𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬

𝐈𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐅𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭 || Zoro

in which you ask Zoro to indulge you with an answer to an age-old question.

tags: sunshine!gn!reader . fluff . established relationship . suggestive (?)

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"Hey, Zoro! If I were a fruit, what fruit do you think I'd be?!"

Zoro who lays somewhere on the upper deck of the Sunny, hands behind him cushioning his head, doesn't stir from what was a nap cut short by your jubilant voice flooding his eardrums. And still doesn't when he hears your feet padding closer towards him.

However, your question does earn a barely audible hum in response. And he swears to himself if you weren't you—the essence of his heart and soul— his reaction to being torn from his nap, would have been anything less than lenient.

Momentarily, a light thud resounds beside him and he feels a soft touch caressing his cheek.

The familiar and soothing feeling coaxes him to crack an eyelid open, head craning to his side to meet your expression brimming down at him with a radiant wide smile.

The perpetual frown carved into Zoro's features eases into one of unadulterated adoration— one that would be indiscernible to the eyes of any other, but your own.

He then arches a brow, confused. "Why would you want to be a fruit?"

The unforeseen question is one he didn't expect you to ask, but seemed more like one Lu—

"Because Luffy—"

Of course.

"—told me if I were a fruit, I'd be a potato—mashed potatoes."

Zoro's face mirrors amusement. "That's a vegetable. And a dish."

"Exactly!"

A bubble of laughter leaves your lips, one that tugs at Zoro's heart and cajoles the corners of his mouth into a tender smile as you recline back until you're mimicking his supine position.

"I also asked Usopp and Chopper for their opinions."

"What'd they say?" Zoro asked, interest piqued.

"That I remind them of a mango and a banana."

Zoro's face scrunches, brows furrowing at the comparisons. But soon, his expression relaxes when he gives it some deliberate thought. And hums, silently approving his friends' responses.

You indeed had a personality reminiscent of the two fruits: soft and sweet, both on the outside and on the inside.

"And the others?"

You turn to lie on your side, facing Zoro. "They seemed pretty occupied with more important things." You give Zoro a pointed look, a teasing lilt laced in your voice. "So, I didn't ask."

Zoro huffs at the implication, feigning annoyance. "You already got some answers," he starts, "Why ask me?"

"Because, I always like hearing what you think," you respond without missing a beat.

Zoro's brown gaze meets your own. And he finds it warm like the smile adorning your expression.

A subtle heat rises to his cheeks and he averts his gaze, directing it instead up at the clouds gliding across the sky.

You, his lover, as a fruit?

The thought had never once crossed the swordsman's mind. And was one beyond his imagination.

Not to say, he didn't mind entertaining you. If it'd make you happy, he would be more than willing to compare you to a fruit. Even a vegetable, like Luffy, if you'd asked.

A comfortable silence descends between you and Zoro while he takes the time to ponder your question, and as he does you search for any recognizable images hidden within the vast white fluff of the clouds.

Zoro thinks and he thinks. And firstly he thinks the image of a pineapple. Like the ones Sanji had used that one time to whip up some refreshments for everyone to temper the sweltering heat of the sun, reminding him of a warm, vibrant sunshine—just like you.

But its spiky shell, not so much.

So, he thinks again.

And this time he thinks peaches. Round and supple. A most welcomed reminder of all the times you shared fervent kisses behind closed doors and the palms of his calloused, large hands would caress the soft plumpness of your a—

Zoro shakes the creeping temptation away.

And thinks again.

And, this time, it clicks. A suitable answer to your question—one he deems most so—reveals itself.

"Plum."

You perk up at the sound of Zoro's voice, eyes now pin on him. "Plum?" you parrot, raising an inquisitive brow. "Why a plum?"

"I dunno..." Zoro mumbles. "I guess, because they're soft on the outside and juicy on the inside. And..." he trails off.

"And what?" You prompt.

A faint red hue tinges Zoro's cheeks. "And...they're cute and sweet—just like you."

Your heart flutters, lips curling up into the widest smile he's ever seen spread across your lips—second to when he'd first whispered his unconditional love for you.

"You really think so?" Zoro nods and your smile brightens impossibly further. "I'm so happy you think I'm a plum!" You beam, shuffling closer to him and pressing a kiss to his lips. And Zoro thinks he should start calling you his little plum from now on.

"I was definitely right about you," you chirp, unintentionally pulling away just as Zoro is about to deepen the kiss.

He frowns, disappointed by the lost contact of your lips against his, but his disappointment immediately fades away when you drape an arm and leg across him, soft body cuddling into his.

His arms wrap around you, tugging you closer to his larger frame in a gentle and protective embrace. He glances down at you. "Right about what?"

You chuckle. "That you'd be a pineapple if you were a fruit," you say, recalling Usopp's question to you.

Confusion mars Zoro's expression, and at the same time he wonders what led you to that conclusion. "A pineapple? Why?" He voices his thoughts.

You smile a wide smile up at him. "Because," you drawl, "On the outside, you seem a bit mean and scary. Like a big bad guy."

Zoro flinches.

Your answer...is not quite what he'd expected. And doesn't sit right with him. At all.

Was that your impression of him when you two first met? Mean?Scary?

A big bad guy?

Zoro flushes, parting his lips to voice his concern. But, when he hears your next few words, his lips remain sealed as his entire face steams.

"But you're really sweet on the inside," you say, voice soft and soothing to Zoro's ears. "Just like I always knew you were," you add as you allow your eyes to flutter close, relaxing further into his comforting warmth. And Zoro only hopes you can't hear the increasing thudding of his heart against his chest.