#i haven't written zoro in a while

[justauthoring]

The Man I (Unfortunately) Love.

Request: I’m BEGGING foaming at the mouth can we plsplspls have more jealous zoro (or luffy 👀 I want to see you take on that as well) Requested by: Anonymous

Pairing: Zoro Roronoa x F!Reader

A/N: I wasn't sure if you meant live action or anime so I went with anime since I haven't written for anyone else but Luffy lol. Hopefully this is in character!!

Also, I don't really know why Ace is with the crew. That fact is not important. Whats important is I wanted to include Ace and thus, jealous Zoro was born.

Word Count: 2,135

And, as usual, it's not spell-checked :)

Zoro, by nature, was not a jealous man.

At least, not overtly.

He literally dealt with a shitty cook who could not keep the lovesick act together for even a second whenever there was a woman anywhere near his presence. It didn't bother Zoro, at least not enough to do anything about it.

(Anything major).

He'd tell the cook to quit it or grunt disapprovingly but Sanji was apart of the crew and he knew that he respected yours and Zoro's relationship at the end of the day.

He could handle boys flirting with you. Honestly, most of the time they were boys (not men) and really, they're the ones who looked like fools at the end of the day. Fumbling with red cheeks and look like an idiot. Zoro didn't have any fear of you choosing one of them over him any day because really--

Could they do anything he could?

No.

And his confidence was always rewarded when you'd all but tell the boy you were interested, harsher if they were more pushier, and then would turn your back to them like they were nothing. And who would you go running to?

Him. Every time.

You'd call his name in that sweet voice of yours, face soft with warmth and excitement twinkling in your eyes. He'd watch with a smug smile as the boys face would fall and then gradually turn to fear when they got a proper look at Zoro.

Zoro didn't love being public with his affection. He was most content sharing those more intimate moments when it was just the two of you. But in moments like those, he'd be a little bit more deliberate about wrapping his arm around your waist and pulling you flush against his chest.

The flush of your cheeks and the light giggle you'd let out were added rewards.

So, no. Zoro was not a jealous man. He was confident and secure in his relationship with you.

But that didn't mean he couldn't be jealous.

-

Zoro truly did not understand what was so fascinating about Luffy's brother.

But clearly you thought he was the greatest thing to walk on this very earth.

Ever since Luffy's brother had stumbled upon the crew, explaining he was missing his dear younger brother and wanted to check in on him, you'd been absolutely glued to his side.

Zoro had been surprised, to say the least, when your face had broken into a wide grin with literal stars in your eyes at the sight of Ace. You'd exclaimed that you'd heard of the 'Fire Fist Ace' before and thought he was 'an amazing pirate' that you'd 'always wanted to meet'.

Zoro still scoffs at the thought.

Sure, Ace was... strong. He was nice, Zoro guessed. And he was Luffy's brother so that meant he was obviously... okay. But Zoro couldn't understand why you looked starstruck.

You hadn't been with the crew yet when they'd met Ace back in Alabasta. Zoro would be relieved about that fact if Ace wasn't here now.

After a whole day of the regular silliness the crew got up to, they were celebrating in their useful festivities. Normally, Zoro would be just as ramped up with the rest of the crew. Even if that only involved him simply drinking while sat with the rest of the crew.

That night though, he'd proceeded to... for lack of a better word, sulk.

He was sat in a corner, far away from the rest of the crew, huddled in the darkness (still drinking) and watching you with a heavy frown.

Normally, you spent these nights glued to his side. Not somebody else. Not... Ace. You'd dance with Luffy, Usopp and Chopper or chat with Nami and Robin while being fed drinks and food by Sanji. But, for the majority, you'd be with him.

Sitting with him. Drinking with him. Just... talking.

Zoro loved those nights.

But you'd barely glanced his way all day, let alone that evening.

The drink he knocks back is particularly soar as he watches you laugh at something Ace has said. He can't hear either of you, but your smile is wide and your laugh is loud and genuine. Ace is smiling at you too, glancing down at you with warm eyes as he indulgences in your questions.

Even Luffy almost seems out of place between the two of you. Not that he cares; Luffy seems simply ecstatic that his crew is getting along with his brother so well.

(Some more than others, clearly.)

If Zoro were a jealous man and he stooped to those sort of levels, he'd imagined he would've marched right up to you and Ace by now and made it clear who you were with. But Zoro was not a jealous man, nor did he fall privy to his emotions so easily.

Instead, Zoro sulked.

It's a few hours into the party, however, that Zoro decides he has had enough of sulking. He won't do anything but he doesn't want to sit here and watch this any longer either.

He's just about to stand up when he hears you calling for him;

"Zoro!"

The sound of your voice, light and airy in that way he loves, gives him pause. His body freezes and slowly his head turns to face you, only to see you frowning at him.

"Where are you going?" Your eyes flicker on the bottle on the floor back up to Zoro, head tilted.

"To bed," he says, harsher than he means to. "Night."

He looks away before he can see the look of hurt and shock he knows washes up on your face. Zoro knows he's being unreasonable, but the words seem to leave his lips nonetheless.

Just as moves to walk away, though, your hand is around his wrist, stopping him.

"Already?" You ask, still thoroughly baffled. (Obviously you're confused, Zoro thinks to himself, you don't know how stupidly jealous he's felt all day). "But you've been tucked away by yourself all night when we're supposed to be celebrating! Luffy's brother is--"

"I know!" He cuts in, voice pitching as you flinch in response. He turns to face you, eyes set in a mean glare. "I get it, okay? Luffy's brother, the amazing Fire Fist Ace that you think is just so amazing and strong and wonderful, is here so we have to celebrate it, right? So much so that you haven't left his side all day! I'd begun to think you'd forgotten I'd even existed."

At this point, his words were loud enough to catch the attention of the entire crew. All noise, chatter or otherwise, falls completely silent as they watch Zoro berate you.

You, however, simply stare back at Zoro. Your face has fallen from your previous excitement and the hand you'd had around his wrist has returned to your side as you take a step back.

"Zoro, I--"

But he doesn't let you say anything.

"Save it, okay?" Zoro practically bites at you. "Just go back to hanging with Ace and leave me the fuck alone."

He turns and walks off in the next second, practically slamming the door shut behind him.

-

It takes ten minutes before someones knocking on the door.

Zoro has half the mind to tell them to fuck off, but then he remember show he had done exactly that to you and the guilt eats him up. He knows what he did was wrong. He knows he'd overreacted. And what sucks more is that Zoro isn't the type of guy to overreact.

And yet he had. He'd hurt you in the process too.

When Zoro doesn't say anything, Luffy invites himself inside.

Zoro isn't sure who he's expecting. He thinks briefly it might be you, but he also doesn't blame you for the fact that it isn't. He figures Luffy makes the most sense. The look on his captains face his clear.

Pressing his head to his hands, Zoro huffs. "You don't have to say anything."

Luffy is silent. His arms are crossed over his chest, his face strangely not in a grin and rather, his lips are downturned into a disapproving frown. The look in his eyes, though, is the worst.

Disappointment.

Zoro pushes himself to a stand in frustration.

"I know, okay?" He snaps at his captain, "I know I was a dick."

"Good," Luffy finally says. "Because you were. And you need to apologize to Y/N."

Zoro sighs. "I know."

"But that's not why I'm here."

Confused, Zoro turns to Luffy, shaking his head. "I--"

"Y/N spent the whole day talking about you." Luffy says, in that way he always says things when he knows he's right. "She constantly tried to get you to come join us but you dismissed her at every point. Ignoring everything, that's not how I let my crew treat each other."

The guilt festers deeper in Zoro. A nasty feeling that eats away at him.

(Fuck. He screwed up).

"Whatever your problem was," Luffy starts, voice dark. "Fix it."

And then Luffy walks out the door, leaving Zoro to stew in his own guilt and thoughts.

-

You're not with the rest of the crew when Zoro goes to find you.

Nami won't tell him but when he turns to Sanji, the cook simply just glares at him, gesturing over his shoulder towards the crows nest with a barely concealed threat; "try that shit again, moss head and I'll throw you off this ship myself."

He also notices Ace is gone.

You're staring up at the stars in the night sky when he makes it to the top.

You meet his eyes but don't say anything and so Zoro crawls up into the small space and moves so he's across from you. He lets a beat of silence follow his arrival before he says;

"I'm sorry."

It's important he starts with that.

You scoff, rolling your eyes. "I'm sure you are."

"I am," he asserts, making sure his tone conveys how serious he is. "I was an asshole. And I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I never should."

Finally, you turn to look at him properly. "You ever speak to me like that again, Zoro and we're through."

"I won't," he says. And he means it.

You nod, and then; "were you jealous, then?"

(Zoro is not a jealous man, but...)

"Yeah." He admits, even though it's hard to. "I was."

"Why?" You ask, hugging your knees to your chest. "You've never been jealous like that before."

"It was... different. Different than the shitty cook or random guys who flirt with you." Zoro explains, trying to ignore how uncomfortable he is. You deserve an explanation, and he's going to give it to you. "You looked so... impressed by him. By Ace. And I'm used to you only looking at me like that. It's shitty and doesn't excuse it but that's how I felt."

You frown. "Zoro," you call and your voice is considerably softer than it has been. "It doesn't matter if I think some other guy is cool, you are the only one I want to be with. You have to know that."

"I do."

"Then why?"

"I..." But he trails off, because he doesn't know.

"Zoro?"

"I... don't know," he admits. "I know it's not what you want to hear, but I don't know. I was blinded by emotions. I'm... sorry."

You nod, slowly. Zoro notices the way your nails are digging into your hands, a nervous tick of yours, and taking the chance he reaches for your hands. You don't pull away, and he lets out a sigh of relief.

(He doesn't know what he would've done if you had.)

"I love you," he whispers, "and I'm sorry."

You stare at him for a long moment. Just... taking him in.

Then, your hand squeezes him back.

"You made Ace leave."

"Next time we see him, I'll apologize to him."

You raise a brow; "that's big of you."

"I'd do it for you."

That pulls a chuckle from your lips, rolling your eyes. "I would like you to apologize to Ace because you feel bad about how you treated him."

Zoro grins, "you know that's not why I'll do it."

Letting your head tilt to rest on your arm, a soft smile curls on your lips. "I know."

"Good."

"I spent the whole day talking about you, you know."

Zoro tries to hide his smirk. "I know. Luffy told me."

"So you should feel extra shitty."

He tries to wipe the smirk off his face, it doesn't work.

"You're far too smug," you huff half-heartedly. "I should be more mad at you than I am."

"But you're not?"

"No," you mumble, voice warm with love. "I'm not."

(Because Zoro, despite everything, is the man you love.)

[somanyratsinthewalls]

Congrats on 700!! 🎊 May I request green with hummingbird? I would love some feral zoro omg 😫.

(I didn’t know what else to say I hope this is enough for the request 😭)

Thank you in advance and I understand if you can’t get to my request!! ☺️

Hi friend! Thank you for requesting this because I haven't written Zoro in a billion years and this was fun!

Pairing: Roronoa Zoro x Female Reader

Trope/Prompt: Sex Pollen/Aphrodisiac

Summary: Zoro steals a very secret bottle from Sanji’s stash… much to his dismay it has unwanted affects. Fortunately for you, you're up looking for a midnight snack when you encounter a very feral Zoro in the kitchen.

WC: 2000

TWs: alcohol consuption, aphrodisiac, unprotected sex (dont!) cream pies, p in v sex, a smidge of oral to get things going, doggy style bent over the counter, breeding!!!! MINORS NDI

Just This Once (+18)

— — 

Night watch was boring. Zoro would much rather be focusing on his training or napping than having to sit and stare out at the black of night for hours. He found the silence peaceful, so used to having the cacophony of his crew mates and captain resounding all around him during the day, Zoro didn’t mind the quiet of night watch. 

Tonight however, sitting against the mast of the Sunny, Zoro found his sake bottle feeling quite light. He cranes his head back and shakes the last droplets of alcohol onto his waiting tongue. It was barely anything, the bottle was bone dry now. 

“Well shit.” Zoro remarks to himself. He sighs and sets the empty bottle on the wooden deck beside him. He hoists himself up to his feet and begins to walk towards the galley, hoping that the shitty cook had hauled his lanky ass off to bed by now so he wouldn’t have to see his ugly mug. 

Thankfully the kitchen was empty and Zoro strolled straight towards the liquor cabinet. He pulls the double doors to the small wooden pantry open and surveys the array of bottles. Looking for his trusty sake, he clinks the other bottles together as he shuffles the booze around. He sees a bottle towards the back of the shelf with a note on it. 

“What’s this?” Zoro cocks his head and squints his eyes (eye?). He sees a slender, purple bottle, a bit taller and slimmer than a normal wine bottle, with a pink label wrapping around the width of it. His attention goes back to the note stuck to it. Zoro grabs the bottle and brings it out from the back of the shelf and raises it to meet his gaze. 

‘SANJI’S ONLY!!! DO NOT TOUCH!!’ is what the note read. 

“Pfffttt yeah right.” Zoro huffs and rips the note off the bottle. He notices something is written on the back of the paper. He flips it over completely. 

‘ESPECIALLY IDIOT MOSS HEAD!!!’ Is on the back of the note in bold handwriting. 

Zoro rolls his eyes. 

“Oh fuck you.” Zoro crumples the note and tosses it over his shoulder. He noticed the bottle was a bit feminine, with the pink label and ‘XXX’ being written in swirly letters across it. “Makes sense for that fucking weirdo.” Zoro chuckles as he opens his jaw, fits the cork between his molars and pulls it off the bottle with a loud *pop*. He spits the cork to the floor. 

Zoro takes a big swig from the bottle. It was bubbly and fruity, the type of shit Nami was usually into. Zoro hums. It wasn’t what he was used to drinking by any means, but at this point he just wanted to piss off Sanji so he chose to bring the bottle out with him to the deck to continue his watch. He was determined to finish it and leave the empty bottle on the kitchen counter for the stupid pervert to find in the morning. Maybe he would write his own scathing note to go with it. Zoro chuckled to himself… he had time to think about what to write. 

Zoro settled himself against the mast again, legs spread out in front of him, bottle clutched in his left hand while he rested his right on his swords. He lets out a long sigh and gazed up at the  cloudless, starry night as he chugs more from the bottle of forbidden booze. 

Over 30 minutes go by and half the bottle before Zoro notices a strange tingling in his thighs. He runs his callused hands over his strong quads, trying to massage away the feeling. He chalked it up to the booze and the rigorous weight lifting session he participated in earlier. 

“Damn this shit’s strong…” Zoro remarks as he pulls the bottle back from his mouth to look at the label again, searching for any indication of an alcohol percentage. He sees nothing but the three red X’s adorning the pink paper label. “Weird… whatever.” Zoro throws back another few gulps. 

Soon the bottle was empty. Zoro casts it aside with his empty sake bottle from earlier in the night. His head was sufficiently fuzzy and the warm prickling in his thighs had spread from his legs up through his groin and into his chest. 

“The fuck is in this shit…” Zoro wipes sweat that formed on his brow with the long sleeve of his robe. He felt hot all over, and not the usual warmth he felt from his average daily drinking… this was different. His muscles felt tight and so did his pants.

He runs his hand over his crotch to find himself painfully hard. He was a grown man for fucks sake, he thought he had his fill of random erections. This one was particularly turgid, aching against his pants begging to be freed. 

