✧₊⁺ this is a side blog for everything one piece, occasionally with other fandom posts sprinkled in the mix. this is also a multi-shipper page :)
✧₊⁺ for all of my blurbs and fanfics my reader characters are always black, even if not explicitly stated! anyone is welcome to read them. but if you don't like that, feel free to click away.
!!! this blog contains one piece spoilers. I am caught up and currently reading the latest manga releases. I tag all manga spoilers under #one piece spoilers, and if necessary I will put spoiler warnings at the beginning of my fics, but I always have post-timeskip in mind when writing. you have been warned !!!
✮⋆˙ masterlist✧₊⁺
requests are currently closed!
(2/15/25) update - if you have sent me a request I am working on them diligently! I am currently in school and have a lot on my plate rn! I also get carried away when I plan my fics and have to tell myself not to make them all full blown series. I see them all, I love all your requests. :)
please read my rules below before making a submission :)
currently working on -
sanji x m!reader (request) - fish in the sea
zoro x reader (request) - in the cards
sanji x reader - sick pt. 2 - (smut)
zoro x reader - impossibilities pt. 3 - trust (smut)
✧₊⁺ housekeeping- rules and FAQ✮⋆˙
i’m a very positive and easygoing person, and these aren’t meant to scare you! these are just my hard no’s. nothing personal if you disagree :)
I won’t yuck anyone’s yum, unless it’s offensive or harmful
If you are a minor and follow my page or interact with my posts, you will be blocked immediately.
also I will not write any underage characters in romantic relationships, and I won't age up minor characters to be adults.
It’s sad this must be stated at all and on on tumblr of all places; but terfs, homophobes, racists, and zionists: this is not your safe space. I will cuss you out and block you.
I also will not write CNC, S/A, pure angst, omegaverse, and probably a whole lot more I’m forgetting.
any of the adult characters I didn’t list below, you can ask me and I will think about it!
dividers are by @saradika-graphics unless stated otherwise. headers are made by me with canva and manga panels from pinterest.
✧₊⁺current fandoms and characters I will write for✮⋆˙
✧₊⁺ one piece (caught up, currently reading and rewatching)
-zoro, sanji, law, ace, nami, robin, usopp, perona, sabo, mihawk
✧₊⁺ jjk (anime only)
-nanami, choso, gojo, toji
✧₊⁺ attack on titan (completed)
-levi. the rest it really depends. I’m iffy about attack on titan characters
✧₊⁺ naruto series (completed, I will not be watching boruto)
-kakashi, tsunade, jiraiya
✧₊⁺ love and deepspace
these do not include gen fics or platonic relationships, I’ll do anyone for those :)
✧₊⁺ other fandoms I’m not writing for but active in ✧₊⁺
✧₊⁺ mass effect trilogy (completed 3 times)
✧₊⁺ frieren (reading)
✧₊⁺ bg3 (replaying soon)
✧₊⁺ dungeon meshi (reading)
✧₊⁺ stardew valley (currently playing)
✧₊⁺ nana (anime only)
✧₊⁺dragon age saga (currently playing origins)
✧₊⁺ jojo's bizarre adventure (watching, currently on pt. 5)
Propaganda #1: I don't think it's physically possible to simp more than this man.
♡
Propaganda #2: Whenever a woman he does not have a hostile relationship with asks something of him, he immediately complies with heart-eyes
♡
Propaganda #3: I am unable to type out every single reason. Here's a compilation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjgk9-ZpzW4&ab_channel=Arkirak
♡
Propaganda #4: (I lost it) Something about how he's either cooking or simping hard for some girl
♡
Propaganda #5: He simps for almost every woman in his vicinity. He simps for Nami and Robin so much. He nearly died from blood loss in Fishman island. In egghead he full on barks for Stussy.
(Note from this submission) The question isn’t “is he a simp?”, it’s “how big of a simp is he?”.
okay but real talk, especially after the most recent chapter, I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen to the Sunny where they are going to be forced to upgrade it. Especially with Franky’s side quest to look at the adam tree, we might see a Sunny 2.0 in the future!
sanji - cuddling - (x)
sanji - sick - (x)
sanji & zoro - in the shadows of buffalo bay series - prologue, ch 1
law - easy on the heart - pt.1
zoro - impossibility series - pt.1 , pt. 2
modern au strawhat hcs - luffy, nami & robin
❄ 12 days of christmas writing challenge 2024 masterlist ❄
one piece texts✧₊⁺
strawhats - you have a devil fruit
strawhats - you and the crew see brook in concert
zoro - they send you a 'you up' text
zoro - you send him 'she's busy bro' as a prank
sanji - he needs your help
mordern!ace - he gets your name tattooed
WARNINGS - mentions of sex MDNI, no beta, minor injuries, enemies to lovers, no use of y/n, strong language, zoro bullying, slight mentions of anxiety, reader is a geologist, reader is pretty highstrung and combative in this fic- this is all setting up for eventual smut in pt.3
SUMMARY - after getting lost for hours, you and zoro continue to find yourselves in the same problems as before. will you both be able to handle yourselves after spending so much time alone?
AUTHOR’S NOTE - I spent an unnerving amount of time sitting on this fic (3 fucking months), and have came to the executive decision to split it into multiple parts. this is so different from the first part, and I use it more as inspiration than a true continuation of that story.
you can honestly skip reading part 1 if you want!
pt. 1 (x) , pt. 2 (you are here) , pt.3 (coming soon)
In the hour that followed Zoro’s hack job on the engine, the caravan filled with silence, accompanied by soft breathing that made you grip the steering wheel tighter.
Must be nice, you thought as you peered over your shoulder.
Zoro’s arms were crossed, short tufts of green poking out from his winter hat. His head was dipped down, nodding with each rock of the vehicle. The ruddy blotches that covered his cheeks and nose told you he had to be cold, despite his stubbornness. You thumb the scarf around your neck with hesitation.
Fuck it.
You let go of the wheel and pulled off the fuzzy scarf that suddenly felt like lead in your hands. You leaned over Zoro for a moment and stared down at his peaceful face. His breathing was slow and even, the tell-tale signs of a deep sleep. Testing the waters, you poked his cold cheek, jerking back as if you expected him to jump at you.
He didn’t though, gentle breaths rose his chest up and down.
He’d be cuter if he stayed like that, you thought. Rather than doing everything in his power to get under your skin. Even so, you held your breath and carefully draped it around his neck, wrapping it around twice. You sighed, turning back to the sea of white as you settled back down in the driver's seat, rubbing the crease in your brow.
Why the hell did I do that?
You glanced one more time over your shoulder. Zoro’s face sunk into the fabric on his neck, the wool nuzzling his nose.
You quickly turned around again, taking your sweaty palms to grasp the wheel again as you continued to drive.
Maybe it wasn’t that bad. At least you had a moment to think with him asleep. With the silence, the fog of annoyance cleared from your mind. Before the storm, you spotted a small structure that you had wanted to, but Zoro was hellbent on getting back to the ship.
Maybe you’d be able to find some semblance of shelter there— though that was proving to be difficult with the passing minutes.
You smacked your lips together, and mixed emotions bubbled to the surface when thinking about Zoro’s warnings of the storm.
You tried to pinpoint the exact moment that it all went wrong.
What the hell was taking him so long?
You fanned your scowling face and covered your eyes from the sun, pacing on the bank of the beach. Zoro‘s absence already put a sour taste in your mouth, and the expedition hadn’t even started yet.
