When You Come Back

"When You Come Back"

orig. 5/25/2013

One Piece - Elly x Zoro, adult

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Elly sighed and snuggled down further in his arms. The sun was warm but not too hot, the air scented with the tang of the sea and their own personal mix of steel and lavender. The big man smelled of fresh soap as well; he'd shaved that morning and he smelled delicious. Not to mention he was smooth now. She could barely keep her hands off his face. It was good to be back from her silly little trip she'd had to take.

Back home.

"Hmm." He shifted her in his lap, big hands curling protectively around her waist. "What's for dinner later?"

"Lamb," she replied happily. It was one of her favorite meats and she was looking forward to the big meal she'd planned. Zoro murmured lazily, nodding. He really didn't mind - whatever she made was fine -- but he wanted to see her smile. His stupid cat loved eating almost as much as that rubber idiot did. He closed his eyes again, drifting somewhere between sleep. It was warm and her soft weight was perfect against his body. The waves rocked the boat, every now and then sending a spray of water up the side. It was soothing.

She sighed peacefully, blowing a warm little puff of air on his chest. Without realizing it he reached out and stroked her hair. It was a simple gesture, uncommon for him, and it moved her greatly. She didn't want to spoil the moment so she lay with bated breath, relaxing and listening to his soft almost-snores. His fingers couldn't twine themselves in her hair like in all those fantasy stories people were always writing  - her hair was spiky and short. But Zoro could feel the texture and did, rumbling as he caught her side locks in one hand. Idly he let them pass through his palm, softer than the rest of her purple tresses. He let them fall and touched her cheek, stroking downwards towards her mouth. Elly glanced up, surprised.

"I thought you were napping," she murmured. The big man lightly traced her lower lip with one finger.

"Relaxing," he clarified. She kissed the rough pad teasing her lips and he grinned. "I'll have more of those, if you don't mind."

"Really?" She asked archly. "More kisses?"

"Yeah." He pulled her closer to his face. His eyes were half-lidded and he looked amused more than anything. Elly wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Are we feeling romantic today, big guy?" She nibbled on his neck and he shrugged. "Don't do that, it shakes me all around."

"Hmm."

"Is that a yes?" Her mouth trailed up and she caught his earrings in her teeth, playing with them. The sunlight shone off the gold strips as they tinkled musically.

"Mmm..." He tilted his neck back, blinking sleepy tears from his eyes. His mumbled assent became a louder hum of pleasure. Elly carefully tugged on the clip-ons and he rubbed her shoulders encouragingly. She let them drop after a short while, ignoring his muffled snort of protest. Instead she let her teeth graze carefully on his neck again. Zoro's tough skin was tanned and weather beaten. He tasted clean, a little salty from the sea spray and a faint sheen of sweat that had crept out of his pores. She inhaled deeply, smelling his freshly-shaved scent. God, she loved that. It really did make her want to devour his skin, kiss every inch. As long as she could be close to his smell, close to him, everything was perfect in her world. She nipped and kissed just under his ear, nuzzling at him and murmuring his name in ecstacy.

"Cheater," Zoro swore. He started to pant, his breathing getting hoarse after only a few tearing gasps. His neck was flushed as dark as his face, the burn of desire so hard it was spreading to his upper chest. Elly purred gleefully and continued kissing him across his cheek, whispering softly. She lightly pressed her mouth to his but moved back when he would have become aggressive, shaking her head. He frowned but laid back, letting her do what she pleased.

"Oh, Zoro," she breathed past his lips. He grunted sourly, abashed at the affectionate play at last. But she darted her tongue inside his mouth, flicking it in and out while she moaned. He gulped and held her tighter, his hands squeezing now and then. Her own hands were running up the back of his head, cupping it while she kissed him.

"More," he finally said in a hushed voice when they parted. His face was like a thundercloud but his tone was yearning. He ticklishly stroked her back until his hands rested on her rear and held her close, even closer than before.

"You're so cute," she whispered, giggling when he frowned even harder. She nibbled on his pouting lower lip, deciding where to kiss next. "I didn't get your right half." He turned that side of his face towards her and she hid a smile by kissing that cheek. She rubbed at his sideburns with her nose, closing her eyes in bliss. He rarely asked for anything and she enjoyed pleasing him. Zoro's body was tense underneath hers, coiled like a deadly spring, but he didn't move. He stayed quiet and let her do things her way. This was slow, dreamy pleasure, a kind he didn't indulge in much. She determined to make the most of it. Her hands caressed his face, slipping over closed eyelids and stroking his nose and lips. His breathing grew heavier as she experimented and soon she was rising and falling on his chest with every hoarse gasp he made. She was touched, really. Who knew that something so simple could turn the big man on like this?

"Here," he grunted, his hands pulling her head to his neck.

"Mnn." She kissed lightly below his ear and smiled. "What is it? Your earrings or your throat?"

"Talk to me," Zoro growled softly. His hands gripped her, held her even tighter. His face burned and he wasn't looking into her eyes but his voice was calm and serious.

"Oh." She kissed his earlobe then whispered into the tanned shell that she loved him. He shivered and said nothing, only moved his hand to her head and caressed the back of her neck. Elly nibbled as she spoke. "You missed me when I was gone, didn't you?"

He didn't say. He just pouted harder, his lower lip thrust almost all the way out.

"That's all right," she breathed. "I missed you." She nipped his neck playfully and began kissing him again, trailing from his throat up to his lips. Her hands slipped inside his haramaki and he closed his eyes tightly, the frown reappearing across his forehead. It grew more intense, the lines spreading as she explored, hands groping him gently, always further down, further...

He didn't speak but a small sound escaped him. His arms fell down by his sides in the lounge chair they laid on, hands balling into fists as they dropped. When Elly's hands found his firm erection he huffed and nudged his face against hers, pressing his lips on her own. No speech was necessary. He was hardly gentle; his teeth caught her tongue as he attacked her mouth in a violent kiss. She pressed forward, letting him have it his way, understanding why his hands weren't on her anymore. He knew he would hurt her if he let himself go.

"You missed me," she smiled. Her hands tugged, pulling on his arousal in the semi-rough way she knew he liked. Zoro snorted and nodded briefly.

"Nghh..."

"What? Already?" She gasped as his face contorted with pleasure. His dark eyes squeezed shut and he started to shake as he doubled over, hands shooting out to clutch her back. Green hair nestled between her breasts as he buried his head in her chest. Growling, trembling violently, he tried to choke his cries back but he couldn't.

"Kiss me!" He hissed from between clenched teeth, craning his neck up towards her. Their lips met just as she felt the first warm splash on her bare leg. Zoro panted hotly in her mouth, the kiss winding down as he did. They parted slowly and he didn't seem to be able to look in her eyes. "Damn it."

"Hmm?"

"Went off like some stupid kid." He blushed, this time in embarrassment. "Wanted you so much," he said in a lower tone, his hands pulling her so tightly to him that she would have bruises the next day. Elly ignored the mess he'd made and sighed, cuddling close.

"I love you, fool," she whispered.

"Don't fucking leave again."

Ouran Host - College, 7

"Ouran Host - College, 7"

orig. 9/20/2017

Elly x Mori

"Dream date" scenario(s) PG-13

Non-Canon Anime/Manga: Ouran Host Club

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Honey and Takashi visited the recovering Elly every day until she was rested enough to return to class. And although the bruises hadn't faded entirely and she was still angry at what had happened, she did feel better. She never told anyone what had happened inside the bathroom, and it was just as well. No one pressed her for details. The girls in her class seemed chastened and had even stopped picking on her as much in public. Of course, they were all busy with something that had been the talk of the campus for a while now anyway.

She began seeing the flyers as soon as she walked up the tree-lined drive to class. It was the topic of every discussion. It seemed everywhere she turned girls were going crazy with talk of dresses and jewelry and hairstyles. She groaned.

