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shiningmystic · 2 months ago

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Future Spouse (PAC) Tarot Reading

18+ Minors do not interact

PAC has: Personality, your dynamic/vibe together and how they see you while you are together

From high demand I must deliver on what I promised so here it is, you're reading. This PAC took me awhile to make, please support me to continue making more PAC’s:

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This reading is for all genders and ethnicities, somethings may not resonate because of culture, or the messages are just not for you. These readings are general and for many people. Take whatever resonates with you and move along.

The focus of this reading isn't nsfw and is more towards your relationship and about them. I will probably make a nsfw reading with a twist but for now simple info about you and your spouse's relationship. Entertainment purposes only thank you. Sorry for the long wait this is for my sister who is in Greece looking for her love.

Did you vibe with this reading? Come get a personal one :)

5 piles: (I hope you enjoy my little graphic)

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Pile 1: Saturn

Zodiac signs: Aries, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Taurus, Aquarius

The Tower, The Anchor (Emperor), four of coins (rx), The World, The Lovers (rx), seeker (page) of swords

Your Future spouse is unpredictable, a strong personality that knows what they want but at the same time you can't completely pin them down to something. This unpredictability is attractive but there is also a stable energy anchoring these strong traits down making them endearing to the right people. They are lots of fun and a person that enjoys a full out vacation and partying (I’m feeling with the right people).

This energy feels like ‘don’t judge a book by its cover because you really don’t know me’ vibes. The lack of water may be balanced out by you from this personality spread. Overall, when there is a lack of water energy there is a lack of fluidity so they may be extremely emotional or pretty stoic to the point they struggle expressing emotions physically like awkward hugs and no kisses; they will need time to open up with that if that is something they like.

I also get the vibe you may not like them right away and if you do, they may do things that bother you like tease and point out things they don’t need to. I just feel this silly competitive side to them as well that may be annoying, but I see this being playful and fun as well, this doesn't come from a bad place.

I feel a very intelligent/smart vibe, but with this competitive nature comes judgment. They may be really good in school or excels/is talented at something that they may pursue; there’s always this pressure on them to be better because they are already so good at whatever they do which may be why I got the energy of chaos, they wanna have fun. They are mystery with the tower but also someone you can’t ignore.

They have seen some shit so that is something that has shaped them (many people in these piles have). The tower is next to the anchor I believe they may have had a rough upbringing and have a strained relationship against authority/parents. They may come off as judgy at times, it comes from their own pressure in being better for the people they care for.

I see they are truth seekers, people who search for the right answer to the ends of the earth. Not to be right but to do what is best for them and the people they love. They love a lot deeper than they show. So, it’s clear to me that they grew up learning to not share what they feel. An energy of having to ignore certain feelings to focus on what was important.

Your dynamic together:

Judgment, Ace of swords, The Magi (Magician), The Star (rx), The Moon, Ruler of Wands, Sovereign (Queen) of Wands

Already got hints of playful sparing probably word play or cracking jokes. Playful teasing and unhinged laughter. For people who have strong personalities you both may butt heads. I see you both enjoying having someone on your level. I see a maturity in this group which is why you both can be so fun with one another; there is trust that they won’t leave you hanging out to dry. Like if they make plans with you, they stick to them unless an emergency, they are committed the moment they get a hint of potential.

If you call and ask for help 9/10 times they will be there. When either of you feel kinda off your game I see someone picking up the slack with no complaints. I believe this dynamic between you to will stay stable because of an understanding and peace you find between the other. I see you help the other shine in their own way. For people who have soft personalities you will grow unhinged along with them I say this because they are influential 😂. From my vision I see them being practical with getting you flowers but then doing something different like taking you to a place you’ve never been, or surprising you with a personal gift that may be weird but with meaning. I see both of you just getting to know one another and your quirks just work well together, that’s all I can say. Just to add as a last note, the moon card talks about mystery, so even if I tell you this information there are still huge surprises this person holds that I can’t pick up on.

Their thoughts and feelings towards you when you are together:

The Moon (rx), Ten of Swords, Seven of Coins, Sovereign (queen) of wands, Ten of wands, Ace of cups

I see they see you as something very special. Not like a prize but something precious and that should be cherished. I see them having to change for you and they grow with you which I believe is the realest form to show your love; being willing to change for another; and obviously the changes aren’t worth holding onto which is why they are willing to change. I see them always finding something to love about you even on hard days together. I believe you both have this casual understanding of ‘we’re stuck together even if this doesn’t work out’. Ok ok I see many of you are tough cookies, you’re both on the same level (I keep saying that so many strong personalities here) find you to be a pain in the best way and love you for your flaws. Wait just got a message, that they do love you for your flaws and you love theirs; 'You may be to real sometimes, but I will always be here to take it and learn.'

Again, your both chill with your quirks and they LOVE that about you, feeling accepted but also ok with changing behaviors that can be problematic is a golden person, a relatable person. I see you both love and accept deeply the other’s work (career) and time when you come together to make the most exciting life together. You are beautiful to them, someone who has struck them as their true partner in crime. You shake up their world as they do yours. I don’t see many people around you, so I think you both prefer just chillin with the other when you get married, like others don’t matter as much as you both do to the other, strong personalities for the win.

Physical traits:

Body shapes/traits: Stocky, buff, burly, skinny, limber, scars, Tall

Hair/color: Dirty blonde, brown/light brown hair, long, shoulder length, bald/buzzed head

Eye color: green, brown

Letters: L, T, W, A, I, N, X

Hope you enjoyed the reading, head over to my ko-fi if you have more questions about your future spouse!

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Pile 2: Alien Spaceship

Zodiac signs: Capricorn, libra, Aries, Gemini, Virgo, Taurus

Ace of wands (rx), five of wands (rx), justice, conqueror (knight) of swords, the anchor (emperor) (rx), ten of coins

I see your future spouse being an overthinker and too much in their head. I see them having possible control issues and pretty reserved as a person. They are a great mediator and a pretty reasonable person, but I see that they hold a lot inside and it festers and exaggerations/intense outcomes, so I see anxiety. Many of our personalities are affected by our past so this is just what I see first. I see they may have a pretty reserved family and strict upbringing, so they are very picky of their spouses, and you are definitely the one if they picked you lol. When they get to talking though, they can talk your ear off, I love seeing their energy when they open up.

I see major intelligence and book smart learner which may be why there is such a reserved feeling, like they are pretty ‘crazy/silly’ on the inside, but they keep that under wraps for the people they love and won’t judge them. It’s like they’re the type to watch their person of interest from afar and see how they live their life and from there they plan and think of ways to approach you and start things slow.

They aren’t a slow-moving person but because I see family being something on their mind, they will consider every factor and person. If you approach them, it could go either way. They just seem like the type to really take their time to feel you out before saying anything that could give away their interest. They always have to weigh their options before doing anything.

I feel like there studies and college were their life for a time or still is. They want to make their families proud and feel worthy of a comfortable life. I see a very kind hardworking personality who just wants to do the right thing. They sacrifice a lot, but I see them just shrugging it off.

Your dynamic together:

Ruler (king) of swords, seven of wands (rx), the moon, sovereign (queen) of swords, eight of wands

Uhhhhh, ok well you may be pretty compatible because the queen and the king are here, but they don’t give off romance vibes, it’s more like power couple vibes, you both are super smart together it scares people. You both understand the others mood and click charismatically, like you guys are chill and talk about everything.

Not saying you guys are sharp tongued but with each other you may have some great banter but a lot of dry stuff. The last pile was much louder with their jokes while these ones just casually hit the mark and both of you chuckle at each other's silly moments, very low-key affection but it’s sweet. I see both of you will have a lot to discover about the other and opening them up like a book to see the colors of their soul makes you appreciate them more and their complexity as a person.

