Dinner was a lesson in extreme restraint. 

There was a process and a tradition to just about everything in the house. Things were done in a certain order and at a certain pace. You'd picked up on the nuances of almost everything, nearing the 1-month mark of having lived with the two martial artists, but that didn't mean it was second nature to you yet.

Holding back and getting through dinner wasn't the hardest part. The hardest part was holding back and getting through dinner without advertising to Mihawk that you wanted to be anywhere but the dinner table right now.

You failed, you failed miserably, but blessings upon Mihawk for how he broke the news of your failure.

"I'll clean up," Mihawk says, as the meal is nearly done. "There's an action movie I wish to watch, so please pardon any excessive noise in the family room."

You nearly choke on your food but manage to keep most of your composure intact. You and Zoro exchange brief glances, but by the time either of you look toward Mihawk he was already stepping away from the table. Zoro finishes up first, setting his plate in the kitchen and heading down the hall to his room without a glance back at you. You found yourself hesitating with the last few bites. You weren't suddenly changing your mind, but you were starting to get nervous.

You finish up your meal and set your plate on the counter in the kitchen, leaving it for Mihawk with the slightest of bows.

"If you find yourself too sore for lessons tomorrow, Miss (Y/N), I will understand." The older man says evenly without looking in your direction.

Your face was amazingly red, but he didn't turn to look at you or even glance from the corner of his eye. You manage the best, "Yes, thank you." that you could muster and had to will yourself to not just run out of the kitchen.

Standing outside the bedroom door for a long moment before you muster the courage to step inside. Zoro has his back to the door, wearing nothing but sweats and three earrings. You close the door and walk up to him as he turns to face you. The look in his eyes causes you to stop, heat throbbing through your whole body, and you can't hold his gaze for long.

There's a quiet moment between you and then you take your shirt off, face red, body shivering in anticipation as hot calloused hands grab onto your shoulders. You can feel his breath across your neck as he kisses along your shoulder, up along the turn of your jaw. His lips brush along the curve of your ear, and his voice is husky and unsteady when he speaks.

"Hey," he nuzzles against the side of your head. "Look at me so I can kiss you."

You tilt your head up, and catch his gaze for a moment before your eyes fall to his mouth. You can't help yourself as your tongue moves across your lips. You've kissed before, but right now it's like you can feel the tingle of it before it's even begun, your whole body is so on edge, so desperate with anticipation for what the night promises.

Your hands press into his chest as his lips press into yours. The soft moans that exchange between you both urge the kiss into something deeper. His hands move, one into your hair, cradling your head as his tongue pushes into your mouth, demanding more of you while his other hand unclasps your bra. You moan into his lips as your bra releases, and the feel of his fingers moving down your back, tickling along your spine causes you to arch back, breaking the kiss.

The air you pull in is quickly released as a shivering mewling sound, his lips greedy against your skin. Your hands are wrapped around him, holding onto his back as every kiss and touch from him seems to demand pleasure from you. Your legs are already shaking under you, and you moan into his ear as he leaves a mark just off your neck, your fingers flexing, nails pushing into his skin as you try to keep your feet under you.

There's a soft grunt from him you feel more than hear, and he lifts you easily, moving over to the futon and laying you down. He barely breaks the kisses between you as he leans over you. The cool blankets beneath you hardly register against the heat between you, and the longest his lips leave you is when he takes your bra off entirely, tossing it aside.

His rough hands move over your exposed breasts, sending shivers through you and pulling louder moans from your lips. You cover your mouth with the back of your hand to stifle the moan that bubbles up when he kisses your sensitive nipple, your other hand trembling against his arm. Your body squirms under him, but there's no escape from the pleasure he's slowly pushing into you.

"Put your hands on my shoulders," he says, trailing kisses from your lips to your ear. "Keep them there."

You nod, and feel heat flooding down into your neck and shoulders as his gaze stays on you, his hand slipping under the waistband of your pants. Your breath comes out heavier, soft airy moans of anticipation as his fingers slip between your thighs. His fumbling and unsure fingers are almost terribly gentle, tickling more than pleasuring, but your hips roll and his rough finger slips over your clit. Your hands tense and you let out a cry of surprise and pleasure, covering your mouth as your eyes go wide.

The realization and grin that appears on Zoro's face makes your heart skip. His finger moves, without hitting your sweet spot and his voice is almost a purr when he speaks.

"Hands back on my shoulders." He states his movements and tone making it obvious that he won't continue until you comply, and you don't have the will or drive to try and resist him.

Once your hands are back on his shoulders his finger is back on your sensitive and needy clit, sending pleasure through you and coaxing warm moans from your lips. He moves faster, slower, in circles, up and down, one finger, two fingers. As he's learning you're at his mercy, and you have no complaints.

After a few minutes you've both learned what your body likes and you're shivering under him. "W-wait... Z-zoro, it's... I'm... haa."

"Look at me," his voice is firm, and your eyes focus on him as best they can. That grin again, the knowing smirk that's figuring out the right things to say and do. There's a pleased hum that comes from him, your fingers and toes flexing as the pleasure that's been building the last few minutes peaks.

You shudder to orgasm under him, his name tumbling in pieces from your mouth as his lips cover yours, devouring the last few sounds of your pleasure. His fingers don't stop and you're twitching and moaning into his mouth. When his fingers slide further into your folds, he breaks the kiss and you can feel his eyes on you.

"You have to tell me, if it hurts," he says tenderly, his finger easily pushing deep inside you.

