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clare-875 · 18 days ago

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Falling (Zoro x Reader)

_____ Pairing: Zoro x Female Reader Summary: You tend to be clumsy, and because of your boyfriend's past, you give him a mini heart attack every time you fall. Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Injuries, Worried Zoro, SPOILERS for Zoro's past?? [One Piece Masterlist] _____

Zoro knows you're strong.

He's seen you defeat opponents three times your size, seen you throw yourself in danger for the safety of your crew, had seen you win gruesome battles, and what's more, when you spar with him, he actually breaks a sweat. The two of you often train together, and Zoro bears witness to how you mould your strength, bettering yourself for the next battle and the next.

He knows.

But god dammit, why did you have to be so clumsy?

Zoro knows that, technically, it is no one's fault: the way you trip over your own two feet, the scattered bruises you bear, the odd yelp after the hundredth time dropping glassware in the kitchen. But he can't help but fall victim to the spike of his heart, the sweat that seems to rise instinctually, and his limbs that carry him quickly to the wake of your curses or the crash of your miseries.

And, most of the time, the new injury you hold is small and insignificant; rarely would you require medical attention afterwards. But Zoro finds himself still hating it. Hating the fact that he has no one to fight or to blame, has no one to curse or berate, no one to protect you from. Because your injuries are the cause of your own, and it wasn't like you particularly loved the misfortune of wounds from everyday activities either.

You had to admit, though, and to Zoro's muted gladness, that the number of injuries you bore had significantly decreased after meeting the stoic swordsman. Even before the two of you started dating, Zoro had noticed your affinity to the most unseeming dangers and had unknowingly taken it upon himself to prevent purple and blue from tainting your skin.

His curses as hands guide you away from walls and obstructing objects you somehow do not notice.

The twitching of his brows as he quickly catches you before you fall face-first to the ground, panic clouded beneath his irritation.

Every movement, every moment you take a step towards another hazard, carefully judged by his sharp eyes and willing instincts.

You were grateful beyond measure that your now-boyfriend, though oftentimes bearing an annoyed facade, cared and was patient enough to save you from the minor disasters you thought were an everyday norm. His efforts had increased tenfold, especially when the two of you became official, as he had an excuse to linger by your side as often as he pleased.

Though embarrassed sometimes that such a capable fighter as yourself found defeat in the lack of coordination of your own limbs, you could not deny that Zoro's protectiveness was an attractive and oftentimes welcome response. However, you did not realise the brunt of his actual panic, his actual aversion to the sight of you injured, until the time you accidently fell down a flight of stairs on the Sunny.

.....

You had been standing at the front of the ship, your Captain on the figurehead as you both tried to spot the pod of dolphins that had been swimming in front of you. Your boyfriend was half-sleeping against the mast of the ship, though his senses still lingered on the voices of you and Luffy, laughing and talking and challenging yourselves to see how many of the sea creatures graced the forefront of the Sunny.

"There's nine!"

"What are you talking about? I counted at least twelve!"

Your voices were caught by the gentle breeze and the timid sun as it fell slowly to the horizon. Everything was peaceful, everything was calm, and Zoro was on the brink of actually sleeping, knowing all was well and that you were safe. Your conversation with your captain had dwindled into more casual talk of adventures and plans of endeavours on future islands.

Your bright discussion lasted many sparing moments but, of course, was interrupted by the familiar grumble and groan of your Captain as he fell on the sunny's figurehead exaggeratively.

"[y/n]~ I'm hungryyy."

You roll your eyes at his whining words after only a moment's silence in conversation.

Luffy never seems to find satisfaction with the amount of food he eats.

"What do you want me to do about it? Sanji's got the whole kitchen on lockdown after the incident you pulled this morning."

You faintly remember your Captain and the crew's cook, causing a ruckus in the kitchen that no doubt stemmed from Luffy's devouration of food.

"He'll listen to you pleaaaseee"

You continue looking to the horizon, unfazed.

