This Girl Writes

“oi.”

you froze with your hand on your purse, about to reach for your keys, head snapping up at his voice as he made his way toward you, his hands buried deep in his pockets.

you turned your head slowly, eyes trailing up his tall frame, though looking at him only made things worse; his pink, coral strands faintly glowing under the streetlight, tan skin catching the light, black markings accentuating the sharpness of his features.

yeah. you didn’t stand a chance.

“. . . what?”

he scoffed. “what?” he mimicked under his breath, head tilting slightly, eyes sharp and fixed on you. “you forgetting something?”

your brain only buffered, eyes darting between his face and everything else: left, right, anywhere but him. “no..?” — humming under your breath as you dug through your purse.

lip gloss.

receipt.

wires.

a sonny angel, for some reason . . ?

everything but your keys.

normally, you weren’t this awkward. you just weren’t used to this. dates with people you actually found attractive. emotionally. intellectually. physically. romantically. sexually—

“you regret comin’ out with me?”

oh . . . 

for a second you almost forgot he was there. well not really. sure, you tuned him out but you could definitely feel him. you could never really ignore ryomen sukuna; the sound of his breathing, the shift of his weight, his presence pressing against your senses, it was all there.

“what?” you blurted, finally looking at him in the eye.

sukuna leaned against the wall beside your door, pink hair shifting against his forehead, his expression unreadable, save for the faint amusement in his eyes.

“you heard me.”

your brows knitted together, mouth opening, then closing, before finally speaking: “no…”, your voice coming out a soft whisper.

his slitted eyebrow only cocked up at you, a faint laugh escaping his throat. “no?” the single word rolled off his tongue slowly, thick with amusement as he watched you, heat crawling higher up your neck under his stare, your movements growing clumsier the longer he looked at you.

“you’ve been diggin’ through that bag for, what, five minutes now. plus you nearly jumped outta a moving vehicle.” he continued lazily, pushing himself off the wall beside your door. “it makes a man wonder.”

“i’m not doing anything,” you said, quieter now, finally meeting his eyes for half a second before looking away again. “you’re the one who keeps staring me down.”

“mm,” he hummed, “so, lookin’ at you’s the issue.” his eyes flickering over your face once more, slow and unhurried. “that right?”

well, yes, that was part of the problem. but it wasn’t thee problem. because the actual problem was much worse. the actual problem was that you liked sukuna. like. like-liked. and he liked you too.

“well, no! i just—”　　 what an insufferable man. 　　“i really liked going out with you,” voice going a mile a minute before taking a deep breath, lacing your fingers together in front of you, fidgeting under his gaze. “i loved it.. actually.. i’m not trying to run from you or anything.”

“just nervous.”

“nervous?” he repeats after you, the word foreign on his tongue, “that’s what we’re callin’ it? you’re just embarrassed ‘cause you’ve got it bad for your boyfriend.”

your heart nearly jumps out of your chest, heat flooding your face all at once. “what?! no! don’t put words in my mouth.” you blurt, your hand flying up to shove his chest with a dull thud.

sukuna only lets out a low laugh before his hand comes up quickly to close around your wrist mid motion; his grip gentle but firm, holding you there as his other hand stays buried in his pocket. barely trying.

“so… you gonna say bye properly now?”

you gulp, your hand relaxing in his soft grip. “well… how do you want me to say bye?”

sukuna doesn’t answer, instead, he gently lowers your hand between you, scarlet eyes locking onto your softer, pliant eyes.

“your call.”

and the space between you two seems to freeze, soft silence of the night stretching between the two of you. easy on his end, unbearable on yours.

“w—well…” your eyes flick between his for a second before betraying you entirely, dipping down to his lips without meaning to. “i—” you huff. your throat feels dry, yet it feels unreasonable. sukuna wouldn’t judge you, you hope.

“i wanna kiss you… goodbye...”

“platonically,” you added after a moment.

. . .

his brows lifted slowly.

“you wanna kiss me. platonically?”

“um.” your voice came out smaller than intended. “yes.”

“yeah? and i’m sure those pretty little eyes of yours are lookin’ at me real platonically too.”

“that too.”

silence.

then sukuna hummed low in his throat, all amusement, already taking a step back.

“ah. got it.” he turned slightly, gesturing vaguely over his shoulder. “well, in that case— have a nice night.”

your eyes widened immediately. “wait—”

he kept walking.

not far. just enough to be annoying.

“sukunaaa,” you whined, hurrying after him before your fingers caught around his forearm, dragging him back to your doorstep. “not like that.”

a soft huff escapes him, his mouth quirking upwards, canines softly refracting the dim light — not quite a smile, but rather satisfaction. “hm?” he glanced down at your hand on his arm. “so now it’s not like that?”

your grip tightens for a second before you realize it and quickly loosen your hand, heat rushing straight to your face. “i—no, i mean—just—don’t pretend you don’t know what i mean…”

his gaze flicks over your face for a second, slow and unreadable, before he scoffs “you’re the one makin’ it complicated.”

“shut up,” you mutter instantly, but there’s no real bite to it, just embarrassment as you finally tug him a little closer.

his hand comes up, settling near your jaw, thumb resting against your warm cheek. your fingers catch lightly at the front of his shirt as you rise onto your toes.

before you could overthink, your lips meet his.

it’s quick. chaste. shy even.

his eyes flutter shut a moment after, his free hand coming out of his pocket to steady you by the waist, warm and heavy, yet restrained, seeping through your clothes.

he doesn’t kiss you back immediately, letting you mold against him. he tilted his head, lips pressing gently against yours; warm, and embarrassingly sweet.

you pull off his lips slowly, a hesitant look in your eyes, your breath catching lightly as you settle back down flat on your feet, hands still gripping the fabric of his shirt.

your heart was beating so hard you were sure he could hear it. did he like it? did he think you were a bad kisser? to be fair, you didn’t kiss many people. or often. but what if—

“hell,” he mutters, like he didn’t expect that, “you even kiss cute. kinda sweet.”

you pant, “what does that even mean?”

his gaze flicks back to your mouth and the slight furrow of your eyebrows.

the way your fingers still cling lightly to his shirt, the shy warmth clinging to your skin, even that stupid little clip tucked into your hair.

a quiet exhale leaves him through his nose, almost a laugh.

yeah. annoyingly cute.

“why’re you always askin’ obvious questions?”

“because youre always saying weird things,” you huff, “and you’re annoying.”

he lets out a soft laugh, leaning down slightly to your height. “i’m annoying?”

you only nod, biting down on the plush of your lip before looking away again, suddenly very interested in anything but him.

except before you could give an actual rebuttal, his lips meet yours deeper this time, no longer testing the waters. still gentle, but an unspoken certainty lingering in the way he kissed you. his mouth warm against yours, moving slow and unhurried, giving you all the time in the world to keep up, hell, even backout if you wanted to, the space between you disappearing.

his hand shifts from your waist up to your jaw, cradling your face and simply holding you in place for the moment. his other arm staying firm at your side, keeping you close without pulling too hard, steadying your wobbly steps against him.

you swallow down a gasp before your eyes slip shut, your nose bumping lightly against his, the angle a little awkward, a little clumsy, yet perfectly you.

it only makes him breathe out something softer against your mouth, amused, as if it’s exactly what he expected from you.

the kiss deepens for a few more seconds — slow, and warm — until it didn’t feel like teasing anymore. just a need held taut beneath careful restraint.

then he pulls back just slightly, just enough for air, his thumb still lingering at your cheek, in no rush to let you go.