Annoyed with his body betraying him, Zoro peeks behind him over each shoulder on each side of the mast, making sure the coast was clear before unbuttoning his pants and fishing out his throbbing cock. He gently knocks his head back against the mast and closes his eyes before stroking himself quickly. He wanted to rid himself of this feeling and return to his quiet evening. 

“Shit…” 

It seemed to be more easily said than done. He couldn’t finish. He spat in his palm and sped up his pace but it was worthless, there was no familiar signs of impending release. His skin was burning hotter and his cock leaking pre all down his thick shaft. 

“Fuck…” Zoro, flustered, shoved his dick back in his pants and stood up, not bothering to button his pants back up all the way. He made his way to the kitchen, panting a bit, feeling the need to splash some water on his face to try and snap out of it. He whips the galley door open…

—

“Ah!” You yelp, jumping a bit and turning towards the kitchen door. 

“Y/n!” Zoro shouts at you, startled as well. “What the hell are you doing here, woman?!” 

“I-I couldn’t sleep! I wanted some peanut butter!” You hold up the jar in one hand and spoon in the other as you stand against the sink. You notice Zoro’s unbuttoned pants and heavy breathing. “You okay, big guy?” You furrow your brow in concern. 

“I’m fine…” Zoro huffs out as he approaches you at the sink. “You need to get out of here.”

“Okay rude?” You cock your head and turn back towards the sink to wash off your spoon, not wanting to leave any dishes for Sanji. 

Zoro is behind you in an instant. You feel his pelvis press against your ass, covered in just some boy short panties since you had been trying to go to bed. 

Zoro ruts his crotch against you, massive hands gripping your hips to pull you closer to him. 

“W-woah! Zoro what the hell has gotten into you?” You gasp out and try to straighten your body back out. 

Zoro doesn’t let you move your ass away from him, though, he just grips your hips harder and grinds his noticeable hard-on into the soft flesh of your butt. He pushes his face through your messy hair and starts to sink his teeth into your neck. You jolt in his hold.

“I-I don’t know… I drank that stupid fucking cook’s wine and now I-…” Zoro bites you again and you yelp. “Now I need to get my dick wet or I’ll explode… you gonna help?” Zoro slides one of his hands up your baggy t-shirt and harshly twists your nipple. 

“Shit!” You gasp out as Zoro dry humps your backside and teases your breasts. “Fine! Just this once, and you owe me!” 

Zoro growls like an animal and rips your panties down your legs and then pushes his robe off his shoulders. You lift your shirt over your head and toss it to the floor. Zoro pulls his aching cock out of his pants with ease since his pants were already undone. 

Zoro immediately drops into a squat and pushes one of your legs up to rest on the edge of the sink so your glistening sex was exposed to him. 

Zoro smirks to himself before dragging his tongue from your clit all the way back up to your asshole. 

“Fuck-“ Supporting yourself on one leg made your knee buckle, but Zoro’s strong hands kept you upright leaning forward onto the kitchen counter. Zoro hummed in bliss at the sweet taste of your pussy, laving his tongue all over your folds with drool pooling at the corners of his mouth, making you extra messy.  

“Can’t wait any longer, need to be inside you…” Zoro says hungrily as he stands up and positions his dripping cock at your wet hole. He pushes himself in you quickly and lets out a loud groan. You arch your back and cry out at the sudden stretch, one elbow holding you up on the counter and you reach the other hand back to claw at your green haired lover. 

“You’re gonna have to take it for me, okay doll? I know you can do it…” Zoro tries to sound sweet but the bruising grip on your hips give away his urgency. He begins to thrust hard against your backside, creating lewd wet slaps that echoed around the dimly lit kitchen. “Such a tight little pussy, shit…” Zoro slams into you at a breakneck pace. 

“Oh- my- god-! Zo-ro!” Your body is being pulled and rammed with each unforgiving thrust, you hardly even notice yourself approaching an orgasm embarrassingly quickly. You hadn’t laid with anyone in so long and the way Zoro was abusing your body turned you on immensely. He pulled your hair with one fist and it was over for you. “Zoro! Fuck! Cumming!” You shout and you collapse against the counter, cool tile harsh against your nipples.

You shake all over and your knees fully give out, luckily Zoro’s strong body was propping you up against the counter as he took you. 

“There it is, cream my cock, doll.” Zoro picks up his pace, which at this point you thought was impossible. “I’m gonna breed this little cunt, and you’re gonna take it… gonna take my fucking kids...” 

“Z-zoro what the fuck?” You were fucked-out but you didn’t know Zoro as the kind of man to talk like that. 

“Gonna fill you so fucking good… make you mine…” Zoro pulls your hips completely flush to his as his chest collapses on top of your back. You feel his hot breath on your shoulder blade and his strong, powerful ropes of cum coat your insides. 

Zoro groans and nuzzles his nose into your spine before pulling his softening cock out of your leaking hole. He admires his handiwork and smirks. 

“Uh… sorry about that… you’re…?” Zoro scratches his neck and hands you your shirt from the floor. 

“On birth control? Yes, you animal. Warn me next time you decide to drink Sanji’s weird wine, okay?” You say as you pull your shirt over your head. You shoot Zoro a glare.

“I don’t know, that might have been worth it.” Zoro gives you a sly smile and ties his robe back on. 

You roll your eyes and playfully push Zoro’s shoulder as you walk past him to head back to bed. You should have no problem falling asleep now that you’ve been freshly fucked in the kitchen by your crew mate. 

“You coming to bed, swordsman?” You holler on your way out of the galley door. 

“Yeah, meet you in your room.” Zoro calls after you. He finds the discarded empty wine bottle and places it right in the middle of the kitchen island next to Sanji’s cigarettes and ash tray. Zoro looks to the floor and sees your panties. He grabs them and places them next to the bottle on the counter. He then picks up a piece of paper and pen. Zoro scribbles out a short note to stick on the bottle. 

‘Thanks, Curly ;)’

— — 

[pandora-writes-one-piece]

The Meet-Cute - Zoro's Story - 3

Source for pic

Trouble 3

Word Count: 4959

Tags For The Whole Story: Fem!Reader; Protective!Zoro; Soft!Zoro; Sexual Tension; Teasing; Flirting; Mature Audiences (I'll always tag the NSFW chapters); Modern Day AU; Reader is being stalked; Fear; Paranoia; Angst; Rom-Com Vibes; Mild Gore-like Descriptions; Blood; Dead Animals Mentioned; Reader in a terror-like state; Fluff; Romance; Banter; Manipulation; Miscommunication; Frustration; Reader is very clumsy;

Special Warning: English is not my first language, I apologise for any possible spelling or grammar mistakes.

Summary: After moving away from the hustle and bustle of Grand Line City to help your father around the property following a horse-riding accident - and in the hopes of healing your broken heart after your asshole ex-fiancé cheated - you settle into the country calmness of the Calm Belt. You and Zoro are slowly returning to your easy friendship filled with banter and flirting and you actually begin to glimpse a future with the green-haired cop. But then you start to receive weird gifts. They quickly escalate to manipulative texts. And now you're stuck in a spiral of terror and there's no way to get help because the Stalker, whoever he is, is threatening something other than just your life.

Notes: I should have chapter 4 already finished... but it's not completed yet... I haven't written almost anything this week! I know with the hollidays it will be hectic around here, but I have a few days where the office is going to be closed, so maybe I can write a bit more! Fingers crossed! Until then, please enjoy the calmness before the storm!

Masterlist

“Morning, Bug.” Shanks fills a mug of coffee for you and sets it down on the table near your plate of bacon and eggs, beside a bouquet of wildflowers. 

“Morning, Dad. Thanks for the coffee, but aren't the flowers a bit too much? It's not my birthday…” You mumble between yawns. 

“They're not from me…” Shanks smirks and nods at a note that's tucked in with the silk ribbon. 

Brow rising, your fingers brush the petals of a deep crimson poppy before they catch the note between them. ‘Wild and beautiful, just like you.’

What? Who? 

Despite the lovely gesture, you can't shake the slightest feeling of unease, it tugs at your stomach, leaving you queasy and suspicious. 

“Who's it from?” Shanks tries to hide his curiosity but falls short when he reaches over your shoulder to glimpse the note. 

“I have no idea.”

“Come on! Not even the slightest hint?” You shake your head while your mind conjures up images of a slightly not-safe-for-work dream you had with a certain green-haired cop, and you blush unintentionally. 

Obviously. Shanks picks it up. 

“You and Zoro seemed pretty cosy when I arrived yesterday…”

“It's not from him… I think.” You deflect the implications, not wanting to read too much into it yourself. “He’s not the type for grand gestures.”

Shanks hums in agreement while placing his coffee cup in the sink. “I see what you mean.” But then he places his hand on your shoulder, forcing you to look at his unbearable smirk. “Though do not underestimate a man in love.”

“Dad!” You feel your ears getting hot as you get up suddenly, looking for a vase to set the flowers on. 

“I’m just saying.” He shrugs. 

“He’s not… we… we’re just friends! I just got back.” You fuss with the flowers until they’re all spread beautifully on the vase and then set them at the centre of the table.

Shanks pouts and stares at you through the flowers, across from you. “Friends.” He air quotes with two fingers. “I’ve been there, Bug.”

“Agh! You’re impossible, Dad.”

But he might also be right. Because if last night was any indication, you and Zoro might be crossing the ‘just friends’ barrier soon. 

And, honestly, there’s nothing wrong with that. 

-*-

Shanks tells you to put a hold on your job hunt because he’ll be gone for about three weeks to a month for a horse show on an island in the South Blue and he’ll need you to take care of the animals and manage the farm chores. 

So you spend the next week getting reacquainted with most of your father’s tasks in addition to the ones you had taken over ever since coming back. 

The gifts keep coming. 

Every morning there are chocolates, or flowers, or stuffed animals, little trinkets… The notes are rather simple, always evoking your beauty, but short and nondescript. You are no closer to knowing who they’re from now than you were on the first day you got them.

Shanks keeps hinting that it might be Zoro, but you doubt that very much. Besides the fact that he’s not one for romantic gestures, he would’ve said something about the gifts after six straight days.

And it’s not like you haven’t been chatting… not in person, since you’ve been busy at the farm and he’s been pulling double shifts to have the Saturday off again, but you text every day.

Short texts, to the point, much like Zoro is, but he always asks how you are and if you need anything. 

And knowing he’s trying to take care of you leaves a very warm feeling in your chest. Especially because your clumsiness almost brought you to the clinic twice just this week. You have to thank whichever deity is watching over you because, even though you hurt yourself, it’s never serious enough to send you to the hospital. 

“When are you leaving?” You ask Shanks while packing beverages, muffins and a cake you’ve baked for today’s chosen group activity. 

“Let’s see, today’s Saturday, Beckman says his helper will arrive Monday morning to keep in charge of his farm, so sometime Monday afternoon, Bug. Why? Missing your Daddy already?”

You are.

“No! I just want to make sure you carry all of your medicine and that you have Dr. Law’s emergency contact with you, in case you need it–”

“I’m not going to drag Law all the way to the South Blue just because–”

“I called him and he said you should call anytime, so you’re going to call if you need him!”

“Fine!”

“Fine!” Shanks has got to be the most stubborn man you’ve ever met. 

“Where are you going?” He hisses when you swat his hand away as he tries to steal a salty bacon muffin you’re storing in a container. Then you relent and let him have it.

“Just one, Dad! We’re going on a picnic in the park.” You say with a grin. “Nami organised it, of course. We’re going to spend the day hanging out, playing games, and socializing.” 

Shanks nods, never breaking your gaze, while trying to surreptitiously steal another muffin. This time you slap his hand with the lid of the container, and he yelps. His pout is quickly replaced by a smirk. “Is Officer Zoro going?”

You’re sure your nonchalant look can’t disguise the crimson blush tainting your cheeks, but you try to pay it no mind.  “Yes. And Luffy, and Usopp, Chopper, Sanji–”

“I was going to tell you to be careful, but I’m sure Officer Zoro is going to keep you safe from all harm.” Shanks taunts and you seethe, hands flying to your hips. 

“What are you, Dad, ten?” He guffaws as he successfully manages to distract you and steals another muffin before sprinting away from you and the kitchen.

“Be safe, Bug! Have fun!”

Seriously. How is this man a father?

-*-

Nami swings by your house with Vivi to pick you up for the picnic. You notice Robin’s absence in the car, and both girls giggle.

“Sabo’s picking Robin up. They’ll meet us there.” Vivi answers, and your mouth hangs open.

“Are they a thing?”

“Not yet, but it shouldn’t be long.” Nami laughs as she fixes her hair in the rearview mirror while waiting for the light to turn green. “Much like you and Zoro, I think.”

You choke on your own saliva, and it takes you a good minute to regain proper breathing functions, all while Nami and Vivi erupt into cackles and giggles. 

“We’re just friends!” You say after you’ve caught your breath.

“Sure, honey. We all believe that.” Vivi turns on the front seat to pat your knee in a condescending manner while you blush. 

“There’s so much heat coming off you two whenever you’re close that I don’t know how you still haven’t spontaneously combusted.” Nami quips, and you purse your lips. She’s not wrong there. “I mean, you’ve always sort of clicked, but now… daaaaamn!”

You sigh and bite your lip, trying to contain a giggle from erupting. “Who else is going to meet us there?” You ask, changing the subject and Nami shakes her head, knowing all too well what you’re doing, but not pressing on the matter. 

-*-

It’s a beautiful day for a picnic, and the park is the perfect setting for the beginning of a wonderful midday. There are rows and rows of trees, shade galore, small cobblestone pathways for long walks, and even a small creek providing a soft lull alongside the soft giggles of children. 

You and the girls are setting up rows of blankets on the grass, by the shade of the tall trees, when the group begins to arrive. You lift your head, hand sheltering your eyes from the sun, and scan the crowd. Luffy, Barto, Usopp, Kaya, and Chopper are approaching the treeline. They probably rode together.

A slight breeze dishevels your hair as your eyes linger behind, but there’s no green mane of hair in sight yet. An absent sigh leaves your lips before you spy Nami’s knowing smirk aimed your way.

She doesn’t say anything, but you blush anyway. Her unspoken words linger around you like a thick fog. You are eager to see Zoro. She knows it, you know it, hell, anyone who saw you two interact lately knows it. 

But you vow to retain some semblance of dignity and pretend to fuss over the blankets and small folding chairs. You’re so absorbed in your task that you don’t even see him approach.

“Hey there, Troublemaker, making trouble?”

The smile that graces your lips is instant and unstoppable. You turn slightly and bite your lower lip when your eyes meet his. Why does every shirt he wears seem so tight against his muscles?

“Hardly! I’m just setting up chairs!” But as you deliver the words, the chair you were opening snaps shut, almost catching your fingers, and you yelp. 

“You’re a menace.” His tone is both amused and resigned, almost as if he knew something of the kind would happen, was expecting it, even. 

“It attacked me!” You defend yourself weakly, a giggle bubbling up in your chest because he is right. You are a menace.

Zoro ends up helping you set the chairs, and you don’t even try to stop him. Both because you’re very likely to end up either hurting yourself or breaking a chair, and because he keeps brushing his shoulders and hands with yours, and the touch is welcomed. 