"No."

"Pleaseee"

"No"

"Pleaseeee"

"No."

"Pleaaaaseeee-"

You grit your teeth in irritation, sighing heavily as you push yourself off the railing of the ship. Luffy, however, meets your frown with a grin in anticipated satisfaction.

You always did give in too easily.

"Fine, something small, though. It's almost time for dinner."

Luffy lets out a laugh and nods enthusiastically, upright once again on the figurehead. You step away from the blatant joy on his face, making your way to the stairs that lead to the green of the deck below.

Sometimes, you don't know if Luffy is the Captain of this ship or a child the crew look after.

You move, still lost in your thoughts and quite, honestly, simply not thinking. Because, well, you feel a normal human would not have to think too hard about going down a flight of stairs to get food. But you forget that you are not the average person.

In fact, you probably should've grabbed the railing and counted down the steps back to solid ground because one minute your foot was on wooden steps, and the next you were walking on air.

You let out a yelp of surprise as you slip on the rigidity of the stairs that were supposedly beneath you, and you feel your world turning in your head. The spike of your heart comes with a fraction of a second of weightlessness and a single thought in your head.

Shit, not again.

You stumble, and you fall, limbs hurdling and gracing the rigid edges of the stairs. In a flurry of movements, you are suddenly on the grass of the deck, but in a way that would surely leave remnants of your clumsiness. You groan as you finally come to a halt, back against the ground as you look to the sky, exasperated. You can hear the light laughter of your Captain.

"You alright [y/n]?"

But you do not reply, hearing the amusement in Luffy's tone. You did not blame him, however, as the crew had become accustomed to the way things, such as walking, were not so much a given but a privilege to you. You roll your eyes, still on your back as you lie in defeat for a moment. Sure, you were not too badly hurt - you were a member of the straw hat crew after all - but you'd be damned to try moving again for a few seconds.

To your boyfriend, however, your sudden shout, fall and lack of response had sent him into a spiral.

Zoro was shot awake the instant he heard the yelp you let out as you lost your balance and succumbed to your fall on the stairs. But he was too late to move, and in all honestly, though half-awake, he felt something die within him when he saw your limbs tumble and hit the edges of the wooden planks.

"[y-]"

His voice is caught in his throat, as his heart rate spikes abnormally high. Higher than the instances when he saw you fall before. His mind unwillingly travels far into his past, to the dojo where he found the dream he still clings onto today, to his childhood friend and rival, Kuina.

She had been strong, too.

Hell, she had bested him in all battles he called for.

He thought that she would be a constant in his life, a source of rivalry and challenge and growth. She had seemed invincible in his young age. But then, the news had travelled.

The news of her death.

And the cause of it, was the very stairs he watches you fall on now. The unnerving atmosphere, her haunting funeral, and the will he holds onto through battles alongside her swords.

But you.

You were strong, capable, grown...

You were the love of his life...

You were falling...

He can't save you.

Your limbs stumbled to a halt as you hit the soft grass, a stark contrast to the stairs that would be the root of bruises on your body later. And you were okay.

But your boyfriend didn't know that.

Zoro's heart rate continues to rise, and he thinks that he is on the brink of hyperventilating. One sharp breath in, and his limbs are pulled into forced movement as he travels to you, cursing himself for looking blankly at the scene so uselessly. He stumbles forward, and he hears his Captain, words filled with teasing amusement.

"You alright, [y/n]?"

But you don't move, you are facing the sky, face shadowed by the falling sun, and he doesn't know if you are conscious or okay. You stay silent, not replying to the words of Luffy, and Zoro hates how long it has taken him to travel mere meters to your side. But when he enters your vision, you are met with a sight you have never seen before.

Zoro... scared.

"[y/n]!!"

The green-haired swordsman looks down at you frantically, hands giving way to light tremors you feel quickly cradling skin and causing you to look up in concern. Zoro sees your eyes, awake, and lets dull relief relieve his heart, but he is not yet satisfied.

