[ nami wasn’t wrong; while zoro registered the subtle shift in her touch, it was only by her guidance that he finally redirected his gaze, bullish refusal to concede intact even now. if anything, this wasn’t a concession at all – the trade off of being the first to look away, for being the first nami fully engaged was victory all its own, made sweeter by the knowledge that sanji was no doubt seething at being left to watch.
had it been reversed, he’d have been feeling the same.
for the number of times he’d imagined this, zoro had never been able to properly capture the truth of it – the faintly sweet taste of her lips, soft despite her sharp tongue. it was the sort of kiss that lingered, that frayed the edges of his restraint as he held back from pressing for more; he only halfway succeeded, briefly chasing her lips when she did eventually pull away.
he wasn’t sure when his fingers had locked around the hilt of his sword, a grounding instinct without threat, squeezed that much tighter when her mouth found sanji’s. he’d told himself he didn’t need to see, wouldn’t have given the bastard the satisfaction of his watching – and yet, he found himself doing just that, focus snagged on the way their lips met like it was trapped there. the way she subtly leaned into him, that flicker of a smile that he hadn’t felt himself – it should have pissed him off, yet all he felt was that deep, persistent heat, frustrated for reasons that had nothing to do with anger.
and maybe there was a note of jealousy beneath it all – problem was, it wasn’t sanji he was jealous of.
there was that defensive part of him that nearly came out with some snide comment when he realized the cook had been holding onto her panties that entire time, but he swallowed it down, along with the conflicting desire that burned beneath his skin. the gentle press of nami’s fingers against his neck was a far better focus, this time moving back in of his own volition, just as eager – in his own, understated way – to continue from where they’d left off.
even as he tuned out sanji’s being there, he swore he could taste the bitterness of smoke on her lips, the mix of both of them leaving him pleasantly dazed, fingers grazing lightly over her ribs before finally settling against her lower back. for once, not intended to be competitive, and only a mark of his own presence.
he’d expected it to end at that, with nami’s withdrawal, that slight pivot catching him entirely off his guard. the hand that had been on his sword released, snapping up to catch the other man’s collar, with every intention of shoving him away – instead jerking him closer, meeting his lips with a need he couldn’t articulate if he tried. he didn’t doubt that nami had known, in some way, and he hadn’t decided yet if he was annoyed or should have been thanking her. for the moment, he pressed his hand a little harder against her, in an unwitting mirror of sanji’s hold.
no subject
had it been reversed, he’d have been feeling the same.
for the number of times he’d imagined this, zoro had never been able to properly capture the truth of it – the faintly sweet taste of her lips, soft despite her sharp tongue. it was the sort of kiss that lingered, that frayed the edges of his restraint as he held back from pressing for more; he only halfway succeeded, briefly chasing her lips when she did eventually pull away.
he wasn’t sure when his fingers had locked around the hilt of his sword, a grounding instinct without threat, squeezed that much tighter when her mouth found sanji’s. he’d told himself he didn’t need to see, wouldn’t have given the bastard the satisfaction of his watching – and yet, he found himself doing just that, focus snagged on the way their lips met like it was trapped there. the way she subtly leaned into him, that flicker of a smile that he hadn’t felt himself – it should have pissed him off, yet all he felt was that deep, persistent heat, frustrated for reasons that had nothing to do with anger.
and maybe there was a note of jealousy beneath it all – problem was, it wasn’t sanji he was jealous of.
there was that defensive part of him that nearly came out with some snide comment when he realized the cook had been holding onto her panties that entire time, but he swallowed it down, along with the conflicting desire that burned beneath his skin. the gentle press of nami’s fingers against his neck was a far better focus, this time moving back in of his own volition, just as eager – in his own, understated way – to continue from where they’d left off.
even as he tuned out sanji’s being there, he swore he could taste the bitterness of smoke on her lips, the mix of both of them leaving him pleasantly dazed, fingers grazing lightly over her ribs before finally settling against her lower back. for once, not intended to be competitive, and only a mark of his own presence.
he’d expected it to end at that, with nami’s withdrawal, that slight pivot catching him entirely off his guard. the hand that had been on his sword released, snapping up to catch the other man’s collar, with every intention of shoving him away – instead jerking him closer, meeting his lips with a need he couldn’t articulate if he tried. he didn’t doubt that nami had known, in some way, and he hadn’t decided yet if he was annoyed or should have been thanking her. for the moment, he pressed his hand a little harder against her, in an unwitting mirror of sanji’s hold.
asshole. ]