Robin and Sabo arrive with flushed cheeks - you can almost see Nami registering that fact for later probing - and soon after, Franky and Brook, two older men you still haven’t met but Luffy quickly introduces you to, saying they’re also part of the gang. 

You see Sanji already setting up food on the blankets, and he greets you warmly. “Hi, Sanji. You rode with Mosshead?”

“Oi?” Zoro snaps, and you ignore him.

“I did, Madame, and it was the most unpleasant ride of my life. Please remind me not to do it again.”

You giggle when Zoro’s brows knit together, his hands clenched into fists. “Tch, shitty cook, next time you ride with me, it will be in my patrol car and I’ll be dragging you straight to prison.”

Sanji starts to fume, his pursed lips crumpling the cigarette dangling from his lips, and you grimace. “Hey, hey, boys, it was just a joke!”

Nami sighs as they butt heads and continue arguing. “Never mind that.” She tells you. “Any chance they get to get up close and personal, they take it. They have a weird bromance thing going on.” She raises her hands defensively in the air. “I swear, for a moment there I thought they were going to be a thing, but Sanji loves women too much and Zoro is a man with a goal-oriented mind. Even if it’s someone he set his sights on a lifetime ago.”

Your brow raises at her as she smirks that all-knowing smirk. But she leaves it at that and stands in the middle of the boys, dragging Sanji by the scruff of his dress shirt, telling him the girls are hungry, which promptly sets him back to the task of setting up the food. 

“Shitty cook…” You hear Zoro mumble as he sets his hands in his pockets and kicks a blade of grass. It’s cute how flustered he gets. Then his eye sets on you and he frowns with a low grumble. “Oi, I didn’t forget you called me Mosshead.”

You set a hand on your heart, feigning repentance. “Oh, do forgive me, Mr. Mosshead. I forgot your title.”

“Trouble…” He lowers his tone in mock warning, and you smile, taking a step back, hands in a defensive stance. 

“Lord Moss, Knight–” Your antics are cut short by a piercing yelp when Zoro jumps and tries to catch you, but somehow, you swerve away from his grasp and start to run, an unbridled laugh filling your lungs. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I was just joking!”

“Repentance doesn’t dissolve the crime! Come here, Trouble!” He sprints, though you suspect he’s hardly even trying, and you cackle, running faster, the voices of the group fading into the distance. 

“You’ll have to catch me first!” Maybe you should’ve measured your words, because as soon as he hears the challenging tone in your voice, he sprints faster, and you barely have time to breathe before his arm wraps around your waist and he swirls you in the air, making you scream and laugh before he pulls your back against his chest.

Heart pounding against your ribs, cheeks flushed from running and breath catching in your throat, you feel your legs shaking when Zoro’s warm breath tickles your neck. “Gotcha.” He whispers, and you notice he’s not even out of breath while you look like you ran a marathon. 

The world dissolves into just this moment. The chirping of the birds and the rustling of the trees are nothing but background noise to the deafening pounding in your chest and the buzzing in your ears. 

Turning your head slightly to the side, you catch Zoro’s eye fixed on you, a wild smirk on his lips. “What now, officer? Are you going to arrest me?”

Damn. That was supposed to come out playfully, not sultrily. Right?

“Depends.” Did his voice get huskier? “Are you going to resist arrest, Trouble?”

You feel your throat bobbing up and down at all the wild fantasies running through your mind. The way he uses that nickname manages to send shivers down your spine and heat straight into your core. 

“Obviously.” You sound breathless, and it's a good thing you can blame that sorry state on the run, or you wouldn't know how to explain it. 

“Figures.” He chuckles low, and you feel it rumbling in his chest. Then, with a swift movement, he turns you, bends his knees, and hoists you up, slinging you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. 

“Wha–”

“Let's go.” Your flush deepens as you feel his strong hand against the back of your thighs, holding you in place. “The humiliation will teach you not to call me Mosshead.”

“Come on, Zo, I said I was sorry!” You whine, and he stiffens, his pace slowing for a beat, and you feel his shoulders shake slightly. Then he resumes his pace. 

“I like that.”

You stop pounding your fists against his back and raise your brow. “What? Me apologizing?”

He grunts and keeps walking, the blanket and your laughing friends nearly in sight. “That nickname. Way better than Mosshead.”

Oh! Zo! Another small blush creeps into your cheeks, but before you can reply, Nami whistles. “What you got there, Zoro?”

You hear your friends laughing and bury your face in your hands, feeling mortified. “Someone’s been naughty.” Zoro replies with a smirk and an edge of amusement in his tone. 

“Seriously?” You grumble, pushing against his back to try and wiggle out of his embrace, though it’s all for naught because he has an iron grip on your legs. 

“Well, either set her down so we can all eat or take her to naughty jail and punish her. Away from our sight, please.” 

“Nami!” You yell, exasperated, but Zoro merely chuckles, swerving right as if changing directions. 

“Naughty jail it is, then.”

“No, no!” You whimper. “I’m sorry!” Chopper stares at both of you, not sure if you’re being serious, so you try to take advantage of him and stretch your hand. “Help me, Chopper!”

He reaches his hand out before Nami swats it away. “Let them be, Chopper. They need some alone time.”

You seethe at Nami, a pout on your lips. “Traitor.”

Zoro lets out a low chuckle before settling you down at the edge of the blanket. “Learned your lesson, Troublemaker?”

You steady yourself, hands against his chest, and a permanent blush tattooed on your cheeks. “Damn you. I’m never calling you Mosshead again. You won.”

“I see you’re a fast learner.” His smirk is impossibly smug. “Zo’s fine, though.” Then he turns his back on you, opens the small cooler, and takes out a beer, cracking it open with one hand and chugging at it without another look back at you. 

And, damn it, if that doesn’t mess with your heart.

-*-

“Who wants another drink?” You ask and count the raised hands before getting up, heading towards the cooler to satiate your friends’ thirst. Zoro moves his hand before you reach it, and smooths the blanket before you can trip on its raised edge.

You smile at him, but he’s not even looking at you. His eye is shut, one arm behind his neck as he leans against the tree, though you know very well he’s attentive to everything. You pass the drinks around, then return to get your own.

“Watch your head.” Zoro mumbles, and you raise your brow but don’t heed his advice and, therefore, hit a low branch of the tree, releasing a string of curses while rubbing your forehead. “When are you going to start listening to me, Trouble?”

“When you stop sounding like a smug jerk.” You mouth, annoyed at his attentiveness and at how he seems to perceive danger before you even realise it’s there. He chuckles and you retrieve your drink, returning to your seat.

After a while of relaxing in the shade, Luffy drags everyone to a frisbee game. The boys are all down to play, but the girls just sit by a bench near the open space the boys chose to throw the frisbee and tackle each other. 

You sit on the back of the bench, a case of water bottles by your feet because you know the boys will be thirsty soon. Vivi sits on the grass in front of Nami’s legs, and Robin and Kaya are on the bench. 

After a small chit-chat about meaningless stuff, you decide to bring up something that’s been bothering you. “So I’ve been getting a lot of gifts lately…”

Four heads whip your way, and you sigh, already expecting that reaction and the bombardment of questions that follow. So you raise your hands, and they stop to let you continue. Though you decide to focus on the game in front of you instead of the way they’re all staring at you.

You especially focus on a very athletic green-haired man who constantly gazes up to where you are before focusing back on the game. 

“It’s flowers, chocolates, stuffed animals… It started last weekend, after the party at Luffy’s. They have notes, but nothing personal. No name, no nothing… I don’t know who they’re from, and I don’t even know if I should be flattered or freaked out by them.”

“How do they make you feel?” Robin asks, and you shrug, not quite knowing how to answer that question.

“The first ones made me feel good. I thought they were from– I thought I might know who they were from. But since he didn’t say anything about it, I doubt they're from him. So now they just feel weird…”

“Honey, we all know you’re talking about Zoro.” Nami says in a very condescending manner, and all the girls agree.

You sigh and bury your face in your hands. You’re so obvious it hurts. 

“Fine, yes. I thought they might’ve come from him, at first. But he’s not one for romantic gestures.”

“I wouldn’t say that, exactly.” Nami quipped back, a smirk tugging her lips as her eyes fell back on the game. Sure enough, Zoro’s eyes are back on the bench - on you, to be more specific. “I think it’s quite romantic the way he’s always checking to see if you’re safe. Keeping you away from trouble and making sure you don’t hurt yourself.”

A small blush creeps its way into your cheeks. It is quite romantic. “That’s just Zoro being Zoro. He’s a cop. He protects and serves.” You roll your eyes.

“Oh, I’m sure he would like to serve you.” Nami giggles and all the girls try to stifle their own laughs. “But you’re wrong about that. Sure, he’s always attentive to any kind of threats, but it’s different with you.”

“What do you mean?” You can’t stop the way your heart pounds maddeningly against your sternum. 

“She means that Zoro doesn’t usually go out of his way to keep people from tripping on stuff or from bumping their head. And with you, he’s always extra careful.” Robin finishes with a small smile. 

“Like the way he’s playing now, but keeps looking at you to see if you’re still in one piece. It’s like he’s expecting you to spontaneously combust or something.” Kaya adds with a giggle. 

“It’s very endearing.” Vivi finishes, and your blush deepens, so you bury your head back into your hands, stifling a loud groan. 

“But you’re still right.” Nami continues as if you’re not breaking down in front of them. “I don’t think he’s the one leaving the gifts…” She laughs suddenly. “But there’s one way to tell for sure.”

You raise your head from your hand cocoon to tell her to keep her mouth shut, but Zoro is already halfway to the bench and you squeak. “Nami…”

“Hey, Zoro!” She starts with a wave of her hand. You see Zoro raise his eyebrow at her, his long strides bringing him closer to the bench. 

Shit.

He’s sweaty all over. Fat droplets of perspiration drop from his temples to his perfect jawline and neck, and you gulp, feeling hot and bothered. So, it comes as no surprise that when he reaches his hand to grab a bottle between your legs, you lose your balance and fall back on the bench.

Yelping, you expect to hit the floor with a dry thud, air escaping your lungs and sharp pain blinding you. Instead, you feel a strong hand wrap around your forearm and tug hard, then your face being squished against a muscular, sweaty chest.

Zoro saved you from an ugly fall. Again.

“Seriously, Trouble? Why?” His voice is gravelly and rough, but with an edge of exasperation lacing it. “I’m starting to feel like I have to be with you 24/7 or you’re going to end up in the hospital.”

Your breath is still leaving your lips in ragged gasps because of the slight scare of facing an inevitable fall, and your face is still pressed against Zoro’s chest. You feel the girls’ gaze on both of you and Zoro seems completely unfazed by it, while saying you’re embarrassed would be the understatement of the year.

So you disentangle yourself from the predicament that is Zoro’s muscles and laugh it off, a hand scratching the back of your neck. “Ah, thank you. I got… distracted.”

“By what?” He asks while taking a sip of water.

“Well, Zoro,” Nami begins, and he shifts his focus to her, “we were discussing who could be her secret admirer, and then you showed up. Curious.”

“Secret admirer?” Zoro’s gaze falls back on you, his brow scrunched.

“Ah, no. It’s nothing like that. It’s just–”

“She’s been getting gifts. Flowers, chocolates, love declarations…” Why is Nami exaggerating? Is she trying to fish for information or make Zoro jealous? “You wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with it, would you?”

He drinks the water in three long gulps before answering, his scowl now permanently etched on his lips. “Do I look like the kind of guy who would do that?”

You look down and bite your lower lip. You knew it wasn’t him, but maybe, secretly, there was still a little part of you that hoped he could be showering you with that kind of attention. 

“Well, I just thought–” Nami begins, but she’s swiftly interrupted by Zoro, whose eyes can’t seem to leave your figure.

“When I want someone, I make it clear I’m interested. You’ll know.” He finishes drinking the water just as your eyes meet his, and the fire burning there scalds and melts. Was he telling you he’s interested? Was he saying he’s about to make a move?

With a smirk, he turns his back, grunts a gruff ‘try not to fall again, Trouble’, and gets back to the game, leaving you more confused than ever. 

“Did he–” Nami starts.

“Nobody says anything. We’re going to act like nothing happened.” You mumble before getting up and chugging down an entire bottle of water yourself to try and calm your nerves.

It doesn’t work.

-*-

The frisbee game makes everyone tired - and hungry - so, after all the bellies are filled again, the crew is relaxing in the blanket, enjoying the warmth of the late afternoon and the lulling sounds of the park. 

Chopper, Usopp, Luffy, and Barto are enjoying a card game. Franky seems interested, but he’s only overseeing and throwing advice that only seems to make Usopp lose the game. Robin has a book in her hands and Sabo’s head on her lap, his eyes closed with a blissful smile on his lips. 

You have serious doubts that she's paying attention to the book, especially since she seems to be stuck on the same page for over ten minutes, but you don’t say anything. Kaya is braiding Vivi’s hair and Nami is snapping photos of the crew, taking little candid shots with her cellphone. Brook is gracing everyone with a nice, mellow song on his violin - he's a wonderful musician - and Zoro seems to be sleeping peacefully, leaning against the tree.

Everything seems peaceful, quiet, and idyllic. 

But you can’t seem to shake the feeling of unease in the pit of your stomach. It’s like someone is watching you, but you can’t quite pinpoint who or where. It’s a prickling on your neck, something you’re already growing so used to that you start to think you should have this checked out by a doctor. 

With a heavy sigh, you stand up, stretching your arms to justify that action. “I’ll be back soon.” You say softly to Nami, who’s closer to you and she nods. Then, you look around before taking a step. The park is one big open space - with the exception of some trees here and there - except for the dense treeline behind you. 

So that’s where you’re headed. 

-*-

Zoro senses you getting up and opens his eye slowly, following you with his gaze and scowling when you don’t see the tree root sticking out and stumble a little before steadying your pace. 

You’re such a damn klutz.

And damn it, if he doesn’t want to be there to catch you and protect you from everything. 

His heart constricts slightly at the thought, and he sighs softly. He thought absence had made him forget how he felt about you. He even had some ‘relationships’ while you were away. Wait… can he really call something that never went past three months a real relationship? He never truly bonded with those women. Never truly cared.

No one ever made him feel the way you did.

The way you do.

But time and distance did nothing but make him pine harder for you. When Nami told him casually that you were returning, he almost didn’t believe her. You didn’t even come back for any of the holidays or to say ‘hi’, let alone come back for good after experiencing life in the big city. 

But you returned.

And then he thought he wouldn’t quite forgive you for having literally abandoned them. No text, no email, no letter, nothing. He would be salty, at least. Grumpy and upset, at most.

But he forgave you instantly. 

One look at your dishevelled form, chasing a goddamned tire with dirt all over your clothes and face, and he was a lovestruck teenager again. 

Fucking heart, what a useless organ. 

All those thoughts forgotten, he simply reached out. And you reached back, almost like no time had passed between you, and you could basically continue your story where you left off. 

And he was willing to try.

Though he didn’t want to rush too fast - damn Nami should just stop intruding and let you two figure things out yourselves. He’d get there. He almost kissed you already, so the feeling is mutual. 

He’s got time.

Sitting up, he watches as you peek behind trees, a cautious demeanour to your posture making him raise his brow. What the hell are you doing?

“Just go to her, dumbass.”

“Shut up, Witch. Mind your own business.”

Nami sticks her tongue out at him and snaps a picture of his grouchy face before turning her phone towards you and snapping another candid shot. 

