#zoro about to POUNCE

[benevolentcannibal]

the sun in full bloom ☀️

[tzimiscequeen-blog]

OMG! I love all of these, but the Marco and Nekomamushi one just had me cackling!

One piece 979-983

[m00nkeiki]

First Hug from the Monster Trio

As part of the "First Hugs" Series Featuring: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji Content Warning: Mentions of blood/injuries in Zoro’s section

Luffy

Luffy is a bundle of sunshine, a beacon of hope and joy who sees his friends as the greatest thing in the world! Of course he’d love to give hugs! Whether it is from a victorious celebration after an hour of determination or winning a silly little team game, Luffy’s hugs were full of delight.

His best hugs are surprises. One day, you could be walking down a street with some minute bustle of people around as you expect an ordinary day to follow.

A brush of wind comes about and is followed by silence, and then the loud call of your name. You recognize that voice: it’s and excitable, booming, and thrilling shout of glee.

You turn around and your beaming face is welcomed at the sight of Luffy launching himself at you, his rubber arms stretching wider than the horizons as you prepare for impact.

Like a landing plane, Luffy slows down to wrap coils of arms and legs around your body, bringing you into a snug, rubbery embrace. His infectious laughter plants seeds in your lungs, and you too begin to bloom with laughter as you exclaim his name in this joyful reunion. 

Luffy doesn't let go for another minute, so once he withdraws his embrace, he would not stop laughing and giggling. It’s as if seeing you and hugging you for the first time is the best thing that ever happened to him.

“Nishishi, So glad to see you here!”

Zoro

It's easy to think Zoro seems too stoic for this, right? Well, Zoro can still has moments of vulnerability where he would drop his usual cool attitude for the ones he cares about.

It happened after a hard fought battle, when Zoro was so close to losing you. 

There were scratches and bruises from where you lost a few drops of blood. Here you were, panting, breathing, but with the bandages wrapped around your injuries as you were on the path of healing, you knew you were going to be okay.

Zoro sights you: his usually hardened face softens into relief, a glint in his eyes apparent as he sees you in this less than ideal condition.

Sitting next to you, you notice how he’s trying to shuffle towards you. The great Straw Hat Swordsman, Zoro, has difficulty putting his affections in words. At worst, it’ll make him look like a mumbling idiot, but you know he’s sincere even if his low voice seems to undercut it.

“Crap… how do I say this… I’m glad you’re okay.”

The low rumble of his voice forms a glow of warmth in you. You then notice he’s trying to wrap his arm around you: it’s stiff and awkward, and unbecoming of someone who has slashed his enemies with no mercy. But the moment you gently palm his face, shooting him a reassuring smile, Zoro squeezes what little tears he tried to erase as he turns you to him and hugs you firmly. 

Sanji

 If charm and service were encapsulated as a person, that’s Sanji. He always gives all sorts of attention to women, showering them with compliments and praises as hearts fly around his head.

But actual affection? To hug someone? It feels foreign to him. It’s not that he is averse to them, but the other way round—he craves to embrace someone he could love and cherish with his whole heart. 

He does reserve that sort of intimacy though, despite being the resident womanizer of the crew. Sanji yearns to build a relationship with someone he could call home, even if it chips down his philandering habits. Being a gentle lover, he wants you to be okay with all of his touches, even little things like nuzzling your neck, hands cascading down your arm… 

The hug happened on a quiet kitchen night, as you helped Sanji wash the dishes after he fed the crew a whole meal. He checks in with you, to ensure the chore did not tire you out as he was ready to pounce on you with a sweet treat.

You shake your head and reassure him though it is clear you could fall down and sleep on the floor. Sanji did not want you to say good night to him like this; with blue eyes that plead, he puts his hand on your shoulder before bringing you into a hug, the kind that feels like a prelude to a slow dance.

“My love, my darling… you are truly my candle in the darkness, my divine angel from heaven… Let me take care of you.”

More in the series: (Ace + Sabo + Law)

[asce-of-hearts]

Asce darling (hope it’s ok I call you that!) , please please with a cherry on top may I please request yandere’s monster trio (separate if that’s to many maybe just Sanji) In there 40’s cause I am simp and omg there look amazing 😩👌 as hcs plesse 💗anon

Old man

contents: Yandere!Monster Trio headcanons when they're in their 40's (gn!reader)

more content of Luffy, Zoro and Sanji here

TAG LIST

WARNINGS: NSFW.

Monkey D. Luffy

The stubble always itches when he kisses you. No matter how much you tell him to shave he never does. Either way, also tickles a little when he gives head lol.

Obscenely strong, he was very lanky all of his life so you wonder just when did he get all broad. Broad back and shoulders, very muscly. Still thin but his body definitely changed.

It's insane how a man can look so much like his grandpa. You saw a picture of dragon once when you both were young and thought maybe he'd grow to look like that. Oh how wrong you were, he looks NOTHING like his father. But his grandpa on the other hand? Yeah, two peas in a pod.

Just a little bit more serious now that he's older, otherwise the same lighthearted, cheerful, optimistic ray of sunshine he has always been.

Whiny when he gets jealous. Possessively wraps his arms around you, stretching them until not an inch of you isn't covered and pouts as he gets you closer to him. Shooting daggers with his eyes at whoever is making him have such a reaction.

Cum gallons, at one point he really wants to secure a heir and he isn't letting you leave the bed until he's sure he has placed something inside your tummy.

Marathon sex is a must with him. He has insane amounts of stamina and recovers very quickly. Be prepared for back and hip pain, and also for a looot of sleepless nights.

Roronoa Zoro

He isn't four sword style Zoro because he can handle for swords, its a euphemism for his cock. And once you realize you can't get it out of your mind.

Smile and frown wrinkles that not only make him look more mature, also make him look insanely hot whenever he goes all expressive.

Drinks quite a lot, more than usual over the years, not an alcoholic but definitely likes to drink whenever he can.

Dad bod. His arms are enormous, his back is very broad. Very hairy also. A little beer tummy that he sometimes feels self conscious about, trains very hard on the days he feels particularly bad about it, ignoring the fact that you can still see his abs without him needing to flex.

Very nice, comfortable man tits for you to sleep over.

Silently possessive, only puts his hand around your waist or hip, sometimes goes all filthy and just starts delivering sloppy kisses as he stares at whoever is making him feel this way, grinning when you moan and tap out as he gropes your ass.

Still gets lost, never learned his lesson. Relies on you a lot to get to places.

Sex with him is slow and deep, his thrusts are very hard and he has to full nelson you every time just because he has broken multiple surfaces over the ship whenever he fucks you because he just can't control his strength when his cock is buried deep inside you.

Vinsmoke Sanji

Passionate man, let his hair grow because you once said he had pretty hair.

With the years his food just gets better and better, always imagining recipes whenever he's not thinking about you.

His voice gets a little deeper, it rumbles all around his chest whenever he talks. You like to fall asleep with him talking to you, its soothing to feel that.

The biggest sex drive, he CANNOT keep his hands off of you. It doesn't matter when or where, he's always ready to pounce over you and make you his.

Always smells like cigarettes, his cologne mixed with that smell is almost aphrodisiac.

Very pretty, very handsome. He evoques cute aggression from your part and only laughs whenever you get mean around him. He thinks he's sooo cool just because he has pretty hair and pretty eyes and a pretty body and a big cock.

Passionate man like I already said. Never goes rough during sex but that doesn't mean he's boring. You always end up crying from overstimulation because his words alone when he fucks you so deeply, so tight against him is enough to make your head spin.

Possessive but remains chivalrous about it. Whenever he talks about he refers to you as "My ___".

i want them dead actually

hope you enjoyed this!!!!!!!

have a great day/night

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@mimihaitani @bad4amficideas

[angel1010xx]

ｂｅｇ ｆｏｒ ｍｅ

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Pairing: Zoro x Reader (NSFW)

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“Goddammit woman, why didn’t you fucking listen to me?!” 

Zoro was livid. Here was a man, towering in front of you, menacing, broad, ominously powerful—a man that has cut mountains in half—a man that just so happened to be unbelievably pissed off at you. 

“Don’t even try raising your voice at me!” You retorted back. “We would have lost everything if I didn’t make that move! Everything that the whole crew has been trying to protect would have been for nothing, Zoro! Nothing!”

“I don’t give a flying fuck,” Zoro spat, “about some cuckoo artifact that some podunk fucking scientist made.” He sneered, slowly taking steps towards you as if he were a beast waiting to pounce on its prey. 

Zoro had practically ripped your cabin door off of its hinges as soon as the Thousand Sunny had set sail again. This was only a few moments ago. Robin uncovered an artifact on the island the crew had stopped at, which just so happened to be one that was really, dreadfully needed. However, there were some… complications while leaving the island, to put it lightly. There was one particular enemy who tried to stop the crew. This nuisance had eaten a devil fruit that granted him the ability to neutralize one’s ability to fight, like a switch being flipped to the off position. He could only affect so many people at one time, and you were one of the unlucky ones to basically become a citizen in the battlefield. 

That didn’t make you take a tactical retreat, much to the chagrin of a certain swordsman. “Then what do you give a fuck about, Zoro?”

“You want to know what I give a fuck about?” Zoro breathed out in a mocking tone of voice, now standing chest to chest with you. His eyes burned into your own. “Right now, it’s teaching you a fucking lesson.” 

Zoro pushed you against the wall, and you let out a small yelp in surprise. He was still dirty from the battle, sweaty, scraped up… but you didn’t have time to think about that, because he crashed his lips onto yours with a feverish need. You yelped again, and all Zoro did was bite your bottom lip.

You felt your brain short-circuit. What was going on? 

The swordsman reached down to put his hands on the back of your thighs, and he hoisted you up in the air in one swift motion. Instinctively, you wrapped both your arms and legs around him, your back still against the wall. “Zoro, what are you—?” 

The swordman’s lips descended on your neck, and he just kept sucking and biting you. He groaned into your neck, and the combination of the low pitch of his voice, the vibration, and the warmth of his breath and mouth were all too much for you. Zoro bit your collarbone, and you gasped. He pulled away to kiss you again. “Shut up.” 

Zoro pulled away from the wall, and took a few calculated steps backwards so he could throw you on your bed. You gazed up at him, completely flushed, but you felt an ache between your thighs. He wasted no time to straddle you, trapping your legs between his, and he grabbed your wrists. “You are going to listen to me right now.” 

