#Nami: I can’t tell if you want to drown him or want to kiss him | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

crownjimin · 2 years ago

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☆ ⁄⁄ ★ 052 | a simple solution

coffee — the enemies to lovers social media au where min yoongi refuses to date a cheerleader, but yoon haryun might be able to change that.

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tag(s): @secretlycrazyhummingbird @preciouschimine @bubblytaetae @btsarmymochi97 @chogiyeol-utopia @flyxfall @cherrybubblesandvodka

☆ ⁄⁄ ★

As hard as she tried, Haryun could not deter her friends from returning to her apartment after their night at Hope World.

In large, public settings, her friends weren’t big partiers. They would be discreet with their drinking, tone down their voices, and behave tame compared to behind closed doors. While at Haryun’s apartment, they drowned themselves in alcohol they loved, spoke crudely and informally, and submerged themselves in one another’s presence that they acted like complete idiots.

Haryun would have welcomed the intrusion any other night, but as she planned on continuing her studies, she needed complete solitude. Not the erratic screams from Geummi and the consequential yells of scolding from Seyoung telling her to calm down.

From the moment the seven of them—eight when you count Jungkook—entered the apartment, Haryun sequestered herself in her room with a pot of coffee. The clock neared three AM as Moonhee grabbed a nearly empty bottle of wine and joined the seven other occupants of her apartment in the living room.

Geummi, Luda, and Namie lay on top of one another on the couch while Seyoung claimed the loveseat that was adjacent to the sofa. Moonhee took a spot on the floor in front of the couch while Jungkook and Yebin cuddled together on the floor in front of the loveseat. A random television show played in the background as everyone murmured amongst themselves, Moonhee taking occasional slugs directly from the wine bottle to sate her cravings.

“So, wait,” Geummi slurred from her spot in Namie’s lap. “Yebinie. Jungkookie. You’ve been together for how long?”

Jungkook, with his arms, wrapped securely around Yebin, answered. “Four years in November.”

Yebin nodded in agreement and leaned into Jungkook’s hold, comfortably on his chest. “We started dating when we were fifteen.”

“That’s too long,” Moonhee grumbled as she slammed the wine bottle onto the coffee table with a thud. “Way too long.”

Yebin shrugged in response. “I love him.”

And as if Jungkook hadn’t expected Yebin to say that, he cooed as he kissed her cheek. “You’re the sweetest.”

Geummi dramatically clapped at their show of affection while Namie scoffed in jealous disgust. Seyoung was in the kitchen, fixing everyone's glasses of ice-cold water that she constantly bombarded them with every few minutes. She focused on Geummi, seeing as she was the drunkest out of everyone.

“I think Jungkookie and Yebinie have a cute relationship,” Seyoung said as she shoved a glass in Luda’s face. “I wanna be just like them when I grow up.”

“They’re cute.” Luda deadpanned before she downed the entire glass in a few gulps and handed it back to Seyoung. “I just think relationships take a lot of work.”

“Not when you want it to work out, Noona,” Jungkook responded. “It’s easy with Yebin. We just make sure to communicate with each other.”

Once again, Namie scoffed. “That’s bullshit.”

“It isn’t Unnie,” Yebin softly spoke. She understood that Namie had a rough night and wasn’t saying these things to be mean; she was just emotional. “It helps if you both really and truly want to be together. Relationships work two ways.”

“Maybe that’s why I can’t ever be happy,” Namie slowly answered. Everyone heard her, but knowing that Namie hated mentioning anything about her love life, they let it pass and allowed her space and time.

The group tuned back into the television for a few moments. Everything leveled and calmed for what seemed like the first time that night. Moonhee slowly made her way to the end of the wine bottle, stubbornly refusing Seyoung’s glasses of water anytime she offered.

“I don’t think-“

“MOONHEE-YAH!”

Haryun screamed from her room, her voice reverberating through the apartment so loud that it silenced everyone in shock. For a brief moment, Moonhee hadn’t registered that it was her name that Haryun yelled, but once she did, she jumped up and ran straight to her room.

The first thought to come to Moonhee’s mind was that Haryun was in trouble. The scream sounded panicked, like she needed immediate attention, and Moonhee planned to give it to her. But as she pushed open the door to Haryun’s room, instead of being welcomed to an ongoing struggle or injury, she was faced with Haryun’s phone shoved in her face and what looked like unshed tears in Haryun’s eyes.

“What is this,” Haryun hissed.

Moonhee was still slightly tipsy and had pushed up from the floor a little too fast, so everything was blurred. Instead of attempting to read whatever was on the phone screen, Moonhee shrugged and muttered, “What is it?”

“Your text,” Haryun stuttered. “You texted me-“

She paused to turn her phone back towards herself to read aloud. “When you get here, don’t look for yoongi. Why-Why couldn’t I have looked for Yoongi?”

Almost instantly, Moonhee sobered up. Her eyebrows raised dramatically, giving away her panic before she could adequately school her expression back to confusion and nonchalant. And Haryun could read Moonhee well enough to catch the millisecond shift in her facial expression to know she was about to lie.

“And don’t lie to me!”

“Well, shit,” Moonhee muttered in response. She had no choice.

She kept quiet for a few moments, gathering her thoughts and thinking of a friendly and gentle way to tell her best friend that the same guy she had been fretting about over the past two weeks had been doing the complete opposite. Hell, to Moonhee, Yoongi seemed fine, almost as if he wasn’t worried about anything at all.

If Moonhee weren’t so sure that Haryun had strong feelings for the idiot, she would’ve punched him.

With a deep sigh that took a few moments to resonate, Moonhee spoke up. “Well, I guess I saw Yoongi with Yooa--lets be clear, I saw him kissing her.”

“You guess,” It took less than a moment for Haryun to respond. Almost as if she didn’t take the time to let everything sink in. “Or are you positive?”

Loud and hurried footsteps echoed outside the bedroom door, drawing both girls’ attention to the closed door just as it swung open and three bodies burst through it. Geummi came in with the most force, falling straight to the ground with drunken giggles. Namie was right behind her, holding the doorframe as Luda crashed into her back with how fast Namie had halted.

“I fell.” Geummi deadpanned before she, Luda, and Namie laughed in sync.

Haryun knew that this meant they would have to pause their conversation to situate the three drunk stooges that had just burst into her room. There was no question that the three would be staying at Haryun and Moonhee’s apartment. They were too drunk to reach the front door, much less their apartment.

So as Haryun helped Geummi off the floor, Moonhee ushered Luda and Namie into the room and softly guided them toward Haryun’s bed. The bed wasn’t large by any means, it was a full size, but that was no trouble for the three girls. As soon as they climbed in, they latched onto one another in a drunken mess but managed to fit together like puzzle pieces.

Moonhee refused to leave them alone, so until she was sure the three were asleep, she forced Haryun to sit on the floor with her until the three drunk girls’ breaths were even. It took a few “shut ups” and “go to sleep,” but after twenty minutes, Haryun was positive they had all fallen asleep.

With oblivious hope, Moonhee thought Haryun had dropped the conversation and forgotten what they had been talking about before their interruption. But with the force that Haryun gripped Moonhee’s wrist and tugged her across the hall, Moonhee knew that Haryun was only getting started.

“Yun-ah, I don’t think-”

“No,” Haryun’s answer was curt and concise. “No. Tell me. Please.”

Moonhee scanned Haryun’s face and could tell she was struggling. She had no idea why Haryun wanted to know so bad, mainly because it would only hurt her in the end, but Haryun was her best friend, and they kept no secrets.

“At the party, Yoongi was kissing Yooa,” Moonhee repeated, watching Haryun’s reaction close. “I didn’t see a lot, but they were together most of the night. And the last thing I saw was them kissing.”

The air went still as Moonhee’s words still flowed through the air. The cogs in Haryun’s brain were turning as she took her time to process the words. She understood that Yoongi had kissed someone. That all made sense. But she couldn’t wrap her head around the stinging in her heart, the knot of air in her throat, and the pressure of tears behind her eyes.

That was what happened when Haryun was upset. When she wanted to cry, but that wasn’t the case.

“Okay…. Was that it?”

Moonhee had perched herself on the edge of her bed moments ago, but Haryu’s faux nonchalance is what got her to shoot up in disbelief. “No, no, no. Tell me how you’re feeling. Be honest with me. Bare it all.”

“I have,” Haryun shook her head in response. “I am-”

“No, either you tell me the truth, or you’re sleeping on the couch.”

The injunction might’ve seemed futile and like a joke to others, but Haryun knew what it meant. Sleeping on the couch was a metaphor of sorts for the silent treatment. And when Moonhee put Haryun on the silent treatment, it was unbearable. The way Moonhee practically acted as if Haryun didn’t exist made living with her brutal, it had only happened once in the past, but that was enough for Haryun never to want to experience it again.

The erratic beating of her heart hurt a lot. It dawned on Haryun what her behavior meant, why she was so hysterical about Yoongi kissing someone else, why she was so disappointed that he had yet to text her—to pay attention to her.

A smug, conceited smirk sat on Moonhee’s lips, and if Haryun didn’t love her so much, she would’ve slapped her. Moonhee had known. She was Haryun’s best friend. For crying out loud, she knew what every emotion of Haryun’s looked like, even if Haryun had trouble deciphering her feelings. It sickened her to the core, but her best friend was right.

“So, what are we feeling tonight, Yun-ah?” Moonhee’s tone was all-knowing as she crossed one leg over the other and folded her hands together.

Haryun was speechless. Not because she couldn’t find the words—she knew what Moonhee wanted from her, but she refused to say it. Did it only take fourteen days for Haryun to feel something for Min Yoongi? Was it the coffee, or was it his stupid gummy smile? Maybe it was his cat-like eyes and the dark pools of brown that had Haryun dreaming of him day in and day out. Or was it the way he spoke to her? Like he understood her every word and hung onto them like they were honey to his ears.

“My god,” Haryun quietly groaned. “I like Yoongi.”

“I’m sorry,” Moonhee leaned forward as she cupped a hand behind her ear, beckoning Haryun to speak up. “I don’t think I heard that.”

With a huff, Haryun repeated herself, this time with confidence. “I like Yoongi.”

“Oh good,” Moonhee smiled. “Now tell him that.”

“You must want me to combust because I will do that before Yoongi ever hears those words from my mouth.”

“But he likes you too!”

Haryun snorted in disbelief. “Oh really? What told you that? Was it him making out with Yooa tonight, or maybe it was that he hasn’t spoken to me in two weeks!”

“We won’t know until you tell him!”

“I will be doing no such thing,” Haryun grew fearful at the idea of revealing her feelings to Yoongi. “I just want to wallow in self-pity until my undying love withers away naturally.”

“Now it’s love,” Moonhee raised her eyebrows in interest. “That’s way different than like, Yun Bun.”

“Oh, suck it! I want to have his children, okay!”

“Woah,” Moonhee was on her feet now, cautious with her words. “Haryun, if you’re serious about this, tell him.”

Silence swarmed the room for a few moments. Haryun’s eyes danced from wall to wall as she thought about the situation. Yes, telling Yoongi would make everything feel less stagnant, but Haryun was afraid. This type of thing overwhelmed her and made her want to cry.

So she did.

The first tear streamed down her cheek as she whined. “I can’t.”

Wordlessly, Moonhee wrapped her arms around Haryun as they stood in the middle of the room. There were many conversations between the two about Haryun’s trouble voicing her feelings. She was stubborn when it came to letting others know what she felt. Whether it was annoyance or fondness, Haryun never had a good way of communicating her more intense emotions, and Moonhee knew that.

But in this instance, Moonhee couldn’t let Haryun sabotage herself. Never had Moonhee seen Haryun fall for someone so fast, so intensely, so entirely that she had to convince her to do something.

“Let’s take baby steps,” Moonhee whispered into Haryun’s ear, her breath tickling the skin. “We don’t have to jump straight in, but we are doing this.”

Haryun whined more intensely as she burrowed deeper into Moonhee’s arms.

“But for tonight, let’s just sleep,” Moonhee suggested, turning the two of them towards the bed and tucking them under the covers.

Haryun cuddled up to Moonhee’s side as they sat in the room's darkness. Rhythmically, Moonhee rubbed Haryun’s back in a soothing pattern that Haryun could’ve slept immediately.

But she didn’t.

Her mind was still racing with thoughts of Yoongi and Yooa and what they had done that night. Nothing perverse, but what Yoongi had felt with her compared to what Yoongi felt with Haryun. Was it more fulfilling?

Was this one night with Yooa better than the two weeks with Haryun?

A multitude of intrusive thoughts scrambles around Haryun’s mind as she attempts—and fails—to fall asleep in Moonhee’s arms. There was only so much she could take before she reached across Moonhee toward the nightstand and grabbed her phone from where it lay.

“You need to sleep,” Moonhee moaned with her eyes closed and breaths close to even. “It’s almost four.”

Ignoring her altogether, Haryun unlocked her phone and opened Instagram. She scrolled aimlessly for a few minutes, her thumb hesitant in how it scrolled as she felt her subconscious edge closer and closer to letting her impulsive actions win. There was a reason she grabbed her phone, and there was also a reason she helplessly scrolled until she was positive Moonhee was sleeping.

Into the search bar, Haryun typed hobisunrise as her heartbeat sped to a pace that felt inhumane. With one press of her finger, she came across Hobi’s account and pressed on his following tab.

There was a moment of reflection. Did Haryun want to do this? Was this the wisest choice? Probably not. But she was far too gone—far too desperate to care.

With the dried tear streaks still on her cheeks, Haryun typed yoongi into the search bar. As each letter appeared, the accounts disappeared once a solitary account was left.

yoon93 — 민윤기

Haryun slowly looked at Moonhee’s sleeping figure, knowing that if she were awake, she would’ve snatched the phone from Haryun’s hand with a quickness only she possessed. But Haryun planned for this, and with the freedom of Moonhee not knowing a thing, she pressed the profile and followed it.

Leisurely, she scrolled through his account. There were photos of Hoseok, a few of Namjoon, and a lot of Yoongi with his blond hair dressed in athletic wear either post or pre-practice. It was hard for Haryun not to comment a slew of heart emojis or write sonnets beneath his pictures about what he does to her heart, but she persevered.

Further down his account were photos of Yoongi and a girl months back. She didn’t look familiar to Haryun, but she was to Yoongi with how he looked at her in the pictures and had his arm wrapped around her in each.

Word around campus spread fast, whether by word of mouth or the SNU Student Updates account on Twitter. Never had anyone said Yoongi had a girlfriend or mentioned anyone that would be worthy of posting on his Instagram feed. In all honesty, Haryun paid no mind to Yoongi before their night at Hope World together, but rumors were rumors. And no matter how much you didn’t want to hear them, you did.

So why hadn’t she heard of this girl? And why had she never seen her before?