"Not again!" She was so disinterested that she didn't even look closely once at the posters. She heard from sparkling, feminine girl-chatter that it was an event "no one could miss" (although they always said that) and that "it was for charity" (almost all of these were). After her last experience, she really didn't want to try another dance. Elly was afraid Takashi would ask her to go and she really didn't want to say no. She was just afraid it would be another disaster. As she rounded a corner there he was, waiting for her outside the classroom with his arm out. She smiled shyly, letting him escort her to a seat where she was sandwiched between him and his cousin. He said nothing during the lesson, only nodded when Honey started babbling about lunch afterwards.

"...and I thought we could go to the part with the huge salad bar and they'd let me take some home to Ari and then I could feed him!"

"That sounds great," she grinned. "Remember not to give him too much, though. You're not the one that has to clean up when his tummy gets sick later!" Honey giggled under his breath and nodded. Snorting softly at this exchange, Takashi patted her stack of books and bent to allow her to relinquish them to the already large pile in his arms. He straightened easily and they began making their way towards the cafeteria. They passed countless flyers for the big dance, and Honey picked one up curiously.

"Are you going, Takashi?" He craned his neck to peer up at her. "Elly?"

She sighed. "After what happened last time?"

Mori regarded her curiously for a moment, then responded with a question right back at her. "Are you afraid?"

"That something will go wrong. Yes." Her shoulders slumped. Honey wisely kept his mouth shut as the couple stopped, staring at each other. "I'm sorry, Takashi - I want to go with you. I really do."

"Okay."

She blinked. "What?"

It was his turn to sigh. "You want to go." He shifted the books to one arm and curled the other comfortingly around her shoulders as they began walking again. "We'll go."

"We're all gonna be there," Honey chimed in, his eyes large and shining. "Everybody this time! It'll be extra fun!" He squeezed Elly's arm and she giggled despite herself. Takashi tightened his arm about her in a light hug and she smiled at him, too.

"Damn it," she murmured softly. "All right. I'm still nervous, though."

This time Elly's nervousness was not out of excitement, but anxiety. She had a few nightmares about the new dance being just as much of a disaster - or more -- as last time. Although she tried to hide it, her friends noticed. When it was finally time, Haruhi gently led her to her room and pointed at the bed. There was an ornately decorated large box laying there.

"We bought you a dress this time, so don't worry about that other one."

Elly's eyes widened. "I completely forgot."

"I know." The brunette smiled. "You've been way too stressed about it. That's okay," she added , waving off anything the other girl might have said as an excuse. "Just put it on and come outside."

"Yes." Elly smiled. "I can do that." She took a deep breath and lifted the box lid, eyes widening even further. It was a mermaid's dress, with a light colored bikini top and form fitting bottom all one length to the floor. She would have her midriff exposed, below shining with emerald, aqua and blue sequins just like a tail. She did feel a little ridiculous putting it on, as well as the seashell hair piece that looked like a crown, but knew the group would insist. They had bought it for her, after all. And they definitely had something in mind. She shook herself lightly, stepping out past her door and out beyond, heading for the waiting limo. Haruhi informed her that Mori was waiting for her at the event already, but again reassured her that everything was okay.

"I know you're up to something," Elly sighed.

"Me?" Haruhi snorted indelicately. "No, if it's scheming, it's almost always those guys." She grinned then. "We're here."

"Oh boy."

The outside of the event hall was milling with gorgeously dressed people filtering in little by little. She rolled her shoulders back and strode as confidently as she could manage inside, though trembling with cold hands and nowhere to warm them in the tight fitting ensemble she wore. Haruhi held back a moment, then smiled and followed her in. When she found her friend, she was standing still in shock inside the ballroom doors. Elly gasped as she took in the magnificent surroundings about her. This was opulent even by upper class standards! Everything was decked out to appear as if the whole room was underwater, from soft blue lighting to pots that shimmered the light on the walls and ceiling to look just like waves. Green silk strands simulated kelp and there was more - she couldn't even take it all in at once.

Yet remarkable as it was, the scenery was forgotten when she saw who sat on one gilded throne of two up on a dais at the far end. The odd thing was that he's not even self-conscious about it, she thought in a daze as the twins led her directly to him. The man of her dreams was nude to the waist with an intricate network of swirling sea-green markings drawn over his upper torso and just above his navel. The outfit he wore on his lower half was designed to look like a merman's tail: sea green with light blue highlights, all done in sequins so it sparkled and shone under the soft light. As she got closer she saw it was a front piece, like a robe; he could stand and walk with no problem. Under the tail he wore tight-fitting, dark blue pants with a green sash about his waist.

His left hand was gripping a long gold trident with shining gems set before each point.

"What is all this?" She gasped.

"King Neptune," Kaoru grinned.

"I - I can see that, but ..."

"He's been lonely," Hikaru added impishly.

"What?" She shook her head to clear it. "Takashi, what's going on?"

He held out his free hand to her. "Come," he said simply. He passed his trident over to one of the waiting twins. Bemused, she tottered forward and was caught in a swift embrace. He half escorted, half carried her to the dance floor.

"Wait," she gasped. "You did all this?"

He pulled her even closer, his hand relaxing on her waist. "Yes."

"All of it? The undersea theme, the ... you ..." She stared up at him, her lower lip caught between her teeth. Before the conversation got any farther, however, a spotlight was shone brilliantly on them, stopping everyone in their tracks as they turned to stare. The young man blushed. He knew what type of antics his friends got into when they started singling couples out. Takashi leaned forward and placed a warm hand on the back of her neck. His fingers lightly brushed her hair, noting again with satisfaction at how very dark it was, shining with a few silvery lines of grey. He didn't understand why the other girls teased her about that; he found it attractive.

Her hands lightly rested on his chest. Strange how they seemed to burn there, since her palms were warm but not hot. The people around them forgotten, he pulled gently to bring her face closer to his. It was more a request than an act of force and she went willingly as soon as she felt his urging. They slowly came together, noses brushing softly before their mouths met.

Elly was actually shocked when they kissed. She'd thought they would be interupted in some fashion, perhaps by one of the jealous clusters of girls gnawing their livers on the sidelines. Who knew? With her luck, it could have been anything. Instead there was nothing but the tall man's warmth against hers. It was fleeting but sweet. His tongue flicked out and lingered on her lower lip for a moment as they separated. Their eyes met, his half-lidded with what looked like amusement.

"Okay," she sighed. "Wow."

He chuckled lowly. Their friends and most of the crowd had started a thunderous round of applause that they turned to acknowledge. She couldn't believe the night they gave her. It was amazing, and so was the young man she'd fallen in love with.

After the kiss she could admit to so much more than that.

Pity Party

"Pity Party"

orig. 3/24/2011

Elly x Sanji (mundane universe)

Innuendo, PG-13

Anime/Manga: ONE PIECE

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Elly averted her eyes. It was the day of his birthday and Sanji was having a huge party, so naturally the fuss started the moment he woke up. Everything had to be perfect! She watched as he dashed about the condo they lived in. He was clad only in white, blue-striped boxers and unabashed as usual. At the moment he was fussing over the room decorations with their other female room mate who was trying to help.

Why she had agreed to live in this situation - one man and two ladies, neither one "going out" with him -- well, that was easy. She needed help with the rent, one, and two: she was madly in love with the man. The other woman in this scenario had never really been a friend, but she tolerated her out of necessity.

I bet they've slept together, Elly thought dismally. She had no basis for the fact except Sanji was always catering to her like he did all beautiful women. And of course she had a low opinion of the girl anyway; she'd sleep with anything anyway. Elly wrinkled her nose when she thought of the guys she'd seen her come home with. She used to be pleasant enough towards her, giving her a ride to work now and then. She had given up halfway through the first year when the other woman had left her stranded at a mall.

No, the best friend she had was the one she was in love with.

Phooey.

She was ignored throughout the morning while the rooms were decorated, though she tried to help by offering to put up the balloons and more. She was just in the way and she finally settled for sitting in a chair in a corner while the two scurried about, greeting guests and whatnot. The situation seemed simple, but it was crushing her. Elly swallowed hard, closing her eyes as she did so. Her mind was filled with flames and a seething self-pity that she tried to squash to no avail. She felt bad for herself. There he was - the guy she wanted, the one she was in love with -- and here she was: fat, unattractive and dull. Well, compared to these ladies she was unremarkable in every way, so she supposed "dull" worked well enough to describe her. She tugged a strand of dark hair around, staring at it morosely. In comparison to the bright cascade of blonds all around (including him, she thought in dark amusement) it seemed a disgusting color. There was even some gray in it.

