Dream Chasers: Zoro x Reader

Chapter 16: Our Dream

This chapter had me in tears! Watch out so that you don’t slip and fall over my tears.

Three of the nine Straw Hats excluding yourself had been brought down with the gloomy effects of everlasting despair. Bidding farewell to the Surgeon of Death of whom shed light onto an ongoing mystery. With you carried upon Zoro’s back, there began the long quiet walk back home...

Where should you lie to rest? It wasn’t an easy decision at first. How could it be? Asking someone where and/or how you should die isn’t a question you hear or want to hear on some normal day. Die in the hands of your loved ones, or die elsewhere so that they won’t be around to watch your passing. Zoro cursed that Law had to throw this life-changing decision upon his shoulders. So with nowhere else to go, Zoro turned to Luffy and Usopp for help in which it showed just how stumped Zoro had became to reach the one simple worded decision.

After debate, there was a valid point thrown out into the wind that since Zoro was your lover and had caught on that you so happened to have a disease months well before you ever had let on. He well... Should’ve expected a decision like this to be directed at none other than himself. So Zoro contemplated and overall decided that you will pass on in the most reasonable place: the Thousand Sunny. The only place you ever called home besides Zoro’s protective arms and the dearly missed Going Merry. Surrounded by your newfound family. Not strangers on Law’s submarine.

Zoro almost began begging on his knees for the Surgeon to continue on with his own adventures rather than tag along upon the Sunny. Law wanted to help yes, but there was no reason to keep the man around anymore. Chopper can handle you for the time being now that your sickness had finally came into the light. Being unconscious, you had no clue on the news to come. Breaking the news just to the remaining members of the crew was more than likely going to break Zoro. Breaking the news to you was a whole other extreme.

The news was broken to the crew upon arrival back home, everyone reacted all the same. Tears were shed and words were shared. Chopper however seemed to take the most effect besides Zoro himself who carried your unconscious body back to the sick bay. Patiently awaiting your awakening.

The time had came once you began to stir, swatting at your face as if someone were tickling your nose. Time… Such a valuable term the swordsman had began to cherish. Zoro sat at your bedside, the foot of the bed to be more exact, watching you carefully rub the drowsiness out of your weak eyes. “Huh?” You hummed, hugging the blanket to your chest. Head shifting frantically all around as if searching for something brutally misplaced. “I’m back home? Was it all a dream?”

Zoro shook his head side to side to signify no to your assumption with a hearty frown. “Law already took a look at you.”

“Please tell me I’m gonna be okay. Like this is all something that I’m getting myself all worked up over,” you sat there with a shy smile. Awaiting an answer, but all you received was silence. “Zoro?” Silence. “Zoro… I’m not going to be okay, am I?” Zoro resumed sitting in silence upon the bed. Holding back all of his straying emotions from exploding all over you.

“Yeah… Yeah…” Zoro dug his fingers into his leg. “The doctor told us quite a handful…”

“Zoro, are you mad at me?” You couldn’t help but hug yourself with pooling eyes. Everything about your childhood friend and lover just screamed simmering fury. His tensing body, nonexistent eye contact, darkened tone of voice, the trailing off; you figured he’s either really disappointed or angry, maybe even both.

Zoro finally looked up from his lap. “You ARE coming clean today (Y/n),” Zoro made clear of this fact. You nodded briskly. “You have a disease, Muscular Dystopian or something like that! Law said that you’ve had this disease since our childhood. He also said that you have at most two weeks to live. You’ve had to have noticed this disease even before we left home months ago!” Zoro threw those stockpiling statements out into the wind like it was his job, earning a gasp on your end. Your lungs began to tighten up as if the entire world had collapsed onto you. His words showed no sympathy.

“Quit yelling alight *sniff sniff* I had n-no idea that I had a disease a-at all. Take my fu-fu-fucking emotions into account Zoro!” you exploded rather than Zoro who held back. “I’m afraid of death unlike you! And now you tell me that I may have at most two weeks to live!?” The entire crew could hear your echoing outbursts of cries from the sick bay. Growing sick to their stomachs seeing as to how unsympathetic Zoro had became on such short notice towards his lover of all people.

“Maybe I wouldn’t be as mad as I am now if you’d just quit putting off the truth. Why did you tell that Shitty Cook and Chopper that you were sick and never me? You were purposely hiding from me (Y/n)!” Once again, Zoro somehow had the upper hand and caught you entirely by surprise. Frozen speechless you sat.

“You knew I told Sanji?” You spoke with a ghostly whisper.

“OH! It was clear as day,” Zoro let out a deeply held in breath. Looking as if a weight was taken from his shoulders. “Just tell me. Tell me why you kept your sickness a secret. You’re not putting it off any longer (Y/n).” As much as you wanted to somehow someway kick Zoro’s ass, he was right for once. You did promise you’d tell him the truth once you got the news back from Law.

“Our dream Zoro,” you sighed. Zoro felt guilty for his outbursts.

“What about it?” He choked on his own words.

“I didn’t want to tell you that I can’t achieve our dream of becoming the world’s greatest swordswoman,” your stomach tensed up on the verge of vomiting. “You see Zoro, if Law would’ve said that I would survive this sickness, I wouldn’t need to even mention that my half of the dream is dead because I can still train and grow. But now that I AM basically as good as dead, my dream will die along with me…” admitting the truth had more than used up your remaining ounces of courage. Being forced into swallowing your own pride to admit such a failure…

A tear had left the steel eyes of the mosshead sat before you. Not once did Zoro even think about the shared dream of three to become the best swordsmen and women in the world. A dream that you, Zoro, and Kuina had took on no more than ten years back. The sudden realization that you never wanted to succumb to defeat just showed that you were more of a warrior than Zoro could ever wish to be.

“I’ll carry you and your dream forward, even if you can’t,” Zoro leaned forward, wrapping you up within his arms. Resting his forehead against yours.

“Thanks but you’re only saying that-”

“No…” Zoro interrupted you. “Yes… Now I know that our dream in next to dead, but that only adds onto the list of things that are eating me alive at the moment,” you remained silent. Listening intently, making sure to process each and every word. “Luffy spent the longest time calming me down earlier once Law told me you were dying (Y/n). I’ve already lost my childhood rival and now I’m losing the dream and you as well. We’ve known each other for ten years, training and exploring the seas together…”

“Just shut up. I love you too Zoro. You don’t need to explain it.” You closed the space. Gently kissing Zoro with whatever you could spare. You never wanted to leave. But this was one of the last times you both kissed. You thought losing all feeling in your legs were bad, next came your arms. Completely useless and unable to accomplish anything on your own besides talk. Then left your ability to talk… Your respiratory system failed just days after receiving the news. Living off of a breathing machine. Nobody could find the strength to visit you anymore.

“Zoro…” You spoke through the breathing mask with difficulty. “I wish to die the next time I sleep.”