The One Piece is Real

Can I request a part 2 even when your requests are closed?

This is where it gets dicey. The simple answer is: no. HOWEVER, you can pop into my inbox and let me know that you really liked a specific story and ask if I'm going to have a part two (respectfully!) and you might convince me. Almost all of my multi-parters have come from requests, and I'm always looking for new multi-chapter fics to write :)

When do you open for requests?

I close my requests when my inbox reaches 20, and then I reopen it again when I get it back down to 5. You can check the status of my requests at the top of this post. Events have separate rules and guidelines, which are always explained in the post. If I have an event going on, it'll be tagged in the announcement section at the top of this post!

What should I include in my request?

Reader gender (if you dont specify I'll just do non-gendered), characters you want (try to limit it to 3 or 4, or else I might pick and choose from the list and omit some characters), the scenario you want, you can also clarify if you want a headcanon list or a short fic!

Edit to add: Just a friendly reminder, the more characters you add to a request, the more overwhelming it is for me (and more likely it is to get deleted! 3 characters really is the sweet spot!)

What requests do you accept?

Just about anything. I do occasionally post NSFW, but it’s always tagged and marked. I have a few hard no’s, though:

Relationship situations for minors/large age gaps, pedophilia, grooming, incest, noncon (that’s not a cohesive list, but you get the gist).

Do you write for polys?

Maybe! Polys are hard for me to write. I struggle making the relationship balance equal and keeping people in character while also doing justice to a well-written relationship w/o being too corny. But! If you send it in, I'll at least give it a shot :)

Who can I request?

Just about anyone from One Piece, and I'll do my best given the scenario. Some people I will definitely always write for and take almost any request you send are:

Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Ace, Law, Kidd, Shanks, and Buggy

Everyone else is hit or miss on if I can imagine their scenarios, but I'll do my best. Some people who I really struggle writing are: Crocodile, Doffy, Izou (And I will not write for Gol Roger ever because I hate him 💕)

How detailed should my request be?

Try to keep it a healthy medium! If there are important aspects you want to be included in your story, let me know :) But try to avoid giving me a play-by-play. That level of detail makes me feel trapped and it's hard to take a creative spin on it. If you have a story you are imagining in your head and you want someone to write it...well, have you considered being a writer? :)

I have more than one request...

Try to limit your requests to 1 or 2, please! We want room for other people to have their ideas to come to light. If you have two ideas, you need to submit two separate messages. Please do not put two story ideas together in a request, or I will just write one :)

Do you take commissions? How can I support you?

I don't take commissions yet, and I'm struggling with doing that, so we will see. When they do appear, they'll appear on my Ko-fi account (where you can also support me through donations if you so feel inclined!)

What tags do you use (for blacklisting or other purposes)?

Most of my blog is writing, but here's how I tag certain things in case you want to blacklist or follow them:

"cozage" - any type of writing for One Piece I do will have this (just to show it's my work)

"coza thoughts" - May be my daily thoughts/info about writing. No substance though, just me.

"coza asks" - messages that I get that aren't requests. Usually just me responding to people

all the pairings also get tagged as well, so if you were to search "Zoro" hashtag on my page, any fics with him would come up

Do you have an AO3?

Yes! Same name as here. I put a lot of my short multi-chapter fics there (but Tumblr gets all the updates first) BUT here’s a link to it. 

Is there anything else I should know?

Please just remember that when you send me a request or a message, I may not always respond to it. I do always read them, though! I just don't always respond because I don't want to clog up my page with posts that aren't content. Don’t get me wrong, I love hearing everyone’s ideas and working together with you all to bring these ideas to life. Send the ask, let me know what you think and how you feel and all of your ideas, but remember that I’m human too! I have feelings and friends and a life outside of writing for our favorite One Piece characters. I look forward to reading your thoughts, and sharing mine with you. 

“Yes!” Luffy jumped to his feet and bounded over to you, already reaching for your hard. You barely had time to slap his hand away before he began undoing it. 

“We’ll practice on ropes first.” You gave him a reassuring smile, and you walked across the ship to gather spare rope. “It’s better to get the technique down first.”

“I don’t understand how tying a knot will help me learn how to do a cool hairstyle.”

You couldn’t resist laughing at his commentary, but you were certain that trying to explain it would only confuse him more. So instead, you settled with: “It will all come together, Luffy. Just trust me.”

He gave you a sharp nod and turned to his three pieces of rope, full of determination. 

Carefully, you guided him through the steps. Right to middle, left to middle, repeat indefinitely. Once he started to get the hang of it, you let him practice as you watched, only speaking to offer tips on when to tighten the twists or loosen his hold. 

It took about half the afternoon before you felt confident enough to let him try it on your hair. Practicing on the rope was a good start, but hair was an entirely different medium. When he finished the braid and held it up for your inspection, you handed him your hair tie. 

“Now try it on me,” you said, sitting down in front of him. “Split it into three parts and just pretend they’re the pieces of rope.”

He was eager. You could tell by how quickly he began parting your hair. But when he accidentally pulled on a stray hair and caused you to stiffen, he began to slow down and put more care into his actions. You could feel the chunks of hair were uneven, but he was more focused on the movements than the perfection.

His fingers became softer and more nimble over time. As he crossed over and pulled each piece, he checked to make sure it wasn’t too tight or too loose. And only after you confirmed it was okay did he continue onto the next step. 

His second and third attempts were more smooth, and you barely felt any pain by his fourth attempt. 

He was so proud of his fifth attempt, you decided to leave it in. The hair appeared to be evenly split. You couldn’t feel any stray hairs or tight strands. As far as you were concerned, it was as good as you would’ve done. 

Luffy loved to braid. And it turned out that he was pretty good at it. He would braid anything or anyone that would let him. Ropes, strips of cloth, your crewmate's hair; nobody was safe from your captain’s urge to practice what he had learned. 

One day, you found him off in the corner, focusing hard on trying to do what he could with his own hair. He must’ve been practicing for a while because his hair was riddled with tiny braids that stuck out against his tousled, loose strands. 

“Luffy?”

It was always easy to startle him when he was practicing. But once he realized it was you, he broke out in a grin. “Hey!”

“You can practice on my hair if you’d like.”

His eyes lit up at the offer. “I can?!”

You laid down in front of him, letting your hair fan out on the deck. You closed your eyes, feeling the sun warm your face. Yes, you could stay here for a while. Especially with Luffy. 

You were pleasant through dinner. You smiled when stories were told. You spoke when you were asked a question. But your mind kept wandering back to Ace. To the pirates. They were really the only people you were ever excited to see, and the only ones who ever showed excitement at your arrival. 

And it wasn’t just Ace. Everyone in his division was kind to you. On the rare occasion another division was sent in Ace’s place, the leaders always sought you out and delivered a message. You weren’t just another face in the crowd to them. You were a person. 

When William finally bid you farewell with a kiss on the cheek, you retired quickly to your room. And once you were alone with your thoughts and all you had lost today, you couldn’t help the tears falling down your face. You weren’t even able to make it to your bed to muffle your sobs with a pillow before they began racking your body. 

