tags ; established relationship / fluff / hurt/comfort / soft eustass / childhood trauma / ft. kid pirates
requested ; helloooo! i had this request idea about eustass Kid x reader where the reader grew up with needing to always be 'perfect' but since they joined the kid pirates they were actually able to express themselves. and like sometimes they still feel like something needs to be perfect but kid is there to remind them that it doesn't! i hope this makes sense!
a/n: i love eustass kid. he's alive with killer, trust. there's a part where reader is repairing eustass's mechanical arm, i know he uses his df but let's just ignore that for the sake of this fic, okay?
the first plate you ever broke wasn't actually an accident.
you dropped it on purpose.
you were nine years old, standing in your family's kitchen with your hands shaking so hard the porcelain nearly slipped anyway. your parents had spent the morning correcting everything.
"stand up straighter."
"don't laugh so loudly."
"fix your handwriting."
"you'll embarrass us if you keep acting like this."
so you let the plate fall.
it shattered across the floor like fireworks.
for exactly three seconds, all you could hear was silence.
then came the yelling.
after that, you never broke another plate.
you became careful.
too careful.
the kid pirates noticed weird things about you before they noticed the obvious ones.
wire noticed you'd apologize whenever someone bumped into you.
heat noticed you'd scrub the galley until your knuckles turned raw.
killer noticed you'd quietly throw away meals if the seasoning wasn't exactly right.
kid...
kid noticed you never relaxed.
not really.
you smiled.
you laughed.
you argued with him.
you fit in with the crew surprisingly well.
but every movement looked rehearsed, as though someone invisible stood over your shoulder with a checklist.
don't spill.
don't trip.
don't say the wrong thing.
don't disappoint anyone.
don't take up too much space.
"you're doing it again."
you blinked.
the screwdriver in your hand froze halfway through repairing one of the ship's railings.
"...doing what?"
kid leaned against the mast, arms crossed.
"thinking too loud."
"...what?"
"your face gets annoying."
"...that's your way of saying you're worried?"
"don't make it weird."
"...yeah."
you smiled despite yourself.
you didn't tell him.
not then.
months later, you burned dinner.
well.
not burned.
overcooked.
everyone else insisted it tasted fine.
you stared at the pot like it had personally betrayed you.
"it's ruined."
killer looked up from his bowl.
"...this?"
"it's awful."
wire shoveled another spoonful into his mouth.
"it's literally food."
"the vegetables are too soft."
heat shrugged.
"i've eaten things that were actively on fire."
kid took one bite.
"...tastes normal."
you were already dumping the rest into the trash.
kid grabbed your wrist.
"...don't."
"it's not good enough."
"according to who?"
"..."
"according to who?"
you opened your mouth.
closed it.
opened it again.
"...me."
kid snorted.
"yeah?"
he took another bite straight from the pot.
"then your standards are stupid."
you laughed.
but later that night...
you cried.
quietly.
where nobody could hear.
kid found you anyway.
he always did.
the victoria punk was asleep except for the creaking of old wood and distant waves.
you sat alone near the figurehead.
knees pulled against your chest.
he dropped beside you with all the grace of a cannonball.
"...you gonna talk?"
"...no."
"fine."
he stayed.
five minutes.
ten.
fifteen.
finally...
"...if i wasn't useful..."
his head turned.
"...what?"
you kept staring at the sea.
"if i stopped being useful... if i couldn't do everything right..."
"..?"
"...would everyone still want me here?"
the question came out so quietly the ocean nearly swallowed it.
kid answered immediately.
"yeah. obviously."
"how do you know?"
he frowned.
"because we're not idiots."
"..."
"...you think i recruited you because you can organize supplies?"
"...kinda."
"that's the dumbest thing you've ever said."
the words slipped out before you could stop them.
"people only kept me around when i was useful."
"if my grades dropped..."
"if i made mistakes..."
"if i wasn't polite enough..."
"if i wasn't perfect..."
your voice cracked.
"...i wasn't worth loving."
silence.
not awkward.
just...
heavy.
kid stared out toward the ocean.
"...that's bullshit."
"..."
"whoever told you that... they're wrong."
"it's not that easy."
"didn't say it was."
"..."
"...you've spent your whole life hearing the same crap— course your brain believes it."
he scratched the back of his neck.
looking strangely uncomfortable.
"...brains are stupid sometimes."
you laughed through your tears.
"...that's your wisdom?"
"yeah."
"that's terrible."
"didn't ask."
he reached over.
hooked one finger beneath yours.
not quite holding your hand.
just...
touching enough to remind you he was there.
"...listen."
"..."
"...have you seen me?"
you looked at him.
his wild red hair.
the scars.
the grease stains on his pants.
the missing arm replaced with clanking metal.
"you're a disaster."
"exactly."
"..."
"...i've blown up my own workshop three times."
"five.."
"...fine."
"the ship catches fire every other week."
"that's mostly your fault."
"still."
"...killer has to stop me from killing idiots every couple days."
"true."
"heat can't fold laundry."
"hey!"
heat's offended voice echoed from somewhere below deck.
kid ignored him.
"wire tripped over absolutely nothing yesterday."
"i did not!"
"you literally did."
"..."
"...and somehow..."
he looked back at you.
"...this crew still works."
you smiled weakly.
"...because you're all insane."
"exactly. perfection would've sunk us years ago."
it should've been enough.
it wasn't.
he knew that.
he didn't seem angry about it.
he just...
kept reminding you.
over.
and over.
and over again.
when you apologized after dropping a mug.
he bought an uglier mug.
"there."
"..."
"...can't ruin something that's already ugly."
when you spent three hours rewriting the supply inventory because one number looked crooked.
he grabbed the paper.
crumpled it.
threw it across the room.
your soul nearly left your body.
"...kid!"
"still readable."
"it's wrinkled!"
"yeah."
"..."
"...paper gets wrinkled."
when you couldn't sleep because tomorrow's plan wasn't detailed enough.
he tossed another blanket over both of you.
"future can wait. sleep first."
slowly...
your world stopped ending over little things.
not all at once.
healing never worked like that.
sometimes you'd still catch yourself holding your breath after making a mistake.
waiting.
for disappointment.
for criticism.
for punishment.
instead...
killer would quietly help fix it.
wire would laugh.
heat would accidentally make the situation worse somehow.
kid would roll his eyes and mutter,
"see?"
"nobody exploded."
except one day...
someone did.
it was kid.
you'd been repairing one of his mechanical arms.
hours passed.
then another.
then another.
you kept unscrewing and reassembling the same section.
it wasn't right.
the alignment was off by...
maybe...
less than a millimeter.
nobody else could even see it.
kid could.
because he'd been watching you for nearly an hour.
"give it."
"...almost."
"give it."
"just one more adjustment."
he ripped the wrench from your hands.
"kid!"
"what the hell are you doing?"
"fixing it."
"you fixed it two hours ago!"
"it isn't perfect."
"who cares?!"
"...i do."
he slammed the prosthetic onto the table.
metal rang through the workshop.
"...why?"
"..."
"...why does it have to be perfect?"
"...because if it isn't... then i'm not trying hard enough."
the room went quiet.
you hadn't even realized you'd said it.
kid stared.
then sighed.
a long.
tired.
frustrated sigh.
not at you.
at something much older than you.
"...c'mere."
you frowned.
"...what?"
"come here."
he pulled you into his lap before you could protest.
one arm around your waist.
chin resting against your shoulder.
"...look."
he pointed toward the prosthetic.
"see that scratch?"
"...yeah."
"been there six months."
"..."
"...doesn't stop it working."
he pointed somewhere else.
"that dent?"
"..."
"...made that fighting big mom."
another.
"those burn marks?"
"..."
"...heat."
"HEY!"
kid rested his forehead against yours.
"...everything i care about has dents."
"...this ship."
"...my crew."
"...me."
his thumb brushed across your knuckles.
"...including you."
your eyes watered.
"...doesn't make any of it worth less."
you finally cried.
really cried.
the kind that stole your breath.
years.
years of trying.
of measuring yourself against impossible expectations.
of believing love had to be earned every single day.
all of it...
spilling out.
kid didn't say anything else.
didn't rush you.
didn't tell you to calm down.
he simply held you together while you came apart.
weeks later...
heat walked into the galley.
stared.
"...why is there flour on the ceiling?"
you looked up.
"...honestly?"
"...i don't know."
wire snorted.
killer hid a laugh behind his coffee.
kid wandered in.
looked once.
then at you.
"...you okay?"
you looked around.
the flour.
the failed bread.
the mess.
the uneven dough.
the cracked bowl.
then back at him.
"...yeah. i think i am."
he grinned.
small.
crooked.
proud.
"good."
the bread came out lopsided.
slightly under-seasoned.
a little too dense.
everyone ate it anyway.
heat declared it delicious.
wire asked for seconds.
killer quietly took the last slice.
kid leaned over while you watched everyone argue over the final piece.
"...see? good enough."
you smiled.
not because the bread was good.
not because everything had gone right.
but because, for the first time in your life...
nothing needed to be perfect.
and somehow...
surrounded by loud laughter, chipped plates, grease-stained hands, and people who loved you exactly as you were...
it already was.
this fic is written by qwehwa 2026 / please do not feed any of my work into ai, copy, plagiarize, nor translate them into any other language— i will snap your neck.
"Hey beautiful, care to go out on a midnight flight with me?" Keigo offers sweetly on the foot of your balcony, one hand extended out to you gently as his scarlet wings vastly pan out in your full view (he's trying to impress you...which works because he has eavesdrop on you saying how much you adore his wings, some time ago).
"Aren't you suppose to be on night duty, Kei?" you tilt your head gently, a shifty little smile tugging on the corners of your lips. god, how he loved that tittering smile.
"Just got done with my shift actually, now I have some some time to spend with my favorite person...the night is young and it's a comfortable breeze tonight, plus, I know this one spot you'll love to see"
and how can you say no to a face like his, to those sparkling, stunning pools of honey that lulled with nothing but pure admiration and allure. you scoff lightly, roll your eyes and gaze back over to him, lifting a lazy grin at him and offering your hand into his.
One of my favorite headcannons about Kid is that if he really loves you, he'll start making & giving you little trinkets out of metal scraps.
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇ:
Getting close with Kid and then suddenly finding little scraps of metal on your dresser, on your desk, or anywhere you would see it.
It starts off as things like shapes. Y'know? Stars, little boxes, etc.
But then one day you find your favorite animal on your dresser.
Then your favorite flower.
Then your favorite item.
And more and more and more, until you damn near have pounds of metal.
Of course, there's only one person who could be doing this. He was also the last person you'd expect to be doing this. He was really listening to you? The endless yapping. The random bitching. The stories of your past. Every damn word. But everytime you try to mention it to him, he brushes it off.
The average confrontation goes a little something like this:
Always had a feeling that Kid's love language would be a mix of physical touch & acts of service. I mean, he's definitely built. Would be a shame to put all of that to waste, right?
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇ:
Physical Touch: Ever since you got close to Kid, you realized he's a bit...touchy.
He doesn't let many people touch him, nor does he like people touching him, but if you're one of those people that he mentally allows...boy, you're in for it.
He won't realize he's doing it, but suddenly when you're talking to Killer, an arm is being slung around your shoulder and Kid is now in the conversation.
When you're in a crowd, he'll subconsciously put his hand on your lower back to guide you through.
If you're in his way, instead of speaking, he'll just move you.
Many people notice he does this by the way. You'll get confronted about it by somebody in the crew.
In private...oh god.
Will legit find any chance to grab you. Doesn't matter what it is. Will find a reason.
Sleeping with Kid is like being swallowed whole. This man is a literal oven. He HAS to have some part of him touching you. That could be a hand, an arm, or simply just him lying ontop of you. Again, he would never admit it though. But as soon as he gets in bed, lying against you.
Man is KNOCKED OUT.
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
Acts of Service: The annoying kind of help. You grow to love it though, because you know when he says no, he's already doing what you asked.
Summary: Dressrosa is in the past, but Law is still not okay. He’s been ignoring you, he doesn’t want to celebrate and he still hasn’t let himself feel. When you check on him and he finally breaks in front of you, your feelings for each other can’t be hidden anymore.
Notes: This small series continues and now we’re at the aftermath of Dressrosa!! I think I will do one last part on Zou after this and then I’ll move on to other one-shots unrelated to this dynamic (still very much hurt/comfort though, that’s my jam).
TW: Mentions of death and of Law not planning to live past Dressrosa :(
The past few days on Bartolomeo’s ship have been filled with chaos and celebration. Everyone drinks and cheers for the victory on Dressrosa, and even the most serious members of your crew - like Zoro - can’t keep the smile off their faces. Bartolomeo has been extremely kind to all of you, offering food, drinks and shelter. You took your time to thank him and drink with him, and you even signed your wanted poster for him with a smiley face and a little heart. He had hung the paper that said “to our biggest fan :)” with tears running down his face, and even if it was a little weird to have someone freaking out over you like that, you can’t deny the admiration was nice.
You wanted to enjoy the celebration fully, yet there was something stopping you. Law hadn’t really been around the past few days. Not only had he not been around you, he had not been around anyone. He had kept to himself during the celebration and had quickly scurried away to his room if someone approached him. Bartolomeo had plenty of space on his ship, so Law hadn’t been sleeping in your room like he did on the Sunny. And you missed him. You had grown accustomed to his presence next to you in bed, even if he never said anything or if his sleeping issue woke you up from time to time. You wondered if he missed you too, or if he was happy to finally have his privacy back. It hurt a little, that he was ignoring you after everything you had been through together in Dressrosa. You thought you got past that barrier, with how he had hugged you and confided his fear to you during the fight against Doflamingo. Still, you had underestimated how deep the scars left from his past ran, how deep the damage that had been done to him was. Your hurt over his behavior was overshadowed only by your worry. Law hadn’t let himself truly feel what had happened since you left the island. You couldn’t imagine fulfilling your life’s purpose, bringing an end to the circle of suffering that man had imposed, and then being totally okay. You wished Law would just let himself cry it out, it was healthy. But in his mind, it was weak.
