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RIP Brook, at least you went out with the best joke in the entire series
I love the concept of Baratie not just bc it's a sea restaurant and that's cool but because their policy is the absolute antithesis of "the customer is always right." Oh you wanna be a jerk to the staff? Get decked, loser. Being terrible on a date? Congratulations, our sous chef will steal your girl. Ordered a wine that pairs badly? Ignored, we're picking a better one. It's like objectively the funniest way to run a restaurant and I can't stop thinking about it.
Summary: Zoro asked you out on a date. (You thought it was just an errand run at the market) Tags: fluff, pre-relationship, first date(?), GN but written with F!Reader in mind, no use of y/n
a/n: happy birthday zoro!! this is not a birthday-centric fic, just wanted to write something fluffy for the birthday boy :)
You sat on one of the swings on the main deck of the Thousand Sunny, gently swaying as you waited for Zoro. As the minutes ticked by, you started impatiently glancing at the door to the boys’ room.
It was taking Zoro unexpectedly long to get ready today when he usually only needed less than five minutes to throw on whatever non-wrinkled, semi-clean clothes he could find strewn around beneath his hammock.
“Want to go to the market with me today? Just us two?” was what Zoro asked you this morning. Of course, you said yes without a second thought. It wasn’t unusual for you to accompany Zoro on errand runs whenever you docked at a new island – it seemed the crew had appointed you as his (un)official chaperone, tasked with ensuring the directionally challenged swordsman could find his way back to the ship at the end of the day. With that being said, you couldn’t say that you didn’t enjoy every single second you got to be alone with your green-haired crewmate.
The Sunny was currently docked at a small, but lively harbor town. Nami already scoped out the area this morning, and she reported that, thankfully, there were no marine bases here, so the crew could spend the next three days in peace while waiting for the log pose to set.
Some muffled bickering came from inside the boys’ room and you were straining your ears to hear what they were saying when the door suddenly swung open. Zoro was quickly shoved out of the room by a pair of hands you recognized as Usopp’s, and a telltale flash of blonde hair, before the door slammed shut, told you that the cook was also in on… whatever this was.
You looked at the man in front of you, his green hair still slightly damp from a bath (he took a bath?) but combed neatly. He was wearing a black, slightly oversized, short-sleeved shirt – unbuttoned over a white tank top – paired with some light blue jeans.
You could only gape in awe, genuinely taken aback at the sight of him actually dressing up for once, but at your silence, Zoro stiffened and did a one-eighty, reaching for the doorknob, “I’m gonna go change.”
You touched his arm lightly to stop him, “No, don’t.”
He turned to face you again, and you placed your hand on his shoulder as you admitted, “You look really great. It suits you.”
The tips of Zoro’s ears turned red at your compliment. A breeze suddenly picked up, bringing about faint traces of lemon and eucalyptus… Was he wearing cologne?
You couldn’t help but lean towards him, inching your nose closer to his neck to catch another whiff of the lovely aroma. As if reading your thoughts, Zoro said, “Usopp sprayed it on me before I could get away.”
Ah, so that’s why the scent was familiar. You’ve smelled it on the sniper a few times before, but on Zoro, the cologne smelled slightly different, tinged with a scent that was so uniquely him.
“Well, you smell fantastic.” You reassured him. “Shall we go?”
The walk to the market was brief, with you and Zoro strolling side-by-side in companionable silence. As the hustle and bustle of the market came within sight, you nudged him and asked, “What did you need from the market, by the way?”
“I didn’t really need anything in particular,” He thought for a bit, “But I guess I’m running low on sword polish.”
After Zoro made a quick purchase at the arms shop, you two wandered around the market with no directions in mind, stopping at whichever stall caught your eye.
An old lady sat behind one, carefully weaving a bracelet out of thin, colorful threads. Her table was filled with more of her creations, each of them with unique patterns and color combinations. You picked one that you thought was the prettiest, admiring the intricate details of the different shades of green mingling to create a mesmerizing design. You checked the price tag and put it back down. As much as you wanted it, you really needed to restrain yourself. You told yourself you didn’t need another accessory – not when you just purchased a pricey silver necklace at the last island.
A few stalls down was a table laden with vials and bottles of all sizes, and you excitedly dragged Zoro by the sleeve towards it.
