Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. This fan fiction was written for entertainment purposes, no money was ever made off of it.

Last Night

KitsuneMaxwell

The tavern lights were dim, all was quiet and still. Shanks' heart skipped a beat. Did he really take that much time getting here from the docks? He hesitated at the door, his arm up and ready to wrap on it to see what his luck was when it slowly opened.

Key in hand, shawl wrapped around her shoulder, Makino turned to face the inn as she walked backwards into the night. She was surprised when a warm body embraced her from behind, an arm wrapped itself around her shoulders. Her muscles went rigid, her leg poised and ready to strike her attacker's shin when a familiar scent wafted, filling her senses.

Brine, a thousands spices from a thousand places she'll never be and something else that she had no word for. She only found it on one person. It only belonged to--

"Shanks!" She whirled around to see a familiar pirate captain in a straw hat grin at her like an idiot. She smiled in return, delighted to see him until a closer look on his face showed sweat beads on his forehead, he was a tad pale and although he seemed just as happy to see her-- his condition was taking it's toll.

"Makino. Good evening. Should I walk you home?" His voice was normal, an odd mixture of merriment and seriousness. It was a ritual they both had, she would close up the tavern she owned, and he would take her home. She was both surprised and happy to go through the words, but...

"Who should be walking whom home? What are you even doing out here after--" She couldn't bring herself to say what was on her mind. Shanks, happy and with Luffy, but something was wrong. His left sleeve under his shoulder was in tatters and covered in blood, hanging there without an arm in it-- she closed her eyes and took a breath.

"C'mon, I lost an arm, not a leg." Shanks retorted, but his grin left his face and his voice lost all its merriment. "Do you have a problem with me now?" He asked, bringing up his right hand and cupping her jawline, thumb calloused with hard work from the sea brushed roughly on her cheek.

Hot tears of shame slipped down Makino's face as she impulsively threw her arms around him. "No, no! It's just... you should be resting. You know you can walk me home anytime..."

Shanks inhaled sharply. She bit her tongue. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. She looked up to see the pirate's face, but with his head dipped and the brim of his straw hat casted a shadow that made it impossible to see his eyes. Only when she did that, Shanks put his arm around her, holding her tightly to him.

"I just keep saying the wrong things today." Makino spoke into his shoulder. Her tears had stopped but her face was warm from her embarrassment.

"It's not everyday bandits beat up and kidnap little boys from the village." Shanks replied matter-of-factly. "But Luffy's okay, I'm sure you saw him when we reached back to the shore."

Makino nodded. "I was so relieved when you both made it back to the village. It felt like for a moment there... I was going to lose you both." Although Luffy wasn't hers, considering all the time he had spent in her tavern-- before and during the months that Shanks' pirate crew partied, the young boy managed to wiggle his way into her heart and she felt very fond of him.

"Captain!" Called out a member of Shanks' crew. Rumbustious laughter came from the shadows further down the streets and filled the night air.

Shanks obligately waved back before turning his dark eyes back to the tavern owner. "Should I walk you home?" He repeated his question back to her.

Makino smiled, knowing that once the stubborn Shanks set something in his head, it was nearly impossible to change his mind. "Of course, Captain." She took his arm as he offered it. The walk was short but comfortable as they winded their way from tavern to a two story cottage that was within village limits. He waited patiently as she opened the door, but with all the time of them having this ritual, she could sense something in him vague, almost as if one could smell rain before it came.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" It was blunt and she was very pleased about that, it sounded blank and didn't betray any emotions that she might have been feeling if she was able to think about it more and get beyond the initial surprise she felt hearing the news.

"Can I go inside?" His voice was quiet. "There still is some night to save."

She smiled at him, looking into his face and felt a sharp stab in her heart at what saw. It became a familiar sight to her, seeing him almost every day. She opened the door wider before wordlessly walking in and sinking to a chair. She looked down at her lap where her hands were neatly piled. Shanks closed the door behind them before he made his way to her chair, putting his hand on her hands. He smiled when she didn't move away from his touch before his face turned serious with his thoughts.

"A year can be a very long time. As popular as I am here... with Luffy, with you... I have enemies. I do not wish to put any of you in danger."

Makino nodded her head to his thinking and he continued. "I do not want to not spend the night with me favorite girl."

Despite her sadness, she couldn't help to smile at his words. Which made Shanks grin. For a year he'd been calling this town his base and for ten months he'd been calling Makino me favorite girl.

"Me and who else?" She grinned back to him. It was a question she always had asked after he stated his phrase.

"I don't kiss and tell, Miss." Shanks replied back in a flirty way.

She shook her head and exhaled in a pretend exasperated sigh. The usual answer, could she really expect anything different from the man? How impossible! "Are you hungry? I have some stew and bread here."

Shanks shook his head. "Nah. My surgeon gave me something, it killed half my taste buds on the way down. Killed my appetite when it went found my guts." Shanks made a face for emphasis. Makino murmured poor baby and other comforting phrases as she took one of her hands from under his and rubbed the back of his hand.

"Gods... you're so beautiful." Shanks breathed. His heated gaze made her bow her head and blush.

"Flattery gets you no where." Passing compliments like that in the tavern never seemed to bother her. But when it was her lover... in such a private setting, she couldn't help the red and heat that crept into her face.

"I could always hope." Shanks laughed and then started as if he remembered something. "Speaking of that..." he fumbled with the heavy cloak he was wearing until he produced two bags within his hand. "If flattery gets me nowhere, I best be paying that tab of mine." He dropped one larger back on the small table that was beside the chair. It jingled and sounded heavy, before the top slide open and the side moved under as it settled unto the table. Gold and other valuables glittered in the little moonlight that spilled from one of the windows.