———
After the fifth day of celebrating and drinking during which Law had hidden away in his quarters, you had enough. You grabbed a glass of water and some food, and headed to his room. You knocked on the door, and heard shuffling on the other side.
Law peeked out the door, his eyes widening and then softening when he saw it was you on the other side.
“Y/N-ya?”
He asked, he seemed to really not expect anyone to come looking for him.
“Hey Law…”
You spoke gently.
“What are you doing here? You should be celebrating with the others…”
He spoke, looking down shyly. He had understood you were there for him, and he already felt bad for making you miss the party.
“No, the others are getting boring… and it’s not really a celebration if you’re not there…” You smiled softly. Law’s cheeks turned a soft pink-ish color and he cleared his throat.
“I don’t like celebrations… they’re loud”
Your eyes softened.
“Truly, Y/N-ya… I don’t want to ruin your mood…”
“Law, you won’t ruin anything… if you want to be alone then I’ll go, but I would like to keep you company…”
Law hesitated. He tried with all his might to send you away, tried to push away the feeling that he wanted you to stay with him and save him from his thoughts.
“Law?” - You called out softly as you saw him space out - “Is everything okay?”
“Y-yes… I’m just not feeling up to being around too many people now…” He muttered.
“No, not just tonight… you have been avoiding me since we left Dressrosa, and I would like to know what’s going on in your mind…”
Law’s breath caught in his chest. You had noticed. Of course you had.
Wordlessly, he stepped aside, letting you in his room. He didn’t want to risk anyone else in the hallway listening.
“It’s just… it was a lot” He managed to get out.
“I know…” - Your eyes softened, and you sat on the bed. You should have asked for permission, but you felt like sleeping in the same bed for days had sort of gotten you past that point - “Come here…”
You patted the spot next to you. Law swallowed thickly, then sat next to you. His heart was already starting to race, and he could feel his self control already starting to crumble.
You reached out, gently taking his hand in yours. Your thumb traced the shape of his tattoo like you had done before.
“It’s okay to not be okay after what happened… it was terrifying for everyone, and I had never even met Doflamingo before…”
You started in a soft voice. Law gripped his hat tight with his hand, pulling it down to cover his eyes. You could see him biting his lip.
Your words had already started making him break. Poor thing, he must have been hanging on by a thread.
“Law, sweetie…” The nickname escaped before you could register it, and you saw Law tense up.
“You don’t have to be strong, okay? It’s all over…” - You squeezed his hand - “You’re free now”
And those words completely shattered him. It was the same thing Corazon had said to him. «You’re free Law, there is nothing holding you back anymore». Who had told you that? Why did you just sound like him? No, it was impossible. You couldn’t have known. Maybe this was a sick joke of fate, to give him someone like Corazon just to take them away from him again. Or maybe there was no trick at all, you were just kind. You are kind. Cora was kind. He had found someone kind once again.
You watched as Law covered his eyes with his arm, and a sob made him double over. You knew he had to let it out sooner or later, and a part of you was happy that you had managed to get him to do that. But still, it broke your heart nonetheless.
Law seemed so small, his frame shaking with choked sobs. You scooted closer, a hand rested on his back, and then you slowly tugged him closer. You brought him to you, not pushing him, just a soft invitation. A little bit of resistance would have been enough to let you understand he didn’t want to be touched, yet Law followed your hand pliantly until he was tucked against your chest. You wrapped both your arms around his back, keeping him safely hidden in your embrace. And then he cried. He cried for everything that happened to him and he cried because it was finally all over. He cried because he hadn’t planned to survive this, and now he was lost. He cried because he wished Cora could be there to hold him, and because he still had someone to hold. He had you.
“I know. I’ve got you…” - You cooed, gently caressing his back - “You did so well. Everything is over now”
His sobs got a little bit louder and he held you like he was afraid you would slip away if he loosened his grip for just a second.
You stayed like that until he could breathe again, just running your fingers through his hair.
“W-what do I do now?” His voice came out small and broken, after he had managed to calm down enough to speak.
“What do you mean?” You asked gently, wanting to know how to approach this. You looked down to your chest, his teary eyes meeting yours.
“This was my purpose… I lived for- for this…” - He sniffled - “I didn’t- I didn’t think I would have-“
His voice broke again. The words too heavy to say out loud. Your eyes softened. You knew where this was going.
“Say it…” You spoke soflty. He needed to say it, to get it out.
“I hadn’t planned to make it out alive…” Law finally admitted it and now his chest felt lighter. You felt your heart crack at his words. You could have lost him, and he was okay with that. But it wasn’t your place to judge, you knew that.
“I am so glad you did, Law… you have no idea… I am so glad you are still here”
Your voice choked up, you blinked back tears. You cupped Law’s cheeks, tilting up his face.
“Why?”
He asked. He seemed so vulnerable, like your words could either break him or put him together.
“Because you’re important to me”
“Because we’re friends?” He tried smiling, but it was still shaky, vulnerable.
“Maybe because we’re more…”
You had said it. What you had felt for him since the beginning. Because he was about to slip away, and you felt like if you didn’t say it now, you may have never gotten the chance.
Law looked up like he had been struck. His heart raced in his chest, his eyes meeting yours. You looked at him, and he was so beautiful. His eyes still teary but now filled with wonder, his cheeks flushed and his lips half open.
“You- you mean that?” He stuttered.
“I mean every word. I like you, Trafalgar Law”
Law didn’t answer. He couldn’t. But he instinctively leaned closer and closer to your face. His lips brushed against yours, shy, vulnerable. Your thumb brushed over his bottom lip, as you looked into his eyes. He had never looked so beautiful, so human.
“May I kiss you?” You asked, just above a whisper. Law just nodded, words still escaping him. And then your lips met. It was shy, gentle, and you tried to convey all the love and care you felt for him in that kiss. It was clear he was a little inexperienced, but he followed your lead as you guided him.
When you needed air, you pulled away, his face still held gently in your hands.
“I-I was hoping you’d do that…” He stuttered. His cheeks still flushed.
“I have been wanting to do that for a long time” - You smiled - “You could have just asked…”
A few minutes had passed, and now Law was snuggled against your chest. You had offered him the glass of water you had brought, and now you were just fidgeting with his fingers, his hand held in yours.
“Y/N-ya?”
He spoke, voice so soft that he seemed afraid to disturb the moment.
“mmh?”
“I feel lost…” He admitted, looking down at his lap.
“I-I don’t know what to do now that… this is over”
You brought his hand to your lips and kissed it gently.
“Now you live, Law…”
“I’m afraid…” - He started, trying to keep his voice from breaking again - “I’m afraid I don’t know how to live without the need for revenge…”
Your eyes softened.
“You don’t have to know now… I’ll help you figure it out”
“You will?”
“I promise”
“What if the world has broken me too much to be loved?”
The sincerity and vulnerability in Law’s question broke your heart, and you tilted up his chin so he would look at you.
“You are not broken. You are not the angry, vengeful person you think you are. You have a crew that loves you, and the fact that you didn’t bring them with you means that you love them too. You have people who would show up for you whenever you need them. You have me, now. You have always lived with love surrounding you, Law…”
Your words almost made him tear up again, and he held you close again.
“What are we now?” He asked, voice muffled against your chest.
“We’re together. However you want to call this, I am not leaving you”
“I am not good at this… I-I have never-“ - Law trailed off - “It won’t be easy”
“Good” - You smiled - “Easy is boring”
He looked up at you. A small, surprised huff of laughter escaping his control.
“You’re an idiot”
“I’m your idiot now” You smiled warmly.
“Yes. Yes, you are” He rolled his eyes, amused.
You leaned your head against his shoulder, linking your arm with his.
“So… would you like to go celebrate now?”
“Maybe tomorrow… it’s still too loud today” He answers shyly.
“Of course” You smiled. You didn’t need anything else to accept. God, he needed time to get used to this.
“Y/N-ya?”
“Yes, love?”
His heart skipped a beat.
“Can I tell you about Cora?”
“I would be honored to listen…”
You answered, meaningfully.
The night passed with Law telling you everything about his past, like he had promised before arriving in Dressrosa. You stayed there through the tears, through the memories. You gave him water, squeezed his hands and wiped his cheeks when it got too much to remember. Your heart broke for him, and you promised to yourself that no one would ever hurt him like that again. After the story was over, Law had fallen asleep in your arms. Safe, heart light for the first time in years. Now everything was truly over, and he could begin to live.
Hi, I need ANYTHING for Kid please and thank you 😃❣️
Disease of the Stubborn (Kid x Reader)
One Piece | Eustass Kid | 5.4k | Masterlist
The infirmary was barely lit, the only light coming from an oil lamp flickering at your elbow. It stretched the shadows of bottles and instruments across the steel walls until every shelf looked longer than it was. Antiseptic still stung the back of your nose from where you’d dropped the bottle earlier, sharp enough to cut through the oil and salt that usually clung to the Victoria Punk.
You sorted through supplies carefully. Bottles that had expired went into a heavy crate, clinking against each other. You wrote the names of emptied boxes carefully into a notebook before stacking them beneath the desk. It was tiring, repetitive work, but counting bottles and scratching down figures kept your thoughts moving in straight lines.
And you needed it occupied because otherwise… well, you had a lot to wonder about.
You’d found a petal earlier that day.
Not strange by itself although the bright red colour had caught your eye. Blood at the edge made you suspicious, even as you let it flutter off the edge of the balcony into the water below.
Thankfully, the source didn’t keep you waiting for long before it stormed its way in.
Kid never opened doors quietly. He always flung them open with enough force that you imagined he meant to rip them off entirely. You startled, hand bumping into a collection of small syringes. They scattered over the floor and you sighed.
“Evening,” you said as you knelt down to collect them. “Have you cut off a finger?”
Kid glared at you. A faint flush sat high across his face and his breathing came heavier than it should have, though he’d only crossed the doorway. Worse was the uncertainty beneath his glare. It looked so unnatural on him that you kept watching as you gathered the syringes from the floor.
“Need to talk to you.”
“About?”
He opened his mouth and almost immediately, a rough cough tore its way from his chest. His hand flew to his mouth. It was an awful, wet and choking sound. You winced in sympathy.
“You’re sick,” you said, walking over slowly. “Any other symptoms aside from the cough?”
“Fuck off,” he muttered.
“You came to me,” you reminded him. He hadn’t lowered his hand yet. “I’d like to know what you have before I treat it. And also, so if you drop dead in the middle of the deck, I can explain myself before Killer takes my head off.”
You’d meant it as a light-hearted tease. Kid was healthy enough that most illnesses he might contract didn’t bother you much. But the second he lowered his hand, the humour disappeared from your heart.
Lying amongst the specks of blood were two petals. One had folded against the wet centre of his palm, its edges trembling faintly with every rough breath.
Your heart and your stomach twisted at the same time. The medical knowledge blended together with a truly disgusting disappointment. One you had no right to feel.
And yet it almost broke your professionalism.
Almost.
“Ah,” you said.
“Don’t fucking ‘ah’ me!” he snapped.
You reached out slowly and picked up one of the petals. Its damp, bloodied state wrinkled your nose, but the petal itself was strangely delicate. You’d never thought the rumours of this disease were even true. And yet…
“Do you know anything about this ailment?” you asked.
“Ailment?” he snorted. “I just thought one of these idiots has been feeding me flowers.”
He scoffed but he knew that wasn’t the case. You could see it in the defensive set to his shoulders and the grimace of his lips.
“They’re growing in your lungs,” you said. “From what I know, the cause is fairly simple. Unreciprocated love.”
You hated saying it. Disliked it even more when Kid’s eyes narrowed at you in response and his expression told you that he’d already known that. You rolled the petal between your fingers and then put it on your desk carefully. You’d need it to do some further research in the morning.
“The good news is, you’re not going to die within the week,” you told him. “It’s in its early stages for now.”
“Yeah, I got that,” he muttered. “Started this morning.”
“So, what’s your plan to fix it?”
The syringes on your desk moved. Their needles turned toward Kid and you immediately reached for a box and placed it firmly over them before he could impale himself in irritation.
“You’re the doctor!” he snapped. “Why don’t you tell me how to fix it? How do I make this shit stop?!”
“The cause points fairly clearly toward the cure. If you fix the unreciprocated love, you fix the flowers. But I can’t do that for you.”
The boxes on your shelving were beginning to rattle. The metal tools inside shivered against one another with an awful, screeching sound. You looked toward them with a small sigh.
“Seems like a pretty stupid time to tell somebody you’re interested in them,” he said through gritted teeth. “What if they don’t care? You’re not going to change that by coughing up fucking flowers into their laps!”
“I need you to repel instead of attract,” you said as the needles of the syringes hit the sides of the box with soft plinking sounds.
“Don’t tell me what to do!”
“Watch me,” you responded. “Repel. Or you’re going to end up buried under a pile of my supplies and I’m going to have to dig you out.”
“Are you saying I can’t control my fruit?”
“Prove to me you can.”
He scoffed and the tools stopped moving. You eased some of the pressure on the box but kept your hand firmly over it. Kid had very good control over his magnetism but it never hurt to ensure he didn’t impale himself.
He coughed again, much softer as though he kept it locked in his chest through irritation alone.
“Thank you,” you said. “Now, my first actual question is do you know if it’s actually unreciprocated or are you assuming? Like have you said something, not yelled it, before?”
“None of your fucking business.”
“I’m trying to keep you alive,” you reminded him, even as it stung at the edges of your heart.
“Yeah, well don’t bother. I don’t need to sit here and worry myself over some stupid flower petals when we have actual problems.”
He turned on his heel and marched from the room. You watched the door slam shut and looked down at the petal on your desk. The bright red turned your stomach even as it began to dry. Kid wasn’t going to share the source of the disease. It was time to look for a cure.
But you had no idea where to start.
You told the rest of the crew he was ill and took to collecting the petals – despite his very, very loud complaints about both. Most of the petals were red and though a few varied in colour, the majority shared the same shade. You weren’t sure if it meant anything. But you were skipping over no details in your research.
