A few small notes before we begin: One Piece characters, situations, and locations (and any other such things) are strictly the property of Eiichiro Oda. This piece, a (kind of) sequel to Reciprocate, is set during the two-year time skip between chapters 597 and 598.

Tentatively, Zoro lifted the fork to his mouth and ate the piece of meat that was stuck by the utensil's tines. The quality of the food was far better than it had been over the past three months, with this meal even being more visually pleasing. Though the swordsman was unsure as to who prepared the food, it could only be one of the two other people on the island.

Perona was off somewhere—she always was anymore—and was more likely than not harassing the apes that Zoro had defeated months ago. The girl was annoying, and her cooking was horrendous, but at least she was good when it came to patching the swordsman up.

At the far end of the table, to Zoro's right, sat Mihawk with nothing more than a wine glass that was three-fourths full of a garnet-colored wine. The shichibukai stared with the intensity of a panther, his hands resting lightly before him on the table. During his stay, the Straw Hat swordsman had never once truly shared a meal with his teacher, seeing as Mihawk always managed to eat before Zoro. Though the fact didn't really bother the swordsman, he was mildly confused as to why the shichibukai insisted on sitting in on Zoro's meals.

The two of them almost never spoke outside of lessons, and at that point it was only ever Zoro talking about Luffy. The swordsman didn't speak of, however, the love he held for his captain or any of the nights the two of them had shared since Thriller Bark. Not that Mihawk would have cared to know anyway.

Zoro ate heartily from the luxurious spread before him, devouring plate after plate. A wine glass—the only type of drinking vessel on the entire island—filled with some exotic white wine sat next to the swordsman's plate with the nearing-empty bottle close by. He had to continually check the reflex all Straw Hat pirates have and was constantly reminding himself that he didn't have to compete with Luffy for food.

Once the plates were cleared of all the food they held, Zoro slid his chair back, rose, and gathered his swords. With a sideways glance at Mihawk, he made his leave.

"The ghost girl's improving," the younger swordsman commented under his breath as he left the dining hall.

On either side of Zoro was a long, winding hallway, and he frowned at his nightly task of navigating back to what the shichibukai had deemed "Zoro's room". Instantly, going in either direction seemed like a viable option, though the right vaguely struck him as a little more correct. The swordsman turned and headed right, ignoring the sparse decorations on the walls.

Through the hallway maze Zoro ventured, becoming less and less familiar with his surroundings as he walked. The wall scones that were lit grew fewer and fewer, and the already-rare paintings became all but extinct. While the area around the swordsman didn't seem to be of a different age than the rest of the castle, these halls did feel far more dead.

Nestled at the end of one hall was a single door, and when Zoro went to open it it gave no resistance. The room he entered was sparsely lit, forcing the swordsman to return to the hall to fetch a burning torch and place it into one of the room's many scones.

The room had few furnishings, but each was of the finest quality. A solid dresser stood stoutly in the corner of the room, and beside it was an almost timid-looking door. A large, ornately carved wardrobe stood so that it faced the dresser from the opposite corner, with the entrance between them like some poor bastard stuck between two enraged gunslingers. Thick, rich carpets of all types were spread in a liberal fashion on the floor, creating a soft surface that abruptly contrasted with the harsh stone floors that were everywhere else in the castle.

Against the back wall of the room stood a king sized bead with wine-colored coverings. Four posts, carved with all manner of leaping animals, stood almost as tall as the ceiling and supported a deep red canopy that hung in heavily shadowed folds. Zoro took seven steps to it and ran his hand curiously over the fabrics that covered the bed. They were extremely unfamiliar, and the swordsman was almost positive that this was not—nor ever would be—his room in any sense of the word.

On either side of the bed's head was a window, buried deep into the thick walls. Each was fairly tiny, and both were barred securely, but the two of them seemed like they would grant plenty of air and light flow during the day.

Zoro took a second look around the room, meandering slowly among the sparse furniture. A feeling was beginning to inch into his head, one that warned against lingering any longer in the room, but the swordsman was unworried about it. He stepped towards the small door that crouched beside the dresser, and gently rested his fingertips on the handle.

The door would not open, however. Each time Zoro tried the handle, it stopped abruptly with a hard chck sound. The swordsman gave the door a slight scowl, but still he turned away to leave the room and find his own quarters.

Just inside the room was Mihawk in full garb, his back propped against the door.

