#*ro written

Sevika’s eyes glance up at you away from her cards for a brief moment. The cigarillo between her lips drifted smoke from its burning end into your face, allowing you to smell the sweet tobacco scent from it. You sat politely in her lap, one of your arms rested around her broad shoulders. You fluttered your eyelashes, quietly asking for some money for the drink. 

You knew you never really had to ask for her to pay for something. Actually, it was more likely you would have to beg to pay for something for her. If she ever found out you paid for a gift for her? She would buy something worth five times more for you.

“Hold these real quick, doll.” Sevika’s metal hand handed over her cards to you. Smiling, you grabbed the cards, holding them close to your chest as the men around the table glanced at you, hoping you might slip up and show what Sev had. Her flesh hand, wrapped around your waist to steady you, gave your hip a light squeeze as her metal hand grabbed her wallet from her pocket. Swiftly grabbing the money out, she sets it on the table, taking her cards back from you and letting you stand up to grab the money. Before you stepped away from the table, you leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Turning around, her flesh hand smacked your ass and you giggle, shaking your head as you head to the bar.

After ordering your drink, as well as Sevika’s dark whiskey on the rocks, you turned back around, leaning against the bar top. Immediately your eyes landed on your wife. She was focused on the game, and it was one of the most attractive sights you’d ever seen. Her eyebrows resting, not giving anything away about her cards. Her gorgeous gray eyes studying over each of the men, trying to catch one of their tells. Her pretty nose and the curve to it. Her tanned skin and the lighter colored scars that peppered it, ones that you enjoyed kissing along. 

You pulled your attention away from her just to glance around at the other people in the bar. Nothing too interesting happening, a few people dancing in the designated area, some couples cuddled up in corner booths, and–

Oh?

Another woman across the room, staring at the poker table, right where Sevika sat. Your face twisted, eyes narrowing as your lip curled. Your tongue ran over your teeth and you tilted your head, staring right at the woman.

“Here’s those drinks.” The bartender tapped your shoulder, sliding over the two drinks to you.

Keeping your eyes locked on the woman, you grabbed the drinks and stepped back over to Sev at the table. You set Sevika’s whiskey in front of her, but remained standing with your own drink in hand. You sipped on it, keeping your attention on the bitch woman still watching your wife. 

She must have an overabundance of audacity with the way she kept making eyes at Sevika while your hand ran across her upper back, scratching lightly just how she liked. You could feel Sevika’s flesh hand come up to the back of your thighs, rubbing along them as she stared at her cards, slightly oblivious to the tension building within you as she locked into the game. 

Your anger simmered, causing pangs of electricity to run through your skin just under the surface. This woman was disrespecting you, blatantly checking out your wife in front of you. And, well...you can’t allow that to happen.

“You got a staring problem, or?”

Those words were what shocked Sevika to straighten up, looking up at you to finally realize you were staring off at someone. Her head turned to the other side, catching a woman moving her gaze off Sevika to look up at you. The stranger’s eyes narrowed back at you, eyebrow twitching up.

“Just trying to figure out when she’ll start giving me attention is all.”

Your eyebrows shot up as you let out a laugh. Your hands went up to your ears to pull out your earrings, setting them on the table in front of Sev. But the moment you stepped back from Sevika’s grasp to step up to the woman, your wife was standing, moving her body between yours and the stranger.

“I think it’s time for us to go home, hm?” Both her hands were resting on your shoulders.

“I think it’s time for me to beat her ass, actually.” You bit back as you tried to look around her frame to get at the stranger.

“Nope, time to go home.”

Suddenly you were in the air and over Sevika’s shoulder, her flesh hand coming up to your ass to keep you steady and a squeeze to remind you to behave.

“Sorry fellas, I’ll have to beat you another time, I gotta take my wife home now.” Sevika emphasized, saying the words fairly loudly and grabbing up your earrings and things with her metal hand. You look up at the stranger from Sev’s back. She was frowning, rolling her eyes at the scene. You smirked, your hands resting on Sevika’s waist to keep yourself anchored and rub your wedding band in that woman’s face.

Once a bit away from the bar, Sevika sets you down, grabbing your shoulders to keep you from stumbling.

“Can’t behave yourself for one night?” Her eyebrow arched as she tilted her chin up. Your eyes rolled, grabbing her flesh hand and playing with her own wedding band.

“I just don’t like when other bitches look at what’s mine.” You muttered, eyes locked in on her fingers. Sev ducks her head down a little, trying to hide the smile on her face and the shiver that went through her spine. It was one of the many things she fell in love with about you. How fierce you could be, your strong headed-ness, your attitude. And that she was the only one to settle you down.

“My pretty doll, you get a little jealous?” Her metal hand came up to cup one of your cheeks, and you looked back up to her face. 

“Not jealous. Just…possessive.” You mumbled, a pout appeared on your lips without you realizing. Sevika’s smile only grew, a strange mixture of fondness and heat within her chest. Her metal thumb came up and played with your bottom lip, running the smooth and cold texture along your soft skin.

“I think we should get back home so I can show you just how much I’m yours, sweet thing.” Sevika offered. Your lips curled into a wide smile, and you brought her flesh hand up to kiss her palm.

“Now I like the sound of that, love.”

This was written by @/ro-written and is not to be plagiarized, translated, or distributed anywhere else. Copyright 2024.

All comments, reblogs, and likes are always welcome!

A gasp emitted from your lips as your head fell back, eyes rolled to the back of your head, hips slowing down. Your senses were overtaken by her entirely - her smell, her sounds, her touch, her taste. Waves of pleasure gifted to you by her touch, her hips, her lips. You could feel your brain shutting off, bursts of white popping behind your eyelids.

Her hips stuttered before stopping entirely. You could feel her face fall into your neck even with your eyes still shut, allowing the pleasure to fill your senses. Your hands instinctively went to her hair, threading your fingers through the short strands, but not pulling. Just resting there as she inhales your scent and you try to ground yourself. A moment of softer sentiment, someone might mistake.

After a time of simply sitting there together, her face still in your neck and pressing fluttering kisses into it, you climbed off her lap and fell to the bed beside her. Your chest rose and fell steadily as you worked to catch your breath, eyes remaining closed, trying to gather your brain before dealing with her gruffness again.

Sevika shuffled, taking the harness off her hips and letting it drop to the floor with a heavy thud. Her flesh arm rested over her eyes and a foot planted on the bed, her knee bent upwards, swaying side to side. You hummed some at the movement, trying to fight off the exhaustion threatening to sweep over you. 