Luffy was crouched by the sand while he dug into the sand with a stick. “Can’t we go yet?”
“Not until Nami is finished.” Sanji said, blowing smoke from the corner of his lips.
Luffy whined and flopped onto his back. “But Robin, Usopp, and Chopper already got to go!”
Beside you, Nami scanned the horizon of the island and jotted notes in her logbook, tapping her foot impatiently. She threw Luffy a stern, pointed look, snapping her book close. Its echoing clap stopped your restless feet, and you shot a glance their way. Luffy rolled onto his stomach and muttered under his breath, poking at the ground again, not willing to fight the beast inside his Navigator. she shoved the journal in her bag, and dug around for something else before pulling it out.
“Luffy, Sanji, and I will circle the island going east using the waver,” She held the transponder snail out toward you. “That leaves you and Zoro to cut through the middle while Jinbe, Brook, and Franky watch the ship. If you see anything of interest or run into trouble, call us on this.”
You couldn’t stop the groan that slipped from your lips and plucked the snail from her hands. Its wide eyes stared back at your disgruntled face. “Can’t you or Sanji switch with him?”
Nami let out an exasperated sigh, her freckled nose scrunched up in disappointment. “You said you were fine with this.”
“I said I’m fine with making sure that dumbass doesn’t get lost,” you grumbled, “I didn’t say I was fine being alone with him that long.”
Sanji turned around. “I mean, I don’t mind-”
Nami held up her hand and cut him off, “-It’s an hour tops, they’ll be fine.”
Before you could protest more, Nami continued, “you both are very capable, mature adults and crewmates. I am sure you both can handle yourselves for an hour.”
“Luffy, help me here?” You whined to your captain.
He turned attention away from the sand beetle he dug up, and it burrowed back into the ground. Luffy’s head swiveled towards you, a frown on his face. “Huh?”
“Do I have to go with Zoro?” You asked again. You watch him think on it for a moment, and the words he said made you deflate.
“We pulled straws, it would be unfair if we changed now.” A rubbery hand stretched forward and wrapped your shoulder, giving it a good shake of encouragement. “Come on, it’ll be fun!”
“You think getting punched in the face is fun.”
But you couldn’t argue further than that, and you weren’t going to go against your captain. You shrugged his hand off. “Some help you are…”
“-It's not like I bite, you know.” Zoro's voice cut in from afar, the sound of his swords jostling behind you as he climbed off the ship.
Your shoulders rose to your ears, and you turned to face him as he made his way towards you and the remnants of the crew.
“Doesn’t mean you aren’t a pain in my ass. You better not slow me down.”
Zoro’s shadow eclipsed you as he leisurely strolled over with crossed arms, blocking the festering heat.
“As long as you don’t get me lost.”
You scoffed. “Me? Get us lost? What a joke.”
“You’re the joke,” Zoro lips twitched upwards. “Acting selfish as usual, like a pathetic baby. Nami said we were adults, right?”
“I am not a baby.” But as soon as the words came out, they felt childish. His words ring in your head, anger stirring inside of you.
Zoro stuck his chin high and glowered down at you. “That’s what a baby would say.”
“Babies can’t talk.” You always felt ridiculous under his scrutiny. “So you were just up there wasting time eavesdropping?”
“No, I was doing my job. You wouldn’t know about that, though?” He reached into his haramaki and pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper, shoving it your way.
You took it between two fingers. When you flipped it around, you found notes on how to operate the vehicle that sat off in the distance.
“Franky stopped me to give you this. In case you forgot.” He added.
“Oh,” Your voice faltered as you averted his gaze, folding the note and slipping in your pocket. “Why didn’t you just say that in the first place?”
He shrugged, scratching his neck. “You’re welcome.”
“ …Anyways,” Nami ignored the both of you and placed her book into her rucksack. “I have a sneaking suspicion a snow squall is approaching. I put two snowsuits in the brachio for you two just in case. Make sure to head back before then. I just want to chart this place and dodge, but keep your eyes peeled for treasure.”
“A snow squirrel?” Luffy jumped up with newfound purpose. “Sounds awesome!”
Sanji took Nami’s bag from her hands and placed it on his back, his gaze flickered in between you and Zoro. “-Sounds like a bigger pain in the ass than Moss.”
“Shitty cook, I’ll show you a pain in the ass-”
Zoro’s proclamation made you double over in laughter. Sanji doesn’t miss the way Zoro stiffened at the sound.
How could that idiot be so emotionally constipated? The cook thought to himself.
You smiled Sanji’s way, amusement bright in your face. You miss the way Zoro’s eye darted from you to him. “Good one.”
Sanji shook his head and eyed you, who straightened up and inched away from the other man, stepping out of Zoro’s shadow. Not like you were faring any better.
“Can I fight the snow squirrel, Nami?” Luffy was bouncing in anticipation, ignoring his quarreling crew.
“It’s not a-” She pinched the bridge of her nose. At this rate, the crew, this island, and the weather was going to give her a headache. “Sure, whatever. Let’s move out.”
You watched Nami grab Luffy, stomping away as Sanji followed suit. You try to say something again, but the three of them are already off, waving their goodbyes.
“You two don’t kill each other, okay?”
“If you find the squirrel, save it for me!”
“Don’t do anything stupid, Marimo.” And with that, they were on their way.
You and Zoro stood there for a second, the awkwardness from your desperation to get rid of him sat in the air. He cleared his throat before beginning to walk off. “Come on, we’re already losing time.”
“Wrong way, genius.” You crossed your arms, motioning with your head. “Brachio’s the other way.”
He stopped in his tracks, and grumbled, turning around, “just testing you.”
You rolled your eyes, “sure, whatever makes you feel better.”
As time went on, you had made several stops on your way down the middle of the island.
You were surprised how many rock formations you found. This made it a perfect time to grab undisturbed samples. You itched with anticipation as you thumb a rock on the ground and slip off your backpack, taking a small vial and placing the pebble inside.
“The hell are you doing over here?” Zoro's voice pulled you out of your excitement.
“My job.” You snapped back, His comment earlier still stung. It wasn’t the first time he had called you immature, and it had dug into the wound he created long ago. “I just thought I saw something, just making sure.”
“You said that at the last two stops, too. We’re running out of time before the storm.”
You shrugged, looking up at the sky as you stood. You weren’t an expert like Nami, but the soil was compacted, the rocks eroded by wind. If there was a storm coming, It would be the first time the island had it in years. “It’ll be fine, plus It’s hot as shit right now.”
“I don’t get why you’re so interested in finding anything here.” The look you see Zoro shoot your way showed he was unconvinced. “All we’ve found are just some dumb rocks.”
You walked past him and let a finger swipe against the hilts of his blades as you passed him. You saw his jaw tighten from the corner of your eye. “These just dumb rocks to you, like those are stupid swords to me.”
“Don’t disrespect them like that.” Zoro bristled behind you, his heavy steps following yours.
“Then don’t disrespect my rocks like that.” You offered.
You see something shine on the old trail, a glint in the terrain that jutted out from the tough ground, as well as a shack off into the further distance. You buzzed with excitement. Maybe it was a precious stone you could dig up, or even some sea prism stone that would help further your research. It all was worth checking out.
The obnoxious moan that you heard behind you as you made your way to the rock only spurred you forward. As you crouched to reach for it, a strong gust of wind dislodged the stone, and it tumbled away, rolling into a patch of grass.
