stupid
cat
"She wants something to eat," Zoro grunted at Sanji as banged into the kitchen in the middle of the night. Sanji blinked.
"What? How'd you even know I was here?"
"Your turn for watch soon." Zoro shrugged.
"Huh." Sanji frowned. "If this is something stupid..."
"Cat wants something to eat." The swordsman ran a hand through his green hair and looked nervous. "Says she's hungry, but also she doesn't feel good."
"Oh," Sanji murmured, "that." He sighed and went to the fridge. Zoro watched as he began piling things on his arm. Silence reigned for some time as the blond cook sliced meats and cheeses, placing them artfully on a little ceramic plate.
"She sick?" Zoro voiced his major concern in a rush. Then he swore to himself. Why was he asking this idiot?But Sanji shook his head.
"She's feeling down, that's all." He retrieved a bottle of sake that had been open and sitting in the fridge. Sanji smiled faintly and set it on the tray beside the plate he had just arranged. "There. All her favorites." Zoro glanced suspiciously at the platter. It looked very appetizing, not something the chef would usually give to one of the ladies.
"Don't you usually give the girls fancy dessert crap?"
"This isn't 'one of the girls'," Sanji grunted. He wrapped the remainder of the swiss wheel back in plastic and tucked it away in the fridge. "This is Angel-san, and she likes meat and wine." He rapped at the bushido's hand with a sharp knuckle.
"Shit!"
"Don't grab it yet, asshole!" The blond young man sighed and rubbed at his temple. "Do you know what to do?"
"Eh?"
"To make her feel better. Do you know what you should do - or are you going to fuck it up?" He turned to face the muscular swordsman, eyebrow raised. It wasn't a surprise to him when the big man faltered, blushing dark across his nose and cheeks.
"What the hell," he growled, "are you babbling about now?"
"Just listen and shut up..."
Elly was laying on the bed in Zoro's room when he came in with the tray. He saw at once she had curled up in a little ball and pulled the sheet up over part of her face. He set the platter down and walked closer to her side, blinking. What he hadn't been able to see at first was that she had pulled one of his folded-up haramaki out of the chest at the foot of the bed and was clutching it to her chest as she shivered.
"Oi, kit." He nudged her with a careful hand. She sighed and looked up.
"Oops." Blushing, Elly hid her face in the green cloth.
"What're you doing?"
"I missed you?" Her reply was muffled. Zoro's first reaction was to grunt that he'd only been gone a quarter of an hour or so (and at her request) but he clamped his mouth shut, remembering what that idiot down there had been babbling about. He sat down beside her, causing the bed to tilt precariously to one side. Elly slid down towards him with a faint sound of protest. She hushed immediately when he stroked her hair away from her cheek, though.
"Okay," he grunted. He carefully laid down beside her and pulled her towards him, feeling like an ass. He didn't know how to handle something like this. What was he supposed to do? He drew in a shallow breath. Damn, he hated listening to that perverted cook. He made a mental note to beat the shit out of him when he got the opportunity. "I'm here, it's okay."
"Sorry." She sniffled. "I had a horrible dream, and it kind of set me off." She paused, her luminous lavender eyes glowing in the dim light of the overhead cabin.
"What happened?" Zoro frowned. A dream? That was what made her upset? He hated to feel more on an ass than he was, but dreams weren't real. He usually pushed them away when he woke up...if he had any. His frown grew deeper as he saw her bite her lower lip.
"I don't really think it's a good idea to say it."
"Why the f-" Zoro gritted his teeth together and buried his face in her hair for a moment. Slowly. She was upset - she didn't need him getting angry with her. He took her face in one hand and lifted it so he could stare at her. "Dreams don't matter."
"This one was weird." She took a deep breath. "Remember when you first saw me?"
A few years ago, when Sanji and Zoro had been at a bar together, of all things in the world to happen. Some girl had rushed in yammering about a monster and they had run out. What they found was a mob stoning the bloody bakeneko half to death. Zoro had rushed in and scattered them, grabbing her and taking her to their ship.
"Aa." He fidgeted. This really wasn't his thing, discussing what happened in the past. It was over with, so why bother with it.
"Did you know I actually had a crush on Sanji then?"
Zoro choked.
"WHAT."
"I did, you know." She paused. "I thought that he might treat me the way I'd always wanted to be treated." She rushed on, the words tumbling out.
Zoro made a gargling sound and pointed at his throat.
"Marimo," she sighed, wrapping her arm around his neck and tugging.
"Ero cook?" he ground out. His face had turned an alarming shade of purple. Elly's eyes slid half-closed and she growled under her breath. She pulled as hard as she could and he found himself nose to nose with her.