What you didn’t realize was that she was desperately trying to do the same. But your quiet hums weren’t helping. And, I mean, she could rest her eyes a little, right? Ten minutes longer in your bed wouldn’t hurt.

Her eyes blinked open as sunlight hit her face. 

That was the first thing she noticed. Sunlight.

Fuck.

The second thing she noticed (or rather, was brutally slapped across the face with the realization of) was your chest pressed into her back, and your arm wrapped tightly around her waist. And you still asleep.

Actually, nope. Now you were blinking awake.

Fuck.

This is why she didn’t stay. She fucking never stayed. Not with any of Babette’s girls. Not with the random hook up she came across at the lovingly dingy and dark bar she felt at home in. It was her golden rule, the number one in her own personal ten commandments. 

Next to doing anything for Zaun, of course.

Yet here she is, having fallen asleep against her better judgement in your bed. And your arm was wrapped around her? Talk about a blow to her ego.

Oh this…this…

This was your fault.

Yeah, it’s all your fault. If you didn’t tire her out by deciding to “return the favor” three separate times last night she would have had the energy to leave! And don’t get her started on the dreamy look in your eyes every time she made you finish that definitely did not make her heart skip and tumble, no it did not. And by Janna, if you didn’t smell so good with your scented soaps and lotions and the homely, warm feeling of your apartment and the lush blankets of your bed and—

Oh and now this? The dazed, hazy look in your eye as you looked at her all tired. Your pouty lips and your small sighs as you slowly wake up. The way you subconsciously leaned more into her and the warmth her body emanated. 

Again, no it did not make her heart skip.

This was all your fault!

“I-“

“I need a coffee, I think.” Your voice was rough, cracking from the overuse last night. You sounded like a goddamn angel from above. “Actually…maybe tea. With some honey.”

Her eyes were wide as she watched you raise your hand up from her waist to wipe away the sleep from your face. And she was surely not gonna look too much into the tug on her heart when the weight of your arm was gone from her body. You sat up slowly, the aches throughout your body making your movements slow and methodical. The blanket fell down to your waist, exposing the many marks and bruises and scratches and Janna, maybe she should be more mindfu–

What is she talking about?! She’s never cared about the marks she’s left on people before.

She kept watching as you bent down out of bed to grab up some shorts and a black tee she was pretty sure belonged to her. Pulling it on, you winced from the burn in your muscles. You looked back to her, still staring at you as she rested up on her elbow. She had such a ‘deer-in-headlights’ look that it almost made you giggle.

“Did you want some tea too? It might help with some of the, uh…aches.” You pointed down to the angry-looking claw marks along her shoulders.

It took Sevika a moment to register the words coming from your attractive mouth. She blinked a few times, realizing how long she had been staring as her eyes had dried from it. She closed her mouth, trying to re-wet it from the cotton-like sensation that had suddenly overcome it.

“Tea’s fine,” she finally acknowledged, her own throat hoarse. You nodded, a very obvious smirk quirking up the corners of your lips. The gleam (or was it a twinkle?) in your eye didn’t go unnoticed by her, but she maintained her composure until you walked out of the bedroom, leaving the door cracked open to give her privacy while you made the tea.

…well this is absolutely fucking ridiculous. She flopped back on the bed, bringing up her hand to wipe over her face as she stared at the ceiling. She doesn’t even drink tea! Why did she agree to a cup of it when it would only prolong her staying. She just needs to get up out of the bed, get her arm on, get dressed, and get the fuck o-

Were you humming?

She sat up, angling her body so she could see you through the small space where the door was cracked open. Sure enough, there you were, hips moving back and forth as the hot water kettle heated up on its electric coil. The light that flitted in through the opened blinds on your kitchen window created this…ethereal glow against you. And you were fucking humming like everything was fine and dandy. She was half expecting birds to fly through the window and land on your shoulder and just start singing with you because of course you could somehow make that happen.

Sevika’s head shook, trying to break her out of whatever it was that you had over her. Her bare legs swung over the side of the bed, and she spotted her black boxers and pants conveniently a foot from the bed. Sliding those on, as well as her bra that happened to be hiding underneath them, she walked out of the bedroom to go for her shirt. Yes, the one you had on.

“Tha-”

“I’m not quite sure how you like your tea so I didn’t put anything in it.” Your words swiftly cut her off as you poured the hot water into the cup that the tea bag was already sitting in. “And this is just some plain earl grey. I do have some others if you’d like though! I probably should have asked before I poured the water but, oh well.” You shrugged your shoulders, moving to pour the hot water into your cup now.

The words she had planned to say somehow got shoved back into her mouth and then died in her throat. She just blinked rapidly, watching as you set the kettle back onto its electric coil and then moved to pull out the honey from your cabinet and milk from your fridge.

“Hope you don’t mind oatmilk.” Her eyebrows furrowed. She’d never tried it before, actually. 

Her eyes moved down to the two mugs in front of you. You just finished fixing up yours with all the little add-ins, and she stared at the pumpkin-shaped mug, the pain on the outside slightly chipping away. She then turned to the dog-themed mug that sat next to it, the water inside turning a transparent brown from the tea bag.

“Thank…you.” The words were slightly heavy on her tongue, unfamiliar as she hadn’t uttered them in years. Your head turned to face her, and a small smirk curled at the corner of your lips.

“Any time, Sevika.”

Yeah, it really was your fault she fell asleep. And she’s blaming you for the fact that she decided to stay a few hours longer after she woke up. I mean, she couldn’t just leave the actually rather delicious cup of tea to go to waste. Nor the portion of food you cooked her for lunch. And when she noticed you still walking slightly funny, talking about how you needed to go to the market today, well…she supposes that she caused that. She should help take you. Just to make sure you were okay, of course. And if she helps you carry your groceries back from the market, that’s just her thanking you for the tea and the lunch.

We’ll also just say it’s your fault when she leaves a note promising to be back in a day or two in her own sort of cryptic speak.

This was written by @/ro-written and is not to be plagiarized, translated, or distributed anywhere else. Copyright 2025.

All comments, reblogs, and likes are always welcome!

“You know I’ve always got you, right?”

It came out of nowhere. Sort of.

It was just after a pretty rough fight. After Chopper had to clean up the cuts you had received. You weren’t worried about them. You knew Zoro was at your back and would take care of you no matter what.

He seemed to be startled at your sudden statement, turning his head to look at you from where he sat next to you in the crows nest, hidden from the rest of the crew. You continued to look up at the sky, watching as the clouds floated by in their various shapes. Your eyes seemed so bright, content at looking at the stars appearing from behind the clouds. However, his eyes traced over the white bandage covering your cheek, a painful reminder that he had been only a hair away from preventing it. It was eating him up inside, but he pushed the self-criticism to the side for now.

