Chapter Text
The breeze rolled across the sails gently, it wasn't very strong right now, but it wasn't much of a concern as the group wasn't in a hurry in the first place. It was a rare chance for the crew to enjoy their time on the ocean. Normally Luffy would have everyone rushing ahead, but after all of the incidents that occurred at Thriller Bark, Nami insisted they make their way slowly to Fishman Island and take their time before descending. Chopper was quick to agree with her, as the ship's doctor he was gravely concerned about Zoro's healing process along with everyone else's health on the ship. Each crewmate-excluding Luffy-had come out of the fight with significant damage which meant they all needed to take the time to rest. This was especially true for Zoro, much to his disdain of course. The green-haired man hated when they fussed over him and had initially pushed back against their worrying, but it only led to more attention on his injuries and how he'd achieved them, so he dropped it and gave in.
Of course, because Zoro gave in to the concerns about his health, Luffy had little room to argue even with his fast-paced and impatient nature. However, it couldn't be all that wearing on him to slow down as he'd been pretty jovial lately. The moment you looked across the deck there was your captain precariously leaning over the railing as he held Usopp into place. Chopper was also draped across the railing by his stomach, pointing and shouting excitedly at something. Whatever they were doing wasn't visible from your spot on the deck, but they seemed to be safe and having fun.
You and Nami had positioned yourselves in lounge chairs on the grass to sunbathe. It was a rare experience to get such calm weather where the sun wasn't also scorching down. Nami had her tiniest bikini on, clearly hoping to get a great tan out of the weather while she could. The boys in front of you although rowdy and occasionally panicked couldn't have been in much danger you figured, considering that Robin was reading on the floor above you. With her keeping an eye on the three boys, you figured if something happened there would be time to react.
The sounds of the waves crashing gently into the boat were a lull to the sleeping navigator, who had quickly fallen asleep once the atmosphere had settled in. It was a rare sight for her to be relaxed about the tides and weather as she typically couldn't hardly ever sit still. You figured perhaps her demeanor was due to a trust in her skills and there was no reason to panic if she wasn't.
The blue sky was empty spare a few white wisps in the distance and you relished in the sun kissing your skin. It was strange, enjoying how peaceful everything was here after the chaos that was your life at Long Ring Long Land.
It's not that life was always bad there, but the Foxy Pirates made your life a living hell whenever you needed to venture out into town. You'd rejected Foxy one too many times and were called a poor sport for never participating in any of his contests. He was a sleaze that you really had no desire to entertain, which meant the man had some personal claim to you in his mind.
The scenario made it difficult to exist peacefully on the island, whenever you were discovered by the Foxy pirates you needed to run and hide. It meant that getting even basic necessities could be difficult, and you'd normally go into town undercover. You had a cottage hidden near old man Tonjit's house that the pirates didn't know about, but it meant in order to maintain its secret you had to be careful about being seen and how often. Trips to town were carefully planned out and were intended to be relatively short to avoid that exact negative attention.
It was on one of the trips out to gather supplies when you'd met the Straw Hat gang. The town was going crazy about these pirates who had agreed to the Davy Back Fight and how they'd actually been putting on quite a show. You'd ignored the first event, spending the time people were away from the town to safely gather supplies, but figured a disguise was good enough to get you by so you could watch the games.
Other visitors didn't show up very often to the island, and most everyone who did, ended up beaten or joined the Foxy pirates themselves. It was pleasant to see a group of people without masks for once. You'd also been itching to get out again while actually enjoying yourself, and you figured with everyone being relatively distracted that then would have been a good time to do it. Zoro had been the first one in the group to really catch your attention when he shouted up at Chopper who was crying on the podium. You admired his resilience and his encouragement to his friend who had been having an awful time. The gesture was kind and the confidence was just what the reindeer needed to help pull himself together. He was also good-looking, which was a bonus to watch in the games, but the same could be said about the entire crew.
You didn't officially meet any of the straw hats until after the Groggy Ring fight. It was amazing to watch Sanji and Zoro, two people clearly at odds, begrudgingly work together in order to absolutely annihilate the Froxy gang against incredibly fixed situtations. You had been in the crowd watching in awe with the rest of them but had been pushed to the ground into the open as the foxy pirates shifted to help the referee. Your hat had fallen off and a sharp-eyed pirate had noticed and grabbed your arm.
"Hey, it's you! Guys, it's that girl Foxy's been trying to get his hands on. You're coming with me." The masked man had pulled you up to your feet.
"Let go of me." You didn't shout but protested quietly. It would have only been worse if more of his pirates had actually listened and started helping him. Your mind was racing at the time, you didn't want to create more of a scene in the crowd, and you would have been outnumbered instantly.
Luckily the man had been stopped from shouting again by a swift kick by a blonde man, sending the pirate to the ground. As the man fell you felt your hat being shoved back onto your head and your body being forcibly turned around and hidden behind the person turning you. The hands holding your arms were rough and calloused, for a second you thought it had been another one of Foxy's crew.
You had spun around to look at the man whose hands were gripped lightly but purposefully on your arms as he ushered you further towards the other Straw hats, you had only caught a glimpse of gold earrings before he'd told you to not look back.
The story really progressed from there as a bloody Sanji and Zoro had gotten you away from the Foxy pirate and shielded you with the rest of the group until you were safe. It had surprised you, these people were complete strangers who had little reason to trust anyone on the island, but here they were protecting someone they'd never met before.
The wide smile of the captain had thrown you off at first, but you knew immediately that it was genuine. Luffy was enigmatic and his energy was contagious, you found yourself bouncing a conversation back with him easily, and the others proved to be just as interesting. After initially conversing and thanking them, you found yourself drawn to the group, and cheering them on in the events to come. You wanted them to win and found yourself heartbroken once they'd lost Robin. At first, you figured the group didn't pay any mind to you after their brief encounter in saving you, but slowly noticed that each of them would catch your eye every once in a while.
When it had reached Luffy's fight with Foxy, you had been walking past when Sanji had grabbed you gently and pulled you into the seat between him and Zoro. The green-haired man had shifted away from you when you crashed into the seat, whereas the blonde man tossed an arm around your shoulder.
"You can just sit with us angel, we've seen you cheering us on, no need to be shy." You'd cringed away slightly at Sanji then, his demeanor was initially offputting, but you've gotten used to it now. Zoro at the time had merely rolled his eyes and made some comment about the brainless cook.
It had given you some anxiety that he'd seemed somewhat bothered by you at first, but when he'd gotten up to put himself between you and Sanji when the blonde had gotten a touch too comfortable, you'd relaxed and figured he was just probably as gruff as he seemed to be. The swordsman had made some comment about wanting his original seat, but given how much he detested the blonde man, you knew that wasn't the case.
It wasn't until everything was over and the ex-Foxy pirates were sent running after their previous captain that you'd gotten to interact with the whole crew again. It was heartwarming to see the friends reunite, especially the reindeer. Nami had been the first to drag you over as they celebrated, and it was nice being able to congratulate the group in person. You were prepared for them to leave immediately, but then Luffy mentioned something about an old man on the outside of town. You'd walked with them back to Tonjit's house since you lived close by, and it was then that the old man revealed that you were a blacksmith.
Luffy's face had immediately lit up with excitement. "A blacksmith? Cool! That makes me want you even more! Do you wanna join my crew?"
The question had thrown you off, but the rest of the Straw Hats seemed entirely unfazed, and a few of them, were actually excited. Usopp was especially happy to hear that someone else was knowledgeable when it came to building weapons and was excited to learn from you. Nami was looking forward to having another girl on board, and Sanji... well he was Sanji.
With the unanimous star of approval, you left the stifling island and joined the rowdy bunch towards their next adventure and never looked back. The crew was lively and welcoming, even if you got some occasional untrusting vibes sometimes. You loved it on the ship, although you were also heartbroken about losing the Merry, especially knowing how much it had meant to the rest of the crew. You knew it would happen eventually though, you'd fallen in the water after a larger wave crashed into the Merry in Water Seven and had sunk deep enough to see the keel. You didn't know much about ships, but after seeing the bottom of the Merry, you knew it might have been on its last legs. When Zoro had dived in to drag you out of the water since you couldn't swim, you had stayed silent and kept the news to yourself. You didn't want to falsely worry your crew in case you were wrong, but unfortunately, you weren't.
You stretched your arms up, your face heating up slightly as you remembered that day. It was the moment everyone in the crew found out about your powers. You hadn't exactly been hiding them per se, Robin had seen you use them once but she never said anything to anyone else. Your devil fruit just allowed you to grow just that, fruit. It also allowed you to grow berries but fruit was much easier. You obviously couldn't grow devil fruits, although you'd never given it much thought.
According to Nami, the crew had watched you go overboard but no one initially panicked when you went over. Initially, those on deck, Zoro, Nami, Chopper, and Luffy were waiting for you to simply surface. But when Robin walked out and asked why the four of them were staring, she immediately told Zoro to go grab you because you couldn't swim. He hadn't hesitated once the words left her mouth and had shoved Luffy back when the captain had momentarily forgotten he couldn't swim either and jumped to go in after you.
The shock of hitting the water had kept you from getting in a good breath, and when you had seen the damage to Merry, you'd let go of almost all the little air you had left. As you ran out of air and spots appeared in your vision you could remember seeing a dark figure swimming above you, but you had blacked out before they reached you.
You didn't cue back in until you were aggressively hacking water up onto the deck, with most of the crew surrounding you. When Zoro laid your unconscious body on the wood, Chopper had barely managed the words 'CPR' before Luffy had blown up like a balloon and blew into your mouth as he pressed down on your chest. The crew was in shock as Chopper yelled at Luffy for doing something so reckless, but it had worked and you were immediately spewing water out of your lungs and gasping for air.
