#✲ NAMI [ dynamic ] RORONOA ZORO | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

inoreuct · 8 months

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i mean- if youre willing to write the angstier version 🥺🥺

https://www.tumblr.com/inoreuct/738704605780885504/thinking-about-zoro-being-the-crews-main

more than willing 🤭 enjoy!!

everything kind of hurts when nami comes to.

she honestly can’t tell if she’s opened her eyes or not; it’s all pitch black, and her eyelids feel gummy. the lashes of her left eye are crusted together with what’s probably the same thing making her forehead stiff, so that’s most likely blood. lovely.

the back of her skull bumps against something hard and cold with damp as she cranes her neck around, trying to get her bearings, and she can bend her wrists just enough to confirm that those are chains wrapped around them above her head. it's still too dark to see but she can smell salty air, mildew and rust, hear the vague murmur of the ocean; her body feels sore and stiff all over but she can't have been hanging here long. her shoulders haven't started hurting the way she knows they can.

something moves within the shadows ahead, and nami deliberately keeps her breathing even as footsteps get closer to her. the person reaches the wall to her left and pries something away— a plank, she realises, as moonlight starts spilling through the barred window and the face of her visitor is thrown into sharp relief.

the man is pale, slim to the point of being gaunt with a greasy, grimy quality about him; she presses her teeth together as he slinks forward and clasps his hands behind his back and cocks his head.

“cat-burglar nami,” he begins, beady eyes blinking. "tell us your plans."

her eyebrows go up in a flash, lips pinching in bemusement. getting right to business, are we? "we don't have any," she laughs, and chokes when a fist sinks into her gut.

she admits that she hadn’t expected that as she sputters, coughing as her lungs burn. people usually work up to it; a little bit more forceful questioning and a couple of threats against, say, anything and everything she’s ever loved, and then she’d figure they’d start punching. this man, or whoever he represents— they’re desperate.

and he just proves her right, god, men are so predictable. "what do you mean, you don't have any?" he spits, jagged nails digging in as he grabs her chin forcefully.

nami chuckles again, weak huffs that make her chest heave. her shoulders are starting to ache. “we see someone that needs help and we help them. we don't plan anything."

another swing, straight to her solar plexus. "where's your crew?"

"you don’t… interrogate people often, do you?” she wheezes, and holds her breath as his fist draws back again. the pain bites and then blooms across her cheek, blood-hot and thrumming like an infection, and she works her tongue between tooth and soft flesh, the pocket around her lower gums as she bares a grin and turns her head.

"where is your crew."

this time, when nami's laugh flutters from her mouth, blood goes with it. "here." she takes great pleasure at the fear that singes the edges of the man's face before he tries to blank it again. it’s not very effective. "they're here."

"impossible," he sneers. "we're on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere."

it’s false fucking bravado and it fills her with a sick sense of glee as she smirks at him through sweat-sticky lashes. "impossible's what we're best at, if you haven't noticed." she has no doubt that her nakama have already tracked her down. it’s a matter of time before luffy takes the roof off this place or sanji kicks the door down with a flaming leg.

the third possibility, well— this guy better hope it’s not zoro that comes for her.

she watches as the man digs into his pocket, his breathing harsh. “fine.” the brass knuckles he slips over his fingers gleam in the low light, a pretty polished bronze, and nami’s mouth goes dry. “you don’t wanna tell me? fine.”

all she knows for a while after that is pain. hell, she’d never even been beaten this badly under arlong’s thumb, and aside from the occasional swat to the wrist her mother hadn’t hit her either. this, though— it’s slam after slam of metal into her gut with a hand pinning her shoulder to the wall. her entire body shuts down for a moment when the hard edges jab into her liver, and she chokes back a scream when she feels her ribs snap seconds after she hears them break.

the air feels too thick when he finally pulls back, damp with her own breath, her body hot all over and shivery with pain. this isn’t an interrogation— this is someone taking out their frustrations, and it’s confusing because she doesn’t even know one, who this guy is and two, what they did to warrant such a violent retribution because, and she reiterates, she has no idea who the fuck this guy is. if it turns out that he’s just a nobody who got too ballsy she is going to be relieved but so, so mad.

her entire body’s starting to feel like one big bruise. the joints of her arms burn as she tries to lift herself up, to take some weight off her shoulders, but a cold chill settles in the pit of her stomach when she sees the glint of metal. something else, as if the knuckles weren’t enough— silver this time, sharp and liquid, and she is gonna throw luffy in the godsdamned ocean for taking his own sweet fucking time because where the hell are they.

her new personal annoyance breathes a huff of a laugh as he slowly drags the knife down the front of her blouse (and thank god she’d decided to wear one today), grazing over the shiny buttons until there's a soft snck and the dull sound of the very last one clattering to the floor. "still not talking?”