The shichibukai and his student stared at each other in silence, and the air in the room gained weight. Zoro thought quickly as to anything he could say other than he had taken the wrong hall, that he couldn't find his own room, but he couldn't quite find the words he needed. As he grasped at his mental straws he kept his face as steady as possible, though somewhere in the back of his mind Zoro knew that Mihawk was aware of the whole situation.

"You enjoyed the meal." Mihawk stated. Zoro nodded.

"She's getting better at cooking," the Straw Hat pirate said, trying to find anyway out short of destroying the wall. He could find none.

Again they stood in silence, almost like a cat with a rabbit trapped. The younger swordsman could find no way out of this deadlock shy of going through the shichibukai, which lay far below the last option he would even halfway consider.

Finally, Mihawk spoke. "You haven't removed your swords."

"No," Zoro replied, knowing further explanation was pointless. The shichibukai studied him for a minute longer before nudging himself off of the door. Zoro breathed a mental sigh of relief that he kept off of his face as he reached for the door handle.

"She isn't the only one who is improving on this island," Mihawk commented, boring into Zoro's eyes with his own. The younger man said nothing, and turned his face towards the door as he started to open it. After about three inches the door stopped, barred by the shichibukai's strategically placed foot.

Quietly, Mihawk nudged the door shut with his toe.

Annoyed, Zoro turned to face the shichibukai. The Straw Hat pirate glared at his current teacher, while the latter stared back, his face unreadable. Neither of them moved, and though they were inches apart, neither could feel the other one's breath.

Before Zoro knew what had happened, Mihawk's mouth was on his. The younger man flinched, jerking away from the shichibukai. Mihawk's hand shot forward, clutching Zoro's right shoulder in a vice. The Straw Hat pirate squirmed, trying to free himself from his teacher's talons. The older man came in for a second kiss, and instead of meeting his student's lips, Mihawk's jaw met elbow. Zoro ripped his shoulder free of the shichibukai's weakened grasp, and the younger man used his clockwise momentum to slam his left leg into Mihawk's right side. The teacher staggered with the force of the blow but kept on upright. Again, the Straw Hat pirate kicked, lashing out with his foot to catch the shichibukai in the stomach. Mihawk was shoved back, bent double but not coughing.

Zoro's hand found the door handle almost instinctively, and he turned his back to his teacher just enough to let the door fly open.

"If you step out that door," Mihawk said, causing Zoro to freeze, "You can leave this island."

The younger swordsman debated his options silently, the door handle still in his hand and freedom not a foot away from him. He remembered what had happened at the Shabondy Archipelago not three months ago, how a single Pacifista had wiped the floor with his entire crew. He remembered fear for the lives of his crewmates, and especially for his captain. He remembered the shame of complete defeat, defeat he swore he would never succumb to again.

He couldn't lose to Mihawk a second time.

Slowly, Zoro removed his hand from the door knob, raised his head as high as he could, and turned so that he looked Mihawk square in the eye. The shichibukai studied him—blank faced—for a silent moment. The older swordsman read the defiance, the anger, in his student's glare, and a determined grin spread across Mihawk's face. Zoro's eye twitched, but he stood stalk still as the shichibukai took a step towards him. A second step was ventured, then a third, leaving the teacher a foot from his student.

Mihawk's hands rose, cupping the base of Zoro's skull. Callused fingers ruffled emerald hair, and twin thumbs played among the hills and valleys of ears. The younger swordsman was pulled forward by the head, and for the second time that evening he found himself joined at the lips with the shichibukai. Mihawk's eyes shimmered in the flickering light, a predatory gold shining with reflecting fire. Zoro resisted the urge to clamp his eyes shut, to tell himself this wasn't betraying his real lover. If he lost to Mihawk here, wouldn't that be a far worse betrayal?

The shichibukai's lips parted a little, and his tongue pierced into his student's mouth. The younger swordsman kept surprise off of his face as his own tongue attacked, an anxious bird guarding its nest. Mihawk swirled his tongue around his student's, undulating the appendage as he caught its taste—iron and wine.

Gently, the older swordsman nudged the door shut with his right foot. Zoro's eyes darted in that direction as it clicked to a rest, but did not make a move for it.

