Just A Cocoyashi Girl In A Grand Line World...

Surrender

Word count: 4400

Synopsis: You have been feeling tension in your back and neck for several days. You try to manage it on your own, but your captain has other plans and decides to relieve you…

Tags: Kidxf!Reader, not really NSFW, massage, possessive!Kid, soft!Kid, dom!Kid, fluff.

Notes: Just in time before the end of my birthday ^^ I’ve been working on this piece for a long time... I’m happy to share it with you today! @jintaka-hane and @pandora-writes-one-piece, this text is for you. I hope you like it and that I managed to capture the atmosphere well in both English and French. Thank you for everything—for your support, your encouragement, your messages, your comments, your reblogs. You are truly a source of inspiration for me. I love exchanging and sharing with you and rambling about our beloved grumpy Captain with the fiery hair. I love you, girls! English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes.

The common room was bathed in a soft, flickering light cast by the lanterns hanging from the dark wooden beams. The steady swaying of the ship added a slight oscillation to the dancing shadows on the walls, making the atmosphere almost hypnotic. An enveloping silence reigned, punctuated only by the gentle creaking of the wood under the pressure of the waves, creating a familiar and reassuring melody. The air was imbued with the salty scent of the sea, mingled with the residual warmth of the day.

With your body heavy and your movements marked by the fatigue of a long and demanding day, you had settled on a high chair near the counter, seeking support that could ease the tension in your back and neck. Shoulders slumped, you absentmindedly brought your fingers to your neck, where a dull, insistent pain throbbed. The tension had taken hold for days, clinging to your muscles like an invisible weight, turning each movement into a nagging reminder of your exhaustion. Despite your efforts to ignore it, the sensation intensified, as if it fed on your will to push it away.

The ambient calm seemed to amplify each breath you took, each tremor of your fingers sliding over your tired skin. You closed your eyes for a moment, letting the darkness offer you a brief, albeit fleeting, reprieve from your tumultuous thoughts. The space around you felt both comforting and heavy, filled with that temporary solitude which, paradoxically, made every sensation more palpable and more intense.

Yet, it was not only fatigue that made you tense. There was something else in the air, a far subtler but equally oppressive tension. Kid, your captain, had said almost nothing all day, but you knew he was watching you. You could feel his gaze on you, that piercing and weighty look that made you shiver more than you cared to admit.

For weeks, a sort of change had taken place between the two of you. Something you couldn’t name but felt every time you were near him. This silent bond, this almost tangible electricity hanging between you, like a storm on the verge of breaking. Conversations had become rarer, replaced by long, heavy glances and silences that seemed to stretch far longer than necessary. A silent storm, full of unspoken words and hidden emotions.

You unconsciously bit your lip, trying not to focus on the warmth in your chest that surged every time you thought of him, of his imposing presence. You tried to chase those thoughts away, to push them to the back of your mind, but they were always there, lurking, ready to overwhelm you when a thrill ran down your skin.

And you knew this thrill well.

You slowly opened your eyes, and it was only then that you saw him. Kid was standing in the shadows, leaning against the back wall, his massive silhouette outlined by the flickering lanterns light. In an instant, your breath caught, surprised by his presence that you hadn’t noticed until now. He was unusually silent, arms crossed over his chest, his intense gaze fixed on you.

He had been watching you out of the corner of his eye for several hours, frowning each time you rubbed your neck or stretched your shoulders. You had exchanged more glances than usual without saying a word. The tension between you kept growing day by day, and it had become almost unbearable for you.

Once the surprise passed, you tried to collect yourself, quickly looking away to break the burning connection of his eyes on you. But the silence remained heavy, and the air seemed charged with an indefinable anticipation, as if even the ship held its breath at this unexpected face-to-face.

Kid still didn’t move, his stillness amplifying the effect of his presence. You knew that when he was this calm, it never signaled anything ordinary.

He finally moved, crossing the room with his determined, imposing stride. You followed him with your eyes, thinking he would leave the room and let you be, but you didn’t expect him to stop right next to you. He was imposing, magnetic, and that mere proximity made you shiver.

“Sit properly,” he ordered in a rough voice, without preamble.

You looked up, surprised. “Excuse me?”

“Your back, your neck... You’re going to completely lock up if you keep going like that.” His piercing eyes left no room for argument. “Let me take care of it,” he said, guiding you to adjust your posture and placing his right hand gently on your shoulder.

What?

Your heart skipped a beat. The idea that Kid, the feared captain, was offering... a massage? You didn’t know what to think anymore.

“No, it’s fine, it’s just a little tension. It’ll pass,” you replied, swallowing hard.

A wave of warmth flushed your cheeks, and you could already feel your heartbeat quickening. This exchange was becoming far too intimate.

But Kid wasn’t the type to accept refusal. He moved around the chair, pressing his hand more firmly on your shoulder to keep you from leaving.

“Stop pretending to be strong and let me do this.” Your breath caught in your throat as he positioned himself behind you, imposing, and you felt the weight of his presence overwhelm you. With a confident gesture, he moved his hand up to your neck, his fingers pressing lightly into your tense muscles.

The warmth of his palm radiated instantly through your skin, flooding every inch of your body. You couldn’t decide if it was the contact, his closeness, or the intensity of the moment that made you so nervous, but your whole body reacted. It was like an electric current spreading at an alarming speed. Your skin responded immediately, every fiber sensitive to the slightest movement of his fingers.

He was surprisingly skilled, despite having only one functional hand. Every movement was precise, as if he knew exactly where to press to release the accumulated tension. There was no hesitation in his touch, no doubt.

He knew exactly what he was doing.

“You’re as tense as a bowstring about to snap,” he murmured, almost to himself, continuing the massage with a surprising expertise.

You bit your lip, trying to stifle the sigh of relief that threatened to escape. The pain that had been weighing on you all day gradually dissipated under his fingers. You felt your muscles relaxing, despite yourself. His hand, rough and large, brought an unexpected comfort. He said nothing, focused on his task, but his slow, steady breathing against your bare skin made you shiver.

His fingers pressed slightly into a knot of tension, and you couldn’t suppress a sigh as your body instinctively yielded to the pressure. That warmth... it spread like a slow fire through you, transforming the pain into an unexpected kind of pleasure. Every inch of your skin seemed hypersensitive to his touch, and you struggled to keep your body from betraying the effect he had on you.

No matter how hard you tried to stay calm, every movement of Kid made pushed you further off balance. The warmth of his hand spread through your body, sparking a troubling sensation that mingled with the fatigue and pain you had accumulated. But it was no longer just tension in your muscles; it was something else. Something much deeper, more intimate, that burned softly beneath your skin.

“You really don’t know how to relax,” he breathed softly, his breath brushing against your skin as he leaned slightly closer, his deep voice resonating in the almost oppressive silence of the room.

His fingers began to slide under the strap of your tank top, exploring the tense muscles of your shoulders. The precision of his movements was disconcerting. Despite his imposing stature and reputation as a brute, he massaged you with a gentleness you would have never imagined. Even with just one hand, he made you feel every pressure, every movement as if your entire body belonged to him. You bit your lip discreetly, trying to suppress another sigh that threatened to escape."

His hand moved a bit lower, lingering on a sensitive spot between your shoulder blades, and a shiver ran through your entire body. You closed your eyes, trying to push away the sensation that overwhelmed you, but it was impossible. The way his fingers pressed, the way his warmth spread... It was too much. Too intense, too intoxicating.

'Kid, I...' your voice faltered slightly, unable to find the right words. You wanted to say something, anything, to regain a bit of control. But everything seemed futile against the mastery he displayed."

"Let it go," he replied calmly, but with a firmness that allowed no argument. It wasn't a suggestion. It was an order. You felt trapped by that deep voice, by that burning hand wrapping you in a silent embrace. And you no longer had the strength to fight.

Nor the desire.

His hand moved slowly up, caressing the curve of your neck before returning to your shoulder, his thumb gliding with calculated slowness over the tense line of your muscles. You felt your body relax despite yourself, surrendering to his touch. You were no longer in control, and each brush of his skin against yours made you shiver even more.