…okay, that's it. time to get out of here. "fuck you," she says loudly, turning her face towards the window so her voice carries even as she keeps her eyes on the leering bastard in front of her. hello? she wants to yell, the voice in her head steeped in annoyance and fringed in just the tiniest bit of anxiety. i needed backup in here ten minutes ago? ring ring? anyone there?

she can see the looks on her crewmates’ faces. luffy would have that big sheepish grin on, one hand pressed to the top of his hat on his head as she reams him out for their tardiness before he blames it on zoro, the swordsman looking off to the side with a hand on his hilts, in a stubborn sulk.

the knife digs into her cheekbone, grimy fingers squishing her face, and nami grins as she chokes out the first name that comes to mind, under her breath and half-mouthed. "zoro."

he's here, she's sure. her crew is already here and he’ll hear her, he always does. she can feel it in her bones, in the blood that's dripping from her chin, because zoro's never let any of them down. he’s one of the first people who had understood the weight of guilt and unwanted responsibility crushed onto her shoulders, even through her betrayal, and he’d fought for her freedom without hesitation. he won't let anything happen to her. luffy wouldn't, sanji wouldn't, usopp wouldn't— they're gonna get her out of here and then she’s gonna see these bastards burned to the fucking ground.

nami’s a pretty thing, she knows. all short skirts and slender hands and freckled skin but she packs a punch, and she can take one too. she’s held out this long and she can do longer if need be.

she isn’t afraid to ask for help anymore, either— not since then, that faraway time when she’d pushed metal through the only physical evidence of her ties to the man who she’d nursed so much hatred for, hatred that she’d turned into strength.

the man pushes her face away and the tip of the knife nicks across her skin, a shallow slice down to the right side of her upper lip and then the knife is moving, a bright flash of silver, and her voice breaks when it stabs right into her shoulder.

it fucking burns. the tip wedges between the joint, slowly snapping cartilage as the man twists it with a cackle, and she seethes through her teeth. luffy had taught her that strength was asking for help. that admitting that you need someone to save you, if only in that moment, is the bravest thing anyone could do. zoro had taught her to wield it like a weapon, to withstand the strongest of the storms of her own creation—

and she grins, now, as the blade cuts through her flesh and blood drips into her mouth, eyes wild. “zoro!”

the knife drives deeper into her shoulder, white-hot. "cry all you want. they won't get here in time."

that pain is a reminder that she is alive.

her core tenses as she kicks off the wall and drives her boot into the man's gut, heel slamming into his spleen— it winds him enough that he doubles over gasping and nami smiles painfully wide, a wild, vindictive thing. "fuck. you."

“you’re gonna regret that, bitch,” he hisses, and he’s shaking, trembling as he drags himself upright and nami knows that by the gods, he’s only human and she’ll kick him again. she’ll kick him as many times as it takes. sanji would be so proud.

she huffs a laugh, mean and low and raw as she presses her cheek against her bicep and lets her head tip down. she’ll rest, just for a little while before she gets back to fighting and clawing like a bat out of hell. something flickers at the edges of her vision, warm orange bleeding into the peripheral even through her lowered lashes and a soft, whispering crackle that carries on the breeze, smelling of ash— fire. a resounding boom shakes the walls and the man’s head snaps to the window, to say something or maybe to yell—

nami doesn’t get the chance to find out before a blade cleaves him clean in two.

the vertical halves of his body stay frozen for a split second before they slide apart and crumple into a mess of pink and ivory, slick red on the rough-hewn floor. wado gleams wickedly in the moonlight as zoro flicks the gore off her blade, shining silver streaked with the same blood that drips from the swordsman’s face.

“witch,” he grits out, eyes blazing beneath his bandana as he pushes a seething breath through his teeth, and there’s clear worry in the way he uses the side of his hand to push her sweaty bangs off her face and tilt her head up. it reminds her of her mother checking her forehead for fever, and she almost laughs. “you good?”

nami’s eyes burn as she stares at him tiredly. “no. i’m not fucking good,” she deadpans. “get me down.”

sparks shower down above her head as zoro cuts through the chain stringing her up, and her stomach swoops when she drops before an arm catches her around the waist. she cries out as it hits her ribs directly and zoro swears, his sword clattering— and then nami's world tilts as she's leaned carefully against the wall and zoro's face swims into view.

"hands out."

"what took so long?" she snaps weakly, trying to catch her breath. her hair bunches against the wet, grimy stone, and now that there's nothing to worry about she almost gags.

"they weren't completely stupid. took a while to find you," zoro grits, voice tight, before his face softens. "now put your hands out."

it's a struggle to lift them but she manages, albeit with her arms lopsided. the iron shackles around her wrists and rusted and heavy, tight enough that the skin of her wrists is itching, and her arms ache something fierce as zoro slices through the short chain connecting them and then eases his blade through the scarce gap between metal and skin to pop them open one by one.

she hears a cannon boom again. franky, probably— the walls shake and all of a sudden she’s aware of the raw relief coursing through her system, so much that it hurts, like blood rushing back to a limb. she’s lightheaded with it. or perhaps that’s… something else, she ponders faintly, as a knee buckles underneath her and zoro hauls her up before she can fall.

