his heart is threatening to drop, Penguin kneels in front of him still, which speaks of such nostalgia and volume that Shachi’s breath hitches in his throat.
(He had done the same when Shachi had injured his knee one winter’s night many, many years back and Penguin had knelt in front of him, washing the wound and dressing it with such care that Shachi didn’t mind the pain at all, not even when Penguin had held his hand to steady him.)
“Pen...? Are you--are you doing what I think you’re doing?” Shachi’s words wobble and he stumbles back a bit, but he catches himself before he can fall over. He forces out a laugh to mask his choked breaths, but Penguin’s deadset expression is quickly proving that remaining composed in his presence is incredibly difficult to accomplish.
“...Yeah. This is for real, Shach.” Penguin’s smile radiates like warm sunshine in the underwater atmosphere that they’re situated in, courtesy of the Tang’s windows letting light illuminate the room. He captures Shachi’s hands in his and he sets his signature penguin chullo hat aside, which makes Shachi admit once again without a doubt that this man is beautiful beyond definition. With ruffled hair as dark as night and dusted red cheeks, he makes for a masterpiece of a human, and yet he is the one casting his undivided scrutiny on him.
“Oh my god.” Shachi’s surprise lets itself slip and his jaw is slack, his heart feeling as if it’s about to burst from repeated shock. “Oh my fucking god.”
Penguin laughs, and his hearty laughter makes Shachi feel warm.
(Everything about Penguin makes Shachi feel warm.)
He feels as if he’s burning up when Penguin rubs a thumb over the creases of his fingers, with the same gentle weight and thorough attention he gives Shachi any moment of the day.
“Shachi.” Penguin breathes out, his ocean eyes swimming with adoration. “Remember when we were still neighbours on Swallow Island? I didn’t think you were very significant when I first met you, but I liked your name because it meant orca and I liked orcas. I think you made fun of my name because you said it was funny, but we quickly became friends because we both liked the same video games. Then, our parents got killed in that tsunami and your piece of shit aunt and uncle made us do all that stupid work for them, but then we ran away and lived in the forest like we always said we would. It was really hard to be by ourselves, but there was one point where you got severely injured. From that point on, I realized that you were really important to me, and that I couldn't bear to lose you."
He stops to catch his breath, but by this point, Shachi's face is scrunched up and there are tears in the corners of his eyes on the verge of leaking out.
"But then luckily, we met Captain and he gave us a proper beating. Man, we were really bad then, bullying Bepo and all, but now he's our friend. It's kind of surreal really, being on the same crew with you and everyone else, but honestly? I wouldn't have it any other way. I get to spend every day exploring islands and having adventures with you, and even when we get in danger and face the most dangerous enemies of all, you give me so much strength and courage.”
Inhale, and exhale.
“I’ve said all of that, but I guess when the hardships really come, it won’t be easy. The fact remains, though, is that I want to go through all of them with you, even though it might be really tough and we might die. Other than that though, I guess what I’m really trying to say is that I don’t think I could have gotten this far without you. I’m so glad I met you before everything went to shit and we got to go through everything together. You’re the best partner I could have asked for, Shach, and I hope you know that. But if you don’t, well…”
With an air of mystery around him, Penguin reaches down to unzip his jumpsuit, which reveals a black shirt that hugs his frame comfortably. His hands shake as he tugs at the collar of his shirt to reveal an intricately designed tattoo just situated above his heart. It’s similar to their captain’s, whose tattoo encapsulates his chest and stomach, but Penguin’s own one appears to be smaller, and a series of kanji is written in the middle of it.
When Shachi gets a closer look, he identifies the characters immediately.
Memories of him and Penguin still in school, studying together and getting lunch while trading game cards, and writing their names on homework they didn’t hand up flash past his mind’s eye, and as he stares at the kanji for his name printed permanently over Penguin’s heart, his own one feels as if it broke the world record for the long jump.
“I know you don’t like accessories or jewellery, so on the last island we were on, I got this tattoo. See? This means killer whale, Shach. It’s your name!” Penguin laughs breathlessly, and he holds onto Shachi’s hands, caressing them, lines of happiness manifesting on his face, and he guides Shachi’s hand to rest on his tattoo. “Now, even when we’re apart, I’ll never be alone because you’ll be right here.”
“I’ve said that there are one species of penguin that mate around this time, but the truth is that you’re looking right at it, Shach. So, I guess what I’m really asking is…”
A sigh escapes him. Swallowing any trace of nervousness he has back down into his gut, he speaks.
“...Will you be my mate for life, Shachi?”
There. He’s said it, with no unlucky mistakes or unwanted distractions to interrupt it, but all that remains is what Shachi thinks of it.
Penguin looks up at him to gauge his reaction, but he finds himself face-to-face with shining green eyes that have been flooded with big dollops of tears. Shachi's sunglasses hang by his side as he dangles them from his hand, his bottom lip quivering and vision blurring, and muffled sobbing noises spill from his mouth.
Uh oh.
“Shach? Shachi? ” Penguin scrambles to his feet and grabs Shachi’s shoulders so he can pull him close, and as his chest presses against Shachi’s, he can feel him trembling. “Hey, you okay? Did I say something wrong?”
