Ok I’m sorry but I’m a firm believer that Deku really didn’t gaf when Bakugo told him to take a swan dive, like I’m sure it was bad, but I really don’t see it having any lasting damage.
I just think it’s better is Bakugo feels awful like that shit haunts him. Meanwhile Deku was annoyed at him, then saw All might and legit never thought abt it again.
This gets even better once they are friends because I can totally see Deku using it to make fun of Bakugo because now that it’s been a while he feels it’s something he can joke abt. Cut to Bakugo being horrified, (even better if he starts bawling it right there) and Dekus just like.. “whoops I forgot that’s like part of your trauma lmao”
I just fully believe Deku has bigger fish to fry, like hes got other priorities he didn’t give that shit a second thought. I also think its funny if legit everyone else is horrified like Bakugo and Dekus the only one who just doesn’t care 😭😭✌️
Do you have anymore sharpshooter/zoro thoughts? I don't even watch one piece but that drawing was so cute and I want to hear more!!
— SWAN DIVE ; RORONOA ZORO ; ぞろ
summary: port d'beau proves to be anything but an easy job. you almost drown, zoro saves you. [set post-arlong, pre-alabasta]
pairing: roronoa zoro / f!reader ; straw hat pirate
wc: 2.7k
tags: shameless potc reference, reader has a backstory, frenemies-to-lovers, an "oh" moment, mutual pining, the corset is a plot point, t+, no use of y/n
a/n: i drew this a few days ago and here we are. i'm sure we've all seen the source material for this one — this scene actually altered my brain chemistry as a child and i'm still unpacking that to this day.
It was supposed to be an easy job.
Port d'Beau proves to be anything but.
Roronoa Zoro crosses his arms and leans back into the scarce shade on the Going Merry's deck. The mid-day heat is suffocating — and the swordsman can't help but pity the two girls high up the marina's cliffs.
The sounds of a party float through the air. Slow waltzes on strings, the tinkering of silver on porcelain, and laughter far too refined for his taste.
Overhead, the furled sails of the four-cannon caravel flap in the meager breeze rolling in off the sea. Waves lap at the ship's side and somewhere at the bow, Zoro can hear Luffy fidgeting. Sanji is no better, pacing and mumbling something about the heat. Usopp, to his credit, has given up entirely and surrendered himself to the shade with nothing but a peep.
The boys were forced to stay back while you and Nami played dress-up.
In all fairness, Nami did have a point when she shoved her finger in Zoro's face and said he was too well-known to pass as some upstanding gentleman. On top of that, news of Luffy's brand new bounty of thirty million berries is sweeping ports across the East Blue. There's no doubt the Marine branch stationed on this island — the Thirty-Ninth Division — would recognize their captain immediately. Sanji did whatever Nami said, like an obedient dog, and Usopp needed no convincing to tag along once he heard about the Marine presence.
Nami's plan was simple.
The papers had boasted about Port d'Beau's annual gubernatorial luncheon. Hundreds of high-standing families across the East Blue were invited to celebrate Governor Bidon's re-election and his daughter's engagement to the 29th Marine Division's Commodore. The guests pocket purses and that engagement ring was a sitting duck, just waiting for Nami's sticky fingers.
She'd sneak in alongside you — a key piece in the puzzle. You were a lady once, the daughter of a politician. You knew the ins and outs of the upper echelon's etiquette and formalities, something Nami had little grasp on when it came to burglarizing.
Once in, the entire banquet was theirs for the taking. Nami would steal what they could off the unsuspecting patrons, you'd keep the targets busy with idle chat over tea, and they'd high tail it out of there before dessert even hit the tables.
Easy.
Quick.
Fun, even.
The day proves to be anything but that for you.
The heat seems like proof you're in hell — and you furiously fan yourself as some Lieutenant named Pinard leads you away from the bustle of the party. The afternoon sun beats down on your shoulders and you exhale tightly, wishing for an inch more room in this corset. Nami tied it a bit too tight in her zeal.
