Should I Stay or Should I Go? by cuethe_pulse, #2
Title: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Author: cuethe_pulse
Theme: #2 - “You’ve got two choices.”
Fandom: One Piece
Pairing: Roronoa Zoro x Nefertari Vivi
Disclaimer: One Piece and its characters do not belong to me.
Notes: Slight spoilers for the Alabasta Arc.
Zoro had reopened his wounds again, already the second time on their first day of rest at the palace. After waving off a reprimand from Chopper, the swordsman grudgingly allowed Vivi to change his bandages. She was a little clumsy at first - he bit his tongue to keep from hissing when her fingers accidentally prodded him in the wrong spot - but a part of him found her endearing, so he bore with it.
When she finished, he thanked her through a thick mumble and closed his eyes to take a nap. He felt her sit on the bed beside him. She was silent, but he could feel her expectant eyes on his face. He waited patiently, and was soon rewarded.
“Bushido-san?” Her voice was hesitant and almost shy. “What should I do?” The question sounded freshly rehearsed, as if she had been thinking about asking it for a while, and intended to ask it more than once. “What should I do when…when you all leave?”
Zoro opened one eye and regarded her. She was biting her lip, probably either nervous about asking him, or fearful of his answer. He spoke simply.
“You’ve got two choices. One, you leave with us. Or two, you stay here.”
Vivi almost glared at him in response. He shrugged.
“Well, you asked. What did you want me to say?”
She sighed softly.
“I know what my choices are, Bushido-san. I wanted you to tell me which one to choose.”
“That’s not up to me.”
“I know, but…” Her voice trailed off slightly and she turned her head. He found himself looking down at her hands as they worried themselves in her lap. He swallowed, knowing what she wanted from him, but unsure he would be able to give it to her.
“Whatever you do is your decision,” he finally said. “It doesn’t matter to me.”
His words stung her, he realized a little too late as her hands clenched and her eyes widened. She stood and he tried not to be distracted by the way she tossed her hair off her shoulder to let it cascade down her back.
“Oh, I see. Well, have a nice nap, Bushido-san.”
The clipped tone of her voice made him wince, and he sat up as she started to walk away, calling to her with a hesitant “H-hey, wait a minute!”
She stopped, but kept her back to him. He frowned, hating how bad he felt for hurting her feelings.
“What I meant was,” he tried again, trying not to sound like he was choosing his words, “you’re a princess with a country to think about. It’s a big decision that I can’t make for you-” He paused before continuing. “-no matter how much I may want to.”
She looked at him, then, over her shoulder, her eyes glittering with curiosity and the tiniest hint of a smile on her lips.
“You want me to leave with you?”
He shrugged, playing it off as casual.
“Sure. But I don’t expect you to. Now-” He yawned, stretching a little. “-may I take my nap, princess?”
“You may,” she nodded, her smile widening a smidgen. “And be more careful with your wounds, okay? If you keep it up, you may never be able to leave.” She winked as she stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her with a quiet click.
Zoro lay back on the bed, allowing a wistful chuckle to escape him before he closed his eyes. If only, princess. If only.
Author: cuethe_pulse
Theme: #2 - “You’ve got two choices.”
Fandom: One Piece
Pairing: Roronoa Zoro x Nefertari Vivi
Disclaimer: One Piece and its characters do not belong to me.
Notes: Slight spoilers for the Alabasta Arc.
Zoro had reopened his wounds again, already the second time on their first day of rest at the palace. After waving off a reprimand from Chopper, the swordsman grudgingly allowed Vivi to change his bandages. She was a little clumsy at first - he bit his tongue to keep from hissing when her fingers accidentally prodded him in the wrong spot - but a part of him found her endearing, so he bore with it.
When she finished, he thanked her through a thick mumble and closed his eyes to take a nap. He felt her sit on the bed beside him. She was silent, but he could feel her expectant eyes on his face. He waited patiently, and was soon rewarded.
“Bushido-san?” Her voice was hesitant and almost shy. “What should I do?” The question sounded freshly rehearsed, as if she had been thinking about asking it for a while, and intended to ask it more than once. “What should I do when…when you all leave?”
Zoro opened one eye and regarded her. She was biting her lip, probably either nervous about asking him, or fearful of his answer. He spoke simply.
“You’ve got two choices. One, you leave with us. Or two, you stay here.”
Vivi almost glared at him in response. He shrugged.
“Well, you asked. What did you want me to say?”
She sighed softly.
“I know what my choices are, Bushido-san. I wanted you to tell me which one to choose.”
“That’s not up to me.”
“I know, but…” Her voice trailed off slightly and she turned her head. He found himself looking down at her hands as they worried themselves in her lap. He swallowed, knowing what she wanted from him, but unsure he would be able to give it to her.
“Whatever you do is your decision,” he finally said. “It doesn’t matter to me.”
His words stung her, he realized a little too late as her hands clenched and her eyes widened. She stood and he tried not to be distracted by the way she tossed her hair off her shoulder to let it cascade down her back.
“Oh, I see. Well, have a nice nap, Bushido-san.”
The clipped tone of her voice made him wince, and he sat up as she started to walk away, calling to her with a hesitant “H-hey, wait a minute!”
She stopped, but kept her back to him. He frowned, hating how bad he felt for hurting her feelings.
“What I meant was,” he tried again, trying not to sound like he was choosing his words, “you’re a princess with a country to think about. It’s a big decision that I can’t make for you-” He paused before continuing. “-no matter how much I may want to.”
She looked at him, then, over her shoulder, her eyes glittering with curiosity and the tiniest hint of a smile on her lips.
“You want me to leave with you?”
He shrugged, playing it off as casual.
“Sure. But I don’t expect you to. Now-” He yawned, stretching a little. “-may I take my nap, princess?”
“You may,” she nodded, her smile widening a smidgen. “And be more careful with your wounds, okay? If you keep it up, you may never be able to leave.” She winked as she stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her with a quiet click.
Zoro lay back on the bed, allowing a wistful chuckle to escape him before he closed his eyes. If only, princess. If only.