“Welcome, welcome!” The owner of the kiosk greeted you, “We have fragrances of every kind here – even imported oils from Alabasta! Do you have any particular scent you prefer?”
“Oh, it’s not for me!” You smiled before jerking your thumb at your companion, “I want to find something for him.”
“Well, take a look around.” He gestured to the samples, “I’m sure we can find something suitable for your boyfriend.”
You felt heat rush to your cheeks as you frantically waved your hand, while Zoro was similarly flustered.
“He’s not–”
“We’re not–, I mean–”
The two of you gave up explaining as the man profusely apologized for making inappropriate assumptions. After you assured him that it was fine, he began putting drops of the different fragrant oils on small pieces of paper and handed them to you. You sniffed each of them, bringing the ones you found interesting up to Zoro’s nose. All of the scents were alluring in their own ways, but one in particular stood out to you. It opened with a fresh burst of bergamot, layered with a spicy rush of cardamom and a hint of green tea.
“How’s this?” You offered the paper to Zoro.
He took a cautious sniff, and his eyebrow raised ever so slightly. Zoro was never really into colognes or perfumes, but he was surprised at how much he actually liked the scent you picked for him.
He nodded and you beamed, turning towards the merchant, “We’ll take this one!”
As the man filled a vial with the fragrant oil, you reached into your pocket for some Berries, but Zoro’s hand on your wrist stopped you, “You don’t have to–“
“I know.” You cut him off, “But I want to.”
You grinned at him, “You can wear it the next time we hang out, so you don’t have to borrow Usopp’s.”
A smile slowly crept up Zoro’s lips, “Thanks.”
The merchant was wrapping up the glass vial when Zoro tapped you on the shoulder, “Hey, I need to go to the restroom. Wait here for a minute.”
Before you could stop him, he was gone.
Your heart dropped. If there was one rule to going anywhere with Zoro, it was to never let him out of your sight.
You quickly handed some coins to the merchant and began searching in the direction that Zoro went, standing on your tiptoes to look over the crowd in hopes of catching sight of that familiar green. You were just starting to descend into a panic when a hand suddenly grabbed yours.
“I’m right here,” Zoro said softly into your ear.
You smacked him lightly on the chest, “Don’t run off like that again! You scared me!”
“Sorry,” He grinned, before shrugging and saying nonchalantly, “But you know what, I don’t know how but I could always find my way back if it’s to you.”
You wondered if he knew the effect he had on you.
Your grip on his hand tightened just a little bit. You knew he was just holding your hand so you wouldn’t lose each other in this crowded market, but you couldn’t prevent your pulse from quickening at the feeling of his strong hand in yours. It certainly didn’t help that he didn’t let go even after you left the market and the crowd behind you.
You caught a glimpse of a massive flower field at the edge of town and tugged Zoro’s hand to grab his attention, “Nami heard that field’s a popular picnic spot for the locals. Sure looks pretty, doesn’t it?”
“Wanna check it out?”
You looked at the field longingly before shaking your head, “It’s getting late, maybe tomorrow. We should probably head back to the ship for dinner soon.”
“Actually,” Zoro said, “I was thinking we could try out one of those restaurants in town, if you’re up for it?”
You were surprised at Zoro’s suggestion – he was normally the type to return to the ship as early as possible and take a good, long nap after a day out – but you agreed to it nonetheless. When else would you get a chance to dine with your swordsman, just the two of you?
The restaurant Zoro took you to was a quaint place, but the food they served was beyond your expectations. Zoro was unusually talkative throughout dinner, and you couldn’t say that you didn’t adore this side of him. You two laughed and chatted through bites of steaks and sips of beer, and then dinner was over before you realized, far sooner than you would’ve liked.
The walk back to the ship was also shorter than you remembered. As you walked beside Zoro, fingers brushing in featherlight touches, you had to resist the temptation of linking your fingers with his. The night was getting chillier and you would give anything to feel his warm hand in yours again, but you know you shouldn’t. This was just a friendly outing anyway – you wouldn’t want him to think that you got the wrong idea, or worse, what if he rejected your advances?
Zoro walked you all the way to the door of your quarters, “Did you have fun today?”
“I did.” You smiled up at him, “Best day I had in a while, to be honest.”
All of a sudden, Zoro took your wrist and slipped something onto it, “A return gift. For the perfume oil you bought me.”
