#it has to wait until usopps night watch shift

[redriotinggg]

Luffy’s lovesick crewmates need a little push. He’s more than happy to give them a necessary shove.

—

Luffy is grumbling as he approaches Nami and Robin on the uppermost deck. They watch curiously as the rubber man mutters to himself, an unhappy look on his face as he drapes himself along the railing.

“Is everything alright, Captain?” Robin asks. The women come to stand on either side of him.

“I wanna play with Usopp, but he’s busy talking with Sanji.” His frown deepens. “He’s always hanging out with Sanji. It’s like they love each other or something.”

Nami’s eyebrows raise, a mischievous smile spreading on her face. Robin just shakes her head, silently telling her to stay quiet.

“What do you think?” the archaeologist asks. “Do you think they love each other?”

The pirate captain hums thoughtfully. All three of them are watching their two crewmates sitting on the grassy deck below them.

Sanji and Usopp are sitting together, close enough that their knees are touching. Sanji is uncharacteristically talkative, all smiles and sweeping gestures as he keeps his eyes on the marksman.

Usopp is listening raptly, a fond grin on his face and stars in his eyes. He’s nodding along, asking questions and making jokes.

As they laugh and converse, the duo seem to unconsciously lean toward to one another, as if drawn to their respective energies.

Sanji’s hand, the one closest to Usopp, comes to rest on the grass. As he adjusts, his fingers brush Usopp’s. Both men freeze before leaning back and snatching their hands away, averting their gazes with red-tinged faces.

“They do that all the time!” Luffy exclaims in exasperation. “They get closer and closer but then they pull away, like they’re scared. Usopp shouldn’t ditch me if he’s not even gonna do what he really wants,” he pouts.

“So, you think they love each other but they’re too scared to admit it?” Nami clarifies.

“Yeah! And that’s stupid. If you love someone, you should tell them.”

“Y’know Captain, I agree with you,” Nami says, a false sweetness to her voice. “But it seems that Sanji and Usopp haven’t gotten the hint.”

“I think the two of them need a little push,” Robin suggests. “Perhaps their Captain can help them get their affairs in order?”

Luffy stands with a decisive nod. “I’ll do it. I won’t let anyone stand in the way of my crew’s happiness. Not even my crew!”

Without another word, Luffy hops onto the railing and stretches his arms downwards. He gets one hand on Sanji’s shoulder and the other on Usopp’s, startling the two men. They don’t even have time to protest before Luffy is launching himself at them, knocking them all over.

“Usopp! Sanji!”

“What’s the big idea, Luffy?!”

They all sit up, Sanji and Usopp glaring at their Captain while he frowns back.

“I’m mad at you two!”

“What? Why? What’d we do?”

“You two aren’t being honest!” Luffy accuses.

“We aren’t being honest about what?” Sanji asks, frustration obvious in his tone.

“Your feelings! Usopp loves Sanji, and Sanji loves Usopp, but neither of you will say so! It’s dumb!”

Luffy continues his rant, unaware of how he’s rendered his red-faced crewmates speechless.

“Don’t forget that we’re pirates! We’re supposed to be free and take what we want! And we’re nakama. We’ll always be there for each other, no matter what. Do you get it? If you love each other you should say so!”

“B-b-but Luffy—”

“No buts! Get your shit together, Captain’s orders! In fact, you guys should kiss right now.”

“We are not kissing in front of you, Luffy!”

“But you will kiss, right?”

“I-I mean, if Sanji wants to…”

“I want to! I really want to.”

“Great! So go kiss, lovebirds!”

Usopp and Sanji sit in stunned, embarrassed silence for a few moments. Ultimately, Luffy’s expectant look is what spurs them into action.

Sanji jumps to his feet. He’s practically glowing from how hard he’s blushing, but he pushes through his overwhelm to extend a hand out to Usopp.

“Come with me to the galley?”

Usopp blinks up at him in astonishment for a moment before he takes Sanji’s hand, allowing him to pull him to his feet. The sniper grins shyly at the chef, softly twining their fingers together.

“You really want to kiss me?” Usopp has to ask, bashfully batting is long, dark lashes.

“I do,” Sanji smiles. He looks at Luffy, then up at Robin and Nami, who he’d noticed are watching them. He cringes at the attention, returning his gaze to Usopp. “Just, not in front our crewmates. At least, not the first time. And I’ve got some things I want to tell you that are probably better said in private, for both of our sakes.”

“Me too,” Usopp whispers.

“Well then, looks like we’re in agreement. Shall we?”

Sanji leads Usopp to the galley, both of them ignoring the cheering from the nosy trio. The door slams behind them, muffling the sound of shared laughter and whispered confessions.

Luffy launches himself back up the ship so he can peek inside the window and check on his handiwork.

“So, Captain?” Nami asks, leaning over the railing above him. “Did they keep their promise?”

Luffy giggles happily. “They sure did! They look super happy now. Problem solved!”

He takes a moment to observe his crewmates as they seal their bond. Robin and Nami watch as a look of panic overtakes his face as he seems to realize something. “Wait! Now that they’re in love, will Usopp spend even less time with me? And will Sanji be too busy to make me meat and snacks? No!”

Nami shakes her head and Robin chuckles as the Straw Hat bursts into the galley, loudly interrupting the union he insisted on.

Neither of them try to stop him to protect the moment for the newly established couple. Their Captain needs his food and attention, after all.

[innerfare]

Paradise

Summary: a collection of short drabbles about reveling in nature with them. Includes collecting seashells, making snow angels, picking flowers, climbing trees, cloud watching, stargazing, and more. Names in bold are those I originally built these around, but I decided to expand it to include other characters I could imagine in these scenarios.

Characters: Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, Ace, Sabo, Law, Kid, Shanks, Beckman, Mihawk, Robin, Nami, Usopp

Genre: fluff

——— 

Climbing out of bed before dawn because neither of you can sleep, having a cup of coffee, and walking hand in hand down the beach, stopping to bend down and pick up rare seashells to add to the collection on the bookshelf in your bedroom, not talking much at all but simply admiring your shared bounty in the pale dawn light as the sun creeps over the horizon.   

(Robin, Law, Beckman) 

——— 

Waking up to fresh powder blanketing the ground and jumping out of bed, barely getting your boots and one of his coats on before you’re outside, romping through the snow. Falling into a snow bank with your arms out, giggling as you make a snow angel, grinning even wider when he surprises you by laying down beside you and doing the same, letting his inner child show through for a brief moment. 

(Zoro, Law, Kid, Mihawk) 

——— 

Wandering through a flower field and picking some of the more beautiful blooms that catch your eye, sprawling out on a picnic blanket in the late morning to bask in the sweet scent, enjoying the breeze as it ruffles your hair, weaving some of the flowers you picked into a delicate crown that they wear proudly while the two of you share sweet kisses. 

(Sanji, Nami, Sabo, Corazon) 

——— 

Meandering through the woods in search of the tallest, most impressive tree, him giving you a boost up to the first branch to get you started before climbing up himself, staying behind you the entire time so he can catch you in case you fall. Finally piercing the canopy and poking your heads up above the forest, his hand on your leg to keep you steady, the two of you grinning as birds fly by, basking in the afternoon sun. 

(Luffy, Ace, Sabo) 

——— 

Escaping the chaos of life and climbing a desolate hill, sharing a late afternoon snack as you stare up at the clouds and point out different shapes, saying, “that’s you,” when you see a funny one. Arguing over which one of you gets to be the dragon cloud, your argument turning into roughhousing and the two of you accidentally rolling down the hill, him laughing and kissing your cheek when he knows you’re okay and then starting the argument again. 

(Luffy, Sabo, Usopp, Kid, Shanks)  

——— 

Waiting until late evening to meet beneath a peach tree, speaking at first in hushed tones, worrying someone is on to the two of you, eventually forgetting about all of that and settling into easy conversation about nothing and everything simultaneously, him jumping up to pick a peach for you to have as an evening snack, you taking advantage of the last bit of light to carve both of your initials into the tree trunk. 

(Sanji, Sabo, Beckman, Mihawk) 

——— 

Sitting out on the deck of the ship long after everyone else has fallen asleep, climbing into their lap once the two of you are alone, both of you staring up at the sky and picking out constellations in the night sky. The conversation eventually shifting from actual constellations to the ones you two invent on the spot, with wild fables to go along with them. 

(Ace, Usopp, Robin) 

——— 

Tossing and turning in bed, waiting for the clock to strike midnight, sneaking out as soon as it does and meeting them at the spring just inland. Stripping out of your clothes and diving into the warm water with him, splashing each other and floating on your backs, losing track of time and hurrying back to the ship when the moon dips below the horizon. 

(Zoro, Robin, Nami, Shanks)

———

Hope you enjoyed it! If you want more, you can check out my masterlist here!

[scarletttries]

How The Straw Hats Keep You Company on the Night Shift... (One Piece Live Action Request)

Pairings: Luffy x Reader, Zoro x Reader, Sanji x Reader, Nami x Reader, Usopp x Reader

Author's Note: I am well and truly in my One Piece obsession here so keep the requests coming! 🥰

Monkey D. Luffy

- While the rest of the crew moan and gripe when it's their turn to take the night shift, tasked with keeping the boat on course and an eye out for anything dangerous, you never seem to mind when your turn rolls around again. Instead of eight hours of monotonous boredom, your shift is always passed in the supervision of the ship's jovial captain, your sweet, loving Luffy.

- You always start by insisting he should get some sleep. Everyone has to take a watch on their own, you should too, right? But Monkey insists he'd be a terrible captain to leave you out on your own all night, the unspoken truth simmering just below the surface; he's forgotten how to fall asleep without his arms around you and can't bear waiting until morning to see you again.

- As you keep one hand on the ship's giant wooden wheel, Luffy captures the other, interlacing his fingers with yours as he moves behind you, the warmth emanating from his body keeping you safe and comfortable against the night air. His free hand wraps around your waist so he can pull your back flush against his chest, your needy boyfriend making the most of the private moment to express all his affection the way he knows best. Unwilling to let go of you for even a second, his nose nuzzles against your neck, shifting your hair to the side so he can pepper the exposed skin with gentle kisses, feeling you wriggle against him at the sensation and only spurring him on more.

- In a fit of giggles you momentarily release the wheel to capture his face with the hand he hasn't claimed yet, giving him the chance to spin you around to face him, drinking in the sight of your beauty lit only by the stars and the brightly shining moon.

"You know, you're somehow extra pretty up close." He whispers the words less than an inch from your lips, close enough to feel the warmth of his breath before the intensity in his eyes shifts and his lips crash down against yours. He has to pull away every few seconds just to let the smile you bring out of him blossom on his face before diving straight back in for the most addictive thing he's ever tasted.

- Every time you turn ever so slightly to get a hand back on the wheel, he only clings more, pressing closer to you, or grabbing the wheel himself so both your arms can be wrapped around him where they belong. You continue this carefully choreographed dance half the night, the two of you giggling as you twirl around each other and keep the ship on its course, completely intertwined until finally an exhausted Luffy starts to drift off, slumped against your back, clutching you like the life preserver you are in the vast ocean of his affections.

Zoro

- It doesn't matter how long the two of you have been dating, or whatever you want to call the arrangement you and Zoro seem to have so effortlessly fallen into, Zoro will deny he's there to keep you company: He's just happens to be sharpening his swords at that hour, and it's too cramped to do it in his room. He couldn't sleep. He thought he heard something and he wants to make sure it's gone. Every week the excuses get thinner, but you still humour him for the sake of his good company.

- He always starts sitting on the other side of the deck. He likes to think he's completely in control of his emotions, and playing it very cool, despite his obvious inability to resist the magnetic effect you seem to have on him. As the moon charts its own path through the sky he inches closer and closer, responding to your nonchalant observations like it's a weighty task. Finally, about half way through your watch, he's sat with his back to the ship's wheel, leaning gently against your leg where you stand, still not acknowledging his actions, even as you let one hand drop by your waist and he reaches up instantly to hold it.

- He'll trace his thumb slowly over the back of your hand, taking his time before finally he looks up at you, seeming so much smaller than he does when he's charging into battle weidling his collection of swords. He'll bring your palm to his lips and then give you a gentle tug, pleading silently for you to sit with him for a moment, to escape everything else and just be two people in love without any of their history behind them.

- And so you do, sinking to the floor until your thigh presses against his, Zoro still clinging to your hand like a lost child in the vast night, but finding endless comfort in your presence. In the quietest moments like this he can finally be vulnerable, whispering his softer thoughts as you run your fingers through his hair, offering the warm embrace he's been searching his whole life without ever realising it was missing.

- When the first rays of morning light start to dance on the ocean's surface, he'll plant a soft kiss on your forehead and then slink back to his hammock, ready to pretend he didn't spend all night falling deeper and deeper in love.

Sanji

- Sanji actively looks forward to the nights you have command of the ship, so he can finally have you all to himself and not have to worry about Luffy barging in on the two of you like he manages to every time Sanji gets his hands on you in the kitchen.

- Of course this man prepares a picnic for you, all your favourite cakes and pastries, lovingly made by his own adoring hands and tasting all the better for the amount of infatuation baked into them. He'll get to the deck an hour before you do, laying out a sea of blankets and cushions for the two of you to lounge on as you pass the night in each other's sweet company.

- Sanji is nothing if not open with his undying love for you, and it's more than a little fun to see just how dramatically this man will fawn over you. The way he gawps open-mouthed as you lick sweet frosting off the tip of a teaspoon while staring deeply into his eyes, watching his adam's apple bob as he gulps in anticipation, every ounce of self control holding his hands neatly by his side. Every happy hum and complement to his cooking only makes his heartbeat faster, the arm supporting his lounging frame scooting closer to you until he can almost rest his head on your shoulder.

- If there's one thing Sanji loves more than cooking for you, it's literally feeding you. He'll slowly raise a chocolate-covered strawberry to your lips, eyes growing wide as your lips graze his thumb when you take a bite, yours fluttering shut as you hum in appreciation. In an instant the rest of the berry is thrown haphazardly over his shoulder as he lunges towards you, bright smile across his face as he pushes you onto your back, his legs quickly straddling your hips to keep you pinned under him. He's practically trembling with excitement as his hands grab onto your waist, then run up your side until finally they capture your face, his lips crashing down on yours until he can taste your sweet kiss, mixed with chocolate and strawberry of course. Your back arches up to press against him, practically feeling his heart swelling in his chest as he squeezes you tighter, not sure he's ever going to be able let you go if you keep treating him quite so kindly.

- Every so often you have to pry him off of you to actually keep a little bit of a watch, but it doesn't take long until Sanji is scooping you up in his arms against, spinning you in circles, or pressing your back against the nearest surface until your legs wrap around his waist and your hands bury themselves in his blonde locks, surrendering yourself to his insatiable need for you. The morning can't come soon enough so Sanji can finally drag you back to his room and do exactly what you've had him dreaming of all night.

Nami

- The sneakiest cat burglar in the business, Nami takes pleasure in making you jump when she appears behind you an hour into your night shift. No matter how often she comes to join you, you never hear her coming, the rush of your nervous heartbeat not slowing when she gives you that wicked grin.

"Did you miss me already?"

- Nami doesn't have the patience for watching the horizon with you, after spending most of her day manning the wheel as well, so she quickly finds other ways to entertain herself. She'll start by placing a constellation of glistening wet kisses along your shoulder, nipping and sucking more intently as she reaches your neck, waiting until your eyes flutter closed and a small sigh escapes your lips to pull away.

"Eyes open pirate, you don't want to steer us off course." Her smirk spells trouble and you can only gulp as she starts toying with the hem of your skirt, stepping in front of you before sinking slowly to her knees. She never breaks eye contact as she nuzzles her nose against the inside of your thigh, devilish grin spreading across her cheeks. "You better concentrate. If you get us lost our navigator will probably have to punish you."

- Her lips replace her nose as she starts licking and kissing higher up your thighs, watching your chest rise and fall and your breathing gets more laboured. Concentrating on anything other than the featherlight touch of her fingers climbing the soft flesh of your inner thigh becomes almost impossible, and as they reach the edge of panties you have to bite down on your lip to stifle a moan you're sure would wake the rest of the crew.

"Let's see how much fun I can have before the sun comes up." She purrs as her fingers brush over the thin fabric she's sure will be soaked through and thrown overboard in no time.

Usopp

- This sweetheart is more than happy to spend a night in your company, feeling a little bit jealous whenever he has to share you with the rest of the crew, preferring to be the centre of your undivided attention.

- Usopp will start by putting on a one man show of some of 'his' greatest adventures, and acting out every single role in each of the tales. Every so often he'll start clamouring about the action of his great battles, and you'll have to interrupt him with a kiss just to make him stop talking, so you can remind him to keep his voice down so the rest of the crew can sleep. He'll quickly get distracted by the sweet, soft touch of your kiss, chasing that high again and again until he can't remember which story he was telling and he has to start over from the beginning.

- The minute he sees you fighting a yawn though, suddenly his action packed tale becomes much more soothing. He tells you gentle stories of a peaceful village life, the kind of life he hopes to have with you one day, when you've had all your adventures but you still can't bear to be apart from eachother. He stands facing you, running his fingers through your hair, drawing soft circles on your back, his voice gently drifting on the wind like a lullaby. He guides your head to land safely on his shoulder and holds your weight against his chest, until your eyes flutter shut and he can hear your breathing grow slow and shallow.

- With one hand holding you, the other will take the wheel, scanning the horizon with his whole world right in front of him. He always worries about you not getting enough rest, so he'll happily take your watch every chance he gets if it means he gets to feel you wrap your arms around him and melt against his chest, feeling safe in the company of your brave captain Usopp.

[silentsamlikesham]

Heyoo! Request here!

Sanji had Nightmares at night?? Zoro then being alerted and trying to calm down the cook. (While also forcing him to go back to sleep XD.)

Anyways that’s all.

Hope you get the idea :]!

(I’m not a good story explainer when it comes to request TvT)

Thanks for the request! Hope you enjoy :) -----------------------------------

Zoro stares at the underside of the top bunk, just visible from the low light creeping through a crack in the door of the boy’s room. He can see the mattress shaking above him, can hear the wood creaking over the noise of Luffy’s and Franky’s snoring. Sanji is twisting and turning, one of his hands flying over the edge of the bunk to hit harshly off the frame of the bed.  