He growled in such a desperate way while he tied his ever-so-handy signature bandana around your wrists, and stared down at you. You were underneath him, writhing around, rubbing your thighs together for some friction and relief. You looked dirty, you looked needy, and you looked ravageable. 

Zoro got off of on top of you, and stood by the edge of the bed. He grabbed your hips and pulled you towards him, and you gasped as he ripped through any fabric barrier between you and the air. What’s gotten into him?

He spat on your cunt, then teasingly rubbed one finger in-between your folds. You moaned and arched your back, finding it hard to handle his slow pace. He didn’t let up, though; he kept rubbing his thumb in lazy circles over your entrance, then moving up to rub lazy circles on your clit, and then back down. “Fuck, Zoro, why are you teasing me…?”

“Because you don’t know how to listen.” He watched with sadistic glee as you bucked your hips against his thumb, desperate for more stimulation. “I need you to know who’s in control.” Zoro kept staring a hole into your soul, pride swelling up in his chest as he gazed down at your swollen lips and all the marks he left on your neck. So fucking pretty.

“You want more?” He asked, barely sliding the tip of his middle finger in and out of you. “Tell me you want more. I’m not giving you anything until you beg.”

You bit your lip, not wanting to give in, but your sopping cunt was aching. You shook your head at Zoro. “No…”

He leaned over you, lips hovering just above yours, and growled at you while pulling hard on one of your nipples. “Beg.”

You cried out, grinding your hips against Zoro’s, whimpering as he continued to tug and squeeze your nipples. He grunted, grinding back against you, shuddering from the adrenaline. “Tell me what you want, and fucking beg me for it.”

You let out a shaky breath. “Zoro, I need you inside me…. Please. I—please, Zoro—”

The swordsman took a second to tear his own clothes off of him. God, he was beautiful. Your eyes trailed down further and further… and God, how was he going to fit?!

Zoro smacked his dick against your cunt a few times before lining himself up with your entrance. “Say ‘please’ for me, one more time.”

“…Please.”

He pushed himself inside you in one hard thrust, giving you no time to adjust. An embarrassing squeal came out of your mouth. He was long, and he was girthy, and it felt like you were being split into two. His hand reached up to hold your tied-up ones, and he drilled into you like a man starving for water.

Sloppy, messy, wet, and god it felt so good.

Moans kept pouring out of your mouth as Zoro’s dick kissed your cervix with each thrust. He leaned his upper body onto yours, his voice dark with his own moans and grunts as he again began kissing and marking your neck. “Y’know what I give a fuck about?” He panted. “My woman. Alive.” 

“Zoro, I’m sorry—” 

Zoro changed his pace, his thrusts becoming slower and harder. Your body rocked with each one, and he put his finger in your mouth. “Ah ah ah. Show me you’re sorry. Beg for me. Beg me to make you cum on my dick.”

Your face was burning, you were swimming in pleasure, and your mind was a haze. You could smell sweat and a lingering trace of cologne, you could smell your own wetness, and all you could focus on was the growing, warm pit in your abdomen. His dick was rubbing just the right spot, but your body needed just a little bit more attention there, just a little bit more tension so you could snap—

“Fuck, please, Zoro. Please, I need you to make me cum. I need to cum on you, I’m so close, I—”

Zoro leaned back and put your ankles over his shoulders, and he began ravaging you like the beast he had been acting like earlier. It was all you could do to take it,

it was overwhelming, but his dick was curving right into that perfect spot, over, and over, and over, and over…

You cried out again, feeling the tension finally snap, and you saw white as your orgasm flooded every sense in you. “Fuck, you’re so fucking tight.” You heard Zoro moan, and he snapped his hips into yours a few more erratic times before you felt him twitch, and then you felt the strangest sensation of being full.

He stayed inside you while the two of you fought to catch a breath.

The swordsman grunted, slowly pulling out. You could feel cum spilling out of you. He laid next to you, and untied your wrists. “I can’t… I can’t protect you when you run into the fight vulnerable like that. You were supposed to go where it was safe.”

You sighed, turning onto your side to face him, and traced your finger over the scar on his chest. “’M sorry, Zoro. I was trying to do the right thing.”

“I know,” he murmured, placing his hand over yours. 

He really couldn’t stay mad at you. 

[shy-writer-999]

are there any character you think would get hot and bothered by a good spar with their s/o? how do you think think they’d act once they get worked up in that manner?

hmmmm... Zoro and Shanks are my answers right off the bat, but I could also imagine this with Ace, Kid, Smoker, and Law (if he felt like humoring someone enough to spar with them). I’ll sketch out some (nsfw) thoughts w/Zoro and Shanks—see below the cut! No anatomy mentioned, but for Shanks’s portion there are pet names, among them, princess. also thanks for putting this in my inbox it was such a treat to think about! (✿˘ω˘)˘ε˘˶ )

Zoro (✿˵ ꒡3꒡˵)

He’s amused that anyone thinks they’d be able to match his speed enough to spar

When you get into it though, he’s surprised because he underestimated you

He didn’t expect you to be as much of a challenge as you are, and your brains work in such different ways that your next move is often unpredictable, haki aside. You keep him on his toes

What starts getting him hot and bothered is seeing you work up a sweat. Your panting and heaving breaths remind him of how you sound in bed, and it starts to make his mind wander. He observes how lithely you parry, how gorgeous you are with a flush over your cheeks

You catch him off guard because his mind is elsewhere, and when he blocks your sword, your faces are inches away from each other

The intense and serious eye contact you hold with him when the sparring sessions get heated starts to get him really worked up

Zoro wants to finish the sparring session, but he wants to fuck you too—he does a mental balancing act about which of these should come first

He blocks one of your lunges so forcefully that your sword goes flying, and then he chucks his off to the side and basically pounces on you (you saw that coming a mile away); he’d want to make out and get handsy, then he’d pick you up and fuck you senseless

Zoro is partial to grunting and groaning out whatever comes to mind when he’s buried deep inside, along the lines of “it's so fuckin’ hot when you fight me," "you're so pretty when you're violent, I might just let you land a blow next time," and “I wanted to fuck you the whole time”, etc.

Shanks (´ ᴗ｀✿)

Shanks loooveeessss any chance he can get to spar with you

Seeing how good you are at it turns him on

He just loves someone who is good at what they do and who throws themselves into it passionately

When you spar, you’re both having a great time—you exchange banter, smiles, cheeky side-eyes, and some mild trash talking

Even with the banter, he’ll sweet talk you the whole time

His hair looks so good as he dodges and parries your advances. He’ll push his hair back from his face with one hand as he effortlessly dodges your blows

When you almost get him, he says something like “What, can’t you try any harder than that, angel?” or “almost had me that time, princess”

Shanks pays special attention to how your eyes flutter, how you’re perspiring, how your chest moves up and down with each breath—he admires your beauty and gets so distracted that you actually manage to pin him. Your sword is at his throat, and he breaks out into a grin. He'd say something like "you look even more gorgeous than usual holding a sword at my throat, baby" or "shit, sweetheart, be careful where you put that thing”

When you’re both tuckered out and sheathe your swords, he’ll pull you tight by your waist unexpectedly, or he’ll grab a handful of your ass as you walk away.

“Done already, sugar? Don’t you want to continue our session inside?”

He’ll pull you into sloppy kisses and when he’s feeling spicy, he’ll either carry you off to the shower or just fuck you right there on the spot. While his cock is in you, he'd call you sweet names and praise you. He'd be a fan of telling you that he's "never seen someone so gorgeous wield a sword" and that "you got me so worked up, it's only fair that I return the favor"

[innerfare]

Fighting and Making Up 

Summary: Some of the things you typically fight about, and how you usually make up.

Characters: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Ace, Sabo, Law, and Kid

Genre: Slight Angst // Fluff

CW: None // SFW

——— 

Luffy: You fight about his recklessness. You knew who he was when you fell in love with him and you don’t want to change him, but sometimes, it gets to be too much and you lose your cool. One perk of dating Luffy, though, is that he has very high emotional intelligence, so if it’s one of those fights where you just need your space, he’ll give it to you, waiting patiently for you to approach him to make amends (although it does weigh on him quite a bit when the two of you are at odds, like he’s waiting for the hammer to drop on your relationship; he has such an intense fear of you leaving him it’s unreal. He also struggles with the separation because he’s so clingy). He doesn’t really talk through the fight and do the whole apology thing, just pounces on you and kisses all over your face as soon as he can sense you’re good and ready to receive his affection again. If it was a really bad one, he might pick some flowers to give you. 

Zoro: Stubborn bastard. Refuses to admit that he’s wrong. You guys argue over lots of little things, usually directions, that don’t really require either of you two to apologize; there’s just some near-constant bickering in your relationship that is your love language. More seriously, you’ve fought because, for lack of a better term, Zoro doesn’t exactly have a bedside manner and can be overly blunt. You’ve also fought over the fact that so many women are clearly attracted to him and he’s completely oblivious. He’s not the type to flirt back, but it bothers you that he doesn’t notice because you feel like he doesn’t shut it down when he should (though he argues that by not noticing, he is, in a way, shutting it down). Not one to apologize with flowers because he feels that cheapens it, a bit like a bribe. He’ll just say sorry and that’s that. Sometimes you end up fighting again because he was ready to apologize but you weren’t ready to hear it and he thinks you’re being childish by giving him the silent treatment. 

Sanji: He’s far too protective over you, and it causes a lot of fights. He treats you like a china doll, and though that can be quite nice at times, he needs to understand you’re not made of glass. Alternatively, he’s the type to get upset with you for being too friendly to other men. There was also a miscommunication where he cooked something you didn’t like and you weren’t exactly gentle in your reaction to it, you thinking he already knew you didn’t like that thing when he didn’t actually know, him thinking you had an issue with his cooking and not an issue with one of the ingredients. He’s the type to bring you flowers even if you were in the wrong in order to jumpstart the making up process. Your fights never last long because Sanji can’t sleep, can’t eat, can barely even pull himself out of bed if the two of you are on the outs (early childhood trauma can be that way). 