I see you being there walls down and will get to see a side of them that the cards aren’t showing me (obviously all readings should only scream h the surface of what’s to come). I do see you guys having different opinions and you both give each other the space to speak up and say how you feel even if it’s illogical (which I’m getting a sense you both follow logic more than emotion). you both understand what it’s like to be shut down for having the wrong opinion then both of you will definitely get along and will never turn away.

If this is an arranged marriage, then this person is a good fit for you logically not emotionally. A lack of cups shows me that you both will learn together about true vulnerability and that kind of work will always be a rocky ride. If this is not arranged, then you both are really headed towards the unknown with how it feels to let someone in but because you chose them, they are 100% worth the struggle.

Their thoughts and feelings towards you when you are together:

Death, the star, justice, judgment, ruler (king) of wands

I'm getting a feeling like they really don’t know what to expect from you? You’re just a new person to them, I guess. They find you very attractive even a bit intimidating. This vibe is like someone observing and just not understanding what the other is thinking.

For people who will have an arranged marriage it does feel like someone you don’t know deeply but enough. They don’t know how to pin you down and when they eventually talk the tension gets better but they still get super nervous around you; they may act out of character.

Ok so they are just struck by you, attracted but unsure of what to do or even approach that situation so they are super passive 😂 they may get hard on themselves feeling unworthy but obviously there is a point that you both get married.

For the people who don’t think they will have an arranged marriage they will see you and know something is up. Death and the star? Intense. Love at first sight energy or coincidental meeting.

Physical Traits:

Body shapes/traits: skinny, limber, lithe, slim/slender

Hair color: black, brown/light brown, straight hair

Eye color: blue, green, brown

Letters: E, D, Y, W, Q, R, D

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Pile 3: Stars (warning: nsfw messages)

Zodiac signs: Aries, Gemini, Libra, Aquarius, Scorpio, Taurus, Leo

The World, The Queen of swords, Judgement, knight of wands, knight of pentacles (rx), the king of swords

I instantly got that you guys are the traveler pile, the sound of going around the world is at least appealing to some with the world card representing your spouse. I sense a public speaker or someone who has to get Infront of people to explain a plan. Could be a company leader or even a manager, someone with responsibility. I see they have a friends in many places, all different types of people.

Doesn't really matter your spouse has a tongue (wink wink) strong charisma but in a subtle way with minimal words (sorry I can't ignore their lips, they enjoy giving oral and or receiving, the messages come at random lol). So, with the queen of swords being beside the judgment card they may have a serious personality. They have to make big choices a lot, so they have no sweat when it comes to smoothing convincing and talking people out of things. A bit of sneaky energy, they enjoy a bit of playful energy.

I see from there serious persona that they had to be strong a lot through heartache, from family and the way they were treated. this isn't a bad thing because they are who they are now, but I get a feeling that they accept it because they don't like causing the issues, they like solving them. They have a habit of never being alone because they don't like it, they can take care of themselves and take care of others but they def have a problem with avoiding their heart ache and acknowledging they aren't ok on the inside when they were always having to take care of everything for people, major taurus vibes.

I see they are very well respected where they work but they are relied on too much. I don't see them as a push over, but I see them having to give up a lot in situations or manipulate people to keep the peace probably in the home or workplace. The last thing I see from them is ambition, even though they are quiet they have determination unlike any other and finish everything that they do. I sense they do a lot of things by themselves; I can see when they find something that interests them, they go full force focus on it. They are bad with patients sometimes and will be top of their job one day. Job motivated.

Your dynamic together:

The king of wands, The hierophant, the two of pentacles, death, page of cups, page of swords

I see they travel so you guys call a lot, txt a lot, facetime. When you two are together this doesn't have to be the case though. I see them asking to marry you early on in the dating game or even hinting at their devotion which I see being overwhelming for some so you'll probs set boundaries and they will respect them, they care for your comfort. So, most of the time they are the ones stoic and relaxing beside you like they kinda belong there. Your spouse is learning to communicate properly (maybe language barrier? or broken English? you just connect) I see you both exploring the world and enjoying each other's presence even when silent they seem to always be looking at you.

I keep getting a scene in my head just being in a coffee shop, getting your tea or coffee and you both just relaxing and enjoying the beauty and pleasant scenery, good libra energy. I see them determined to win your heart, but I don't see them stopping the admiration. but they are also distant lol. Sucha lonely person I can see them lighting up and really becoming who they desire to be with you. Not saying you're the reason, you're just a huge help for them to get to their goals because they have always taken care of other people's problems.

Their thoughts and feelings towards you when you are together:

The hanged man, nine of swords, 4 of pentacles, knight of cups reversed, emperor reversed, seven of cups reversed

You make them lose their minds. They don't know how to approach or talk to you, and this may put them in a cycle of failed attempts to ask you out or even just talk to you; you make them so nervous they have moments in bed hunched over embarrassed that you saw them being weird or something like that but they still feel compelled to try and talk to you. I see them falling for you quickly, but you may not know their interest until later because of their mask. They get all giddy with you and that horrifies them. (I never expected to get a reading like this? vibes that fill my stomach with butterflies, first time falling in love vibes.) Again, I'm getting real conservative or at least just not expressive person or doesn't share much emotionally which admittedly is a lot of people. They do this for a while, thinking you adorable and admiring you from afar until finally they ask you out.

High sexual tension after that, some of you built a slow friendship but for others I don't think they were friends with you beforehand so this person just kind of comes out of nowhere asking you out even if you are friends, it just pops out of nowhere mid convo. I see your future spouse instantly apologizing and repairing things with you if they freak you out (lol). You see they are genuine, and I felt that before I pulled the fool reversed, they are just really bad at social stuff but that's ok and its pretty charming on my end at least but you obviously both get comfy and are happy you have met one another. This eventually grows into a great communicative relationship (like wow 180 in personality, you help them grow into the person they really are and that make my heart so happy!)

Physcial traits;

Body shapes/traits: Tattoos, skinny, Limber, belly, burly, beauty marks, short

Hair color/type: Dreads, Brown/light brown hair, Long, bald/buzzed

Eye color: Amber, grey, brown

Letters: C, M, G, O, B, U, K

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Pile 4: Earth (warning: nsfw messages)

Zodiac signs: Aquarius, Taurus, Sagittarius, Pices, Cancer, Leo

4 of pentacles (rx), The Artist (from the ethereal visions tarot deck), knight of swords (rx), eight of cups, 9 of swords, three of swords (rx)

I can see that your person is a carefree individual who is also searching for their love. I see they are a wounded spirit feeling unsecure and making it their personality when really, they are seeking a place to find and release their love. They are a dreamer, and I bet a creator of some type: writer, artist, dancer, musician you name it they have many talents.

I see that there view of the world is a bit skewed from this rejection energy they have towards themselves and others. maybe goth or rebel vibes but I don't feel that for everyone. Besides that, I see they are great with people and can be quite social, but they don’t broadcast it. I see through their art they release a lot of their pain and that is their life, but I see that they have much more potential to explore. Big visionary energy, they are ahead of their time. Aquarius vibes and many types of friends.

I can also see hyperactive energy from the knight of wands but that doesn’t have to be the case, they can come off as arrogant and a little pretentious but it’s because of this huge insecurity they hold over themselves and try to hide their weaknesses by being silly or making fun of themselves.

I can see harsh criticism on their art and have high expectations for themselves, possibly a perfectionist. I can see their art is really good, but they doubt it (big sad). From the 8 of cups their path is a healing one, that’s pretty awesome so I see them meeting you in a good state of being. I see it’s really helping them learn how to be themselves again. They can get bored easily, but I see that they are taking good steps in trusting themselves and really putting themselves out there, lots of bravery energy.

