neverland

as the strongest curse ever, sukuna has a lot of special abilities. none of which particularly benefited you.

…until now.

you had only really ever heard rumours about what sukuna looked like in his true form. something about four arms and whatnot. what really intrigued you was his supposed second mouth. 

so, when sukuna came home today, you decided to ask about it.

“kuna?” your voice rings out through the previously silent apartment. he whips his head around, his eyes meeting yours. his expression softens at the sight of you nervously perched on the couch.

“what’s on your mind, baby?” 

you fidget with your hands in your lap for a moment. how do you even bring something like this up? ‘hey i was wondering if your true form can be utilized for sex?’ that sounds ridiculous. you don’t even really know how it works.

as if sensing your mind running wild, sukuna sits down carefully next to you. he rests his larger hand over your fidgeting ones. “relax. what do you wanna ask about?” you raise your eyes to meet his again.

“how does… your true form work?” you mumble, barely audibly. a smirk spreads over sukuna’s face as if he had been waiting for this question.

“you’re not curious about the logistics, are you?” your eyes widen like saucers, bright blush spreading over your cheeks. you shake your head. “you wanna know about my extra arms? and…” he drops his voice to a sensual whisper. “my extra mouth?”

a sharp breath catches in your throat. he really saw right through you. 

sukuna leans back against the couch, the back of head meeting the cushion behind him. “well, i can switch in and out at my own leisure, and stay in it for as long as i want.” he peeks down at you. your face has only continued to flush further.

“does that please you, doll?” 

the way you shift around, avoiding his predatory gaze, answers that question for him. he sits up, tilting his head to crack his neck. 

“wanna try it?”

your eyes dart over to him in a split second. he lets out a low, gravely laugh. “i’ll take that as a yes.” sukuna stands up, now towering over you. he grips your chin, tilting your head up.

“give me ten minutes. then, come see me in our room, okay?” you nod in his grip. he gives you a satisfied smirk before walking away. as soon as he’s out of your line of sight, you breathe normally for the first time since he got here.

the next ten minutes feel like torture. all you hear is some rustling and, maybe him mumbling to himself? you check the clock obsessively.

three minutes. seven minutes. nine minutes. 

ten.

you stand up slowly. the hallway feels extra long as you quietly pad down it. the closed door to your bedroom makes you all the more anxious. you bring your hand up, your knuckles colliding with the wood as you knock. “can i come in now?”

“come in, doll.” his voice is impossibly deeper. it sends chills down your spine. your hand shakes as you turn the handle. you gulp, pushing the door open on its squeaky hinges. 

your eyes finally meet sukuna in his true form. four mind-numbingly muscular arms decorated with his markings. a large mouth on his stomach that seems to almost smirk at you. your jaw falls slack in a mix of shock, awe and arousal. 

sukuna’s lower pair of arms crosses over his chest. did he get taller too? you feel so scarily small compared to him. he leans down, one hand cupping your chin. “you’re shaking, baby.” you swear you can hear his larger mouth snicker at that.

“this is… a lot.” you admit. your eyes are locked on his face, and the white plate-like structure with more eyes and yet another mouth. “you’re so wet, i can basically smell it dripping off you.”

before you can respond, you’re hoisted into his arms. you have no idea how many of his arms are holding you. one? three? “let’s get these off you.” one of his hands slides your flimsy shorts and panties down your legs. his tongue on his stomach darts out to drag over your inner thigh. 

“you’ll let me taste you, right?” you head moves faster than your brain, nodding eagerly. he adjusts you to hold your legs open at his stomach. sukuna grips your chin, forcing you to look at him. “i wanna watch you fall apart.” his large tongue licks a disgusting stripe up your folds. the squelching sound fills the room.

your eyes cross as the tip focuses on flicking over your clit. you’re too overwhelmed by everything to manage a single noise. your jaw just hangs loose on its hinges, your chest drawing in silent breaths. 

before you can register anything, your shirt is being pulled off and your bra is being unclipped. his palm presses against your nipple, a smaller tongue meeting the sensitive peak. finally, you manage to gasp. your back arches, your hips jerking against his stomach.

“that’s it, ride my fucking mouth.” as if possessed, you obey immediately. you grind your sloppy cunt against the impossibly large tongue assaulting your nerves. the wet noises of his drooling mouth devouring you would make any outsider nauseous. 

“k-kuna…” he smirks, gripping your chin tighter. he brings you harder against his abdomen, his teeth dragging over your clit. you whimper, your legs starting to shake in his grip. “such an easily malleable toy.” he puts one of your legs on his shoulder to spread you wider.

your head falls back, louder moans escaping you. “that’s it. cum for me, you taste so fucking good.” your nerves set themselves on fire with the intensity of the pleasure invading your brain. you grip the biceps of who knows which arms, digging your nails into his tough skin. 

you smack one hand over your mouth as your orgasm rips through you. you moan embarrassingly loudly, gushing all over his wide mouth. sukuna holds you there, letting you ride out your orgasm until you can’t take it anymore. 

finally, he pulls you away. the thick tongue runs over his stomach, cleaning itself. “i knew you’d taste even better spread out like that,” he smiles menacingly. he carries you over to the bed, setting you down gently. 

sukuna presses your thighs back until your knees meet your chest. “fuck, you’re still soaked. do you want more?” your eyes are glazed over, but you nod. “something special you don’t know is my true form has another extra… appendage.” 

he pulls his loose sweatpants down his legs. much to your shock, two massive cocks flop out and smack against your back. you gasp, your eyes coming back into focus and widening. “t-two?” 

“you can take them, right baby? my pretty stretchy toy.” he runs two of his fingers between your folds. he dips two of them into your hole, scissoring them to open you up. he keeps your knees pressed almost to your shoulders. “look at your sloppy fucking hole.”

he pulls his fingers out, pressing them together and separating them to show how sticky you are. “i think you’re ready.” he unfolds you slightly to line himself up. he squeezes the tips of his cocks together to force both into you at the same time. your body burns as he pushes into you slowly.

“almost there…” sukuna groans deeply. he finally manages to bottom out, both of his cocks buried deep inside you. your stomach bulges with both cocks inside you, basically jabbing at your womb. 

he stills, letting your throbbing walls stretch around him. he moans shallowly, trying to keep his composure until you’re ready. “so big…so deep…” you manage to whisper. “please move.”

he folds you in half again, basically mounting you. he pulls almost all the way out before driving back into you. you choke out a strangled moan. your eyes roll back into your head so hard you’re scared they’ll get stuck there.

“holy shit… you’re so tight.” sukuna sets a torturous rhythm of pulling out to the ridges of his cocks before shoving back in to the hilts. your hands grip the sheets so hard your knuckles turn bright white. his slow drags have you feeling every vein and bump of his cocks.

“need… harder…” a predatory smile spreads over sukuna’s face. “if you insist,” he says in a condescending voice. his lower set of hands grips your hips with bruising force. he pulls out to the tips, pausing as if he’s trying to build suspense.

as you open your mouth to protest his antics, he starts jackhammering into you. your nails dig into the sheets with so much force you’re sure you just heard it rip. you moan so loudly it reverberates through the room. the messy sounds of your hole being filled mix with the sound of skin slapping.

his mouth falls open, deep groans vibrating through his chest. “you feel so fucking good.” all you can do is nod in response. the headboard slams against the wall and you’re mentally relieved that you don’t have neighbors.

he shifts just slightly and his thrusts start perfectly assaulting your g-spot. your vision goes white and foggy. “that’s the fucking spot, isn’t it doll?” sukuna growls, focusing on it. you breathe rapidly and shallowly, the pleasure hurdling towards you.