"just hang on, witch, i've got you,” she hears him murmur, squinting at him in the orange light as she’s lifted horizontal, an arm below her back and one beneath her knees.

her own arm flops uselessly, blood soaking her sleeve and collecting in the crease of her elbow. nami reaches up to find purchase and digs her manicured nails into the swordsman’s trapezium. "zoro."

a pause in movement as he looks down. "hm?"

she pulls herself up enough (or pulls him down enough, she can’t tell) to look him in the eye and says, low and dangerous, "i can't do it myself right now, so— give them hell, but don’t kill them. make an example of them. make them a warning.” the last word is spoken quiet enough that she can barely hear it herself, and zoro’s eyes are deadly serious. “death’s a privilege i don’t want them having just yet."

she can tell that the idea doesn't sit well with him; he bristles like an angry cat and his nostrils flare, but she knows he understands when he jerks a nod at her all the same as they step through the busted door and past piles of bodies, all the way out until they’re graced by the last smears of yolk-orange sun across the sky.

somewhere, luffy laughs.

nami shifts and as far as she can see, her crew is going fucking ham. she watches usopp shoot a man point-blank in the face with something that explodes in a shower of red dust and sends him twitching to the ground. another guy goes flying as jinbei quite literally throws him, and a whole row of goons get slammed into a crumbling wall as her captain swings his arm.

“cook!” zoro roars over her head, and it’s barely a second before sanji’s cutting a path towards them, kicking enemies out of the way left, right and centre before he stops right in front of nami.

his mouth parts in a silent question even as his eyes grow stormy blue with anger, face darkening when his gaze locks with zoro’s, and neither of them need to say anything. sanji just nods, solemn, before zoro carefully hands her off and makes sure she’s settled. wado sings as he pulls her out of her scabbard, and he’s relatively out of sight with a spray of coppery red.

nami swallows, suddenly very aware of her dry throat as her temple thumps down on his shoulder, and she gets the sudden ridiculous urge to apologise for her half-dried blood dirtying his suit.

“none of that,” he hushes, and fuck, she must be more out of it than she realised if she’s speaking out loud. sanji chuckles tightly. “you're alright, my dear. we've got you now."

she cranes her neck slightly to check her immediate field of vision, counting off mentally. "where’s everyone else?"

"taking care of things." an elegant hand appears and curls around her broken ribs, making sure they don't jostle as robin walks calmly into view. her beautiful face is serene. “they hurt one of ours. nobody except our crew is walking out of this place.”

nami blinks at her, limbs leaden, eyes narrowing with an irritated sigh as she cradles her injured shoulder against her body. “somebody better get my fucking clima-tact.”

she passes out.

the world is a soft blur when nami wakes, like she’s seeing things through dandelion fluff. or pain meds. probably pain meds. she knows she’s in chopper’s infirmary; the smell of antiseptic is painfully sterile, and she is glad of it. she vaguely remembers being carried in, sanji’s voice pitched low, someone sponging the blood from her skin as chopper’s hooves carefully prodded her torso.

the mattress dimples under her fingers and she jerks a little at the sound of slippers pattering towards her, cutting off abruptly with a yelp and a few hissed words. luffy’s hat is lopsided, gleaming in the afternoon sun.

she slips back into unconsciousness with a smile on her face.

the next time she comes too, she’s still in the infirmary. she doesn’t open her eyes just yet— soft breathing fills her ears, slightly raspy, a soothing rumble like the earth itself is shifting. she knows it’s zoro. it couldn’t be anyone else.

sure enough, the swordsman is asleep next to her pallet, squished into a chair that’s slightly too small with his arms crossed and his chin dipped to his chest.

nami coughs loudly, immediately regretting it as her chest and shoulder flares with pain, and then deciding that it’s worth it when zoro nearly tumbles out of his seat.

they stare at each other for a while. nami raises an eyebrow after three seconds of zoro being wide-eyed and open-mouthed. “how long was i out?”

the swordsman recovers himself with a swallow and a hand scrubbed through his hair. “not long. it’s the second morning after.”

she hums. “who were they?”

“a bunch of idiots who got lucky. we just jumped in and beat the shit outta them like usual.”

a muscle twitches in her forehead because god, they really were just idiots with balls too big for their pants. “and where are they?”

“marooned on that island, s’far as anyone’s concerned. luffy and franky turned their ship to splinters.” the grin that tugs at the corner of his mouth is a feral, satisfied thing. “ain’t no way they’re going anywhere anyway, even if they still had a boat. probably can’t even get their sorry asses off the sand. we didn’t kill them—” he says before she can get a word in edgewise, and nami closes her mouth, “but they’re closer to death than life, that’s for damn sure.”

a second’s pause, before she deems the answer satisfactory. “the others?”

“resting. or on watch.”

and it sounds to her for once like there’s nobody rootling around in the kitchens. “awfully quiet, no?”

zoro huffs a laugh, knowing what she means immediately. “the cook told luff to keep it down.”

both her brows go up at that. their captain is not one usually inclined to keep it down. “surprised he listened.”