Makino nearly sprang to her feet, helplessly shaking her head. "You should know by now that I don't bring tavern business home!" She scolded the pirate captain.

"I know. I intended on doing this at the tavern but I had to sneak behind my surgeon's back to get here." Shanks grinned and shook his head. "A funny sight I must have been, a captain trying to sneak away from his own ship!"

The tavern owner could only shake her head with him and smiled at the vision Shanks had put into her imagination. "You really had to come see me, didn't you?"

"Of course." Shanks replied, sounding surprised. "You keep not believing me and I keep saying it, you're me favorite girl."

"Oh." Makino didn't reply her usual way. Her mind was swimming with the information that seemed to only swamp her mind and had trouble sinking in.

"This..." Shanks motioned to the bag on the table. "...should cover it-- I'm hoping I over shot, just to make sure it covers anyone else on my crew who hasn't paid up."

"No problem with that. Ben made sure everyone paid well in advanced today." She remembered the first mate threaten the rest of the pirates earlier that day. Thinking about that, I should have realized that they weren't going to be sticking around much longer, she realized to herself.

"It's yours, anyway. Trust me, we'll be making it back." His hand returned back to hers, a bit heavier with something still in it. His grin was as mischievous as a school boy plotting on what he was going to do for a full afternoon after playing hooky and missing school.

She looked up into his dark eyes and found her heart in her throat. This was something she admired and loved about this Shanks that came to her after she closed her tavern for the night ten months ago. Sweet but still ambitious, handsome and alluring. She was surprised to see him standing there, a dark shawl over his arm and then he asked...

"Makino, where are you going?" Shanks asked. His hand was touching her barely her forehead, his tone was teasing. "You seem far away."

"Ten months ago away." Makino whispered. "Kiss me, Shanks. Bring me back to tonight."

He tilted her head back and brought his lips to hers. It was fierce and demanding, almost as if commanding her attention back to this time. Bittersweet feelings boiled in both as the knowledge was there this would be among their last. When they broke away for breath, Makino was surprised when she was poked in the ribs playfully.

"Are you still here?" Shanks asked, sticking her tongue out at her. When she nodded he grinned. "Good. Because I haven't had a chance to give this to you yet." He motioned to a small bag that was sitting on her lap.

She picked it up and smiled like a little girl on Christmas. Whenever Shanks left the village, he always returned with something for her. It was something she greedily accepted and shamelessly looked forward to. She carefully grabbed the bag at a bottom corner and slowly tilted it so it would fall into her hand. She gasped at the sight of this gift.

A beautifully carved ruby, deepest of red like hearts blood and placed on a gold setting for a broach. Of all the gifts he'd given her-- such as the fine woolen shawl that she wore earlier that night, this was the most precious and expensive of gifts. Jewelry was something she never had expected and shook her head. "I can't..."

His lips were on hers, warm and stopping any other protest that she could form. "You can." He argued. "For me favorite girl, alright?"

She couldn't rebuttal against the finality of his tone and smiled in defeat. "Thank you. It's beautiful."

He grinned. "It's red, like me! Although not like-like me. Don't think there is a ruby the color of my hair." He rubbed his hand at the back of his head, tilting his ever present straw hat at a ridiculous angle that made her giggle and impulsively pulled it off of his head and plopped it on her own.

Shanks didn't protest. "You always have made my hat look sexy." He accused her. "Looks better on you than me!"

She stuck her tongue out at him, her face tinging pink.

Never missing an invitation, he kissed her kissed her again, his tongue passing the gateways of their lips and explored her mouth, savoring the familiar taste of her. Knowing how much he was going to miss her. Her arms went around his neck, fingers entwining with the hair on the back of his head, he rubbed his hand up and down along her back. They broke away wanting more, her hands still around his neck, and his hand trying it's best to get a good grip on her butt despite her sitting position.

"I think I know somewhere else you'd find this hat to be sexy." Makino spoke with a more sultry, breathless tone.

"Oh...?" Shanks asked, lust in his eyes and a devilish grin on his face.

"On the floor. With my clothes."

"Now that can be arranged." He grinned helping her out of the chair and kissing her deeply once more.

XX Break to keep T rating... :) XX

The morning air was chilly when both made their way to the docks. Shanks was getting back to his ship, and Makino had to open for another day of business. His arm was around her shoulders and she leaned against him as they walked. It was until they were making it closer to the docks, Shanks broke the silence between them.

"Makino... you know about that 'me favorite girl' phrase..." His hand moved and brushed against the ruby broach she was wearing that day.

"Yes?" She asked, her heart skipping a beat as she waited for his answer.

Yelling from the distance brought both their attention away from their conversation to see a young boy running towards them like a bat from hell. Time with just the two of them together was slipping further and further away.

"Luffy's coming." She murmured. "You'll have to tell the lad good bye as well."

Shanks nodded, absentmindedly as he pushed forward with the words he wanted to say. "I've been with other girls, you're not daft, you know that." Makino nodded her agreement. "But... you're the only one I've called me favorite."

Tears sprang into her eyes. She bit her lip, trying not to cry as she bowed her head. She turned in front of him and hugged him tightly.

He gently kissed her forehead, if there was more of a good-bye he wanted to have with her, it was cut short when she pulled away and went to her open her tavern's door. Before he could follow, Luffy was standing in front of him. The knowledge the tide would be leaving soon hit him. He couldn't stay here forever.

Makino locked the door behind her and gently touched the ruby broach that was on her. ...You're the only one I've called me favorite. She never expected him to ever answer her question. She wasn't quite sure she even believed it... but it made her smile.

End.

Author's Note: It's been a very long time since I've written anything. Please be kind with your reviews. I'm thinking of writing a Prequel for this... if I get enough pleased reviews of this I might try to make it happen. Thanks for reading.