@lyndsyh this is for you. Sorry for the long wait. You're the best, but you know that.

*

BACKDROP

[ Zoro x reader ]

Your snort transitioned in a chuckle halfway out of your throat, as you swiftly wiped a few droplets of blood from your lower lip.

«Is this really all you can do, swordsman?»

Roronoa Zoro scoffed, rotating the Sandai Kitetsu in his hand.

«I'm just getting started.»

«Good.» you replied, doing the same with your saber «Show me that you're worth Ojisan's* time.»

The pirate grunted, pulling out a second sword.

«Why did I always end up against troublesome women?»

«What are you looking at?» Perona asked, approaching Mihawk.

The man stood in front of the wide window, with his arms crossed over his chest.

Without answering, he hinted to the yard below.

The pinkette peered down, noticing you and Zoro sparring. A small smirk tugged on her painted lips.

«He hasn't beaten her yet, has he?»

«Apparently. But he's getting closer.»

Perona hummed.

«First the gorillas, now your niece. Will you finally train him, afterwards?»

«I will, when he defeats Y/n.» Mihawk replied, absentmindly moving one of her pink lock over her shoulder.

It took three months for Zoro to beat you.

Your chest rhythmically moved up and down along with your pants as he straddled you, the blade of his katana plunged into the ground, a few inches from your neck.

A mischievous sneer bent his lips.

«I win.» he lowly said.

Despite the panting, you sneered back.

«Better late than never.»

He stood, sheathing his swords and offering you his hand.

After a moment of hesitation, you took it.

Once again you were surprised by his strength when he pulled you up with no effort.

«I tend to forget there are people like you hidden on remote islands of this sea.»

You frowned.

«People like me?»

He took down his bandanna.

«Strong.»

You relaxed, picking up your saber.

«I'm not strong. I was just lucky enough to be the strongest swordsman's niece. Ojisan trained me well, and now he will do the same for you.» you smiled «The only difference is that you're strong for real, Roronoa Zoro.»

He blinked at you and, for some reason, he quickly turned his face to the dark woods.

«Yeah, whatever.»

You tilted your head, a bit confused, but soon your attention was absorbed by his half-ripped shirt, which revealed the perfect anatomy of his back's muscles.

«You okay?»

Too absorbed.

«Uh, sure.» you cleared your voice, letting your hair fell in front of your face to cover the moment of embarrassment «Shall we head back?»

The truth was it was hard to live under Roronoa's same roof.

Because he was too fucking attractive.

And too fucking uninterested in women's company.

You had tried to play tough the first week, acting like the cold swordsgirl you were trained to be.

Then you met him in front of the bathroom, when he came out with just a towel wrapped around his waist.

That muscular torso and the big scar that your uncle gave him infested your nights for months.

You started to be jealous of Perona and how they were always quarrelling. You wished you were able to talk to him with the same nonchalance.

Instead, all you could do was sparring with him.

Your jealousy dissolved when you noticed how Perona's round eyes secretly lingered over Mihawk's figure when he was sitting in his armchair, deeply buried in one of his novels, or your uncle's fingers would brush hers when she handed over his dish at dinner.

Still, you weren't able to talk normally to Zoro, nor he ever tried to approach you.

But, before you realized it, you two built a silent dialogue in your daily sparring.

You could tell his mood by the way his katana met your saber, how he dodged your blows and tried to hit back.

Sometimes Zoro was a wild beast, and he almost scared you. Some other times, he seemed tormented by the thought of his far crew. And, rarely, you caught him staring at the sea, his gaze lost on the horizon.

But none of his shades is for me.

You shook your head.

It didn't matter. Your uncle raised you to be a warrior, feelings were for the weaklings.

...and yet he was probably in his bedroom making love to Perona in that very moment.

You sighed.

Now that Zoro beat you, there was no reason for you to fight him anymore. He would have started to train with Mihawk, and you were going to be among the public with the pinkette.

Or you could just sail for some adventure. Sometimes you used to do it.

You hummed to yourself, swinging on the chair of your desk, tapping a pen on your chin.

Yeah, you could go on a travel, looking for something exciting and–

Knocks.

You jumped to your feet.

Perona never bothered knocking, so there was just one other person possible.

«Ojisan?» you asked, opening.

...or not.

Your eyes widened.

«Roronoa?»

Zoro stood on your doorstep, shirtless, still humid from the shower, with a towel hanging around his neck.

You swallowed.

«What do you want?» you gruffly said.

His magnetic eyes were serious and planted on your face.

«You were staring at me earlier.»

It was not a question.

«You're delusional.» you scoffed, averting your eyes.

His fingers gripped your chin not too gently and forced you to look back at him.

«Don't lie to me, Y/n.»

Insulted by his boldness, you slapped his hand away.

«Roronoa, I seriously advice you to revise your attitude.» you hissed «You beat me once, but I can still kick your ass any day of the week. So don't piss me off.»

A wolfish sneer curled his lips.

«Without your saber? I don't really think so.»

You spent no more time. You shot him a lovely smile and punch him in the face.

