The Chains of Fate

The Aforementioned Arrangement

"You're back," it wasn't a question, but rather a statement and he knew it.

Hawkeye Mihawk hummed from his spot on the recliner in the Heartfilia mansion library. His gaze bored into the child at the entrance of the archives.

Flipping a page he replies, "Indeed," before returning to his book intent on ignoring the girl.

She shuffled nervously before huffing and moving to the back of the archives. 'Why do I still get so nervous around him?' she thought to herself. She chanced a peek at him as she moved the ladder to the location a certain book is located only to turn her gaze at the door.

She can once again feel his eyes on her as she subconsciously pulls at the sleeves of her blue turtle neck before the sounds of heels clicking reached their ears. She ran to the farthest part of the library and opened a chest before hiding in it.

The sound of the doors slamming open was heard. Mihawk was not amused in the slightest as he was bombarded with apologies from Jude's assistant. 'She is hurting the child,' was the very thought that put him in a sour mood.

It had been five years since the dinner where he was introduced to his future student. Not that he had a choice in the matter. The marines blackmailed him into this agreement. Not that he wasn't intrigued by the girl.

He sighed as the assistant finally stopped with her pointless flirting asking if he had by any chance seen Miss Lucy.

'Lucy' is the name of the child with a powerful energy mixed in with her magic. Mihawk still doesn't know if weaponizing her is a good decision. 'If I don't do it, they will hand her to him  and that just doesn't sit right with me.'

Flipping yet another page, he says nonchalantly, "The child is not here, Juviere."

Juviere, the assistant gave her best pouty face as she brings her right hand to her cheek saying in an equally pouty tone, "Well, that's a shame." 

'What a disgusting woman.'

She turned around to leave the room swaying her hips in a flirtatious way until she reached the door. She had put her hand on the nob turning to see if he was watching only to realize he had never even glanced in her direction. She left the room with a huff mumbling, "your loss," slamming the door shut behind her.

Mihawk waited about a minute before he shut his book and stood out of his recliner. He casually walked to the chest which was, upon further inspection, a seating area by the window. Knocking gently on the wall, he lowered his voice a bit leaning towards the chest whispering, "She's gone," before turning away.

Lucy poked her head out a bit embarrassed but also relieved mumbling a quick, "thank you" as she got out of her hiding place. 

Her blue turtleneck slid up a bit showing the golden belt she wears on her white pants and bluish green discoloration just above her pants. It was only visible for a second, but it was all the proof he needed. 

'Hmmm,' he thought about the pros and cons of training the child his way instead of the way they want him to do. He is a pirate after all, would it really be surprising if he took matters into his own hands.

Sitting back down, he watches the girl go back to her task as he ponders, "what a bitch," before taking a sip of his red wine. "No loss here," he added as he put the glass down. He sat in his usual pose fully contempt with just observing the girl from afar for now. 

His mind thinking of ways to train her physically without interruption. How to keep her from the assistant without rising suspicion.

~~