Zoro sighed in relief and rested a hand on your shoulder while Nami rubbed circles into your back before turning and knocking Luffy on the head as she yelled at him.
"Wait, but what's your power then?" Luffy asked, holding the top of his head over the spot where Nami had knocked into him. She glared daggers at him before hitting the captain again in reaction to his question.
"I can grow fruit, Luffy". You responded through small residual coughs.
"Fruit?" Zoro's rough voice had thrown you off at the time, you didn't realize how close he was and hadn't noticed he was soaking wet until just then.
"Yeah, not devil fruit, just normal fruit, and well, berries. I'll make poisons out of them, mix it with my weapons sometimes." You shrugged. "Thanks for saving me from drowning by the way. I probably should have mentioned to everyone earlier that I couldn't swim."
"I'm just glad Robin let us know in time. We were waiting for you to swim back up." Nami let out a sigh and Luffy pouted next to her, trying badly to hold in his excitement over your revealed powers. Shortly after, he, Chopper, and Usopp had cornered you and asked you to grow fruit. Luffy wanting to try each fruit for himself had you burning out your power. Zoro had been the one to walk by and yell at him to stop, informing you that you'd never be able to satiate his appetite, so you shouldn't burn yourself out to do so.
The genuine worry from the rest of the group had surprised you at the time after you'd gone overboard. You hadn't expected them to be attached hardly at all considering they hardly knew you. Realistically you should have expected it given how warm of a welcome you were received with, but you'd been tricked too many times, and it wasn't what you were used to at all. It was a soft feeling that had kicked in at the time, they weren't chaotic or overreacting when you'd been in danger, but instead took it about as seriously as was necessary. The first example was assuming you'd be fine once you fell off the ship, which meant they trusted your strength beforehand. The following times could cement themselves later, but the first had thrown you off the most.
The unwavering resolve and trust made your heart waver, you were soaked in water, and sitting up on the deck, you had begun to cry. They weren't sobs by any means, but they were uncontrollable. These walls that had been built over years of being betrayed had been partially broken down. Your heart was in shambles and held in comforting hands all at the same time at that moment, the reaction from the crew seeing your breakdown only making the discovery worse. Nami and Chopper had been startled by the sudden burst, Robin and Zoro were thrown off but looked away resolutely, silently supporting you which only made you cry harder. Usopp wasn't there, but when he found out later he didn't really bat an eye. Then, your new captain, Luffy, grinned as wide as you'd ever seen since meeting him. You'd been welcomed and accepted into a family with no strings attached, and it was at that moment you knew why, being around this group, you were willing to do the same for any of them as well.
Snapping back to the present, you checked in to the noises coming from the boys over by the railing. The calm was nice, but you were growing curious as to what was going on and found the desire to join them. Slipping off of the chair quietly to avoid disturbing Nami, you made your way over to the three boys and leaned against the railing next to Chopper who turned to beam up at you.
"Look, look! Luffy's been trying to yank up the starfish stuck to the boat, but we can't quite grab it." Chopper grinned and you couldn't help but smile back at him.
"I tried to stretch but it's too far under water. And Usopp won't let us drop him down because there's a shark hanging around." Luffy grumbled as he maneuvered their device which appeared to be something between a fishing pole and a harpoon gun.
"Are you trying to save it or are you trying to eat it?" Luffy paused, seemingly realizing that he could in fact eat the starfish. Chopper had the realization too and a look of horror crossed his face when he stared at Luffy. "Forget I asked. Let's save it, okay? Then he can live in the aquarium." You smiled before climbing over the railing and reaching behind you to hold on and steady yourself.
"What are you doing? You can't swim!" Chopper wrapped his tiny arms around your waist in desperation. The other two boys turned to you as well but glanced away when their eyes wandered briefly to the bare skin of your chest. It was just a swimsuit top that resembled more of a sports bra, the fabric not even as revealing as Namis, but even your friends would notice a lack of clothes on anyone the first time.
"Here, tie the rope around my waist. I should be strong long enough to pry him up. Chopper, get a bucket with water so we can put him in it once he's free okay?" Chopper looked at you with worry, he appeared as if he would protest again, but instead, he merely nodded and scampered off.
"Starfishes are sticky, how are you going to pull it up, you're gonna start losing strength immediately." Usopp was making his argument whilst tying the rope around your waist as securely as he could.
You grinned and pulled a dull knife from your shorts. "I'll just break the suction with this, I shouldn't need too much strength to do that. But I'll need you guys to pull me up."
Usopp started tying the other end of the rope onto the railing just in case something went terribly wrong. The man seemed unconvinced that the plan would work but was going along anyway. Luffy on the other hand was bouncing in excitement at the thought of getting the starfish.
"It might be down further than it looks, so be careful." Luffy smiles at you. "We've got you though! Just tug the rope three times when you're ready for us to pull you up."
You grinned and nodded to Luffy, their excitement over this starfish was infectious to you, and you didn't want to let them down. You jumped and heard a warning voice shout out but you were already freefalling when the words came out. "Hey, what are you guys doing?" It was Robin. "I turn away and she's wrapped in your guys scheme." Robin made her way down and looked over at Luffy and Usopp, both braced against the ship with the rope in their hands, ready to pull it up.
"I've got the bucket!" Chopper cheered as he ran back towards the trio. The water sloshed in the bucket as he ran, it had been full when he had started running and was now closer to half once he reached them.
"Luffy what are you guys doing?" Robin asked again.
"She's getting the starfish that's stuck to the ship. He's going to live in the aquarium." Luffy grinned but stayed focused on the water below. They could make out your shape but the waves were dispelling any more details.
"Why didn't you send Usopp down?"
"There's a shark down there and he was scared." Chopper chirped as he put the bucket down and hopped up to stand on the railing next to Robin.
"Oi." Robin and Chopper turned to see Zoro on the floor above them as he walked forward. His shirt was off but he was covered in bandages all across his chest, some of his wounds had even appeared to have opened again.
Chopper cut him off at the sight of the new blood. "I just changed those, were you training again?" He accused.
Zoro scowled slightly but continued his way down the steps over to the growing group at the railing. "No, I was just sleeping. Docs orders." He gave Chopper a small grin and the reindeer smiled wide in response. The reindeer seemed unconvinced but let it slide.
"Good." Chopper hummed with pride.
"So what's going on? Why do you have a rope dangling off the ship?" Zoro asked.
"Oh, we're trying to catch the starfish on the ship." Luffy grinned wide.
"Starfish?"
"Yeah, our brave blacksmith is down there because Usopp was scared of the shark."
Zoro paused and seemed to shortcircuit for a second before staring wide-eyed at Luffy. "Dude, she can't swim!"
"That's why she's tied to a rope, duh." Luffy drawled, still hyper-focused on the water below. The time was starting to count down, but there had been no tug on the rope. "She should signal us soon."
"Idiots." Zoro grumbled as he started taking off his boots.
"What do you think you're doing?" Chopper fussed.
"I'm going to go get her."
"You're injured!"
"She could be drowning!"
"We'll just pull her up, Zoro." Usopp tried to reassure him but Zoro stayed on edge.
Down under the water, you had immediately pried off the starfish with the dullest part of your knife and held him against your stomach until he stuck. But that was all you managed to do before most of the energy left your body completely. The last of it, you used unbeknownst to the crew above, to kick off the shark that dived at you after you'd first dived in. You dodged, but barely, he might have grazed you but you couldn't get a grasp of your senses well at all. You held the starfish and the knife to yourself as hard as you could manage as you kept an eye out for the shark. All you needed to do now was pull the rope. You tugged at it but it barely budged, the energy draining you further by the second, soon you wouldn't be able to breathe at all. You'd severely overestimated how long you'd be able to maintain your strength underwater, and you became hyperaware of the growing issue at hand.
Tugging on the rope with all your might you managed to move the rope twice, but knowing Luffy, since he'd said 'three' he wouldn't pull you up. Your vision was going spotty and you saw the form of something moving towards you. You were running out of time, but there was no way to signal them properly. You willed your body to move and it just couldn't, all the energy you had left was dissipating quickly and your air was gone. It was when things started to go completely black that you felt a tug at your stomach. It was like an out-of-body experience, you couldn't see as everything was like blurry blobs of color, but some part of your conscious recognized the feeling of being dragged quickly upwards.
Your vision was still spotty when you became aware of your body suddenly feeling lighter, which was then replaced with slamming into something hard. It wasn't clear to you, but after the combined efforts of Robin, Luffy, and Usopp pulling you up, you landed back to Luffy's chest, crushing Usopp underneath the both of you.
You became alert as you were coughing up something, it felt like you were suffocating, but it was all so hazy. You couldn't see, your view was a mix of black and white spots. Warmth blossomed on your arm as you were physically shifted onto your knees and even more liquid wretched out of your body. Zoro had gone against Chopper's wishes in order to haul you off of the men and help prevent you from choking further on the water spewing from your mouth.
At the loss of weight of the water leaving, you harshly sucked in more air, gagging on the water which that action had kept from leaving your body. Your eyes ached as they started to strain, the light was blinding but it was a sign your vision was returning slowly with the rest of your muted senses. A high-pitched noise whose cadence reminded you of talking was rushed around your side, and you became aware of a different warmth blossoming over your shoulder.
"-you okay?" It was Chopper.
Your response was more coughing and more water leaving your body and at the retching became aware of something contracting on your stomach, making it uncomfortable to breathe. You looked down and saw the green starfish attached to your stomach and let out a laugh as you coughed. Rolling over onto your back you laid down on the grass, vaguely aware of Chopper panicking beside you.