As Mihawk let his tongue explore his student's mouth, the shichibukai's hands slid down the back of the younger swordsman's neck. Zoro trembled a little, the hairs along his dangling arms and up the back of his neck standing at attention. Mihawk kissed his student harder at this involuntary response, pulling the younger swordsman closer by wrapping his arms tighter around Zoro's neck.

The Straw Hat pirate took a step backwards, trying to distance himself from the shichibukai. The older swordsman moved with him, and with a thud Zoro's back met the door. Mihawk's face flickered in annoyance and he pulled his arms from around his student's neck, broke their kiss and took a half-step back. Tentatively, Zoro's fingers alighted on the door knob, but the gleam that rested in his teacher's eyes suggested this was only the beginning. The younger swordsman's fingers fell from the handle.

Mihawk shed his coat, tossing it with precision onto the dresser before returning his gaze to Zoro. Again, he led his student's mouth to his own, and once more did his arms envelope the younger man's shoulders and neck. This time, however, hesitant hands found their way to Mihawk's hips. They rested there lightly, as though unsure of their presence. The older swordsman encouraged his student to grip tighter with a squeeze, but Zoro could only make a feeble attempt at it.

While they were still tangled together, Mihawk started stepping backwards, dragging Zoro with him. The shichibukai turned, and both men had a clear view of where they wanted to go. As the younger swordsman was maneuvered farther away from the door, his fate finally dawned upon him. His calves met something soft, and with a final step, Mihawk tripped his student onto the bed.

The duo landed together, Zoro on his back with his teacher atop him. The shichibukai was heavier than expected, and the younger swordsman wriggled to get out from underneath him. A wince flashed across Mihawk's face, and he broke their kiss to rise to hands and knees over Zoro. The older swordsman craned his neck, and his student followed his gaze.

Three swords were still attached to Zoro's hip, and in defense of their master they had jabbed at Mihawk with their hilts. The shichibukai gave them an annoyed look.

"Remove your swords," the older man said, still keeping his student pinned under him. The younger swordsman complied, shedding his weapons as slowly as he could while remaining inconspicuous about it. The swords and their hilts landed with a muffled thud at the foot the the bed.

Once more, Mihawk took command of his student's mouth and lips, barely giving the younger man any time to breathe. The shichibukai started inching up the bed, leaving Zoro with no choice but to follow. The older swordsman's weight then shifted back onto his knees and he sat, effectively pinning his student's legs. The young swordsman writhed, trying to free himself as Mihawk's hands snaked their way under both haramaki and shirt. Fabric was slid upwards, revealing a mariner's toned abdomen and pectorals.

Finally, Zoro quit trying to liberate himself. He looked almost comical, with his shirt and haramaki bunched up around his chest and armpits. Mihawk commanded his student silently, with his eyes, and slowly, deliberately, the younger swordsman removed the haramaki, and then his shirt. The shichibukai plucked them up with the precision of a fishing eagle and tossed them disdainfully aside.

Weight shifted again, and Mihawk leaned over Zoro so that the two were face-to-face. Some emotion, some mix of anxiety and anger and something else the shichibukai wasn't quite familiar with burned within the younger man's eyes as he glared up at his teacher. An almost nonexistent smirk lightly touched on Mihawk's lips as he descended upon his student.

Between light kisses and teasing bites, the shichibukai spoke in a low voice.

"Why are you here?"

Zoro was nearly floored by the question, but he somehow managed to find a voice to speak with. It trembled.

"To become stronger."

Mihawk bit particularly hard on his student's nipple, causing him to writhe in pain.

"Why are you here?"

The younger swordsman was more concerned with his body's reactions to the shichibukai than the question being asked, but Zoro managed to bark out, "I needed a strong teacher—you were the strongest."

Again, the older swordsman bit down hard—harder—on the younger's nipple, drawing a small amount of blood that glimmered in the weak firelight. Mihawk rose so that he could bore into Zoro's eyes with his own.

"But why are you here, little rabbit?" he asked, the sound somewhere between a purr and a growl.

The Straw Hat pirate was starting to get irritated with the shitty decisions he was encountering with the shichibukai. At this point, however, his pride was not important—strength was.

"I was lost," Zoro admitted, fighting to keep his teeth from clenching shut as he did so.

The older swordsman gave his student an infuriating look of knowing, the kind of look a condescending god would give. Leaning in closer, Mihawk whispered in the young swordsman's ear, "So why did you linger, little rabbit?"