“I know.” It was a simple response, only two words, just as you expected from a man like him. Your eyes closed, absorbing the air around you, taking in his presence beside you. The night was humid, but the breeze from the ocean helped to cool you down some. It dragged across your face, the salty scent relaxing your shoulders.

“You know I’ve always got you?” His question sounded slightly more insecure than yours, a tone that left a bad taste in your mouth. You knew it was about how you seemed to have more bandages than him, even though it may have just been one or two more, and he was beating himself up over it. He needed to be reassured that you trusted him to be there for you.

You smiled, gently, so as to not rip open the small band-aid on the cut on your lip. A hand lightly covered over his fist, enclosing it in a reassuring warmth that spread throughout his entire body. Your eyes opened and looked over at him, already watching you. 

“I know.”

Some band of pirates attacked the boat. That’s all you knew.

As soon as you heard fists flying and loud yells you grabbed your weapon that sat beside you on the bed and ran out onto the deck. Immediately there were two attackers coming at you, their yells filled your ears. You blocked each of their attacks, slashing your blades at their throats, red splattering across your face and clothes. Adrenaline spiked, you could feel your heartbeat racing. It had been so long since you were in a proper fight, you forgot what the rush had felt like. An indescribable high.

But a sudden laugh shocked you. A bone-chillingly familiar one. You turned your head slightly to the right to watch as Silver Tooth casually made his way to you, his sword lazily dragging against the deck next to his feet. Your body ached again, fear paralyzing you in your spot as he got closer and closer.

“I thought I told you…you aren’t leaving here.”

The next thing you knew, your blade was lodged in the neck of the aggressor, and Silver Tooth was gone. The random pirate’s eyes were wide in shock and fear, his face paling with his blood drained. The blood from his neck ran red over your fist, and you drew out your blade, watching as his body dropped to the deck, blood still pooling.

It was all you could see. Red. If anyone was to describe how they saw you, they would have said you were bloodthirsty. Possessed. Something else was in control of your body, and it wasn’t letting you up any time soon. 

You looked for the next target.

Across the boat, the green-haired assassin sliced through the onslaught of invaders. His mind stuck on one thing: you. He needed to get to you, to see you with his own eyes, to make sure you were okay. It had been so long since you were in battle, and not all of your injuries were fully healed. He planned to cut down anyone and everyone in his path to you, no matter how big or who they were. He wouldn’t fail you again.

When the rush of offenders finally slowed down, you took note of all the bodies that surrounded you. Your hands were drenched in their blood. Or maybe some of it was yours? You couldn’t differentiate any of it anymore, and you couldn’t even feel the pain inflicted on your body due to the adrenaline high.

You know you should feel something at the talley of victims that had fallen to your blade. But you would process those emotions later. For now, you needed to protect your crew. You climbed up the stairs towards the upper deck, seeing everyone was able to hold their own for the most part.

Dodging around and over bodies, you looked through everyone. You weren’t even quite sure what exactly you were looking for. It just felt as though your body went on autopilot, searching for something in particular. Until you found Zoro, and a clashing sense of relief and dread filled your chest.

He only had one sword in his hands, the Wado Ichimonji, his other two having been knocked across the deck. He was struggling against the other hulking man. A grotesquely muscular man, veins and tendons showing through his skin. 

And you stood, staring. Watching. Emotions all over the place. 

Your hands wrapped around your own weapon tightly, shaking from how tense you were, nails digging into the metal of it. Your breathing was jagged, and there were too many voices in your head screaming at you. A particularly strong one came to the forefront, begging and pleading for you to move, to help him in any possible way. 

And then there was another one. One that you had grown so accustomed to these past few months of dodging him and not meeting his pain-filled eyes. One telling you that you should just let it happen.

Maybe then you could move on. Maybe then Silver Tooth would leave you alone. Maybe you could finally sleep. Fuck, you just wanted to sleep.

You could hear your name being yelled, a deep and familiar strained voice, and when you focused back to the scene in front of you, you saw Zoro staring at you wide-eyed, eyebrows drawn together in his effort to keep his opponent from overpowering him. He was relieved to see you, to see that you were okay and just steps away from him. After all, you always had his back. You took a step forward, shaking your head to clear away the menacing voice telling you to just watch, the grip on your weapon tightening as you prepared to save your partner.

But just as you started, you suddenly stopped. A shape appeared over Zoro’s shoulder. A smile. Shiny teeth telling you exactly who it was. Silver Tooth wasn’t even looking at you, watching in amusement at the struggle the swordsman was in the middle of.

“Wanna make a deal?” The menacing voice was clear, as if he was standing right next to you. No…like he was surrounding you entirely. His voice wraps around your body, engulfing you in your nightmares. Your eyebrows knit together as you willed your feet to move forward, but couldn’t find the strength to go. Silver Tooth’s eyes flicked over to you, staring so intensely, it felt as though he could see right through you.

“Let him die. And I’ll leave you alone.”

There was a flicker of a memory that appeared at the forefront of your mind. The words felt so…familiar, but you couldn’t clearly remember it, fighting to try to piece it together. All you could see was the gator skin boots and a blade going through the poster with Zoro’s face.

There was another yell of your name somewhere behind you, but your gaze remained on your captor’s face, afraid that if you lost sight of him he might attack.

Zoro saw the look in your eye, the lack of recognition, you looked completely spaced out despite your weapons in your hand, the blood dripping from the blades and your face. The relief he had previously felt melted away into something else. A familiar feeling, but one he had never felt towards you before. 

Rage. It shook every fiber of his being. You weren’t his partner anymore. You were a stranger. You weren’t gonna save him.

Your eyes widened as you realized what the memory was.

“Only when he dies will I ever give you peace.”

Staring, you watched another person you had been avoiding for months. Yourself. At least, you think it’s you looking back in the mirror over the vanity in your room. You couldn’t quite recognize the figure. So many of your features seemed to have become darker. Your eyes were dull, the bags under your eyes held tales of your time away. 

The slam of your bedroom door signaled his arrival, and you had to steel yourself against your vanity’s washbasin to not run away from Zoro as your body had become accustomed to. A tactic to avoid the emotions that arose simply in his presence. The lump in your throat thickened as you knew what was coming. He was more than justified to be pissed off.

“What the fuck was that!?” You felt him come up right behind you, but did not dare to look up into the mirror to see him, afraid of how you might react. You clenched your teeth, allowing him to get his emotions out without interruption.