"You're much more sensitive than you let on," he murmured, an almost audible smile in his voice.

He knew.

He knew what his touch did to you, how you tried to hide the effect he had on you. But he wouldn’t let you escape.

His fingers ventured even lower, lingering on your back, tracing the natural curve of your spine. The heat of his hand only grew, and each slow, precise movement seemed to awaken sensations you had never felt before. It was almost too much. Your breath quickened, and you desperately tried to maintain control, but your body betrayed you.

“Kid…” you tried to protest again, but your voice sounded foreign, muffled by the intensity of the moment.

"Shh," he replied, his deep voice resonating right by your ear. He leaned in closer, his warm breath brushing against your bare skin, sending a wave of shivers through your body. "Just let it happen."

He was far too close now. You could almost feel the heat of his body against yours, and just the thought of that proximity was enough to make your heart race. His hand, still firm but attentive, continued its exploration as if he knew every corner of your body, every sensitive spot you tried to hide. Every time he pressed a little harder, a sigh escaped your lips despite yourself, and you could no longer control your reactions. He knew it. He felt your body yielding under his touch, surrendering to his movements.

“Let go,” he repeated, this time in a lower, almost husky whisper. His fingers slid gently over the curve of your collarbone, moving up to your neck with an exasperating slowness. And this time, you didn’t even try to resist.

Your breathing became deeper, more ragged, as you lost yourself in the sensations. Each movement of his hand seemed to ignite your skin a little more, each pressure sending shivers racing through you. Your mind wandered, unable to think of anything but that hand on you, the heat enveloping your whole body. Your world had shrunk to this single touch, to this intimacy you had barely dared to dream of.

Then, slowly, Kid leaned even closer. His chest almost brushed against your back, his burning breath caressing the back of your neck. The tension between you was unbearable, and yet, you had never wanted something so intensely. The closeness, the heat, that hand capable of controlling everything... You were swept away, lost in this wave of sensations.

"I know how you feel," he purred close to your ear, his deep voice piercing right through you.

An uncontrollable shiver ran through you. His words were a promise, an invitation to relinquish that last shred of control. And at that moment, you knew there was no escape. Kid had taken over, not just your body, but every thought, every sensation. All that was left was to surrender.

And he was going to make it happen.

Your mind was in turmoil. Kid’s words echoed within you, striking every thought, breaking down the barriers you had tried so hard to maintain. He was too close, his warm hand still on your neck, sliding slowly down your back with disconcerting expertise. Your breathing quickened, each breath harder than the last, as the proximity of his body and the heat of his breath overwhelmed you.

"Don't hide from me what you want," he had murmured, his voice resonating in your ear like an invitation impossible to ignore.

You wanted to protest, to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. You were trapped by your own emotions, by the heat consuming you, by the tension that kept building between you. Your throat tightened, your skin burned under his fingers, and despite yourself, you felt incapable of resisting any longer.

"I know you feel it too," he whispered again, his deep voice making you shiver. His fingers brushed against your skin with such slowness that you thought your heart might explode from the intensity of that simple touch. "This tension... it won't disappear if we ignore it."

His words hit the mark. The tension between you had never dissipated. For weeks, it had only grown, weaving into every glance, every gesture, until now, when it had become unbearable. You closed your eyes, trying to steady yourself, but you were already too far gone to turn back.

"Kid..." you breathed, your voice trembling. It wasn’t a protest, nor a request. It was just his name, slipping from your lips like a plea for help, but also a surrender.

"Do you really think you can still resist me, lass?" he murmured, his warm breath caressing your face.

His eyes traced the line of your neck and lingered on your hair, neatly braided, a detail that stirred something within him.

Slowly, he let his fingers slide down to the base of the first braid, his touch light at first, almost hesitant, before becoming more assured. With calculated precision, he took hold of the elastic holding the braid, sliding it off slowly, unhurriedly. His grip, usually firm and rough, was surprisingly delicate here. The simple contact of his fingers against your hair felt searing, sending a shiver down your spine.

" You won't need it now," he murmured in a deep, rough voice, his warm breath brushing against your neck.

You felt your throat tighten at his touch, a gentle yet intense heat spreading throughout your body. Kid began to undo the braid, strand by strand, each of his movements slow and meticulous. He let his fingers glide over each lock, seeming to savor the moment, as if he wanted every action to remind you that you were under his control, at his mercy.

When he finished undoing the first braid, he slowly ran his hand through your hair, pushing it aside and letting it fall freely over your shoulders.

His hand lingered for a moment on your neck, brushing your skin with an almost possessive touch. The contrast between the gentleness of his touch and the force of his presence left you defenseless, each brush of his fingers sending shivers through you that you could no longer suppress.

He moved to the second braid, repeating the same ritual with an exasperating slowness, undoing each strand with measured precision. Occasionally, he let his fingers sink gently into your hair, caressing your scalp in a way that sparked electric sensations overwhelming you. You could no longer stifle your moans, and Kid smirked, satisfied with the effect he was having on you.

When the second braid was undone, he ran his hand through your loose hair, gently separating it to let it fall around your face.

He then tugged lightly on your locks, just enough to tilt your head back, exposing your neck further. His hand in your hair didn’t loosen its grip, and you felt a wave of intense heat wash over you, as if this simple act plunged you into an abyss of sensations you had never known. His hold wasn’t rough, but it kept you firmly anchored, grounding you in the moment.

Then, without warning, his metal hand gently settled around your throat. The coldness of his touch contrasted with the burning heat of his skin, and you felt your breath catch as the metallic fingers encircled your neck. He didn’t squeeze. He just held you, a gesture that was both incredibly tender and intensely possessive.

His metal thumb traced softly along the line of your jaw, and you felt your chest rise with the burning desire that surged within you. You were trapped in this moment, unable to move, yet every fiber of your being craved more.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured in a husky voice, his warm breath brushing your ear as his fingers tightened slightly around your throat, never harming you. It wasn’t a threat. It was a promise. A declaration of quiet, yet infinite dominance.

The combination of his two hands – the warmth of his skin in your hair and the cold metal around your neck – overwhelmed you with sensation. And in that moment, you knew you no longer wanted to escape. You surrendered completely to his will, your body responding to every movement, every touch, every brush.

“You’re mine now,” he whispered close to your ear, his deep, rough voice sending a shockwave through you.

His metal hand slid softly, tracing your neck, lingering just enough for you to feel that possessive presence. You were completely at his mercy, every fiber of your body instinctively reacting to this silent yet total domination. And as you tried to maintain control, Kid moved closer, pressing his chest against your back, his warmth engulfing you entirely.

He gently tugged at your hair, tilting your head back further until it rested on his shoulder, his metal fingers now brushing your collarbone before slowly moving down along your chest. The coldness of the metal contrasted with the heat of his body, each touch drawing you deeper into this intensity. Kid didn’t loosen his grip. On the contrary, he enveloped you fully with his presence, his body against yours, holding you firmly under his control.

“I know what you feel,” he repeated, his voice deeper, slower, as if savoring every moment. “You don’t need to hide anymore.”

His lips grazed the back of your neck, leaving light but searing kisses as his flesh hand, still buried in your hair, applied a delicate yet unyielding pressure, holding you in place. His metal hand, meanwhile, slid lower, grazing the sensitive skin of your neckline with an unbearable slowness, each touch awakening uncontrollable shivers within you. He didn’t go further, but just the fact that he held you like this, at his mercy, was enough to overwhelm you.

“Someone could come in…” you tried to murmur, your voice betraying your unease. But you knew your words were futile. Kid had already thought of everything, orchestrated everything.

“No one will come in unless I decide it,” he replied simply, his metal fingers tracing new lines on your skin, pulling more uncontrollable shivers from you. “And even if they did, it wouldn’t change anything. You are mine, here and now.”

“I control everything here… just as I control you.”

He tightened his grip slightly on your throat, forcing your head to tilt back even more, exposing your neck to his insistent gaze. “Look at me,” he ordered, his deep, commanding voice resonating in the silence.