Your dynamic together:

Knight of pentacles, 9 of pentacles (rx), two of pentacles, Temperance, 9 of cups (rx), five of cups. (rx)

You both consistently bring yourself up to the plate for one another and are full of surprises. I see you bring a sense of stability to them and for you they bring a sense of wonder. I see both of you spend time basically complimenting one another, I even see both of you helping each other out with picking outfits and colors. This is equal partner energy it’s so sweet. I see a balance of give and take, a sweet exchange of love and genuine interest in the same things but not forced or different just comfortable.

Both of you give into the other emotionally and I see tight hugs and lots and lots of cuddling, healing energy. I feel like you both hold onto each other in fear of letting the other go, both of you have been hurt but talking it out helps as you both open up and really connect, lots of Scorpio energy here and sharing secrets.

There is an energy of cutting off family or not interacting with past people who have both let you down. They are a mess of tears either way you and it’s really sweet to see. I can hear them just thanking you for existing.

Their thoughts and feelings towards you when you are together:

The star, eight of pentacles (rx), two of swords, Ace of wands, seven of swords

Effortlessly chilling and enjoying each other’s presence. I’m getting that you both don’t need to talk to just enjoy one another cause energy speaks which make you both forget to speak up sometimes. They see you as a star and I believe you return their sentiment. I see it feels natural for them to be with you and just work with you. I believe they also like to show you off and admire you like a weirdo (hehe).

I see that it’s not a hard decision when it comes to getting freaky, it could be random times, but I see you both always ready for it haha and they can’t help themselves. There may be moments that you gotta lay down boundaries because you both get to into the zone and distracted. I see a lot of physical connection. You may not completely understand their feelings and you there but you both understand other aspects of each other that others don’t see. From the two of swords, I see that they understand you best in the sheets (they are so funny, funniest pile.) They always get away with cheesy things like pecking your cheek when you least expect it or scaring you (Halloween vibes aye) and just teasing.

If you would like to ask more go to my ko-fi!

Physical traits:

Body shapes/traits: curvy, burly, buff, limber, petite, big eyes

Hair color/type: Afro, dye, dreads, straight, wavy, orange/red

Eye color: Hazel, brown

Letters: N, O, P, Y, K, H, F

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Pile 5: Moon

Zodiac signs: Leo, Libra, Pisces, Virgo,

Seven of pentacles (rx), knight of swords (rx), five of pentacles (rx), five of cups, nine of wands (rx), the sun, the hanged man (rx), the world

I see your person is hardened by constant patients and having to compromise being the higher person. They are smart, smarter than a lot of people. I sense genius vibes/come up vibes. A lot of underlining motivation/ambition. Your spouse is cold and distant but there is much more to them (obviously) they just don’t like sharing themselves which I see changing it’s just a part of them that sticks out in their energy.

They take a lot of responsibility for their actions which is why they seem to be reserved, they don’t see a need to over say. Otherwise, they seem pretty chill and happy person beneath there mask. I see they are a hard worker and have a lot of determination to help others and themselves. They could help many people, getting wounded knight vibes from your spouse. I see that your spouse created a space where they can be themselves and have their own soul/chosen family. Their friends and allies are people they cherish, and I see they enjoy celebrating after a long hard-earned day.

I don’t know why there’s a huge focus of energy on their job so it’s something they are passionate about. Maybe it isn’t their job but something they are compelled to do. Star vibes. They know what they bring to the table and take their time to pick you. So, a slow burn. I also see they have a few close friends.

Your Dynamic Together:

King of wands (rx), 9 of cups, the fool (rx), 6 of swords (rx), four of cups, page of pentacles (rx), Ace of cups, 9 of pentacles (rx)

I sense you both find each other at a strange time and so you both bond over certain opinions and passive conversations. I don’t think you guys realize you start to fall for one another, a pleasing fulfillment whenever you both discuss an interest. I see with your dynamic you help one another out. Maybe you hired them for something at first and you both just hit it off to easily, but it does take a few times for you both to talk. I see similar mirroring energies so you both may notice something from the other that vibes. I see them giving you a lot of comfort in moments that feel like they were wasted.

I see there is a lot that you both work on together and one of those things is confidence. You both compliment and build each other up to the point that you both feel unstoppable. They may put too much logic in certain conversations but you both can joke with one another pretty easily. Dry humor, I also feel you both find each other’s quirks pretty charming glad to see more of that in these piles. I think you both when in the dating phase, take naps together.

Their thoughts and feelings towards when you are together:

Page of swords (rx) eight of cups (rx), six of cups (rx), six of swords, page of wands, eight of swords (rx), eight of wands (rx), 2 of wands (rx), queen of wands

They feel like they don’t need to monitor their words around you and they lose the time just spending it with you. They may see you as a loner and they desire to open that up within you as they spend time with you. I feel like they notice right away that you remind them of themselves. You’re growing and focusing on your goals, finding a safe place with them and they love this. I see they want to treat you right and take things slow even though I see a little bit of a rush as you both finally reach a point where it’s obvious and is an unspoken truth.

They find you gorgeous, something that they needed to discover as they got to see you for you. Lots of respect and energy put into connecting with you and what they see makes their whole world. You may seem out of reach to them in some ways because of your similar anxieties but they are patient. I see you both discussing the future and then just staring at you adoringly as you talk.

Physical traits:

Body type/traits: belly/pauchy, curvy, fat, slim/slender, short, stocky

Hair color/type: dreads, wavy, curly, buzzed/bald, black, long

Eye color: blue, grey, brown

Letters: G, Z, J, L, S, N

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revasserium · 1 year ago

Note

can i have one were zoro realises she does things bc of truama (like doesnt speak much etc)

hold me (still)

opla!zoro; 6,680 words; slow!!!!burn, fem!reader, ex-assassin!reader, straw hat!reader, general tragic backstory/trauma, fluff, hurt/comfort, bit of angst, emotionally constipated zoro, communication? what's that?, nami playing therapist bc she's the only one with 1 iota of emotional intelligence

summary: sometimes, stillness is a virtue, and others -- a tragedy. or, in which the straw hats pick up a new member and zoro is equally intrigued and weirded out by you.

a/n: well. you guys asked for slow burn and... the burn is so slow u gotta squint to see the smoke yall. but trust. the burn does get there! pls be patient!! and i tried to combine 2 dif reqs in this one fic :)

You are of the quiet sort. Just a shadow dancing in the periphery of their vision, and when they first met you, you’d told them it was your superpower, a soft, still smile slipping across your lips. Luffy had bought into it immediately, and the invitation was out his mouth before anyone could stop him.

“Come with us!”

“Oh…” your lips pressed into a thin line of consideration.

Zoro’s fingers itched towards his swords because something about you makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. But something else — something uncomfortable and strange, something very much like curiosity — seizes his chest and twists his stomach. Strange, he thinks, too strange.

“C’mon! It’ll be fun!”

And then, you’d smiled wider, and nodded, and that had been that.

It’s been three months since then, and you are still of the quiet sort, though it had receded a bit with time. What with Sanji’s gentle flirting and Usopp’s not-so-gentle stories and Nami’s bright, dry-humored companionship, you’d begun to “open up a bit”, so Luffy observed.

Zoro, for his part, has kept his distance. Because sometimes he still catches you at the bow of the ship, staring out across the midnight waters, still as a stone-carved statue. Still as a wooden beam — stiller, even.

“What’s with that?” he asks one day, strolling up to Nami as she traces a fine line over a new map she’s working on.

“Hm?” is her very eloquent response.