“Bit of a weird reaction to spending the day with your betrothed.”

You spun on your heels toward the voice. You could only see a silhouette, but you would know that voice anywhere. 

“Ace-” your voice cracked as you spoke his name. “I didn’t want you to find out like this.”

He shrugged, but you could see the pain in his eyes as he stepped out from the shadows. “You always said you were going to move on if I kept leaving you behind.”

“I’m sorry,” you whispered. Tears were already reforming in your eyes. Your chest ached for his touch again, but you resisted the urge to step closer to him. 

“Do you love him?”

“He’s a good man. He’s kind and loyal and always looks out for me” You couldn’t look at him as you said it. It felt wrong speaking about William here. You didn’t want to think about him now. 

Ace stepped toward you and reached out toward you, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear. He held your face in his hand, forcing you to look at him. 

“Do you love him?” he asked again. 

“I-” You tried to avert your gaze, but he held your chin firmly, forcing you to look at him as you answered his question. “I think I could, given enough time.”

Pain flashed across his face again, but he quickly recovered. “Do you want that?”

“What?”

“Do you want to love him? To marry him?”

You weren’t sure of the answer. Especially with Ace here in front of you. 

“I have to marry him,” you finally said. “My parents need me to do this.”

His eye twitched for a moment, and you could feel his hand warm against your cheek. “What do you need?”

“You.” The words were out of your mouth before you thought to change them. 

That was all he needed to hear. His lips came crashing down onto yours, passionate and hungry. His warmth enveloped you like a summer’s day. You only wanted him. You would only ever be his. Nobody else mattered at this moment. 

“Sail away with me,” he whispered, his fingers already tangled in your hair. 

You simply hushed him in return, trying to find his lips again. 

He indulged you with another kiss, this one longer and slower, as if he wanted to draw it out for as long as possible. As if he wanted to remember it. 

This was a goodbye kiss. 

“Ace-”

“Sail away with me,” he offered again, his lips caressing your jawline.

“You’re serious?” You resisted the urge to laugh. He couldn’t be serious, could he?

“I’ll go if you want me to.” He kissed your neck once, then twice, slowly moving toward your shoulder as he spoke. “Just tell me to go and I will leave you to this life. I won’t interfere anymore.”

You whimpered in response. This couldn’t be the last time you ever saw him. You needed him as much as you needed air. Your heart waited for him on that cliff every day, praying he would come back whenever he could. The very whisper of the Whitebeard pirates returning could turn your whole day around. 

“Or you can come with me.”

“I can’t.”

“You could.” His lips pressed against your collarbones as he said the words. 

You considered it. Being free on the ocean. The only thing to worry about was where you would go the next day. Having people around you who actually cared about you. Being with a crew loved you for who you were, not who they wanted you to be. 

“Okay,” you sighed, already seeing your new life play out before you.  

Ace grew deathly still, only his eyes flicking up to meet yours. “Okay?”

You couldn’t look away from him. “I’ll go.”

He stared at you, refusing to believe it was so easy. 

But your mind was already pushed into high gear, trying to think of everything you would have to do before you left. “My parents will never let me go, so we’ll have to sneak away. I’ll have to write them letters. And I’ll have to write a letter to William. And pack some of my belongings.”

You pulled away from him and moved to your closet, planning what to take and what to leave behind. You had a few bags you could pack. Between you and Ace, you were sure you could carry it all. 

Ace stood in the center of your room, watching your whirlwind of preparation as you shoved things into bags and weighed the value of your items. 

“Wait.” He finally said. His eyes had never left you. 

You glanced over at him as you packed up a few shirts. He looked dreadfully pale, and your heart sank. The question he had asked was in the heat of the moment. 

You froze, watching him closely. “You weren’t being sincere in your offer?” 

“Of course I was!” He rushed to get the words out. “You really want to go?”

“I do.” You went back to packing. 

“You’d leave everything behind? For what?”

You shrugged. “A life on the seas.” 

“What changed?” He took a few steps toward you. “I’ve asked you every time, and the answer was always no. So what changed?”

He was going to make you say it. Of course he was. He had to hear it from your lips. Your actions weren’t enough. 

You stopped folding your clothes and turned to him. “Because I love you, Ace. You absolute buffoon, I love you! And I was never at risk of losing you- truly losing you- until now. And I can’t bear the thought of you going away and never coming back. I can’t imagine a life where I marry William and live a perfectly normal life and die an unimportant death and I never see you again. Is that a good enough reason for you?”

He stared at you, shocked by your sudden outburst. It was all the things you wanted to say to him since the first time you saw him at the bar. And now it was out in the open, hanging between the two of you. 

He rushed toward you, effortlessly scooping you into his arms and covering your face in kisses. When he finally put you down, you felt dizzy from the heat of his lips peppering your cheeks. 

“What else needs to be packed?” He asked.

You gave him a few tasks and pulled some paper from a drawer. You had a lot of apologizing to do for those you were leaving behind. 

A few hours later, in the dead of night, you walked hand in hand as you carried your belongings toward the pirate ship in the distance. The only thing that would remain of you on the island was two letters and an engagement ring. 

Ace squeezed your hand. You could see his beaming smile against the moonlight. “You know,” he said softly. “I couldn’t live without you either.”

Law

You went to your room as soon as you got home. Your parents didn’t object, didn’t even ask if you wanted dinner. You weren’t hungry anyway. 

You laid in bed, trying not to think of the day. You hated the way it had all turned out. The lack of freedom you had on this island due to your parents made you sick. You had no freedom here. No sense of self. 

You weren’t sure when you dozed off, but you woke to a periodic tapping on your window. For a moment, you were too scared to get out of bed. It could be anything or anyone. But after a few more taps on the window, you knew you wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep. Besides, you were on the second story. Nobody could get you from outside your window. So you got up and peeked outside. 

Trafalgar Law was standing under your window. His golden eyes glimmered in the light of the full moon as they locked onto you. 

There was a moment of weightlessness, and then your bare feet slammed against the cobblestone path. You let out a yelp of surprise, but Law’s hands were around your mouth to muffle the sound. 

“Sorry,” he said. “I figured this would be faster than you trying to sneak out.”

“What the hell did you do?!” You looked back at your bedroom window, confused about how you had gotten here so fast. You were still in your pajamas and barefoot. Hardly the way you wanted Trafalgar Law to see you.

He scratched the back of his head as if it had just dawned on him that his actions might not be the best approach. “It’s, uh, my devil fruit ability.”

You gave him a skeptical look. “Can you put me back?”

“Do you want to go back?”

You scoffed. “I’d like some shoes, at the very least. And proper clothes.”

In the moonlight, you could see his cheeks pinken. “Right,” he said quickly. “Just let me know when you’re ready.”

Another weightless moment and you were back in your room. You had been expecting it this time and resisted the urge to let out another shout. You didn’t want to alert your parents to your movements or the individual outside. 

You wanted to do more than simply change clothes and put on shoes, but you didn’t want to keep Law waiting. You weren’t even sure how much time you would have with him as it was. 