“We’re supposed to be partners! Were you just planning to watch me die?” You remained silent, but slowly you felt an ache rising within your chest, and you tried so hard to swallow the lump in your throat. However, the silence only fueled his anger.

“Listen, I get it, I fucking do – you don’t wanna be around me, you hate me– fuck–” Gripping the basin a little tighter, your hand started to cramp, but you refused to let go. You don’t hate him…do you?

“I don’t–”

“No, you know what, I don’t get it! I fought tooth and fucking nail to have you back! I thought I lost just one friend to that asshole, but I’ve lost you too?!” You swung yourself around to look into his eyes.

“I’VE LOST MYSELF.”

Silence. It consumed the both of you – stifling, suffocating, heavy. Your eyes stared at him wildly, the blood that had now dried on your face made you look more unhinged. He saw the dark circles surrounding your bloodshot eyes, your raw lips from your biting so much at them.

“Zoro…every time I look at you…all I see is him.” There was a quiet rage in your voice as you forced the words out. “Every time I’m around you,” Your voice came out a little quieter, cracking. “I feel like I'm right back in there. That he is about to walk around that corner and start the torture again, and again, and again.”

Your fist came down against the basin repeatedly, and you could barely register the throbbing pain that shot through your hand. Zoro couldn't move or say anything. He knew you went through hell, he knew you were holding back. Your face felt hot with anger and unshed tears that you were failing to keep in. He realized that this was the first time he had ever seen you cry.

“I–...I feel like I’m losing my fucking mind, Z, and…and I don’t know what to do…”

All that could be heard was the incessant ticking of the clock on the dresser. He had always hated it, always pestered you about getting rid of it. He never understood why you kept it around for it to disrupt the silence of the room. But maybe that’s exactly why you kept it. 

And now, it felt as though it were counting up the seconds post-aftermath. Or possibly, counting down before the bomb dropped.

Out of all the things you expected him to do – yell at you, scream in frustration, leave your room, break something – falling to his knees was not one of them. But he was on the ground in front of you, swords clattering to the floor, head hung low. It was so sudden you didn’t fully understand what was happening until it did. He looked so vulnerable.

You heard him faintly mumble something, just not clear enough for you to hear.

“What?”

“It’s my…”

“What are y–”

“It’s my…fault. All of it is my fault.” Your body froze as you stared at the top of the man’s bowed head. Your eyes were wide in shock, not fully understanding what he was confessing.

“I don’t…I don’t understand.” You forced the words through the lump in your throat.

“He took you because of me. He wanted to hurt me…and he did. He is.” At this admission you abruptly shook your head, stepping backwards only to be met with the vanity’s edge against your back. “He wanted me, but…he got something even better.”

You only have him to blame for this. You could hear Silver Tooth’s voice in your ear. Could feel his breath against your skin. The room was starting to spin, and you felt slightly nauseous. 

“My very first night there…he said that I was ‘simply a means to an end.’ I could never figure out what…what he meant…” Your hands came back up to grip the edge of the basin, attempting to ground your dizzy head. It was…planned.

“I fought him. A while ago.” Zoro looked up at you and let out a shaky breath before continuing. “Before I was with Luffy, I came across him during my earlier years as a pirate hunter. At the time I wasn’t really looking for him but…another pirate. They called her Mirra the Gator.”

Gator skin boots. Your eyes fluttered shut, remembering those boots he would always wear, the chains on them constantly jingling around.

“Vicious woman. When I came across her…it made sense as to why she had a eighty million Berry bounty on her head.” He sighed again, his eyes now closed, remembering that day. The catalyst. 

“Some nameless pirate hunter? Going to take me down? Don’t make me laugh.” Mirra watched amused as she and her partner turned around. The man smiled at Zoro, teeth glinting in the dim candle lights of the alleyway. “When I am to die, it surely won’t be by the likes of you…Zero? Zondo?”

Her laugh echoed through the small clearing of buildings. Zoro tightened his grip on his blade, a twitch at the corner of his lips at her conceitedness. Everyone was always so bold before they realized his skill. He was slowly making a name for himself, though.

“Look at that, Mirrie…he has to have three swords to fight.” The man standing beside her in the god-awful hat pointed at the swords on the swordsman’s hip, smile never once faltering. “See, boy, I only need one.”

The man charged at Zoro, sword at the ready on his side. It didn’t take much for Zoro to simply dodge his attack, stepping out of the way. The man stumbled a bit, but caught himself, whipping around to prepare another attack. Zoro narrowed his eyes at the man, challenging him to continue.

He once again ran towards the pirate hunter, jumping up on the wall to come down from above. However, Zoro ducked under the man’s arm, and brought his sword down to slash at his back. With a grunt, the pirate went down, blood spilling out from his back.

“I’m not interested in you. I want her.”

Mirra smiled sinisterly, drawing her own sword out.

“I’ve been waiting for a worthwhile challenge. Come on then, Mister…?”

“Roronoa Zoro.”

“God she was so fucking cocky. But she gave me one hell of a fight.”

He couldn’t read your face as he watched you staring at him, still standing above him as he knelt. Your eyebrow flicked up for a quick second before you moved around him to your bed, sitting on the edge. You took a deep breath to steady yourself, before patting the edge next to you twice, gesturing your head to beckon him over.

Except he didn’t move, and you turned your head to see him staring at you in shock.

“You’re gonna hurt your knees like that. Come sit.” Your voice was low, almost a whisper, as you had such low energy after all the action and emotions of the day. The exhaustion in your eyes and words told him everything he needed to know.

He decided to listen to you. It had been so long since he had been at your side that he almost felt withdrawals. He didn’t even realize how right it felt to be next to you until he didn’t have there anymore.

“But you won,” you said in a matter-of-fact manner as he sat somewhat stiffly next to you. He raised his eyebrow, looking at you in the corner of his eye. You were yet again avoiding looking at him directly. “That's why he came after you.”

Zoro just nodded before continuing the story.

“Mirra! NO!”

The sword fell from her hand first. Like a warning sign before her legs gave out beneath her. She looked down at the blade embedded in her heart, Zoro’s hands steady as he pulled the blade out from it.

“Poster said dead or alive. You made the choice.” Zoro said coldly, flicking his sword to get some of the blood off it. Finally, the woman’s legs gave out, and she crumpled to the ground. Her eyes looked from the hole in her chest before looking to the side at her lover reaching out for her.

But it didn’t last long. The Wado Ichimonji sliced through the air, and with the swishing sound, Mirra’s head was separated from her body.

Zoro was startled from his memory by a shaky, breathy laugh coming from you.