“he does what he wants.” zoro shrugs, like it’s the simplest thing in the world. “and he wants you to get better, so he listened.”

maybe it really is the simplest thing in the world. luffy is simultaneously layers upon layers and one thin sheet. he is so much and yet still so simple in the way that he cares. nami takes stock for the first time, vision widening to encompass the rest of the room. it’s early morning, early enough that the top of the sky is still dyed dark, pale blue and pink streaking the rest. her body aches all over, concentrated in her shoulder and ribs, bandages looped in layers beneath the soft, loose shirt that she’s pretty sure is sanji’s. there are dark circles smudged under zoro’s eyes and his hair is loose. her clima-tact sits on the table nearby, as does—

luffy’s hat glows in the early dawn, individual strands lighting up like spun gold. it’s old and battered and worn thin. it makes nami’s heart feel warm.

“sorry."

she blinks, turning back to zoro to find him with his head bowed, hands clenched tightly in his lap. “…hey."

"i'm sorry," he says again, taking a deep breath that shifts his massive shoulders as he sits back. "we should've gotten there sooner. they shouldn't have been able to get to you at all—"

"hey." nami pushes a palm against the mattress to sit up before the pain makes her decide against it, grimacing. "don't be stupid. you got there before anything happened."

zoro's eyes are blazing when he finally looks up. "that's bullshit. the fact that they got you at all is—” he bites off his words, chest rising with a measured inhale that she suspects doesn’t help much. “and something happened, witch. a lot happened. you're bruised half to hell. they broke your ribs. your shoulder—"

"will be fine," she stresses, rolling onto her uninjured side to face him.

“your face.”

“superficial.” nami reaches up to press her fingers over the bandage on her cheek, feeling the silhouette of stitches beneath. unbothered by the way zoro’s seething. “our doctor’s one of the best. at worse, now luffy and i match.”

“you’re missing the point,” zoro grits, fists and teeth clenched so hard they both creak. “this wasn’t supposed to happen. nothing like this. not with me around.”

she knows her physical injuries aren’t all he’s talking about. knows he’d noticed the missing button on her shirt. knows that it’s guilt that’s eating him up inside, staining his undereyes the same purple as her bruises and putting that haunted look on his face.

nami sighs. zoro's a dumbass on a good day and he's got the emotional awareness of a brick wall, but of course he has to get this of all things.

she says it sarcastically in her head, but the thought makes her want to curl up and cry. the way he’s staring at her, wide-eyed and waiting for her judgement, makes something in her ache so fondly that she sniffs before she looks down.

he looks his age, for once. not a child anymore but also barely a man. too young to have so much weight on his shoulders, but aren’t they all? the words would be easy to say. it’s not your fault. don’t beat yourself up over it.

but mercy towards himself a language in which zoro is still not yet fluent, so for now she’ll defer to a more familiar tongue. "i'm fine. promise,” she mutters, looking down like she doesn’t mean it with everything she has. like she wouldn’t say anything to make him feel just a little better. “but you keep up with this attitude and i'll add to you debt."

he sputters, weak but still incredulous. "i just saved you, you witch."

"so?" she swallows her heart as she arches a brow. "you didn't do it fast enough. what's your point?"

"you're a tyrant," he breathes, rolling his eyes and huffing a loud breath as he looks away.

nami smirks. "a tyrant who budgets for your liquor with our beri, might i remind you. now go get your cook to make me a snack."

"he's not my cook!" zoro hisses, half in shock, getting up on reflex like a startled animal to yank the door open and storm out.

nami can’t help it— she laughs as tears spill hot down her cheeks, and she swipes them away so her bandage stays dry. it feels so good to be able to banter like this again. she hears her crew now, their voices rising and falling as zoro breaks the news, the cheers going up against the still morning air; it warms her through like fire on a brisk winter’s day. the gauze wound around her torso restricts her movement, but nami eases herself back down into the pillows with a sigh and let the noise of her nakama wash over her.

it soothes the ache. they always do.

(zoro returns within ten minutes with a slice of tangerine cheesecake and a mug of rich, creamy chocolate. sanji's drawn a spiky, frowning mossball on the top with milk foam, and she giggles when she looks up and zoro's making the exact same expression.)

(later, before the sun is even properly up in the sky, her crew curls around her in the tiny room she’s temporarily calling her own. they sit on every available surface and take up every available space, in the infirmary, in her heart; luffy’s cross-legged at the foot of the bed, beaming at her with a mouth full of chocolate biscuit. robin’s hands lift her hair off the nape of her neck. franky’s knitting some sort of sweater with yarn that’s coincidentally her favourite colour, and jinbei’s voice is deep and calming as he chats quietly with brook.

zoro stands, a silent sentinel by the door, arms crossed and brow lowered, and when she catches his eye his face softens.

“you gonna stand there all day?” she asks, brow arching in expectation, and she scoots over to make space for him to squeeze in next to sanji by her hip. their lack of squabbling does not escape her notice, but she’s not about to look a gift horse in the mouth— she’ll enjoy her peace and save it for another day.

and there will be another day. she’s planning on sailing with this crew for a long, long time.)