Seven photos of Yoongi and the mysterious girl were on his page, all within three months. But the most recent out of the seven had Haryun curious. With the way their mouths were centimeters apart, and their eyes gazed lovingly into one another’s, there was no question whether or not there was a romantic nature to these pictures—to their relationship.

It confused Haryun and made everything so complicated.

With a deep sigh, Haryun prepared to sleep. She glanced at the picture just as Moonhee gasped before she jolted in her sleep. It startled Haryun, who locked her phone hastily, afraid to be caught by Moonhee with what she had been doing.

After she calmed the beating of her unpredictable heart, Haryun slid her phone beneath the pillow and shut her eyes to sleep. She’d deal with her stupid feelings tomorrow. Her night had been long enough between studying, dancing at Hope World, and crying about a guy that gave less than two craps about her.

It would bring her some stability to forget about Min Yoongi for a day. Maybe that would be the simple solution to all her problems.

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#jung hoseok #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #kim taehyung #park jimin #jeon jungkook #min yoongi #bts social media au #min yoongi x female oc #coffee social media au #humor #enemies to lovers

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youamongthemelissas · 3 years ago

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hi mwah <3

may i have a scenario with zoro being a brat who doesn't want to go down on his girl, but she just puts in his place by sitting on his face? 👀

ara ara, it seems that the fifteen hours I've been sleeping have made me reap the rewards uwu

well, I really hope you like the result and that those 3,3k words make up for the delay in my writer's block. i've only reviewed it a few times because i'm really really sleepy right now, so I apologize in advance for any mistakes! :(

warning: oral sex (giving and receiving), fingering, face sitting, etc. only for +18. smut everywhere

Zoro and I had known each other for almost two years, but he changed his position from hookup to boyfriend two months ago. Our chaotic relationship started at a horrible party. Everything that night was horrible, except when the handsome guy approached me offering his help when some ramshackle human being spilled water on my shirt. To complete my disaster, the outfit I wore was white and cotton, so it marked the contours of my breasts just right. Damn day I decided to leave my house without wearing a bra. Too embarrassed, I just crawled into the bathroom – which didn't even have a lock – and waited for the crowd to dwindle or for my shirt to dry so I could get out of that unhealthy place. But fate didn't have the best plans for me, as I saw the bathroom door open and a man enter that cubicle.

"This is the ladies' wc, you know?" I informed the guy angrily.

“I know,” he replied simply. "I saw the whole scene, so I decided to come make sure you're okay."

I arched my brow and stared at him with half-closed eyes. Was he feeling okay? I looked for signs of drunkenness in him, but his voice was steady and he looked too sober.

“Very nice of you, but you can't just lock yourself together with a strange woman in a cubicle. You know, I can interpret this as sexual harassment!” I snapped.

“Oh, fine. I was going to lend you my shirt so you could wear it and wouldn’t have to wait for yours to dry, but I see you don't need my help. Bye and sorry for the inconvenience,” and so he left, not giving me a chance to respond.

I cursed the Universe, but then I stopped myself because a tarot reader had informed me that a situation like this could happen throughout the week and I didn't listen. In the end, it was my fault for being a stubborn and skeptical one.

I really couldn't tell how long I was locked in that fetid cubicle, but when my t-shirt dried enough not to leave me practically naked from the waist up, I walked out and saw the same guy as before, he was talking to a red haired girl, actually it looked more like an argument was going on between them by his annoyed expression and her restless gestures. Would she be his girlfriend? Was the discussion focused on me and the bathroom incident? Well, I wouldn't stay there to find out and risk getting hit by the girl for something that wasn't my fault. He was the one who entered the ladies' room with an unknown woman!

And my disastrous night ended when I lay in my bed and turned off the light to finally sleep and erase all memories of the party from my head. But that boy's face has not left my mind.

The days followed normally, and when I was already forgetting the cool guy, I saw him for the second time in a bakery. He wore the same shirt that day of the party and sweatpants. His sleepy face gave away that he had just woken up and had just left the house to go buy bread for breakfast. He saw me but pretended not to. I got the feeling I should have apologized for the misunderstanding, but he was already making the request. Luckily, we were assisted together as soon a second attendant appeared who assisted me as well.

As soon as we paid the bill, we silently left the place and I got a chance to talk to him as we were heading in the same direction.

“Hey,” I called him, being ignored. "Boy, wait a minute"

“What is it, girl?”, he snapped at me sharply.

“I wanted to apologize for the misunderstanding… Seriously, I was just freaked out by a guy walking me into the bathroom…”, I was sincere.

"It's all right. Go on with your life in peace.”

“And you had a girlfriend, right? Like, you were still wrong in the end…” I couldn't hold my mouth before needling him.

This time he stopped abruptly and turned to me, making me smack my face into his chest.

"Girlfriend? First you accuse me of sexual harassment and now besides being a harasser you think I'm a traitor?”

“I didn't accuse you of anything! Except the girlfriend part. You and that red haired girl seemed to be fighting really bad, like boyfriends do,” I clarified.

“Redhead girl?” he seemed to search his memory for what I was referring to. “Nami? God forbid me dating that devil woman! She's not my girlfriend, and we were fighting because…”, he stopped mid-explanation. “This is none of your business, girl. But she's not my girlfriend,” he ended the pseudo-argument.

I nodded and went on my way.

“How long will you follow me? Now I can interpret that you're a deranged stalker”, he told me right after we turned down the same street, after walking close for a few meters.

“I'm not following you, my house is on this way”, I replied.

And that's how I found out that we lived in the same condominium.

Although I clearly remember the first two times we met, I can't say when exactly we started to change our cat-and-mouse relationship and elevate it to a more intimate one. Maybe it was when he fucked me for the first time in the laundry room in the building. I was taking my clothes out of the machine while he put his clothes in another one, and then we looked at each other and as if we had the same idea, he grabbed me around the waist and lifted me up to put me sitting on top of the machine he had just finished stuffing with his own clothes, putting it to work and taking me in a kiss while taking off my panties. When he entered me, I moaned loudly, but the sound was drowned out by the shrill noise of that old machine. Zoro confessed to me later that he chose precisely that one so my moans could not be heard. I think it was the most insane thing I did, because at any moment someone could come and catch us, but luckily for us that only happened after Zoro had cum on my thighs and taken me off that old thing. It was weird walking with my legs sticking together because of his cum, but I didn't have time to clean up, just lift my panties and straighten my skirt before passing the newcomer, who didn't seem to have noticed our presence.

After our first sex, we didn't get apart anymore. We couldn't be alone as we caught fire and had sex wherever we were.

As time went by, we calmed down and our meetings became more spaced, but our chemistry didn't extinguish even a little bit during these almost two years, on the contrary, it only earned us the beginning of dating. And we became more than just hookups, we became friends too, those who know about each other's lives and I got to know Nami, the red-haired friend he was fighting that night at the party. I came to discover that they could never be boyfriends, because she loved money and women.

Everything with Zoro was almost perfect. He was a good boyfriend, and even though we're two hotheads, we never fought. There are always dialogues in our relationship and this helps a lot to avoid unnecessary fights. Besides, sex is wonderful, everything just right, except for one small thing that bothers me. We combine a lot in bed, I always try to please him and give him pleasure at all times. I've lost count of how many blowjobs I gave him and how many times I let him cum in my mouth, but the problem is that he never even gave me oral sex. And that makes me a little frustrated and scared. Was the problem with me? I took good care of myself, but he always shifted position when I tried to get him down on me.

One day, while I watched him playing his favorite game, I stroked his hair.

“Babe?”, I called him.

“Hm?” he mutters, not moving an inch.

“Do I disgust you?” I asked bluntly.

"What? Where did you get this ideia?”, he turns abruptly to face me, doing something wrong in the game because soon there are some curses directed at him in the chat.

“It's just a question.” I shrugged.

“It can't be just a question. For you to ask me that, there's definitely a reason behind it,” he replied, no longer looking at the TV screen, and not realizing that he was being offended by the other players. Damn virgins.

“Nevermind…”, I hesitated, unable to let myself be affected by the comments, which weren't even for me. "Your game friends are very angry with you."

"Fuck them, the issue here is you.", he held my face with both hands, making me look at him. “Tell me what made you think about it,” he looks deep into my eyes, almost reading my soul and I immediately regret opening my mouth. But it was too late, lying was out of the question, because he knows very well when I lie, so I had no choice but to tell the truth.

“You never gave me an oral. So I deduced that the problem is with me”, I said at last and he let me go.

It was his turn to shift the focus to another corner.

“It's nothing to you, it's me who is the problem. I've never done that to any women, and in the movies I see them “squirt”, what if that happens?” He looked a little frustrated and embarrassed.

I got up from my seat and stopped standing in front of him, making him glare at me.

“You have to stop thinking real life is a big porn movie, Roronoa,” I said, putting my index finger on his forehead. “I really admire you knowing how to fuck without looking like a caveman”, I said that last sentence more to myself.

“Hey!” he heard and seemed offended. "It hurts, okay?"

“Sorry, but that is nothing but the truth”, I rolled my eyes.

Even though he didn't suck me when we had sex later, the seed of doubt was already planted in his head.

I know this, because days later he was more committed to making me cum. Before he seemed to care only about his pleasure, but after our conversation, he even put his fingers to work on my clit – which were presented by me –, as he moved in and out of me, until I came on his fingers. It felt good, but I wanted to feel his tongue down there, and wanted to see his head between my legs. I wanted so badly to squirm in pleasure beneath him as he sucked everything I had to offer him.

When the dream day finally arrived, all my thoughts turned opaque as I felt him hug me from behind and lean his body against mine as his lips found the skin of my neck.

“Do you know how hot you look wearing my shirt?” he asked huskily, pressing me closer to his body, making my ass fit into his crotch. And I already felt it was hard. "Even more so I know you're not wearing anything under it."

I couldn't hold back the moan as I felt his fingers travel up my waist until they reached my breasts under the fabric. He squeezed it first and then circled the nipple with his finger, making it hard. He knew how sensitive I was in that area. And to my delight, he lowered his other hand to between my legs, and slid it to find my sex, which was already starting to get wet.

When I was in his apartment, I liked to have just one piece of clothing. Walking around his house half-naked was one of the most satisfying things for me, because I knew that anytime we were going to get laid and being too undressed would get in the way of the process. So I opted to wear just a pair of panties or a T-shirt with nothing underneath, as was the case now.

He removed his hand from my body and pulled me away, but only to pick me up and take me to his bed, where he laid me down and leaned over me and started kissing me.

His kiss tasted like the whiskey he drank a few minutes ago. I ran my hands over his body and scratched him lightly on his back, inside his shirt. He ended the kiss and rolled off of me, but only to undress. I watched the scene intently, looking at each piece of skin that was revealed to me little by little. When he took off his underwear and his cock popped out, I felt my mouth water. He was there in front of me, completely naked.

I got rid of his t-shirt I was wearing and crawled until I was close to his body, took his hard member in my hands and started masturbating before putting it in my mouth. Unconsciously, I reared my hips up, and ran my tongue over the glans, tasting the pre-cum. Without waiting, I felt him lean over to smack my ass, and it made his cock almost hit my throat, making me gasp. I pulled it out of my mouth, gasping for air, but went back to sucking on it. When I relaxed, I put him in one piece and this time I got used to that intruder so deep, and I heard him grunt. He loved when I swallowed him like that, but before I could make him cum, he gently withdrew from my mouth and lay down on the bed, turning me to stand beside him.

He kissed me again and wrapped his hands around my waist and slid them to my ass, where he slapped my ass, making me moan into his mouth.

We made out until he was on top of me, making me feel his hard cock on my thigh as he kissed my neck and played with my nipples.

I was already throbbing with lust, and it got worse when he slid his fingers to my clit and touched his fingertip to that sensitive spot, making me arch into him. But he did nothing but tease me, and I wanted him to use his tongue this time to bring me to orgasm. For that reason, I forced his head down and he got the message, surprisingly trailing kisses down my body, but before he got there he stopped and returned the kisses to where they were before, leaving me frustrated.

I sighed in annoyance, and shifted our positions, getting on top of him. I positioned myself right on top of his cock, and I fit my pussy there, not to slide him inside, but to rub myself there. He liked my boldness a lot, but I abruptly left the place until I was positioned right in his mouth. I felt him startle under me, but it was too late because I was already sitting pretty well in his face, with my cunt snug in the place where I always wished it was. He showed no resistance, just ran the tip of his tongue over my clit and I closed my eyes, sighing.

At first, he was stuck and a little lost, but little by little he got used to it and now his whole tongue passed through my intimacy, sometimes sucking painfully. It was good for me and it was good for him too, because I felt him grip my thighs tightly, holding me in place as he penetrated me with his tongue. I saw stars. When he smeared the entire place and when my body showed signs of the first orgasm, nimbly and using a little force he took me off him and put me back on the bed, with my back to the mattress. I thought he had given up, but he again slid down my body and positioned himself between my legs, giving me that wonderful sight. Again he pressed his tongue against my clit.

Seeing him there, with his head buried in the place I'd always dreamed of, made a fire burn in my stomach, and my brain worked tirelessly on the new sensations his mouth was gaving me me.

And he looked very committed and thirsty. He was like someone who had gone days without even a drop of liquid and who had just found an inexhaustible source of pure water. And I was that source. And just the thought of having him thirsty for me was enough to give my boner more ammo and make my hips start working nimbly, looking for more contact. Zoro shaved every day, but there were already two that he didn't shave, so the growing hairs scraped the inside of my thighs when I moved my hips, leaving goose bumps.

His tongue explored every corner of my intimacy and his arms closed tightly around my legs as he brought one hand to one of my breasts and rested it there, squeezing every now and then as my body showed signs of orgasm.

He didn't let go of me when I came for the first time or when I screamed for the second. Instead, he circled my waist with his arms and held me immobile in place as he sipped every drop that dared escape from me. He showed no signs of satiating even when I scratched his shoulders or slapped him in the arms to get him to let go. In fact, it felt like it was just an extra boost for him when I was on the verge of madness, writhing in his mouth and thrashing around aimlessly for support and control of the spasms in my body.

He was both a sadist and a masochist at the same time, which is why I was so attracted to him.

When he released me, I was almost voiceless and completely shaky. I wouldn't be able to form an intelligible word, and his playful smile, which I saw blurred due to the tears pooling in the corners of my eyes, gave away his satisfaction at seeing me in that state.

When I finally composed myself and my heart stopped beating in my chest, pulse, and throat, I took a deep breath and stared at him. He was lying beside me, looking at me and running his hand down my face, lovingly.

“You look beautiful when you're coming”, was the first thing he said.

“You look handsome between my legs”, I returned the answer in the same tone.

He smiled and massaged his jaw, as if in pain.

“Too bad it takes so long to cum, my chin hurts”, he complained and I rolled my eyes.