“okay . . . was that . . a good goodbye?” you murmur, breathless, still a little dazed as you finally force yourself to step back.

he lets out a low “hm” under his breath, his thumb dragging lightly against your cheek. “yeah. it was good.”

“s’pose i can let you go now.” removing his hands from your sides, drawing a small, inward pout from you.

your hands went back to your purse, fingers already digging through it again—until sukuna stopped you.

“here.”

you pause.

and there they were.

your keys, dangling right in front of your face from his fingers with a soft jingle, cute, colorful keychains swinging in the quiet night air. you gasp before snatching them immediately.

“you bastard! you saw me looking for them!”

he lets out a soft huff of laughter, not even trying to defend himself. “you dropped them while you were busy runnin’ from me,” he hums, shifting his weight back against the brick wall beside him, a faint, sly smirk settling in on that stupidly handsome face of his, “when i asked if you forgot somethin’, you said no.”

you scoff before rolling your eyes, “well! i thought you were talking about saying bye?!”

his gaze flicks over you, steady and thoroughly amused. “two things can be true at once.”

you make a small sound of frustration and snatch the keys tighter in your hand, glaring up at him through your lashes anyway.

“…thanks,” you mutter.

“…go on,” he murmurs, voice low. “before i change my mind and keep you right here.”

and you knew he wasn’t joking. that man was about one breath from devouring you right then and there.

you turn quickly, fumbling with the lock, the soft jingle of your keys echoing in the stillness, his presence still radiating from behind you. his gaze dropped briefly to your hands . . .

“you alright?”

“yes.”

“you’ve missed your keyhole three times now.”

“i know!” you shoot back immediately.

the door unlocked with a soft click, warm light spilling out into the hallway.

“ okay . . . ” you hummed.

“okay,” he repeated, looking down at you expectantly, waiting for you to head inside.

but instead, you stepped forward and wrapped your arms tightly around his waist.

a low, rough laugh rumbled out of him before his arms circled around you instantly, strong biceps trapping your head against his chest. his scent, a deep, clean mix of cologne, so distinctly him, filling up your senses and making your head feel all dizzy.

despite his rough exterior, sukuna was soft, surprisingly so. maybe it was the steady weight of his chest against your body, or maybe it was the quiet way he held you that made it hard to think. either way.

you liked it.

you pulled away first with a small cough and an awkward straightening of your clothes, cheeks warm enough to burn through metal.

“okay! um— bye, sukuna,” you blurted awkwardly, already backing toward your apartment door.

except your shoulder clipped the doorframe on the way in.

“fuck—”

you fumbled with the handle in a panic before practically stumbling inside. “bye! goodnight!”

and then, you’re gone.

the door shutting a little too hard behind you, a muffled “ow!” coming from behind the door.

outside, sukuna exhales through his nose, shaking his head as the corner of his mouth curled upward.

“…yeah,” he murmurs to himself. “that tracks.”

The waves beneath the Thousand Sunny rock gently, expectedly calm for this time of night. You’re sitting at the kitchen island, legs swinging as you watch Sanji practically dance around the kitchen. 

The galley smells warm and sweet, the scent of cinnamon and butter filling the room as he sets the oven timer.

His sleeves are rolled to his elbows, and you can’t help but take a moment to admire the pretty sculpt of his arms before your eyes flicker back up to his face. Sanji’s deft hands roll dough beneath his palms, small patches of flour decorating his fingers.

He looks beautiful.

It’s a thought that’s crossed your mind many times before. On the deck, in the aquarium—even during battles. But especially like this.

In his own world. Cooking.

The dim, amber lights of the kitchen bathe his blonde hair perfectly as Sanji hums a soft tune beneath his breath.

“You know, Sanji,” You start, resting your chin in your palm. “When I said I wanted cinnamon rolls thirty minutes ago, it could have waited until morning.”

A quiet chuckle leaves him.

“Could have,” he agrees easily. “But then you’d have to wait until morning.” 

Oh, how you love his voice. How soft it always is with you.

You can’t help but huff out a soft laugh, watching as he dusts some of the flour from his hands. “And how tragic that would’ve been.”

“Exactly.” Sanji places a hand dramatically over his chest before flashing you a charming grin. “And I simply couldn’t have you suffering, mon amour.”

You roll your eyes, looking down at your free hand resting on the countertop. Before you can stop it, a smile gives you away immediately.

Observant as he is, Sanji catches it in seconds.

And there it is again—that look.

Like he’s far too happy with himself for being the reason behind it.

He turns fully towards you this time, leaning back against the counter. There’s a knowing look in his eyes, crinkled a bit by his smile. “You always smile like that when I cook for you.”

Your stomach, that traitor, does an embarrassing little flip. “I do not.”

“You do, love.”

Before you can argue, he’s sliding the leftover icing bowl across the counter.

“Do you want the rest?” The chef places a spoon down with a quiet clink, like he already knows you will. 

You stare at it for a beat, and then, with a soft smile, you grab it.

“Thank you,” You murmur. Of course, he remembers how much you like frosting.

Thankfully, you don’t notice the way he looks at you, skin warm in a way that has nothing to do with the oven heat.

It’s quiet for another long moment as Sanji begins to clean the counters.

“Can I help?”

Sanji glances up. “Help?”

“You’re cleaning, and all I’m doing is sitting here eating icing.” You set the bowl down. “Seems pretty unfair.”

He shakes his head, followed by the quiet squeak of the cleaning spray. “Oh no, ma chérie. I’m alright.”

But of course, you don’t listen.

And why would you? You’ve seen it yourself. All Sanji does is give, without expecting much of anything in return. Sometimes, during late nights like this one, you wonder what it’d be like to take care of him.

You’re up before he can protest any further, the barstool quietly sounding against the wooden floor.

He turns, watching as you round the island.

“Mon coeur—”

“Yes?” You glance over your shoulder, turning on the faucet.

Something about your look makes Sanji pause for a moment, before sighing dramatically. There’s something in his eyes that’s softened, though not from exhaustion.

“You can be real stubborn, you know that?” He’s beside you now, picking up a drying towel from the rack.

A quiet chuckle leaves your lips. “So are you, Sanji. Especially when it comes to being taken care of.”

He’s silent for a few seconds, taking one of the plates from your hand. You return your attention to another plate, scrubbing lightly. 

"...You worry too much."

When you glance up, Sanji is still smiling. But it isn’t like his more charming or playful ones. Instead, it’s softer. 