(even later, after everybody else has filed out of the room, zoro remains by her hip. his face is shadowed and unreadable.

“they should have died for what they did to you,” he says, low and soft. not tightly, no, not when she’d already told him it wasn’t what she wanted— not a protest. just a statement.

“you already bisected the one who did it first-hand,” she hums with her thumb shoved halfway through the middle of a tangerine, oil misting into the air, pith gathered beneath her nails as she pries it apart. “isn’t that enough?”

zoro doesn’t look up as he shakes his head, hands clasped in his lap, and nami feels something in her chest soften because zoro, for every good thing he is, has never been one to address how much he cares, and this— this allowance, however indirect, for her— it means a lot. it means everything.

his head snaps up with a frown as the piece of rind she throws smacks him square between the brows, staring down at the slice of fruit she offers him next like it’s something alien.

he shoves it in his mouth anyway, and she bites back a laugh.

they don’t say much more. they don’t need to.)

#well. this wasn’t as zoro-centric as it was supposed to be #more a zoro nami dynamic study. with a sprinkle of romance dawn trio #whatever it’s still delicious DINNER IS SERVED *rings bell to summon yall*#one piece #cat burglar nami #one piece nami #roronoa zoro #one piece zoro #strawhat pirates #romance dawn trio #zosan #because there’s always zosan…#also i find it hilarious how nami’s just kind of pissed off. woman’s barely stressed bcs she knows she’ll be fine she’s just MAD #ino writes

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dodgedriftdietrying · 9 months

Text

(Ain't No) Burden in my Hand

Chapter 1 - Follow me Into the Desert - (A/B/O Zosopp)

As Luffy pulled Usopp from the Water 7 docks onto the deck of the Thousand Sunny, a smell seemed to rejoin the crew as well, although slightly altered. That of a sad and nervous, but clean, freshly presented male omega. The color drained from the three youngest Strawhat alpha's faces and as Usopp tried to wrap him in a hug, Luffy froze in his grasp. An anxious pit formed in the Omega’s stomach, and he tried to fight the tears that pricked his eyes. Before he could pull away in embarrassment, Nami grabbed his shoulder and dragged him out of the tense grasp of his captain and into one of the unmarked rooms of the new ship and slammed the door behind them.

The distinct, comfortable burn of doubt and dread burned hotter in Usopp’s stomach at the lingering combined scent of the three Alphas’ distress, "W-what's wrong Nami? Why did you… why did they…" Usopp started, but trailed off as his friend stepped away from him to stand by a small trash can and peel off her scent patches. Oh. He shuffled his feet, slapped his hands against his face to soothe the humiliated prickles under it quickly, then twisted his hands in front of him as he waited and tried to ignore all the sounds coming from the deck. Being able to hear through doors is so weird. Is this how everyone always knew where I was on the Sunny? Leave it to Luffy to cheat at hide and seek.

The thought left a small, affectionate smile on his face as Usopp looked up at Nami when she winced and grunted as she pulled the last of the small moleskine-like patches off. “No matter how well you shave, your neck hair always grows back in before you have to take them off” That reminded him of something he heard his mom say. Her scent began to fill his nose, sunshine on wet boards and a sort of cherry-orange ice cream, so much more noticeable than it was just a week prior. "It's gonna be hard finding patches for you, you know," Her voice was steady with an undertone of tired nerves.

"What? Why?" Words that would have usually come out shrill and nervous were quietly concerned because of the comfort his best friend's scent was bringing him.

Nami turned to face him and stepped over to him, still half in front of the door, sunlight from the large but sturdy windows next to it made Usopp’s half-silhouette on the floor between them. "For your skin tone, the ones they sell are too light even for me, I have to darken them with makeup. If people can see them from far away it kinda defeats the purpose"

Realization ignited in his eyes and he dropped his hands to gesture emphatically as ideas formed in his mind, "I could probably make those! I could make ones that don't give you a rash or hurt too!"

Nami smiled at him sadly “I can’t wait”, Usopp furrowed his brow at her response but before he could speak, she raised her hands softly to his shoulders, "I'm gonna scent you now, okay?"

He gulped, nodded, and closed his eyes, allowing her manicured hand to guide his head to the nook between her shoulder and neck as she rubbed the corner of her jaw across his forehead and hair. Orange and sugar were cloying and strong, and the drying wood reminded him of long lazy days on deck. Tears threatened his eyes and he balled his hands into fists awkwardly at his sides. His first heat was long and awful, and he yearned the first few days for the way it felt keeping Nami company during her heats. As the only non-alpha human on the crew it was his duty to keep her from strangling everyone to death for making noise or smelling bad. Usopp knew he was never a great heat companion, always a little too loud, mouthy and self conscious, but the physical closeness was reassuring for both of them. Her hand left the back of his head to pull off his bandana and goggles, placing them on the bookshelf beside them before returning to hold him in place.

“Post Heat showers fucking rule, right?”

Usopp let out a slightly wet laugh, tears he hadn’t even noticed wetting his cheeks and dripping onto Nami’s collarbone. He sniffled before agreeing, “No kidding. I felt like I was being reborn.”