You obeyed without thinking, your eyes meeting his. His gaze was intense, filled with that relentless domination that made you tremble. Kid gently tugged on a strand of your hair, his expression showing a mix of satisfaction and desire, and he let his fingers slide slowly down your neck, brushing your skin with a surprising yet possessive gentleness.

“Know one thing,” he whispered, his eyes holding yours. “From now on… you are mine. And I won’t let anyone or anything change that. I want you completely at my mercy,” he murmured, his rough, low voice making you shiver to your fingertips. “Every breath, every shiver, belongs to me.”

Without breaking eye contact, he lowered his lips to your throat, placing a slow, burning kiss at the exact spot where he could feel your pulse racing. The touch of his lips, so close to that sensitive point, made you lose control of your breathing. Each breath became shorter, more ragged, as if your body struggled to contain everything you were feeling. Your throat tightened slightly under his kisses, and you felt an intense shiver run from your neck to the tips of your fingers.

Your lips trembled slightly, and you felt your cheeks flush with heat. You tried to regain control of your breath, but it was a losing battle.

He felt your body tense, desperately seeking an anchor. That drew a slight smile to his lips. Kid relished this sense of control, this soft yet relentless dominance he exerted over you. He could feel how hard you fought to maintain your composure, but each movement, each tremble of your body showed him that you were yielding to him completely, that you no longer had the strength to resist.

His lips continued to travel across your throat, his kisses becoming deeper, more demanding. He wanted to feel you completely let go, to reach that moment where you would abandon all resistance. Kid loved this game, this slow build-up of tension where he made you surrender, forcing you to accept each touch, each caress as proof of his domination. He tightened his hand slightly on your neck, holding you firmly in place, savoring the sensation of your body trembling against his.

Despite his brute strength and reputation as a ruthless pirate, Kid showed remarkable control over himself at this moment. He wasn’t rushing. He knew that pushing you gently, slowly, into this state of submission made the moment even more intense. He delighted in every reaction you offered him, every shiver he provoked in you. Your ragged breath, your moans, the tremors that coursed through your body—all of it fed him, filled him with a satisfaction he couldn’t hide.

His eyes darkened as he looked at you, his lips grazing your skin, his warm breath brushing your throat. “You’re mine,” he murmured, more to himself than to you, his rough voice full of absolute certainty. He could feel your body tense under that declaration, but instead of giving you an escape, he held you firmly, letting his fingers trace slowly down your stomach, savoring every movement, every response of your body.

He loved the idea that no one else could make you feel what he made you feel.

The constant pressure of his metal hand on your throat, combined with the softness of his lips, plunged you into total confusion. Your body responded with both uncontrollable shivers and tremors that coursed through you with each moment. You felt your muscles tense with each kiss, each caress, your stomach tightening almost painfully under the burning desire consuming you.

Kid slightly loosened his grip around your throat, just enough to turn you toward him, forcing you to meet his smoldering gaze. Your muscles tensed, every fiber of your being seeking to resist, but his hands applied a gentle yet unyielding pressure, letting you know that there would be no escape. His hard, possessive gaze captured every emotion playing across your face, and he savored this moment, this vulnerability he saw in you.

“Look at me,” he ordered in a deep, husky voice, his tone cutting through you like a blade. “I want to see you surrender… completely.”

Your breath came in uneven gasps, your eyes searching for a momentary escape, but you were held captive by his stare. Your lips parted under the weight of his silent dominance, a slight tremble betraying your state of surrender. The distance between you seemed to dissolve under the intensity of his hold, his gaze piercing you, demanding the total submission you felt was inevitable.

He slid his flesh hand up to your jaw, holding your face with controlled firmness, his fingers exerting a possessive pressure that left no doubt: he had you, and he intended to mark every moment of it. His thumb gently stroked your cheek, tracing burning lines across your skin, his eyes never leaving yours.

“Say it,” he murmured commandingly, his lips mere inches from yours, his breath mingling with yours. “Tell me that you belong to me.”

Your hands, almost trembling, rested instinctively on his chest to find support, an anchor in this sea of sensations. Your heart pounded so hard that you could feel each beat resonate throughout your entire body, every fiber of you responding to this relentless domination. A whisper escaped your lips, your voice weak, almost broken by the intensity of the moment: “I am… yours.”

A satisfied smile touched his lips. His gaze, filled with an unbridled possessiveness, shone with an intensity that made you shiver. He lowered his lips to your ear, his words reverberating like a promise, dark and undeniable.

Before you could respond, he claimed your lips in an unyielding, demanding kiss.

This kiss was a claim, an assertion of his power over you, and you felt each pressure, each touch of his lips as an indelible mark. Kid controlled every movement, and you let yourself be swept away by this total hold, your body surrendering completely to this silent domination.

His hands roamed your back and neck with calculated precision, alternating between the warmth of his skin and the coolness of steel. You felt your last defenses crumble under this touch, each shiver, each tremble betraying your complete submission. You were his, utterly and without reservation, and he knew it.

When he finally pulled back, his intense gaze remained locked on yours, as if probing every thought, every emotion. He slowly ran his fingers through your disheveled hair, a gesture that was both possessive and tender.

He finally released his hold, but his gaze, filled with that absolute dominance, made it clear that this connection would never fade. Your heart pounded so hard that you felt each beat resonate through your body, and the warmth of his gaze, his voice, his embrace enveloped you entirely. Kid’s eyes bore into yours with that possessive intensity that left no doubt about his intentions.

He observed you for another moment, as if to imprint every detail of your surrender, and his lips brushed yours again, his voice murmuring with unyielding certainty: “From now on… every part of you is mine.”

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Masterlist

⛥ﾟ・。 1000 FOLLOWER MILESTONE PT. 1

synopsis: zoro's inexplicable feelings for the crew's newest member leave him a flushed and confused mess. he can't eat, he can't sleep, he can't think... and he can't possibly talk to her.

cw: fluffy fluff, comfort, (nsfw in pt. 2), zoro is emotionally constipated, reader's a sweetheart, girl talk, zoro is so adorable i cant, i love making him awkward

a/n: tried to be a bit more prosey lol <3 literally why i had to split this it would've been entirely too long (pt 2 is gonna be even longer tho sigh)

Zoro's appearance was deceiving.

He was an imposing figure among his fellow members of the Strawhat crew; people would often think twice before approaching him.

Some would claim it was all about his look: his glare—a look that would feel like a stab the moment it settled upon oneself.

Immobilizing, evoking uneasiness, as if in them there was an unforgiving tint that would petrify.

Moreover, the scars littered all over him—one of them rested across his chest, elongated along his clavicle and stretched well past his hip—were not only marks of his chivalry, his bravery, but also marks that warned others about his fierceness, about his staggering strength.

He was threatening to be around, to say the least.

Still, as rough, relentless, and brutal as he could be, even the roughest stones can be smoothed over time.

Yet achieving such a thing is no easy task at all.

Not for everyone, at least.

"You're in love, Zoro." Robin, the ship's archaeologist, had been the first one to point it out to him, the expression of the swordsman contorting into one of surprise.

It did not dawn on him until that very same moment.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He grumbled, turning away from her gaze, whose smile did not waver in the slightest—but instead it deepened.

Frustration took over Zoro as he bit the inside of his cheek—he could not handle himself.

Being in love... it was rare, at some point even displeasing.

This, the fact that he could not deny it, that he could not help the warmth taking over his cheeks, that his heart would do nothing but race in his chest at the sole mention of you.

He blamed himself for acting so helpless, for turning ever-so hazy at the thought of you.

But he couldn't help it, to grow fond of that very same softness.

It was corny, yes, but what could he do against it?

That day, he struggled to sleep throughout the whole night, restlessly gazing up at the ceiling, in consideration to his feelings and the great dilemma of what to do with them.

A thirst that began to become so eloquent that he could no longer turn a blind eye on it—that he could to turn a blind eye on you anymore; because the once glances turned into gazing with undeniable longing and admiration.