“You look like a lost puppy in love. It’s cute, you know? The way you keep looking out for her.” Zoro feels his ears heat up and leans back again, trying to close his eye and return to a state of relaxation, but he can’t very well do that when you’re doing God-knows-what near the trees, looking creepily at everywhere and everything. “Just make sure you make your move soon… or maybe that secret admirer will one-up you and poof!” She makes an exploding gesture with her hand, and Zoro scowls at her. 

“You’re insufferable.” He quips before getting up and dusting his jeans.

“Word of the day? How smart of you, Zoro.” She giggles when Zoro passes by her and messes up her hair with his hand, earning an indignant gasp from the orange-haired girl. “I just went to the salon, you brute!”

Zoro smirks at her reaction and starts pacing towards you, Nami’s antics behind him. Well… all except one…

‘Make sure you make your move soon…’

Perhaps he should. He doesn’t want to lose you before even having the chance to have you.

Tag list: @rosidaze @beachaddict48 @armiliadawn @jintaka-hane @sprinkklz @baby5555 @hopelesslover06 @mars-mizuko @sleepykittycx @nerium-lil @eustasscapitankid @ren-ni @jqperi @lycoriskalmia @daydreamer-in-training @iloveyoushanks

|Chapter 4|

[rubyin-wonderland]

Sleepless Nights

opla!Zoro x gn!reader

Summary: due to your anxiety, you haven't been sleeping that well. Or at all. Someone needs to step in.

WC: 3.4k

Warnings/tags: anxiety, insomnia, overworking yourself, breaking down, there's fluff in here I swear, hurt/comfort written by someone who's never been comforted or knows how to comfort so we'll see

It was a sunny day. Perfect for any arrangement of fun activities or entertainment. And yet, on your ship, neither of those were to be found.

The crew stood on the deck, watching as you paced back and forth across the length of the deck, mumbling something incoherent to yourself.

"When did they last sleep?" Nami asked, peeking over at Zoro, who stood up straight, arms crossed and brow furrowed at your display. He was more tense than usual. "Few days. Unless you count napping at a desk for a few minutes as sleep." "I don't."

You had been really nervous lately. The ship was rapidly approaching the Grand Line and the air was lit with nerves. Both of excitement and anxiety.

The anxiety was primarily yours. For the past week you had taken it upon yourself to keep everything ship shape. There was one problem with this, that being that you were not comforted by completing your self-appointed list of tasks.

On the contrary. As days passed by, you grew more and more agitated, your anxiety building instead of settling. When you weren't hidden away in your room, writing yet another list or searching through your small library of informational books or doing menial tasks all over the boat, you were doing what you did now, pacing along the deck until inspiration struck and you would go back to your room, mumbling to yourself all the way.

The crew had done their best in terms of trying to calm you down. They invited you to participate in small activities with them, hoping you would relax enough to let go of your stress, but that rarely, if ever, worked.

Zoro took responsibility when you got too bad, stepping in when you broke down, helping you as best he could until you had calmed down enough to be stable, but you never relaxed past that. The anxiety never left you. Never completely.

At one point, you had gotten so worked up over Sanji's meal plan that you had holed yourself up deep in the belly of the ship, crying in between boxes of unknown things. You made a mental note to run inventory on them, which only made you feel worse.

After sobbing your eyes out, you returned to the world above the waterline and complained about the situation to Zoro, who comforted you as best he could before going to argue with Sanji about the meal plan and how you were handling everything.

The argument was bad, but you spent the most of it inside your room, as you read about the probability of a tornado encountering your ship while you travelled.

That night had been difficult for everyone, trying to keep Sanji and Zoro from attacking each other while also making sure you stayed fed and in the best mood you could possibly be, the bar for which was getting lower and lower as the days passed by.

That was the first night you didn't sleep. You told Zoro to sleep off his anger and you would join him, but while he did follow your orders, you disobeyed yourself and stayed up all night.

You hadn't slept since. They had all tried to convince you to sleep, but all manners of convincing and pleading with you were unsuccessful.

You would eat at meals and spend time with the crew when requested, but nobody knew how to get you to sleep.

Not even Zoro, your beloved nap addict, was able to pull you down. He had tried. He had tried so hard, but you tried harder.

His naps had felt unsatisfactory without you leaning on him while he rested. He was missing your presence and he was feeling it.

He would ask for you to nap with him, but you would brush him aside, and he was not the type to beg you to sleep with him, so he let you go. At first.

Sleeping at night was a different story. He would ask you to join him and you would do one of two things.

The first option was saying yes and crawling into bed with him, allowing him to pull you close in some futile attempt at falling asleep, but it never took, and you would just break out of his grasp once he had fallen asleep, returning to your work.

The other was telling him you would be there in "just a minute", promising both him and yourself that you would be there soon, but there was always something that took your attention. One more task, one last note. Until the morning came and Zoro woke up alone in your bed.

He would try to lure you in, napping close to you. Before everything went south, you would join him if you ever saw him napping, sliding in next to him, resting your head on his shoulder or draping a lazy arm over his body, tangling yourself with him.

You used to seek eachother out to nap, but since you weren't sleeping, it was just him, by himself, while you worked yourself to death.

Occasionally, your body would force you into sleep, but it never took. Zoro would find you slumped over your desk, unmoving but breathing deeply, and he would hope that he could move you to the bed somehow to get you to sleep but you would soon jolt up, taking in a ragged breath and your brief rest would be over and done with.

You were usually at your desk when it happened, overly tired and overworked. Your head would fall onto your work, and for a few minutes, you would regain miniscule bits of strength to power you for the next little while.

While it happened mostly at your desk, it had happened in other places too, but always while you were sitting down. Never while you were standing and certainly not while you were walking.

However, earlier that day, on your way to the kitchen with Zoro, you had just collapsed. It terrified Zoro to no end, as he watched you fall, carefully watching as your chest rose and fell, indicating that as scary as it had been, you were still alive.

When you woke up as you usually did, you took longer to get up, lethargy taking over. In a few more minutes you were back to being as anxious as ever, but it was this incident that had spurred the crew to watching you pace along the deck.

You made a sudden, sharp turn, going inside, ignoring the stares that followed you in.

"You need to get them to sleep." Nami insisted. "And not just a nap. A full, healthy sleep. This can't possibly be good for them."

"I could make their favourite meal, maybe-" "This isn't about your food, waiter. Butt out." Zoro frowned at Sanji, poison in his gaze. The argument about the meal plan still pretty fresh, and spirits hadn't gotten much better since you stopped sleeping.

"Maybe during the meal we could talk to them about what's going on. Or is that too complex for you?" Sanji asked, hands on his hips.

"Don't forget that you and your stupid meal plan are a part of this problem." Sanji was prepared to shoot back but Zoro cut him off. "Leave it. I can do this."

Zoro followed you as you ducked into your room, sitting down once more in your chair, hunched over your papers, scribbling something down. Over time, your handwriting had deteriorated significantly. Slowly but surely you could see the descent into exhaustion you had gone through. You writing had gone from it's normal script, into chicken scratch, into missing letters and words, into things that looked like words, but the letters were all wrong, leaving you with a pile of nonsense on your desk.

Closing the door behind him, prepared to put an end to this, Zoro approached you.

He was careful to make sure you knew he was there before he spoke. Heavy steps, making sure to lean on the one creaky floorboard.

"Hey." His hand reached out, resting on your desk. You looked up, meeting his eyes. You blinked a few times before you processed who was there with you. A smile spread on your face, in an attempt to convince him that you were fine.

"Oh, hi Zoro." The smile was forced and looked like it took a bit of effort.

"Why don't you take a break from work and sleep a bit?" He suggested casually, hoping you wouldn't catch onto how bad he needed you to go to sleep.

"Why?" You asked, voice soft. The way you spoke the single word had him weak. Even in your exhausted state, you could manage to charm him.

"You haven't slept in days." You looked at him, still smiling. "I'm fine, Zoro." "You fell asleep standing up this morning." "It won't happen again, I've got a handle on it."

"I'm worried about you."

That was one thing guaranteed to make you stop. He didn't like telling you about his emotions. It was always a struggle. So this confession gave you pause.

"Zoro, I'm alright. I promise." "You need to rest."

You sighed, gesturing at the piles of paper scattered across the table. "I still have things to do. I need to plan a schedule for how long we're going to stay at each island, which one we'll reach first so I can see what we're dealing with, I need to make Sanji's grocery list-"

"He can do that himself." Zoro cut in, still angry at the chef for suggesting that his food would help you better than he could.

He kneeled next to your chair, looking up at you, face completely serious.

"Please." He said as earnestly as he could. A cautious hand reached up to rest on your arm. He noted that your skin was ice cold. "I wouldn't ask you to do this if I wasn't worried for you. One decent sleep is all I want for you."

Your eyes rested on his hand, which held your arm away from your writing. You could feel the warmth emanating from him and resisted the urge to snuggle up against him.

"Zoro, I need to-" "What does this say?" Zoro grabbed one of your messier pages off the desk, showing it to you. The words were messy and barely legible, if they were even words at all. It was a mess of circles, dots and arches, scribbled in wandering lines across the page, making no sense. What words that did exist meant nothing without the context of the words around them.

You moved your hand, taking the page from Zoro's hand, doing your best to read the scribbles, trying to remember what you were even trying to write about.

Your eyes stopped moving after a while and Zoro carefully removed the paper from your grasp, taking it away from your line of sight.

"I messed it up." You whispered, letting your hands fall, eyes beginning to shine with tears. "Oh no." You repeated that phrase over and over, as you glanced at the many many pages sitting on your desk in similar condition.

You pulled your eyes away from the desk, turning to Zoro. You reached out for him, for something, anything to latch on to, hands grasping at his arms. He held on to you, hands on your elbows as you began to cry.

As the tears fell, you could hear Zoro. Under your shaky breaths and sniffles, his voice. Sturdy as a stone wall. Supportive. Protective.

"It's alright. You're okay." He whispered, thumbs gently rubbing up and down the skin of your arms.

You tried to stand, but you fell back into your chair, legs having given out. Zoro lifted you up instead, effortlessly. You let go of his arms and wrapped your limbs around his body, continuing to cry as everything came crashing down around you.

You didn't have much strength left, but what strength you did have was used to keep your arms and legs out of the way, holding him as tight as you could, letting him carry you the two steps to the bed.

You had buried your face in his neck while he sat down, your sobs quieter, but audible right next to his ear.

He leaned back, making sure to get your limbs out from under him, laying down completely. His arms embraced you once more, but this time, he just held you.

In his arms you continued crying, but it was slowing down. As your breathing began to settle, you squeezed him, not easing up. A hiccup escaped your lips and you let out another shuddering breath.

"You didn't mess anything up." Zoro reassured from under you. "You did everything right."

You sat in silence and he held you as you relaxed. You were cold in his arms, but he just reminded himself that to you, he was warm.

He felt you soften around him, it was like you were melting into him, your muscles loosening, until you were just splayed out across him like a strange blanket.

He didn't care. He had no mind for how you were to fall asleep, just that you had to do it. He would suffer through anything as long as you got your sleep. He was not unfamiliar with being kicked late in the night, but he was ready to shoulder that burden too. He could suffer any arrangement of bruises in order to see that you had a good sleep.

Now that he had finally gotten you into the bed, he wasn't going to let you leave. You would not wiggle out to return to your work. He would keep you here. He missed it so much.

"I can't sleep." You confessed to his chest, aware that you falling asleep was the specific reason for this visit. "I close my eyes and it's all nightmares." Zoro looked down at you, still embraced in his arms, the occasional shiver running through your body.

"About what?"

"Getting to the Grand Line and being unprepared. Getting hurt, lost, sick. Dying." Zoro listened attentively as your worries finally escaped from the place where they'd been locked up in your head.

"The Grand Line is dangerous. I know we can handle it, but what if we don't?"

"Look how far we've gotten already. You really think there's something on the Grand Line that can stop us?"

You let Zoro's words sink in, but still fought back, holding him just a tiny bit tighter. "I almost lost you after the duel with Mihawk." You could see the tip of the scar peeking out of his shirt. A reminder of what you had nearly lost. "And that was just one thing. We all got attacked at Kaya's manor, Nami abandoned us for Arlong, Luffy almost drowned while you were unconscious and if it weren't for Sanji, I have to think at least one of you would've died there."

You noticed a shift in Zoro's grip when you say Sanji's name. "We've been in trouble before, but we survived." He insisted. "We've been lucky. We were lucky to have Usopp run to tell the people about Kuro, we were lucky to have Sanji and Zeff to save Luffy and you at Baratie."

"Then we're really lucky to have you to keep us organized. Keep us grounded. We'll survive the Grand Line, because I'm not dying until I become the greatest swordsman in the world, and I haven't done that yet."

You wanted to say more, to go on about the many things that could happen to you as you traveled, but your body was completely exhausted. You were so tired.

And so, you shifted in place, making yourself comfortable in bed, still held within Zoro's arms, moving downwards to lay your head on his chest. He moved in turn, sitting up against your pillows, readjusting his arms and pulling a blanket up and over you.

"Get some sleep." He whispered gently, trying not to rouse you too much. "Please."

This time, you didn't protest. There was no last excuse or question as to why he would ask you to do such a silly thing as getting some rest. There was just peace. There was just you, sinking deeper into his arms, breaths becoming slower and slower.

Within a minute of sitting silently encased in Zoro's grasp, you had fallen asleep. Zoro only moved once, to pull the blanket up a little higher. Zoro was ready to drift off himself, having missed sleeping with you close to him, but just as his eyes drifted shut, he heard the door squeak.

His eyes shift to the door, an intense glare on his face as the eyes of his crew peeked in to make sure everything was alright.

He briefly looked down to make sure you were undisturbed before returning to glaring at the eyes peeking through the door, a warning that if any of them woke you up, he was prepared to raise hell.

The door squeaked shut and closed with a click, the sound of whispers from outside. You remained sleeping, undisturbed by the sounds that Zoro had been worried about.

You were breathing deeply, a soft snore rising from your lips. You didn't move much, unexpectedly, your dead weight just resting on Zoro's body. He looked past it, glad he had taken his belt off beforehand so that his swords didn't dig into you while you slept.

Under normal circumstances he would've fallen asleep with you, but because of how badly you needed this, he stayed alert. You needed this sleep and he was going to let you have it, even if it meant staying awake while you slept so comfortably on top of him.

He didn't keep track of time, just letting it pass, every second being just that small amount of rest you deserved for working so hard and caring so much.

On his chest, you moved, finally spurred to action, twisting your head in the other direction, pressing a cold cheek to his chest as the rest of your body shifted as well.

Zoro remained still. You needed a place to rest and he could be that for you. He would be that for you.

You had done so much for the crew already, working yourself so hard. He wished he had stepped in sooner, after two nights without you at his side or the first time you had drifted off at your desk and woke up even more confused and disoriented than before.

He stayed still, almost like a statue, the only movement being that of his breathing, which was beginning to line up with yours.

He wasn't even conscious of when he began to draw circles on your shoulder.

You used to do it with him when he was almost asleep, running the tips of your fingers across his skin, the gentle touch soothing and sweet. He liked it, and he hoped you did too.

His mimicry surely wasn't as good as yours, but he traced the circles anyway, tracing his masterpiece through the fabric of your shirt.

