One Piece One Shots (Requests: Closed)

Beating Hearts (Corazon/Rocinante)

Dedicated to: hillbillykelp2161 and NdragonEyes because you two are my closets friends and I know that I can trust you! Good luck with this oneshot by the way. It's 2100 words give or take a few.

Song: Don't Let Me Go
Artist: Raign
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  The moment she met him, she knew he was different. She knew that if they were to become close, he'd be able to get her to come clean, that he would be the once she'd open her heart to, and that he was the one.
  It was like he could sense it too, this cosmic pull that just dragged them together, made it easy for him to see. She needed someone to trust, to confide in and get everything off her chest.
  She tried so hard to stay away from everyone, he watched day-in and day-out as she would turn down others advances to be friends. It's like she was afraid of human contact, for all he knew, maybe that was the case; it wasn't.
  One day, they were assigned to the same job, and she knew that this would be the cause of her downfall. The (Y/n) that the Marines once knew would be shattered, this 'new', tall, blond, wavy-haired male would get through to her.
  Don't ask what the job was, it was too long ago for any real records to exist. It wasn't important enough for them to keep safe, but it was important for the two people assigned.
  It was just the two of them and they had to act like a married couple, for some reason or another. They stood in the room together before she spoke, not looking at him.
  "My name is (Y/n)," she spoke in a detached manner, she was trying to convey that she wanted nothing to do with him after this job. "What's yours, boy?"
  "I'm not a boy," he held out his hand for her to shake. "But it's Rocinante."
  She glanced at him, not expecting his voice to be so deep and masculine. She reached out and took his hand, accidentally looking into his crystal blue eyes, and his into her (e/c) orbs.
  Once their gazes meet completely, they both forgot how to breathe, and he smiled. She turned around and acted like nothing happened.
  She readjusted the jacket she had on and cleared her throat, "Forgive me. I'm used to working with the younger Marines. Because I always refuse to be with a man my age... or someone-it doesn't matter."
  "It's fine," he mumbled before breathing out. "It's understandable, I suppose."
  The mission lasted a year and a couple of months, so it's only natural that they grew closer. So close that it only made sense to say that they truly fell in love, much to her dissatisfaction... and he could tell that she wasn't happy about it so he never made a move.
  Not until they were having a free day, which never really happens in the World Government. They decided to spend it together, because they were each other's only friend. They took a hike to the meadow at the top of the hill and had a picnic.
  They ended up finishing eating around the time the sun started to set, so it was only natural they they'd stay and watch it. They sat close to each other, their fingers almost touching, and gazed at the beautiful horizon drenched in a dark purple fading into yellow, orange, and red.
  Their hands inched closer to the other's until they ended up interlocking. She looked over at him and he reached out his other hand–timidly, afraid of rejection–and placed his palm on her cheek. He pulled her face closer to hers, his heart was beating so loudly that he thought she could hear it.
  She watched as his lucent blue eyes closed before she turned her head away, "I... can't."
  He immediately stopped and pulled away, she felt his fingers slip away. She felt so incredibly guilty, she led him on, but she wanted to protect him and pushed him away, "Why?"
  She looked over at him and her heart sank, her eyes were starting to fill up with tears. She could see the light in his eyes, she didn't want to take that away, but he had a reason to know, "I'm... I... won't live for much longer. I think I only have a few more months at most."
  She felt his arms wrap around her and she was suddenly enveloped in the scent of his cigarette smoke. His chest was so comfortable for some reason, and she knew that his embrace was strong, "I don't care. I want to stay with you."
  "I... why?" the tears started to fall as he clumsily tried to wipe them away. "Most people would run away... why?"
  "Because. I'm in love with you," he held her tighter and closer, as if to tell her that as long as her heart was beating he wouldn't let her go.
  "All I could give you is memories," she whispered quietly, felt his grip on her tighten,–which caused her ear to press against his chest–and she could hear his heart. It sounded just like a drum, it sounded just like hers; it was beating rapidly. "We can't start a family, are you sure?"
  He nodded his head, afraid that his voice would betray his heart. She reached behind him and gripped onto his shirt, she couldn't tell of this was real or a dream. Her tears didn't stop and they stayed out the whole night.
  A few weeks after that, they had another picnic and it was perfect. The same thing happened as the last time, except she didn't stop his lips from meeting hers. She didn't stop anything after that either.
  She let him do anything he wanted to her; she allowed her course voice to float through the air, she let him make them gasp for air, and she let him hold her hand through it all–they fit together like missing puzzle pieces which made him never want to break contact–as they gave each other everything. She never felt so happy before, and she'd never feel as much happiness as she did that day.
  Forever wouldn't be enough to keep the couple satisfied, much less only having a few months. They had a taste of being married to each other on the mission, and even if they wanted to get married for real, there just wasn't enough time. Or... well... that was her excuse.