“i’m gonna cum,” you mutter. your walls flutter before clenching. sukuna groans in response. “me too. give it to me, baby.” the mouth on his stomach opens again. the large tongue flicks rapidly over your clit.

you’re borderline screaming as you cum. tears drip from your eyes, drool spilling from your lips. sukuna doesn’t last much longer before emptying his load into your guts. he slowly stops moving, just holding you where you are. you both breathe heavily, trying to catch your breath. 

“so, is my true form hot?” he smirks. 

“shut up.”

"They are tethered to your soul, and when it senses your match, they will glow for you." Your grandmother had told you, before you set off on your own.

It had been her wish for you to find your soulmate on your travels, and admittedly, you wanted it too.

You would be lying if finding your perfect match hadn't been a factor in your decision to leave home. It was a big wide world after all, and there were only so many people on your island.

So, the sea awaited, brilliant blue and beyond enticing. You found your way across several islands, stumbling into several people, but none of them were right.

When you finally ended up joining a pirate crew, you found yourself in a new home, with a rambunctious family that never spent a day without a little trouble.

The Straw Hats might have been a little crazy, but you fit right in, allowing them to nestle into your heart, feeling nearly satisfied with the life they had been able to provide you with.

And yet, you still clung to your necklaces, neither of which had ever glowed on any island you visited, the only void left to be filled.

You wore one necklace yourself, the other always tucked in a pocket, never away from your side. Once you knew who it was, you needed to be able to make it official, clasping it around their neck for the whole world to see.

Unfortunately, finding "the one" was not as easy as you had thought.

Every island you docked at was another opportunity to find out who it could be, but as weeks of searching turned to months, with not even the faintest light from your necklace, you had begun to give up hope.

You sat on the deck of the ship, legs crossed in front of you as you looked out into the starry sky, asking them for an answer to your troubles.

Perhaps you were doomed to never find your match. That wouldn't be awful. Just devastating. Wherever they were, they seemed to be evading your grasp.

You heard footsteps on the lower deck, focusing your eyes in the moonlight, catching the silhouette of the ship's cook in the dark.

"I'd say you should be getting your beauty sleep but it seems you're gorgeous enough without it." His voice carried in the night, the flirtatious comment soaking into your skin, making your heart pound in double time.

Sanji was possibly the most wonderful man you had met on your travels, with a million different lines, each one bringing a smile to your face, so long as they were directed at you.

His charm was attractive, and you found him incredibly handsome, the only problem was, he wasn't your match.

If he had been, you would have leapt eagerly into his arms, asking him to love you forever, but it seemed fate had a different plan for you.

Your darkened necklace sat on your chest, not even a faint gleam to indicate the presence of whoever had been tied to you.

"Hello Sanji, I see you're up late as well." You mused, your cheeks warm with Sanji's flattery.

"Thought you could use some company. All alone up there." He walked towards you, sitting down right next to you. "You've been sad lately, what's wrong?"

Leave it to Sanji to notice. You sighed. "It feels like I'm missing something." You lied, having kept the nature of your necklace hidden from your crew.

You had no reason to hide it, but you had just done so anyways, not wanting to feel their judgement on your status as well.

"Did you leave something at the last island? We could go back and get it!" Sanji said quickly, squinting to see if the island you had left hours ago was still in sight. It was not.

"No, I didn't leave anything. It's more something I'm missing on the inside." You sighed. "I can't explain it. It's just empty."

Sanji nodded. "I understand. I feel like that too. Are you hungry? I could whip something up, it might partially fill the void."

You laughed at the suggestion that food would solve your problem, but didn't deny his request, instead following him to the galley, where within minutes, Sanji had prepared a small snack for you.

You had no idea how he did it. So giving, even as the world kept trying to take. It was a generosity that never waned, and that made you like him even more.

It struck you as you picked at the food presented to you that your soulmate must be incredible, for a man as wonderful as Sanji to not be the one.

When you and Sanji parted ways, heading off to bed, you clasped your necklace in your hand, as you pondered a subject that had been brewing in your mind for a while.

Would it be that much trouble to ask Sanji out? While you waited for your real match to come along? Plenty of people dated around before finding the people they stayed with forever, why should you be any different?

The only problem was, that once your necklace started glowing, you would have to leave Sanji behind, and that would ruin him. After a relationship that long, it would likely ruin you too.

But you could not spend your days wasting away, waiting for someone who seemingly never appeared. Sanji was always there, a helping hand or a gentle comfort. You had no idea who your soulmate was, but you knew plenty about Sanji.

And that was the day you decided it would be worth it to try being with Sanji, until your true match showed up.

When you asked him the following morning, Sanji was overjoyed. He gleefully said yes and promised that you would never have to feel empty by his side.

It felt good to be with him. His kisses peppered across your face, his neverending compliments drowning out your doubts. He loved you, and you loved him, which is why you started to hate the idea of finding your soulmate.

You stopped checking your necklace in every town you were in, not when your hand was laced with your boyfriend's, proudly displaying your love for him.

You never removed the necklace, however. You knew one day it would happen, and when it did, you needed to be ready. You had been waiting your whole life to find the one, and even with the new developments in your life, you needed to remember your priorities.

Sanji lay next to you one night, his body curled around yours in a secluded spot the two of you had claimed as your own. His one arm was draped over your side, held against your chest, fingers playing with the chain around your neck, the soft clinking of the metal being the only sounds the two of you were making.

Then, Sanji spoke up. "You always wear this lovely necklace. Wherever did you get it?" He asked, breath warm against your neck.

You tensed at the thought of him learning he was only there to tide you over, guilty about using him to fulfill your fantasies.

"My mom gave it to me." It was the truth, but only half of it.

"It really is lovely, though not as pretty as the one wearing it." And Sanji pressed a kiss to the back of your neck, not asking for any more information.

You suddenly became paranoid, worried that at any second your gemstone would glow, revealing the truth.

You worried that he would find out, but were even more worried that it would mean separating from him.

You wanted to be with Sanji. You were happy with him. So why couldn't he be your soulmate? He was perfect. The universe was making a mistake, it had to be.

However, the will of the stars held higher than yours, and you regretfully accepted your fate.

Though it was not your intent, you withdrew from Sanji, hoping that would ease the heartbreak when you had to leave him.

Of course, Sanji noticed. He was too attentive, too caring. You despised it as much as you admired it. He began to ask if there was something wrong. If he had done something to hurt you, say something that upset you. All you could say was that everything was fine and hope that he would believe it.

He did not. If anything, Sanji grew more suspicious, day after day, until he had enough.

One day, as the crew was exploring a nearby town, you decided to stay back. Sanji stayed back as well, and with no reason to send him away, he was stuck with you.

You tried to avoid him, but it was near impossible. Every room was big enough for two. It was an inescapable conversation.

You walked hurriedly to a storage room, hoping it would be too cluttered for the both of you to fit, but Sanji squeezed in, asking if you needed help with the task you had made an excuse about.

You said that you were fine, but you tripped and fell forwards. An arm wrapped quickly around your waist, stopping you from colliding with a pile of boxes taller than you.

Damn it Sanji. Too attentive, too caring. He pulled you up, setting you back on your feet and you turned to face him, wishing you could just ignore your problems, but as Sanji took a step back to give you space, the door shut behind him, trapping you inside the closet with a simple click.

You stood in shock as you realized there was nothing you could do to escape the conversation. Sanji turned around, this development clearly not being a part of his plan to get you to talk.

His fingers tried to pry the door open, but from the inside, that was a lost cause.

