#yuh.

He got into a lot of fights in school. Sometimes for fun---he'll admit, he liked to antagonize people just for the thrill of it---but primarily because he defended others. The cause of most of his fights? Were either:

- Being picked on for staring/the cow features (once someone pulled on his tail and he broke their arm)

- defending someone else from being picked on

Or, last but not least

- verbal argument (don't stir the pot because you're bored)

This had me thinking. Lawrence Oleander was picked on consistently in school, if I remember correctly from what gatobob herself has said.

If Eric and Lawrence ended up attending the same school---the likelihood of Eric absolutely kicking someone's shit in because he caught them bullying Lawrence skyrockets to 100%.

I imagine---young Lawrence picking up a dead bird in the school yard, trying to show it to the wrong person and being ridiculed for it. Eric himself is off on the outskirts of the schoolyard not far from Lawrence, picking up a bug or something. He doesn't like playing with other kids. He's too rough, doesn't understand the rules they make or why. So he sticks to observing his surroundings.

He hears the encounter and of course, abandons his bug catching to deal with this. If there is one Eric cannot stand, it's people being mean to each other when the person who approached them was being nice. And with him already sizing up to be a clearly bigger kid, he's learning how to use it to his advantage.

By the time he walks up to Lawrence, the other kid is just about to reach out to knock the dead bird out of this open palms when a little Eric does what he does best---a headbutt. Before even a finger is laid on Lawrence the other kid is laying flat in the grass, yelling and crying about being shoved. Eric ignores them.

Instead he's moving towards Lawrence, eyes fixed on him. "Are you okay?" he asks casually, speaking over the kid next to them crying. Lawrence nods, not knowing how to respond.

Eric looks down at the bird. Lawrence expects him to have a similarly disgusted reaction as the kid sprawled and whining loudly in the grass, but Eric just stares with wide curious brown eyes. He doesn't look grossed out, or scared... even though the bird carcass is half rotten and crawling with maggots.

The two don't exchange any other words. They both just look down at the bird as a teacher comes over and drags them both away.

You had to laugh, Zoro was as stubborn as ever when it came to his naps. After working a long shift and not falling asleep til almost 4am, only to be rudely awakened at 7am by the morning antics of his roommates, he took all the time he could get to stay in bed.

Especially when you were with him.

“Zo…” You mumbled, smiling when he let out a noise of protest once more. “We gotta get up.”

No reply came forward for a solid thirty seconds before you felt him start to move. His hands that were oh so secured around your waist began to trail up your body, squeezing and grabbing at you before they suddenly started to pull you back against his chest.

“Zoro.” You laughed at his antics, you knew what he was doing. “We need to get up.”

“Why?” He grumbled, his lips pressing against the nape of your neck as he let out a sigh. “Let me sleep in peace, woman.”

You giggled and put your hands over top of his in hopes of prying yourself from his grasp, to no avail. “I would if you’d let me go.”

“No.” Was the only reply he gave you before pulling you back tighter. He did release his hold on you for only a moment but was then pushing himself up to block you in underneath him.

Before you could object his lips were on yours, softly kissing you as his hands ran underneath your pillow so he could properly roll himself on top of you.

“Just stay here.” He mumbled against your lips, eyes barely open. “Stay here with me.”

Whatever fight had previously been present in you was long gone as you melted underneath him, wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him down closer to you.

You loved when Zoro was needy, and sleep often did that to him. In a perfect world he’d want nothing more than to just have you to hold for as long as he wanted with no outside interruptions.

Suddenly a loud crash came from beyond the safety of his bedroom door, followed by the sound of laughter and a familiar voice exclaiming. “Luffy!!”

You and Zoro both perked up immediately and you felt the growl rumble through his chest as Zoro let out a sigh.

You couldn’t help but giggle regardless. “Maybe now we should get up?”

💕💕💕

NESIIII HOW COULD YOUUU I AM ON THE FLOOR RN PLEASEEEE !!!!!!!! i take my lunch break and immedietely get NUKED ?!?! HELP MEEEE !@!!!!

god this is a perfect morning. ( minus luffy forever interrupting us FMLLL . going to speak with him later. ) BUT I ... EYE. EYE !!!!! yeah no nevermind we’re not getting up now. idc if luffy is pulling some shit, zoro has to finish what he started otherwise he's gonna have to deal with bratty me for the rest of the day. someone else can entertain luffy for like ,,, idk give us a solid hour i have some things i gotta do yk…. 😼