I wish I could probably explain what this is but I can't. The first part is easy, young Zoro falling in love with Law at first sight. So you know spare yourself the weird genre shit and stop at the green heart.
I wrote this for @jhaernyl whose been really cool about me being sick. I actually wanted it to be a rp prompt bit as I started to write I thought, well, let's give her everything I've got. Then she told me to post it here and for some reason I decided to write her a totally weird add on ending. Bit you can just stop at the green heart And have a cute Zoro with a crush on Law AU
Run Away Together
Imaging a fifteen year old Roronoa Zoro, the promising apprentice of the world renowned sword master and warlord of industry Dracule 'Hawkeyes' Mihawk. Which often means accompanying the greatest living swordsman and Kendo League All Blue Champion title holder for record nineteen years around even when Zoro is told he isn't "allowed" to be slicing stuff in half or lifting weights or seeing to his swords right this second. It's 'ehh, but Zoro can usually tell himself it will be worth it when Mihawk is pushing him through increasingly intense training exercises or demanding Zoro give him an complete list of his opponents mistakes as well as an over all critique to their style and it's weaknesses after everyone of his own matches or being asked to go examine collections of rare or antique swords as one of the most celebrated not just practical but academic experts on the subject.
[Mihawk will freely admit he had been taken back to find the young boy - barely 14 when he took him on - astonishingly enthusiastic about this particular part of what Mihawk considered his proper education. Even in subjects that directly impact his kendo training Roronoa often appears bored; and yes, Mihawk is well aware this is the ninth attempt at explaining the science behind haki use . That is the result of Roronoa simply wondering off part way through the first eight.... ]
[However, contrary to the headache Dracule had already accepted he would end up with by bringing the boy along to attend such a lengthy Intellectual endeavour, the first time he takes his overly direct and barely concerned apprentice along on such an exercise to a private collector who just acquired a new piece the boy lights up, soaking in every word Mihawk says and even volunteering his own information.]
Oh, plus there is the fact Zoro gets to train against some of the world's top international league fighters both past and present. And they get the experience of matching themselves against the future greatest swordsmen in all the seas!
So it's not all bad.
But then sometimes Hawkeyes pretends that even though he's the president or captain or whatever of his company [Founder and CEO, Roronoa] he still somehow gets forced to sit through meeting after meeting with so called "important contacts" and "potential investors" and "international law enforcement" and tch, whatever, just tell them you'd rather be training, Hawkeyes! No, instead, Zoro is made to just sit there all day like a duck and do school work. And it gets worse. Sometimes Hawkeyes goes to these fancy dinners with a bunch of annoying, overly sparkly people and even annoying ones with cameras and questions. It use to be Zoro got left behind for such events, and he'd been grateful to catch up on some of his weight lifting exercises he couldn't do between all Hawkeyes talk about balance and patients and are-you-oaying-attention-Roronoa? The old man must have realized Zoro was actually enjoying having some time to train as he liked because it seems more and more, Hawkeyes insist that he has to come alone. He tried to give the reason but honestly, Zoro hadn't been listening because he already knew there was just no way this is anything but some kind of prolonged torture. To meet and "mingle" - a word, Zoro quickly learned, he would gladly slice to pieces if he could so if this experience taught him anything, Hawkeyes, it's that one day he'll be able to cut through even langue itself - the most boring people Zoro's ever met and eating an insultingly small plate of food and then standing around in itchy clothes he does not like while the night drags on and liars come over and lie to his face about how nice it is to make him.
Tch, stupid. Zoro could do without any of this and be just as good a swordsmen.
Then there is Trafalgar Law.
[The man is in his midtwenties and has already achieved so much it astounds: one of the top surgeons in all the Blues. Chief Surgeon of the Drum All Species Hospital, an endowed professor at the celebrated Operative Physicians Education facilities, and yet still he finds the time to be considered one of the most coveted consultants among even most well researched and highly awarded of the medical profession. The techniques he had developed as a junior doctor revolutionized surgery and are now used world over likely saving and improving hundreds of lives even just in the last few years. Which is why he is one of the Best of this generation, - a burning star that illuminates our world, the Supernova Surgeon, a title given to only el- Young Master Roronoa, are you even trying to listen to Sunny explain the guest list. Please, Dracule-sama stressed that this is a very important party. You should be humbled to be at his side, being able to meet and mingle [cringe] with such fascinating and talented people!]