After a minute of desperate scrabbling, Sanji turned to face you, clearing his throat. "It looks like it's just the two of us." He said, trying to sound confident and looking anything but.

"While we're in here, I'd like to ask you a question." You cursed under your breath. You were going to have to tell him the truth. The whole truth.

"What is going on?" He asked, genuine concern covering his face. "Please, tell me. We're partners, right?"

You backed away, trying to find some miraculous way to escape the situation, but it was no use. You were trapped, and the truth must come out.

"Sanji, I'm sorry I've been distant, it's just that things are so complicated and it's my fault for getting you involved." You stammered out, nervous.

"If you don't want to be with me anymore, that's fine, just say the word, and I'll leave you alone."

He sounded so hurt by the thought of you leaving him, but he bowed his head. He would respect your decision, no matter how badly it shattered his heart.

"No, Sanji. It's not that I..." You tried to stall, but found there was no use. "I'm sorry. I want to be with you, but..."

Your hand found your necklace. "I have a soulmate." Sanji looked at you with confusion. "I don't know who it is, but I don't think it's you."

You could see his heart break through the windows in his eyes. "I see."

"But I still love you. I love you so much, and I want it to be you. I really wish you were, but you aren't."

Sanji nodded, but he no longer met your eyes. "So what were we?" He asked, not angry, just saddened.

You felt shame flow through you. "You were so nice, but finding my soulmate was taking so long and I didn't want to be alone anymore."

"I don't understand." Sanji protested, as if his lack of understanding could somehow rectify the situation. It could not.

You held your necklace, squeezing the gem in your palm. "This was given to me by my mother. When it senses my soulmate, it will glow. I've been told this story since I was a child, about how the universe picked my perfect match and I would find them some day, but it never seemed to happen."

You squeezed your eyes shut. "It's not an excuse, I used you, but now I have doubts about my soulmate too."

You tensed as the words that had been floating around your mind let themselves out.

"I don't want to find my soulmate anymore. I want to stay with you."

Sanji continued to look conflicted. "The universe must have been wrong." You protested. "And even then, I'm still making my own decision." You took a deep breath, and put your hand into your pocket.

You removed the second necklace from it's place, always at your side. For too long it had dictated your life, what you did or didn't do. You wanted to be with Sanji. You were making your own choice. The universe would have to suck it up.

"I'm sorry I lied to you Sanji. But no matter what, I'm done looking for my soulmate. I've found you."

You looked at it in the dim light of the closet, and you saw Sanji inspecting it as well.

"When we get out of here, I'll throw them both overboard." You promised. "I don't need to know who it is. I never want to meet them. You're enough for me."

Your head dipped down, hand still outstretched, holding the necklace like an offering.

"I'm sorry." You apologized again. "For pushing you away, for lying, for using you. You don't have to forgive me, but I want you to know that I am. I am so sorry."

Sanji put your hand down, holding it at your side, bringing his hand up to gently hold your chin.

"I think the universe knew the risks of putting someone so perfect in front of me." He said quietly.

"I'm sorry." You said again, but he cut you off with a kiss, directing your face to his lips with his hand.

"Enough of that." He murmured. "You shouldn't have done that, but I forgive you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Please, just don't keep secrets like these from me anymore."

You nodded, tears shining in your eyes. "I love you, Sanji." "I love you too."

You didn't hesitate to kiss him this time, wrapping your arms around his neck, pulling him close. The distance you had put between yourself and him was bridged within seconds as his free arm wrapped around your waist, tugging you closer.

For a second, in that closet, you felt the way you always imagined you would with your soulmate. Complete. Two halves of a whole sliding together, perfectly happy. The feeling filled you up, and only fizzled out long after you separated from him.

You looked down at the dull gemstone, shoving it back in your pocket as you heard a commotion from the deck. Your crew had returned, and both you and Sanji immediately started yelling in an attempt to be found.

With only a few suspicious looks from your crewmates, you were freed from the closet, and allowed the liberty of seeing the sun once more.

Despite Sanji's insistance that he didn't need you to prove your dedication to him, you led him to a railing that night, beneath a blanket of stars, the eyes of the universe staring at your decisions.

You removed the necklace from your pocket, dangling it over the edge of the deck, above the dark blue sea.

It swung like a pendulum, reminding you of its prophetic powers. You no longer cared what fate held. Sanji was your soulmate now, the two of you would weave it into the fabric of reality yourselves if you had to.

You opened your palm and the necklace dropped into the water, the answer to your eternal question now forever lost to the deep. But you were not done. You unhooked the necklace from your neck. At the very least your necklaces would be together, if you and your soulmate never would be.

Another soft sound and the second necklace dropped into the sea, gone forever.

You set sail the next day, away from the harbour where you had dropped your necklaces, beginning a new chapter, one where you and Sanji were together, no matter what.

Around your finger was a cold metal ring, embedded with gorgeous jewels and decorated with delicate silver detailing, a masterpiece of jewelry, and yet it made you feel hollow. An empty gesture. The real importance was for your parents. Hopefully, marrying the crown princess off to a duke from the eastern territories would quell the rebellions beginning in the east.

The announcement was set for the next day, which was why you waited in your room, wide awake with your window open. You were waiting for a visitor.

You had no idea if he was even on the island. Due to the secrecy of the relationship most communication was out of the question but he would have visited you if he could. You could only hope that his intuition led him to you that night.

The night breeze blew the gauzy curtains gently into your room, waving like sullen flags when the wind was bad. You finally decided to stand from your bed, dressed in your light nightgown, which flowed in the breeze similarly to your curtains.

Out on the balcony, you breathed in the fresh air, accented with the smell of the vines and flowers that had climbed up the walls to decorate your railing. You buried your face in your hands, elbows resting on the cold stone railing.

"I'm sorry." You said to the air. The man you had wished to speak this apology to was absent, but you needed to say it. It was your fault for not acting on your impulses earlier. Forfeiting the crown, announcing that you wished to move to a democratic system of governing, any of your ideas throughout your life that would get you banished from this world of micromanagement and pain.

"What's wrong?" The simple question made you jolt up, withdrawing a small blade from under your nightgown, holding it out at the intruder.

To your relief, or perhaps to your detriment, there was no assassin sitting on your balcony, ready to strike you dead. Instead, there stood a man you had spent more than enough nights with, whose name made you blush when it was occasionally brought up during dinners and social gatherings.

Your father's unofficial bounty hunter. Roronoa Zoro. The green-haired man was a regular, as there was always someone who needed to be hunted down and killed for their allegiance and work for the rebels. He was the best of the best. Some likened his work to that of a demon. You hardly cared about his bloody reputation. Not when he was the one you truly wished you were engaged to.

You had spent many a night in his presence, after an impromptu meeting during a meal with your father, in which the latest rebel was presented at your father's feet in exchange for a sum of money that anybody would go for.

You were the one who called upon him first, asking him to visit your balcony at night, offering him a pair of your finest earrings in exchange for him to threaten a man who had been found sneaking into the castle late at night, in an attempt to confess his love for you and to ask for your hand in marriage.

Of course, the job was done, but for some reason, he returned. Every time he dealt with your father, he would visit you, and it was soon enough that you found yourself liking him, which was good for him, considering the only reason he kept returning to this kingdom was to visit you, although there was usually a preceding murder that had to happen in order for him to justify being there.

Your relation had grown to intense levels, and soon, the two of you had a plan. You would forfeit the crown, or disappear, or whatever it took to get you out of being royalty, then the two of you would acquire a boat, and sail away, free to live together in eventual married bliss.

The nights he spent with you rejuvenated you to a point that almost every servant in the castle was aware that something was afoot between the two of you, and could tell when he had made a visit. None of them said anything however, fearing the wrath of both you and him separately.