Zoro ticks his tongue against his teeth and casts his eyes about the ship, finding them drawn to the shape of you, up at the bow again, reading in the shade of the tangerine trees. Nothing moves except for the wind as it whisps through your hair and the slow scanning of your eyes as it skates across the page.

“New girl,” Zoro says, crossing his arms as Nami finally looks up at him and then off towards you.

“Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

Zoro lets out a puff of breath, unfolding his arms to glare at Nami. He finds her grinning a lopsided grin as she clicks shut her compass and puts down her pen. She leans a hip on the barrel she’d been drawing on and folds her own arms.

“Oh, you like her.”

“I’m weirded out by her. ‘S not the same thing,” Zoro snaps, but when he tries to leave, Nami blocks him with an arm and pins him with a sharp, leveling look.

“No, no, no — we’re gonna work this through.”

“No thanks, I’m good.”

“Uh-uh, you still owe me after that round of drinks the other night — remember when you bet you could drink more than me?”

Zoro narrows his eyes, “I did drink more than you.”

Nami’s grin is gleeful, “No, you didn’t. You had to be dragged back to your room after clogging up the toilet. Or do I need to show you the evidence —”

“Alright — fuck, fine. But really? This is what you’re gonna waste your favor on? You could’ve asked me to —” Zoro gestures around vaguely, “clean the bilge or something.”

Nami shrugs, looking almost too pleased, “Nope! This is what I wanna use my favor for. And, really, you think a bit of bilge water is gonna gross me out? C’mon.”

Zoro heaves a sigh and leans back against the main mast, closing his eyes.

“Fine then. Go.”

Nami sits back on the edge of the barrel.

“No, you go. Admit that you like the new girl.”

“I don’t.” He doesn’t open his eyes.

“I’ve seen you staring at her. We’ve all seen you staring at her.”

“What, that a crime now?”

Nami fights the urge to roll her eyes, “No, but I’ve never seen you try so hard to avoid someone before.”

Zoro lets out a bark of laughter, hard and mirthless, “Yeah, so that must mean I like her.”

Nami cocks her head, “It means you feel something towards her. And I’d suggest you figure it out.”

“And how’d you propose I do that?”

Nami once again waves in your direction, “Go. Talk. To her.”

Zoro lets out another breath, eyes scanning across the ship, anywhere but towards where you’re still sitting and reading, finger flipping a page in a perfect, smooth, singular motion.

And Zoro’s not blind. Blunt though he may be at times and careless as he is about most material things, he can still appreciate beauty when he sees it. And you — there’s no denying that you’re beautiful. Your strange stillness aside, when you do move, it’s with a dancer’s lissome grace, fluid lines, not a single movement wasted. When you smile, it seems to light you up from the inside, and your words, though soft, carries the well-worn weight of river stones, glittering beneath the clear, spring stream of your voice.

There’s a sharpness in your eyes, a straightness to your spine, a way of carrying yourself as if you’re afraid that one wrong move might shatter you and the entire world around you.

Sometimes when he sees you, he wonders at the hands that had sculpted you this way. He wonders at your life before they’d picked you up in Loguetown, when you’d oh-so-silently slipped up the execution platform and helped Luffy down, all the while staying free of Smoker’s watchful gaze.

The few times he’s seen you fight, he can’t help wondering if you’ve eaten some kind of devil fruit as well. No human could be so fast as that. Or be so quiet. But then again, he’d fought Kuro, and they’d seen stranger things. Still, he marvels at the way you flicker in and out of sight, slipping around the edges of battle like a dark, haunting thing, and men would drop like flies beneath your quick, quiet hands. With nary a sound or shout before their eyes roll back and their breathing is no more.

On the instances when Sanji had asked about your past, your eyes had gone misty and dark, unfocused. You’d gone still, freezing for so long that Usopp would cough just to fill the silence. And then slowly, ever so slowly, you’d turn back towards them with a small, sad smile and say:

“There’s… not much to talk about. I grew up somewhere far away, where if you didn’t keep quiet and still, bad things would happen to you. And then when those bad things happened, if you weren’t quick — the quickest of all, you’d die.”

Bad things, huh? Zoro thinks as he makes his way towards you, a hand resting on the hilt of his swords. He comes to a stop next to you and leans against one of the white planters, casually peering over your shoulder at the book in your hands.

For a long moment, neither of you move. Then, Zoro clears his throat and forces himself to speak.

“Is it good?”

It takes you a second, but eventually, you turn towards him.

“The book? Yeah, I suppose.”

“Not exactly a glowing review.”

You laugh, a soft, breathy little thing as you look back down at the page.

“It's about a girl who falls into an enchanted sleep, and a prince who wakes her up with a kiss.”

“Must’ve been one hell of a kiss.”

“Yes, and one hell of a prince.”

Zoro finds himself chuckling, his shoulders loosening as he takes another breath.

“And then what?” he asks.

“And then… he asks her to marry him.”

You run your fingers along the page, smoothing your palm over the ink and parchment. Zoro watches you, wondering, always wondering.

“What’s she say?” and it’s then that he notices his own voice, hushed and low, barely a whisper.

You look back up at him and smile a smile a sphynx would have been proud of.

“I don’t know. I haven’t gotten there yet.”

Zoro takes a breath, and the breath tastes distinctly different than all the breaths he’d taken before it. As if the world takes the breath with him, and some fundamental truth had shifted on the exhale.

The moment breaks, as moments are wont to do, when Sanji calls out for lunch and Zoro jerks out of his almost-reverie. You slowly close your book and rise to your feet, turning back to smile at him.

“C’mon, it’s lunchtime.”

Zoro nods and follows you into the kitchen, where Luffy and Usopp are already digging in, and Nami is pouring herself a drink. She spots the pair of you and catches Zoro’s eyes. A grin ticks at the edge of her lips but before she can say anything, you’re accosted by Sanji sweeping into a deep, flourishing bow, and ushering you towards the table, where he’d set your place in a manner fit for a princess.

“Where’s my setup?” Zoro asks as he drops into the seat next to you, cocking an eyebrow. Sanji shoots him an unimpressed look.

“I’m surprised you can use a fork and knife, moss-head. Just be grateful and eat up.”

Zoro scoffs but digs in nonetheless.

When next they dock, it’s on a rare, peaceful island — an island of light and books and learning, where the air smells of salt and ink and drying parchment, of unwritten words and untold stories. But it smells of a stillness too, and Zoro knows without having to ask that you’d like it here.

And you do.

He’s never seen you smile so much, never seen you so vibrant and full of life. You chat and laugh and read with a voracious hunger, and he finds himself drawn to this new, warm, moving side of you. He finds himself, more often than not, by your side, even when neither of you speak. And he basks in the comfort of the quiet that permeates the air when it’s just the two of you — him hanging in the hammock on deck, you reading by his side.

But now, there’s the soft tapping of your foot, the shuffle of pages when you flip forward to see what’s coming next, and of course the ever-present shush of the ocean as it washes against the Merry’s side.

The Log Pose needs two weeks to properly calibrate to the next island, so they’ve got time to kill.

On the fifth night, over dinner and drinks, Luffy asks the question that everyone’s been thinking since the day they’d all met you —

“So. Why’re you so still all the time? Not that it’s weird or anything — well, actually — it kind of is, but it doesn’t bother me. I’m just asking cause I'm curious!”

You look up from your half-finished wine but Zoro feels it happening, like the hush of a fan blade slicing through air, the gasp before a porcelain vase tips over and shatters. You stop. You stare. You’re frozen in every sense of the word. And he’s known you for long enough to know that you only go still as a reflex, only reach for it as a shield. Against what? He doesn’t quite know.

“It’s… something of a long story,” you say, your voice low and hoarse.