More…him.

“Yeah? Well…” When you pass him another plate, you don’t let your gaze linger, despite how much you want it to. “...You deserve to be worried over.”

It’s silent for a moment. The only sound between you two now is the running faucet.

Something about the way you say it makes his expression falter, just for a moment. So certain. Like there isn’t a doubt in your mind about it.

The plate in his hand stills. Then he chuckles softly.

"You're too kind to me, ma chérie."

Somehow, his smile has made it onto your face instead. 

“I mean it.” You murmur.

From there, the two of you work in a comfortable silence. A couple more dishes pass between your hands, a few more minutes drifting by.

Waves gently rock the bottom of the Sunny.

And before long, the kitchen is clean.

You were dead.

He knew that.

So why had he come here?

How had he found himself on the other side of the ship, where your room resided...or he supposed it was just a room, no longer yours.

It was empty, cold even.

He didn't like it, hated it really.

Hated coming anywhere near this side of the ship.

Because It only ever reminded him of the one thing he could never have back, that no matter how strong he'd become, how many goals he achieved, he could never bring you back.

He turned to leave.

But something caught his eye, as he looked through the slight opening of your- the door, he noticed it.

A slight opening in between the wooden planks of your bookshelf.

He hesitated, but his curiosity got the better of him (as it always did. as it had that day.), as he took one step after another into the room.

It felt wrong.

After all these months, life without you was like the planets without an orbit.

Terrifying, destructive chaos.

The kind that was filled with a cold emptiness, one that he could never shake.

The kind that left a quiet that was somehow both loud and jarring.

The kind that tore out his heart, and instead of breaking it, had left it misshapen, bruised and irreversibly scarred.

The kind that made him wonder what the point of dreaming was if you weren't going to cross the finish line together.

It wasn't something he would ever get use to.

Because everything felt wrong without you there.

It felt wrong being in your room without you.

It felt wrong laughing with his crew when you weren't there.

It felt wrong fighting without you by his side.

It felt wrong stealing food from the kitchen without you to share it with.

It felt wrong to dream without you there to cheer him on.

But he knew that the wrongness would slowly leave a numbing ache behind, a cold shadow casted over the you-shaped hole that had been left behind.

And so he hesitantly reached for the cracks in the wooden boards of your makeshift bookshelf.

He remembered the day you had brought the idea to him, with that bright smile of yours, you had asked if he wanted to help build your bookshelf.

Of course, he had said yes, he could never say no to you.

A small, sad smile formed on the edge of his lips as he brushed his fingers against the fractured wooden boards.

The paint had long since worn off, time and lack of care had taken it's toll on the shelf, and it was all but leaning against your nightstand.

Reaching within the empty space, he felt his fingers brush against the familiar rich texture of linen paper.

His breath hitched as realization hit.

These were letters.

But why had you hidden them away?

He almost took his hand back, but his curiosity (once again) got the better of him, and he gently grabbed them and took them out of their hiding spot.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, he placed the four letters on the ground and ordered them by date.

He started with the one that was written 12 years ago, when you were both just kids.

Ace, Sabo, you better not be reading this! >:(

He chuckled softly, you always did hide your things from those two. Fighting them if you even thought they went through your stuff.

Only Laughy Luffy can read this! And you're not Luffy!

Oh?

His interest was peaked, a small grin forming on his lips as he continued on.

Hi Luffy! If you're reading this it has to be you, right?Anyway, i decided to start writing these letters to you cause Makino told me you might read 'em smoeday someday! And i wanted to remember our adventures together! Today you were showing us your cool move! You called it da tha "gum-gum baloon"! And it was so cool! You made yourself really big and-

He stopped.

He couldn't do this.

Reading this letter only brought back the painful memory of you, your smile, even as a kid it was bright.

You with your gap-toothed smile, laughing with every new adventure.

A drop of water fell on the letter, causing the ink to smudge.

Tears.

He immediately held it away.

"Shoot, shoot, shoot!" he tried drying it off with his sleeve, but only ended up making it worse.

"Dammnit, i didn't mean to cry like that!" he apologized, then realized there was no one here to apologize too.

Wiping the tears with his sleeve, he took another deep breathe in and carried on.

You made yourself really big and even Sabo was impressed! I thought it was awesome! But then Ace was being a meanie-pants and kicked you! And then Sabo joined in! I didn't know wat to do because ther both bigger and shtronger than me, but then i kicked ace's shin, and you ended up landing safely on the ground! :D

He chuckled, he still remembered that proud grin you wore after kicking Ace, who had then chased after you rigorously, until Sabo stepped in to save you, and you had all gone home.

I wish I had a devil fruit power, maybe I could be strong liek like you and Sabo...even Ace is stronger than I am.

And that was where the letter ended, abrupt and sudden as all endings seemed to be.

Placing the paper back down he immediately straightened out the crumples he had caused by clutching it far too tightly.

It wasn't fair.

None of it was.

Because you were-

Yes, you were, the strongest person Luffy had ever met.

You never second-guessed yourself.

You always put others needs before your own.

You trained for years before leaving Foosha village, wanting to be strong enough to protect everyone you loved because you had blamed yourself for Sabo's 'death'.

A searing pain swirled throughout his chest, placing itself firmly around his heart.

You had never gotten to see Sabo, you had never gotten to know he was alive.

You had died the same way Ace had, protecting someone you loved.

Protecting him.

He wished things had gone differently.

He wished-

No.

No, there was no point in wishing for things that could not be.

That could never be.

He would move forward, as he always did, as you would want him to, as he owed you.

...

But just this once, just for today, he'd live in the past, if only to see another glimpse of you, however fleeting.

He grabbed the next letter.

This one was written right after Ace had left Dawn island.

It's just me and Luffy now. Sabo is dead and Ace has just left. So I guess I don't need to worry about them reading these anymore. I almost wish I still could... And this one isn't to Luffy either! It's just for me, to get everything out. I know we promised we'd leave once we turned 17 but i didn't think that day would ever come. Luffy and I still have three more years before we leave and we've been training really hard so that we're ready for whatever the sea throws at us! But...can I be honest? I'm scared. Really scared. The idea of going out to sea all by ourselves, with no idea where we're going isn't all that reassuring. But I'm glad I'm not going alone! I feel a lot braver with Luffy at my side, like I can do anything as long as we're together, y'know. I really hope he doesn't read this, that would be so embarrassing! But then again, it's Luffy, he probably thinks I like him just as a friend. And i'd like to keep it that way, if only for a little while. He has a dream, to become King Of The Pirates...and I know this may seem weird but i really think he can do it! If anyone can it'll be Luffy for sure! I don't want to be a distraction to him, plus he's probably not interested in being anything other than friends. Let's be honest, Luffy's more interested in being a pirate and eating food than romance, he probably doesn't know the difference between his love for food and his love for his friends and family, for me. Anyway I better get going, Luffy's out training on his own and i can't fall behind! I need to become strong enough to protect him, and fast enough to keep up with him! Because knowing Luffy he'll be getting in all sorts of trouble the moment he hits the sea!