The reindeer kept repeating your name in worry so you reached out toward him with a smile. "I'm okay, really. I just needed to catch my breath." It was an understatement, the words came out with gasps you couldn't control. You could see the concerned and disbelieving faces of Robin, Usopp, Zoro, and Chopper above you.
"You got the starfish!" Luffy exclaimed as he tried to pry it off your stomach. It held tight, stinging in pain at where the starfish reacted and clung onto the flesh of your belly.
"Ow- Luffy-"
"Knock it off." Usopp walked the other boy on the head. "It's not going anywhere soon, don't skin her alive."
"Oi, Chopper, her leg is bleeding," Zoro spoke up and caused the group to look down where a pool of blood was forming around your right leg. It was pouring out from a gash in your ankle.
"What happened?" Usopp panicked.
"Oh, I kicked the shark." You paused. "It might have happened when you pulled me up too. I can't really remember. My vision was pretty spotty at that point."
"Next time make Usopp go," Zoro grumbled. "All this for a starfish?"
You grinned and reached down at your stomach to gently release the suction cups from your skin, vaguely aware of Chopper wrapping your leg in a towel Robin had grabbed for him. You finished prying the starfish up and held it to Luffy.
"Where's the bucket?" You smiled and Luffy, Usopp, and a suddenly distracted Chopper squealed before bringing over the bucket to you. "Let's name him Roronoa."
"You guys are hopeless." Zoro rolled his eyes as you dropped the starfish into the bucket. "Don't name the stupid thing after me either." His cheeks were dusted pink as he rolled his eyes.
Chopper had been grinning with the boys before a look from Zoro reminded him of more pressing matters. "Oh, we need to get you to the infirmary so I can fix up your leg properly." Chopper turned to you and you merely nodded. It had been such a calm and relaxing day, and even though it had been a bit of a pain, you were grateful for the sudden excitement. "Robin, can you help me carry her? I don't want her walking on that leg." Robin merely hummed and nodded as she brought up arms underneath you in order to transport you. "Zoro you too, I need to check your bandages."
The green-haired man huffed in annoyance but it was also in begrudging agreement. He glanced back at the other men who were squatting next to the bucket before following Robin's arms to the infirmary.
You sat up on one of the beds, leaning against the wall. Chopper had checked your stomach for any negative response due to the starfish, and when he found none he moved his attention towards your leg. The shark had managed to dig in with a few teeth, one being stuck lodged inside your muscle where Chopper had to carefully remove it. The pain had started to seep in once the adrenaline ran off, and the serrated teeth had left the gash open and ugly. However, besides it being a nasty-looking wound, the damage would heal fully in about three weeks.
After wrapping the wound, Chopper instructed you to avoid walking on it for the next few days but to perform gentle knee exercises to keep the blood circulating as it healed.
You looked over at Zoro who was seated in the bed across from you. Chopper was undoing the bandages across his chest in order to get a look at the wound that had opened up over his ribs. The muscles flexed as he moved his arms for Chopper to get a better look and you found yourself staring. You tried not to admire any of your crewmates so openly, but a majority of them were quite good-looking, Zoro, being your personal favorite to look at.
It didn't help that he was always out training in the middle of the open either. It was a constant sight to catch Zoro sweating and glistening as he worked out. His arms and abs flexed under the sun, his attractive tan skin glowing in the light. The man was like a walking Greek god with how carefully his muscles were sculpted. You swallowed a lump in your throat as you got lost in the daydream. What a sight to behold indeed.
"Oi, you're gonna burn a hole right through me." Zoro's voice snapped your eyes up to his face. You flushed red having been caught staring and Zoro merely grinned back at your response. Chopper looked up and glanced between the two of you before shrugging and moving back to working on Zoro's wound.
"Sorry." You glanced away from his intense stare. "It must hurt."
Zoro mumbled something under his breath before sighing. "I'm fine. It's just a scratch."
"Hmph!" Chopper slapped the center of Zoro's chest and it sent him doubling over in a sharp pain.
"What the hell, Chopper!" He muttered curses under his breath.
"Just a scratch." The reindeer grumbled as he finished stitching Zoro's wound closed again. You tried to stifle it but the laugh escaped your mouth anyway and the green-haired man glared at you through his pain.
"Tch, laugh all you want, I'm sure that leg feels real good by now." Zoro flinched as Chopper reapplied his chest bandages.
You flashed him a smile and swung your leg over the side of the bed, being careful not to flex it too much. "I'm sure with Chopper taking care of me I'll be walking just fine."
"Nope. You need to stay here. Both of you. I demand twelve hours of bed rest. You need to stop moving so your stitches stay. Give it a rest, the both of you." Chopper finished wrapping Zoro and the man flinched at his final wrap.
"Why'd you make them so tight?" Zoro growled.
"So maybe you'd leave them alone."
"They hinder my movement."
"That's the point! You need to rest, not train!" Chopper crossed his arms. "And that goes for both of you. You're under house arrest until tomorrow. I better not see either of you out of this room."
"But Chopper-"
"No arguments. I can always do this the hard way. You two took some serious damage at Thriller Bark. I'm surprised you were even able to grab that starfish with the amount of damage you took. I shouldn't have let you talk me into letting you go in the first place. And Zoro, you almost died. You're going to rest, that's final."Zoro merely grumbled in response but didn't argue further, and neither did you. Chopper packed away his supplies before making his way towards the door. "I'll make sure Sanji sends you proper meals, but I want you to stay in this room." Chopper opened the door before quietly slipping out.
With a sigh you shifted back to lie on the bed, bringing your bandaged leg with you as you went. Zoro glanced over at you, eyes wandering over your bare skin for a moment too long before huffing and turning away.
"He's always worrying for no reason." Zoro frowned as he took his swords off his hips and leaned them against the wall.
The scoff escaped your lips immediately and Zoro raised his brow at you. You felt his gaze piercing into you without having to even look over at him.
"I saw what you did at Thriller Bark." You murmured quietly. "You don't get to sit there and say he worries for no reason."
"You saw?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper.
"Everything. I woke up before Sanji was knocked out."
"Don't tell anyone."
"I know. I won't. I haven't."
"Thanks." The gratitude was hardly audible.
The two of you sat in silence for a while, but you could tell that Zoro wasn't sleeping, it was honestly pretty surprising that he wasn't sleeping given that he's normally doing it any time he doesn't have to watch out for the crew. You paused and thought to yourself a moment before shifting to sit up. Zoro noticed the movement in his peripheral but didn't say anything, keeping his eyes closed.
You and Zoro's relationship was unique, to say the least, but you could realistically say that about all of your relationships within the group. The swordsman was just naturally more guarded as a person in general, and it was only within the group that he allowed that demeanor to slip. You first noticed the relationship had initially changed when they'd finally reached Robin on the bridge and Luffy was left immobilized. Zoro had helped save you from a straw shot you didn't see, but it had felt heavier than that. It held more weight than someone saving someone out of obligation, you didn't know why exactly but you could feel the difference.
You guessed the change happened when you put your life on the line for Luffy when the group came face to face with Lucci for the first time. Your body had moved before you had the chance to think and had stepped in front of one of Lucci's blows aimed at your captain. It was a clawed-finger pistol attack aimed at his heart, some part of you knew he wouldn't have dodged in time, and your body moved before you registered what was happening. The entire crew had already been fighting at that point, and the attack was the most painful thing to happen since.
"Eh? No!" Luffy turned as the claw went through your stomach, blood immediately gushing from your mouth. The group screamed out to you, but their voices were faint in your ears. Luffy had caught you as you fell, but your memories of the aftermath were only filled with pain. You know you blacked out shortly after, and Chopper had helped get you out of the building, but once you met up with the group again things had changed.
Zoro began treating you differently. It was as if a doubt that was weighing on him had lifted and he'd dropped his trust at your feet. The ties attaching you to the Straw Hats suddenly felt deeper, they had already accepted you, but somehow, in the depths of their minds, the bond between you all was now unbreakable.
You glanced up at the other man, remembering the incident of Thriller Bark so vividly in your mind. Zoro was left standing, covered in blood after taking in Luffy's pain and suffering. It was nightmarish, a scene you couldn't describe if you wanted to, and you were the only one to see what he endured. When Sanji showed up you finally showed yourself but made sure to leave out all of what you had just witnessed. He'd saved your captain, all completely at risk of his own life, it was a debt that could never be repaid. Sanji had questioned you, but you claimed to be near the area and knocked out. You knew you'd seen Zoro in pain, vulnerable, something he didn't want anyone to see, but you did and it was a secret you'd hold to your heart forever.
You huffed before taking another look at the man next to you before calling out. "Sanji!" You yelled. Given the infirmary was fairly close to both the kitchen and dining hall, you figured Sanji could hear you from where you were.
"Why the hell are you calling the cook?" Zoro opened his eyes to glare at you. His annoyance had immediately spiked at the blonde's name, and the fact that it was you calling him somehow made it worse in his mind, although he didn't understand why.
The question was met with silence as you waited only a few moments before footsteps were heard and the tall chef rushed through the door.
"You called, mademoiselle?" Sanji immediately came to your bed, completely ignoring Zoro's presence in the room.
"I have a favor to ask you."
"Anything for you~"
"There's a long suitcase sitting in my workspace that I'd like for you to get for me. Since Zoro and I are stuck sleeping here tonight, I hardly think it's appropriate for me to stay like this." You ignored the blonde's eyes moving blatantly to your chest. "That suitcase has loungewear that covers more than this." It was half a lie, you didn't exactly care to sleep in these clothes but you would. The sun had already dried the garments for the most part, so it wasn't the most uncomfortable thing in the world, but what you needed was in the case, and it wasn't something you wanted to share just yet.