Luffy grins, smacking his lips as he sucks the meat off a chicken leg, “We’ve got tons of time! Right?” he looks around as if for validation, but everyone’s eyes are caught on you and your unnatural stillness.

Zoro shifts slightly in the seat next to you, opening his stance and turning towards you.

“Could do with a good story.”

Your eyes flash in his direction and he offers you the barest hint of a smile.

You relax, ever so slightly, drifting back in your seat, your glass cupped in the palms of your hands. And then, you begin to speak, your voice smooth and lilting, your words washing over them like the faint lull of the tides.

“When I was three, my father sold me for a barrel of beer.”

A dull clack echoes around the room and everyone turns to see Sanji hurriedly righting the thick stein he’s knocked over. Thankfully, it’d been empty.

“Sorry — I just — what?” he sounds furious but Usopp lays a hand across his arm and shakes his head.

You take a deep breath and continue, your voice oddly emotionless as you say, “The man who bought me took me to an island. It was… a dark place. A quiet place. I only learned its name after I escaped — an island called Elysium.”

Nami gasps before clapping her hands over her mouth.

“I’ve just — I’ve heard of that place before, but I thought… I thought it was just a made-up place.”

Luffy swallows hard, frowning, “What’s it like?”

Nami’s eyes flicker between you and Luffy, “Supposedly… it’s the home island for… for the most feared group of assassins in all the seas combined.”

Usopp’s eyebrows jerk up, “The most feared?”

A faint smile seeps across your lips like blood.

“Yes. The Shadows that Live.”

Everyone turns to look at you. Luffy picks up another drumstick.

“Whoa… cool name!”

Zoro hums, “I’ve heard of them before — but mostly, it was just an old wive’s tale about… shadow assassins who hunt in the dark. Mercenaries for hire. But… no one’s ever seen one before.”

“Because… once you see one, you’ll never live to tell the tale,” you say, your eyes now downcast and fixed on the glass in your hands.

“Then…” Usopp’s voice is soft, “What about… you?”

“I… I ran away.”

Silence greets you. But after a moment, Luffy spits out a bit of bone and uses it to pick at the space between his teeth, his eyes round.

“Wow! You must be pretty good to run away from an island full of shadow assassins!”

You almost laugh, his boundless trust hitting you like a punch to the stomach.

“So…” Sanji lets out a puff of silvery smoke, “the staying still thing… that’s just part of your training, yeah?”

You nod, “Something like that.”

Someday, you think, you’ll tell them about the hellscape that was Elysium island, of the long echoing halls, dark and still and silent. Of the mechanical beasts that hunted by sound and movement alone. Someday, you’ll let them know about the poisoned pomegranate seeds that they feed all the “recruits” to keep them hazy, of how you’d kept six of them suspended in your mouth and spat them all out when you’d finally made it far enough from the island to allow yourself to breathe.

“And… are these shadow assassins gonna come after us?” Nami asks, her voice careful and light.

You purse your lips, “I… I don’t know.”

Nami sighs, but a moment later, she moves to refill her drink with a slight shrug, “Well, just one more enemy to add to our growing list. Soon, we’re gonna have to post a sign-up sheet.”

At this, everyone laughs, and the tension snaps like a wounded spring.

Luffy burps loudly, patting his stomach, “I’m not worried — I mean, if you were able to run away from them once, that means you’re stronger than them, right?”

You pause, your hand hovering over the wine bottle. Zoro gently reaches over and refills your glass for you. You shift back into movement, casting him a small smile and taking a sip. The wine is cool and tangy as it hits the back of your throat. You breathe, and the world keeps spinning.

“I… I’m not sure — I’ve never fought… any of… them… before.”

“Guess we’ll find out if they try to come for you then — but you’ve got us now!” Luffy says, reaching for an apple and chomping into it, “ — Sho… you duon gotta wourry —” he licks his lips as he takes another huge bite before tossing the core towards the waste bin, “We’ve got your back!”

Nami makes a disgusted face, “Don’t talk with your mouth full, ugh.”

Sanji chuckles, tapping out his cigarette, “Yeah Luffy, mind your manners.” But his voice is full of laughter and you find yourself relaxing into the sway of the night, the swing of conversation. Beside you, Zoro refills his own glass and leans over to clink it against yours.

You turn, but he only raises his glass before taking a sip.

You mirror his movement, cradling the cup to your chest when you finish.

Later, he finds you by the tangerine trees, ghosting your fingers over their lush green leaves, dark enough to look black in the evening light.

“Hey.”

You turn, “Hi.”

Zoro sighs and looks out over the darkened waves, the moonlight refracted into a million shattered bits of sky.

“Luffy’s right, y’know.”

“What about?” you ask, joining him by the railings. The night air is cool and crisp. Behind you both, the island oozes with lamplight and laughter. Even from here, you can hear the joy, the peace that permeates the air here. It wouldn’t be a bad thing, you think, to stay here forever.

“If they come for you,” Zoro says, “we’ll have your back.”

You let out a small chuckle, looking down at your hands, “I know.”

“So,” he turns towards you, his earrings glinting in beneath the scimitar moon, “you don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

You lick your lips, and instinctively, you reach for the stillness. All the days and weeks and months with the people around you have softened you, and for that, you know you should be thankful. Still, old habits die hard, and you have to clench your fists and dig your nails into your own palms to keep from freezing completely.

You take a shivering breath and force it out again.

“Fear’s a hard habit to break.”

At this, Zoro grunts, though it sounds something like consent. The moment stretches, long and soft and taffy-sweet.

He turns back towards the sea, “Yeah,” he says, and then —

“But we can take it slow.”

You swallow hard, passed the broken shards of forgotten words lodged in your throat (you find that they all somehow taste like thank you), and you nod. Warmth tickles your cheeks and you wonder why he’s said we instead of you — and later, lying in your bed at night, staring at the moon-slatted ceiling, you wonder if he was really talking about fear or if it was something else entirely.

You don’t get a lick of sleep that night.

The next few days pass in a light, repetitive blur. You and Zoro are sent on a few short shopping trips in the city, and you’re glad for something to do that involves movement. Shocking how quickly the body adapts once the weight it’d been holding on to is lifted.

You are still quiet, and he, the same; but the silence has shifted around you, and whereas before it’d been solid and steady, it’s now thrumming and charged with some unspoken energy.

Neither of you are blind to it; nor, it seems, is the rest of the crew.

Sanji’s taken to openly teasing Zoro about being with you all the time, complaining loudly that he can’t get a word in edgewise because Zoro refuses to leave you alone. Nami keeps on trying to drag you out for “girl's day” shopping trips, hinting at all the cute clothes you could get and how “green really suits your skin tone, y’know?”

Luffy and Usopp for their part, both just grin whenever they see you together — Luffy stoked at the fact that you seem more happy and talkative, Usopp gleeful at the way Zoro always seems so much softer when he’s next to you.

You’ve taken to watching him when he trains, sitting in the shade of the tangerine trees, a cold drink in your hand as Zoro runs through his katas. You content yourself with watching him flow through the movements, one and then another, and then another after that. He contents himself with your presence, knowing that you’re here, feeling your eyes as they skate down the length of his back or the width of his shoulders.

It’s a peaceful sort of companionship, even if it is living on borrowed time.

When you all wave the little island goodbye, it’s with heavy hearts and tearful smiles. It had treated you well, and you think you’d miss it. But adventure is as adventure does — it calls, beckoning to those with wandering hearts to listen.

The first week back at sea is a strange one, full of a ringing nostalgia. As if you’re simultaneously coming home and leaving one at the same time. Everyone is a bit quiet, except for Luffy, of course, who literally bounces off the freshly waxed planks, humming to himself as he sits on top of the great ram’s figurehead.