Your lungs and ribs ache and you heft the petticoats beneath your skirt up into your hand as you step up onto the overlook.
Though the view of Port d'Beau is beautiful, it's one you've always sought comfort in — the view of the bustling port, the rolling waves, the marina below...
Lieutenant Pinard offers you a sweaty hand and you accept it with a grimaced smile. Keep up the act. Just about now, Nami is slipping away with a bundle of treasure and headed to the docks. Soon, you'll be out of this dress and back on the Going Merry.
You flutter your fan a bit harder as you swipe away a bead of cold sweat that runs down your temple, avoiding the wistful and adoring gaze of the spindly Lieutenant.
You're selling this whole act a little too well, but who can blame you?
Your whole life you've defied the expectations placed on a woman of your station. You have had no intention of sitting idly by like a wallflower. Etiquette classes were overshadowed by marksmanship. You had a gift for shooting, and though sport was rare on the cluster of islands making up your home, you excelled. Trophies and ribbons are half the proof of the shot you are.
The moment you stepped aboard the Going Merry, you thought you left petticoats, gossip, and high tea in the past.
And yet, here you are.
Your sweaty hand in Lieutenant Pinard's sweaty hand.
The heat feels worse up here. You wonder if Nami's made it to the docks yet. Just hold on a little longer, then you can excuse yourself from the party and disappear.
The chiffon ribbon beneath your chin, tying your hat to your head, flutters in the breeze — and you try to gasp in some of the cool air before it dissipates back into the stagnant summer heat. Sweat runs down the back of your neck and beneath the collar of your dress.
You fan yourself a little harder as Lieutenant Pinard begins to speak.
You can't bring yourself to look at him.
Instead, you try to breathe and lean against the cool stone of the battlement.
Port d'Beau has long since boasted about its impenetrable Fort Beaumont.
Zoro, as he tips his head back into his palms, understands the reputation. From the marina, Fort Beaumont has a bird's eye view of all the ongoings. That was why they were so quick to furl their sails, hiding the Straw Hats flag deep in the gulley, as they tied off in the marina under the guise of merchants.
He closes his eyes and wonders if he'll be able to get a wink of shut-eye in this heat. Nami should be back by now, with you in tow.
Up above him, on the cliffs, you're trying to swallow down the roll of nausea threatening to bring up the meager few bites of a finger sandwich you had an hour ago.
Your mouth is dry.
You can't breathe.
"—That is why I wanted to speak with you privately, my lady," the Lieutenant drawls on as you flutter your lace fan faster and faster, feet wobbling; he turns his back to hide his apparent flush, "I have never met a woman as beautiful, and... daring, I may even say—"
Suddenly, the world tips.
It's enough that you stagger and press your hands against the limestone battlement. Then, the world tips the other way. Your head feels funny; your body feels like it's diving headfirst into vertigo.
Oh.
Oh, you're fainting.
Annnnnnd, now you're falling.
SPLASH!
The Commodore blinks.
He turns around.
And you're gone.
Nami's got one foot onboard the Going Merry when you hit the water.
Zoro's head snaps up, his eyes widening at the sound of the splash from the cliffs; he's not the only one. The entire crew is rushing to the railing of the deck with confusion and panic on their faces.
"Nami—" Zoro begins, his voice is a low warning. He's already stripping his swords from his belt.
The thief gasps in horror.
"—Where the hell is our sniper?" he grits, deep and unamused. Zoro's eyes don't leave the splash once — because deep down, he already knows the answer to that question.
Nothing ever goes to plan with the Straw Hats.
Nami spies the sudden cluster of Marines up on the battlements and her gut sinks. Her hoard of stolen goods tumbles to the deck as she throws herself against the railing.
"Shit! Zoro, she can't swim!" Nami screams, frozen in fear.