Once you were as ready as you could be, you gave the window a little tap to alert him, and then gave him a thumbs up. 

A moment later, you were standing next to him. His hand instinctively went out and helped steady you. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that,” you said breathlessly. 

Law gave a smirk. “You’d be surprised.”

The two of you walked in silence for a while, waiting until you were out of sight from the house before you dared to speak. 

“Where are we going?” you finally asked.

“I had bigger plans for us, but the beach will do for tonight.” Law jerked his head down a side path through the forest. 

It was a path you knew well. It led to a small private alcove. Nobody would find you there. Especially at this time of night. 

“This is my favorite place on this island,” he said softly, leading you to a large blanket lying on the sand. “The view of the stars with the sound of the waves is unmatched. I always come here when I need to think. It’s the most peaceful place on the Grand Line.”

You snorted at his remark, looking up at the sky. “Surely there’s better places out there.”

“But this is my favorite.”

“I dunno why,” you grumbled. “People here give you no respect. You’ve helped these people more than they can count and they still refuse to treat you well.”

Law hummed in agreement at that. He couldn’t deny that the islanders weren’t always kind to him. “You speak as though you’re not one of them.”

“I wish I wasn’t.”

Law’s eyes flicked over, studying you closely. “What do you mean?”

“I just wish I had more.” You turned to look at him. “There’s a whole world out there and I’m stuck in a sandwich shop.”

His eyebrow quirked up. “You don’t have to be.”

“I have nowhere to go and no one to go with. I’m stuck.”

His eyes returned to the sky, not saying anything. The two of you were quiet for a long while, staring at the sky lost in thought. It was the perfect night out, between the soft warm breeze and the waves crashing against the shore. You could feel your eyelids starting to close, lulling you back to sleep. 

“You could come with me.” Law’s voice jolted you awake, and for a second you thought you were dreaming. 

“What?”

His eyes were still on the stars. “My crew. You could join us and sail. We could go anywhere you wanted.”

You sat up, staring at him intensely. “You’re serious?”

He gave a nod in return. 

“I want to,” you said. “I will. I’ll go with you.” 

“We leave tomorrow.”

“I can’t leave tomorrow,” you frowned, shaking your head. There was too much to do to prepare. You couldn’t just vanish. “But…ask me again next time you’re here.”

He gave a nod of understanding. “I’ll be back in a week.”

You broke out in a smile, your mind already turning with possibilities and dreams. “I’ll be ready then.” 

One more week, and then you would be with Law. One more week, and then you would be a Heart Pirate.

Shanks

The next morning you left the house before your parents were down for breakfast. You didn’t want to face them after dinner last night. You didn’t want to think about what they had said to you, how Shanks had been with another woman. 

You wanted to be out of the house and distracted from your thoughts, so you took off early to make it to campus and study before class. You tried to think about anything other than that red-haired pirate. You had exams and projects coming up. Going over the concepts you researched and studied for, you walked right into another person. 

“A bit distracted, love?” You didn’t have to look up to know who was speaking. Out of all the places he could’ve been on this island, he had to be on this path. 

You took a quick step back and nervously tucked your hair behind your ear. “Hey Shanks. Sorry about that.”

His brow furrowed at your formality. “Everything okay?”

“Just on the way to class.” You tried your best to smile. “Busy day.”

“I’ve been trying to catch you since we got here. I’ve missed you.” He reached out to grab you, but you stepped out of his reach.

“It was good to see you.” You gave a quick look around, hoping nobody was watching you. “I don’t want to be late for class.”

His lips pressed into a thin line. “Your class doesn’t start for another two hours.”

Shit. You had told him that the last time he visited. His mind was too keen to forget small details like that.

His hand reached out again, this time grabbing your wrist. “What’s going on?”

“Please Shanks,” you tried to pull away, but he held firm. “Let me go.”

“What is this cold shoulder business? Did I do something to make you upset? This can’t be over-”

“Why don’t you ask that girl you were with at the market?” You don’t know what possessed you to do it, but you spat out the words to him. 

Shanks visibly recoiled from your words, pure confusion on his face. 

Confusion. Not guilt. Not shame. He had no idea what you were talking about. 

“My mother lied to me,” you whispered, tears forming in your eyes. “Oh god, Shanks. I'm so-”

He pulled you into his chest, clasping his arms tightly around you. “Shhh,” he whispered. “It’s okay. I should’ve found you sooner. I’m sorry.” 

You buried your face in his chest, ashamed. “I believed them. Why did I believe them?”

“It’s okay.” He smoothed your hair as he held you. “We figured it out in the end, right?”

“I can’t stay here. We need to leave.” You pulled back, looking at him. 

He only gave a light laugh, unsure of what you meant. 

But that only made you more determined. “I’m serious, Shanks. I can’t stay here anymore. It’s suffocating. I’m dying here. I need life. I need adventure. I need you.”

The smallest spark of light gleaned in his eyes. “You want to sail? With me?”

“Yes.”

“You’ll be a pirate. An outlaw, wanted by the government. You’ll be-”

“I’ll be with you,” you said, cutting him off. “The only one who has ever made me feel like I am my own person. I’ll be with you. I don’t care about the rest.”

He broke into a grin. “You’re serious?”

You stood on the tips of your toes and leaned forward to kiss him. “I’m serious. When can we go?”

“As soon as you want to.”

The excitement of living flooded into your veins. “Now.”

So when William Cleed had asked for your hand in marriage, you agreed. It was an arrangement between your parents, and William was a rather boring fellow. But he came from a good family, and he was kind to his servants. He was a good man. Plus, the marriage would solidify your parents position in the community and strengthen family ties. It was the sensible move. 

“There she is!” Ace’s voice rang out amongst the sounds of the portmen, and you found him at the bow of the ship, waving down at you. 

You gave him a sheepish grin and small wave, the way you always had as the two of you waited for the gangway to be set. His grin made your heart swell, which paired with an instant pang of regret. 

Unwilling to wait any longer, Ace jumped over the side of the ship, landing on the dock directly in front of you. 

“Miss you, love.” His eyes gave a quick scan over your body, lingering a moment too long of your lips. “You look good.”

You rolled your eyes, a smile dancing along your lips. “I bet you say that to all of your island girls.”

Ace wrinkled his nose at your comment. “Only you. I tell you every time, there’s no one else.”

“And yet you always leave.” You raised an eyebrow at him. This was a daance the two of you always did.

He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close to him. “Come with me.”

“Ace-” you tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but he only strengthened his grip on you, a smile still on his face.

“I know, I know,” he said with a sigh. “You can’t go and I can’t stay. So we just have to keep dancing this dance we always do.”

You tried to pull away again, but he didn’t budge. “Ace, I need to talk to you.”

“I missed you.” Hiis lips were already on yours as he spoke the words. 

You should’ve felt guilty. You should’ve tried to pull away, or push against him. You should’ve tried to get away and preserve yourself and your fiance. 