“Is he ever still?” you ask one day, sometime in the second week.

To which Zoro makes a sound between a scoff and a laugh, “You’ve been here a while. What’d you think?”

You sigh softly and tear your eyes away from the bright, shivering ball of energy that is your captain towards the far horizon. A sliver of uncertainty twines through you and your breath slows. Zoro glances at you, now long since attuned to your subtle shifts in movement and stillness. He narrows his eyes.

“What is it?”

You shake yourself back into the moment, forcing a smile.

“Nothing. I think…” your words fade as the feeling twists in you again, knife-sharp and stinging. You clear your throat and reach up to brush away a strand of hair. Skin grazes skin as Zoro’s hand meets yours in the same gesture and you both freeze — hands held up, his finger caught against the bend of your cheekbone, your fingers curling over his.

Time slows, slackens around the pair of you, and the moment stays, suspended in space — garnet dark and perfect.

Neither of you dare to breathe. It’s then that you realize how close Zoro is — close enough for you to see the entire ocean reflected in his eyes: big and dark and so endless it nearly unmoors you. Close enough for you to feel the warmth of his skin; his body, emanating heat. You’d often wondered, in the long hours of watching him train, at the glistening copper of his skin and the light-kissed quality, if the sun himself favored Zoro as well.

Like this, it’s easy to believe that beneath his skin, there pulsed something like sunlight.

“Look! It’s an island! It’s an island!”

And just like that, the moment shatters. Time slips back into motion and you pull away from each other, breathless, with warm cheeks and thundering hearts, feeling somehow lightning-touched and static-ridden.

You take half a step back, reaching up to press a hand to your mouth as if to stop something from tumbling through. But what? You can’t really say.

Zoro tips back as well, whipping around to help Usopp and Sanji with the sails as Luffy continues to holler, waving his hat. On the horizon, you see it looming — the silhouette of an island. You lower your palm from your lips to your heart and wonder what kind of island it will be.

Deserted — seems to be the answer when you all make landfall. The island is quiet, but the occasional chirp and cricket staves off your nerves as you all wander cautiously about the beach, squinting into the dense forest that seems to encompass the whole of the island.

“Looks like a good place to camp for the night!” Luffy says, grinning as he plops down on the sand.

Sanji nods, dusting off his hands, “We’ll need some wood for a fire, but I reckon I can whip up some grilled fish from the fresh catch.”

You wrap your arms around yourself and look around, glancing back at the darkening horizon.

“Something the matter?” Zoro’s voice is soft as he helps you carry some of the camping supplies from the ship.

“No… yes… I —” you look up at him, pursing your lips, “I don’t know. I’ve just… this island is…”

Zoro looks around, his dark eyes scanning the thick swath of forest just beyond the beach, “Too quiet?”

You let out a tiny laugh, “Yeah, something like that.”

He nods, “Don’t worry, I’m — we’re here.”

And he leaves it at that, hoisting a stack of wood over his shoulders and going to help Nami with the fire. You watch him with a smile, wondering what on earth you’d done to deserve this level of caring, this magnitude of kindness. Soon, dinner is had and drinks are shared and laughter is spilled like so many silver coins over the white sand beach. The lull of the evening takes over you all, and before long, Luffy and Usopp are slumped over each other, snoring loudly.

You stare into the depths of the fire and try to tamp down the growing dread festering inside your bones. All those years of holding still, of breathing and listening and feeling — you shake yourself — no, not all stillness is a bad thing. Not all silences are made the same.

“You’re doing it again,” Zoro’s voice almost makes you jump. Instead, you turn, finding him next to you as he nurses a half-drunk bottle of wine in his hands. He doesn’t look at you, but there’s a loose grin hinged across his lips.

“Sorry,” you say, ducking your head, feeling a now familiar heat creep into your cheeks that has nothing to do with the dwindling bonfire.

“Don’t be,” Zoro takes another drink, “But I told you… you don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

“I know… and I’ve said before —”

“Fear’s a hard habit to break,” Zoro echoes back at you, finally glancing over and catching your eye.

You breathe out, looking down at your own hands, “Yeah… but I’m trying.”

You both fall silent, and for a while, the only sounds are the crackle of the dying flames, the shush of the ocean waves, and the occasional snores from the rest of your crew. It’s late — later than you realized.

“Do you… want me to grab a book for you?”

You smile, “No, I don’t think it’s bright enough.”

“I could restoke the fire.”

“No, it’s — it’s okay.”

“Alright.”

A bird coos the distance.

“Why don’t you tell me a story?” you ask, turning to look at Zoro proper, shifting till your body is facing him.

In the faint light, you can see the edge of his adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows.

“You’re asking the wrong guy — you should wait till the Great Captain Usopp’s awake.”

“Yeah, but I want to hear one from you.”

Zoro sighs, his eyes fixed on the last of the flickering flames. He takes another swig of wine before he starts to speak, his voice low and a bit stilted, but he pushes on. He tells you about his childhood, the village he’d trained in, the doujou in the middle of the wood, his friend who he’d never beat — not even once.

He tells you about he early mornings and the late nights, and how the world had seemed large enough to conquer.

“… And then… there came a morning when she didn’t show up… and sensei came and told me that there’d been an accident.”

His voice almost breaks then, and your eyes catch on the shining white hilt of the Wadou Ichimonji — his thumb pressing against the guard, running along it’s hard metal edge.

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

Zoro shrugs, “Don’t be.”

You nod, “Still.”

Zoro slates you a lopsided smirk, “So. Now you know my tragic backstory too.”

You laugh, leaning back to cast your eyes up towards the sky, “And you know mine — it’s almost like we’re friends or something.”

Zoro lets out a long breath, “Yeah… or something.”

There’s a tightness to his voice that makes your skin tingle and it takes everything you have not to look over at him, to try and see if he’s looking at you, watching you the way you’d imagined him to be. You fancy you can feel his gaze on your face, but you close your eyes instead.

You let yourself fall into the warm haze of sleep, and for a while you drift there, your mind sifting through shards of memories and slivers of sound, casting them against the backs of your eyelids as you slowly slide into the darkness of dreams.

You wake up to a gasping stillness — the silence pressing in on your eardrums like thumbs, the darkness around you so complete it’s almost a solid thing. You freeze, your breath hissing to a halt inside you. Then distantly, ever so distantly, you hear the sounds of battle — metal clashing against metal, the hard thud of boots against flesh. You shake your head and reach up to clap your hands over your ears and only then do your senses return to you, snapping back as if you’d been abruptly shunted back into your earthly body.

“Gum Gum — Pistol!”

“Seize her!”

You whip into movement, fast as a flash, dashing away, hoping against hope that it would draw your attackers far enough from your crewmates.

“No one… ever… leaves us…”

The voice is serpentine and susurrus, sinking into your skin like sharpened teeth, but before it can reach you, it’s cut short by a bright flash of silver.

You gasp, whirling around, reaching for the nearest pulse, instinct taking over as you sink your fingers into muscle and flesh. The rush of blood thrumming beneath your fingertips comes too easy, even as a familiar scent accosts you. A moment later, your hands are being pinned above you, and thick, rough bark is digging into your wrists as Zoro stands before you, a sword in one hand, the other holding you still.

His eyes are a little wild and a lot worried. There’s a ring of red rawness around his neck, thin trickles of blood trailing along his jugular, disappearing into the wide scoop neck of his shirt.

“Hey, look at me.”

You nearly whimper, struggling against him, fear still coursing through you like a drug but Zoro is strong enough to keep you held. Behind him, you can see the rest of the crew fending off several shadowy figures, Usopp waving a torch, screaming at the top of his lungs, Luffy whooping as he whacks another figure with his fist.