Ace: His low self worth causes a lot of fights between the two of you. Sometimes, it’s you getting mad because his self doubt led him to, in turn, doubt you without realizing it. Other times, it’s him getting angry because you were a little too nice to another man and triggered his fear of you leaving, causing him to lash out. No matter who was in the wrong, Ace is consumed by the desire to apologize right away but ends up getting wrapped up in the fear of you rejecting his apology; thus, he acts all tsundere instead. But as soon as you approach him, usually with a piece of candy in hand as a sort of white flag, he melts, dragging you into his arms and holding you extra tight, saying in your ear how much he missed you even if you were only ignoring each other for an hour. He also has a habit of leaving candy for you as his own way of making up, but he won’t actually confront you with it, will just leave it somewhere you’ll find it as a way of reaching out and hope you start the conversation, much like a cat leaving a dead lizard on your porch. You two usually end up splitting the candy and talking about whatever happened, but only after you've finished kissing it better.  

Sabo: Sabo can be pretty hypocritical. He takes so many risks and claims he wants a partner who can keep up with him, but if you take risks without him to back you up (the way he constantly takes risks without you backing him up), he’ll get mad at you because it triggers him so deeply; he has nightmares about you dying, but he normally hides them from you. It usually devolves further when you accuse him of not living by the egalitarian ideals he espouses by trying to control you. Other times, you fight because he was shamelessly flirting with someone else (flirting is an instinct for Sabo and he's so naturally charming that sometimes he really just can't help it). But you two have a special spot (a pink peach tree on Momoiro Island) and whoever is ready to make up first goes there and waits for the other; he once waited two full days and nights for you. When you get there, he’ll offer you a pink peach and a sheepish grin. 

Law: His emotional unavailability combined with his protective streak is a source of contention between the two of you. He wants you to be free, but sometimes, he finds himself in a dark place where he just wants to lock you in a tower. But what makes it so vexing is that he won’t even talk to you about it, just shuts you out of plans and operations because he can’t bear the thought of losing you or you getting hurt. Also has times when he won’t let you out of his sight but won’t admit that’s what he’s doing, which makes it so much more annoying. He’ll get mad at you if you do something without telling him, especially if it could be dangerous, which often leads you to argue that he's not exactly known for his communication skills. The two of you usually make up after you’ve been giving him the silent treatment for a few days and he crawls into bed beside you. The darkness makes him feel safe enough to press some warm kisses into your hand and then mutter an apology into your neck. Other times, he’ll write a short note and slip it into one of your books because he’s much better at writing than talking. And if it’s on you to do the making up, cooking for him is a good place to start. 

Kid: Actually loves to fight, lives to butt heads. Has a notoriously bad temper, meaning the two of you often fight. Serious fights usually happen because his temper got him into trouble. The number of arguments you’ve had while you’re patching him up because he got in a nasty bar fight is unreal. Your argument always over something stupid, at least in his opinion. He usually ends up storming off and locking himself in his workshop because he doesn’t want to yell at you too much but he’s furious with you and still has a bunch of adrenaline flowering through his bloodstream from his last fight. Alternately, he’ll start fights with you when feels like you’re keeping something from him, even if it’s something small, because it drives him crazy and he thinks you should be an open book. He's not really the jealous type when it comes to physical stuff, but he does get upset when you seem to have an emotional or intellectual connection with someone else, and that can cause some arguments. Oh, and fights are most definitely foreplay, so you can conclude how the two of you make up.

———

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

[coveofsecrets]

Hiiii I was wondering if perhaps you could write a similar fluffy drabble to the “Oh to be loved by Sanji” but instead it’s Zoro… you characterize everyone so well and your writing is delicious, tysm!!!

"𝙾𝚑 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚉𝚘𝚛𝚘"

─── ✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

-> Roronoa Zoro x reader

-> Warnings: n/a

-> Word count: 429

-> wehehehehhee thank youuuuuuuu!!! I always try my best with characterizations, and Zoro is. so yummy. I wanna eat him.

─── ✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

Zoro is almost like a dog.

Without any orders, he follows you around almost everywhere you go, yet not breathing down your neck.

No.

He’s just… there.

Simply because he likes being near you.

Zoro is a greedy man, so any time he can soak up your presence, he’ll take it.

Oh, to be loved by Zoro.

His greed is a bleeding artery; never able to slow down.

It bleeds for his crewmates, those he loves, and you.

When he thinks about his loved ones- those he has shared food, sake, and laughs with- people who he breathes for, it makes his heart hurt.

The ache is neverending, and no matter what he does, it will not stop.

A bottomless stomach: always hungry, neverending its tantrum.

However, Zoro does not ignore that yearning. Rather, he embraces it.

So, any chance he gets, he consumes your being.

In the same room, he’s cuddling with you; on the deck, if he’s not training, Zoro is by your side; at the dinner room, he makes sure he’s sitting right next to you.

It is so he can spend as much time as he can with you. Neither of you have to talk, you just have to be near each other for his hunger to be temporarily satisfied.

During those moments, he makes sure you are safe and  okay. If he notices anything amiss, he will pounce on it like a vulture to dead meat, asking you what’s wrong. Almost anything you need of him, he will complete without a moment’s hesitation, the man greedy for your approval.

His greed is exemplary of his love.

He knows you can take care of yourself, that you’re strong without him, but his lingering, his devotion is out of pure desire, not necessity.

Oh, to be loved by Zoro.

His love is quiet, but not without impact.

Words murmured in night-enveloped times, gazes of eternal adoration presented to you, and hands of longing gentleness.

When he kisses you, he makes sure to put his all into it.

Emotions he cannot put into thought are expressed within that kiss, unspoken loyalty poured into that simple action.

Full of sweetness, but never short.

Zoro refuses for his kisses to be short.

They are long, drawn-out, more important than air. The mere seconds spent kissing you feel more like minutes, the man taking his time to communicate his deep affections for you.

Anything less than that, is shameful to him. 

He refuses to give any chopped-up efforts to the person he loves most.

Oh, to be loved by Zoro.

[sunnyferr]

Hi! I would like to request the letter J for your One Piece Event. I was hoping that it could be for Zoro.

I don’t know if you also wanted like a type of plot idea for it but if you do I was thinking that maybe reader and Zoro would make a pact that whenever they need to ‘destress’ they would come to each other for help. Thanks!!

your wish is my command! (I have to be honest… I took a bit of creative license and also did a little “public sex” I hope you don't mind <3)

Zoro x F!Reader

MDNI MASTERLIST

W!: P In V! Creampie! Rude Sex! Zoro big dick!

You had wet hands, you shook them to get rid of the excess water, leaving the dry and clean dishes in their place. With the chores done, you thought about how you would use your remaining time in the day, you heard that the girls were going to have some chats with coffee at the aquarium, so you decided to leave the kitchen.

it was one of those sweltering hot days on the ship, so you were wearing a pair of shorts Nami gave you. The kind she hadn't used in a while and always said looked better on you than on her.

You felt a gaze behind you, mostly, between your legs. When you turned around, you saw Zoro, asleep (or so you thought) on the floor with his arms crossed. Not giving it importance, you turned around and left with the girls, unaware that someone was behind you.

As you reached the door, you felt a large, heavy hand on your mouth and waist, you let out a scream of fright, but the hand muffled the vibrations of your voice. You felt a panting breath on your ear, giving you small tickles.

"Are we going to train tonight?" That was the secret code they both had, the need in his voice was visible, the atmosphere felt heavy and humid, but you only nodded, even with your mouth covered.

He released you somewhat abruptly, and you looked back, and he was already leaving the room, it was impressive how hot this man could be, for some time now you had "friendly" encounters, where your skins connected, so you took a breath of air, and turned around, entering the aquarium where the girls were waiting for you.

In the very entertaining conversation, the afternoon passed, it was almost night, and Sanji's shout from the kitchen made them realize how late it was.

"Oh, the food, shall we go girls?" Said the orange-haired girl as she stood up and headed for the door, with Robin behind her.

"Shall we go, Y/N?" the taller one said, looking over her shoulder.

"Sure," the three girls headed towards the kitchen, talking along the way, until they arrived. The smell of food wafted through your nostrils, sensing that exquisite aroma that only Sanji could provide.

"Oh, my beautiful ladies! Take a seat and eat!" The blond cook automatically set the plates for the three of them, while they waited for the rest.

Zoro walked in, with his eyes on anything, but when he saw you, he flashed a small smile, sitting down next to you.

"Oh, how are you, moss-head?" you said in a playful tone, while eating your food. They always played these kinds of games, having little meaningless fights; they were very good friends.

"Mh… could be better," he said, receiving his plate of food from the grumpy cook.

Dinner went by normally, and you and Zoro talked a bit more that night, but you focused more of your attention on your captain and his foolishness, things like putting chopsticks in his nose and acting like the clown of the night.

When everyone was going to sleep, you crossed the kitchen door, and went to the railing of the ship, you leaned on it and took a deep breath, to suddenly feel large hands on your butt, pressing you to his chest.

You rested your head on what was his shoulder, letting out a small giggle.

"I was waiting for you Roronoa" you said with a smile on your face, feeling Zoro's heavy breath, "I thought you were going to pounce and eat me at dinner, you didn't take your eyes off me"

"Mhh, I didn't do it because everyone was there, and I didn't want that stupid cook to see you" he said brazenly, running his hands over your hips, reaching the button of your shorts, making a little effort to unbutton them and left them loose, but he didn't lower them, lowering his hand slowly under your panties, in search of your wetness.

A small moan escaped from your sweet mouth, but you still answered “Are you sure that's what stopped you?” You were right, if it were up to zoro, he would fuck you in front of the blond, to prove that it doesn't take a gentleman to fuck the prettiest girl.

“You know me” he said already hesitantly, running his hand along your wet and swollen slit for attention, running his rough fingers along your smooth pussy, giving a few rough movements, letting out breathless moans, his cheeks flushed.

You could feel Zoro's cock against your back, and how he rubbed desperately, leaving little moans in your ear. He pulled his wet hand out of your panties and pulled down your shorts in one go, with your panties too in the process, turning you around, kissing you very desperately, as if it was the last time he would see you for years.

You ran your hands over zoro's large, erect member, giving him a shiver down his back, filling his body with electric currents that made him feel even more desperate for your touch. A short time later you unbuttoned part of his kimono, also pulling down his pants, just enough to see his erect member and his swollen, veiny balls.

You grabbed him with both hands and jerked him off long enough for his cock to weep pre-seminal fluid. He grabbed you by the waist, and sat you on the railing, positioning himself in between your legs, brushing against your small entrance.