He hoped that if you weren't in a deep, dreamless sleep, that you were at least dreaming of good things. Of adventure and happiness and love, not of your struggles or your anxieties about the future. He hoped the nightmares were gone and that you didn't have to worry about what was to happen.

He hoped you knew that you weren't fighting your battles alone. He had your back. The crew had your back. They would be okay even if you didn't plan every single thing out to the very last, intricate detail. That you were allowed to calm down, take breaks, and let people take care of themselves.

"I love you." He whispered to your sleeping form.

He wasn't one for heartfelt declarations like that. He had said it before, and the truth of the statement rang true every day he spent by your side, but to hear it out loud was a rarity. You both knew the statement was true, and that was enough.

He said it now. And he would say it again when you woke up. And he would say it again any time you needed to hear it. He would say it a million times as long as you knew it was true. That he loved you.

You didn't respond, he didn't even know if you would be able to hear it, but a tiny smile curved up at the corners of your lips, ever so slight, and yet it was wonderful. He smiled back, just as sweetly as you had done it.

He wasn't sure if you had heard him speak, or if you had just dreamt up something really nice, or even just felt the rumbles of his voice in his chest, but no matter what, he wouldn't mind having to say it again when you woke up.

[demonpiratehuntress]

How the Straw Hats React to Your Period

Includes: OPLA!Zoro, OPLA!Sanji, OPLA!Luffy, OPLA!Usopp, f!reader

A/N: I actually have a one-shot written of Zoro's reaction to your period, which I'll post after this. But I hope you enjoy reading this :)

ZORO

"NO! NO! (NAME) I'M SORRY!"

Luffy's loud scream was what woke the swordsman from his nap today, one of his eyes shooting open to see what the fuss was about. Luffy zipped across the deck in front of him, holding onto his hat for dear life as you chased him around with a kitchen knife, curses and threats spewing past your lips.

"Luffy! Get back here!"

Zoro looked at Nami and Sanji, who were watching the scene while trying to stifle giggles. Usopp was behind Sanji, visibly shaking. The swordsman turned his gaze back to you and Luffy, where you were handling the captain by the collar of his vest. Before you could do anything to him, however, Zoro grabbed your wrist and stopped you.

"What now-" You turned, your eyes widening when you saw your boyfriend. "Zoro-"

"Why are you trying to kill our captain?" He asked, then paused. "Okay let me rephrase. Why do you have a knife?"

You suddenly burst into tears, and for the first time since Kaya's mansion, Zoro jumped in fright and alarm. It didn't take long for your face to be a mess of tears, and you were babbling something he couldn't hear through your sobs.

"Calm down," he let go of your wrist and gently took the knife away from you, handing it to Luffy before feeling you suddenly smack his arm. "What was that for?"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" You yelled, still crying but now very irritated. "He ate my food!"

"So?"

"So Sanji made it especially for me!" You whined. "He knows what I like on my period!"

At the mention of Sanji, Zoro growled and lifted you up, tossing you over his shoulders, "I also know what you like."

Minutes later, you were laying on his chest in his hammock, after he had brought you some more food and something to drink. He was lazily rubbing over your uterus, which he had learned - after three of your periods - calmed you down. You were content for now, eating an insane amount of food and cuddling your boyfriend, but he couldn't deny that he was a little afraid of you during these times. Still, he did his best to make sure you were okay, knowing how badly you cramped and how much pain your body was in during these days. Whatever you asked of him, he did without complaint.

SANJI

No one had seen you for hours now. That usually wouldn't be a problem, if it wasn't the middle of the day and if you didn't usually spend this time learning how to fish from Sanji. Everyone except Nami seemed to be confused, but she wouldn't tell anyone what was going on, too busy reading her charts. So your boyfriend decided to check for himself, regretting not coming sooner when he saw what state you were in.

"My love, what's wrong?"

The cook was by your side in an instant, his ears now picking up on the soft groans and whimpers you were letting out. You were clearly in pain, but you didn't want to lift your head up to tell him why. He had to gently remove the blanket from your face, and cup your cheek in his hand.

"What can I do to make it better?"

"Food," you mumbled, before groaning again and burying your face in his thigh. "And you."

That didn't really make any sense, but it didn't matter to Sanji. He didn't want to leave you alone while you were in pain, so he quickly brought a cloth he had doused in hot water and laid it over your uterus, knowing heat would help the pain. Then he kissed your forehead and promised the food would come soon, before rushing off to make your favourite.

"Where's (Name)?" Luffy asked Sanji, coming into the kitchen. "Haven't seen her all day."

"She's resting," the cook answered, before slapping the captain's hand away from the food. "That's for her."

Luffy was about to protest, but then he turned and went down to your room to check on you. Sanji would have warned him, but he was already gone before he could.

What came next was a loud bang and a the unmistakable sound of someone hitting the wooden walls of the ship. Followed by a dazed groan. Sanji tried not to laugh as Luffy came stumbling back into the kitchen, his eyes wide.

"What did you do?"

"I poked her cheeks until she told me what was wrong."

"Did she tell you?"

"No, but she punched me."

Sanji did laugh then, watching Luffy go back out to bother someone else - probably Zoro - as he gathered up the plate and hot drink he had prepared for you and went back to your room. He set the food and drink down, slipped into the bed next to you, and brought you close as he fed you the food and kept the heated cloth in place over your uterus. He was aware of how painful these few days were for you, so he tried his best to make it at least a little easier. And he always did.

LUFFY

THE MOST OBLIVIOUS MAN TO EVER LIVE. This guy has no idea what's in store for him, and he has no idea how to deal with it either. He can't help his annoying nature, but when you get your period he tries his best to shut up sometimes. Sometimes. He can't keep up with your mood swings, and even less with your cramps, but he tries. The poor guy. You always feel so bad after your periods, knowing you yelled at him for no reason or snapped unwillingly when he's never ever raised his voice at you or argued.

"(Name)!" Luffy whined. "That was mine!"

You had just swiped something off his lunch plate - something he did way more often to you - when those words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. He had - once again - forgotten what time of the month it was. He was reminded when your eyes glossed over with tears, and your bottom lip trembled. Everyone else flinched as you started crying, getting up to run off to somewhere else.

"Luffy!" Nami smacked the back of his head.

"Idiot," Zoro grumbled, face-palming.

Luffy looked confused, wondering why everyone was telling him off. Only when Usopp nudged him in the direction you ran off did he get it. He was slow, but he always understood - eventually. He got up to follow you, finding you curled up in the crow's nest, shaking and crying into your knees.

"Hey, (Name)," he sat down next to you. "I'm sorry."

"You're an idiot, you know," you grumbled, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes.

He laughed, and you frowned, before he suddenly pulled you onto his lap and wrapped his arms around you. He extended them so they encased you like a cocoon, having heard from Nami that keeping you warm might help with the pain. But also, he knew how much you loved it when he cuddled you like this. All your pain and anger faded away, and the tears stopped as your body completely relaxed in his embrace. You felt yourself nodding off, and pretty soon you were fast asleep, head tilted onto your boyfriend's shoulder. He smiled. He was lucky that you were so patient with him. Because it took him a while, but he would always make sure you were okay during these few unbearable days.

USOPP

This poor, poor boy. Having been around Kaya for most of his life, he wasn't new to what periods were. However, you were not like Kaya. You were aggressive, you were angry, you were violent, and it terrified him to his core. He knew you didn't mean to be, but your fluctuating hormones made you so moody and grumpy that he was almost tempted to hide from you for those few days. But he knew you needed him. So he did what he does best, he told you funny, made-up stories to make you laugh.

They...had the opposite effect.

He was alarmed when you started crying halfway through his infamous goldfish story, instantly reaching out to take your hand, "(Name), what's wrong? Does it hurt? I can go get something-"

"Why did you punch the goldfish?" You sniffled, looking up him with teary eyes.

He was taken aback by your question, his jaw dropping. No one ever asked that, and he was wondering why you were worried about the goldfish when he claimed it was attacking him.

"Why-"

"It was an innocent animal!" You whined, smacking his arm suddenly and then crying even more. "It didn't do anything!"

Usopp stuttered and stammered and tried to defend himself, but you were so concerned about the fish you didn't want to hear it. Shaking his head with a sigh, he just slipped into the bed next to you and brought you against his chest, kissing the top of your head. You were very very emotional, but he was learning how to appropriately handle it. And you appreciated that he was trying his best to make you smile. He made your periods bearable.

[v1nsmoke]

𝑷𝑨𝑹𝑻𝒀 𝑲𝑰𝑳𝑳𝑬𝑹 // 𝑺𝑳𝑨𝑺𝑯𝑬𝑹!𝒁𝑶𝑹𝑶 𝑿 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑬𝑹

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟭

Attending a house party won't be a bad choice, at least that's what you think until something changes the course of the night, and everything turns into chaos.

Not to mention the after effects...

this is a multi-chapter work, with consistent updates on wattpad and ao3. i'd recommend checking those out since i tend to neglect tumblr lmao, or visit the masterlist to find all already published chapters here on tumblr.

tw: none (yet)

pairing: roronoa zoro x reader

genre: horror, drama, thriller

chapter: 1/? (visit the masterlist for other chapters!)

word count: 1.3k

a/n: rework of my oneshot from 2023, now expanded and multi-chapter! decided to divide the original oneshot into two chapters, the following chapters are all freshly written!

PLAYLIST (click on this, it'll lead you to spotify!!)

The cafeteria was bustling with people, just the average, daily experience. You munch on the horrid food they serve, the food you always tried to trade with the people who were smart enough to bring their own. You were lucky to have Sanji in your friend group, he always brought a bit of his own, delicious cooking, which Luffy would often steal.

"Here dear, I brought you some of your favourite!" Sanji exclaims, handing you a small portion of your favourite food with a smile on his face.

"Thanks, you're the best!" You take it and immediately dive in, hoping that you won't feel the taste of the cafeteria's food you finished a minute ago. While talking with Sanji, you could feel someone staring, but every time you looked around to check, there was nobody looking at you.

"Okay guys, last night I was thinking," Nami speaks up, now the whole group's attention focused on her as she stands up on the table. "Robin, you already know, I'm talking about what we discussed over the phone,” she smiles.

"Just spit it out," Zoro says, losing his patience with the orange haired girl.

"Since it's our last year here together, I was thinking about hosting a big halloween party! And everyone is invited! And I mean EVERYONE. If you know somebody outside this highschool, feel free to invite them! The party is going to be held on October 31st! That's a week for you to prepare your costumes and get ready for the best night of your lives!" She excitedly says.

The whole group and the people present at the cafeteria cheer for her, everyone in on the idea. You haven't attended a good halloween party in years, and when it comes to parties, you know it's in good hands with Nami.

~○~

You walk through the girl's locker room's door, the fencing helmet held in your hand since it won't fit in your bag.

"Thanks for waiting," You high five Zoro, standing at the entrance since he changed clothes faster. Maybe because he didn't spend a good twenty minutes with gossiping, or more like overhearing conversations going on about some random girl's personal life.

"So, what did they say?" You ask.

"What?" He looks at you bluntly.

"What do you mean 'what'? Oh. So you didn't ask them about the party,” You sigh as realisation hits you.

"I didn't ask them about the party," he repeats, almost sounding proud of himself.

"Nami is counting on us!"

"The whole cafeteria heard her, isn't that enough people? Is her house even that big?"

"Even if it isn't, she'll find a way to get all these people together. She's smart, you gotta give her that."

Just then, a guy trying to leave the fencing hall bumps into you by accident. He rapidly looks up, making you notice his strange shaped nose.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to!" He apologises.

"No, don't worry, it's nothing. I was the one standing in the doorway, it's not your fault,” You apologise back, picking up his bag that fell from his hands after the impact. He's about to leave, but you call out for him.

"Hey, uh, I was wondering if you could come to my friend's halloween party. October 31st. You in?" You shout, hoping he still hears you. The guy turns around, and shouts back a "sure" in response. "I'll send you the address, I think I have you on Instagram. Bye!"

The guy puts his thumb up and leaves. You turn back, and you're met with Zoro's eyes piercing trough you.

"What?" You ask, seeing he was clearly bothered by something.

"Nothing. Let's go." He sighs and heads towards his car, landing in the driver's seat.

"If you say so." You shrug and follow, getting in next to Zoro. You open your phone, and type in your address into Google Maps so that you won't have to guide him and his poor navigation skills. Sometimes you wonder how he got his driving license.

He stops at your house. You gather your fencing equipment, and step out of the car.

"Are you coming to Nami's party?" You hold the door open so you can speak with him.

"You sure sound very excited about it. I thought you hated parties, the people, drinks and all." He replies.

"I still do. But Nami and the others will be there, at least I won't feel alone. I want to see how it turns out. You still didn't answer me."

"I guess it's worth a try. She will probably buy the expensive drinks, someone's gotta try those out."

"You're saying that because you are an alcoholic, Zoro."

"I know. Bye." He grabs your door's handle and closes it, starts the engine and drives off.

"Yeah... Bye." You say to yourself.

You plop down on your bed, letting your body sink into the soft mattress. Maybe Zoro was right. Maybe you shouldn't go. Parties? You never attended them, the overwhelming amount of people and the disgusting smell of alcohol that would stay on your shirt keeping you away from these events.

But for God's sake, it will be hosted by Nami this time. She was your best friend ever since you started highschool, and she was also your number one supporter from the moment you two met. And now she was going to organise a huge halloween party with everyone invited, there's just no way you wouldn't attend it! Besides, all your other friends would be there, too! Robin or Sanji would definitely let you stick to their sides, you'd be safe there. You've got a whole week to get ready, both your costume and mentally.

~○~

Nami throws another ingredient in the cart, adding to the weight of it, making it even harder for you to push it forward.

"Did you even look at the price of it? Or are you just throwing in everything you see?" You ask your friend.

"We need all these, and I have the money for it. I just can't wait for tonight! This will be the party of the year, and I bet everyone will be talking about it tomorrow!" She exclaims, throwing another bag of potato chips your way. You catch it and place it on top of the heap of other food already in the cart.

"What will be your costume, Y/N?" Nami looks at you as the two of you join the line at the cash register.

"I couldn't come up with anything, I'll probaly go dressed as myself. Not very original, I know." You say as place the groceries on the conveyor belt one by one.

"Hm, I was looking forward to see you in some costume for once, but whatever." She sounds dissapointed, but at least she respects your decision.

After paying the crazy amount of money Nami decided to spend on snacks, you get into her car, heading straight towards her house. A few days ago you agreed to help her set up the party, but didn't expect it to be such a big thing. Sure, Nami was the host, so it's natural that she would plan something huge.

Her keys dingle in the front door's keyhole, and she opens it. Both your hands full with the bags, only being freed after you manage to drop them on her kitchen counter with a sigh.

"What should I help with?" You inquire, leaning on the white marble kitchen island.

"I was only thinking of helping with the groceries and now that's done, but if you're already here, could you put these into bowls? You know where to find them,” she motions at the snacks in the grocery bags.

Of course you knew, Nami invited you over more than a million times, you could swear you knew the whereabout of every small item in her house. You open a cupboard, grabbing a bunch of bowls from it.

"I've got some things to tend to, Usopp should be here in about twenty minutes," she waves before going upstairs to take care of whatever she needed to.

-○-

"Ayyy! I didn't expect you here! Only here to set things up, or staying for the party too?" Usopp hugs you upon entering.