Most of what you found was useless. There were artistically rendered plants curling through painted lungs, long passages about the purity and suffering of love, and far too many accounts that ended with a name and a date of death. Those were the only records that offered anything practical.
You bought every book that mentioned the disease. At each port, you cornered doctors in cramped offices and overcrowded clinics, asking for notes, case histories, anything they had kept. More than once, Kid’s coughing carried through an open window or down the street behind you, wet and unmistakable, and you kept talking as though you couldn’t hear it.
It wasn’t great. Desperation grew in you much like the flowers in his lungs. There had to be a solution but what it was…
When you worked out a progression chart, you cornered him in his workshop.
The room smelled of iron when you stepped in. There were too many petals here for your comfort, gathering on the desk and in the corners. They looked wrong among the wrought metal and iron dust, too soft and bright for anything in Kid’s workshop. He immediately gave you a look, mouth opening as though to tell you to get out. You beat him to speaking.
“The moment it progresses from petals to flowers, you need to tell me.”
“I’m not giving you a fucking inventory!”
You crossed your arms over your chest. “You came to me first. That means that I’m now responsible for monitoring how bad this gets. So, if it gets worse, you tell me.”
“I didn’t go there to get myself a fucking nanny,” he retorted. “Why don’t you go back and wait for an actual injury to arrive? Wire’ll probably slice his stomach open again.”
You put your hands firmly on the table in front of his metal arm. A thin layer of dust and iron shavings pressed into your palms. “And if he did, I think I’d have a better chance of keeping him alive than you right now.”
“I’m fine.”
“I firmly disagree.”
The door opened before he could retort. Both your heads snapped toward Killer, who paused on the threshold without looking particularly interested in whatever he had interrupted. Fine. If Kid wasn’t going to be forthcoming, you knew who actually respected your knowledge.
“Killer, if you see him cough up even one flower, tell me immediately.”
“Okay.”
“Hey!” Kid snapped. “Don’t set spies on me on my ship! If there’s a problem, I can tell you myself!”
“Will you?”
Whatever answer he wanted to give you was lost in a sudden flurry of coughs. You watched another red petal drift to the ground. It was a raw and uncomfortable sound; like air pushing through leaves. You winced in sympathy.
“Is it contagious?” Killer asked.
“Not from what I know,” you said. “It’s rare. Very much so but there’s always a chance of it developing if somebody chooses not to share. But it is fatal. If it gets worse, I think I’ll have to contact Trafalgar.”
Kid’s glare pierced through you. “What the fuck does he have to do with this shit?”
“I think he might be able to remove the infection,” you said. “He could take your lungs out with minimum damage and find out if there’s a physical source. It’s only speculation on my side but seeing as you’re insisting on the hard cure instead of the easy one…”
“There’s an easy cure?” Killer asked.
“Yes. Easier for most people at least. If he would just open his mouth and talk for a second, he’d be fine.”
“Would it still count if it was yelling? Because that’s more likely.”
“Don’t you start now!” Kid barked.
You gave him a look and made your way out the workshop, mind running far too fast. The Victoria felt colder than ever, even when you stood on the deck in the sun. Trafalgar wasn’t a bad option. If there was a physical plant, he would be the best choice to remove it.
If you could convince him to help.
It took less than two days for Killer to rap his knuckles against the metal door of your office. “He’s struggling to breathe.”
Kid had been very good at avoiding you. You’d hoped to observe him going about his usual day but that felt impossible anymore. Even finding him when you were looking turned out to be difficult until you cornered him near the helm.
You snuck up on him, feeling rather like a cat approaching a particularly skittish bird, and caught his arm, hands firm against his bicep.
“Hey!”
“No,” you said. “I’m examining you.”
He tugged on his arm. He could have taken it back. You knew he was strong enough to, even while he coughed up petals, but he followed you to the infirmary with little more than a barked complaint.
“Stay here,” you said after he was sitting on one of your beds.
He rolled his eyes. “You’re overreacting.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for. How’s your breathing been?”
“Still breathing.”
“Take a deep breath.”
“You’ve heard me breathe.”
You gave him a look and he dragged in an exaggerated breath, only for it to break apart into a violent cough. Petals splattered over his hand and the metal floor. At least six or seven, flecked with blood. You leaned down to pick them up, purposefully not looking at him until they were on your desk. You reached for your stethoscope.
“Has it been interrupting your sleep?”
“Listen to my damn lungs and leave the rest alone.” His voice rasped painfully before he cleared his throat.
He said it far too quickly for that to not have been an answer in its own right.
You stepped closer and put a hand on his right shoulder. He stiffened before he allowed you to push him straight, nudging his arm down so you could examine his chest easier.
“Do you know what I don’t understand?” you asked as you held the stethoscope to his side. “You’ve never had any problems telling people what you think of them before. What’s so different about this?”
That had long been the reason you never acted on your own feelings. You couldn’t imagine a world where Kid, of all people, didn’t immediately follow what he wanted. If he shared your interest, you felt confident that you would have known by now.
He didn’t answer you.
One lung was definitely stronger than the other. His right one made a terrible crackling sound every time he inhaled though the left wasn’t without flaw either.
You pressed your lips together. “Shirt off.”
For a second, he didn’t move. He was staring at you with an unreadable, almost accusatory expression. As though a forced medical exam for the disease was the same as making him jump into the ocean.
You tapped your foot impatiently. “What?”
“Nothing.”
Kid pulled the shirt off and dropped it to his side. You stepped around him and listened again, hoping to any god that would listen that you had just heard the fabric moving. His breaths rasped and the fear you’d been keeping at bay moved forward.
This wasn’t a mysterious disease that existed only as a name on a page. You could hear the obstruction in his lungs clearly.
You hung the stethoscope around your neck and stepped away. “If you die because of this, I’m going to be so fucking pissed. Have you coughed up any blood without the petals?”
“No,” he muttered. “Just these stupid things. Why are they red anyway? In all those books of yours, they’re pink or white.”
“No idea,” you admitted, not missing the confession that he’d been looking through your books when you weren’t around. “Maybe they’re taking the colour from your hair. They’ll turn you grey within the next month.”
“Funny.”
You hummed and picked up a tongue depressor. “Open.”
He clicked his tongue but followed your instructions. His throat was red and inflamed. You could see a petal stuck at the back and you gently pulled it out with a pair of tweezers. Kid’s nose wrinkled at the sensation.
You examined it under the light and sighed. “I wish you would help me here. I do like you alive and breathing.”
He immediately leaned away from you, arm crossing over his chest. “Really no other way to make this shit stop?”
“Not from what I’ve learned,” you said. “Maybe you can buy yourself some more time if you avoid the source but that’s mostly a rumour. No evidence to prove it helps. And I imagine it isn’t anybody on board the Victoria anyway so…”
“The hell’s that supposed to mean?”
The words hurt to admit but you said them anyway. “I just can’t imagine you not telling somebody when you see them every day. That’s all.”
“Can’t say anything at all when there’s flowers everywhere.”
“That’s actually a pretty good reason to do it,” you pointed out.
“Why? To blackmail the ‘right’ response?”
Another coughing fit began and you quickly pulled the stethoscope free to listen at his side. His right lung was really struggling to draw breath. The laboured pulls made your heart twist horrifically.
The disease was progressing quicker than it should have. If there was another way to get this removed, it would have to be your solution.
“You’re being stubborn,” you muttered as he finished. “You know that right?”
“Shut up.”
“At best, you have a few weeks before you’re bringing up full flowers. And at that point, we’re almost out of options.” You stepped away to get a glass of water from the sink. “I think it’s time to decide what you’re going to do.”
Kid rubbed his chest and roughly thumped against it with a fist. A couple more petals escaped as he did so.
“I’ll figure something out.”
“Do I need to schedule a reroute?”
“No. Something else. Stop worrying about this, would you? I don’t want you fussing over flowers if somebody’s actually dying.”
“I hate to tell you this but you’re the one that’s actually dying.”
“Whatever. You done?”
You held out the glass of water to him. “With the examination, yes but –”
“Good.”
Kid stood, grabbed his shirt from the table and marched out the medical bay. You watched him go, water still held out in front of you until you stopped hearing his boots down the hall.
The petals worsened while you waited for him to ‘figure it out’ and you stopped gathering them, unable to store nearly enough. They weren’t helping your research anyway. You dumped most over the side of the ship and let them float away, swallowed by the surf.
Eventually, waiting was going to take too long.
Kid could hate you when he could breathe again. For now, you spoke to the others about possible rerouting to search for the Heart Pirates. It would be far from easy to track them down and your time was already short. If they even help… well, you’d have to figure that part out first then.
You were busy making notes of the progression of his symptoms, scratching down proof of his deterioration with a steady hand, when the door flew open once more.
The ink skipped over the page, bleeding through it steadily. You looked up.
Kid closed the door behind him this time before he approached, each breath lifting his chest in a shallow pull beneath his coat. His face was pale beneath his usual anger and fresh blood lingered at the corner of his mouth.
He crossed the room and threw something onto your desk. It landed across your notes with a wet, heavy sound. A complete flower lay across the paper, its crimson petals spread wide and slick with blood almost the same shade.
Kid didn’t meet your eyes. He glared firmly at the air beside you as you nudged the flower with the back of your pen.
“Alight,” you said. “We can’t mess around with this anymore. Either we speak to Trafalgar to see if he can remove it or you need to talk to whoever this is for.”
Kid’s jaw tightened. His arm twitched over his chest. You waited, unwilling to yield even as panic curled through your own heart like a traitorous poison. Part of you dreaded learning who the flower was for, but that selfishness had no place here. Not when the answer might be the only thing capable of stopping it.
“This is fucking stupid,” he muttered.
“Unfortunately, sickness is rarely fair,” you said. “I would be grateful that it’s something with a solution rather than something incurable. It could always be worse.”
He finally met your eyes. “And if I say it and they still don’t want me? Then what?”
“I don’t know,” you said. “I don’t know what’ll happen because this is a very rare disease to begin with. Any details I can find are anecdotal at best. But isn’t it at least worth a try if it can fix all this?”
He shrugged.
“You’re going to die choking on flowers if you don’t. Do you really want me to have to put ‘died from being stubborn’ on your grave?”
“Fuck off. If you put that shit on my grave, I’m coming back to toss you in the ocean.”
“Honestly, I’d rather not have to think about what I want to write on a headstone at all,” you said. “So, can I contact Trafalgar? I’ll talk to him and see if he’s going to be able to remove at least some of the blockage. It might not be a full cure but it can fix some of it until you grow a pair.”
Kid’s eye twitched faintly and his lip curled up. “Are you calling me a coward?”
Good. He was getting annoyed. Maybe if you pressed on his pride enough, he’d just snap and do it so you could eliminate it as an option. Either it worked or… or you had to keep searching but at least it was a chance.
You’d take any chance at this point.
“Yes,” you said simply.
Red was creeping up his neck as he turned to you fully. “You don’t know anything about this shit.”
“No,” you said. “I don’t and as much as I could guess, that won’t get me any further. I know you probably haven’t found some random woman on the coast and decided she’s worth dying for so at least it narrows it down to people I know. I suppose I should just ask Killer, right? You two have always had the same taste.”
“Don’t get him involved in this crap.”
“What other option do I have?” you asked. “I have no solution. You certainly haven’t brought me some miracle cure over the past few days and you can’t punch it out of your own lungs. I know of exactly one magical surgeon who has the potential to help and that’s it.”
Kid scoffed. “Yeah, I’ve noticed. You haven’t shut up about him for days.”
“What?”
“Constantly fucking yapping about Trafalgar,” he said. “Keep saying his name like that and I’ll dump you on his deck myself.”
You picked up the flower from your desk and created a small circle with your thumb and index finger. “Do you see this?” you asked. “This is the size of your trachea, okay?” You placed the flower against it and tried to tug it through. It barely fit. “Do you see why I’m so worried about the next one?”
“Obviously I know what the problem is!” he snapped. “I’m the one who brought the thing up!”
“Then why are you so annoyed that I’m asking somebody else to help keep you alive?” you asked.
“Never said I cared about it. Just mentioned that it’s all you’ve been going on about.”
“Because I don’t have anything else! Every book I read and every person I speak to says that this is fatal! And I think I have a better chance of nagging you into a surgery than I do at forcing you to speak about your feelings!”
He glowered but there was something closer to uncertainty behind his expression. “There has to be another cure.”
You tossed the flower down and stood finally, bracing your hands against the desk. “That’s why I’m thinking about the one fruit that I know might be able to help.”
“It doesn’t make sense anyway,” he said. “I’m not the only person on this ship who’s kept his mouth shut about something this stupid. How come nobody else has had to deal with a fucking plant in their chest?”
“I don’t know,” you admitted. “Honestly, I don’t know why it chose you when it could have just as easily taken to my lungs. But what I do know is that if it had, I would be damned before I sat around here making the rest of you watch me slowly suffocate!”
“Guess it would have been easier if that happened, right? We’d just change directions and fix it within the week.”
“What are you on about?”
Kid gestured and your desk lamp began to topple. You caught it and shoved it under your table before it spilled paraffin over everything.
“If you caught this fucking disease,” he said. “And you were covering my ship in rose petals or whatever the hell they are –”
“This is a tulip,” you told him.
“I don’t care! I’m just saying it would be simpler because then we could load you up and send you to profess your love at the bottom of the sea without having to worry about fucking up anything here!”
He’d confused you enough that you had to take a second to respond. A small cough took over him while you processed the implications. Two petals dropped to the floor.
“Are you implying that I’m in love with some random surgeon I’ve met a grand total of once?” you asked. “Is that what you’re saying?”
“Only met him once but you never stop talking about him.”
“Because he’s the only doctor I know who could open your lungs without killing you! If that little rat thing on Straw Hat’s crew could do it, I’d have sailed us there instead!”
Kid blinked at you, the glare remaining as though he had forgotten to let it drop. The desk gave a low scrape beneath your palms. You glanced down as its metal feet dragged a fraction across the floor. Unusual. Even when annoyed, Kid rarely disturbed the furniture.
“Then who?” he asked.
“What?”