“Z-Zoro?”

“Yeah, it’s me — eyes up here.”

You swallow in a breath, and then another, and you feel the bright thrum of urgency leave you as your body slowly falls slack. And then you’re slipping, and he’s looping an arm around you to keep you upright.

“Th-they’re here — they —”

“They’re gone — we got rid of them — hey.”

Zoro takes you by the shoulders and gives you a gentle shake. Finally, your eyes catch on his and your gaze holds. You see yourself reflected in them, stark and terrified, but alive — somehow alive.

“They’re gone,” he says, his voice soft and low by your ear, his arm still wrapped around your middle. Shivers wrack your body as you bury your face in his shoulder. He smells of steel and skin and the metallic tang of blood. It’s then that you remember — the wounds on the sides of his neck. The marks in the shape of your hands —

You jerk back and feel a sticky wetness against your cheek.

“Zoro, I hurt you!”

At this, he scoffs, pulling back far enough to flash you a look.

“This is nothing. C’mon.”

He offers you a hand, and after a second you take it, letting him pull you to your feet. Wordlessly, he presses his palm to the small of your back, his arm extended to keep you steady as you both make your way back towards camp.

“Phew! That was a workout!” Luffy is saying just as you both reach the outskirts of the now-darkened bonfire. Sanji is pulling out a cigarette, striking a match, and first lighting the end before tossing it into the remains of the firewood, fanning it up into a slow flame.

Nami and Usopp both look a bit shaken, but none worse for the wear.

They all pivot to look at you.

You go still against Zoro’s side, uncertainty flooding through you. Faintly, you feel Zoro’s fingers as they press into the bend of your waist, solid and steady.

Then, Usopp coughs, “C’mon y’all — the Shadows that Live? Psh! More like — the Shadows that Fled, am I right? Yeah? Didya see the way I sent ‘em runnin’ with my brand new fire-powered explosion rounds?”

Nami chuckles and Sanji follows suit, shaking his head and letting out a thin wisp of smoke. Luffy’s grins at you, pumping a fist in the air, clapping his right shoulder.

“See? Told you we’d have your back! We are your crew, after all!”

Weakness seeps into your limbs as you nod, hot pin-pricks of tears itching at your lower lashes. You lower your head and rub at your eyes before looking back up again with a smile. Sanji grimaces as he looks over Zoro.

“Got something on your neck, mate.”

Zoro glares but you glance over and feel your stomach twist with guilt.

“Sorry… I can clean that up for you. They’re not deep but they do need to be bandaged up.”

Zoro wipes down his sword before sheathing it and motioning towards the ship. Behind you, you can hear Nami yawning and saying something about catching up on some more sleep and Sanji reassuring her about having the last watch anyway.

The kitchen is still dark, but the dusty dawn sweeps against the far horizon and neither of you bother to turn the lights on. You carefully set the first aid kit on the kitchen counter and collect the supplies as Zoro leans back against the edge and folds his arms. You work in near silence, reaching up to first wipe the thin threads of drying blood before tending to the tiny, crescent-shaped puncture wounds.

You press an alcohol-soaked cotton ball against one of them and feel Zoro wince.

“Sorry.”

“I’m fine.”

You bite your lips, “If this had been a bit deeper or a few inches over —”

“But it wasn’t. So it’s fine.”

You don’t look up at him but you can feel his eyes on you. Your movements are fluid and sure; you’d clearly done this before.

“Hey, look at me.”

You freeze, eyes slowly gliding up the planes and divots of his neck, slipping up the line of his jaw, so sharp it might’ve been turned on a diamond cutter’s lathe. Your breath hitches as you finally meet his eyes, and there’s a dark, knowing glint behind them that makes your stomach flip.

“I’m fine.”

And for the second time in a handful of hours, you’re caught by the realization of your closeness — only a breath of space between you. There’s a crimp at the corner of his mouth that looks dangerously like a smile and then you’re tipping forward, a thumb reaching up to trace the line of his bottom lip once —

The movement acts like a trigger, and suddenly, he is leaning in and the breath of space disappears.

For all your life of stillness, you thought you’d learned to appreciate the depths and widths of movement. But nothing could’ve prepared you for this — for the push and pull of lips on lips, for the force and friction of skin against skin. For the gasp and hiss, for the breath and kiss.

For the feeling of his large palm as it settles along the swallow’s-nest bend of your neck, the way his thumb runs along your jaw like tracing the guard of his beloved sword, tilting your mouth towards him. For the way your heart might flutter like a tiny, caged bird, or the way you might feel his heart thumping like a fist from his chest to yours.

For the way his voice rolls over your name like a ship at sea; for the way it would shake your body from your bones and leave you more liquid than solid in his arms. For how you never used to think your story would be a love story, but then you realize that every story is a love story if caught in the right moment, in the right light.

And here, breaking apart from Zoro, with a thick, stolen streak of lemon-yellow sunlight leaking in from the kitchen window — that’s exactly what it feels like.

“Oh,” is all you have the strength to say.

Zoro, in all his solid brilliance and quiet audacity, laughs.

You taste the smile on your own lips before you realize you’re smiling. But when you try to bury your face in his neck, he winces slightly as you brush his still-fresh wounds.

“Crap, I forgot about these.”

Zoro chuckles as you hurry to press a few small bandages to the wounds.

“It’s okay. So did I.”

You finish dressing his wounds in silence, though this silence is markedly different from every other silence that had ever existed between you. There’s ease and tension, both, and when you’re finally finished, Zoro takes both your hands in his.

“So…” you say, unsure suddenly of where to look.

Zoro’s laugh is just as soft, just as uncertain.

“So.”

You try to look out the window, but by now, the dawning sun is so bright that it temporarily blinds you and you jerk back. Zoro smiles, reaching up to run his thumbs along your closed eyelids before dropping them to hook around your wrists again.

“Do you… wanna talk about it?” he asks, quiet as always.

You purse your lips and let your lashes flutter open. You find him watching you. Heat crests up your shoulders and into your cheeks, and suddenly, the exhaustion of the night before saps at your limbs. You sigh.

“Right now? Not really.”

“Yeah, neither do I,” he says, sounding as relieved as you feel.

You bite your lips and cast your gaze shyly across his face, your bird-wing heartbeat still flapping in your chest. You fight the urge to go still, to reach for that shield that has always protected you before. Faintly, you feel Zoro’s thumbs tracing circles along the insides of your wrists.

“Can I ask for something else, though?”

“What is it?”

You reach up a finger, nudging one of his golden earrings. You don’t miss the way he shivers, or the way his breath quickens in his chest.

“Kiss me again.”

Zoro grins, tugging you towards him, leaning into the curve of your palm as he does.

And does.

And does again.

reqs are: temporarily closed

but feedback is much loved and appreciated!!!

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ellecdc · 9 months ago

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Mother, im sitting here at 4am, eating mini easter eggs and ive had tge most brilliant idea!! (Inspired by @inkdrinkerworld 's fic)

Okay so, poly!moonwater and readers been having trouble sleeping due to tensions/problems with her pureblood family. As a result shes been taking more naps, but they arent restful. So reader were napping in Rems bed (the dungeons were too cold) but after a fitful 30 minutes she gets up groggy, sleep deprived and beyond frustrated. She stumbles her way down to the common room, pin point Sirius lounging across the couch and promptly throws herself down to cuddle with him and continue her nap. Everyone (minus Siri) is shook. Jamie even asks if she got the wrong person because Reggie was sitting over there (in which he got a one eyed death glare before she burrowed into Siris chest and passed out).