Instead, you melted into him. You couldn’t help it. You ignored the reasonable part of your brain that was reminding you about your bethrothed. You would tell him about your engagement the moment you pulled away, you just needed to taste him one more time. To have your sense invaded by campfire, to have your mouth slightly numb and your hair a tangled mess from his fingers twining through them. Just this last kiss, and then you could say goodbye. 

“What the hell is this?” William’s voice broke through the smoke that was fogging your brain, causing you to yank out of Ace’s grasp. 

“William-” you gasped, trying to think of a reason he would’ve found you like this. 

But William wasn’t looking at you. He stepped infront you you, glaring directly at Ace. “You pirates thing anything you look at is yours. Get the fuck away from her!”

The sharpness in William’s voice was something you had never heard before, and it caused you to take a step back from both of the men. 

Ace blinked, confused and slightly disoriented from your kiss. His eyes found yours, asking for an explanation, but you simply adverted your gaze. You should have told him, but now your voice was gone. 

Ace gave out a nervous laugh. “I don’t understand. She was fine-”

“The hell she was!” William shouted. “My fiance doesn’t go around kissing other men, especially not a pirate.”

The way he spit the last word made your cheeks heat with shame. You had never been ashamed to be seen with Ace or any of his crew before, but the Cleeds wouldn’t be caught dead frequenting the same establishment as a pirate. 

“Fiance?” Ace barked out a laugh, but was quickly silenced. You knew he was looking at you, at the ring on your finger. “I-”

“William, dear,” you interrupted quickly. “Can we just go?”

WIlliam finally turned around to you, his eyes instantly softening as he looked at you. He smoothed some of your wild hair and wiped some dirt off of your face. “Did he hurt you?” he whispered. 

You shook your head. “No. I’m okay. I swear.”

Ace was staring at you, trying to get your attention. “Y/N-”

“Don’t say her name,” William growled, turning back to Ace. “Don’t even fucking speak to her.”

“I can talk to her if I damn well please! She’s her own person!” Ace took a step toward you, but William stepped up to meet him, cutting you off from him. 

“And my betrothed,” WIlliam hissed. “And my family will not associate themselves with your kind.”

You could see Ace’s temperature rise at that comment. You knew the look on his face. One that often happened when people in the bar spoke poorly of Whitebeard or laughed at someone in his crew. He was getting ready to loose his flames.

“Please-” your voice cracked on that word, finally looking at Ace and all of the confused pain on his face. “Please just let it go.”

William turned to you and relaxed, walking back to you. “Yes, of course. Let’s go.”

He smoothed your hair again, gently kissed your cheek, and led you away from the docks. You didn’t dare to look back to Ace, but you knew he was still standing in the same place you had left him, silently begging you to turn and run back into his arms. 

Law

Trafalger Law had visited your island a few times and managed to stop in at your family’s cafe every single time. And every time, your conversations went about the same. 

“Welcome back! What brings you back to the island?”

“Business for the World Government,” he’d say with a straight face, staring at the menu. 

You’d give a nervous laugh. “Right. Classified, I’m guessing.”

He’d finally give you a smirk. “You’d be correct.”

“Anything I can help with or give you insider information on?”

“Just a sandwich.”

It was at that point that you’d remember he stopped in for service, not conversation. You’d quickly ring him up and make his order. He always sat at the bar near you. At first, he didn’t seem interested in making small talk with you, but after the third or fourth visit, the two of you could talk through the entire meal without any awkward pauses or lulls in conversation. 

And without fail, everytime he left, your mother would stick her head out from the back room and click her tongue in disapproval. 

“You shouldn’t be so kind to men like that. He’s a pirate, you know. He’ll take you hostage and not think twice about it if it benefits him.”

“He’s a Warlord, you know. Sanctioned by the World Government,” you’d always say back. 

She’d scrunch her face at that comment. “Just means he can get away with it.”

The two of you would roll your eyes at the other’s remarks and get back to work, but those golden eyes would stay in your mind for the rest of the day. 

One day, Trafalgar Law came into your shop twice in the same day. 

You couldn’t help but smile at him. “Back for the World Government Business? Or just a sandwich for the sea?”

“Neither,” Law said. “It’s actually a personal matter.”

Your heart began to race at his words. “Oh? And how can I help with that?”

Law looked back at the door as if he wanted to run, but his crewmates were blocking the exit, staring at him expectantly. 

He turned back to you, watching you carefully. “Are you busy tonight?”

It took a moment for you to process his words. “Tonight? Uhm…no, I don’t think so.”

“I’ll meet you here at seven, then.”

It felt like all the air had gotten sucked out of your lungs. “What?”

“For dinner.” He started to walk away, and then froze. “I mean, if you want to.”

You gave a nervous laugh. “Do you even want to?”

He quickly turned to face you, and you could see the calculated panic across his face as he realized his communication errors. 

A smile spread across your face as you watched him try to fix his mistake. “I’ll see you here at seven. Don’t dress up too fancy, okay?”

He gave a quick nod and then slunk out of the building. You couldn’t help but laugh at his awkwardness. You hadn’t seen that level of communication issues from him since his first lunch. 

Thankfully, you didn’t have to hear anything from your mother. Her and your father were away for the day, working an event on the other side of the island. 

You closed the shop quickly and ran home to change into anything but your work outfit. Law had seen you in that enough times. 

Law was already waiting for you as you approached the bakery again, and gave a smirk when he saw you. “I was starting to worry you wouldn’t show up.”

You flashed him a smile in return. “And miss a evening out with a pirate? How could I refuse!”

He rolled his eyes at your enthusiasm. “Don’t get your hopes up. It’s nothing big. It’s just-”

“Y/N?” Your father’s voice made you freeze in place. Even Law stopped speaking mid-sentence. 

You quickly spun around to see your mother and father standing in the path. “You guys are back early!”

Law turned around as well, slower and more disinterested in the conversation. But you saw the moment your mother recognized his face. How her eyes bulged out her her face for just a moment. How she whispered to your father. 

Your father’s eyes widened aat your mother’s indistinguishable words. “You’re coming home right now,” he said to you. 

Plastering on the fakest smile you could, you willed yourself to speak confidently. “I’m actually just on my way out. Everything is okay at home, though.”

“Listen here, girl-” Your father strode up to you in five quick steps and grabbed you by the arm. “If you don’t come home this instant, you will have no home to come home to.”

“Father-”

He tugged on your arm. “Now.”

“Go,” Law said, already turning around and heading down the path without you. “I’ll see you tomorrow for lunch.”

“You will not!” Your father screamed after him. “You and your crew aren’t welcome in my shop! All you bring is trouble!” 

Law didn’t respond as he kept walking, so your father turned his rage to you. “If you ever see him again- If you ever try to go out with him again- You will be no daughter of mine. Is that understood?”

You glanced down the path one last time to see Law vanish out of sight. “Understood,” you whispered. 

Shanks

“Run away with me,” Shanks whispered between kisses. “You’re too busy here.”

“I have to stay.” You managed to get the words out before his lips came crashing back onto yours. 

