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Mihawk and Crocodile had been close friends for a little over half a year, although it felt so much longer, in his own opinion.
To add on, they spent almost every waking hour together. They live together, they travel together at times, they share a room, they do all sorts of crime together in order to make ends meet. They were inseparable. Naturally, it would be safe to assume that they both knew almost everything about each other, there was no time in their daily life for new facts or shocking secrets.
So, one could imagine his surprise when he learned, just a few days ago, that Crocodile was very bad with cold climates.
He knew the boy wasn't fond of the cold in a general manner, he would always complain about it and talk about how freezing Mihawk's home island was. He never really thought much of it. Some people just didn't like the cold, even people who lived on the island would complain from time to time despite living on it their whole lives. But when winter rolled around, he didn't think his friend's life could possibly be in danger due to it. Crocodile couldn't seem to do much of anything. He couldn't sleep very well, he couldn't go out to town with Mihawk, lately he couldn't even keep up much of a conversation. It worried Mihawk more than he would've liked.
So, he brought it upon himself to be helpful and take care of his friend. After all, Crocodile was always doing the same for him.
...The only problem was, he didn't really know how to be helpful.
It sounded absurd. Being helpful comes as second nature to most, so why wasn't it the same for him? He couldn't really understand.
The best explanation he could come up with was that he just wasn't used to it. He had been on his own for almost his entire life so far, meaning the only person he ever thought to help was himself. Crocodile was the first person he had ever met that he actually wanted to take care of. The feeling was entirely new, he didn't quite know how to act on it.
But, he figured he might as well try his best anyways, even if it ended up being the opposite of helpful.
So, he decided going out to the market by himself and buying things to help his friend would be his best bet. He'd ask Crocodile what he needed, and get a little extra on the way as well. It would be easy, and the rest of his time could be spent trying to make Crocodile comfortable.
Except Mihawk, unfortunately, had gotten way more things than he could possibly carry. It was sucking up most of his time.
They were all equally important things too for that matter, nothing he could drop and do without. His backpack was heavy with the clothing items that Crocodile begged him to get, so there was no more room to hold other items either. Under his arms thick bundles of sticks were tucked away, and in each hand he held heavy bags of food and other simple items to get them through the next few weeks of winter. He felt ridiculous. He probably looked ridiculous too.
But the main problem with this arrangement is that it made weaving through the crowds of people almost impossible. He couldn't slip under peoples legs or squeeze through the gaps simply because if he tried he would drop almost everything he was carrying. It was a pain. And due to the fact that this was a winter island, the cold weather didn't discourage a crowd from forming. In fact, Mihawk thought it was almost more crowded than it was in the warm weather.
So, he was forced to move with the crowd. The very slow, dawdling crowd.
He spent a majority of his time grumbling under his breath as he continuously finds himself trapped on all sides by people that only wanted to wander and had no place to be. And every moment he spent stuck he only began to remember all the reasons he hates the city and its market place whenever he's there alone. The people, the smell of food vendors, the laughter and the smiles and the chatter, it was all a test on his patience. At one point, it all made him feel lonely, back when he had no friends or people to talk to. Now that he had that though, everything just gave him a headache.
Eventually, by some miracle from the heavens, he was granted a clear path from his location to the snow covered plains that his home resided on, and he spent no time taking advantage of it. All he wanted to do was get home to his friend. He knew Crocodile was waiting for him, so it only made his situation much more urgent. Who knew being relied on could be so stressful.
As he walks, he wonders briefly how Crocodile is doing right now. When he left, he was a shivering mess, barely able to get a clear sentence out without his teeth chattering despite the amount of layers he was already wearing. Mihawk was almost reluctant to leave. He needed to get back as soon as possible. He didn't want Crocodile to develop any sort of frost bite. Or worse.
But despite his urgency, as he reaches the outskirts of the town, a small snippet of conversation reaches his ears. It's a bit distant, and probably largely useless to eavesdrop on, yet the opening sentence catches his attention.
"Are you cold?"
Mihawk pauses, taking a moment to stop in his tracks and locate the source of the conversation. His eyes eventually land on a child and what looks like her father, their hands linked together as they walk. The little girl seems to be shivering immensely, her puffy blue coat apparently doing nothing to stop the chill. The father must've noticed the shaking, concern lacing his expression.
She hesitates for a moment before nodding quietly, as if ashamed by the fact she's cold.
Mihawk watches the father hum in thought for a second, trying to think of what to do before stooping down to his daughters level. He then lets go of her hand to open his arms wide, giving her a warm smile.