Tonight did not encourage the same feelings of rejuvenation. Instead, there was dread. Low, in the pit of your stomach, staining the usually happy feeling you felt when he visited.

"Zoro. Thank god." You felt like you were going to start crying. "Don't thank god, thank the man who burned his neighbors house down and went missing last week."

"Zoro." He walked forwards, his signature three blades sitting on his hip, arms carefully wrapping around you. "I missed you too, princess." You returned the hug, the pit in your heart growing deeper and darker for every second you spent keeping the secret from him.

Your face buried itself into the crook of his neck, where you began to cry. Tears fell down your face, soaking into the fabric of his shirt, your finger bearing the offending ring in plain sight for you, but still unseen to him.

"It's okay. I've only been gone two weeks. That's nothing for us." He reassured, rubbing your back as your cries drowned in his shoulders.

As you continued to sob, Zoro recognized that there was something off. This was not your reaction to missing him. In fact you never cried. Something was very wrong. He continued to keep you in his embrace as your cries continued.

Eventually, your sobs slowed, and you found yourself detaching from him, seeing a worried look in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked, hands moving up, one on your shoulder, the other moving up to wipe a tear as it slowly dripped down your cheek.

"I'm sorry." Was all you could say, feeling powerless and hollow. Everything was dim. "What are you sorry for?" He asked, leading you inside and sitting you down on your bed.

On the bed, your fingers dug into the fluffy blankets, the soft mattress caving under your touch.

You stayed still, trying not to shake as you delivered the news. "Zoro, I'm engaged."

At first, he didn't seem to be able to process it. He stayed unmoving for a while, as if he was expecting you to say something else. To confess that you refused or your fiance had been killed only minutes after the proposal. His eyes scanned your hands, locking on the delicate silver band, and he took a deep breath.

"Okay." He said, voice level. You wanted to throw up. "I don't want to be with him. My parents want it, not me. They think it will cease the rebellions, but it'll just stir up more tension. I hate him, I promise you I wouldn't go through with this if I didn't have to."

"Hey." His voice was stern. You silenced yourself quickly, looking up at him. "I know you don't want it. You've said it before a million times." "I'm sorry, I should have done something sooner." You pleaded. "Stop."

You took a breath, bunching up the fabric of your nightgown in your fists. Zoro rubbed your back, allowing you to sit in the silence of the night, processing everything.

"Has a date been set?" Zoro asked. You shuddered. "No. But it'll be fast. I know it will." You buried your face in your hands.

Zoro stood up, looking out your window. "Then run away."

You nearly choked. "What?" "You don't have to do this. We can run away. Tonight. Say the word and we'll leave this place behind."

Something stopped you from shouting yes and letting him hold you until everything was better. Something always did.

"Nothing is holding you here. There's plenty of contenders for the throne, most of them competent, you'll be free." "But my parents will be furious."

Zoro straightened up, looking the very epitome of the strong husband he had promised you he would be. "They'll never see you again. I know how to hunt, but I also know how to hide. They'll never find you. Not if I have anything to say about it."

"I can't." "Why?" "I don't know!" You started crying again. "I spent my whole life working towards this, I can't just leave. Everything my parents did for me would be useless."

Zoro walked towards you, kneeling in front of you. "You won't have to worry about that. I'll make sure of it. You just have to be with me. Trust me. We can leave and you won't have to marry someone you don't want to. You won't have to rule a land you don't want to rule. I promise, you're safe with me." He reached a hand to cup your cheek.  "You don't have to be unhappy."

You covered the hand he placed on your cheek with your own, a shaky breath rattling your body. "I want to leave." You removed the ring and set it on your nightstand. "Let's go." You whispered, and he was already set in motion. "I have a boat waiting at the docks." You heaved a sigh of relief and began to pack. You shoved your favourite dresses into a bag, taking some jewelry as well, planning to sell it at the markets for some extra cash.

Zoro watched the process carefully. He still wondered how he had become so enamoured by you. You, who had approached him with two gorgeous earrings worth incredible amounts of money to scare, not kill, someone. He had never been ordered to let someone live. It was a strange thing, to leave a victim behind, but it was merciful. And in a way, he liked it.

And when you spoke to him next, you did not demand more from him. No head for your wall, no frightening services. You just thanked him for his work and began talking. Asking about him, listening, caring. You drew him in, like a fisherman with their catch. And he couldn't help but hope your kingdom would need his assistance again.

He took your bag from you, heavy with jewel encrusted fabrics. "Zoro, I can carry it." "Let me help." He insisted. "Unless you know how to climb all the way down from here, I'll take it."

You sighed, allowing him to help you down, guiding your movements from below you as you cautiously scaled the wall. By the end, your arms and legs were shaking, exhausted at the effort put into not falling.

You spent most of your secret meetings with Zoro wandering the deserted halls of the castle at night, or he would carry you down the wall of your balcony to run around town.

Unfortunately with your bag in his possession, he could not carry you, leaving you mostly to your own devices. A learning experience, to prepare you for a future outside of the protection of the crown.

"Jump!" He ordered, voice silenced significantly in the night. "I'll catch you."

You were not one to trust. A life of assassins and political bargains had prepared you for betrayal. And yet, you trusted him. He was stable ground. He fought off the assassins and he listened to your complaints about the politics of your world, although he could offer no advice nor amendments.

Hearing his order for you to jump startled you a bit. You were not a particularly big fan of heights, and jumping was not exactly a good idea to you, as weak as your arms and legs were.

But you trusted him. He had kept you safe for so long, it would be of no use to lead you astray now. As if he would ever lead you astray in the first place.

You obeyed his command, steeling yourself for the drop, and letting go of the wall, falling the last little bit, landing safely in his arms, freed from the walls of the castle.

He led you through the darkened city, guiding you by holding your hand.

You kept looking back, for whatever reason, wondering how long it would take for them to realize you were missing and set off the alarms.

Would they know when you didn't answer the maids coming in to dress you? When you didn't attend breakfast? When you were missing from the public announcement of your engagement?

As you walked, you kept your head down. The servants would certainly know who you had gone with. They were addicted to gossip, and you could hardly blame them. The only question was if they would tell your father that his precious daughter and heir to the throne had been engaged in a scandalous romance with a bounty hunter for years under his nose.

Your thoughts broke off when there was a sudden eruption of noise behind you. Shouting, loud and panicked, echoing off the buildings in the streets, a clamour as people were awoken by the disturbance.

Zoro pulled you into the nearest alley as a guard rode by on horseback, yelling.

"The princess is missing from her bedchambers!" He shouted, multiple other cried echoing through the streets. "Her belongings are missing! Anyone found in possession of anything pertaining to the princess is to be executed at sunrise unless the princess is returned!"

The cries rang out in the darkness, and you resisted the urge to panic. They had discovered your escape before you had reached the docks, before you had found a boat, before anything else could be set in motion.

Zoro held you against his chest, and you found yourself instinctively wrapping your arms around his waist, clinging to Zoro in the small space between the two buildings, head down. There was a strong urge to shove him away, revealing yourself and hopefully keeping Zoro out of the vengeful eyes of your father.

"The docks will be shut down." You warned. "They'll search every boat." You mumbled into his chest, breaths now short and staggered.

"I said I'd get you out of here. I will." Zoro sighed, stepping out of the alley. You didn't want to let go of him. "Zoro, please, I'll go back."

He shook his head. "Continue to the docks. Stay hidden. I'll find you." He unwrapped your arms from around him. "Zoro, I-" "Stop. Go to the docks."