“You didn't leave me after my first orgasm,” I accused. “For those who were afraid of giving me oral sex, you seemed to enjoy it a lot”, I continued, with a pout.

“I had no idea you were that tasty,” he said, smiling slightly. “Now you better get ready, because your taste has gone straight to the top of my favorite flavors”, he assured me, as he pulled me by the waist to glue my body to his.

I kissed his lips softly, and touched our foreheads, and he kissed me again, obscenely. It didn't take me long to be on my knees for him, determined to reward him for the multiple organs he gave me.

Seeing him from above, with his eyes closed and his expression filled with pure delight, made me want to feel his cock in the back of my throat to the point of gasping for air. But he refused to cum inside my mouth. He lifted me up and positioned me on all fours on the bed and placed the condom on his cock.

When he sank into me, I moaned loudly, too happy that my sex life with my boyfriend was perfect.

#zoro x reader #one piece boys #one piece imagine #one piece x reader #zoro x you #zoro x y/n #zoro imagine

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sanjisock · 3 years ago

Text

more than words

50 words; 50 sentences

ao3

#01 - Motion

A spinning kick, a swing of blade — the two meet and hit but don’t hurt, and Nami sighs exasperatedly at such a pathetic display of a mating dance.

#02 - Cool

Zoro stands his ground as his enemy — finally, finally — falls unceremoniously on his back, unconscious, and Sanji thinks for a moment that the sight of Zoro — wild and victorious and ready to take on the world — looks kind of, maybe, slightly cool.

#03 - Young

Brook sees the two — dying to die for each other, the weight of their friends’ lives pulling down their shoulders — and he thinks too many people forget how young they still are.

#04 - Last

The Cook is the last person Zoro would consider lending a hand in a fight — “who would want to work together with that dumbass anyway,” he lies whenever anyone asks, and doesn’t admit that it’s because he trusts Sanji’s ability to stand his ground, wholly and fully.

#05 - Wrong

Sanji knows Zoro, like him, understands better than most — that this nakama thing isn’t just something you’d die for, but something you’d kill for, too.

#06 - Gentle

Sanji manages to catch Kitetsu before it rolls off from the deck during a storm, and in that moment, Zoro knows, from the reverent way he regards the swords in his hands, that this isn’t the first time the Cook has wielded one.

#07 - One

“Calm down, Marimo,” Sanji says with a dismissive wave of his hand when Zoro asks about the sword a few days later, “I’m not about to take your place as the ship’s swordsman; a cook doesn’t use his hands to fight, and I had a terrible teacher anyways.”

#08 - Thousand

“I’m worth two thousand men,” Zoro grumpily says, almost sulking, and Nami can’t resist patting his head like she would to a little boy pulling the pigtail of a girl he has a crush on.

#09 - King

You’re like the prince of Dumbass Kingdom, Zoro says, and it takes Sanji everything in him not to blurt out, Dumbass Kingdom sounds about right; wait ‘till you see the fucking king.

#10 - Learn

Watching Sanji converse fluently with a couple of tourists in a Northern language, Zoro wonders when he will ever stop learning something new about Sanji — or if he ever will, at all.

#11 - Blur

When Zoro finally comes to, the wounds from Bartholomeow Kuma is muted by Chopper’s medicine, a dull throb at the back of his consciousness; but the sharp pain against his heart feels raw still, visceral and razor-sharp, tucked alongside the ache of Sanji’s sacrifice.

#12 - Wait

“Wait,” he manages to croak out before Sanji flees the room, the word spilling out unbidden; he isn’t quite sure why, but he knows that he wants the Cook to stay.

#13 - Change

“Have some fucking decency ,” Sanji yells, throwing a shirt at Zoro’s direction; the brute has been walking around the ship bare-chested like an eyesore ever since they entered the summer island, and Sanji is just trying to do everyone a favor — and definitely not because there’s a different kind of heat pooling at the pit of his stomach.

#14 - Command

Robin watches the two in amusement — Zoro could have easily refused to be Sanji’s pack mule, and she can hear him grumbling about it still; and yet, here they are, once again, together at the island’s marketplace.

#15 - Hold

Sanji is rough around the edges, bristling at the slightest touch; Zoro knows he needs to be gentle, but he doesn’t quite remember the last time he held something that isn’t a hilt of a sword, without meaning to hurt . It’s a learning curve.

#16 - Need

Sanji knows Zoro is a dumbass, but it takes a special kind of stupid to think he would never be good enough for Sanji, when he’s all that Sanji has ever needed.

#17 - Vision

Zoro never regrets losing his eye, but he wishes, sometimes, he could still take in the sight of Sanji with an unimpaired vision, just to see more of him.

#18 - Attention

“You’re starting a fight, Marimo?” Sanji growls, voice low and dangerous, and Zoro thinks, yes, yes, anything to get you to look at me.

#19 - Soul

He loves the kid like a brother, but sometimes Zoro hates how Luffy can easily see past his gruff words and feigned ignorance; the way Luffy only needs to take one look at him to guess, “you’re worried about Sanji, aren’t you?”

#20 - Picture

He carries around everyone’s bounty posters, Sanji tells himself, and tries not to think too hard about how the only one he kept in his breast pocket is Zoro’s, folded neatly against his heart.

#21 - Fool

“This is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done so far,” Sanji says when they part, lips still tingling from their earlier kiss, because Zoro’s love is fierce and consuming and Sanji knows, ever since he was just a kid with the iron mask, that he doesn’t deserve any of this.

#22 - Mad

“Don’t you ever say that kind of shit again,” Zoro snarls, slamming the wall beside Sanji’s head, his voice trembling with a kind of anger Sanji has never seen him with before — frustrated, desperate. “You’re important to me, Cook.”

#23 - Child

Grow up and cast your dreams away, Sanji tells himself every day, the voice ringing in his ears; you stopped being a child deserving of a dream the moment you chained Zeff down to the ground.

#24 - Now

Grow up and cast your dreams away, Sanji wants to tell himself, but the voice stutters, drowned out by the sight of the kid bleeding on the deck of Baratie — he’s a swordsman, too, acknowledged by none other than Dracule Mihawk himself — but a kid still, throwing himself headfirst towards the case of his dreams, steps unweighted by regrets.

#25 - Shadow

Zoro doesn’t know which is worse — Sanji, forever running away from the shadow his brothers cast; or Zoro, chasing after someone who is no longer around to leave behind a shadow anymore.

#26 - Goodbye

After Whole Cake Island, there’s a period of time where Zoro would follow Sanji around the ship like a lost puppy, unwilling to let the Cook out of his sight; Usopp definitely didn’t expect Zoro to have such a cute side, and crouches over his new invention to hide his smile.

#27 - Hide

“We’re not doing that here,” Sanji hisses, and forces himself not to laugh at the pout on Zoro’s face; the galley might be secluded enough, but they’re still on the enemy ship’s galley.

#28 - Fortune

It is annoying, the way Sanji keeps reminding Zoro that he could have collected Mihawk’s bounty and lived the rest of his life in wealth; especially when Zoro would trade any riches in the world just to stay by the Cook’s side.

#29 - Safe

It catches Zoro off guard when Sanji starts talking about his mother; it’s a short anecdote, a single happy memory, but Zoro can tell by the way Sanji tells it — guarded and hesitant, like he wants to keep the words close and safe — that he has never shared it with anyone else before.

#30 - Ghost

Usopp starts shaking like a leaf as soon as they enter the abandoned, dilapidated house, and Sanji gently tells him, sometimes the worst ghost is the one you create yourself; Zoro feels the weight of Wado on his hip, and agrees.

#31 - Book

“I don’t need this,” Zoro grumbles with a blush, pushing the book back into Nami’s hands, trying hard to ignore Nami’s laughter and the words ROMANCE FOR DUMMIES emblazoned on the book’s jacket.

#32 - Eye

Shusui sinks into the man’s stomach, all the way to the hilt, and Zoro thinks of the way Sanji curled into himself as the man landed a lucky hit on the cook’s hand. An eye for an eye.

#33 - Never

“This is my first time,” Zoro whispers, head ducking away as he feels his face flush at the admission; but Sanji’s hand rests on his cheek, encouraging, and he can feel the curve of Sanji’s smile as their lips meet and Sanji replies, “it’s mine, too.”

#34 - Sing

Luffy cheers when Zoro and Sanji comes into view, and he lets them take on the next batch of enemies; a good fight is always fun, but watching Zoro and Sanji fight is even more so — like watching a dance that only those two know the melody to.

#35 - Sudden

“What, are we supposed to be surprised?” Nami says, barely looking up from the map she’s working on; Sanji sputters, face redder than the tomatoes he served during breakfast, and Nami feels almost bad for him.

#36 - Stop

“But we — Zoro and I — how did you know?” Sanji asks, and promptly stops asking questions when he realizes the rest of the crew aren’t surprised either; who could blame them, when his and Zoro’s sexual tension can be seen from a mile away.

#37 - Time

Sanji knows they have to break apart soon, just to breathe, but right now all he cares about is to taste as much of Zoro as possible — he has waited two years for this, and it has been two years too long.

#38 - Wash

They have their fair share of fighting — and how, considering the amount of repairs Usopp has to do for Merry just from their petty fights alone — but what the crew doesn’t know is that they also have this thing, this quiet thing, just him and the Cook and a stack of dirty plates between them.

#39 - Torn

“In retrospect,” Robin observes, “dressing up our dear cook in a maid uniform would not only lower the enemy’s firepower, but also ours, considering how distracted our swordsman has clearly become.”

#40 - History

“Why do you keep him around, mister?” The kid asks, pointing at the old swordsman with three swords and an eye scar by the peer; Sanji laughs, pats the kid on the head, and says, almost wistfully — “you can say we have some history.”

#41 - Power

Sanji tugs at Zoro’s sleeve, and Zoro follows suit despite his complaints — Sanji thinks, distantly, how much of an honor it is, to have so much control over such a powerful man.

#42 - Bother

“I didn’t have enough time to make this three-tier ice cream cake for our lovely Nami-san and Robin-chan because you distracted me!” Sanji says with a hard jab of a finger against Zoro’s chest, and Zoro thinks, good .

#43 - God

Zoro does not believe in gods, but there’s a hymn of a noise when Zoro presses his lips against the crook of Sanji’s neck, the hallelujah of the world breaking apart as their bodies move together, and he thinks, close enough .

#44 - Wall

Zoro slams his fist into the wall of Polar Tang, and is taken aback by the depth of his own frustration; he knows Luffy and the others will get Sanji back from Big Mom’s place, but it unsettles him still, the way Sanji hides himself under layers of pretenses when Zoro has bared so much of himself to the Cook in return.

#45 - Naked

“What the fuck was that for , Mosshead?!” Sanji shrieks, justifiably furious, leg raised and on fire after Zoro sliced his tray into two without preamble; Zoro can’t exactly tell the Cook he did it because he was too surprised at the sight of Sanji in a swimming trunk and nothing else.

#46 - Drive

Why Zoro , people sometimes ask, but the answer is easy to Sanji — nobody drives him crazy the way Zoro does, and is that not what true love feels like?

#47 - Harm

Zoro knows Sanji will be furious ; but as he faces Kuma, knowing at least the Cook is out of harm’s way, he knows he would do this a hundred times over, a thousand times over, a million times over.

#48 - Precious

Sanji is sitting by the corner of the infirmary, face pale with red-rimmed eyes, and Zoro thinks he’s never had that, before — people who would weep for him, knowing that he is more than dried scars and calloused skin.

#49 - Hunger

This thing we have is dangerous, Sanji tells him, but Zoro doesn’t care — he already has a craving, the same way he needs a booze when it’s been too long, except he thinks that this vice will surely kill him.

#50 - Believe

This isn’t faith; this is the truth, Zoro’s truth, the same way he knows he will become the Greatest — Sanji will find that elusive sea of his, and Zoro will stay with him until it is the last thing he can do.

#opfanfic #zosan #roronoa zoro #sanji #one piece

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goodlucktai · 3 years ago

Note

Hi! I love your works! 71 + 72 for Luffy and Jinbei?

PROMPTS LIST

71. “I’m going to protect you.”

smile again

As a watchdog journalist, Jinbei's work takes him everywhere. He isn't always in the best position to receive phone calls. Sometimes, depending on what story his group decides to chase after and what far-flung corner of the world it leads them to, Jinbei goes weeks without internet access.

By the time he gets news of the accident, Luffy has been out of the hospital for a month and Ace has been dead just as long.

Jinbei has to go home.

His colleagues-- a group of solid, hard-working people he's known for going on twenty years, has worked with on the field and off, in smoke and fire and claustrophobic office spaces-- are entirely understanding.

Tiger drives him to a small airport, the truck bouncing along a bumpy gravel road. There's a single, hastily-packed duffel in the bed of the pickup. Jinbei isn't even sure what he shoved in there, having only made one mindless pass through his room. He would have left without his passport if Hatchan hadn't shoved it into his hands on his way out the door.

"It may be time for me to retire," Jinbei says aloud. His mind is ebbing and rising like a tide, a vast ocean of grief. Thoughts go bobbing away like loose buoys before he can get a grasp on them.

All he can think of is the last video-call he made home, over a month ago now. Ace and Luffy, pressed cheek-to-cheek so they'd both fit in-frame, competitive in all things and unwilling to take turns, even as Jinbei laughingly promised he had plenty of time to talk.

They made him promise to call again soon. He meant to.

"Don't worry about us over here," Tiger says. His eyes are on the road, hands tight around the steering wheel. He carries Jinbei's grief like it's his own. "Just worry about your boy."

His boy, Jinbei thinks. Not by blood or by law, certainly, but by something less quantifiable than that. Those scrappy kids that spilled into his yard one muggy summer evening, hiding in the hedges from their well-antagonized CPS caseworker and somehow claiming a piece of Jinbei's heart from the moment he first laid eyes on them.

Ace was so angry back then, and Luffy was so easily frightened, and they clung to each other in a practiced way, as if they were so used to the world trying to claw them apart that they didn't expect anything else, even from a perfect stranger. They didn't seem to know what to do with kindness. Ace watched Jinbei like a hawk for weeks, long after Luffy warmed up to him. His trust, when he finally gave it, felt like a prize.

Jinbei was working long, unpredictable hours, and knew it wouldn't be fair to drag two children into his household if he couldn't afford them the time and care they deserved-- but after school? Weekends? Holidays? Those he gave up freely.

His days gained some semblance of routine again, for the fist time since he finished college. His kitchenware came down from the cupboard, the pockmarked kitchen table was often set for three. He made dinner at home, more than he ate in the office with his colleagues.

Hell, his colleagues ate dinner with him at home more often, too. Within an hour of meeting the boys, each of Jinbei's friends, to a man, would have taken a bullet for either of them, no questions asked.