"Curiosity," Zoro heard himself say, though he wasn't sure why he said it. It was the truth, of course, but he wanted so badly to remain mute. His battle plan, his resistance, was to become dumb until Mihawk was done.

Apparently, the shichibukai didn't care for his plan.

Mihawk looked Zoro in the eye, one eyebrow raised.

"Curiosity killed the cat, little rabbit."

Once more, the shichibukai busied himself with exploring his student's chest. Fingers traced their ways in between muscles, and Mihawk's short-cut beard tickled across skin. The younger swordsman's teeth clenched shut as he tried to block out what physical pleasure he was deriving from the experience, though he was starting to fail at even this.

From shoulder to hip ran a single finger, across the scar teacher had given student.

Zoro trembled violently despite himself, his body responding to the gesture that up until that point had only been made by Luffy. Mihawk's eyebrows rose together, and he repeated the maneuver to the same—if not a stronger—effect. The younger swordsman could no longer resist the urge to move and he hoisted himself up to his elbows. His head, neck, and shoulders were flushed.

A single swear floated through Zoro's mind as he realized he was starting to sweat. He was doomed if Mihawk were to notice, and the younger swordsman knew that nothing went beyond his current teacher's acknowledgment.

The shichibukai was playing around his student's nipples with his mouth again, licking and sucking and biting. When a hand came to join, to pinch and tease, Zoro finally raised his voice in objection.

"Quit it."

Mihawk stopped, more from surprise at the command than anything. That infuriating smirk still lingered on the older man's lips.

"You don't like it when I bite you, little rabbit?" he asked, the question already answered before it was posed. Zoro's voice abandoned the young swordsman again, but he was still able to hold the shichibukai's gaze.

Laughter emanated from Mihawk, and only after another hard kiss on the lips he said, "You taste too good, little rabbit:I can't help but want to devour you. Like the steel of your blade"—he licked Zoro's neck—"blended with the oldest wines."

Another violent shiver overcame the younger swordsman, a reaction finally not sparked by remembrance. The fear of another defeat started to worm its way into the back of the Straw Hat pirate's mind.

Fingertips found themselves flitting about the border between flesh and cloth, and as they started to dig their way underneath the edge of Zoro's pants, the younger man uttered a single word.

"Boots."

Mihawk glanced at his student's feet and found that they were indeed enclosed in boots. The shichibukai leaned over the young swordsman again, and played with the earrings in Zoro's ear as he murmured, "If you care so much about them then remove them yourself, little rabbit."

Still pinned, the student was forced to gracelessly kick his boots off. Each landed with a muffled thump, and each made that feeling of defeat worse.

A second later found Mihawk as he had been, a knee on either side of Zoro's legs and fingers about to remove pants. With deft hands, the shichibukai removed and discarded both pants and underwear. The younger swordsman lay there under his teacher, naked and flushed, with his dick standing to attention. As he saw this, Zoro looked from Mihawk, shame berating him for the betrayal.

Finally, the shichibukai moved, positioning himself wholly on his student's left. While Mihawk removed his shirt, he commented, "You don't need to be scared, my innocent little rabbit. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

The younger swordsman turned more red, and he chanced a glance at his teacher. Mihawk was shedding his boots now, dropping each of them lightly beside the bed. The shichibukai noticed Zoro watching, and the older man removed his trousers and undergarments slowly.

With both of them stripped, Mihawk was between the younger swordsman's legs, again testing his student's body with his mouth and fingertips. Teacher worked slowly from neck down, licking, kissing, and playfully biting. At each touch, Zoro trembled more violently, and with every bite he flinched.

"You amaze me, little rabbit," the shichibukai said as he hovered over the younger swordsman's abdomen, "You are strong on the battlefield and relentless in your training, but here you shiver in fear and are scared to look me in the eye." Mihawk looked up and captured Zoro's unwilling gaze. "Are you afraid of me, my little rabbit?"

Several answers came to mind, many of them responses the young swordsman knew would be foolish to use. The simplest one emerged.

"I'm not losing to you again."

A smile crept across the shichibukai's face. In his eyes was pride mixed with lust, a look that caused his student to shake more. Once again, Mihawk traced the scar he had given the young swordsman during their first encounter.

"I wouldn't say you've ever truly lost to me, little rabbit."