“We don’t have time for a treasure hunt anymore. Look up.”
You turned your head to the sky, watching as a sheet of gray creeped at an alarming speed towards you. You cursed under your breath and chewed your lip. Shit.
“We still have time to make it back.”
A prickle of embarrassment rose up your neck and made you shivered, but you shoved it down and tried to make sense of the snowy tundra.
It’s too late now, no matter who was right.
The objective was to either find the crew, or find a signal for the transponder snail, who was also taking an undeserved nap on the control panel. That plan definitely didn’t include the thoughts of him swarming in your brain.
Besides, you swim back to the surface of your murky thoughts, nothing else could go wrong.
Right?
The brachio mini’s power flickered, jerking you back to reality.
The bright lights waned off above you— a short warning before the emergency power kicked in again. There was not enough time for you to brace for impact. You lurched forward as the wheels jolted to a halt, the engine sputtering out sparks from the gash. The hull screeched against the ice like a dying whale.
“No—” No. It had become your personal mantra.
No. No. No. A prayer to whatever omnipotent being that found your suffering entertaining. “—No!”
You screamed and banged a fist on the control panel that you were unceremoniously splayed over. It screamed back in response, flooding the cabin with bright red light as bold letters flashed on the screen: Engine Failure. Please contact Franky immediately.
Your eyes darted to the mini transponder snail again, but its stupid, sleeping face mocked you, turned on its side from the sudden stop. You were out of range. Still.
“Not working?” Zoro grunted behind you, voice coated in grogginess. You whipped your head around, surprised to find him leaned over you, staring at the screen beneath you. The tassels of the scarf you donned him dangled in front of you. You’re shocked to find he hadn’t removed it. The fresh scent of mint mingled with vanilla and fanned across your face. You flinched.
“You tell me, Sleeping Beauty.” You swiveled your seat around and shoved his shoulder, leaning further back to gain distance.
Of course, he didn’t budge an inch, “I wasn’t asleep, you’ve got a real bad staring problem, you know.”
“Must have been some weird dream, as if I haven’t seen enough of your face today.”
“Whatever makes you feel better.” He mocked, throwing your forgotten words back in your face.
You scowled, but decided to change the subject for both of your sakes. “Head still hurt?”
Zoro blinked, and his gaze softened at your question. “Nah, I’m good now.”
“Good,” you sighed in relief. At least that wasn’t another problem to deal with. “I’m glad.”
Zoro raised an eyebrow, and something flickered in his gaze that made you more restless. “That crash didn’t really help, though. You’re a horrible driver.”
“I didn't crash!” You snapped back. “Maybe you can actually help instead of letting me do all the heavy lifting for once.”
Zoro frowned. That’s more like it, you thought.
You continued, “Franky’s gonna have our asses for this.”
“Eh,” Zoro offered an uninterested shrug, as he backed away. Air willed itself into your lungs again.“He’ll get over it.”
You threw your arms up in exasperation, balling your fists up as they fell. “You tell him then.”
“Sure,” you watched his jaw tighten, “Whatever.”
He climbed the ladder beside him and opened the hatch. Cold air surged forward and nipped at your skin.
“What are you doing?” You winced at the sound of your own voice echoing off the tinny walls.
“We’re walking back? Don’t see this as something that’ll come back on.” Zoro doesn’t even look your way, unbothered by the wind that bit at his face, gesturing around at the hunk of metal that encased you both.
Nothing unusual, just snow. Zoro thought after he scanned the area.
He climbed back down and tightened his swords to his side. They clanged together awkwardly, hitting the seat behind him as he tried to keep his distance. He had had his fun, but it was starting to become too suffocating, being stuck with you.
He stole a glance at you and watched your furled up fists tremble from the cold that began to creep in.
Cute, he thought.
He didn’t think about the word that popped up frequently when he looked at you. The way your snowsuit had crumpled in the crash had mangled it, the zipper halfway down, hat sliding down the back of your head.
Annoying, but cute.
He suppressed the urge to reach out and fix it, to pull it over your frozen ears.
He frowned. Why the hell would I want to do that?
Zoro tried to roll the thought down his shoulders, stretching through the tension that surged up his spine.
The idea made sense. You mulled over his words, but you watched the snow falling from the porthole and felt your body fill with dread. The last thing you wanted to do was trudge through snow. Zoro tapped his foot impatiently, each second passing by quicker.
“No,” You said, “we should wait for someone to come get us.”
“That’s what we did last time, remind me—” Zoro’s voice low and calm, “—how’d that work out for you?”
You unclenched your fists and buried your face in your hands; letting out a long, frustrated groan. “We’re both at fault, don’t pin this on me.”
“Of course,” his chuckle tight, “and how long has it been since we left?”
“Four hours,” you mumbled into your palms, “four hours and thirty-seven minutes.”
Each of those minutes weighed heavier than the next.
“I don’t plan to wait longer.”
“Plan? You know what that is?”
“Cut the shit already.” He bit back. “Get the stick out of your ass and let’s go. If we move fast, you won’t have time to get cold.”
You threw an incredulous look his way, not surprised when you are met with his serious face.
“Of course, a dumbass like you would think that.”
Normally, your spats would be short-lived moments of anger before one of you gave in and escaped somewhere else in the ship. You could run to Nami or Sanji and spew vitriol about Zoro with no judgment. By then, enough time would have passed for you both to calm down from the other, and didn’t affect the ways of life being on the same crew.
This, though, was probably the longest you both had to be together; and definitely your first time alone like this. It chipped at your patience, and by the strained look he kept throwing your way, you suspected Zoro wasn’t far behind.
You racked your brain for a solution, an escape from him, yet nothing came to mind. A gentle tap on your shoulder jerked you from your thoughts.
Peering in between your fingers, you found Zoro, close again. He gave you a once over with a soft, unreadable eye. It made you want to curl up into a ball.
“Come on, we’ll do it together.” he offered a hand, his calloused palm an unexpected olive branch. “Trust me.”
Your heart thrashed in your chest like a wild animal as the moments of an hour ago flashed in your mind. You felt heat rise up your neck. You squeezed your legs shut, reminded of the heat of his own between them, his shadow that engulfed you as he loomed over you. Your mind was flooded with thoughts you reached out to control.
Horrible, horrible thoughts you couldn’t get rid of.
“-Fuck you.” The words stumbled out of your mouth like a bad habit you couldn’t quite shake. They were words that come out too quick, too harsh— ones that you don’t even truly mean.
But, they’re better than the alternative: staring at his hand, imagining it in places that would make you lose your mind.
Before he could respond, you shot up and snatched the transponder snail, shoving it deep in your pocket. You shuffled awkwardly through the limited space and squeezed past, scrambling up the ladder. You kept your eyes glued forward as you faced the frigid unknown.
“Real adult of you,” You heard him call out below you. The guilt that bubbled at the back of your throat tasted bitter. You swallowed it down and leapt into the snow.
As you sank down, your socks soaked up the wet, cold slush that piled up at your legs. You regretted the decision to not fight him more on leaving.
That's what you get for being distracted.
Refusing to turn around, you marched forward, despite the numbing cold that is crept through your snowsuit. The faint crunching of snow behind you was enough to tell you he was not far behind. You kept your eyes on the snow as you tried to settle your nerves.
There had to be some way to get out of this wintry hell.