No matter that most of that hair was bleached, either. He didn't seem to care; all that it took was an impossibly slender figure with a huge fake chest and slathering of makeup. Her shoulders slumped.

How could she compete with that? The answer was obvious: she couldn't. She knew she should have tried to get along without him a long time ago but they were friends. He could talk to her like he couldn't the "pretty ones", for one.

Except when the "pretty ones" were around of course.

"Hey, why aren't you having fun?" An annoying, bright-eyed waif bubbled up towards her. "You should get out here! We're playing party games!" She grabbed Elly's arm and tugged her towards the center of the seething mass.

 "I don't want to -" Her reply was cut off by the slight pause in the festivities as all the ladies stared at her. Then, as she knew they would, they dismissed her and turned back to trying to flirt the most attention out of the birthday boy. "Yeah, that's right," she hissed between clenched teeth. "I'm not a threat."

Her would-be benefactor had moved off, considering her act of charity complete. Elly melted into the background, slowly fading back until she could make a dash for the bedroom. She walked quickly down the hallway towards the safety of her personal haven, not wanting to ruin his day with a display of ugliness. She wasn't quite sure, however, if she meant her appearance or inner thoughts. She curled quietly up in her bed with all the lights turned off, hoping to sleep until they were all gone. The haunting thought that he might bring a girl into his room and she'd hear them kept her awake far into the night, however.

When things grew quiet several hours later she rubbed her sandy eyes and got up. She had a fierce thirst and hadn't thought to bring a glass of water in with her. Stumbling down the hall - she wasn't graceful when she first got up at all, more like a beached whale -- Elly tried to be as quiet as possible. As she was filling her glass up at the sink she realized she'd alerted him to her presence despite her precautions.  A tall, thin shadow loomed in the doorway. She winced.

"Hey."

"Oh, sorry," she murmured apologetically, casting her eyes down. "I just needed some water. I'm out." She stepped to the door but he stood in her way until she looked up.

Sanji was wearing a blue satin robe belted loosely about his waist: her present to him this year. She noticed that if he had a choice in the matter, he always picked blue and had chosen this accordingly. He'd certainly needed a new one, since his other had been worn thin with a few holes in it. One bare, stubbled leg was stuck out holding the door open.

"I thought you were sick or something." The fine gold hair on the side of his face shifted as he bent towards her, frowning. "God, you look awful."

She grimaced. "Thanks. Listen, I'm sorry... you were so happy and everything, I just left my gift with the others and went to lie down. Happy birthday," she added weakly.

"Wait a minute." He clearly wasn't listening and it was making her nervous. He placed his hand under her chin and turned her face carefully towards the light. "Were you crying?"

"Wh - what? No!"

He eyed her suspiciously, his hand moving to cup her cheek and trace the still-wet trails with a careful thumb. "Really?"

"They just teared up, is all. From the pain. I have a headache." She relaxed a little. That would explain the red eyes, too.

His visible blue eye narrowed. "Defensive," he muttered.

"Huh? I am not!"

"Denise told me she saw you crying. You know -  she told me after, when she was leaving, but..."

"Oh, one of your little playmates?" She bit her lip; she hadn't meant to say that.

Sanji blinked, shocked. "Just a friend."

"A friend? Not like my friendship." She tried to push past him but unlike all those witty comedy scenarios played out in her head, it backfired. She didn't get to walk out on cue because he reached out and stopped her by wrapping an arm about her shoulders.

"Wait," he half-begged. "What the hell is going on here? Can't you just tell me what's wrong?"

"Ergh." Her eyelid twitched. Maybe it was because she'd held it in for several years. Or it could have been the several hours spent alone in the dark thinking horrible thoughts that made her cry. Whatever the reason she exploded. "You want to know what's wrong? I'm fat, I'm ugly, I'm disgusting and I'm in love with you!" She tore away from him in one massive wrench and ran down the hall.

"What?" He stood there dumbfounded. The slamming of her door brought him back to his senses quickly, however. He jumped a little and then swore. "Shit! I - uh, wait!"

He darted over and knocked. "Go away, I embarrassed myself enough already," came her muffled reply.

"Open up. C'mon," he wheedled in his best suave voice. She bit her lip and sat on her hands on the bed.

"Just forget I said anything."

"Damn it," he muttered. "All right, then stand back!" She flinched back wildly as pieces of her door broke inward with a great splintering noise.

"Sanji!" She gasped. "That's going to cost a fortune to replace!"

He shook his foot, wood chunks falling to the carpet as he did, and stepped through the open hole he'd made. "I'll pay it." He reached out and amazingly placed his arms around her waist, causing her to blush wildly.

"What's going on?!" The other girl had bolted from her room to stand, gaping, in the middle of the hallway. She leaned back a bit when she saw the wreckage of what had once been the solid door leading to Elly's room. Predictably, she did a double take when she saw the handsome young man embracing Elly, more shocked than when she had seen the destruction. "Um. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah." Sanji turned around and grinned wickedly at her. "It is now." She raised both eyebrows but retreated back to her own room, leaving them alone again.

"What - what're you -"

"I think," he said softly, "seeing as you have no door to your room, you'd better spend the night in mine."

"Your wh - your what?"

"My bed, my room ... both or one or the other. Your choice," he added slyly. "It's not yet midnight, though, so it's still my birthday. And despite what you might think, I've never gotten the one gift I've always wanted."

Smoke & Mirrors, parts 7 & 8

"Smoke & Mirrors, Parts 7 & 8"

orig.September /2013

Alt. One Piece Elly x Smoker
More fluff, PG-13

One Piece based non-canon

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The night was stormy. 

Didn't bad times always start with bad weather? She would always think so after that day. Crashes of thunder sounded off in the distance and the air hung with impending vapor, yet the rain refused to start. It was muggy to begin with, and now she was even warmer. She was hiding in a barrel down by the docks of a small port town, she couldn't remember which. It was hot, dark, and dusty. The smell of her own sweat was acrid in the confined space, sharp and offending to her nose. She hadn't had the time to bathe for two days while on the constant run from these brutal men.

"She can't be far. Find her, quickly!"

Elly held her breath and struggled to stay awake. More than those guys, sleep was the enemy, and she battled it by pinching herself, biting her lip, thinking of all the things they might do to her if they caught her. But again, two days was too long. She drifted off with her resting on her knees drawn up in front of her. She woke seconds, minutes, hours - she didn't know -- later, dragged out of the cask like a panicked animal by the scruff of her neck. Groggy but terrified, she struggled to free herself, kicking and trying to use her ability. But the man snapped something around her ankle, and she grew terrifyingly weak all at once, unable to use her power at all. Horrified at the turn of events, she looked directly into the face of her captor.

Calm, brown eyes bored into her very soul. Her heart sank at his triumphant grin. "We got her!" Smoker yelled to his men. 

Elly woke screaming in her bed, something she hadn't done since she was a child of two, maybe three. Her throat quickly became raw from the force of her cries, which had the effect of cold water thrown on her face. Awake, I'm awake! What the hell? 

"Ugh," she groaned weakly. Smoker hadn't been the commanding officer that night. She'd only met him a few months ago. Everything in her life was so messed up. She sat up in bed and hugged her knees like she had that night when the Marines had been chasing her. The simple cloth shift she wore came to her ankles and tented lightly about as she moved. She heard a scramble outside her door and vaguely wondered what protocol the guard had to follow in times like this. He didn't open the door because she knew he'd been told not to be alone with her in the room at any cost. The images returned despite her efforts, the heartbreak and the pain at seeing him in place of the Captain that had caught her years ago. She wept nakedly in the dark.