He almost wished he hadn't read that.

"Not interested...is that how I seemed?" he murmured to himself, then he played back every interaction between the two of you and it him as clear as day.

He had treated like everyone else.

The same smile, the same jokes, the same laugh, the same everything.

And that made him sick.

Because that wasn't how he felt in the slightest when it came to you.

Every smile was for you, every joke was too see you laugh, every laugh was to keep you close.

How had he failed so miserabely?

He knew exactly why. It was the same reason you had died. A new adventure had called his name and he had answered it, dragging you along with him, your fate had been sealed the moment you met him.

He reached for the next letter.

This one was right after Ace's death.

It was shorter compared to the other ones, the writing messy and clumped together, as if you couldn't quite believe what you were writing but forced out the words anyway.

he's dead. i can't believe he's dead. Ace isn't someone who should die. he was this impossible figure i couldn't reach, a shadow that loomed over me and all my achievements, and yet he was like an older brother to me, the one who burned a path for me and Luffy to follow. he was epitome of strength and confidence, the kind that forced you to see how weak you were in comparison. he was brave and stubborn and strong and kind...he was everything i wanted to be I guess that's why I always butted heads with him. I wish...I wonder... do you think he knew how much I loved him?

and then at the bottom were three short sentences, crossed out multiple times, and smudged as if someone had tried rubbing it out but had failed to do so.

i wasn't even there. i wasn't there to save him. what kind of monster am i?

Is this how you had really felt?

Is this what haunted your dreams and fuelled your nightmares, the thought that Ace didn't know how much you loved him, and that you were somehow responsible for his death?

He remembered when you had run to him, as he clutched Ace's dead body and screamed to the open sky.

You had comforted him, held him, and made things more bearable, if only just a little bit.

And what had he done for you?

Nothing.

He had the crew disband for two years to get stronger, and you had been forced to suffer in silence, to suffer all alone.

That thought alone was enough for him to lose his will to read on.

But as he placed the letter down, he caught the date of the last letter.

Two days before you had died.

Two days before he had led you to your death.

It was short, and abrupt as always as if you had expected to be back to give more detail later on.

Why would you have expected otherwise?

He sucked in a painful breath, and forced himself to pick it up.

Because forgetting you was something he refused to ever do, and he owed you this, after everything he'd done, and everything he hadn't.

We've docked at new town, I don't remember what Nami said it was called, but it's a peaceful place, though i've heard dangerous rumours of the forest at the islands edge. Hopefully we can avoid going there, though knowing Luffy that's exactly where we'll be going. Speaking of Luffy, It seems dinners ready, he's called me to head to the deck, it's my turn to help Sanji set up so I really should get going! I'll add on to this later, when i've learned more about the Island we've docked on.

You wouldn't add on to it later.

And it was all because of him.

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

"(Name)~" Luffy called, not knocking on the door before entering (as he always did)

You looked up from your logbook, and gave him that all too familiar grin.

"What do you want now Lu?" you had asked teasingly, placing your book and pens aside.

Leaning closer, he gave you that look, the one that said adventure was knocking on your door.

"Let's go on an adventure!"

And the next you knew you were out the door, off the ship and racing through whatever new town Luffy had decided to stop at this time.

But not before hearing the crew call after you.

"Oi keep Luffy out of trouble, y'hear me (name)!"

"Make sure he doesn't spend too much money- Or better yet, don't spend money at all!"

"Please keep each other safe!"

"Don't get hurt!"

"Tell us what happened once you get back!"

"(Name)-chan~, i'll make you your favourite dessert once you return!"

You laughed, waving with your free hand as you called over your shoulder

"Will do! See you later!"

After an hour or so, you had found yourselves in a forest, the trees were huge and covered any view of the sky.

"So what's this adventure you were talking about Lu?" you asked

"Shishishi, I heard there was a hugeeee monster out here and that it could breath water!" he stretched out his arms so that they reached the top of the trees, as if he needed to show just how amazingly big it was.

Wait a minute-

"Did you just say it 'breathes water'?"

He nodded, as if was the most normal thing in the world...which you supposed it technically was.

"Yup, not fire, water!"

Something just wasn't adding up.

"But you're weak to water, and why are we looking for it anyway, it's not like we can eat i-"

And then it clicked

"You're kidding" you half-laughed, half-sighed

"Nope! It'll be delicious!" and then as if summoned by your conversation, the monster itself appeared.

It was a dinosaur, or at least you thought it was, though you had never seen a dinosaur quite like this one, attached to its elbows were thin blades, almost like swords. It's snout was long and almost shaped like the front of a cannon.

"I guess that'll make shooting and aiming water much easier" you noted, you'd have to write about it in your log once you got to the ship.

And then Luffy had attacked it, going straight for its head.

And usually that would work.

The creature would be knocked dead on its feat and Luffy would drag it back to the ship.

But this creature was intelligent, you could tell that much from the calculating look in its eyes.

You saw the blade coming his way, it would cut right through his chest, and your captain, your best friend and the future king of the pirates would die in some unnamed forest in the middle of nowhere.

You wouldn't have that.

You couldn't have that.

And so you took the hit in his stead.

All that training back on Dawn Island had come to use.

Well Luffy had focused on offensive attacks, you had focused on your speed.

If you were faster than your opponent you could land the first and last blow without risking death or injury.

But this time your speed was used as a sacrifice.

For Luffy it happened all in slow motion.

He had seen the blade coming his way, he reached out his arm to use the trees to change his path, but he clutched at empty air, he had forgotten how tall the trees actually were and miscalculated.

But in a blink of an eye you were there, right in front of him, materializing out of nowhere, and as the monster slashed open your chest you had turned to him, hair flying wildly, blood spraying everywhere, and yet you were grinning a defiant glint shining in your eyes as you shouted out your last words.

The ones that would urge him on even at his lowest moments.

"You better become...King Of The Pirates!"

You could see it in the way he outright ignored your presence when you and the crew were all together, it was in the way his frown seemed to deepen when he found himself alone with you, and It was in the way he'd make sure to avoid you at all costs.

What made it worse is you had no clue what you had done, so you couldn't fix things or even apologize (and the fact that you always turned into a nervous mess when he was around didn't help).

Whenever you tried asking him about it, it was If your body shut down, your smile thinning, your shoulders stiffening, and your wings fluttering anxiously whenever you were anywhere near him.

And you hated it, because you owed him so much for saving you that day, and still hadn't found a way to pay him back for it.

At first you had suspected it was because you were the newest member of the crew, and he just hadn't warmed up to you yet, but then you saw the way he treated the others, and you couldn't help but wonder what you were doing wrong.

You let out a loud sigh, all this thinking was making your wings ache

"Ooh, is someone in love~" Nami teased, bumping shoulders with you as your body once again betrayed you, and noticeably stiffened the moment Zoro walked by, not even glancing your way, as if disinterested at the very idea of you

You frowned, at the new word you had yet to hear spoken, it wasn't a word your captor had ever used, was it some sort of food, or a disease?