The last of his swords hits the deck as he barks: "I know that!"
Zoro's eyes snap to the white echos of a wave from the splash, and a floating hat with a streaming emerald ribbon catches his eye.
Not good.
Not good!
What's worse is that Luffy sees it too, and the idiot is two beats from throwing himself off the edge of the bow before Zoro hauls his shirt over his head and smacks the Captain in the face with it.
"Don't even think about it," he grits out, wagging a finger in Luffy's face, "I won't drag your sorry ass up from the bottom too."
Any protests (whines) from Luffy are drowned out by the sound of Zoro's boots on the wooden deck as he takes a running start.
Sanji's tripping over his boots, trying to follow Zoro in, but he stops completely when Usopp calls out and points to the cliffs. "We've got trouble!"
The Marines are mobilizing.
"Sanji, time to get going," Nami panics, backing away from the railing as she realizes they will need to get you out of the water fast — and get the hell out of Port d'Beau faster.
"On it!" Sanji agrees, calling out to Luffy, "Time to move, Captain!"
Fast and strong, Zoro makes a break. With two long strides, he plants his boot on the railing and pushes off the bow to cut into the waves with a sharp dive.
The clear blue water is cool — enough that the initial splash makes Zoro's heart pound. But, what's worse for his heart is the sight of you rapidly approaching the bottom of the marina faster by the second, weighed down by a plume of petticoats and silk.
He curses to himself and pushes himself to dive faster as a harsh stream of air leaves a trail back to the shimmering surface above you both.
Now, as he barrels deeper into the water and tries to save their marksman from drowning, is probably not a good time to confront his feelings for you.
It's certainly not time to address the fact that the manufactured malice he fronts aboard the deck toward you is just that: fake. It's certainly not time to address the fact he has a well-guarded soft spot for you, nor the time to address the fact he can't help but wonder how one person can make him feel so damn weak.
So, he pushes them away, ignores the burn in his chest, and equates it to nothing more than a lack of oxygen.
They'll be time for that shit later.
Right now, he's busy wrapping his hands around your waist and trying to urge you up to the surface.
It proves to be an easier idea than in practice, though. Zoro huffs out an exhale of frustrated bubbles as your skirts tug him — and you — back down to the bottom.
And so, he ignores the guilt gnawing at his brain as he unceremoniously yanks the front seams of your dress open and clumsily slips you out of the layers of silk with his last breath. Calloused knuckles knock against the boning of your corset and the rough drag of fabric stings his knuckles.
The swordsman breaks the surface, gasping and coughing, just in time to spy a throng of Marines headed down the beach. In his arms, your head lolls back onto his shoulder. You haven't moved — not once, and Zoro's panic is only rising. Wet tendrils of your hair tangle across his neck as he hauls you towards the docks, your body hefted over his shoulder as he scrambles.
Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go.
One hand is on the back of your thighs. Your torso is thrown over his back. Your arms sway as he breaks into a controlled jog.
Up the plank, across the threshold of the dock, onto the hot deck of the Going Merry. He makes it, just in time for the lines to be cast and the sails to unfurl, but Zoro isn't even close to relaxing.
"If you die, I will kill you," he can't help it — his voice is stern, the low timbre snapping like a slap as he gently sets you down on the dock's wooden deck and pants. His hand braces against the back of your head as his body bends to hover over you.
You're not breathing, and water drips off Zoro's nose and lands on your cheek as he starts to panic — and then his eyes land on the tight front lacing of your corset.
Immediately, he's barking at Sanji. "Sanji! Knife, now!"
It's sacrilegious, sure, but Sanji doesn't really give a damn if it means you don't die. The pairing knife is handed off to Zoro in a flash, and the swordsman holds it like a weapon and not like a cooking implement. There's something poetic about that, but Sanji doesn't have the time to mull over why Zoro is so ready to wield a weapon for you.
Some other time, maybe.