"Zoro, I'm okay, I just-"

"What were you thinking, woman?"

There is a pause as you register his rushed words and the way his eyes seem to travel to every crevice of your face and body, searching for an indication that you were not okay. He measures your gaze, and he pulls you closer, willing you to anchor his nerves.

"Zoro-"

"You could've been seriously injured-"

"Zoro-"

He meets your gaze once more, but hesitantly, eyes wavering at your worry, only now realising the vice grip he has around you. His breaths are uneven, and even his Captain grows silent and confused at the sight of his second-in-command in rare loss of composure.

You start to sit up from within his embrace. You reach out and cradle his face in one hand, watching as more relief starts to fill his system and replace the panicked look on his face, replace his uneven breaths with more steady ones. Just what had gotten into him?

"You could've died."

His voice is low, and it causes a jolt of your heart. This was your always stoic, serious, calm swordsman... He now looks haunted, and his gaze is only half with you, as though reliving a moment only he could see.

"Zoro," you murmer, there remains a crease in your brow as you are still confused but also concerned about his unusual behaviour and haste. You gently run your thumb on the skin of his cheek, hoping to soothe him the way he so often does whenever you are lost to the confines of your mind.

"I'm okay, stairs aren't going to kill-"

"You don't know that."

His words are sharper this time, and your eyes widen, slightly startled. You watch guilt envade your boyfriend's eyes, then his grip lightning further on your skin, as sharpness fades in a heavy sigh. His gaze is more sullen now, though his nerves are calmed, and he allows you to sit up fully.

"Okay, I'm sorry."

Your words are soft and anchoring, and Zoro stands reluctantly, gently guiding you to your feet as though one wrong movement would tear him away from the reality of you, alive and well before him.

"Don't apologise just- tch, let's go see Chopper."

Your boyfriend refuses to meet your gaze then, but you nod silently. Luffy decides to look away from the sight of Zoro, his arms wrapped securely around you, in a mix of not understanding but knowing there must be some sort of invisible battle Zoro faces. You, on the other hand, allow his limbs to wrap securely around your shoulders, holding more of your weight than necessary, but you remain in silence, allowing him to look after you.

In the infirmary, Zoro remains uncharacteristically worried and rigid. Before entering, his only words to you were those that indicated he wanted to be with you as Chopper checked up on you. Only when the small doctor gives you the all-clear does Zoro let the tension fall from him fully. You thank Chopper, and the two of you make your way out of the infirmary, quiet though the air is still murkey with apprehension.

"Zoro, what's wrong?"

In the hallway, you stop him abruptly with the pull of his arm, still unsure as to why a stumble on stairs - unlucky but not necessarily unforeseen - has him in a state you have rarely seen. Your boyfriend turns to you hesitantly, eyes far away.

"I just know what a fall is capable of."

His low voice catches an edge of emotion. His hand lingers absentmindedly on a sword by his side. The white one he always holds close to him. You remember him saying faintly about how it was given to him long before you met him. Zoro was a private man, and even you had barely formed the cracks on the enclosures of his past, but you saw clearly now that there must've been a connection.

His incessant protection over every minor fall.

The way he would always treat your injuries so carefully afterwards or make sure Chopper saw to it that you were okay.

Every careful caress and action is rooted to a past you do not know, but you also now find understanding.

Zoro moves close to you so you can feel the heat radiating off his body and so that he can feel the warmth your skin emits. He seems to search your eyes and analyse their lustre and spark. A single caress as he moves away lingering hair, and his lips were suddenly on yours.

You are taken aback, not used him so spontaneously kissing you in an open space, but you return the favour quickly, pressing against him and feeling the way he cradles you so delicately, so carefully. There is a moment of him and a moment of bliss. When you pull away, there is a warmth to his eyes and a softness enveloped just for you.

A vulnerable love that lingers.

You, the root of his worry.