The guard outside her door jumped at the sound of her cry. Instantly alert, he peered through the small hole she still didn't know existed to the side of the wall. He had access to a very blurry image this way. Good enough to see if something was wrong, just bad enough to not be able to see anything too clearly - for her privacy. She was sitting up in bed and no one was near. He concluded that it had probably been a bad dream, nothing to worry about. As he took up his position again, he started to think that maybe he should tell the V.A. anyway. If the man got angry at him again, he could end up cleaning toilets as his career. He made a sour face and walked to the transponder at the end of the hallway.

"No, she's okay... well, she screamed really loud. And now she's crying." If the guard had any doubts about the relationship these two shared, they were dispelled as the call was cut after a single hoarse curse. He watched with growing interest at the far end of the hall as a thumping sound grew steadily nearer. Smoker rounded the corner towards him at an unseemly rate of speed. He was wearing the standard white bathrobe they issued everyone and a pair of soft grey pants. He doesn't even have socks on, the man noticed with amusement. Luckily for him the Vice Admiral was too concerned to notice his subordinate's cheeky half-grin.

"Open it," Smoker called out, mindful at least of his voice in the late hours of the night. He didn't change his pace and only stopped when he was beside her bed. The door shut behind them, but neither noticed. He saw her tear-streaked face and the rumpled bedsheets and shook his head. "Hey." She looked up and flinched, her eyes wide. Smoker was taken aback at her fright. "Hey, it's me. You're okay."

"Nnnh." She shivered all over, the tears still falling. 

He considered for a moment. "All right," he grunted and sat on the bed next to her. It creaked under his considerable weight and he muttered a curse as he reached over to pull her into his lap. She resisted for a second, then shuddered and pressed her face into his chest, clutching the sides of his robe. He let her weep softly until her tears tapered off and he knew she was calmer. "Shh, shut up. No, easy, little one. Take it easy. I'm here now."

"Sorry," she rasped quietly. 

He shrugged. "What for? No, don't talk. Your throat's sore, isn't it." He tried to extend an arm towards the nightstand to pour her a drink, then swore as the sea-stone she wore prevented him from changing. 

"S'all right," she slurred, her voice muzzy with sleep. "It was when they caught me."

He hadn't known it was that bad for her. "I know they chased you for a couple days," he said cautiously, stroking her hair because it was the only comforting thing he could think to do. He was definitely out of his element here.

"Two," she clarified. "I was hungry, hot, and needed a shower." Her voice broke and she rubbed a hand on her neck. "I didn't know what was going to happen."

"That's over with." He placed a big hand under her chin and tilted it towards him, but words failed him as their eyes met. 

"Is it?" She regarded him tiredly, then sighed. Smoker was suddenly and startlingly aware of how very little both of them were wearing. His cheeks started to burn hotly. "Can you stay until I fall asleep?"

His mind raced, thinking of all the reasons why that might be a bad idea. But with her staring at him with those large, pleading eyes, he couldn't say no. She needed comfort and he was the lucky one she'd chosen to dispense it. "Yeah."

"Good." Elly sniffled and squirmed around to find the most comfortable spot. He grit his teeth as hard as he could and tried to think about the unsexiest things possible. Nothing worked, and this close to the stone around her neck he was powerless to dissolve the offending part like he had during the banquet. She snuggled up against his chest and chuckled softly. 

"Something funny?" His voice came out strained. At least she sounded more like her normal self.

"No. I was going to say 'is that a cigar in your pocket', but then I realized you don't - y'know you couldn't, smoke when you're asleep." He choked hard, his fingers spasming on her arms. Nothing in his years of training and all the bullshit he had been through in life had prepared him for the way she teased him unmercifully. He'd been with women before, of course, he was a middle-aged man for goodness' sake. But this wasn't like any casual encounter or sought-out experience. Deciding on the prudent course of action, he picked her up and held her out at arm's length. She protested with an irritated hiss of breath but he stared at her until she dropped her eyes.

"Gonna behave?" 

"Maybe." She huffed a little, then relented. "All right, I'm sorry. Don't leave yet."

He nodded, satisfied, and placed her gently back on the bed. Then he swung his legs over and stood, grimacing as he stretched his back. That bed was way too soft for his liking. "Get under the covers," he ordered her shortly. "I'll sit here until you're asleep." He heard her sigh and fabric rustling as she cocooned herself in the sheets. Picking up a chair by the window, he walked over and set it down beside the bed for himself. It really didn't take long before he heard her breathing become slow and steady, but he waited for quite awhile after she had fallen asleep.

A quiet rap on the door was enough to alert the guard. The man straightened up and saluted, but Smoker grunted and passed a hand over his eyes. "It's too late for that."

"Yes, sir." He went back to his post as the Vice Admiral slowly padded down the hall back to his own bed. He felt ill at ease although he'd checked in on them and nothing untoward had happened. Even so, perhaps his superior wasn't in control of the situation as much as he thought. If this was the case, it needed reporting to someone higher up on the chain of command. The young man pondered this dilemma most of his shift and finally concluded that he'd have to write a report.

Now if he could only figure out what to say, and how to say it tactfully.

Part 8

Smoker had absolutely no idea what to buy. 

That was his first problem, of course, but not the last. He was completely out of place in a feminine shop and painfully aware of the fact. He shrugged the jitte he wore strapped to his back around, conscious that it might snag some dainty thing from its hanger and trap him in yet another awkward situation. The undergarments were bad enough, but he'd skipped past that section quickly, lingering instead near the dresses. She had liked wearing the one the tailor on ship had made for her. But that fell apart as he thought that she'd never get to wear the damned thing. The recent banquet had been the only time in five years they had allowed her to get out. 

The big man bit down on the smoldering cigars in his mouth, aware that the ladies running the shop were frowning at the smoke but unwilling to lose a sale. He ignored them and ran a hand through his hair, thinking hard. 

How did he get himself into this?

The reason was simple enough, and had started the other morning at their usual meeting. She'd arrived sleepy and out of sorts due to the nightmare she had that had jolted her awake. He was considerate enough not to mention that he had lost sleep due to that, as well. And good thing, too, because she was in rare form that day. The Marine ship was docking at a small town to resupply and give the weary men and women some shore leave. Just a few days, sure, but she didn't get that luxury. It grated on her nerves terribly, especially since she'd miss seeing him the next day. He'd been granted a day off to go do whatever he liked.

"Just give me the damned thing." She made clutching motions with her fingers as she scowled darkly. "C'mon, I want to get back and sleep more. Can't do anything anyway. Might as well."

He sighed and handed her the sheet. "What have you been doing with them lately?" She used to throw them back in his face in many creative ways. Now they just disappeared and he never saw them again.

"Wipe my nose on them." She shrugged.

"All right," he said gruffly, "I get to leave and you don't. Did you give Tashigi a list?" He stared at her and she nodded, then sniffed. "Then drop it."

"Fine." She stood up, the papers clutched in her hand. And just like that, without another word she marched to the door and knocked on it for the guard! He snorted angrily but barked the order to open it. She left without looking around, her shoulders thrown back and her feet clacking strongly on the wooden floor. He'd quirked a smile at the door as it closed again. 

Fiery little thing, he thought affectionately. That's when he'd come up with the idea to buy her a gift when he was out. He was not the most thoughtful of men, but getting something for her on the day he was off the ship would show he'd been thinking of her. 

Unfortunately, when he reached one of the shops along the boardwalk he realized something. To his chagrin, everything he picked up reminded him of the fact that she wasn't free. Cut flowers - plucked and they would eventually die. Dresses, well, he'd already thought of that. If they made him think that way, they'd really depress her and be a terrible gift. So he kept looking. He fingered the soft trim of a girlish-looking coat and all of a sudden an idea struck him, so absolutely perfect that he smiled. The woman raised her eyebrows, astonished at the change that came over him when he did. He looked like he was in his late thirties, but in that brief flash of happiness the age melted away and he was almost a boy again. She was so stunned that she didn't try to keep him when he asked if there was a certain shop in the district. And anyway, the sooner he left, the faster they could air the place out.