Soon enough, you would reign over every minute of his life—in thoughts, in feelings that would dwell in his mind.

Love sickness, one could conclude, but also the impotence of not being able to do anything beyond that because, even if he accepted his feelings for you, the uncertainty of you doing the same was offsetting to him.

Maybe you'd never look at him that way, maybe it is just a silly crush weakening a heart that should only beat with the motivation to fight and protect, and nothing more than that.

But then, again, what is the motivation for protection?

To protect there needed to be a resolution, and the resolution to protect almost always derives from love.

Love is inevitable, love is everywhere.

Love can come in all shapes and colors.

But then again, this is the first time it had ever come to him in this way.

His resolution to fight, once for his dream, once for his friends, soon enough began to include you into the same picture, and even if not at a higher priority, it became his motivation during training, during meditation.

And with that meditation, with deep introspection, he began to reason; if there was a time you would open your heart up, would it be for him?

Would there be any chance?

But then, why would you?

What makes him worthy of you, after all?

But even if he talked himself into you never looking at him, he could never fight the fact that he was so head over heels over you—the feeling did not diminish at the end, but doubled.

And so Zoro began to die of thirst, and the drought could only intensify over the time and, the more he thought about your beauty, your smile, your presence, your voice, he could not help himself—it felt as if his hands were tied, and it was inevitable for him to not just surrender to the feeling.

Nami thought all of this was cute to see from the outside—Zoro was just helpless when it came to women: Every time he would be approached, he just couldn't bear the fluster invading every single corner of his body.

In fact, she, as your longest and closest friend on the crew, was the first to notice and tell you.

Fed by the way he behaved towards you, she couldn't stop herself from wanting to give him a push.

In her morning stroll across the Sunny, she spotted you sunbathing on the deck, and decided to join you.

"What's with that smile?" You knew the redhead well enough to know that with that smile came mischief.

"Noooothing..."

But you knew it was written all over her features, and so you raised an eyebrow at her.

She was up to something.

"I don't believe youuuuu..." You sang, mimicking her, which made your friend burst into a giggle.

And that was the moment she told you.

The Strawhat's swordsman was in love with you.

To be honest, Zoro was no more than fellow crewmate to you, even if you deemed him handsome in all his roughness, yet never did feed that thought beyond fantasy.

When Nami told you, she had pointed out a truth that, up to now, had remained unbeknownst to you, mistaking his indeed love for you by shyness of being around women.

"How do you know all of this?" You asked her, heart shaken up at such an unexpected confession.

But Nami just pressed a finger to her lips, giggling and shaking her head.

There was something more important than thinking about the way she found out.

There was a fiber in you that had been moved, something that tingled within you with this information.

You thought about him, but now his image held something more than just being the ship's swordsman.

There was something different now in your perception of him, something that led a wave of fuzziness to bubble in your gut.

"Y-you thinks he likes... me?" You pointed to yourself, blinking in disbelief.

Her eyes sparkled with sincerity—not to say that Nami was a dishonest person.

You knew she would never lie, even more now that she indeed found you two compatible.

"It's obvious!" she retorted, giggling, "Don't you see how he is around you?"

"He's always like that with women. He's... awkward?" you asked, still surprised.

"It's different," she emphasized; she knew for a fact—Robin, another one who rooted for you and the swordsman—that he would ask about you, or do things so his care for you would be implied.

Robin, in all her kindness, saw the goodness in Zoro, and knew that he could be the right one.

Nami agreed with her, claiming that your warmth and your sweetness was one to get easily attached to.

"Besides, he's aaalways looking at you," she nudged you, squealing in excitement. "Always asking about you..."

She trailed off, but by the time you could ask her what she meant by that, she had already dashed away, her excuse being that she had promised to meet up with Usopp.

And ever since that moment, you began to ponder her hypothesis: you became observant, attentive.

You started talking to Robin about it, and all the proof had seemed to turn toward the conjecture of the ship's navigator being true.

So you began glancing more his way, gaining another perspective from the swordsman.

Firstly, with curiosity, then with something more: a feeling that would tingle in your stomach when reciprocating glances that he would break no sooner he realized your sight on his.

To you, seeing the heat spread on his cheeks was absolutely heart-warming, and no matter how much anyone tried to reassure him, Zoro would slur out an excuse and walk away so he could finally breathe.

Adorable—that was what he looked like to you.

And so you began to fall for him.

Yet few were the moments in which you could actually get closer, and you wished it would escalate to more than just stolen glances.

But rescues, training, liberating—a plethora of other circumstances—would always get in the way of you two.

But, even so, no obstacle was as hard to sort as his awkwardness.

Zoro was aware of that, and often wished he could just "grow a pair", as Sanji would tell him and gain the courage to approach you, yet to no avail.

Helpless, it would all end in a what if, something he dreaded, but also something he could do little about.

Knowing this, frustration would take over your chest, an oppression that would become hard to ignore as you watched him turn every time he thought about coming closer.

Watching him had begun to become impossible, to the point that yearning would be unbearable.

A moment with someone you love is always difficult, yes, and even more in this case.

But at the sight of the circumstances, it was up to you to make the first move.

Making a move and praying it worked.

One good day, you woke up feeling lonely; feelings had been escalating to the point that, now, the ardor, the desire for your now favorite swordsman burned in your skin, and you found yourself missing him.

Missing him so much, that not just a glance could calm you, nor the monosyllabic responses of his.

Nami came to wake you up, staring with surprise at the fact you were already long awake before her arrival, given your habit of oversleeping.

There was a wide smile on your face as you finally got to go outside, breakfast having already been served, which you ate fast before before heading off to your chores.

"Think I'll train with Zoro today."

The few stragglers still in the kitchen—Brook, Usopp, and Robin—turned to each other as they wondered whether you were all right; judging by your large grin, and the way you were behaving—shining even brighter than usual.

The answer was obvious:

You were not all right.

And Zoro didn't expect any of this, of course.

He was, like every other day, completing another ruthless training session—starting by endurance training, followed by weight room, finishing with meditation.

Being in a constant state of go often helped him take a break from his insistent, lovesick heart—at least for a moment.

However, as he could not gather any sleep lately, he'd grown even less lenient than usual.

He kept his training harsh, curiously resembling a certain gloomy warlord when practicing his swings, or glaring at interlopers in his count.

Though, a tap to his arm from behind took him by surprise, and when he turned, he swore the air ceased to flow into his lungs.

"Hey."

He could barely stammer a greeting back at you after that; it was the first time—or at least one of the first times—that he was this close to you.

It was the first time that he got to see your beautiful eyes gleaming as you looked right at him; the first time that he got to see your smile spread for him.

It was the first time that he could see you early in the morning, where the sun shone right upon you, highlighting your breathtaking self to the point that his heartbeat turned erratic.

"Training extra hard today, I see..."

Your lips curved upwards in a bright grin while a faint wave of heat crept up your cheeks, you internally praying he didn't see—the swordsman was too busy trying to get his soul to come back to his body to notice, though.

From every single thing that could take him by surprise, this was one of the most unforeseeen to him.

Of course, he would wish and long for just a minute in which he could see you, his gaze often looking for you even if he did not want to.

You were so bright, so...

...Pretty.

Zoro felt as if his throat was closing.

The summer sun felt even more boiling on his stinging face—face that he might have been unaware had turned undeniably red.

Awkwardness immediately took over him, and so he did really forget how to utter a word correctly, without stumbling.

You did not miss any of this; it was obvious—you wanted to believe it was—and that got your heart fluttering.

"Yeah," he blurted, unable to look away from you, when he normally would.

But, how could he even look away, if any time you were around, even if you were unaware, his gaze was always upon you?

It was as if, out of reflex, he had trained himself unconsciously to look in the direction of his heart.

Of course.

"Mind if I join you?"

The question took him aback, and if he had been petrified before, he now stood as stiff as a tower.

Joining him?

You... wanted to join him?

Which meant staying until late afternoon with him?

Which meant staying together, which meant being close to one another—

—Oh, shit.

A nod left him without much of a second thought; it was faint, but overt.