The sense of structure did wonders for the brothers. With a safe place to return to when they needed it, and someone to fall back on, Ace stopped looking at every potential foster home as if it was a threat. Luffy came out of his shell, bolder with each new day. He made a friend in the village, a boy with vivid green eyes, and they hardly spent a moment apart.

They were finally placed with a couple who lived nearby. Shanks was wry and good-natured, and Benn had the patience of a saint. After a few weeks, when Jinbei asked how they were settling in, his worries were soothed: Luffy clearly adored them, and even Ace grudgingly admitted they weren't so bad.

And when the time came, and Ace applied for emancipation as well as custody of his brother, he had a small army in his corner. A patchwork family collected in little bits and pieces, ready to support him through anything.

"I will always be here for you both," Jinbei had promised him, countless times. "You'll never be alone as long as I'm alive."

"Thank you," Ace said, a little bashful. But he was so pleased, and so full of hope for the future, and he said, "I'll feel better, knowing someone's around to look after Luffy if I can't."

He immediately got shouted down by his entire strange extended pseudo-family for daring to suggest they'd ever let anything happen to him, and it made him laugh so brightly, and now the memory sticks like needles in Jinbei's throat.

Tiger hugs him hard before Jinbei boards the plane. In the back of his mind, where there is a tiny corner free from drowning, Jinbei can't help but wonder when he'll see his friend again.

He keeps thinking of that last video call. He can't remember everything they talked about. He doesn't think he said enough. He almost certainly didn't tell Ace everything he deserved to hear. Foolishly, he assumed there would be another time.

He's learned from this. He won't take it for granted any more.

"Call me when you land," Tiger says. "Give the monkey our love."

"I will," Jinbei replies. His heart is so heavy he doesn't know how he manages the steps onto the plane. He doesn't know how the pilot manages to lift them up from the tarmac. It's a wonder they aren't sinking, straight through the earth.

Nami and Usopp are waiting for him at the airport, wide-awake even though it's well past two o'clock in the morning. They're familiar to Jinbei from the stories Luffy has told him, from the numerous video calls they've bullied their way into over the years, and the handful of birthdays and holidays Jinbei was able to make it home for.

"Luffy wanted to come with us to pick you up, but he fell asleep," Usopp says, apropos of nothing, as they're waiting for their Uber. "Sanji said it was a small miracle, and Zoro looked like he was going to hunt us for sport if we even thought about waking him up, so--"

"He hasn't been sleeping, then?" Jinbei asks quietly.

"After he came home, he was on some pretty heavy meds, and he slept a lot," Nami says. Her arms are folded tight against her chest in the nighttime chill, her eyes trained somewhere far away. "But he had bad dreams and he would wake up disoriented. Now he fights sleep tooth and nail."

"We've all sort of become the insomnia squad," Usopp pipes up. "Thank god I'm not taking any classes this summer."

"Sanji's gotten really good at making lattes," Nami adds with a small smile. "Wait till you see his shiny new espresso machine."

"I'm like eight-five percent sure he stole it from the Baratie."

Jinbei listens to their chatter, feeling at once anchored by them and adrift at sea. It makes sense that they would be ahead of him. They've been here all this time, practically from the moment of the accident, facing it with all the bravery and endurance of sailors in a typhoon. Jinbei, meanwhile, had been living in an unchanged world.

For the last month, Ace has been dead. How many times had Jinbei thought about him? Mentioned him to a friend? How many times had Jinbei wrongly said his name in the present-tense?

The house is warmly-lit when they arrive, but quiet. An old blue Irish wolfhound greets them at the door, wagging his tail. Robin looks up from the papers she has spread out on the coffee table and smiles. Chopper is fast asleep beside her, his head on her shoulder. Behind them, Jinbei can see Sanji at work in the kitchen, shaping dough. Something is baking that smells of cinnamon and apples.

They weren't kidding about their sleep schedules being a mess.

"Hello, Jinbei. It's good to see you," Robin says. Her voice is soft, in deference to the sleeping teenager. "Luffy is asleep, but you can see him if you like."

"Please," Jinbei replies hoarsely.

"I'll take him," Nami says. "Usopp, would you bring his bag to the guest bedroom?"

"'Course," Usopp replies, but he makes a detour into the kitchen first.

Nami takes Jinbei's hand and leads him toward the stairs. "I feel really stupid about this, but I was so angry at you," she admits as they make their way up. "It's hardly the first time we haven't been able to contact you, and I know why that is. But-- I don't know, I think I was going crazy. I wanted Luffy to have everything he wanted. I wanted everyone who loved him to be here every time he woke up. So I-- so there might be some angry emails waiting for you, but please don't hate me for it."

"I won't even read them," Jinbei promises gravely, his heart cleaved clean in two. "I can't imagine how-- how hard it must have been. I-- if I had gotten the messages sooner-- "

"I know," Nami assures him, pausing outside a closed bedroom door. "Franky spoke to you like six hours ago, and you're already here. You dropped everything to be here. We know the kind of person you are."

She stands up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, and Jinbei bends to accommodate her, the same way he does for Koala. Then Nami reaches out and pushes open the door.

Zoro is awake, sitting against the headboard with his phone in hand and earphones in, and his eyes are as bright and sharp now as they were when he was a child. He looks up when the door opens, and seems to relax when he sees Jinbei stepping in behind Nami.

"Go to sleep," Nami whispers, pointing at the second bed across the spacious room.

"Don't tell me what to do," Zoro replies, just as quiet, but he pulls his earphones out and extracts himself from the bed with all the exacting precision of a bomb disposal technician. Nami takes him by the arm, helping him get up so carefully that the mattress hardly moves. It's such a well-practiced maneuver that Jinbei thinks he honestly might cry.

"If one of you would stay for a bit, I'll grab a shower," Zoro says.

"Sure, stinky," Nami says, nudging him toward the door. "Jinbei?"

He nods, unsure of what he's agreeing to. Now that he's finally next to Luffy, nothing else seems to exist. He sinks into the chair beside the bed, only half-aware of Nami and Zoro leaving. Their murmured conversation is cut off by the closing door. The room is silent, save for the gentle, unobtrusive sound of Luffy's steady breathing.

He's lost weight since Jinbei saw him last. There are shadows on his face that don't belong there. He looks both older and younger than he has any right to, even now, when his face is untroubled and slack with sleep.

"Hello, little monkey," Jinbei says. His voice is quiet, but it still breaks. He's crying, he realizes, thick tears rolling down his face with abandon. "I'm sorry it took me so long."

He thinks of two little boys, spilling into his life on accident, taking up room in his home and his heart as if they always belonged there. They weren't his, not really, but he loved them anyway. Loves them still.

"I'm here now," he whispers. His hands are shaking. "I'm going to protect you, like I promised. I'm here, Ace. Please believe me, wherever you are. I won't fail you again."

#one piece #op #opfic #knight of the sea jimbei #cat burglar nami #god usopp #my writing #smile again #i woke up and chose violence #but i mean a couple people were wondering where jimbei was so u brought this upon urselves

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eirist · 4 years ago

Text

A Taste of Summer II

SUNKISSED

One-shot #: 5

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

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

Warning: OOC possible. One shot.

Rating: T (Teasing… Flirting… lots and lots of teasing and flirting. Plus a hint that they probably will have an unwritten sexy time.)

Note: Last prompt for the ZoNami Week 2020 at zonamievents in Tumblr. Day 5: Tan Lines. And it only took me months to finish this collection. But it’s done so I can now start my Autumn/Fall prompts.

Summary: His grey eye met hers. And the heat behind it was unmistakable. It was hotter than the sun she loves basking under.

It vaguely registered to him how brilliantly her orange hair shone against the sun.

How it glowed so radiantly…

Vibrantly…

As fiery as her personality.

Any more thoughts running inside his head came to a standstill when her lips slanted against his to deepen their kiss, prompting him to give her more access to his mouth.

She hummed—a rather, satisfied sound—as her fingernails scratched lightly against his scalp.

Her other hand started rubbing the well-defined muscles of his chest; his own was grasping her by the nape, pushing her closer to him while his free arm all but caged her body against his as their kiss turned aggressive.

She shifted on his lap slightly, pressing herself to him as they continued their lip lock.

They were on the top of the island’s lighthouse. Nami had seen it when they docked a few days ago and figured it would be nice to get a view of the whole area from that vantage point. But she only got the time to put her plan to action today—after arm twisting him to accompany her by reminding him of his accumulated debts these past few weeks from all the stress and waiting he subjected her to.

He wasn't all too happy to acquiesce and she already expected that. So she threw in a promise of an undisturbed nap and some booze from the Sunny's secret stash as well.

That changed his mind and sealed the deal.

So they headed towards the old white structure after breakfast despite the irritating, non-stop whining of that stupid love cook about how his Nami-swan shouldn't be left alone with him—the idiot moss head.

Once at the top, Zoro settled down the wide gallery deck as Nami set up her surveying tripod and telescope.

The moment she finished… she made herself at home on his lap.

What was supposedly a 'thank you' kiss had turned into a full blown make out session. And now they are kissing each other like there's no tomorrow.

This is most likely the result of all the tiptoeing they've been doing around each other these past weeks. Ok, more like the tiptoeing HE had been doing these past weeks… because Nami already knows what she wanted and was just waiting for him to come around.

“Mmmm…” she murmured against his lips, finally managing to pull away after a little while. “At this rate, I’m not gonna finish surveying this island.” Her voice was husky, eyes a bit unfocused as she gazed at him.

“Not my fault,” Zoro drawled, stealing one last kiss on her lips before giving her a rather arrogant smirk. “I’m not the one who got comfortable in my lap.”

“It IS comfortable here,” she agreed cheekily, her hand still rubbing at his pectorals.

"I can see that."

“You complaining?”

The corners of his lips quirked up some more and he shrugged.

Her laugh was melodious as she untangled herself from him.

He must say... he was rather disappointed. How can he easily miss the way she was wrapped around him when it was just merely seconds ago?

"You should stop distracting me Zoro," she teased as she stood up.

"Can't help it if you can't stay focused on what you're supposed to be doing."

Nami just chortled at his response. There was that certain twinkle behind her brown eyes as she regarded him... a naughty gleam he had just recently got accustomed to seeing.

She gave him a cat-that-ate-the-canary grin before swiveling around to finally pay attention to her surveying tools.

Zoro leaned back against the metal wall, hands behind his head, ready to pass out anytime as Nami gradually gets into her zone. It’s not like he will be able to disturb her without risking an increase in his currently renewed debt. Plus, she did promise him booze and an undisturbed nap.

And damn he’s going to get 'em both.

He yawned widely as he felt himself relax at the soporific sound of the waves crashing on the rocks below. His grey eye flitted towards Nami to check on her first before he succumbed to sleep.

The swordsman silently observed her… admiring the serene look she had on her face as she scribbled and doodled on that small notebook she had remarkably pulled out somewhere from her tight, pale yellow sundress.

Her orange hair whipped wildly across her face, prompting her to tilt her head towards the wind so they will be blown back and away from her pretty face…

…and sun-kissed shoulders.

“Quit staring at me Zoro,” she suddenly said, looking back at him with a smirk. “You’re making me blush.”

He scoffed.

She snickered at his reaction and went back to charting the island.

He, on the other hand, went back to watching her.

Her brows were furrowed in what could only mean deep concentration. She chewed on her lower lip as she focused on whatever was jotted down her notebook.

He always marveled at the discipline and effort she puts out for her beloved maps. It was almost the same as what he devotes to his training and swordsmanship.

When she’s like this… Zoro realized that he can stare at her forever.

“You’re still looking, Zoro,” her playful voice broke into his thoughts.

He blinked up at her.

Nami was eyeing him again. Though despite the mischievous grin on her lips, he can see that her cheeks were slightly flushed and he knows that it has nothing to do with the sun.

He inwardly smirked.

“I take it you like what you’re seeing?”

He returned her grin with his signature shark-like one. “And if I do? Are you going to charge me for looking?”

“Yes. That’s 200,000 belis added to your debt.”

“200,000 belis are for groping.” Zoro pointed out, cocking an eyebrow at her.

She looked genuinely surprised that he knows that.

“How come I owe you 200,000?” He asked, frowning. “Wait, don’t tell me you put a price on earlier?! I didn't grope, you greedy onna!”

“Idiot,” Nami reached down to pinch his cheek. “That doesn’t have a price. The charge is for catching you ogling at me twice!”

“The hell? You sure are evil,” he grumbled, wrapping a hand around her wrist. A wicked smile suddenly appeared on his face and he tugged her down to him.

She easily let him pull her right back into his lap… arms automatically wrapping around his neck.

“And that’s why you like me,” Nami joshed, beaming at him.

“Who says I do?”

She pouted. “Didn't you kiss me because you like me? Oh you wound me!”

The corner of Zoro’s lips twitched amusedly. “You’re mistaken.”

“Am I really?”

“Really.”

"That wasn’t what you said last night.”

She was right. He did say that when they finally talked about what happened in the orchard after they sneaked out of the villa for a late night stroll along the beach and almost got caught by Robin and Franky.

And Brook.

And Usopp.

And Sanji for crying out loud!

Why are their crew mates such night owls?

Luckily they were able to wrap things up about their relationship and managed a kiss or two before nearly encountering their still awake and about friends.

“Hello?” Nami tapped his forehead with her knuckles. “Are you still there Zoro?”

“What?” He must’ve zoned out, thinking about yesterday’s events.

“Getting lost in your own thoughts huh?”

"Shut up."

He playfully sank his teeth on one bare shoulder.

“Hey!!!"

Zoro grinned roguishly at her and immediately planted a kiss on the spot to appease her. “Can't resist. You're being more cheeky than usual."

Nami scowled at him. "Biting will cost you another hundred thousand belis!”

"Just put it on my tab. You have my permission to cash my bounty once my debt reaches it.”

Her eyes widened. Then she sniggered. “You must like me so much that you’re actually willing to be surrendered to the marines.”

“Yeah.”

She blushed when he easily admitted it but instantly recovered her composure as she tossed her head back and laughed loudly.

Damn! Who knows Zoro can be endearing sometimes?

Nami kissed his cheek adoringly. “I’ll hold on to that. Nothing can make a woman fall so hard than a man willing to be handed over to the marines.”

“To cash out his millions worth bounty.” Zoro added.

“To cash out his millions worth bounty.” Nami agreed with a wide smile. “I really like that part a lot.”

“Tch. Of course you do. You're a money fiend after all.”

She laughed again and childishly stuck out her tongue at him. “Priorities Zoro.”

“Glad to know I’m one of the least.”

“Uh-huh,” she nipped him on the jaw. “Now I'm going to focus on my other priority," she gestured to her equipment. "The earlier I finish, the sooner we can head back. Robin and I planned to sunbathe while we babysit you boys. Pretty sure you all want to run amok and play before we leave this island.”