Your heart skipped a beat when you noticed that it was the green woven bracelet that you admired earlier. He must’ve gotten it when you were briefly separated at the market.
“Oh, Zoro,” You leaped toward him, bringing your arms around his neck and enveloping him in a big hug, “Thank you!”
Zoro’s arms tentatively wrapped around your waist and you melted into his embrace. You leaned back and brought your wrist with the bracelet to beside his head, giggling as you noted, “It matches your hair.”
Zoro’s expression was unreadable as he gazed at you, and then, without warning, he leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on your cheek. You froze at the sudden act, your smile dropping in shock. Your heart was pounding faster than ever, and your fingers unconsciously went to the spot where you could still feel the touch of his chapped lips.
Zoro mistook your surprised reaction as rejection and immediately dropped his arms from your waist, stepping backward as he brought his palm to his forehead, “Sorry, fuck, I shouldn’t have taken that dumb cook’s advice.”
“Huh?” You voiced, still in a daze and not understanding a bit of what he was saying, “What advice? What’s Sanji got to do with this?”
He hesitated, before admitting in a small voice, “He said a kiss on the cheek would be okay for a first date. If it went well.”
“D-date?” You asked in confusion, “Are you telling me today was a date?”
Zoro ran his hand through his hair in frustration, “Well, what the hell did you think it was then?”
“I thought it was just one of our usual errand runs!” You stammered out, before jabbing your pointer finger on his chest accusingly, “You didn’t say it was a date!”
After belatedly realizing that he, in fact, did not, Zoro flushed and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, “Uh, I did say it would only be the two of us?”
You blinked, still processing his words and this absurd miscommunication.
“You know what, forget it.” Zoro's face was bright red as he began walking away from you in the direction of the crow’s nest, “Good night.”
“No, wait. Zoro.” You caught him by his hand, before placing yourself in front of him. “It was a really nice day.”
He refused to look at you, but you placed your hand on his chin, guiding his eyes to yours, “But if you wanted to ask me on a date, maybe you could’ve been a little more… explicit?”
You laughed in embarrassment as you gestured at your casual t-shirt and shorts, “Gosh, look at me! I would’ve dressed up better!”
“You look great no matter what you wear.”
You flushed at his sincere compliment, before taking his hands in each of yours, “I’d love to go on a date with you again, you know.”
You squeezed his hands, “Preferably one where I knew it was a date?”
He was silent for a few seconds, before muttering, “Tomorrow then.”
“Tomorrow what, Zoro?” You teased, “Use your words.”
Zoro took a deep breath, looking you right in the eyes, “Would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow? We can have a picnic at the flower fields. You wanted to go there, right?”
“It’s a date.” You smiled, before giving him a peck on the cheek, “Good night, Zoro. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
You entered your room, quickly shutting the door as your legs gave out under you. You sat stunned on the floor, hand on your chest to dampen the drumming of your heart, cheeks hurting from the wide grin you were sporting.
You knew you probably wouldn’t sleep a wink tonight, too filled with excitement for what tomorrow would bring.
y'all even their silhouettes are in character omg
This is, in fact, exactly the kind of pose I would expect an old lady to think is cool
would you fall in love with me again from epic......... but it's sanji and the reader after the events of wano after his exoskeleton activates
nyla, i just wanted you to know that this request absolutely broke me. it's been sitting in my inbox for almost two weeks but i finally got the time (and courage) to finish it!
i've been wanting to write a fic with this exact premise for a loooong time, but i'm glad i hadn't written it yet because this song is so perfect and fits incredibly well for this story. thank you for giving me inspiration, and the push to finally write this!
and i am nawt the best at writing angst but i really hope i did this story justice!
Tags: major spoilers for wano, sfw, angst, hurt/comfort, GN but written with F!Reader in mind, no use of y/n Disclaimer: some of the dialogues are taken directly from the song
A strange clanging roused you from your slumber.
You reached for the sheets beside you only to find them void of warmth. A sliver of moonlight penetrated the darkness of your room through the cracked open door that led to the castle gardens outside.
You slid the wooden frame open, revealing a figure hunched over on the ground, half hidden by the shadows, "Sanji, is that you? Are you alright?”
The banging stopped.
"Sorry, did I wake you? Please go back to bed, sweetheart, I’m fine. I’ll be there in a minute."