Gah, just tell him when this stupid thing will be over, Sunny! He wants to go back to figuring his way through all the challenges of Hawkeyes newest training course not here standing around being bored out of his skull. He would have left the dojo to go to a regular old school if this is what he wanted! How stupid!
It's some silly, glitzy, BORING event - Zoro refuses to call this thing a party no matter how much Sunny and Merry tried urging him forward - and sure enough all he's doing is standing there being bored, not even allowed to do his push ups according to Hawkeyes dumb rules when he hears some soft voice saying something about Kikoku ("huh, the cursed nodachi of the North," Zoro had said on instinct even though no one was still bothering to talk to him which good) and looks over his shoulder and there he is.
Tall and lean and with dark hair and this waist that gives Zoro the strange urge to wrap his arms around it, and over the din Zoro can focus in and hear it almost perfectly - not the words but the waves of it, the tug and flow - this low, wicked voice that had - he's almost entirely certain - just mentioned the long lost blade had now apparently moved on because no matter how Zoro strained he didn't hear any talk about oni or frozen hearts, wailing demons revenge curses. The more he listens, though, the dryer he finds his mouth and the more the voice seems to twist through his gut like a particularly dark, wonderful blade. The only thing that saves him is Zoro has excellent control, obviously, and is far too self-restrained to ever be overtaken by lust just like-
Then the stranger turns around. Zoro has never been so thankful for this stupid formal hakama Hawkeyes has forced upon him. Specifically, how roomy it is.
Before Zoro can tell himself that it's just another dishonest, narcissistic, obnoxious, boring old rich person just like the rest of them - plenty of whom, yeah, Zoro can tell they're attractive but why would he care since no matter how pretty they are they're still BORING - the guy with these amazing long legs and these pants that seem fit so perfectly they squeeze him like a lovers embrace and steel-meets-storm grey eyes that make Zoro want to take them as a challenge and this sharply angled face that looks like it forged by Kotetsu himself and with his collar showing just a bit of throat and somehow even that Zoro finds makes his suddenly need to lick - no, to bite - something even if it's only his lips... this guy smiles. Right at him.
Zoro tries to look composed, unaffected, but his hands slips while grabbing the chair next to him while reaching for something to help him stay on his feet and he stumbles, though just a little. He catches himself; covers it up fast! It's fine! Arg, he should get Merry, he may have been poisoned. He hasn't felt so dizzy and lightheaded since the last time Hawkeyes laid him out on the mats hard enough to physically knocked him out.
The beautiful, dark visage takes a few long, smooth strides across the floor in Zoro's direction and perhaps the toxin had been in the air because Zoro suddenly cannot remember how to breath.
"Hawk-ya," the man.... Purrs? Can people purr? It makes Zoro think of something elegant, but powerful, in a way that creeps up on you when you could not see it and disappeared when you tried to catch a glimpse. Something you never truly noticed until it was nearly upon you and you could feel it's silken fur brushing against your skin, it's dagger like fangs digging into your throat. It's possible Zoro's also just thinking of that animal documentary Merry and Sunny love watching again and again and again even though the damn bird always kills the bunny and leaves the snow leopard hungry. Fuck, what is he even.... He can't believe he would remember such a stupid thing right then, especially as Zoro can barely remember how to breath. When the young man speaks Zoro feels as though he is melting into a hot spring on the coldest winter day (which is a good feeling bit still.... Why is he picturing such odd things at a moment like this?) The man's lips quirk up and Zoro can feel his heart rate increase along with their angle. "It's been too long."
His master is at his side - when has he gotten here? - and returning the strangers almost-smile, which usually would strike Zoro as strange except right now that would mean noticing someone not the man in front of him so he let Hawkeyes's smile go without notice. He can do as he pleases. Zoro is busy. "Trafalgar. You're the one who left for the New World."
"Of course," The.... Tra... Shit, Zoro was paying too much attention to his face and not enough attention to.... anything else! What did Hawkeyes JUST call him? Te... Tr... Torao? Torao's voice stays dark but soft, and he turns slightly as if disappointed or hurt only Zoro can make out the hint of a smile, so subtle probably he's the only person who could even notice. He just understood Torao's expressions like that, naturally. "And Dracule Mihawk isn't the type to just drop all other responsibilities and sail across the Grand Line of course. Not even to see an old student."
