Shanks Romantic Headcanons
▪️ I know he seems like he’d be the most perfect boyfriend/husband in the world, and in many cases he would be, but it’s incredibly 50/50.
▪️ This is the case with any pirate. He’s out at sea almost constantly, and that means he’s away from you almost constantly. And yes, this means you are not a part of his crew. He’s very serious about that.
▪️ However, he isn’t gone from you because he doesn’t truly love you or want to be with you. You’re always in his thoughts. When he goes to sleep at night, he wishes he could be back at home with you holding you in his arms. When he stares out at the sea, it’s as though he’s trying to look for you across the horizon.
▪️ He returns as often as he can. He won’t go out of his way unless there is some dire reason, and his visits are rare (Maybe once or twice every two months).
▪️ When he returns, he always brings something back for you. It’s a promise he makes to himself and to you. Jewelry, clothes, gems, pictures, records - you gather a very large collection of gifts from his travels over time. Your favorite, though, is the wedding ring.
▪️ You’d always assumed he’d never marry, or want any sort of commitment like that, but when he came back with that gift behind his back and surprised you with it, you knew you assumed wrong. It was a beautiful ring, and surely would have been expensive if it were actually purchased. You didn’t ask how he got it, the diamonds and the rubies laced throughout the piece, too enraptured to care.
▪️ He told you that, even though you likely won’t have some big, fancy wedding, the kind he knows you deserve, he wants you to know he loves you the way a husband loves his lover. The ring would mean he’d always come back for you.
▪️ Despite this promise, and that he keeps it true, it’s still lonely without him. In many ways, you can’t help but feel that you’ll never completely have Shanks. Rather, he’s taken by the sea.
▪️ He always makes you laugh, no matter what.
▪️ He’s a great judge of character, observant and keen, and can tell when you’re feeling sad about something. First he tries to make you laugh, succeeds, then he gives you that gentle look and caresses your cheek, asking you to tell him what’s wrong. You can’t tell if Shanks is purposefully manipulative or not, considering he knows just how to make you open up to him.
▪️ Although he won’t let you officially be a part of his crew, he invites you to party with them all the time. He loves it, actually, and his crew of course love and respect you.
▪️ If you’re the party type, that’s perfect. You’ll be drinking, singing, and dancing all day and all night. He always urges you to sing a song or dance for everyone, and if you do, everyone’s always cheering you on like you’re the best performer ever.
▪️ Shanks watches you like you’re the most amazing thing in the world. Like you’re a gift from the heavens. He thinks you’re beautiful whether you’re shy about it or letting loose and being free. He just likes to watch you.
▪️ He’s not going to make a deal out of it if you don’t, but he does enjoy having a meal cooked for him when he visits you. Food is one thing, but your food is something else entirely. It’s best when you have his favorite food ready for him - Shanks is made the happiest man alive.
▪️ So proud of you. He doesn’t necessarily keep your relationship secret, but he doesn’t share it either. It’d be extremely difficult to keep you a secret anyway, and since he doesn’t want you to feel like he’s ashamed, he doesn’t.
▪️ So yes, whenever he gets the chance, he goes on and on about his S/O and how perfect they are and all the things you do, big or small. He can talk anyone’s ear off so long as it’s involving you.
▪️ Protective as he is over you, like anyone would be over their lover, if someone were to bad-mouth you he doesn’t let it get to him. It’s all talk. And if it isn’t? Well, Shanks is still a pirate.
▪️ Chases you around the house threatening to tickle you, laughing the entire time.
▪️ He’ll go on and on telling you about his travels, about how proud he is of Luffy and excited he is to see him again.
▪️ Whenever he comes back again to see you, one of his favorite lines is: “My god! You’re even more beautiful than the last time I saw you!”
▪️ He likes dancing with you. When you’re cooking, he’ll come up behind you and wrap his arms around you, swaying side to side. Or he’ll turn you around, take your hand, and just dance around all jolly. He enjoys dipping you backward too - anything that gets some sort of a reaction out of you.
▪️ He likes making you blush and shy, yes, but he likes making you smile most of all. If you’re smiling, then he knows you’re okay.
▪️ Sharing your problems with him and talking to him puts other husbands to shame. He’s the best listener because he actually cares. He wants to hear everything you have to say, he doesn’t get annoyed or bored.
▪️ Likes having you sit in his lap while. Just in general. He could be holding you, kissing you, or just casually being there.
▪️ Likewise, he’s very touchy whether you’re in public or alone. It isn’t always sexual and most of the time isn’t. When it is, you’ll know.
▪️ A child is never planned with him. He doesn’t particularly want one, but he doesn’t not want one either. If you get pregnant, then so be it. A great part of him will regret it though, if only because he knows he isn’t the kind of man who can step away from pirate life to raise a child.
▪️ Like with you, he’d do his best. If you get pregnant, he promises to. If he weren’t a pirate, he’s guaranteed to be the best dad ever.
▪️ During your pregnancy, he stays far longer on the island. If he has to leave, he tries to return as quickly as possible. He’d hate to think that something could happen to you in that vulnerable state and he wouldn’t be there.
▪️ After the baby is born, every time he comes back it seems like it’s grown so much. It makes him feel as though he’s missing out on their life. Shanks doesn’t typically let things bother him, but this gets to him.
▪️ When he is home, he’s fantastic. Doing everything he can to make sure your child knows they have a daddy who loves them.
▪️ However, he doesn’t do much to dissuade them from being a pirate. He isn’t ashamed of what he is, after all, and telling his child to not be a pirate would make it seem as though he’s a bad guy.
▪️ He loves kissing you everywhere, but especially your neck. His facial hair tickles your neck and always makes you giggle, which is a sound that he loves.
▪️ He’s a surprisingly good singer and can play the guitar, so chances are he’s going to sing some sort of cute ballad to you. He may or may not have written it while he was out at sea.
▪️ He loves to take walks with you and spend time out in nature. Stargazing with blankets on the grass beneath you is a preferred way to spend a night.
▪️ Hates arguing, especially with you. If there’s something serious that you’re having a disagreement on, it’s very clear he’s doing everything he can to not let it result in anger. Very rarely does he get serious or angry with you, but on the off chance that he does, it’s pretty intimidating.
▪️ He’ll never physically intimidate you on purpose or anything, but the seriousness in his tone and perhaps raising of his voice is startling. He’s also very tall, standing at 6′6″ ½ , and his stature and power is something you forget since he spends so much time being jovial and unassuming.
▪️ Shanks isn’t the type to leave angry. He instantly apologizes, deflates the situation the best he can. It’s very easy to forgive him, since you know he doesn’t do anything with the intention of being cruel.
▪️ But again, arguments are extremely rare.
▪️ If you truly want to and you beg him, he’ll take you out on his ship with him and his crew. To some island that he knows isn’t going to be dangerous of course, and across safe waters. He’s very careful though, as if there’s constantly a lingering fear in the back of his mind while you’re with him. He isn’t the type to worry like that, but with you (And especially if you bring your child) he can’t help it.
▪️ Then you remind him that he’s one of the Yonko and he says out loud, “Oh, I am, aren’t I? Ahahaha” As if he forgot how powerful he is in the first place.