This Is Such Beautiful And Accurate Fan Art!! Thanks For Sharing It Was A Serotonin Boost!

This is such beautiful and accurate fan art!! Thanks for sharing it was a serotonin boost!

Morning routine ☀️

Don’t go

In the poll, Ace got the most votes so I will be writing this and the others will come soon! This story will be a two shot.

Please support me by liking, reblogging and commenting on this! Also please follow for more content!

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Pairing: Portgas D Ace x Y/N

Dialogue: “Don’t go. I don’t even know who I am without you.” 🔥🏴‍☠️

A/n: I hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing this! <3

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"Ace, are you finished warming the buns," you asked, mixing the baking mix for the next batch. As the delicious smell of freshly baked bread filled the kitchen, you couldn't help but anticipate the mouthwatering treats that were about to come out of the oven.

"For the last time, I'm not an oven," Ace grumbled yet still used his devil fruit to heat up inside your cast iron stove. As the temperature rose, the buns began to brown and release their irresistible aroma, signaling that they were almost ready to be devoured.

Ace took them out and placed them on your table before leaning against the counter and looking in your direction, a mischievous grin on his face.

"I hope you're ready to indulge in some of the most delectable buns you've ever tasted," he said, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"You know they're for the village, right?" you added, finally turning around to see him with the buns.

Ace's mischievous grin widened as he replied, "Oh, I know. But who says we can't have a little taste test of your delicious buns before sharing them with everyone else?"

Blushing at his flirtatious remark, you quickly refocused on the task at hand. Pouring the remaining mixture into the bun tray, you couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement as you imagined everyone's delight when they tasted your homemade creations.

That was until your hair started to get in the way, you were busy making the buns and forgot to wear a hair net.

"Um, Ace," you started, questioning if you should ask him for a favor.

"Yeah Y/N?" Ace replied.

"Do you think you could lend me a hand and help me find a hair tie? I don't want any loose hairs getting into the buns."

You heard footsteps approaching, but there was no answer.

You then felt a gentle hand push your hair behind your ears, and when you turned to look slightly, you saw Ace standing beside you with a hair tie in his hand, a warm smile on his face.

Your heart skipped a beat at seeing him so close, and you couldn't help but blush.

You felt your heart flutter and you felt your breath catch in your throat. You felt yourself relax as you looked into his eyes, your heart still pounding in your chest.

In that moment, you realized that Ace's presence had a powerful effect on you. His warm smile and close proximity made you feel a whirlwind of emotions, from excitement to nervousness to joy.

It was as if time stood still, and you couldn't help but wonder if there was something more between you than just a love for baking.

"Hey! Are you two finished? The villagers are getting hungry!" A voice yelled out of nowhere, belonging to Marco.

Startled, you quickly snapped out of your daze and realized that you had been lost in the moment with Ace. With a sheepish smile, you turned to Marco and replied, "Sorry, we got a bit carried away. The buns are ready, we'll bring them out right away!"

Ace quickly tied your hair with the hair tie, making sure no loose strands would get into the buns. Afterward, he stationed himself back by the cast iron stove, ready to assist with the final preparations before bringing the delicious buns out to the hungry villagers.

Unbeknownst to you, Ace's face was as red as a tomato, his whole face flushed with embarrassment. He quickly looked away, hoping you hadn't noticed his blushing. . . .

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As you walked in front of the large group in which they called themselves the 'Whitebeard Pirates', holding nothing while they carried all of the buns, you couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.

You had never heard of the 'Whitebeard Crew' before, but perhaps that was because news from the outside world rarely reached your secluded island.

In the midst of your island being destroyed, the 'Whitebeard Crew' arrived just in time to save all of the villagers.

Ever since their arrival, the Whitebeard Crew had been tirelessly working to rebuild the island, restoring it to its former glory. Their dedication and hard work were evident in the progress that had been made, and you couldn't help but feel grateful for their presence and the impact they had on your life.

"Hey, did you hear that there are some pirates around?" you heard a villager say to another frightenedly.

You were shocked when you heard that there were pirates nearby.

Your heart started to race, and beads of sweat formed on your forehead as you tried to process the news. The thought of pirates being nearby filled you with a mix of fear and terror.

You couldn't help but wonder what their presence would mean for the island and its inhabitants. Again.

"What are you thinking about?" Ace's voice interrupted your thoughts, making you jump.

You turned to him, trying to hide your worry, and replied, "I heard there are pirates nearby. I can't help but worry about what that means for our island and everyone here."

Ace's jaw clenched and his eyes darted around nervously, betraying his unease. He took a deep breath before asking curiously, "Why are you so terrified of pirates?"

You let out a deep breath, saying, "They destroyed the village and killed my parents," the words caught in your throat as memories of that fateful day flooded back.

The pain and loss were still raw, and the thought of encountering pirates again brought back a wave of fear and vulnerability.

The screams of the villagers echoed in your ears as the pirates raided the island, their ugly laughter filling the air. The cries of pain and fear, mixed with the sound of gunshots, created a haunting symphony that still haunt your nightmares. The trauma of that day was etched deep within you, fueling your terror at the mere mention of pirates.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Ace muttered as he walked by your side.

Guilt filled Ace's body as he realized that he had not told you that he was a pirate himself. He understood the weight of your fear and the pain you had endured, and he knew that revealing his past would only deepen your wounds.