“She lost her head. And I’ve lost mine.” Zoro closed his eyes again at your statement, tightly - as if in pain. “What a clever asshole.” 

A silence yet again consumed you both as you continued to process everything he told you in the past hour. However, something he mentioned earlier set off a red light in your head.

“What do you mean you lost a friend?” You rung your hands in your lap staring at the ground in front of you. Zoro sighed, slouching slightly as he sat next to you on the bed.

“There was a boy, around seventeen. Pierre.”

The face of the young pirate who helped free you flashed in your mind. The first semblance of kindness and concern towards you that you felt while on that ship. You remembered the matted dark hair as he laid on the ground, bleeding from where Silver Tooth kicked him.

“He…He was a friend. A kid I taught some skills to years ago. He was very determined, wanting to get better in his swordsmanship, wanting to reach my level.” Zoro huffed a laugh. “Kinda reminded me of how I was when I was younger. Gutsy.” His fist clenched, and out of the corner of your eye you watched as his jaw tightened and his eye closed.

“I asked him to help me find you. People know my face, Silver Tooth and his crew knew my face. But Pierre could slip in and find you. And he did find you. Once he did, he immediately sent for me. But…he was killed.”

Trying to save me. You didn’t say it out loud, but it bounced around your head. Another heaving of guilt to add into your full rucksack.

“It was…it was selfish of me. To send him in there. He’s skilled, but he went in there surrounded by enemies. Fuck, he just wanted to prove himself to me.” He muttered out in a low whisper.

You looked back over at him, only to be met with his eyes already staring at you. Every signal in your head was telling you to look away, body buzzing for you to go back to staring at everything but him. But your vision remained locked on him. You could see all the pain and anger behind them. Zoro wasn’t one to let his sadness out by talking, preferring to use the negative energy in training. But it was different with you. You both knew that, and you’ve known for a while.

For a second, or maybe a good few minutes, that was how you two sat. Staring at each other, eyes trailing over each others’ face. It was almost like you were memorizing how the other looked. Or maybe trying to remember what it looked like to see light in each other’s eyes. You take a sudden deep breath before turning away.

“You know, this is the first proper interaction we’ve had in months?”

You and Zoro stood there, at the edge of the ship, leaning against the rail side by side. You stared at the various colors of the sun lowering on the horizon. The various oranges and yellows, the slight pinks that blended into the blue of the sky. The ocean crashed against the ship, and it sounded right. It sounded like how they should. And you were where you should be. Next to him. 

They were all right. You couldn’t let the Silver Tooth win. He took over your brain and planted himself there. His presence stayed in your air, in your dreams, in the clothes you wore, in the skin covering your body. He left his marks, mentally and physically. But your team were the ones who saved you. They got rid of him. Zoro got rid of him.

And no matter what lasting damage Silver Tooth did, you would fight till your last breath to ensure Zoro would remain a part of your life.

But little steps, as Robin said. 

So for now, you were more than content to be here with him. It would be difficult, the urge to get far away from him still clawing at your skin, but it was worth it. You could smell his natural scent coming from his body, your shoulders untensing. His elbow was exactly two inches away from yours, and you kept it that way. You would learn to be safe around him again.

And he would never stop making sure you were safe.

This was written by @/ro-written and is not to be plagiarized, translated, or distributed anywhere else. Copyright 2024.

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You watched with bated breath as San went to the corner of the ring, blood and a dark bruise gathered at the corner of his mouth. Your nails dug into your palms as you clenched your fists in anticipation. You knew that he could take care of himself, he’s spent years learning various martial arts, has been in the ring more times than you could count. 

So why are you always on edge when you watch him fight? Why does your heart race with every punch?

Wooyoung sprayed water from the bottle he had on the side right onto San’s mouth, using a towel swung over his shoulder to dab at the sweat and blood on his face. San tilted his head back, resting against the post behind the stool he was spread on. Woo tilted in to whisper something into San’s ear, something that caused his eyes to blink open and scan the crowd. Eventually, his eyes landed on you, and you saw his lip twitch a bit, before taking a hand and moving Woo off his shoulder, never leaving your gaze. You gave him a little nod, a small semblance of motivation, and put a fist up. It was your silent way of telling him to get up and kick his ass.

And so with your encouragement, San stood back up, body relaxed and you watched as you knew what was to come next. You had seen this move a hundred times by now to know exactly what to look for in his bodily movements. 

The opponent steps forward with a cocky grin, ready to continue his onslaught of punches. But San simply looks at him, eyebrow raised, before swinging his body around, launching himself into the air. It was all so quick, yet it felt like time stopped as his foot collided with his opponent’s face.

The crowd silenced for a split second, everyone holding their breaths. That was until Wooyoung jumped into the ring, stack of cash in hand, and went directly to the opponent, counting down on his fingers right in the man’s unconscious face. After three counts, with no sign of fight from the opponent, the crowd went into an uproar.

You jumped from your chair, and yelled out San’s name, cheering him on from your seat. You could see the tiredness in his eyes, but his excitement overshadowed it. You watched as Wooyoung took San’s hand and raised it up, crowning him the champion of the match. Eventually, people pushed up onto the mat and crowded around San, leaving Woo to leave and collect the betting money from all the losers. However, before he stepped away, San grabbed his collar lightly to hold him back, leaning in to whisper something into his ear. Woo simply nodded, waving his hand at his friend, before walking away, still collecting the money.

You observed as San gave his signature smile to everyone surrounding him, even with the busted lip and bruising at the corner of his mouth. His eyes curved into crescents, dimples appearing as he talked to his fans and signed whatever they were jutting out in front of him. It made your chest flutter, seeing him go from this scary and cold rough boxer to your warm, kind-hearted best friend. 

“Hey,” a voice called out to the side of you, hand landing gently on your arm. You jumped at the feeling, before relaxing once you realized it was Woo. A smile cracked across your face. “Hey Youngie, how’d yall make out?” You gestured your head towards the cash in his hand. He looked down and smirked, slapping the stack against his hand.

“Not too terrible, I’d say. I still have to make some more rounds before people try to sneak out on me, but hey, Sannie said he wanted to see you in the back.” He looked over at the man still in the ring talking to people, now signing some man’s arm. It made you chuckle as you watched the various people fawn over him. But you could see something. It was a split second, but you caught it nonetheless. As someone’s hand came down to pat his back, his face winced, but he quickly cleared it up before anyone could notice.

Anyone but you and Woo, of course.

“Please check on him,” his eyebrows were taut, worry written across his face. “You know how he can get after fights. Make him rest.” His eyes found yours, and his usual playfulness wasn’t anywhere to be found.