Three more kisses were planted on Zoro's stomach, each farther down than the last. The younger swordsman's heart beat wildly and his breathing grew jagged as his teacher's mouth enveloped the tip of his cock. Mihawk used his tongue more than anything as he sucked on Zoro's member, saliva and precum leaking gracelessly from his mouth.

Though Zoro felt a familiar pressure in his loins, he kept his mouth firmly shut. The young swordsman knew that if he even attempted to mention it, a moan in pleasure would take the place of warning. He was breathing hard through flared nostrils and clenched teeth, his determination not to lose to the shichibukai fighting against the ease of letting go and enjoying the ecstatic experience.

Biology won out, and Zoro came fairly readily in Mihawk's mouth. The younger man's chest heaved, sweat covered his entire body, and he whole top half was ruddy in the dying firelight. Student looked his teacher in the eyes, and the latter stunned the former when he lifted himself from the young swordsman's dick and swallowed all that was in his mouth. The young swordsman didn't know whether to be disturbed or honored: no one had ever swallowed his cum before.

"Why?" Zoro managed to ask once he was sure his voice wouldn't betray him.

Mihawk crawled forward so that he leaned over his student and was face-to-face with him.

"Because," he said, "You are my little rabbit, and I'm going to devour you whole."

Blood rushed to the younger swordsman's face, and the shichibukai chuckled a little before giving his student a long kiss on the lips. When Zoro's mouth was finally released, Mihawk moved so that he sat on his knees next to the younger swordsman. The student rolled to his side, deliberately facing away from the shichbukai.

After a quiet moment, fingertips snaked along Zoro's exposed side. He trembled a little as they moved, going from shoulder, to hip, to stomach.

Mihawk's voice spoke low, and the man's breath tickled the young swordsman's ear.

"Little rabbit, I have a question for you."

Silence answered the statement as Zoro tried to keep himself from hardening again. Teeth nibbled at his upper ear as the fingers flitted dangerously close to his groin.

"Little rabbit, why can't I keep you out of my head?"

Again, there was silence, but this time it was because the student had been struck dumb by his teacher's question. He was being played by the pirate lord, he had to be.

"Little rabbit, why do you haunt my dreams?"

Something in Mihawk's voice rang with sincerity, with genuine wonder. It was something the young swordsman had never heard before, something he doubted anyone had ever heard before.

"Little rabbit, why must I make you mine?"

The shichibukai's hand enclosed around Zoro's penis, but this time the younger man was unprepared to hold back a low moan. Kisses ran across the young swordsman's shoulders and nape of his neck as a surprisingly skilled hand caressed his cock. The pleasure that came from the member could no longer be shut out, and Zoro's breathing became irregular as he shuddered and moaned.

"Will you not say my name, little rabbit?" Mihawk murmured huskily before nibbling playfully at the younger man's ear.

"M-Mihawk," the student managed to breathe out. Again there was pressure, but it was so eclipsed by the ecstasy that Zoro didn't care. The shichibukai licked his student's ear.

"Yes?" he asked with a silky tone. The young swordsman merely groaned in response as he came in his teacher's hand. The older man took his hand away, and somewhere deep in the back of his student's mind was a mix of relief and disappointment.

The shichibukai was not finished, however. He slid the palm of that same hand down the spine of the younger man. Mihawks' fingers slipped into the valley of Zoro's ass, and as the older swordsman prodded the hole, the young man twitched and squirmed. Again the shichibukai moved, and as he did he pushed his student onto his stomach.

At first, only one finger had entered the orifice, wriggling around by itself for a short while until a second finger joined it. After a third had joined the first two, the younger swordsman writhed with a genuine pain that he hadn't felt in his rear the last few times he had done this.

After several agonizing minutes, Mihawk finally removed his fingers. Zoro twitched while a sort of flesh-memory made the pain linger. The shichibukai positioned himself between the younger swordsman's legs and leaned over him with palm-down hands on either side of his chest.

"Rise little rabbit," he commanded in a low voice, "Or I can't love you properly."

Zoro's face flushed, and he was more than happy for the dying light and bedclothes that he hid his countenance in. The young swordsman couldn't find the energy to rise, nor did he think he could handle betraying Luffy even worse than he already had.

Mihawk, however, wasn't going to leave him a choice.

The shichibukai leaned his weight back on his legs and wormed his forearms under his student's stomach. Then the teacher pulled, awkwardly hoisting the young swordsman to unsteady hands and knees. Once he had positioned himself to penetrate his student, the older swordsman slid himself in slowly.