He felt like a coward for not being honest with you, but he also knew that it was the only way to protect the people he loved. He knew that you needed time and space to heal, and so he kept his secret.

The rest of the walk was silent for the both of you while the rest of the crew were chatting between themselves. Each step carried a heavy weight, burdened by the unspoken truth that hung in the air. Ace's heart ached, knowing that the longer he kept his secret, the harder it would be to reveal it.

Taking a deep breath, you pushed aside your fear and plastered a smile on your face as you all finally arrived at the hall where everyone was gathered to get their afternoon snacks before going back to rebuilding.

The sight of the resilient islanders, working together to rebuild their lives, gave you a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness that lingered in your heart.

"Hello guys!" You said excitedly as you walked into the room, trying to hide the lingering fear and pain that still haunted you.

As you helped the islanders in their efforts to rebuild even by baking them food, you couldn't help but be inspired by their resilience and determination to create a better future, despite the horrors of the past.

Their faces lit up with gratitude and joy as they saw you enter the room, carrying trays of freshly baked food. The islanders, weary from the hardships they had endured, found solace in the simple act of sharing a meal together, and their appreciation for your presence was evident in their smiles and expressions of gratitude.

As you distributed the trays of freshly baked food, the islanders couldn't help but gush over the delicious treats. "Wow! They look so good!" exclaimed one islander, while another chimed in with, "I didn't think that you were going to pull this off!"

Even the children couldn't contain their excitement, as one of them eagerly asked, "Mummy! Can I have one!"

Their comments brought a sense of warmth and satisfaction, reminding you that despite the pain and fear that still haunted you, you were making a positive impact on their lives.

As soon as the group set the trays down, the villagers ran over with excitement, their eyes lighting up at the sight of the freshly baked food. They eagerly reached out, their hands grabbing for the treats, their expressions filled with gratitude and anticipation.

You stayed back, watching them devour the buns made you smile with joy. Seeing their hunger satisfied and witnessing the happiness on their faces was a powerful reminder of why you had chosen to stay and help rebuild their lives.

"You know, you should join our crew," Marco said to you as he stood beside you, crossing his arms. "With your baking skills and the positive impact you're making, we could really use someone like you to help us while we're at sea."

Even though you knew he was serious, you chuckled at his comment. "What do you guys even do for a living?" you replied with a smile.

"We're pirates," Marco answered as serious as possible.

You quickly looked at him and didn't see any mischief on his face, but you couldn't help but wonder if he was joking. Pirates?

Quickly, you glanced at Ace, how he nicely chatted with the elderly with a smile on his face.

It was as if the thought of being a pirate had corrupted his once pure aura, leaving you with a sense of unease. . . .

Part 2?

If you noticed, in the last week or so, the daily reports of the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza would average ~120. And as grotesque as it sounds, I do feel like people for the most part have grown unaffected by the numbers. The reason I say this now comes from the fact that what was circulating the most in the past week was how all of Gaza is functioning on 6 ambulances or how all of 36 hospitals in Gaza are destroyed (which isn't entirely true). This honestly proves that while we need consistent advocacy, people do crave shock value even if misdirected unfortunately.

Not sure what the best way would be to tell all of you that every single Palestinian killed by Israel is one life too many and genocide does not have a specific threshold of number of people killed per day to qualify as such.

We need to be loud about Palestine and we need to be consistent. Make no mistake, this genocide might drag on for many reasons but at the end of the day, those who are facilitating it are counting on people losing momentum.

Fluffy like cotton candy

Hiii! If its no trouble could I have a zoro and reader fic with the one bed trope? The others know about their crushes on each other so they force each other to share a room? Anyway they end up cuddling and its all cute (the others will tease them forever about it lol)?? Thankss

intertwined ribbons

ABOUT

alternate title: opla zoro makes my hated tropes less hated

rating: general audiences/teen & up

characters: live action!roronoa zoro | fem!reader | live action!nami | live action!straw hats ensemble

pairing: live action!roronoa zoro x fem!reader

word count: 4.9k

description: unbeknownst to you, your crush on zoro is reciprocated. the rest of the straw hats take it upon themselves to get you together by locking you in his bedroom overnight.

tags: strawhat!reader, only one bed, forced proximity, confessions, no use of 'y/n', nami is a true instigator, cuddling, soft zoro, humor

author's note: thank you so much for the request and i hope it meets your expectations!! fun fact i actually used to hate the 'only one bed' trope, so i decided to challenge myself in writing this. and i think it's one of my fave tropes now lol

(you have an inner spirit that helps you make decisions except it’s just nami.)

“I just think that maybe you should stop avoiding him,” Nami started. You bit your cheek, ignoring her as you tied up the last of the ship’s rigging into a careful knot. Nami had been going on for the past few minutes, and you’d zoned out exactly three seconds in, when the name Zoro had first been spoken. Because of this reason you weren’t really listening, so you blinked up at her in confusion. 

“Sorry? Who am I avoiding?” 

“You’re impossible,” Nami grumbled. “And you know exactly who I’m talking about.” Which, well, fair. The math added up: you heard the word Zoro, you stopped listening, Nami continued talking until she realized you’d stopped listening. “Especially since you’re, you know—” she gave you another look, eyes rolling over to stare dead into yours— “Avoiding him.” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you said innocently. Nami sighed, leaning over to tug the rope dangling from your hands out of your grip. You tried to reach back for it, but she didn’t let you. “Hey!” 