"...love?" you repeated, confused

Now it was Nami's turn to frown, then with wide eyes she exclaimed

"You don't know - ok, let me quickly explain, loving someone is when you have special feelings or affections for them and only them" when she sees that you still seem confused she tries again, simpler this time

"You know how you make sure that dumbas- I mean, Zoro, doesn't train himself to the ground - you bring him water, food you've personally made, stuff like that. Or when you pick flowers for him and leave them on his hammock, that kind of stuff, now tell me why you do it?"

For a moment you remained silent, thinking

"Because I care about him, helping him and making sure he's taken care of makes me happy"

At that Nami smiled, giving your hair a soft ruffle she said sweetly

"Exactly, those feelings you have for him, that's what love is"

You paused,

"So I don't have a deadly disease?"

She laughed, swinging her arm around your shoulder she replied

"Nope, though I do have to wonder what you see in him"

You smiled softly, remembering that day, the day he saved you, it was more than just his swords, it was his voice, the way he spoke softly to you, the way he refused to leave until you came with him, the way-

"He probably loves you too"

"...hah?!" you squeaked, the tips of your ears turning pink at the thought of him liking you back

Waving your arms wildly, you exclaimed

"No, no way! He's too good for me!"

Nami stared at you as If you had grown another pair of wings out of your head, but before she could shut you down another voice replied

"No such thing darling, you're a literal angel, nothings too good for you" Sanji added, appearing from out nowhere

You jumped at his sudden appearance, then bashfully replied

"Thank you, Sanji-san..."

"Anything for you love" he murmured, reaching to kiss your hand-

"Oi, cook! Did you move my swords?!" Zoro shouted from across the ship

Sanji grimaced, straightened himself, and shouted back

"So what if I did, you shouldn't have left them on the kitchen counter ya idiot!"

"Come here and say that to my face, you coward!" Zoro shot back

Sanji let out a long-winded sigh, bowing to you both he muttered,

"Forgive me, It seems I have things to attend"

As he walked away, you both called after him

"Please don't die Sanji-san!"

"You better come back alive, I'm expecting dinner when I get back!"

Letting her arm fall back to her side, Nami turned to you grinning

"Enough of that sappy stuff, how about we head to town instead, and see what we can steal before it gets dark"

Your eyes widened happily, stealing was the fun game Nami had taught you about!

You would distract the target, well she stole everything she could!

"Ok, Nami-san!"

"Alright then, let's head out!"

"Oh, and one more thing" your wings began twitching nervously as you waited for her to continue

"Just call me Nami" not waiting for your reply she walked off, leaving you to follow her, wings hanging limp as you murmured

"I'll try…Nami" you whispered, wings hanging limp on your back as you followed her off the boat and towards the town

"So you've got it bad for that one, not that I can blame you, she's a cutie" Sanji muttered taking a sip from his mug

All Zoro could think was how the hell he got himself stuck in his current situation

he had called over the cook for a duel, he'd been bored and needed an excuse to do something, seeing that the cook had moved his swords had merely helped his case.

So how did I get myself stuck in some kind of counselling session?

"She's special to you, I can tell, heck, anyone with eyes can see that"

"I don't know what you're talking about" he muttered, pointedly avoiding the cooks gaze as he took another swig of beer

There was nothing special about you, not the way your feather soft hair cascaded down your shoulder in waves, or the way you always seemed to be carved from light, or the way that dress you always wore (the one you had worn the same day you met) fit snugly against your figure, giving your already sweet features a soft glow that he couldn't quite shake off.

….

all that was besides the point.

The point being, that he held no special feelings towards you, none whatsoever

"Alright, then you won't mind if I steal her for myself"

He stiffened, mug half-way to his lips, the way he clenched his cup gave away his barely restraint seething,

"Shut the hell up, ya damn cook" downing the rest of his drink he got up and left, but not before he heard the cook call after him

"I'm just saying, if you keep up this attitude someones gonna sweep her off her feet, from right under your nose"

The town was alive and bustling with all sorts of people, despite the fact that it was getting dark.

Zoro hated it all, the loud noise and constant chattering, but he hoped all the buzzing activity would keep certain thoughts from entering his brain

But no matter how much he tried to push thoughts of you out of his mind, you just kept on returning, almost like you belonged there like you were haunting him

And with that came the guilt ridden thought of how he hadn't spoken to you since that day.

And he knew you were trying to get to know him, that was obvious through the way you always made sure to take care of him, and all the times you went out of your way to check up on him-

Sighing, he grumbled

"All this damn thinking is getting me nowhere" 

Walking past a stall with caged creatures of every kind he couldn't help but remember the first time you had both met...

"What the hell is this" he muttered under his breath, as he made his way through countless cages that were littered across the large warehouse, in them were animal hybrids of all kinds, some with five horns, and others with eyes covering their entire head.

"I almost wish I'd forgotten to bring the flashlight" he grumbled as the flashlight illuminated a pair of glowing red eyes that moved with him, then added (because he had too, and not because a sudden chill went down his spine)

"That damn cook should've gone instead, i'd have been fine watching the ship on my own"

That's when a clatter rang across the warehouse, causing the sudden silence to abruptly end in a cacophony of noise.

Gripping the hilt of his sword he began slowly moving towards the noise, as he reached the end of the warehouse he noticed one of the cages was much larger than the others and had some kind of creature with wings-

His eyes widened a fraction, the horror of what he was seeing finally setting in

It wasn't some winged creature, it was a winged human, it was you - covered in cuts and bruises, wings bent at unatural angles, and a thin frame, almost skeleton like.

Only one thought flooded his mind, he needed to get you a doctor, to Chopper, as fast as possible.

Quickly he unsheathed his sword, and cut off the lock with one swift slash.

Opening the cage door, he waited for you to leave, but you only hid deeper inside

"You've got to be kidding me…" he thought to himself, couldn't you tell you didn't have much time left if you stayed here any longer?

Then a sudden thought popped in his head

What would Luffy do?

He snorted, yeah right, as if that would change anything

…but it wouldn't hurt to try, right?

Quickly looking left, right, and then behind for good measure, he crouched in front of the cage, muttering

"This stays between you and me got it?"

You had merely stared up at him with wide, terrified eyes

"My dream it to become the greatest swordsman alive, even greater than Dracule Mihawk, and no great swordsman would leave if they saw you trapped like this, so come with me"

All of a sudden the warehouse lights flickered on, someone was coming

"Please, come with me"

it was if the pleading tone in his voice had broken through to you after all, or maybe your captor came and you didn't want to face him, either way he helped you up, then seeing the way your legs shook with the effort he carried you on his shoulder and ran out the backdoor

"Don't misunderstand, I'm all for a fight, just can't risk the whole place blowing up in the process, y'hear me, I'm no coward" he said, desperately trying to keep you awake, as he continued running towards The Going Merry

You let out a soft whimper, as you were jolted around with every step.