It didn't fail to make you giggle.

You knew you were right to like him, and just how obvious he was with his non-verbal language could only make your heart race.

"All right, then!" you beamed, tugging a hair tie off your wrist and pulling up your hair. "You gonna show me the ropes?"

You turned to Zoro, oblivious to the leverage you had, even more so when your gaze laid ever-so charmingly on the swordsman.

However, before he could respond, some of your crewmates—Usopp, Brook, and Franky—had been unlucky enough to be caught by said swordsman in the middle of their giggling.

Whether at you, or at his helplessness, he was unsure, until his gaze flickered to them—to which they had been quick to turn away.

"What's so damn funny, huh?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it had lowered several octaves to the point that it came across as a deep hiss—needless to say, this was enough of a threat.

You, ever oblivious to what was going on, pressed your lips into a thin line in order to stifle a laugh.

It was indeed cute to see how he could assert such dominance and fear.

Your poor, terrified crewmates were quick to run and begin their chores, since it was known that Roronoa Zoro's threats were not empty ones.

So, while everyone began to scatter, the awkward silence arose once more.

Zoro tried hard to keep his gaze away from you, tried to distract himself with the workout he was supposed to be doing—but even so, you could still sense how tense he was.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" You spoke up eventually, a while after your training had begun.

There came once again your attempt to break the ice.

At first, it was a strenuous task, his answers coming in single syllables and mumbling until, as the day progressed, he would untense, and allow your conversation to develop into something more fluent, more relaxed.

Zoro eventually found himself being more verbose as you continued.

Whether it was getting used to being near you or just being partially focused on completing his training, he actually felt at ease with you, comfortable.

All of these feelings combined, plus the sight of you laughing—or just being, in general—made the feelings he kept for you bloom even more.

The same could be said about you, as well.

As he spoke, you couldn't help but allow yourself to memorize every one of his details.

The way the tip of his eye scar wrinkled as he talked, or the way he would hold back the desire to look at you—even at times it would be inevitable to do so.

Or the way that whenever he talked, there was a flicker of his eye, going down, then up, then back on you.

Or the way in which, from time to time, his lips would curve upwards into brief smiles that were ever-so heartwarming.

He showed himself genuinely to you, and this made you fall for him even more.

Which only made you want things to escalate more.

Were you nervous? Of course.

But your nervous heart commanded your movements, your actions, your words, forcing bits of excitement to bleed into your voice and make it crack in the slightest as you spoke.

And so, what was first deemed new soon enough turned into regular, and Zoro would even find himself delaying his training for you, waiting so you two could chat together, even go for a walk together.

Just like the day it happened.

I need a fanfic that feels like this edit

everyone please give it up for one piece's most relatable character

I can’t get this fic out of my mind. Thank you @mytanuki-kun 🙏🏻😌✨💕

Pure instinct...

ONE PIECE (1999) ⚔ episode 982

#NEEDHIM

Tides of desire

╰┈➤ pairing: Luffy x GN! reader

a/n: none

summary: In a tender and passionate moment under the stars, Luffy and the reader share a deep, intimate connection, exploring their feelings for each other as they embrace the present and the chemistry between them.

wc: 1.1k

contains: suggestive, leading up to it but no nsfw

As the kiss deepened, you felt Luffy’s hands trail down your sides, sending shivers across your skin. The warmth of his touch ignited a fire inside you, urging you to pull him closer. A soft gasp escaped your lips when his fingers brushed against the hem of your shirt, teasing you with the promise of more.

“Y/N…” he murmured, his voice low and husky. “Is this okay?”

You nodded, breathless, as desire coursed through you. His playful spirit always made you feel alive, but in that moment, a raw intensity radiated from him that you had never experienced before.

With newfound confidence, you captured his face in your hands, kissing him again as if trying to memorize every sensation. You could feel his heart racing in sync with yours, a rhythm that matched the pulse of the ocean around you. The energy between you two was electric, and there was no denying the chemistry that crackled in the air.

His fingers slipped beneath your shirt, stroking the bare skin of your waist, sending delicious sensations through your body. You leaned into his touch, matching the urgency of his movements as your hands explored the contours of his muscles, feeling the strength he possessed.

Luffy hesitated, looking into your eyes as if seeking permission, and the intensity of his gaze sent your heart racing. You could see the mixture of affection and desire shining through, urging you to take that leap together.

"Don’t be shy," you whispered, emboldened by the moment. "I want this, Luffy."

At that, he grinned, the light returning to his eyes. It was a playful yet earnest expression, one that made your stomach knot with anticipation. His hands explored the curve of your body, inching under your shirt until he finally lifted it over your head, tossing it aside carelessly.

The cool night air caused you to shiver slightly, but Luffy’s warm hands quickly enveloped you again, igniting a warmth that contrasted perfectly with the chill. Every brush of his fingertips felt electric, stoking the fire inside you even more.

Without breaking the kiss, he shifted, laying you gently on your back against the deck, the stars and moonlight illuminating the space around you. The world was a blur, and all that mattered was this moment shared between you two—so intense and beautiful, wrapped in each other’s arms.

You could feel his breath against your neck, warm and inviting as he began trailing kisses down your jaw to the sensitive skin of your collarbone. Each kiss sent waves of heat through your body, intensifying the desire you felt deep within.

“Luffy…” you gasped softly, lost in the sensation.

He paused, looking up at you with those wide, innocent eyes that always melted your heart. “I want to make you feel amazing,” he stated earnestly, and your heart fluttered at the sincerity behind his words.

You smiled, reaching up to cup his cheek. “You already are.”

As the kiss deepened, you felt a rush of warmth spread through your body, igniting a fire within you that you hadn’t anticipated. You pulled back slightly, your forehead resting against his, both of you catching your breaths.

“Luffy,” you whispered, your heart racing. “What are we doing?”

“I don’t know, but it feels right,” he replied, his innocent smile melting your heart. “I like being with you like this.”

The sincerity in his voice sent shivers down your spine. You had traveled with him for so long, sharing adventures and battles, but this moment felt different. More intimate. It was as if the world outside the Thousand Sunny didn’t exist.

“Do you really mean that?” you asked, searching his eyes for the truth.

“Of course! I wouldn’t have kissed you otherwise,” he beamed, his gaze unwavering.

Encouraged by his words, you shifted closer, your bodies now just a breath apart. You could feel his warmth radiating, the excitement in his demeanor causing your own heartbeat to quicken. A playful idea crossed your mind, and you decided to tease him a little.

“Maybe I should kiss you again, just to make sure you really mean it,” you suggested with a smirk.

Luffy's eyes widened with anticipation, and without waiting for you to act, he dove back in, capturing your lips once more. This kiss was different—deeper and filled with a urgency that left you breathless. You reciprocated, your hands exploring the strong muscles of his arms as he pulled you against him.

You could feel his heartbeat matching yours, a rhythm that echoed the excitement and tension of the moment. The playful captain was still there, but he was also uncharacteristically focused on you, his attention solid and entirely consuming.

As he pulled away again, a hint of mischief flickered in his eyes. “So, what’s next?” he asked, his grin widening.

You couldn’t help but laugh lightly at his childlike curiosity. “Well, I guess we could try… this.” You leaned in again, kissing him softly, delighting in the way he responded instantly, as if he had been waiting for it.

Luffy’s hands slid down to your hips, gently urging you to straddle his lap. The position sent a thrill coursing through you, the realization of where you were and what you were doing sending your heart racing even faster.

His hands began to roam again, exploring the curves of your body with a gentle curiosity. You gasped softly, feeling bold and alive under his touch.

“I didn’t know you could be so… forward,” you teased, biting your lip at the sensations he ignited within you.

“Neither did I,” he replied, his laughter merging with the sound of the ocean waves. “But it feels so good. Just being close to you.”

You could feel the sincerity in his words, and as he leaned in to kiss you again, his lips brushing against your neck, you surrendered to the moment. Every touch, every kiss, deepened the connection you shared.