“Is that why you’re wearing a swimsuit underneath this?” Zoro inquired as his fingers played with the thin strap of her dress.

“That and you know how spontaneous our crew is. First it's a barbecue party then the next thing you know one or three of our idiot hammers’ in the sea, drowning."

“You rarely go after our hammers.”

Nami rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. “That’s because we have you and Sanji-kun for that.”

“Hnnn…” he traced the strap on her shoulder before his finger strayed off path, to run along the bikini string that was diagonally traversing her collarbone.

She shivered slightly under his touch. Something inside her immediately sparked.

“I don’t see why you still need to sunbathe,” he was saying as he hooked a finger on her strap, nudging it to the side. “You’ve already had too much sun while we’re staying here.” He touched the tan line she was sporting underneath. “Still not roasted enough?”

Nami looked indignant. “What the hell do you mean by that?!”

He chuckled, dipping his head down and kissing the still pale skin.

And she melted just like that... her annoyance instantaneously dissipating. A familiar heat crept up her entire body and she groaned. “Damn it!”

He was looking smug. Absolutely liking the way he affects her.

This is better than he expected when he kissed at the orchard.

"Thought we're here to map and nap Nami?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. She was slowly learning that Zoro can be a tease when he wants to.

But she wasn't the kind to just let him one up her. Together or not she wouldn't let him take the upper hand.

She batted her eyelashes at him.

"Oh," her voice took on a flirtatious tone. "Here I thought you want to see and touch more."

Apparently Zoro was thinking just the same thing.

“Of course I do,” he played along, whispering in her ear. “How about you lose the dress? Lemme see those tan lines you worked so hard to get?”

It took all her willpower not to let her jaw drop in pure amazement.

Was he really the same person who was hesitant to make the first move? Who managed to turn his back on her while she was top naked in front of him after skinny dipping on the lake?

Who consistently refused to kiss her despite every damn opportunity they have until he cannot stop himself anymore?

She heard the low rumble of his laughter as she just stared blankly at him.

“Is this…” she managed to say after a few seconds of short circuiting. “Your not-so-subtle way of saying you want me naked?”

“I think I’ve waited long enough Nami.” He stated in that deep, lazy yet light-hearted voice that she was secretly fond of.

A delicious shiver of anticipation ran all over her body and made her skin crawl.

“And you actually want me to believe that Roronoa Zoro’s actually interested in things like tan lines and a naked girl?”

He shrugged his shoulders.

“You!” She exploded when she saw the corner of his lips twitching. Her moron swordsman was trying not to laugh. “Quit teasing me, you idiot!” She bopped him on the head lightly as he finally laugh out loud.

She glared at him as he continued laughing at her expense.

This is going to be one hell of an interesting relationship.

With a vexed-sounding huff, she scooted away from his lap to stand up, giving his leg a nice, good kick.

Zoro caught her by the ankle. Still grinning up at her, he said, “Just go back to your mapping Nami, I still want my nap.”

“Damn right you still do! By all means kindly please pass out now!”

“And booze.”

“I will drown you later in favorite sake!”

He threw her a cocky smirk as his thumb rubbed circles on the inside of her ankle. “The sooner you finished the better. We can continue where we left off back at the villa.”

Nami raised an eyebrow at him. “Where we… left off?”

His grey eye met hers. And the heat behind it was unmistakable. It was hotter than the sun she loves basking under to get tanned.

“You actually thought I was just teasing you?”

#zoro x nami #ZoNa #zonami #zonalove #zona one-shots #zoro nami fanfiction #zonamiweek2020 #zonamieventstumblr #zonamievents

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springwritess · 5 years ago

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Relationship Headcannons With Usopp, Luffy, Zoro and Sanji

This was originally supposed to be a best friend headcannon, but im thirsty whelp.

This headcannon will include Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp. I’ll do Sabo, Ace and Law another day.

***

Monkey D Luffy:

Luffy is adventurous and a bit crazy. He’s also extremely loyal. It might take awhile to get used to his energy, but I’m sure after a few months of being together you’d be just as wild.

Luffy isn’t exactly someone who’s into kisses or anything inherently sexual. Kisses would most likely be on the cheeks. He’s a cutie though every time he kisses you. He’ll kiss you often. Just woke up? Kiss. Sitting next to him? Kiss. Walking by? Kiss.

Luffy is very tactile and affectionate however. He doesn’t really understand the concept of personal space, so he’ll get too clingy sometimes. He’ll cuddle with you in all sorts of positions. He’ll just want you to be around. He’ll want to feel you all the time - nothing sexual of course. He would bring you close and hold you tight. He wouldn’t be able to sleep without you unless he’s wrapped around his partner. He’d want to nap all the time with you.

Luffy is romantic without even trying. He’ll say sweet things that’ll end up leaving you flustered. “My heart beats fast whenever I’m with you! “I love your laugh! It makes me feel happy.” “Don’t worry, ill protect you.”

If you’re upset, he’d give you lots of hugs to try to comfort you when you’re upset. Sometimes it would be by joking with you. He would want you to get your mind of things. Luffy can have his serious moments though however. If he realizes you’re extremely upset, he’ll sit there with you as you explain what’s wrong. He’ll put his strawhat on you. His strawhat has a weird power. When he puts it on you, you’ll feel like everything is going to be okay.

Speaking of his hat, Luffy would trust it with you. He rarely trusts his hat with anyone. Aside from a few of the strawhats, he hasn’t let anyone else touch it. He wouldn’t mind if you wore it. He’d put it on your head. It’s his way of showing that he treasures you.

Whenever you guys go to a new island, you guys would explore and mess around. You guys went to Skypeia? You guys are going to jump on the clouds and laugh. He’d even convince you to explore Upper Yard, despite it being forbidden and where ‘god’ resides. Sabaody? You guys would be on top of the bubbles and float to the very top. Thriller Bark? You guys would explore the island to look for zombies. It’d be crazy, fun and exciting. Be ready to almost die while having Luffy as your partner.

You’d get used to his jokes and pranks, because he’s hilarious. Sometimes you would join in on it too. You two would sometimes prank Zoro or Usopp. Afterwards, you’d both get a scolding from Nami for being idiots.

Luffy can be an idiot sometimes. He’d be doing something stupid and fall into water. Be ready to jump in the water and have to save him! It most likely will get annoying after awhile. If you can’t swim, then get ready to drown with him.

Luffy would give you some of his meat. This will take awhile though however. Luffy rarely gives people his food. In fact, he takes it from others. When he does give you his food, this signifies how much he cares for you.

Luffy doesn’t care about how strong you are. He just would want you to be yourself. Strong? Weak? He doesn’t care! Be yourself. That’s all he would want. He wouldn’t ask you about your life story. It’s just not his style. If you opened up about your life, he’d be happy to listen. If you didn’t, that’s fine. He accepted you for the person you are today, not the person you were in the past.

Sanji Vinsmoke:

Sanji loves all women, but he’ll treat you differently. He’ll be deeply in love with you, from your looks to your smile to your little quirky habits. He’ll love it all. He’ll definitely accept you too. You’re his best friend and his lover. Sanji treasures your relationship together, and will take it very seriously

Expect to be showered with little presents and food all the time. You’re going to be his queen. He’ll make sure you have the most delicious and nutritious meals. He’ll find out what your favourite meals are, and cook it for you. Expect every meal to be amazing. He’ll give you’ll small presents - mostly trinkets and things he finds cute from different islands. He might pick some flowers or some pretty seashells for you too.

You won’t be able to spend every moment together however. Sanji has his responsibilities on the ship, and you have yours. He’ll mostly be in the kitchen preparing the next meal for the crew, or cleaning up. It’ll make his heart flutter when you watch him, or offer to clean up too. He’ll obviously decline, because just having you there is enough. When he does have time however, you guys would sit in the gallery of The Sunny and just talk about life.

It doesn’t matter to Sanji where your from, but he’ll definitely be curious. He’ll want to know every small detail about you. He’ll want to know which sea you came from, your likes and dislikes, your hobbies and your passions. He’ll want to know everything. He’ll be patient if your not comfortable. Sanji will not open up about his past however. It’s too painful for him to think about. You might hear stories about his times with Zeff though.

Sanji will want to protect you. He’ll make sure no harm comes your way during battles and such. If anyone were to hurt you - even if it was a small scratch there will be hell to pay.

He’ll be delicate with you too. He won’t touch you if you’re not comfortable with it though. He might stare at you sometimes, to just admire your beauty. His eyes may wander down to your cleavage, but he’ll try his best not to.

Sanji gets jealous pretty easily. He trusts you a lot, but he can’t stand the thought of men staring at you. He’ll often pick fights with Zoro, if you get too close with him. It’s something you’ll just have to put up with. Sometimes you’ll have to reassure him and tell him you only love him.

Sanji tries to stay calm if you two were to get in an argument. He has self-control, and will swallow his frustration and anger. He’ll work with you to solve the problem in a much more peaceful manner and try to see things half-way if possible.

Sanji is your rock. If something is wrong, he’s someone you can come to. He’s someone you can lean and cry on. If it takes you a while to open up about any problems, he’ll be patient and wait for you. He’ll give you the time you need. He might prepare you a cup of tea to de-stress and a nice warm meal too.

Sanji loves PDA, but it usually is only hand-holding. There might be hugs sometimes too. He loves feeling the warmth of your hand in his. He loves having you close to him too. Kisses would be short too, anything more and he’ll die of blood loss in public.

The more your relationship progresses, the amount of affection will increase. Hugs will become much longer and more meaningful. Kisses will be longer and more passionate too. Things might get steamy sometimes, but you can’t go too far without Sanji getting a nosebleed.

Usopp:

Usopp is a dorky, childish individual. He’s a coward sometimes, and hasn’t thought too much about women aside from Kaya. You however, mean the world to him. He loves you and will treasure your relationship.

You would listen to his stories (and lies) with eagerness. He would love seeing you engaged and playing along with him. You two would spend hours talking with each other on The Sunny

When you’re not talking, he’s mostly working on a new invention. You’d make stops to his workshop often to see how things are going. He likes having you there, and watching quietly behind him. Sometimes he’ll explain to you the invention you’re working on, and you’ll quietly listen.

Usopp would love to have a s/o who’s stronger than him, because he’s a coward. He likes having someone protect him. At the same time, he doesn’t want to feel useless or weak in front of them. You two would most likely fight side by side in battle, and back each other up. If you’re not able to fight, he’ll swallow down his cowardliness and try his best to protect you.

Similar to Luffy, Usopp can act like a child. He’ll pull pranks or tease you sometimes. You’d get used to his jokes and pranks, because he’s hilarious. Sometimes you would join in on it too. You two would sometimes prank Zoro or Luffy. Afterwards, you’d both get a scolding from Nami for being idiots.

Arguments can get heated. Usopp can’t always hold his temper, so when he’s upset he might take it out on you (similar to his fight with Luffy on Water7). He’ll always apologize, and try his best to make it up to you. You’ll have to be more patient with him.

Usopp is an artistic person too. He loves painting and drawing. When he’s not busy, he’ll often draw pictures of you. His sketchbooks are full of drawings of you on The Sunny or on various islands. He’s too embarrassed to show any of them to you, but he thinks your beautiful.

Usopp doesn’t mind PDA. It’s usually a short kiss and hugs. He’s not a fan of handholding because his hands get sweaty easily, so you two just stand close to each other. He can get embarrassed rather easily however, especially when the crew teases him. Most affection is behind closed doors. As your relationship progresses, kisses become longer and more passionate. He also hugs you more.

Roronora Zoro:

Zoro isn’t necessarily the most romantic type of guy. The only things that seem to interest him are his swords and sake. He isn’t interested in dating or marrying anyone. Don’t expect him to announce his undying love for you or any grand gestures, just appreciate the little things

He’s not interested in PDA, so don’t expect for your relationship to be public. It’ll most likely be private, with the exception of the crew knowing. He’ll most likely blush whenever you give him a kiss or hug in front of someone. Sanji will definitely tease him the hell outta it, which will result in a fight.

Zoro secretly loves them though. He likes when you hug him. He’ll never admit it of course. The more your relationship progresses, the more you guys will hug and show affection. It’s always private however. He refuses to kiss you in public settings. Kisses are usually short, very rarely do they become deep and passionate.

He loves to take naps with you, or just have you in his arms. He’ll make you stop whatever you’re doing to come and make nap with him. He loves your warmth, your smell, your soft skin and just your presence warms his heart

When it comes to strength, he would prefer it if you were strong. That way, he wouldn’t have to worry about them as much. However, he doesn’t mind if you’re not strong either. He’ll go out of his way to protect you no matter what.

Zoro is level-headed and can be a bit blunt sometimes. He’ll tell you like it is, which can lead to arguments sometimes. He’s someone you can go to if you need advice about certain matters. He also helps you get your shit together too.

When you guys reach a new island, you usually cling to him. The last thing you need is for him to get lost. This usually embarrasses him, but he secretly loves it when you’re close to him.

Zoro loves to drink, so expect gifts of booze. If you’re not much of a drinker, that might disappoint him a little but won’t bother him too much. If you love drinking, it might worry him if you get drunk. He doesn’t want to see you wander off or get hurt.

At the end of the day, all 4 of these men love you. You’re their best friend and their lover. You make them laugh and feel important. They love everything about you; your laugh, your quirks and your smile. They love spending every day with you.

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forcedapotheosis-blog · 6 years ago

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Gloomy Days Chapter XI - Catharsis

Tumblr notes: I actually wanted to update the other post but finally came down to deleting it and doing it all over again. Whatever, right? You can also read this on fanfiction.net [x] and Ao3 [x]. And damn, it’s gotten a little longer than I expected. Even the notes are pretty damn long this time, oh shit!

We're nearly there, lads and lasses. After I don't know how many years since I started this fic, we're nearly at the end. Isn't that great? To be perfectly honest with you, I don't know. After having the thought of it in the back of my mind, it kinda feels wrong to end it because to someone, somewhere, it's not gonna be satisfying. But that's the way all fictions goes, right? Someone will always complain, you can't please everyone and that shouldn't even be your aim. Thus I'm going to try to settle with less. If there is only one person around here who really enjoyed the story up to this point, I am truly happy and the joy I brought to you means the world to me.

And because I still have like 4,3k characters left for these notes, I'd like to thank some people (in some cases, again) because while likes and favs and kudos are great, the biggest show of appreciation for a writer is if you left a comment. But don't worry if you didn't, we're still cool.

In no particular order: EastBlue on ff.net - I don't know if you're still around, but your kind words and encouragement were some of the main reasons I continued writing this. When it comes down to the wire and we're talking about one single person liking this story as a whole, I hope it is you.