Zoro drank in your silhouette, a stark image compared to the snow before him.
He narrowed his eye. You were pissier than usual, maybe even more than on a bad day. He thought he might’ve pushed you too far, but it was too easy, and it wasn’t like he didn’t have time to kill.
He adjusted the scarf around his neck and your forgotten backpack he’d slung over his shoulder. With each tug, vanilla and sea salt filled his nose and clouded his judgment. It felt like he was going to be choked by the strong aroma.
Still, he didn’t move to take it off, and didn’t want to think about why he pressed his face deeper, letting his breath fog in the material.
His eye flicked up from your waist, trailing up the back of your annoyingly pretty head that shook in anger.
How desperately he wanted to grab it and hold it still. He wondered what thoughts you had rattling in there that made you so irrational. Your hat desperately clung to you, before it slid down your back, into the snow.
You were always like that, Zoro thought as he plucked your forgotten headwear as he passed by, stuffing it in his pocket.
He forced his eye to not creep back upwards and watched your feet march forward.
Damn body, reacting on its own.
Zoro ignored the stirring in his chest that travelled like an inferno further and further down, where the desires he kept a tight lid on lay dormant. Sure, he meant to make you riled up, but he didn’t expect himself to still be affected. He tried to steady his heart beat, to focus on the dire situation you both were trapped in.
But still — He couldn’t shake away the thought of you, peering up at him, thighs clenched around nothing for the second time in a row, before you delivered the most immature ‘fuck you’ of the century. The beating of his chest he still couldn’t quell reminded him — you were so distracting while doing so.
Exhaustion pulled you down into the slush with each step you took.
At some point, Zoro fell in line beside you. You trained your eyes to the ground and watched your feet and Zoro’s disturb the fresh blanket of snow, only to steal a look at him out of the corner of your eye. You saw something oddly familiar slung across his back.
When“ did you get my bag?” You asked.
“Finally noticed?” His lips stretched into a grin. “While you threw your temper tantrum, I grabbed it.”
“I can carry it, give it here.” You reach for the bag, but his hand swats yours away, adjusting the strap.
“Just for you to leave it again? No chance. I thought you wanted me to do the lifting, anyways,”
The silence stretched for what felt like an eternity as you continued to walk. You wondered what he was thinking, or if he was at all. Maybe he was using this experience as some weird training technique, but the quick gazes you shot his way show that same, unreadable face, eye locking with yours for a moment only to look away, far into the distance.
He must be exhausted, especially from you.
Anxiety had begun to gnaw at you, thinking of that outstretched hand from earlier as your eyes darted back to the snow. Thinking of the words he called you before, selfish. immature. control freak.
You had been giving him a hard time, you thought.
Insecurities of being too much, too commanding, too, well, you, bubbled up to the surface. Maybe what he said about you was right. You had been unforgiving all day. The same warnings he had told the crew before you had joined all those months ago ring like alarms in your head. It was your fault you guys were in this situation, ultimately, no matter how much you twisted it in your mind.
Before you realized it, the word slipped off your tongue.
“Sorry.”
His walk faltered for a moment, a strangled noise coming from his throat. “Huh?”
“For earlier.” You garbled out and picked up speed, as if your body was searching for an escape from the awkwardness of it all. “For everything.”
“Say it again.” He demanded, jogging to keep up with you, “Don't think I caught that right.”
You felt the hole he was boring into your skull, but you kept pushing forward, willing your burning thighs to go faster. You felt clammy and hot all over, despite the freezing temperatures. “You know what I said.”
“Is this a prank?” He laughed, and you felt every nerve in your body set ablaze. “-or are you seriously apologizing?”
How was this funny?
Humiliation swallowed you whole. Your poor attempt at sincerity had been brushed off, despite the nerve you had worked up to do so. To hell with it all. If he wanted you to be annoying and high-strung, you would give it to him.
You turned to tell him off, to give him what he wanted.
But, as you stepped closer, your foot gave way underneath the slippery surface below you. You yelped as your foot twisted in the other direction, erupting in a searing, blinding pain.
Zoro was next to you in a flash.
Concern and shock laced his face as he carefully pulled you back to sit up. Jaw tightening as he wiped the snow from your face. The snow mingled with the tears that threatened to spill. You felt the heat radiating from Zoro’s body and fingers, soothing the burn on your cheeks. It was ridiculously comforting, and that thought unnerved you.
“Oi,” he brushed off your back and front, snow falling to the ground, “you good?”
You bit back the pain and blinked back the tears and ducked your head down. “Peachy.”
“Idiot,” He sighed, and his hand reached into his pocket. When did he get that? Before you can ask, your vision is darkened when you feel something pull over your eyes. “You need to watch where you’re going.”
“Hey!” You reached up, pulling the hat he had unceremoniously crowned you with above your brows. You were about to counter, how could you see anything underneath the snow? But the stormy look Zoro’s eye that pored over made you forget whatever you were about to say.
You shivered. He frowned, taking off the scarf you placed around his neck, draping back over yours. “You sure?”
Zoro's genuine question made you feel worse.
You let out a shaky breath. “I’m sure I want to get out of the cold, hurry up.”
You stood up and tried to walk, wincing at the shooting pain with each step.
Zoro sighed, and began to walk with you.
Only after a handful of steps, your footing buckled again, but this time Zoro caught you before you could hit the snow. Suddenly, your feet weren’t touching the ground, swept up in his arms.
Zoro smacked his teeth, breath warming your numb ear. “Impossible.”
“Are you a broken record or something?” You mumbled, wiggling in his grasp.
Zoro shook his head, adjusting to make you comfortable, “I’ll keep saying it the more stupid shit you do.”
You said you were fine, but he wasn’t having it. Zoro motioned with his head for you to tell him a direction. You wordlessly point, trying not to think about his hands holding you to his chest.
As he walked, you see those same rosy splotches on his cheeks begin to darken again. You carefully wrapped the end of your scarf over his neck, and he stood straighter.
“What are you doing?” He hissed, glared down at you, his face close to yours.
“You’ll get cold too,” you murmured and turned away.
“I’m not, though.”
“Your face says otherwise,” You tugged on the side of the scarf still wrapped around your neck, adding some slack. “Don’t get yourself sick, or we’ll both freeze and die.”
His quiet chuckle rumbled through his chest and vibrates against your side. “You know, you’re the most positive person I know.”
“Haha, but really,” you turned to face him again, and Zoro was the one to turn away that time. “How does the cold not bother you?”
You watched him tilt his head up, contemplating the question for a moment before finally giving you an answer. “It’s a mind over matter for me. You’ll be surprised how things can change with a different mindset.”
You mulled over the thought as you admired his tenacity to be so unbothered. His lips pink and soft, the small clench of his chiseled jaw, the way the muscles of his neck peak from behind the scarf, stretching as he swallowed. You cleared your throat and leaned against his chest.
Just for heat, you told yourself, and your body relaxed a little in his gentle hold. His heartbeat was steady in your ears. You tried to ignore the thumb that traced tiny circles on the side of your knee.
A different mindset.
You looked up, Zoro’s earrings shimmered in the snow. He glanced down at you, raising an eyebrow, but didn’t comment on your ogling. He looked back down at your finger that was lazily outstretched, using it as his guiding compass as he continued to walk.