Zoro was used to having less of his partner in him. His arms wobbled, and it took the greatest part of his will not to fall flat on his face. The young swordsman panted heavily, and sweat poured off of him. The shichibukai leaned over his student so that he could whisper in the younger man's ear.

"I'm glad you liked the dinner I prepared for you, little rabbit."

Mihawk was upright before Zoro could even think of a response, not that he could come up with any. Palms rested on the small of the younger swordsman's back, and the behemoth member in his ass lazily rocked back and forth. Zoro couldn't help it, he moaned and cried out loudly, calling for a god he highly doubted existed. Still Mihawk took his sweet time, pushing his dick into the younger man at a walker's pace.

"My name, little rabbit," the shichibukai asked silkily, "What is my name?"

"Mihawk," his student barked back in between ragged breaths.

"I can't hear you," the older swordsman purred.

"Mihawk," the younger yelled.

"Louder."

"Mihawk," Zoro screamed, the word coming out of irritation and pleasure, "Mihawk, Mihawk, Mihawk!"

"Yes," was the husky reply.

Finally, the shichibukai dug in in earnest.

The young swordsman quickly learned there were sweet spots in him just beyond Luffy's reach, sweet spots that Mihawk found and hit hard. Sounds were dragged from the pit of Zoro's diaphragm that he never dreamed he could make, and he was losing energy faster than he thought possible.

Fingers dug into the young swordsman's back as the shichbukai thrust harder into his student, the heat inside more intoxicating than the oldest wines. He was panting too, in time with his hips, and low groans and grunts emanated from his throat.

Pressure was building quickly in Zoro's loins, and his main concern would be his state once it was released. Each special spot hit brought him another step closer to cumming, another step closer to being completely spent.

The final glimmer of light saw Mihawk leaning back-to-chest over the young swordsman, digging deep into his shoulders with sharp fingernails. Faster, harder, deeper—the shichibukai was nearing his climax. He rammed his cock in as far as he could with each stroke, summoning his name from his student's lips. The older man kept himself steady by anchoring to the younger.

With a highly audible gasp, Zoro came. His arms fluttered and gave way, dropping him on his elbows and jarring both men. The duo was still connected, and Mihawk had to paw his way up the younger man's back so that he was upright.

Though he had been thrown off of his rhythm, the shichibukai quickly regained his fevered pace. Zoro screamed in pleasure into the bedclothes as his teacher pushed his monstrous member in harder.

A jolt of heat flashed into the young swordsman as Mihawk loosed his seed. The shichibukai shuddered like thunder, and he leaned his weight onto his student's shoulders. Zoro's arms ached from the extra weight, but he managed to keep from dropping any lower into the bed.

Kisses touched down along the young swordsman's spine, and the tingling from them was magnified by the penis inside him that rested pleasurably against his orgasmic spots. Despite his better judgment, the student would have been happy to fall asleep with his teacher's dick right there inside of him. Slowly, the shichibukai slid his cock out of the younger swordsman, his tip sliding past each sensitive point one final time like lights winking out.

Zoro finally allowed himself to collapse, the last glimmers of his energy fading. He was sprawled, undignified and naked, in the bed of the man he swore he would kill to become the greatest, and he didn't care. Right before he slipped into sleep, he breathed a single name.

"Luffy..."

While his student fell asleep, Mihawk had pulled free a blanked, and curled himself behind the young swordsman. As he settled the blanket over the both of them, he heard the name spoken softly on the air. The shichibukai scowled and wrapped his arms possessively around the waist of the man he loved. He drifted to sleep with the joy of a warm body nearby.

Though he had no idea what time it was when he had finally fallen asleep, Zoro knew that he awoke at dawn. He stretched, and the ache in his lower back and ass confused him somewhat. As he tried to rise, something tightened around the young man's waist, holding him in place. The groggy swordsman turned his head and nearly jumped.

Mihawk lay there, half covered and half asleep, holding determinedly onto Zoro. It took the Straw Hat pirate a moment to recall the night before, and when he did his face flushed. Shame returned to eat at the young swordsman, and he cursed himself for his betrayal. While he berated himself, however, a thought came to him. Gingerly, the young man started working himself free of the grip that held him.

The shichibukai's eyelids blinked open, revealing the paralyzing, golden eyes hidden behind them. Zoro froze, and was unresistant as Mihawk pulled him down into his unyielding embrace.