DWatson on Ao3 - I can vividly remember this one rainy day I was sitting in the library and didn't know what to do with myself, but then I read your comment and holy shit, it nearly made me tear up. So much for being a manly man, right? Even though I never heard of you after that comment, I thank you dearly for it and do hope that you find the rest of the story to your liking.

Renillion on ff.net - Don't know what to say, mate, we kinda got out of touch somewhere along the line, but I enjoyed our conversations very much and I hope you're doing well.

PintedPatrich on Ao3 - You're another one of these people who managed to really warm my heart with your appreciative words, and another one that I hope will like this chapter. Nobody suffers forever, right? Not even Sanji.

@alaznesweeran on tumblr and Ao3 - Hey, what can I say? I dearly hope you know how much I appreciate your every word regarding my stories. All the best to you. That and I do hope that you'll come out with some more stories of your own as I always enjoyed reading them.

luteolousMonkey on Ao3 - You were basically the last person I had contact with when it came to my fics and our small conversation and your encouragement helped me cope with all the bullshit that's going on within the One Piece fandom. It is very, very much appreciated and my hope is that you'll find some delight in this new chapter. See you around, I hope.

Saorii D. Nightray on ff.net - Well, I honestly do think that your comment is the reason I really put my mind into writing Chapter XI and actually started writing something. I don't know what else to say but thank you.

the_SicknessxD_96 on Ao3 - You know how there's sometimes people who jump into your life, do one really impressive thing or say something that really moves you and then you never hear from them again? As is the same with others on this list I don't know if you're still around, but if you are: This one's for you. And even if you're not, this is the internet. Maybe you'll find it some day, mate. I can't thank you enough for your words.

Chapter Text

Chapter XI – Catharsis

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Robert Frost – Stopping by Woods an a Snowy Evening

'Too much' didn't even start to catch the absolute gravity of the current situation. To say the least, it was easy for her to imagine the world crumbling into pieces again, just like it happened many years ago. There she was, thinking that her life was good if only for different reasons until all of it went downhill again.

We are where you're at home.

Picture home.

I love you. I will always love you.

The words resounded in her head, loud enough to deafen the angry voices outside. The guests were mad and enraged words were exchanged between them and .. well, mostly Zoro. Her spouse's father, that didn't surprise her, was the loudest of them all. His words didn't even manage the scratch the surface of her perception, his red face was bound to be a sidenote of little interest in whatever way she would remember this day. There were more important things to care about. To think about.

At first, her gaze caught Cassian's face. Fair, noble and composed, his kind eyes fixed to the ground. He remained the exact same man that she got to know throughout their relationship, the shadow of a sad smile on his slender lips. These exact same lips that had kissed her, declared his love for her and, finally, asked for her hand in marriage seemed to know what was about to happen, prepared to accept every possible outcome with dignity.

Picture home.

She thought about these words once again, now more aware than ever what they actually meant. This mansion wasn't home, no matter how much she wanted to force it. This family wasn't home, no matter how friendly and welcoming they had been. And .. Cassian wasn't home.

No matter how much she had tried to feel at home in his arms, no matter how beautiful the days were, his gestures, his words. She saw the open sea in her dreams, she embraced it in her heart. Cassian had been a safe harbour when she was in dire need of one and now that she finally realised it, she felt like an utterly horrible person. In her past, when she was still a slave to Arlong's wishes, she took advantage of many people, but she was always able to drown her feelings of guilt with the knowledge that it was for the greater good. For her people.

This time, it was different. The way she saw it now, Cassian had been made a victim of her need for safety. Deep down, he might even have always known.

And the worst part? He won't even be mad at me. He won't shout at me. He won't say that he never wants to see my stupid face again. I wish that we could just fight our way out of here.

The thought of it made her smile. An honest smile, the first one that went over her lips since the cermony had started. Usually, her first impulse in the face of danger was to retreat behind someone's back, actually trying to plan on how to fight back. It was unintentionally funny how her thinking had changed. But mere seconds later, the thought vanished and so did her smile. Nami shuddered as a mighty gust of wind crashed into the mansion and managed to blow one of the heavy wooden doors open, just long enough for everyone to easily guess the storm's strength. Long enough to send an eerie howling through these halls. Long enough for a white cat to sneak in, that nobody but her seemed to pay any mind to, as the guests were too busy with closing the door again, putting their strength against the tempest.

Nami's eyes searched for Cassian again, the sight of him nearly overwhelming her with guilt. Guilt that she always felt when she was sleeping in his arms. How could she possibly tell him that her heart always longed for the open sea, for her crew?

Don't start lying to yourself now. It doesn't matter what you say to him, if this is indeed farewell, it matters how you will remember yourself. Excuses, white lies, kind words .. what's it going to be, girl?

To her, it felt like running in circles. She had always been proud of the sharpness of her mind, her intellect, but there seemed to be no way of stopping it. The look on his face said more than a thousand words, her guilt over having used him came next and, finally, she asked herself the same question over and over again. What's it going to be, girl?

Nami might have actually been able to find a solution to this problem, just given enough time. But her problems didn't stop there. When she finally found enough strength within her to remove her gaze from Cassian's face, it wandered off to the other man. Was he the reason that she could just not allow her to embrace the safety of marriage, the opportunity for a bright – if a little unexciting – future?

No. She answered the question decidedly. There were a great many things that this blonde idiot could be accused with, as he was a man of many flaws, but it wasn't his fault that even after all these years, her heart still knew his name. On the good days, it only hummed it like a melody, but on days such as this, it was shouting it. Under different circumstances, she would have dropped literally everything to return to the sea. With her family, him at her side. Unfortunately, she didn't find herself under the influence of different circumstances. This day was supposed to be her wedding day and not the day that she betrayed the love and trust her husband-to-be had offered her for the past years.

Conscience could be a beast. When at first she hoped that the weight of her guilt would lighten up the moment she didn't have to see Cassian's face, it happened to be even worse when confronted with these eyes that were as deep and blue as the open sea, swollen from hidden tears, his hair that once had been the colour of the sun. Without a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, he almost seemed naked to her. A child, not a man to crash into a wedding to steal another one's wife, even though she could hardly believe that any of these events were planned. The same way that nobody could control the weather, no one was able to change or even influence the winds of fate.

Under different circumstances .. all of you ..

Again, her gaze wandered off, maybe aimlessly, maybe unconsciously willing to look into a face that would not force the guilt of the entire world upon her shoulders. Seemingly everyone present had taken one side or the other. Her former crew, of course, wanted nothing more than to leave for the sea again to enjoy the endless blue and the adventures it offered. Together, the same family they used to be. To achieve this, even Zoro had spoken up to take the cook's side. Sometimes, it was life's turn to imitate art. In a great many books she read, even in some of the stage plays she had seen, there were these incredibly rare moments when a character with established, sometimes even comic relief traits, broke out of his usual habits. Many times, it meant that these characters took a situation more seriously than before. It actually surprised her that the man cared as much as the others did. If not more. His words alone didn't understate the involvement of the others, though.

Hearing Bink's Sake after all these years again nearly made her think that Brook was still with them, wanting the best for his newfound family even from beyond the grave, proving that not even the veil that separated the living and the dead was strong enough to keep the memories of a loved one at bay. It must have been Robin's idea, her ability to read people's true intentions made her border on being a clairevoyante. That and she wasn't the kind of woman that would rudely interrupt a ceremony such as this with a temper. What Nami didn't know was how exactly she persuaded the band to disrupt the ceremony, but, all things considered, it did hardly matter. Even without the song, without the singing, without her feeling at home for the first time in ages, someone would have spoken up, and other voices would have followed. It made things all the more difficult. Again, she thought about how every single person in this room seemed to have taken either one side or the other. What was worse was that both sides were actually right about something.

Her friends did not have strong feelings about Cassian, at least as far as she knew. To them, he wasn't Cassian, he wasn't the heir of a venerable family, the good man she had come to accept as her husband. No, to them, he was just her husband-to-be, just another obstacle that had to be overcome until they could leave this harbour once and for all. But to her, even though she finally began to realise that he wasn't the man she was still truly, madly and deeply in love with, he was still so much more. It wasn't just the safety he offered her when her when she was in dire need of it, not the generous and amicable way he treated the servants or how welcoming he was towards her friends, he was even better than that. And with every passing second another thought about him crossed her mind. Cassian insisted on finding a perfect place for her greatest treasure, her tangerine trees, personally. He didn't care about getting soaked in the rain or figuratively burning under the brightest sun, the only thing that mattered to him was that these trees were important to her. That was even before she told him why she held them so dearly. It only seemed to be adding insult to injury that even now he was trying to calm his father down. Even in an hour as dark as this one, he held on to the selflessness that was so rare within aristocratic families, a trait that she genuinely admired with all her heart. It was her bad luck again that she just had to be honest to herself once in a while, and this meant that she had to admit to herself that this pure admiration of some, if not most of his character traits, did only mean that she admired him. Not that she loved him.

If anyone's got an ace in the hole, I'd be more than willing to use it.

The chances for this wish to come true were as slim as one might imagine. One by one, her former crew members had left their seats with differing intentions. Usopp, Franky and Chopper tried their best to be voices of reason, but they were shouted down by Cassian's increasingly angry father. She didn't get anything, but there was talk about disowning him flying around. Robin was quietly talking to Zoro, probably to calm him down. Sometimes, when things didn't go their way just fast enough, he'd resort to violence. Engaged in combat with the marines or other pirates, this could be a very welcome sight, but not here, not today. Luffy, though, seemed to be more confused and aimless than before. To him, things were pretty clear. The captain knew that she wanted to return to the seas with them and he probably did not yet grasp the gravity of such a decision. If everything went according to him, she'd just have told Cassian that she did not want to marry him and they'd have left the mansion together. Sometimes, just sometimes, she wished that she could act with the same recklessness. Once again, her eyes grazed Sanji. Maybe he was the sole reason that she was never ready to let herself fall in love with Cassian? Was this even the right time to think about it? Even if not, she couldn't help herself but to contemplate the man who's gaze was fixed to the very floor she was standing on. He was the only former crewmate that she didn't have any contact with over the past years, but that did not mean that she was unaware of what was going on with his life. Magazines all over the four Blues covered the rise of this man, a cook, they wrote, gifted by the very Gods themselves. He prepared food for nobility as high as kings and commoners alike, and from every corner of the world, his dishes were praised as poetry served on a plate. The glamorous magazines only covered his ascent and one had to have a look at the less credible, indeed nearly pulpy magazines to get any knowledge regarding the fall of this star. Informations they provided were vague at best and absolutely unbelievable for the rest of the time, but they might have held some truth. An ongoing struggle with alcohol addiction and a taste for womanising went a long way to make his popularity with the aristocrats suffer.

I wonder if he really managed to smooth-talk his way into the bed of a princess or a queen.

This idea didn't come from nowhere as she had read that in some corners of the earth, this gifted cook was regarded as a persona non grata. She quickly shook her head. Maybe there'd be a time to think, to talk about these matters. But not today. There were other problems in dire need to be handled first, one of them actually was .. Sanji. Nami wouldn't lie to herself and say that his words, their words did not move her heart, but she did not know if she was actually ready to jump off a marriage directly into a relationship with a man she hadn't seen for close to seven years. The memories of him were, even at the best of times, vivid, but she had asked herself on more than one occasion if she was just in love with the thought of a man from her past. Now that he was standing before her, everything was so .. different. Complicated. Maybe the two of them had to get to know each other once again. Then, she could make a decision. Possibly one that he might not approve of, but that was the way of these kinds of things. What that would lead to, she could not say. Quite frankly, Nami didn't even want to think about the many possible outcomes. Would they still be able to serve on the same ship, follow the same dreams? Would they break apart again, this time for good? Would it actually be her damn fault, because she might not want to be with their cook?

Nami took a deep breath and averted her gaze from the cook, desperately trying to find someone .. someone uninvested. And for the first time in what felt like hours, she met the eyes of the clergyman who solely arrived for the marriage. Nami would have understood a wide variety of expressions in the face of what was probably a very busy man, but not .. a kind and complacent smile on his face that extended to his eyes. The priest seemed to be giving not a single care in the world as he was kneeling down, petting the white stray cat that walked in when the door was blown open by the storm. It was quite an interesting sight to see: While nearly every other person present was engaged in some form of verbal dispute as of the most recent developments, the priest familiarised himself with an animal and was absentmindedly looking at her.

Absolutely wonderful. There is only a single person in this entire hall who has not taken a site and .. it's not gonna help me in the least.

As Nami was about to look away, the clergyman's mind seemed to finally have decided to return to this world. He still smiled the same smile, yet his eyes had gained more focus. As he went back into a standing position, he stroked the cat's head one last time.

"Don't worry about him, we're old friends." She didn't know if these words were meant to confuse her even more and decided to simply ignore them. Taking a small step into his direction, the dam she put up around her inner turmoil began to leak as little tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. Deeply embarassed by this apparent weakness, she immediately regretted having approached him. Yet as he rose, she realised that her regrets came too late. What was she even supposed to say, to ask him? A new direction in life? Nami thought that she was supposed to be old enough to find her own way and by the looks of it, this man was about her age. How could he possibly know anything?

"Tell me about the burden you bear, my child." His voice alone took her aback. Contrasting his looks, it was surrounded by the air of wisdom that belied this youthful appearance. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't all wrong about looking for help in her desperate situation. Yet her voice failed her, somehow, she wanted to tell him everything. About her past, their shared past, the divide and the thoughts that plagued her in this very moment, but her tongue betrayed these efforts and not even a whisper passed over her lips. Interestingly enough, she somehow had the feeling that there was no need for her to wrap the burden she carried in her heart and in her memories into words. Whatever it was that she needed to be said, maybe her expression explained more than enough on its own. The priest inclined his head slightly to the side whilst still smiling at her.

"I do understand the conflict that is raging within you, child. It was always stability you have been looking for, isn't that right?" Nami felt the cat brushing against her leg as he spoke and it sent a shiver down here spine. What in the name of everything holy was she doing here? The future she had been carefully building for the last years was crumbling everything around her and she listened to the words of someone who seemed to be living so far off from the average human that he was talking to cats. Even though, his words rang true in her head, but that wasn't something that she was unaware of. Ever since the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates came to an end, she was looking for anything that would even promise the smallest sliver of stability in life.

"My dear, dear child .. how can you seek stability when life itself is only change? Could it be that you might have actually been looking for the wrong kind? Life is everything that happens around you. Every moment of every minute of every hour of every day. It is subject to change and the only time that it stops shifting is when your heartbeat forever grows still." He gesticulated towards the windows and as her eyes were sluggishly following his waving hand, she realised that the storm had passed the island over and the rays of a brilliant sun were already piercing the glass again.