Unfortunately, you underestimated the pirate's reflexes, because he blocked your punch before you could hit him, grabbing your hand. So you elbowed him in the stomach.

He couldn't avoid that blow.

Zoro coughed some saliva, but quickly reacted by intercepting your other arm and sticking it to your back.

«You troublesome woman...!»

«You're so dead, Ror–»

He let go of your wrist, dived his hand in your hair, forcing your head in place, and assaulted your mouth with his.

The wet warmness enveloped your lips and muffled your shout.

The fight was soon transferred over your tongues, hungrily trying to subjugate each other.

It was immediately clear you were no match to him when it came to physical strength.

Zoro pushed you to the wall beside your bed and pressed your body against it. You could feel his hard muscle rubbing your torso, and he could feel your soft chest against his.

When your lungs burnt for air, he brusquely pulled back, a stream of saliva still connecting your mouths.

Your quick hot breaths were mixing midway.

The swordsman's hands grasped your wrists and pressed them to the wall.

«I've been needing this from our first fight.» he whispered, then his lips approached your ear «And I need so much more.»

A shiver ran down your spine.

«You took your damn time, Roronoa.» you sneered.

You felt his grip slightly relaxing at your words.

You weren't sure, but it looked like he was waiting for some kind of sign from you, something to tell him you wanted it too.

«I couldn't disrespect the man who agreed to train me.» he said.

You lifted an eyebrow.

«Ojisan? He's not the protective type.»

«You may wanna rethink it.» he huffed, rolling his eyes «The first time we sparred, he told me that I could fight you as much as I wanted, but if I just stared at you for too long, he would have cut my hands away along with my dream.»

You blinked.

«Dracule Mihawk said that?»

«These exact words.»

«So why have you changed your mind?»

«In these three months I realized two things. First, I'll have to defeat him anyway, sooner or later. And second...»

His grip became stronger again and he came dangerously close.

«...you're fucking worth the risk.»

You felt a delicious stroke in your lower abdomen as he captured your lips again.

Despite Mihawk going really hard on him the first times (nothing could go past his hawk eyes, so it took him half a second to see what was going on between you two), Zoro apparently never regretted his choice.

You could say that because, no matter how bad your uncle beat him every day, every night he crawled back in your bed.

Needless to say, sex was amazing.

You both had a hard time not to touch each other during the day, and the nights were pure fire.

Slowly, small daily things were added to the pile.

You attended his wounds and he joined you to your swims around the island. You had breakfast together before he started training.

Somehow, Mihawk eventually accepted the fact you two were a thing.

You knew it was going to happen, he was wise enough not to interfere with your happiness for no reason, although you also suspected Perona played a role in the change.

Many things happened in the following two years. And you were by his side.

«Are you sure about it, Y/n-chan?»

Perona rolled the cute umbrella on her shoulder.

You nodded.

«He will get lost if someone doesn't escort him.»

«I get that, but shouldn't it be you?»

Your eyebrow wrinkled, but just for a moment.

«No. I don't belong to that part of his life.»

She didn't look convinced by your words, but for once Perona didn't retort.

«If this is what you want.» she sighed.

«It is. Thank you.»

«Don't mention it. I'll be back soon.»

You greeted her, then glanced at the shore from the window.

Zoro stood there, turned to the sea, the wind in his kimono.

Time to say goodbye.

«Hey, Roronoa.» you called.

He turned to you.

«Oh, so we're not at first name basis anymore?»

You shrugged.

«Perona will come with you, so you won't get lost.»

«I don't need it!»

«You so freaking need it.»

Zoro scoffed.

«Troublesome woman.»

A few seconds of silence passed on the beach.

You did your best to smile at him.

«I will see you in the news then.»

He wasn't smiling at all.

«Y/n.»

«What?»

«I know I don't have the right to ask, but...»

His intense eye locked with yours.

You felt your breath becoming shorter and faster.

«Will you wait for me?»

Your heart stopped for a moment and you couldn't reply.

Zoro's face was already the face of the second in command of the Pirate King.

«I don't know how long it will take, but I'll become the number one swordsman of the world. No one will ever defeat me again. And then, when I'm done, I will come back. To you.»

You opened your dry mouth.

«You... are wrong.»

A flash of pain sparkled behind his eye. But you smiled.

«You will be defeated again. Go, reach Raftel, be the best swordsman ever. Then come back here, and I'll kick your ass so bad you won't be able to move for weeks.»

The crooked smirk entered his features.

«We'll see about that.»

Zoro's fingers grabbed your chin and lifted your face, while he bent on you.

Your last kiss was slower than usual, maybe because both of you wanted to impress the other's taste on your tongue.

As if you could ever forget.

When he pulled back, Zoro's lips trailed to your ear.

«So... later, Y/n.» he whispered.

«Later, Roronoa.»

And he passed by, his hand brushing your arm till he was too far to reach it.

You didn't turn to follow his back with your eyes.

After all, the sun was descending behind the line of the sea, and the sunset was just too beautiful to be missed.

*Ojisan = zio