“You don’t have to,” he argued. His goodbyes were always like this. 

You pulled away from him. “Just like you don’t have to go.”

“I’ll be back.” He gave you one last kiss, and then he was gone. 

--

Your mother clicked her tongue in disapproval as you stumbled back in, still drunk from the wine and Shanks’s lips. 

“That man is a walking bad idea,” she warned. “I told you to stay away from sailors. They’re bad news.”

“Shanks is a pirate,” you mumbled without thinking. “That’s a totally different profession.”

“What?” Her sharp eyes cut over to you, fire burning from your words. 

You were in for it now. You let out a groan and stumbled up the stairs, but your mother was quick on your heels. 

“Me and your father have set you up a good life. You have a good job for now, your on track to be the first graduating student with high-”

“I know!” you shouted. “My life is perfect!”

“It is!” She shot back. “And we have worked tirelessly to ensure that. So I’ll be damned if you ruin our hard work because of-”

“He offered to have me join his crew, you know.” The mischief in your eyes cut her off mis word, her mouth still hanging open in shock. “Maybe I’ll take him up on it next time!”

With that bombshell, you slammed your bedroom door shut. 

“He’s a filthy pirate!” Your mother screamed through the wooden door. “He’ll use you until he grows tired, and then he will dump you off just like every other girl!”

“Better being stuck on this damn island!” you shouted back, but your mother had already stormed back down the hallway. 

You shouldn’t have threatened your parents. You shouldn’t have mentioned leaving. You shouldn’t have even told them about Shanks in the first place. Because your parents held onto things; let them fester. Their rage never left them, it just sat dormant until they needed to call upon it. 

That rage didn’t manifest again until you saw the red-hair pirated sailing into port. Coincidentally, it was the same day that your professor had assigned a huge research project. Upon arriving home, you found that you were to prepare the meals for the family for the next week since the chef had taken a vacation, and that your parents has volunteered you to work the summer camp that helped the underprivileged island children. 

“I know what you’re doing,” you whispered to your mother while chopping vegetables one night. “It won’t work.”

“I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about dear.” She gave you a false smile and returned to her book. “I could use some more tea.”

You had plans to sneak out after dark, but your parents stayed in the foyer until the early hours of the night. Between school, volunteering, making dinner, and working on your project, you never could stay awake longer than them. 

You knew what they were doing. Severing your relationship with Shanks and his crew was the best way to keep your family’s reputation pristine. But you had to see him once before he left. Just once. 

You stayed up all night to finish your project, and finished all of your dinner preparations before you went off to your volunteer duties. Dinner was finished and ready the moment your parents got home. 

You served your parents, ignoring your mother’s glare that you hadn’t set the table for yourself. 

You took a deep breath. “I’m going out this evening with some-”

“No,” your father said. “Sit and eat with us. We are a family.”

“I’m going to eat with some friends.”

Your mother raised an eyebrow at you. “Which friends?”

You began walking towards the door. “Enjoy your meal.”

“Y/N” Your father’s voice was like a blade across your skin. “Sit and eat. You have things to do afterwards here at home.”

“I’ll do it when I get back.”

“Sit. Down.” There was the rage you remembered so well. The piece of him that required you to be perfect. Obedient. 

You sat down at the table. 

You resisted the urge to shy away from his glare as he spoke. “You will not go out tonight.”

“It’s just for a few hours. I need-”

“You need nothing,” he snapped back, immediately silencing you. “I will lock you in the cellar before I allow you to galavant around the town while pirates are in town.”

“Besides, we saw that red-haired young man in the market earlier,” you mother cooed. “Seems he found another doe-eyed girl who was stupid enough to say yes to his offer. Im so glad you moved on from that fantasy and are focusing on what’s actually important now.”

Your heart stopped in your chest. “You’re lying.”

She gave you a wicked smile. “I’d sayyou could go see for yourself, but it seems you shall remain on the property. For your own safety, of course. And since we will not allow such filth in the house, wee’re at an impasse.”

“You’re lying,” you said again. You could feel your body shaking, your eyes welling with tears. But you couldn’t stop yourself. 

What pity your mother looked at you with. “I’ve told you dear. We don’t socialize with animals for a reason.” 

Your father gave a thoughtful nod, as if your mother has actually said something profound. “Well, not that we’ve got that covered, why don’t you tell us about the research project you have for Professor Kiamari.”

“I think-” you stood from the table, almostknocking over the chair. “I think I’m going to go work on that right now.”

“I think that’s a swell idea,” your father agreed. “Anything less than perfect-”

“Is a failure,” you finished. 

“And we didn’t raise a failure,” your mother said. 

With a weight crushing on your heart, you receded to your room wondering if Shanks had even realized you weren’t around anymore.

You let out an exasperated groan and returned to packing. You ran up to your room to grab the remainder of what you needed. Clothes, log pose, your sword…you didn’t need much, just enough to get to him. 

Zoro followed and stood in the doorway, watching you with concern. “Listen woman, you can’t go on some wild chase. You don’t even know where he is!”

“No,” you whispered more to yourself than him. “But I can find him.”

You ran over to the drawer you kept his in and flung it open. There was his card, just as pristine as the day he gave it to you. The knot in your stomach loosened, just a little bit. You grabbed the paper and stuck it in a glass jar. 

“I’ll be back soon.” You slung the backpack over your shoulder and looked at him.

But Zoro didn’t move from the doorway. “You can’t leave.”

“Get out of the way, Roronoa.”

A look of pain crossed his face as you used such a formal tone with him, but he quickly recovered. 

“You’re still hurt.”

You scowled. “I’ll be fine.”

“He’ll be back tomorrow. Just wait another day.” 

“I already waited a day!” You attempted to push past him, but he stood firm.

You could feel your heartbeat quickening. You were losing time. You needed to leave. “If you do not let me pass, I will cut you down.”

The edge of his mouth quirked upward for just a moment, as if he were interested to see how that fight would end. 

You attempted to push past him again. “Roronoa-”

“I’d win.”

You glared at his slate-gray eyes, refusing to back down. “Let me through.”

“Thought you said you were going to fight me for it? I’ve got a new technique I want to try out.”

This was just a joke to him. He didn’t understand the levity of the situation. Instead of helping, he was just standing there, mocking you. Blocking your way to your father. Every minute here was a minute you should’ve been on the sea. 

“Please, Zoro.” Your voice cracked as you said those words, but you didn’t care. You had no shame in this moment. You’d do anything to get out of this room and to the boat. 

“What’d you tell me when we first met?” Zoro asked, giving you a full body scan. “In your condition, you won’t make it to the coast.”

“You don’t know what I’m capable of,” you snapped back. 

You tried to push past him one more time, but when you hit against his body, his arms wrapped tightly around you. 

“Let me go.”

He ignored your words and your struggles to get free. “You never told me Mihawk was your father.”

“It never came up. Let me go.” 

You could tell he wanted to push the topic further, but he let it go. “He’ll be back soon. Just wait a few more days.”

You finally stopped struggling against his hold. “What if he’s in danger?”