"A hug should cure that." He says cheerfully.
His daughter doesn't hesitate to hug back, giving an equally cheery smile in return. The display of affection almost hurt Mihawk's eyes. But despite the sweetness of it all, he couldn't help to feel the solution was stupid, how would a hug cure the cold? Of the few hugs Mihawk had ever gotten in his young lifetime, they had never felt warm at all. He was sure that little girl was still freezing.
But to his surprise, she didn't seem to be shivering at all. It confused him.
"Sometimes coats just don't cut it." The father laughs lightly, patting his daughter on the back as he does. "Hugs are just better."
Mihawk frowns.
He decides he's had enough, turning away from the display quickly. It all seemed idiotic, like some sort of cinematic performance. Nothing that simple could solve such a problem. If that was the solution, no one would be freezing to death.
He continues to debunk the interaction in his brain as he begins his walk through the heavy snow to his home, where Crocodile was bound to be waiting. It bothered him deeply, so deeply in fact that he didn't even mind the snow filling up his shoes as he walked.
But at the back of his head, there's a small whisper.
Maybe?
...
It takes him much longer to reach his destination than he would've liked.
The snow he was walking through wasn't the light, fluffy type. Instead heavy and wet, practically ice. With every step it felt like he was taking a block of ice with him. It wasn't like he was inexperienced with this type of snow, he had been dealing with it almost his whole life, but that didn't mean it wasn't a pain to tread through.
But eventually, when he comes to see his small, isolated little home, he lets out a quick breath of relief. It wasn't anything grand or comfortable, really, but it was a space that was his and his alone. It was the best part about it.
...It was also Crocodile's space as well, but he dared not say it out loud. Crocodile was always very pushy in pointing out that he was a visitor, not an occupant, but he had been living with Mihawk in this same home for almost seven months. Way past a visiting time frame. He didn't correct Crocodile, though.
He picks up the pace, ignoring the ache in his feet as the building keeps getting closer, and before he knows it, he's standing in front of the door with a determined look on his face. He was now faced with the final challenge of trying to get the door open.
He struggles for a moment to try and free a hand to push open the door, but to no avail. He didn't want the sticks under his arms to get soaked by the snow, they'd be unable to light, and if he set down the bags the bottoms would get wet and collapse. He attempts kicking at it a few times, but all the door does is rattle on it's hinges. He sighs. He could easily kick the door until it splinters and breaks and get through that way, but then he'd have no door. Truly a predicament.
But suddenly, he hears the click of a door knob and the door opens to reveal Crocodile, who seems to have every blanket they own covering his body. Mihawk expects him to have an unamused expression, to click his tongue and tell him that he shouldn't be kicking the door. But instead, his companion just seems exhausted and frail, it was worrying.
"Get in." He says simply, motioning inside with his head.
Mihawk hurries inside before Crocodile gets exposed to anymore cold air. Crocodile moves out of the way briefly to let him in, shutting the door roughly after him before snaking his arm back into the cover of his layers of blankets.
Mihawk wastes no time in dropping all the items he's holding onto the ground, the clattering noise almost deafening in the quiet house, but he doesn't pay it any mind.
"Are you feeling any warmer?" Mihawk asks. He glances at Crocodile as he attempts to step out of his shoes, trying to avoid tracking snow into any dry areas of the house.
"Still too damn cold." Crocodile replies quietly.
He casts a glance towards his friend, trying to think of what his next course of action should be. Crocodile didn't seem to be in a dire situation, but he should still try and act quickly. Maybe he could solve this problem faster than he thought.
But, of course, that's not what fate had planned for him at the moment it seemed. Mihawk furrows his eyebrows slightly, growing frustrated as his shoes fail to come off. He needed to be helping his friend, not struggling with the simple act of taking off his shoes. He was tempted to just forget about it and walk around in wet boots.
Crocodile watches silently for a moment before bending down and helping Mihawk. His hand reaching out to grab at the loose lace of Mihawk's shoe, and he simply pulls outward, undoing the bunny knot Mihawk had tied. He repeats it again on the other shoe before standing back up, watching quietly once more.
Mihawk pauses and tries again, and they come off with ease. He felt a little ridiculous.
"Thanks." He mutters, avoiding eye contact.
"Don't worry about it." He hears Crocodile reply.
Mihawk stands still for a moment, trying to clear his mind of his embarrassment before he snaps out of it, remembering what he should really be doing. He quickly shrugs off the backpack on his shoulders and unzips it, revealing all the clothing inside.