If you ignored everything about the day, if Zoro was anyone else, you would have considered his actions sweet. Gentlemanly, even. You feel a slow heat bloom in your stomach, spreading warmth towards your ankle, soothing the ache.
Maybe he was onto something.
“Your scarf stinks. What did you spray on it?” And just like that, he dashed those kind thoughts from your mind.
“It doesn’t stink, it’s just a little perfume!” You scowled, craning your neck up at him. “You weren’t complaining earlier.”
“It’s making me nauseous, you don’t need that sweet shit.” He turned his nose upwards, averting the fabric that swaddled him. You hit his chest.
“I like it! Doing a lot of complaining and not enough walking.” You hit him again, harder this time as you continued to point.
“I should just leave you here to freeze.” You felt Zoro’s loosen his hold, and you slipped slightly in his hold. You clutched onto his shirt, screeching as you felt gravity threaten to pull you down.
“You ass! You wouldn’t dare-“
“-That’ll teach you to be nicer to your ride, hm?” His laugh is wicked.
Even though you grumble, you can’t stop the twitching in your lips. “I can’t wait to get away from you.”
AND END SCENE! Finally, thank the heavens that this part is done.
Not sure how I feel about this one, I started hating it in the middle of writing it because I didn’t have any real direction of how I wanted this to play out. This took very long to write because I realized I never gave a reason for their rivalry which took me forever to come up with. I still feel like zoro’s still ooc, but I feel like I learned a lot while writing this nonetheless.
Probably will pivot and try to get one of my sanji fics done now, but part 3 is already 60 percent completed.
thank you for your patience with me! school continues to kick me in the ass :’)
WARNINGS - mentions of sex MDNI, no beta, minor injuries, enemies to lovers, no use of y/n, strong language, zoro bullying, slight mentions of anxiety, reader is a geologist, reader is pretty highstrung and combative in this fic- this is all setting up for eventual smut in pt.3
SUMMARY - after getting lost for hours, you and zoro continue to find yourselves in the same problems as before. will you both be able to handle yourselves after spending so much time alone?
AUTHOR’S NOTE - I spent an unnerving amount of time sitting on this fic (3 fucking months), and have came to the executive decision to split it into multiple parts. this is so different from the first part, and I use it more as inspiration than a true continuation of that story.
you can honestly skip reading part 1 if you want!
pt. 1 (x) , pt. 2 (you are here) , pt.3 (coming soon)
In the hour that followed Zoro’s hack job on the engine, the caravan filled with silence, accompanied by soft breathing that made you grip the steering wheel tighter.
Must be nice, you thought as you peered over your shoulder.
Zoro’s arms were crossed, short tufts of green poking out from his winter hat. His head was dipped down, nodding with each rock of the vehicle. The ruddy blotches that covered his cheeks and nose told you he had to be cold, despite his stubbornness. You thumb the scarf around your neck with hesitation.
Fuck it.
You let go of the wheel and pulled off the fuzzy scarf that suddenly felt like lead in your hands. You leaned over Zoro for a moment and stared down at his peaceful face. His breathing was slow and even, the tell-tale signs of a deep sleep. Testing the waters, you poked his cold cheek, jerking back as if you expected him to jump at you.
He didn’t though, gentle breaths rose his chest up and down.
He’d be cuter if he stayed like that, you thought. Rather than doing everything in his power to get under your skin. Even so, you held your breath and carefully draped it around his neck, wrapping it around twice. You sighed, turning back to the sea of white as you settled back down in the driver's seat, rubbing the crease in your brow.
Why the hell did I do that?
You glanced one more time over your shoulder. Zoro’s face sunk into the fabric on his neck, the wool nuzzling his nose.
You quickly turned around again, taking your sweaty palms to grasp the wheel again as you continued to drive.
Maybe it wasn’t that bad. At least you had a moment to think with him asleep. With the silence, the fog of annoyance cleared from your mind. Before the storm, you spotted a small structure that you had wanted to explore, but Zoro was hellbent on getting back to the ship.
Maybe you’d be able to find some semblance of shelter there— though that was proving to be difficult with the passing minutes.
You smacked your lips together, and mixed emotions bubbled to the surface when thinking about Zoro’s warnings of the storm.
You tried to pinpoint the exact moment that it all went wrong.
What the hell was taking him so long?
You fanned your scowling face and covered your eyes from the sun, pacing on the bank of the beach. Zoro‘s absence already put a sour taste in your mouth, and the expedition hadn’t even started yet.
Luffy was crouched by the sand while he dug into the sand with a stick. “Can’t we go yet?”
“Not until Nami is finished.” Sanji said, blowing smoke from the corner of his lips.
Luffy whined and flopped onto his back. “But Robin, Usopp, and Chopper already got to go!”
Beside you, Nami scanned the horizon of the island and jotted notes in her logbook, tapping her foot impatiently. She threw Luffy a stern, pointed look, snapping her book close. Its echoing clap stopped your restless feet, and you shot a glance their way. Luffy rolled onto his stomach and muttered under his breath, poking at the ground again, not willing to fight the beast inside his Navigator. she shoved the journal in her bag, and dug around for something else before pulling it out.
“Luffy, Sanji, and I will circle the island going east using the waver,” She held the transponder snail out toward you. “That leaves you and Zoro to cut through the middle while Jinbe, Brook, and Franky watch the ship. If you see anything of interest or run into trouble, call us on this.”
You couldn’t stop the groan that slipped from your lips and plucked the snail from her hands. Its wide eyes stared back at your disgruntled face. “Can’t you or Sanji switch with him?”
Nami let out an exasperated sigh, her freckled nose scrunched up in disappointment. “You said you were fine with this.”
“I said I’m fine with making sure that dumbass doesn’t get lost,” you grumbled, “I didn’t say I was fine being alone with him that long.”
Sanji turned around. “I mean, I don’t mind-”
Nami held up her hand and cut him off, “-It’s an hour tops, they’ll be fine.”
Before you could protest more, Nami continued, “you both are very capable, mature adults and crewmates. I am sure you both can handle yourselves for an hour.”
“Luffy, help me here?” You whined to your captain.
He turned attention away from the sand beetle he dug up, and it burrowed back into the ground. Luffy’s head swiveled towards you, a frown on his face. “Huh?”
“Do I have to go with Zoro?” You asked again. You watch him think on it for a moment, and the words he said made you deflate.
“We pulled straws, it would be unfair if we changed now.” A rubbery hand stretched forward and wrapped your shoulder, giving it a good shake of encouragement. “Come on, it’ll be fun!”
“You think getting punched in the face is fun.”
But you couldn’t argue further than that, and you weren’t going to go against your captain. You shrugged his hand off. “Some help you are…”
“-It's not like I bite, you know.” Zoro's voice cut in from afar, the sound of his swords jostling behind you as he climbed off the ship.
Your shoulders rose to your ears, and you turned to face him as he made his way towards you and the remnants of the crew.
“Doesn’t mean you aren’t a pain in my ass. You better not slow me down.”
Zoro’s shadow eclipsed you as he leisurely strolled over with crossed arms, blocking the festering heat.
“As long as you don’t get me lost.”
You scoffed. “Me? Get us lost? What a joke.”
“You’re the joke,” Zoro lips twitched upwards. “Acting selfish as usual, like a pathetic baby. Nami said we were adults, right?”
“I am not a baby.” But as soon as the words came out, they felt childish. His words ring in your head, anger stirring inside of you.
