The Wait

Part 1

It's a warm morning and Mihawk is slipping through the alleyways of apartment blocks. They're mostly a warm yellow in colour which does calm him, but it just really isn't his aesthetic. He hates the crowds this island has to offer though it's mostly silent on this warm and quite beautiful spring island, where winter might be a bit wet but it never gets too uncomfortable to be in. He misses the gloom and long corridors of Kuraigana, but this silent island would do just fine for now. They've been there for a month and it's been good.

He quickly walks up a steep road for their small apartment when he sees her, Perona, standing outside and watching over the town and it's greenery. He wonders how she is able to be up at such an early hour. As he closes in he can see her still wearing her night gown and is barefoot her shining hair slightly swaying as she is captivated by the scenery below. He closes in on her and tries to take a hold of her hand, only for it to pass through. A cold shiver goes through his body and she turns to look at him with a slight smile.

- "Good morning, love. It's such a lovely weather outside."
- "Didn't I ask you to not do this anymore?" His face a grimace of disapproval. "We don't know how it effects your body."
- "I just wanted to go outside." She looked sheepish
- "You could have waited for me to return from the shop."
- "Well yes, but I-"
- "What is the use of going out like this when you can't feel a thing? When I can't touch you?"

He nearly coated his hand in haki to pull her back inside, but stopped when he remembered her describing the feel of it as agony. He clutched onto his grocery bag trying not to look as angry as he was feeling, but she was already hurt.

- "Wanted to go by myself." She whimpered, but then started to float back inside. "I'll wait for you."

He nodded to her and watched as she went through wall, before sighing loudly. Slowly he moved inside and made his way to the third floor where their apartment was. It was small just bedroom, kitchen and bathroom, but it was the only place they could rent at such short notice. But it did serve it's purpose and the bedroom was large enough to have living room area along the double bed. At the kitchen he set aside the groceries and and looked at the instructions for her breakfast. It was a bleak porridge, but anything else wouldn't stay inside of her long enough. He went to the bedroom and saw her wrapped in the sheets, absentmindedly staring at the wall. She glanced at him and the plate, but then continued to stare at the wall. He knew she would have preferred anything else to eat, but this was what the doctors suggested. She had a very strict but rather bland diet so she would get all she needed with minimal upset to her stomach. Some days even that didn't work.

He set the tray on the table next to the bed and slowly wrapped his arms around her as a silent apology. She sighed and let him lift herself up. They sat at the edge of the bed and she leaned against him as she ate her food. He was reading the news coo of the day, but it really didn't interest him anymore. Nothing interesting in the post straw hat world anyway.

- "Do you really want to go outside?" He looked at her and she smiled a little while nodding eager.

But she looked tired to him. He knew she hadn't slept well last night and the dark circles under her eyes told the same story. Even with his help she would probably get a fewer in the evening or the whole next day just sit on her seat next to window silently looking outside, unable to speak or sleep as she would be too nauseous. Softly she petted his arm with her delicate fingers, but they felt cold and she was pale, a side effect of her astral projection.

- "Are you sure? You look worn."

She nodded and tried looking cheerful, awfully failing at it. Just the fact that she was nodding instead of talking, was a sign she wasn't feeling well enough to go outside for a walk.