"Here. I couldn't find many warm clothes that were cheap, so I just got a lot of thin things. You can layer them. It's not much but it'll help." He explains, casting a look towards the sticks he had dropped on the floor earlier. "And I'll start a fire in the little pit in our room."
By pit, of course, he just meant a general hole in the floor. When he had found the house, it was in terrible shape, still is in all fairness. And most of it was unfixable, including the hole in the bedroom floor, but he didn't mind it all too much. But when Crocodile came around, he had the brilliant idea of attempting to fireproof that hole and use it for some sort of heating, which was exactly what they did. Granted it probably wasn't fire safe in the slightest, and their precautions were bound to catch on fire at some point. But they didn't really care. If it happened, they'd just go looking for another abandoned house.
Crocodile examines the bag on the floor before looking up and giving Mihawk a wordless nod of thanks, and he sets off immediately.
He bends down to pick up all the sticks he had carelessly dropped on the ground. He stacks them flat horizontally in his arms, making sure they remain secure. He's a bit disappointed in just how little he had gotten while at the market. The amount was certainly only going to last them the night, and the fire would have to be fueled in moderation. But for now it would have to do.
He carefully walks over to where their bedroom is located, trying his best to avoid dropping any of the sticks he has stacked in his arms. But fortunately, the house is small, so he doesn't have to walk very far.
When he enters their room, it's exactly how he left it. In the center of the room lays the small hole, the sides of it covered in all sorts of fireproof cloth, apparently coated in some sort of mixture that made it fireproof, followed by a thin layer of mesh. Scorch marks litter the surrounding wood from the few times the fire did get out of hand, but it was nothing major. In the upper corner of the room, his mattress sits, barren of any and all sheets due to Crocodile's current hoarding. That was really all there was to the room, ignoring the few miscellaneous items floating around that belonged to either Crocodile or Mihawk. It was simple.
He quickly dumps a few sticks into the pit, putting the rest off to the side for later. Now all that was left to do was actually start the fire.
...And that's where he gets stumped.
Mihawk had never lit a fire before. Not once. Even when he was living all alone. He would survive the cold weather by layering as much clothing as possible and sleeping through most of it, like an odd sort of hibernation. It wasn't until Crocodile arrived that he even began to consider lighting a fire. But Mihawk around flames always seemed to make his friend nervous, so he was just in charge of gathering wood instead, something he didn't mind.
But now that lack of experience has left him stuck and he didn't have the slightest clue as to where he should begin. He didn't want to ask Crocodile for help, either, he's supposed to be taking care of him after all.
He stares at the sticks, thinking for a minute, before he recalls something helpful he read in a book once. It was a sort of survival book, something he skimmed through one day while waiting for Crocodile to finish finding what he wanted to read at a book store. It had a picture by picture demonstration of how to start a fire without any sort of lighter. He could recall each photo almost clearly.
He starts with lining the sticks up in a pattern that will make them all catch easier once the fire is lit. After, he picks up a piece of wood from his discarded pile and pulls out one of the many blades he owns, cutting the tip of it into a V-shape. Then, he simply places the tip onto a stick and moves back and forth between his palms.
Granted, the book he read recommended that he had some sort of dry grass on hand that he could place on the sticks to help the fire get going, but he had none of that. He would have to do it the harder way, but he'd get it eventually.
Yet just as he swears he's about to get it, Crocodile walks in.
He's still layered with all the blankets, not a single one discarded and it confuses him. Had all the clothing not helped?
But before he can ask, Crocodile answers the question on his mind. "None of it fit. A very bad time for me to grow a few more inches." He sighs, but then casts Mihawk a guilty glance. "I guess I sent you out to town for nothing. I'm sorry, Mihawk."
Mihawk holds Crocodile's gaze for a moment, unaware as to how he should respond. He wasn't good with the apologizing, or the guilty looks, or the anything. And Mihawk felt like he should be the one apologizing, he was the one who failed his friend after all. But yet he couldn't manage anything at all, and that fact alone sparks a flicker of frustration in his chest.
"It's fine." He mutters quietly, turning back to the task at hand. He was hoping Crocodile wouldn't see him struggling, but nothing seemed to be in his favor today.
Before he can continue his task, Crocodile speaks up again.
"You need help?"
Mihawk hesitates for a moment before nodding.
Crocodile walks over to the pit, bending down to look at Mihawk's work. He's expecting a laugh or a teasing remark, something that would irritate him. But instead Crocodile just shrugs.
"The way you're doing it will work, but it's the long way." He informs, shifting inside his blankets, seemingly searching for something. "That's what these are for."