He was quite pleased with himself the next morning when he called for her visit. When she walked in he didn't waste time giving it to her; he could see she must have had another bad night. This would brighten things considerably - he hoped.

"Here," he muttered, tossing a crudely-wrapped package at her. The shop had used brown paper, and he hadn't thought to request anything nicer.

"What is it?" She caught it and turned it over curiously.

"A gift."

Elly glanced at him in surprise. "You bought me something? But - but you didn't need to."

"Open it already," he said, his voice growing gruffer by the minute. She couldn't tell if he was pissed or nervous. Maybe it was both. Wondering, she tore the cord off and slipped a bundle of soft, fragrant material out of the brown paper. 

"Leather!" She held it out, unfolding it, and gasped. It was a gorgeous white coat with fur trim tinted the same green as his. Military colors, she thought, but even that couldn't take away from her pleasure. Her hands wandered over the pliable skin, smooth and perfect. More to have something to do, she flipped it over and saw the back had writing on it like his did. But unlike his that read "Justice", this read "Freedom". She slowly raised one hand to her mouth and pressed it there, squeezing her eyes shut.

"The minute you get free," he cleared his throat as his voice started to grow thick, "The minute you get free, I'm going to take you for a ride. You'll need that."

"But we're usually in the middle of the, the ..." Her eyes filled with tears and she kept her head down, gripping the jacket tightly.

"Doesn't matter. I can go anywhere. I'll take you away from this damned ship as soon as I can. For awhile." She knew she should say something, but she couldn't speak past the lump in her throat. All yesterday she had been so angry at everyone, especially him, because she was stuck behind. And he'd used his time buying her this well-thought-out present. She stood up slowly and slipped one arm though, then the other, shrugging it all the way on. It fit well, slightly baggy, which was how she liked it. Still unable to speak, she quietly walked around the desk where he was seated and fell down on her knees. When he leaned over to pull her up, she threw her arms around his legs, preventing him from lifting her. After a moment she felt his hands lightly stroking her hair. They stayed that way until Elly's she started to ache and was forced to stand up. By then she had regained some composure and was able to look him in the eye.

"Thanks," was all she said, but he understood. And this time when he gave her the contract paperwork, she folded it neatly in a pocket of her new jacket before she left. 

Parts 9 & 10 >

I Don't Like Cats!

"I Don't Like Cats!"

orig. 4/10/2013

Elly x Zoro (pre-time skip)

"First Time" scenario

Non-Canon Anime/Manga: ONE PIECE

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Elly yawned and stretched, curling her forked cat's tail into a sinuous question mark. Her claws dragged gently in the soft green fabric she had been laying on.

Mmm, where is he? She had been tired and overslept, and of course the big man didn't wait for her. But it wasn't like him to not be around at all this early. She sniffed the air and yawned again, showing her sharp fangs in what looked like a grin. Found you, she purred to herself. The big green-haired man was sitting up by one of the portholes drinking what looked like milk from a jug. Her eyes brightened and she leaped onto his lap. 

"What the hell," Zoro grunted in shock. Elly sniffed delicately, whiskers twitching less than an inch away from the swordsman's mouth. He blinked at her.

The door banged open at that very moment.

"Holy shit, if I'd known you two wanted some privacy I wouldn't have barged in." Sanji's raucous laughter echoed through the room. "...you gonna kiss or what?" Elly flicked her ears back and leaped down from the swordsman's lap right before he jumped to his feet. She shot under cover of one of the enormous weights that were stacked around. Both men ignored her as the cook continued to taunt his crew mate.

"Shut up, she just liked what I was drinking." Zoro grunted and frowned fiercely at him. Sanji was having none of that, however. He grinned and flapped his hands in the air.

"This is why you don't look at the girls when we go out. You've already got a girlfriend!" He skipped nimbly back as a fist came whooshing past him.

"Cut it out." Zoro's growl was furious. Elly poked her head out from one of the bars and cocked her head, trying to gauge the distance between herself and the door. If they were going to fight it would be loud and she didn't want to be in the middle of it.

"But you two are so cute together." Sanji ducked another whistling punch that would have hurt like hell had it connected. "True love..." His singing was cut off by a loud shout from Zoro, who was standing with his fists clenched and his head down to hide his flaming cheeks.

"I don't like that stupid cat!" Sanji stepped backwards, shrugging and sticking his hands in his suit jacket's pockets. The big man's outburst had been more violent than usual.

"All right, geez. I was just joking." He glanced off to the side when he heard a faint sound, curly brow drawing down over his one visible eye. There was silence for a few moments and then he saw the nekomata, her eyes wide and ears all the way back where she sat under the heavy steel weights. Zoro snarled angrily at the other man, still grumbling and upset. He turned around in just enough time to leap sideways, avoiding the little furry bullet that shot past him.

"What the fuck!"

"I think you scared your, ah, pet," Sanji murmured.

"Cat?" Zoro blinked. He faced the door and stared blankly at the hallway. Then he shrugged and his face grew dark again. "All right, what the hell do you want? You could have called, you ass."

"Nami-swan," here his eye grew large and he clasped his palms together earnestly, "asked me to come up to give you this invitation instead of using the dumbwaiter." He handed a thick packet dressed up in gold ribbon over to the swordsman. Zoro choked back the reply that came to his lips at the mention of 'dumb' and 'waiter'. He grabbed the packet from the other man's hand and tore it unceremoniously open.

"Contest... what the hell?"

"The island we're heading toward has a singing contest for ladies only," Sanji grinned, little smoke hearts floating up from the cigarette he had just lit. The big man just glared at him until he grumbled to himself and headed towards the door. After Sanji left he wandered downstairs for breakfast, looking around unconsciously. 

But Zoro didn't see that damned cat all day. The others went to that stupid contest, so he was left blissfully alone for awhile to do whatever he wanted. At first he didn't notice he really was all alone. He lifted weights on deck, ate lunch and swam in the pool without the others afterward. It was around dinnertime, when the crew had come back, that he realized that she hadn't been at his side at all. His brows drew together as he turned to look behind him. Nothing. She would be there if she wasn't riding on his shoulder or curled up in his haramaki. He frowned so hard his lower lip jutted out. Damned stupid cat, he thought angrily. Fine. Get your own dinner. He scoffed softly to himself and stomped on.

When she was still absent a few days later, though, the crew started to comment on it. Chopper asked hesitantly if she was sick.

"Don't know," Zoro said shortly. Sanji's mouth thinned but he said nothing from the stove where he was flipping pancakes. The Strawhat Crew were meandering in for breakfast. Right now only a handful of the pirates were in the palatial kitchen.

"But - but if she doesn't come down from the room..."

"Are they ready yet?" Luffy was hanging from one of the light fixtures, bouncing excitedly as Sanji cooked. The blond man shook his head.

"Not in there." Zoro scowled and lifted his cup of coffee, trying to appear more interested in it than the conversation.

"She's not there?!" The little reindeer looked confused. "Then where is she? She might be hurt!" He wrung his hooves together nervously. "I haven't even caught her scent for days!" He paused, confused. "And it hasn't been fresh on you..."

"Maybe she got bored and ran off," Nami suggested lazily. She stretched, yawning, and ran her hands through her orange hair. "I'd have done that if all I did was hang around that guy. Must be boring." She snickered at Zoro's thundercloud expression.

"She ran away?" Chopper looked sad. His eyes started to tear up. "But I liked her!"

"The ship's very large," Robin pointed out quietly from where she sat in a corner, flipping through yet another book. "And we're in the middle of the ocean." At this point Sanji had walked over to the table and placed a stack of pancakes on the end. He absently slapped the captain's head back when he tried to stretch down to grab the entire platter.

"Here!" He flipped a pancake in the air to distract him and deftly served the others who were waiting. "And she's all right." Zoro's head jerked up.

"What?"

"I've been feeding her at night." Sanji assured Chopper. "She won't starve for lack of food," and here he glared so sternly at Zoro that the bigger man got up.

"Shut the hell up," he grated and left without eating anything. The door slammed so hard behind him that they heard Franky complaining in the hallway. Then Zoro swore again, angrier. Franky poked his head in, his blue pompadour proceeding him until everyone saw his pretty-lashed eyes were confused.