His breaths are coming out in laboured wheezes as he seems to pant, like he’s running from something in whatever nightmare has taken hold of him. Zoro lies still, not usually one to wake up in the middle of the night but Sanji’s distress had upset his haki, forcing Zoro awake as though danger was looming nearby. Now, he can’t get back to sleep, his body stiff as he waits for Sanji’s panic to pass. 

The cook should settle down soon, right? They all have nightmares like this on the ship. It’s not uncommon for someone to wake with a shout, with their arms outstretched, re-living something terrible. Chopper gets them a lot, climbing into Zoro’s bed with teary eyes and snuggling deep beneath his covers. He finds comfort being near the Swordsman, and honestly Zoro enjoyed feeling one of his crewmates being so close to him, one less person to worry about as he slept.  

The cook waking him up is unusual. Not because he doesn’t have nightmares, Zoro knows he does. He can see on his night watches when Sanji is below in the galley, lights on in the middle of the night as he battles with whatever is bothering him. But it’s unusual for him to not immediately wake up and slink off to the kitchen.  

Sanji hated being caught off guard by the crew, hated them seeing him as weak. He’s the first to comfort them, to make someone’s favourite snack or offer them tea in the galley as solace from the rest of the rowdy ship. Even with Zoro, who he’s pretty sure he hates, he’ll appear with a bottle of sake and a plate of rice balls when he thinks the Swordsman needs a pick me up. It’s infuriating, and they never speak about it, but it reminds Zoro that the Cook does care about the crew to an admirable extent, even Zoro. 

Which makes it even more frustrating that he prickles up whenever someone tries to return the favour. It’s like Sanji is always clutching a dead man’s switch for his temper, waiting for someone to piss him off enough that he can let go and explode. Often, it’s Zoro setting him off. 

That’s what makes this so difficult. Lying there in the dark while one of his Nakama is struggling and having no idea how he’s meant to help. If it was Luffy he’d tug his arm and let the boneless man flop onto the bed beside him. If it was Usopp he’d pinch his nose until the sniper awoke with a start, more afraid of Zoro than whatever was bothering him in his sleep. Even with Franky, Zoro knew to make up a problem with the ship so the shipwright would run off to check on it and promptly forget about whatever had him tossing in his sleep.  

Sanji yelps in his sleep, his hand disappearing from where it was dangling as the mattress shifts again. If Zoro was to guess, he’s curled in on himself, the mattress dipping on one side only.  

Zoro climbs silently out of the bottom bunk, able to see Sanji now as he stands at eye level with the top bunk. The blonde’s face is almost completely covered by his bangs but Zoro can still see half of his left eye, can see how it’s scrunched up tightly as though he’s trying to close them in his sleep, trying to block out whatever image his mind has conjured. He’s drawn his knees up, his arms hidden behind them as he’s folded them against his chest and under his chin, almost as if he’s protecting them.  

Zoro’s heart clenches to think of Sanji dreaming of something happening to his treasure, knowing he’d be screaming bloody murder in his sleep if he dreamt of anything happening to his swords. His hand is rising to brush the other’s bangs back before he even knows what he’s doing, his fingers caressing over the other’s furrowed brow and raking gently through his hair until he’s cupping one side of Sanji’s face. 

The other man tenses, stilling in his withering and Zoro freezes himself, waiting for Sanji to open his eyes and swing a kick at his head. He’s not prepared for the soft sigh that leaves the Cook, the blonde turning his head towards the palm of Zoro’s hand. He can feel the deep inhale the cook makes, his cheeks warming as Sanji lets out a low- 

“Zoro?”  

His eyes flutter open, the one not covered by his fringe staring at him in the dark. Sanji blinks slowly, his eyes flicking to the light source at the door and then back to Zoro as he tries to wake up enough to know what’s going on.  

“What are you doing?” He whispers, his voice barely loud enough to be heard over the out of sync snores still echoing in the room. 

“You woke me up.” Zoro means to say it as an accusation but having to whisper makes everything sound soft...and maybe he is being soft with the cook, just this once.  

“Sorry.”  

The cook pulls away from Zoro’s hand as though he’s been burned, his eye flicking away from Zoro embarrassed. Shit. He half sits up in the bed, his hand twisting in the sheets as he clenches them.  

“I’ll go to the galley.” He decides, turning from Zoro to hop down to the opposite side of the bunk. His shoulders are hunched up to his ears, his arms trembling as they hold his body upright. 

“Don’t be stupid.” Zoro grumbles, reaching across the bed to tug on the back of Sanji’s night shirt. “It’s too early to start on breakfast, idiot-cook.” 

“I’ll just wake more people up.” Sanji mutters, refusing to turn but slumps back, no longer poised to leap.  

Zoro bites the inside of his cheek, uncertainty hanging heavily between them as Zoro wracks his brain for the best response. Overthinking stupid stuff like this is not his strong point and he decides after a moment of silence that it’s pointless for him to try do so.  

He catches the side of the frame of the upper bunk and hoists himself up, throwing his legs onto the bed and lying down behind the Cook.  

“I’ll wake you up if you start being loud again.” Zoro crosses his arms over his chest, amused by the jump in Sanji’s shoulders as he feels the bed dip, his head turning slowly to glance warily at his crewmate. 

“What are you doing?”  

“I just told you-” 

“You- you don’t need to sleep in my bed to do that.” Sanij stutters. Zoro can’t be sure in the dark, but he’s certain the Ero-Cook must be blushing right now, if the wiggle in his body is anything to go by.  

“I’ll do what I want.” Zoro retorts with a quiet snort, closing his eyes.  

Sanji doesn’t move at first. Zoro wonders if he’s made a mistake. If Sanji will storm off to the kitchen in a rage and leave Zoro in his bed.  

He has to stop himself from jumping in surprise when he feels Sanji shift and lie down beside him. They’re both lying on their backs, their shoulders pushed uncomfortably against one another’s as they barely fit in the small frame of the single bunk.  

The cook is breathing in uneven bursts, clearly overthinking the arrangement and any noise he’s making. Zoro tries to ignore it, hoping that the cook will just drift off to a dreamless sleep soon but after several minutes it starts to grate on him.  

“Will you just relax?” He whispers, turning to stare at the completely rigid man.  

Sanji just sneers at him, twisting his head enough to glare at Zoro. He quickly looks away though as soon as the Cook seems to realise just how close their heads are when they turn to each other.  

He doesn’t argue back though, doesn’t lose his temper or flip himself off the bed. Zoro takes this as a win and decides if the Cook is going to be this insufferable about the situation, Zoro is just going to have to push his luck.  

He lets out a frustrated grunt and turns on his side, his arm reaches out over Sanji’s narrow waist, as he easily grabs hold of his furthest hip, drawing the Cook against him. Sanji gasps, biting his bottom lip to stop himself from yelling and waking up his sleeping crewmates. The last thing he wants is for anyone to see what has just happened.  

“Calm down Curley, I’m just getting comfortable.” Zoro mutters, his lips so close to Sanji’s ear that he can’t help but shiver as he feels the heat of Zoro’s breath.  

“If you’re so uncomfortable then go back to your own bed.” Zoro didn’t think it was possible, but Sanji is even more tense now, his hands curled into fists by his side. He can’t seem to lie still, his tense muscles quivering from the strain. Zoro lets out a frustrated sigh.  

“Do you always have to be this difficult?” 

That halts Sanji’s weak attempts at wiggling away from him. The Cook freezes, his breath hitching as he falls silent. Zoro glances at his face, trying to see his expression in the grey light of the shadowed corner of the room, but all he can see is Sanji’s bangs and his chin trembling. If Zoro didn’t know him, he might think the Cook is finally relaxing but he can tell what Zoro just said has upset him. 

“Curley?”  

Sanji doesn’t answer him, doesn’t even react when Zoro tightens his forearm to lightly squeeze him. Zoro waits patiently, wondering if Sanji will ignore him until he falls asleep. He’s not prepared for Sanji to shift his weight, twisting his body until he lands on his side, his face pressing against Zoro’s chest. Zoro’s arm slides forward, landing on the small of Sanji’s back.  

“Sorry.” Zoro barely hears him; only certain he spoke because he can feel Sanji mouthing the word against his bare chest.  

Now it’s Zoro’s turn to freeze, not expecting Sanji to break through his own stubborn walls this easily. Slowly, he relaxes, the tension draining from his body as he melts into the mattress, his head resting high on the pillow, his chin tickled by Sanji’s hair. 

“Stop saying that.” Zoro mumbles, his tone void of any actual anger or frustration. “You’ve nothing to be sorry for, Shit-Cook.” 

Sanji seems to choke on a laugh, the barest hints of a sob blending with the noise. 

“Since when are you so nice?”  

Zoro blinks in response, taken aback by the comment.  

“I’m nice.” Zoro growls, feeling his cheeks warm. “You’re always just pissing me off.” 

Sanij doesn’t have an answer for that, but Zoro can feel him laughing under his breath, can feel his lips curling against his skin.  

They lie in comfortable silence this time. Zoro waits to hear Sanji’s breathing slow, to feel the other doze off. Despite relaxing though, Sanji stays awake. His body might have settled but Zoro can feel the cogs turning in his head, the buzz of his thoughts keeping him from slipping away.  

“Cook, you're thinking too loud.” Zoro complains, cutting the other off as he opens his mouth “And don’t say sorry again.” 

Sanji stops as his mouth forms the word and instead lets out an angry puff of air.  

“Normal people can’t just empty their heads like you, Marimo.” 

Zoro rolls his eyes, hoping Sanji can sense his exasperated reaction.  

“Just go to sleep, Mosshead. I’ll be fine.” 

Zoro frowns at that. The whole point of him being up in this bunk is to help Sanji get to sleep.  

“You��re not even trying.” Zoro grumbles, not looking forward to how cranky the Cook will be tomorrow if he doesn’t get more sleep.  

Sanji stays silent. Zoro can feel him shifting his arms, so his hands rest curled between their chests. It can’t be comfortable sleeping on one of his arms and having his other crammed between them, but Sanji lies like that unmoving for what feels like hours. Eventually he replies. 

“I don’t want to go back to sleep.” 

Zoro lets out a low hum of acknowledgement.  

“Why?” 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” 

“Cook-” 

“No.” 

Zoro wishes he could bang his head off something, but he’s pretty sure he’ll wake someone up if he chooses the headboard behind him.

“I’m not going to judge you or bring it up again.” Zoro argues, wondering if Sanji really thought so lowly of him that he would do either of those things.  

“I know that Shit-head.” 

“Then why are you being so stubborn?” 

“It’s none of your damn business why I don’t want to sleep.” 

“It is when you’re going to be extra annoying tomorrow.” 

“Fuck you.” Sanji tries to wiggle away, pushing off Zoro’s chest with his hands. “I’m going to the galley.” 

“Not a chance.” Zoro tightens his arm on the blonde, making Sanji’s attempts a futile effort.  

“Let go.” 

“Ooh, you’re so scary.” Zoro can’t help the grin stretching across his face at the indignant sound Sanji makes from Zoro’s mocking.  

The smile doesn’t last long though, not when Sanji draws one of his legs up, lightly kneeing Zoro in the groin.  

“What the hell Cook?” Zoro wheezes, it wasn’t hard enough to make him shout, to alert anyone else in the room. But fuck, his balls were throbbing.  

Sanji uses his flinch to duck out from under Zoro’s arm, leaning to grab the edge of the bed to pull himself away.  

Zoro lets out a snarl before he follows the cook, lifting himself so he can wrap both arms around Sanji’s chest, drawing him back down against the mattress. He flings a leg over Sanji’s hip, rolling the Cook onto his stomach so he can pin his torso and hips to the bed. Hopefully keeping him from kicking out at him again.  

It’s not a position that Zoro would usually win in, not with how sharply Sanji can swing his legs around to get out of it. But doing so would be loud, and from the way Sanji is panting and is unmoving beneath him, tells Zoro all he needs to know. Winning is not worth waking the crew up. 

“I win, Ero-Cook. Now tell me.” Zoro is speaking directly into Sanji’s ear, his lips ghosting the shell of his ear as he speaks quiet enough that not even someone on the bottom bunk would have been able to hear them.  

Sanji shudders, clenching his eyes shut at the sensation, as the pit in his stomach seems to fill with a foreign warmth. He sighs into his pillow, the fight leaving his tired body.  

“I- I keep having the same dream- or nightmare, I guess.” Sanji is mumbling the words, if Zoro wasn’t pressed up against him, he’d probably miss them. Even now he can hear the static between them as he strains his ears to make out every word.  

“It always ends the same...I have to give up my hands.” 

“For what?” Sanji flinches as Zoro’s words tickle the edge of his ear. 

“It changes every time...sometimes it’s the crew, the All Blue...” Sometimes it’s you, Sanji thinks, but doesn’t have the courage to say.  

Zoro thinks hard, trying to imagine what would make him feel better if he had dreams like that. Then again, Sanji isn’t him.  

“No one’s taking your hands, Curley.” Zoro whispers calmly, his tone leaving no room for an argument. Zoro would never let that happen, thus it won’t. 

Sanji doesn’t have the words to respond to Zoro’s confidence. The Swordsman can’t know that, can’t promise that. Not in their line of work. Still, the sentiment makes Sanji feel better, as strange as that is to acknowledge.  

“Okay.”  

Zoro smiles into Sanji’s hair. He could get used to winning fights with the Cook.  

“Zoro, I can’t breathe.” 

The use of his name is surprising, but it does spur Zoro to move quicker than he might have with one of the Cook’s stupid nicknames.  

He drags his leg off Sanji, falling beside him and drawing his arms back as he does. He ends up pushing one of his arms under Sanji’s neck, the other curling around his waist as he presses his body against Sanji’s back.  

It’s the most comfortable way to share the bed, but Zoro still prepares himself for another argument. For Sanji to get flustered and embarrassed about being the small spoon.  

But he surprises Zoro again, leaning back against his chest and resting his head on Zoro’s bicep. He doesn’t speak again, just lays there mimicking Zoro’s breathing, matching the rise and fall of the chest behind him until he drifts off.  

Zoro doesn’t fall asleep. At first, he thinks he’s too riled up from their brief spat of wrestling but that’s never affected him before.  

Zoro can always fall asleep when he wants to.  

Sanji is a quiet sleeper when he’s not dreaming. Zoro would think he’d stopped breathing if he couldn’t feel the little puffs of air against his arm. His hair is annoying, falling across Zoro’s face and making him want to sneeze or brush it all to the side. He’s cold too, nothing like Chopper who’s like a little hot water bottle in bed. Also, Zoro’s arm is probably going to go dead from where the Cook is lying on it.  

No wonder Zoro can’t sleep.  

That’s what he tells himself as he lies there awake for the rest of the night. 

Until Sanji stirs and lies there awake with him, unaware the Swordsman heart is thumping in his chest. 

The Cook slides out of the bunk to start on breakfast and Zoro waits until the door closes, until he can sense Sanji moving across the deck and towards the galley.  

He rolls onto his stomach, burying his head into Sanji’s pillow when he’s certain he’s not returning to the room. It smells of all the fancy products the idiot puts in his hair mixed with the reek of cigarettes.  

It’s disgusting.  

Zoro’s late for breakfast.  

He never slept a wink.  

[zoros-bandana]

Ok ima be specific about this zoro x a science/inventor reader where she used to nice and clumsy with her inventions and hang around zoro until he got mad at her after thriller bark when she was caring for her and then timeskip then once they get back he wonders why she doesn't talk to him and itll be like a steven and connie scenario where there a big party as the others try to make them talk again but take the wrong way until they forgive each other

Hi lovely, I haven't seen Steven Universe so I had to do some research and I'm hoping you were referring to Kevin's Party? hopefully so since that is what I found to pull inspiration from x This was also really fun to write, putting in little bits from various crew-mates POV so thank you for this request

The Banquet

SFW

Zoro x fem reader

Multiple crew POV

Warning: slight Thriller Bark spoilers, slight Sabaody spoilers, slight Fisherman Island spoilers, mentions of threats (usual Zoro/Sanji banter)

Summary: The crews reunion turned sour once you and Zoro shared the same space. There was obvious tension from when you last spoke, hindering on the bitter tone of his words to you. With the crew sick of the avoidance, Nami and Usopp lead a plan to have you reconnect at the King's Banquet, hopeful the uncomfortable avoidance will be resolved.

Word Count: 3,400

"So you think this is going to work?"

"It has to" Nami insisted, turning her head in search of Usopp. She had strategically put a plan into place, sharing the news with everyone except for you or Zoro; giving the best chance of success. "If I have to watch them both ignore one another for one second longer I'm going to lose it! They can only sulk for so long before it gets under my skin!"

"I think it's making its way under everyone's skin; including theirs"

"Which is why this is going to work"

"Shh" Robin laughed, nudging her friend gently. "She's coming over"

———————

"Y/n" Robin waved, shuffling over to make space for you to sit down. You had gone in search of something to drink, the night still very occupied for the King's Banquet in celebration of your crews assistance to defend Fisherman Island. Along your way you kept a weary eye out for Zoro, shifting ignoring every green coloured object in your way.

"There you are... I thought I lost my way for a while trying to come back over here"

You gracefully sat beside your friend, huddling close as the music throbbed to your right. You held the glass in your hands, keeping it close to act as support, knowing the tension in the air that loomed over you. It was obvious since the crews return of the awkwardness between you and Zoro, almost deafening in a room full of obnoxious activities.

"Uh huh" Nami smiled, taking a sip from her wine. "That sounds like a certain person we know. Say, Y/n, have you had a chance to speak to Zoro tonight?"

You scoffed. "Absolutely not"

"Why not?" Robin question, her tone soft as usual. She didn't pry on such events, her usual kindness and concern for her friends making it easy to succumb to her questions.

"I don't particularly want to talk to him after what he said to me, and how he said it. I know he was hurt but there was still no excuse in how he put me down like that"

"What if he apologised?"

"Now we all know that thick headed idiot doesn't even know how to spell that word, let alone know how to make one"

"Y/n, answer the question"

You sighed, glancing quickly over in his direction, walled behind a few of your friends. You had always thought about it, approaching him first even just to get him to talk to you, but you never saw the point. How would he know he was in the wrong if he didn't initiate conversation first?

"I'm not sure" you looked back over to the girls. They shared the same hopeful face, smiling sweetly, making you feel safe in their company. "Maybe?"

"That's good enough for me..." Nami mumbled under her breath, covering her voice up as she took another sip, her attention shifting to Usopp.

———————

"Wait, what's the plan again?" Luffy scratched his head, tilting to one side.