“You said you could have caught this,” he said. “Imagine you did. Where the hell would we be sailing to?”
You stepped around the desk and walked closer so you stood in front of him, head tilted up. “What? Do you want some kind of exchange? Where I give you my secret and you tell me yours? If that was all you wanted, you should have asked me days ago. I’ll tell you anything if you give me a solution.”
He breathed out through his nose slowly. You waited. His gaze flicked to the flower where it lay on the table and then back to you.
“Fine,” he said. “Where would we go?”
The confession lodged briefly in your throat. Then Kid dragged in another shallow breath, and embarrassment stopped mattering.
“We wouldn’t need to change course at all,” you said. “I wouldn’t even step out of this room.”
Recognition flickered over Kid’s face too quickly. It was replaced by an irritation that didn’t fit well enough; a default expression he couldn’t hide behind right now.
“Say it clearer.”
You gave him a look. “You’re not stupid, captain. And there’s no invisible man standing in the corner.”
“Doesn’t matter. Say it better than that.”
“It’s you,” you said. “If I got sick, I would have come to tell you.”
He grabbed your arm without warning and pulled you into him, lips against yours before you had a second to realise what was happening. He tasted like blood. Awful and sharp against your palate and yet you kissed him back without hesitation.
There was no thought behind it. No sensible pause to question why. Your arms were caught against his chest as he dragged you closer until there was no space between you. He kissed with the same aggression he brought to everything else; his teeth caught your lip, and his grip tightened when you tried to pull back for air.
Metal shifted throughout the room.
Something struck the floor behind you. Your chair scraped against the ground as the instruments in your drawers rattled against one another.
Years of wanting him rose through you all at once. Every feeling you had forced quieter broke loose beneath the pressure of his mouth. You could feel his heart hammering against your arms, could taste the blood on his mouth and your thoughts stumbled back into place.
You pulled back sharply.
Your breathing came unevenly and his was even worse, each inhale rough and rasping.
“Your turn,” you said.
Kid had frozen, his shoulders tense and his jaw tight. “You need more of an answer?”
You snatched the flower from your desk and threw it against his chest. “You nearly died for me! You absolute bastard, yes! I need more than a fucking kiss! Do you have any idea how much I’ve been worried! Any idea of how… I want to hear your fucking reason for why you didn’t just tell me at the beginning!”
The metal in the room quietened. Something clattered loudly to the ground nearby but neither of you looked to it.
Then he shrugged. “Didn’t want some pity lie just because I was choking.”
“Fine,” you said. “But why not before you brought up triple your lung capacity in flower petals?!”
“Just didn’t think you were interested.”
“In what?” you said. “In you? How would you ever think that?! I’ve been in love with you for so long that it’s a running joke amongst all the other women!”
He flinched at that. Good. He deserved to.
“I was going to tell you,” he said. “When I saw the fucking petals, I figured I’d just come here and say something to get it to stop. But then you saw the damned things and I couldn’t just say it anymore.”
“Yes, you could have.”
“You would have pretended even if you didn’t care.”
“Why would you think that?”
“You’d say whatever kept me breathing. Don’t act like you wouldn’t.”
“Yes,” you agreed. “Because I’m in love with you. And, by the way, you still haven’t told me.”
“Fine!” he snapped. “You need me to tell you it directly? You. It’s been you since that first time you came at me with a needle and told me my arm would rot off.”
You stilled, momentarily paused because that… that was ages ago. That was long before you’d even agreed to follow him around the world. That was back when you still found him intimidating and you’d yet to learn that for all the bluff, staring him down was the best way to quieten his moods.
“What?” he barked when you were quiet for too long. “Don’t stare at me like that.”
You shook your head. “Kid… You know… I just… fuck you.”
You gave up looking for words and just reached for him instead. He met you halfway, mouth harsh against yours as you dragged him to you. Relief pushed through the last of your anger as you focused on just him.
Then he coughed.
You tore yourself away immediately.
He bent forward, bracing himself against the edge of your desk as the coughs dragged through him. They sounded just as vicious as before, deep enough to turn your stomach and for a horrible moment, you feared the cure was as much a myth as you’d thought the disease had been.
You caught his shoulder just as something fell from his mouth and splattered over the floor.
Not another full flower. Nothing fresh or bright.
The petals were wilted, curling in on themselves. You knelt down to consider them and Kid wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as he coughed once more and inhaled.
You looked up at him. “Go sit on one of the beds.”
“I’m fine.”
“You said that when you sounded like you had gravel in your lungs. Go.”
He glared but sat on one of the beds anyway, grumbling beneath his breath while you grabbed a stethoscope. You tugged up his shirt before he could protest and pressed it against his ribs.
The crackling hadn’t disappeared completely. His lungs still sounded irritated and you suspected they would be for some time after everything he’d put them through but the obstruction was easing. Air moved where it hadn’t before.
The relief almost hurt as you breathed out.
“Feels better,” he muttered.
“Good. Then it’ll feel even better tomorrow. You’re staying here to rest until I can be certain it’s continuing to improve.”
Kid’s eyes narrowed. “What? No.”
“You have potentially damaged lungs, and blood loss so I need to watch you. And it’s also punishment,” you said. “For making me stress so much.”
He gave you a flat look but didn’t try to stand again.
You kissed him once more, to be certain he was still there. His lips still carried a trace of iron but his breathing had steadied. Each inhale came deeper than the last, no longer catching whatever had been growing inside him.
you and ace spent a night together years ago, and meet again years later as you find out he’s your captain’s big brother.
tags: sfw, implied sexual content, straw hat reader, fluff, awkward reunion, past one-night stand, everyone lives au
a/n: as we clarified, I don't write alternate universe aus, so I made a canonverse one but of course, doing so, the fic probably have a different mood from what you wanted. I made it longer and fluffy, to apologies for it. hope you'll enjoy it anyway
The streets of Nanohana are loud and somewhere nearby Luffy is already causing trouble.
“ACE!!” his voice echoes through the whole town.
You sigh “I found Luffy...”
Nami pinches the bridge of her nose “Of course he has to scream…”
Usopp points ahead “Hey! Who’s that?”
Standing on the roof of a small restaurant there’s a tall man wearing an orange cowboy hat with two strange faces on it.
Freckles and a confident grin on his face.
He jumps down easily “Luffy!”
The two laugh as they crash into each other in a hug, making everyone smile automatically.
Well… everyone but you.
Because the second he lands in front of Luffy...your heart stops and you freeze.
That can't be...
He turns his head and his eyes meet yours.
Your brain suddenly throws you years into the past, in a small port town, with rain outside and a crowded tavern.
Too much drinking and too much laughing.
A handsome stranger with freckles. His smile… his voice asking “Want to get out of here?”
The next morning his jacket was on the floor and your clothes everywhere. And you remember leaving before he wakes up because staying felt too embarrassing.
He was…
‘Did he tell me his name...? No… Or maybe he did and I forgot? Oh my god… Please don’t recognise me… please.’
Ace blinks once, then his eyes become just a little wider.
‘He remembers. HE REMEMBERS.’
Luffy grabs Ace by the shoulders “Everyone! This is my big brother, Ace!”
Ace waves “Nice to meet you all.”
Everyone starts introducing themselves.
“I’m Nami.”
“Vivi!”
“Usopp!”
“Sanji.”
“Chopper!”
Luffy throws an arm around your shoulders and Zoro’s “This is Y/N and this is Zoro! They just really like bodyguarding!”
Zoro just gives him a small movement of his face while you just smile and then offer your hand, saying “I’m Y/N. Nice to meet you.”
Ace stares at you and doesn’t shake your hand.
‘Please don’t.’
Then he says “…Didn’t we meet before?”
Your soul leaves your body.
Sanji immediately steps between you “Oi.” his smile disappears “That’s a strange thing to say to a lady you’ve just met.”
Usopp quietly leans toward Nami “Is he about to say ‘We met in my dreams’?”
Nami whispers back “If he does, Sanji will kick him into another country.”
You laugh… maybe a little too loudly “Haha! No, I don’t think so!”
Ace tilts his head, still staring “Really?”
“Yep.”
“Huh…” he scratches his cheek “That’s weird.”
‘Please stop talking. Please stop remembering.’
He looks genuinely confused “You look really familiar.”
You shrug “Maybe I have one of those common faces.”
“Yeah… no.”
Luffy laughs “Y/N is easy to remember!”
“That’s not what I—” Ace stops himself.
You silently beg him with your eyes: ‘Please. Don’t.’
He notices and then his eyebrows move up slightly.
A few minutes later everyone enters the restaurant.
Ace immediately starts eating.
Actually he destroys food, just like Luffy. Plate after plate disappears.
Sanji watches with horror “He’s almost as bad as Luffy…”
“Almost?” Luffy asks.
“Don’t make me compare you two.”
Ace laughs “Sorry.”
Another mountain of food arrives.
You quietly sit between Nami and Chopper. Far, very far, from Ace.
Perfect and safe until Ace casually gets up, walks around the table and sits right across from you.
‘Why? WHY?’
He smiles politely “Mind if I sit here?”
“Actually…”
“Great.” he sits.
You blink.
He eats another piece of meat while looking at you every few seconds and you pretend to not notice, but of course you’re failing very badly.
Then, as everyone is busy fighting over dessert, he speaks quietly enough that only you hear “You’re really sure we’ve never met?”
Without looking at him, you answer, “Pretty sure.”
“Huh…” another bite “Because I have a really good memory.”
You get nervous and instead of thinking, you say, irritated “No you don’t.”
He says nothing and just keeps watching you.
You drink your water too quickly and so you cough.
Chopper immediately jumps up “Are you okay?!”
“Y-Yeah!”
Ace hands you his cup without thinking “Here.”
Your fingers touch for one second and another memory flashes through your head.
His hand holding yours, his laugh and his warm skin.
You immediately pull back “Thanks.”
Ace narrows his eyes.
Then something around your wrist catches his attention, a tiny faded scar, very small, almost impossible to notice.
His eyes suddenly become wide.
Years ago… that night you met you accidentally cut yourself while trying to open a bottle with a knife, he had laughed and then gently cleaned the wound himself.
That’s how it even started.
You almost choke again.
Ace slowly looks up, right into your eyes.
He figured it all out.
A slow grin appears on his face, not teasing but a little shocked and definitely a little amused.
He leans forward just enough that only you can hear, again “...Oh.”
You smile through pure panic “What?”
He whispers, “Now I remember.”
You whisper back immediately “No, you don’t.”
“…I definitely do.”
Your smile becomes painfully stiff “You definitely don’t. It wasn’t me.”
Ace tries very hard not to laugh, and unfortunately Luffy notices “What are you two whispering about?”
You both answer at exactly the same time “Nothing!”
Everyone at the table turns to look at you in silence.
Usopp slowly points at the two of you “…That’s suspicious.”
Ace coughs into his fist, while you suddenly become very interested in your drink.
Sanji’s eyes move from Ace to you and then back to Ace.
His eyebrow twitches “…I don’t like this.”
Ace smiles innocently “Neither do I.”
You kick him under the table, hard enough that he nearly bites his tongue, but somehow he still has the nerve to smile.
The group leaves the restaurant together.
Vivi looks around seriously before turning to everyone “We should split up for now and look around for information. We might hear something useful.”
Nami nods “Good idea.”
Luffy stretches his arms behind his head “Sounds easy enough!”
Then he suddenly turns toward Ace “Ace! Are you joining us?”
Ace’s eyes flick to you for the shortest moment, and a smile slowly appears, the kind of smile you already hate.
He simply says “Why not.”
‘Oh no.’
The groups begin forming naturally.
Nami gestures toward you “Come on. Let’s check the market.”
You take one step toward her.
“I’ll go with you.” Ace’s voice comes from right behind you.
You stop and very slowly, you turn around. You look at him like he just suggested walking through the desert barefoot and ask him “Don’t you want to spend time with your brother?”
Ace glances over.
Luffy is already dragging Zoro and Chopper toward a food stand “LOOK! MEAT!”
“I’m not carrying you if you eat too much.” Zoro grumbles.
Chopper smiles innocently.
Ace chuckles “Seems like he’s having fun with the green head and the reindeer.”
You let out a long sigh and before you can answer him, Sanji suddenly appears between the two of you and says “She’ll go with me.”
Ace raises an eyebrow “Will she?”
Before either of you can continue Usopp rushes over with tears already forming “WHAT ABOUT ME?!”
He grabs Sanji’s arm dramatically “Please don’t leave me aloneeeee!”
Sanji groans “You’re unbelievable…”
For exactly two seconds his attention is on Usopp, and that’s all Ace needs to reach over, grab your wrist, and start walking.
“Come on.”
“W-Wait, Ace!”
You stumble after him.
Behind you, Sanji finally notices “OI!”
Nami cups her hands around her mouth “Back at the Merry in one hour! Don’t be late!”
Ace waves without even turning around “Got it!”
A few minutes later the noisy streets become quieter and the crowd grows thinner.
You finally pull your arm free “You can let go now.”
Ace does immediately, and then he looks at you, his teasing smile returns “So…”
He slips his hands into his pockets “Why are you pretending not to know me?”
You freeze “I…”
Your voice comes out much weaker than you wanted “I don’t remember you.” a pause “Maybe you’re confusing me with someone else.”
Ace laughs quietly, making your cheeks warm.
“Oh, dear.” he shakes his head “I remembered you the second I saw you.”
He smiles softly “You think I’d forget that night? Forget you?”
Your face immediately burns, so, without another word, you walk past him very quickly… anything to hide your expression.
He follows “For the record…” he speaks casually, like he’s discussing the weather “it was probably the best night of my life.”
You almost trip but he continues “I remember everything about it. I remember your laugh, your body, the way you—”
“STOP.” you spin around, grab his arm, and pull him into a narrow side alley before anyone can hear.
The street is cool and shaded and, most importantly, empty.
You immediately point a finger at him “Okay, listen.”
You lower your voice “I didn’t know my captain would have been your brother!”
Ace crosses his arms, still smiling.
You throw your hands into the air “You never even told me your name! So every time Luffy talked about ‘Ace’, I had no idea it was you!”