"Good morning, my little rabbit," the older swordsman murmured in his student's ear.

Zoro scowled and squirmed, trying to lose himself from the vice-like hold.

"I'm not your little rabbit," the Straw Hat pirate growled.

"You are if you wish to stay in my castle."

Zoro quit struggling.

"Why did you do that to me?"

The shichibukai kissed his student on the nape of the neck, causing the latter to shiver.

"I did that with you, not to you, little rabbit," he gave Zoro another kiss. "And I did that with you because I found you here in my room."

"I was in here because—" the younger swordsman started to defend himself, but he stopped short.

"Because you lost your way, little rabbit. You've already explained. But you are still here, and you didn't leave when you had the chance."

The Straw Hat pirate was too groggy, too angry, to deal with this kind of roundabout logic. He clawed himself free of the shichibukai's grasp and pulled his naked form from the bed. Zoro stood, dawn light catching him full in the side of the head as he backed away from Mihawk towards the dresser.

"Do you really find me so detestable, Roronora?" the older swordsman asked. Student was again floored by the question posed by teacher. The young pirate said nothing.

"You do, yes?" asked the elder. Again, there was no response. The shichibukai stared into the glaring face of the young swordsman, and he sighed, rubbing his brow with a hand.

"Fine," said Mihawk, with a hint of something like spite in his voice, "Beyond that door behind you is my black blade. Surely a naked target is easy enough for you?"

It took a couple of silent moments for the full force of the shichbuukai's words to hit Zoro. The offer was tempting to the prideful side of the pirate, and to the shamed part. Patience and logic, however, deemed it a foolish gesture.

The student slowly shook his head. "No," he said quietly.

"Speak up," his teacher commanded.

"No," was the barked response. The older swordsman considered the reply silently. Finally, he rose from the bed, satisfied with the answer he had received.

Mihawk strode confidently to Zoro, who willed himself not to retreat. Shichibukai stood before famed pirate, boring into the younger's eyes with his own.

"Little rabbit, this is your room now," the older swordsman said, "You sleep here or leave. If I find you anywhere else, I will deal with you personally."

Though he glared up at his teacher, Zoro managed to spit out the word, "Yes."

Once more, Mihawk's hands rose and cupped the base of the younger swordsman's skull. He pulled Zoro's mouth to his and kissed his student. Their tongues wrestled briefly, and the Straw Hat pirate found he recognized the taste.

"Get ready for you lesson, little rabbit," the shichibukai commanded once he had released the younger swordsman. He gathered his clothes and dressed himself swiftly, and on his way out the door, he added, "Do not be tardy, of course." The door clicked shut.

Zoro retrieved his clothing, dressing himself slowly. He had betrayed Luffy, his captain, the man he would go through the agonies of hell for. How could he face the man he loved more than anything, even his own moronic pride, now?

When he was completely dressed, the young swordsman peered behind the door that stood alongside the dresser. This time it opened without fuss, and Zoro vaguely wondered when it had been unlocked. Though unlit, the black blade glimmered at the aspiring pirate. The door was closed quietly, and with his back against it, the sole student of Dracule Mihawk slid down the door.

Zoro didn't think he could handle the man who tasted like blood and wine.

AN: First, if I wrote Mihawk OOC, I'm sorry. It's been awhile since I've read the guy, and I don't quite remember his personality. Luckily, there is the One Piece wiki, and I used that for a lot of my information. Secondly, this was actually inspired by a picture I found on deviantart (Mihawk x Zoro by sheiku92). Honestly, I had never considered the two as a couple, but after seeing that pic it was quite easy to visualize. However, I am still rather avid about LuffyXZoro, so a conflicted Marimo-head seemed most logical. Thirdly, I'm surprised this one went so much longer than Reciprocate (yes, I know I'm comparing to that one a lot, simply because it is my only other experience with this kind of writing, and because this is a 'kinda' sequel to it), because I wasn't sure how far this was gonna go. Finally, I'm not sure if I'd try these two again, at least anytime soon. While I do like the thought of a predator/prey relationship, as well as the ambiguity of who has more power over the other, I just don't think I know Mihawk well enough to write another.

Also, I just realized this makes two shichibukai that (potentially) want to bang members of the Straw Hat crew. Huh.

As I am,

Lady Spritzy