"I already told you!" Usopp snapped, annoyed having to repeat himself for the sixth time in the last hour. "We get Zoro over to Y/n so they can talk it out and stop ignoring one another"

"Oh yeah!" Luffy laughed, "I remember now"

"Yeah, but for how long..." Usopp mumbled, noting Zoro as he sat in the corner; still from when you had all entered hours ago. He was occupied from the bottles of alcohol that surrounded him, clearly intoxicated by the way he moved, his eyes shutting in show motions.

Continuing his search, Usopp caught the eye of Nami, waving her down with a sly signal, letting her know the operation was in place. She returned the signal, turning back towards yourself and Robin to execute her end of the plan.

"Sanji?"

"Mmm?"

"You sure you want to be the one to do this?"

Sanji clapped his hands together, drunk on the thought of Nami. "Anything to please my sweet Nami-Swan!"

"Alright, sorry I asked..."

Usopp swiftly pushed Sanji into Zoro's direction, bracing himself for a clash to unfold. He was surprised when Sanji had volunteered to help, however, now understanding his willingness to help Nami, it became clear he would set aside his pride to be in her good book for a while.

———————

"Oi, Marimo"

"What the hell do you want, curly brow?" Zoro snapped, opening his eye. As he looked up it was if he had sobered up immediately, not wishing to be caught off guard by someone like Sanji.

Kicking the bottle aimlessly, Sanji ignored looking directly at Zoro, disgusted to be in his presence; but determined to obey Nami's wish. "I can't believe you're still just as drunk and useless as before. Or maybe I can, it is you after all... and I expect nothing but disgusting behaviour from you"

"What the hell did you say?"

"Oh, and you're deaf now too? A wonderful addition for the greatest swordsman you so wish to become"

"You better watch what you say stupid cook or the next thing that will be flying out of your mouth is those teeth"

Sanji laughed, amused by Zoro's attempt to sound tough; knowing he couldn't kick his ass if he was even sober. Lighting up a cigarette Sanji let room for a dramatic pause, building Zoro's anger all the more painful. He wanted to let him sweat, bath in his fury in a wish to escape, hoping the rest of his friends were sticking to their end of the plan; not screwing it up for his beloved navigator.

Taking a long drawn out puff, Sanji soothed the smoke around him, clouding Zoro's view. He was prepared to fight back if things turned sour, Zoro obvious to the script given, widening his stance just a bit more than usual.

"Not if I end up knocking you on your ass first, moss head"

———————

Looking up from your drink you noticed a comfortable laugh, meeting Luffy as he sat opposite you; Usopp sitting to his left. In one hand, Luffy had gathered a flowing bowl of food, unusual to the group as food services has ceased mere hours ago. They easily slid into conversation, Nami and Usopp counteracting off one another as usual; Luffy too busy with the food to chime in.

As Robin's eye slid from the group she noticed a commotion caused by Sanji, drifting her attention to where Zoro sat. She half nudged to you, although spoke loud enough for Luffy to hear.

"Zoro looks rather uncomfortable"

You followed her gaze, alongside Luffy, finding the tufts of green behind the stack of bottles and Sanji's tall figure. It was obvious the two were bickering - as usual - their body language intense and stubborn.

Amused by his friends, Luffy took a moment to finish eating, swallowing the chunk of meat wedged in his mouth. His body turned, already forgetting his mission but proceeding out of the goodness of his heart.

"Oi, Zoro!" Luffy called.

The group shifted their attention, looking over to where Zoro sat, apart from you, the grimace on his face a clear indicator of what everyone was looking for; a clear way for him to come over. Everyone around you exchanged a look, proud as Luffy waved his arms around, catching Zoro's attention.

All it took was Luffy's instructions, a simple obedience from the captains right hand man, and the plan would continue the smooth sailing in place.

"Come over here!"

———————

Intruded by the inviting idea of separation, Zoro quickly left from his spot. He ignored the wobble in his legs, grasping his swords tight as he shoved past Sanji, making his way over to where his captain sat.

From his angle there looked to be four of his friends, laughing and having a better time than what he was experiencing currently. He didn't mind if he had to listen to the nagging voice of Nami as she spoke, mindlessly chatting to Robin, who as usual, looked deep in thought. He would be happy to engage with Luffy when he could, making the top of his list for favourite people in a heartbeat, enjoying the pleasant conversation as he joked with Usopp.

As he crashed down into the circle he caught sight of something he hadn't noticed before, sitting to his left, hidden by the figures of his friends. A crushing stutter caught him in a choke, punching the air from his lungs. His heartbeat was horrifically loud, pounding in his ears, not expecting you to be here, so close to him; smelling so inviting.

"Y/n?"

———————

You could feel the group grow quiet, half expecting you to say something, surprised Zoro even spoke to you at all. It had been years since he attempted any form of conversation, the last time ending a lot differently than his current tone now.

"Hi?" you shrugged, looking away from him back to Robin, ignoring the blistering heat of embarrassment across your face.

Zoro grumbled something, half attempting to get up but remembered Sanji, looking over his shoulder as if to keep him in place. He refused to engage in any looming conversation, as much as they tried to include him, keeping to himself as he fidgeted, agitated of this current predicament.

He was trapped.

Once again Robin nudged you, laughing as you rolled your eyes at her now obvious attempt to get you to talk to Zoro. Her face continued to remain hopeful, even attempting to bring Zoro to join in; which he quickly rejected.

"Stop trying to make it happen..." you mumbled to her, leaning in close so nobody would overhear. "He is clearly not going to make things better between us so there is no point in trying to get us to talk"

Grinning innocently she took a sip from her wine. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Y/n"

"Robin, please!" you begged, hoping someone would back you up here. Everyone knew how much he hurt you, unable to hide your raw emotions after the fight, turning cold and almost frightened at his mere presence. And it stung, seeing all your friends ignorant to your feelings, pushing you to do something uncomfortable.

How come Zoro wasn't getting this treatment?

Why wasn't he being pushed to speak to you?

You stood up, unable to take any more of the growing intolerance between you and Zoro. If something was to happen moving forward you were not going to be the one to break first. "I'm going to grab another drink"

———————

Robin watched as you walked away, an added annoyance in your strut as you quickly chugged the remainder of your drink. She sighed, turning to Nami, afraid the plan was getting out of hand. "Nami..."

Nami held her finger up, stopping Robin from counting further, knowing what she was referring to. "I've got this"

She had noticed Zoro's dazed state, realising your disappearance may have unnoticed to him. Thinking quickly she drunk the remainder of her drink, pinching Robin's out of her hand, before finishing that as well.

"Oi, Zoro, go get us some more drinks" Nami extended her arm out in his direction, drinking glasses twisted through her fingers.

Zoro scoffed. "Why would I want to do that?"

"Because you would do anything to get some alcohol in that empty hand of yours, and I told you to" Nami pressed her lips into a thin line, handing her glass over to him. "Now go!"

———————

Mumbling under his breath, Zoro trudged back over to the drink table, slamming the glasses down. The table was still flowing with bottles of various alcohol and barrels of beer, which Zoro was sure to swipe of mug off on his quest.

As he fumbled around the bottles of wine he caught a whiff of you, transporting back to moments ago sat by your side. Actually, he never noticed you leave your spot. He wondered where you went, both as of now and after Sabaody. He missed you terribly, forcing his memory of you to be pushed to the back of his mind, too focused to worry about the addition of his friends. He missed everyone - even the presence of Sanji - but nothing hurt him as much as returning to silence.

Zoro missed your chatter, your laughter, having you accompany him with stupid experiments. He missed how you would annoy him with help, both to rest and to assist with various things in the name of science. He enjoyed your stories, babbling on with terms he didn't understand, but the joy in your eyes was enough to get him through.

He missed having you around.

He would do anything to have you back.

As his hand came over to the barrel, there was a slight touch, gentle and cautious, pulling away as soon as you both touched hands. The voice sung a swat apology, Zoro looking over to grunt at the person, annoyed of their close proximity.

Looking up he was quick to meet your eye, looking away just as fast, embarrassed he didn't see you there. Again.

It was a common theme for him tonight, almost overlooking you like a shadow without means. He was confused, hurt, but knew if something were to happen now would be the time to ask. He needed to know why you were ignoring him.

Maybe attempting to smooth things over wouldn't be so bad?

———————

"Beer, huh?"

"Hmm?" you stopped pouring, setting the mug down onto the table; grasping it firmly for comfort. You refused to look over in his direct, feeling his body do the same, unable to meet each other in an eye lock.

"I didn't think you drank that stuff"

"Well, there's a lot you don't know about me. A lot can change in two years, you know"

He went quiet to that, skipping a beat.

"You still... doing those experiments?"

You turned your body towards him, cocking an eyebrow at his attempt to small talk; wondering what your friends had said to him. Surely Nami had got to him, assuming Robin was too polite to be forceful and direct him your way.

"Is this your attempt to say sorry to me?"

"What?"

"Are you trying to apologise for your behaviour, Zoro? How you treated me? Or are just going to pretend like that never happened?"

"I-" Zoro fumbled, not entirely sure what to say. "What would I apologise for?"

Zoro could see his response hurt, your face dropping, a slight quiver in your lip. Your hand let go of the mug, balling at your side in rage, turning your knuckles a ghostly shade of white. An inconvenient swear parted your lips, furious he had the nerve to even say that to you.

How could he still be so blind and ignorant?

Brushing past him you made sure to hit him on the way, cementing your frustrations. It wasn't enough to let him mentally paint the picture anymore, waiting for some half-ass apology that had no value to his words; only to stop you behaving in such a sour way. It was tiring, exhausting, wondering if maybe you would come back to him the same as he always used to be, forgetting about how he treated you, resuming your friendship, or if he would take the plunge and own up to his mistake.

And unfortunately neither was an option.

Zoro's head followed you, looking over his shoulder as you walked away from him. There was a drop in his stomach, realising why exactly now you were ignoring him; hurt by his actions. But Zoro had no idea why. Until he remembered the fight.

Your face held a familiar look to how you looked before, back in Sabaody; back when he snapped at you. He could clearly remember the whimper and shake of your lip, almost frightened by how he raised his voice at you.

You were scared of him.

He made you retreat from him - afraid to get hurt again.

Swearing under his breath Zoro realised what he had done, realising there was a reason for your blunt behaviour that he hadn't thought about before. He was so blind to his own selfish goal over the two years it never occurred his actions had consequences on you; or anyone else for that matter.

Leaving the glasses on the table, Zoro followed you, struggling to keep up as you darted out of the banquet. He picked up to a steady jog, the only indicator of you the linger scent that curled his toes to think about. A wash of blame fell over him, never understanding why it took him this long to piece together what he did. He had time. 2 years. 2 years to think about everything but somehow this slipped his mind.

He hoped he could repair what he broke.

"Y/n, wait..."

Zoro continued to follow you outside, a deep hazy blue surrounding you as you stood by the doors of the palace. It was quiet, still, the loss of people still hoarding in the banquet giving an almost apocalyptic feel.

As he lunched to you, Zoro's hand gripped your arm stopping you in your tracks, the amount of force made you turn on your heels, allowing him to face you properly. "Is this why you've been avoiding me?"

You struggled to look up at him, knowing if you did you would cry. His grip was strong, although you knew it would be easy to break away from him if you wanted to, giving you the freedom to disappear again. He just wanted an answer.

"I wasn't trying to ignore you. I was going to speak to you... I thought about it, but it didn't make any sense. I wasn't making any sense. I thought, if we are going to talk then I need to get an apology; something sincere from you. And so I came back and I saw you and you said nothing, and any time we were together, you said nothing. And now we're here and you're still not saying anything to me"

Zoro continued to stay silent, hoping you would explain deeper.

"What you said to me back then, how you handled your emotions and lashed out at me for helping you, it wasn't fair. And now I don't know how to act around you and it isn't fair. I don't know how to feel. I'm angry. I miss you. I feel like I'm out of my mind!"

"No, you're not! I snapped at you when you were just trying to help me, care for me, and you didn't need me doing that to you. I was cruel. And I came back and tried to act like it was no big deal, but it was a big deal! I couldn't stand the thought of you not speaking to me ever again, but then I was also doing it to you! I made a promise to myself and it got in the way of how I treated you, and so I'm sorry! Nakamas?"

You smiled up at him, ignoring the stream of tears that clouded your vision. There was only thing you truely wanted when the crew reunited and now you had it, an apology, a genuine apology from Zoro.

"Nakamas"

Your arms flew around Zoro's middle, pulling yourself to him in an embrace, feeling his body stiffen at the contact. You were aware of his strict dismissal of affection, however you didn't care, leaning into the idea everything was okay between you two. And it was.

Zoro reciprocated the hug, keeping you close, his face leaning down to bury into the tuft go hair atop of your head. His body relaxed, engulfing you tighter into his body, pressing the smell of musk and steel against your skin.

He was happy. For the first time in a long time he was happy. It felt so good, so right to have you like this; speaking to him again. It was if the moment he snapped a part of him went missing, your presence dissolving from his life and also a part of him he wasn't sure he could ever get back. But here he was, completely whole, and he refused to let something like that come between you two again.

"I'm so glad I have you back, Y/n"

[strawheart-pirate]

Drunken Lullabies

Zoro x gn!Reader

Words: 891 CW: SFW / Fluff / Party on the Sunny / Drinking alcohol / Just talks and stargazing

You join Zoro at the back of the Thousand Sunny. While sharing a bottle of sake you make yourself comfortable and wait for shooting stars.

A harmonic tune wavered across the Thousand Sunny, accompanied by Luffy’s laughter. It was a party aboard the ship. Drinks were passed around, snacks were served and everyone enjoyed a cheerful evening without worry.

Your chat with Chopper has come to an end recently, as he now headed inside the Sunny to catch some sleep. You observe the deck in search of your next activity. Would you join Luffy and Usopp, both pretending to be dinosaurs and fighting for meat? Or would you join Jinbe, Nami and Robin as they relax by the swing, talking about some random stuff? Brook and Franky were both busy, since Brook was playing the piano and Franky was adding a hook on his guitar to the tune. Sanji was also occupied, but he was constantly swooning over the girls, offering snacks and special beverages to them. Wait, someone’s missing.

You got up and grabbed a bottle of sake on your way towards the back of the ship. Your balance was a little off due to the alcohol and you had to steady yourself one time, but you made it without crashing into anything. Zoro sat with his back against the railing, his arms folded behind his head and his eyes closed. You admired his features as the moon illuminated them just perfectly before you let yourself fall beside him. He didn’t even bat an eye. Closing your eyes, you enjoyed the silence and the safety Zoro’s presence provided before opening the bottle of sake.

“Wanna share?” You took a small sip and offered the bottle to the greenette.

“Sure. Have you had enough of the party or were you just escaping some weird games?” He finally opened his eye and took the bottle from your hands, shifting on his spot a little.

“Haha, no. Chopper left and I searched for some good company to end the night with.”

He smirked and took another sip before he passed you the bottle. After a few moments, you broke the silence again.

“The night is truly beautiful. You think we’re going to see some shooting stars?” you asked.

“Don’t know. Want to make a wish?”

“Maybe. Even I have a goal I want to reach.”

“Then let’s get comfortable; maybe we’ll catch one or two.” Zoro said and repositioned himself so that he can see the sky better. He motioned for you to come closer, so you sat shoulder to shoulder beside each other, just the bottle of sake separating your hips.

As you scan the sky for shooting stars, you passed the bottle to each other silently. You enjoyed him being so near and the warmth that radiated off his body. There were no words needed and a calmness has wrapped around both of you quite comfortable. It was a few minutes later, that this blissful arrangement was broken.

“On my side, just above the horizon!” He nearly shouted and pointed his finger in that direction.

“Wow!” you gasped at the sight, but quickly closed your eyes to make a wish. As you opened them again there was a smile on your face.

“What did you wish for?” Zoro was curious.

“Can’t say. You know, if you wish on a shooting star, you can’t say your wish to anyone or it won’t come true.” You told him and smiled to yourself.

“Too bad.” Zoro took the last sip from the bottle before he placed it aside. “Got night watch later?”

“No, do you?” you asked, yawning a little.

“No.” Zoro answered and rested his head on your shoulder. “Do you mind?”

“No.” You said and rested your head on his. “You know, my grandfather used to sleep outside in the warm summer nights. If I were to wake up in the middle of the night and he was outside, I would always go over to him with my blanket and pillow and settle beside him. He would always tell me tales about the stars until I was asleep again.”

“You miss them dearly.” Zoro stated.

“Yes, there is not a day without.”

“Tell me more. If I remember correctly, your grandma used to bake these crazy good cookies that you try to recreate with the ero cook.”

“Oh yes! They were to die for!” you said enthusiastically.

You told him about the cookies and more stories from your childhood until you felt his head getting heavier and a soft snore could be heard. You smiled as you looked down on Zoro. This man was truly a mystery. You didn’t know that he had noticed you baking with Sanji and it amazed you that he remembered the fact that your grandmother baked cookies.

“Why… stop?” Zoro whispered half asleep and ripped you out of your trance.

“Huh?” was the only sound that came out of your mouth. You were flustered.

“Like your voice… Please… More lullaby…”

You were amazed at how Zoro could ask for something in his sleep, but who were you to deny his wish? “Alright, more you’ll get. But only until I’m asleep myself.”

You made yourself comfortable enough to stay the night on deck. A sweet hum was heard from the green-haired swordsman when you laid your head atop of him again. You closed your eyes and started your story.

“Once upon a time, there was a small twinkling star in the night sky…”

All content unless otherwise stated belongs to: ©Strawheart-pirate. Please do not copy / modify / translate / repost my writing, banners or art on other platforms. Comments, reblogs or likes are highly appreciated!

[crying-over-spilled-feels]

A Sky Full of Stars

Disclaimer: These characters belong to Eiichiro Oda, and the Funimation English Dub series. Also, I just wanted it to be known that I watch the show in the English dub, so those are the voices I imagine for the characters. No monetary gain is being made from this drabble. Set during the part of Ending 9 where Robin wakes the crew up to look at the shooting stars with her.

 --------------

           One night aboard the Going Merry, Robin is sitting in the crow’s nest for her shift of night watch when the sky opens up above her. Stars begin falling through the sky, shooting through the inky blackness and lighting up the deck of the Going Merry. As much as Nico Robin enjoys her moments of solitude, she knows and feels strongly that such a moment this special deserves to be shared with her crewmates. Using her Flower-Flower fruit skills, Robin utilizes her crafted hands to wake her fellow crew member and Captain sleeping below deck. Grumbling, yawns, and a few muffled curses (from Zoro and Sanji) come from the Straw Hat Pirates as they are aroused from their sleep.