You wanted to hold onto him and never let go. You wanted to never be separate from him ever again. And yet you had to let go. You had to run.

He ran out into the street and you stayed in the alley, walking until you reached another street. A hasty look up and down the road slowly accumulating more and more people as they woke up, having heard the calls to action.

You passed by without anyone noticing, head down, disappearing down another alley, determined to pass by undetected.

Miraculously enough, you managed to make it all the way down to the docks without being noticed, as more and more people flooded into the streets, causing a commotion.

You hid in the shadows of two seaside buildings, wondering where Zoro was.

You peeked your head out of the alley, hoping to see Zoro, but you were pulled back by the neck of your nightgown.

You suppressed a yelp as an arm wrapped around your body, pulling you backwards, your arms pinned to your sides. "Not so fast, princess." The word was bitter on the man's tongue and you resisted the urge to call out for Zoro, to beg him to save you.

Your fiance tightened his grip around your body, pulling you deeper into the darkness. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but it's done now." He insisted. "You understand me? We're going back to the castle, and we are going to marry."

You begged for Zoro to know that you were suffering. That you had been discovered. You could not cry for him.  Not when he had your jewels on him. You would be found out and he would be executed in front of you. You couldn't have that.

"You're lucky I don't want to make a scene." A threatening whisper.

"Let her go." The request came from behind you and you were spun around, facing Zoro, his swords drawn.

"I wouldn't be so careless, bounty hunter. You and the princess have been secretive enough for the King and Queen, but I've noticed. And so have the staff. I would sooner see the both of us dying than return the princess to you."

You tried to reach your hidden knife without setting the Duke off, but it was proving difficult, shifting uncomfortably in his grasp.

"Leave her alone. I'm the one you want to fight." Zoro ordered. "No, bounty hunter. I don't want to fight at all. I will be taking the princess home, and her captor, the treacherous bounty hunter, who had worked for the king himself, will be caught and dealt with swiftly. That is how this will end, if you love her enough to keep her alive. Else you'll be charged with her murder."

Zoro looked at you, trying to gauge how you were doing. You grasped at the handle of your blade, eyes begging Zoro to keep him distracted for one second longer.

"And if I don't? If I save my own skin?" Zoro asked, buying you the slightest amount of time. "Then you can live your miserable life alone. I hardly care once you're away from her."

You fixed your grip on the handle of your knife and removed it quickly, digging it into the meat of the Duke's thigh, making him release you, falling backwards. The second he let go, you ran to Zoro, who pulled you behind him, where you were safe. "Good job princess." He praised as the Duke stood up.

"Help! I found her!" The Duke shrieked suddenly. "It's the king's bounty hunter! He attacked me! He's taking her!"

There was the sound of approaching footsteps, and Zoro quickly sheathed his swords.

"Come on." He urged, tugging you away from the scene. "We need to hide."

You ran, the Duke's screams piercing the night, directing your father's soldiers to you and your love.

"Where are we gonna go?" You asked as the two of you reached the outskirts of the city. "Just trust me princess. I've been in much more trouble than this."

He led you into the woods, though in the dark it was hard to find your way.

"Zoro? Do you know where you're going?" You asked, holding on tight to his hand as he guided you through the woods, warning you of upcoming roots poking up into your path.

"It's going to be okay princess, I promise." He avoided answering you directly, and you wondered if he knew how suspicious he sounded. "That's not reassuring Zoro." You grumbled as you shifted through the trees.

"I've got this." Despite your reservations, you followed Zoro dutifully. In the moonlight, you made your way through the woods, every unknown sound making you flinch. The guards were surely working through the forest too. Who knew how close they were.

The walk was long, and your legs ached, but you refused to voice a complaint.

"How much longer?" You asked cautiously. "Are you tired?" Zoro asked. "No." A lie. He could hear the tremble in your voice.

"We can rest." He stopped walking, allowing you to sit down. "For now."

You leaned back against a tree, the rough bark pressing against your head.

"I'll keep watch." He said stiffly, vigilant.

"Sit with me." You requested. He frowned. "How am I supposed to keep watch if I'm sitting with you?"

You huffed. "Where's the Zoro who lets me sleep on him?" You pouted slightly, massaging your aching leg muscles.

"He's waiting on the boat." Zoro said, crouching next to you. "Now rest."

You closed your eyes and tried your best, but you were unable to fall asleep. It was only when you felt Zoro's arms wrapping under you, picking you up and running like hell that you snapped back to vigilance.

"What's going on?" You dared to ask. "They found us. Shh." He hushed you as he ran, managing to avoid hitting your head against low branches.

You looked up at Zoro, looking back to see if he was still being followed.

He slowed to a stop and after a while, let you down, though you missed the cradle of his arms and he felt bare without you pressed against him.

"I can try to draw them away." He suggested but you stopped him immediately, a death grip on his arm. "Don't leave me again." Your hand clutched his arm. "Don't you dare leave me again."

He nodded wordlessly. "Are we close? To wherever we're going?" You asked, looking around the still forest. "Yes." The way he said it betrayed his word. He was lost. "Zoro-" "I promised to get you out. I'm keeping that promise."

He led you forward. "You won't have to go back. Even if it costs me my life, you won't go back." "Please don't cost your life. I like you too much."

You followed him, the long night stretching out ahead like the forest around you. At daybreak, after hours of walking, when the sun was just peeking over the horizon, the trees parted, revealing a sandy beach.

On the shore, there was a boat, perfect for two people to travel in, sailing away from all that had come before and starting anew.

Unfortunately, there was an obstacle.

Four guards stood at the boat, waiting for the owner of the vessel to show himself, and likely to reveal the location of the princess.

Zoro swore as he saw the guards. "What do we do Zoro?" You asked, hand finding your dagger.

He had gifted that dagger to you. You had told him far too many stories about attempted assassinations that he had purchased the blade for you, easily concealed under any clothes and with a little training, you had learned how to wield it quite well.

"Take this." Zoro handed you your bag, full of your dresses and jewels. He had no need for them without you.

"Stay here." He ordered. "Only come out when it's safe." "Zoro, please don't leave me." "I'm not. You'll be able to see me the entire time. Come out when it's safe."

He separated from you and despite everything telling you to stay close to him, you let him go, hovering by the treeline

He walked along the treeline, away from you before walking out onto the beach, exposing himself.

Two guards split off from the boat, rushing Zoro. He responded by unsheathing his swords. You watched from afar as he fought off the two guards, the other two guards coming forward as backup. He swiftly disposed of them, but there was another problem.

Several more guards dashed out from the woods, surrounding Zoro, the group led by a limping Duke.

Each guard was equipped with a gun. Zoro could not fight them off before a bullet was planted in his skull.

Your legs moved before you even ordered them to, running onto the beach, screaming at the Duke.

"Hold your fire!" You yelled, stumbling on the sand. The guards had to follow your orders over the Duke's.

"Ah, my bride." The Duke said, false worry coming over his face. "I was so worried about you!"

He approached you, hands settling on your arms, a loving gesture, if you were dumb enough to believe his act.

"Let him go. I'll return to the castle." You shrugged the Duke's hands away. "Yes you will. But he's not going free."

"I ordered him to take me away. His only crime was following the instructions of a princess. Let him go. I'll come back willingly."

"No." Zoro growled.

"He's going to be captured no matter what. Blame needs to be placed on someone." The Duke sighed, pretending this development was disheartening to him, though you knew it was anything but.

"He will be tried for your kidnapping. Your protests will be seen as a result of manipulation from him. It's nice to think you thought you had any luck of power in this situation. Alas."

