a different kind of battle
zoro x male!reader part one
synopsis: [requested] in which zoro's mentorship takes a sharp and unforeseen turn when the lines between training partners begin to blur.
contains: zoro x m!reader, one piece, enemies to lovers, angst, hurt/comfort, reader gets injured, reader has a name for the request
author’s note; i will continue this :3
zoro was never easy to get close to. he kept his guard up with everyone, always sizing people up before letting them in. it wasn’t personal — that’s just how he was. renee had to deal with it too.
the thing that finally got zoro to lower his walls a little was renee’s drive to get stronger. he hated feeling like dead weight, hated the idea of his crew getting hurt because he wasn’t strong enough to help. zoro could understand that. so when renee asked him for help, zoro didn’t say much. just gave a shrug and a grunt. that was his way of saying “yeah, i’ll help.”
from then on, they were together a lot. training turned into hanging out, hanging out turned into sticking close during meals and celebrations, and before long, it felt weird not seeing renee by zoro’s side. he liked the way renee pushed himself. he respected it. and honestly, he just liked having him around.
but then there was that fight. the one where renee got hurt — bad. too busy locked onto one enemy to see another coming up behind him. a deep slash across his back that dropped him on the spot. if it wasn’t for chopper dragging him out of there, it might’ve been worse.
once the battle was over, zoro was the first one in the room. his face was as blank as always, barely nodding to chopper before his eyes landed on renee, who was laying there, looking small and hurt and pissed at himself.
zoro let out a slow breath and sat in the chair next to the bed, his stare fixed on the wall. he wasn’t mad at renee, not really. he was mad at the fact that he couldn’t protect him. and scared, though he’d never say that out loud. the moment he saw renee safe — awake, breathing — his chest felt lighter, like the weight crushing it had finally lifted.
“need someone to take care of you, huh?” zoro mumbled, standing back up and heading for the door. “when you’re done being patched up, i’ll see you in the crow’s nest. bright and early.”
he didn’t stick around. he couldn’t. not with all those feelings messing him up inside.
weeks passed before renee healed enough to get back to training, but even then, something felt off. zoro wasn’t the same. he was harder on him now, more serious, pushing him way past his limit every single day. it was like he wasn’t holding back at all.
after days of this, renee finally snapped.
“zoro, please, i need a break,” he panted, arms shaking, body screaming at him to stop.
“no. not until you finish,” zoro answered flatly, lifting his own weights like it was nothing, barely glancing over.
that was it. renee dropped the dumbbell and turned to leave. “i’m done.”
before he could take more than two steps, zoro was there. fast. hand wrapping around renee’s wrist, spinning him around.
“you’re not done,” he said, voice sharp, almost angry. “you’re really gonna give up that easy? after everything?”
renee yanked his hand free. “you’ve been pushing me so hard all week. you never did this before. why? what changed? i can’t do this anymore.”
and that’s when zoro’s walls cracked. his hands grabbed renee’s arm again, pulling him closer until there was barely any space between them. his voice dropped low, rough and unsteady.
“i can’t lose you too.”
everything froze. renee’s eyes went wide, remembering that fight, the pain, and how zoro looked at him just now — like he wasn’t sure he’d ever see him again.
“i’m sorry,” zoro whispered, resting his forehead against renee’s. “you get it now, right?”
and yeah. renee got it. his face burned, but he slowly lifted his arms, wrapping them around zoro’s back, pulling him in close.
“you won’t lose me,” he whispered. “i want to get stronger too, but... not like this.”
zoro nodded, holding him tighter like letting go wasn’t an option. “we’ll do it right this time. like before.”
and they did. after that, things just felt different. the training went back to normal, but there was something else there now. a new kind of closeness. zoro started touching him more — little things, like fixing his stance, brushing dirt off his shoulder, leaning in a little too close when he talked. renee didn’t mind. if anything, he wanted more.
during fights, zoro was always nearby. always watching his back. always ready to step in.
he might not have said the words out loud, but zoro’s actions made it obvious: his feelings for renee ran deep. deeper than either of them had expected. and with every day, it only grew.
part 2 masterlist
FOR MARK
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