“Zoro…” you moaned his name as you felt the man's desperate tip search for your hole and fuck it desperately. When he found it, he entered slowly, aware of its monstrous size, but even so, he knew that when he entered your wet cavity, the gentleness was going to end, and he was going to fuck you something (VERY) hard.

As you reached your middle, you rolled your eyes, feeling that pain arching your back. Your confused mind, unable to process the pain with the exhilaration, made you enter an exquisite state of nirvana, squeezing your walls in search of movement.

Zoro without squealing, understood that this is the message to follow, and fuck you like an animal, so he went all the way in, and started to move a little, feeling your arms around his neck, scratching his back a little, while he babbled nonsense.

He got a little more confident, and started to give you a little harder gradually, feeling the curve of his cock touching that spongy skin of your pussy that made you spasm sharply.

As zoro moved harder, you could feel a little knot forming in your stomach, clenching your toes, feeling the man's brutality.

“Zoro! I-I'm going to cum!” that was the signal for him to start speeding up his onslaught, clashing wet skin and making sensual sounds in between, screaming your name in the process.

Zoro felt like he was about to cum too, feeling his heavy balls start to clench to release a big, unashamed spurt of cum. He loves to mark you, to leave you full of his honeys so that you will always be with him, in some form or another.

Between a few more thrusts, your knot was cut, letting out a scream to the sky, your walls contracted very hard, feeling your body relax in a state of peace, still letting stars run through the lids of your eyes.

But the brunette kept on thrusting, chasing his own orgasm, which was not for long. Zoro's mirror-white liquid spilled all over your pussy, leaving it filled to the brim.

Gasps could be heard from both sides, tired, zoro came out of your pussy a little slowly, and he pulled his semi-hard member into his pants, you were still in his arms, clinging to his neck. He pulled up your panties and kissed you on the forehead.

“I think it's time for us to go to sleep” you said still a little tired, but zoro gave a giggle.

“Don't you want to sleep with me on the couch?” he proposed.

To which you just smiled and agreed, while, still in his arms, he took you to sleep with him tonight.

Zoro could be sweet, even if he didn't look it.

[cow-smells]

Decisions | Vinsmoke Sanji / Roronoa Zoro x reader

Summary: You and Sanji are friends. Just like you're friends with Zoro. When a misunderstanding pushes emotions to a boiling point, you're put on the spot to make a tough decision - who really is the man for you?

Word count: 1100

Warnings: none

A/n: this is going to be a choose-your-destiny type thing, where you can choose who you want to end up with! this first part is the prequel to that ~

you chose: Zoro , Sanji

Read on AO3

“Here, like this.”

Sanji took to standing behind you, wrapping his arms around you to place his hands on yours, guiding you through the proper motions to chop a carrot as evenly as he did. You couldn’t help but notice how his biceps flexed against your own, how he smelled of the bath he took this morning, the light caress of his breath on your neck. It was nearly overwhelming. You had to hyperfocus on the task in front of you so to not zone out and chop off a finger.

The carrots now chopped, Sanji’s excuse to wrap himself around you was gone. Reluctantly, he took a step back; you weren’t sure if the sudden coldness you were feeling was disappointment at his lack of proximity.

“Okay,” he started, his voice a little shaken; you wondered – was that because of you? “breakfast’s about as good as done. Do you want to call everyone in?”

“Sure,” you agreed, earning yourself one of Sanji’s beautiful, deep-dimpled smiles.

Gathering the crew for breakfast was rarely a hassle; you were often tasked with the mission after helping Sanji prep breakfast, and so, you already knew everyone’s routines and where to find them. Luffy was usually nearby the kitchen somewhere, ready to pounce on breakfast the moment Sanji permitted; Nami could be found on deck, drawing maps of where you’ve been; Usopp was a bit less predictable, but he’d usually find you as you were making the rounds. And then there was Zoro – which, you learned, was not a morning person.

While Sanji was up at the crack of dawn, already dressed to the nines and on his feet working in the kitchen, Zoro would sleep in until forced out of bed. They really were polar opposites.

This morning was no different; you knocked twice on Zoro’s door before letting yourself in. You smiled at the sight of his sleeping form, splayed across the bed, limbs tangled in his sheets – so unlike the proper way he held himself during his waking hours.

Perching yourself on the side of the bed, you lay a hand on Zoro’s shoulder. He opted to sleep on his stomach, and you couldn’t help but be appreciative of the sight of his muscular back, shaped by the hours of training he put in daily. “Zoro,” you called calmly, caressing his upper back in what you believed to be a friendly manner. “Hey, it’s time for breakfast.”

Zoro mumbled incoherently in to his pillow before shifting to throw an arm around you, his eyes still shut peacefully. “Zoro,” you laughed, being tilted on to him. “come on, it’s time to wake up.”

Finally, Zoro responded. “Mm. Sleep better.”

“Better than Sanji’s cooking?”

“Yes,” he deadpanned. You should have seen that coming. After a short pause, Zoro opened an eye, taking you in. “Did you cook?”

“I helped.”

“Fine.” With that, Zoro threw off the sheet that was covering him, hopping out of bed in surprising speed. While he’d usually sleep in trousers, last night was hotter than usual, and he seemed to opt against them today.

“Sorry,” you apologize, seeing Zoro in nothing but his boxers. You stood up to make your way out of the room when Zoro interjected, “What’s the rush? I’ll walk with you,” as he pulled on a pair of pants. He grabbed a button-up and followed you out of his room, threading an arm in to his shirt.

You stopped dead in your tracks as you came face to face with Usopp. You could see from the way he was looking at you two, just what he was thinking. You both were leaving his room quietly early in the morning, Zoro being half undressed. Usopp’s gaze jumped between you and Zoro, his mouth falling slightly open, trying to think of how to express himself.

Zoro, however, didn’t give him the opportunity. “Usopp.” Zoro greeted sternly. Zoro then placed a hand on your lower back, maneuvering you to keep walking, leaving a confused, suspicious Usopp behind.

Usopp was the last to join you all for breakfast. When he had finally arrived, the expression he wore was one of slight terror, or maybe just pure disbelief; a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of the crew. Usopp took his place sitting opposite Nami, who wasn’t afraid to just ask – “Usopp. What’s up with your face?”

Usopp, reluctant to vocalize at this place and time, opted for giving Nami a wide-eyed look before raising his brows and shifting his eyeline between you and Zoro.

If that was meant to be a discreet message from himself to Nami, it failed, because even your oblivious captain had picked up on the cue – “What’s going on with y/n and Zoro?”

You could see Sanji tense visibly, his eyes growing wide. Zoro, however, seemed completely unbothered.

You could see the panic rise on Usopp before he blurted out, “Zoro and y/n are sleeping together!”

You, Luffy and Nami all shout – “What?!” to varying degrees of emotion. Strangely, Zoro doesn’t protest.

Then, a chair falls back to the floor. Sanji was on his feet, his hands fisted. You knew him well enough to know how mad he was just from the way he held himself.

“No.” Sanji said, his voice almost a growl. Slowly, he picked up his gaze from the floor to Zoro. “This… This is the one thing, I refuse to lose to you. I won’t let you have her.”

“Sit down, cook. This doesn’t regard you.” How Zoro could be so unbothered right now, you had no idea. Why wasn’t he clearing things up? Was he – was he okay with the others thinking you were together?

You could see Sanji flaring up – there was a fight about to break out, you were certain about it. “Sanji, I literally spent all morning with you.”

Instantly, Sanji’s rage melted away. Sanji made his way to you, wrapping his arms around your shoulders and pulling you to him. “That’s right. I shouldn’t be listening to this nonsense when I know I’m the first person you see when you wake up.”

Zoro’s brow twitched at that. “What are you saying, cook?”

Looking more smug than need be, Sanji replied, “What do you think, mosshead?”

“Enough with this already!” Nami yelled, far too tired with the duo’s one-upmanship. “You’re talking about a real person here, not a toy. Ever think to ask her how she feels, what she wants?”

“Yeah, y/n.” Zoro stood, and the look he was giving you could set you ablaze. Sanji’s arms around you tightened. “What do you want?”

you chose: Zoro , Sanji

[himezoro]

roronoa zoro's guide to relationship (smut)

tysm everyone for your love and support on the previous post ! ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ i'm so sorry for how long this other post was to come, but work has been pretty exhausting and as you may know, i'm a lawyer so when it comes to having free time it gets hard lmao this one was requested by @jinjen, i hope they'll like it ! <3

i'm also working on a "one shot" smut for roronoa zoro that i've had in mind for so long, i hope you'll like it!!

minors dni !! 18+ only.

here's a headcanon of what a relationship with roronoa zoro would include sexually. i had a female partner in mind when writting which is why it's pretty gender based !

wc : 860

even before being in a relationship with roronoa zoro, the sexual tension between his s/o and himself was beyond compare ; his hair would bristle when he heard their voice, when their hands would touch at dinner, when they just entered the room. the tension between them is so high it gets hard to breathe. his eyes would linger on their figure like those of a ruthless predator ready to pounce onto their prey. the sway of their hips, the flips of their hair, the bites of their lips, the look of their doe eyes. everything sets him on.

it became a game for the two of them to play with that said tension before getting official. he's a tease after all. but afterwards? hell, there's just no rules. everything's allowed. from their s/o sensually touching his thigh under the table and tracing the shape of his growing erection when everyone's eating to him whispering the dirtiest things into his s/o's ear when they're just sitting reading in the middle of the kitchen with sanji close by. "how 'bout we give that shitty cook a show of how exquisite ya' juices taste ?" "i bet i can make ya squirt before ya reach the bottom of that stupid page baby.". it's all competition, and it's about who's going to resist the urge to cut the tension.

zoro would easily cut it before they do. hell, he's got three swords ffs.

he's always horny for his partner.

aside from this game, zoro can go from being a slow and passionate lover to a ruthless beast. going from "i wanna make love to you" to "i'm gonna fuck you until your brain goes dumb".

when he's in the mood for passionate sex, zoro would take his time to kiss his s/o endlessly. having them onto their lap, grinding slowly but surely, his hand at the back of their neck in a loving yet firm way. he would whisper sweet nothings he won't say in any other circumstances "you're so goddamn pretty", "i want this body on me forever", "i wanna make ya feel good", "let me please you", "i love you".