"Bastard." You spat. "Indeed. Come on my love, this little bout of cold feet will be over soon." He wrapped his arm around your waist, trying to pull you away from the scene.

Zoro reacted first, furiously lunging forward, and a gunshot rang out.

You watched in horror as a red spot spread across Zoro's side. He winced and you tore yourself from the Duke's hold, shoving through the circle of guards, grabbing Zoro as his leg gave up, falling to his knee.

"Which of you shot?" You shouted at the circle of guards. "Which of you did this?"

You hovered protectively over Zoro. The Duke sighed loudly. "Remove the princess from the brute. She's in hysterics."

You felt yourself being pulled off Zoro, dragged away. You kicked and flailed until the butt of a gun was pressed against Zoro's temple. You went limp. "Stop! I'll go back!" You gasped, standing up straight. With a sickening feeling spreading in your gut, you faced the Duke. "Let's go back to the castle." You felt a lump in your throat as you addressed him. "My love."

You could hear Zoro's protests as you were taken away. You risked one look back at him, to see him being dragged away by the guards, eyes never straying from you.

Your return to the castle was heralded as a heroic act by the Duke, and your captor was sent to the dungeon, an execution date was to be set as soon as possible.

You refused to leave your room. You did so only once, to try sneaking down to the dungeons once.

You were not permitted entry. The Duke had recommended that you not be allowed to enter in case seeing your captor set you off.

One of the servants stayed on your side. When your meal was delivered, he lingered. "The bounty hunter is alive. They're letting him heal for the execution."

You thanked him, not feeling any better about your situation.

Two dates were decided within the following week. The execution of the famed bounty hunter would happen at the end of the month, the day after would be your wedding to the Duke.

You had fourteen days to make your escape and take Zoro with you.

The night the decision had been mad when you were served dinner, the servant lingered. "You have a message from the dungeon." He said timidly. "He says he loves you. And not to worry about him. He's had worse."

You could practically hear Zoro's voice reassuring you. "Thank you. Can you tell him I'm going to get him out of there?" The servant nodded.

The first four days were for planning. You knew now how to scale the castle walls. And you could communicate through the servant boy.

On the fourth night, you asked the servant boy which cell Zoro was hidden away in. When you snuck down that night, you found the overgrown hedges that obscured the dungeon windows from view. You allowed the prickly branches of the bushes to scratch at you. You crawled carefully to the bars of the cell the servant had told you about.

"Zoro?" You whispered into the dim room. There was a shuffling noise, before Zoro's face appeared at the bars, brow furrowed.

"What are you doing?" He asked, clearly surprised to see you. "I'm making sure you're okay, you idiot." You hissed at him.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his hand reaching up and through the bars, cupping your face through the window. You missed his touch. "Yeah I'm fine. Are you okay? You got shot." He nodded. "It's fine. It hardly hurts. They took my swords though."

"I'll get them back for you, I promise. I'll get you out and we'll never have to go through this again. I have a plan."

Zoro just pressed as close to the bars as possible, capturing your lips in a kiss. It was as if your world exploded. You had missed him so much, worrying about him nonstop. You kissed back, despite the cold metal trying to separate you from him.

"I missed you." You said quietly when you parted from him. "You'll never have to miss it again."

Your hand snaked through the bars, catching the back of his neck. "Listen. I need you to cooperate. Don't do anything risky. Stay safe. Please. I love you." "I love you too."

You pulled away from him, sighing. "I need to go back. I'll see you tomorrow."

He nodded. "I believe in you."

You climbed back up to your room, just in time for the Duke to check on you, a mandatory requirement ever since your disappearance.

He seemed satisfied with your presence, wishing you a good night and leaving.

Your plan began preparations over the next few days. You went into town to set up some arrangements. The purchase of a boat that could comfortably fit two people as a "honeymoon gift", and obtaining a small vial of poison from the apothecary for "protection".

You visited the armory, noting that three katanas were new additions to the collection of gilded weapons. They would have to be retrieved during your escape.

Every day you set up more and more of your plan, and every night you visited Zoro at his window, a reverse of the dynamic you had crafted over your years together.

You noted that there was tension in his voice. You had not asked further about the bullet wound, but you could tell he was still hurt. You made a mental note to sneak medical supplies onto your escape boat.

"The plan's almost ready." You said quietly one night, laying down in front of the window, looking through the bars at Zoro. "I'll get you out of there." He kissed you through the tiny space. "Of course you will." His hand reached through, caressing your cheek. "It's going to feel so good to hold you again." You held his hand. "Only a few more days. I love you." "I love you too."

The night before Zoro's execution, your plan was enacted.

An hour after you went to bed, you slipped out, telling the guard at your door that you could not sleep and wanted a glass of water.

He followed you as you walked through the halls, trembling with the anxiety of what you had to do. You walked into the kitchen, left quiet for the night, and whirled on the guard, slapping a handkerchief soaked in poison over his mouth. You held it in place for a short while, but he was experienced in fighting and threw you off. You slammed into the countertop, the poisonous fabric still in your hand. There was no room for error. One chance. That was all you had. You pushed forward again, but he blocked you easily, redirecting your momentum, and sending you to the floor.

He ran for the door, to alert the castle of your disobedience, but he stumbled, falling to the ground before he could reach the door.

"One drop can knock a horse out for hours." The woman at the apothecary had warned. You were unsure of how much one breath of it could do, but you had to take your chance.

Working swiftly, you removed his armour, donning it yourself. You left him in the kitchen, hoping that he would wake up peacefully in the morning, although he would certainly be punished for letting you escape.

You walked through the halls of the castle, uncomfortable in the armour as you made your way to the dungeon. Hallway after hallway, staircase after staircase, until you finally reached the stone walls of the basement.

In the dark, under the guard's helmet, your face was unrecognizable. That worked to your advantage.

You clutched the handkerchief as you reached the guard at the top of the stairs, the one who had declared that you were not permitted to visit Zoro.

"What are you doing here?" He asked you as you stood before him. You altered your voice, bowing your head. "I've been asked to check on the bounty hunter. Give him a message."

The guard frowned. "What message?" "It's from the Duke."

The guard sighed and turned around. The second he did, you pounced, covering his mouth with the cloth, holding firm as he tried to get you off.

When he fell, you snatched the keys off his belt and ran down the rows of cells, searching for Zoro.

When you came across his cell, he did not recognize you, groaning at the sight of another guard.

"I'm not in the mood." He hissed at you, laying on the stone floor.

"What happened to thank you?" You asked, unlocking the door, pushing it open. He stood, hand clamped over his side, his shirt still blood soaked.

You wanted to ask about it but very quickly he ran over to you, arms encircling your body, pulling you in tight.

"I missed you." He mumbled into your neck, his face pushing the ill-fitting helmet aside. "I missed you too. Can you walk?" He nodded. "Does it hurt?" "I'm fine. Let's get out of here."

You pulled away from him, leading him towards the exit, and beginning to strip the guard at the entrance to the dungeon.

"Put this on." You ordered, and Zoro did, donning the same uniform as you.

The two of you hurried through the halls, as you guided Zoro to the armory, where his swords were being held captive.

He leaned on you, the breastplate of the armour covering up his obvious injury.

"Excuse me." The voice made you both freeze in place. The Duke. Rushing towards the two of you, a crazed look in his eyes.

"Both the princess and her guard have both disappeared. Sound the alarms." He looked at you expectantly. "Oh, your Grace." You used your fake voice. "We saw them both recently. The princess needed to take a walk to calm her mind." Zoro nodded, affirming your lie.

"Where were they headed?" The Duke asked desperately. "The west wing." You lied quickly. Far away from the kitchen and the dungeon.