"Anything for you mi amor." Sanji's eyes were filled with their usual candor of seeing any woman and it did very little to move your heart. You hated using his impulses against him but rationalized it since you couldn't get up and move yourself. Sanji had turned to leave before rounding on Zoro and narrowing his eyes. "And mosshead, keep your eyes and hands to yourself."
"You're one to talk." Zoro glared at him, clearly annoyed he had entered the room in the first place.
"Marimo-head"
"Ero-cook"
"Shitty swordsman!"
"Dirty water imp!"
"Thank you, Sanji!" You mustered your most excited voice to get the two to stop fighting, knowing their insult sparring could go on forever until it led to an actual fight.
The words snapped Sanji's attention back to you as he smiled and Zoro rolled his eyes at the two of you. Sanji made some strange noise whilst blowing you a kiss before leaving the room.
"You should have just asked Chopper to grab your clothes. He's the doctor." The swordsman grumbled as he crossed his hands over his chest. "Save wasting your energy on the shitty cook."
You hummed in response to the sentiment. It wasn't that you didn't like Sanji, nor did you find him unattractive, he just wasn't your type. Unfortunately for you, your type was a grumpy, green-haired swordsman who always had his shirt off.
Sanji came back into the room relatively quickly with the suitcase in tow. He placed it at your feet before moving to open it for you, an action which you quickly stopped.
"Do you want help changing?" Sanji asked.
"Her leg's damaged not her arms. Shitty cook." Zoro grumbled, irritation rolling off of the man.
"I'm okay, thank you, Sanji." You gave the blonde a small smile which he reacted to quite well before mumbling something suggestive that you probably didn't want to hear as he exited the room again. Once the door was closed you hauled the suitcase up onto your bed.
Zoro glanced at you before turning his body away, clearly trying to look uninterested and give you space to change. After opening the chest you pulled out some clothes that were sitting on top of the bundle underneath, going ahead and changing even if you didn't feel the need to. A baggy T-shirt and pajama shorts would be better than sleeping in a swimsuit top and jean shorts, especially since, although dry, the shorts were crusted with saltwater, making for a very unfortunate chafing situation between your thighs.
After changing you discarded your old clothes on the floor, you'd pick them up later when you could move around more and take them to the hamper. "Hey," You started as you took the bundle out of its case. The swordsman let out a small grunt in response, acknowledging that he was listening without turning to look at you in case you weren't done changing. "I have something for you." You pulled the long bundle onto your lap before setting it on the ground.
Zoro turned to look at you now, his face twisted in expectant confusion. You blushed under his sharp gaze as you took in a deep breath. You wanted to do this right, and maybe it wasn't the time, but you didn't want anyone else to be around to see this. This infirmary incident was going to be the best time to do this to avoid embarrassing him or yourself in front of any other members of the crew.
You shifted your legs off the bed before carefully getting onto your knees, being mindful of your bandaged leg as you did so. Zoro's heartbeat spiked at the sight of you kneeling in front of him. His mind was racing and he shoved any sudden inappropriate thoughts down quickly, this probably wouldn't be anything like that, but the tension that suddenly appeared made his throat tight.
"W-what are you doing?" He tried to control the shakiness of his voice. You weren't this serious often, and the look on your face was concerning him.
Your face was burning in embarrassment but you pushed down the butterflies in your stomach, there was nothing wrong with this, the worst he could do was reject your gift. "I just, I wanted to thank you. Somehow... especially after Thriller Bark. I wanted to make sure I thanked you."
"You don't have to kneel in front of me." Zoro swallowed. He didn't want to see you on your knees like this, it was sending weird thoughts through his brain, he wanted you to be on your knees but for entirely different reasons that he would not share. It shouldn't be throwing him off as much as it did, but for some reason, the motion was too intimate to him.
"I want to do this right." You pulled the bundle into your lap before bowing your head and holding up the tan roll above you and out to Zoro.
The man across from you turned his body to face you fully, staring intensely at the bundle in your hands. The fabric was carefully folded and wrapped gently with twine, the wrapped object was clearly handled with extreme care. The swordsman's mind raced as he tried to imagine what it could possibly be, why would you thank him after Thriller Bark? He'd saved you once or twice sure, but he'd done that to everyone just as others did it to him. Hell, you'd even saved him a few times at Thriller Bark. You'd mentioned wanting to thank him beforehand, but what exactly had he done that was so special?
Zoro carefully reached forward to accept the parcel from you before setting it down on his lap. You kept your head angled down and placed your palms against your thighs. His eyes followed the motion as his eyes got stuck watching the flesh squish underneath the pressure and couldn't help the tug in his stomach. This moment was vulnerable for you, and it was distracting the signals his brain was sending him.
He tore his eyes away to focus on the fabric in his hands, pausing before starting to undo the twine, he glanced to see you were still keeping your gaze down. The weight of the parcel was familiar to him, but it also felt very different at the same time, like a ghost of something he once knew well. He unwrapped the twine to pull the fabric aside, his eyes widening when he saw the guard of the sword.
"I don't understand." Zoro held up the blade to the light, examining it. It wasn't his old sword, but the guard was the same and the weight was similar.
"I've been working on it for a while since you lost Yubashiri. I would never be so ignorant to try to recreate that sword, but I wanted to do something. And after you left it at Thriller Bark... I know you already put it to rest. But, this sword meant something, and I wanted to give you a way to carry it with you, without you physically having to carry it." You felt Zoro's eyes burning into you as you kept your head down.
"You-"
"It's not a real sword, well, it is but it's not. It's not meant to withstand prolonged use, but it would have no issues in case of an emergency. I just, I wanted to give you something, anything, to thank you for everything."
Zoro paused as he stared back at the sword in his hands. It meant a lot to him to be gifted a sword, it wasn't done lightly and he knew you understood that. The sentiment was overwhelming, you weren't trying to replace anything that he had and cherished, but instead, respect his craft and who he is. The amount of work that it must have taken wasn't considered lightly. He'd noticed the way you'd frequently be late to dinner, or even sometimes you'd never get dinner at all. The group worried about you, but Usopp was always the first to explain you were working on something in the shop and you'd probably just been too focused.
Zoro remembered Chopper's offhand comment about you working directly after Thriller Bark. Shortly after he'd woken up there was a distinct lack of your presence hanging around everyone. Sanji had questioned where you were during a meal on the island, and Chopper had mentioned you being alone at the ship since dawn. He couldn't know how many of those hours were spent directed at him, but he also didn't know how many of those were and it made his stomach flip nonetheless.
Your heartbeat was in your ears, an all-consuming amount of nerves sending the sound rushing through you. The last thing you wanted was to disregard Zoro's beliefs and feelings or disrespect him in any way. The silence had barely started but the emptiness was jarring. It was agony, waiting for him to say anything more, maybe he even hated you now, and all of that trust had been washed away.
You flinched ever so slightly at the sudden noise of the sword being unsheathed. The swordsman noticed but brushed it aside as he examined the blade. It had elements that reminded him of his old sword, but at the same time, it was its own thing entirely. You looked up once he sheathed his sword again, but kept your head down. His eyes immediately pierced yours and you felt your stomach somersault. Zoro was the first to turn his eyes away before gingerly setting the sword on his bed. He took a second, taking the sight of the sword in again before turning back to you.
The silence maintained as he stared down at you. You couldn't read his expression, thousands of doubts swirled through your mind as you stared at his face. "Thank you." He shifted down to mirror your kneeling position. "Really, thank you."
Your face flushed under his intense gaze and your heartbeat grew louder in your ears. Glancing away from his eyes you couldn't help but smile at the sincerity, but the pressure had been building for so long and you were ready to escape it.
"You're welcome. Good talk." You stood up slightly too fast and grimaced as you put too much pressure on your bandaged leg and shifted weight in an attempt to relieve the pain. Zoro had moved as if to grab you but stopped himself as you held your own before clumsily falling back onto your bed.
"Good talk? You made a fucking sword for me, and we're not going to elaborate on that?"
"It's just a thank you. It doesn't have to be this whole giant thing." You shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, tearing your eyes away from the image of him kneeling before you. Zoro rarely sank to his knees in front of anyone, and the feeling of respect and power he was sending toward you was extremely overwhelming.
"You thanked me in a significant way. The least I can do is show the same amount of respect for you." Zoro shifted closer until he was kneeling directly in front of you. You swallowed, Zoro caught it and grinned in response. "You made me a sword-"
"It's mostly decorative-"
"You made me a sword." He repeated. "Thank you."
"So you like it?" It should have been obvious.
"You couldn't tell?"
"I don't know, you're pretty nice. Maybe you hated it, and I completely disrespected you and Yubashiri, but you just didn't want to hurt my feelings." The doubts came flooding out even with all of his reactions disregarding them.
"Even if I hated it, it was so clear that you put time and effort into it. I'm going to cherish it always, thank you." Zoro grinned up at you, the small action sending shivers down your spine. You watched him shift his weight in order to stand, just before stumbling when a large explosion sent the boat rocking and Zoro toppling into you.