"Yes. That ass." This had the desired effect and Zoro's eyes lost that wild look. He shook his head, though.
"Huh. Wait, if that was your dream I can see why it upset you." He bent and nuzzled his body against hers, almost cuddling. She sighed. His warmth was very comforting.
"That wasn't it, though."
"Unnnhh?" He peered over at her. She was fidgeting so he took her wrists in his hands and gently turned them over. She watched, amazed, as the big man kissed her palms softly. He blushed and looked uncomfortable when she shot him a questioning look.
"You know I think he's a stupid flirt."
"Aa," he agreed.
"Well, when I stopped paying attention to him and...started noticing you he," she choked. "Sort of caught me." Zoro's tan face paled. He caught her up by the shoulder and stared into her face intently.
"Did he hurt you?" The grip on her shoulder was gentle but she felt him coiled under her, tensed for action. Elly also noticed that the vein she teasingly called his 'attack pulse' had started to throb in his forehead. She sighed again and kissed it. "Aahhh, no?" He wrinkled his forehead.
"Not the way you think. This dream was that day." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "I was watching you one day while you were working out."
"Knew you did that." He vented a small chuckle.
"Well, I didn't!" She blushed at the memory. "I was sort of hiding on a shadowed part of the deck in a lounge chair and he came up by my side." When she faltered he sinuously slid his body down until his face was at her level, molding his bigger curves to her smaller ones. He enveloped her in himself, his scent and his arms as they once again pressed her to his chest. He made a small noise of consent, encouraging her to go on and that he was listening.
"Hai."
"He told me it wouldn't work." She sniffed, remembering the horror of Sanji knowing her secret desire. She knew he wouldn't give her away, in fact he promised that. The chef just seriously didn't think the Bushido able or knowing enough to support her or any other female. Zoro frowned again and began kissing her neck, trailing gentle warmth along her closed eyelids as she shut them and tears began to slip out. He continued kissing her tears away as she talked in that heartbroken voice. It was as if she wasn't sitting here with him right now, he thought. This must have been a nightmare she lived with every day until they had found each other at last.
"Hai," he murmured again, urging her forward. He knew something about pain. Either you let it out somehow or it festered. He worked out and constantly trained to become better - that was a way to deal with his own frustrations. Zoro didn't get emotional and he saw the world in a clear, unwavering line of sight. He shocked his crew mates with his cutting, often brutal observations. That was life. But this was his woman. This was different for him. He knew the past was gone and one shouldn't worry about it but she was crying in his arms. A characteristically blunt remark might cause more pain. He hated to take the cook's advice when he had been the cause of her tears, but...
"There's not much else." She bit her lower lip and he veered downwards to kiss that, too. "He made such good arguments that I really thought you'd never look at me that way."
"Like this?" He blinked calmly, slowly, opening his eyes and staring into hers. This was easy. Here was something he could do. There was no talking so he would screw things up. They observed each other carefully for several moments. Zoro didn't move, didn't smile, didn't twitch. He gazed patiently into the dusky purple of her eyes. His were darker, deeper, a brown so rich it hovered on the very verge of black. She loved his eyes, often stating that they showed more emotion than any part of him ever could. When he fought they loomed under his black bandanna, sparking and snapping with energy. Most of the time they were just half-lidded, lazy in that self-assure way strong willed people have about themselves.
Now, however, they weren't lethargic or burning with determination. They didn't flicker with half-starved desire, nor did they yearn for her in the depths of his soul, turn into hearts or anything else ridiculous. He simply looked at her. After about half a minute she realized what it was. He was content.
Roronoa Zoro would be perfectly happy to look at her the rest of his life.
She whimpered and burst into full-throated sobbing, trying to look away but unable. This was what the big man had been waiting for.
"Kitten," he said with the hint of a smile. He pushed himself up on the bed and bundled her against him, rocking her back and forth so lightly she barely felt it. When she did notice what he was doing she had to push her face against his chest to stifle a fresh outburst.
"I'm being silly," she gasped, half out of breath from the inevitable stuffy nose. She hated crying, it would take forever for her to be able to breathe properly again.
"Aa," he agreed. "And after I went and got you all this crap." He reached over and pulled the tray down. Her eyes brightened and he actually laughed.
"Oh, my," she said reverently. "We shouldn't let this go to waste." She grabbed some meat. He nabbed the wine. They ate, drank and later made love as the stars shone through the many-windowed cabin on top of the ship. They would have to get up in a few hours, and they'd probably be sleepy the next day but they'd make it through just fine.