Ace scratches the back of his neck “Didn’t you ever see my wanted poster?”
You stare at him, then narrow your eyes “Did you see mine?”
His confident smile disappears and he thinks for a second, then sighs “…Fair point.” another second passes “Who actually spends time looking at other pirates’ wanted posters?”
A tiny smile almost escapes you but instead, you shake your head “Exactly.”
You take a deep breath “Look...”
Your voice becomes quieter, more serious “No one has to know what happened years ago.”
You meet his eyes “Just forget about it.”
Without waiting for an answer, you walk away and Ace follows after some seconds “What if I don’t want to?”
You don’t answer, because your attention shifts to a little boy sitting on the ground nearby. He sniffles while rubbing his knee and a basket of fruit has fallen beside him.
You kneel immediately “Hey.” your voice becomes gentle “Are you okay?”
He nods, even though tears still fill his eyes.
You notice a small scrape on his knee, nothing serious.
You smile “You’re very brave.”
You help him stand, brush the sand off his clothes, and hand him the fruit that rolled away.
The boy smiles shyly “Thank you, miss.”
“Be careful next time.”
He nods happily before running away.
Ace hasn’t moved, he simply watches the whole thing quietly. His teasing smile is gone.
You walk past him, without even looking at him, your voice is calm and cold “Do whatever you want.” a few more steps “I just don’t want the crew to know.”
Finally, you glance back over your shoulder, your expression is firm “Can you do that? Can you just keep your mouth shut?”
For the first time since ever, Ace is at a loss of words and just nods before you keep on walking.
For the rest of the hour you don’t give Ace a single chance. Every time he opens his mouth you’re already walking away.
A merchant selling spices? You go ask for information. An old woman carrying water? You go ask things like “Sorry to bother you. Have you heard anything about the palace?”
A fisherman. A traveler. A baker. A family.
You move from one person to another without stopping and Ace simply follows, hands in his pockets, watching and waiting.
Every now and then he opens his mouth only for you to immediately interrupt.
“Thank you for your time!” you say and leave.
He sighs.
Five minutes later… he tries again “Y/N—”
You turn toward another stand “Excuse me! Can I ask you something?”
Ace rubs his forehead “…You’re doing this on purpose now.”
You smile sweetly “Doing what?”
“Ignoring me.”
“I’m helping my crew.”
“You’re hiding.”
“Working.”
“Running away.”
“Gathering information.”
“Coward.”
You stop, turn around and smile at him, obviously irritated by that and you say “Idiot.”
He laughs “That’s the first honest thing you’ve said to me today.”
You stick your tongue out before walking away again.
Half an hour later Ace has somehow become your unwanted shadow.
You ask another shopkeeper a question, Ace leans against the wall nearby.
You help an old man pick up dropped vegetables, Ace helps without even being asked. You thank the old man and Ace is already carrying the heavy basket for him.
The old man laughs “You two make a lovely couple.”
You almost drop the vegetables “WE AREN’T!”
At the same time Ace smiles “Thank you.”
You elbow him hard.
“Ow.”
“Good.”
A few streets later a little girl runs into you by accident and then she immediately hides behind her father.
You kneel “It’s okay.”
The girl peeks out and she notices the flower tucked behind your ear, a flower the old man gave you as to thank you for your help. Her eyes sparkle “Pretty…”
You smile and take the flower out “Do you want it?”
She nods excitedly and so you gently place it in her hair.
The girl beams while her father bows gratefully before walking away.
Ace watches quietly.
When you stand up you meet his eyes and he’s smiling.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re staring.”
“Am I not allowed?”
“No.”
“That’s rude.”
“You’ll survive.”
He chuckles “Maybe not.”
The sun begins to lower.
You sigh “We should head back.”
Ace nods.
Then after following you in silence, Ace finally speaks and his voice is softer than before “I don’t think Luffy would care much about us.”
You stop walking immediately and, slowly you turn around, the smile is gone from your face “This is where you’re wrong.”
Your voice is calm “Because there’s no ‘us’, Ace.”
For the first time all day, his smile disappears… he actually looks offended, which surprises you, because you expected another joke.
“There was.” he says and pauses “And there is.”
Your heart skips.
He takes one slow step closer “Otherwise...” he points gently toward you “...you wouldn’t be panicking this much.”
You open your mouth but nothing comes out, so Ace continues “You really think none of them noticed?” he takes another step closer “Or that they won’t notice?”
Your brain completely stops working.
Ace folds his arms “See?”
You finally find your voice “I’m not panicking.”
He raises one eyebrow “Really?”
“Really.”
“You’ve avoided looking directly at me for almost two hours.”
“Because you’re annoying.”
“You’ve called me an idiot three times.”
“Only three?”
He laughs “Actually...” he pretends to think “Four.”
You cross your arms “You deserved all four and even more.”
“Probably.”
He smiles again, but smaller this time “Still doesn’t explain why you’re nervous.”
You point a finger at him “I’m nervous because you keep talking about something that happened years ago without us even knowing our damn names!”
“A very nice thing that happened years ago.”
“Ace!”
A woman walking past glances at you both and she smiles knowingly saying “Young love.”
You almost combust “NO!”
Ace rubs the back of his neck “...Maybe?”
You stare at him “Whose side are you on?!”
“Mine?”
“Wrong answer.” you start walking again, much faster.
Ace easily catches up “You know...”
You refuse to look at him “No.”
“I haven’t actually lied today.”
“Good for you.”
“Everything I said was true.”
You don’t answer, because a small, dangerous part of you believes that too, everything he said. That night wasn’t something you regretted and meeting him now is embarrassing and unexpected, but… you could never forget his laugh, his freckles and even how kind he had been afterward, before you ran away.
You just never expected to see him again, especially not as your captain's older brother.
You shake your head to stop overthinking everything again.
Beside you, Ace steals another glance and thinks “She’s even cuter when she’s flustered.” and that thought definitely doesn’t help him.
By the time the Going Merry comes into view the sky has already turned orange.
You both stop to look at each other.
“…They’re going to kill us.” you mutter.
“Probably, you’re late and got no information.” Ace agrees far too cheerfully.
You climb aboard.
The second your feet touch the deck—“YOU’RE LATE!” Nami’s voice echoes across the ship.
You flinch “Sorry!”
“One hour!” Nami points accusingly “I said one hour!”
Usopp crosses his arms dramatically “We thought desert bandits kidnapped you!”
Chopper nods rapidly “Or giant scorpions!”
Sanji walks over but his eyes immediately land on Ace and then on you.
His eyebrow twitches “Everything alright, my lady?”
Before you can answer Zoro speaks, without even opening his eyes “Took you two long enough.”
You blink “…What?”
Zoro lazily shrugs against the mast “Figured you two wanted privacy.”
Silence.
Your face goes warm “W-WHAT?!”
Even Nami turns toward Zoro “You noticed too?”
“It was obvious.” he replies simply.
“OBVIOUS?!” you squeak.
Usopp gasps dramatically “WAIT! WERE YOU TWO ON A DATE?!”
“NO!”
Sanji slowly cracks his knuckles “…Ace.”
Ace lifts both hands innocently “Hey, don’t look at me.”
He is honestly trying not to laugh, but he’s failing miserably.
You point at him “Don’t you dare smile.”
That only makes it worse because a laugh escapes him and soon he’s laughing so hard he has to hold his stomach.
You glare “You’re the worst.”
“I’ve been told.”
Between laughs, though, he catches your eye for a second and the teasing fades as his smile softens, almost worried, as if he’s silently asking: “Did I push too far?”
The look disappears before anyone else notices, except you… and somehow, that soft, worried glance embarrasses you even more than all of the teasing did.
The teasing slowly dies down.
Mostly because Vivi claps her hands together “Alright.”
Everyone looks at her.
“Did anyone find useful information?”
The smiles disappear and you let out a quiet sigh “No…”
For a second, nobody says anything.
Then Ace speaks “Yeah...”
Everyone looks at him and he scratches his cheek casually “She talked to almost everyone we passed but we didn’t find anything interesting.”
You know exactly why he says it… it’s his quiet way of telling the others not to misunderstand and let them know you weren't distracted by him but you were actually doing your work.
Nami nods “That’s a shame.”
Vivi sighs “At least you tried.”
The conversation moves on and then they begin talking about the next plan.
You glance toward Ace and without saying a word, you give him the smallest smile and a tiny nod as if to thank him.
He gives you a small smile back.
A little while later, Sanji ties on his apron “Dinner will take a while.”
He points his spoon toward everyone “So stay out of my kitchen.”
Luffy immediately tries to sneak closer “Can I taste—”
“NO.”
Luffy pouts dramatically, making Ace laugh “Still the same.”
The brothers sit together on the deck.
Luffy begins talking so fast that half his words don’t make sense.
Ace somehow understands every single word.
The two laugh, shove each other, and argue over food they haven’t even eaten yet.
You find yourself smiling at their cuteness… Luffy looks so happy and Ace laughs with his whole face.
Without realizing it you keep looking for a little too long.
“So…” a voice beside you makes you jump.
Nami and Vivi are both smiling.
Nami crosses her arms “He’s hot, huh?”
You nearly inhale your own saliva “WHAT?!”
You cough so hard Chopper turns around “Are you okay?!”
“Y-Yeah!”
Vivi tries very hard not to laugh and then she says innocently, “We meant his Devil Fruit.”
Nami nods “He’s fire.”
The two of them burst into laughter while your face burns and you say “You’re terrible.”
“Your face says everything.” Nami grins.
You immediately point across the deck “Look! Luffy is eating before dinner again!”
Luffy hears his name and turns around “Huh?”
Then he notices everyone looking at him “What?”
Nami smiles innocently “Y/N thinks Ace is hot.”
...
...
...
You freeze “NAMI!”
Luffy’s eyes become huge and he looks at Ace, then at you and then back at Ace, as a massive grin appears “REALLY?!”
Ace nearly drops the apple he was holding and playing with “What?”
Luffy runs over “Y/N! You like Ace?!”
You wave your hands wildly “NO!”
“Are you sure?”
“YES!”
“Because he’s pretty cool!”
“Luffy!”
“Maybe you can join the family!”
You cover his mouth immediately “STOP TALKING.”
Luffy muffles something against your hand. Ace is laughing so hard he has to look away… even Zoro snorts.
Thankfully Sanji saves you from more humiliation… dinner is finally ready.
Sanji places enormous plates on the table.
Luffy and Ace race toward the food.
“MEAT!”
“HEY! THAT ONE’S MINE!”
“YOU ALREADY HAVE THREE!”
“SO?”
The brothers begin stealing from each other’s plates making Sanji sigh “Animals…”
You quietly sit beside Vivi… unfortunately the only empty seat left across from Ace.
He smiles when he notices but you pretend to be fascinated by your soup.
Dinner is loud.
Usopp tells another exaggerated story as Chopper believes every word.
Zoro eats silently.
Sanji keeps serving Nami, Vivi and you.
Everything feels normal… until Usopp suddenly looks at Ace “So…” he points his fork “What was Luffy like as a kid?”
Ace laughs “Hungry.”
Everyone nods “Makes sense.”
Ace smiles “He’s always been like that.”
Nami tilts her head “Was he always this reckless?”
“Even worse.”
“HEY!” Luffy protests with his mouth full.
Ace begins telling stories about little Luffy, making everyone laugh, even you.
Then Nami asks “And your crew?”
Ace’s smile grows and talks proudly about the Whitebeard Pirates. About how loud they are, how everyone argues and how Whitebeard treats them like family.
You listen carefully, it’s nice hearing him talk and he looks…happy.
Then Ace starts asking questions too “So...”
He looks around the table “What’s it like traveling with Luffy?”
Usopp immediately answers “Terrifying!”
“Fun!” Chopper says.
“Expensive.” Nami sighs.
“Good.” Zoro mutters.
“Wonderful!” Sanji smiles.
Ace laughs and then his eyes move to you “What about you?”
You blink.
He's waiting for your answer.
You clear your throat “It’s…” a small smile appears “…never boring.”
Luffy grins proudly “SEE?”
Ace keeps looking at you, like that answer matters more than the others, and it makes your stomach flutter.
Later, at some point of the dinner, Usopp suddenly asks, “Does your crew have girlfriends or boyfriends?”
Ace nearly chokes on his drink “That’s... random.”
“I’m a curious romantic!”
Ace laughs “Some do.”
Then he casually asks “What about you all?”
Usopp dramatically sighs “Unfortunately… we’re all tragically single.”
“Speak for yourself.” Sanji says, placing a hand on his chest “My heart belongs to every beautiful lady.”
Nami rolls her eyes “That’s not how that works.”
Everyone laughs and Ace smiles before he asks THE question “Anyone here secretly in love?”
Silence.
Then every head slowly turns… toward you.
Your eyes widen “Why are you all looking at me?!”
Usopp shrugs “You looked at Ace for, like... five minutes earlier.”
You nearly fall off your chair “I DID NOT!”
Nami innocently hums “Maybe four.”
Vivi smiles into her drink “It was definitely more than three.”
You hide your face behind your cup “I’m changing crew.”
Luffy immediately raises his hand “You can never leave!”
Ace watches the scene with a smile and then, very casually and very innocently, he asks “So…” his eyes meet yours “None of you secretly have someone waiting for you somewhere?”
The table suddenly becomes much quieter.
You know that question wasn’t really for everyone… it was for you.
You lower your cup, your cheeks are warm again “…No.”
Ace nods once and the corner of his mouth lifts ever so slightly “Good to know.”
You kick him under the table, hard enough to make him hiss through his teeth.
No one notices as they're all too busy answering the question… everyone except Vivi and Nami.
The two women exchange one very amused look but neither of them says a word.
They don't need to.
The way you keep avoiding Ace’s eyes and the way Ace keeps finding them anyway, is becoming harder and harder for everyone to ignore.
Dinner slowly comes to an end even if Luffy is somehow still eating.
Sanji has given up asking where all the food keeps disappearing. Usopp and Chopper are arguing over which desert animal would win in a fight.
Zoro has already fallen asleep against the mast. Nami and Vivi go over maps one last time before calling it a night.