Zoro suddenly remembers the rest of the world exists and isn't just a vague impressions of some unimportant background between him and Torao. Specifically his sensei not only exists but existed before Zoro met him as well. For like a long time, too, seeing as how he's super old [You think fourty is old now, Roronoa, wait until you've spent the last near half of it defending the same title.] He turns to Hawkeyes almost speechless. Well, he isn't speaking so maybe completely speechless. Hawkeyes taught a someone like this and never mentioned it?
[He had, of course, and like most things he says outside of what his student understands to be directly tied to his swordsmanship, he had paid it no mind. For instance, he knows he had at least referenced Trafalgar to his Perona in passing a few times; albeit mostly in relationships to why just because Dr. Trafalgar had tattoos did not mean that he is going to approve of her getting any, not if her mother has already come out so strongly against them. He would not admit to the slight twinge of embarrassment he had felt, too, when it had been recently pointed out to him how many times he had brought up that, as a matter of fact, it was his understanding Dr. Trafalgar had returned some two weeks ago, though it was no wonder he hadn't been seen much he had to be incredibly busy after so lengthy sabbatical.]
[Not that he's embarrassed of mentioning it a few times more than necessary, but Mihawk is a man who knows his own mind and sees himself clearly. He does not require such... Silly, meaningless little quirks of his character to be brought to his attention by others, Akagami. Certainly not by one whose husband had to propose a whole seven times before he understood the meaning of such declarations.]
"You haven't been my student in a long time." Zoro frowns, studying Torao's face (or with more purpose since he'd certainly been studying it plenty prior to this). He... He can't be that much older than him, can he? Zoro's pretty bad at ages - it always makes Hawkeyes damn daughter and ex-wife get so shouty at him like he gives a damn what age they are why does that change anything? - but he's what like... Definitely a full adult so like... 19? 20?
[He's 26, an incredibly young man for someone of his renown and skill.]
"Well, there hasn't been anything left for you to teach me in a long time." Torao gives his sensei a look Zoro can't place at all but must go along with what was definitely an insult and makes Zoro's stomach ache in a funny way.
Though, if it is an insult, Hawkeyes takes it REALLY well. "Are you so sure about that? I would bet I could teach even a man with your reputation a good lessons."
"You could come join my lessons!"
There's this audible click when Zoro's jaw shuts. It's right after the two older men turn, staring at Zoro as if he's just announced he wanted to be king of the pirates or grow a new set of arms or turn into a giant mech man-machine or just - poof! - appeared out of thin air which actually may be nice. Zoro rarely feels like a fool and he hates when he does, can feel his face starting to burn with the indignity of it. Well, what! Hawkeyes was just saying-
Then Torao lips quirk up, and even though the tiny hint of a smile disappears quickly behind a wine glass all that irritation that had been building in Zoro's chest just vanishes, though his cheeks still feel unusually warm. "Ah, you must be Roronoa Zoro."
Torao is the one with a drink to his lips but Zoro feels like he might just choke from the sudden heat that rushes him. He knows his name! They hadn't even met before but Torao knew his name! Did Hawkeyes hear that! He knew of him! "Indeed..." Hawkeyes answers for him since Zoro is busy just staring at Torao, feeling all this... This feeling bloom in him. "He's my new apprentice, though I only discovered him last year."
"Hawkeyes training is pretty boring, and a lot of time he wants me to do things like meditate," Zoro says even though.... Why is he telling Torao this? He didn't ask and Zoro doesn't usually tell people stuff just because. Plus, if anyone would know it would be his last student.
[Though if he thought of it he would remember that he has met Mihawk's last student, a girl named Okiku who is pretty cool once she stopped acting all shy and polite and helpless. He might assume Law was the student before that then, and that would be closer, but still incorrect. Law had never been a student of Mihawk's, at least not in the way Zoro was thinking.]