The two of you collided in a headbutt, Zoro landing with his hip bones digging into your inner thighs, his chest crashing into yours but just briefly as he sat up in reaction to falling. The swordsman groaned above you as he rubbed his forehead, the vibration from the sound rolling through your body at the points of contact. You flinched at the sensation, but when moving to shift became hyper-aware of his pelvis pressing against yours so you froze. He stilled at your movement and your face flushed red when his eyes snapped to yours and just briefly at your mouth. He was close enough that you could feel the heat of his breath against your lips, and you couldn't help but think how easy it would be to erase the distance. It was unclear what was going on in the swordsman's head, his face was unreadable, his eyes boring into you but giving you nothing to go on. The moment was suspended too long to be normal, he should have gotten up already but he hadn't.
It wasn't until the door slammed open a few seconds later that Zoro shoved himself off of you and onto the ground. The suspended moment had shattered with the waves of embarrassment that enveloped the entire room. In unison, you both turned to see Chopper in the doorway, a confused look crossing his face but it was quickly replaced with worry.
"Are you two alright? Usopp and Luffy were messing around with some of Franky's things. It shook the ship so I wanted to check on you. Zoro, why are you on the ground?"
"I'm fine, just lost my footing." He grumbled, stealing a glance at you before standing up and moving back over to his bed, covering the sword in the fabric in the process.
"I'm okay, Chopper." You answered immediately in response to the reindeer's worried gaze settling on you.
"Alright, just, let me know if you guys need anything. Sanji's making dinner in about an hour if that's okay."
"It's okay. Thank you, you're the best." You beamed at him and watched him blush at the gratitude before leaving the room.
A tension slowly eased into the room as you refused to look over at Zoro who you could tell was staring at you. Whatever that moment was, you didn't feel ready to address it yet. Zoro faltered when it came to confronting the topic, and the two of you fell into an awkward silence.
The rest of your time together was mostly uneventful, with neither of you discussing any of the moments shared between the two of you that night. You stayed up listening to him sharpen the blade you'd given him, and eventually fell into an easy sleep.
After being free from the infirmary, Luffy apologized for being careless with the starfish incident, an event that had quickly left your mind. You guessed that Nami had put him up the apology but you appreciated it nonetheless. Usopp informed you that the starfish's name was 'Mosshead' which was even better than the name you'd suggested. Zoro hadn't said anything and had gone back to training the moment Chopper gave in for just a moment. The two of you had maintained the same level of distance since the night in the infirmary as far as anyone else noticed. But the both of you noticed the wandering eyes, the stolen glances, and few and far between, but very present fleeting touches.
You didn't know what the relationship was, it wasn't drastically anything different than before, but somehow the atmosphere between the two of you had changed, and you both knew it. At dinner, if Zoro could manage it without bringing attention to himself, he would sit next to you. Nothing would actually happen, maybe the occasional brushing of legs under the table, but nothing more than actions that might have occurred between anyone by accident. You'd go out of your way to work on what you could outside in order to watch Zoro train, the view often distracting from your work until you forced yourself to focus. The two of you became increasingly aware of the unspoken changes, but neither said anything to the other.
It would be longer than you'd imagined before anything came of the blossoming feelings, because not much longer came the events of Sabaody Archipelago.
Zoro shoved you out of the way and you rolled onto the grass. The situation was devastating. You'd never heard such desperation from your captain, Luffy had commanded the crew to run. He was scared, your captain was rarely ever scared. Everyone was injured and fighting for their lives, your devil fruit power doing hardly anything against the Pacifistas. That's when Kizaru appeared and landed a shot through the first mate.
"Zoro!" You screamed as the man crumpled to the ground. You turned to see Luffy in shock, too far away to do anything, far too weak to help his crew, his first mate.
"Zoro!" You heard his bones crunch underneath the weight of the man's foot. Your poisoned blades couldn't even touch the man, you were helpless, you couldn't do anything.
When Kuma appeared next, you felt the world fall beneath you. Zoro was gone. The blow was devastating, and the cries of your leader made the pain so immeasurably worse. This was hell, you were all going to die. One by one you watched your friends run and try to escape but it was useless. You turned as Robin and Luffy shouted your name, but at that moment, you were gone too.
You spent the next few years training under a potions master and refining your powers. You researched more fruit and crafted new weapons that could properly wield poisons, each more effective than the last. The power you'd gained always seemed like something that could never be super useful in battle, but the opportunities you'd gained were far more expansive than you would have ever guessed. It was an expansive amount of information you learned in such a short period of time, and you were excited to share the skills you'd honed with everyone.
Eventually, you made it back to the Sunny, to Nami, Brook, Robin, and Franky. They were already on the ship when you arrived, and were then informed of Chopper going to get the rest of the boys. Your heart swelled as you greeted them all. You'd missed them all so much, the years feeling like ages, but you knew they were all so much stronger. There was a small amount of crying, although it was more out of joy than anything else. At this point of meeting everyone, you had managed to keep it together after the struggle of making it back in the first place.
That's when you heard Chopper's voice ringing from the sky and you started balling. The reindeer cheered and jumped from the bird before it was even at a safe distance. You ran to the side of the ship and jumped onto the railing, catching the friend in your arms and collapsing onto the deck.
"-missed you so much!" Your name got muffled as you hugged the reindeer to you.
"I missed you too!" You were both crying, Chopper sobbing all over the leather of your top. "I'm so glad you're safe." You beamed at him and paused to turn up to the bird who had finally reached a safer distance.
"Luffy! Zoro! Sanji!" The cries rang out from your group, and in the next moment, Sanji was flying off in a spray of blood. You laughed heartily as you guessed why. Luffy was the next to land on deck, you released Chopper who already knew what you were thinking. You ran up and felt the captain's arms reach round and around your torso, picking you up in the air with tears in your eyes.
"Luffy!" You grinned back at him.
"It's so good to see you!" Luffy's laughter was infectious. He set you down to reunite with the rest of the crew. You brushed the tears from your face as you turned and those familiar striking gaze met yours, taking your breath away the same way it always did before.
"Zoro." You breathed out, walking over to him, a grin seeping onto your face.
"Hey." He smiled back down at you before pulling you into a crushing hug. "I missed you." He whispers into your ear, sending a shiver straight down your spine and all the way down into your abdomen. You knew it the moment you saw him, but he had grown in more ways than one.
"I missed you too." He pulled away just enough so the words came out in a breath against his lips. The grip on your shoulders tightened and you saw something flash behind the eyes you loved looking into.
"I'm not letting you go this time." Zoro's deep voice went straight to your stomach and you swallowed the ball that had formed in your throat.
He let you go, no one else noticing the interaction between the two of you except for Robin and Franky. They were the only ones in the crew who suspected anything between you two from before everyone was separated those years ago. This was all but a confirmation based on your reaction, and the pair reveled in it.
You then felt yourself pulled back into a hug by your favorite cook. "Sanji!" You exclaimed as he lifted you off the ground, squeezing you against him.
"You look even more amazing than when I last saw you." Sanji beamed down at you. You responded with a smile as you pulled away.
"Thank you, your beard grew in I see."
"Do you like it?"
"It suits you." There was a pause. "I'm glad you're safe."
Sanji smiled before reaching down to grab your hand, softly kissing it before dropping it and moving away to greet Robin who was tucked away against the railing. You missed the wave of irritation emanating off the swordsman who watched the interaction with disdain, by the time the cook had reached Robin, Zoro had already moved on to talk to someone else.
You looked around at the laughing crew and grinned at Chopper holding onto the swordsman's shoulders as he greeted his other crewmates. His eye met yours briefly and he shot a grin your way before turning his attention back to the others. You had a strong feeling that this time your relationship was going to be different.
After pulling the Sunny into a safer location, a party started on the boat to celebrate the crew being reunited. Laughter and music filled the entire ship. Luffy and Zoro told each other stories of their adventures apart as they gorged on food. Usopp was doing the same thing with Chopper, although it was hard to tell how much of what he was saying was true. Franky was dancing with Nami and Sanji, and Robin was leaning back enjoying the wine with a wide grin on her face. Brook played music and sang to his heart's content- not that he had one. Everything was a blur of joy and happiness as the crew switched around activities.
You smiled wide as you took in everyone, together and happy again after spending so long apart. You beamed with pride as all of you appeared to have grown so much in the two years apart. Luffy was clearly a powerhouse, you could feel it just by walking by the man, and the others weren't exactly shabby either.
Your eyes wandered towards Zoro as you sipped on the drink Sanji prepared. You were happily tipsy, compared to the rest of the Straw Hats, your alcohol tolerance landed somewhere in the middle, however at the top of that middle, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji's tolerance was much higher. It was a fun and light feeling, not quite inebriated but just free enough to let your normal walls down just a little. Initially spending those years apart meant your guard raised again. Although, the crew always gave you a sense of security to drop your reservations, and it seemed time didn't change that fact.
Zoro glanced up and met your eyes, something resembling hunger flashed across his gaze, but your view of the swordman was soon covered by Sanji stepping in front of your gaze with an outstretched hand.
"Care to dance?" Sanji asked.
Grinning you nodded before setting your drink down. You knew Sanji wasn't genuinely interested in you, you just happened to be a pretty woman and he kept his natural charisma towards you. This was a friendly ask from him with no other motives, he wanted you to join the group in the fun and you gladly accepted.
Zoro's eyes narrowed as he noticed you take the cook's hand. He pulled you in quickly, causing you to stumble and fall against him at the sudden movement. The swordsman felt a growl prickling in his throat as he watched the two of you start to dance with Nami and Franky. He'd figured out his feelings for what they actually were too late, the group had already been separated by then.
It was thanks to the ghost girl Perona that he finally figured everything out. Getting stuck on an island with the Greatest Swordsman in the World was a bonus. Getting stuck with a ghost who yapped non-stop was a migraine Zoro hadn't enjoyed. It wasn't that she was completely awful, but her very personality and existence were the opposite of everything the swordsman could enjoy about a person. The only upside to her constant chittering was that being insanely astute, she recognized a different kind of longing that was separate from what a crewmember felt toward their captain.