He felt Nami smile into his hairline, before returning to scenting him. "...And I just wanted to say, Usopp. I'm really sorry. I think we all are but…" Her fingers froze where they carded through the hair at the nape of his neck "I should have known. You're my best friend and you left and I was more focused on everything else and didn't even think why you would want someplace safe right then and…"

Calloused fingers twitched, the urge to hug or comfort her strong, but he didn’t want to risk upsetting her further. "I did insult Luffy and leave you guys," He argued, adding an awkward half laugh.

Nami sighed sadly, nodded and after a moment, she leaned back and lightly pushed Usopp's head off her shoulder, letting him steady himself against the wall. "Yeah but so did I, and none of you ever turned your back on me for a second. From now on, we're both Omegas, we tell each other when we think something is wrong, deal? Plus, the crew kinda lost it without you. Luffy was smiling through it but I heard him crying every time I got off watch. We NEED you, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise,"

Usopp nodded and smiled, although strained and still concerned, a little disoriented from the source of total comfort being taken away. After quickly returning it, she peered through the window behind Usopp who followed her eyeline. The scene was chaos. Sanji was squatted on the deck, face buried in his hands, cigarette ash dangling dangerously through his fingers. Luffy was super-hugging the mast, arms wrapped around it at least a dozen times, a distressed look on his face as Chopper tried to talk him down. Ominously, Zoro was staring out over the ocean back towards Water 7, one foot up on the edge of the boat, hands on the hilts of his swords. Seemingly not nearly as concerned as the other two. Robin stood next to him, glancing between the swordsman and the other young alphas in amusement. It made the pit in Usopp’s stomach double and he tried to breathe deeply, but only one thing could fill his mind-

What's Zoro thinking about?

Nami rolled her eyes and opened the door, exiting the room and closing it again behind her before immediately starting to yell at the Alphas. Usopp laughed quietly to himself, turning towards the desk. He knew Sanji and Luffy would probably feel Alpha responsibility for him more now and feel guilty for letting him leave, but Zoro definitely wouldn’t feel guilty. His reasons were valid. The swordsman’s undying loyalty and strict morals would not have allowed for any other solution. You can’t disrespect his God and continue on like nothing happened. Testing his legs, he took a few wobbly steps towards the desk and successfully landed himself in the leather chair. As he sat down, he realized that this must be Nami's office, based on the map papers neatly organized into levels of completion on the desktop. He wondered if he'd get his own room now that he's presented, and realized belatedly that maybe Franky knew before any of his friends did.

A hotel clerk was the first to make it apparent to him, asking if he'd like a smell proof room instead of a regular for the night. He had just flushed and traded a few of his trinkets to pay for the rest of the week.

Interrupting his reminiscing, Luffy burst into the office and Usopp scrambled to his feet before his rubbery captain could drag him over Nami's desk, incurring her wrath.

"WAAAA USOPP I'm sorry, I didn't know!" He said, arms wrapped around the sniper's waist, pulling them together. Cute but predictable. Usopp smiled and pet his hair,

"It's okay Luffy, I didn't know either"

A smile shone across Luffy's face and he removed his arms from Usopp’s waist, instead wrapping them around his narrow shoulders and enthusiastically scenting him, rubbery face rubbing aggressively against his hairline.

Despite the uncomfortable tugging of rubbery skin on clean hair, Usopp's knees felt weak, the stress of the last week leaving his body at the overwhelming smell of his pack leader’s scent. Being so close to the source of the scent, water over rocks and a beach campfire, was like coming home after a long journey. It… IS coming home after a long journey. He grabbed handfuls of Luffy's shirt, trying to ground his reality in anything solid. After a moment, Luffy pulled back easily and beamed at him, seemingly unaware of his newfound affect on the sniper "I'm glad you're back Usopp!"

…

"Usopp-san, of course I forgive you. I barely forgave Luffy for letting you leave, and that was before you presented" Sanji's comforting words rang in his head as he climbed the ladder toward the crows nest.

Zoro was why you left in the first place, why would he forgive you? Plus, he can smell you now, if he hasn't figured out about your crush yet, he definitely will today. A small, anxious part of him whispered. He’ll just get weirded out and throw me in the ocean again. Unfortunately for Usopp's physical health and body temperature, his new Omega brain couldn't function properly in a pack where he feels unsure about his packmates' feelings about him. Open hatred was better than uncertainty. Hence why he had spent the entire day going to each of his packmates and trying to make amends and gauge his situation.

In his own fashion, of course, as he brought little trinkets he made for all of them. The final of which sits in the chest pouch of his overalls even now. Zoro's. Usopp recognized the feeling of himself backing out as his hand hovered over the trap door and he forced himself to push it open. He pulled himself up into the room and quickly located Zoro, sitting on the window seat next to a pile of weights and bars, lanterns in the rooms leaving shadows over his face as he stared at him with steady, vague interest. For most other people it would just look like every other blank stare Zoro wore, but Usopp had spent so much time focusing on him from afar and trying to decode the alpha he could tell the subtle differences even in the low light. The room was heavy with Zoro’s blacksmith’s shop scent, but Usopp still couldn’t tell the swordsman's moods through scents and it worried him. That was a skill that came with age and training, both of which he severely lacked.

