Emily Is Definitely For The Girls And Women I Don't Make The Rules

emily is definitely for the girls and women i don't make the rules

Even Without Power

╰┈➤ pairing: Luffy x female! reader

a/n: : clearing my drafts 😭

summary: Captured and cuffed with sea prism stone, you and Luffy endure fear and helplessness—until the crew arrives, and Luffy unleashes his fury to protect the one thing he refuses to lose: you.

wc: 1.7k

contains: Protective!Luffy, Sea Prism Stone imprisonment, captivity angst, emotional hurt/comfort, intense tension, slow and tender post-rescue intimacy, and Luffy being dangerously furious when someone threatens you.

Your head was pounding.

The first thing you noticed was the cold stone beneath you. The second? The tight weight around your wrists.

Sea prism cuffs.

Then you heard his voice.

“(Y/N)... hey, wake up. Please.”

You opened your eyes slowly, vision blurry—but there he was. Luffy. Sitting on the ground next to you, wrists shackled just like yours, his hat hanging off one knee.

“Luffy?” you rasped.

His eyes softened instantly. “You’re okay.” His voice cracked just a little, relief pouring out like a flood. “Thank god.”

You tried to move, but the sea prism cuffs made every muscle scream. “Where…?”

“Some bastards grabbed us when we were separated from the crew,” he said through clenched teeth. “I woke up first. Tried to break the chains, but…” he held up his wrists with a bitter laugh, “I can’t even stretch.”

You glanced at him. His face was pale. His hair clung to his forehead. He was furious. But he was holding it in—for you.

And then the door creaked open.

“Well, well,” a voice drawled. A tall man with a jagged scar across his cheek strolled in, a small crew of thugs behind him. “Our little captain and his pretty friend are finally both awake.”

Luffy’s body went rigid.

“Don’t talk to them,” he said lowly.

The man smirked. “Aw, come on. We just wanna have a little fun.” He stalked toward you, eyes lingering far too long.

Luffy snarled. Actually snarled. “I said don’t touch them.”

You flinched when the man crouched beside you, brushing a finger under your chin. “They’re a cute one. What do you think, Straw Hat? You sure you wouldn’t rather trade places?”

“Don’t touch them!” Luffy bellowed, lunging against his chains. His whole body shook with rage, fists clenched so tight they were turning white. “If you lay one more finger on them—”

The man chuckled, unfazed. “What’re you gonna do? You’re powerless.”

Luffy’s eyes burned—pure fire behind them, like he was ready to kill with just his stare. “You don’t get it,” he growled. “Even if I can’t use my powers… I will still tear you apart if you hurt them.”

You felt it—his presence. Even cuffed, drained, and chained to a wall, Luffy still felt like a storm ready to break loose.

The thug paused, like he finally noticed the danger in the room. The way Luffy’s aura shifted—deadly, protective, unyielding.

“Y’know what?” the man said, standing. “Maybe we’ll just give you two a little more time to think about your situation.”

As soon as the door slammed shut, you slumped.

Luffy turned to you immediately. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

“No,” you whispered. “But… he scared me.”

“I won’t let him touch you again,” Luffy said fiercely, eyes locked on yours. “No matter what.”

You leaned against his shoulder. He leaned right back.

“We’re gonna get out of here,” he said softly, like a promise. “I don’t care how—I’ll find a way. I’ll protect you.”

The cell was cold, silent—except for the soft clinking of chains when either of you shifted.

You sat beside Luffy, arms brushing, wrists heavy with sea prism cuffs. Every time he glanced at you, you saw the storm still behind his eyes. He was still furious—at himself, the enemy, the cuffs. All of it.

“We’ll get out soon,” he muttered, gaze fixed on the locked door. “The crew’s gotta be looking.”

“I know,” you said quietly. “But…”

Before you could finish, the door creaked open again.

Same guy. Same smug smirk. This time? A little more confident. Like he was sure no one was coming for you.

“Well, Straw Hat. You said I shouldn’t touch them,” he said with a sneer, walking toward you, “but what’re you gonna do if I do it anyway?”

Luffy’s voice dropped into something cold. Dangerous.

“Don’t.”

But the guy just laughed—and then grabbed you by the arm, yanking you roughly toward him.

That was it.

Luffy. Lost. His. Mind.

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF THEM!”