Lost in each other, time seemed to disappear, the world around you fading into the background. Luffy’s kisses turned more fervent as he pulled you even closer, wrapping his arms tightly around you as if you were the only thing keeping him anchored.

“Do you think the others will notice we’re gone?” you murmured, though part of you didn't want to break the spell.

“Let them!” Luffy said impulsively. “This is our moment.”

His words hung in the air, electrifying. With that declaration, you felt emboldened. You kissed him again, your fingers finding their way to the base of his neck, deepening the passion that ignited between you.

As the stars twinkled above and the gentle waves rocked the ship beneath you, you realized that this was exactly where you wanted to be—lost in the moment, lost at sea, with Luffy by your side.

♡♡♡

How many dreams to say "I love you?" (iv)

Summary: Zoro can't keep his feelings bottled up anymore. They've got to come out sooner or later. Will he be able to bring himself to confess how he feels, or will you beat him to it? ~5k words.

Part 4 of 4. (read part 1 here!) CW: Afab reader (w/gendered language, she/her pronouns). Reader gets drunk (sorry to those of you who abstain!), pining, tension, heart ache! (and... kissing). This is sfw but other parts of the story are very much not.

Part 4: "So, there."

Have you ever had a dream that was just emotions? No images, concrete thoughts or concepts, just raw, harrowing feelings?

The night after the encounter with the hostile pirate group, Zoro had one of those dreams. His sleep was fitful, distorted by intense feelings of worry and anxiety. He woke up early in the morning, sweating and distraught. He felt sick.

Unable to go back to sleep, he started his day. An ice-cold shower to distract himself and rinse off the stress from his dreams. He ate a sparse breakfast and sat on the deck, looking at the peaceful sea as the sun rose.

It was high time to get this over with, Zoro thought. He was tired of feeling scrambled in the head and tired of feeling guilty for evading being truthful to you. As your crewmate and best friend, you deserved his honestly. The mental gymnastics needed to end, and he needed to get this off his chest—the fact that he was in love with you—as soon as possible.

When you broke the thick chains and opaque brick concealing and masking his capacity for love (placed there by trauma and years of regret) you freed feelings that boiled and festered for many months. Your presence in his dreams and the workings of his subconscious slowly forced him to come to terms with this part of himself. The part of himself that was very much capable of love, that wanted it, and wanted you. He was forced to become acquainted with this aspect of himself, to sit with it, and to speak with it.

The self-realizations were at the same time elucidative and perturbing. What else about himself had he yet to become aware of? What else was there inside of him that he needed to recognize?

His stoicism thus far was nothing more than a farce, he told himself. To reckon with and control himself he had to be self-aware. Truly self-aware.

Zoro knew that ignoring your persistent presence in his mind and heart wasn’t going to solve any problems—it wasn’t going to aid his control over his emotions, wasn’t going to clear his head, wasn’t going to make himself feel better, and damn well wasn’t going to make you feel better. You were lodged in his heart and brain like a splinter that he couldn’t get out.

So, it was settled. Out with it. For better or for worse, it needed to happen.

The following night, the pair of you finally had drinks together and talked. You grabbed a couple bottles of sake and asked Zoro, “So, where do you want to go?”

He shrugged. “Crow’s nest?”

“That’s what I thought you would say. You love it up there.” When you smiled at him, Zoro felt like he couldn’t look at you—he was worried you see how tortured his eyes were, that you could read everything in his face.

The feeling was mutual. The tension in the air was palpable, as much as you tried to tell yourself that you were imagining it.

You were exhausted. Not from lack (or quality) of sleep, like Zoro, but the combination of the battle yesterday, your (actual) wound, and your lovesickness were crushing. Resigned and at your wits end with this man, you told yourself that if Zoro asked you the right series of questions, he would find answers for himself. You were at a breaking point.

If he prodded you for more information on why you felt like shit, he’d crack open something that should be left alone. You really didn’t want to share more about the fact that you felt alone and empty the past few weeks. But… you had a feeling that Zoro wanted to dig into the topic again. You dreaded it.

You climbed to the crow’s nest with Zoro around sunset. Opening the windows, you let in the golden rays of the setting sun and a cool breeze.

“It’s gorgeous out,” you observed, relishing the sea air that drifted in, salty and familiar. “Wow.”

The pair of you sat on a bench parallel with the row of windows. You were facing each other, straddling the bench so your knees almost touched. This was a sort of routine for you two—you used to do this frequently together, but it had been a while.

It was the early hours of sunset, right when the sun started to descend, and the horizon was stunning shades of pink, orange, and indigo. Zoro took a second to admire you as you stared out the window. Tendrils of sea air brushed your hair back, shining a heavenly shade of golden that reflected in your irises and off your cheek bones.

The make-believe you from Zoro’s dreams—the fantasy version of you that he spent every night with for the past two weeks—paled in comparison to the real you, radiant, material, tangible, and true. As he gazed at you, his heart twisted a bit.

“I love this type of sake.” You smiled once again, filling in the silence that took over the air as Zoro gawked at you. After a beat, Zoro opened the bottles, handing you one.

“It’s my favorite,” Zoro replied.

“I know it is.”

You raised your bottle for a toast. “Cheers to finally catching up after far too long!”

Your eyes flashed and Zoro’s heart did a flip. This sensation of being flustered felt so out of character, but he was caught up in the fact that tonight was the night he was going to confess.

The conversation started upbeat and friendly. You laughed together—you were one of the only people who could make Zoro laugh so hard he cried. You were making each other feel better, too. Spirits on the ship were a little low since yesterday and both you and Zoro felt it. But as you spent time together, Zoro felt a bit better because he missed you and wanted to be close to you, and he didn’t know it, but you felt the same.

You talked about Zoro’s new weight-lifting routine, some crazy dance move Usopp pulled out the other night, and the delicious soup Sanji made the other day (Zoro admitted that the shit cook’s soup was delicious, but he could only say that to you, no one else). The conversation wandered to sea kings, silly interactions with Chopper, and Franky’s new shirt (it was neon orange and camouflage, quite the attention grabber).

Your giggles made him feel like he was floating, and his smiles felt like home.

Zoro wished he could pause this moment in time and save it—that it could last forever, or that he could return to it sometimes when he wanted to. All of it was picturesque. He couldn’t believe how many of these nights you’d had together, nights that he never appreciated like he should have.

He had been in denial for months, egregiously so. He had been blind to the love for you that was brewing within him. Now that he could see his emotions for what they were, now that he was jolted and rocketed out of the opacity that locked his heart up, he could see that his love for you was plain as day. It was screaming at him, begging him.

 He was in agony, and you had suffered far too long.

Zoro’s thoughts raced while you told him some cute little story. One part of him was laser focused on your beauty and the rays of setting sun that lit your eyes up. It was breathtaking. Another part of him was trying to keep up with what you were saying, but he was distracted. And a third part of him felt intoxicated. Everything you did overwhelmed him. It was like he was being hit over the head with realization after realization—a sequence of memories flashed in his mind.

One night, two or three months ago, you two were drinking. You had gotten far too drunk and you were on the verge of falling asleep somewhere random on the deck. Your shirt rode up a bit showing your stomach, the strap of your tanktop fell down one shoulder, and your eyes were sleepy.

“Zoroooo,” you mumbled. “Wanna go to bed.”

He looked at you, tutted, and pulled his hoodie off. He then helped you put it on—it was a chilly out and he saw goosebumps on your skin. You murmured out a thank you and slumped into his arms. He sighed and scooped you up, carrying you to your room.

He liked how you felt in his arms. Your weight. Your warmth. The way your head rested on his chest. The look of you in his hoodie. How close you were. Back then he tried to ignore it.

Zoro then tucked you into bed. You looked like you were out cold, but when he pulled the covers up so you would stay warm, you opened your eyes, half-asleep. You lifted both arms up and looked at him with puppy dog eyes.

“Zorooo,” you slurred out your words, blurting them carelessly. “Wanna hug.”

He leaned over the bed and into your arms, clasping you into an embrace. You hummed and didn’t let go for a few moments. When he pulled away, you petted his hair for a second, mumbled out a “night night” and went to sleep for good.