“Yes, you do. Face it. You’re avoiding Zoro.” 

You made a face at her. “I think there are ropes on the foredeck that I can attend to.” 

“No, there aren’t,” Nami answered. “Now stop changing the subject. There’s this wild concept called communication. It works wonders.” 

“Says you,” you muttered, though your arms crossed defensively across your chest. You noticed the action after a split-second and unwound your arms with a scowl. “Look, I just don’t see the point. And I haven’t been avoiding him.” 

You were, in fact, avoiding him. Ever since that dreadful night a week ago when Nami had gotten you tipsy and stuck her hand in your chest cavity fishing for secrets, you’d been avoiding him. The other girl was ridiculously good at prying truths out of you, and during the conversation, you’d accidentally spilled your crush on the Straw Hat crew’s resident swordsman. 

You’d managed to keep the secret for the months you’d been together, wherein the unfortunate feelings had developed, and you should’ve figured once somebody knew they wouldn’t leave you alone about it. Because Nami refused to talk about literally anything else. You’d expected this sort of behavior from Luffy, or maybe Sanji, but Nami? The world was more amatonormative than you'd thought. 

Nami cast you a look. “You’re blushing.” 

“Am not.”

“Are too. What’s the harm in talking to him?” Nami demanded, one hand on her hip as she stared you down. You gaped at her. 

“Um, literally everything? One, Zoro can’t talk about feelings or emotions for shit, so when he rejects me it’ll be in the most excruciating, offhand manner that will probably leave me at the bottom of a barrel of rum, two, after being rejected I’m going to have to leave the Straw Hats, three—”

Nami rolled her eyes, looking increasingly fed up with you. “For someone so obsessed with not telling our resident grass-headed swordsman about your feelings for him, you’re talking rather loudly.” 

You shut up, snapping your jaw closed with a glare. “Stop it,” you hissed. 

“Besides, who knows if he actually will reject you?” Nami turned to work on the next section of rigging, glancing over her shoulder at you. “You’re catastrophizing.” 

“I’m being realistic,” you snapped. “Okay, fine. He reciprocates my feelings. Then what? We date, we break up because all relationships eventually end, it becomes awkward, and—voila—I’ll have to leave the Straw Hats anyway. It’s a bad idea all around.” 

Nami just let out a huff of breath, the exhale laced with irritation. “Catastrophizing,” she repeated. 

“I am not—”

“Sure. Go help Sanji with dinner.” 

You gave her an exasperated look, but at this point Nami wasn’t paying attention anymore, so you stormed off into the underbelly of the Going Merry. Speak of the devil, apparently, because once you entered the kitchen you spotted not only Sanji occupying it but also Zoro. He was lounging at the table, swords strapped to his waist and a bottle of something he was nursing in hand. 

You averted your gaze from him, head running a million miles a minute. Had he noticed you’d been avoiding him? You’d tried to be furtive about it, but if Nami had noticed, maybe—

“Well, hello there,” Sanji called from where he was in the midst of dinner preparations. “Come to help?” 

“Nami sent me,” you said, crossing your arms over your chest. “I think she’s appointed herself queen of the Going Merry.” 

“Oh, she did that long ago,” Sanji chided. “You’re only noticing it now. Pick up a knife, then. I’d like some help dicing the carrots.” 

You stiffly moved over to the counter, ignoring Zoro as you went even as you felt his gaze following your figure. You picked up the first knife you found, positioning yourself in front of the cutting board to start dicing the vegetables already laid out for you. Abruptly, Zoro stood up. 

“Heading out,” he muttered. “Call me when dinner’s ready.” 

With that, he left the room, leaving you and Sanji to exchange looks. “He’s moody today,” you said. 

“Probably ‘cause you’ve been avoiding him.” 

You felt the familiar pinprick of a blush starting to warm your cheeks. “You too?” 

“You’re rather obvious about it,” Sanji said with a raised eyebrow. “But enough of that.” Weirdly enough, he didn’t seem to question why. There was no way Nami had told him, so you were left confused, but no matter. The point was that for now, you were safe. 

The hour dipped to evening, and soon the moon was glowing in the sky, a shining beacon of white amidst the ocean of stars and shimmering sea. You suppressed a yawn, busing the dishes from dinner as the rest of the crew got up from their respective seats to dissolve to their own rooms. Zoro had already retired for the night—if you were avoiding him, he seemed to be doing the exact same—so at least you didn’t have that to worry about. 

“Ah, wait,” Nami said, after you’d finished washing the dishes and was ready to head out. “Zoro wants to talk to you.” 

You jolted, glancing nervously around you before grabbing her wrist. “What did you do?” you hissed. Nami just laughed. 

“Calm down. I didn’t do anything.” Off your glare, she relented. “I promise. And I swear it’s not about feelings or emotions or whatever. Even though it’s obvious you’re avoiding him, you know Zoro wouldn’t say anything.” 

You were still suspicious, but you dropped your hand. “What, then?” 

Nami shrugged, tilting her chin up just so. “I guess you’re going to have to find out.” 

“I don’t trust you,” you muttered. There was that look in her eye, the one she got whenever she was thinking of something truly devious. Still, you couldn’t figure out what she was up to, so— “Fine, I’ll go to his room. Walk me.” 

