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Words couldn't describe how much he cherished moments like these. Moments when they were alone like this, where they felt nothing but the brush of lips and the warmth of each other's bodies. Nothing else mattered, nothing else could possibly take his mind off the man above him. Not when he could feel the strands of raven hair kissing the fingers that held his neck, not when the pale hand holding his cheek felt so warm, nothing else could possibly matter. The world could end right then and there and it wouldn't take him away from this moment— staring into the eyes of the man he adored, striking as ever, feeling the brush of lips just barely touching his own as they shared breaths. Nothing could ever matter more than this.
He let his eyelids fall closed as he brought the man above him down for a kiss. Soft and gentle, almost too sweet, yet deep and urgent enough to tell the other how much he wants him. Mihawk reciprocates all too eagerly, takes everything he has to give, and he knows he's responding to the wordless proclamation. Thank you, he says with the softness of the kiss he returns to Shanks, I love you. I need you.
And Shanks can't help but melt into him as they share this umpteenth kiss, can't help the swelling of his heart that brings the unconquerable urge to tell this man how perfect he is. Not even the blissful tingle of his lips captured by Mihawk's own can keep him from separating their tongues to murmur into the other's mouth.
"You're everything," he breathes, "you're perfect. I love you."
The soft puff of air that hits his face as Mihawk's lips just barely curl into what could be a smile means more to the redhead than any treasure possibly could.
"It will be your downfall."
Shanks returns the quiet reply with a grin as he moves his hand to hold that pretty face, thumb situated comfortably over his ear. He can feel Mihawk's heart skip a beat and his smile only widens in response.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," he pulls the man into another kiss, just so he can feel those lips again, because he's there and he can and more than anything he wants to. When he finds it in him to break the kiss once more, he finishes, voice just barely above a whisper; a voice Mihawk was sure only he got to hear.
"I know you wouldn't either."
He can feel the smile against his lips when he speaks, and he can't find it in him to refute those words with a witty remark because they both know it's true. The amber eyed pirate wants so desperately to tell the man below him how utterly weak he is in his company, but Dracule Mihawk is not a man of many words, and Shanks knows this. So instead he leans in to reclaim those lips, gently tracing the scars on that bronze skin with his thumb, and Shanks knows it's his way of agreeing. He happily hums into his mouth as their tongues slow dance, his one hand finding the back of Mihawk's head and holding onto the tufts of hair he finds there. It feels like hours when they finally separate, and when the warlord meets his loving gaze he can't find it in him to keep the words from escaping his lips.
"I love you, Redhair."
Another grin from the man below him and he swears he feels his heart grow two sizes.
"I love you, Dracule."
And when their lips meet each other like they have countless times before they both know nothing is more important than this.