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           Nami is the first Straw Hat to appear above deck and the navigator’s face lights up instantly to see so many shooting stars falling at once. She nearly immediately takes out paper to sketch on and to add to her ever-growing map of the world. Chopper and Luffy are the next to emerge from below deck, the reindeer doctor and Captain excitedly bursting onto the deck to view the wonders of astronomy. Usopp and Sanji wait on the stairs under the deck, content to watch the stars above but have the ability to sit down if they desire. Zoro, being the deep sleeper that he is and with one more prompting from Robin, grumbles and emerges from the boys’ sleeping quarters but is not quite sure why the archaeologist is as fascinated by the stars as she is. He’d much rather be back sleeping in his hammock before his shift of watch, thank you very much.

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           Luffy runs excitedly around the deck, Chopper close on his heels. As the boyish Captain of the Straw Hats gazes in wonder at the shooting stars, Nami comes up to the deck at Ronin’s insistence to come sit in the crow’s nest with her.

-----------------------

“Zoro! Sanji! Usopp!” Luffy shouts, so much happiness in his voice. “Get up here and look at the stars! You’re missing all the fun!” he continues, making Robin smile widely at her new crew.

Author’s Note: I wrote this little drabble today while I was waiting for the next speaker to come into a work meeting that I had today, and I am rather pleased with how it turned out! I love the little scenes in the intros and outros where the crew are hanging out and enjoying one another, so thus, this drabble was born! Expect plenty more One Piece drabbles from me, as I already have quite a few written that I haven’t posted. I really enjoy the Straw Hat Pirates and especially writing about them as a found family! (I had about 42 total drabbles for different fandoms handwritten in a spiral notebook at the start of the year for my A Drabble a Day series, but due to my hectic work schedule and the amount of errands I’ve been having to run for my wedding on March 11th, 2023, my time to type them up and post them has been minimal.) Thus, I plan on posting them and dating them for the appropriate day I would have posted them on. Any comments or kudos would be greatly appreciated on this work! Until next time, dear readers! Have a wonderful day, afternoon, or evening!

[itsthemoofacewriting]

It’s heaven in your arms - Chapter 2

Welcome back!

You guys, I was so nervous posting this and everyone’s been so lovely ;_;

I don’t know if anyone picked up on it, but my title has two meanings. One, because it’s a bed sharing trope and two, because Ace died in Luffy’s arms. I’m a monster, I know.

Summary: It may have been two years since Ace’s death but, for Luffy, sometimes it still felt like just yesterday. Or, sometimes, something beautiful can blossom from a place of hurt. Raining: K+ 

You can also find this on AO3 and FFN. 

Enjoy!

It was supposed to be a one-time thing.

But when he’d shot her those excited puppy eyes and asked if they could have another sleepover, she’d found herself caving. Even more so when the thought cropped into her head that maybe he was asking because he was struggling. She’d rather know where he was if he was going to be upset than worry about him being all alone out on the deck.

She’d raised an eyebrow when Luffy had arrived with Zoro in tow but that had been quickly snuffed out when he’d smugly said, “A one-time thing, huh?”

From there on the second time turned into a third time and then a fourth and now she’d lost count of how many times this had happened. It wasn’t every night, mind you, as they all had watches and if one of them couldn’t be there, then it was an unspoken rule that the others would sleep separately. Although she couldn’t be sure that Luffy and Zoro didn’t in the men’s room, but she’d seen those bunks and they’d never mentioned it.

The point was, it’d turned into a routine that no one blinked an eye at, and she’d even got them bathing regularly because there was no way either of them were getting in without being clean.

She’d also never slept better than she did when she had those two in her bed, piled in whichever way they found themselves throughout the night. Luffy liked to be the big spoon, which was something she felt like she shouldn’t know but did, he almost insisted on it even as he climbed in first and took an end. It was a funny sight when Zoro ended up in the middle, his hulking figure being cuddled up to by Luffy. The person on the other end was hardly left out when he stretched his arm to curl around them. It was like he was trying to keep them all close.

When they weren’t being spooned by Luffy, another favourite was when Zoro would lay on his back, an arm thrown out either side and she’d naturally gravitate towards him until her head was on his chest or tucked into his shoulder. His beefiness made a nice pillow, something Luffy must have agreed with as he normally mirrored her on the other side.

She’d stopped being flustered by all of this long ago, it was easy to get over when they did it all the time and neither said anything about it.

She did, however, question whether it was right that she had a preferred sleeping preference with the both of them and that she was ranking them.

.

.

.

Nami was sunning herself on her lounger, it was a pleasant day with the sun out, the ocean still and the background noise of Luffy, Chopper and Usopp running around in the distance. Footsteps approaching caught her attention only to see Robin making her way over, two drinks in hand that must have come from Sanji and a third arm holding a book. She greeted the other woman silently, turning her head to smile at her before facing the sun again and closing her eyes to enjoy the warmth on her skin.

There truly was no better way to spend the day-

“My invitation to your little sleepovers must have got lost in the mail.”

Nami was ripped from her peace as she gaped, feeling heat flush through her body at this finally being acknowledged. She shot a nervous look at Zoro who was sleeping only a few feet away from her sun lounger against the railing. Just because he looked like he was asleep, didn’t mean he was, but when he didn’t move or twitch or give any indication that he might be awake, she let herself relax slightly.

And focus back on the woman next to her still staring her down for an answer. Even though it was a statement, she felt the need to explain herself.  

“No- Robin! It isn’t… like that?” She could almost feel the ghost of Luffy’s breath against her skin and Zoro’s arm wrapped around waist, an unwelcome reminder to contrast her words.

Robin hummed, a look in her eye that told Nami she didn’t buy it. “You three looked adorable all cuddled up this morning.”

Of all the ways she thought she was going to die throughout her life, at the hands of Arlong, dropping from Skypiea or on Whole Cake Island to name a few, she never imagined this would be it. Embarrassed to death.

How was she going to explain that this had started with comforting Luffy and snowballed into whatever the hell they were doing now.

She didn’t have to either as Luffy came barrelling over with a chirp of “Nami!”, unaware of their conversation or her embarrassment only to make it worse by squeezing himself onto her sun lounger, ignoring how close they were or that he was practically laying over her. He chattered excitedly next to her, telling her about what him, Usopp and Chopper had been doing, at one point using her straw to take a long gulp from her drink and all the while she was very aware of Robin’s eyes on her the whole time.

“It’s sweet. I’m happy for you three,” Robin said as soon as Luffy bounded off after telling her his short story.

He was out of sight soon enough, but her eyes naturally trailed over to Zoro, only to find his eye trained on her already. She couldn’t be sure whether he’d heard what Robin had just said, but the smile he gave her before closing his eye again certainly didn’t help.

It was full of warmth.  

.

.

.

‘It’s sweet. I’m happy for you three.’

Robin’s words replayed in her head, over and over.

The last couple of weeks washed over her. Robin’s words bringing to the forefront how Luffy and Zoro’s behaviour had changed.

Luffy was the first one up in the mornings, unable to wait for either of them to wake up as he heard Sanji bustling around the kitchen and the lure of food too strong that he’d hastily take off, plastering a hurried kiss on the cheek or forehead of whoever was closest. Sure, it’d stunned her at first, but he’d done it to Zoro too and the other man hadn’t even blinked, so she’d let it go. Even if it did take her by surprise each time.

Then it just left Nami and Zoro by themselves to wake up together. He was so casual as he stretched, murmuring out a “mornin’” as he removed his arm from wherever it was laying against her body and it lingered a second too long, brushing against her skin. It was more subtle than Luffy’s gesture, but this was Zoro. It might as well be the same act.

She felt like an elephant in the room needed to be addressed, yet neither of them acted like anything had changed.

Outside the bedroom it changed too.

Where she used to be alone in the library as she drew maps, Zoro would now be napping against her desk or on the sofa, saying how it was quieter in there and because she was so cranky, they wouldn’t be disturbed. Luffy would soon gravitate towards them, asking questions about her maps that he didn’t really listen to the answer to, or he’d go lay his head on Zoro’s lap whilst he slept, a rare moment of calm that would punish them later as he bounded around.

Luffy would find her more often too, clambering over her seat if she was sun lounging or bringing over things that he’d found and deemed ‘cool’. Kind of like how a cat would bring mice to its owner to impress them… not that she was Luffy’s owner.

They still hung out with their other friends, but instead there’d be Zoro’s arm casually thrown over the back of her chair and Luffy at her other side, a hand constantly finding a way to touch her or draw her into his chaos.

Small shifts, so subtle it had taken her this long to piece it together.

It was almost like…

Almost like they were in a relationship. The three of them.

It made her stomach churn, but she didn’t know if it was in a good or bad way, like how it did when she was dreading something or excited.

And then the final puzzle piece slotted into place.

Oh.

She was in a relationship with them. Or at least the early stages but it was all there, for everyone to see and she’d missed it every step of the way. Her thoughts were jumbled. Too many fighting to be at the forefront and how had she not figured this out sooner?

Her mind had been running for hours whilst she was squished between Zoro and Luffy, staring up at the ceiling. It was still dark outside and all she’d done all night was drift in and out of sleep. She had more hours left to sleep, but she couldn’t calm her mind enough for it.

She rolled onto her side to face Zoro, in his sleep Luffy sensed her movement and filled the slither of free space to spoon up behind her, his breath heavy against her neck. She studied Zoro’s profile, from the scar covering his eye, which when he slept like that she couldn’t tell if he was awake, to the strong line of his nose, the normal severe expression softened in his sleeping state. Even when he slept on the deck, he didn’t look that relaxed, this was something privy to her and Luffy.

There was no way around it. She was attracted to him, and she couldn’t deny looking down at his lips a few times recently as he spoke. They looked dry, like he needed a good slather of lip balm over them, but she it didn’t stop her from entertaining the thought of pressing her lips against his. Luffy’s on the other hand, looked softer and she wondered if the texture was the same as his skin, still soft like human skin but there was a hint of resistance, of elasticity there. She was attracted to Luffy too, his carefree grin and contagious enthusiasm. How weir-

What she wasn’t expecting was for Zoro to suddenly stretch and stir, making a noise of contentment before he rolled over to face her and she didn’t have the sense the clamp her eyes shut in time. She stared back into a lone grey eye.

“Y’alrigh’?” Zoro slurred out, still caught in the grasp of sleep as he settled into his new position.

“Yeah.” She sounded too awake for how early it was and too vacant, unsure, that it caught his attention.

“What’s wrong?” More coherent now.

“Zoro… is this not a bit weird?” Luffy’s arm tightened around her, and he snuggled further into her back.

Zoro had already turned to face her, his arm haphazardly thrown over her, but after her question she could feel the shift, how he was looking at her before but now she could tell she had his full attention. He stared at her, all the signs of sleep or tiredness from before gone from his face. His eye was trained on her and it felt like she was being accessed, that he was trying to look through her.

Another second passed until he answered with a shrug.

“I dunno, maybe, but when have we ever done anything by the book?”

He made a good point and when had she ever cared what others thought?

Her silence seemed to make him take a step back, second guessing the intention of her previous question, as he asked, “Do you want to stop doing this?” The arm over her waist lightened, like he was ready to remove it at a moment’s notice and if she thought she was being accessed before, it was nothing compared to now. His gaze scrutinizing, flittering around her face for any sign of discomfort.

She considered it for a second but the thought of going back to an empty bed permanently made her ache. There’d be no whispering as they tried to go off to sleep, no elbows digging her in the night, no snoring in her ears and it wouldn’t be like an oven all the time with their combined body heat. It’d be cold and silent.

It sounded awful.

“No,” she whispered and Zoro’s arm rested back over her body like before, palm splayed across her waist and squeezing slightly, like he was encouraging her to continue. “But what if- what if this…” ‘doesn’t work out’, She wanted to say.

It didn’t matter, he was on the same page. “This is Luffy we’re talking about. And it’s me.”

He was telling her to trust them. Trust that this would all be okay regardless of the outcome because it was them, and they’d been through hell and back with each other since the very beginning.

And she did, the instinct flaring up instantly to calm her down.  

“Yeah, okay,” she agreed, body relaxing and mind going blissfully silent with that little piece of reassurance.

“Good, then go to sleep, you’re gunna wake up cranky otherwise.”

He was pushing his luck, but she’d let it slide right now mainly because one, she didn’t want to wake Luffy (he was almost as bad as a baby when woken) and because he’d just been very sweet just then, in his own gruff way. And she was feeling generous.

A moment after closing her eyes there were warm lips pressing against her forehead and she sensed a slight hesitation there before they were gone. She cracked her eye open to look at him, but his eye was clamped shut stubbornly, pretending that he hadn’t done anything. There was no mistaking the blush on his cheeks though.

In the morning, when Luffy performed his routine of frantically jumping out of the bed to chase Sanji to the kitchen, he placed his usual hurried kiss on her cheek but this time around, she leaned into it with a smile on her face.

.

.

.

Since that night, things had changed. Everything seemed easier, casual touches that she no longer overthought and, if anything, she leaned more into them.

All of it felt more natural but then maybe that was because she’d relaxed.

Like déjà vu, Nami was on her sun lounger the next day. The hot weather from the day had simmered down into a mild evening and she was making the most of the quiet before they did it all over again tomorrow. Robin was next to her too, reading with the little light naturally left, she’d be moving indoors soon to carry on.

Nami’s eyes stung a bit, from the lack of sleep the night before and she hadn’t napped, but she felt lighter after last night. So much so that she confessed, “I’m in a relationship with Luffy and Zoro.”

Robin stopped reading and turned to smile at her patiently. “It would appear you are, are you happy about it?”

“Yeah,” she said, feeling her cheeks go rosy. “We can make arrangements though, it’s your room too,” she added as an afterthought.

“As long as it stays pg, it doesn’t bother me at all.”

She spluttered, her previously rosy cheeks turning red as it spread hotly across her face and down her neck. She’d only just wrapped her head around the fact she was in a relationship with them, she couldn’t even think about that yet.

“Besides, I believe I have somewhere else to sleep tonight.”

Robin looked over her shoulder and Nami peered behind her to see Franky walking off to his workshop.

Oh.

Nami’s grin turned teasing, it was only fair with what she’d had to put up with recently, except her fun was interrupted by Luffy calling from the women’s room stopped her in her tracks, Zoro poking his head out of the frame to grunt at her. Honestly, as if it wasn’t her room.  

“I believe you’re being called for by your boyfriends,” Robin teased, twinkle in her eye.

“This isn’t over!” Nami pointed her finger at her.

“I didn’t doubt it.”

She crossed the deck, on her way to her room when the thought from last night popped into the forefront of her mind and how she could actually act on it now.

Zoro’s mouth opened when she appeared in the doorway, no doubt something snarky about her being the last one present but she couldn’t hear it over the blood thumping in her ears.

She marched over to them on the bed, a woman on a mission and Luffy looked at her curiously until he yelped as her hands cupped his face and brought him into a kiss. He hesitated for a second until his hands gripped her arms and his lips responded in kind. Whilst it was clear he lacked experience, enthusiasm dripped from the kiss and it more than made up for it as his lips moved eagerly against hers. She angled her head, encouraging him to do that same and trying to keep up with the frantic pace he was setting, all the while batting down a smile. It was him all over, joyful and chaotic and she didn’t know if she’d ever get enough of it.

They pulled apart and there was a split second of relief in his eyes, like maybe he thought this moment was never coming, before it was trampled by his excitement, and he beamed at her.

“You want one too?” She teased, looking over at Zoro, eyebrow raised in challenge.  

Zoro’s response was a heavy palm on the back of her neck that had them both leaning in, over Luffy, to meet in the middle for a kiss much different from hers with Luffy. Zoro’s pace was slower, more thorough as he took his time against her lips, yet it was firm. He had a bit more knowledge, he was surer in himself, and it showed as she sunk into the kiss, for once letting herself be led. She enjoyed it just as much and she knew she’d relish taking her time to pull apart the differences between them, savouring the way they both made her feel.

A daring swipe of her tongue across his bottom lip and then they broke apart, Luffy in the background demanding another kiss when Zoro smugly said, “Took you long enough.”

He wouldn’t look so smug when she pushed him off the bed tonight.            

Luffy’s pleas weren’t ignored when Zoro said, “Captain,” to capture the other boy’s attention and tugged on his vest to kiss him and it made her feel warm, a flutter in her stomach because whilst she wasn’t a part of the kiss, she was a part of them. The three of them.

Luffy looked dazed and then elated when they broke apart, grin splitting his face and there was a glint in his eye that told her more kisses would be demanded before they went to sleep.

She’d get changed and brush her teeth before getting in bed, maybe check that both of them have done that already because she didn’t remember smelling or tasting mint on their breath, when something caught her eye.

There was a space in the middle for her already.

And she smiled; her boys.

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It’s been a while since I’ve had a fic practically write itself, I’ve missed that.

Luffy and Zoro may be idiots most of the time, but they’re both emotionally smart, it’s been shown time and time again. Nami, on the other hand, is in some cases but she’s also a bit of a worrywart too. So yeah, they kinda eased Nami into what was developing because they didn’t want to freak her out.

As always, please excuse any errors.  

If you got this far, thanks for reading, it means a lot.

[pagingdoctorbedlam]

Quick, before the event ends! Time to celebrate a Starry Night for @tsunderedoctor with Franky! The prompt for this one is “Stars; seeing the reader's eyes sparkle.” So without further ado...!

It's your first birthday celebrated with the Straw Hats, and they always go all-out for parties. Food and drinks flow freely, the air is abuzz with song and story, and nothing has dared breach the festive air. Night fell some time ago, and while it's still warm out, the party is slowly starting to die down.

Franky places a light blanket around your shoulders. "Got one more thing to show ya' before you hit the sack. It's going to be suuuuuper! Just hold tight, I'll have it ready in just a sec..."

You don't know this, but he's been hard at work on these fireworks since you first stepped onto the Sunny. Everything from the colors of the lights to the fuse length has been meticulously tested in order to craft the most beautifully bombastic display this side of the Grand Line...while still catering to your specific preferences and tolerances for fireworks. (He sent Usopp on a super-stealthy mission to figure all this out, so of course you'd never expect a thing. Surely.) He couldn't quite say why it's been so important for him to get this right. All he knows is that more than anything else, he wants to make you smile.