Nami is barreling down the deck, her eyes wild. "What the hell are you doing—?!"
The lacing is sliced clean through in a flash of the steel blade. Your corset blooms open, and immediately you gasp — and water bubbles from your throat in a panicked cough that rifles you awake immediately.
You writhe, twisting on the deck to brace yourself on your elbow as you hack and cough. Your lungs burn and your throat is on fire and everything tastes like seawater. Hair hangs in your face while you try to breathe in that puddle on the deck of the Going Merry.
Zoro leans back on his knees, shoulders sagging, and feels a wave of relief wash over him as he hands off the pairing knife to Sanji. The swordsman is also trying to catch his breath — water running down his chest and arms — as his boots squeak against the deck. The cook takes it slowly, his mouth agape, as he lets out an exhale.
Then, gently, Zoro places a hand on your shoulder.
Slowly, you lift your head.
He's haloed by the sun and the bluest sky you've ever seen.
Roronoa Zoro looks beautiful.
It feels like you're seeing him for the first time — like you've been slapped across the face by divine intervention. It's like the ocean shook you by the shoulders and made you look directly in his eyes.
Maybe you're dead.
"Are you alright...?" he asks roughly, his eyes inspecting you over in a way that makes a newfound heat thrum through your veins. The sound feels different than all the other times he's spoken to you (i.e., snapped at you). This time, it's softer. Low and warm, like a warm meal. His earrings glint in the sun, and a drop of water runs down his neck and down, down, down his sternum.
You stare.
Then, like you suddenly realize just what sort of position you're in, you blink down at the thin chemise clinging to your figure. Every curve, every dip — it's all on display, and you can't help but go rigid.
Doesn't help that Zoro is realizing that little fact too. Your chest heaves out a panted breath and he has to physically tear his eyes away.
"I'm fine," you manage to grit out, turning your cheek as you slowly sit up, "I—"
"Go slow," he urges gently, his hand coming to fall along your lower back, "You took a pretty hard fall."
You push the wet, tangled hair out of your eyes and ignore the bloom of goosebumps his hand ushers in. You lean on your palms. Water runs off the tip of your nose.
When you speak, it's so soft it's nearly a whisper.
"...Thank you, Zoro."
Sanji shifts awkwardly above the both of you.
What the hell is going on?
Mosshead and the crew's beloved sniper never go more than two sentences without ripping into each other — everyone knows that. It's the way it goes. They can't stand one another. Zoro thinks their sniper is a delicate, spoiled, little princess, and their sniper thinks Zoro is a bullheaded, impulsive brute. Tit-for-tat. Grounded in reality. Unlike whatever the fuck is going on right now before his very eyes.
The swordsman's ears go red.
Sanji can't fucking believe it.
Zoro catches your eyes for a beat longer than he should have, and he swears something in the air just changed.
And you smile at him.
"Let's get you covered up," Sanji breaks the moment, half-tied between disbelief and fear. Maybe you did hit your head on the way down. The cook's jacket comes across your shoulders like a blanket.
Never in his life has Zoro ever been so thankful for shitty cook's interruption, or Nami's shouting, or Luffy's laughter, or Usopp's wailing. The entire crew spills onto the deck around you, sweeping you into worried hugs and doting touches — leaving Roronoa Zoro to wonder what the hell just happened.
It was supposed to be an easy job.
Port d'Beau proves to be anything but.
Because Zoro can't stop wondering if he should confront those feelings in his chest, and you can't stop wondering when those feelings for him ever took root in your own.
As I have thought about my own personal versions, I wanna see your idea of what would happen if deku well…took a swan dive
Crank up the angst as much as you like for it, ghost or no ghost.
Series: Boku no Hero Academia
AU Criteria: Izuku is dead, and the world will learn to regret that fact.
AU title (optional): Swan Dive
Izuku dives off the roof, and dies. There is an investigation, and Katuski is reported for suicide baiting. After the investigation, he is barred from heroics, fined and imprisoned in a juvinile detention facility, and ordered to get therapy.