“No, I--” Shachi hiccups, straining to push out any measure of speech. “You...You giant, colossal idiot. Don’t you know it’s difficult as hell to remove a tattoo?”
Ah, so that’s what it was about.
An amused chuckle erupts from Penguin’s throat. “Yes, I know.”
“And--And what’s with the kanji, anyway? I thought you couldn’t write.”
“Apparently I can.” Penguin grins, his fingers grasping the back of Shachi’s head and leading it to rest on his shoulder, while his other hand rubs soothing circles into Shachi’s back.
“Goddammit. God fucking dammit. ” Shachi cries, sniffing and making somewhat of an attempt to save some of the snot trickling down his face. “Do you want me to marry you, you fucking bastard? Do you?”
“Yeah, I wanna marry you,” Penguin answers with no hesitation whatsoever, pressing a kiss to the side of Shachi’s forehead. “I’ll marry no one else but you, Shach.”
At this point, Shachi’s holding onto Penguin for dear life, his fingers nearly clawing into the back of his shirt and tears staining the carpet of the floor wet. His own sighs and whimpers overflow into the quiet space around them, and while he would rather keep his own embarrassing emotions locked away behind bathroom doors or in the private alcoves of his and Penguin’s shared room, he could care less about such trivial matters right now.
Penguin wanted to marry him, for god’s sake.
“...I’ll marry you, okay? I’ll marry you. ” Shachi can feel his own face heating up as he whispers those words, the weight of his rapidly speeding heart and Penguin’s searing touch almost too much to bear. “ Sentimental bastard, where’d you even find the time to make a speech like that?”
Before Shachi can mentally prepare himself though, he’s suddenly hoisted into the air by a set of seemingly lanky arms, and he’s being spun around and around to the point where his feet can’t find the floor anymore.
“Oi--hey! ” His ears flash a warm crimson as he looks down exasperatedly at an overjoyed Penguin, glee making for a pretty picture on his eyes, nose and mouth. "Penguin! ”
“You’re gonna marry me. You’re gonna marry me!” Penguin exclaims, giddy with adrenaline and excitement as he holds Shachi impossibly close and nuzzles his head against his chest. “Shachi! You’re going to marry me!”
Despite the outstanding compromising position he’s found himself in, Shachi feels his sides collapse as he cracks up, with Penguin’s contagious joy infecting him.
“Of course I am! I agreed to it, didn’t I? I’m going to marry you!”
Penguin throws his head back as he cheers and he lifts an arm of his up into the air to celebrate, his eyes squeezed shut in elation. As he sets Shachi back down onto the carpet, he clamps Shachi’s cheeks in his palms and plants a whole mouthful of kisses on his lips, which makes them fall back down onto the bean bag Shachi was sitting on just a few moments ago. Landing with a grunt or two, Penguin sweeps him in his arms to break his fall, their foreheads and noses brushing against each other gently as they do so.
Looking up at Penguin makes Shachi gasp, as he gets to gaze at the kaleidoscopes of his eyes giving rise to oceans of blue and black fish darting in and about his peripherals. There are wide expanses of marine life that thrive in his very orifices, and as if they didn’t get to travel underwater enough, he feels as if he’s swimming in an ocean that’s alive and which encompasses all of the world’s marine creatures.
All Blue. He’d heard about it once when it was just their captain, him, Penguin and Bepo many years back, but he was admittedly skeptical about it. Despite that though, his dream was to create a catalogue of every living animal in the world, so he had kept any knowledge of it on the back burner of his mind just in case. He was making good progress on his dream, but for all of the distance that they had travelled on the Grand Line, there was no sign of the elusive ocean.
Except for now.
Shachi realizes that as Penguin’s holding him and looking at him with such fondness that it brims at the edge of his eyes, he has an urge to grab onto him and never let go.
Is this what love is?
He thinks as he feels Penguin’s breath hot against his face, and with one last heave, he adjusts himself properly and lies down on the beanbag. His fingers come up to trail the space between Penguin’s cheek and jawline, and he flattens the smooth skin that divides them. Straining his neck, Shachi reaches up to steal a kiss from Penguin, which tickles his nose and makes it itch. In the privacy of the moment, there’s a snort that escapes him that only Shachi can hear, and he’s thankful for the intimacy that they share.
“Hey, Shach.”
“Hm? What is it?” Shachi mumbles happily, feeling his eyelids grow heavy, the comfort of the beanbag and his soon-to-be husband making him succumb to the clutches of sleep.
“When we get married, can it be on a winter island? I want to see snow.”
“Of course, Pen. Anything you want. You went to all of this trouble, after all.” Shachi’s fingers card through Penguin’s hair, his inhales and exhales evening out. “You’re really cheesy, you know that?”
To that, Penguin brushes aside a few stray locks of hair away from Shachi’s forehead and he grazes it with a lasting kiss, filled with the seams of his already bursting heart.
“Only for you, Shach. Only for you.”
A pause. Then, a confession made deep in the depths of the ocean, where nobody but the rightful person can hear it.
“I love you.”
And Shachi feels like he’s drowning once again, but the warm waves that pull him under spell out Penguin’s name and ultimately, he decides that requiem by this form of asphyxiation is the best way to go.
“...I love you too.”