Initially, Zoro denied his feelings for you after she pointed out he liked you. Unfortunately for him, it was a seed that planted in his mind and wouldn't stop growing. When he was training, his entire focus was on exactly that. There would be no distractions with Mihawk there, and Zoro's dedication was straight as the blades he wielded. However, during his downtime he often found his mind mulling over the ghost's words. Your face would repeatedly appear in his head whenever he considered the notion of liking someone. He'd remember the sight of your kneeling, the swell of his chest when you'd given him a sword, and your smile as you unapologetically laughed with Luffy.
After a year, the feeling was undeniable. Zoro liked you, and somewhere his mind and body had realized it far before he put a name to it himself. When he embraced the thought he vowed to become even stronger. His determination was already fixed for Luffy and the crew, but it lit a new fire under him. There was no more distraction of figuring out his feelings, he just needed to train and get back to everyone.
Zoro honestly also figured the swell in his chest would die down after not seeing you for two years, but the moment he recognized you standing on the deck, all of those feelings rushed into him like a hurricane. He stared at you as you had cried with Chopper, and felt his stomach twist when you greeted Luffy with as much enthusiasm as he gave you. Jealousy wasn't a feeling he was used to, especially when it came directed towards his captain. It made him feel guilty, the guilt being worse knowing that Luffy wasn't interested in you romantically in the slightest. Zoro was also aware that the cook didn't stand a chance against him, but watching you smile and laugh with him sent his blood boiling.
You always fiddled with the hair by your ears when you were nervous, and it was an action he'd seen directed near him many times in the past. Zoro found traits like that endearing, and so unbelievably like you. He knew the moment he hugged you that whatever had been there between the two of you hadn't gone away, but somehow it had grown stronger with the separation. The moment you'd directed that action towards the cook when he stretched his hand out to you sent his heart into a frenzy.
The swordsman tried to keep his thoughts and wits about him, he needed to let you relax and enjoy yourself. But you were smiling at that cook like it was the easiest thing in the world. He was touching your hands, arms, and waist, you didn't seem to be bothered by it at all but Zoro definitely was.
Even though he acted that way with everyone, there were all of the nasty thoughts and feelings that came whenever he was near you. In the past Zoro could never understand his sudden anger and frustration, he'd always accounted it to the natural dislike of the blonde, but it was always different with you. Seeing you dance and smile up at the man holding your hand made Zoro furious. He wanted nothing more than to step in and drag you away from him, but these are his friends, his crew, and he trusted them with all of his heart. Even the shitty cook, although always appearing enamored with you, smiled when he'd see you grin or see your eyes crinkle with joy. Those reactions dug somewhere deep inside Zoro's heart, twisting it into something ugly and possessive.
You belonged to no one but the crew, to Luffy, but only as far as you would die for any of them. In terms of anything else, you were your own person, but Zoro felt this rumbling need building in his stomach ever since he saw you again. It was a different want than before, something hungrier and slightly more feral. But within that want, also existed something soft and caring, wanting to hold you and keep you safe so you'd never worry again.
Sanji's hand snaked around your waist again as he caught you out of a spin, your spirits were high and your adrenaline was pumping. Everything felt so light and euphoric, you'd never thought this feeling would happen again, you missed this painfully so.
Somewhere between the dancing and breaks you finished your drink, Luffy had also joined the group in dancing, and dancing with Luffy always took more energy out of you. Your captain's energy was always infectious, it seeped into you like a drug, always filling you with pure safety and acceptance. One of his favorite dance moves was launching people into the air, you being one of the few who tolerated it as much as he desired to do it. He almost always caught you, which was a bonus considering how easily distracted he could get. One time Nami had to step in because Sanji brought out more food and your captain got distracted. It was a while before he forgot about you again.
You spun off the dance floor after another toss from Luffy and grabbed your cup. Sanji had left the pitcher your drink came from in the kitchen, he offered to grab it for you but you said you were okay, wanting the walk.
The noise got quieter as you slipped inside the ship, making your way toward the kitchen and the pitcher sitting on the counter. You filled your glass before carrying both it and the pitcher back towards the noise outside. You grinned stepping back out into the open, everyone but Zoro was dancing in the middle of the ship and laughing. You looked around, unable to find the green-haired man. You moved over to the side, setting the pitcher down and taking another sip from the drink in your hand.
A wall of warmth soon appeared beside you as you watched your friends enjoying the party and smiled to yourself, knowing who appeared next to you without having to look over. "Our captain needs to pay more attention when dancing." The swordsman commented gruffly. Your heart swelled at the heat emanating from the man, you shifted just slightly so your arms could brush against his and grinned as he leaned into your touch.
"He's okay, besides a little fall won't hurt that badly."
"I don't think that's the issue, but I agree."
"You should dance." You hummed, sipping your drink.
"And make a fool of myself, no thank you," Zoro responded gruffly.
"You're already a big fool." You grinned before standing up. "C'mon." You grabbed his hand and Zoro allowed you to pull him to his feet. "Luffy will love it." You smiled.
"I'm not a dancer." Zoro grumbled as he followed after you.
"And they are?" You turned. "Luffy! Zoro's here to dance!"
"Hey-!" Zoro was cut off by cheering and Luffy's arms wrapping around his chest pulling him further into the group.
You grinned as you ran to join them and laughed as Luffy started swinging Zoro around. He may have been a little stiff to go along with them, but you could tell he was enjoying himself. Sanji went ahead and pulled you back into the circle, you joined Nami and Usopp's small dance group. At one point Robin lifted you in the air with Chopper and you threw him up, him giggling all the way up and down. Zoro caught the little reindeer as he fell, grinning wide as he set Chopper back down on the ground.
Sanji took in your outstretched hand and pulled you back into him, you landed against his chest with a grunt as the force knocked the air out of you. He kept a hand gripped over yours as he spun you again before pulling you back in, his lips against your ear. "I think our swordsman's upset. Any reason why?" The cook's breath was hot against your skin, the statement bringing a blush to your cheeks.
"Not really, no." You responded breathlessly as Sanji dipped you low in order to get close to your ear again.
"Hmm, maybe he's just grumpy then." Sanji responded before lifting back up and tossing you over to Luffy who also caught you with ease.
"I'm glad you're back, Luffy. You've gotten stronger." You paused at the captain's grin. "We're all gonna be okay." A look passed across his face and he paused while holding you. "Thank you, for everything." You beamed at him, in response to your smile he grinned back before tossing you back out.
Spinning from his rubber arm, you lost your footing and fell into the grass towards the edge of the dance circle. You laughed staring up at the stars above you, everything was so unbelievably perfect. The group was starting to calm down as you lay in the grass, Robin had taken Chopper to bed since the reindeer had fallen asleep in the middle of the dancefloor. It left the rest of them to dance, but you can see from here that Nami and Usopp were starting to tire out.
You closed your eyes, feeling the calm breeze brush across your exposed skin, it cooled the warmth from dancing and you understood why Chopper was able to sleep even with all of the noise.
"Oi." Your eyes peered open and you grinned up at the man above you.
"You shouldn't sleep out here." Zoro kneeled, aware of Sanji watching them from where he was still dancing.
"You do it all the time."
"Yeah, but it's going to be cold tonight."
"Mmm." You hummed, closing your eyes again.
There was a moment of pause before you felt yourself being lifted off the ground, warm hands and arms cradling you against his chest. You were awake but in a half-conscious state, everything in your body was lulling you, trying to drift you off to sleep.
"Oi, Zoro! Is she sleeping? I can take her, I probably spun her too rough." Luffy called out to him.
"I can do it. If I go to bed now I'll be able to rest before I have watch shift." Zoro responded back to his captain.
Luffy seemed to run with the explanation as he went back to what he was doing. Zoro's eyes wandered over to Sanji who met Zoro's eyes with a knowing smirk. Sanji grinned before making a loose gesture towards you before turning away from the other man.
The swordsman narrowed his eyes in a glare towards the cook, he wasn't sure what was up with the man, but he was consistently pissing him off today. He didn't waste time trying to ration out what the blonde was gesturing about however, getting you away from everyone, especially the perverted cook was more important to him at the moment.
Zoro looked down at your sleeping form with fondness, he pushed open the door leading to the sleeping quarters but paused when you shifted in his arms. He allowed himself the moment to smile and admire you openly, a moment which he would immediately regret.
The door to the room suddenly opened, startling Zoro who was now face-to-face with Robin. She grinned knowingly before glancing down again at you sleeping. "Nami will be here later, but if you want to take her up to the crow's nest you two can spend the night together. It'll be private. I can help you get her up there if you'd like."
Zoro's face went scarlet at the older woman's words. "What?"
"Would you like me to help? I'd invite you to stay but Nami will be by later to sleep, and I imagine you don't want anyone to know." Robin smiled. "That's if, you wanted some time alone, that is."
Zoro's face stayed flushed, mulling over the words that the woman had said, what exactly she'd meant, and what was being offered. Robin clearly knew about his feelings and there was no use trying to deny them now.
"Sure." Zoro responded trepedatiously.
Robin smiled and crossed her arms, lifting you out of his arms. "Leave it to me."
Zoro wasn't exactly sure what happened next, Robin left him standing outside the women's quarters after taking you but hadn't explained much after. He turned around to head towards the entrance to the crow's nest. When he arrived, he saw Robin standing at the bottom with her arms crossed. "I managed to get her up there without anyone noticing. I'll be able to distract them if anyone else manages to see you, so head on up. I wish you luck." Robin smiled. "Don't try anything if she's still asleep though." She narrowed her eyes and flicked his forehead with one of her spare hands.