  With only a few weeks left, they headed to the meadow again, the cherry trees in full bloom. He laid his head head in her lap and gazed into her eyes, "I love you, (Y/n)."
  She smiled softly as she hummed, "Say it again, please?"
  "(Y/n), I love you," he reached up and ran his fingers through her (h/c) strands. "I love you. I really love you, (Y/n). Your turn. Tell me you love me..."
  She felt her eyes prick up with tears as she gazed down at his translucent blue orbs, "Roci... I love you. I love you so much that it hurts... I'm going to lose you. Roci... I love you. I love you so much that whenever I think of you I'm filled with happiness. I know that I can trust you, Roci, and I love you."
  He closed his eyes when she started speaking, but halfway through he felt something wet and warm on his cheek so he opened them to see her (e/c) eyes streaming with tears, "(Y/n)..."
  He sat up and pulled her into his arms, "Stop crying... I'm sorry... I brought so much pain upon you... I'm sorry..."
  She clutched to the back of his shirt as she shook her head, "I'm the one that's sorry... I'm going to be leaving you all alone. I'm such a crybaby..."
  She looked up at him to see that there were tears in his eyes, also. It was the first time she saw him cry, and to know that she was the reason broke her. She buried her face back into his chest–she counted each time she could hear his heart beat to calm herself down–and they stayed like that until it was too late to find their way because of his clumsiness.
  It was strange how time seemed to pass by them quickly, how the inevitable didn't try to creep up on them. It didn't happen like he expected it to, and it didn't happen when he thought it would either. He was in the middle of training when he heard the commotion, and he felt it in his heart that it was her.
  "Commander Rocinante!" one of the men came rushing up to him. "It's Commander (Y/-)-"
  "I know," he spoke before he looked at the men training. "Continue on! I'll be right back! Take me to her."
  He followed the man, being careful of not tripping over air or his own foot, to a the infirmary. He rushed in to find her laying down in one of the beds, she was pale and her breathing was shallowing out.
  Her (e/c) orbs looked over at him and he couldn't see the light in them, just the red from all the tears rushing down her face. He hurriedly approached her, he wanted every second he could more with her.
  His warm arms embraced her and her arms wrapped around his torso, "I love you, (Y/n). Don't worry about it."
  "It's happening," she spoke quietly, almost like she was straining herself. "Can I ask you something before I go?"
  "Anything," he felt the tears start to prick at the edges of his eyes. "I'll answer everything."
  "I don't have enough time for everything," she tried to laugh, but it hurt too much so she stopped suddenly. "Promise me... you'll always carry me with you... like the tears you're going to keep from shedding. Always think about us... please... don't forget about me. Keep our memories in your beating heart. That's the only way you'll remember. Don't let me go, Roci. I don't... ever want... you to... let me... go. Kiss... me. Take... my... last... breath... Roci..."
  He tilted her head up and watched as her beautiful (e/c) orbs sit for the last time. He placed his lips on hers before he slipped his tongue into her mouth and did exactly as she said, he stole her last breath.
  When he pulled away, she was limp in his arms, but it didn't stop him from pulling her into an embrace. He could already feel the cold settling in her body, "I love you, (Y/n). I won't ever forget you. I'll keep you for as long as my heart beats."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
  "Your name is Law, isn't it? This guy who just returned..." the blond could no longer hear Diamanté as he felt as shiver down his spine.
  He suddenly heard a voice–one he memorized a long time ago–in his ear, "You can save this kid. Save him for me, Roci."
  "His name is Corazon. He's an absent-minded idiot... but he's strong, maybe because of his blood. Captain Doffy's brother by blood..."
  Whatever the brunett was going to say next didn't register in "Corazon's" mind as he took a few steps closer to the small kid, grabbed his head, and threw him out of the window. By all means, if he could save this kid, he was going to succeed this time.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
  The pain of the bullets burn through his body like a hot knife through butter, but it wasn't as painful as loosing (Y/n). She was his everything, but he succeeded. He saved Law, just like he wish he had saved her. He wouldn't have to be the one to deal with the loss, but the thirteen-year old Law did. He closes his eyes contently as he hears the cannon fire.
  "You did good, Cora," he hears the voice of an angel beside him which causes him to look over at her. She looks semi-transparent as she gazes at him with the (e/c) orbs, her (h/l) (h/c) strands slightly blowing in the wind; they're the same as he remembered them to be. "You did a really good job, Roci."
  "Are you... real?" he sits up and then notices that he's now the same as her, semi-transparent. "Is this the after-life?"
  She shakes her head, "I had unfinished business, so I stayed behind to watch over you. Now we can go together."
  He closes his eyes, "Can I... touch you? Or... ghosts can't touch each other?"
  "I don't know. I've never seen another ghost," she walks up to him. "But let's test it out."
  He leans down and reaches around her back, he pulls her into his chest before he places his forehead on hers, "I guess that answers that. I love you, (Y/n)."
  "I love you too, Roci," she pulls his head down to hers and their lips meet in a sweet kiss.

~Beating Hearts End~