Nami rolled her eyes, but she fell into step with you as you made your way across the ship. “You should bring it up to him, you know,” she started, but silenced after your sharp glare. “Okay, okay. I get the point. I’ll stop bothering you about it.” 

You stopped by the mouth of Zoro’s door. “Wait, really?” 

“Yes, really,” Nami said with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. She leaned against the wall beside the door, arms crossing over her chest. “I’ll leave you alone about Mr. Prince Charming over there. Knock.” 

“You can't call him Mr. Prince Charming,” you said, though you did knock. “Prince’ is already a title.” 

Nami gave you a look. “Okay, smart-ass.” 

The door creaked open before you could give your response, and you turned, heart pounding in your throat as Zoro stared down at you. His arm was propped up by the open doorway, the other hand still clutching the doorknob. “What.” 

“Um, Nami said that you wanted to talk—” you swiveled your head towards the other girl, but before you could finish your sentence, Nami was raising up your arm and unceremoniously shoving you into the room. 

You shrieked in surprise as you fell into Zoro’s figure, stumbling into him and causing him to lose his balance. Your head shot up in offense, only to see the gleam of a golden padlock in Nami’s hand before she was yanking the door closed.

A dull click echoed through the room. The only thing you could hear for a few seconds was your own heavy breathing and the sound of Zoro gathering himself.

“Did she just—” You gaped at the closed door. “Lock us in?” 

Zoro swiftly pushed past you, jiggling the doorknob for a few moments before giving up. Sure enough, Nami had sealed it with the padlock from the outside, so there was no possibility of either of you getting out of the room. You could vaguely hear sounds from the outside—dull thuds and scrapes—and watched as Zoro started banging on the door. 

“Nami,” he called, voice dangerously low. “Let us out.” 

“Sorry, Zoro!” Your jaw practically unhinged from your skull once you heard your captain’s familiar voice, all bright and cheerful like always. “We’re putting barrels in front of the door, so don’t even try breaking it down. Have a good night!” 

“Luffy? What are you—” Zoro’s knocking quickened in pace, his voice getting increasingly louder. There was no response from outside, though you could hear snickers that sounded suspiciously like Usopp. What was going on? 

You kicked into action, joining Zoro by the door and trying the door handle again. “Nami!” you yelled. 

Nami’s soft laugh came from outside. “Sorry!” she called. “We’ll let you out in the morning.”

You gaped at the door, only aware of Zoro’s gaze sliding down to you as you dropped your hand from the doorknob. There were some more tigers from outside, and then receding footsteps. Zoro tried knocking one last time, but it was evident that the rest of the crew had all but abandoned you. 

“Okay,” Zoro muttered, moving away from the door. “I need a drink.” 

You watched him move across the room, picking up a glass from his bedside table that was only slightly full. He knocked it back in one swallow, Adam’s apple bobbing with the motion. “Um, what now?” you asked uncomfortably. 

“Nothing. Whatever,” Zoro said, turning to glance over at you. After a moment’s thought, you noticed that he refused to look you in his eye—his gaze was firmly trained at a spot beside your head. He turned away, stripping off his sword scabbard and setting them on the floor. 

You glanced around nervously. Zoro’s room wasn’t that different from yours, really—less decorated, but the constitution was the same. There was the bed, a wardrobe, a desk with various paraphernalia across it, and a little couch in the corner too. “You can look through the closet for something to sleep in. I’ll take the chair.” 

The words didn’t register at first, and you were left standing there, staring as Zoro kicked off his shoes and assumedly started getting ready to sleep. “Um, what?” 

Zoro glanced over his shoulder. He still wouldn’t look you in the eye. “They’re not letting us out until morning,” he said slowly. “You can take the bed. Might as well sleep.” 

“It’s your room,” you started, crossing your arms. “I can sleep in the chair. I’m smaller than you, anyway, so I’ll fit it better.” 

Zoro regarded you with such a reproachful look you almost wanted to laugh. “That’s ridiculous. Change.” With that, he turned around, leaving no room for discussion. You stared at him for a second before giving up, moving to his wardrobe and opening it up to search for something to sleep in. 

“So, uh, any ideas on why they stuck us in here?” You asked, although you already knew the answer. Whatever Nami thought locking you in a room with Zoro would achieve, you were stubbornly not going to let her be right. God, you were so going to kill her once you got out of there. 

“Nope,” Zoro said, with such a degree of finality you figured it wouldn’t be safe to question him further. “They’re just stupid.” 

“I mean, I feel like they would have a motive?” You rifled through his clothes, trying very hard to detach them from their owner. Wearing Zoro’s clothes was not something you wanted your mind to linger upon. Eventually you found a shirt of his that would undoubtedly be oversized on you, and you hastily changed into it, satisfied to find it draped well to your knees so you weren’t exposing too much skin. 

You stole a glance over your shoulder at Zoro, only to catch him in the action of peeling his shirt off. The stretch of the muscles in his back gleamed in the dim light of the room, and you tore your gaze away, heat rushing to your face. “Um. Anything?” 

“Nope,” Zoro repeated. Carefully, you closed the wardrobe door, lingering in one spot with your hands clenched together. Once you heard him start moving again, you deemed it safe enough to turn towards the rest of the room. He’d changed into a loose tan shirt, and had settled back into the chair. 

“I said I’d take the chair,” you told him hotly. 