during those intimate and slow times, his giant figure would be afraid to break you. his cock would pound into their s/o painfully slowly, missionary style, so he can watch them take him so gracefully. he would leave trails of hickeys all over their chest while firmly holding their hands, moving his hips to the rhythm of their racing heartbeats.

he knows their body like his three swords.

would lick and finger your pussy like there's no tomorrow, until your legs shake while praising you so bad. he would lick all of your fluid and even lick his lips before kissing you to "give ya a taste".

he loves it when his s/o praises him, saying how good he's making them feel, or simply hearing his name in between their moans. he feels like he's the strongest in the world.

but the second zoro feels jealous or "dominant" (which would be more appropriate since he feels pretty confident in his ability to please you), oh boy. be ready for a ride.

he would pin their s/o to the nearest surface. anything remotely close : the floor ? check. the dinner table ? check. the desk in your room ? double check. the wall to the shower ? triple check that one. he would grab their face with his right hand, kissing them hard, watching the trails of saliva connecting them with complete lust before diving back into a sloppy yet quite nice kiss, while playing with his s/o's clothed pussy under their dress with his left hand.

if this makeout session came after a meaningless fight (angry sex), he would spin them hard so their ass was pinned to his clothed erection and smack it hard. "gonna be a good girl now or shall i smack some senses outta ya ?" he can be mean during those sessions, but when he would make up for it later.

he would make them suck his giant cock until he hears them gag, saying "ya can take it. look at me while you swallow it all." he loves receiving a blowjob from their partner, seeing his cock disappear into the depth of their throat.

he's so ridiculously strong. he'll have their s/o fucked in every position. makes them cum so many times his s/o loses count, but not him. he's competitive and keeps his record in check. his stamina is pretty solid too.

even in these times, he cannot help but praise their s/o. "your pussy's squeezing me whole", "you're taking my cock so well, looks like it's made for it".

loves shower/bath sex where he can have fun with his partner at the same time.

sleepy morning sex as well <3

in the end, sex remains a matter of trust and intimacy, so no matter how, be sure to know that afterwards, this boy would not let go of you and ask for a back rub just to keep the intimacy going.

would hate it if someone dared interrupting his peace during aftercare (which can happen since luffy and usopp are always going crazy).

[discodreaming]

catboy! one piece boys

characters: zoro, ace, law and mihawk!

warnings: may be slightly ooc but they're felines

ZORO

japanese bobtail hybrid

true to form he is the one who

naps all day, eats when he's hungry and drinks when he wants

( if zoro had a tail he'd wrap it around your wrist at all times but )

zoro who's ears twitch and flick about constantly at every little noise giving him away when he's asleep

zoro who purrs loudly when you touch him even the slightest bit

zoro who rubs his head against your hand when you pet him only to snap back when he realizes what he's doing

zoro who purrs the loudest when your feeding him his favorite food

ACE

orange cat with the full orange cat behavior

who wakes you up by fully pouncing on you every morning to ask for food loudly

only to pass out on his plates afterwards

ace who doesn't leave you alone for even a single second like sir i am on the toilet

ace who's arms wrap around you, his tail twitching, his ears flicking about excitedly as you cook or read

ace who has a thought every once and a while, his ears laid back as he stares into the abyss before saying something

only to return to crack head behavior once again

he's also one of those cats who will lay ontop of you, purring like a chainsaw

LAW

snow leopard hybrid

law who can't growl when he feels mildly threatened, only squeaking which you could never take serious

grumpy kitty vibes who doesn't answer often, his tail twitching and his ears flicking with interest when you bring up something he likes

he will never admit he loves how you pet him on his head, scratching behid ears

never will admit how he lays his head on your lap, glaring until you pet him and scratch behind his ears

law who puts his hands on his tail when they get too cold

who bites his tail when he gets a bit stressed

lets pretend if snow leopards purr or not but he purrs the loudest when you curl up into his side

MIHAWK

tuxedo cat breed

foster cat dad for the briefest of time of a small bobtail and a feral kitten

the type of cat who sits and judges you for everything you do

another grumpy cat but he likes to hover over your shoulder watching you to do your tasks

mihawk who doesn't like to be called petnames but he does like to call you petnames instead such as 'prince(ss)' and 'darling'

he'll allow one pet name from you as a treat

mihawk who doesn't usually do things unless it interests him mostly

mihawk who's tail twitches and ears flex when you call his name once you come home

bonus: he does wait for you at the door if you two are closer closer

[baahsu]

Omegaverse zosan where omega sanji has no problem walking around the sunny when he's in heat, because he knows zoro won't jump him unless he gives him that one particular look

Zoro's eyes will be locked on him, following his every movement, and sanji can see the way his muscles tense up, can see the sweat dripping down his neck

But zoro's in full control of himself and he never pounces, staying seated where he is while sanji goes on about his day

Heat crawls up sanji's body, desire building inside him as slick gushes out of him at zoro's perfect display of self control

And even with his scent intensified, rolling out of him in waves, zoro still doesn't let his instincts take the best of him

They come across an enemy ship before sanji can finally make his move and he has no problem walking in front of those pirates in his state either

He flaunts them with his scent, aiming high kicks that knock them down both from the impact and from the sight of his sweet slick staining his pants

And sanji knows that even though he's not in danger (those pirates aren't a match for him, after all) it's only a matter of time until zoro catches up to him

The swordsman kills everyone in his wake, focusing on the mischievous glint in sanji's eyes and ready to fuck him over their spilled blood

It's finally time to show sanji who he belongs to.

[calypsocolada]

CAPTAIN | r. zoro

synopsis: the captain of the hockey team really gets on your nerves. authors note: hi! i'm back from the dead to offer this fic! i saw a tik tok and got inspired. it was a sports au of hockey player zoro and I was obsessed and wrote this! hope you guys like :) might write a part two since I really like this pairing. also was thinking of doing a series where all the one peice characters play different kinds of sports :)

cw: sports au!, hockey player zoro, not proofread, slightly suggestive wc: 3.5k

click here for my masterlist

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You would venture to say you're a pretty reasonable person. You never got angry easily, or upset. You kept it together pretty well usually. 

Usually.

Today… Well, today was an exception. Actually it was always an exception when Rorona Zoro was in the rink. He was one of those rowdy hockey players that you would mostly ignore. You worked at the ice rink on weekends and most of the time you got lucky. The players would either be at away games or out partying on weekends. But not Roronoa Zoro. If you could say one nice thing about him it was that he is dedicated to his craft. You had the displeasure of being stuck talking with him and a few of his hockey buddies one day. Who knew this one day would taint the rest of the times you saw him.

His hockey friends were desperate, you’d think they’d never talked to a human woman before in their life the way they pounced on you. Asking you tons of questions about your life, if you had someone, who was your type, did you fancy anyone. By the time they were done asking you felt as though it was an interrogation. You were about to tell them you had to get back to work when suddenly Zoro spoke first.

“Leave the girl alone.” He’d walked out of the showers, his green hair damp and messy. “She clearly doesn’t like being interrogated.” He grumbles. The rest of the team sighs but they listen to the green haired man, leaving you be. You watch as they head back towards the showers, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Thanks.” You had said, he shrugged.

“You should learn to speak up for yourself, rink girl.” He says and before you can respond he’s gone back towards the locker room.

Asshole.

After that you didn’t even spare him a glance, let alone a moment of your time. When he’d check in you’d slide the clipboard over to him not even looking up. It was a bit petty but you felt slightly vindictive towards him. Maybe not entirely towards him but also the company he keeps. His other hockey friends are atrocious to be around. They stare and ask for your number and try to eat lunch with you and just bother you relentlessly. Also despite them all claiming to have interest in you they call you rink girl because of Zoro even though your name is on a tag on the front of your shirt.

Days like today were no different. Once again two of the players were at your desk, asking about your day and pretending to care.

“Still no guy?” The blond one asks, you never learned their names since they didn’t care to learn yours. You clicked your pen, you had paperwork to do and were in a particularly bad mood. 

“Still no girl?” You snap, the blond one pouts but the brunette one snorts a laugh.

“I see why Captain likes you so much.” The blond one mutters under his breath. You barely hear it, your brows furrowing.

“What?”

“Dude… shut up.” The brunette intercepts, knocking the blond in the back of the head. The familiar ding of the front door sounded as Zoro entered the building. “Oh shit… let’s go, hurry!” The blond gasps, you watch the two players practically sprint and trip over each other to get away from your desk. You furrow your brows as Zoro clears his throat. It makes you jump.

“Jesus!” You gasp.

“No, it’s Roronoa.” He says as he watches you place a hand over your heart, the other grabbing the clipboard for him to sign. 

“Ha-ha.” You mock, sliding it to him. For the first time in a while you look at him. It’s cold out so he’s bundled up slightly, his cheeks lightly dusted pink from the cold. He’s almost… handsome? You never really noticed. You can’t look away… well until his eyes meet yours. You look away quickly as he clicks the pen and places it on the clipboard, sliding it back to you. When you reach to grab it back your fingers just barely grace his hand. He’s warm, despite just being out in the cold. You clear your throat, pulling your hand away quickly, busying yourself with your paperwork again. 

“Hey,” He says as your hand pauses and you slowly look up at him. He looks at you for a moment, as though he’s trying to read something on your face.

“What?” You ask, slightly concerned that he’s lingering at your desk more than usual.

“I saw those two idiots talking to you.” He says and you're not sure if it’s a question or a statement so you nod your head. His jaw tenses as he sighs heavily. “Are they bothering you?” He asks. You stare at him for a moment, trying to read his face to know whether or not he was messing with you. He was infinitely serious.

“No. I can take care of myself.” You say with a tad bit of venom in your voice. He nods his head, the look in his eyes unreadable.

“Good.” He says and with that walks towards the locker room without another word. You watch him go, very confused. 

A few hours pass as you walk back to your desk after lunch. The players are leaving for the day, some of them wave at you and you wave back halfheartedly. When the blond and brunette from earlier today pass they walk past you like wounded dogs, very clearly avoiding looking in your direction. Zoro isn’t with him curiously and as it gets later you see he’s the only one who hasn’t checked out and since the rink is closing soon you sigh and hop up from your chair. You walk into the locker room first, silence fills as you poke your head around the corner. Sure enough his locker is open and full of his stuff. You make your way towards the rink you know he’s in there before you even catch sight of him. You hear the sound of his hockey stick smacking against the puck sending it flying through the air, it swishes into the net with ease. A perfect shot. He hasn’t noticed you watching as he sails across the ice to retrieve the puck and set up again for another drill. He’d gotten much better in the months he practiced here. He played like a possessed man, much different from the person you watched practice months and months ago. Not that you knew anything about hockey but there was a reason this man was the captain. 