It takes a second, but he takes out a small box of matches, appearing beat up and frail. It's the same box Mihawk sees Crocodile use quite frequently in their day to day activities. He always uses the same one, even if he gets a new pack of matches, something strange Mihawk had noticed. Apparently, Crocodile just finds the striking surface easier to use when the box itself is used.
He takes out a match and strikes it accordingly, the flame sparking up with ease. He holds out the match, carefully touching the flame to the bare spot on the wood that Mihawk had already created. Eventually it catches.
So it was just that easy after all. Mihawk holds back a sigh.
He watches as the flame slowly spreads to other areas of the stick. He can feel a gentle amount of warmth emitting from the flames. But it wasn't getting warm as fast as he'd like it to.
He glances over at Crocodile, trying to observe if the warmth had any effect, but it didn't seem to. Despite all the blankets, Mihawk can still see a slight tremble from his friend. He frowns.
Crocodile catches him staring and arches an eyebrow. "What's with the look?"
Mihawk doesn't answer outright, just shrugging simply. He didn't know what else he could do to help Crocodile. He never knew just how hard it was to take care of another person, and if anything, he was the one being taken care of at the moment. Crocodile had to help him with the fire, with the door, and even untying his own shoes. It was frustrating that he couldn't do anything in return, he could only watch his friend suffer.
But then, an idea pops into his head. He briefly remembers the interaction he witnessed between the father and daughter at the market, something he thought didn't make any sense at all, but would it hurt to try? It would certainly be awkward to bring up or suggest, but it was the only thing left he could think to do.
"You're still cold, right?" Mihawk asks, continuing to look at Crocodile.
"I don't think I'm ever not cold. Your island is always freezing." He tries to joke, but it comes off as more serious. "But there's not much else you can do. You've already done plenty, Mihawk, so don't worry about it."
Mihawk isn't satisfied with this answer at all. He was worrying about it, even if he wouldn't state it out loud, and he would continue to worry about it until it was resolved. So instead of accepting that there's nothing more he could do, he stands up.
"Stand up and open your arms like this." He instructs, opening his arms wide to show what he means before lowering them once more.
Crocodile appears confused, his eyebrows furrowed together, but he stands up anyway. He stretches his arms horizontally, which causes his blankets to separate for a moment. Crocodile shivers and makes a face. "This just makes me colder." He grumbles.
Mihawk begins to doubt himself momentarily, his thoughts acting against him. If this didn't go well, it would be a pain to smooth over. If it didn't go well, it might put a damper in their friendship. If it didn't go well, it would completely and totally mess up his entire plan to be helpful. Not to mention Mihawk had never initiated physical contact with another person before. What if he did it all wrong? Was there a certain way he had to go about this?
But he manages to swallow it all down, somehow, and before he can talk himself out of it or before Crocodile can lower his arms again, Mihawk steps forward quickly and traps his friend in a hug.
Crocodile tenses almost instantly, not moving in the slightest. Mihawk is almost certain he's probably made a mistake based on that reaction alone. Him and Crocodile had never even touched before, let alone hugged. This was definitely shocking to him.
But before Mihawk can pull away and mutter an apology, Crocodile suddenly returns the hug. Mihawk almost jumps at the unexpected returned contact, but quickly recovers.
"What's with this?" Crocodile asks, patting Mihawk's back lightly. "You've never wanted a hug before."
Mihawk sits there silently for a moment, his face flushed with embarrassment. "It's not for me." He admits.
Crocodile hums in confusion, clearly not understanding at all what he means.
Mihawk clears his throat before explaining. "When I was in town, I saw a little girls father hug her to warm her up when she complained she was cold." He states. "Of course, I thought it was dumb. It didn't really make sense to me. But I figured I could at least try to see if it would help you. But I can see that it's not." He talks quickly, trying to end the moment. He attempts to draw away, embarrassment clouding his brain. He would certainly remember to never mimic what he sees people in town do ever again.
But Crocodile tightens his hold before he can try, surprising Mihawk for a moment. He casts his friend a look, only to see a big grin resting on his face.
"I think it's working just fine." Crocodile states matter-of-factly, sounding very pleased with his current situation.
"But you're still shivering." Mihawk points out bluntly.
"Give it time." He assures.
So he does, and with each passing moment the contact just gets easier for Mihawk. The embarrassment fades as well as his tension, and Mihawk finds himself actually enjoying the interaction. All his other experiences with hugging were anything but positive. Always feeling forced and uncomfortable. But with Crocodile, there wasn't any of that. It felt strange but not unwelcomed.
Soon enough, Crocodile's shivering stops all together. But they still don't back away.