You observed him for a moment—taking in his seemingly permanent frown, the bags under his eyes, the slouch in his shoulders—and voiced the thought that had been bothering you since the battle on Onigashima ended a couple of days ago, "You look… different. Tired."
He refused to meet your eyes, his gaze remained fixed on the lush greenery of the garden.
"Tell me what's wrong."
Your plea broke his facade, and Sanji was no longer able to pretend that he was okay.
His breaths turned into short, shallow gasps. He gulped, jaws clenched tight, before he finally admitted, "I can't feel."
He pounded his fist once more against his abdomen to prove his point, the clang echoing unforgivingly amid the otherwise silent night, "I can't feel anything. There's no pain."
You surged forward, catching his wrist before his fist could fall upon his body again.
"No! Don't touch me!" He rasped, though there was no fight when you gently guided his hand to rest in his lap, "Please, I don't want to hurt you."
"Sanji—"
"It's that wretched Germa suit. It did something to me. Something foul."
He clutched his head, fingers digging into his scalp so forcefully that a few golden strands came loose and fluttered to the ground.
"I-I'm not the man you fell in love with, nor the one you once might've adored." He rambled, "I'm not k-kind or, or gentle—"
"Sanji.”
You cradled his face in between your hands, pushing away his hair to take in both of his misty eyes. They were filled with a rare vulnerability that made your heart ache.
A choked sob escaped him as he finally looked at you.
In a voice so small it was nearly impossible to comprehend, he whispered, "Would you fall in love with me again? If you knew all I've done?"
You knew he was not only referring to what happened on Onigashima.
You didn’t witness what went down between him and Luffy on Whole Cake Island, and you never had the urge to ask for the details. Sanji was back on the Sunny, he and Luffy were okay, and that was all that mattered.
Sanji's expression turned into one of disgust as he gestured to his body, "The things I cannot change… Would you love me all the same?"
The answer to that was as clear as day, but somehow, you doubt that he'd believe you just like that.
"What happened?" You asked instead, "During your fight with Queen?"
He grimaced as he recalled the bitter memories, "I… lost control. My mind went blank, then that girl was on the floor, bleeding."
He shut his eyes tight, "In the end, I found out that Queen was responsible for that, but I still can't forget that look she gave me. That girl… She was afraid of me. And rightfully so. She should be afraid of me—I'm turning into a monster."
Your chest burned with hatred for all the people—or rather, monsters—that made your sweet Sanji feel this way.
Your fingers left his face as you stood up resolutely, "A monster, huh? If that's true, could you do something for me?"
He stared up blankly at you.
"Kick me."
Sanji fell on his knees to the ground in front of you. His face soured, brows furrowed as if the simple thought of bringing harm to you physically pained him, "How could you say that? No! I would never!"
He caught both of your hands, kissing them in turn with a gentleness that was oh so familiar to you.
You smiled, "Then I guess you're still my Sanji."
His eyes widened, then the dam broke.
His body shook as he weeped uncontrollably, and you crouched down again to take him into your arms.
Within seconds, the fabric of your yukata was soaked with tears and snot, but you never loosened your hold on him. Your hand rubbed soothing circles on his back as you let him ride out his grief.
And once his sobs turned into sniffles, then into steady breaths, you intertwined your fingers with his, your other hand reaching up to caress his cheek, "Can you feel this?"
He nodded.
"This?" You asked as you pressed your lips to his neck, leaving a tender kiss that left Sanji sighing blissfully.
"Does your heart still race when I do this?" You whispered in his ear, bringing your lips down to his and staying there for a few seconds before you pulled back, barely.
"Yes," He breathed out as your hand moved to his chest, confirming the quick rhythm of his heart underneath your palm.
"Then you're still my Sanji. You're still human. And nothing could change that."
You rested your forehead against his, "I will fall in love with you over and over again. I don't care how, where, or when. No matter what happens, you're mine."
Cupping his face, you made him look into your eyes, "Don't tell me you're not the same person. You're always my Sanji."
The relief was obvious in his sigh.
Sanji leaned forward timidly, capturing your lips with a nervousness that hadn't been present since the first time he kissed you many, many moons ago, "I love you."
"And I love you. Always."
You took his hand and pulled him to his feet, “Let’s get back to bed.”
He followed obediently.
Limbs entangled with yours, Sanji finally slept through the night.
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