“The card would show that.”

Your vision began to blur. “I’m scared, Zoro.”

“Let’s go to bed,” he said softly, beginning to guide you away from the door and towards your bed. “We can make a plan in the morning.”

“He’s never late.”

Zoro guided you into your bed, carefully taking your pack off as he did so. “I’m sure there’s a reason.”

His eyes were no longer hardened stone. They had gained a softness to them, one that was comforting to see. You didn’t want to look away. You didn’t want him to leave. You didn’t want to be alone.

“Stay with me?” The words were out before you had a chance to think. You slid over to make room for him. You didn’t care how it looked or sounded. You couldn’t be alone. You knew yourself too well. If Zoro left, you would sneak out of the house and run for the coast. 

He silently slid into the bed next to you. And then he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you into him. 

A part of you loathed yourself for it, but you felt tears slip down your cheeks. 

“He’ll be back soon,” Zoro whispered in the darkened room. “He’s the greatest swordsman in the world. He’ll be back.”

You let those promises lull you to sleep, fearful of what the next day would bring. 

--

You woke the next morning still wrapped in Zoro’s arms, which meant that yesterday hadn’t been a dream. Your father was late. 

You outstretched your haki to every piece of the island, searching for his presence. You could sense Perona downstairs in her room, the baboons gathered in the jungle, even the fish that swam in the waters at the edge of the shore. But there was no sign of your father. 

“Zoro.” You gave him a light shove. “Wake up.”

“Five more minutes.” He pulled you in closer to him. If it were any other day, you might have savored this moment. 

“We have to get up.”

It took longer than you wanted, but you finally got Zoro out of bed and to the kitchen. Breakfast, and then you would find a way to convince him that you should go look for him. 

Zoro was watching you closely as you ate. Almost as if he were studying you and your movement. 

After he had watched you eat two pieces of toast, you worked up the nerve to say something.

“What?”

He took a deep breath. “So is Mihawk your actual father?” 

“Yes.”

He finally averted his eyes from you, deep in thought. 

“Is that a problem?” 

“I didn’t know he had a daughter.”

“It’s not public knowledge,” you admitted. “He keeps me away from the world government and the reporters.”

“He just hides you here.” Zoro gestured to the place. “On dull, dark islands.”

“I quite like Gloom Island.” Your eyes pierced into him. “People don’t come here often.”

“I did.”

“I blame Kuma for that.” You let out a dry laugh. “You would’ve never come here on your own.”

Zoro’s voice quieted. “I’m glad I came, though.”

“As am I.” You cleared your throat, trying to move on from the subject. “There’s a small sailboat on the coast. We can take that to go find Mihawk.”

“Your father,” Zoro clarified. 

“Is there a problem with this revelation?” you snapped. “I’d like to focus on finding him rather than the status of who he is to me.”

You could see the internal struggle storming in his eyes. What he wanted to say opposed with what he should say. 

“You’re very different than him,” he finally stammered out. “But he’s…I want to defeat him one day.”

You put your fork down and stared at him. “I have no issue with that.”

Your response seemed to surprise him. “If we are competing for the title of the best swords-”

“We’re not competing.”

He stared at you for a moment, trying to read your face and your intentions. “You’re his daughter.”

“That doesn’t mean I want to be the best.”

“What about his legacy?”

You laughed at that question. “His legacy is his. My legacy is mine. They are not intertwined.”

Both of you had abandoned breakfast at this point, Zoro still not understanding your words. “You’re a better swordsman than me.” He paused for a moment. “On your good days.”

You smiled at that. “I am aware.”

“But you don’t want to be the best?”

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes. “I told you, I just want to be good enough to survive on the Grand Line.”

“So what’s stopping you from leaving?”

“At the moment?” You gave him a pointed look. “You are.”

“That’s not fair.” It was his turn to give you a look. “You are not at your best.”

Your eyes turned to where the small boat was docked a few miles away. “I could make it to the coast.”

“Let’s consider it tomorrow.”

You wished you had the energy to argue with him. All you wanted to do was curl up into bed and try to wake up from this nightmare. His vivre card was fine, but a piece of paper didn’t tell the whole story. He could be held hostage, unconscious, or in hiding. You had no way of knowing. 

So you sat in the courtyard with his vivre card clutched in your hand. He didn’t appear to be moving in any direction at all. You kept your observation haki outstretched as far as you could, taking small breaks when you needed to. 

Zoro only left you to bring you lunch or yell at Perona for how loud she was. And when the sun set and sets of eyes began to dot across the treeline, he finally came and sat next to you. 

“We should go in.”

Your eyes stayed fixed on the horizon. “I need to be here when he gets home.”

“We can wait inside.”

“I won’t see him coming.”

There was a close screech of a baboon that caused you to flinch. The one that mimicked your father. Calling out for a challenger. 

“We need to go,” Zoro said again, this time with more urgency in his voice. 

You let him pull you to your feet and walk with you inside, but you refused to go out of sight from the door. 

“Tomorrow I’m going to search for him.”

Zoro sighed, knowing you were almost at your limit of waiting. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

“He’s never late,” you whispered, eyes still on the door.

The two of you sat there on the floor, eyes glued to the door. Your stored amounts of haki had run out long ago, but any time you felt it begin to return, you pushed out to the dock, desperately searching for him. To no avail. He wasn’t on the island. 

Hours later, you finally fell asleep, your head on Zoro’s lap after he promised to keep watch and wake you if he heard anything. But there was only silence. 

--

Tags! @lukepolaroid @ellisaworld @darienjo @bi-narystars @je-an @zoast32

You all ended up having kids. Ace wanted one hundred, but you cut him off after three. 

He still likes to bring home a stray kid he found on the side of the street every now and then, and you never minded having the extra rooms filled for as long as they needed to stay. Some stayed for only a few days, some stayed for years. You loved them all the same.

Just about every night, the two of you make it a priority to sit out and watch the sunset. The moments together are truly what makes life feel worth living

Even after all these years, he sticks up for you and loves you without shame. He’s never afraid to show you off or plant a kiss on your lips when he thinks someone else is eyeing you. He loves to brag about you and all of the light you’ve given him over the years to just about anyone who will listen. 

Law

It took Law a long time to find a place worth settling down in. You all finally decided on Zou.

It made sense. He was a wandering spirit, Zou was a wandering civilization. He could still move about while being in one place. Plus, you always had a feeling he would have a harder time parting with Bepo than he ever let on. 

He ended up working as a doctor for the minks (no surprise there) and found that his favorite part of the day was when he got to help kids feel better. 

Your moment of peace and tranquility, even after all these years, is the morning cup of coffee you all share. You never get tired of that simple moment between the two of you, and you cherish it with your whole heart. 

Every Friday, Bepo’s family comes over for dinner. The kids typically put on some silly play or performance or rope you all into games they want to play, and you all will stay awake far longer than you ever care to admit. 

You always complain about how exhausted you are on Saturdays, and Law promises “We’ll kick them out earlier next week”, but you never do. You would never want to limit your time with Bepo and his family anyway, the complaining is more to get out of any chores you may have promised to do. 