Carefully he shifted his hold on you so that he was holding you securely against his chest

Reaching the ship he was met face-to-face with a worried Nami

"Where have you-" than, spotting you in his arms, she immediately led him to where Chopper was, no questions asked

Chopper immediately got all his items, and led them to Nami's room

"Place her on the bed, but don't let her lie down, the bones in her wings are severely injured, we don't want to put anymore pressure on them then we have to."

"First things first I have to clean the open wounds, Nami mind handing me the clean bandages"

"Got it"

Feeling out of place Zoro gave you one last glance before leaving, swearing he heard you murmur a soft "Thank you" as he headed out.

Later they had found out that you had lived in that warehouse, that cage, for years, ever since you were little and had accidentally eaten a devil fruit you had found in the wild, the moment your parents heard the price people were willing to pay for you and your devil fruit powers they had sold you off to the highest bidder, which was how you had found yourself rotting away in that cage all those years.

Luffy had been sympathetic towards you, and immediately gathered his crew to get some payback on your behalf.

Let's just say no one would ever be selling another human on that island again...

Trudging through the still busy streets, he headed towards a stand where swords were being displayed, not that he needed any more, just looking through them was enough, until he caught a familiar flash of pink out of the corner of his eye.

You.

Looking around he couldn't find Nami anywhere, had you both gone your separate ways?

He snorted, yeah right. as if nami would let her self-proclaimed "little sister" out of her sights.

Had you gotten lost?

He doubted it, after all, you were practically attached to Nami's hip since the moment you had recovered

Turning back towards you he noticed the fearful expression on your face, the way your wings were tucked tightly against your back.

Before he knew it, he was beside you grabbing your hand as he led you through the crowd.

This was not part of the plan...

"Zoro, what are you doing here" you murmured, surprised, but allowing him to drag you away nonetheless

You had been with Nami, about to find a new target when all of a sudden you had lost sight of her, and since you didn't know where you were you had wandered aimlessly, until Zoro found you

"He always seems to be the one find me..." you couldn't help but think, it was as If some part of him knew when you needed you him, at that your wings fluttered as a small smile made it's way across your face

"Got bored of the cook's company"

"Oh..."

"I found someone much better..." you stared at his back with wide eyes

"...me?"

he snorted,

"No, the other winged girl behind you"

you looked behind you, seeing no one there (and being your oblivious self) you couldn't help but add

"But Zoro, there's no one there"

"..."

For a moment silence filled the air as he led you out of town and towards the rural hills at the outskirts of the island.

But your thoughts were occupied, as you realize that this was the first conversation you and Zoro had had ever since that day.

That is, until you finally took in your surroundings and gasped.

You had long since left the dirt roads of the town and in their place was a grassy field that seemed to stretch to the ends of the island.

You were in awe at the beauty of nature, the way the stars shone brightly in the black canvas that was the sky, or the way fireflies burst from their hiding places within the long grass and flowers as you and Zoro continued running, now through an open field, the full moon giving you a view of everything around you.

This. This was what you had missed all those years locked up in a cage.

Being here, under the full moon and sparkling stars, with Zoro leading the way, you couldn't help but feel the ache In your heart all the more, it was if seeing something so pure and beautiful forced you to look within yourself and you didn't like what you saw - nothing but a bruised and battered heart.

He finally stopped in the middle of the open field, turning to face you he said the last thing you expected to hear from the great Roronoa Zoro.

"I'm sorry"

For a moment you merely stared up at him, at the way the moonlight seemed to soften his usual stern features, at the way his usually styled green hair was in a mess, but what really caught your attention was the way he was looking at you.

Dark brown eyes staring at you with such soft reverence that you wondered if this was some sort of dream.

"I'm sorry" he repeated, as If wanting to make sure you heard, but you remained silent, waiting to see if he would say more, and he did

"I'm sorry for ignoring you, I'm sorry for not being able to find the right words, I'm sorry if I made you feel sad or like you did something wrong, because you didn't, you never did, it was just me being a stubborn idiot, and not knowing what to say, and getting frustrated because I didn't know what to say, and then denying my feelings altogether-" he was forced to stop abruptly as you placed your finger against his lips

Meetings his gaze with your own, you smiled brightly, exclaiming

"It's alright!"

"Wha-"

"Let me finish first please"

He shut his mouth and let you speak

"Yes, you ignoring me did make me sad, it made feel like I was doing something wrong" he winced, but let you continue nonetheless

"But I also knew despite the fact that you were ignoring me, you were still a good person, I could tell from the moment you stopped in front of my cage and looked at me like I was human, that I was something worth staying for"

"And even on the ship, I knew you'd always make sure I was comfortable and that the crew made me feel welcomed"

At that Zoro 's eyes widened, and you swore that they took on a glassy look as he let out a shaky breath, before nodding for you to continue

"So thank you, Roronoa Zoro, for always watching out for me, even if you struggled with being near me in the first place, because no one's ever done that for me before I met you."

And it was at moment that Zoro knew he couldn't keep things the way they were, he had to change, if only to see you smile at him like you were now

"I'll be better" he whispered hoarsely, taking your hands in his own he kissed them softly

"From this day forward, I, Roronoa Zoro, vow to stay at your side for the rest of our lives, I'll be with you through it all, the ups and downs and everything in between, I'll take care of you and watch over you, and everyday I'll improve myself so that you never have to be sad because of me, because...because I love you, and because I love you, you can be sure that everything I've said is a promise.

"Love...you love me?" you asked softly

He nodded, as he held you to his chest

The tears came all at once, but they were different than the ones you had cried locked away in the cage, they were...happy?

Stepping back he gently wiped away the tears from your eyes, meeting your gaze he let out a soft breathy laugh

"Didn't I say I didn't want to make you cry?"

You laughed with him, wiping the tears away with your palm you joined him in laying down in the cool grass, as you both admired the sky above.

This, this was perfect.

extra:

Nami headed back to the ship with a smirk of satisfaction, today had been profitable, stealing items that were worth a hefty amount of berry, but that wasn't the only thing lifting her mood.

She headed straight for where Sanji and Ussop were talking in the lower deck, both pausing their conversation to look up at her.

"Where's angel?" Sanji asked, worry apparent on his face

Nami remained silent, grin never leaving her face

"Did you lose her?" Ussop demanded

"Nope, guess who I say our little angel running off with"

They both stared at her with clueless expressions

"Who?"

"Zoro"

"What!"

"You're kidding!"

"Nope, hand over the berry boys"

Reluctantly they handed over the berry

"This is all your fault" Ussop exclaimed turning to Sanji,

"My fault, how is it my fault?" he demanded

"Because you gave Zoro advice"

"Well yeah, I didn't think he was going to use it! He's Zoro"

"Still, it's your fault!"