“I’ll try. If he actually listens though is the thing.” You offered up a half smile as Wooyoung laughs out.

“Please, only you could tell him to fight a mountain lion with one hand tied behind his back and blindfolded and he would do it in a heartbeat, no questions asked.” His playful smirk was back on his face as you rolled your eyes. You wanted to poke at him and tell him to not overexaggerate so much, but you couldn’t. It was true, and you knew it. You were one of, if not the only, person San would listen to no matter what. Perks of being his best friend for such a long time.

“You know how to get to the back?” Woo pointed over his shoulder to a door with a red sign on it. Staff Only. You nodded, having been back there a handful of times before his matches to wish him luck and give him a hug. Woo nodded, giving you a quick one-armed hug, before leaving off to get the rest of his and San’s money. 

You shouldered your way through the bustling crowd, trying to keep a straight line toward the door. Finally reaching it after what felt like forever, you pushed it open, slipping through and ensuring no one followed behind you. The last thing you’d want is San being mobbed in the locker room while he was trying to have his own time.

The locker room wasn’t like the typical locker room you had in school. You remembered how surprised you felt when you first walked into it. It was a smaller square room, the left wall lined with cubbies for people to put their items away in. One of them was filled with San’s belongings, while the others remained empty, save for a medical kit. On the right was a long couch that took up most of the wall, and two rolling chairs sat near it. In the corner next to the couch was a small refrigerator for people to put away the water bottles and any other items they needed to keep cold. The walls were covered in red brick, and the flooring was a black Berber carpet. Probably so no one could see the stains…

You made yourself comfortable on the couch, not knowing when San would be able to peel himself away from his fans. Picking at your nails, you could only think back to the way San looked at you before he ended the match. Something in his eyes seemed different, an emotion you don’t remember ever seeing in him. You couldn’t quite place it though, and it was frustrating. You knew him like the back of your hand, knew what every face, every quirk of his eyebrow, every curl of his lip was saying. You wondered if you were simply overthinking it. Maybe he was just trying to find some sort of encouragement outside of Woo. Maybe he was just making sure you were watching his signature move so he could ask you later how cool you thought it was for the millionth time.

You shook your head, trying to clear it of his sly smirk and pretty dimples.

Suddenly, you heard a click at the door, and your eyes shot up from where they were staring at your hands. You watched as San walked in, hair wet and a new set of clothes on, turning around to lock the door behind him to keep from being pestered while trying to rest. His shoulders sagged from their usual position, something that had you quirk your head to the side. He took a lot of pride in having such a perfect posture, so you knew he had to be beyond tired at this point. He rested his forehead against the door, giving you a chance to take note of all the various bruises not hidden by his clean white tank that had already formed or were forming along his arms and back. You could see a cut on his shoulder that had blood slowly forming around the edges.

“Sannie,” Your voice called out quietly to not startle him. He lifted his head off the door, turning around to see you. In an instant, his face brightened up, a smile gracing his features for a second before the pain took over and his bruised hand came up to his lip. You stood up and walked over to grab his arm, leading him over to the couch. He let you push him down against it gently before you moved over to grab the medical kit and come back to him. You sat down next to him, opened the kit, and guided his head to face you. The cuts and bruises littering his face made you tsk and shake your head a bit, before letting his chin go.

“Well hello to you too.” He smirked and winced again at the pain. You rolled your eyes at him, but couldn’t help the smile playing on your lips at hearing his voice full of playfulness.

“You’re an idiot, letting him get this many hits on you.” You murmured, eyes looking through the kit to find ointment and alcohol wipes.

“Wow, not even a congratulations?” He feigned hurt, grabbing at his chest as his eyebrows furrowed together.

“You don’t need a congratulation from me, San. I knew you were going to win from the start.” You pulled out one of the wipe packets and started dabbing at the cut on his arm lightly, letting him get used to the stinging sensation of the alcohol before pressing any harder. You felt goosebumps stick up on his arm as you held his arm to keep steady. One side of his mouth quirked up in amusement, showing a bit of his teeth.

“You knew I’d win?”

“Yes, San. I always know you’re gonna win.” You grabbed one of the ointment packets out and ripped it, pushing a bit of the paste on your finger. You gently spread it across the cut until it was fully covered.

“And why’s that?” You looked up to see his eyes fixed on you, watching every movement. Your body froze under his intense eyes, face heating up. But you shook it off quickly, setting the ointment packet down to grab one of the bandaids from the kit.

“Because,” you split the bandaid wrapper. “You’re the best there is.” You placed the bandaid that wasn’t quite the honey tone of his skin on top of the cut to keep it clean. It wasn’t a lie, there was no one else you could think of that fought with the intensity and precision he did. You looked up again to see his eyes were still trained on your face, his ever-present smirk still there.

“Yeah?” His tone was cocky, and you had to remind yourself that you were in the middle of bandaging him up to tear your eyes away.

Something was different. Typically, even when it was just you two, you would playfully flirt, not ever meaning anything serious about it. You had been best friends for years, and you were comfortable with each other. You told each other everything and nothing ever felt off or awkward. So why did you feel so tense right now? Why did it feel like all your senses were turned to 11? You let out a breath as a way to bring yourself back to the task.

“Yes. Now, stop talking so I can take care of these cuts.” You gave him a pointed look, a look he was definitely familiar with when you were trying to get his stubborn ass to do something. He nodded with a hum, and you grabbed your wipe again, making sure you had a clean part of it, before wiping at the cut on his cheek. The position was awkward, having to slightly contort his head and neck so that you could reach it.

“Why don’t you– Just– Here.” He never fully finished his sentence before he was grabbing your waist and pulled you into his lap, causing you to let out a sharp inhale at the sudden shift. Your body was frozen yet again. Both of you had been close before, especially with how touchy San could be, always wanting to have skinship. You had even woken up a handful of times after sleepovers (aka you both had too much to drink after partying and you refused to let him leave out so drunk) with his arm wrapped around you. But you had never had this before. Sitting in his lap, faces inches away, his hands still resting on your waist.

“This okay?” He asked, searching in your eyes for something. You realized you had been staring at him with your hands frozen in front of you, and you finally moved after you processed his voice.

“Ye–ahem–Yeah, this is good. Better.” You got out, getting back to work and patching his face up. Your wipe moved from the cut on his cheek to the bruise at the corner of his mouth, gently dabbing at it to clean up the dried blood he managed to miss in his shower. Luckily, you didn’t find a cut there and used your thumb to move his skin around a bit to make sure you didn’t miss anything before grabbing the ointment again and using your finger to spread it out on the cut on his cheek. 

