The Hawk and The Bug
Atlantis jolted her head up as she turned towards the loud thudding noise from outside, she stood to peer out the window where she found marines panicking outside. Sighing, she moved away from the window, grumbling as she made her way down. She strained her words as she continuously repeated her mantra, “Please don’t be Kuzan. Please don’t be Kuzan. Please. Please.”
As the door opened, Atlantis came face to face with a pile of bodies. Raising her eyebrows at the sight she slowly turned her eyes to canvas the area stopping at the warlord staring back at her.
“You’re not Captain Smoker.”
“You’re not Kuzan. Thank god.” Atlantis pushed the door open to stare at the Warlord with a smile. “How can I be of assistance, Dracule Mihawk?”
The Warlord questioned as he gazed at her as if he was staring down a bug before losing interest as he turned to gesture towards the bodies with a barely concealed sneer, “Captain Smoker is the least bothersome marine around these parts. I’m turning in bounties, as my job declares I should.”
“Alright!” Atlantis smiled at the man once more before turning to the bodies with a huffed breath. “This is gonna be fun. Turning in bounties is my favorite duty so far, I can handle this in place of Smoky since he's off on lunch break right now.”
Atlantis calmly took the papers Mihawk held out to her, calculating the amount required as she leafed through them. “Tashigi? Will you get the bounty amounts and add these to the record while I prepare new prisoners?”
“Shouldn’t we wait for Captain Smoker?” TAshigi question as her eyebrows furrowed. Already her hand was reaching for the booklet she practically kept on her person at all times, probably cradled it in her sleep.
Atlantis waved her off with a frustrated sigh, “That’s just bothersome. He’s just going to make us do it when he gets back, so let's do our jobs.”
Tashigi halted as she questioned whether she waited for Smoker’s direct orders or went ahead and ‘did her job’ as a marine. Eventually, she hesitantly walked away to retrieve the bounty amount.
Atlantis immediately began ordering around the newly stationed rookies to move the bodies inside where they could go through their paperwork one by one, by the time she finished she turned to catch sight of MIhawk as he disappeared from view with him claiming the bounty.
“Hmm, what a strange man.” She hummed as she shrugged her shoulders dismissing his appearance entirely.
_____
“Good evening… Warlord Dracule Mihawk,” Atlantis smiled as she tilted her head with furrowed staring straight into the warlord who had returned to their base within a week of their first meeting. Jokingly, she smiled as she closed the door to the base behind her, “We really shouldn’t keep meeting like this.”
To her surprise, Mihawk’s upper lip twitched as he glanced at her out of the side of his eye. “Oh, should we meet for tea perhaps? Miss…?”
“Atlantis, and only if your buying.” Atlantis winked in his direction as she turned to grab a clipboard and begin logging the bounties.
“Well, of course. I am a gentleman, miss.” Mihawk muttered lowly so only she could hear his reply, causing her to stop and give the man a curious look.
“Maybe next time, sir.” Atlantis closed off as she smiled clapping her hands together once as she tucked the clipboard under her hands as she gestured for the rookie. “Have a good day.”
Mihawk chuckled as he turned away no longer hiding the humorous smile from before. “Next time then.”
Atlantis felt her spine freeze as she watched the man leave on his terms, with the last word, with a promise.
____
“Warlord Dracule Mihawk.” Atlantis nodded as she slowly exited the office to take the bounty list from him and begin logging the names in. “I see you’re working overtime.”
“I promised a beautiful young lady a tea date,” he commented as he raised an eyebrow while staring her down. “I didn’t wish to leave her waiting for too long.”
Atlantic sighed as she handed the clipboard off before shrugging her marine jacket off and handing it as well. She sighed as she turned to face him before letting her muttered comment drip off dryly within his earshot, “How noble.”
The man in question simply chuckled as he escorted her to a nearby tea house where he ordered her tea for her. She stared at the drink as the waitress hesitantly placed it down in front of her, the woman’s eyes continued to skittishly return to the warlord relaxing across from her with anxiety.
Atlantis waited for the woman to retreat before cupping her hand around the warm drink to stare into the man’s eyes, “Can I ask what I did to catch your attention?”
“Hm, nothing at first.” He commented as he sipped his tea with a pleased rumble. As he moved it away from his lips he nodded to her drink before continuing his explanation. “You were excellent, enjoyable to turn bounties over to. Typically bounty hunters are required to fill out the bounty paperwork on their own or risk losing the entire bounty, it’s quite troublesome. Not here, not with you or Captain Smoker.”
Atlantis hummed as she sipped the tea nodding her head along to his explanation, “What was it then?”
“Your sword,” He commented as his eyes glinted running down the line of her body within his sight. Atlantis froze at his answer making sure to keep her eyes on the liquid of the cup and not the rings on her hand. “For a swordswoman to not carry her sword, even while on duty? It’s simply strange.”
Atlantis moved her gaze up to his piercing stare, holding her breath before releasing it with a sigh. “I have a temper. I wouldn’t want to kill some poor fool and become a wanted woman.”
Mihawk chuckled as he strain smile as he brought his teacup up for another sip, never breaking eye contact. “Well then, I eagerly await the day I become a poor fool and meet the other end of your wrath.”
Atlantis paused as he caught the twinkle of mischief in his eyes before relaxing her smile into a real one. “So do I.”
_____
“Good morning, Warlord Dracule Mihawk. Here for your weekly tea date?” Atlantis skipped out of the door with an assistant and clipboard in hand as she immediately began taking down the bounty names.
Mihawk chuckled as he inclined his head in her direction, “I was thinking dinner. There happens to be a new restaurant in town that I would be most inclined to attend.”
Atlantis hummed as she slipped her coat off, “As long as your paying.”
“Why, of course.” Mihawk ran his eyes down her figure with a disappointed hum escaping him, “No sword today?”
“Darn I just had it, I wonder where that old thing went.” Atlantis made a show of turning around and looking for the sword before shrugging, “Maybe next time?”
“Perhaps,” Mihawk followed after her with genuine humor coating his tone and a hand on the small of her back.