Looking back at the moment you asked him for a hug, Zoro realized that his heart had done that twisting thing; it was butterflies. He recalled that he just stared at you for a second. Your face was peaceful, eyes heavy, lips pouting. When you petted his hair, his heart did the thing again. He ignored it.

The next morning you had been sheepish, possibly because you remembered the affection you gave him, the hug and the hair pets. You thanked him for his hoodie and he said, “no problem.” That was that.

Another memory flashed into Zoro’s mind.

Some day, months ago, you and Nami went shopping. When you came back to the boat, you both tried on your new outfits and showed each other, fashion-show style. In passing, Zoro got a glance of you in a white dress. He had to stop himself from staring. It complemented you perfectly.

Sanji practically screamed, “MY LOVEEE~ You look absolutely ravishing tonight!” Then he got down on one knee and kissed both of your hands. Zoro remembered that something about that interaction pissed him off. He remembered thinking who does that shit cook think he is, fawning over you like you were a piece of meat.

When Nami very pointedly asked Zoro what he thought of your white dress, all he said was “suits you.” Looking back at that moment, Zoro kicked himself. The dress didn’t just suit you, it was made for you. Sanji had a point. You looked ravishing. He tried not to muse on it.

Another memory blitzed into his mind, a dagger to his heart. You were having drinks in the crow’s nest just like this, many months ago. You had looked at him earnestly and said, “Zoro, I like you. I really like you.”

Was this your attempt at a confession? You continued. “I could be around you all the time—I think we make a great pair.” You had that sweet smile on your lips.

Zoro had nodded and raised his glass. “To good friends!” He didn’t really notice it then, but now he realized that your smile faltered.

Looking back at that moment, he saw that you may have been alluding to something else. He unwittingly, cruelly, friend-zoned you. It was sort of brutal. When it happened, he shrugged it off like it was nothing, hadn’t had a second thought about it. Now he wondered how deeply that must have wounded you, if you felt any sort of way about him.

The final memory that his brain threw at him (while you were in the middle of giving him your story) was the moment when he first looked at you. It was a simple moment, insignificant until he realized that he loved you.

He felt drawn to you, from day one, immediately interested in you. Right off the bat, he thought you were beautiful, brilliant, and hilarious. When he thought back on that twisting feeling, the butterfly feeling, he could tell that it happened back then, too. Something fell into place that day, whether it was fate or luck. That day, he had you and you had him.

Zoro already came to terms with the fact that he loved you, and these memories further enforced the realization that he loved you all along. He just didn’t know how to express it and never thought himself capable of that sort of emotional depth. But you changed that. You flipped a switch in his mind. It was you all along.

“Zoro?” You asked, shocking him back into the present. “Are you okay? You looked like you zoned out there for a minute.”

“Fuck, sorry. I did. What were you saying?”

You smiled, told him no worries, and the conversation continued. His eyes were glued to your face, his heart and brain felt all shaken up, and he only knew two things—he knew that he loved you, and he knew that he wanted you to know that. No matter the consequences, it needed to come out. Preferably now.

The sun set by now. The horizon was a dark purple, the stars were starting to shine overhead, and the golden rays on your skin disappeared. There was a lull in conversation. Zoro took his chance.

“How have you been feeling since we had our lunch on the deck? I remember you said you were feeling down?” He attempted to ask with casual ease though his heart was racing. He was going to get to the bottom of it. All of it. Now. The privacy was perfect, you were perfect, the setting was perfect, all of it was perfect.

Your answer was reluctant. “I’ve been okay...”

“What’s up?” Zoro avidly watched your every movement. He inspected the way your eyes fluttered and the way your lips parted.

“Ugh.” You groaned. So it was going to be like this tonight. As you expected, he wanted to revisit the subject. “I don’t know, Zoro. I’ve just been feeling weird recently.”

“How so?”

“Hmmm. I guess I’ve been feeling a bit lonely. And empty.” Your lips were pursed, looking out of the window, at the sea. You could see the moon in the reflection of the waves. All was quiet except for the sound of the sea lapping the hull of the Sunny.

“Empty?” Zoro feigned surprise. He knew you were lonely. He overheard you sob about it a couple weeks ago.

The painful truths that you had been trying to keep bottled up when he was around? They started to shake inside. They wanted out of that bottle, stat. And you could only ignore those feelings for so long before they’d fucking explode. It had to come out sooner or later.

If Zoro pressed you any more than this, you might start losing it. The explosion was imminent.

“I know it’s going to sound ridiculous because I’m surrounded with people all the time, but I just feel empty. Like…” you hesitated, “I feel like I’m missing something. Someone. I just feel so lonely.”

“Oh?” His heart was pounding. You averted your eyes for a second and he thought you looked bashful. He took note of that.

“Sometimes I just wish I had someone by my side all the time. Like someone I could share everything with? If that makes sense.”

Zoro paused. “Yeah, that makes sense. It doesn’t sound ridiculous at all.”

You took a deep breath and exhaled. He could see it now, glaringly, a sadness that lingered in your eyes. He could see it and his heart ached.

"It might sound absurd, but I’ve been craving a sort of… Well, I don’t know. A sort of company? Love, maybe?” Your voice was strained. Zoro’s breath hitched at the word ‘love’. “I just get so sad thinking about it sometimes. Like I have this profound emptiness inside. And it feels so out of reach, like that love will never happen for me. And maybe that sounds ungrateful because I have company, and I’m surrounded by my best friends all the time but… I just want a different kind of company. A different kind of love.”

You looked at him and frowned. If you said any more than that, you were worried you would start crying.

More silence for a few moments. Zoro was trying to figure out what to say.

“Why do you feel like it will never happen?” He prodded. He meant well, but that was enough to send you over the edge.

You were emotionally distressed and recently it felt like it was all coming to a head. You had been trying to flirt and send signals to Zoro for months, to no avail. Any time he was near you, you felt like you were suffocating. And now that he was asking you these things, trying to get answers or explanations out of you, you felt like you would fall apart.

The problem himself was in front of you, asking you what was wrong and why you felt like love was out of reach. You didn’t want to say anything and ruin your friendship and you were convinced he would never see you that way. It was just a blatant reminder that he didn’t care about you the way you wanted. He seemed unphased by the whole conversation—he was cautious and curious but that was nothing new.

As you started to get overwhelmed, tears welled in your eyes. What the fuck were you supposed to say to him? The risk of altering the dynamic between you two, along with the pressure of possibly altering the dynamic of the crew… You started to catastrophize. The pressure was too much.

A hot tear escaped one of your eyes and ran down your cheek. The emotions were starting to erupt, and his presence was agitating that.

“Hey, are you okay?” Zoro was concerned with your silence and frown. He hadn’t noticed the tear yet, and he thought you looked like you were about to start crying.

You shook your head and turned away from him as more tears started to flow out. Now that the tears started, they wouldn’t stop until the sadness was gone. You were trying to put a cork in that bottle of sadness, but it wasn’t working.

A moonbeam landed on the side of your wet face. Zoro realized now, catching the glint with his eyes, that you were crying. Did you just make her cry? He berated himself. You wanted to talk about love with her, and you made her fucking cry?

“Sorry, Zoro. It just gets me worked up sometimes. Hurts really bad.” Small sobs started to wrack your body.

Zoro stared at you. His heart was actively breaking—he couldn’t bear seeing you in pain like this. He had only witnessed you crying once before, on the deck when you had the conversation with Nami that started all of this.

He scooted closer to you on the bench and your knees touched. His voice was hushed and gentle. “Hey.”

Reaching a hand up, the ran it softly down your shoulder to your upper arm, a tiny movement. He repeated it, petting you, trying to give you some solace, to show you that he was there. His touch was delicate, so unexpected from him.

“You don’t have to apologize,” he continued, “and you can cry all you want. Don’t bottle it all up. I’m here for you.”