Now, what everybody else didnt know was that Siri had more or less adopted reader as his own (she remined him so much of Reggie, being her big brother was 2nd nature). And while Barty was her person, he was a little too crazy to be comforting in this situation ("y/n, i'll get rid of them for you. Its not hard to do so" "Barty, no."). And of course Siri nows how bad their kind of familys are so he'd been taking care of reader on the down low as an older brother would.

Bonus if Reggie then decides that looks warm and fuzzy and wants Siri cuddles too so he joins ( it took him so long to get to a point where he could let himself be vunerable enough to openly allow Siri to take care of him 😭)

aweeee poor reader. this ended up being way more serious than I thought it would be? like it's not funny at all, there's no humour (which feels odd to me, usually I can throw some jokes or banter in there) but plenty of hurt comfort???.......idk, I can't tell if this is any good, it feels very different from my usual pieces

poly!moonwater x fem!reader whose family sucks (but it's very Sirius-centric)

CW: mentions of insomnia, mentions of abusive families, making fun of only children (sorry), hurt/comfort

You were miserable to say the least; you couldn’t remember when the last time you had a restful sleep was, and nothing you did seemed to help.

The closer it got to the Winter Holidays, the more your mind seemed to spiral. Every time you began to relax, your heart pounded as if you’d accidentally leaned too far back in your chair, reminding you of your upcoming visit home. Every time you closed your eyes, you were bombarded with images of angry faces and violent curses being shot at you.

The Slytherin dungeons were too cold, and every time you found your way into Regulus’ dorm, Barty insisted on butting in, and though you appreciated his support, you couldn’t handle his threats promises to burn down your home with your parents in it.

Remus and Regulus both suggested you perhaps talk to Madame Pomfrey about getting some dreamless sleep or sleeping draught, but you were too embarrassed to admit to your two overprotective boyfriends that you’ve used them so frequently during your life for this very reason that they had lost all efficacy.

It had gotten to the point that you managed to get the most sleep in the library bent over the table with your face on your book whilst Remus and Regulus did their work (and sometimes yours), and that honestly left you feeling more painfully tired than you had been before your nap.

So, you were nearly falling asleep at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall over your chicken and roast potatoes when Remus gently nudged you and suggested you go lie down for a bit and you wanted to weep into your potatoes which was only slightly less embarrassing than sleeping in them, causing him and Regulus to bring you up to Gryffindor tower.

You’d kicked them both out of the Marauders’ dorm room after some time – Remus for snoring and Regulus because the sound of him turning the pages of his book was distracting you. He promised to stop reading, but then he breathed too loudly and you started crying.

You were overtired, emotional, and running on fumes.

You’d counted puffskeins, you’d had a warm glass of milk, you’d taken off articles of clothing and reconfigured your outfit numerous times (which was currently Remus’ jumper and no pants), and you’d tried every position imaginable to no avail.

You think you might have perhaps gotten five minutes of sleep before you woke up with a start, a barely repressed scream grating through your teeth.

Feeling disturbingly weepy and no less groggy from your horrid sleep, you pulled on a pair of your sweatpants and grabbed the throw blanket from the end Remus’ bed before trudging down the stairs to the common room.

“You should have seen the look on Filch’s face- oh! Hi Y/N!” James called as you made your way over to the three-seater and stood over the black-haired boy currently occupying it.

“Oh, Trouble.” He cooed sympathetically at you before kicking his feet out, laying back, and opening his arms for you to join him. You quickly climbed on top of him, and he tucked you in between the back of the sofa and his side, bending your knee so that your thigh rested on top of his, and pulled the blanket over the two of you.

You let out a shaky sigh and felt the first few tears fall from your eyes and onto Sirius’ chest.

“Uhm...” James said loudly, looking over to both Regulus and Remus cuddled in a large plush chair from his place on the loveseat with Lily like ‘are you seeing this right now?’. “I think you’ve got the wrong wizard there, L/N.” He said with a nervous laugh.

“No, she’s quite alright.” Sirius gritted back at him, looking far more severe than James thought the situation called for as he rubbed his hand consolingly up and down your arm.

James looked to your boyfriends, his face clearly asking all the questions that his mouth wasn’t.

“He helps, sometimes.” Regulus admitted, not looking particularly happy that you chose his brother over him, but not nearly as murderous as James figured he might look if he’d found Lily snuggled up like that with some other bloke. And it appeared as though the look of heartbreak on Remus’ face was caused more by your current sorry state and less about your current cuddle partner.

“But...your brother?” James asked, still befuddled over this development. “Doesn’t she usually go to Junior for things like this?”

Sirius scoffed. “Junior’s solution to almost anything is fire or murder.”

“Or both.” You whimpered quietly, causing Sirius to tighten his arm around you and bring his other hand up to continue stroking your arm.

“Besides, Barty’s an only child.” Regulus said flippantly.

“What’s that got to do with it?” James asked, slightly offended at the insinuation that anything may be wrong with him on account of his only child-ness.

Regulus’ irritable demeanor over Sirius usurping you was quickly replaced by a cocky smirk at getting under James’ skin.

“Let me ask you this, Potter: last summer when Lily returned your letters unopened and called you an arrogant toerag after saying she’d rather date the giant squid, whose arms did you cry into?”

“He didn’t cry.” Lily laughed at the same time as James answered “Sirius’” without any hesitation.

“What?” Lily asked, looking slightly horrified that she may have actually hurt James’ feelings.

“Oh, all the time, every time, actually.” James said readily.

“He got snot on so many of my favourite band-tee’s, Red. As a matter of fact, I expect retribution.” Sirius commented.

“And why do you think you cried into Sirius’ arms?” Regulus continued.

“Well...because he’s my best mate.” James said simply.

“You may think that’s the reason, but you’re wrong. It’s because Sirius is an older brother.”

James scoffed at that. “Please, that has nothing to do with it!”

“Have you ever cried in Remus’ arms?”

“No, but-”

“Pettigrew’s?”

James grimaced but answered honestly. “No.”

“No. Because they’re not older brothers.” Regulus said definitively.

“That actually makes sense...” Lily mused aloud.

“You say that like you’re surprised, Evans. I know you’re not used to good idea’s coming out of men’s mouths, but I do assure you it happens more frequently than you might imagine.” Regulus taunted, earning him a pillow being hurled at his head.

Much to James’ chagrin, his seeker reflexes caught the pillow before it made impact with his face.

“Tosser.” James grumbled.

“Would you guys shut up.” Sirius whispered, causing everyone to look over at you.

Regulus couldn’t even find it in him to be miffed when he saw you sleeping what looked to be quite peacefully in Sirius’ arms. Your eyes were slightly swollen from your tears, and he could see the tracks they had left on your cheeks and over the bridge of your nose, but you looked so content.

“So... all big brothers know how to do that?” James asked incredulously.

“I doubt it.” Sirius commented quietly.

“Only ones who know what it’s like to live in a Pureblood hellscape and needed to share his bed with his younger brother who was too scared to sleep on his own for years.” Regulus added quietly, staring unseeingly towards you and Sirius. Remus pulled Regulus tighter into his side and began rubbing his arm consolingly.

Suddenly, things started to make a little more sense to James.

“I’ll write to mum.” James stated, causing both brothers, Lily, and Remus to look at him bemusedly.

“About what?” Remus asked finally.

“Y/N staying with us.” James said simply.

Regulus opened his mouth ready to argue; to argue that James didn’t have to and that he already took in both Sirius and Regulus. James didn’t owe Regulus anything.

But Sirius spoke first.

“She should be with her big brother, Reggie.” Sirius said, shooting him an encouraging smile and wink.

And seeing how your breathing had fallen even with your mouth slightly ajar as you clutched to the fabric of Sirius’ jumper like it was a lifeline, who was Regulus to argue?

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