You might not know the depths of his past, but you sure as hell take a lot more care walking down a flight of stairs after that.

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clare-875 · 6 months ago

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His Answer (Law x Reader)

_____ Pairing: Law x Female Reader Summary: Having faced countless rejections in the past, you don't know what to do when you fall for your Captain, but little do you know he's hopelessly in love with you Warnings: Angst/Fluff, Unusually soft Law, Slightly suggestive [One Piece Masterlist] _____

Fuck.

You cannot believe you have let yourself get in so deep once again. You cannot believe that you have let your guard down so much so that you subconsciously twisted barricades you were sure to have kept around yourself; he had made his way into your heart. You cannot believe that you have allowed yourself to hope so much; to allow your mind to wonder about the notion of you and him. Not again, please not again. Your mind is frantic but your heart still pounds when your gaze wanders through the room to the man it had devoted itself to. You have tried and failed to stop the burning and falling feeling in your chest whenever you saw him, but you were terrified that you have once again fallen for someone who does not return your affections. The past had shown you countless times, that you were scarcely anyone's one. Your feelings had been toyed with, your devotion slandered and you have met betrayal and rejection all the same. And yet, despite your history portraying, that love was possibly impossible for you, you have found yourself entrapped once again by that feeling. But somehow it was worse this time; you have allowed yourself to fall for the Surgeon of Death, your Captain, Trafalgar Law.

Your heart constricts when you feel his keen eyes meet yours and you find yourself turning away instantly, feeling the flush of your face he so easily pulls from you. You had fallen for love's lures once again. You have found yourself so deep within your feelings that you hadn't even realised until it was too late. But you prayed to God it wasn't too late to somehow reverse it. You cannot remember the number of times you have felt this way, only to find yourself so... disappointed. It was torturous, the feeling of loving someone you could never have or loving someone who clearly did not feel the same way. It was exhausting, offering your love to those who would not take it, or worse, those who would end up toying with it. How many times have you fallen for the wrong "one"? How many times have you let them pull the strings on your heart for their satisfaction, but not yours? You don't think you could live through another rejection, another turmoil, another grievance of a love that never even began; especially if it was him.

So, despite feeling his questioning gaze at your sudden movements, you find yourself quickly walking out of the room and to yours. Despite feeling the eyes of the crew, or hearing Shachi’s voice as he calls to you, you simply needed to leave. You needed air free of the room he was in, to just think and to possibly help to precede the inevitable feeling of dejection you would feel when you find your affections rejected once again. No. You would never confess, you promised that to yourself. But you would see the signs of rejection anyway as you did: his attention on another, his passive words to you, his distancing. But would that really be how Law would react to your blatant affections? He was so different to the ones you found yourself devoted to before. Law, the man who had asked you to join him as you found yourself alone on an island he passed by. Law, the man that patched you up of injuries no matter how small or big they were. Law, who granted you the slight upturn of lips whenever it was just the two of you. Law, your Captain; your friend.

You simply adored him.

You loved the way the low light would capture flickers in his gaze. You adored the care he so intricately hid behind a nonchalant facade. You loved the way he was so devoted to the crew, to their health, to their missions and their goals. You could find yourself daydreaming about his toned form, his nimble hands, his raven locks. Stop. The word would resonate deep in your mind, but you couldn't help yourself. Your adoration was so profound it terrified you. He could never feel the same. Disappointment and rejection have seeped too far within you to think otherwise. You expect love to be strenuous and dissatisfying, torturous and hard. You could never think that he could ever feel the same. The mere thought of your unworthy self makes tears of frustration build in your eyes, but you prevent them from falling. I'm so stupid, how have I let myself fall for him so deeply?

He will never see me the same way.