"Change, Nami. These mighty walls might have protected you against the storm, but could you really say that they offered stability or just .. shelter, a place to hide from the winds and the rain? I heavily doubt that you were thinking of a lair, a prison of sorts, when the word flashed before your inner eye. The kind of stability you yearn for lives only within you and within the people you choose to be with. Be well aware, sweet child: My old friend introduced me to the very vital information that while one storm has passed, another one is already on the rise. Terrible, powerful and strengthened by aeons and .. memories. Be swift and sure, for this light you see, this warmth you feel, it is indeed hope. But if you don't nourish it, it shall expire and with it, your dreams."

Has he gone absolutely mad or .. could it be that he's the real deal? I don't know about that, it's probably not important in any way, shape or form. The priest has a point, and if there is indeed another storm on the horizon, I .. I know with whom I want to face it. With my family. My true family.

"Did you manage to talk some sense into her, Father?!" Little by little, her mind left the shell it was hiding in, ready and willing to take on the difficult task of .. of breaking Cassian's heart.

"Oh, but I do hope so", and as Nami and the priest shared a last glance, whatever conviction he might have seen in her face seemed to satisfy him. Kneeling down for a moment, he picked up the stray cat and whispered a few words in its ear, words that only Nami and the cat itself could hear. "Shall we then, brother? I wouldn't want to miss the grande finale, especially after all these years of waiting." And, just like that with the cat still on his arms, the priest went straight for the door and left the hall, leaving the door open as if to allow the rays of the sun to further conquer the mansion .. her selfimposed prison.

Even Cassian's father was left speecheless, if only for a moment. Without giving him the chance to explode into enraged words and maybe deeds again, Nami finally made her move and took the wind from his sails with ease.

"I'm sorry", she began, struggling to find and sustain the right volume for everyone to hear her and without having to shout. Now that the beautiful bride had spoken, even the children went silent. All eyes were on her. Quick and painless, just like one would do it with a patch. Better to end something with a scare than enduring a scare without an end.

Her eyes met Cassians and she repeated herself, tears running down her face. "I am so incredibly sorry. But I .. I can't marry you. Not today, not ever." And there it was, finally out, finally being spoken to him and not to herself. People gasped all around her, seemingly not being able to process this information. It was good for her, since no one had yet found his voice to shout her down.

"Cassian .. it .. forgive me, if you find it in your heart. You have given so much to me and I will never be able to repay it. The warmth and safety you provided me with when no one else would .. I can't even start to count all the things you've given to me just out of the goodness of your heart. It's all my fault, Cassian. I mistook the safety I felt for love. Or .. or at least for something which could grow into love. It .. did not. It was never meant to be. Not while the sea is calling my name. Not while I still dream. Cassian, I'm so incredibly sorry .. but I don't see you in my dreams. I need to return to the open waters. Not .. not for another man .. or with another man. For myself and my family. There is so much more that I need to tell you, but .. today, something that should never have begun will end."

As the last word left her mouth, time slowed down to a crawl. Something more than adrenaline seemed to be heightening her senses to unknown degrees, and yet she still struggled to perceive everything that happened around her. Cassian didn't even move as he was listening, only his soft smile flickered when he fully began to understand the gravity of her words. Sanji, who was still standing only a few meters away from her, sobbed nearly without sound when he realised that while she would return to the crew, she did not intend to return to his arms and Nami immediately felt deeply sorry for that. After she had broken the promise of marriage, she just couldn't force herself to make another one, even moreso to another man. It has just been too long and she knew that there was still a change of simply being in love with the memory of a man she might have never really known.

She could see tears of joy in the eyes of her others. Chopper, Luffy and Franky where smiling from ear to ear, Usopp kissed his Kaya and while carefully caressing her belly and only then did she realise that the new informations he had received might mean that he was becoming a father soon. Even the normally so emotionally distances Nico Robin whiped a single tear from the corner of her eye. And Zoro? He just sat there, arms crossed in front of his chest and his single healthy eye closed. Has he fallen asleep? quickly crossed her mind.

"You impudent woman! Cassian gave you everything and you're spitting in his face!" She had already expected the furious voice of Cassian's father. Even in the past, without knowing who she really was, his parents were already suspicious of their marriage, and even though she could very well understand why, it still managed to hurt her feelings from time to time. After all, Cassian was the scion of an aristocratic and venerable family. Young, intelligent and good looking, he was the perfect material for marriage when it came to other families of the same social standing, yet he decided to ask for the hand of a woman without a past, the same woman that was now leaving him. It was as if to add insult to injury that he still continued to defend her.

"Enough of that, father." It was more than obvious to everyone that Cassian was struggling to keep his composure, yet his words carried enough weight with them that the voices of many enraged complainers fell silent. "Nami might not be my betrothed anymore, much less my wife, but she and her friends are still my guests", he forced himself to cough into his fist, averting his gaze from the surrounding people just for a moment to collect himself before he continued.

"And because of this, I will not suffer anymore insults aimed at her or her .. family. Yes, a promise has been broken and it .. it ..", he swallowed and coughed again, increasingly struggling against the fate that had befallen his wedding. But he did not break. "It pains me deeply to let you go. To let you go, Nami, and it might still hurt in years and years to come. But it was never and will never be my wish to put you in chains." He addressed his father once more.

"Can't you feel her fire? Her wild spirit, longing for adventure? This and only this is the reason I fell for her. Because she was .. no, she is the antithesis to everything I grew up with and wanted to get rid off in my youth. Through her, I had a taste of pure freedom and I will never forget that. I will not allow anyone to tarnish these feelings. Not you, not mother, not any of your guests."

These words only seemed to enrage his father even further. Not only did the honour of his family suffer because a no good piece of a woman backed out of marrying his son in the last second, no, now even his soon showed his true colours in disobedience. From this point on, everything could have happened. And it did, kind of. Though not in a reasonable way that one might have expected.

The heavy wooden door was thrown open again and the abruptness of it sent a shiver down Nami's spine. Were it really just here heightened senses that felt the urgency that filled the air when the door was opened? It took only a second for the door to reveal a young man, maybe a servant of the house, gasping for breath and supporting his upper body against the doorframe. After endless seconds he managed to get his message across, even though it was obvious that he struggled through every word that left his mouth, his voice always on the verge of breaking.

"Ha-Ha .. HARBOUR! Monster!" These were his only words before he collapsed out of exhaustion and they didn't fail to get a response from the crowd. Nami knew that many guests here had never faced a sea king or other giant creatures that lived in the sea, even when they travelled from island to island. An imposing army of bodyguards or even soldiers were usually at hand to deal with any threat whatsoever. Not this time, though. The island they were currently on was a thriving port and merchants from all the four Blues travelled here because the trade routes were secured by the Marines. They probably weren't as heavily fortified as everything that was even close to the Holy Land Mary Geoise, but one could get the picture. Rarely did someone hire bodyguards around these parts, as that would have been a waste of money. Pirates were a rare sight and no one had witnessed anything larger than a whale in a hundred years.

"A monster?! Let's see it!" Nami had to forcefully supress a broad smile when she heard those words. Some things in this world never changed. One of them was her captain. Luffy had already left his seat and minute by minute, the past years vanished from his face. With every friend that spoke up, his youthful energy returned. With every family member that rejoined the crew, a little more of the old Luffy was to be seen in his face.

It really has been too long. Are we finally allowed to act?

And by the gods or any other power that might have existed outside of what humanity saw as natural, they were. Within seconds, old instincts took over and forced them onto their feet. "Take care, my love. We'll be waiting for you." Nami looked to the side and saw how Kaya and Usopp exchanged one last kiss. Chopper was the first one of them to reach the door. "If the monster is attacking the harbour, people might have been hurt! We need to hurry!" The little reindeer would never, ever change. And this was a good thing as he united both Dr. Hiluluk's idealism with Dr. Kureha's skill, he'd never leave a cry for help unanswered, no matter the cost. Franky, Luffy and Zoro followed closely behind him. It was obvious that Franky wanted to save some of the ships anchoring because they somehow had to leave this island, Luffy being Luffy didn't really think that far in the future and really just wanted to see another monster. Zoro .. Zoro was itching for a fight. Nami didn't know nor did she really care how long he had to go without having the opportunity to put his once superior skills to the test against an equally imposing enemy. She turned around and locked eyes with Cassian. There was still much more she could have told him, but remaining here any longer had the potential of hurting him even more. Her lips formed a silent 'Goodbye' and the last thing she saw of him was his smile. He was not content with this situation and might never be, yet he was a big enough man to know that sometimes, if you wanted two people to be happy, they'd need to be happy apart from one another. When Nami was about to turn towards the door, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. One of them didn't move and wasn't filled with the same energy and joy as the others.

What I said must have hurt him .. oh, Sanji-kun ..

She had to supress the urge of just going straight toward him, taking his hand and leading him outside. Both of them needed time, they needed to get to know each other again and only then could they decide how life would be going on. The former bride feared that the moment she touched him, her mind would lose the battle with her heart and she might just kiss him on the spot. She didn't want it to start like that, especially not in front of Cassian. To her luck, Zoro didn't care too much about his physical well-being and grabbed him borderline-violently by the shoulder, carrying him with them whilst spouting his usual insults at him.

The reformed crew only needed close to fifteen minutes to reach the harbour, yet it was almost too late to save anything or anyone. Whatever this monster was, the only thing it left was destruction. Many a proud ship had recently been sunk, almost all buildings in the nearest vicinity of the water had been razed to the ground. They were lucky to run into a group of survivors in hiding. Running head first into adventure did mostly work out for them, but it was nothing but tempting fate to take this thing head on after it destroyed most of the harbour area in less than an hour. Nami noted to herself that all the destruction stood in stark contrast with the absolutely marvellous and radiant sun that had conquered the firmament after the storm went by. She knew that it probably meant little and less, yet she felt stronger just because of its powerful presence.

"It was terrible, I tell you! We have to leave this place and find safety in the surrounding areas, maybe the woods!" One of the survivors was shouting at them. A hardened old sailor he was, yet his body was shaking as if he suffered from hypothermia. "It came over us like the storm that preceded it, groaning with a voice as deep as the sea and within minutes, it crushed and tore apart every armed ship! Some fools tried to fight it, bringing their cannons into position, their rifles, their pistols! It was no good, I'm telling you! No good! There is no hope to defeat that thing! We need to hide!"

Zoro was grinding his teeth behind them, his hands lying on his hips where his swords should have been. "You got your Clima-Tact, Nami? Usopp, you got your Kabuto at hand?" The question was posed in vain. None of them was armed and Franky's cola reserves seemed to be running dangerously low. Chopper went through his pockets and produced a single rumbleball. "I doubt that three minutes of my monster form will be enough to beat down whatever it is that laid waste to the area. Still, it might be our best shot." Nami nodded and .. felt useless. Without her Clima-tact, she was nearly as weak as a normal human being. She wouldn't let these feelings stop their advance, though.

"Okay guys, we have three minutes of Chopper's monster form and Robin's abilities. Franky, will you be able to fight?" The look on his face was enough of an answer.

"Sorry sis" he began. "But unless it's starting to rain Cola, I won't even be able to hold up for even half a minute." That was a disheartening information. Even their Monster Trio remained silent. Zoro was probably still in good shape, but without having his swords at hand, who knew how much of a menace he could be to whatever they were about to face? Luffy, even though he worked as a bouncer, wasn't anywhere near the tip top physical condition he was when their adventures ended many years ago. And Sanji? After seeing how depressed he was when they they left the mansion and seeing him now, Nami feared that he might not be in a position to fight at all. That left only Luffy, Zoro and Robin in any condition to seriously fight and Chopper had a time limit that they couldn't afford to waste unless it was for a certain win. All things considered, they fought worse odds. On the downside, neither she nor her crewmates did not against what kind of monster they were going up against. It was an unfortunate occurance that this was not the only downside she saw. With every passing minute, a strange feeling in her stomach grew worse and worse, up to the point that she felt like vomiting. If the others felt the same, they did not show it. Zoro was as stoic as ever and even Luffy showed his usual seriousness before a fight. Sanji again .. he seemed to be getting worse. After they had pointed the survivors into a direction of relative safety, he sat down and supported his head on with his arms, blonde hair covering the rest of his face. Was there something more that was distracting him? It surprised her even more that he didn't have a cigarette between his lips.

There is something more to him than what happened at my .. almost-wedding. I wonder if he feels it, too.

She didn't have to wait for an answer. While still staring at the ground, he raised his voice a little. It hurt Nami to hear just how .. off he sounded. Neither passion nor conviction were found within his words or voice, just plain resignation.

"Luffy .. marimo, Usopp .. can't you sense it? Have you already forgotten? It's only been a few years and this cursed aura isn't haunting your dreams every night?!" Towards the end of it , he grew louder. Not in a furious way, but in an increasingly desperate tone.

"Just stand back if you're not feeling man enough to take it on, weakling." Zoro always found the right words at the right time. To hurt someone and crush whatever confidence they had left. Under different circumstances, she would have stood up to him and protected Sanji against these unfair accusations, but right now, while he was watching? It could have done more harm than good.

"Incoming! Move!" She didn't even have time to be shocked to see this age old nightmare once again. It moved too quickly for its seize, was too strong for the lankiness of its limbs and .. too old to be alive. The deep sea was the host of numerous forms of monsters. Gigantic sea kings, the terrible kraken and an indefinite amount of other monstrosities. But even taking these into consideration, their enemy stood out. While the outward appearance mimicked that of a giant frog or toad, it mattered most what was lying underneath. Nami would never forget this face sculpted in the very forges of Hell itself. It nearly took her a second too long to realise that she shouldn't be thinking about all of this right now. The ruin the crew had covered behind was no more, crumbling to dust after only a single swing of these very same arms that once tore the legendary Straw Hat Pirates apart. She tried to shake off the ringing in her ears and the sand in her eyes, but to little avail. From what she was able to see, Luffy and Zoro were already engaged in a mortal mêlée with their towering Nemesis.

"Cook-san! Cinquante fleurs!" What happened? Her sight was still blurred and Nami had to struggle to get back to her feet. Deaf and half-blind, she tried her best to fall back while her captain and the swordsman took the heat. Precious moments passed by before she was able to see again and when she could, her heart skipped several beats. Franky, Usopp and Chopper – now in his Heavy Point form – were strenously pulling away from a pile of rubble and stones, aided by Nico Robin's devil fruit and countless arms sprouting from everywhere.

"I've got him, still breathing!" At least that was a reason for relief. Nami supported herself against a still standing wall and had trouble catching her breath. What a terrible way to start a fight. The monster had gotten the jump on them and the only two people fighting it weren't a match for it many years back, when they were still in their prime.

"Sanji! Listen: Luffy and Zoro need you now! You've got to keep that .. that thing busy until we've figured something out!"