After all, they had each other. They would be together once they were married.
Forever.
"What? How'd you even know I was here?"
"Your turn for watch soon." Zoro shrugged.
"Huh." Sanji frowned. "If this is something stupid..."
"Cat wants something to eat." The swordsman ran a hand through his green hair and looked nervous. "Says she's hungry, but also she doesn't feel good."
"Oh," Sanji murmured, "that." He sighed and went to the fridge. Zoro watched as he began piling things on his arm. Silence reigned for some time as the blond cook sliced meats and cheeses, placing them artfully on a little ceramic plate.
"She sick?" Zoro voiced his major concern in a rush. Then he swore to himself. Why was he asking this idiot?But Sanji shook his head.
"She's feeling down, that's all." He retrieved a bottle of sake that had been open and sitting in the fridge. Sanji smiled faintly and set it on the tray beside the plate he had just arranged. "There. All her favorites." Zoro glanced suspiciously at the platter. It looked very appetizing, not something the chef would usually give to one of the ladies.
"Don't you usually give the girls fancy dessert crap?"
"This isn't 'one of the girls'," Sanji grunted. He wrapped the remainder of the swiss wheel back in plastic and tucked it away in the fridge. "This is Angel-san, and she likes meat and wine." He rapped at the bushido's hand with a sharp knuckle.
"Shit!"
"Don't grab it yet, asshole!" The blond young man sighed and rubbed at his temple. "Do you know what to do?"
"Eh?"
"To make her feel better. Do you know what you should do - or are you going to fuck it up?" He turned to face the muscular swordsman, eyebrow raised. It wasn't a surprise to him when the big man faltered, blushing dark across his nose and cheeks.
"What the hell," he growled, "are you babbling about now?"
"Just listen and shut up..."
Elly was laying on the bed in Zoro's room when he came in with the tray. He saw at once she had curled up in a little ball and pulled the sheet up over part of her face. He set the platter down and walked closer to her side, blinking. What he hadn't been able to see at first was that she had pulled one of his folded-up haramaki out of the chest at the foot of the bed and was clutching it to her chest as she shivered.
"Oi, kit." He nudged her with a careful hand. She sighed and looked up.
"Oops." Blushing, Elly hid her face in the green cloth.
"What're you doing?"
"I missed you?" Her reply was muffled. Zoro's first reaction was to grunt that he'd only been gone a quarter of an hour or so (and at her request) but he clamped his mouth shut, remembering what that idiot down there had been babbling about. He sat down beside her, causing the bed to tilt precariously to one side. Elly slid down towards him with a faint sound of protest. She hushed immediately when he stroked her hair away from her cheek, though.
"Okay," he grunted. He carefully laid down beside her and pulled her towards him, feeling like an ass. He didn't know how to handle something like this. What was he supposed to do? He drew in a shallow breath. Damn, he hated listening to that perverted cook. He made a mental note to beat the shit out of him when he got the opportunity. "I'm here, it's okay."
"Sorry." She sniffled. "I had a horrible dream, and it kind of set me off." She paused, her luminous lavender eyes glowing in the dim light of the overhead cabin.
"What happened?" Zoro frowned. A dream? That was what made her upset? He hated to feel more on an ass than he was, but dreams weren't real. He usually pushed them away when he woke up...if he had any. His frown grew deeper as he saw her bite her lower lip.
"I don't really think it's a good idea to say it."
"Why the f-" Zoro gritted his teeth together and buried his face in her hair for a moment. Slowly. She was upset - she didn't need him getting angry with her. He took her face in one hand and lifted it so he could stare at her. "Dreams don't matter."
"This one was weird." She took a deep breath. "Remember when you first saw me?"
A few years ago, when Sanji and Zoro had been at a bar together, of all things in the world to happen. Some girl had rushed in yammering about a monster and they had run out. What they found was a mob stoning the bloody bakeneko half to death. Zoro had rushed in and scattered them, grabbing her and taking her to their ship.
"Aa." He fidgeted. This really wasn't his thing, discussing what happened in the past. It was over with, so why bother with it.
"Did you know I actually had a crush on Sanji then?"
Zoro choked.
"WHAT."
"I did, you know." She paused. "I thought that he might treat me the way I'd always wanted to be treated." She rushed on, the words tumbling out.
Zoro made a gargling sound and pointed at his throat.
"Marimo," she sighed, wrapping her arm around his neck and tugging.
"Ero cook?" he ground out. His face had turned an alarming shade of purple. Elly's eyes slid half-closed and she growled under her breath. She pulled as hard as she could and he found himself nose to nose with her.