You tried not to think too much about how you could smell the refreshing scent of his body wash. Or how his hair smelled a bit like peppermint. Or how warm his hands felt still holding on to your waist. How you could see and feel his eyes watching you carefully as if he wanted to say something. You grabbed a smaller bandaid from the kit and placed it across the gash to make sure it healed well.

“Done.” You stated with a shaky breath as you gathered up all the trash and moved off his lap. You turned around to find the trashcan and didn’t catch the slight slump of his shoulders when the pressure and warmth of your body on his was gone. You tossed the trash and came back over, grabbing a rolling chair to bring in front of him and sit in.

“It was a pretty intense fight, Sannie. You let him get a few good hits I know you could have blocked. So…why?” You propped your legs up on the couch next to him, careful to not accidentally kick him with your close proximity. He leaned his body back to rest against the couch, arms coming up to drape across the back of it, and his legs extended on either side of your chair. You couldn’t deny that you felt something twist in your gut at the sight of him, but you were focused on his answer to your question.

“Woo and I talked before the match about that. He says that if I get my ass kicked around a bit at the beginning, people are more likely to bet against me in higher amounts, especially if they haven’t seen me fight before.” He huffed out, eyes closed to give them a rest from the ceiling lights. You nodded and tried to look anywhere besides his bobbing Adam's apple. 

“I guess it makes sense. But…I’m just…worried I guess. With how much you let the other guy rough you up. I’ve seen you in some pretty harsh shape but this, San? This is brutal.” You waved your hand in front of his body as if he could see.

“Ah, it’s not the worst. You remember when I got my ribs broken?”

“That was because you were still trying to figure out how to properly do your crescent kick and fell flat on your side, dumbass. Not the same thing as letting someone else beat you black and blue.” He quirked up an eyebrow at that and shrugged his head a bit. You went quiet, a question on the tip of your tongue but you struggled with how to word it. You looked back down at your fingers again, picking again at your nails. 

You didn’t realize how San opened his eyes and raised his head at your sudden silence, watching as you let your nervous habit take over. He leaned over to grab at your hands to keep you from picking at them anymore, and you looked up to once again see his concerned eyes.

“What’s on your mind?”

It never failed that you would be amazed at how well he knew you.

“When or maybe why did you decide to quit letting him hit you if you and Woo knew that you were making money?” Your eyebrows furrowed together as the question finally left out. His hands loosened up around yours and his eyes widened a bit at the question, face slightly flushing. “There was a moment when I saw you and you changed entirely. Why? Did Woo say something?”

He pursed his lips and looked down at where your hands were still connected, his brain jostling around with how to answer you. Eventually, he nodded, jaw clenching and unclenching, and he raised his head to face you.

“I guess it’s best if I just tell you now,” he huffed, making you even more confused. “When I’m in the ring, I have to calculate everything, have to constantly watch for everything that the other guy is doing. And there are moments when it feels…pointless. Like it’s all for nothing. Like I should just give up and let them lay me out, you know?”

You took in everything he was saying, trying to process his words and the emotions that came with them.

“Wooyoung wanted me to throw the match more so he could collect more bets. But…when I looked out and I saw you…I needed to make you proud.” He was ultra hesitant with his words, cautiously scanning your face to gauge out your reactions. It was funny how this man, someone who’s been said to have a cold heart in the ring and iron fists you would never want to meet, is instantly turned into a nervous mess when it came to you. Your heart was beating in your throat now, watching him back with wide eyes trying to understand what he was exactly saying.

“God, it’s just–...I don’t–...fuck, I guess it’s just–...” He keeps cutting himself off, the words he wished to say not forming right in his mouth. Sensing his frustration, you rubbed your thumb over the bruised knuckles, a soothing tactic you knew helped him. And it did, as you saw his face relax from the way it was scrunched up.

“It’s okay Sannie, take your time.” You spoke as gently as possible, not wanting him to feel rushed at getting the right words, or even feel pressured to say them at all. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath through his nose, before opening them back to level with you.

“When I’m in the ring, and all these thoughts get to my head, all I can think about is you. Only you. How you encourage me to keep going, your smile and your voice telling me to finish the match. All I can think about is how your eyes light up when I finally win.” 

You felt completely frozen at his confession, thumbs having stopped their movements since. It felt as if your brain had been slowed in its comprehension skills, and you had to repeat every word he said in your head five times over for it to truly sink in.

“So…you–”

“I like you,” he blurted out, face and neck turning pink. “A lot. More than as your best friend. I like every little detail about you and it just drives me insane not being able to tell you, so I am now. And if you don’t feel the same, well then we can just sort of forget this whole–”

“I like you too, Sannie. More than as a best friend as well.” You interrupted his rant, hands moving from his to grab his face, making sure he hears you. “I’ve been so confused for so long about these emotions I’ve had for you, but I think I’m starting to realize that they haven’t been platonic for a while.” You could feel your ears heating up at your admission, and this feeling of anxiety in your chest relaxed as you were able to tell him your feelings confidently.

And as he smiled at you, eyes twinkling and full of pure love for you, you start to wonder how anyone could see this man as a fighter with a cold heart. In the end, he would always be your Sannie.

---

This was written by @/ro-written and is not to be plagiarized, translated, or distributed anywhere else. Copyright Ro-Written 2023.

All comments, reblogs, and likes are always welcome!

Padding into the central kitchen, you walked directly to the fridge, grabbed out the milk, and set it on the counter right by. You opened the cabinet to fetch out your cereal and then a bowl, dumping a portion of the box into it. You poured the milk into the bowl after putting the box back, replacing the milk into the fridge, and opening the drawer right under the cabinets to grab out a knife.

Turning around quickly, you threw the chef's knife into the wall right next to the intruder standing at the entryway. You could hear their heart pounding despite their attempt to keep a neutral face.

“You know, Seonghwa is going to be pissed that you put a hole in his wall.”

“Well, you should know better than to be so sneaky, Jung Wooyoung.” You rolled your eyes, opening your hand up and allowing the black smoke to wrap around the knife handle, bringing it back to your palm and being tossed into the sink.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You could practically hear the smirk in his voice as he walked over to the coffee machine.

“You know, for an assassin who was known for his seduction tactics and deadly sexual prowess,” you grab a spoon out of the utensil drawer, turning to face him and pointing it at the man. “You really suck at keeping your heart steady.”

His eyebrow quirked up at your smile and you put the spoon into your cereal, walking away into the living room to get comfortable on the couch. You threw the blue blanket typically kept on the back of the sofa across your legs before turning on the TV to watch the morning news for a little. Boring, yes. But you didn’t mind the boring aspect of this job compared to your old…occupation.