One by one everyone disappears below deck and eventually, the Going Merry becomes quiet.
Sleep doesn’t come.
You quietly go onto the deck, careful not to wake anyone.
The desert night is surprisingly cool.
You lean your arms on the railing and groan quietly at the thought of that loooong day “I don’t think I’ve ever been this embarrassed in my life.”
“Really?”
You jump so hard you nearly fall overboard but a hand catches your elbow before you lose your balance.
Ace.
He lets go immediately “Sorry.”
You press a hand against your chest “One day you’ll give me a heart attack.”
He grins “Worth it.”
“No.”
“Maybe.”
You roll your eyes and then you just sit and Ace sits beside you… not too close but not too far… enough that your shoulders almost touch.
For a while neither of you speaks but the silence isn’t awkward anymore.
Ace looks up “Nice sky.”
You nod “Much better than the desert during the day.”
“Definitely.”
He yawns and you laugh “Already sleepy?”
“Always.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“It’s a talent.”
You smile “I’m not sure sleeping counts as one.”
“It does if you’re really good at it.”
You snort “You’re impossible.”
“I’ve heard that today.”
“More than once.”
“Mostly from you.”
You smile again, without thinking.
After another comfortable silence you sigh “Everyone really liked embarrassing me today.”
Ace laughs quietly “Well…” he looks out at the sea “At least they think you just have a crush.”
You hide your face in your hands “Please don’t remind me…”
Then he continues and his voice is calm, almost thoughtful “They don’t know that you made me spend the most beautiful night of my life with you...”
You slowly lower your hands.
“…and then left me alone like that without even telling me your name.”
You blink.
“…making me search everywhere for you...”
Your breath catches.
“…only to randomly find you in my little brother’s crew.”
You stare at him as he keeps looking at the sea, like he didn’t just completely change the conversation.
You quietly ask “…You searched for me?”
Ace looks over and a small laugh escapes him. He rubs the back of his neck and then nods “Yeah.”
Your heart skips.
“I looked around the island for days.”
Your eyes grow wider “Days?”
“Mm.” he smiles sheepishly “But I never looked into pirates.” he points at you “You told me you were just a traveler.”
You immediately answer “Because I was!”
Your voice echoes a little louder than you intended so you freeze and then take a breath before you continue much more quietly “I mean…”
You look down at your hands “I never even thought about becoming a pirate before meeting Luffy.”
Ace nods slowly as a knowing smile appears “Yeah.” he laughs softly “I get it.”
You tilt your head “You do?”
“That’s how my little brother’s influence works.”
You laugh and the smile stays on both your faces for a while.
Then Ace speaks again but quieter this time “Can I ask you something?”
You nod “Sure.”
He looks at you “…You never looked for me after that night?”
You freeze.
He scratches his cheek awkwardly, then laughs once, but it sounds... nervous and then he asks “Was I so terrible?”
Your head snaps toward him “What?!”
You immediately shake your head and without even thinking the words leave your mouth before your brain can stop them “You were even too good!”
Silence.
Your eyes slowly become wider.
Ace blinks, then the corners of his mouth start lifting.
Your entire face catches fire “I…” you stand up so fast you almost trip “I should go. It’s late.”
You turn around but then a warm hand gently wraps around your wrist, not pulling hard but enough to stop you.
You look down at the hand and then at him.
Ace is trying not to laugh.
He gives your wrist the tiniest tug “Sit.”
You sigh dramatically “…Fine.”
You sit back down beside him, but this time you refuse to look at him.
After a long silence you mumble, “…That was embarrassing.”
Ace smiles “Nah. I’ve been embarrassing myself all day.” he chuckles “This was nothing.”
You finally glance at him and see he’s smiling at the stars, looking completely relaxed.
For some reason… that makes you laugh.
Ace smiles a little wider when he hears it.
The tension that had followed you around the entire day slowly disappears.
Then you feel like answering his question from earlier “About what you asked earlier…”
Ace tilts his head “Hm?”
You take a slow breath “I didn’t look for you.”
He stays quiet, waiting for you to continue.
“…But it wasn’t because you weren’t… good.”
He immediately grins “I figured after your little confession.”
You cover your face “Can we pretend I never said that?”
“Never.”
You sigh dramatically “Worth a try.”
He chuckles.
You look back at the sea “It was just…”
You struggle to find the right words “I never did anything like that before.”
Ace’s smile fades into something gentler.
You continue quietly “I’d never had a… one-night stand.”
The words feel strange to admit out loud.
“I don’t even know why I did that.” a small laugh escapes you “Maybe the drinks.”
Ace smiles “Maybe.”
You shake your head “When I woke up…” you look down at your hands “…I panicked.”
A long pause “So I left.” the memory still makes you cringe “I didn’t even stop to think.”
You laugh awkwardly “I just grabbed my things and left the island.”
Ace listens without saying a word.
“Later…” you shrug “I was way too embarrassed to go back and look for you.”
You smile weakly “Eventually… I hoped I’d just forget about it. Obviously it didn’t work.”
His eyes lift to yours and you laugh softly before you continue “It wasn’t just that night that made me think about you.”
Ace blinks.
You look out at the ocean again “It was everything. The before… when we met.”
A small smile appears “You were funny. You listened. You were kind.”
You laugh quietly “Honestly… at first I thought you were going to be a jerk.”
Ace places a hand over his chest dramatically “I’m wounded.”
You smile “You had that confident smile and that smirk.”
“I still do.”
“Exactly.”
He laughs.
You shake your head fondly “But you weren’t.”
Your voice becomes softer “You were nice before.” a pause “You were sweet during it.”
Your cheeks warm immediately and you cough it off “…And afterward too.”
Ace looks at you quietly.
You continue before you lose your courage “I don’t believe in love at first sight.”
He nods slightly.
“Never have. So I convinced myself…” you sigh “…that you only wanted it to be one fun night.”
Ace opens his mouth but you gently stop him “I know now that I was wrong.”
Finally you look directly at him “I really panicked today when I realized… that you were the Ace Luffy always talked so much about.”
Ace rubs the back of his neck “He really talks that much?”
You laugh “Constantly.”
He groans “Sounds like him.”
You smile and then your expression softens “…But…” you meet his eyes “I’m also happy we got to clear everything up.”
Ace scratches his cheek, looking oddly embarrassed, then he laughs “Wow.”
You blink “What?”
“I’ve never heard you talk this much.”
You gasp dramatically and then you lightly punch his arm.
“Ow!” he laughs anyway “Violence!”
“You deserved it.”
“Probably.” he smiles impossibly softly.
“I’m glad I found you, Y/N.” his voice is barely above a whisper “…Even after all this time.”
Your smile slowly grows and neither of you looks away.
Then Ace shifts, turns his whole body toward you and lifts one hand toward you.
A playful smile returns to his face “Why don’t we reset the game?”
You tilt your head.
He clears his throat dramatically “Hello.” he offers his hand “Nice to meet you.”
A tiny bow follows “I’m Portgas D. Ace.”
His grin grows “You’re cute.” a beat “Are you single?”
You burst into laughter and then, still smiling, you turn your body toward him too.
Your knees almost touch.
You take his hand “I’m Y/N.”
You pretend to think “…And yeah… as a friend of mine with a very long nose likes to say…”
You sigh dramatically “…I’m terrifyingly single.”
Ace laughs so hard he almost loses his balance “That’s a tragedy.”
“The greatest one.”
He doesn’t let go of your hand and neither do you.
The laughter slowly fades, and only smiles remain.
Then, very quietly, Ace asks “Do you kiss on a first date?”
You grin “Apparently… I kiss and do much worse with complete strangers.”
Ace lowers his head with a laugh “Then…”
He looks back at you “…We’re lucky we’re not strangers anymore.”
You nod “Yeah.”
The word comes out almost as a whisper.
Slowly the distance between you disappears. You meet him halfway.
Your lips brush softly against his.
The kiss is slow and gentle. The complete opposite of the first one you shared that first time, because that night had begun with curiosity, and this one begins with honesty.
When you pull away you’re still smiling and so is he.
Ace rests his forehead lightly against yours “Hi.”
You laugh quietly “Hi.”
The next morning, when everyone gathers for breakfast, you and Ace are sitting on opposite sides of the table.
You don’t look at him and he doesn’t look at you, or at least that’s what you’re both trying very hard to make everyone believe.
“Morning.” you say politely.
Ace nods once “Morning.”
Short and simple.
Luffy looks between the two of you “…You’re weird.”
“We’re always weird.” you answer a little too quickly.
“Not this weird.”
Ace calmly drinks his coffee “Maybe we didn’t sleep much.”
You nearly choke on your bread but he doesn’t even glance at you and yet yhe corner of his mouth twitches.
For the rest of the day you both become surprisingly good at acting.
When the crew is together you barely speak. If Ace asks the group a question, you let someone else answer. If you have something to say, you direct it at Luffy or Vivi instead. If your paths cross, one polite nod.
Nothing more.
But… the problem isn’t your words… it’s everything else.
Every time someone makes the group laugh your eyes automatically search for each other.
Whenever one of you disappears for a few minutes, the other somehow always ends up wandering in the same direction.
Later that afternoon you volunteer to refill the ship’s water barrels.
You lift one bucket.
“Need help?”
You don’t even turn around “No.”
Ace laughs “You answered before checking who it was.”
You sigh “Because I knew.”
He steps beside you “I’m offended.”
“Why?”
“You didn’t even sound surprised.”
You pick up another bucket “You’ve been following me for three days.”
“Has it only been three?”
You give him a flat look “Ace.”
He grins “Y/N.”
You try to walk past him but he casually reaches out and catches your hand for just a second. His thumb brushes lightly across your knuckles.
You look down at your joined hands and then back up at him. He’s smiling and you can’t help smiling back and then you just say “You’re impossible.”
“You keep saying that.”
Footsteps.
Both of you hear them at the same time and your eyes widen. Without thinking you shove him away, hard enough that he stumbles backward.
“Ow!” he whispers loudly.
“Someone’s coming!” you hiss.
Ace barely has time to recover before Chopper appears “Oh! There you are!”
You immediately lift the bucket “Just getting water.”
Ace nods seriously “I was... supervising.”
Chopper tilts his head “Why?”
Ace opens his mouth but nothing comes out.
You bite your lip to stop yourself from laughing.
The same thing keeps happening again and again and again.
You see Sanji busy, so you volunteer to help him by bringing vegetables from storage.
You kneel to pick up a basket.
Ace quietly appears behind you “Busy?”
“Very.”
He leans closer… close enough that you can feel the warmth of his shoulder.
“You haven’t smiled at me in...” he pretends to think “…almost fifteen minutes.”
You roll your eyes “What a tragedy.”
He lowers his voice “Maybe you should fix that.”
You smile despite yourself “There.”
“Much better.”
You hear Sanji calling from upstairs, asking if you’re ok.
Without hesitation you place both hands against Ace’s chest and push him away.
He stumbles into a barrel.
“…You know,” he mutters, rubbing his shoulder, “you’ve pushed me away a lot these last few days.”
“Because you keep sneaking up on me!”
“I’m starting to take it personally.”
Another day… you’re standing alone, enjoying the wind.
Ace quietly walks up beside you and neither of you says anything, just your fingers slowly brush against each other.
Then he hooks his little finger around yours, such a tiny gesture that makes your heart melt.
You glance at him and quietly hook your finger around his too.
A soft smile appears on both your faces.
Then—“Y/N!”
Usopp’s voice echoes across the deck, so you both immediately let go at the same time.
“…You know,” he says under his breath, “one day you’re going to throw me overboard.”
“Good.”
“Cruel.”
“Careful. Someone might hear us.”
By the fourth day the crew starts exchanging looks, because your acting has somehow become even stranger.
Ace treats everyone exactly the same, except you. With you, he’s almost too polite.
“Could you pass the salt, Y/N?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
A long silence follows.
Usopp slowly looks at Nami. Nami looks at Vivi. Vivi hides a smile behind her cup.
Sanji narrows his eyes. Luffy keeps eating.
Finally, Zoro opens one eye and looks at you and then at Ace before he quietly says “…You two are terrible actors.”
The entire table goes silent.
Your heart stops and Ace blinks once asking “…What do you mean?”
Zoro shrugs “Nothing.” he closes his eye again “Just saying.”
You and Ace exchange the quickest glance in history, then immediately look away again.
Neither of you notices Nami trying very hard not to smile, or Vivi quietly hiding a laugh behind her drink.
The following morning is peaceful, which usually means something is about to go wrong.
You are down in the Merry’s small storage room, quietly counting what little food is left.
“…Three bags of rice…”
You move one aside.
“A few vegetables…”
Another pile.
“…And Luffy definitely stole half of the dried meat.”
A familiar voice answers from behind you “He absolutely did.”
You don’t even have time to turn around.
Ace wraps his arms around your waist from behind, pulling you gently against him.
“Ace…”
He laughs into your hair “Finally.”
You can hear the smile in his voice.
He turns you around before you can protest and his face is much closer than you expected.
“You’ve been avoiding me all morning.”
“I’ve been working.”
“Same excuse as always.”
You open your mouth to answer but instead, he leans in.
His lips are only a breath away from yours.
You place a hand against his chest “Ace.”
He stops for exactly one second, then he tilts his head with a mischievous grin and instead presses a quick, warm kiss against the side of your neck.
You shiver “Ace!”
He rests his forehead against your shoulder with an exaggerated sigh “Damn it…”
Another sigh “I can’t take this anymore.”
Despite yourself you smile and then gently push him back but not very far, just enough to look at him and say “This is too dangerous, Ace.”
He pouts immediately. You can’t believe the feared commander of the Whitebeard Pirates is looking at you like a disappointed puppy.
Several quiet seconds pass, then his eyes brighten “I’ve got an idea.”
You already don’t like that smile “…That’s never a good sign.”
“Do you want to go on a date with me tonight?”
You blink “…What?”
“A date.”
He says it as if it’s the simplest thing in the world.
You stare at him “How? The crew is going to ask questions if we suddenly disappear together.”