Tuning out their bickering, Nami smiled, today was a successful day in her book

a/n: this one took me awhile to write, even with the editing I'm not very satisfied with it, but I enjoyed writing it nonetheless, anyway feel free to tell me what you thought, comments always make my day! :D

def not my best writing, might edit a bit more later, idk

sorry if anyone is ooc, I did my best 😣

dividers made by the wonderful @cursed-carmine

banner made by me!

A small, inseparable circle.

Back then, everything felt simple. Days passed in laughter, in arguments that never lasted, in the quiet understanding that no matter what happened, the three of you would always find your way back to each other.

And you did.

For a while.

Until things began to change.

Not abruptly. Not in a way that demanded attention.

Just… gradually.

Academy life pulled you in different directions. Expectations grew heavier. Responsibilities followed. And somewhere along the way, you found yourself spending more time with Sarada and Chocho.

It felt natural.

Comforting, even.

You still saw the boys, of course. Still spoke to them, still laughed with them.

But something had shifted.

You just didn’t realize what.

Not yet.

Because it is easy to ignore something when it does not yet have a name.

It started—though you would only understand this much later—around the time Mitsuki transferred into your class.

At the time, it felt like nothing.

Just small things.

Like catching yourself looking at Shikadai a little longer than necessary during discussions.

Or how your eyes instinctively searched for him the moment you stepped into a room you knew he would be in.

The way your face warmed when he smiled—something Sarada never failed to notice.

The way his voice seemed softer when he said your name.

You told yourself it was nothing.

That he treated you differently because you had grown up together.

Because you were practically family.

Because he saw you as a sister.

That thought should have settled everything.

Instead, it left a strange, quiet ache in your chest.

And then there were his eyes.

A calm, steady green that had become far too easy to lose yourself in.

And when he stood too close—

Your thoughts scattered.

Your senses sharpened.

Your heart reacted in a way that felt unfamiliar, unsettling.

You had experienced crushes before.

You had read enough to recognize the signs.

And yet…

This felt different.

Deeper.

Harder to understand.

So you did the only thing you could think of.

You told Sarada and Chocho.

---

Thunder Burger was your usual place.

It was easy, familiar—somewhere you didn’t have to think too much. The three of you had planned to meet after your missions, a simple way to unwind before heading home.

It started the way it always did.

Light conversations.

Complaints about missions.

Chocho talking about food.

Sarada bringing up something mildly concerning that somehow turned into gossip.

Normal.

Comfortable.

Until it wasn’t.

“What would you say if…” you started, trying to keep your tone casual, “I might have a sort of… tiny bit liking to someone?”

Chocho immediately leaned forward. “Wait—could it be what I think it is?”

“I don’t know,” you admitted quietly.

“Who? Is it—”

“Wait,” Chocho cut Sarada off, eyes narrowing playfully. “Let her say it first.”

You blinked, confused. “What?”

“Ignore that. Tell us who it is,” Chocho insisted. “Do we know him? And more importantly—is it actually a crush or are you in love?”

Your face burned instantly.

From the corner of your eye, you saw Sarada’s glasses fog slightly.

“I—uh—” You stumbled over your words, flustered. “Just—promise this stays between us.”

They both nodded without hesitation.

You took a breath.

“It’s shika—”

“_____, you want fries?”

You nearly jumped out of your seat.

Your heart leapt straight into your throat as Shikadai’s hand appeared beside you, casually holding out a carton of fries like he hadn’t just materialized out of nowhere.

“What—?!” You turned sharply, eyes wide. “How long have you been there?!”

Sarada adjusted her glasses quickly. “Seriously!”

“Hm?” Inojin leaned back from the booth behind yours. “We’ve been here for a while. You didn’t notice?”

You definitely would have noticed.

Right?

A flicker of unease settled in your chest.

Your gaze shifted—past Inojin, past Mitsuki—and landed on Shikadai.

He looked the same as always.

Unbothered.

Calm.

Like nothing had happened.

“You didn’t hear anything, did you?” you asked carefully.

He raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Not really. We knew you were here, but we were focused on the game.”

He gestured faintly to the console in his hand. The others held theirs up as well.

You exhaled.

Relief came too quickly.

“Anyway,” he added, extending the fries toward you again, “do you want these? I ordered extra. It’d be a hassle to return them.”

You hesitated before taking them.

“…Thanks.”

Your fingers brushed his.

It shouldn’t have mattered.

But it did.

You pulled your hand back a little too quickly.

“Sit properly,” he muttered when you shifted awkwardly in your seat, tone casual, almost absentminded.

Like it was normal for him to notice.

Like it was nothing.

You turned back to Sarada and Chocho, face still warm.

They were staring at you.

Chocho with a knowing look.

Sarada trying—and failing—not to react.

You shook your head slightly, silently begging them to drop it.

They didn’t.

But the boys’ voices picked up behind you, loud enough to interrupt everything else.

The moment passed.

Just like that.

And yet—

You couldn’t focus anymore.

Because now he was right there.

Close enough to hear.

Close enough to matter.

Close enough to make everything feel worse.

You stared down at the fries in your hands.

You were supposed to be confessing.

About him.

And now—

He was sitting just behind you.

Unaware.

Unbothered.

Completely normal.

While you felt like everything inside you had been turned upside down.

Shikadai’s POV

Shikadai didn’t think much of it when they walked into Thunder Burger.

It was the usual place.

The usual time.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

Until he saw you.

Sitting with Sarada and Chocho, already in the middle of a conversation, your expression more animated than usual.

He paused for a second.

Then kept walking.

No reason to think too much about it.

They took the booth behind yours.

Inojin talked.

Boruto complained.

Mitsuki observed.

Shikadai leaned back slightly, console in hand, posture relaxed.

Easy.

Quiet.

Simple.

At first, he didn’t pay attention to you.

There was no need to.

“…I might have a sort of… tiny bit liking to someone.”

His thumb stilled.

Just briefly.

He didn’t look up.

Didn’t react.

“…Wait—could it be what I think it is?”

“…I don’t know.”

Your voice.

Softer than usual.

He frowned slightly.

Not enough to turn around.

Just enough to listen.

“…tell us who this guy is…”

“…is it actually a crush or are you in love…”

Love.

The word lingered longer than it should have.

Unwelcome.

“…promise this stays between us three.”

There was a pause.

And without meaning to—

He listened.

“it’s shika—”

He moved.

Before the rest of your sentence could exist.

No hesitation.

No second thought.

Just instinct.

By the time he registered it, he was already beside your table, holding out the fries he barely remembered ordering.

“_____, you want fries?”

You startled immediately.

Good.

That shifted everything.

“…How long have you been there?!”

Inojin answered.

Shikadai let him.

He kept his expression neutral, gaze steady, posture loose.

Like nothing had happened.

“You didn’t hear anything, did you?”

You were looking at him carefully.

Waiting.

He met your gaze without hesitation.

“Not really. We were focused on the game.”

It was easier that way.

“Anyway,” he added, offering the fries again, “I ordered extra. It’d be a hassle to return them.”

You took them.