“Enjoying yourself?” Zoro calls out to you. You jump again for the second time again, blowing out a breath, holding your heart again. “Someone’s jumpy.” He mumbles as he lines up a shot, sending it sailing down the ice into the goal. You clear your throat.

“We close in six minutes.” You call out to him coldly, turning. 

“Hey,” He calls out to you. You're not sure why but you pause, turning as he skates to you, the only thing shielding him from you was a thick piece of acrylic glass that spanned the entirety of the ring. “You play?” He asks as you furrow your brows.

“Hockey?” You ask, looking up at him. Was he always this damn tall? He nods his head, reaching up and wiping sweat from his brow. You scoff, slightly amused.

“No.” You answer and his eyes travel from your own down your body then slowly, agonizingly slowly back to your eyes. You're blushing by the time he meets your eyes again.

“Think you can block me?” He asks and you stare at him incredulously, it takes you a long moment to answer. 

“W-what?” You question, he cocks his head, smirking down at you. 

“I said… Do you think you could block me?”

“I heard you.” You sigh. “And no… I don’t think I could block you.”

“Why not?” He asks, leaning against the glass.

“B-because you're like eight foot tall and hundreds of pounds.”

“Ouch… you make me sound like a monster.” He tsks, still with that grin on his lips.

“You are… you're huge.” You say and a second later your words cause you to blush and look away.

“Uh huh.” Zoro hummed, laughing slightly. You swallow, clearing your throat. “Put on some skates, Y/n, if you can’t guard me I’ll need a goalie.”

“We’re closing, in fact we're probably closed already.” You say as he shrugs his shoulders.

“Hmm… didn’t take you for the scared type.” He says, slowly skating towards the puck.

“I…” You stutter, scoffing a laugh. “Am not scared.” You finish as he shoots you a look, a challenging one. It was stupid really. Stupid that you found yourself sliding into skates and sailing right towards him in the rink. “Fuck,” You curse, not able to stop as you practically crash right into him. But it’s more like hitting a damn wall, he barely budges and grabs you before you can go down. “Sorry.” You breathe out, his hands are on your hips, stabilizing you, your hands on his shoulders trying to keep your balance. 

“You can’t even skate?”

“I just haven’t done it in a long time.” You say feeling a rush of something entirely out of your control when his hands slowly let you go. “I’m fine,” You say, testing the waters as you skate around a tad bit. He watches you like a hawk and when it looks like you're about to go down he’s there in seconds, those big hands back on your hips. 

“I think it’s safe to say I’ve won this game before we even started.” He says with a slight laugh as he slides off his jacket. You shake your head vehemently. 

“Nuh uh! I just-- need to warm up, that’s all.” You say, staring at the ground as your hands grip his forearms.

“Here,” He says, placing his jacket on your shoulders, it smells like him, like something warm and woodsy. You slide your arms through the sleeves. “Look up,” He says. A moment later your eyes find his, something sparks between you, your stomach doing a flip. “Don’t stare at your feet as you skate.” He directs as you nod your head, not trusting yourself to speak and not mess up your words. Slowly he starts skating backwards, holding you as you keep up with his pace. Slowly you fall back into your old routine, able to skate on your own. 

“See… told ya’.” You say a bit cockily, almost falling again but catching yourself. Zoro smiles softly, shaking his head. You could crash looking at the smile alone. You force yourself to look away. “So… how do we play?” You ask as Zoro grabs and tosses his stick to you, you catch it with ease. 

“We’ll play for five minutes, if you can score one goal on me you win.”

“I thought I was gonna play goalie?” You ask.

“I’d rather me get hit with pucks than you.” He says, warmth spreads through you at that, so you don’t answer him. He reaches and zips up your jacket before skating towards the goal. He turns to face you, crouching slightly, nodding his head to you. Game on, you guessed. 

You skated a few feet before hitting the puck hard. It sails and misses the goal by at least a couple feet. Zoro laughs.

“You’re trying right? That wasn’t even anywhere close.” He mocks as you skate to grab the puck.

“I don’t even know if I’m holding his damned thing right!” You call out, shaking his stick at him. 

“You’re not.” he says and you huff.

You hit the puck again and again and again. A few times you made it close to Zoro but he just batted it away with ease. You weren’t sure how much time passed before you were hitting the puck again, missing, the force of the hit making you lose your balance and slam onto the ice. You lay sprawled out on the ice as Zoro skates over quickly to your side. You took the opportunity to hit the puck where you laid and slowly it glided into the goal.

“She shoots! She scores!” You cheer from the ground as Zoro scoffs a heartily laugh, his cheeks dusted that same pink from earlier.

“That was a dirty play.” He grins, looming above you. 

“It was a play all the same right? Is that five points? I don’t know anything about hockey.” You skirk as Zoro lends you a hand, you take it.

“It’s one point.” He laughs, pulling you easily to your feet. 

“One point…” You trail off. “I slammed into the ground for one point.” You say and Zoro breathes out a laugh, nodding his head. “What do I win for beating the captain? Bragging rights?”

“You can’t utter a word of this to my team.” He says in a mock serious tone as a smirk grows on your lips. 

“You can’t tell me that, Roronoa, I’m the captain now.” You say as Zoro raises a brow, his cheeks going even more pink.

“Is that right?” He asks, his voice a rasp. You notice than how close you two are standing, you're still holding his hands, the warmth of them radiating through you. 

“That’s right.” You confirm, keeping a well placed poker face. 

“Got another round in you?” He asks as you shake your head.

“Y/N! Is that you?” Your boss called as you heard the door being pushed open. Your heart drops in your chest, the alarm showing on your face. “What’re you doing?” Your boss asks as you stutter out a sorry.

“She was helping me clean up, sir, sorry for keeping her.” Zoro calls out to your boss. Your boss buys Zoro’s words. 

“Well hurry up, I need to get home for dinner.” Your boss says, walking back out of the rink. You blow out a breath, skating towards the exit, Zoro just behind you. 

“Jesus… thanks.” You blow out, heart still in your throat. 

“No worries.” He says just behind you.

You plop down on the bench, leaning to untie your skates. Zoro sits beside you quietly, doing the same. It's a little awkward now, especially after all that oblivious flirting you were doing. This wasn’t something you couldn't see coming.

Just last week you didn’t even like looking at this guy, now you found yourself liking looking at him. A complete turn around. Not entirely unwelcomed though.

When you finally kicked off your skates, you sat up just as Zoro reached over, warm fingers on your chin and turned your face gently towards him and pressed his lips to your own. You gasped, taken off guard, eyes wide. A spark shot through you like nothing you’d ever felt before. His fingers on your chin slid until he was gently cupping your cheek, his other hand coming up and doing the same thing on the other side of your face. He kissed you gently. Slowly your eyes fluttered closed, your hand reaching up and falling short, as you knotted it in the front of his t-shirt, pulling him by it closer to you.

“I really fucking like you.” He mumbles against your lips in between kisses, you kiss him hard at his words. Ghosted over your lips causing a shiver to track down your spine. All the pent up emotions you harbored came spilling out as you somehow ended up in his lap, the moment grew intense, a groan escaping his lips that your lips muffled. His hands found purchase on your ass as he stood, taking you with him, carrying you with one hand to press your back into the acrylic glass around the rink. One of your hands slides around the back of Zoro’s neck, tangling in his hair. Zoro makes a sound you didn’t think was possible for him to make, something that had your stomach bottoming out and your fingers barely tugging at his hair, a soft sort of whimper escaping his lips. His kisses then turn hungry, almost feverish. He’s burying his lips in yours, forgetting to breathe, his hands tightening around you, completely lost in the moment. Someone clears their throat, startling you both as Zoro lets you down. Your boss stands there, hands on his hips, a look of embarrassment on his face. 

“Sir, I was helping him.” “She was helping me.” Zoro and you speak at the same time. Your boss raises his head, shaking his head as you nod your head in understanding leaving with your boss. 

You were reprimanded but ultimately he let you keep your job. Yay. It was your first infraction and he said to keep it professional which you agreed with and apologized vehemently. You probably apologized hundreds of times in a five minute conversation. Your boss asked not to talk about it again and you were completely fine with that. You gathered up your stuff and pushed out into the cold winter night. The cold hitting your warm cheeks and cooling you off. You didn’t have a moment alone to think about what had just transpired. 

“Y/n…” Zoro called out as you crossed the parking lot. He waved as you blushed. “I’m so sorry… you didn’t get fired did you?”

“No... What was that?” You asked as you got closer.

“What?”

“Why’d you kiss me? I-- I sort of thought you hated me.” You confront.

“What? I don’t-- I don’t hate you.” Zoro shakes his head. 

“You sure? I mean-- you were an asshole to me that one time… saying I needed to learn to take care of myself and that stupid fucking nickname? Rink girl? All your teammates call me that by the way.” You say, all of it sort of falling out like word vomit. Zoro raises his chin slightly, looking down at you. 

“They call you that?” He asks, his voice level as you sigh.

“Yes! They do!”

“I’ll fix that.” He promises as you stare at him. This whole night was just strange. 

“Why’d you kiss me?” You ask again. Zoro’s eyes soften.

“I told you already.” He says as you shake your head. 

“You didn’t tell me anything? We barely talked before today.”

“I said I like you. I said I really fucking like you.” He reiterated. You remember him saying that. The heat and warmth spread like a wildfire after hearing it again.

“Why?” You ask as Zoro sort of cocks his head.

“Why?” He echoes as you raise your brows, nodding your head imploring for an answer. “Because you're pretty. You’re funny and I like the way you ignored me all the time.” He admits as you laugh despite yourself.

“What? Y-you like that I ignore you?”

“I did. I like this way better.” He motions to you and him talking. You raise your head.

“Okay…” You say skeptically, you find your mind trailing back to the kiss and it brings a blush to your cheek. You clear your throat. “How long?”

“Hmm?”

“How long have you liked me?” Zoro looks like he’s thinking about it for a moment. 