"Weird to see me here, huh? I'll stay for the party too, though I will probably stay by somebody's side, likely Robin or Sanji, maybe you, we'll see," you hug him back.

"Only an hour before the others arrive, I'm so excited! It's gonna be fun, I promise, and if ya ever feel lonely, find me!" Usopp pulls away and the two of you share your own handshake that took days to perfect.

[thychesters]

slipping in just under the wire with a not-technically-#wipwednesday because this is actually from an old wip that i haven't touched since [checks notes] may 2024 but it's still my favorite bit. will the rest of this ever see the light of day? maybe. perhaps even. i haven't written from luffy's pov in a while and i think it would be neat to get back into it. since finishing the time loop i haven't really considered another wip given that was almost a full two years devoted to one fic, so i've been taking a break for a hot minute lmao

And oh, oh Luffy’s just a fool, isn’t he. Zoro, who’d told him he’d make him slit his belly open if he got in the way of his dreams, and Luffy, who’d nodded and said yep, that sounded good. Except now he feels like he very well should have with the way it twists and burns. He’d do it too, of course. Feels like he may as well be now as Zoro turns to look at him and smiles before going back to his business like he’s none the wiser. It makes Luffy want to chew his own arm off.

[valeriancrow]

Directory

Dividers: @sisterlucifergraphics , @cafekitsune , and @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Thank you for letting me use ur dividers!

Genshin Impact (not taking requests)

One Piece (pending release)

The Arcana (not taking requests)

Requests are OPEN. Rules for requesting are here.

Requests currently pending… 0 (pls send some)

Currently have 5 fanfics in progress.

Shanks x Genderfluid Reader: mundane life on the Red Force, haven't figured it yet. has the most written words but lacks true form

Strawhat crew x afab anthropologist: Big ol' slowburn between Luffy and reader, they might not even get together. not a lot of romance goin on, but some well thought out high tension scenes. a real lil summary: "Series or mini-series with strawhats & afab anthropologist. Luffy comes across reader while they’re digging on an abandoned island at some ruins. Ur so tuned into ur dig site and notes that you barely notice ur being watched until it’s too late. Also takes place after wano and before egghead" I'm really excited for this one. this could also be Robin x reader but we'll see which way this story takes me.

Strawhats & male accountant/brooker: this is another potential slow burn but with nami. but this one most likely won't have any romance. also might just be a one-shot, when I write it i'll know how I feel about it. the real summary: "Series or mini series with strawhats & male accountant/brooker. Becomes besties with nami and keeps her in check from extorting the crew too much, def helps her with it sometimes." with how I'm feeling about this and how nami only loves beri idk if they're gonna get together.

Luffy x reader: based off of a poem

Zoro x tomboy reader: based off some fanart going for a mini series vibe. def modern au tho

"[Soft haughty tone] Hello fellow travelers, I am the Master Tale-weaver Valerian Crow. You might have heard of me on the whispers of the wind, or in your local tavern. For I have written a great many of stories, from entertainment of the sexier kind to the softest of fluff. [abrupt pause and soft accent is dropped] Okay, that's enough of that. I literally don't have anything else to say."

Hii, I'm Danny but my penname or persona for this blog is Valerian Crow. When referencing this blog, my works, or just addressing me use Valerian. I'm 18 and I recently graduated high school and going into college in Autumn.

I've been writing fanfic since I was 10 I think, might have started earlier, starting with the good old favorite Nico di Angelo x Will Solace smut that never got posted. Then later I wrote a 13 chapter pjo self-insert on Wattpad that I deleted so that's never getting posted here unfortunately (not). Also I happened across tumblr during the early days of the quarantine, I got no idea how I didn't find out about it sooner. I then got back into writing with Genshin Impact fanfics and posted them on Quotev. I have since abandoned the fandom in favor of One Piece which is the only thing I will be writing for. I possibly may be open to new fandoms or only specific characters but for now I'm sticking with my One Piece.

If you want to get to know me as Danny and not as Valerian please go follow my main blog @nico-ith. Here on this blog I am Valerian Crow and will not respond to Danny unless it is important.

credit for banners: @cafekitsune

~Valerian

[nyarlathotep-thecrawlingchaos]

Update 27 Nov 23

Ko-Fi thing

You can call me Nyarla, I guess.

Or "Yo She-Bitch." Either's cool.

Soooo I figured I might need to make one of those MASTERLIST things because I cannot stop writing (which is the most amazing feeling ever when I've been in a writer's block for months).

It's just One Piece Live Action right now, but as my confidence increases I might post some of my other fandom work.

I'm Open for Requests for OPLA fics and headcanon. Primarily Character X FemaleReader, but I'm flexible.

I do reserve the right to not write every single request that is asked, since I am human and my abilities do have limitations, but I swear I will try.

I'm not squeamish about much of anything, so don't refrain. I'll always post any necessary ⚠️Trigger Warnings⚠️ right here with the links.

I'm always open to requests for Shanks, Mihawk, Zoro, and Sanji. Possibly also Buggy, Luffy, Usopp, Koby, and Helmeppo, but I haven't written them much, so please bear with me if it takes me a bit to respond.

Honestly please bear with me if it takes me a while to respond to Asks/Requests in general because I get really nervous about getting them perfect.

Some things about the weirdo that's writing this shit can be found here

Masterlist

The Lovely Alphabet (NSFW)

Sanji

Zoro

Shanks

Mihawk

Dialog I Presently Have No Use For

(But might eventually) (basically mini dialogue-centric fics that may make there way into something else later or might not)

01 Get Out

02 Can We Keep Her?

03 What Happens in Loguetown

04 Coffins and Coping Mechanisms

05 Kitty

06 Send Help

07 Pep Talk

08 Death Wish

09 Oh No Not Again

10 Shanty Time!

11 No Sleep

12 The Throngler™

The Best Boys

First Kiss

Material Boys (NSFW)

I Don't Even Know Music Or Something?

Ooooh...Kinky ;D (NSFW)

In the Kitchen

HAMMERED

Because I Got High

Whoops

Short Stuff

Hobbies

ABCs of Kink (NSFW)

D is for Dominance (First Kiss sequal)

P is for Public Blacksmith's Daughter Part 1 . . . Part 2 . . . Part 3

Mihawk

Your Scars Are Mine (NSFW)

(Trigger Warnings for Self-Harm, Blood, Implied PTSD)

Ch. 1 . . . Ch. 2 . . . Ch. 3

Ten Years (unofficial sequel to YSAM) (NSFW)

Mood Swings (mostly SFW headcanons)

Hearing Problems (NSFW eventually)

Guess this is important

All OC Face Claims and Character Sheet Links

Ch.1 . . . Ch. 2 . . . Ch. 3 . . . Ch. 4 . . . Ch. 5 . . . Ch. 6 . . . Ch. 7

Sanji

Late Night Chats

X plus-sizeReader Headcanons (NSFW)

Tongue Ring headcanons

Zoro

Strawhat Stowaway Ch. 1 . . . Ch. 2

Shanks

Redhead suppremacy (sfw headcanons)

!!COMIMG SOON!!

(...I hope)

(Some titles subject to change)

Tongue Ring (F is for Food Play)

Blacksmith's Daughter part 2 (P is for Public, ABC's of Kink)

O is for O Denial

B is for Brat Tamer

[drgngutz]

18 - Coast - Luffyxf!soulmate!reader

Chapter 18

Taglist: @mystic60 , @louisechec , @pinksh1t , @violetmatcha , @urbisexualfriend , @vexis-world , @sleepykittycx

Masterlist!

Content below the cut <333

A makeshift camp had been set up shortly after we arrived, and already the crew was bustling around, prepping for dinner and getting ready to discuss what had happened to each group while we were separated. Luffy's cheek's were puffed up like a chipmunk as he ate, taking another bite out of the roasted-sky shark before the last piece had even been swallowed. He had practically begged Sanji to cook it for him, and the chef relented in an attempt to stave off the hungry boy for the time being. 

I sat next to him, nestled between a few roots that served as a comfortable-enough backrest, blinking owlishly at the whole shark that had been placed on a spit and roasted caveman-style. Luffy, who notices my awed stare, rips a large chunk off the morsel he was currently devouring, and hands it to me with a smile. I hesitate, but hold out both of my hands in order to properly accommodate the meat without dropping it on myself. 

"These things are tasty!" He exclaims once he finally swallows. 

"You'd eat dirt if we told you it was food." Nami sweat drops, glancing at Robin next to her. Everyone was positioned in a circle around the small fire, and I wasn't planning on moving anytime soon. My body still aches like hell. 

"You haven't even tried it! What do you know?" My soulmate bites back at the girl, before digging into his meal once more. Usopp, the only one standing, taps on the chalkboard to alert us that he was about to begin the discussion. I had no idea we even had a chalkboard. Where did that come from? 

"It’s time to hear everyone's field reports!" 

Mysterious chalkboard aside, we began to piece together all the information that we currently had. Sanji began the conversation, explaining how Satori, the priest, had attacked us and was able to predict people's movements throughout the fight by using something called ‘mantra.’ Meanwhile, Chopper had been left alone to keep watch on the Going Merry while Zoro, Nami and Robin went on a short expedition. Another priest, who attacked Chopper and had also destroyed The Merry by setting it on fire via a giant flame-breathing bird, seemed to have the same ability. During that time, Chopper had summoned the Sky Knight by using the whistle that the man had given us when we first arrived. However, the Sky Knight had been defeated in that same battle, and he was now in Chopper’s care. Both The reindeer and The Old Man were, overall, safe and sound now. Nami had some better news, explaining that she, Robin and Zoro had made the discovery that the island was actually the other half of Jaya. It had been shot up into the sky by the Knock-Up Stream, just like we had done in order to get here. This meant that the city of gold wasn't in the ocean, it was actually in the sky; right here, right now. 

If Nami's theory was true, we would soon be finding a literal city of gold up in the sky. I mean, I couldn't even imagine what that might look like. The rest of the crew looked to be in the same line of thought, excitement itching under everyone's skin. 

Luffy had demolished the sky shark to nothing but bones by the time the exchange was over. Seeing the hollow eyes of its skull, I handed my unfinished piece back to him, appetite demoralized. He beamed, snatching it from my hands and practically swallowing it whole. 

"Well," Usopp shouted, looking determined, "Based on your reports, we've learned: The priests can predict our movements using a power they call mantra. However, the biggest discovery is this!" 

The long-nosed sniper points his directing-stick to the written words on the chalkboard, fully emphasized by the various exclamation points at their end. Then, he reads the writing aloud; 

"Believe it or not, this island is the City of Gold, the same one that the Saruyama Alliance was searching for!"

"Really?!" Luffy piped up, finally finished focusing on his food and tuned into the conversation. 

"I already said that!" Nami barked, annoyed.

"So, what is this mantra thing?" Zoro asked the cook from afar, who was grinding up some herbs into a fine paste for the Sky Knight.

"I don't know. Maybe it's intuition, or something." Sanji responds out of focus, relatively calm in his response. 

I tilted my head in curiosity. That had to be the first time that I had seen them acting so civil during a conversation one-on-one. Luffy, somewhere in the background, cackled with his arms raised to the sky, excited about the prospect of gold hunting. 

"You seem confused." A teasing tone resounded from beside me, and I turned to find Robin, cowgirl-hat and all. She was grinning, already having witnessed the exchange. I smiled, too. 

"Well, when was the last time you saw them talking to each other without an insult being thrown?" I bit back in the same tone, turning and looking at the two, who were already concentrating on other things. 

"Savor it while it lasts," Nami intervenes in a gritty-voice, huffing as she plops the crate stuffed full of papers and quills onto a spot in front of us.

"They'll be fighting again in the next twenty minutes. I'd bet my money on it! Anyone wanna’ wager?" She jeers with a cat-like grin, eyes urging us to enter the bet. Anything to get her hands on some extra cash. 

"I don't think either of us are stupid enough to take that bet, Nami." I snickered, and watched as she deflated with a pout.

"It was a good attempt, though." Robin agreed. 

"Can't blame a girl for trying..." The ginger girl sighed, before turning and grabbing a smaller crate nearby, utilizing it as a stool for her map-making-process. 

"Anyways, I was gonna' mention this earlier," She props a hand on her hip, jutting it out with a raised brow and her gaze directed at me, "but, you look really beat up." 

"Oh, yeah--" I blinked at her, lips pursed. 

"About that... I can't really move my legs right now... Or any part of my body, sorta.’" 

Nami blinks back at me, bewildered, as if trying to read my brain in order to figure out if I was being serious or not. When I don’t answer, she comes to the conclusion on her own, jaw going slack. 

"Oh, my..." Robin gasped, apparently surprised as well. 

Then, Nami's shock is morphing into rage, red-hair turned to flames as she whips around and marches straight to Luffy. The boy is sitting clueless, pouting by the fire as Sanji preps the stew for tonight's dinner, eager for another snack but not allowed to touch the prep. 

Then, the argument starts. The hot-headed girl is fighting with the hard-headed soulmate, and it's like an all out war in the middle of the forest all over again. She begins to clobber him over the head for 'not taking good enough care of your soulmate, you stupid, useless, childish--'

…you get the picture. 

"So, what happened?" Robin inquired, leaning eagerly towards me to hear some of the harrowing conflict we had faced on our way to the altar. 

"Well, the priest-- Satori-- he had this weird ability to produce some kind of explosive, or something like a blast, from his hand. He kept saying 'impact' whenever he did it... I was wondering if maybe it was a devil fruit?" I questioned my own thoughts, and Robin hummed curiously. 

"It could be possible. But, that doesn't connect with his other ability that Sanji mentioned; where he created these 'mystery-spheres' out of the clouds." She pondered aloud, and I pursed my lips at the thought. 

"Right... They don't connect at all. That's weird... Maybe a weapon?" I ask myself again, but shake my head in disregard, knowing my head hurt too much to think of any theories right now. 

"Either way, it hurts. I passed out after the first attack, and Luffy had to grab me before I could be hit by another one." 

"Oh, he did, did he?" She asked with a sly-grin. I glazed over the words in the moment, stuck in word-vomit mode. 

"Yeah, he did. I've never felt pain like that before in my entire life, it was like it spread from the inside-out or--" I stopped dead, realizing her words a little too late as she laughed outwardly. Heat rose from my neck and fled to my cheeks in an instant

"Well, go on." She urged, after a minute, "I won't interrupt this time, promise." 

"Uh-- Yeah, well..." 

I continued my retelling of all the injuries I had obtained, attempting to make the time pass a bit quicker, just until Luffy and Nami's squabbling died down. Eventually, Nami swapped shifts with Robin; Nami sat down to chat with me as she scribbled in the log book, while Robin went off to find something to contribute for dinner. 

Chopper was still taking care of the Sky Knight when he was told about my condition, so I was still snuggled up in my root-sanctuary, eyes drooping lower with every passing moment. The physical exhaustion might have been taking its toll on me, but the mental exhaustion still hadn't quite caught up to me yet. Eyes tracing over every busy-body in the camp (aside from my soulmate, still pouting at the boiling pot), I couldn't help but feel a bit off. Chopper, Zoro, and even Robin having gone to forage for food and medicinal plants, Sanji chopping up vegetables and fish for the meal, and Usopp working on repairing the Going Merry somewhere in the distance... Meanwhile, I was sitting like a lump on a log, no use to anybody. Granted, I was fairly incapable of doing so, but I wish I could've contributed in some shape or form. 