That note of sweetness you always saw in him was now bold, in full force as he comforted you. Your stomach flipped. He had never touched you like this before or seen you this emotionally vulnerable, nor you him. He said he was here for you, but how much did he mean that, and to what extent? You told yourself for the thousandth time that he would never be there in the way you needed.

“There are some things I have to bottle up, Zoro.” Your voice was almost a whisper. You were in anguish, and though your tears had stopped momentarily, you couldn’t bring yourself to look at him.

“Not if it’s eating you up like this. It’s not worth it.” His hand went still.

If Zoro told you to not bottle things up, if he comforted you like this, then you might as well just fucking confess, you told yourself. But before you could force the words out of your mouth, he was one step ahead. The silence was too much for him.

His mouth went dry. Fuck it.

“You said you wanted someone to share everything with? Someone to always have by your side?” Zoro asked. “I wonder if I could do that?”

He was painfully close to you. Your knees still touched, and his hand rested on your arm. Your heart skipped a beat.

He must not have heard you right. There’s just no way. You were convinced that the situation was hopeless.

“Oh Zoro, you’re sweet, but I didn’t mean it in a friend way. I meant it in a romantic way. Like I wish I had someone to hold hands with and kiss and stuff.”

“I know.” His words hung in the air. You were dumbfounded. “How do you feel about me, really? You won’t screw anything up. Just please tell me how you feel about me. I’m going crazy.” His tone was urgent, and he leaned closer. Every inch closer made you feel dizzy.

You were immeasurably caught off guard, too stunned to speak. Meanwhile, Zoro didn’t really know how to handle himself. While you silently collected your thoughts, he started to blurt out words. When it came to this sort of thing, he didn’t have the most tact.

“I’ve been having dreams about you. Really intense ones. It’s been fucking with my head.”

“Dreams?” You asked, again not sure if you heard him right.

“When I look at you, I start to feel weird inside, like something is twisting in me. It’s driving me crazy. It’s been weeks at this point. I thought I was sick, or something, but I think it must be something else so, please, please, just tell me how you feel about me.”

“Zoro…” Your tone was cautious. He was acting weird—the comment about dreams was particularly odd—and you were too caught up in emotions to really process what he just word vomited at you. But if he was asking you questions this desperately, then he would get an answer. Might as well. Especially after what he just said.

“I feel things about you,” you began. “Intense things. I know you just see me as a friend, but… I just—my feelings are intense. It’s okay that you don’t reciprocate, and I never said anything because I didn’t want to make it weird.”

“Don’t reciprocate what?” He pushed further.

More silence. You were trying to decide how to it into words. Your mind raced.

“You won’t make it weird,” he continued, pleading. “Just tell me, really, how do you feel about me? What’s intense about it? Help me understand.”

Ugh. You didn’t have the energy to play it safe or coy right now. If you regretted it, then so be it.

No longer would this eat you up inside.

“Zoro, I’ve loved you for a long time.”

The realization hit him like lightning.

So it was him. In the conversation he overheard, where you were talking about love with Nami, you had been talking about him. You said it was hard to be around him.

It was so obvious now that his ignorance to your advances slighted you; his overt neglect to recognize to your love, his insistence that he didn’t have the capacity and could never find it—it must have hurt you deeply. Now that he knew how he felt, now that he was so sure of it, he hoped he could make it up to you. He would do anything.

You continued, your voice taking on a hurried tone. You needed to get it all out and explain yourself before he had the chance to say anything. “I know you don’t feel the same. I’ve picked up all the signals, and whenever I’ve tried to… I don’t know… flirt with you? It bounces right off you. I get it. We’re close friends and crew mates and I know we aren’t destined to become any more than that. So, there’s no need to apologize to me or anything. It’s fine, really, that you don’t see me like that. And I don’t want to make things weird, and I’m sure you don’t either, so whatever those dreams were then that’s fine. I’m happy just being your friend, you don’t need to be anything more than that, especially if it’s just out of pity. So that’s it basically. I’ve been lonely because when I spend time around you I just wish that—”

Each word you uttered pulled Zoro forward just barely. You could hardly get the words out, rambling to make the awkwardness go away and help him understand. But he cut you off mid-sentence, pressing his lips onto yours.

You went rigid, eyes open wide as he brought a palm to cup your cheek.

The kiss lasted a handful of seconds, brilliant fireworks of confusion and exhilaration coursed through you both.

You melted, easing the rigid tension of your body slowly, leaning into his lips that were softer than you could have imagined. The warmth of his palm on your cheek was comforting, familiar, and welcome.

When he pulled away, he was crimson. “Did that help at all? Did any of that loneliness go away?”

He started talking before you could answer him.

“I already said it but let me be clear,” Zoro said, “I want to be that person for you. I don’t want you to be sad anymore. I want to be that person you share everything with and always be by your side. You said you’ve loved me for a long time? I have, too. It just took me a bit longer to realize it. You’re always on my mind, even when I’m working out, or asleep, or eating... I-I count down the minutes until we talk again and your smiles just… They make my heart feel funny. I’m in love with you. There’s just nothing else these feelings could be. So, there.”

“So there?” You asked incredulously. The sudden deluge of emotions felt like a smack in the face. “Zoro, what?”

He didn’t know what to say next. This conversation didn’t go as he rehearsed it in his head and you were so shocked that you thought you’d faint.

“I said I'm in love with you. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before. I’m sorry. But hopefully I didn’t confess too late—and since you feel the same maybe you’ll let me, ah, fuck, I don’t even know how this works. Like, let me hold your hand… or something? Fuck. I’m so bad at this.”

He started to get redder, turning his face away from yours and taking his hand off your shoulder. This was a whole new side of him. An innocent, sincere, earnest side. A loving side. A side you dreamed about for ages.

If that was really how he felt, then you would welcome it with open arms.

This time, you brought a hand to his cheek and softly turned it towards you. His skin was hot, his brows were furrowed and he was doing a sort of grimace.

“Zoro. You’re something else. Are you absolutely sure you feel this way? Like, are you sure sure?”

He nodded and you cracked a grin.

“You should have told me earlier. But, if you’re certain…” you trailed off and held a hand out to him, palm up.

“What?” He looked at it, confused and clueless, and you pushed it towards him again with emphasis.

“Give me your hand, Zoro.”

The swordsman reached his hand out and placed it on yours. You moved your wrist a bit and threaded your fingers together with his, giving his hand a squeeze.

“You said you wanted to hold hands. So, there.” You smiled at him, and he squeezed back, turning even redder somehow. His hand was large; it felt strong, rough, and calloused. You had wondered for many months what it would feel like resting in yours like this.

In an uncharacteristically suave move, Zoro gently dragged your hand forwards, pulling you closer to him. He brought a hand to your waist and pressed his lips on yours again.

His hand felt heavy and strong on your side and his kiss tasted faintly like alcohol. He smelled just… manly and musky. But (surprisingly) clean. He must have showered today.

How was any of this real? How long had he known that he loved you?

Would you tell the crew?

What sort of relationship would this turn into?

You tried not to get lost in the details—those could be worked out later. For now, you needed to focus on how his lips felt on yours.

When Zoro pulled away from you, he kept his face close. “No more feeling lonely or empty, okay?”

You nodded, blown away by the delightful turn of events. Never in a million years would you have guessed that this is how the conversation would go.

“If you say so. Now,” you ventured, “before we get any further, tell me more about those dreams of yours.”

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taglist: @riftmage27 @eggrollforyou @imhwajaez @wiyenspanel @xxmysticxxx @moonmaiden1996 @theilluminatidragonqueen @becca-oak @my-name-is-heartache @the-maladaptive-daydreamers @adamwarlockislife-blog @olasz-2003 @kyllium @chibinasuu

a/n: this is how i feel posting this last part. FINALLY. i was stressing hard with this one because i wanted it to feel authentic. also what is that, eleven dreams and some change for zoro to realize and confess how he felt? on another note, thank you so much for reading this and for being patient with me. love yall so much and i cant wait to write more for you soon!

Okay hear me OUT..... imagine a fanfic where reader does this with luffy's hat and he is just STUNNED

This is a need damn 😩

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