"Yes. That ass." This had the desired effect and Zoro's eyes lost that wild look. He shook his head, though.
"Huh. Wait, if that was your dream I can see why it upset you." He bent and nuzzled his body against hers, almost cuddling. She sighed. His warmth was very comforting.
"That wasn't it, though."
"Unnnhh?" He peered over at her. She was fidgeting so he took her wrists in his hands and gently turned them over. She watched, amazed, as the big man kissed her palms softly. He blushed and looked uncomfortable when she shot him a questioning look.
"You know I think he's a stupid flirt."
"Aa," he agreed.
"Well, when I stopped paying attention to him and...started noticing you he," she choked. "Sort of caught me." Zoro's tan face paled. He caught her up by the shoulder and stared into her face intently.
"Did he hurt you?" The grip on her shoulder was gentle but she felt him coiled under her, tensed for action. Elly also noticed that the vein she teasingly called his 'attack pulse' had started to throb in his forehead. She sighed again and kissed it. "Aahhh, no?" He wrinkled his forehead.
"Not the way you think. This dream was that day." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "I was watching you one day while you were working out."
"Knew you did that." He vented a small chuckle.
"Well, I didn't!" She blushed at the memory. "I was sort of hiding on a shadowed part of the deck in a lounge chair and he came up by my side." When she faltered he sinuously slid his body down until his face was at her level, molding his bigger curves to her smaller ones. He enveloped her in himself, his scent and his arms as they once again pressed her to his chest. He made a small noise of consent, encouraging her to go on and that he was listening.
"Hai."
"He told me it wouldn't work." She sniffed, remembering the horror of Sanji knowing her secret desire. She knew he wouldn't give her away, in fact he promised that. The chef just seriously didn't think the Bushido able or knowing enough to support her or any other female. Zoro frowned again and began kissing her neck, trailing gentle warmth along her closed eyelids as she shut them and tears began to slip out. He continued kissing her tears away as she talked in that heartbroken voice. It was as if she wasn't sitting here with him right now, he thought. This must have been a nightmare she lived with every day until they had found each other at last.
"Hai," he murmured again, urging her forward. He knew something about pain. Either you let it out somehow or it festered. He worked out and constantly trained to become better - that was a way to deal with his own frustrations. Zoro didn't get emotional and he saw the world in a clear, unwavering line of sight. He shocked his crew mates with his cutting, often brutal observations. That was life. But this was his woman. This was different for him. He knew the past was gone and one shouldn't worry about it but she was crying in his arms. A characteristically blunt remark might cause more pain. He hated to take the cook's advice when he had been the cause of her tears, but...
"There's not much else." She bit her lower lip and he veered downwards to kiss that, too. "He made such good arguments that I really thought you'd never look at me that way."
"Like this?" He blinked calmly, slowly, opening his eyes and staring into hers. This was easy. Here was something he could do. There was no talking so he would screw things up. They observed each other carefully for several moments. Zoro didn't move, didn't smile, didn't twitch. He gazed patiently into the dusky purple of her eyes. His were darker, deeper, a brown so rich it hovered on the very verge of black. She loved his eyes, often stating that they showed more emotion than any part of him ever could. When he fought they loomed under his black bandanna, sparking and snapping with energy. Most of the time they were just half-lidded, lazy in that self-assure way strong willed people have about themselves.
Now, however, they weren't lethargic or burning with determination. They didn't flicker with half-starved desire, nor did they yearn for her in the depths of his soul, turn into hearts or anything else ridiculous. He simply looked at her. After about half a minute she realized what it was. He was content.
Roronoa Zoro would be perfectly happy to look at her the rest of his life.
She whimpered and burst into full-throated sobbing, trying to look away but unable. This was what the big man had been waiting for.
"Kitten," he said with the hint of a smile. He pushed himself up on the bed and bundled her against him, rocking her back and forth so lightly she barely felt it. When she did notice what he was doing she had to push her face against his chest to stifle a fresh outburst.
"I'm being silly," she gasped, half out of breath from the inevitable stuffy nose. She hated crying, it would take forever for her to be able to breathe properly again.
"Aa," he agreed. "And after I went and got you all this crap." He reached over and pulled the tray down. Her eyes brightened and he actually laughed.
"Oh, my," she said reverently. "We shouldn't let this go to waste." She grabbed some meat. He nabbed the wine. They ate, drank and later made love as the stars shone through the many-windowed cabin on top of the ship. They would have to get up in a few hours, and they'd probably be sleepy the next day but they'd make it through just fine.
After all, they had each other. They would be together once they were married.
Forever.