Usopp allowed a moment of silence as he shakily got to his feet and flapped the trapdoor shut in a bang that echoed around the silent, cavernous room.

"Z-zoro. I wanted to apologize for everything that happened at Enies Lobby and Water 7. It was a moment of weakness and it won't happen again. I made you this," Attempting to still the shaking in his hand, he pulled the trinket out of his pocket and crossed the room to hold it out in offering, not noticing the way Zoro inhaled deeply as Usopp got closer "It's a sharpener for your swords"

Zoro furrowed his brow as he reached up to take it out of his hand, his warm hands brushing Usopp’s quivering one ever so slightly.

"I-I saw how you find rocks every once in a while to sharpen them, so I made something you can just slide your swords through to sharpen, that way it’s at the same angle everytime"

Gold earrings jingle as Zoro nods, standing up to put the sharpener in his pants pocket. He looked down at Usopp, from his mild height advantage, silver eyes boring into Usopp’s dark brown, and Usopp realized that was the deciding moment. He stopped the urge to twist his fingers together and shoved them into his pockets instead. Zoro’s voice was scratchy, like he hadn’t spoken in a while. "You disrespected our Captain. That's why I wanted you to leave. Thank you, for this" He tapped the pocket holding the gift, "But your skills were never in question to me. You're good at what you do." Zoro took a few steps forward, his broad, bare chest only a few inches from Usopp's. His scent was rolling off of him in powerful waves.

Nami has once told Usopp that Zoro smelled like a black smith's forge full of wood and he couldn't agree more. Heat, metal, pine, smoke and char fill his nose and leave a funny feeling in Usopp's stomach and he inhales sluggishly. "Oh" Usopp replied quietly, struggling to maintain eye contact.

"And," Zoro turned his face away and gnashed his teeth, almost wincing before continuing, fighting down a growl, "I'm sorry you had to go through your first heat alone"

Oh.

Neither Sanji nor Luffy mentioned that during their conversations, due to being too proper and not caring respectively. Although, their other Alpha, Robin, made a joke about his poor timing. But Zoro didn't tell jokes. Not like this, "Uh, Thank you. For forgiving me,"

Zoro’s eyes snapped back to Usopp’s, an unreadable look in his eyes as he closed his lips carefully around his fangs. Usopp continued quickly

"A-and thanks for your worrying but it really wasn't an issue."

Zoro rolled his eyes as a growl built in his throat and Usopp jumped to defend,

"It wasn't! I just sold some of the stuff from the Merry to pay for a room and it was fine!"

"THAT’S NOT THE ISSUE"

Usopp's mouth snapped shut as he stared at the swordsman. Said swordsman grabbed him by the shoulders, a movement the sniper'd gotten more than comfortable with in the past days as scenting became an everyday occurance. His body seemed too shocked to react, just staring in confusion as Zoro pinned him with a determined look.

"Everybody here always has people around during their stuff. Luffy has you and Chopper for his ruts, Sanji and Robin have each other, and Nami and I both have you,"

Which Usopp nodded at. He made sure to spend good time with both the Alphas and the now fellow Omega during their cycles. And while Nami would hang out with basically anyone except Sanji and Zoro, Zoro's ruts were spent in solitary save for the sniper's visits. He had always forbade himself from scrutinizing that. No point in getting my hopes up.

"But you went through your first heat alone in a new place in ruin. And…" Zoro trailed off, teeth grinding almost audibly again, but his intense gaze didn't leave Usopp's. After a long, tense moment, Zoro sighed and tried again, rolling his eyes irritably and shifting on his feet "You know why I sleep in between you and the door during my ruts? Because… I want you to spend them with me. I… need you to be safe. All the time. I want to spend yours with you now. I want to… take care of you. How I can."

Usopp's heart couldn't be any louder if it tried. That was… a courting proposal. Plain and simple. Zoro's own emotionally stunted twist on it, but a proposal nonetheless. The swordsman looked tired out by the confession, but steadfast in waiting for a response. Whatever part of his brain that was not currently leaking out his ears registered just how strong Zoro’s scent had gotten. It was making his head swim and his mouth water. Do I smell that strongly? I hope not. He swallowed, voice coming out quieter than he meant it to "I want that too."

The words, the ones he had imagined saying to another person over and over again since he was a child, and to Zoro over and over again for the past week, actually left his mouth. A slow grin, tired but happy, spread across Usopp’s face, eliciting a cocky one from the Alpha. Bluntly, he asked "Can I scent you now? Uh. Please?"

The question startled a laugh out of Usopp, who nodded shyly, and as Zoro's strong arms pulled him in, the sniper wrapped his arms around Zoro's midsection and buried his face in his neck. From his new vantage point, He could feel the other sigh, one arm wrapped tightly around his shoulders, the other grabbing a fistful of his overalls. In his own way. Usopp smiled into Zoro’s scent glands, inhaling until his breath hitched.