I swallow down the feeling of uselessness building in my chest, trying to think of what I could possibly do to help in my current condition. Maybe if I wasn’t so weak, it wouldn’t be this difficult. 

I don't get to wrack my brain long enough to come up with any ideas, before Zoro, Chopper, and Robin are returning with their spoils; and the Doctor now has his attention on me. 

"Alright, what seems to be the problem?" He starts, stethoscope already at my neck and chest as he analyzes for any imbalances that he might find. My pulse, my breathing, my heart rate... I let him do the quick check-up before I recall how my body is, for lack of a better description, aching all over to the point of being unable to move. 

The admittance, unsurprisingly, makes him extremely anxious. He twists and turns, sprinting in the other direction, rifling through all of his remedies to find the right ones. When he comes back with a handful of bandages, salves, and even stitches, I sweat drop. 

"Chopper, I was just gonna' ask for some pain meds and an ice pack, or something… I don’t think I need all that." I laugh nervously as he picks up my arm and examines it all over. 

"No!" He practically screeches, before moving to my other arm, "I mean– what if you got a cut, or a scratch? Those have to be disinfected, right away! I need to look at all your bruises to make sure you didn't fracture any bones, and you said your head hurt, right? Oh, no... What if you have a concussion, or internalized bleeding?!" 

He's obviously panicking. And lowkey, his panicking is making me panic too. 

"I'll be right back, don't move!" He instructs. 

"Um... I can't, anyways." I remind him. He shrieks in horror and speeds away once more to dig through his bags. 

While Chopper finally gathers all the necessary (or unnecessary) materials, I watch the chaos unfolding around camp. Zoro has to use his swords to drop a scalding rock into the large pot for the stew, which begins to help it cook from the inside. Then, Luffy goes over, brought in by the delicious smell of the pot, and is being high-kicked in the cranium by an irritated cook before he can get too close. 

"I'm hungry!" He whines desperately. 

"Well, it's not ready yet!" Sanji shouts, teeth bared, "Weren't you just cramming a sky shark down your gullet like– thirty minutes ago?!" 

"Yeah..." The Straw Hat boy admits, looking a tad guilty, "But, that was just an appetizer, I figured you knew that!" 

The girls look disapprovingly at him, while I just sigh at the interrupted peace. 

"You need rest." Chopper chastises in a surprisingly stern tone, and I'm taken aback at the sudden change in his attitude. 

"Desperately." He finalizes with a knowing look, and I nod at him with a tight grin. Of course, I sometimes forget that I had consulted Chopper about my insomnia before, only after he had noticed it himself. Obviously, he knew I overworked myself. I play with the frayed edges of the bandages on my arms. 

"Yeah, okay... I'll try. Thanks, Chopper." I sound like a scolded child, shying away from someone who was way younger than me. Chopper crosses his arms, looking at the fire. 

"Actually, it's better if you come over here. It'll be warmer, since it’s getting dark." He shifts into his larger, man-shaped form to transport me with ease. 

A couple of the crewmates glance at us as we go, and it makes my stomach churn at what they might be thinking. Even as he lay me gently back on the ground, in my new spot, I wince at the contact. He morphs back to his normal state, before snatching a blanket and bringing it over to me with a grin. 

"Hopefully you can rest soon! It's likely that your body is just overstressed, and sleep could really help with that." He cheers, all seriousness gone from his figure. I nod quietly with a mumbled 'thanks,' still stuck in my own thoughts. 

I'm not sure how much time has passed by the time Sanji begins handing out chowder, glancing at the heart shaped carrots as I lift the spoon to my lips with stiffened arms. I barely touch the dish, and barely manage to follow along with the next meeting we're having about the island's history; and how it might connect to where the City of Gold lies. The most I manage to understand is at the very end of the conversation, where my bowl is left abandoned and cold next to me and I struggle to keep my eyes open. Apparently, the City of Gold was in the skull's right eye, which was a place on the island... How did they figure that out, again? 

I must've been dozing, somehow. The next conversation I was in and out of seemed to be about the concept of camping, which piqued my interest enough to take a quick look. 

"It's gotten pretty late. We should put out any unnecessary fires. We don't want to announce our location to our enemies." Robin states matter-of-factly, but is met with Luffy's scoff of disbelief. 

"What a rookie move," Luffy says under his breath, like he's some sort of intellectual about fires, "You hear that, Usopp? She wants us to douse the fire, what are we gonna do?" 

"Huh?" Robin questions, looking frazzled. 

"I don't know... It's not really her fault, though. She's never been exposed to this kind of living before. She just doesn't know!" Usopp seemingly defends Robin against Luffy's strange accusatory behavior, and now Robin looks even more befuddled. 

"What are you two saying?" It’s silent as they stare at her deadfaced for a moment, before they’re falling to their hands and knees and crying real tears. 

"You're always supposed to have a campfire when you camp, that's what makes it camping!" Luffy sobs at Robin's feet, pounding the ground with his fist as if Robin's lack of knowledge physically pained him. 

"The desire to have a campfire, even if you're on your last legs, is what makes one human!" Usopp cries out of pity for the woman. But, was he insinuating that she wasn’t human? What was happening? 

If Robin isn't absolutely baffled, then I definitely am. I've never gone camping before, what's so special about a campfire anyways? 

"Will you two cut the crap already? You know how dangerous this forest is!" Nami curses at both of them. 

"Don't care!" Luffy dismisses like a little kid, getting even further on Nami’s nerves. 

"There are priests! There are guerillas! We're in the middle of a war, and even without them, forests at night are dangerous as is!" She continues, both arms crossed in frustration. 

"Hey, Luffy!" Zoro calls over Nami's scowl, and everyone turns to look in the swordsman's direction. 

Surprisingly, he's accompanied by the blonde, who's happily holding a thumbs up as they stand in front of a massive stack of wood; one that looks oddly perfect for a bonfire. 

"Is this enough wood for your fire?" Well, apparently these two also firmly believed in Luffy's camping ways. 

"It's all right, Nami!" Sanji tries to alleviate the issue in an assured tone, "Wild animals are actually afraid of fires! They'll stay away!" 

Sanji lights the wood stack via a torch, igniting them into a swirling orange plume and illuminating the area. Conveniently, it also illuminated the reflective eyes of the pissed-off pack of wolves behind him. 

My tired eyelids snap open at the sight as they begin to paw forward, white fur tinged with yellow-light, glistening in the darkness. I question if I’m dreaming as I try to scooch back and away, but don't get far as the soreness makes me grunt, now fully aware this was real life. 

"B-But, there's already something behind you!" Nami shrieks, tears in her eyes. Usopp and Chopper scream in terror at the sight. 

Then, one steps forward, a jagged scar over his bright yellow eye. He trots over to Sanji, the canine’s full height coming up to the man's torso, grumbling and grunting in a manner that looks as if he is trying to communicate with the chef. Lo' and behold, with the assistance of Chopper, the wolf is saying something. 

"'You jerks are being too damn loud! Go to bed, you dumbasses!'" Chopper translates with the same snarl as the wolf. 

"Who's a dumbass?!" Luffy and Sanji look ready to attack the poor reindeer, who tries to defend himself desperately (via ‘don’t shoot the messenger’),  before continuing. 

"'Don't tell me you bastards are thinking about trashing our turf! This is our land! Who said you jerks could just cook here? This forest is ours! The trees, the grass, everything!'" Chopper continues in the gravelly voice. 

Before the wolf can continue his riled-up speech, somebody else decides to step in and escalate the situation. 

Who, you might ask?

It was Nami. Nami decided to step in and escalate the situation. 

After she had heard the potential threat of a wolf-pack stealing our gold, she went and whacked the one talking over the head. So, all of us were scared shitless. 

But wait, there's more. 

Before the rest of the wolves could rip us to shreds, since we had clobbered their assumed-leader and they saw us as an obvious threat, the pack leader actually spoke up and decidedly formed an alliance; because he was ultimately impressed by Nami’s strength. In his words, there was no way that they could fight us and win. 

So, now, we were chillin' with a pack of wolves. 

Luffy, Chopper, Usopp, and even Sanji danced around the bonfire; beating drums, howling, and singing as they went. Nami was having a few drinks with the creatures, same with Zoro (I didn't even know that dogs could have booze). Robin sat chatting with the Sky Knight across the way. 

As much as I wanted to join in on the fun, now that any residual danger was gone, my consciousness was fading fast. The warmth of the fire against the cool night air made pleasant shivers travel over my arms, and I snuggled further into the ragged blanket that Chopper had gifted me earlier with a sigh. 

My body finally gave in, unwillingly tilting to the right; still in my fetal-sitting-position. It’s startling when I hit something solid, yet fuzzy.

Tilting my head languidly, I stared dazed up at one of the wolves of the pack, which was looking back at me. Its own eyes were squinted, and it leaned its weight against me in reciprocated exhaustion, a yawn in its caged jaws. 

When I don't move, sluggish and drowsy, it decidedly brings its head down and under my chin, pushing me to lay down on the ground as it cuddles up against my chest. 

It doesn't smell great, but its fur is surprisingly soft against my finger tips. The warmth emanating from its body has me caving faster than I thought as I bury my face between its fluffy ears. It grumbles and smacks its lips as the rest of the world begins to fade out, and I finally feel comfortable enough to succumb to the darkness behind my eyelids. 

There are many points where I wake up from a rogue shout or random clamor, where I register that more bodies have joined the growing, slumbering pile around me as the night draws on. The newfound heat is not unwelcome in the dwindling embers, and a happy smile lays over my face as the last body collapses into a snoring heap on the ground. 

Next part (19)

[novemberhope]

So... I did a thing and decided to write Neri into the live action timeline. This takes place somewhere shortly before they meet Usopp. So far, it's just Luffy, Nami and Zoro on the crew as well as Neri whom they just have met.

It's kind of from Neri's POV and the reason she's calling them by their titles rather than their names when thinking about them is that she still does not trust them. I think she will start to trust Luffy first because really how can you not?

tw: assault (Neri gets assaulted here but is saved before anything bad can happen) English is not my first language so sorry if the writing feels weird, I haven't written a story in english in a while

"Stop inviting random people onto our ship. Especially if there's nothing they can contribute." "But… she's nice… and I wanted to help her… I'm sure she'll find a place in our crew!" "For the last time, we are not a crew!" The swordsman's words hurt and Neri, not waiting for the captain's answer, slowly moved away from the door. Sure, it had been nice of the rubber boy to help her out when she was on the run from her pursuers. Still, she shouldn't have come with them. This wasn't her place to be, this wasn't her home. The moment these people would learn who - or rather, what - she really was, she would end up being sold again. She would never be safe on a ship where she could come in contact with water so easily. The ship was still at the harbor. This was as good a time as any to leave the ship. She felt sad for the captain to had so nicely offered her a place in his crew, but it was too dangerous. And while rubber boy had been nothing but kind to her, the other two hadn't been as friendly. They clearly didn't trust her. And really, who could blame them? She hadn't been able to tell them anything without giving away her real species, so of course they didn't trust her. And once they knew… mermaids brought in the big cash, especially here in the East Blue, where they were so rare - it would only get her back to where she had fled from. After everything that had happened, after losing everyone she cared about, she wanted a home, a family, a place where she belonged. But this was not it. This could never be it. "Hey, where are you going?" the red-headed navigator asked when Neri slowly tried to climb off the ship. "I… have something… I mean… there's something I need to do", she stammered. She didn't want to say she was leaving - even that didn't feel safe anymore. Just disappear, she told herself. They barely know you. They will move on and you can… Well, that was the thing, the only place she probably would be safe was Fishman Island but it was all the way out there on the Grandline, the Pirate's Graveyard… and to get there, she would have to get on a ship - the very thing she couldn't do because on a ship, she would come in contact with water sooner or later and then everyone would know… "Well, suit yourself," the navigator said with a shrug. "Just be aware, we'll be heading out soon. If you're not back by then…" Neri nodded. She wouldn't be back by then and she figured the navigator knew that. Quickly, she left the ship and started to walk across the harbor, pushing past people. It was a small island but the harbor was still pretty busy during this time of the day. There were people loading the ships, sailors were coming and going, children playing in the middle of all this, running around and causing people to stumble, and passengers impatiently waiting to board one of the bigger ships. It was almost too much noise to handle but Neri kept on walking. For a moment, she thought someone had called her name - maybe the captain? It sounded like him. He had saved her the other day and invited her to join them and she had actually liked him. Still, it wasn't meant to be. Surely, he would understand that she had made her decision. She kept on walking without looking back.

Leaving the harbor, it got even more crowded. There was a market nearby and people all went into this direction, pushing Neri with them. She started to feel anxious. It was too loud, too crowded, too many people just shoving her out for their way when she wasn't walking fast enough. But walking on land was still something she was getting used too. Under the sea, things were not like this - not this crowded, not this loud, not this harsh. Nearby, some men were starting to yell at each other. This brought back unpleasant memories from getting yelled at herself while being imprisoned. Quickly, Neri stepped sideways into the shadows. It was the entry to a side alley with huge, unpleasant smelling dumpsters lining the brick walls on both sides. It was quieter here, the further she kept walking, so she went on, ignoring the unpleasant smell. Maybe this alley would take her away from all the noise and all the people. Sure, she still had no place to go, but anything was better than here right now. But suddenly, she was no longer alone. Behind her, voices got louder and louder. They were talking to each other, it seemed. She stopped and leaned against a wall that belonged to a tall rundown warehouse building. Maybe they would walk past her, minding their own business. Unfortunately, as she had already learned, humans rarely did. These ones were no exception. They were adult males, three of them, with bottles in their hands, obviously already - or still - drunk at this time of the day. Neither of them looked too pleasant. Neri shrank back and just hoped and prayed they would walk past without noticing her. They nearly did. But then one of them turned his head and suddenly stopped. "Look at this," he said. "A little lady…" Quickly, Neri turned, and, avoiding eye contact, tried to keep walking. Unfortunately, she was immediately grabbed and yanked back. "Hey little lady, not so fast," the guy from before said. "Let's have a proper look at you, alright?" "No thank you," Neri muttered and started to run. Unfortunately, she immediately was grabbed. One of the guys was firmly holding her with her arms behind her back while the other two were leering at her. "Please let me go!" "Please let me go!" they mocked her. "There's no chance we're letting you get away, sweetheart. You're too pretty!" Neri started to panic. She tried to kick them, but they only laughed at her attempts to get free. One of them roughly yanked at her hair for trying to kick him. "Be nice," he warned her. "Or we'll show you just how nasty we can get!" "You're already nasty!" she replied, still struggeling. Was this really how it all would end? Were all humans like this? Other than the rubbery captain and his two friends, they all had treated her like shit. Ever since she had been caught and dragged on land, it had gotten worse and worse. "Let's show her just how nasty we can get," one of them laughed. They were all grabbing her now. She screamed and kicked and bit one of them in the arm, but that only resulted in her getting slapped in the face. Neri screamed again when she was thrown onto the dirty ground like a piece of trash. Then someone was over her - and then he wasn't anymore.