"I wasn't-who do you take me for?"
"I'm just teasing." Robin smiled. "We all deserve to be happy, especially right now." With that she turned around and walked off, Zoros eyes followed the woman as she left. He paused and glanced back up at the nest above before sucking up his courage to make his way up the ladder.
Once Zoro reached the nest, he climbed inside to see the room decked out in blankets and pillows. You were lying in a heap of them, breathing softly in the pile of cloth. Your hair was messy, pressed against the pillows underneath you. The blanket partially covered you up, but your legs were sticking out as if you'd kicked them off.
Zoro smiled at your sleeping form before closing the door behind him softly. He thought about how radiant you looked dancing with everyone, and how overjoyed you were to be reunited with your friends. Regardless of his feelings towards everyone laying their hands on you, he knew you were so incredibly happy and he wouldn't trade it for the world.
You shifted in your sleep, the blanket on top of you slipping just slightly to reveal your collarbones and neck. Zoro blushed and averted his eyes, cursing himself internally for acting like he'd never seen skin before. He moved over to sit beside you before tossing the blanket back across your chest. It was silly to be letting such a small thing get to him, you'd been around him in fewer clothes before, and he'd practically seen every part of Nami-much to his dismay. The small action shouldn't have bothered him as much as it did, but somehow with you it always seemed to find a way.
Zoro sat there staring at you, unsure of what he should do next. You were asleep, so getting any closer to you than this was out of the question. So instead he settled by taking his swords off and lying them down by the entrance. He returned to his spot beside you and decided we might as well get some rest himself and confront this later.
That was the plan at least, until you woke up in a blind panic. You reached for the dagger at your hip but found none and abruptly stood up as you examined your surroundings. Visions of blood filled your mind, your dream having been that of a memory, a nightmare. Zoro was up on his feet as well, alert, ready, but keeping his eye on you. He could tell you weren't fully aware of your surroundings, but you didn't seem completely lost to the world.
"-you okay?" You vaguely became aware of a gruff voice breaking through your thoughts. You turned to look at him, and when realizing you were safe, you plopped back down into the blankets.
"Sorry. It's been a rough few years." You gave him a small smile.
"I get it. It happened to me too." Zoro brushed off the incident quickly and moved back to sit next to you again. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked carefully.
"No, not really." The response was simple and easy, guarded but not in a personal way, but in a way meant to protect yourself. You paused after responding and took another look around the room. "Why are we in the crow's nest?"
"I-uh." Zoro's face flushed red. "Robin helped me bring you up here. After you fell asleep on the grass."
"Why didn't you just take me to my quarters?" You asked.
Zoro paused as he swallowed his nerves. "I wanted some time... alone with you." Your face flushed red and with Zoro's statement, the atmosphere of the room suddenly changed. "Look, how we left... I never said anything to you, about anything really." The bandage was bluntly ripped off, not that Zoro knew how to do it any other way.
"I like you too, Zoro." You spoke without really thinking it through. The man across from you burned a deeper scarlet at your confession.
Brushing past his awkwardness, Zoro shifted so he was now leaning into your space. The heat radiating off him in waves sent shivers down your spine, his aura had shifted to something still nervous but very intense. You met his gaze and felt heat pooling in your stomach. This beast of a man was interested in you, and your body was reacting as if inexplicably pulled towards him.
"I want to kiss you." The hot air from his mouth brushed against your lips, anticipation turning your insides to jelly.
You nodded as the words escaped you and leaned forward to match his lips. The kiss was chaste and cautious, you had both pulled away after just a mere moment, both afraid something would shatter if you stayed. Yet, the small touch wasn't enough for you, you didn't stop to think but reached your hands out to pull the man to you, crashing your lips together as you did so. It was like a fire lit under the man in front of you. Immediately his hands were on your side and shoulder, pulling you up and closer against his body. You gasped as he prodded your lips with his tongue, asking for permission but taking it the moment you opened your mouth.
The kiss was wet and hot as he forced his tongue into a clash with your own, there was little fight for dominance, he had you completely hooked. You let out a gasp as he bit your lip, gentle enough not to draw blood, but hard enough to have you begging for more. Your hands reached up into his hair, pulling him further into you. He groaned in response, his hands roaming up and down your body, each movement sending waves of fire through you. If there were any drug to be addicted to, it would be Zoro.
"Ah, Zor-" He reached up, his hand traveling up the base of your neck and up into your hair. You found yourself arching back into his touch as he kissed you deeper, pulling your hair back and revealing your neck to him.
"Tell me to stop." He breathed out before turning his kisses to your jawbone. Arched into him you felt something hard beginning to press down against your leg, your thighs squeezing when you remembered his swords were by the door. You craved the friction your bodies were creating, rubbing against that hidden length you heard a moan escape the lips against your neck.
"Don't-don't stop." You begged, the noise releasing a growl from the man before his hand roamed further down to cup your ass, his other hand still pulling back on your hair.
"You'll be the death of me." Zoro rumbled against your neck as he bit down against your collarbone, eliciting a gasp from you that went straight to his dick. "Fuck." Zoro separated from you, his knees straddling your thighs as you each panted and caught your breath. He looked down at you beneath him with your swollen lips and disheveled hair. Zoro wanted to take you right there and now, but he maintained his composure the best he was able to.
"Zoro." Your voice came out as a whimper that sent the swordsman's mind into a frenzy. He dragged his hand down your thighs, the pressure which had you squeezing them together.
"We should stop." Zoro panted breathlessly. "I don't-I do, but I don't want to do this yet. Not yet." He reluctantly shifted his weight back and away from you. "I want to do this right." The words were soft and honest, a sharp contrast to the exhilarating sex the man was exuding from his very being.
You weren't exactly sure how to react, and instead nodded and sat up under him, but your gaze was focused on his chest that was falling out of his coat. You paused before leaning back into him, your hands resting on his thighs.
"Hey, what are yo-" Your hands slipped under his coat and pressed into his abs and stomach. You started trailing kisses up his chest and nipping at the skin there before leaving a large bite on his collarbone. Zoro groaned underneath you and pulled you away once you'd reached a specific spot on his neck. "Oi, I-I don't know if I can hold back if you keep going that." He panted underneath you, the breathing lighting your skin on fire.
As much as you wanted to continue, you knew you needed to stop for his sake and most likely your own. You didn't exactly want to rush this either, it was all new for you to just be able to kiss this man, let alone go all the way with him. The way he looked at you sure made it difficult however, you'd strip everything just to watch his eyes roam over your body. Zoro was still panting, his breath brushing against your face with the close proximity, you had stopped, but a large part of you didn't want to. An idea flashed in your head, it may not be the smartest idea, but you'd love to watch the swordsman squirm in front of you. "Don't stop then." The words left your mouth in a whisper.
You pulled away from him before shoving the blankets and pillows that had fallen onto the ground and got down on your knees to look up at him. Zoro tensed and swallowed as he gripped his pants in his hands. Your pupils were blown wide as you panted to catch your breath, you wanted this man badly, reason be damned.
"We don't have to go all the way, but please, I want more." You begged, your voice building heat down in Zoro's abdomen.
Zoro paused, startled by the sudden request, but the words had worked to stir something within him. He regained his composure quickly and smirked as he looked down on you, taking your chin in his hand and prying open your mouth with his thumb before pressing down on your tongue. You moaned without warning, causing the man's grip on you to tighten.
"It's hard to say no to you when you're begging on your knees." He used his foot to push your legs further apart, you willingly obliged to the motion which caused Zoro's cock to twitch in his pants. "Let me know when you want to stop." He tilted your head up and closer to his face. "We're not going all the way today, but I'll make you feel amazing."
"Please, Zoro." You whined against his thumb. At the noise Zoro pulled you forward by your jaw, your lips crashing messily into his. You gasped at the contact, resulting in a moan from the swordsman that had you squeezing your thighs together.
"Stop me if I go too far." Zoro pulled away briefly to shed his coat and the tie holding it together, you took in the sight of his muscles flexing as he moved. This man was going to be the death of you. You reached forward to touch him but in one motion Zoro grabbed your wrist and held it up as he pushed you onto your back.
You squirmed underneath him, you wanted to touch him but he kept your hand pinned above your head. He grabbed your other hand and forced it up with your other one.
"Keep your hands up. You'll get to touch me when I say so." His command caused you to whimper, the intensity of his gaze holding you into place. The anticipation was driving you crazy from how exposed you were, you stared up at his bare chest and took your time looking over the man in front of you.
"That's a good girl." Zoro praised before reaching down to touch your bare waist and slip underneath your leather top. You shivered as he ran his hands up to grip the side of your chest and willed yourself to keep your hands up and off of him.
Zoro slipped his hands around your back before opening your top, he did it slowly as if to ask for permission. The loss of the garment sent cool air against your skin, only for it to immediately be replaced with the feeling of calloused hands against your skin. The moment the zipper opened he tore off the top and cupped your breast in his hands before lowering himself to suck on your nipple. You gasped under his touch, the warmth of his tongue sending fire through your body.
The attack was constant, his hands stroking and massaging their way across your chest and body, leaving paths of warmth everywhere they went. You wanted to drown in this man, in his warmth, in his fire, in his everything. His movements had your stomach boiling and your heart ablaze leaving you a puddle of pure want.
"Zoro-ah!" You arched your back up to his touch, it was relentless and addictive, the pleasure building up in your stomach only for him to pause.