A new set of steps walked into the living room from one of the side hallways leading from the front door. You knew who it was, but still turned your head to offer a smile towards the Captain.

“Hey Joongie, how are you?”

There was a light sheen of sweat on his skin, but other than that no one would truly be able to tell that the man had just run at least 15 miles within the hour. Matter of fact, he was barely huffing out any sort of breath.

“Not too terrible! Got a late start to the morning, but I made up for it.” He nodded, and all you could do was quietly roll your eyes at the leader and his critiques of himself.

“Oh, I’m sure,” you let out in a huff.

“Anything interesting we should know about?” He asks, pointing to the news channel for the local area. You pouted slightly and shook your head.

“No, nothing good. Just some dog celebrating his 15th birthday which I guess could be argued is pretty worthy news.” You smirked up at him as he stood behind the couch where you were sitting. It was then his turn to roll his eyes at your comment. Before he could say anything further, a voice entered the room.

“You shouldn’t sound too disappointed at no ‘exciting’ news.” Damp red hair was the first thing you saw before the rest of San’s figure, a smirk appearing on his face. You quirked an eyebrow before turning your gaze back to the TV.

“Well, you know me, bird brain. Can’t be still for too long.” You scooped another spoonful of cereal into your mouth as he came to sit on your right a little too close to you. Looking back at him, you pointed one finger out, causing the black smokey tendrils to shoot out and push him over. With a light oof he face-planted into one of the throw pillows, taking the hint to move over a bit. Hongjoong simply watched with a gentle smile, taking in the interaction. 

“Hyung, are you just going to let them use their powers to bully me like that?” San whined with a pout, prompting you to roll your eyes once again. However, before Joong was able to get out a word, maroon glimmers started to tug lightly at his hair, and you couldn’t help the little laugh that escaped you as San yelped.

Just as you were expecting, Seonghwa rounded the corner into the living room, smirking all the while. He held his own bowl of cereal as he continued to ruffle San’s hair around with his magic. He walked over to one of the love seats and crossed his legs under him.

“What about using powers to bully others?” His eyebrows went up and his eyes widened in faux innocence as he took the first bite of his own cereal. San simply stuck his tongue out childishly before crossing his arms to focus on the TV. Hongjoong chuckled again, shaking his head as he left to shower.

The newscasters had shifted from talking about the cute, old dog to discussing some new donut place near the building. Wooyoung walked into the room with his French toast and coffee as you let out an amused hum. He finds his seat next to Hwa, kicking his feet up onto the elder’s legs.

“We better not let Yunho hear–”

“Too late!” The man was already walking into the living room with a bright smile and a black beanie covering his green hair. He hops over the couch to sit to your left, jostling you and your cereal lightly. Despite it, you still offered him a kind smile, poking at his rosy cheeks.

“Good morning, insecto-boy.” You tease him as he pouts a little, his eyes rounding and giving him a puppy dog look. You could hear San laugh from beside you at your taunting, and the black smoke shot out once again to lightly push him over.

“I say we do donuts later,” Yunho pipes up as San is straightening himself out once again. You let out a gentle hum in agreement, noticing Seonghwa nod his head out of the corner of your eye.

“Donuts would be good.”

A voice behind you makes the four other men jump as you took another bite of cereal. You had felt his presence a while ago and knew he would eventually make himself known. Still, it was quite entertaining to watch as Wooyoung almost tossed his coffee and nearly kicked Hwa’s cereal at the same time.

“Yeosang, a little warning next time?” San sputters out, hand over his heart in an attempt to slow it down. The man behind you shrugged in a somewhat, but not fully there, apology. From the corner of your eye, you watched as he walked over to the other loveseat, situating himself to watch the news with the rest of you.

“I’m just saying, I haven’t had a donut in a while. We could have a little donut trip or something.” The archer muttered it out, his lips forming a natural pout. You watched on in amusement as Wooyoung decided to toss a piece of his french toast into his friend’s mouth from across the way, Yeosang easily catching it.

Another sound, this time a whoosh, and the feel of a breeze did cause you to turn around and watch as Mingi stepped beyond his portal with two bags containing three boxes of a dozen donuts, each. His eyes lit up as everyone looked at him with curiosity.

“A new donut place opened! I figured we could all try them out.” He smiled at all of you before walking to the coffee table set in the middle of the room and setting the boxes down. His short blond hair was mussed up from the portal but he was quick to fix it, running his fingers through it. 

Before another word could be spoken, Yunho, San, and Hwa were leaping forward to grab a box each. You simply nodded as your eyebrows went up, having expected this type of reaction.

“Thank you Mingi!” San offers up his gratitude first, before slinging the box open and devouring one of the glazed donuts. They smelled warm still, the bread itself having been puffed up and fluffy looking. 

“What are we thanking Ming– oh.” Dark red hair walked into the room holding a tablet, and you see Jongho watch the scene in surprise.

“You may need to strong-arm them for some, Jjongie. I don’t think they’re gonna give these up too easily.” You smile at the man in his white lab coat and black-rimmed glasses. He huffed out a laugh and nodded in agreement, before walking over to sit in between where Mingi and Yeosang had claimed their seats. He picked a donut out of the box Mingi had in his lap, and before the older could complain, Jongho cocked his head, challenging. The blond immediately closed his mouth before he could say anything to get him in trouble.

“Coming up,” the newscaster’s voice brought your attention back to the TV, as an image of a sea lion popped up on the screen. “Check in with Waldo, the talking sea lion, and see what he has to say to us today. All after the commercial break.” 

Everyone cooed at the short clip of the adorable sea lion that popped up after the newscaster’s image left the screen, staring at the shiny eyes of the animal.

And such was the scene Hongjoong walked into, rubbing a towel through his hair. All of his teammates smiled lovingly at the animal, talking amongst themselves about how they should go visit the sea lion sometime soon when they have a free moment. He grinned brightly watching as you talked animatedly with Wooyoung and, yet again, pushed San over with your powers. When he straightened back up, he gave you a pout, to which you pinched his cheek and cooed again.

Joong was proud of all of you at how far you had come. He was proud of you for how much you had, eventually, opened up to them. From where you had started, standing in the middle of them encircling you, eyes flicking wildly between all of them, to now, joking with them. You were finally comfortable with them, despite the challenges they had faced along the way.

And he knew he wouldn’t have it any other way.

This was written by @/ro-written and is not to be plagiarized, translated, or distributed anywhere else. Copyright Ro-Written 2023.

All comments, reblogs, and likes are always welcome!