Chapter Text
It wasn't easy to embarrass Lucy. She was utterly shameless, just like Luffy had been. She wasn't shy, nor easily flustered. Almost nothing phased her.
But Zoro had never been one to back away from a challenge.
A while after being outside, her eyes fluttered open. He smiled down at her, running her fingers through her soft dark hair. "Morning," he said casually even if it was after lunch. He allowed his thumb to linger against her cheek, caressing her freckles while his other fingers were buried in her locks as he just looked down at her in admiration.
Zoro wasn't vain. He couldn't care less about pretty women or handsome men. But as he watched the sun rays beam down on Lucy and give her an angelic glow. Like the King she would have been in another life.
She was beautiful.
Lucy blinked up at him. "Zoro?"
He said nothing, simply bent down and pressed his lips to hers. She squeaked in surprise, but he pulled back before she could react. He felt the cook fume from his right side, but couldn't have cared less.
Lucy blushed. "What was that for?"
Zoro shrugged. "Felt like it," he answered honestly. He winced as Sanji's kick connected with his side, but he couldn't help but chuckle at the exchange. Lucy's embarrassment was evident as she covered her reddened face with her hands, but her eyes sparkled with affection and amusement.
Sanji huffed, smoke billowing from his nostrils. "That was completely uncalled for, you mosshead! I won't let you tarnish her innocence with your brutish ways!"
Zoro smirked, feeling mischievous. "So you can swoon over her all you want but I can't kiss her?" he teased, knowing it would get a rise out of the cook. "That's not very fair, is it?"
Sanji sputtered indignantly, his face turning a shade of red to rival Lucy's. "I-I do not swoon! I appreciate Lucy's beauty but I don't kiss her whenever I want, you oaf!"
Lucy tilted her head. "You can," she assured him, blinking as if she didn't know why he wouldn't. She looked up at him earnestly. "I don't mind." To prove her point, she sat up and planted her own kiss on the blond.
Zoro cackled while Sanji passed out from blood loss.
XXX
She was being clingier than usual.
And that was saying something. Luffy was notorious for wrapping his rubber arms around people unexpectedly, as if trying to show his love by squeezing them to death. Lucy was no different, she just didn't have the same strength that kept people trapped. But even for her, this was odd.
The three of them were walking down the street. They didn't have a destination in mind, though Zoro was sure she would coerce Sanji into buying her food. No, they were just strolling downtown because there wasn't shit else to do.
But Lucy clung to his arm as if she expected someone to attack her. And that really wasn't like her. He sighed, effortlessly hoisting her up and plopping her onto his back. "Better?"
Her face was hidden from his view, but Zoro felt her smile into his skin. "Shishishi, thanks Zoro!" She still clung to him, but the grip was a little looser.
Sanji gave him a particularly nasty side-eye, but said nothing about it. "Lucy, sweetheart, is there anything you want?" he asked instead.
"Chocolate," was the immediate muffled answer. "Lots of it."
The cook smiled and Seas was it disarming. The usual dumb faces he made when swooning over Nami or Vivi were gone, replaced by genuine tender warmth. Like Lucy was just that precious to him. It was so fucking weird. "Sure thing," he agreed. "There's a cafe over there. Why don't we stop in?"
Zoro grunted. "They got booze?" he asked cynically. Because that was a dealbreaker.
Sanji kicked him. "No, Mosshead, it's a cafe," he stressed. "Chug some seltzer water, it's just as bitter and flavorless."
The swordsman didn't appreciate his sake being shit on so blatantly. Also, seltzer water was fucking gross. "Oi-"
Lucy giggled. "Come on," she urged them, tugging on Zoro's hair. He had half a mind to throw her off his back, though the love cook would probably attack him. He decided not to and followed the blond into the cafe.
He did, however, openly gawk at the seafood pasta the cook had laid out in front of him. "Okay, what the hell?" he demanded. "They have fucking pasta but not booze?"
Sanji kicked him under the table. "Watch your mouth in front of the lady," he snapped.
"I'm sure your seltzer's pretty good," Lucy attempted to placate. But he found the sentiment annoying, so he didn't stop her from taking a big gulp of it to prove her point. Zoro definitely didn't grin as she coughed and sputtered, her face scrunching up cutely and glaring at the offending glass. "What the hell is this junk?!"
Sanji cursed him out for tricking his precious Lucy, but it was worth it.
Lucy blew a raspberry at him, then proceeded to devour her double chocolate chip muffin. It was kind of gross, actually. If he hadn't been subjected to Luffy shoveling meat down his throat for years, he might have gagged.
She was so engrossed with her eating that she didn't take notice of her phone buzzing on the table. Zoro glanced at it before he could stop himself; she had been glancing at her phone all day and it might have been his first mate instincts kicking in but he had a bad feeling.
This feeling was proven correct when the words 'bitch' and 'kill' flashed across his gaze. He snatched the phone from the table and opened the messages- Lucy was an idiot who didn't lock her phone- and felt his stomach churn. There were dozens of messages ranging from terrible, disgusting innuendos to literal death threats.
And they had started last night.
"Zoro..." His attention was caught by Lucy, who was looking at him with wide, wet eyes. She was pale, her expression caught somewhere in between horrified and ashamed. He could do nothing but look at her, unsure if he should yell at her for hiding this from them or take her and shield her from everything and everyone that could hurt her. This was serious, and Sabo and Ace might have poked the sleeping bear by calling the police.
This whole situation might have just escalated more than they could control. And Zoro felt powerless to fix it like he usually did.
Sanji sighed, reaching for a napkin and gently dabbing at Lucy's now wet cheeks. "Learn some tact, Mosshead," he hissed at him before giving Lucy a particularly sweet smile. "Hi, baby. I know you're upset, but do you think you can tell us what's going on?"
Lucy sniffed, wiping at her face. "N-Nothing," she said stubbornly. She refused to look at them.
Zoro's eye twitched. "Since Curly-Brow's coddling isn't working, let's try again." He took her cheeks in one hand and squished them gently but scoldingly. He was trying his very best not to snap at her. "Why didn't you tell us Bellamy's been sending you texts?"
She shut her eyes because she couldn't lie to someone's face to save her life. "He isn't."
He scowled, frustrated with himself, her, and the entire situation. Suddenly, he was reminded of Bellamy; the real Bellamy they had encountered in Jaya so long ago. It was shameful that his captain was in real danger and he couldn't do anything to help. Again. "Bullshit, Luffy-"
Sanji whacked him in the arm, but it was too late. Lucy's eyes snapped open, blinking rapidly as the dark orbs lit up with something. "Zoro?" she said slowly, her head turning to the cook. "Sanji?" She looked horribly confused, but there was something in her face that hadn't been there a few seconds ago.
And then she proceeded to faint right against his chest.