"What's wrong with him?"

This was it. He was going to find her and shut everyone up for good. He'd halfheartedly searched the aquarium room and a few other places he'd thought a cat would hide out in but she hadn't been there. Now Zoro was trying to think like himself. He'd go someplace where he wouldn't be disturbed. But he knew she also liked to sun herself in the morning.

"Ha." He stole out on the top deck and spotted a twitch of movement in a corner. Elly's ears twitched, sampling the air occasionally, alert for danger. Zoro made no sound as he crept forward and he was holding his breath, but he forgot he was downwind. er head snapped up and she suddenly scrambled off the railing, falling to the deck below with a loud thump.

"Damn it, I thought cats always landed on their feet!" And he was off, pelting after her as hard as he could. Elly was limping from the fall and although he knew it meant she had gotten hurt he grinned fiercely when he thought he'd catch her this time. She padded quickly around a corner and he skidded to a stop when he rounded the turn. There were several rooms in this wing, guest rooms for passengers they had never used yet. The corridor ended and there was no way back so he knew the one door that was open had to be the one she had entered. He squared his shoulders and stepped in, flicking the light on and closing the door securely shut behind him.

"Get over here," he called out when he saw she had hidden herself. "You're hurt, dumbass!" He heard her hiss and bent down on his knees, yanking back the duster on a bed so he could see underneath. She was crouched all the way in the corner with her ears laid back and her eyes very wide and shining in the dark. Zoro grimaced. There was no way he could get under there with his broad shoulders and she wasn't going to come out willingly. Gritting his teeth in expectation of the pain he laid all the way down and stretched his arm under the bed. Elly yowled in warning but he made a desperate grab and caught her around the middle, yanking her out. Her claws sank into his hand and upper arm but he held her as tightly as he could without hurting her as he got back to his feet.

"Cut it out," he muttered sourly.

"Hiss!"

"Stupid cat!"

"Hiss!"

"Why'd you run off?" He walked out the door, glancing around to get his bearings before moving towards the infirmary. Elly bared her fangs at him, wondering how he could be so dense. She tried to struggle again in his arms but he held her up in the air so she would be face to face with him. He even brought her closer so their noses touched like before. She flinched back and he pulled her forward again, frowning deeply. She didn't pull away a second time but she let her body get as limp and heavy as possible.

"Don't do that again," Zoro told her firmly.

"Rowrrll?" She jerked in his hold, angry and unable to think straight. But he wouldn't say anything else. He just held the furry little nekomata to his chest, face burning, heart pounding. She knew this because she could hear the steady, loud beat. The pain in her leg was nothing compared to what she was thinking and it seemed only a second before Chopper was looking at her.

"Elly! You came back." He beamed happily while he checked her leg, nodded to himself when he saw it was her ankle. "Don't let her walk on that for awhile," he told Zoro seriously as he wrapped it up. "She sprained it really bad." The big man's eyebrow raised as he leaned over, watching.

"Me?" He said it without thinking and Elly slapped at him with a needle-tipped paw when Chopper held her out to the big man. "Damn it! Fine, I don't want you. Too much trouble anyway." He set one hand on the hilts of his swords and crashed out the door with the other. Sanji was waiting for him. Although pissed off beyond belief, the chef was considerate enough to drag the larger man out of range of the infirmary before he confronted him. 

"You remember she's not all cat, right?" the blond cook snorted. Smoke trickled out his nostrils when he did this. "I don't think you do. She's a woman, and she's been with you for a very long time now." Blushing, Zoro backed off, waving a hand in front of his face.

"The fuck," he said shortly.

"No," Sanji said firmly. "Look, you idiot. Listen, for once." There was a brief scuffle but Sanji got the better of the swordsman by kicking him in the shin while he snapped, "You're hurting her!"

"How?" Zoro's mouth drew down in a fierce scowl. "I never did." He released the slender young man with a contemptuous flick.

"You hold someone's happiness in the palm of your hand and you're crushing the shit out of it," Sanji growled angrily. "All she wants to do is be with you, near you. Why do you think that is?"

"She's a ca-"

"She's not!" He pointed towards the door, many feet away. "You remember her pale skin? Her dark hair? That lovely singing voice?"

"Ah..." Actually, it had been easy to forget. He'd only seen her once like that and she'd changed back very quickly when she'd noticed him watching her. After so many weeks with Elly the cat, he'd forgotten her mixed form. Zoro blinked, looking less sure of himself.

"What other way could she get close to the big guy that hates women than not be one? She can turn even more human like Chopper. And she's in love with you. " He dragged deeply on his cigarette, judging the other man's reaction. "Every time you say you don't care you might as well hack at her with one of those big dumb knives you carry." He jerked his thumb at Zoro's katana.

"I didn't do anything," Zoro insisted. He looked off to one side, his face burning.

"So you don't like her at all."

"Not what I said."

"You did," Sanji pointed out. "So far you've said you 'don't like her', and now you just told her you 'didn't want her'. What's she going to think? You can't possibly love her."

"That's not what I meant!" Zoro ran a hand roughly through his short green hair and slammed the same fist on the wall next to Sanji. "Damn it, you shitty cook..."

"What did you mean, then?" Sanji blew out a long, thin puff of smoke and then turned away so the other wouldn't see his smile. Zoro stood speechless.

"What," he gasped finally. "I'm..." He didn't finish his thought. He simply stared, dumbfounded, while the smaller man wandered off to the kitchen. Zoro stumbled blindly out to the deck and gripped the railing in two numb hands. He squeezed until the wood started to splinter. The cracking sound snapped him out of his reverie and he shook his head, frowning. Franky would freaking kill him if he wrenched the damn post off; he'd never hear the end of it. He gingerly unwrapped his fists from the carved wood and blinked down at them. He wasn't supposed to care about anything other than becoming the greatest swordsman. He hadn't even see this coming. He wanted Luffy to achieve his goal along with his own; it had become something personal for him as well. But this? It wasn't anything he should care about, not something he needed. Zoro struggled with it, trying to get some kind of handle on this emotion he was feeling. It couldn't be love. He just missed her, that's all. There was nothing wrong with that, he rationalized, but then his mind countered with thoughts of how he'd feel if Sanji were gone. Would it cause that feeling he had in the pit of his stomach like he'd suffered through when he thought cat had left? Or one of the other girls? Hell no, he'd be happy if he wasn't tormented by that red-haired wench, for one. They were his companions but that didn't mean he felt love for them. It clearly couldn't be that emotion for stupid cat, since she was just another female on the ship. She wasn't even really human. He thrust his lip in a surly pout and stalked back inside, following the trail of cigarette smoke. He was going to have to shut that damned fool cook up before he blabbed around the whole ship that he was in love with that dumb cat... woman. Whatever she was. He reached the door to the galley quickly but paused before he banged it open like he usually did. His frown grew deeper. There was a strange voice in the cabin.

"Just leave me alone," the speaker was murmuring. Zoro squinted, trying to make out what was happening past the frosted glass pane in the door. The woman seated at the table had her leg in a soft cast. Her hair was lavender, a familiar color to him. His eyes widened.

"You could have won that competition at the island," Sanji was saying clearly. "I've heard you sing. Why didn't you even try? Because he wouldn't go with you?"

"It doesn't matter!"

"Nothing does?" Zoro ground his teeth as the blond man's long-fingered hand dipped under her chin and drew it up. "If you'd wanted, I would have escorted you. You didn't need him. You still don't," Sanji added firmly.

"So you think you know everything about me then? Right."

"Pfff." His hand hadn't left her chin. He trailed a lazy finger to her lips and tapped gently, effectively quieting the pale woman. "I can't know anything about you if you don't let me." He raised himself and sighed, dusting his slacks off in a fussy way.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said and got up as well. Zoro backed away frantically as she strode towards the door, hiding himself in the shadows. "I'm going to bed. Humans talk too much and it tires me."

Neither one of them got much sleep that night.