Unbeknownst to you, the very man your thoughts linger around stares blankly at the spot you have abruptly moved from. His gaze lingers in your absence but his mind is shrouded by events of the past weeks. His head is awhirl with memories of you adverting your gaze and seeking distance from his side. He remembers how when usually comfortable silence would envelop the air between the two of you, it had become tainted with apprehension and your obvious unease. He thinks of how the light-hearted conversations you would pull from him so easily were now blended into nothingness, and instead of your sweet voice, he was met with silence whenever you were near. Even in the unlikely event where he tempted conversation or the sound of your soothing voice or the sight of your joyful smile, he was merely gifted short and nervous answers, or worse a lingering frown. He had barely seen your eyes meet his recently, but whenever they did they seemed troubled and almost sad. Even by the mere memory, Law wonders why his heart clenches against his chest, or why he despised the instability of your usual sure presence beside him.

Deep down, however, he knew.

As a doctor, he showed no symptoms of illness or injury, and he recognised the simple fact that somehow you had won his affections. Somehow you had what he thought was his dead heart, thrumming to life whenever you were near. Somehow you have him missing your glistening eyes and your light laughter. Somehow you have his gaze, lingering on your lips in wonderment at how they might feel against his. Somehow you have the flush of tenderness reach his face whenever you are near. Somehow... you have the Surgeon of Death wrapped around your finger, and you don't even know it. However, if there was something Law was sure of, it was that you were not yourself around him anymore and that he hated it. He wondered if he had upset you, or worse, hurt you somehow. But despite his thoughts beating erratically around his head, he could find no answer; he didn't know why you were suddenly avoiding him.

Well, luckily for him, the crew was not as oblivious as you or him.

"Oi Shachi, what's up with [y/n]-ya recently?" Law calls his crewmate after he hears him calling after you, but to his surprise, a knowing look is placed in his irises. "You really don't know Captain?" More crewmates linger around him, and Law finds swift irritation brim as he sees more grins reach his crew's faces. "They're both so hopeless honestly." It is Penguin who now speaks up rolling his eyes at his oblivious Captain, and the painfully obvious crush you harboured. Even Bepo joins in with a shake of his head and a heavy sigh. "Tch, what is it?" Law's voice is sharp as more members of the crew add in on their laughter or disbelief that he had not realised yet what your strange behaviour had been about. Just what was he not aware of? "You men really are hopeless." Law turns to Ikkaku's voice that cuts off his words and sees her frown and sigh. "She obviously likes you, Captain." Ikkaku looks to Law, hoping you might forgive her for her interference, just to put the both of you out of your endless misery.

"And it's obvious, you like her too."

"What?" Law is stunned, to say the least, and he finds himself rooted to his spot. You... you like him? He feels his heart pounding just at the thought of it, but suddenly it all makes sense. Your strange behaviour and adverted eyes, the lingering embarrassment on your face whenever he caught you looking at him. You liked him. "Well, maybe like is an understatement..." He hears Ikkaku mutter once again as she turns to her Captain, but the frown has yet to leave her face. She remembers how you had finally told her what troubled you after she witnessed your gloomy state for too long. As the only women of the crew, the two of you were close, but that meant she also knew of what men and love had done to you in the past. She knew her Captain might be different, but she never wanted to see that look on your face again. "You better go to her Captain, just don't hurt her." With that she leaves, continuing on her duties and ignoring the wide gapes of her crewmembers that stare at her in astonishment.

She had actually said the truth aloud.

When Law finally finds himself back to reality he turns to his crew members who quickly advert their gaze at his sharp eyes. They pick their jaws off the ground and continue about their duties, but to Law, only one thing mattered; he needed to talk to you. And so, despite the sudden silence of the crew, they looked to their Captain in wonderment as he walked slowly out of the room in search of you. His footsteps echoed the quiet of the polar tang, and when he reached your door he hesitated but found himself knocking gently anyway. You on the other hand had finally collected your thoughts and resigned yourself to the inevitable truth, that he would not feel the same. So, imagine your surprise when you hear his voice coming from beyond your door. "[y/n]-ya." You hear a knock and Law's hesitant call of your name, and you are nervous but find no reason not to open your door, and so you do. When you look up, however, you are shocked to bear witness to the softness of his usually sharp eyes.