The Duke seemed convinced, breathing a sigh of relief. "Oh excellent." He looked back and forth between you and Zoro, noting that Zoro was leaning heavily on you. "I hope you weren't drinking on the job."

You laughed. "He's just tired your Grace. Gotta get home to the missus." He hummed. "Me too." He winked at you, sending a shiver down your back. "Very well. Go about your business." He shooed the two of you away, walking off.

"I don't know what you're so upset about." Zoro joked. "He's a real catch." You gave him a fake glare. "If he's so dreamy, why don't you take him?" Zoro laughed. "Yeah right."

You continued to the armory, thankfully without having to remove another guard. Zoro took his swords back, sighing with relief when they were back around his waist.

"So, how are we getting out of here?" Zoro asked. "You'll see."

The two of you snuck out to the stables, and you found your horse. A strong steed, perfectly capable of carrying two people down the the harbour. You saddled him quickly, hopping into the saddle and gesturing for Zoro to hop on behind you.

Despite looking distrustfully at your horse, he climbed up with a pained groan sitting pressed against your back.

"Don't be scared." You encouraged. "I'm not scared." "Okay big guy, grab my waist."

He did not need you to repeat yourself. His arms swept around you, a position that was incredibly natural for the both of you.

With a squeeze of your legs, you set your horse off, galloping through the streets, down to the harbour.

Your helmet fell off during the ride, but it was a relief to be rid of it. You could feel the cold night air hitting your face. It felt like freedom.

At the docks you got off your horse, running along the docks, finding your boat.

"This one. Here." You pointed at it, shoving Zoro into your boat, lifting the anchor and the mooring line.

You did everything quickly, having spent some of your time at the docks, studying how to set sail as quick as possible.

You stood on the dock and pushed the boat forward with your foot, starting your journey.

Zoro stood at the back of the vessel, arms out, and you gladly jumped off the dock, letting him catch you, snuggling into his embrace as the boat picked up on the night breeze, floating forward, away from your old life.

You looked back. In the morning the kingdom would descend into chaos. Your absence and Zoro's liberation would cause a massive uproar. Perhaps that was what the kingdom needed. Either way, it was in your past.

"So princess, where to first?" Zoro asked, holding you tighter. "You can't call me that anymore." You smirked. "I'm just a regular subject now." He hummed a long note. "Regular. Impossible."

"You'll have to call me something else." You grinned, removing yourself from his arms and walking around the deck. "What should I call you then?" He asked, following you carefully.

"Well, we have to come up with a good story for me." You mused. "Runaway princess draws too much attention." "Bounty hunter doesn't?" Zoro asked.

"It draws less attention. I'm just a regular girl now. Who wants adventure. And love." You looked at Zoro with a glimmer in your eye.

"Well, you are still engaged to be married." Zoro joked. "I am." You slid the ring given to you by the Duke off your finger, having forgotten to discard it before your great escape. "But I feel like the proposal was wrong. I think I want a redo."

You handed the ring to Zoro, laying it flat in his palm. "With the right person this time."

Zoro's hand closed around the ring. You hoped he understood your intentions.

When he moved back, you felt a twinge of fear. Then he knelt, one knee on the deck of the boat. He presented you the ring.

He said your name, his voice soft and warm with love. "Will you marry me?" You nodded furiously. "Yes. Yes, of course!" He smiled, standing up and turning around to throw the ring into the sea. "I'll get you a better ring. Something gold." He suggested.

You sat, practically hunched over in solitude. Your blood supply ran out days ago and you had yet to eat anything since.

Starvation could not kill you, but it sure felt like it. You could barely think straight, every thought lazily dropping off as you tried ever so desperately to focus on something, anything, for longer than a minute before another stab in your gut.

You could smell it distinctly when you got this hungry. You could smell it in their veins, through their hearts, into their arms and toes and heads. You thought about the taste, so inviting, so fresh and delicious you could just suck one of them dry-

You stood up straight. That snapped you out of it for a second. You would never drink from your companions. That would be a betrayal you could never face. And yet, it seemed so tempting.

Maybe you could just stay in this closet, locked up until you docked once more, then you could go and prey on some local animals and be good once more, replenish your blood supply, and everything would be fine.

A heartbeat approached you, a body full of blood, red and warm and metallic and tempting.

There was a knock and you tried to look normal. Acceptable. Like you did not want to find an artery and tear it from a throat to satiate the burning in your systems.

Another knock. Short, sweet, and delicate. A voice rang out from the other side.

Your name was called, and you sighed, knowing you could not stay locked up forever.

"I know you're in there!" Sanji called, not quite understanding how badly you wanted, no needed him to leave. The smell of his blood was driving you mad. You needed to satiate it.

You open the door, which only intensified the harsh sensation in your stomach. You wanted to keel over.

"Sanji," you could hardly get the words out. "I need to be alone right now."

He did not seem to understand that your problem was not an emotional one. Instead, he stepped forward. "What is it? I can help. You shouldn't have to suffer on your own."

You stood still, trying not to inhale too deeply. "That's not it. Please leave me alone."

He did not. "I can help." You perceived the offer differently from him. Maybe he could help, but you refused to let him. You were not allowed to drink from your crew. You had sworn.

That night, when they had found you perched over a bleeding carcass, they had seen something in you. Something that you had not seen yourself. Humanity. They had loved you, taking you in and letting you feel normal. The only condition, one you had agreed to, was that you could never feed from humans, especially nobody from the crew.

"Sanji, I'm fine." You glared at him, trying to communicate that you needed to be alone.

"What is it? Please tell me." He begged. "I can't stand to think of you suffering by yourself."

You held back a noise of discomfort, his heart was beating faster. "I'm..." You tried to get the word out without scaring him. "Hungry. There's no blood left." You refused to look at him as you confessed, eyes lowering to the floor.

"Oh." You debated looking at him. He sounded less worried about your situation than you expected. Under his skin his heart beat faster, the only indication that he was scared by that information.

"Oh?" You repeated. "I'm a vampire and. I'm starving. You should be scared."

"I'm sorry. What can I do to help?" He seemed genuinely concerned.

"You could spare an artery." You mumbled jokingly, knowing you would never dare.

"Okay, where?" Sanji asked, rolling up his sleeves. You shook your head, realizing the offer he was making. "No. Sanji stop. Nothing. There's nothing you can do. I'll survive without it."

"I'm the chef. I can't let one of my crew starve." He said dutifully.

"Sanji I can't drink from you. Not from the crew." Sanji shrugged. "I won't tell them if you do. I give you permission to drink from me."

You shook your head, backing away. "Sanji. Leave me alone. I can handle this."

He looked at you earnestly. "Let me help." "No. Go back up to the deck."

You watched multiple waves of emotion washing over his face. He looked down, pushing his sleeves back down his arms. "Sorry." He seemed sheepish now that you had refused his offer full stop.

"I'm sorry." You said through gritted teeth, ready for the scent to distance itself again.

"If you ever need to, I'll do it." Sanji offered before he left, his heart pounding.

You shut the door but the smell lingered. Metallic, red glory. You could handle it. You were around these humans every day. You had smelled their blood almost consistently since they picked you up. They had provided you with food so you would not feed off them. They trusted you not to.

Still, seeds of doubt sprouted in your mind, burying roots and growing thick. Your carnal hunger needed to be dealt with. It always did.

How long until it became impossible to ignore? Until you needed to feed and the subject of your feeding was less than cooperative? What if you grew too hungry, unable to stop until their heart had no more blood to pump? Perhaps it would be easier to nip the problem in the already blossoming bud. To cut your losses and drink from your willing crewmate. You had to admit you had been morbidly curious to know what they tasted like.