…

After a while, Usopp was sitting on one of the plush window benches, with his sketchbook propped up on his knees, pretending to not watch Zoro weightlift across the room. Three 800 pound weights were attached to either side of the bar where it lay in Zoro’s hands as he lay on the bench. The latter was 100% posturing, but there were no complaints to be heard. He cleared his throat and glanced at Usopp before stating matter-of-factly, "Uh, we shouldn’t tell people we’re datin’. Pirating and all that don't end well for anyone."

Ouch. It stung to hear but the reasoning was sound. Love’s got no place on the seas. After a moment, Usopp nodded in agreement, looking back down at his half finished sketch of Zoro’s bicep and swiping off eraser crumbs. "Yeah, that makes sense. Especially with the greatest swordsman thing. I'd hate to be a liability for your dream."

He could almost hear Zoro rolling his eyes irritatedly, "You're not a goddamn liability. You're just someone they'll know I won't want to lose. It’s a disadvantage in a fight, and I don’t like those. Or people going after you to get to me anymore than they normally do."

On any normal day, in any normal situation, Usopp would have died. Plain and simple. Only Zoro could make me leave the crew then say he doesn’t want to lose me a week later. But here, in a closed room, full of their combined scent, he just blushed and smiled brightly at his Alpha over the top of his sketchbook. His alpha. God. Zoro responded with a small smirk before focussing back on his workout.

The smell that perfumed the air was strong, and difficult to describe. Usopp's own scent was new, and he could not smell it the same way others could, but Nami had described it as, "Wildflowers. It's like that strong flower scent, but stronger and un-manicured, like a field of them that used to be wild grass, or something."

That, mixed with Zoro's scent created a comforting smell, like a home that didn't exist yet. Something with a strong forge and big open windows. Which he supposed, is what he wanted to build with Zoro. A plan for after piracy. After Luffy. Luffy! Usopp winced. He heaved a long sigh before speaking up. "Luffy's gonna tell everyone we meet though. What should we do about that?"

Zoro stopped mid-rep, show off, and stared up at the ceiling. Then, after a second, he racked his bar and sighed tiredly, “So we’d have to hide it from everyone.”

Usopp nodded, closing his sketchbook and curling in on himself as Zoro let out another long sigh and sat up, slumping with his knees against his elbows. The stronger scent in the room changed, more smoke, less pine. It made something deep inside Usopp sad in a way he didn’t expect, and didn’t really know how to deal with. A thick feeling gathered in his throat, and he tried to swallow with a wince that he saw mirrored on Zoro’s face. I should… try and fix that. Right?

He unfurled himself and stood, awkwardly crossing the room to stand before the hunched swordsman, who peered up at him questioningly. Raising his hands, he lightly placed them against the Alpha’s shoulders, praying he got the idea. Surprisingly, he did, and after a long moment of Zoro staring up at him in a way that made him want to both twirl his hair like a schoolgirl and drown himself in the kitchen sink, wrapped his arms around the Omega’s waist, pulling him to stand between his knees with his head pressed against his stomach. Usopp did his best to gently scratch his Alpha’s scalp with his bandaged fingers and calluses, and he smelled Zoro start to scent him again. The scent coming off him was much lighter this time, and he seemed conflicted between pressing forward against Usopp's soft stomach and back against his gentle hands. Good sign.

"W-we could… not tell him? Is that stupid?"

Zoro pulled out the all-too-real moral scale system in his head. On one side, Usopp. He just got him back, just found out they wanted each other in the same way. His safety and comfort were at risk. On the other side, as usual, Luffy. His captain, his savior, his pack leader. His trust, easily won but no less valuable, might be hurt by them keeping this from him. What would keep them all the most safe? Maybe Usopp would know. Usopp was smart.

Leaning back slightly, he rested his chin against Usopp’s chest before answering, "I'm weighing something,"

Usopp nodded, used to being Zoro's sounding board for his moral dilemmas. Although, I am a pretty biased jury here, he thought bemusedly.

"With you, if we tell him your safety is at risk. What's the bad part of not telling him?"

Usopp looked forward and tapped his pointer finger against his lips in thought. "I suppose it's mainly him being mad that we didn't tell him when he finds out, or… I don't know, some life threatening dilemma that requires he knows we're dating?" He offers, looking back down to meet Zoro's eyes as they gaze up at him, the unreadable, contemplative look on his face. After another long pause said Alpha spoke,

"So let's just not tell him. Or anyone, I guess."

Usopp sucked air in through his clenched teeth, and Zoro frowned. "I'm sorry, but I promised Nami I would tell her everything now, after everything that happened."

"Okay, then just Nami will know. As much as I hate her, she's the kind of person we want on our side when it comes to secrets. Deal?" Zoro raised a hand to grip Usopp's where it rested against his chin. Usopp threaded their fingers together and kissed Zoro's scarred knuckles quickly, his cheeks darkening.

"Deal."

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