"And just what are you going to show her?" another voice asked. It was the swordsman's voice and Neri breathed a sign of relief. At the same time she was wondering how he got here and why he was here. She had thought the navigator had understood that she had left for good. "How is that any of your business?" one of the guys sneered. "Let's knock this freak out", the second one said. "Ummm, have you looked at him? He's carrying three swords," the third one said, slowly stepping back. "So what?" The first one rolled his eyes. "He can only use one at a time anyway." Next thing they knew, all three of them were bleeding. Their bottles were on the ground. And the swordsman was holding two of his swords. "I can get the third one out, too," he said. The first guy looked like he thought it would be a good idea to get into a fight, but luckily, the other two started dragging him away. Neri hastily got onto her feet. She wanted to turn and run away too but her legs were shaking. "Next time I'll see you, I'll cut off your hands," the swordsman called after them. They weren't even looking back. He turned his attention towards Neri. "And what are you doing? Why aren't you on the ship?" "I was… leaving?" She thought that had been quite clear and besides, neither he and the navigator had been too impressed when their captain had invited her to join them. "Oh yeah? Well next time, you run that by Luffy first. He still thinks you're on the crew." She threw him a look. "I thought you're not a crew?" "Well, Luffy thinks we are… and for now, we have some common goals, so… didn't you say you want to reach the Grandline too?" Yes, she wanted to get to Fishman Island - maybe there she would finally be save again… "Yes, but… I'm just a random person your captain picked up on the street," she said. "I heard you talking. And I mean, you're not wrong…" He grimaced. "Yeah, well, I'm trying to prevent Luffy from adding every weirdo we come across to this so-called crew. If you prove yourself to not be a weirdo… you're welcome to join as long as you pull your weight on board." Not a weirdo… well, from a human perspective, she definitely was weird. But maybe, just maybe… she could hide that a little longer until they were on the Grandline at least?

Looking down the dirty and dark alley, she realized that she needed a place to stay and people to rely on. This wasn't her world. She had to rely on someone else, even if it was only temporary. "I'll try not to be burden," she replied. "I've never been at sea before." Well, on a boat, she silently added. The swordsman turned and started walking and she hurried along to keep up with him. "How did you find me, anyway?" she wanted to know. "I didn't," he replied. "I was actually trying to take a shortcut. The streets on this island are just really confusing." "Are they?" she wondered, following him out of the alley. There was, after all, only one main road leading from the harbor in the direction of the market. "Are they not?" He looked back at her. "I mean, I can't even see the ocean from here." She didn't know if she should giggle or not. For someone wielding three swords, he was surprisingly clueless when it came to directions. "That's because you're looking in the wrong direction," she said, deciding to surpress the giggles for now. "The ocean's over there." Irritated, he looked around. Yes, there was the ocean, and it wasn't even that far away. The deep blue color could clearly be spotted from where they were standing. "Like I said, it's confusing," he grumbled. Finally, he walked in the right direction and she followed him, slightly amused. And maybe… her new crewmates weren't that perfect either? So perhaps she wouldn't feel completely out of place all the time…

The ship came into view and it looked ready to sail. It was a small one and there had already been talk about getting a bigger one. Luffy, the captain, was waving at them. "There you are! Come on, let's go!" Quicky, they climbed on board. "I'm sorry," Neri said to Luffy, feeling she should at least say something to explain the delay. "I was just…" "Got everything sorted out?" Luffy asked her, grinning. "Well, then I guess we're all set. Let's get going!" "Set the sails!" the navigator shouted at them. And soon, they were out at sea, the island behind them getting smaller and smaller. In front of them, the ocean shimmered in the deepest blue, spreading far and wide before them. It was a marvelous sight and Neri, leaning over the railing, with the wind in her long hair, suddenly felt very calm and at peace with her situation for the first time since she had been captured. Maybe, just maybe, everything would turn out okay?

[zorosjuicymelonsx]

Finding You

A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first One Piece fanfic. I haven't written in a while, a lot of shits happened and mental health is not to be messed with.

This is a slow, romance burn (there will be smut later on) however in the meantime do enjoy the fluff and attempt at humour. I will let you guys know before in the notes if I need to add any warnings don't worry!

Chapter One Next

With another corrupt government taken down and its people freed from tyranny and hardship, the Straw Hats sailed their way through the New World off on their next adventure. It was a normal day for the crew, Luffy leaned back comfortably on the head of Sunny, soaking in the hot sun beaming down as he gazed over the sea filled with excitement. Sanji fawned over Nami and Robin as they casually sunbathed on their lawn chairs, the scent of tangerine wafted around them while sipping on the cool drinks the cook had put his love into making. Brook, Franky and Usopp were sitting at a round table on the ship near the girls under an umbrella, Chopper suffering through the heat as he laid on Jinbei’s cool lap watching the guys play cards to take his mind off the sweltering heat. 

“Oi, that's cheating Brook you can’t hide your cards in your ribs.’’ Usopp stood up accusingly pointing at Brook annoyed, the skeleton giggled behind his palm and pulled out a stack of cards he had indeed been hiding in his ribs. 

“That's SUPER uncool bro”. Franky threw his cards down and picked up his iced cola to sip on. 

“YOHOHOHO, that game was truly rib tickling.” Brook laughed at himself and gathered all their cards to reshuffle whilst hearing unanimous groans from the others to prepare for the next game that he promised he wouldn’t cheat again. 

Zoro comfortably leaned back against the beam of the ship, sweat dripping down his chest with his eye closed trying to drown out the noise of the crew in the background. He spent the day in search of an answer as to why he’d been feeling on edge since he woke up this morning. The air was calm around the ship, Nami noted no upcoming changes to the weather and his haki couldn’t pick up on anything out of the ordinary that would pose a danger to the crew. 

“Oi cook, come here for a second”. Zoro called gruffly for Sanji, the cooks hip swerving at the ladies came to a halt and became visibly irritated from being disturbed.  

“Can’t you see I'm busy shitty swordsman?” Sanji bit back but nonetheless reluctantly walked away from Nami’s side and gave a ‘what’ expression to Zoro once he stood before him. 

“Do you feel anything…off around you?” Zoro questioned, the cook clearly confused by what the swordsman was asking him. 

“Has the moss on your head finally seeped into your brain?” Sanji asked back, Zoro opened his eye to deadpan at the cook, regretting asking him. If the cook wasn’t going to take him seriously, at least Zoro knew he was always prepared for the worst to come. 

‘Maybe I just need some booze.’ He thought to himself.

“Nevermind, I don’t even know why I even bother with you.’’ Zoro said back, about to close his eye only to sense a kick approaching his head, quickly drawing Wado from his stilt to block the attack. 

“Wasting my precious time over your stupid-” the cook couldn’t finish his sentence before the ship began to rumble. The rumbling abruptly stopped after a few seconds, a large hole began to grow out of the deck of the ship. The hole appeared as swirled white smoke with stars glittering in it. The hole had now been fully formed. The swordsman and cook moved into position to defend the ship as they were the closest to the hole. Luffy jumped from his place to stand with Zoro and Sanji, clearly not worried but beamed with excitement as he gawked over the mysterious hole. 

As the rest of the crew quickly gathered around the hole, all ready for the worst to come out of this hole…a small hand shot out from the smoke, flayling trying to find grip around the hole onto the ship. The hand found grip on the edge of the hole, one hand became two hands on the edge, hauling themselves out of the hole to crawl to then lay on the floor of the ship. 

“Wow look, it’s a woman!” Luffy said the obvious, smiling widely at the mysterious woman who laid on her side on his ship, her face appeared fatigued. 

You were huffing in and out trying to catch your breath again, feeling sweat dripping down your back. Your breathing eventually evened out, finding the energy to open your eyes to observe where in the world you had stumbled into. Finding the faces of the concerned strangers staring at you, a small “shit” came out of your mouth as you scrambled to pull yourself up into a seated position, taking off your backpack and what appeared to be a dark green sword attached to it. 

“Excuse me, I do apologise for disturbing you. Where am I?” You smiled up at everyone as you asked politely, the crew members looked at each other clearly seeing that you were not dangerous, dropping their defences and gazing at you with wonder. 

“Oh what a beautiful lady you are, I’m Sanji your savi-” Sanji started walking forward to you, beaming with hearts in his eyes about to work his usual ladies-man routine before he was pushed back by Luffy. 

“You’re on my ship in the New World. Hi I’m Luffy and I’m going to be King of the Pirates.” Luffy happily said as he grabbed your hand and shook it aggressively, you looked at him and started looking at each individual in front of you until your eyes laid upon a familiar green-haired man while he was putting his sword away. Your smile dropped as you gasped, slowly standing up and started walking towards the swordsman, the others were confused by your actions. You eventually stood in front of him, your eyes glossed over and a small whimper came out of your mouth. 

“It's you…I’ve finally found you.” You quietly spoke, everyone suddenly looking at Zoro who had become the centre of attention. Zoro finally looked up from his swords to face you. What happened next clearly brought everyone out of their confused state as you slammed yourself into Zoro to hug him tightly. Sanji had visibly died at the display of affection from you.

“Oi, what are you doing?” Zoro said gruffly, not returning your hug, his arms were raised to not touch you.

“I spent so long looking for you, you have no idea how happy I am right now.” You said sobbing, tears falling from your face as you felt the relief flood in. 

“I don’t even know who you are and you’re touching me like this” Zoro angrily stated.

“Y-you don’t remember me?” You looked up at him concerned, the weight of his words crushing into your heart. 

Robin started to walk towards you from the others to ask the obvious question everyone had on their mind. 

“I see you know our swordsman, do you mind me asking who you are?” Robin asked. You turned your head to the side at the new sound to make eye contact with the woman standing by your side. You could sense her gentle nature, you offered a small smile before clearing your throat to speak.

“My name is Y/N Roronoa and this is my husband.”

————————————- ⚔️✨ ————————————

[pandora-writes-one-piece]

A note regarding Trouble

We might get one more chapter and only then the epilogue. I still haven't written much of the next chapter (do forgive me!), but what I've written has taken a solemn turn - guess healing for reader and Zoro is going to take a while - so I need to turn up the angst a bit before the happy ever after.

Good news: More story! Yey! Bad news: You'll suffer a bit more in the next chapter... It's bittersweet.

Love you all! Thank you for all your support!

[make-me-imagine]

Requests Reminder: Bloodhounds & One Piece

I know I haven't posted anything but I am working on a Bloodhounds fic and I do have two more requests I can do but they will take a while to write as they are both a bit more detailed than more simple requests.

So I wanted to remined those who are interested:

Requests for Bloodhounds and One Piece (Live Action) are Open!!

These are the only two fandoms right now I still even feel like writing for, sorry to anyone else who does not follow for these fandoms!

Blog Rules & Requests Info

Prompts Masterlists

*You don't have to send in a request with prompts, but they are here if you want them or need inspo!*

Bloodhounds:

Geon-Woo

Woojin (will do sperate x readers, or poly requests)

One Piece: *written in order of preference

Zoro

Sanji

Mihawk

Luffy

Shanks

Buggy **All Straw Hats are written as over 21

[quinloki]

20 Question for Fic Writers

No one tagged me, but I saw the amazingly talented @anorlondo00 do it and decided I wanted to before bed, so here we are XD

❤️

1) how many works do you have on ao3?

73

2) what's your total ao3 word count?

981,925

3) what are your top five fics by kudos?

Birds of a Feather - Marco/Reader Quicksand - Sir Crocodile/Reader Some Direction - Zoro/Reader Forget me Not - A collection of character/Reader drabbles playing with the amnesia trope Young Lady - Rayleigh/Reader

4) what fandoms do you write for?

Just One Piece, I don't see that changing anytime soon ^_^

5) do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I try to respond to every comment I get. Sometimes though I don't know what to say ^^;; But comments make my day, so I try to make sure people know that they're appreciated.

6) what's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Burned - Sabo x Reader and I was trying to be as heart wrenchingly painful as possible. >.> I'm not really good at angst, I always feel bad and want to make sure the ending is good ^^;

7) what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably Some Direction? Maybe Birds of Feather.

8) do you get hate on fics?

Eh, not really. I'm pretty solid about tagging them and what not, and I'm pretty vocal that if you walk yourself in, you can walk yourself out. But 99 out of 100 people are pretty chill.

9) do you write smut?

Oh absolutely. <3

10) do you write crossovers?

No, but I haven't really tried either.

11) have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not so far as I know.

12) have you ever had a fic translated?

If I have, someone just went and did it without telling me, but I don't really think people are chomping at the bit to read my stuff anyway XD

13) have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Not as yet, but I'm open to it with the right folks.

14) what's your all time favorite ship?

xD It's an OC ship, but I gotta be honest (sorry @mew-ya ! ) KataMaren is my OTP. Katakuri/Maren is just sublime, and Mew's amazing - the passion pulls you right in -^_^- <3 If I have to pick a full canon/canon... augh, I love so many... Probably Curly Dadan/Kokoro - I put 'em together in one of my fics and they've grown on me. I hope they're happy together XD

15) what's the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have a couple fics fighting me on how I'll end them, but I'll get there. Heart of Gold most notoriously. Like I know what I want to do, but my passion for writing Law long-form is on fumes, and while I want to wrap it up, I don't want to just rush it out the door either.

16) what are your writing strengths?

Banter, so I've been told ^_^

17) what are your writing weaknesses?

Too many wips - and I just mean I get slowed down a little bit cause I need re-read sometimes so I don't get wires crossed, but if I don't have enough wips I can't really focus. I think I'm starting this year with like 17 of them, and despite starting Two New Ones tomorrow I hope I end the year with like... 9. Let me get under double digits ^^;

18) thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Gods, I barely fucking know English. I am not talented in this way and I haven't the time to cultivate that skill either. 🥺

19) first fandom you wrote for?

According to a ff.net account I haven't touched in 15 years, that would be Inuyasha.

20) favourite fic you've ever written?

Hmmm... I'd have to say Family Ties, because it was the first One Piece fic, and the first x reader fic I've written. It's responsible for breaking 10 years and change of not writing at all, and it was the stepping stone that led me to finding most of the community I have now. I can't believe it was like October 2022 and here I am, completely hooked.

Open tag - tag me so I don't miss it if you decide to do it! \o/

[fanaticsnail]

Hi! Long time reader, first time caller lol.

I absolutely adore all of the pollen fics and cant wait for the rest of the dream fics to be posted (especially zoro and ace)! But i have a couple of questions for you.

Could, may-haps, a pollen ace fic be accomplished? Cause i got a hankering for that man!

Also, on the topic of ace, what about a Sapsorrow spin off with him? Cause i could totally see him somehow inheriting a ring from Roger somehow. And it being more of a romantic comedy of errors between two idiots, with some angst (cant have ace without it). (On another note why have i just figured out that its Sapsorrow and not sapsparrow?!? Lol)

Hello love! I recognise your handle in my notes and I love this. I have added Ace to the pollen for you! I haven't written for him before, but it's not gonna stop me from trying!

Now then, let me just say that I had no intentions about writing a Sapsorrow spinoff for him, but...

It works 🤌. Like, it actually works. Imagine him inheriting it from his mother (gifted from his father) and wearing it on a chain around his neck or wrist (somewhere his brother's wouldn't recognise easily is a preference).

I know I wanted to have one where the curse was previously lifted, and I feel like with Roger and Rouge it could've been. But it's still somewhat dormant somehow.

Having it be a romantic comedy, with undertones of angst, a hint of the supernatural, and the playfulness of two idiots mutually pining while refusing to do anything about it sounds like so much fun!!