He lunged. Full force. The chains snapped taut with the impact, but it didn’t stop him from fighting like a wild animal, dragging the entire wall if he had to, roaring with fury.

You cried out as the man shoved you against the bars, but then—

“BOOM!”

The wall behind the cell exploded.

Smoke. Dust. Screaming.

“(Y/N)!!” a voice called—Nami. Then another—Zoro. Usopp. Sanji. Robin. Brook. The crew was here.

The enemy turned just in time for Zoro to charge him, blades flashing.

Sanji darted straight to you, kicking the guy in the gut and dragging him off you.

Luffy’s cuffs clattered to the ground as Franky, with his giant hands, crushed them open. The second they were off—

Luffy didn’t move.

He didn’t even look at the enemy yet.

He rushed to you.

“(Y/N)!” He dropped to his knees in front of you, grabbing your face gently but frantically, eyes scanning every inch. “Are you hurt? Did he touch you? Tell me.”

You blinked back tears, heart hammering. “I’m okay—just bruised, I’m okay—”

He crushed you into his arms before you could finish.

“I was gonna kill him,” he mumbled against your shoulder. “I was gonna kill him if they didn’t show up. I couldn’t do anything, I couldn’t protect you—”

“Luffy.” You cupped his cheek, making him look at you. “You did. You protected me the whole time. And we’re safe now.”

He exhaled shakily, nose brushing against yours, eyes still burning but softer now.

“…Okay,” he whispered. Then he turned slowly—toward the enemy.

Sanji had him on the floor. Zoro stood nearby, arms crossed.

“Don’t kill him,” Nami warned.

“I’m not gonna kill him,” Luffy said, voice flat. “But he’s gonna wish I did.”

You didn’t stop him.

Because in that moment, Luffy wasn’t just a captain. He was a storm wrapped in rubber and rage.

But before walking away, he looked back at you one last time.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, gently. “And after this… I’m not letting you out of my sight.

Hours later you were back on the Going Merry. It felt like heaven compared to that dungeon.

You were clean, bandaged, wrapped in warm clothes, and finally free of the sea prism cuffs. But the whole world still felt a little heavy.

You sat on the bed in the infirmary cabin, staring at your hands. Your wrists were sore, skin still red where the cuffs had clamped down. And your body ached, sure—but your heart ached worse.

Then the door opened quietly.

Luffy stood there, silent. His vest was off, bandages around one shoulder, and he looked... tired. Not physically, but emotionally. The kind of tired you don’t sleep off.

“Hey,” he said softly.

You smiled weakly. “Hey.”

He walked in slowly, like he wasn’t sure if he should, until you patted the bed beside you.

He sat—then instantly leaned into you, head dropping to your shoulder like a magnet. His arms wrapped around your waist tight, like he still thought someone might try to pull you away again.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he murmured.

“You didn’t even try.”

“…I didn’t wanna leave you alone.”

You reached up, running your fingers through his hair. “You saved me, Luffy. Even when we were chained up. Even when you couldn’t fight. You were still protecting me.”

His grip tightened.

“I hate that he touched you,” he mumbled, voice rough. “I hate that I couldn’t stop him. If the crew hadn’t shown up—”

“But they did.” You turned toward him, placing your hands on his cheeks. “And now I’m safe. I’m here, Luffy. With you.”

His big brown eyes met yours, vulnerable and wide. “I thought I lost you.”

You leaned your forehead against his. “You didn’t. You never will.”

He closed the tiny space between you and kissed you—soft, slow, and a little shaky. Like he needed to feel you to believe you were real.

Then he pulled back, just a little. “I’m gonna stay here tonight.”

You blinked. “In the infirmary?”

“With you,” he said, laying down right beside you and pulling the blanket over both of you. “Right here. All night. Not going anywhere.”

You smiled, letting your head rest on his chest as he curled around you.

“I’m not letting you out of my sight again,” he mumbled sleepily.

You tucked your hand over his heart. “Good. Because I don’t want to be anywhere else.”

Outside, the ship rocked gently with the ocean.

Inside, in the quiet warmth of that cabin, Luffy held you like you were the most precious thing in the world.

And this time, he wouldn’t have to fight to protect you. Because now, you were both home.

♡♡♡

594 notes View Post

bubblyluffy

1 month ago

⛥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.

382 notes View Post

bubblyluffy

4 months ago

no bc this literally happened to me