Ace crosses his arms confidently while a smug grin spreads across his face “Don’t worry.”
He taps his chest “I’ve got the perfect plan.”
You narrow your eyes.
He continues “…Just let me handle it.”
You sigh “That’s somehow even more worrying.”
He laughs softly “Everything’s going to be okay.”
You sigh again “Oh. Now I’m definitely worried.”
Lunch arrives and everyone gathers around the table.
Luffy is already eating before Sanji finishes serving. Usopp is telling another impossible story.
Everything is normal… the only strange thing is Ace who’s unusually quiet.
Every few seconds he glances at you and then smiles to himself.
You kick his foot lightly under the table, he looks up and you mouth “What are you planning?”
He smiles wider and after a few more minutes Ace suddenly clears his throat “Hey, Luffy.”
Luffy doesn’t even look up “Hm?” still chewing.
Ace speaks with complete confidence “I’m taking Y/N on a date tonight, so don’t worry about her.”
...
...
...
Silence.
Somewhere at the table a fork hits the floor with a loud clink.
You freeze completely.
Luffy calmly swallows another bite of food, reaches over and steals meat from Nami’s plate as he simply says “Okay.”
He keeps eating, like nothing unusual was said.
Ace slowly turns toward you with the proudest smile you’ve ever seen on his face.
You slowly stand up and point at him “Are… you crazy?!”
Your words finally break the spell that froze the crew.
“WHAT?!” Usopp shouts.
Sanji slams both hands on the table “HOW DARE YOU!”
Then he spins toward Luffy “AND YOU!”
Luffy blinks “Hm?”
“How can you just say ‘okay’?!” Sanji clutches his chest “My dear Y/N can’t go out with...” he glares at Ace “…another man!”
Nami immediately smacks the back of his head “Sit down.”
Sanji obeys instantly “…Yes, Nami-swan.”
Nami turns back toward Ace, much calmer but also much more dangerous “…For how long has this been going on?”
Ace doesn’t hesitate “Way before she even became a pirate.”
Your head snaps toward him “Hey!”
The words leave your mouth before you can stop them “We agreed that doesn’t count!”
Ace smiles at you warmly “It counts to me.”
His voice is so casual it almost doesn’t register.
Then he adds “That’s when I realized I wanted to see you again.”
Your mouth opens but no sound comes out and slowly you sit back down.
You stare at your plate, you take your fork and roll a piece of food around without actually eating it.
Your face is burning.
Luffy finally looks up “Oooh!” he points between the two of you “Before we became brothers?”
Ace sighs dramatically “Not that before, idiot!”
“Oh.” Luffy nods “Got it.”
Usopp suddenly shoots to his feet “WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT!”
He points wildly “YOU TWO KNEW EACH OTHER?!”
“WHEN?!”
“WHERE?!”
“HOW?!”
“WHY DIDN’T ANYONE SAY ANYTHING?!”
You immediately pretend your lunch has become the most interesting thing in the world.
Ace, meanwhile, answers every question with surprising patience.
“Years ago.”
“Different island.”
“We lost touch.”
“Found each other again here.”
Usopp gasps after every answer as if hearing the greatest adventure ever told.
The whole table erupts into questions, even Chopper joins in.
You don’t answer a single one, instead your eyes drift toward Luffy.
He’s smiling and watching Ace with the happiest expression.
Nami notices where you’re looking and she lowers her voice, quiet enough that only you can hear her “…Did you think Luffy wouldn’t approve?”
You don’t answer immediately but then the noise around the table fades into the background, and from your left Zoro speaks without even looking up from his food “He’s happy if you and his brother are happy.”
He shrugs “Isn’t that obvious?”
You look at him in surprise.
Zoro keeps eating and drinking as though he hadn’t said anything important.
A small smile appears on your face and then you let out a quiet breath “…I guess I worried for nothing.”
Across the table Ace is laughing as Usopp fires another impossible question at him.
His smile is bright and relaxed… lighter than you’ve seen it since the day you met again.
He catches your eye for just a second and smiles only a little wider, and without realizing it you smile back.
A little later, Nami casually slips an arm around yours “Come with us.”
You blink “Where?”
“Shopping.”
“What?”
Vivi smiles “For tonight.”
Before you can protest, Luffy appears beside you “Can I come too?”
Nami sighs “Why?”
He shrugs “I’m bored.”
The markets of Alubarna are crowded with fabrics, jewelry and colorful clothes.
For the next hour you become Nami and Vivi's personal doll.
“Try this one.”
“Too fancy.”
“This?”
“Too plain.”
“Turn around.”
“Not bad…”
Luffy sits on a nearby crate eating fruit and every now and then he looks up and says “That one looks nice.”
Nami blinks “…You actually have an opinion?”
“Yep.”
He points toward a simple outfit hanging nearby, it isn’t flashy, just comfortable and elegant without trying too hard.
Very... you.
You change into it and when you step out Vivi smiles first and says “There she is.”
Nami nods “Ace isn’t going to know what hit him.”
Your cheeks immediately warm.
While paying, Vivi quietly asks, “So…” she smiles “How did you two actually meet?”
You hesitate and then you tell them everything… not every little detail, but enough.
When you finish neither of them laughs and neither of them judges.
Nami nods “A little messy.” then she smiles “…But sweet.”
You laugh “Messy is one way to describe it.”
Luffy suddenly speaks up “Ace told me.”
You look at him “About what?”
“That you were scared I’d be upset.”
Your shoulders tense.
Luffy frowns, genuinely confused “Why would I be?”
You blink.
He grins “He’s my brother.” then he points at you “You’re my best friend. You’re family.” another grin “That sounds awesome.”
You feel something unclench inside your chest.
Luffy laughs “As long as he doesn’t make you cry.”
A pause and his smile becomes surprisingly serious “Otherwise I’ll punch him.”
You laugh so hard you almost cry but say “What if he’s the one crying?”
Luffy laughs harder and answers “Means he deserves it!”
This makes you laugh again.
The sun begins to set and the sky turns orange.
You return to the Merry just before dinner.
Ace is already waiting near the dock and the moment he sees you he forgets to breathe.
You stop a few steps away, suddenly feeling shy “…Hi.”
He stares for another second, then smiles “Hi.”
He scratches the back of his neck “…You look beautiful.”
Your heart immediately forgets how to function “Thank you…”
He offers his arm dramatically “May I steal you for the evening?”
You laugh and loop your arm through his “You may.”
Nami, Vivi and Luffy who were with you simply waves at the two of you. You wave back then you see Luffy is about to yell something but Nami hit him and shit him up before he can do anything.
The date is... simple.
A small restaurant tucked away from the busiest streets, with warm lanterns and good food.
Ace insists on pulling your chair out before you sit.
You raise an eyebrow “Trying to impress me?”
“Is it working?”
“…Maybe.”
He places a hand over his heart dramatically “Victory.”
You laugh.
Most of dinner is spent talking about simple things, like favorite foods, childhood stories, places you want to visit, and dreams.
Every now and then your hands brush across the table.
After dinner you walk slowly through the quiet streets, neither of you seems in a hurry for the night to end.
Ace suddenly clears his throat and a teasing smile appears “…So…”
He looks ahead “Should we get a room?”
You glance at him and he’s clearly joking, trying to make you nervous or something.
Instead… you simply nod “…Okay.”
Ace stops walking “…Wait.” he looks at you, then points at himself “…Really?”
You nod again and his confident smile completely disappears “…Are you sure?”
You smile softly “I’m sure.”
He tells you to follow him and then a few minutes later… he leads you through a different street and you notice a small inn.
“…For someone who was joking…” you smile “…you found an inn awfully fast.”
Ace immediately waves both hands “Hey! It’s not like that!”
He laughs awkwardly “I was staying here before I met you guys.”
You giggle “Mhm, sure.”
He blinks “…You’re teasing me?”
“Maybe.”
“…You’re evil.”
“I’m learning from you.”
The room is quiet and for a moment, it’s obvious neither of you knows what to do or say and by the tenth gaze you give each other, you both laugh at exactly the same time.
And like that, the awkwardness disappears.
You step closer, lift a hand to his cheek and kiss him softly.
When you pull back, you smile and say “I loved the date, you can relax.”
He lets out a nervous laugh “I’m trying.”
After he stares at you for a moment, he finally closes the distance and kisses you with softness but also with a bit more hunger than before.
As you kiss him back, the kiss deepens and then you feel his hand going down, to where your shirt ends. He grabs it and pulls it off you, slowly and gentle.
Then he breaks the kiss and looks at you again to ask “Are you sure?”
You have no strength to talk, so you just smile at him and nod.
He nods back and then he removes his own shirt.
The rest of the evening passes wrapped in quiet affection, gentle kisses, and the warmth of finally being together without fear or misunderstandings between you.
It’s totally the opposite of your first time together but it still has that much tension, maybe even more, amplified from love too, now.
Later, you fall asleep curled up in each other’s arms.
The next morning, you wake up first, and careful not to disturb him, you quietly slip into the bathroom and start the shower.
A few minutes later the bathroom door suddenly opens.
Ace appears like a mess, his breathing is uneven and his eyes are wide with panic.
You blink, then it clicks and your expression softens immediately “…Wait. You thought I left again?”
He doesn’t answer, he only gives a small, embarrassed nod, making your heart aches.
You reach for his hand “Hey.” and you smile gently “I’m here.”
He looks at you for another long second and you smile again “Come here.”
You gently tug him toward the shower and the warm water falls around both of you.
Neither of you says much, you simply stand together, close enough that your bodies constantly touch.
Ace wraps his arms around you and then you wash each other’s hair, laughing quietly when he gets soap on his nose.
He cleans you with soap and he steals little kisses from every part of the body he’s cleaning… from your forehead, your shoulder, your cheek, making you smile every single time.
Just tenderness.
When you finally leave the inn later that morning, hand in hand, neither of you knows exactly how you’ll make it work with two different crews sailing different seas, but somehow, neither of you doubts that you will.
After all, you’ve already found each other once against impossible odds.
Finding each other again would always be worth the journey.
Summary: A quiet dinner at one of the Grand Line’s most celebrated sushi restaurants takes an unexpected turn when an old tradition sparks a ridiculous suggestion. Zoro refuses everyone without hesitation… until you ask.
Contains: soft Zoro, established relationship, crew shenanigas, reader and Zoro being Chopper's parents, Zoro showning affection in his own way, food traditions, flustered Zoro
Word count: about 3.4k
A\N: Based on this fun request about eating sushi off Zoro's bicep. Thank you for the idea! I adapted it a bit, so it fits my style better, I hope you like it.
The Sunny rocked gently upon the calm sea, its lion figurehead bathed in hues that shifted from warm gold to deep burnt orange. She waited patiently for the return of the Straw Hats, who had docked that morning at an island renowned throughout the Grand Line for its seafood.
Led by Sanji, whose enthusiasm had emptied nearly every stall in the local fish market, they returned carrying enough rare catches to fill the ship with delicacies none of you had ever had the chance to taste.
“Who cares? Fish is fish,” your boyfriend had grumbled.
You immediately slipped your arm through his, silencing him before the cook’s growing outrage could erupt into another tirade about the marimo’s hopelessly uncultured palate.
“That’s not what he meant, Sanji-kun,” you smiled, watching the cook’s expression soften at once. “He was trying to say that everything you make tastes wonderful.”
The blond all but melted under the praise, while beside you Zoro simply tightened his hold around your waist, drawing you a little closer without a word, his expression as stiff as ever.
Still, despite preaching that food should never go to waste, Sanji had purchased enough seafood not only to feed the crew for a month, but to host several feasts with visiting pirate crews.
Then, barely giving anyone a chance to object, he had practically dragged you all toward the sushi restaurant he’d dreamed of visiting ever since his days aboard the Baratie, positively buzzing with excitement at the chance to learn something new.
“Old geezer used to say if you ever crossed the Grand Line and found yourself on this island, you’d be a fool to leave without eating here.”
By the time you finally arrived, your cook let out a sigh of pure admiration, forcing you to discreetly pinch Zoro more than once to keep him from making one of his usual remarks.
The restaurant wasn’t extravagant so much as quietly timeless. It stood at the very edge of the harbor, where the sea nearly kissed its foundations whenever the tide rose high. From the outside it was surprisingly modest, a weathered cedar building whose dark wooden walls had been polished smooth by decades of salt-laden winds. A faded indigo noren hung across the entrance, its color softened by countless summers, bearing nothing more than the simple white crest of three intertwined waves.
“OI, SANJI! THIS SHACK’S THE PLACE WITH THE AMAZING FOOD?!”
Luffy’s voice rang out with all the subtlety of a cannon blast.
He was immediately met by three raised fists: Sanji, whose cigarette nearly snapped between his teeth as one leg lifted threateningly into the air; Nami, glaring daggers at their captain’s complete lack of manners; and poor Usopp, desperately trying to salvage what little dignity remained.
Hidden behind your shoulder, your boyfriend allowed himself the faintest, thoroughly self-satisfied smirk before nudging both you and Chopper, who had already claimed your other hand.
“C’mon.”
After taking off your shoes, with Chopper naturally finishing long before everyone else and bouncing impatiently where he stood, a waiter led you toward one of the tatami rooms through a series of polished wooden corridors. Paper lanterns cast warm pools of amber light across the hallway, while the old floorboards creaked softly beneath your footsteps.
You slowed for just a moment, unable to resist admiring the tiny courtyard garden tucked between the rooms. A smooth stone basin caught the steady trickle of falling water, soft moss blanketed the ground beneath a wind-shaped pine, and several koi drifted lazily through a shallow pond.
“Tch. You coming, woman?”
Zoro’s voice pulled you back. He stood beside the open shōji door, patiently holding it for you.
You smiled, quickening your pace.
“Thanks.”
Taking advantage of the brief absence of witnesses, you rose onto your toes, pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, then slipped past him into the room.
Zoro answered with nothing more than the smallest shrug, though the corner of his mouth twitched upward as warmth spread across the cheek you’d kissed.
Chopper had already rushed inside.
“I WANT THE WINDOW!”
