#bookish!reader

sanji was in the kitchen, when zoro and nami came in, snickering. he raised an eyebrow, taking the two in and immediately knowing they were up to something.

“what’s got the two of you so giddy?”

“she’s at it again! third book of the week.”

sanji’s mouth twitched up, already knowing exactly who they were referring to. “she loves her books…”

“do you know the content of these books, sanji?”

“getting rather nosey, are we not?”

“i don’t think i’ve ever seen zoro so red! he choked and nearly fell down.”

sanji lifted an eyebrow, smirk still evident, amusement only growing, “flustered so easily, mosshead?”

“sanji! aren’t you aware of what she’s reading?” nami was beside herself with amusement, clearly expecting sanji to react poorly and have one of his rare jealousy fits.

“i’m well aware of what she reads.”

zoro squared his shoulders, lifting his eyebrows.

“and you’re….” nami raised her eyebrows, “okay? like you’re not getting all..?”

sanji stopped scrubbing the stove and raised his eyebrows, “all?”

“jealous and overprotective and insecure.” zoro popped a handful of sliced berries into his mouth to which sanji shot him a glare.

sanji slid the bowl of fruit away from zoro and leaned in slightly, smirk deepening, “who do you think she comes to after reading parts of her delightful little books?”

luffy was stretched out on the ram’s head, eyes closed against the sun and seawater breeze. he reached up to adjust his head before realizing that he did not have it and had left his hat in a very safe place.

you were leaning back against the mast, knees bent and book propped open in your lap. your hand rested on top of your head, adjusting the hat that was so perfectly shading your eyes and the pages you read.

“that’s quite the view!”

you glanced up, squinting up at luffy with a small smile. “are you here for your hat? because it’s quite convenient and makes wonderful shade. i’m quite attached to it, actually…”

luffy settled down ungracefully beside you, all smiles and bright eyes as he draped his arm around you in a way that pulled your hair and knocked your shoulder into his, “you can wear my hat for however long you want. ‘looks good on you.”

“whatcha reading?”

“new book.”

“is it good?”

“i think so…”

“what is it about?”

you smiled to yourself, turning to look at luffy, as you tucked your thumb on your page and closed the book, taking him in with a soft expression.

“it’s actually about pirates.”

luffy perked up, shifting rapidly. legs crossed beneath him, attention fully on you, “sounds like my kind of story!”

“it is a love story, you know. the pirate prince is quite romantic. good fighter too…”

luffy eyed you, eyes narrowing slightly with a skeptical expression, “as good as me? i think it would be cool to be a pirate prince… not as good as king. but maybe second best… does this pirate prince have a cool power? how would he compare to me?”

you smiled to yourself, clearly your attempt to playfully provoke him had not worked, “no, luffy... he wouldn’t compare to you at all…” you returned luffy’s hat to his head and placed a quick kiss on his cheek, leaving your book forgotten as luffy continued talking about all the things he would do when he becomes pirate king.

zoro knew something was up with you by the way your eyes had not left the page in over thirty seconds. your eyes scanned the same section of the page over and over and zoro grunted. his eyes stayed fixed on you, waiting for the moment you would inevitably blush or glance up at him with an embarrassed, yet dangerous smile.

“good book?” zoro turned his attention back to his swords, having just innocently reminded you that he was there, not letting you know that the suspense was slowly driving him crazy.

“hmm?” you hummed in acknowledgment, looking up slowly, pupils wider than they should have been and cheeks pink. zoro took your in with a smug smirk, crossing the ship and kneeling in front of you in one and half strides. “let me see it…” he sighed with an exasperated, yet amused smirk, holding his hand out awaiting the reveal.

you straightened, “oh—“ you rubbed your face and stretched you back slightly, “it’s not what you think.”

zoro was already reading the page himself, eyebrow lifted, ignoring your protests and unnecessary embarrassment, “rather unrealistic, but i’ll try my best…”

you furrowed your eyebrows and glanced to where his thumb was. you nearly shrieked, “not that!” you snatched the book away and relocated the paragraph, pointing with your thumb.

zoro read it once. “oh, i can do that.” then again. “hold on…”

you opened your mouth to tell him to stop whatever it was he was planning and not embarrass you further, but he had already disappeared to his room. he returned moments later, hands wrapped and black tank top already showing off his muscles.

“zoro—“

“you seemed to be really into that..general’s..workout. so i’ll give you the live show. sit.”

you did not argue with him. you had already lost the page in your book as his workout shirt came off completely.

shanks glanced across the beach, squinting slightly into the sun. he had lost sight of you— something he normally prided himself on— and stood to his feet with a deep sigh.

“where did you go, my love?”

you were curled up in a hammock on the beach, below the makeshift roof. your ankles were crossed, shank’s jacket draped over you like a blanket. shanks took one look at you and raised his eyebrows, “reading inside on a day like today?”

“i was outside. the sun punished me for it…”

shanks raised his eyebrows again, now smiling softly, sympathetic, “was your book truly so enthralling that you had to get sunburned before you could move inside?”

“the protagonist reminds me of you, thank you very much.”

there was that innocent, fond smirk again— his soft eyes on you like he could watch you forever, “is that so? one armed pirate? red hair? devilishly handsome? far too charming for his own good?”

you lowered your book slightly to glance at him with a small smile, “sounds familiar…”

“ah ha,” shanks shook his head with an exasperated smile, “lie down, love. i’ll see to that sunburn before you go sun sick.”

you exhaled slowly, glancing up at him cheekily as you rolled over. “you’re interrupting my reading.”