It would be a temporary solution, and one you would need to do quickly, before you were no longer capable of controlling yourself.

Your stomach stabbed itself once again, and you decided that it was worth the pain to not hurt anyone. You would be docked again in two days. You could go two days more without blood.

You started the timer in your head. Forty-eight hours, less if you considered it was almost dinner and you were expected to be docked before lunch.

Your thoughts kept slipping back to Sanji. His offer. Was he really willing to do that for you? To offer his neck to you, a bloodthirsty vampire, without any signs of fear?

It confused you. You had companions before, several centuries worth, and only a spare few of them had ever sat still, with no signs of resistance whenever they offered you their blood.

And speaking of your companions, there was a fear buried within you, reminding you of those you had failed. The people who had trusted you after you had gone thirsty for too long. The people you had trusted, had loved, drained as a result of your ever present and ever dangerous hunger.

You briefly imagined Sanji in that position, dead, covered in his own blood, still pouring weakly from the teeth marks you had dug into him.

The myths about the healing power of vampires were just that. Myths. You were unable to reverse damage you had done. Your only option was to turn them, a cruelty you refused to enact. An eternal lifetime of bloodlust and fear, hidden from the sun, living alone, or with somebody you were bound to kill, feasting on animals, never fully satisfied unless the blood was flowing.

You could not turn someone, forcing them into that life. It was unfair. In the past, you had just let them die. If Sanji was willing to let you drink, he would have to know that too.

The smell intensified, another knock. "Dinner." Someone called. You could hardly identify the voice through the door.

"Coming." You strained, making your way to the meal.

It had been steaks for dinner, and you were presented with the very last ounces of blood drawn out from the meat, although it hardly did much. If anything, it made your hunger stronger, knowing that you could be satisfied much more than that, if you would only give up your humanity.

Dinner finished without your knowledge, as you tried to block your senses, wanting this tragic tale to be done with.

You felt a hand on your shoulder. "Sanji." Your tone was warning. His hand remained. "I want to help." He insisted.

"I've killed people before. After being hungry for too long. I'm dangerous, remember?"

Sanji laughed. "Dangerously attractive, perhaps." You turned to face him, after scanning the room, making sure it was empty.

"You are risking your life. I won't be able to heal you afterwards. You'll be dizzy, confused, bleeding, and I won't be able to help."

Sanji nodded. "I want to do this for you. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes?"

He stood up straight. "Where do you want me?"

Avoiding the innuendo, you carefully guided him to a chair, deciding which place would be the best to bite him.

You would not find a large vein, else the bleeding would be too intense, but a weak flow would just prolong the process.

You saw Sanji instinctively stretch his neck out, ear to his shoulder, exposing skin for you to bite, tucking his hair behind his ear and carefully pulling his shirt collar away. "No. Not there." You shook your head. "I'll get your arm."

He began to roll up his sleeve before hesitating. "Am I going to get bloody?" You raised your eyebrows. "Obviously you are."

"Wait." He instructed, and you watched as he began to undress in front of you, starting with his blazer, setting it carefully on the island before unbuttoning his nice white shirt. It felt excessive, but it was less laundry to do, so you said nothing.

"Are you ready?" You asked as he sat down again, shirtless. One last painful squeeze in your stomach urged you forward. Sanji got comfortable in his chair, allowing you to take his arm, and bite down.

The second your fangs pierced flesh, you sensed the tension you had been waiting for. Every muscle went rigid, trying to keep himself from squirming or trying to push you off as you drank.

His blood tasted delicious, like everything you had wanted and more. It was more satisfying than any other human blood you had tasted.

Your eyes stayed firmly shut, but you heard the muffled sound that escaped Sanji's mouth, a cross between a gasp and a groan, which drove an excess amount of blood to his face.

You were nowhere near satisfied before you detached from him, worried that he wanted to back out from your deal.

You wiped your chin, eyes fixated on his bleeding arm, which he took a while for him to cover up.

"Are you okay?" You asked, hasty, hoping you had not hurt him badly. "Why?" He asked softly, a question for just you and the secrecy of night to hear. "What?"

"Why did you stop?"

The question pulled at your stomach. Was he ready to give away more? Was he disappointed that you had stopped?

"Do you want me to keep going?" You asked, eyes flitting to the various other places you could bite, Sanji's eyes watching yours as they traced over his body.

"Yes."

You swallowed. "Tilt your head to the side." An order. He obeyed. "Since you want it so bad."

You could see the vein. It was so easy to pierce, now flowing with an elevated amount of blood due to the adrenaline in his body.

You stood behind him, hovering over the area for a second, your one hand holding his shoulder steady, the other at the top of his head holding the hair at his neck out of the way, a practiced position.

"Please." His voice was strained, and fueled by his word, you bit down again.

The bigger target had won you a better prize, your drink far easier to consume, so easily given up. You could see Sanji holding onto the chair, knuckles whitening as you drank, heaving breaths as he felt you taking the life out of him.

He made a variety of small noises while you drank, repressed, but all heard by your ears. You heard the soft grunts, the caught breaths, the gentle moans he tried to stifle. It was hurting him alright, but he hardly seemed bothered.

In fact, the poor man seemed to enjoy it.

You finally stopped, pulling away and putting pressure on the wound, not wanting him to bleed out. Lucky for him, your punctures were not big enough to cause a real problem. You just needed them to scab over.

In the meantime, with your hand pressed firmly against his neck, you reveled in being full. The pain in your stomach was seeping away by the second, and you felt stronger. Human blood had not been a part of your diet for some time now.

"Are you alright?" You asked Sanji, who was still breathing heavily in the chair, head lolling a little, only held in place by your hand holding his neck.

"Yes." He said quickly. He was shaking a little, and you decided to get him a snack, something to fuel his body as it recovered what you had taken from it.

You checked his neck, giving him a towel to press against the wound as you rifled through the fridge.

"You might want to clean your face." Sanji advised. You turned to look at him. "What?" "My blood." He looked a little shy. "It's dripped a bit. Lovely colour on you though."

You scoffed at him, taking some fruit out of the fridge and setting it down on the counter, offering it up.

"You know," Sanji pulled the cloth away from his neck, the would no longer bleeding. "That wasn't bad at all."

You raised an eyebrow and moved to the sink, turning on the tap to rinse your face, drops of pink landing below.

"No? Not even the bite?" "I'd say your bark is worse but I like both quite fine."

You laughed. "That's good. You're smiling again." He observed, standing and walking towards you. "How are you feeling?"

You took the cloth and dampened it with water, trying to clean the blood off his neck, dabbing carefully to avoid reopening the wound.

"I'm much better. I haven't felt like this in ages." You tilted your head to the side, considering something. "Thank you. I am indebted to you." Sanji shook his head. "No, I could never. Whenever you need, I will be ready."

His excitement was clear. "My blood is yours." You looked at him, standing there in front of you, flushed and looking giddy. You hooked an arm around him, pulling him close, and kissed him on the lips. For a second, he was frozen, before his body regained movement, arms snaking around your shoulders, squeezing you as he kissed back.

Your hands moved, carefully assuring that he was okay with everything your did, hands tracing up and down his sides, one coming up to tangle in his hair.

A vampire and a meal. Unconventional, but you hardly cared. Your lips moved against his, an action that somehow felt better than drinking from him. Another long suffering hunger, finally satiated.

He pulled away first, arms still around you, his hair messy. "Oh love," you nearly melted at the nickname. "You are magnificent."

You resisted the urge to close the gap between the two of you, letting him speak. "You make my heart race in your presence, my blood flows just for you."