Zoro stuck his chin high and glowered down at you. “That’s what a baby would say.”
“Babies can’t talk.” You always felt ridiculous under his scrutiny. “So you were just up there wasting time eavesdropping?”
“No, I was doing my job. You wouldn’t know about that, though?” He reached into his haramaki and pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper, shoving it your way.
You took it between two fingers. When you flipped it around, you found notes on how to operate the vehicle that sat off in the distance.
“Franky stopped me to give you this. In case you forgot.” He added.
“Oh,” Your voice faltered as you averted his gaze, folding the note and slipping in your pocket. “Why didn’t you just say that in the first place?”
He shrugged, scratching his neck. “You’re welcome.”
“ …Anyways,” Nami ignored the both of you and placed her book into her rucksack. “I have a sneaking suspicion a snow squall is approaching. I put two snowsuits in the brachio for you two just in case. Make sure to head back before then. I just want to chart this place and dodge, but keep your eyes peeled for treasure.”
“A snow squirrel?” Luffy jumped up with newfound purpose. “Sounds awesome!”
Sanji took Nami’s bag from her hands and placed it on his back, his gaze flickered in between you and Zoro. “-Sounds like a bigger pain in the ass than Moss.”
“Shitty cook, I’ll show you a pain in the ass-”
Zoro’s proclamation made you double over in laughter. Sanji doesn’t miss the way Zoro stiffened at the sound.
How could that idiot be so emotionally constipated? The cook thought to himself.
You smiled Sanji’s way, amusement bright in your face. You miss the way Zoro’s eye darted from you to him. “Good one.”
Sanji shook his head and eyed you, who straightened up and inched away from the other man, stepping out of Zoro’s shadow. Not like you were faring any better.
“Can I fight the snow squirrel, Nami?” Luffy was bouncing in anticipation, ignoring his quarreling crew.
“It’s not a-” She pinched the bridge of her nose. At this rate, the crew, this island, and the weather was going to give her a headache. “Sure, whatever. Let’s move out.”
You watched Nami grab Luffy, stomping away as Sanji followed suit. You try to say something again, but the three of them are already off, waving their goodbyes.
“You two don’t kill each other, okay?”
“If you find the squirrel, save it for me!”
“Don’t do anything stupid, Marimo.” And with that, they were on their way.
You and Zoro stood there for a second, the awkwardness from your desperation to get rid of him sat in the air. He cleared his throat before beginning to walk off. “Come on, we’re already losing time.”
“Wrong way, genius.” You crossed your arms, motioning with your head. “Brachio’s the other way.”
He stopped in his tracks, and grumbled, turning around, “just testing you.”
You rolled your eyes, “sure, whatever makes you feel better.”
As time went on, you had made several stops on your way down the middle of the island.
You were surprised how many rock formations you found. This made it a perfect time to grab undisturbed samples. You itched with anticipation as you thumb a rock on the ground and slip off your backpack, taking a small vial and placing the pebble inside.
“The hell are you doing over here?” Zoro's voice pulled you out of your excitement.
“My job.” You snapped back, His comment earlier still stung. It wasn’t the first time he had called you immature, and it had dug into the wound he created long ago. “I just thought I saw something, just making sure.”
“You said that at the last two stops, too. We’re running out of time before the storm.”
You shrugged, looking up at the sky as you stood. You weren’t an expert like Nami, but the soil was compacted, the rocks eroded by wind. If there was a storm coming, It would be the first time the island had it in years. “It’ll be fine, plus It’s hot as shit right now.”
“I don’t get why you’re so interested in finding anything here.” The look you see Zoro shoot your way showed he was unconvinced. “All we’ve found are just some dumb rocks.”
You walked past him and let a finger swipe against the hilts of his blades as you passed him. You saw his jaw tighten from the corner of your eye. “These just dumb rocks to you, like those are stupid swords to me.”
“Don’t disrespect them like that.” Zoro bristled behind you, his heavy steps following yours.
“Then don’t disrespect my rocks like that.” You offered.
You see something shine on the old trail, a glint in the terrain that jutted out from the tough ground, as well as a shack off into the further distance. You buzzed with excitement. Maybe it was a precious stone you could dig up, or even some sea prism stone that would help further your research. It all was worth checking out.
The obnoxious moan that you heard behind you as you made your way to the rock only spurred you forward. As you crouched to reach for it, a strong gust of wind dislodged the stone, and it tumbled away, rolling into a patch of grass.
“We don’t have time for a treasure hunt anymore. Look up.”
You turned your head to the sky, watching as a sheet of gray creeped at an alarming speed towards you. You cursed under your breath and chewed your lip. Shit.
“We still have time to make it back.”
A prickle of embarrassment rose up your neck and made you shivered, but you shoved it down and tried to make sense of the snowy tundra.
It’s too late now, no matter who was right.
The objective was to either find the crew, or find a signal for the transponder snail, who was also taking an undeserved nap on the control panel. That plan definitely didn’t include the thoughts of him swarming in your brain.
Besides, you swim back to the surface of your murky thoughts, nothing else could go wrong.
Right?
The brachio mini’s power flickered, jerking you back to reality.
The bright lights waned off above you— a short warning before the emergency power kicked in again. There was not enough time for you to brace for impact. You lurched forward as the wheels jolted to a halt, the engine sputtering out sparks from the gash. The hull screeched against the ice like a dying whale.
“No—” No. It had become your personal mantra.
No. No. No. A prayer to whatever omnipotent being that found your suffering entertaining. “—No!”
You screamed and banged a fist on the control panel that you were unceremoniously splayed over. It screamed back in response, flooding the cabin with bright red light as bold letters flashed on the screen: Engine Failure. Please contact Franky immediately.
Your eyes darted to the mini transponder snail again, but its stupid, sleeping face mocked you, turned on its side from the sudden stop. You were out of range. Still.
“Not working?” Zoro grunted behind you, voice coated in grogginess. You whipped your head around, surprised to find him leaned over you, staring at the screen beneath you. The tassels of the scarf you donned him dangled in front of you. You’re shocked to find he hadn’t removed it. The fresh scent of mint mingled with vanilla and fanned across your face. You flinched.
“You tell me, Sleeping Beauty.” You swiveled your seat around and shoved his shoulder, leaning further back to gain distance.
Of course, he didn’t budge an inch, “I wasn’t asleep, you’ve got a real bad staring problem, you know.”
“Must have been some weird dream, as if I haven’t seen enough of your face today.”
“Whatever makes you feel better.” He mocked, throwing your forgotten words back in your face.
You scowled, but decided to change the subject for both of your sakes. “Head still hurt?”
Zoro blinked, and his gaze softened at your question. “Nah, I’m good now.”
“Good,” you sighed in relief. At least that wasn’t another problem to deal with. “I’m glad.”
Zoro raised an eyebrow, and something flickered in his gaze that made you more restless. “That crash didn’t really help, though. You’re a horrible driver.”
“I didn't crash!” You snapped back. “Maybe you can actually help instead of letting me do all the heavy lifting for once.”
Zoro frowned. That’s more like it, you thought.
You continued, “Franky’s gonna have our asses for this.”
“Eh,” Zoro offered an uninterested shrug, as he backed away. Air willed itself into your lungs again.“He’ll get over it.”
You threw your arms up in exasperation, balling your fists up as they fell. “You tell him then.”
“Sure,” you watched his jaw tighten, “Whatever.”