“Yeah, and I said no,” Zoro said, tone dismissive. He had his eyes closed, and you stared at him in disbelief. 

“I’m not sleeping in your bed,” you said, and then, just to emphasize your point, plopped down on the floor. Zoro cracked an eye open and stared down at you. He sighed. 

“Get up. Don’t be stupid.” 

“I’m not being stupid,” you said. “It’s your room. It’s your bed. You will sleep on it. If you’re not giving me the chair, I’ll sleep on the floor.” 

Zoro let out a long sigh, closing both his eyes as if he was contemplating all his life decisions. “I’m not sleeping in the bed, you know,” he said. 

“Okay, so neither of us do.” 

Zoro’s brows creased, and he opened his eyes to glare down at you. “Seriously? At least take the chair, then. I’ll sleep on the flo—”

You gave him a sharp look. “Zoro.” 

“This conversation isn’t getting anywhere,” Zoro muttered, and finally got up from his chair. You glanced up at him expectantly. “What can I do to convince you to take the bed?” 

“Uh, nothing.” 

“We can work out a compromise,” Zoro said with a sigh. “I want you on it, and you want me on it, and neither of us are willing to take it ourselves.” He paused, brow creasing as an idea seemed to form in his head—one he didn’t seem to be a giant fan of, but an idea nonetheless. “How about.” His lips pursed, before he parted them again to finish his sentence. “How about we both take it?” 

It felt like someone had hit you square in the chest, air kicking out of your lungs and leaving you gasping for breath. Your windpipe was all raw, and you had to fight to tear any words out from your throat. “Ex—excuse me?” 

“It’s big enough,” Zoro said stiffly, though his hands were clenched at his sides. “I can take one side and you can take the other. Since you’re so dead-set on me sleeping on it.” 

“I—” You cut yourself off, suddenly far too aware of Zoro’s eyes fixed on you. Watching your every move. Oh, Nami was in for it now. How were you supposed to survive sleeping in the same bed as—you didn’t even want to think about it. 

“Well?” Zoro prompted. 

“Fine,” you agreed hastily, ducking your head lest Zoro catch any of the flush that was undoubtedly rising steadily up your cheeks. It was bad enough you were stuck in his bedroom and wearing his clothes—but this had quickly become your own personal circle of hell. “Good enough for me.” 

“Finally.” With that, Zoro climbed into bed, settling himself on the very edge of its side. Your throat had gone dry, and you stared at him for another second before hurriedly turning away to flick the lights off. You approached the other side of the bed with an extreme lack of enthusiasm, staring at the empty sheets like they were cackling up at you. Stupid, stupid, stupid. 

Eventually you slid into the bed, busying yourself with arranging the blankets around your figure. Zoro’s breaths were steady and deep from beside you. You didn’t know what to do for a second, but then Zoro’s voice was cutting through the darkness. “You’ve been avoiding me.” 

You jolted, then suppressed your sigh. “Have not.” 

“Yes, you have, and everyone knows it, and you’re not very subtle,” Zoro said, sounding almost bored as he rattled off the words. “Why.” 

“I haven’t—”

“Don’t.” 

You ran your tongue along your teeth, sucking at the valleys between them in annoyance. “It’s not important.” 

Zoro paused before speaking, like he was mulling over asking the question. “Did I do something?” 

“What? No.” You shook your head, despite knowing he wouldn’t be able to see. The sound did well enough to indicate the action to him, though—he scoffed, a low murmur from his chest that buzzed through your nerves. “I don’t want to talk about this. You’re giving the rest of the crew what they want.” 

“They definitely did not lock you in here to talk about why you’re avoiding me,” Zoro muttered. Now it was your turn to scoff, because if only he knew. “Are you sure I didn’t do anything?" 

“Positive. It’s all me.” 

“Okay, so why?” Zoro prompted. You swallowed hard, trying to dodge around the subject. “Are you sure—”

“Please just stop talking,” you said, one hand reaching out to grip his arm as if the physical contact would make him shut up. There was a stagnant moment of silence, your breath catching as your brain caught up to your body. Your hand was on Zoro’s arm. Your hand was on Zoro’s bicep, and you were in his bed. 

You cleared your throat, a panicked choke bursting from your lungs. “Um.” Your eyes skittered sideways, and then you finally turned on your side to stare at him. To stare at where your hand was still clutched around his arm.

You could just barely make out the angle of his jaw in the darkness, but you could see it was clenched, the vein along his neck protruding just slightly. Hastily, you removed your hand, the skin of your fingers tingling like you could still feel him underneath the tips. “Sorry. Why—why are you so certain that you did something for me to avoid you?” 

There were a few moments of silence that ticked by, nothing but the rock of the ship interrupting it. Finally, Zoro spoke. “Because the reason they locked you in my room is because—”

“What? The reason they locked me in your room is because of me,” you said. Zoro finally moved from his position, head tilting to face yours so you were eye-to-eye. You swallowed. “Nami, um—Nami specifically forced me in here so I would… talk to you.” 

There was a question evident in Zoro’s voice. “About?” 

Your lips parted, and then closed again. “Um.” 

“We can just sleep, if you want,” Zoro muttered. 

“What if they don’t let us out in the morning because we haven’t talked, though?” you hissed. Zoro let out a low laugh. 

“You realize you’re giving them exactly what they want.” 