Elly tossed and turned, not comfortable in person form but unable to change back for now. Stubbornly refusing to become that cat that he "didn't like",  angrily resolving to let Sanji get closer to her.

Zoro punched his main pillow so much that it dented in the middle and he had to wad up the cotton batting to rest his head on it comfortably. She wouldn't. Not that idiot.

But she did, and Zoro was irritated.

That was probably the best way to describe his feelings the next day; he felt out of sorts. He was honest enough with himself to admit that "cranky" was probably close enough to his mood. He paced his circular room at the top of the mast restlessly, growling to himself and absently lifting a small weight - only around 100 pounds -- with one hand.

Earlier on in the day the girls had decided to sunbathe. This normally wouldn't have affected the big man but he'd frozen in a mix of pleasure and terror when she had walked out with Nami and Robin. Her body was thicker; she wore a more concealing bathing suit but he could barely take his eyes off her. Now, the fool of a cook always tended to the red-haired bitch's back, smearing it with suntan oil. Zoro never even bothered to cast a second glance at them during their little charade.

"Don't go lower or I'll kill you."

"Hai, Nami-swan!" Sanji crowed. The swordsman grit his teeth, though, when he looked back some time later. The cook's pale hands were gently working the shining fluid on a different back. Robin always used her own talent to reach hers so he wasn't needed there. He was kneeling over Elly's body. Zoro squeezed the weight he held tightly, knuckles turning white. The ass was cooing with delight at the fact that the pale woman didn't tell him to stop. His hands slid gently, massaging and caressing, lingering needlessly and making the green-haired young man more irritable by the second. Worse yet he couldn't say anything to stop Sanji or the others would guess at his jealousy. He bit his tongue and suffered the entire time, trying to ignore her soft purrs of pleasure. She was a cat in her normal form, and cats loved to have their backs rubbed. Why hadn't he thought of that?

At dinner that night the blond twit was more attentive than usual to her and this made Zoro even grumpier. Like a vulture sensing easy prey, he murmured endearments and set the choicest morsels down before her, catering to her every whim. The bigger man hadn't noticed that she was taken aback because he hadn't waited. He'd slammed his fist on the table and snarled that he was done. Leaving the dining area was easier than watching, after all. And now he paced his room, wondering and anxious. What was happening below decks? He knew she took a turn or two out in the open air after everyone had gone to bed, and what if? What if that idiot tried to, you know, take advantage of that? There was a shrieking sound and he glanced down at his hand, not surprised to see the weight curved in the middle from where he'd pulled at it in his fury. He gave in, setting the offending training aide down and jerking the door nearly off its hinges to leap down the stairs two and three at a time. He had to know!

The night air was cool and it smelled delicious, not fishy but tinged with the faint smell of another island close by. Flowery and salty at the same time, it flowed gently past her head and ruffled her hair about her pale cheeks. She had her arms resting lightly on the railing, looking down at the moon reflected in the waters. She didn't usually stay out this long but tonight there was a full moon and she loved how the water was lit from above, the wooden deck also glowing. It was incredibly beautiful.

"Hello, sweetness." Elly jumped a little at the soft sound of the chef's voice. She blushed at his compliment and waved at him to hush. "As you wish," he murmured and settled next to her, also folding his arms and resting forwards. His foot tapped the deck in a restless staccato as they watched in silence for some time. The sound of the waves lapping the side of the ship was so peaceful and the water relaxed her so utterly that she barely felt it when his arm slipped around her shoulders. She heard the murmur of endearment that went with it, though.

"What're you doing?" She frowned, blushing harder. He smelled like dusky smoke and there was the hint of some alluring cologne lingering about him as well. Sanji didn't speak but gave her an amused look, his single visible eye winking at her. He removed his arm but moved closer so that their sides were touching.

Zoro had reached the door to the front deck by now and he slowly pushed it open. His eyes didn't spot her right away but he smelled the scent of that asshole's cigarettes. His eyes narrowed dangerously and he crept forward, making no noise on the planking as he searched for any signs of activity. Low voices caught his attention at last and he turned to the right and saw them. All the moisture in his mouth dried up and he tensed strongly. They were closer than propriety allowed. And then he heard her speaking and his thoughts grew more jumbled and confused.

"Zoro..." He couldn't see enough and he had to know. Her voice was husky, low and filled with a thrilling timbre that made him ache uncomfortably. I'll kill that bastard if..! Zoro crawled low over the top deck and stared down towards the railing.

Sanji's hands gripped Elly's waist comfortably, burning where they rested and occasionally squeezing in a way that made her gasp. She clutched at his shirt, desperately kissing him with an intensity that he'd never expected. Her body was soft and willing, rubbing on his in an effort to make him lose control. And for a few delicious moments he let it happen, kissing her passionately, open-mouthed, touching her behind and back. His tongue grazed her own repeatedly, lips brushing softly and the scruff on his chin nuzzling her. It all felt too good, her skin ultra sensitive to his touches and licks. His blue eye snapped open in shock when she moaned the other man's name.

"Wait," he murmured. He winced at the little whimper she gave.

"No, Sanji!" She pleaded with him, her hands gripping his shoulder blades more tightly and sounding terribly frightened. He looked down at her only to see her eyes filling with tears. "Are you rejecting me, too?"

"I'm not rejecting you, sweetheart," he told her softly. His golden hair shone in the moonlight as he shook his head. "I just think that you should talk with someone first."

"Wh - what? Who?"

"Zoro."

"Zoro!" The big man had started to shake where he was watching. He passed a hand over his eyes and tried to focus. "That asshole doesn't want me. He doesn't like me."

"Hear me out," Sanji added in a thick voice. 

"What?" She wrenched away from him, biting her lip. Her face was marred by a tight little frown that the swordsman found irresistible despite himself. He swore under his breath.

"Why else would you speak his name just now? You were imagining I was him." Zoro watched her response carefully. Elly's eyes widened and she suddenly blinked several times. She looked down, her face blazing with color. Sanji chuckled and grasped her hand earnestly. "You can't deny it," he told her quietly. "Why aren't you up there," he gestured with his chin, a quick jerk of the head up towards the mast, "with that big idiot?"

"Oh, shut up." She wrenched her hand free. "I told you. He doesn't like me. He even said so! I don't think he likes any woman," she ended morosely.

"I doubt he likes men," Sanji drawled, causing Zoro's fists to clench. That asshole! But she was snorting and waving that aside.

"No. He just doesn't have time for that. All he has is his goal." She paused, a wistful look passing across her pale features. Zoro held his breath. "I'm not like the other girls. I need to be held once in awhile." Elly shrugged, indicating she knew her weakness. "I thought he'd maybe give me some affection if I wasn't human. But he doesn't need it, Sanji."  

"I think he'd surprise you." Sanji pointed up again.

"How?" She turned to face the water again and Zoro had to strain to hear the words, whipped half out of her mouth and carried along by the breeze. "He doesn't want me, didn't you hear? He's strong. He hates weak things."

"You're not weak!"

"Yes, I am. Especially around him." Now Sanji was quiet. It was a simple statement and she said it with such dignity that he felt a lump rising in his throat. He lit a cigarette to cover his confusion. Zoro found he was shaking and he silently cursed himself for his inattention. The cook had been right after all. Was he so involved with his training that he was that blind when it came to this kind of thing? He slowly walked over to the door, opened it, and up the stairs to his room while lost in thought.

The next day he paid more attention to himself than usual in the shower, shaving diligently and making certain not to miss a single centimeter of green fuzz on his cheeks. Zoro scrubbed at his heavily muscled body with the rough soap the men all used, covering himself in suds up to his neck and wishing he had cologne. He'd shunned the crap for a long time but he had seen how she sniffed lightly at Sanji's neck the other night. When he got out - wrapping a towel around his waist to catch the trickles of water dripping down his body -- he stopped at the mirror to run his fingers through his hair with more care than usual. He could wear his usual outfit today like he always did, but he remembered that pervert wore different clothing when he wanted to impress the girls. So after much grumbling he managed to pull out a blue shirt with a black cross design out of his clothing chest and yanked it on instead of his simple white top. He grabbed dark blue silk pants instead of the usual green ones as well and a blue haramaki. There. Maybe he could surprise her.