"Or else do homework," Zoro goes on, only barely keeping himself from making a displeased face. The dojo back home never made him do so much homework! "I mean, obviously I have my exercise routine, but that's on my time since Hawkeyes says that if I want to be strong or not is up to me, he is only here to make me a proper kenshi. Then when we do train it's a lot of kata and kihon-dōsa and suburi and not so much actual fights but...." Zoro pauses. Has he ran out of words. He might have run out of words. He doesn't think he's ever said so much unprompted and uninterrupted before at one time. But Torao is still watching him, eyes sparkling and Zoro.... "But I'll bet if there were two of us, it might be a lot more fun," Zoro finishes, feeling his face absolutely burning as the words tumble out.
He expects Law to laugh. Probably do that then go back to talking with Hawkeyes, since that is what most adults do. "I always preferred the homework parts myself," Law answers, seeming to consider everything Zoro had said. Maybe even thinking about his offer (!!). He cocks his head as if to think, though his eyes as still on Zoro so the rest of the world might as well not exist. "I wanted to learn everything. I always figured that no one could best you so long as you had the right knowledge, the right strategy."
"Trafalgar makes a-"
"You could help me with my homework!" Zoro bluets out, entirely ignoring whatever it is his sensei was going to say.
"Roronoa!" Although Hawkeyes doesn't raise his voice even the slightest, his tone makes it impossible for Zoro, as captivated as he is, to entirely ignore. It is not his angry tone, but Zoro might prefer it was. Somehow he hated the chiding tone more. It always made it sound as though Zoro is a mere child, and one not even worth getting properly mad at. "Trafalgar is incredibly busy with the hospital as well as his other projects. He has a career with many commitments, all of which are more important than even your hardest history test. While I appreciate your...." Hawkeye pauses, and Zoro can't help but hate the way the man looks at him right then. It's not the suspicious, it's the slight amusement that stings. "New found passion when it comes to your studies, perhaps before going immediately to one of the world's top ranking medical minds you should start by seeking help a little closer to home."
Zoro wants to growl at the man. Wants to snap and storm off. He's treating him like a stupid kid. Zoro KNOWS Tor- Trafalgar is busy! Or well, okay, he would have figured! He just thought he'd offer that's all. What's-
"Hawk-ya," Trafalgar says, voice just as chiding. "The boy was just making conversation. What's the harm in offering?" Zoro swears he feels like he might be part Skypean right at that moment, like he might fly up into the clouds. See? To-Trafalgar, he understood. "Besides, it's still better than half the invitations I've gotten tonight by far. If it's between doing your student-ya's maths or Basil-ya's Pageant I suspect I would be reviewing my calculus."
Zoro almost bites at his lip, turning to look at Hawkeyes with a raised eyebrow. He expects his sensei will not like this answer one bit. Not many people try and correct him in front of Zoro. Really, on that witch Boa Hancock, and while he lets her make plenty of choices in regards to Perona he has also made it a point she is not to contradict his directions to his apprentice.
So his jaw almost dislocates when his sensei actually almost kinda maybe snickers. "You have been back less than a month, he cannot have-"
"Oh nothing excessive," Trafalgar claims, his own expression rather stoney and unimpressed. "Of course I would never purposefully avoid a patient." And the way he says the word makes Zoro think he's missed a lot but also makes him want to challenge this Basil to a fight. "So it's only been about.... Nine invitations the last few weeks."
"One must admire his new found restraint," Hawkeyes comments around his wine glass and with the tiniest smile. Zoro eyes him, still suspicious of this.
"Absolutely. He's shown real character growth in not simply holding his donations hostage." Yep, okay, the second Zoro finds out who this asshole is he is definitely putting a sword through his gut.
"You know," Hawkeye offers in a strange tone, one Zoro certainly isn't familiar with. "However much he threatened to withhold, I would double it."
Trafalgar snorts, and the smile he gives Hawkeyes... It's small and dark and like something secretive and makes Zoro's throat burn and his belly twist and makes him change his mind... He'd suddenly, unexplainedly much rather try stabbing Hawkeyes just for getting Trafalgar to smile like that at him. "Now, Hawk-ya," he does that thing again, where he's like a dangerous big cat purring. "People will think you're trying to own us, if you keep with such generous gifts."
"Oh?" Hawkeyes merely raises an eyebrow which .... Zoro doesn't see how he doesn't just grab Trafalgar and run off with him. He surely would, if Torao gave him THAT look. "I assure you they be mistaken. I have no need to own the entire staff."