Law loves in the quietest of ways. He prefers to stay in and curl up on the couch, or he’ll bring you a book to read in bed alongside him. But he never goes to sleep without kissing you first. 

Zoro

Zoro still groans when you get out of bed. He almost always pulls you back in with a “five more minutes” mumble. You had begun accounting for this delay years ago, but it still makes your heart flutter when he pulls you back in and wraps his arms around you so that you can’t escape. 

He runs his own dojo now, that operates solely off of donations (and the load of gold you all have from your pirating days). Kids can come to practice, or they can live and work there too. It’s a very satisfying occupation for both of you. 

Funnily enough, Zoro found a strange love for cooking. Well, grilling. He loves to grill. You used to joke about it being a necessary qualification to be a dad, but now he just tries to grill everything. Dinner is almost always covered, but you never know what new thing he’s going to try (and yes, he does have a really corny apron like “#1 Grillmaster” or something).

He likes to stay in most of the time nowadays. If you go out, it’s usually to a small place that is more family-style than bars. 

However, he likes to go to a bar with you sometimes and pretend that you all don’t know each other. He’ll spend the whole night flirting with you and finally end the night with “So, you coming home with me or what?”. He ALWAYS has new pickup lines or witty things to say to you. 

He lifted his head from its resting place on your bedside. He appeared to be asleep, but his eyes were alert and full of worry. 

You gave a slight cough to clear your throat. “What exactly are you doing in my room?” 

Zoro grabbed a glass of water from your bedside table and held it out for you. You refused to take it, keeping your eyes locked on him as you waited for an answer. 

He sighed in defeat. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. You passed out in the courtyard. I had to carry you up here.”

His answer embarrassed you, but it was a good enough reason for him to be in here. You worked yourself into a sitting position, refusing Zoro’s attempt at any assistance, and took the water from him. 

After you finished the whole thing, you cleared your throat once more. The fog in your head was already starting to dissipate. “Thank you.”

Zoro shook his head. “It was my fault you were that exhausted.”

“I knew what I was getting myself into.” Your scowl turned into a smirk. “I’m surprised you were able to find my room.”

“I know how to get around this castle!”

You let out a soft chuckle and began getting out of bed. Your body was more sore than you had expected it to be. Even just shifting your body caused your muscles to ache.

“You don’t have to rush it,” Zoro said softly. “You can stay in bed today if you want.”

You waved him off and stood up. Zoro watched you carefully as you stood, waiting to intervene if needed. It took you a few seconds to find your balance, but you could to stand on your own. 

“Where’s Nikko?” You looked around the room, spotting it near the fireplace. You stepped towards it, but Zoro was already there and back, handing off the blade to you. 

You felt more steady with your blade by your side, but you still gave Zoro a sour look. “I can do things on my own, you know. I’m not some damsel.”

“Doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourself,” Zoro grumbled. 

You could’ve argued further, but you decided to let it go. “Let’s eat, then we’ll go train.”

Zoro gave you a bewildered look. “We can’t train today! You’ll get yourself killed.”

You gave a dry laugh, which sent a pang through your ribcage. He was probably right. Another day of training would likely send both of you to an early grave. 

“You’re going to train with the stuffed bear today.” You took a few steps towards the door, trying not to sound winded. Zoro hovered around you, waiting to see if you needed assistance.

“I can already do the bear,” Zoro said. “I practiced while you slept.”

Your eyes narrowed at him. “You should’ve been resting and recovering. Not practicing.”

He shrugged. “I didn’t sleep well. I had time.”

“You never take anything slow,” you grumbled. 

You started toward the door. Your body felt weak and clammy, and the room randomly tilted on an axis now and then. You needed food, and then you could focus on how to help Zoro continue training. 

Zoro stayed next to you the whole journey down the stairs and to the kitchen. He never once complained about your speed or grumbled when you needed to lean against the wall. He never offered help, though you could see his jaw was clenched, as if he disapproved of you even trying to move around. 

When you pulled out a pan and dropped it, he finally interjected. 

“You should sit down and let me cook.” He grabbed the pan off the floor before you had the chance to bend down. 

“I can do it.” You reached for the pan in his hands, but he held it just out of reach. 

“I know you can do it. But let me help you.”

“Roronoa-”

His eyes softened for just a moment. “You helped me. Let me help you.”

That was enough to make you listen. You slowly walked over to the chair and slunk into it. You put your head down and closed your eyes, willing the dizziness to go away. 

You must’ve dozed off at some point because a moment later, a plate was being set on the table. 

“Hope you like it,” Zoro said, already turning away. 

The eggs and the toast were slightly burnt, but you didn’t mind. There was no seasoning either, though you were sure that you would’ve been sick if there had been. With every bite of bread and eggs, clarity began to set in. 

“We’ll go out to the ruins today to practice,” you offered over breakfast. 

“I can train here.”

You narrowed your eyes at him from across the table. Zoro hated practicing in the courtyard. He had tried multiple times to convince you to leave the area. He didn’t want to train here, and you knew that. If he didn’t want to go to the ruins, it was because of you. 

“I can handle myself out there.” Your words came out sharper than you intended, but you didn’t really care. 

Zoro suddenly became very interested in his meal. “I don’t mind training here.”

“It’s distracting to train here.” Perona’s voice echoed through the halls. She was already singing some strange melodies very offkey.

“I need the distraction.”

You took a deep breath to calm yourself down before you tried again. “We’ll train at the ruins.” 

You stated it with such finality, you were startled when he spoke. 

“I’d prefer to train here.” His eyes were now locked on you in a mix of challenge and weariness. 

“Train here then.” You stared straight back, mustering all of the anger and irritation you had felt over the past few days. “I’m going to the ruins.”

“God dammit,” he muttered. “You just like to argue, don’t you?”

You shrugged with a sense of smugness, knowing you had won. “Do it my way or do it alone, Roronoa.”

It took you longer to get to the ruins than usual, but Zoro didn’t comment. You weren’t even sure if he had noticed. He seemed on edge walking through the jungle, as if a monster would jump out and attack him at any time. 

It was a possibility. 

When you got to the ruins, you handed off a cheap sword to Zoro and had him sit wherever he felt most comfortable. 

“Okay,” you breathed out. “Give it a try.”

He looked at you and back to the sword. “What do you mean?”

You sat down a bit away from him. “Imbue it with your haki.”

“How?”

You scoffed. “You know how.”

“I don’t!”

“Just try it.” You pulled out a book and flipped to the page you were on. “I have two more swords for when you break that one.”

“I won’t break it!” he argued. You simply rolled your eyes. You didn’t have the energy to argue. 

He proved you right in about 30 minutes. You sensed the metal bending just a second before the sword shattered in his hand. You had to suppress a shutter, knowing exactly what kind of energy was sent into that sword at full force. 

Instead, you looked at him half amused. 

“Don’t. Say. Anything.” His tone was enough of a warning. 