During the entrance exam, the ghost of Izuku appears before Ochako Uraraka, offering her a hand and drawing her attention away from the giant robot that does not detect her in time.
The body count at the USJ is significant as All Might is late in coming, and the heir of OFA is not at the site. The exact details of each one is not to be gone into, however, there is one that asked who the green haired kid was before they passed. Momo Yaoyorozu, Kyoka Jiro, Denki Kaminari, Tsuyu Asui, Minoru Mineta, Toru Hagakure, Shouta Aizawa, and Anan Kurose do not go home that night.
Tenya Iida is found dead in an alleyway in Kamino. Izuku brings him along, and answers that he does not know why he finds Tenya's classmates, but it is something that he has to do.
The Shields are elimiated by Wolfram and his crew, along with many of the members of I-Island as they take the quirk enhancer that was made for All Might, who parished later.
The camp is a disaster, and many more are escorted by Izuku into the next life. Class 1-A has been erased, Class 1-B loses several members. Kota, Ragdoll, Tetsutetsu, Kendo, and Monoma are among those taken.
Eri is not found until Kai Chisaki perfects his quirk erasure bullets, and she is embraced by Izuku Midoriya as her body gives out. There are many that were not saved from this new threat, including the bearer of OFA Mirio Togata
Villains are also being claimed, such as Magne, Himiko, Spinner, and Twice as they fight amongst themselves as the heroes grow more and more strained.
The last two that are taken are Yagi Toshinori and Zen Shigaraki. One from the fight, and the other from the rewind drug. Tomura Shigiraki was supposed to step up, but Izuku was waiting with him when those two died, and boy did he have a lot of things to say.
Aight y’all, get ready cuz here’s a doozy!! Hope y’all enjoy!!!😃 My entry for the latest game of Who Wrote That in the @haunting-heroes-creative-games Discord server💕
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
"Guess I should just take a swan dive, huh Kacchan?" Immediately after the words came out of his mouth, Izuku covered it with his hands, shocked at his own audacity. "I was joking! Ah, that might have been insensitive!" He exclaimed, nervousness replacing his amusement. Katsuki looked at him curiously, placing the knife he had been using down and wiping his hands on his apron. "Huh? Fuck's insensitive about that?"
Izuku's eyebrow raised slightly as he explained, surprised at Katsuki's forgetfulness of an event that had stayed constantly in his memory. He hadn't taken it too seriously, knowing Katsuki had just said it out of anger, but it did still upset him a lot at the time. He had even lightly considered the idea in a revenge-suicide way, not out of any actual desire for death. After all this time though, he found the memory almost amusing, but knowing Katsuki, he would probably feel ashamed and try to distance himself again, so he brushed off the comment. "Nothing, it's nothing."
Katsuki crossed his arms, leaning forward. "No, I don't get it. What's insensitive." Gleaning that Katsuki seemed genuinely curious, and also that he would probably bug Izuku a lot about it if he didn't explain, he lowered his eyes down towards the food he had been making and explained. "You know, middle school. When you told me to.. take a swan dive. Off the school roof." Despite his earlier joke, now having to actually explain didn't feel so funny, and he deliberately did a small task of nothing to avoid eye contact. Even through this, he still felt the sharp inhale from Katsuki. Yep. He remembers it now.
"I told you that?"
Izuku blinked, the notion of him forgetting his words slowly beginning to dawn on him. Though he would swear to anyone and himself that Katsuki's words that day hadn't affected him, the fact he just… completely forgot?
Just wondering, any plans to go back to Swan Dive in the near future?
Hello! Swan Dive was one of my first bnha fics, and by far one of my most popular! I have every intention of eventually going back to it, but as far as my Bnha works go, Viridian will take precedence (especially since I have the major plot points of that one worked out. I'm just winging Swan Dive).