"L-Law?"

Your voice mirrors his hesitancy but his gaze does not move from yours as he steps into your room and turns to you at his side, you barely have enough time to hear the click of the door as Law closes it shut. "You've been avoiding me." Your heart pounds but even Law is surprised at the bluntness in his low words, but his movements don't falter and his sharp grey eyes still look to you. You see the frown on his face and his calculating gaze, and you find yourself reaching for words you can't find. "I- Law I-" He moves closer to you now so that he is almost hovering, and your heart beats faster at the proximity you have tried to avoid for the past few weeks. "Law what- what are you doing?" Your voice shakes as your mind churns with his sudden movements, at a loss for his sudden actions. "Do you like me [y/n]-ya?" He turns down to meet your gaze and he sees the way your eyes enlarge at his uttered words, but he feels himself stop his boldness when he witnesses the tremble of your lips.

"[y/n]-ya?" His keen eyes suddenly soften of their intensity as they turn to confusion to you, who seems to have a fierce internal battle occurring beyond your eyes. There is silence and Law does not know what to say, but you fill the silence with your words in his stead. "Who told you?" Your voice is small, but you continue anyway after a short laugh "You know what, it doesn't matter." Law is confused at the dejected tone in your words and suddenly wonders if he has done something wrong, but he is stunned to silence at your next sentiment. "You don't have to pretend you know." Your briefly adverted gaze meets his again in strange determination. "You don't have to do this, you don't have to pity me, I- I know you won't feel the same, I-" Your voice hitches and you curse your emotions for getting the best of you. "I'll get over it... so please don't do this." Law feels his heart clench at your low words, your sadness, your lack of even believing he might feel the same way. He even feels anger, just what had you gone through to think this way.

How could you not see your beauty, your talent, your strength? How could you not see your utter perfection, or how he had dreamed that just maybe he would be enough for you? How could you think the opposite, how could you think you were not worthy? "[y/n]-ya..." You ready yourself for the rejection, you are ready for the inevitable apology and the friendship lost to your stupid devotions once again. You are ready for the lowly uttered "no" and for his regretful gaze. You feel your heart break despite you chanting that it will be okay endlessly in your head. You would get over it again, somehow. But instead of the words you so denied to utterly dread, you feel a hand guiding your lowered gaze upward.

"[y/n]"

Your eyes snap open and you meet his gaze that was full of a sort of emotion you never thought you would see from your Captain. You had never heard your name uttered from him in that way. But his voice and gaze are sure. You see the intensity of his eyes now veering into yours. You feel his hot breath against your skin. He is so close. So close you can almost- He moves then, leaning down to capture your lips and you let him. You meet him in the middle, and it was better than you imagined; it was better than he dreamed. Your lips were so soft, so sweet and he felt your hands move to him as he deepened the kiss. You felt the heat of him rise against your touch and felt his own hold wander to your waist where he pulled you to him. You were in shock, but there was undeniability in his movements and in his gaze. The both of you parted after several long moments and stood heads leant against each other as you breathed in.

"[y/n]-ya, I'm in love with you."

Your heart constricts and tears brim your eyes as you nod slowly against him, and you can't help but let out a laugh that has the corners of Law's lips lifting too. "I love you too, Law." It was hard to describe the utter joy and relief you felt, or the trust that you chose to put in your Captain, but how could you not? You had never seen eyes gleam the way his did when they looked to you; full of love returned. Nevertheless, your crew members did not see the both of you for several long hours after Law's sudden absence to seek you out. But they also didn't fail to tease the both of you when you joined them for supper; hands lingering against the other, a flush to your faces, your subtle smiles etched with contentment. He was who you had waited for, and he was the person meant for you. You never thought you would be grateful for the rejections you faced in the past, but when you turned to him you were full of the feeling.

His answer was all that you needed.

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