Your fingers brushed his.

He noticed.

He always noticed.

You pulled away quickly.

He didn’t react.

“Sit properly,” he said when he saw you adjusting, tone quiet, casual.

It came naturally.

Like it always did.

Small things.

Unintentional.

He stepped back after that, returning to his seat.

Like nothing had changed.

Like everything was normal.

But if he hadn’t moved—

If he had stayed—

If you had finished that sentence—

Then what?

He leaned back, eyes on the screen again.

But his focus wasn’t there.

Not anymore.

Because now he was aware.

Of you.

Of how close you were.

Of how you sounded earlier.

Of what you almost said.

Troublesome.

That’s what this was.

It would be easier to ignore it.

Pretend nothing happened.

But—

His gaze flickered briefly toward your back.

You, who had always been there.

You, who had started to drift away.

You, who had just—

“it’s shika—”

He looked back at the screen.

Unbothered.

As always.

Even if—

for the first time—

he wasn’t entirely sure that was true.

—

Got you—this will be **pure Shikadai POV**, reflective, soft, and showing that his feelings started *way earlier* than yours. I’ll keep Boruto as the chaotic core of the trio, while Shikadai observes quietly.

---

Shikadai doesn’t remember when it started.

That’s the most troublesome part.

If he could point to a moment—something clear, something definite—then maybe it would be easier to understand.

But there wasn’t one.

Because you had always been there.

Before the academy.

Before responsibilities.

Before things became complicated.

Back when everything was simple.

—

“Oi, you’re cheating!”

“I am not!”

“You moved it!”

“I didn’t!”

“You definitely did!”

“That’s because you’re slow, Shikadai!”

“…That doesn’t even make sense.”

Boruto’s voice was loud, insistent, and completely wrong, as usual.

Shikadai sighed, already feeling the familiar weight of a headache forming. Across from him, you sat with your arms crossed, clearly taking Boruto’s side for no logical reason other than—

Well.

You just did.

“Just admit you lost,” you added, tilting your chin up slightly.

Shikadai glanced at you.

You looked so sure of yourself.

So certain.

Even when you weren’t.

“…Troublesome,” he muttered.

But he let it go.

He always did.

Because arguing with Boruto was pointless.

And arguing with you—

Was worse.

Not because you were louder.

Not because you were harder to beat in an argument.

But because, somehow, you always made it harder for him to win.

Not in the game.

In everything else.

—

Boruto was the center of it all.

Loud.

Impulsive.

Always dragging the two of you into something.

And Shikadai followed.

Not because he wanted to.

At least, that’s what he told himself.

But because you were there.

Running after Boruto, laughing, arguing, keeping up with his chaos like it was the easiest thing in the world.

Shikadai stayed a few steps behind most of the time.

Watching.

Observing.

Letting things unfold.

It was easier that way.

Less troublesome.

Except—

You had a habit of turning back.

“Shikadai, hurry up!”

He’d sigh.

“Why? It’s not like you’re going anywhere important.”

“Still!”

And you’d wait.

Even when Boruto kept going ahead.

Even when there was no reason to.

You’d wait.

For him.

—

He noticed things.

Small things.

Things that didn’t matter.

Things that *shouldn’t* matter.

Like how you always sat next to him without thinking about it.

How you complained the most when he didn’t show up.

How you trusted him to fix things when Boruto made a mess of them.

“Shikadai, do something.”

“…Why me?”

“Because you can.”

It wasn’t said like a question.

It was said like a fact.

And somehow—

That made it harder to refuse.

So he did.

Every time.

—

There were days you’d get hurt.

Nothing serious.

Just scraped knees, small cuts, the usual.

Boruto would laugh.

You’d glare at him.

And Shikadai—

“…You should clean that.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not.”

“…You sound like my mom.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

You’d huff, but you’d let him help anyway.

Sitting still for once.

Letting him take care of it.

Trusting him.

Always trusting him.

He didn’t think much of it back then.

It was just… normal.

You were part of his routine.

Like the clouds he watched.

Like the games he played.

Like Boruto being loud.

You were just there.

Constant.

Expected.

—

Until you weren’t.

Not in the same way.

—

Academy life changed things.

Not immediately.

Not dramatically.

But enough.

You started spending more time with Sarada and Chocho.

Laughing with them the same way you used to laugh with him.

Talking about things he didn’t really care about.

Things he didn’t understand.

He told himself it didn’t matter.

People change.

It was natural.

Less trouble for him.

More quiet.

More space.

That should’ve been a good thing.

So why—

“…Where’s _____?”

He didn’t mean to ask.

The question slipped out before he could stop it.

Boruto blinked. “Huh? Probably with Sarada or something.”

“…Oh.”

That was it.

That should’ve been it.

But it wasn’t.

Because he noticed.

He noticed when you stopped sitting next to him.

When you stopped calling for him to catch up.

When you stopped—

Waiting.

And that—

That was new.

—

Mitsuki transferring didn’t seem important at first.

Just another student.

Another presence.

Another variable in an already predictable routine.

But things shifted after that.

Not around Mitsuki.

Around you.

Shikadai noticed it before you did.

The way your gaze lingered.

The way your voice changed—just slightly—when you spoke to him.

The way you seemed more aware of him.

More careful.

More distant.

And closer at the same time.

It didn’t make sense.

And he didn’t like things that didn’t make sense.

—

He caught you staring once.

Just once.

You looked away immediately.

Too quickly.

“…What?”

“Nothing!”

Too fast.

Too defensive.

He watched you for a second longer.

Then looked away.

“…You’re weird.”

“You’re weirder.”

“…That doesn’t even make sense.”

It didn’t.

But neither did the way his chest felt.

—

He started noticing more after that.

Things he hadn’t paid attention to before.

Like how your expressions softened when you looked at him.

How your reactions felt… different.

How you stood just a little closer than necessary.

And how, sometimes—

You pulled away just as quickly.

Like you were unsure.

Like you were trying to figure something out.

—

Shikadai didn’t like complicated things.

He avoided them.

Ignored them.

Let them pass.

But this—

This had been there longer than he wanted to admit.

Long before the academy.

Long before Mitsuki.

Long before you started looking at him differently.

Because if he was being honest—

He had noticed you first.

Not in a sudden way.

Not in a way that made sense.

But in the quiet, gradual way that things become important without you realizing it.

The way you always waited for him.

The way you always chose him.

The way you trusted him without question.

It had settled somewhere along the way.

Without permission.

Without warning.

Without a clear beginning.

—

And now—

Now you were changing.

Looking at him like you were starting to understand something he had been ignoring for years.

And that—

That was troublesome.

Because if you figured it out—

Then he would have to face it too.

—

Shikadai leaned back, eyes drifting up toward the sky.

Clouds moved slowly overhead.

Unbothered.

Uncomplicated.

Easy.

“…Troublesome,” he muttered under his breath.

But this time—

There was no real intention of walking away from it.

Not anymore.

Because whether he liked it or not—

It had always been you.