“The first day I met you probably.” He says nonchalantly. You laugh.

“Yeah… sure.” You roll your eyes. He steps closer to you.

“I mean it. You introduced yourself and said I had green hair, not that you liked it, you just said I had it.” You remembered that, your lips part in surprise because he remembered it too.

“It’s uncommon.” You say and Zoro smiles warmly down at you. 

“Still don’t know if you like it or not.” He grins as your eyes bounce to it. 

“I like it.” You say and see a soft blush form on Zoro’s cheeks. “Why were you such an asshole to me that day?”

“I-- am sorry about that. I was more angry with my teammates for annoying you. I wanted you to know that you could speak up for yourself, that you could just tell them to shut up but-- I’m sorry.”

“And Rink girl?”

“Poor attempt at flirting…” He says. You start laughing, shaking your head.

“The poorest attempt. But… your words did make me speak up for myself more, so…” You relent. Zoro smiles softly. You can’t help it, you pull him against your lips. That smile was too much. You needed it pressed against your lips. His hands slid around your hips.

“Christ, Y/n… go home!” Your boss grumbles as you startle, Zoro’s hands stay planted on you as you shoot an apologetic look at you boss. 

“Sorry, sir.” You say as he waves you off, slipping into his car and driving away. You start laughing, your hand coming up to cover your mouth.

“You are going to get me fired.” You grumble as Zoro presses his mouth to yours again as though he couldn’t wait another damn second, walking you back until your back is pressed against his car. He lifts you with ease, setting you on the hood as the car’s alarm sets off. 

“Fucking hell!” Zoro hissed, fumbling for his keys. You dissolved into laughter.                

[hummingbird24220]

Chapter Three: The Not-So-Fake Heist

“Alright,” Nami said, arms crossed and tone suspiciously smug. “We’re going to test you.”

You perked up immediately. “Finally! Is this like an obstacle course? A stealth challenge? A ‘don’t-touch-anything-shiny’ game? Because I will lose that last one.”

“No,” she said slowly, ignoring you. “This is a fake heist. We’re going to hide some treasure somewhere on the ship, and you’re going to try and retrieve it. Without anyone catching you.”

Zoro cracked his knuckles. “And if we do catch you…”

“Then I get tied to the mast again, yeah yeah.” You waved your paw-hand dismissively. “Nothing I haven’t survived before.”

Chopper frowned. “Should we really be encouraging this?”

“She’s gonna do it anyway,” Nami muttered.

“It’s true,” you said, already crouched like you were about to pounce. “I’d just call it a training exercise and do it when you weren’t looking.”

“So here’s the plan—” Robin began.

But you were gone.

Vanished. Just a blur of fur and instinct, a streak of mischief that bolted into the shadows of the Sunny like you’d been launched.

“…Was she supposed to wait for the explanation?” Usopp asked.

Nami blinked. “She didn’t even let me finish the rules.”

“Did she know where we hid it?” Chopper squeaked.

“She couldn’t have,” Robin said, faintly amused. “We just made it up.”

But the crew was barely halfway through processing your premature start when you returned—not ten minutes later—arms overloaded with treasure. Not just their fake stash, but also:

Two actual bags of gold coins

A string of pearls someone swore had been hidden in a drawer

A fancy teacup from Robin’s collection

Zoro’s spare bandana

Three forks

Luffy’s backup sandals

Nami’s nail polish

A shiny rock

One (1) rubber duck

And the crew’s emergency lockbox, which no one even remembered having

You dropped it all onto the deck in front of them with a loud clunk, standing proudly on top of the pile like a smug little raccoon in victory pose.

“Boom,” you said. “Heisted.”

There was a long, stunned silence.

“…We didn’t even hide the fake treasure yet,” Nami said slowly.

“I found it anyway.”

“That’s not possible,” Usopp whispered.

You plucked the rubber duck off the top of the pile and gave it a squeaky squeeze. “Name a better test subject. You can’t.”

Sanji pinched the bridge of his nose. “You stole half the ship.”

“I returned it!” you said defensively. “That’s borrowing!”

“That’s not how borrowing works!”

“Tell that to your lockbox, which—by the way—was way too easy to open.”

Zoro stepped forward and grabbed his bandana off the pile. “Where even was this?”

“Stuck behind a wall panel. I thought it was a secret snack stash. Was very disappointed.”

Robin sipped her tea. “Impressive, honestly.”

Luffy was already rummaging through the pile. “Hey! My sandals!”

“You’re welcome,” you said with a mock bow. “They were crying. I rescued them.”

“Do you even sleep?” Chopper asked.

“Sometimes. I exist in a constant state of low-level chaos.”

Nami just stared at you like she was debating whether to throw you overboard or into a volcano. “You literally robbed us before we could even start the fake heist.”

You beamed. “Guess I pass?”

“…I hate this,” she muttered. “I hate that she passes.”

------

It had been three days since the "Not-So-Fake Heist Incident," and, surprisingly, the crew hadn’t thrown you overboard.

Yet.

The pile of stolen-but-returned goods had finally been sorted, Luffy got his sandals back (though you kept the left one for half a day just to feel something), and Nami had instituted a new policy titled: If It’s Shiny, Don’t Let Her See It.

Fair.

You’d decided—maybe—to dial it back a bit. Just a little. You weren’t about to undergo a full personality change or anything, but the constant rope burns and angry shouting every time someone realized a spoon was missing were getting old.

So, today, you were on the deck, lounging in the sun like an overgrown alley cat, arms tucked behind your head, tail flicking lazily as the wind rolled in.

Chopper was nearby, reorganizing the medical kit.

You eyed the shiny scissors inside. Paused. Then… looked away.

Growth.

Robin walked by, offered you a small nod, and smiled when she saw you didn’t even flinch toward her bracelet. “Turning over a new leaf?”

“I’m turning it slightly,” you replied. “Let’s call it... leaf rotation.”

“Fair enough.”

A few minutes later, Sanji stepped out of the kitchen. “Lunch will be ready soon.”

Your ears perked. “Did you make the curry again?”

He raised a brow. “You didn’t steal anything from the pantry today.”

“Yeah, well…” You rubbed the back of your neck. “Thought I’d try the whole ‘asking’ thing. It’s weird. But it doesn’t come with shouting, so that’s neat.”

Sanji handed you a small rice ball without saying anything.

You blinked. “Wait, is this—?”

“Pre-lunch snack. For good behavior.” He turned back toward the kitchen. “Don’t make me regret it.”

You clutched the rice ball like it was a sacred artifact. “This is the nicest thing anyone’s ever given me.”

Zoro passed by, gave you a side-eye. “Didn’t think you were capable of behaving.”

You stuck your tongue out. “Didn’t think you were capable of walking in a straight line.”

He grunted, clearly choosing violence, but Robin’s amused chuckle in the background kept the peace.

Eventually, Nami showed up, arms full of charts. She paused. Looked at you. Squinted suspiciously.

“You haven’t stolen anything today.”

You nodded solemnly. “Not even the shiny bottle of ink on your desk.”

“…That’s oddly specific.”

You shrugged.

Nami stared at you for a few seconds longer before sighing and sitting beside you.

“…You know, I get it,” she said. “Being on your own. Taking what you need. Trusting no one.”

You glanced sideways. “…You gonna start trauma-dumping?”

She smirked. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

You smirked back. “I wasn’t. Just clarifying my schedule.”

A few moments passed in silence.

Then she added, more softly, “If you’re trying to change... even a little... that’s something.”

You looked away quickly. “I’m not changing. I’m just… rerouting.”

She snorted. “Reroute all you want. Just keep your paws off my gold.”

“No promises.”

But you meant it. A little.

From across the ship, Luffy suddenly shouted, “SOMEONE STOLE MY HAT!”

Your ears twitched. You shot up.

“I SWEAR IT WASN’T ME THIS TIME!”

It actually wasn’t.

Progress.

[inoreuct]

*drums my fingers on the table* so… weretiger zoro angst, anyone? (happy ending tho bcs. always happy endings) [cw: slight gore]

Zoro is on the hunt. There is something in the back of his brain snarling protect them, protect them, chase it down—

“—arimo!”

He’s so hungry. Hell, he doesn’t even need to chase— His prey is right there in front of him, fresh blood racing through its veins as its tiny heart works overtime. He can taste its fear at the back of his throat, and he bares his fangs in a grin; the poor thing screams, a sharp, high keen of terror as it scrambles backwards, and Zoro pounces. 

“—arimo!”

He is kind enough to give it a quick death. Its throat rips out easily, trachea crushing between his jaws as he slits its torso open with his blades. Blood sprays across his body. Why hadn’t he shifted? He spits out a mouthful of bone and cartilage, pierces his fangs through a forearm and yanks, feels something pop and hears a wet tear. This would be so much easier with his claws—

“Zoro!”

Oh. His human is calling for him. 

Sanji looks scared. Why, though? He drops the arm in his mouth, lets it hit the deck with a wet splat as he croons a soothing apology at not replying sooner. Gore is sticky beneath his boots as he stalks forward and he holds in a growl of irritation, nimbly avoiding the guts strewn across the wooden planks. 

Rumbling his reassurance does nothing. Sanji still looks vaguely afraid, and so Zoro tries again; safe, he purrs, and the tip of his tail does not swish through the blood puddled on the ground like it’s supposed to. He cannot feel it at all. 

The cook doesn’t budge. Zoro can smell his apprehension, his nerves, the slight sour tang of fear that makes him want to go hunt down whatever’s causing it and make it hurt. He smells it on the rest of his crew, too, and he doesn’t get it. The threat is gone, no? He senses no danger. Scanning their surroundings on the enemy boat yields no answers; all the men around them are still very, very dead. Zoro had made sure of that, so what was the problem? They should be back on the Sunny right now, sitting in the galley debriefing and having dinner—

Something clicks into place in the recesses of his mind, and dread starts to prickle through his body. 

He had been so… He’d almost eaten—

Oh, no. 

Zoro tries to shift the shape of his soul and fails. He does not feel his body changing. His shadow is, has been, in the shape of a man’s, and the blood on his skin suddenly feels disgusting. 

In the span of a moment he becomes hyper-aware of it all, pouring down his front, dripping off his chin, salty-sweet-metallic on his tongue. He turns to the side and spits multiple times, tries to get the cloying taste out of his throat as he raises a hand before realising that it, too, is coated in red. Zoro almost retches as he swallows instinctively, nausea slamming into him in a wave so strong that his stomach churns. He tastes bile. He’s thankful for it— It’s better than blood. 