“So you’d be more comfortable if we just… fell asleep?” you asked. Zoro shrugged. Since you weren’t exactly averse to the idea of not confessing, you nodded in agreement, heart beating a million miles a second. “Okay. Fine by me.” 

You settled back into your pillow, but soon came to realize that, due to the fluttering butterflies in your stomach and the fact you were very aware of the man of your affections being barely a foot to your right, you could not sleep. Evidently Zoro felt the same way, because he kept shifting around under the blankets—your hands brushed against each other a few times before he jolted away like you’d burnt him. 

“Sorry,” you muttered. Zoro didn’t say anything in response. Somewhere in the back of your head, you could hear Nami hissing at you—I didn’t shove you in a room with Mr. Prince Charming just for you to not take advantage of the opportunity. You tried to get her out of your brain—it was a bad idea all around—but the words kept reverberating around in your mind until you found yourself suddenly speaking. “Zoro?” 

“Hm?” 

“Nami stuck me in here so I would tell you that, um—” 

“You don’t have to say it,” Zoro murmured, and you shivered, his voice sounding suddenly closer. You squirmed, your hand brushing against Zoro’s again, except this time it took him a delayed moment to drift away. He had gotten closer—or maybe that was you, instinctually leaning towards the dip in the middle of the bed when you’d been lost in thought. 

“The reason they locked me in here with you is so I would tell you about my feelings towards you,” you blurted, the words slurring together, consonants and syllables all in one rush. “Because I have them. Feelings, I mean.”

Zoro’s voice was very low when he spoke. “Excuse me?” 

You sat straight up, the blankets previously nestled around your chin falling to your waist. “I have feelings for you and that’s why everyone locked me in here.” 

“I—” Zoro coughed, and then coughed again, ridding his throat of whatever was preventing him from making full sentences. He slowly sat up, and you stared down at the blankets in your lap as you saw him rise to his full height beside you. And oh, this was it. He was about to reject you in the most excruciating, offhand manner that would probably leave you at the bottom of a barrel of rum. “That’s not possible.” 

“Why is that—” you decided to shut up instead of finishing your sentence, allowing him to speak instead. There was a soft burning starting at your skin, all red hot, and your brain buzzed, regret filling up your lungs and making it hard to breathe. 

Zoro didn’t say anything, but you heard his hand before you felt it. It slid across the bedsheets before finally resting beside yours, fingertips grazing against your knuckles. “Zoro?” you whispered. 

“The reason they locked you in here with me is so I would tell you about my feelings towards you,” Zoro said blankly. You blinked. It took you a moment to realize that he wasn’t just quoting you—that he hadn’t switched the pronouns accordingly. Your heart dropped. 

Your voice was very faint when you spoke. “What?” 

“I like you,” Zoro said carefully. Languidly, the words dripping off his tongue all saccharine-sweet like molasses, or honey. You shivered, your hand accidentally knocking against his, and he took the opportunity to draw it in closer, fingers pushing up your palm, just a hair’s breadth away from interlacing with yours. “Luffy unfortunately found out. He doesn’t know how to keep a secret and told the rest of the crew.” 

You gaped at him. “I like you,” you said, dumbfounded. You could feel yourself trembling, fingers sliding against Zoro’s hand with every shake. “Nami yanked it out of me. Which is why I’ve been avoiding you for the past week.” 

“I thought you were avoiding me because you found out I liked you,” Zoro muttered. His fingertips brushed against the pads of your hand, and you swallowed, mouth all dry. “So.” 

You tentatively lifted your gaze, finding Zoro’s eyes even amidst the darkness. They were shining, a slight glint from the moon coming in through the window reflecting along the shadows of his face. Carefully, his hand slid fully into yours, fingers lacing together, and it was like the final piece of a puzzle clicking into place. 

Zoro slid back down onto his back, tugging you along with him. You settled back on your pillow, using your other hand to pull the blankets back over your chest. For a full stagnant minute the two of you lay there, hands intertwined in the space between. 

You were the one who made the first move, then, thumb running up and down the length of his index finger. Zoro ran with the action, tugging your hand just slightly until you were leaning into the dip of the mattress, gravity pulling you closer to his body. 

He lifted your entwined hands, tugging you towards him until your back was pressed right to his chest. Then he settled your arms back down again, the back of his palm resting against your belly. 

You swallowed hard, able to hear the sound of your throat in the utter silence. Zoro exhaled, his breath softly brushing against your neck. “Good night,” you whispered. 

Zoro pressed a soft kiss to the nape of your neck, a ghost of something that left tingles fluttering down your spine, the drunken butterflies in your stomach swaying at the action. “Good night,” he murmured, and your breath caught. 

He was warm, oh so warm, like a campfire with licks of flame that softened your hands in the dead of night. And even though you wanted to speak up, question when he’d started liking you, if he was lying or not—you were content to stay here in his arms and drift off to sleep.

So you did, settling back into his embrace with your head spinning and senses murmuring, all dizzy like you were caught in a dream. Eventually, your tiredness got the better of you, and you felt your senses fading as the world around you darkened to black. 

The two of you jolted awake to the knocking and the very unpleasant hum of Nami’s voice. “Rise and shine!” she called through the door, and you blinked, bleary eyes adjusting to the light as you suppressed your yawn. 

Zoro jolted up beside you, practically giving you whiplash as his arm was still comfortably around your waist. Your fingers tingled, and you realized that you’d fallen asleep with your hands laced together. 