Usopp's voice. He's right. We can't rely on their brute strength alone anymore. Not that it didn't help us back then. Please, there has to be a way! If we can't defeat this beast, all the tears were in vain! The broken hearts, the dreams of things to come, all in vain! It won't happen! It mustn't happen!

"Let go of me! I've still got an old score to settle with this beast!" The cook was barely on his feet and visibly had to force the fight on himself, but his words betrayed his feelings. No matter how much he tried to be his old self again, he was still without passion. It did not stop him from joining the fray, but his efforts were for naught. Even Nami was able to follow his movements as he engaged the beast, landing futile kicks all over the monster's armoured body. The same thing happened that happened back during their first fight with it: No matter if it was Luffy's devil fruit enhanced attacks, Zoro's raw strength or Sanji's kicks, it shrugged it all off without visible effort. She didn't know what made the devil's skin so resilient. Maybe it was age and the pressure of the deep sea, maybe it was spellforged, maybe a fallen god or all of the above. Nothing they did managed to slow down its rampage and more and more ruins turned to dust as the Monster Trio dodged the wild swings of its arms.

Please, please, please! Don't let me be useless anymore! I can't stand it! My Clima-tact, just anything! Give me a weapon, don't let them die before my eyes! Please!

The impact of something large right next to her made her cower and raise her hands to protect her face, only when that large something began to cough did she lower her defenses and rushed to its side, trying to shield the man with her own body. As the dust settled, Nami felt like she was going to suffocate. His voice was just so weak, nothing about it could have reminded her of the man she once knew.

".. forgive me, Nami-san. I .. am not .. strong enough to .. protect you. Never .. been .." She wanted to cry, wanted to tell him that he was an idiot and that he had saved her countless times before. But there were no words left in her mouth, no tears left to cry. Maybe this time, just this once, she had to be the one to save him.

But how?! If even Luffy and Zoro can't hurt that beast, what am I supposed to do?! Tell me!

Great deeds and greater people were forged in fire, on the anvil of that was strife. Desperation more often than not managed to break men and women alike, but what happened when the same desperation was forced to fight against an equally unstoppable conviction?

"Isn't it a thing of beauty?" A voice right beside them asked.

"Friendship, love. One unbreakable shield against the coming darkness." It continued, but Nami didn't care.

"Bonds once broken, now reforged in defiance of fate." By now, the voice seemed to be coming from inside her head, yet she did not care. Sanji was unconscious and whatever was about to come, she would protect him.

"You are not weak, sweet child. You are longing for a weapon to defend your loved ones, but don't you see that you have so much more at hand? Behold, the Origin of All that is Good and Mother to Us All is keenly watching your steps."

She did not understand. She did not care. None of them would be taken away this day, not if she could help it. Looking down on Sanji's bruised face, she lowered her head and breathed soft kisses on his forehead, his cheeks and finally, wihout hesitation, on his lips. Whatever would happen today, no matter how much they would have to suffer, she just felt that this was important and even if it was only for a moment, she forgot all the terror around them. Her fighting friends, their Nemesis, buildings that were crushed by forces not from this world.

It's only Sanji-kun, myself and this beautiful sun above us. If these are our last moments, I can .. finally say that I am happy. I am truly happy, my love.

"I'm afraid that I am in no condition to continue the fight, Nami-san." He is awake now. Of course he is, because everything that is happening here is purely my imagination.

"Your mind is as sharp and wonderful as ever, Nami-san, but this time, you're only half-right. Indeed, this is happening in your imagination. But not only yours, it's happening in mine, too. I'm astounded that Observation Haki could work like that. My dear Nami-san .. look at the sun. It is almost as brilliant as you are."

I've never heard of Haki working like that either, Sanji-kun. Are you sure that I'm not dreaming?

"Very sure, but I could be wrong. Look at me, I'm unconscious. But I might yet be of a little use to you, if that is your wish."

You idiot! You know that I'd do anything to help!

"I know, Nami-san. That is one of the reasons that make me love you. Listen carefully because time is short. Do you remember the time my heart spent within your bosom, my love?"

I do, but how could that possibly help us? Though, thinking about it, maybe this past connection might be the reason we're able to talk right now .. if we're actually talking.

"My beloved Nami-san is so smart! Yes, that might actually be the reason!"

Go on, time might be moving slower in this .. trance we're in, but I've no doubt that it's still moving. Our friends are fighting!

"I know, and you .. you might join them, if you like. With .. more or less me at your side."

Didn't you listen, Sanji-kun? I'm unarmed! No Clima-tact, no clever tactics or strategies. I'm not strong enough to even put a dent in this thing if even Luffy, Zoro and you couldn't make it!

"You are so much stronger than you think you are, my beloved Nami-san. When your beautiful body was given into my aegis, I had to take a very deep dive with it to recover Kin'emon's body. We never talked about that because I was scared that you would beat me, but your body is capable to do a lot more than you're giving yourself credit for."

What do you mean by that? What happened when you dived for his body?!

"At first, I only had to swim and even back then, your body managed the pressure of the deep water without aching. Then .. well, I kicked the shark that was chewing on his torso, but that's not even the most important thing."

What is it?! I don't know how much time we have left, Sanji-kun!

"Your body, Nami-san, withstood the strain that my Blue Walk put on it without failing. You were swimming as fast as a fishman and your muscles weren't even sore after it. Granted, it wasn't for a long time, but you've got what it takes to help them finish this beast."

How could swimming as quickly as that help us now?! Sanji-kun, if you have a plan, you might want to come out with it right now!

A plan he had. A stupid one, but at that time, it was their best shot. For a moment after leaving the trance, she felt alone again. Cold. Like waking up from a wonderful dream, Sanji was still unconscious, his head resting on her legs. It shocked her that she was still able to hear his voice, but only for a moment.

Don't you worry, my love. I'll be with you all the way to the very end.

Nami was incredibly relieved that the breathing of his physical body was going steady again. Nonetheless, she carefully put her hands beneath his head and softly let it down on the ground. For their plan to work, she needed to be standing.

May I humbly request one last kiss from Nami-san?

That comment made her smile against her will. Some things would never change, and that was a good thing. Yet her answer was:

"No. In the future, you might be able to request kisses from .. from your Nami-san. But for a very long time, it will better not be a last one. Alright now, what .. how do I have to do it?"

She worked herself into a standing position and looked down on her body. She was still wearing her dress and as beautiful as it might look, it was absolutely not made to withstand a fight. Determined as she was, Nami bowed down again and tore the lower end of the dress apart as to gain freedom of movement for her perfect long legs before standing up again. She wasn't even surprised that she could see the silhoutte of Sanji's body standing close to her when she concentrated on it. It was a weird day, weird things were to be expected.

The first step is the most important one. The silhoutte knelt down next to her and put his hand on her now exposed leg, seemingly caressing it. If anyone but her could have seen this, there'd be a lot of things to explain when all of this was over. Luckily for the both of them, her friends were still fighting. Even Usopp and Robin had joined in, she remarked, as stones were thrown against their foe and from every possible and impossible angle arms were sprouting. On the beast itself, on the stones that Usopp threw at it. To no avail, but it bought them time and a little respite for Luffy and Zoro who undeniably had gotten the worst of the fighting. They were covered in countless bruises and scratches, both panting like wild animals. But still not broken. The whole damn island would break before these two would.

As I said, the first step is the most important one for it to work. You need to find something inside yourself that you react very strongly to. Rage, hatred, passion, love. Everything would do, the feeling just needs to be strong enough.

Something that she felt strongly or passionate about? In theory, it should have been easy enough. If not for the fact that she had tried to bury all these wonderful memories for a long time now, so deeply that it felt like graverobbery to summon them before her inner eye. But as with a lot of other things in life, the solution was standing .. and fighting right before her very eyes.

Seeing the Straw Hats reunited again, fighting together. For their dreams, for their future. Luffy's shouting and unshakable conviction even in the face of an enemy that seemed invulnerable to everything they could throw at it. Zoro's silent stoicism while the took hit after hit from lanky arms that would have crushed a lesser man into dust. Robin's effort to back up the others, taking the force out of strikes and swings with sprouting arms and flowers, Usopp desperately trying to live up to his dream, his promise. As he always did. Chopper and Franky were in hiding again as the time to use the Rumbleball had not yet come and Franky's reserves ran out. They didn't want to be in the way. And finally .. her blonde cook. Even though his unconscious body was still lying on the ground, she could still feel the warmth of his lips on hers. And even though he wasn't really touching her right now, she could still feel him. These people were all that she needed.

She even felt his hands on her shoulders as if he was about to massage them, putting the silhoutte of his right leg next to hers.

You're doing wonderful, my love. And now that you're having a grasp on these emotions, let me assist you in guiding them to where they are needed.

His right hand left her shoulder and she somehow felt the tip of his finger running down her neck, softly caressing the skin along her spine – because as a specter or whatever he was, he didn't seem to care about the silk that was still covering parts of her back – and came to a hold when his hand reached her hips. He just couldn't help himself and brushed over her butt.

"Hands off the goods, mister. For now." Even in a situation as tense as that, she couldn't suppress a smile, and though she wasn't looking at his face, not even the face of his spectre, she was able to vividly imagine his disappointment. Nevertheless, his hand finally continued its journey and gently brushed over her thigh until it reached her lower leg.

This is were the magic happens, Nami-san. Under different circumstances, it would be a little more complicated to get it to work, but now that I'm with you, I think we might be able to skip that part. Please, Nami-san, my love: Allow me to be the spark that starts and feeds your fire.

Once again, she smiled.

"You always were."

It took only seconds until she felt a pleasant and comfortable heat radiating from the spectre's leg and while in the past she had shied away from this heat .. his heat, she finally embraced it. Putting her right hand on her left shoulder, on the hand that she still felt, she gave herself to the flame. And under this wonderfully blue and clear sky, her fire was the sun's equal. With every moment passing, she gave in a little more to the power that was flowing through her entire body, not just her leg. Every draw of air she inhaled made her feel like she was breathing a living flame. Nami felt unstoppable now that she had a glimpse of the Monster Trio's might at her own disposal.

I will be with you until this is over, my love. Let's send this beast back to where it belongs. Together.

She nodded, filled to the brim with newfound confidence and threw her head around to where Franky and Chopper were taking cover.

"Chopper, keep your rumbleball close at hand, Franky, throw Chopper into the air for a monster plunging attack when I'm giving you the sign!"

"Your leg's burning!", was the first thing the little reindeer doctor shouted.

"Yeah, I think it's part of my new style, don't you like it?"

"Suits you, sis, but what sign?!"

"You won't miss it, just keep your eyes on me! We only have one shot, timing is of the essence!" With these words on her lips, she finally moved towards the fray. Finally being allowed to act, to take part. To do her part. The giant toad was still effortlessly keeping the combined powers of Luffy, Zoro, Robin and Usopp at bay and sooner or later, their strength and endurance would have failed them.

That's not going to happen. That is never going to happen again.

"That new look suits you, navigator-san." Robin greeted her, her arms crossed in front of her chest. Even though she was breathing heavily, there was a wide smile on her face. Maybe she knew more about what was happening here?

"I need all of you to provide me with an opening, just long enough to cook this beast from the inside! Luffy, Zoro, Usupp! Remember that it was keeping another face under that skin?! Maybe it'll show that one again once I boiled it enough! Chopper drop down on it in his monster form, but once that's gone, it's all up to you and this thing better not still be standing then!"

"Understood, let's try it your way." Both Luffy and Zoro seemed to be mobilising their last reserves to get going, but they managed it and within the next second, countless arms began to sprout on the beast's arm, accompanied by a rain of aethereal flowers. Robin had already begun and Zoro answered her efforts at once. His muscles began to swell until they reached the size of a gorilla's and with this additional strength, the combined efforts of the archaeologist and the swordsman wrestled the creature's arm to the ground. The captain didn't keep them waiting and moved as fast as a human lightning bolt, entangling the monster's other arm with his rubber body and giving his everything to keep it nailed to the ground. By now, Usopp had left the position from which he was throwing rocks and went to support his captain. Even without the monstrous power of the other two or a devil fruit enhanced body, he was still an able warrior and every single bit helped.

It was her turn now and she began to move towards their Nemesis without a fear in the world. What was there to fear when all your friends were there to help you, to support you? What was there to fear when the person you loved shared every step with you? Nothing.

Nami set on to a sprint for the last few metres before she launched herself at the beast, somehow perfectly mimicking one of Sanji's jumping kicks. Both were shouting at the top of their lungs.

BACK TO THE PIT WITH YOU!

"BACK TO THE PIT WITH YOU!"

As her burning foot finally came into contact with the beast's sturdy armour, she didn't know if it was working. For an endlessly long second, she didn't know if all her efforts were, indeed, done in vain. The relief came in the form of sizzling. Roasting flesh underneath a hardened shell. It grew louder and louder the longer her leg was connected to the beast and even an unnameable evil that has aged for countless aeons couldn't withstand this pain forever.

Its cry of anguish was bloodcurdling, ear-splitting and the most wonderful sound in the world. Fume was coming out of the single slit in the armour and being invigorated by pain, it broke both of its arms free, tearing the second skin apart and revealing the ugly, vaguely human face underneath it. It did not expect the giant fist that came crashing down from the sky, muffling the anguished cry and throwing the large body into the direction of the open sea, back to the oceanic depths it supposedly came from.

After this first strike, their counter offensive began. Whatever strength the Straw Hats had left in their bruised and exhausted bodies, they used it. Whatever makeshift weapon they found, they used it. Every opening, every fault it made, they used it and punished it heavily for it until the beast was finally forced back into the ocean.

Beautifully done, my love. I think that the time has come for me to join you in person.

"After all the work's done, right?", she asked seemingly no one in particular, but only Zoro looked at her with a raised brow.

And indeed, the cook joined them in no time after their special bond went to slumber. He was still shaky on his legs and blood ran down his confused face, but he was alive. It was to his utmost surprise that Nami rushed to his side and supported him. This wasn't a moment for pride or manliness, nor for fear of touch.

"It's not over. Thing's still here." She heard Zoro murmuring, already bracing himself for a last stand as the beast crawled back from the depths, now in turn using its last strength to find revenge. Yet none of them was swayed by that as they were all too busy .. blinking tears from their eyes.

A storm might shroud the world in darkness and blind the eyes of mortal men, fog might obscure it and in the fairy tales of old women, demons, devils, monsters and ghost ships inhabited these blind spots to the mortal eye. But not all of those with a monstrous appearance were evil. And not all ghost ships carried an evil intent with them.

"Nevermind. It's over."

As the beast was halfway out of the water, it couldn't have expected anything like that. A .. lion, or a sun or a flower or all of these things combined crashed into its back. The shock from this sudden impact made the beast scream out in anguish once again, but this time it threw up on them. Bones, hundreds, thousands of bones were its last gift before it returned to the sea. This time, though, for good.

"I'd like a glass of milk, please .."

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