Everyone's eyes go to the barrels he wheels onto the deck; Sanji and Nami have to keep Luffy back from investigating and ruining the surprise ("No, they're NOT full of meat, sit down!"). He doublechecks the fuses to make sure everything will light up in perfectly orchestrated order. He drowns out the curious commentary of the rest of the crew, but he's acutely aware of your eyes on his back. You're the one he wants to impress, after all, and he's never felt so simultaneously proud and nervous.

No more putting it off. He spins on his heels and puts his arms together. "Alriiiiiight! Who's ready for the Super Franky Firework Show?" The entire crew cheers in response, but he waits for your smile to start the show. He lights the first fuse with a whiff of flamethrower breath. The sizzling sparks leading up to that first explosion almost drown out how loudly his heart is beating.

The world fills with color. Starbursts and flowers with petals of light, spiraling twists and color-shifting fountains, a visual feast painted upon a backdrop of a perfect starry sky!

Once he's sure his creations are going off without a hitch, Franky tears his eyes away from the spectacle. He sees you, eyes wide and quietly mesmerized. This was the goal all along, to make this a birthday you wouldn't forget, but he didn't expect the way those fireworks would reflect in your eyes like so many stars, like planets and comets colliding, the universe destroying and rebuilding itself in your pupils. His internal systems kick into high gear as he finds himself briefly unable to breathe at the sight.

And then your eyes meet his, and somehow, they look even brighter.

"Franky, this is wonderful! I love it!" 

He says that he does too. You laugh and blush. He's confused as to why until his head catches up with his mouth and heart, and he realizes he'd instead answered "I love you too." And before he can take it back, here you are right next to him, blanket still around your shoulders as you stand on tip-toe.

Everyone else is too busy watching the finale of the fireworks to notice the explosive kiss that you and Franky share. And yet...maybe some things, Franky decides, can be soft and quiet but still super.

[eirist]

Little Bits and Pieces of Heaven

THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS

One-shot #: 23

Disclaimer: One Piece (and its characters) belongs to Eiichiro Oda-sensei.

Reminder: I have no beta-reader. Any grammatical and spelling errors are solely mine.

Warning: OOC possible. One shot.

Rating: M (Suggestive)

Note: Happy Valentine’s Day people! This was originally for the Whimsical Kisses collection but it turned out differently than I had planned. And I liked it better. So enjoy!

Summary: He was a greedy man when it comes to his alcohol. Just like she was a greedy woman when it comes to her money. But he was all too willing to share it with her beneath her beloved trees.

It was a rather tiring day.

If Zoro may say so himself.

Just when he thought that idiot love cook couldn’t get any worse, someone had to go and invent a day for couples, celebrating romance and all that mawkish stuff guaranteed to make a normal, unromantic person barf.

Ero-cook’s adoring gestures went into overdrive because of that and stayed in it the whole damn day. He shifted from shouting one moment into noodle-dancing the next, then to swooning and crooning at their two female crewmates.

He put the rest of the crew (the boys, specifically) to work to give the two women the most romantic evening of their lives, with threats of blood and gore and a dinner straight from a vegetarian’s menu if they did not lend a hand into making the day extra special for the girls by helping turn the Sunny’s lawn deck into a romantic makeshift restaurant for a dinner date with him.

Zoro snorted at that, muttering ‘aho cook’ under his breath before promptly turning his back and leaving the rest to deal with the blond’s insanity.

He holed himself up in the crow’s nest, far away from the man as possible and busied himself with his training. Every now and then he rolled his eye whenever Sanji yelled bloody murder at one of the boys for ruining or messing something in his carefully laid out dinner date plans.

He couldn’t understand why the other idiots put up with the idiot prince’s buffoonery. The threat of the vegetable menu isn’t that bad. Food is food after all.

But not everyone has the same thought as him. Nor can they withstand fasting or a measly meal of greens just like him.

He grumbled out his complaints when Nami popped up in the nest to check on him. She just laughed at his grievances and with a cheeky smile, told him that this is the one time she and Robin are all too willing to indulge the chef’s wish, making the swordsman frown.

Unless Zoro has something planned for the two of them. Then she will be no show at the dinner date and leave Robin at the Sanji’s mercy all night.

Which he absolutely doesn’t have. And Nami knows that of course. She already knew what she was getting into after all when she involved herself with him.

With a wink she left him to his own devices. But not before blowing him a kiss and promising that she would see his unromantic, delectable ass much, much later… if he is still awake and waiting.

He just huffed in response and watched her disappear down the hatch to prepare for their evening with that damned swirly brows.

Yet the weird thing is… he wasn’t even mad that she’s gonna spend the evening on a dinner date with that twirling dumbass cook. Nor even jealous.

For he was already way past those emotions. He had long ago came to deal with them.

Instead he was… amused.

Because he definitely likes to see how it would turn out.

In the end… it definitely wasn’t aho cook who Nami would spend the rest of the night with.

But that doesn’t mean he can go slack today of all days—even if Nami already expected that he had nothing special for her (because he is broke and unromantic, her words).

In all honesty, it would really be hard to compete with that ero kappa when he has been showering the girls with flowers, chocolates and a carefully made Valentine’s lunch and perfectly planned dinner date.

There’s no way the other male crewmembers can top that even if they wanted to.

Still, Zoro did stay awake and waited for her. Waited until that shitty dinner date with that shitty cook was done. Waited under her mikan trees, hidden beneath its shadows, with a bottle of a rather pricey alcohol that he was able to buy when he snuck into town earlier with his measly savings before they (the ones who doesn’t have any role in the dinner date) were confined inside the galley with a rather scrumptious dinner guaranteed to keep them in place so as not to disturb Sanji’s ‘date’ with the lovely ladies.

It’s the thought that counts after all. He was a greedy man when it comes to his alcohol. Just like she was a greedy woman when it comes to her money.

But he was all too willing to share it with her beneath her beloved trees, surrounded with the citrusy fragrance he had come to know and love while underneath the brilliant stars shining up in the sky that she absolutely can put to shame.

It counts as something. Especially from a man like him who doesn’t have a single, romantic bone in his body.

And Nami understood that. Because she was there after the dinner date was done and tidied up and everyone had retired to their respective rooms (the love cook still griping about how the night went by so fast)—all smiles as she made her way to him; still in that wine red, gown that showed of the bare skin of her back, the light tap of her bare feet against the wooden floor in time with his heartbeat.

Amidst lowered voice, hushed tones and muffled laughter at all the craziness (mainly from shit cook) that happened that day, they shared that special drink.

“Are you trying to get me drunk Zoro?” Nami joshed as he handed the bottle back to her so she can drink her share of the beverage again.

He grinned. “Why? Is it working?”

“Hmmm yes,” she whispered jestingly as she moved to settle on his lap, arms locking behind his neck as she kissed him.

The skirt of her gown had ridden up, exposing her long, creamy legs and he took the liberty of trailing his hand against the smooth skin of her thigh, moving upwards, higher and higher until…

He suddenly pulled away from her lips to stare at her questioningly.

Did she actually went and had dinner with that perverted cook without anything underneath her dress?!

Nami smiled mischievously at his expression, her fingers playing with the ends of his hair, tickling the back of his neck…

She brought her lips closer to his ear.

“I took it off before coming here to you,” she whispered, her tone seductive, winking saucily when she felt his chest rumble against her as a growl escaped him.

“Happy Valentine’s Zoro,” she teased before her grin turned naughty. “Now, why don’t you take my dress off so you can enjoy your valentine’s day present?”

-------------------------

A soft snore tore him from his thoughts and Zoro glanced down towards his slumbering companion.

He was sitting on the floor of the crow’s nest, with his back resting against the wooden bench surrounding it. Nami was sleeping beside him, lying down her stomach on their makeshift bed of layered blankets, making him wonder how in the world can she sleep comfortably in that position given how generous her breasts are.

Surprisingly, it didn’t bother her that she didn’t have any pillow. Normally she would complain about the lack of support for her head and neck and would eventually force him to let her use his arm.

Her cheek was resting contentedly against the soft sheets; her arm was resting limply across his thigh, the blanket they were using for cover was strewn carelessly above her desirable and naked ass, barely covering it.

She was so deep in her sleep and oblivious to the world around her.

Another snore broke the silence and Zoro smirked. Nami rarely snores (yet she claims that she doesn’t) but he knew well enough.

His navigator must be really tired.

He reached down to drag the blanket up and cover her properly. She was mumbling in her sleep… something about steering the ship away from an incoming storm.

Zoro promptly sneaked a glance out of the nest’s windows. After all, Nami’s weather predictions are never wrong.

But the sky is clear. Not a single cloud was hovering across the vast, still dark horizon sprinkled with countless of brightly shining stars.  

He finds it adorable that she was still manning the Sunny and getting them out of danger even in her dreams.

He carefully lifted her hand from his thigh, his calloused fingers caressing her soft ones.

Zoro leaned down so he could bring them closer to his lips for a kiss.

That pulled her out her slumber.

“Mmmm…Zoro?” She blearily blinked up at him. “Why are you awake?” Her voice still hoarse from sleep or from their earlier activity, he was not sure.

She lazily stretched her body as Zoro watched her. “Is it time to go?” She asked again as she sleepily sat up, running a hand through her tousled orange tresses. The blanket covering her fell down and bundled on her hips, exposing her delicious breasts still marred with his kisses and bites.

He smirked, hands reaching out for her waist. He tugged her closer to him, kissing her forehead. She welcomed his affection with a warm, sleepy smile, wrapping an arm around his torso as she hummed in content.

“Nope,” he finally answered as he kissed her lips softly before planting a peck on one bare shoulder. She shivered slightly at the sensation. “I told Usopp I’d cover his shift tonight.”

He grinned when her eyes sparkled at the thought of spending some more time with him.

“We have the nest to ourselves ‘til daybreak. Happy Valentine’s Nami.”

[kbstories]

Signification

sig·ni·fi·ca·tion (n.)

The process of assigning meaning to something.

Captain and First Mate, two years later.

(Or: Zoro adores his captain. A lot.)

Tags: Reunions, Nakamaship, Introspection, Fluff, Domesticity (!)

Post-Timeskip setting, between Sabaody and Fishman Island. Read Chapter 2 here.

***

Surrounded by tumultuous battle and the distant booming of cannons, the Thousand Sunny begins to sink. The waves churn and slosh against her hull with increasing might; glinting foam breaks across the sky in half-formed arcs and yet not a single drop touches the grass below.

The crew watches, wonder shining in their eyes. Roronoa Zoro counts, sharp gaze touching upon every familiar face, every smile that glows with shared relief, then starts over.

Nine. Nine, again.

Finally complete, the Strawhats are swallowed by the sea.

In a heartbeat, the breathless moment dissolves into the usual chaos as Nami commands their gradual descent: Usopp and Chopper screech in unison about this sea king and that monster over Franky’s good-natured reassurances at the helm and the melodic humming coming from Brook; blooming and wilting like flowers, Robin’s elegant hands crop up all over the deck where Sanji and Zoro are wrangling the sails against the ocean’s massive current–

The Sunny moves like a living thing underneath them and through it all, Luffy laughs and laughs like he couldn’t get himself to stop even if he tried.

Having his friends back is a delight in and of itself but it’s that sound that does it. Zoro can feel the rough edges of the past months knit themselves together into something nostalgic, something fond, a type of gooey-warm devotion that became second nature somewhere along the line.

Like muscle memory, dormant for a while and never forgotten. It’s good to be home.

And yeah, he’s the first to admit soft things don’t come easy to him. There is a private smile on his lips, though, one he doesn’t care to hide. There’s no reason to, not here. Above them, a school of fish swims by, silhouetted by the sun like silver-coated birds and–

“Woah, it’s huge! Is that a shark?”

–the smile turns into a grin. Zoro’s eye meets those of his captain and, before Monkey D. Luffy can utter the idea brewing in that rubber brain of his, Shusui glides out of its sheath smoothly. Luffy cackles and together they stand, with their crew behind and the vast ocean ahead.

“You ready, Zoro?”

Those three little words settle in the spaces between skin and muscle and bone and – after two long years of worrying, wishing, waiting – Zoro nods and gladly takes his place beside the man who will be Pirate King.

*

The reunion party takes days to run its course until, on the third night, even the most energetic among the Strawhats are turning to their spot on Sunny’s deck for a cozy evening. A bonfire burns brightly in their midst and, under Sanji’s watchful eye, all kinds of sausages and vegetables sizzle away on a makeshift grill. Curiously, the smoke it produces leaves the resin coating of the ship in small, harmless bubbles – arms crossed and leaning back against the railing, Zoro follows their path until they disappear into depths unknown like sticky shooting stars.

A bit of imagination and even this cobalt sky can yield a few constellations, though it would take a creative mind like Usopp’s to name them all. Their presence is soothing, regardless.

No need to look so glum, Mihawk had said, that first night an eternity ago, after awkwardly hovering in Zoro’s periphery for far too long.

It had been a clumsy attempt at comfort at best. There was blood on the cuffs of his shirt and the soot of cannon fire still clung to his coat; made vague by the darkness, it was nonetheless the kind of tangible proof that all those headlines in the paper lacked. Somewhere out there, the ruins of Marineford smoldered. Somewhere out there, his captain was hurting.

Zoro had just huffed and stared out into the void. There was nothing to say, nothing at all.

There had been a quiet sigh, and steps echoing in the silence. Arms crossed, Mihawk had stared until Zoro couldn’t but stare back, quietly surprised by the intensity of emotion burning where nobody dared to look for it.

Don’t grieve what you haven’t lost, kid. You’re all under the same sky, after all.

Still, Zoro muses, eye slipping shut and shoulders relaxing against the Sunny’s comfortable embrace. Around him, the ever-present chatter of the crew dulls to a low rush. This is better.

The transition between sleep and consciousness is so gradual that Zoro doesn’t bother to track down the moment he dozes off. Eventually, there is a subtle shift around him, like gravity itself bends and realigns towards a greater force – a silent force, and that is what makes Zoro glance up between sleepy blinks.

There Luffy stands, hand on his hat and his hat on his chest and a woven-straw brim barely covering the crater of a scar below it. The fire casts shadows on Luffy’s face (Is it doubt flickering there? Indecisiveness?) and yet they’re fleeting enough to make Zoro question what he sees, fractured as his vision has become.

Then Luffy notices he’s awake and it’s all gone with a smile. “Napping already?”, he chuckles as he hops on the railing next to him. Zoro shrugs and stretches with a satisfied grunt.

“We getting close?”

“Nope, not yet.” Luffy snickers as Zoro slumps right back to where he was, his back snug against warmed wood. Sandals flip-flop along with the carefree swinging of Luffy's feet. “It’s okay, though. More chances to listen to Usopp’s stories! He met the Hercules, can you imagine?”

“Hardly”, Zoro grumbles indistinctly enough to not disturb the starry-eyed marvel on Luffy’s face. “Did he tell the one about the man-eating plant turned island yet?”

“The what?!”

It’s impossible not to laugh at how wide Luffy’s eyes can get: Zoro snorts and gestures towards the shape of Usopp on the other side of deck, a silent have at him that Luffy almost follows.

Almost. Cheers and laughter carry over from Usopp’s loosely assembled audience, and Chopper’s astounded What, really?! proves the story being told is a good one. Even so, the motion to launch himself into an unsuspecting Usopp is stopped mid-way and Luffy bounces back to the railing.

Huh.

At Zoro’s questioning grunt, the man just shakes his head and lowers his hat to his lap. “Ah, y’know. We have time now, right?”, he says with a thread of serenity woven into his voice – one that wasn’t there, last time they spoke, and the realization that Luffy is pacing himself shouldn’t feel this monumental.

Zoro lets his gaze linger, this time: over the subtle lines around Luffy’s eyes and the hint of exhaustion underneath; over all the little scars dusting his knuckles, old and new, and the gentle back-and-forth of his thumb over the ribbon of his hat, a mindless gesture of comfort that aches, somehow.

Threadbare it has become, this most faithful of companions. The red is long washed out by the sun and the sea and hell knows what else. Gratitude registers as a warm glow at Zoro’s core, for it being there when none of them could. For weathering the storms and the tears and the laughter, from the instant it left Shanks’ head to this very moment.

“It’s looking good”, Zoro comments lightly as he sits up and rubs the last traces of sleep from his eye. “Feels like ages ago that Nami had to stitch the hat back together. After… Buggy, was it? The clown guy.”

The expression on Luffy’s face goes a bit funny at that, half-way to a grimace yet too fond to be one. “Hah, yeah, him. I’ll have to thank him next time we see him, him and Jinbei and the others.”

Zoro blinks. That… makes no sense at all. Then again, Mihawk did grumble about the clown becoming a warlord, so weirder things have happened. “Who’s Jinbei?”

Luffy smiles, then, bright and toothy. “A friend! Don’t worry, you’ll meet him soon. He’s all serious and talks about honor a lot, so.”

So you’ll like him, Zoro fills in for him and huffs to himself. That part of himself that is fiercely independent wants to argue the point – then again, Luffy’s instincts are rarely off the mark.

Another thing to look forward to, then. Hopefully this Jinbei guy likes to drink.

“Say, Zoro?”

In a bundle of rubbery limbs and rustling fabric, Luffy joins him on the grassy deck, legs crossed and hat back where it belongs. His head tilts curiously, the steady weight of his full attention one Zoro shoulders with ease. “Where did you go?”

Ah, that. It’s a question he’s heard a few times this week, along with How in the world were you first? and What the hell happened to your eye? and Zoro has no room to complain. He, too, keeps a list of names in his heart, and the question marks around their fates are a subtle discomfort but very much there.

It’s weird to think of adventure as something they can experience even when forced apart.

And so Zoro tells him, about the castle standing proud among ruins and the ship that wrecked before it even touched the sea and the day he bowed to become stronger. He doesn’t mention the tense days spent in-between, reading the newspaper near-obsessively for even a scrap of new information. That black-and-white image of his captain standing alone on a battlefield is fresh in his memory, and will remain there for eternity. “Took me a while to get what you were trying to say”, he admonishes without heat, and Luffy nods sagely.

“I know, right? So complicated… Without Rayleigh I would’ve mixed everything up.”

That confirms that theory, then. A whole library of those exists in Zoro’s mind, years’ worth of theories and questions gone unanswered and wild speculation and it doesn’t matter, not anymore. Not with Luffy sitting next to him, looking more at peace than Zoro expected, deep down.

“You did well, Luffy.”