“Nami,” you grumbled, about to rise out of bed before Zoro stopped you. You turned towards him in question, only to stop short as you registered the look in his eyes. His gaze was deep, piercing; those butterflies rose up again in your stomach, apparently awake after they’d passed out from their drunken stupor. You swallowed. “Hi?” 

“Hey,” he murmured. “They locked you in my room.” 

“I’m going to knock Nami over the head with a rowboat oar,” you said blandly, eyes flickering towards the door, which Nami was still pounding on. You vaguely heard shuffling sounds, like the crew were working to move the barrels they’d stuck in front of the door to free you from your prison. “You can have the rest of them, if you want.” 

“I’ll take you up on that offer,” Zoro agreed. “But first…” 

“First?” you prompted. 

Zoro brought your hands—still intertwined—to his mouth, pressing a gentle kiss along your knuckles. “Good morning,” he said, voice low and awkward, like he wasn’t used to letting the words out of his mouth. He let your hands drift to his lap, leaning forward until his forehead brushed against yours.

A faint sigh escaped your lips when he finally kissed you. It wasn’t rough or hard; it was a soft press, like your hands had been just a few hours ago. There was a degree of finality to it; a held-in breath that’d exhaled from your lungs, one you hadn’t realized was building up that much pressure until you finally let it all go. 

The door flung open, and you jolted away, but Zoro tilted your head back towards him before you could. At the mouth of the room, Luffy had started screaming. “Aww,” Nami cooed. Behind her, Usopp and Sanji were gripping onto each other like they were watching a particularly engaging fight. 

A steady blush rose along your cheeks, but Zoro was absolutely shameless, the hand not held in yours raising up to give them the finger. “Get out of my room.”

“Told you it’d be okay,” Nami sing-songed, and then you really did break away from Zoro, picking up the object nearest to you and barrelling towards her. She shrieked, dodging out of the doorway as Zoro laughed from behind you.

“Wait!” she stopped you from whacking your pillow against her head, raising up her arms in defense. “I was right. I saw you two—” 

“Nami,” you started, dangerously low. “You locked me in his room.”

“Yeah, to help you!” she cried defensively, slowly taking backwards steps as you gained on her. “Come on. We can talk about this.” 

“Good luck,” Zoro called out from behind you—you turned around, catching his gaze. He had gotten up, leaning against the doorway and watching you with a sparkle of fondness in his eye. “You’ll need it.” 

You blew him a kiss, ignoring the long groan it pulled out of Luffy from beside Zoro in the hallway. And then you turned around. Nami had darted off, taking the time you’d been distracted to run off. “Oh no you don’t!” you yelled, and then lunged after her with Zoro laughing all the while. 

Maybe it hadn’t been such a bad thing, you thought. But you were still going to beat Nami’s ass. 

© halfvalid 2023

imagine coming to save Ace

A heaviness shuddered across Ace’s shoulders as tears formed in his eyes; all he ever wanted to do was unburden those he loved the most. Even if it meant in his death, naturally he would accept that. Yet all he could think of was his brothers. How proud of Luffy he was and how comforting it felt to know he would see Sabo soon. Then behind those thoughts, those wonderful memories, there you stood with a warm smile and a hand held out for him. As you always did.

He’d miss that that most. Rendezvous between islands and adventures to play catch up, to indulge in a something romantical that both of you would laugh off later. It was silly – two pirates from different crews but it worked anyways.

He’d miss you so much, would you miss him?

“I would.”

Ace chuckled at his own insanity because now he was hearing voices – your voice. Crumbling into laughter, he stilled when he felt a warm touch on his bare shoulder. He had taken to looking away from the fight down below in the name of saving his life. He couldn’t bear to see people put their lives on the line for him, especially his little brother. Of course, the thought of your appearance crossed his mind, and he hoped you knew better than to not stay away. If he was going to die, he didn’t want you to witness it.

“You’re not dying today, Ace. There’s a lot of people down there fighting, so you must do the same.”

He stared up at the figure looming over him; a dark shadow until the a few clouds moved and his eyes squinted in the sun. Blinking a few times, the owner of the voice appeared before him, and a sense of dread filled his eyes. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“No one, not even you, gets to tell me where I can and can not go.” You kneeled before him and that’s when he noticed the stillness down below. The fight seemed to halt in place, and he realized you were overexerting your powers.

“Nope. I just enhanced,” you smiled at Ace as you worked to release him from his shackles. “I know we haven’t seen each other in a few months, but I’ve been working really hard. I can do more than mind read and slow things down for just seconds.”

Ace studied your face, eyes focused as you freed his wrists, and he felt his heart shake. The entire ground shook under him as he realized something he had feared for so long – he was in love with you and he did not want to die. At least not today and not until he got decades with you. The thought made you smile, and you reached for his face, thumb caressing his cheek.

“I’d like that too, but we need to fight for that.” Ace inhaled deeply and quickly pulled you against his body, he held you tight and laid a kiss under your earlobe.

“Okay,” he whispered into your ear, breath hot on your skin. “Let’s fight. Then we can go away.”

An image of a humble home on a small island, looking out to the sea. A few fruit trees and a child sprinting around the grass. It was definitely a life worth fighting for and you kissed Ace so hard on the mouth he stumbled back with laughter. He looked like himself once more and you knew he was ready to fight. You watched as he stood up and held out a hand to you, a wild look in his eyes.