"You're doing so good." Zoro grinned before reaching down to rest his hands on your hips. You gasped when he pressed circles into your hip bones and arched up to his touch. With one swift motion, you felt your underwear and skirt slip down and off of you. He paused at the bandage hidden beneath your skirt that wrapped around your thigh and hip but ignored it, choosing to be careful and avoid the area rather than ruin the mood. You didn't even notice the motion, too focused on the sensations that were consuming you.
"Zoro, please, I want to touch you." You begged as he dragged his tongue up your leg. He started kissing and biting your inner thighs, making his way towards your dripping sex.
A single calloused finger slipped in and out of you, the absence sending your body on fire. "You're so fucking wet for me, huh?" The smugness of his voice made your body ache.
"Zoro, please." You begged. The sound of his finger entering his mouth and pulling out with a loud smack made your breath hitch. This man was going to be the death of you.
He grinned before moving up again to take your mouth in his, slipping in his tongue before pushing in two of his fingers causing you to gasp and buck into him.
"Fuck." Zoro breathed against your mouth. "I want to take you right now." He kissed you roughly before pulling away. "Not tonight." He breathed out before stepping back from you, the warmth leaving you craving contact. The man took a second to compose himself before shifting his weight back.
"Did you want something?" He asked, his breathing heavy.
"I want to touch you."
"Ask nicely." He grinned before sliding the two fingers that had been inside of you back into his mouth, releasing them with an obscene pop.
"Please, can I touch you Zoro?" You begged, your hands still above your head.
"You may." He grinned.
It threw you off, the sudden permission, but you took like like a starved animal. Your hand immediately reaches for his chest and you push him back slightly with the force of moving onto him.
"My turn. Keep your hands back." You murmured as you pressed kisses along his abdomen. Zoro's hands were leaned back to brace himself, but he groaned in response to your command.
You brought your hands down to his hips and pressed your thumbs in the soft spot by his hipbone, eliciting a hiss from the man underneath you. You noticed the growing bulge in his pants twitch as you trailed bites lower, and carefully you dug your fingers under the waist of his pants to pull them and his briefs down.
Zoro flinched at the motion and brought a hand down to grab your wrist. His gaze was piercing like a warning, and you met it with resolute confidence.
"I thought you're supposed to be good at taking orders." Zoro's eyes darkened at the words and he reluctantly brought back his hand and kept it behind his back, watching every small movement you made with hungry eyes. "Good boy."
You took a second to take in his massive girth, it was more than you could have imagined, but at least you didn't have to worry about taking it all tonight, no matter how much you wanted to.
You carefully moved to wrap your hand around his cock, bringing your mouth down to wrap around it within the next second. Zoro bucked into the touch instinctually and his face flushed as the desperate reaction. You grinned around his mouth and continued your sucking motion. You'd never understood the desire to devour someone as intensely as you did at this very moment. You relished in every sloppy and wet noise that came from your mouth, and every moan, hiss, and grunt that came from his. The sounds were addictive, a cacophony of noise that you wanted nothing more than to hear on repeat.
The swordsman was doing all he could to prevent from bucking his hips up at you. You kept up the motion watching Zoro twitch underneath you, you could tell he was holding himself back. It was pleasant, watching the man squirm underneath you, but your insides burned, and you wanted this man to destroy you completely.
"Does Zoro want something?" You hummed, the vibrations causing Zoro's hips to buck once more, a whine escaping from his lips at the sensation. "It's your turn to beg." You smiled before moving off of him with a pop.
Zoro shuddered underneath you, panting heavily he turned his dark gaze onto you, scanning your exposed body up and down he sat up further but kept his hands behind him.
"I want to eat you out." The words were blunt and sent pure want straight through your core. You flushed under his gaze and stood up to move against the wall. "I also want to fuck your face."
You swallowed in an attempt to retain your dwindling composure and commitment to the command you issued, but the swordsman in front of you was making it painstakingly difficult not to waver under his gaze and just let him have his way with you. You pressed yourself back against the wall, holding Zoro's gaze which never wandered from your own.
"I want to hear you beg." You willed your voice not to waver but took in a sharp breath as Zoro moved to his knees in front of you.
"Please, let me fuck your face." His voice was resolute, the spitting voice of a captain's dedicated first-mate.
Your response was to kneel in front of him, leveling yourself as much as you could for the man across from you. You watched him swallow and you grinned, holding onto the rest of your composure you met his eyes again.
"I don't think I heard you."
Zoro's eye twitched but you noticed his throbbing cock did as well. You would be in for it once his hands were on you again. He bowed his head to you in order to get even lower. The action sent pulses of throbbing want through your core.
"Please. Let me fuck your mouth." The words were strained this time, this man was holding himself back.
A laugh escaped you just barely but Zoro kept his head down. "Have your way with me. Do your worst, I can take it." Zoro's head and eye snapped up to meet yours, he stared as if giving you a moment to reconsider but you didn't need to. "Please." You responded with the extra push.
Zoro smirked and stood to his feet before grabbing the back of your head and tugging your head back by your hair. You moaned at the action as Zoro lined up his length to your mouth. You were practically drooling at the sight of it, his intense gaze helping you lose every ounce of dignity you ever had.
"Open." You eagerly obliged. "Now take me like a good girl." Those words were the last sense you took in before Zoro pushed his dick into your mouth. He gave you a few thrusts to adjust before tugging your hair and forcing you to take his cock deeper down your throat.
You choked under the relentless motions, it hurt, but the pain was welcomed and desired. Zoro slammed into you with unforgiving vigor, holding you in place by your hair he shoved into you. There was a groan before Zoro suddenly pulled out of you, dropping to his knees he lifted you into the air. Before you could fully register what was happening you gasped as his tongue entered you.
"Ah-Zoro!" You moaned loudly as he greedily ate you out. Wet, slurping noises filled the room along with intense moaning. You gasped as suddenly two fingers entered you as Zoro's mouth shifted to your clit. "Fuck." The pleasure was building, a dam about to burst.
"Cum for me." Zoro breathed out against you, the new sensation adding to the building pressure, causing you to come undone. Your body went limp as the sensations rolled through you, but Zoro kept you steady in place with his arm as he continued to pound his fingers into you through your orgasm.
The swordsman kept pumping into you even after your initial orgasms had passed. Your body was limp against the wall, your legs having lost any remaining strength but Zoro kept you up and in place. The wood felt cool and rough against your back, the texture prickling your already sensitive skin.
"Zoro..." Your words trailed off as your mind became increasingly numb. The pleasure was building up again and you were in no control of trying to stop it.
The fingers inside of you left, leaving you feeling slightly empty but Zoro quickly moved back in with his tongue. Zoro had moved his free hand to his cock, stroking it as he ate you out. His mouth was covered in juice and saliva, the noises he made were foul and downright sinful and you loved every bit of it.
"Zoro-ah, please-" You dragged your hand up to your mouth in an attempt to dampen the increasing volume of your moans. The action didn't go unnoticed as he shifted, dropping you gently before biting down on your collarbone.
"-wanna hear you scream." Zoro huffed against you as he returned to plow his hand back into your folds, eliciting a noise you didn't realize you were capable of making. "Fuck, I can't wait to fuck you for real." Zoro brought his lips back to yours, you could taste yourself in his mouth as he fought against your tongue. Your blind was going fuzzy, getting drunk off the fluids in your mouth combined with his fingers reaching down to your core.
"Zoro-" The pleasure was building up to its peak again, intense in the wave that was about to consume you. It was agony, you felt like breaking, and this man was slowly driving you insane.
"I'm close-" Zoro gritted out, his cock throbbing under its own building pleasure.
You cried out as you came first, and you felt Zoro grin against your lips before he released after you. He stayed pumping his fingers the whole time, helping you ride out your orgasm even as the rhythm became unstable through his own. He repeated your name like a mantra as he rode out his orgasm, his hoarse voice sending ripples of pleasure through your body.
Zoro moved his head to rest on your shoulder, the both of you were sweating, panting messes on the floor. Both riding off a high built upon what felt like ages of sexual tension.
You shifted slowly, moving your arms around Zoro's neck to pull him into another kiss, but a much slower one this time. His tongue dragged across yours to elicit another small moan, it resulted in Zoro pulling away to cup your face in his hands.
"You're gonna be the death of me." He grinned before standing and wiping his fingers across one of the soiled blankets on the ground. You followed up after him, watching as he grabbed a pile of blankets and pillows to toss to the other side of the room. You blushed at the foggy windows, luckily you were high enough up that it might not be noticeable to the rest of your crewmates.
Zoro grabbed your hand before laying down on the makeshift bed, pulling you down with him as he went. You weren't sure if you were able to walk yet anyhow, your legs still felt like jelly. He shifted the blankets to make sure they covered both of you as he hugged you against his chest, rubbing circles into your back as he did so.
"Was all that okay?" Zoro asked, his voice still hoarse. The anxiety had begun to creep into his mind, doubts filling his thoughts of whether you truly wanted him or not. Doubts that had been there from the beginning, before he was even sure he wanted to be with you.
"Mmm." You hummed as you played with the short hair at the base of his neck. "More than okay. I'm happy it was you."
"I'm glad then." He shifted to kiss your collarbones again. You smiled as you moved to place kisses into his damp hair.
The two of you shared a moment of silence before you spoke up again. "I know this wasn't 'all the way', but it was pretty close all things concerned. Doesn't it seem kind of redundant?" You asked.
Zoro pulled back to meet your eyes, the aura emanating off of him seeping into your bones, it was calm and reassuring like a lullaby. "A little, yes, but I'd like our real first time to be on a proper bed. Ideally in a place I didn't have to sneak around to." He smiled
"I can't wait."