The words are out before he really thinks them through. It feels right, though, to see surprise dawn on Luffy’s face; the pride Zoro places in his voice soon takes root in the square set of Luffy’s shoulders, too, and the strong line of his back.

Then, he grins, eyes alight and squinting with it. Like this, the signs of weariness melt off entirely and there Luffy is, a little older, a little more mature and scarred to hell but still the happy-go-lucky idiot Zoro chose to follow two years ago.

“We really made it, huh, Zoro? It felt like forever and I was wondering if I’m just dreaming or something but… We’re finally here.”

Zoro sighs and reaches over and pulls the hat down, the brim briefly covering the amused chuckle on Luffy’s lips before it’s righted again. “’course it’s real, captain. You think we’d all bust our asses to be on time for some dream? Seriously.”

Luffy is still laughing, “I mean, you were early! Everyone was so surprised!”, poking him in the cheek and wiggling his feet in delight. Zoro lets him have it for a second longer than he normally would have before he rolls his eye and gets up.

“C’mon, rubber-for-brains, there’s some sake I brought that’s calling my name. Oi, Usopp! What was that thing with the plant island again?”

And with the sound of stretching rubber and a not-so-distant crash, Luffy is gone and Usopp yells.

>>Read Chapter 2

[goodlucktai]

anon from before: well if it’s okay I’d love to see something with law and the strawhats (Luffy in particular of course!) but no pressure! also let me know if you make a kofi or smth that I can contribute to ;;;

another op prompt, another excuse to write more of the smile again au :’) bless

and my ko-fi page is right here ! 

x

Zoro hates the hospital. 

He has a lot of respect for the people who work there, for the efficient pace of the nurses and staff, but he doesn’t think he’ll ever forget the endless night he and his family spent camped in the waiting room. He dreams of it sometimes. 

The lights, the smell, the sterile emptiness of the waiting room, the third shift receptionist who laughed on the phone as if she didn’t know or didn’t care that the world seemed to be ending. The chairs were uncomfortable and Nami had curled up in one with her head on Usopp’s shoulder, their clasped hands shaking. Robin sat perched on the edge of a bench seat like her namesake, ready at any moment to leap into flight. Sanji had gone without a smoke for longer than Zoro had ever seen, unable to tear himself away long enough to step outside even as the nicotine withdrawal began to make his fingers itch. Chopper was tiny where he huddled against Franky’s side, tucked safely beneath a broad, tattooed arm. Brook was still hours away, but he was on the first flight back; his cancelled tour made headlines. 

Zoro only has to close his eyes and he can see it all, as if it only happened moments ago. As if he’s still there, trapped in that waiting room, more helpless than he’s ever been. 

When Kuina died, it was instant. Zoro was informed of his friend’s fate and dressed for her funeral in just about the same breath. There was no purgatory in the form of white walls and outdated magazines and bitter-tasting coffee. He was so young at the time, and it was so long ago, but he remembers how badly it hurt. 

The waiting– the not knowing– somehow hurt just as much. 

But when Luffy runs ahead, pushing through the revolving door and spilling into the atrium with all the decorum of a storm at sea, Zoro ignores the lead pit in his stomach and follows right behind him.

Shachi is behind the reception desk, a phone tucked between his ear and his shoulder as his fingers fly across a computer keyboard. He looks up when they come in and grins to see them, waving them right on through. Luffy’s sandals smack loudly against the tile floor, and he’s waving his hands as he talks, and he looks like any other person here to visit someone they love.

But normally he wouldn’t walk so close to Zoro that their shoulders bump with every step. And he doesn’t quite make eye contact with anyone else. By the time they make it to a specific office and find it empty, his boisterous energy takes a subtle turn towards manic. 

“Oh,” he says. “I guess he’s not here.” 

Luffy’s bright smile fades and then goes fixed, and Zoro takes it personally. He turns and eyes the fire door directly across the hall. It’s the quickest out, and he’d do a lot worse than set off some emergency alarms in a hospital for his friend. 

As if summoned by the potential disaster, Penny sticks his head around the corner. 

“Hey, I thought I heard you guys!” he says cheerfully. He inserts himself bodily between Zoro and the fire door in a daring maneuver reminiscent of a man getting in the way of a hungry tiger and the injured elk it was stalking. “If you’re looking for our fearless leader, he’s in the lounge. Follow me.”

They fall into step together, but Luffy is still so close to Zoro he’s practically underfoot. To his credit, Penny doesn’t mention it. His stupid penguin hat clashes with his scrubs, as usual, and he keeps up a lively one-sided conversation for the whole four-minute journey to the physician’s lounge. 

He doesn’t bother knocking, simply pushing the door open and ushering them inside with a yell of “Guests!”

The two figures at the table look up, take in Luffy and Zoro’s sudden appearance, and then sort of leap to their feet. The tension blows out of Luffy like an autumn breeze, and he’s laughing as Bepo rounds the table to enfold him in a bear hug. 

“It’s been ages since you came to visit! Penguin, you should have warned me they were coming, I would have made fresh coffee!”

“I didn’t know they were here until like three seconds ago,” Penny contests hotly. 

Ignoring him, Bepo says, “Are the two of you staying for lunch? I can run to the cafeteria for something.”

“No,” Law says abruptly, “we’ll go out. I need a break.”

These are big words from the head surgeon, who has been known to go days without leaving the hospital and has been quoted saying “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” Shachi has told stories about the staff resorting to bribery, coercion, and outright blackmail to convince their boss to rest for ten minutes on the fold-out cot in his office. Even now, in the lounge, he was obviously working through stacks of medical paperwork next to a plate of something probably meant for his lunch long gone cold.

Law clocking out for a break of his own free will was similar to Sanji announcing he’s brought home McDonald’s for dinner because he didn’t feel like cooking– a clear disruption in the fabric of the universe– but Bepo and Penny don’t miss a beat. 

“Oh, of course! I’ll tell Shachi to clear your afternoon.”

“Bring us back something tasty!”

Zoro hates the hospital, but that doesn’t extend to the people who work here. They each, to a man, labored tirelessly for Luffy, made themselves available for his frightened family, and even now continue to care about him past what their job description demands. Law shrugs on a jacket and steers Luffy out into the hall.

“I could have met you in the parking lot,” Law says at length. His expression  gives nothing away, but the quick pace he sets does. “Call ahead next time.”

“Nah, it’s more fun when it’s a surprise,” Luffy says blithely. Law’s silence conveys succinctly that he really doesn’t care about what Luffy thinks is fun. Luffy, who only wields unsettling perception when it suits him, decides to be oblivious today. “Let’s go to the Baratie!”

His brother died in this hospital. Luffy, who was in surgery for eleven hours and then unconscious for the next three days, didn’t get the chance to say goodbye. And Zoro thinks again of the day he learned Kuina died; waking up one morning only to be told that while he was asleep, the world as he knew it had changed, and something was missing from it now that he could never get back. 

It hurts; Zoro knows how much it hurts.

But Luffy grins as they step outside, stretching his arms out wide as though he’s ready to catch the sky should it come tumbling down, and seems determined not to let it. He’s friends with the man who saved his life. He clings to the memory of his brother, but only so he can bring Ace with him into the light of every new day.

“Take care of him for me.”

Watch us, Zoro thinks, following Luffy. Wherever you are, watch. 

[buymethesea]

dear @ask-kitchenwitchsanji! i was your secret santa for the @opsecretsanta2019 exchange and i’ve come to finally bring your gift (finally!). first, of all i want to apologize for the delay and wish you happy holidays and a happy new year. all the best for this coming decade ✨✨ for your gift, i wrote fic and i ended up going with the prompts of near death experience and angst, because that’s my jam too, and boy let me tell you, this one really ran away from me. i had a lot of fun writing and hope you enjoy it as well.

title: brave face characters: sanji, zoro, mentions of the rest of the straw hats. summary: actions have consequenses and zoro’s had enough. or, sanji puts his life in danger. again. words: 3 623 a/n: discussions of canon-typical violence and its more realistic consequences/death.

”What’s your problem, huh?”

Sanji blinks. Or he tries to, but his head hurts too much for the motion to be anything more than a slight wince.

Wait.

His head hurts?

Why?

What the fuck is going on? Did someone say something?

Fuck, it hurts.

---

”What’s your problem, Cook?”

There’s that voice again. Zoro.

Sanji grimaces. Of all the goddamn things in the world to wake up to-- He’s too fucking tired for this.

Shit, it really hurts all over. He must have been done in real good in their latest fight. Sanji grunts, tries to open his eyes. Slowly, his head is already pounding as it is. It takes a moment for his vision to clear, but sure enough he’s in the infirmary and the mosshead is sitting at the side of his bed. Gross.

Sanji moves his mouth. His lips are dry.

”What are you doing here?” he says. Tries to say. It’s annoying how hoarse his voice sounds, how weak. He must have been out of it for a good while.

Zoro doesn’t answer. Sanji would ask him again, but he’s too tired to bother and either way something is…off about the swordsman. The furrow of his brows, the set of his shoulders. It’s enough to unnerve Sanji, so he asks, has to ask:

“Is something wrong? Are the others okay?”

For some reason, that was the wrong thing to say because Zoro stands up abruptly, the look on his face mean as he replies:

“Look who’s talking.”

Normally that would be enough to goad Sanji into a fight but the shithead has a point. He’s too tired. He can barely keep his eyes open as is.

Zoro grunts and starts moving towards the door

“Everyone else is fine. I’m getting Chopper. Try to stay awake until he’s had a look at you, idiot,” he says and his voice is all even and quiet as he talks. Weird.

Try as he might it’s fucking hard, keeping his eyes open and Sanji feels himself drift back into nothingness.

 ---

 Third time’s the charm.

Sure, everything still fucking hurts when Sanji wakes but the fog clogging his head is slowly starting to clear.

“You have a real problem, you know?” Zoro’s voice comes from the side of the bed and Sanji wants to scream.

He turns his head (slowly, slowly) to glare at the swordsman.

“Hey fuckhead, you really got nothing better to do than torment me?” Sanji says and while the edge is missing from his voice at least it doesn’t give up on him in the middle of the sentence. Small steps and all that. “Last I knew the infirmary belonged to Chopper.”

Zoro grimaces, the look on his face harsh.

“Even doctors need to sleep. Wasn’t doing him any good, fretting over you every hour.”

Sanji’s mouth clamps shut. After a moments struggle, his compulsion to antagonize Zoro loses out to his increasing need to understand what the fuck is going on and what the hell happened to him. He starts out easy.

“What time is it?”

“Early morning, rest of the crew’s still asleep,” Zoro answers. “I’m on watch.”

“Sure,” Sanji says, and it takes all his willpower to not comment on the fact that the swordsman had apparently been spending his shift in the infirmary instead of the crow’s nest. There was probably a reason for that.

Sanji wets his lips. As he starts coming back to his body it dawns on him just how bad shape he’s in. All this from a fight? While he’s not sure exactly what happened, he remembers the skirmish and the small crew of two-bit marines they’d run into. None of the usual big guns that were after them, just some local division leader too high on his own supply to realize just how outmatched him and his men were.

It just doesn’t add up. From what Sanji can tell he’s been knocked out for a good while, and the crew had been worried enough to assign him a watch. And he feels like pure shit. His body feels weak, his limbs sluggish and heavy. Loathe as he is to admit it, Sanji doubts he could get out of bed on his own. His head hurts and, even worse than that, his chest aches. Not just the pain from broken ribs – that he recognizes – but his insides feel raw, irritated. Like his airways have been filled with broken glass, like something chafes with every breath he takes.

“What happened?” Sanji asks.

 “You drowned,” Zoro says.

Huh?

“Stop fucking around,” Sanji grits out.

“I’m not. You drowned.”

“Hey shithead, does it look like I’m in the mood for jokes?” Sanji shouts, “How the fuck would I drown?!”

Sanji doesn’t get an answer to that question. Right then the door is slammed open by Chopper who manages to look both rushed and newly awake, the hat on his head askew and his eyes wide-open.

“Sanji! You’re up,” their small doctor exclaims and then he pauses. Any other time and Sanji would have found it funny, the way Chopper’s face gave away the exact moment he took in the scene he’d walked into.

“Are you fighting?” Chopper asks, immediately he transforming into his man-form and getting between them. “But Zoro, you promised!” he berates as he drags the swordsman out from the infirmary.

“Yeah, yeah, apologies,” Zoro says, reaching up to straighten out the hat on Chopper’s head as he’s being shooed away. “The moron’s all yours, Doc.”

 ---

 With only Chopper left in the room with him, Sanji isn’t quite sure what to say. He can’t say he cares very much for the sickbed, and unlike the rest of the knobheads on their crew it’s not very often his injuries are bad enough to keep him confined. There are exceptions, sure, but overall this is a foreign experience.

“How are you doing?”

Chopper is the first to speak, expertly stepping into his role and Sanji has to smile.

“I’m fine,” he reassures, “Should be back on my feet in no time.”

So what, his body hurts. He’s alive and there’s no reason that anyone should have to worry about him.

“Don’t doubt that for a second,” Chopper replies as he comes closer. “Is it really that difficult, to rest up properly for once?” he wonders and it’s only when Chopper steps up right by the bed that Sanji notices just how wobbly a smile their little reindeer is sporting.

Sanji stays quiet while he’s examined from top to bottom. He doesn’t doubt Chopper’s capabilities, or intentions, but something about the whole thing seems—excessive and it makes his skin crawl.

“Hey,” he starts, keeping his voice to a gentle murmur so as to not startle Chopper while he’s drawing blood. “Everything good?”

Chopper hums, absorbed enough in his work that he doesn’t look up. “I’d need the results from your blood samples to make sure, and it still too early to rule out neurological damage…” he trails off, brain finally catching up to what he’d let slip. “Not that I’m too worried! Everything seems fine so far so you don’t need to worry either, okay?”

Sanji finds himself fidgeting, his fingers running over the small band-aid on the inside of his elbow.

“Of course not,” he says finally.  

 ---

 To his absolute dismay Sanji is prescribed further bedrest and Chopper expressively forbids him from returning to his duties in the kitchen. Sanji protests to the best of his ability, expecting to get some type of support from the rest of crew. But to his surprise there was only approval of Chopper’s decision, and Sanji realizes all hope is lost when he turns to his captain and Luffy’s face is been serious, as if he’d tried to think long and hard on the matter. "You need to rest up first Sanji. Captain's orders!"

Effectively barred from the kitchen and told to rest, there’s not much left from Sanji’s usual routine to occupy himself with. He sleeps a lot, and it’s not like it’s possible to be truly alone on a ship like theirs. Luffy seems to have made it his personal mission to fill Sanji in on whatever idiocy he and Usopp have come up with during the day, and Robin, bless her, has taken to dropping by with books from the library. One afternoon, Nami had cleared out space for herself at Chopper’s desk to work on her maps muttering something about the deck being too noisy ,and Brook keeps sticking his head in and asking for suggestions on what to play next, wandering off but somehow always straying close enough that Sanji can hear the music too.

Still, the days are long and the nights even longer, and so when the ship is quiet and dark, Sanji broods.

It’s starting to catch up with him, the strangeness of the situation and his mind is filled with thoughts he’d rather not linger on. Like the relief on the faces of the crew that morning when he’d first woken up, when they’d filed in one after another with that same expression on their faces and that same weight leaving their shoulders as they caught sight of him. Like the state of his body, still so goddamn tired and worn.

‘You drowned’ Zoro had said and Sanji still doesn’t know what that means.

 ---

 One night it all gets a little too much. Desperate to get a moment’s reprieve from the noise inside his head Sanji listens and waits. On the other side of the infirmary door the crew of the Sunny are slowly but surely settling for the night and finally the ship is silent. Sanji knows that Luffy has the first watch of the night which just means that their captain will be sleeping in the crow’s nest instead of in the men’s cabin, and so Sanji only looks around once before he steps out from the infirmary onto the deck.

It’s cold.

What was it Nami-san had said yesterday, they’d entered the climate zone of an Autumn island? It’s been a second since Sanji’s shivered like this, but wrapped in one of the blankets from his sickbed the chill against his skin makes him feel alive. He breathes in, holds the air, exhales. Fuck, he could really use a cigarette right now.

Sanji stands outside for a good while watching the sea and tasting the salt in the air. Some self-medication, he thinks to himself and snickers.

Next is the galley. He’s not stupid enough to go against doctor’s orders and try to cook something, but a cup of tea that he’s brewed himself, getting the stand in front of the stove and soak in the heat. He thinks that’d do him good.

So of course, because the universe hates him, he opens the door to the galley and steps inside only to find that he’s not alone. The lights are off but moonlight streams through the portholes and by the table Zoro is drinking.

Sanji stands by the threshold and curses the world.

Zoro looks up from his drink, his face infuriatingly stoic as he opens his stupid mouth.

“You’re not supposed to be here. Chopper’s gonna have your head.”

Sanji grits his teeth. Maybe it’s just as well that he’s not smoking, he would have bit through his cigarette by now otherwise.

“Shut up,” he mutters as he makes his way to the stove. It’s not worth it, starting a fight. Besides…”You’d snitch on me, mosshead?”

Zoro grunts and takes another swig from his bottle. It’s the good sake that Sanji had hid way back in the pantry. He imagines not much is left out of that stock.

Sanji inhales slowly and turns away. No fighting, he repeats inside his head like a mantra as he prepares his tea. It’s not worth it.

To his great disappointment Zoro's still sitting there when he turns back. He scowls as he takes a seat at the table but makes sure put his cup down gently.

He takes a sip, closes his eyes. Despite the unwanted presence on the other side of the table he feels himself relax. Why wouldn’t he? The galley is his domain, his second skin. Fuck, as much as he needed fresh air, this is it. Inside the galley, the heart of the ship, he’s okay.

When he opens his eyes he finds Zoro staring at him and at once the smile on his face drops. This fucker. The mosshead isn’t even drinking anymore. The bottle’s empty, his arms are crossed over his chest, the expression on his face unreadable as he keeps. Fucking. Staring.

Sanji’s had enough.

“What’s your problem?” he says and he tries to keep his voice calm, neutral. His voice is still raspy, even though it’s been days since he woke up.

Zoro face hardens.

“That’s my question.” He leans forward to rest an elbow on the table. “Actually, I've been asking you for a while now but no dice.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Sanji wants to say. Unfortunately, he remembers the mosshead glued to his side in the infirmary, asking that one question with various degrees of rudeness attached. But that had only been until he’d woken up properly. The idiot sure had been making himself scarce since then.