His finger moves inside you, his eyes on you, your mind still in a haze from the orgasm and the continued jolts of pleasure he keeps finding. He pulls your pants down as he fits a second finger inside you. Your hands aren't on his shoulders, but you're holding on to him, wiggling and trembling under him. The fingers inside you seem to be systematically trying to learn every sensitive place they can find, just like he had with your clit and you manage to find your voice against the pleasure.

"P-please," you gasp, looking into his eyes. His gaze is sharp and focused. It's almost like you've been seeing a lazy caged tiger all this time, and right now you're aware that the bars aren't going to stop him. There's truly nothing left between the two of you, and he's just waiting for you to give in. "Zoro, n-no more, I-." you swallow hard, the heat in your face is so strong you almost feel dizzy. "I w-want you inside me... n-not your f-f-fingers."

You can feel his body tense and his fingers twitch inside you before he pulls them out. His lips crash against yours, and the deep passionate kiss steals the breath from your lungs, a needy growl rumbling through him. Despite the heat in your own body you can feel his skin almost like fire against you as he pulls the last pieces of clothing from you. The heat and passion don't override his tenderness, and he's mindful of the bruises and welts from your training even as he moves.

You don't know when he had removed his own pants, but you feel the impossibly stiff flesh of his erection push against your thigh as he positions himself and your legs. There's a moment's pause between the two of you, and you curl your legs around his, lifting your hips – silently urging him to continue.

He moves over your wet slit a few times before pushing against you. There's a delicious pressure between your thighs as he enters you, stretching you open and filling you up. The warm feeling of having him inside you causes your emotions to overwhelm you, and you can feel tears pooling in your eyes. There's no pain, but the sense of being connected, the relief of feeling so good and so full and so complete.

"Hey," there's concern in the single word, and he freezes in place.

"It's okay, it doesn't hurt." You assure him, emotion spilling over in your voice. You wipe the tears away and smile, reaching out to him. "More please, give me more of you."

He moves again, filling you just as carefully as before until you can feel him pushed flush against your thighs. "That's... all of it." He says, his voice shaking against his own building pleasure.

He leans down, his weight against you without being too heavy, and begins to move. Soft kisses dance along your lips and across your skin as pleasure grows between you. The closeness of his body causes sweet friction inside and out and you can feel yourself falling into the building pleasure again.

Your legs twitch against him involuntarily, your body shuddering against him inside and out as the orgasm builds. His fingers thread through yours, holding you down as his pace hastens. It doesn't take long before you come hard against him.

The pleasure of your voice in his ear, the shuddering spasm of your body against him, one or both are enough to break his steady rhythm. Shaky hard thrusts drive into you prolonging your pleasure as you feel him twitch inside you, his barely controlled breath falling over you. You don't miss the near predatory grin on his face as his hips shift and the movement causes your body to twitch.

He kisses your forehead softly, pulling out and laying down beside you. He pulls you against his chest and you can feel his heart thundering, and there's comfort in knowing the end result is shared between you.

For long moments neither of you have the energy or inclination to speak or move. There are a lot of comfortable quiet moments between the two of you, but this has certainly cemented its position at the top, as far as you were concerned. A soft contented sound escapes you as you nuzzle into him, trying to be closer. You feel him to help oblige your quiet request, and his hands wander idly through your hair and over your skin.

"We should clean up before we sleep." You murmur into his chest making no move to follow your own words.

"I'll take care of it." He says, covering you with a nearby blanket as he gets up.

The blanket isn't nearly as warm and comfortable as he is, but your satisfied body drifts into a light nap easily. It's only when strong hands lift you, blanket and all, that you realize at least a few minutes has gone by. You nuzzle sleepily into Zoro and pay little attention to anything else.

By the time your mind catches up, you realize he's brought the both of you into the bathroom. It's one thing to see him in the soft dim light of the bedroom, but the warm bright light of the bathroom hides nothing. He sets you on the edge of the tub and kisses your forehead softly before he turns away to get something.

Your face goes an alarming shade of red as you notice the bright red scratch marks on his back. All his tender ministrations, and taking care of your bruised body, and you scratched the hell out of him. Your hands were over your face as he turned toward you.

"... You're shy now?" He questions, bemusement in his voice as he kneels in front of you.

"Your back. I'm... sorry."

He leans forward, moving one of your hands aside and kissing your cheek before whispering in your ear. "Not all scars on a swordsman's back are shameful." His voice is husky and you can't help the soft, slightly concerned whimper that escapes you.

"Can you stand for a shower?" He questions, leaning back and looking at you with the soft traces of a happy smile on his face.

You nod after a moment's thought. "I think so."

Zoro takes over without a word, and you quietly let him, offering neither protest nor resistance as he begins to clean you up. You can feel heat rising up in you a couple times, but he manages to keep both of you under control, and before long you're soaking in the tub. Your back against his chest, his warmth and the warmth of the water threatening to lull you back into another nap.

You shift enough to be able to look up at him. "Comfortable." You manage to say and he looks down at you silently. "I never thought I could feel so comfortable."

His arm wraps around your shoulders, but he doesn't say anything, instead he nuzzles into your hair a little, hugging you close. You stay like that happily until the water cools, and then Zoro wraps you in a towel and carries you back to the bedroom without a sound.

Your face flushes red, but you don't protest, instead you just give him a kiss on his cheek in the hall, taking in the little victory of his fingers twitching in response. This was a love you could get used to, even if admitting it out loud felt dangerous.

The last time you admitted to loving someone out loud was before your adoptive parents had died. One of the comforting things about Zoro was that you didn't need to say everything out loud. You didn't need to worry that the words had died on your lips a dozen times during the night, because you knew. You knew how he felt, and you knew he knew how you felt.

And one day those feelings would exist in words, and not just actions, but that day was still a few months away.