He climbed the ladder beside him and opened the hatch. Cold air surged forward and nipped at your skin.
“What are you doing?” You winced at the sound of your own voice echoing off the tinny walls.
“We’re walking back? Don’t see this as something that’ll come back on.” Zoro doesn’t even look your way, unbothered by the wind that bit at his face, gesturing around at the hunk of metal that encased you both.
Nothing unusual, just snow. Zoro thought after he scanned the area.
He climbed back down and tightened his swords to his side. They clanged together awkwardly, hitting the seat behind him as he tried to keep his distance. He had had his fun, but it was starting to become too suffocating, being stuck with you.
He stole a glance at you and watched your furled up fists tremble from the cold that began to creep in.
Cute, he thought.
He didn’t think about the word that popped up frequently when he looked at you. The way your snowsuit had crumpled in the crash had mangled it, the zipper halfway down, hat sliding down the back of your head.
Annoying, but cute.
He suppressed the urge to reach out and fix it, to pull it over your frozen ears.
He frowned. Why the hell would I want to do that?
Zoro tried to roll the thought down his shoulders, stretching through the tension that surged up his spine.
The idea made sense. You mulled over his words, but you watched the snow falling from the porthole and felt your body fill with dread. The last thing you wanted to do was trudge through snow. Zoro tapped his foot impatiently, each second passing by quicker.
“No,” You said, “we should wait for someone to come get us.”
“That’s what we did last time, remind me—” Zoro’s voice low and calm, “—how’d that work out for you?”
You unclenched your fists and buried your face in your hands; letting out a long, frustrated groan. “We’re both at fault, don’t pin this on me.”
“Of course,” his chuckle tight, “and how long has it been since we left?”
“Four hours,” you mumbled into your palms, “four hours and thirty-seven minutes.”
Each of those minutes weighed heavier than the next.
“I don’t plan to wait longer.”
“Plan? You know what that is?”
“Cut the shit already.” He bit back. “Get the stick out of your ass and let’s go. If we move fast, you won’t have time to get cold.”
You threw an incredulous look his way, not surprised when you are met with his serious face.
“Of course, a dumbass like you would think that.”
Normally, your spats would be short-lived moments of anger before one of you gave in and escaped somewhere else in the ship. You could run to Nami or Sanji and spew vitriol about Zoro with no judgment. By then, enough time would have passed for you both to calm down from the other, and didn’t affect the ways of life being on the same crew.
This, though, was probably the longest you both had to be together; and definitely your first time alone like this. It chipped at your patience, and by the strained look he kept throwing your way, you suspected Zoro wasn’t far behind.
You racked your brain for a solution, an escape from him, yet nothing came to mind. A gentle tap on your shoulder jerked you from your thoughts.
Peering in between your fingers, you found Zoro, close again. He gave you a once over with a soft, unreadable eye. It made you want to curl up into a ball.
“Come on, we’ll do it together.” he offered a hand, his calloused palm an unexpected olive branch. “Trust me.”
Your heart thrashed in your chest like a wild animal as the moments of an hour ago flashed in your mind. You felt heat rise up your neck. You squeezed your legs shut, reminded of the heat of his own between them, his shadow that engulfed you as he loomed over you. Your mind was flooded with thoughts you reached out to control.
Horrible, horrible thoughts you couldn’t get rid of.
“-Fuck you.” The words stumbled out of your mouth like a bad habit you couldn’t quite shake. They were words that come out too quick, too harsh— ones that you don’t even truly mean.
But, they’re better than the alternative: staring at his hand, imagining it in places that would make you lose your mind.
Before he could respond, you shot up and snatched the transponder snail, shoving it deep in your pocket. You shuffled awkwardly through the limited space and squeezed past, scrambling up the ladder. You kept your eyes glued forward as you faced the frigid unknown.
“Real adult of you,” You heard him call out below you. The guilt that bubbled at the back of your throat tasted bitter. You swallowed it down and leapt into the snow.
As you sank down, your socks soaked up the wet, cold slush that piled up at your legs. You regretted the decision to not fight him more on leaving.
That's what you get for being distracted.
Refusing to turn around, you marched forward, despite the numbing cold that is crept through your snowsuit. The faint crunching of snow behind you was enough to tell you he was not far behind. You kept your eyes on the snow as you tried to settle your nerves.
There had to be some way to get out of this wintry hell.
Zoro drank in your silhouette, a stark image compared to the snow before him.
He narrowed his eye. You were pissier than usual, maybe even more than on a bad day. He thought he might’ve pushed you too far, but it was too easy, and it wasn’t like he didn’t have time to kill.
He adjusted the scarf around his neck and your forgotten backpack he’d slung over his shoulder. With each tug, vanilla and sea salt filled his nose and clouded his judgment. It felt like he was going to be choked by the strong aroma.
Still, he didn’t move to take it off, and didn’t want to think about why he pressed his face deeper, letting his breath fog in the material.
His eye flicked up from your waist, trailing up the back of your annoyingly pretty head that shook in anger.
How desperately he wanted to grab it and hold it still. He wondered what thoughts you had rattling in there that made you so irrational. Your hat desperately clung to you, before it slid down your back, into the snow.
You were always like that, Zoro thought as he plucked your forgotten headwear as he passed by, stuffing it in his pocket.
He forced his eye to not creep back upwards and watched your feet march forward.
Damn body, reacting on its own.
Zoro ignored the stirring in his chest that travelled like an inferno further and further down, where the desires he kept a tight lid on lay dormant. Sure, he meant to make you riled up, but he didn’t expect himself to still be affected. He tried to steady his heart beat, to focus on the dire situation you both were trapped in.
But still — He couldn’t shake away the thought of you, peering up at him, thighs clenched around nothing for the second time in a row, before you delivered the most immature ‘fuck you’ of the century. The beating of his chest he still couldn’t quell reminded him — you were so distracting while doing so.
Exhaustion pulled you down into the slush with each step you took.
At some point, Zoro fell in line beside you. You trained your eyes to the ground and watched your feet and Zoro’s disturb the fresh blanket of snow, only to steal a look at him out of the corner of your eye. You saw something oddly familiar slung across his back.
“When did you get my bag?” You asked.
“Finally noticed?” His lips stretched into a grin. “While you threw your temper tantrum, I grabbed it.”
“I can carry it, give it here.” You reach for the bag, but his hand swats yours away, adjusting the strap.
“Just for you to leave it again? No chance. I thought you wanted me to do the lifting, anyways,”
The silence stretched for what felt like an eternity as you continued to walk. You wondered what he was thinking, or if he was at all. Maybe he was using this experience as some weird training technique, but the quick gazes you shot his way show that same, unreadable face, eye locking with yours for a moment only to look away, far into the distance.
He must be exhausted, especially from you.
Anxiety had begun to gnaw at you, thinking of that outstretched hand from earlier as your eyes darted back to the snow. Thinking of the words he called you before, selfish. immature. control freak.
You had been giving him a hard time, you thought.
Insecurities of being too much, too commanding, too, well, you, bubbled up to the surface. Maybe what he said about you was right. You had been unforgiving all day. The same warnings he had told the crew before you had joined all those months ago ring like alarms in your head. It was your fault you guys were in this situation, ultimately, no matter how much you twisted it in your mind.
Before you realized it, the word slipped off your tongue.
“Sorry.”
His walk faltered for a moment, a strangled noise coming from his throat. “Huh?”