“I have no idea what your taking about?” he says instead.

It takes a while for Zoro to respond, finally he says:

“Do you remember what happened?”

Sanji glares.

“No,” he admits finally. As much as he hates it he realizes at once what Zoro means and that this is his best shot at finally getting some answers.

“You drowned—” Zoro starts but Sanji interrupts him at once. He’s not here to listen to bullshit.

“Talk sense, mosshead. Start from the beginning.”

There’s no way I drowned.

It’s Zoro’s turn to glare, but if looks could kill Sanji would be burning in hell a hundred times over so he ignores him.

Then – finally – Zoro starts talking.

“We were about to leave the latest island when a bunch of marines ambushed us. The usual weaklings”

Sanji nods. That much he remembers, it had only been him, Luffy and the mosshead fighting while the others prepared the ship to set sail, stowing away their shopping and what not. It’s after that shit gets blurry.

“Well, their captain was apparently the ambitious type, had invested in all this advanced weaponry. Out of the norm on a small base like this one but still no different from the shit we’d run into before. We thought.” Zoro goes on speaking, his voice the usual drone but something about it is still unnerving, maybe it’s because Sanji knows that something ends up going south.

“So he kept going on about all his toys, you know the type, but then he mentioned something kinda troublesome. Some genius had come up the idea to combine those seastone nets of theirs with a bazooka or whatever. He said that, the marine captain, and aimed at Luffy.”

“Luffy didn’t notice, he was fighting some martial artist and he’s never been the type to listen twice to weaklings. But you did, Cook,” Zoro says, his face serious as he stares at Sanji. And Sanji realizes that that strange undercurrent to Zoro’s voice is rage.

“You heard the guy,” he continues, “and instead of shouting out a warning or kicking Luffy out of the way and dodging, you took the hit for him and was sent flying into the sea. And sure, you’re good swimmer but that net knocked the air out of you, and in the blink of an eye you were sinking. ‘S not like you can kick you’re way out of seastone, either.”

Sanji swallows. Not his greatest moment, but still.

“Big deal, someone got me out, right?”

Zoro’s not amused.

“You see, Cook. It took a moment, since both Luffy and I were busy with our own fights and that idiot is useless in the water anyway. But sure I jumped in after you and by the time I got you out the marines were done with. But seastone’s heavy, it slowed me down.”

Sanji’s stunned. That’s an unexpected confession, coming from the swordsman. It makes him uncomfortable.

“Called for Chopper when I got out because you weren’t responding. Think you swallowed a decent amount of water. He wanted to start compressions, you know, but seastone’s a bitch. It took you a while to free you, especially since four out of the crew couldn’t even help out.”

“You weren’t breathing when we finally got you free from the net. Chopper couldn’t find at pulse. You drowned.”

Sanji’s stomach churns. “Then what?” He manages to choke out.

Zoro shrugs. “Chopper started compressions, tried to get you breathing. The others helped him move you to the infirmary, and I guess they got you going after a couple of minutes. I’m not sure. I was trying to calm Luffy down."

“Why,” Sanji whispers.

“He would have killed those marines otherwise.”

Sanji runs his hands through his hair. He doesn’t want to look at the Zoro right now.

Fuck. The grip on his hair tightens. All this while he’d imagined all kinds of scenarios and yet the truth is worse than anythings he's managed to conjure up. He wants to accuse the other of lying, of making things up to fuck with him, but he knows Zoro’s not the type. Not even Usopp would lie about something like this. He feels bile at the back of his throat.

No wonder then. That he’d been feeling like shit. That the others had been looking at him like something fragile and precious. That Zoro was furious with him.

Speak of the devil.

“I’m gonna ask you again, Cook. What’s you problem?”

Sanji wants to laugh. Fuck this guy really, for choosing to do this now while his mind was still reeling.

“I don’t have a problem.”

“Then, why'd you take that hit in Luffy’s place instead of getting him out of the way?”

“Fuck if I know. I was just trying to save him. You would have done it too.”

Zoro sneers, the look on his face meaner than ever.

“Wrong. Anyone of us in the crew would have saved him, sure. Only you would put your sorry ass at risk, because you’re the only here with a death-wish.”

Sanji sees red.

“Like you’re the one to talk,” he spits out. “After Thriller Bark.”

“I was never going to die.”

Sanji stands up and it’s only the vertigo from rising so suddenly that stops him from kicking the swordsman through the wall. The hypocrisy is enough to throw all his senses awry.

“I was there, remember? I heard you offer your head in Luffy’s place!”

Sanji’’s self-aware enough to admit he’s the hotheaded type of guy. He doesn’t know how he finds it within himself to still keep a respectable volume.

Zoro grinds his teeth. Looking at him properly, Sanji can spot all these signs that tell him the calm Zoro’s projecting is a façade. The tense posture, the unnatural clench of his jaw. Suddenly Sanji’s tired, the fight running off him like water. He wishes they could just fight it out, cut through the tension with swords and kicks, without uttering a single world. Instead they’ve been reduced to this. It’s not like them.

“I remember,” Zoro says. “I know what I said, but unlike you I had the resolve to not die. Kuma was never gonna kill me.”

Sanji sits back down. He wants a smoke. He wants to not be here.

“You’re saying I would have died, and that’s why you knocked me out,” Sanji can’t help the resentment that colors his voice.

“Yes.”

“Because I’m weak.”

“Yes.”

There it is. It took two years but there it is. An admission.

“Don’t get me wrong, idiot. I’m not taking about your fighting ability, in that sense you’re as strong as any,” Sanji gets the distinct feeling that saying this out loud is like pulling teeth for Zoro. “But you’re fine with sacrificing your life, and that makes you weak.”

Sanji bites the inside of his cheek.

“That’s not true,” he counters but finds his voice unconvincing. He blames the early hour. The state of his body. Anything.

It would take a hundred years before he’d admit that Zoro has a point.

Zoro shakes his head and for a brief moment the mask is off. Instead of stern, he just looks weary and in the moonlit galley the shadows under his eyes are pronounced.

“I don’t how to get through to you,” he says and Sanji’s reminded of how young he is. How young they both are when it comes to the grand scheme of things; despite how much they’ve been through. But the moment passes and Zoro stands up.

Sanji realizes he missed his chance, but he not sure for what, and maybe that’s for the better.

“One more thing.” Zoro stops by the doorway, not even bothering to look back. “You’re not putting the crew through this again.”

The door falls shut behind him and Sanji is alone. 

He leans his head back to stare at the ceiling. 

Well, what the fuck am I supposed to do then?

Sure, this one was unecessary, but Sanji knows the sea is cruel. He's not naive enough to think that their little crew, however much they mean to him, are special enough to coast by without coming across tragedy or hardships. And maybe that means that somewhere deep down, unconsciously, he'd promised himself that when the time comes it's him and not them. Never them.

He'll just have to be smarter about it.

[madlymiho]

Oh oh, yes, @soul-stealer-reaper I can totally write something like that ! I chose to go for the first scenario where Law and his s/o can't have a moment together!

Hope you'll like this sin ~

Words : 1670

Warning : NSFW

Law scenario (read after the cut)

Law is in a very bad mood. You’re back from a mission, for already two weeks now, after almost three months apart, and still, nothing has worked the way he wanted. First, the first night after your long journey, Bepo has been sick. Well, it’s not his fault after all, you can’t really plan when you’re about to have a burning fever and some awful shivers, but still, it has ruined his plan. The day after, Law has been summoned by Luffy somewhere else, and he has been away for four more days, feeling how powerful his excitement was growing any time he was thinking about you. Yet, it was only four days, and soon enough, he would be able to get back to your wonderful body and those adorable little noises he’s the only one to cause. But no. Shashi and Penguin has set the roof of the sub on fire, experimenting one of Usopp’s gun, and he has been there as a captain, to prevent anymore damages on his precious metal boat. Two more days of repairs were adding on his frustration list.

Two weeks. Two weeks where you walk in front of him, with that delicious rump he craves to spank, and your playful stare which is enough to make him hard. He has tried to jerk off in the bathroom, between one or two chores, but clearly, it wasn’t enough. It can’t be enough when you’re around everyday. Fact is, Law also knows how much you want him as well. You always fondle his thigh under the diner table, or wear sexier outfit just to feel his hungry stare on your curves. He knows that you can’t wait anymore as well, and it has the effect to ruin his mood. He’s so pissed than even Bepo can’t make him smile when he offers him a friendly hug, worried about his captain constant angry stare.

Reading some medical informations, Law is focus on his last task of the week. He hopes that he would get rid of it any time soon, so he can have at least a proper night of sleep. He pinches his lips when he hears a timid knock on his lab door, already expecting another bad news. Yet, as a captain, he can’t truly refuse his help, so he lets lose a frustrated sigh and mumbles a grumpy “come in”. At the edge of his vision, he recognizes your beautiful features, and lazily turns his head to offer you what he hopes to be a soft smile. You seem tired, dark circles marking your eyes.

“Are you alright?” Law asks, pushing his book far from him as he invites you to join him, extending his hand.

“Mmh, Bepo is better,” You yawn, accepting his invitation, joining him to seat on his lap. “He’s asleep now.”

Law nods, closing his notebook as well, his lips finding their way to the crook of your neck.

“And what about Penguin and Uni?”

You frown and look at his concentrated face, which is still pressing urgent kisses on your skin.

“Mmh, what about them? They have a shift on the deck for about a hour.”

Law smiles against your neck, then he lifts his chin up and looks at you with hungry eyes, biting his bottom lips for a second.

“So, everyone is either asleep, or busy with a night shift…” Law whispers, his fingers on your hips suddenly pressing your skin slightly stronger.

You smirk, now understanding Law’s intentions, your own digits fondling his raven hair.

“Yes, captain, it seems we have finally a green light.”

This is enough to change Law’s stare into something more bestial, while he immediately grabs you under your thigh, and makes you seat on his desk. You feel his urge, his body all flushed against yours, his hands already working hard to remove your top, throwing it somewhere in the room. He lips find their way to yours, his tongue already forcing its way in, his breathing heavier than before. His hands skim your body, fondling your breasts with an intense touch, going down to unbelt your short, sliding it down on the floor while you’re now only wearing your underwears. He has never been so hurry before, but you don’t mind, craving his body as much as he craves yours. He pushes on your hips, bringing you at the edge of the desk, causing a loud growl when your core is suddenly pressed against his hard arousal. He can’t help but play with you a little, his fingers sliding down to find your damp core, pressing them on your panties, your moans now clearly audible in the lab room. For a moment, he stops his gestures, feeling too hot to remain fully dressed, removing his sweater, but also his jeans, before he gets back to your wonderful body.

Usually, he would be more patient, almost too slow with you, building this everlasting fire in your belly while he works on your with his tongue or his fingers. Yet, after all those days of deep frustration, you feel that Law is slightly different, urging, almost primal when he touches you. He cups your breasts with more heavy gestures, pulling down your bra to free your nipples, his digits playing with them almost rawly. You gasp, trying your best to touch him as well, but he doesn’t let have any access to his hardness, focus on his own desires and the pleasure he could offer. Still kissing you, Law finally puts his hand in your panties, his digits circling your nub, enjoying the many moans and groans you’re doing at the moment.

“You’re so wet already…,” he can’t help but whisper, parting his lips for a moment, before he digs his mouth in the crook of your neck, napping your skin shamelessly.

You only hum in approbation, grabbing his wrist to push his fingers a little bit down, until he accepts your silent request and digs one of them inside your damp core. He breathes heavily against your skin, his lips tracing an invisible line to from you neck to your earlobe, before he bites it gently, pushing another digit in. He eventually accepts your own fingers on his arousal, feeling that you need to touch him as well, your hand grabbing the edge of his underwear to push the material down on his thighs. His cock bumps against his belly, and you don’t waste anymore time, as you circle it at its base, jerking him off while he scissors and twists his fingers inside of you. He growls, louder than usual, seeking for your lips as you both increase the pace. He sometimes bites your bottom lips, tenderly watching you with passionate eyes, his arousal filling the room with a warm and primal atmosphere. He suddenly grabs your wrist and stops your gestures, unable to resist to your perfect movements anymore, as he slowly removes his own fingers as well.

“Turn around,” Law snarls with a husky voice, helping you to get down of the table, his hands on your hips, escorting your rotation. “On your tip-toe.”

You immediately follow his order, your ass going up in the air, as you bend your body on the desk, offering him a perfect view of your dripping core and your butthole. He hums, his hands massaging your ass for a moment, his cock bumping against your entrance, teasing you viciously. You almost want to tell him that it’s enough, but Law is already in a rush, and he fills you with one powerful thrust, going deep inside of you. You gasp, the desk moving under your body, as he slowly moves, almost entirely pulling out of your core, to thrust once again, almost violently. You feel deliciously tight for him, and Law can’t help but let lose a deep sigh, his hands still holding your hips to escort his movements. After a second, he starts to settle a regular but powerful pace, his hips banging against your ass, creating lusty and fleshy sounds all over the room. He growls, his skin reacting to your every moan, a river of goosebumps invading his spine.

“Fuck…,” Law groans, increasing his pace, unable to restrain his movements. “You feel so good…”

“Law, please, harder!” You desperately beg, turning your head for a second just to stare at his blissful features.

He smirks, ready to give it all, since he feels that he can’t truly last long after so many weeks far from your body. He grabs your shoulder and helps you to stand back up, your back colliding with his chest, so he can cup your breasts and plays with it while he takes you strongly. He makes you turn your head, enough to crush his lips against yours, your messy kiss nothing more but clenching teeth and desperate moans. He quickly abandons your breasts to slide his hand down, directly pressing your swollen nub, his hips thrusting hard inside of you. He smiles, feeling how much you’re tensed under his touch, ready to reach a powerful climax, soon enough, his digits circling your clit shamelessly.

Finally, you quiver on your legs, melting under his touch as your core becomes suddenly awfully tight for him, thousand of spasms travelling through your body. Law furrowed his eyebrows, unable to contain himself anymore, filling your womb with his seed, groaning against your lips. For a moment, you remain breathless, both of you riding out your orgasms, before he eventually pulls out and helps you to find a better position. He cups your jaw and drags you against his chest, stealing a chast kiss from your swollen and red lips.

“Captain!” Someone suddenly yells in the middle of the corridor. “Captain! Jean Bart fell from his hammock and destroyed the boys’ room floor! We need your help!”

Law throws a deadly stare at the door, still holding you strongly, while you can’t help but to let lose a little laugh. Definitely, he would always be a busy captain.

[crapitskizaru]

Strawhats+ in College!AU

AU for the straw hats (plus law and kid) in Greek life? 

Warning: long ass post + i can’t quite imagine luff in college

Zoro-ya (Police Officer)

🤯 “Just give me some booze and I’ll make it.”

🤯 seriously, this guy’s lost 99% of the time, whether talking figuratively or literally, both will be correct 

🤯 he needs the first few months in college to create a certain routine for himself and all of his classes, as well as adjust his Nap Schedule - it’d be so irritating for him whenever he can’t get a grasp out of the situation or simply forgets which lecture he’s supposed to attend, but he shifts to a total-chill attitude halfway through the semester 

🤯 which usually means showing up at a 9AM lecture with a mug of coffee in one hand and a sports magazine in the other - since he can’t focus on whatever the professor’s saying, even if he tries, he might as well do something productive with his time 

🤯 contrary to his lectures, he has 100% attendance on every kind of party going around the campus and quickly earns himself a reputation of the guy who never blacks out 

🤯 cares more about the nearest gym opening hours than his studying schedule, although he doesn’t neglect it completely

🤯 he studies best in his dormitory - that is, provided he doesn’t have loud roommates - or in a cafeteria, where it’s relatively quiet, but not quiet enough for him to fall asleep 

🤯 ends up with a Criminal Justice degree and a major in Law Enforcement 

Sanji (Beauty Salon Worker)

😱 “How can you help me? Push me down those stairs, please.”

😱 so overwhelmed, since he has to reconcile his job and lecture attendance 

😱 due to his blood family giving zero shits about his education or future, he’s on his own - and he still somehow makes it, although not without having a mental breakdown every weekend 

😱 (credit to the cute anon) Sanji was eligible for a scholarship but because he's officially a Vinsmoke, his biological family is too rich for him to get one, even though they don’t provide any support, let alone a financial one; he probably has a massive debt as well

😱 whenever he’s not at work and can’t even think about studying, he attends all those wild parties in order to create some bonds and find his drinking buddies 

😱 has great time management skills, thanks to all of his struggles, and keeps up with his college budget - unfortunately, the most probable situation is that he’d be the only person he can actually rely on 

😱 however, it wouldn’t stop him from putting himself out there whenever he’s got a chance; after all, the love of his life may be waiting for him just around the corner 

😱 because he’s stressed out of his mind most of the time, he indulges in various addictions that may not be good for his health but at least provide the tiniest bit of calmness in his hectic schedule; whether it’s plain cigarette-smoking or excessive drinking, or even having sex with strangers just to get himself off and have an illusion of being cared about, he does it all without a blink, since that’s what keeps him going 

😱 provided that he finally finds the time to study, he’s actually quite a fast learner - mostly in the silence of a library or in his own flat 

😱 has a major in Cosmetics 

Nami (Childcare Worker)

😈 “You’re already drunk? Good luck with that, pal.” 

😈  just like Cersei, Nami’s not really into this whole sisterhood deal if she doesn’t know the people well - with the exception of Robin, who might be her one, true bestie, she doesn’t necessarily put much effort into strengthening any bonds 

😈 she somehow has a great GPA, even though she attends more parties than lectures - but with her natural charms and wits, she’s able to convince pretty much anyone just how good of a student she is 

😈 even though she likes to keep a safe distance from people, she enjoys partying and getting to know her colleagues; it’s always fun to prey on those who had the misfortune to black out as the first ones 

😈 when she actually decides to show up to a lecture, her outfit needs to be on point, otherwise she wouldn’t feel comfortable at all 

😈 regarding the time she dedicates for studying - it’s usually during the afternoon in the library, since she hates when someone disturbs her focus; her notes have to be highlighted and organized, that’s what gives her peace of mind 

😈 ends up with a major in Psychology 

bonus: 

Usopp (Graphic Designer)

😱 “I have, like, three dollars for the entire week.” 