"I told you." Crocodile says after awhile. "Good thinking."
"Thank the people in town." Mihawk states plainly. "Otherwise, you would've froze to death."
"I wasn't going to freeze to death." Crocodile grumbles, and although Mihawk can't see his face he can hear the eyeroll in his tone.
"Well, either way, I'm glad I found some way to help you." He continues, ignoring Crocodile's attitude. "This just means I've finally taken care of you for once."
A short silence follows his confession. It's not tense or uncomfortable, but it still felt strange. Mihawk considers saying something more to break it, but before he can, Crocodile pulls away. Not fully, but just enough so he can look Mihawk in the eye.
"What are you talking about?" Crocodile asks. His eyes search Mihawk's face, as if trying to read his expression.
Mihawk finds himself perplexed. He thought it was obvious what he meant. It wasn't any secret that Mihawk was constantly cared for by Crocodile without doing anything in return. Maybe his friend was just too stubborn to admit it. Crocodile didn't like outwardly admitting that he cared for things, after all.
He states the obvious anyways. "Because I've never taken care of you before." He says bluntly.
Crocodile still appears stuck, not understanding at all. So, Mihawk continues.
"You're just always helping me, and when I mean always I mean always. You don't complain about having to take care of the little things that bother me, you're constantly trying to make sure I'm alright. I don't really do any of that for you. So I just..." He trails off, making a face of discomfort. It wasn't like him to reveal so much of his thinking, or be so terribly vulnerable. He was in new territory, and he didn't want to step any further. So, he simply ends it like that, hoping Crocodile will put two and two together.
Luckily, he does.
"Wait a minute," Crocodile begins, his eyes widening with realization, "do you seriously think you've never taken care of me at all?"
Mihawk just nods.
Crocodile looks at him with disbelief, shaking his head. "Mihawk that's not true at all."
That was certainly news to him, and he wasn't quite sure how to process the revelation. What exactly had he done to help take care of Crocodile? When had he ever been helpful to his friend? He couldn't think of one instance at all.
"How?"
"Well, in lots of ways!" Crocodile exclaims, removing one of his hands from Mihawk's back to make a hand motion. "For one, going out to town in this weather just for me definitely counts." He begins to list, putting one finger up. "Whenever we have fires, you gather all the wood for me. You do a lot of heavy lifting for me. You certainly remember things that will help me later, proven by this little interaction." With every new thing he lists, one of his fingers goes up. "And there's lots of other things, but I guess the main thing you do to help me is just... being my friend."
"Being your friend?" Mihawk echoes. "How does that help?"
Crocodile looks away for a moment, appearing embarrassed, but he continues to speak anyway. "Well, when I washed up here, I didn't know anyone at all. I had no idea how I was going to make it by myself." He admits. "But then I met you, and you were not the kindest person in the world, yet I still got to know you and now I'm where I am today. I'm not dying of loneliness and I'm way happier than I was before. So although everything's always freezing, and everything's still unfamiliar to me, I have you. It makes it not so frightening."
Mihawk couldn't figure out what he was feeling, a whole jumble of emotions at the same time that he couldn't even begin to unravel. "And that helps?" Is the only thing he can manage to get out, despite all the other things he should be saying.
Crocodile smiles at him, a rare sight. "A lot."
Mihawk just stares for a moment, his mind racing. He didn't know what to say or do. He had never been told something like this before, he wasn't at all prepared for how to react. But with every attempt to say something, his throat only closes up, and the only thing he can really do is sit and feel his face get hotter. He couldn't even respond with a facial expression, his face remaining stony and unmoving. All he really wanted to do in this moment was hide away and think. But there wasn't any clear way to escape at the moment.
So, he finds the next best thing; he goes back to fully hugging Crocodile and hides his face on his friend's shoulder.
That simple action sparks a reaction so positive it shocks him. Crocodile laughs, loud and long, and he reaches over to pat Mihawk's head fondly.
"I didn't mean to embarrass you, Mihawk." His friend chuckles out. He sounds the happiest he ever has.
Mihawk just lets out a grumble, but he can't help the small, very small, smile on his face. Crocodile's happiness was contagious, it seemed.
As their fun continues, neither seem to notice the fact the fire was at its full potential and there was no need to remain so close. They don't care that the room is plenty warm, the fire crackles and they just let it. There was no rush to stop their moment so soon.
The flames cast shadows all around them, big and small, but the most prominent of them all was definitely their own. They were so close it seemed like they were just on person.
The image leaves a perfect memory in Mihawk's mind.