Anything is better than blood. 

“Zoro?”

His head snaps around so fast that something cricks in his neck. His eyes are saucer-wide. Sanji takes a step forward and he is rooted to the spot, frozen statue-still; he is sure his heart stops beating for a second. Fitting. He knows he should step back— Knows now that he had been the threat, and yet he cannot move. 

“Let’s just… go back to the ship, how about that?” Sanji says tentatively, wincing as he kicks aside something that looks like a liver to put his foot down again, and he’s so close. Too close. “Let me—”

“No,” Zoro rasps, and God, fuck, he sounds like a fucking death rattle and he wants to claw his own voice box out of his fool mouth. The cook’s expression is a twist between desperation and something else, something that makes Zoro want to gag and cry and scream. Sanji should never look like that and it’s because of him. “No,” he tries again, quieter. He looks away. He doesn’t think he can stand looking into those blue, blue eyes. “It’s my mess, I’ll clean up.” Sanji makes a noise like he’s about to protest, and Zoro pierces through his own heart as he turns his back. “Alone.”

A beat of silence, and then Sanji is walking away. His crew is walking away. Zoro stands, surrounded by bodies he’d ripped apart, and thinks that perhaps this is how everybody that has ever been under his claws had felt. 

And that’s that. 

*

The following days are hell. He breathes in and everything he smells is wrong; anxiety, worry, an undercurrent of tentativeness that makes him throw himself into his training with renewed fervour. He is torn between the urge to bare his throat, show his belly and prove to his crew that they will never come to any harm from him, and the pride that insists he will not go against his nature to make himself more palatable for anybody else. 

He is all fang and claw and wickedly sharp teeth. He is a predator by nature, given humanity and a mortal form. This is the shape of his soul.

But they are his family. His nakama. And sitting here on the floor of the crow’s nest after running every kata he knows countless times, Zoro feels painfully, inexplicably sad. It is unfamiliar; he doesn't really do regrets, but it reminds him that at least some part of him is still human.

He lost control. He doesn’t do that, either. He never does that. But he did, and now none of his nakama can look him in the eye. 

Somebody climbs up the ladder, and his nostrils flare.

“Zoro?” Chopper asks, peeking his head up, and the swordsman immediately tries to look like he’d been busy, which… is ridiculous. He is sitting on the floor and moping. The sigh that whooshes from his lungs is defeated.

“Hm?” he prompts, when the tiny reindeer doesn’t say anything else.

Chopper climbs up fully, rubbing his hooves together. “I’ve checked everybody over except you.” 

Zoro can see the way he takes a fortifying breath and walks closer with a purpose. He stretches out his legs and allows Chopper to do as he wishes. 

“…We’re all worried about you,” the reindeer says after a while, staring intently into Zoro’s eye and testing his pupillary reflex. 

The swordsman gives a non-committal hum. “Scared of me, you mean.”

“No!”

Zoro jumps when a hoof whacks him across the forehead. “Wh—?!”

“We’re scared for you!” Chopper scolds, sounding dangerously close to tears. His distress turns Zoro’s stomach. “Do you know how scary it was to see you like that?! And then! You haven’t eaten in three days, and you probably haven’t slept, either, have you? Sanji’s been trying not to push because he knows you’re upset, but he’s been pacing a hole into the galley floor and chain-smoking like—”

“Wait,” Zoro interrupts. Replays that chunk of speech in his head. “You just said it was scary to see me like that.”

“Because we didn’t know what happened to you!” Chopper cries, huffing shakily. “And the look on your face when you realised—”

Zoro’s back bumps into the bench as Chopper grabs him in a hug, arms around his neck. His breath catches in his chest.

“Don’t do that again,” Chopper says firmly, shoving Zoro’s shoulder for good measure as he pulls back. “You seem okay, at least physically. Any pain?”

“No.”

“Any trouble shifting?”

“Haven’t tried.”

The doctor makes a noise, a cross between displeasure and something softer. “Well, try soon. Can Sanji come and see you?”

“…Yeah.”

“Okay.” Chopper stands, giving Zoro one last look. “For the sake of our cook’s lung capacity, come down to dinner.” 

Zoro sucks down a breath and holds it until it burns. He smells worry-care-care-anxiety-care and pats a hand over Chopper’s hat. “Alright.”

He sits back against the bench as their tiny doctor leaves, and within a minute someone is climbing up again. Sanji stands, silhouetted by the late-afternoon light. Zoro’s chest aches.

“Marimo,” the cook says evenly, and Zoro resists the urge to scent the air.

“Swirly-brow,” he returns, neutral. Testing the waters. “Heard you missed me.”

Sanji is silent, and Zoro’s heart gives a sickening squeeze. Has he overstepped already? He opens his mouth to say something, anything, and nearly jumps when he ends up with a lapful of gangly limbs, his spine pressed hard into sanded wood.

There are hands on his face, in his hair, lightly callused and holding him in place as Sanji kisses him like he’s got a point to prove. Zoro freezes up at first, because even in his human form his teeth are sharp and he doesn’t know what he will do if he draws Sanji’s blood. Maybe run away to live out the rest of his life in well-deserved exile. 

But then he smells salt, and something wet smears against his cheek, and Sanji’s lashes are clumped with tears as he pulls back and there is a slender finger jabbing hard into his sternum. 

“Don’t you ever,” Sanji hisses, poking him again for emphasis, “do that shit to me again, you fucking bastard.” 

He smells like bitter fatigue, acrid worry sharpened with anger and underneath all of it— love, lemon-bright and so goddamn sweet that it coats Zoro’s tongue like honey, wipes every memory of red iron and rust from his mind. “I’m sorry,” he breathes, eyes roving over Sanji’s face; the curled ends of his brows, the long lashes, the high cheekbones and strong nose and a sharp cupid’s bow, so familiar he could trace it in his sleep. “I thought you— wouldn’t want to see me.”

“Fucking bullshit,” Sanji spits, his face crumpling, and he goes easily when Zoro coaxes him to his chest. “Do you know how long I spent worrying about whether or not you were okay?” 

“I know,” Zoro soothes, and his heart is beating so fast that his ribs hurt. “I’m alright.” 

“Well, I’m not,” Sanji announces, digging his knee up into Zoro’s side with a vengeance until he gets a wheeze. “You owe me three packs of cigs. You owe the whole crew an apology. Luffy’s damn near lost his appetite; even Nami won’t so much as insult me when I try and get a rise out of her.”

Sanji’s glaring at him with the force of the sun, fierce and beautiful and golden-bright, but the dark circles beneath his eyes make guilt drag razor-thin talons across Zoro’s stomach. “You shouldn’t smoke so much,” he says softly, brows furrowing as he cards Sanji’s bangs out of his face and cups his cheek. 

“You shouldn’t go berserk and then isolate yourself without considering the fact that your crew would be worried sick about you,” the cook fires back without missing a beat. He leans into Zoro’s touch anyway, and Zoro smooths a thumb into the hollow between his bridge and brow.

“Weren’t you scared?”

“More— unsettled, maybe. Marimo,” Sanji’s throat bobs, eyes flickering over Zoro’s face. “Your eyes were slits. Like you were expecting to get attacked. We didn’t know how to talk to you without you panicking and running away.”

“I do not run—” he begins, scowling, and then shuts his mouth. What has he been doing these past three days, if not running away? “I think…” He digs deep into the memory, lays everything out in his head and ah. 

That man had crept up in Sanji’s blind spot, a wickedly long knife in his hand, and Zoro hadn’t thought. Hadn’t planned, just jumped. “He was gonna get to you,” he mutters, forcing himself to hold Sanji’s gaze even as the cook frowns. “I’m sorry, cook. I lost control. It won’t happen again.” 

The words are clunky and unfamiliar in his mouth. He’d almost eaten a man in his human form. That had to have looked all kinds of fucked up; he really didn’t blame his crew if they—

“Oi,” Sanji scoffs, flicking him in the forehead. “Are you always so distracted even with pretty people in your lap?” 

Zoro huffs through his nose. “Oh, I’m sorry, princess. Just contemplating how I nearly ate someone.”

The cook’s mouth twitches. “There are a great many jokes I can make about that, but I’ll save them for later. You’re a tiger, marimo. You were just protecting us. We really can’t hold it against you.”

“…You’re not scared of me,” he murmurs one last time, because he has to be sure.

“I’m not,” Sanji confirms easily, rubbing his thumb over the shell of Zoro’s ear, dragging through his earrings and making them tinkle like wind chimes. “Come down and the rest of them won’t be, either.”

Something in him gives. Shifts, releases, crumbles in his chest like a little collapsible galaxy as he pulls the cook down for another kiss. He feels Sanji’s tongue trace over the points of his teeth, utterly fearless— It steals the breath right from his lungs, this blatant, unwavering trust that he’s been allowed to hold cupped in his battle-rough palms. He gathers flaxen hair into his hand so that he can look the cook in both eyes, blue as the sky at high noon and crystal clear. Sanji leans into his chest with a ragged exhale and Zoro slides one palm up to the nape of his neck, one over his ribs, if only to feel him breathe, and the words slip out. “I love you.”

He doesn’t know why it feels like he’s never said them before. They must have crossed his tongue hundreds of times by now, his mind a hundredfold more. He loves Sanji, he knows; it aches under his ribs, next to his heart, woven into his soul. He loves his crew, he knows; he gives them leeway he would allow nobody else, and refuses to accept that he needs their affection as much as they want his. 

But it feels new. Every single time, it feels brand-new. Like a freshly-minted coin that never tarnishes, pure, solid gold— So he lets himself be greedy and leaves his fingerprints all over it, goes to sleep with it tucked in his fist like a child holding on to a dream. “I love you,” he whispers into Sanji’s hair, and he feels the cook shift in his arms, feels the same words shaped against his throat, teeth to bone, fingers around his heart.

He purrs the words subsonic, over and over even when his crew cannot hear. He will put them out into the world until his nakama know and he will think them a thousand times more. 

But for now, they have an hour left till dinner. Sanji is breathing slowly, his arms tucked against Zoro’s chest. The lines of worry between his brows are smoothed out.

Zoro thinks he’ll take a nap.