"Stop stealing all the bacon."

"I am not!"

"MAKE HIM STOP EATING ALL THE EGGS SANJI!"

It was chaos as usual at the breakfast table. Luffy appeared to think he'd been starving all night long and he crammed himself full of everything he could. Elly finished first and got up to place her plate in the sink. Zoro had been watching carefully and he got up as well, never catching the quick glance Sanji shot him. The blond chef's curly eyebrow raised as he sipped his coffee. He'd thought he had heard the planking above creak last night. Now he was almost certain. The new outfit, the way the big man kept staring at her and blushing across the bridge of his nose. He might try to win her today.

Sanji was glad. It would make her happy, and he loved to see a happy woman. He grinned openly as she slipped out the door, closely followed by her green-haired shadow.

A short time later Zoro was getting irritated again, this time for a different reason. She was leading him a merry little chase all around the blasted ship! Every time he thought she was settling in a room she'd get up to leave. He breathed a sigh of relief when she finally sat down in one of the common rooms and laid a hand over her eyes. He opened the door and walked in, taking a deep breath.

"Why are you following me?" He winced. Her voice was shaky and sounded upset. He quickly crossed the room to where she sat and joined her on the low couch.

"Wanted to talk."

"About what?" She lowered her hand and stared at him.

Quick, before I lose my nerve. "This." He took her hand and brought it to his lips. Elly gaped at him incredulously while he lightly kissed her fingertips, blushing all the while. Then he drew the hand up and licked the palm, slowly, closing his eyes and tasting her nervous sweat. She didn't draw her hand away or make a sound so he continued on, brushing her wrist and mouthing her arm. He moved closer, kissing further up until he met the strap of her tank top. And then he dared to look into her eyes. What he saw inflamed him; her look was stunned but hungry. She wanted him, it was true. The realization caused his desire to all but crush him with its sudden intensity. He bent, nuzzling at her neck and rubbing his teeth against the throbbing pulse he found but was unable to continue. If he bit like he wanted to she might not like it. He didn't want to surprise her with something like that. Weren't women more delicate than guys?

"What are you doing?!"

"Don't want to hurt you." He shrugged.

"Ha!" She tried to wrench herself away, tears forming in her eyes. "You don't want ...to hurt me? That's a good joke."

"Damn it!" He didn't let go. Zoro knew how much weaker she was than him and he wasn't sure how much of his strength he could hold back if he lost control in the heat of the moment. He'd held everything in for so long. He shifted on the couch, picking himself up and leaning towards her on his knees. Elly's eyes shifted and began to lighten in shade as he lowered himself near her.

"Let go!"

"What if I don't? You gonna claw me?" Her said this without thought - he seemed to be good at that -- and she literally hissed loudly. Her eyes blazed, the pupils all but gone now. She was more than upset with him, she was furious.

"Roronoa Zoro, let go of me right now!"

"No!" He held her down and kissed her, thoroughly expecting to be slashed at or kicked, anything. But she lay limp on the couch and he soon realized she wasn't fighting him. Something warm and wet dripped into his mouth and he pulled away for a moment, tongue darting out to flick at the corner of his lips. It was salty. He blinked, suddenly ashamed of himself. She was crying.

"Hey," he murmured awkwardly, kissing the tears away in a gesture so sweet that it only made more flow down her cheeks. "Stop that." She shivered all over and suddenly clung to him, hugging him tight around his thick neck and raising her face for kisses. He readily complied, finding that he liked wet, deep ones the best and pressing eagerly against her when she railed against his tongue with her own. His body was sweetly tensed in all the right areas, highly sensitive and becoming more so to the touch. His senses seemed heightened as well, smells and tastes exploded around him. Everything was her and it was perfect. They made out with fervor, progressing towards more intimate acts without even realizing it. Zoro felt no particular triumph when his hand touched her breasts or the junction between her thighs, only a feeling of rightness. Since she didn't squirm away or slap him he assumed she felt it too. Her own touches were growing bolder and he swallowed hard, knowing that she would eventually reach the burning length between his legs. He thought he was ready for it but his stomach muscles rippled crazily when her hand grazed his manhood, his teeth clenched, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Oh," she gasped. "It's - you're..."

"Ready," he choked. His eyes were still half-shut. Sweat trickled down his forehead and blinded him momentarily. Zoro knuckled it out of his eye and propped himself up on both hands above her. So far they had been touching with their clothes still on and Elly's were in a state of wild disarray. The swordsman that struck terror into ruthless pirate's hearts suddenly became afraid himself. He thrust his lip out pugnaciously and his fears aside as he did it. She wouldn't be scared of what he had... would she?

"Maybe you should lock the door," she suggested.

"Huh!" He started back, blinking. "Good idea, cat." Damn. Again he hadn't thought of something so obvious. He must want to be caught and embarrassed! Zoro got up from the couch and cleared his throat when he saw her looking at him down there. His soft slacks were stretched quite prominently across the front, the fabric tented. He tugged lightly to try and adjust himself, scowled, then walked to the door and bolted it securely. Turning back, he rolled his shoulders and sniffed, trying to clear his throat and nose. He seemed to be having some trouble breathing which intensified when he saw she had laid the full length of the couch, head resting on the pillows at one end.

Zoro caught his breath in a tearing gasp. Although Elly's eyes were closed she could feel his gaze and relished the big man's eyes on her. His face had instantly flamed up across the cheeks and bridge of his nose as soon as he'd seen her. He moved silently, purposefully, softly treading the wooden decking with his thick-soled boots. She peeked and saw his chest hitching as he came closer to the couch she was resting on. He swallowed; she heard the bop in his throat very distinctly since he had bent down towards her. One warm hand rested gently on her back. She closed her eyes and smiled at him, the air hot but his hand hotter on her bare skin. His palm grazed her back, sliding over the cloth and gently cupping her rear. And then he wordlessly kissed her.

Elly sighed and let herself relax in the swordsman's embrace, timidly slipping her arms around his neck as she rolled onto her back. He nuzzled her lips with his tongue when she let that soft breath of air out and she parted them a bit more. She'd missed him. Good god, how she had missed him. He smelled like clean, fresh soap, shaving lotion and steel. He always had that sharp smell of his swords about him. She'd missed that, too. The pale woman choked back a sudden sob, not wanting him to see her crying over such a silly thing. Zoro pulled back as soon as he felt her body jerk and tighten.

"Eh?" It was almost as if he hadn't spoken at all. A soft grunt, all he needed to communicate. She knew what he was asking.

"Nothing."  He raised an eyebrow. "No, really." Elly opened her mouth to tell him it was perfectly all right and burst into tears. Zoro blinked, stunned momentarily by the vehemence of her outburst.

"Shh..." He was even more surprised to find that he felt an onrush of emotion at her crying. His arms tightened possessively around her shaking body and he found himself hushing her tenderly when he would have thought he'd say 'shut up'. Zoro blushed and continued to hold her in that awkward half-kneeling position on the blankets. Little by little the storm lessened and then she sniffled apologetically.

"I didn't mean to bawl like a little kid." She froze as he shook his head at her sternly, dismissing her attempt to shrug this off.

"My fault," he murmured into her hair. His mind was racing too fast. Other parts of him were refusing to be held in check like they always had been. "Sorry," he muttered, brushing a strand of her hair away from her lips.

"Sorry?" Her eyes shone with unexpected tears and he frowned.

"What? What'd I say?"

"No." She reached out and cupped the back of his head in one hand. "I was being stupid, that's all. Haven't you always said that?" He grimaced.

"No games, cat," he grunted. "Not now." He paused and grasped one of her hands in his. She looked startled and he grinned evilly down while he placed the hand on his chest.

"B-"

"No. No more talking."

And there wasn't any for the rest of the night, even when he carried her drowsy form back to their room. It was better. More difficult, sure, since a relationship was forming that he didn't quite understand. But he would make sure she would know she was important to him, even if she was his second love.