In the blink of an eye he’d claimed the spot overlooking the water.
You laughed, straightening the little hat that had slipped crookedly onto his head.
“You beat me to it.”
“I can still see everything from here!” Chopper beamed.
Kneeling beside him, you adjusted the cushion he’d knocked askew, still smiling to yourself.
When you finally looked up again, Zoro was still standing where you’d left him, quietly waiting until you’d settled in before lowering himself onto the cushion beside you.
The peaceful atmosphere lasted all of thirty seconds before the shōji door slid open and in burst the Straw Hat captain wearing a grin as loud as his voice.
“FOOD!”
Before anyone could stop him, he was already kneeling at the table with his nose mere inches from the immaculate place settings.
Sanji immediately seized him by the back of his vest, a vein throbbing visibly across his forehead.
“Don’t touch anything, you idiot! They haven’t even brought the food yet!”
“But I wanna see!”
“You’ll see it when they serve it!”
Having personally insisted on ordering directly from the head chef, selecting the restaurant’s rarest specialties, Moonfin tuna, Rainbow snapper, Sapphire squid, and countless fish found nowhere else but these waters, Sanji had, in truth, been determined from the start to spend the evening beside the master chef himself, soaking up every lesson he could.
With a sparkle in his eyes brighter than the one that usually appeared at the sight of a beautiful woman, he practically floated after the elderly chef, an old acquaintance of Zeff’s. The discovery had caught him completely off guard, but his surprise quickly gave way to unmistakable pride. The legendary sushi master not only knew the stubborn old geezer from the Baratie, but seemed genuinely delighted to meet his apprentice, readily demonstrating his techniques and sharing the knowledge he had spent a lifetime perfecting.
Thankfully, that spared the rest of you another hour of listening to him repeat,
“This chef trained for sixty years.”
“The vinegar is aged.”
“The rice only grows on the northern cliffs.”
“The knife’s been passed down through eight generations.”
With drinks finally served, conversation flowed easily, as much as it could with Luffy repeatedly announcing that the food ought to hurry up already.
You, Nami, and Robin soon found yourselves making plans to visit the island’s famous onsen together, all three of you craving a little time away from your beloved idiots. Nami had already reserved a spot for the following day and fully intended to spend a generous portion of the crew’s budget shopping beforehand, while Robin quietly informed you about a local bookstore that supposedly carried the very book you’d been searching for in every port these past few months.
Beside you, your green-haired swordsman sat in comfortable silence, occasionally brushing his little finger ever so lightly against your hand as he sipped his sake. With one ear he listened to one of Usopp’s wildly exaggerated stories, a tall tale bearing little resemblance to reality, while unsuccessfully hiding a smile at the captain’s and Chopper’s wholehearted amazement.
At one point, Chopper’s attention was stolen by a tiny crab making its way along the veranda outside.
Without thinking, you reached to stop him from leaning too far.
At that exact same moment, Zoro’s hand settled firmly against the small of your back out of pure instinct.
Across the table, Robin smiled quietly into her teacup.
At last, Sanji returned alongside the head chef, greeted by Luffy’s ecstatic cheers, as beautifully carved serving boards shaped like waves, dragons, and even swords were carefully placed before each of you.
Delicately arranged atop them, each piece of sushi looked almost too beautiful to eat. Brilliant colors gleamed beneath the lantern light, from the vivid turquoise sheen of the Moonfin tuna to the deep crimson cuts and the iridescent marbling of the Rainbow snapper. The craftsmanship was nothing short of mesmerizing.
You discreetly nudged your boyfriend’s ankle the moment he opened his mouth to remark that sushi looked the same no matter where you ate it. Meanwhile, you, Nami, Robin and Chopper found yourselves quietly pointing out your favorite pieces, admiring the vibrant colors spread before you like tiny works of art.
“The strongest warriors used to volunteer their arms,” the elderly chef remarked, with the sort of perfectly straight face that made it impossible to tell whether he was recounting history or inventing it on the spot.
“Long ago,” he continued, “the strongest warriors of this island would offer their arms during festivals to the person they held dearest. They believed food tasted sweetest when it was shared with the one they wished to protect. It was never meant as entertainment, but as a quiet promise. To nourish someone with your own hands was one thing… to trust them enough to place your own body beneath their meal was another.”
A faint smile softened the old chef’s weathered features.
Unfortunately for Zoro, Luffy volunteered him before he even had the chance to object.
The chef studied the green-haired swordsman thoughtfully.
“With muscles like that… it would actually work.”
Zoro refused immediately.
“COME ON, ZORO!” Luffy pleaded, slapping him enthusiastically between the shoulders. “PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEEEASE!”
“No.”
Your boyfriend sounded so final that it was obvious he’d sooner wrestle a Sea King than endure Luffy’s stretchy hands and tongue anywhere near his skin, especially knowing the rest of the idiots would immediately join in.
“I WOULDN’T MIND!” Luffy declared instead, balancing pieces of sushi along his own arm, much to Sanji’s horror as several nearly slid onto the floor. “I’M STRONG TOO!”
Saving the endangered sushi with remarkable speed, Sanji marched toward the girls, hearts practically floating around him.
“I would never offer these magnificent hands to those heathens,” he declared dramatically, “but if my lovely ladies wished it, the greatest honor of my life would be to have their beautiful lips graze my arm…”
“ME TOO!”
“NO!”
Sanji snapped around so fast his entire expression transformed the instant Luffy tried to volunteer himself.
Meanwhile, everyone else had turned to stare at Zoro.
“The hell’re you all lookin’ at?”
He was completely against it…
…until you quietly asked,
“Would you mind?”
Silence settled over the room.
Usopp leaned forward with unmistakable interest, Chopper stared with stars sparkling in his eyes, and Franky simply raised an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
“…Tch.”
“If he won’t, Y/N-swan, I’d be more than happy to offer my…”
“She’ll eat off mine, you damn perverted cook.”
Your green-haired swordsman had already rolled up his sleeve, deliberately turning his head away as though none of this concerned him. Usopp would’ve sworn the tips of his ears were as red as the coral reefs of the Grand Line, but wisely kept that observation to himself.
Still visibly irritated, though making a genuine effort to compose himself for your sake, Sanji reached for a few pieces of sushi, intending to arrange them across the firm curve of Zoro’s bicep. One sharp look from the swordsman stopped him cold.
“Only her.”
Unable to hide your smile beneath the curious stares of your crewmates and Sanji’s poorly concealed sulking, you knelt beside Zoro, biting back a laugh as you carefully arranged each piece of sushi along his forearm.
Your fingertips drifted gently across the surprisingly soft warmth of his skin, stretched over the solid muscle beneath. As your index finger idly traced the prominent vein running along his forearm, he nearly choked on his own breath. The swordsman's eyes widened for the briefest instant, a warm flush blooming across his cheeks before he hurriedly schooled his expression. A quiet, strangled sound escaped him, something that, in the peculiar language of Roronoa Zoro, translated to I’m barely holding myself together, and I’d much rather you didn’t do that in front of everyone… even as he made no move to stop you.
“Cold?”
“No.”
He was so still he barely seemed to blink.
“Isn’t it a little difficult to keep your balance?”
“No.”
“You can move if you’re uncomfortable.”
“…You haven’t finished,” he muttered, meeting your eyes for only a heartbeat before looking away again.
Smiling softly, you leaned in once more, steadying yourself with one hand against his shoulder.
His bicep had long been one of your favorite places to find comfort. It had steadied you through countless ordinary moments, carried the weight of your exhaustion without complaint, and welcomed you whenever the world felt just a little too loud.
You had kissed your way along that very arm more times than you could count.
Sometimes, when you were feeling especially playful, you’d nip at it just to hear his gruff complaint. You’d cleaned the cuts left behind after battles, pressing gentle kisses to fresh scars as you wrapped them in clean linen. On quiet afternoons beneath the Sunny’s mast, you’d used it as a pillow while dozing safely tucked against his chest, and on sleepy mornings, you’d leave a trail of featherlight pecks along his bicep before trying to slip from his embrace, only for him to wordlessly pull you back against him.
Whenever you rushed into his arms, it was there that your face inevitably came to rest. You hid behind that broad upper arm whenever you grew shy or tried to conceal a smile. In crowded festival streets, you instinctively clung to it so you wouldn’t lose him in the sea of people. Sometimes you’d lazily trace little pictures or write words against his skin with your fingertip, laughing as he tried to guess what you’d drawn. And on nights when the two of you lost yourselves in one another, you’d leave lipstick marks along the muscle, and he’d regard them with quiet satisfaction, reluctant, and entirely uninterested, to wipe away those little traces of your affection unless you insisted.
Yet never, not once, had you eaten from it.
After hearing the story behind the tradition, and knowing he had offered that quiet honor to you, and to you alone, the entire moment took on an intimacy you hadn’t expected.
Perhaps you should have felt embarrassed with the whole crew watching, but the thought barely crossed your mind.
Moments like these, when Zoro chose to wear his affection where others could see it, were impossibly rare. His love had never been loud or adorned with grand declarations. It revealed itself through quiet choices, stubborn gestures, and silent promises that somehow always reached your heart all the same.
Your hair brushed lightly against his neck, sending the faintest tickle across the skin of the stoic swordsman, who suddenly became far more aware of your closeness than he had been a moment before.
I fought Mihawk with a steadier pulse than this.
The ridiculous idea itself didn’t bother him in the slightest, nor did the certainty that the crew would tease him mercilessly for weeks to come. What unsettled him was the way you kept drifting into his space without the faintest idea of the storm you were stirring inside him.
You had expected him to grumble, to click his tongue in annoyance, perhaps even shift restlessly enough to send your carefully placed sushi tumbling onto the wooden floor.
Instead, as you leaned impossibly close to that absurdly broad bicep, you became acutely aware of the warmth radiating from his skin, lingering only millimeters from your lips. Beneath the delicate aroma of fresh fish and seasoned rice lingered the faint scent of sea salt, mellow sake, and the subtle cedar and hinoki oil you’d given him months ago on another island, a fragrance that had long since become unmistakably, comfortingly his. The muscles beneath your fingertips tightened almost involuntarily each time your warm breath ghosted across his skin.
Before you realized it, warmth had crept into your cheeks despite knowing every inch of that arm by heart.
He noticed immediately.
A smug little smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“Thought this was your idea.”
“Shut up.”
Trying very hard to pretend his ridiculous smirk wasn’t affecting you in the slightest, you reached for a piece of Moonfin tuna. As you leaned in to take it, your lips brushed against the warm skin stretched over the firm muscle of his arm.
The warmth lingering beneath the rice nearly distracted you from the immaculate sushi itself. It truly was exquisite. The fish dissolved across your tongue with an almost delicate sweetness, balanced by perfectly seasoned rice that Sanji would undoubtedly spend the next month trying to recreate. Under any other circumstances, you would’ve happily spent the next ten minutes praising every nuance of its flavor to your hopelessly enthusiastic cook.
Unfortunately for him, your attention had wandered somewhere far less culinary.
When you lifted your gaze again, your eyes met Zoro’s.
For one suspended heartbeat, neither of you looked away.
Then the flustered swordsman did.
The tips of his ears had turned an unmistakable shade of pink.
A smile tugged at your own lips. You chose not to comment on the way he’d instinctively straightened the moment your lips had lingered just long enough to catch the last few grains of rice clinging stubbornly to his bicep.
“Good?” he asked, amused now by both the absurdity of the situation and your growing fluster, while hoping his own wasn’t nearly as obvious.
“Mm.”
“Worth humiliating me?”
You didn't hesitate.
“Definitely.”
Another crooked smirk found its way onto his face.
“Then have another.”
The crew erupted.
Sanji nearly collapsed to his knees, mourning the image of his precious angel being corrupted by an uncouth brute. Beneath the table, Brook quietly slipped a handful of berries into Nami’s palm, settling whatever bet the two of them had apparently made, while Luffy barreled between the two of you before anyone could stop him.
“NOW IT’S MY TURN! GIMME! I WANNA TRY TOO! C’MON! C’MON!”
He reached for another piece balanced on the sturdy ridge of Zoro’s arm.
Zoro pulled it back before Luffy could get anywhere near it.
“Will you knock it off already?”
“You’re no fun,” Luffy huffed.
For one suspiciously convincing second, he looked as though he’d given up.
Then, like a seagull spotting unattended food, he lunged forward and took a bite out of Zoro’s arm instead.
“THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!”
A solid punch landed squarely on the captain’s head, earning an exaggerated yelp as the two immediately dissolved into yet another loud argument. Zoro looked ready to draw a sword on pure principle. You rested a calming hand against his shoulder before he could seriously consider it, while poor Usopp threw himself at Luffy in a desperate attempt to drag him away, entirely unaware that he had just volunteered himself as the next victim.
His efforts proved spectacularly futile.
Luffy abruptly abandoned Zoro altogether, declaring him “too grumpy,” and instead attempted to balance a piece of sushi on Usopp’s nose.
The resulting chorus of laughter, indignant protests, and Sanji’s horrified cries about wasting perfectly good food swept through the room, drawing everyone’s attention away from the two of you.
Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, you—almost shyly now—reached for one last piece resting on your green-haired swordsman’s arm.
Without looking at you, he mumbled quietly enough that only you could hear,
“…You’re the only one I’d ever consider doing something this ridiculous for.”
You smiled, warmth blooming in your chest before you could stop it.
“Good to know.”
He answered only with a quiet grunt, though the faint flush still lingering at the tips of his ears betrayed him completely.
Around you, the restaurant slowly settled back into the familiar, beloved chaos that seemed to follow the Straw Hats wherever they went. Luffy was now chasing a horrified Usopp around the room with a piece of salmon balanced precariously on his finger while Sanji shouted himself hoarse in the background, torn between protecting the restaurant’s dignity and strangling his captain.
Yet somehow, amid all that familiar noise, Zoro’s quiet confession lingered longer than the taste of the meal itself.
Every moment thereafter, whether absurd enough to leave you both laughing, heavy enough to test your resolve, or beautiful enough to steal your breath away, would be met the same way: side by side, sharing each one together.