A look of a man so determined to live.

Taking his hand, you stood on your feet and looked down on the frozen fight.

“I guess you get to meet my little brother today.”

“I already have, who do you think sent word to me?”

The thought of Luffy doing all this for him brought tears to Ace’s eyes and you reached down for his hand, giving it a squeeze. He glanced over at you and wondered if he was worth all this trouble. People will lose their lives today for him…

“Life is worth fighting for and you don’t get a say in how we all feel about you. So, buck up, Ace. I suspect it’s going to be a long fight.”

“I love you,” he whispered, hearting pounding from the anticipation until you slipped your hand from his and held it forward. He watched as you flicked your wrist and time seemed to continue as it did, the fighting grew louder, and you smiled at him.

“I love you too.”

Patching up Zoros Wounds

A/N I’ve decided to turn this into a series cause why not. I’m working on a Law one which should be up tonight, and I’ll take a jab at some other One Piece characters too!

Zoro Law Sanji Shanks Ace Luffy Sabo Doflamingo

Pairing: Zoro x reader CW: Blood, descriptions of wounds, nothing heavy. WC: 928

You and Zoro had been separated from the strawhats a while ago. You could blame Zoros shitty sense of direction or your own foolish decision to follow him, but either way you two are separated, lost and injured. The fight is only fragments in your memory at this point and all you can recall is encountering a sketchy group of people, the clashing of swords, the deafening gunfire, and the rest is hazy, but now you are alone with Zoro. You two found yourselves slipping into an empty building; Zoro is sitting on a counter and you are in front of him, examining his wounds. Your eyes squint and your brows furrow as you look at a particularly deep laceration on his chest. “Hmmm… yeah that looks bad. Chopper is going to kill you when he sees this.” You mutter in deep thought. He rolls his eyes at you and lets out an exasperated grumble in response. “You know I'm fine, right? I've suffered through much worse and you know it. This is just a small scratch compared to all of that.”

You quickly retort. “A small scratch? Zoro, I know you are prideful and are some sort of unbreakable monster, but this?” you gesture towards the wound “this is deep, its bleeding, its oozing some weird yellow shit. Let me help you.” “I told you it's fine, it doesn't even hurt,” he insisted, attempting to keep up his facade. You lean forward and whack the cut and watch as he shouts in pain. “Oi! Fuck! What was that for?!” You stare at him with a raised eyebrow and a triumphant look on your face waiting for him to admit defeat. His chest heaves as he recovers from that sudden smack and he grumbles “okay fine maybe it hurts…” A smile graces your lips when he concedes. “See? I knew something was up, you stubborn marimo. Now let me take a look,” you lean in and lightly graze your thumb over the cut. You look up at him with a worried expression when he sharply breathes in. “Hey I know it hurts but I just need to wrap it up so you don’t bleed out before we make it back to Chopper, okay? You’ve said it before, you’ve suffered through much worse, so just hold on for a moment, okay?” You say in a soothing voice. He nods at you and lets you continue. You glance around the room, not finding anything suitable to wrap around his wound, so you end up taking off your shirt and ripping it up into makeshift bandages.. His face immediately flushes crimson at the sight and he stammers, “Uh w-what are you doing? There's no need for that.” You respond with a hint of amusement, “What does it look like I'm doing?” you lean in and wrap the torn shirt tightly around his cut. His eyes dart around the room, refusing to even look in your direction as you work on his cut. You work in silence, tending to the wound with delicate touches and focus. Zoro has gotten over the initial embarrassment, but the red hue on his cheek still seems to give away how he feels about the predicament. He watches as you wrap the wound up with care. Much more care than he is used to, and he is enjoying every second of it, finding solace in your touch through the pain. When you finish you look up at him with a smile. “There we go, all done! How does it feel?” His gaze lingers on you longer than it should and you catch his eyes, the intensity of those steel gray eyes unmistakable. “What’s got you all captivated, swordsman? Admiring my makeshift first aid skills?” You tease, trying to break the tension and ease the awkwardness hanging in the air. He grumbles as he averts your gaze once more. “Just surprised is all. Didn’t expect you to be so… gentle.” You can’t help but laugh at his response. “Well next time I'll make sure to make it hurt.” you see him open his mouth to retort and you quickly speak up, “Kidding! I’m kidding. Contrary to popular belief I don’t enjoy hurting you, Roronoa. Now, get up, we need to find the others and get you to chopper so he can properly patch you up.” He nods and stands up, wincing slightly as he does so. He starts to walk out the building before he remembers your shirtless state. He stares at you for a moment, contemplating, before he takes off his own shirt and hands it to you. “Here. Sorry about the blood on it, but a bloody shirt sure as hell beats no shirt at all.” You take the shirt with a small smile and toss it on. You then start to lead your way out the empty building and through the chaotic streets. Despite his tough exterior and his pride, he let you help him, and allowing you to see him in a vulnerable state has brought you close to him. You take a hold of his hand and start to lead him back to the Sunny. He looks at you surprised when you grab his hand, but you seem to already have a response prepared. “Hey, you didn’t think I would let us get lost again did you? I am just holding your hand so you don’t go wandering off. Now come on, let's go.” And with that, you two walk hand and hand, making your way back to the rest of the strawhats.