😱  stressed out of his mind 

😱 he knows the only person he can blame that on is no one other than himself, due to his advanced skills in procrastinating or simply not being able to focus on work when he needs to, thanks to his ADHD 

😱 stays up late - not for assignments, which he manages to bullshit his way through 10 minutes before they’re due - but to watch old vines compilations, a guy who felled a tree with a chainsaw made of paper, detailed descriptions on how hydrogen bombs work or the entire playlist of Crash Course on world’s history 

😱 at first may have a hard time bonding, but once everyone notices how good of a friend he is, he certainly won’t have any problems regarding social life or party invitations 

😱 the boy’s on his phone almost all time - whether to keep up with his exploding social media or read a random article he accidentally clicked on; he’s also known for sending snaps in the middle of his lectures or tweeting about campus life and its most up-to-date gossip

😱 he studies most effectively when with a group of buddies - usually in the campus cafeteria; loves to keep his notes as colorful as possible, but he doesn’t really care for aesthetic 

😱 naturally, majors in Graphic Design

Chopper (Elementary School Teacher)

😵 “Omg, I’m going to fail this exam.” *gets 92%*

😵 i don’t really agree with Oda on this whole teaching deal - I think it’s obvious he’d go to med school to become a doctor 

😵 one of those students who study really hard and it pays off, but he still stresses out everyone around him 

😵 has perfect lecture attendance, because he actually enjoys listening to the professor; also asks a lot of questions regarding topics he doesn’t understand at first

😵 quickly makes friends, due to the whole year coming to him for explanation regarding various fields in the syllabus, or to just simply study with him - somehow, his aura of pure focus and concentration beams down on those around him

😵 could get a slight coffee addiction, since he tends to study during the night 

Robin-chwan (Cabin Attendant)

☕ takes surprisingly huge amount of joy in making up fake exam dates and then scaring her fellow colleagues with it

☕ what she’d prefer is simply studying on her own with piles of books stacking up all around her - she doesn’t need someone to explain a certain topic to her, she does it well enough on her own 

☕ therefore, she’s not a huge fan of attending lectures, although she knows she has to; but usually just ends up reading the textbook ahead without paying much attention to the surroundings 

☕ she studies best with scribbling notes on the margins of the book, maybe creating a few mind maps to link the historic events together, also uses only one highlighter since too many colors would be distracting

☕ regarding her social life; since she quite often reads around the campus, in various places, she gets a lot of chances to talk to people and is not afraid to start the conversation first 

☕ shows up at parties and usually stays up till the morning - minding her own business and with a group of friends, she knows how to have fun and keep herself entertained 

☕ pursues Archeology, that’s for sure 

Franky (Pilot)

👻 “Ayyy, which paper is it today? Bring it on, losers.” 

👻 even if he is a little bit overwhelmed, he doesn’t let it show - he just tries to have as much fun as possible while doing things that have to be done 

👻 once he decides to study a topic, he’s not giving up on it or taking a break until he gets it; that may have something to do with the fact that the faster he’s done with studying, the more he can party and load himself with waterfalls of energy drinks that he so loves 

👻 if the subject picks his interest, he likes to tune in to the lecture and listen to the professor - he may or may not try to reconstruct whatever project is discussed later on, in his own dorm and with his own safety rules 

👻 he is quite popular around the campus, due to his outgoing nature and easiness in cracking jokes, as well as being always down to a makeout session or simple petting with anyone who he finds attractive 

👻 goes with Aerospace Engineering 

Brook (Detective)

👑 “I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know what day it is. And I don’t care.”

👑 what he mostly pursues is not a high GPA or his lecture hall but quick entertainment involving some sort of sexual acts or just innocent intimacy with another person - it gives him a rush and he has no problems in admitting in front of himself that he might be quite hooked on it

👑 studies when it’s an absolute must, whether with a group of friends or on his own, he just wants to get it over with and indulge in campus social life - if he makes notes, they’re usually on a plain sheet of paper written with black ink; that’s how he’s able to focus and regurgitate information

👑 loves the parties and gatherings where he’s usually in the center of attention - and people like him, because he’s not too cocky and conceited, he just wants to have a good time 

👑 gets a degree in Criminal Justice

Jinbe 

🧣 “Just don’t.”

🧣 he’s the one who makes it through college without any actual problems or breakdowns every other day; and he doesn’t have a lot of sympathy to those who complain too much 

🧣 he’s just there, observing the huge amounts of alcohol being poured into certain individuals who most probably have an important exam the next day and he’s slowly losing his faith in humanity 

🧣 he just needs some time to understand that different people have different ways of dealing with certain stages of life - some do that with a peace of mind, some need vodka and liquor to get through it, and that’s just how it is 

🧣 would want to pursue a career of an FBI Agent or Fish and Game Warden, he’s not sure yet, but he’s getting there 

🧣 has a rather simple recipe for a productive study session - in the comfort of his own flat, where all the textbooks are available and within reach

🧣 ends up with a degree in Criminal Justice 

The Edge Lord (Doctor)

☃️ “No, I won’t have sex with you.” 

☃️ so tired and fed up with the whole world - he just wants to focus on studying and getting through his exams, but people keep throwing distractions at him no matter how unwelcoming and obnoxious he gets

☃️ since there’s no one hotter than him on the campus, he draws quite a lot of attention; unnecessary attention which he’d rather pass to someone else 

☃️ “Leave me alone, for Christ’s sake.” 

☃️ he doesn’t attend the lectures only when he’s too tired - other than that, he prefers not to miss anything and he can always spend the time doing something productive

☃️ he studies most effectively with a textbook and a black pen, scribbling shortened notes on the margins and underlining important phrases 

☃️ Traffy’s got few friends but he’d chop himself to tiniest pieces for them - and he knows they’d do the same for him as well 

☃️ engages in various extracurricular activities for the sake of credit, or as a form of spending time when he’s got no particular plans for the afternoon 

☃️ he’s constantly stressed - therefore, he likes to have a quick drink before the lectures or during the night, which turns into quite an addiction, but he knows he wouldn’t be able to get through it all without alcohol or other forms of stress-relief 

The Spawn of Satan (Weapons Dealer)

🔥 “Aye, if you ever need someone to show you around or somethin’, just call me.”

🔥 no one knows how he gets through the exams - but he does, and would be capable of getting high scores, if only he decided to study more than the bare minimum 

🔥 what he’s most interested in is being around people, throwing parties or attending them, drinking booze and having a damn good time with his friends - after all, he’s there to have fun and make memories

🔥 his method of studying the night before an exam is simple; he just reads the paragraphs and underlines the phrases that he thinks are important, and that’s all it takes for him to remember and understand the material 

🔥 what he’d rather be doing is getting laid and making out with everyone, but also, surprisingly or not, working a part-time job - he needs the money to feel that he’s in control of his own life, to know that he’s got financial stability and is not dependent on anyone other than himself

🔥 would have a hard time figuring his life out and what he wants to do in the future, but, thankfully, he’s got that one friend that will stay by his side no matter what - so that Kiddo will never be alone in this mess

Mochi Mochii

🍩 “When is this going to end?”

🍩 he minds his own business - or, at least, tries to; due to the excessive amount of family reunions or casual barbecue invitations every other day, he gets so distracted from his studies 

🍩 he knows what he went to college for and keeps his aspirations in mind at all times; despite his great time management skills, broad schedule and a bullet journal, he still far too often ends up cramming in the library the night before an exam - since he doesn’t want to let down his family and leave them hanging during all those gatherings that they always invite him to during weekday

🍩 Mochi doesn’t really get all this hype for getting hammered and carrying out make-out sessions with strangers whenever possible, so he just sits back and observes the shit going down around him at parties

🍩 he enjoys studying, but only the topics that he knows are useful or genuinely interest him - in a silent library or a bookstore, he highlights the most important information and sticks post-it notes all over the pages how cute is this?

🍩 would go for either Criminal Justice to become a security guard or training programs for tattoo artists

[waterchestnut123]

CH 8 | To Catch A Turtle Dove

Fandom: One Piece Setting: Victorian AU Genre: Action, Adventure, Humor, Friendship, Romance. Pairings: Law/Nami Rating: M - Mature (for language, drinking and alcohol, death and some moderate gore, other adult themes)

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Chapter 8: Speculative Reporting

“Widespread Burglaries at Trafalgar Castle Ball”

“The talk of the town this past month has been the unexpected announcement of a ball to be held at Castle Trafalgar in early December for the most influential families in Flevance—an announcement which was met with great surprise given the Lord and Lady’s strident efforts over the years to maintain their privacy. The affair, which took place last Saturday, was expected by many to be the most glamorous and highly anticipated event of the year.

 "However, instead of eager gossip about the extravagant affair or the opening of the castle for the first time in almost a decade, what has captured the attention of the Province in the week following the Trafalgar’s winter gala has instead been a rash of burglaries which occurred during the ball—right under the Lord and Lady’s noses.

 "Initial estimates by authorities and reports from guests—many of whom did not realize they had been the victim of theft until returning home later that night—suggest the thief stole a variety of items ranging from pocket watches and brooches to silverware and billfolds. While the full scale of the burglaries has yet to be tallied, initial estimates suggest the cumulative value of goods stolen to be near 1 million Belli. Lord Trafalgar has assured the victims and the Capitol Inquirer that he is taking every effort to locate the culprit and see them brought to justice; but unfortunately, according to authorities, the trail appears to have gone cold and no leads have yet been found.”

Franky set the paper onto the table with a crinkling rustle as Usopp whistled lowly, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. Nami, for her part, struggled to suppress a smug smirk, opting instead to raise her tankard to her lips as Frank turned to her with a grin and a slap on the shoulder, causing her ale to slosh against her mouth.

“OW! Nice going, Sis!”

“Yeah, Nami,” Usopp chimed in, scratching his goatee as he observed her with something akin to wonder, ”This is… really, really impressive.”

Nami casually flipped her hair over a shoulder, lips quirked despite her attempts to play it cool.

“They don’t call me the Uncapturable Cat Thief for nothing.”

Truthfully—though she hadn’t told anyone, the unexpected twist to the end of the night had been more than simply an embarrassment; it had rattled her confidence. She’d anxiously kept to the bookshop since the ball, too afraid to be seen in public lest the authorities be out searching for her.

It was only after lying low for almost a week that the article had appeared in the paper. She’d learned of it first that morning over breakfast, Robin reading the good news aloud to her at the kitchen table. She was fairly certain she had never heard words as sweet as “the trail appears to have gone cold”, and enthusiastically deemed it safe enough to venture out into public again; and good thing too, as she was beginning to go stir-crazy in their small apartment.

“Hey—how about another round? To celebrate!” Franky enthused, shaking his empty mug.

“Here here!” Usopp agreed with a grin, hoisting his mug in the air. Nami smiled, turning in her seat.

“Sanji-kun!” she hollered towards the kitchen; and as if immediately summoned by her voice, the cook backed through the swinging double doors, a tray with three fresh mugs already balanced on one hand.

“A step ahead of you, my lovely Nami-swan!” he crooned, crossing the short distance to their table by the fire and depositing three filled mugs in front of them, putting the empty ones on his tray.

“Are you sure you can’t join us, Sanji-kun?” Nami inquired, taking up a fresh mug.

“Ah, how I would love to! But unfortunately, I need to prepare for the dinner rush—hungry customers never wait,” he lamented, before adding with sincerity, “Congratulations, though, Nami-San. Your skills never cease to amaze me.”

He offered her a wide smile before turning back for the kitchen, a hand reaching up to his mouth before lowering to the bar counter, butt in hand, sinking the remains of his cigarette into a waiting ashtray.

Usopp reached for the abandoned newspaper, flipping the page as she returned her attention to the table. Franky kicked up his legs as he took a deep swig of his full tankard, turning her way.

“So what was it like, there? Almost nobody’s seen the castle since it was rebuilt. It’s supposed to be the most beautiful building in all of Flevance, built by a team of master craftsmen with the finest materials.”

Nami leaned back in her seat, a smile tugging at her lips. The first thing Sanji had wanted to know about were all the high society ladies dressed up like little taffeta cakes; trust Franky to be interested instead in the architecture.

“It’s the most beautiful and most ridiculously lavish building you could possibly ever imagine,” she said, hands gesticulating as she attempted to convey it’s stunning grandiosity.

“I mean, just the grand staircase alone cost probably as much as the entire last house I stole from. And the ballroom was enormous! Two stories high, with these amazing hardwood floors like a tile mosaic; and huge marble columns, crystal chandeliers the size of my bedroom, a mural across the whole ballroom ceiling… It was… breathtaking, to be honest.”

Franky looked awed and a tad wistful, thumb absently rubbing the handle of his tankard as he stared into space. “I bet Tom-san would have loved to see something like that…”

Franky rarely mentioned his old master, Tom. As far as she knew, he had been killed before Franky finished his apprenticeship to the man on Water Seven, years back, before it sunk into the sea off the exterior coast of Drum. But much like with Robin’s past, she knew better than to pry into what was clearly sensitive territory.

“I bet he would have loved it, too,” she said softly.

“What I wouldn’t give to see it for myself!” he added, mood lifting. “I bet I could learn a thing or two from a masterwork like that!”

“Oh—oh hey guys, check this out!” Usopp enthused, setting the paper onto the table and spreading it flat with his palms. He pointed to a small article on the third page, and as Franky leaned over to look, his expression soured with distaste.

“There’s a rumor the Lord might be courting someone! It says here that he refused a dance from every woman—except for one; and eyewitnesses say he only had eyes for her. ‘Bout time, eh!”

Nami felt her cheeks heat, quickly raising her tankard to her lips to hide her embarrassment. Really! She assumed people would talk, but an article in the paper? And he hardly “only had eyes” for her; she was seen with the guy once, all night—for fifteen minutes! Talk about speculative reporting.

Usopp scratched at his goatee again. “Maybe that’s why they finally opened up the castle…” he mused, then lifted a thoughtful eye to Nami. ”Did you happen to see her, Nami? The article says nobody knows who she is…”

Nami’s face burned hotter. She hardly wanted to admit it was she the article was referring to. Everyone had been singing her praises all day, and she was loath to contradict that praise with the truth of how badly she’d screwed up in the final twenty minutes.

She was, thankfully, saved from having to respond by Franky’s timely interruption.

“Are you reading the Society Page?” he asked with horror, causing Usopp to jerk in his direction with an ill-disguised blush.

“What?” he demanded defensively, “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to know the talk of the Capitol!”

Franky snorted. “Yeah, if you’re a snooty, undersexed housewife.”

“Oi! There’s a lot of valuable information in the society page—!”

And there they went. Insults and thoroughly unqualified opinions were thrown back and forth, and Nami leaned back in her chair with a relieved sigh. Trust them to forget about Usopp’s question altogether once they became embroiled in a bout of boyish bickering.

She slowly finished her drink as she watched their back-and-forth, Usopp extolling the value of social context provided by the society page’s ‘reporting’, while Franky insisted it was nothing more than a gossip rag for bored housewives. As the last of her ale trickled pleasantly down her throat, she glanced up at the clock over the mantle.

“Alright guys,” she said, interrupting their argument and setting her empty tankard on the tabletop with a thud. “I’ve gotta head out—my second shift starts soon.”

Their boy fight was put on pause and each stood to give her a fierce hug, finding momentary commonality in showering her with yet more congratulations. She met their praise with a smile and appreciative, “Thanks guys”, before turning for the kitchen to bid a busy Sanji quick farewell.

Upon returning to the tavern dining room Usopp and Franky had resumed their argument over the merits of the Society Page, and she laughed lowly as she grabbed her worn tartan cloak from the hook by the door, throwing it breezily over her shoulders. With a quick “See ya later!”, she headed out the door, trading cozy tavern warmth for chill winter afternoon.

Golden sunlight cast long shadows as she navigated the busy streets, late-day crowds and Christmastime shoppers filling the trade district and making her journey back to Robin’s apartment a slow one. She passed the dress shops and tailors and cobblers, young girls oggling the latest silk taffeta holiday designs in the store window. She passed the butcher and green grocery, each advertising holiday turkeys and fresh cranberries respectively. And soon, Geo’s cart came into view and she offered him a cheerful wave as he bagged a customer’s oranges. It was as she passed by that the the bookstore’s awning finally came into view; almost there—and just in time.

As she approached the shopfront, however, her brow furrowed in confusion; for despite the early evening holiday shoppers about, there were no lights on in the store as there should have been. Did Robin close early?

She stepped under the awning and up into the entryway nook, eying a sign tacked to the shop door written in Robin’s precise, elegant handwriting. She cocked her head, gloved fingers touching the note curiously. Ordinarily, Robin wrote in cursive. Nami knew this because she could scarcely read cursive—as much as she could read to begin with. Whenever Robin wrote in her journal or transcribed recipes, she always wrote in that looping, elegant, nonsensical script. And when she sent Nami to the store with a grocery list, or otherwise provided her with a simple written message, it was always penned in clear, precise font instead of her usual cursive.

Just like this sign.

She stared at it closely, slowly deciphering the message word by word: “Closed for the day. Please come back tomorrow.”

Huh. That was… odd. Though she supposed Robin knew she was due to resume her shift shortly—maybe she simply wanted her to know she had the rest of the evening off? Or maybe she was just trying to make her store notices clearer and easier to read for potential customers? There were a lot of children out and about today… Although, that fact alone made it odd that she would close early. The holiday rush was at its peak, after all.

She stepped off the stoop and back out into the street. She supposed it would be easy to find out, as the woman in question was likely right upstairs. Turning, she headed for the narrow, nondescript door to the left of the shopfront. Pulling her key from her pocket, she unlocked the door and pushed it open with with a grating squeal before stepping inside and locking both the door and the sounds of the street behind her.

She climbed the narrow, dingy stairs quickly, stopping at the small landing at the top to flip the keys on her ring and stick the second into the apartment door’s lock. She turned and pushed it open easily, stepping into the apartment’s warmth. The fire was crackling in the living room, a low flame rising from two small logs in the hearth. She pulled her gloves from her hands and her cloak from her shoulders, tossing the winter wear onto a bench by the door. Then, she headed into the living room, calling out.

“Robin? You home?”

Brief silence followed by the clinking of stoneware; then: “In the Kitchen!”

Turning right, she crossed through the living room heading toward Robin’s voice, rubbing her hands to ward off the last of the outdoor chill.

“I saw you closed the shop early?” she queried, stepping into the short hallway; however she didn’t get more than halfway through before the dining nook—and their kitchen table, came into view, causing her to freeze mid-step.

For sitting at the table in her chair beside a politely smiling Robin, a steaming cup of tea in his hand, was none other than Lord Trafalgar.

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