You threw another sword at him with a nod and returned to your book. Just like his time practicing with you, he had learned exactly what the breaking point was and how to toe that line. As long as he had enough control to do it. 

The day inched by, seconds slowly bleeding into minutes, and then hours. As the sun continued to climb, the clouds began to disperse - a rare sunny day on Gloom Island. Sunny days meant that being outside would be almost unbearable. But Zoro made no movement or complaints, so you sad in the shade and continued to read. 

Then, as the sun was getting close to the horizon, you felt it. The release of controlled haki being pushed into the sword. Your eyes quickly darted to the green-haired swordsman just in time to see his blade being coated in the inky black color. 

Success. He had done it. In only one day. 

He could do anything. 

Zoro looked over at you. “Uh, I-”

“Did it!” you shouted, jumping up and abandoning your book as you ran over to him. “You did it!”

The sword clattered to the ground and Zoro held his arms out to you. Without thinking, you jumped into them. Your cheers turned into laughs as he used your momentum to swing you around. You weren’t sure you had ever seen him so happy since coming here. 

You weren’t sure you had ever been this happy for another person. “I can’t believe you really did it. You have amazing haki control!”

“I had a good teacher.” His cheeks flushed with pink. “Thank you.”

You were very aware of his hands still resting on your hips, and you took a step away from him. “Try it with your sword now.”

He gave a hard swallow, his mind returning to the task. You couldn’t remember which one it was that he pulled out, but it was so beautiful you couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. 

It was instantly coated in black, without even a whisper of tension in the steel. 

A grin broke out across his face as he looked at his blade. “I’m so happy I could kiss you.”

Then do it. The words almost left your lips. He looked at you, surprised you didn’t respond to his words. You wanted to taunt him so badly, to challenge him to do it. You could feel yourself silently begging him to do it. As his gaze drifted down to your lips, your mouth slightly parted, as if you might actually say it. 

He didn’t let you get the chance. He leaned down and carefully pressed his lips against yours, and your heart thundered in your chest at the contact. He began to pull away, but your hands intertwined in his hair and you pulled him back to you. 

With permission to proceed, he pressed his lips back against you, harder and more desperate this time. You let out a soft moan as your lips parted, and he wasted no time pushing his tongue into your mouth. 

His hands trailed up and down your spine, causing your body to shiver involuntarily. You could feel his mouth quirk into a smile, but he was too busy tasting you to comment. 

You weren’t sure why you had tried to deny yourself this feeling. The two of you fit perfectly into one another’s grasp. You never wanted to let him go. You’d rather have him than the air you breathed. 

Which almost proved to be true. When he finally broke from the kiss, the two of you were gasping and sputtering. You had been so caught up in each other, you had forgotten the necessity of breathing. 

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a while,” Zoro confessed, his arms still around you, holding you close to him.

“Since you arrived?” You asked.

Zoro huffed out a laugh. “No. You were a real bitch when I first got here. Perona told me about how you wanted to leave me to the baboons, you know.”

“I stand by that decision,” you joked. “You would’ve figured it out.”

He kissed your cheek, and then moved lower, spreading kisses across your neck. 

“Zoro,” you moaned and leaned back your head to extend your neck to him.

He let out a broken laugh. “You haven’t called me Zoro in four days, you know. It’s nice to hear it on your lips again.”

You pulled away from him. “It’s been four days?” you asked, your heartbeat picking up.

He gave you a reassuring smile. “Four whole days. I’ll forgive you, don’t worry. But you’ll-”

You counted back the days again in your head. You were certain you had counted correctly. “It’s only been three days since my father left.” 

Zoro stepped back, chewing on his lip as he tried to think of an explanation. But you didn’t need one. His being in your room this morning, his overall protectiveness of you today…it was all starting to add up. 

“I was out for a whole day.” Your heart was thundering in your chest for an entirely different reason.

“Yeah.” Zoro scratched the back of his head, a habit he tended to do when he was nervous. “I didn’t tell you right away because I didn’t want you to panic. And then it just never came up. I was going to tell you though, I swear.”

Your breathing became rapid, and you glanced back to the castle in the distance. He wasn’t back yet. You couldn’t feel him on the island. 

Your father had never once missed his return date. And yet as the sun began to set one day after his promised arrival, he still wasn’t home.

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Tags! @lukepolaroid @ellisaworld @darienjo @bi-narystars (I think I may have forgotten someone PLEASE forgive me my brain is SCATTERED rn)

His eyes cracked open at your words and he peered down at you. “You cannot enjoy watching me sleep.”

You gave a sheepish smile. “It’s one of my favorite things in this world, Trafalgar Law. In fact, you’re one of my favorite things in this whole world, so everything that you do is automatically good in my eyes.”

He rolled his eyes, clearly not believing you. “Flattery is a little thick today. You might want to tone it down, or I’ll catch on to the fact that you want something.”

You stuck your tongue out at his words. “All I wanted was to look at you while you sleep!”

“Freak.” He paired his words with a kiss to your forehead to show he didn’t actually mean them. 

The two of you were silent for a while. You thought he had fallen back asleep, so you occupied your time tracing over his tattoos. But after a few minutes, he spoke again.

“Okay, seriously-” He pulled back slightly to look at you. He tended to do that when he wanted to make sure you were being truthful. “What did you want to do today?”

You were never good at hiding your emotions. You knew they had all washed over your face in a matter of seconds, and Law could read them all with intense precision. Confusion. Knowing. Irritation. And then, understanding. 

“I don’t want anything from you, Law,” you explained. “I was just…enjoying the view? I don’t know how to say it correctly. I find myself staring sometimes because I find you interesting.”

Law’s brows scrunched together in confusion. “If you wanted a good view, the deck and the sea are far more interesting. Especially at this time of day.”

You gave a humorless laugh. “I love you more than I love the sea, idiot.”

He froze at those words, and you could see him struggling to make sense of them. “So you were staring at me…?”

“Because I love you,” you finished for him. 

That didn’t seem to help. “And you love me because…?”

“I don’t know!” You gave out a sharp laugh at the thought. “There are no reasons and so many reasons! But there are no conditions for my love, Law! I just love you because I love you. I can’t say exactly why I love you. I just do!”

You had really done it now. You were fairly certain you had never seen Law more confused or more flustered than he was in this moment. He gave a hard swallow and nodded his head, but you could tell further clarification was still needed.

“You don’t understand,” you said, watching his eyes turn to the ceiling. If they went there, that usually meant he was lost in thought. 

He shrugged. “I do, in a way. I feel that way about you, but I…well, I never expected someone to feel that way about me.”

The weight of his words made your heart sink. He deserved more than anyone to know how much he was treasured. You would die for him for no other reason than love. And while he could grasp the concept, he couldn’t understand why someone would feel that way towards him. 

“How about I tell you all the things I love about you?” you offered softly, trying to pull him away from his thoughts. It was too early to be thinking of such deep topics.

His eyes shifted over to you, and you could see he was half alarmed by your offer. But you could see the smallest spark of intrigue. 

So you began listing everything you could think off, absentmindedly still tracing over his tattoos.