“For earlier.” You garbled out and picked up speed, as if your body was searching for an escape from the awkwardness of it all. “For everything.”
“Say it again.” He demanded, jogging to keep up with you, “Don't think I caught that right.”
You felt the hole he was boring into your skull, but you kept pushing forward, willing your burning thighs to go faster. You felt clammy and hot all over, despite the freezing temperatures. “You know what I said.”
“Is this a prank?” He laughed, and you felt every nerve in your body set ablaze. “-or are you seriously apologizing?”
How was this funny?
Humiliation swallowed you whole. Your poor attempt at sincerity had been brushed off, despite the nerve you had worked up to do so. To hell with it all. If he wanted you to be annoying and high-strung, you would give it to him.
You turned to tell him off, to give him what he wanted.
But, as you stepped closer, your foot gave way underneath the slippery surface below you. You yelped as your foot twisted in the other direction, erupting in a searing, blinding pain.
Zoro was next to you in a flash.
Concern and shock laced his face as he carefully pulled you back to sit up. Jaw tightening as he wiped the snow from your face. The snow mingled with the tears that threatened to spill. You felt the heat radiating from Zoro’s body and fingers, soothing the burn on your cheeks. It was ridiculously comforting, and that thought unnerved you.
“Oi,” he brushed off your back and front, snow falling to the ground, “you good?”
You bit back the pain and blinked back the tears and ducked your head down. “Peachy.”
“Idiot,” He sighed, and his hand reached into his pocket. When did he get that? Before you can ask, your vision is darkened when you feel something pull over your eyes. “You need to watch where you’re going.”
“Hey!” You reached up, pulling the hat he had unceremoniously crowned you with above your brows. You were about to counter, how could you see anything underneath the snow? But the stormy look Zoro’s eye that pored over made you forget whatever you were about to say.
You shivered. He frowned, taking off the scarf you placed around his neck, draping back over yours. “You sure?”
Zoro's genuine question made you feel worse.
You let out a shaky breath. “I’m sure I want to get out of the cold, hurry up.”
You stood up and tried to walk, wincing at the shooting pain with each step.
Zoro sighed, and began to walk with you.
Only after a handful of steps, your footing buckled again, but this time Zoro caught you before you could hit the snow. Suddenly, your feet weren’t touching the ground, swept up in his arms.
Zoro smacked his teeth, breath warming your numb ear. “Impossible.”
“Are you a broken record or something?” You mumbled, wiggling in his grasp.
Zoro shook his head, adjusting to make you comfortable, “I’ll keep saying it the more stupid shit you do.”
You said you were fine, but he wasn’t having it. Zoro motioned with his head for you to tell him a direction. You wordlessly point, trying not to think about his hands holding you to his chest.
As he walked, you see those same rosy splotches on his cheeks begin to darken again. You carefully wrapped the end of your scarf over his neck, and he stood straighter.
“What are you doing?” He hissed, glared down at you, his face close to yours.
“You’ll get cold too,” you murmured and turned away.
“I’m not, though.”
“Your face says otherwise,” You tugged on the side of the scarf still wrapped around your neck, adding some slack. “Don’t get yourself sick, or we’ll both freeze and die.”
His quiet chuckle rumbled through his chest and vibrates against your side. “You know, you’re the most positive person I know.”
“Haha, but really,” you turned to face him again, and Zoro was the one to turn away that time. “How does the cold not bother you?”
You watched him tilt his head up, contemplating the question for a moment before finally giving you an answer. “It’s a mind over matter for me. You’ll be surprised how things can change with a different mindset.”
You mulled over the thought as you admired his tenacity to be so unbothered. His lips pink and soft, the small clench of his chiseled jaw, the way the muscles of his neck peak from behind the scarf, stretching as he swallowed. You cleared your throat and leaned against his chest.
Just for heat, you told yourself, and your body relaxed a little in his gentle hold. His heartbeat was steady in your ears. You tried to ignore the thumb that traced tiny circles on the side of your knee.
A different mindset.
You looked up, Zoro’s earrings shimmered in the snow. He glanced down at you, raising an eyebrow, but didn’t comment on your ogling. He looked back down at your finger that was lazily outstretched, using it as his guiding compass as he continued to walk.
If you ignored everything about the day, if Zoro was anyone else, you would have considered his actions sweet. Gentlemanly, even. You feel a slow heat bloom in your stomach, spreading warmth towards your ankle, soothing the ache.
Maybe he was onto something.
“Your scarf stinks. What did you spray on it?” And just like that, he dashed those kind thoughts from your mind.
“It doesn’t stink, it’s just a little perfume!” You scowled, craning your neck up at him. “You weren’t complaining earlier.”
“It’s making me nauseous, you don’t need that sweet shit.” He turned his nose upwards, averting the fabric that swaddled him. You hit his chest.
“I like it! Doing a lot of complaining and not enough walking.” You hit him again, harder this time as you continued to point.
“I should just leave you here to freeze.” You felt Zoro’s loosen his hold, and you slipped slightly in his hold. You clutched onto his shirt, screeching as you felt gravity threaten to pull you down.
“You ass! You wouldn’t dare-“
“-That’ll teach you to be nicer to your ride, hm?” His laugh is wicked.
Even though you grumble, you can’t stop the twitching in your lips. “I can’t wait to get away from you.”
AND END SCENE! Finally, thank the heavens that this part is done.
Not sure how I feel about this one, I started hating it in the middle of writing it because I didn’t have any real direction of how I wanted this to play out. This took very long to write because I realized I never gave a reason for their rivalry which took me forever to come up with. I still feel like zoro’s still ooc, but I feel like I learned a lot while writing this nonetheless.
Probably will pivot and try to get one of my sanji fics done now, but part 3 is already 60 percent completed.
thank you for your patience with me! school continues to kick me in the ass :’)
Hey there! I absolutely adore your website dividers, could I request your webcore dividers (part 1) but recoloured in #A28D60 or any sage/olive green? Thank you in advance!
Hi! Thank you so much, I loved that webcore set! I did the olive in the tone you listed, and then I did sage green set as well! 💖
sending him “she’s busy bro” as a prank - zoro x fem!reader
i’m a non-jealous zoro truther!!! literally y would that man be jealous of anyone
been seeing a bunch of these floating around the LaDS fandom and giggled when thinking about how zoro would react
hope u enjoyed! I just got finished with an 8 week writing course for college and now it’s spring break! i’m so ready to get back into finishing my fics omg they’ll be here sometime next week eeeee
One of my favorite Sanji headcanon's is that he has the best sea legs of the crew, tied w/ Jimbei after he joins. But he also absolutely has the WORST land legs when they make landfall.
I think this because, prior to Kamabakka, the longest period he spent on actual land seems to be starving on a rock with Zeff.
I totally buy that Germa likely had some sort of stabilizing tech on their snails, definitely in medical and engineering areas. You need a measure of stability in your evil laboratory.
But any ocean-going vessel does need to actually move with the sea. Otherwise, it won't move at all. So, I think other areas were less stabilized.
Thus, Sanji went from weird snails that swim the seas, to cruise ship, to trauma rock, to a restaurant ship before joining the Straw Hats. Moving on a ship likely feels more natural to him than on land.
I think he has trained himself to adjust pretty quickly, as a necessity, and also because the Mosshead definitely would call it out. But even still, his first few steps on any island are not as graceful as his usual stride.