Zoro looks back to see Trafalgar's stormy eyes are absolutely alight. The other man is leaning in as if conspiring with Hawkeyes, but suddenly it's Zoro who wants to lean in, lean in just close enough to...
"Law-san! There you are! At last!" Trafalgar straightens up just as Zoro very nearly trips, stumbling slightly from losing his balance even though he hadn't been moving at all. There is some blonde lady with an ugly hat waving at Trafalgar, sashaying across the floor towards the three of them. "I've been absolutely dying to ask about your trip to Wano."
Trafalgar's shoulders drop, but only for a moment. "Of course, Cissy-ya, but you know there is little I can share," he calls, his voice brighter and yet somehow less pleasant for it. He tosses a small half smile back over his shoulder at them. "Duty calls."
"Well, the entire Island is celebrating having back their supernova surgeon."
"And you, Hawk-ya? What are you celebrating?"
"Being ever so slightly less bored." That doesn't sound like much but it earns Hawkeyes such a bright eyed look it makes Zoro want to sigh.
He's resolved to the handsome man walking off when suddenly there is a hand on his shoulder and Zoro feels as if an electric pulse passed through him. "I don't think you should count on me doing your assignments," Trafalgar says and Zoro already feels himself slumping with the acceptance of such a fact. "But perhaps when I drop by, you can show me some of those terribly boring things Hawk-ya here has been teaching you."
Zoro's eyes must go twice their original size. "H-hai, Torao!"
He doesn't know how it just slips. Trafalgar is already walking away and Zoro thinks maybe he didn't hear the embarrassing slip at all, but then the man stops and turns.
His eyes are bright, and while it is not the same look he gave to Hawkeyes this one belongs to Zoro and to Zoro alone and it is perfect. "Then we're agreed, Zoro-ya," Trafalgar chuckles. "Until next time."
Zoro is still watching him as he walks off, so he's surprised by the sudden weight on his shoulder. Another hand, nothing like Trafalgar's. Instead, his sensei is giving him a very harsh look.
"What did I say about drinking alcohol at these events?"
Zoro flushed some. It had only been a few sips, wasn't that allowed?
Across the room he hears a woman's high pitched, grating laugh and a soft, dark rumble of answer. Zoro's heart jerks again and he spend the rest of the night trying not to look for Trafalgar.
It's the first time they meet, and Zoro is completely, utterly smitten.
—💚—
Torao comes over and he brings a sword. A nodachi. And it's cursed.
Kikoku.
Zoro knew it!
He lets Zoro hold it, let's him tell him about it's history, it's mythos, even since Torao has apparently had it for years there is no chance he doesn't already knew every word that comes spilling from Zoro's mouth.
"Would you like to see the secret to wielding it?" Torao asks, holding out his hand to recover the sword back from Zoro. As someone who uses a rather ridiculous, often called impossible style once lost to the ages, Zoro is breathless with curiosity, to know the secret behind how Torao could possibly handle a blade meant to be carried on the back of a horse.
He would also like to see the way Torao's lean frame moved with such a heavy weight in hand but when he tries to say those words they fail to come out, get stuck in his throat instead.
Torao just smiles and steps back from Zoro and draws the blade, smooth and natural. With the steel fully exposed, clenched in his fist and reflecting the mad light in his stormy eyes Zoro is suddenly struck that this must be how people felt during the Void century, when they believed mere mortals could be gods. And during the Romance Era, when they could become them.
He's so busy staring at Torao he doesn't even notice the blue light that engulfs him, not until Torao throws his hand forward And Zoro finds himself staring at a flash of a word he cannot quite read and then all he sees is Torao's smirk, framed between his own fingers. "Shambles!"
And then Zoro realizes what it's been all those times he thought he was drowning in It, was collapsing when his legs were solid beneath him, all the unspoken words and the presence of what he couldn't explain but just knew about Torao, all those feelings, they all make sense. What Zoro should have said is that yes, of course he'd go. If Torao ever needed to sail to the ends of this world Zoro would follow him, protect him, believe in him. He'd do whatever Torao needed and never fail or falter until both of them reached the end of the Grand Line.
It was his damn heart and it knew what Zoro had somehow forgotten in the promising, mundane life they lived.
Aye, captain. He'd go. He's always go.
