Out of the Blue

Couldn't Hold Back Anymore

Our noses brushed gently as he slowly broke the kiss and pulled back with a sigh, looking me straight in the eye.  My cheeks began to burn as I stared back, suddenly feeling very shy under the intensity of his gaze.  I squirmed a bit in my nervousness, eventually looking away with my face essentially feeling as if it was on fire, but Zoro was having none of that. He suddenly dropped his body to settle on top of mine, caging me under his strong muscle and bringing my attention back to his face when he nuzzled my cheek.  There was a brief moment of silence as we just stared into each other's eyes.  His normal, stoic glare turned soft and open, dancing with emotion.  My throat began to tighten as I realized those rare emotions were being directed at me...

My hand slowly rose to his face and I traced his brow and temple with a gentle finger, his eyes narrowing lazily as I lightly caressed his cheek with a small smile.  A rumbling purr rose in the man's throat as he pressed his cheek into my hand.  Slowly lifting my head to his, I kept my eyes locked on his endless dark ones as I brushed my lips over his.  I could feel a content smile tug at his lips when I finally pushed up to give him a full kiss.  Zoro's weight immediately shifted above me and his hand found its way behind my head, fingers threading through my hair to hold me in place as he deepened the kiss. He broke away briefly and licked my lips with a growl before once again kissing me hard and hot as he lowered me back down to the couch pillow.  Once my head was cushioned, he ended the kiss with a breathy huff and pressed the side of his face against mine, letting out another low growl as he moved to nuzzle into the crook of my neck.

Narrowing my eyes in content, I relaxed under his body.  This unexpected change in behavior seemed too good to be true.  Yet... despite the impossibility of the moment... here he was, cuddling affectionately into my neck.  Kissing me senseless.  It was unbelievable.  I couldn't even describe the rush of emotion that overcame me at that moment.  I had no clue he shared these feelings for me.  I thought they had been unrequited...

"Zoro..."

He shushed me and pulled back to bump his forehead against mine in affection, tilting his head so he could briefly kiss me on the lips again.  I watched in silence as he slid himself off of me and settled his body right next to mine, wedging himself against the back of the couch.  He had a somewhat distant look in his eyes as his arm wrapped over my torso and pulled me closer.  I could feel his hand suddenly twist into the fabric of my shirt just before he spoke with a soft sigh, "I can't do it anymore."

I tilted my head so I could look at him, not understanding what he was getting at. "Can't what?"

He closed his eyes, "I can't hold back anymore... I can barely control myself when I'm around you."  He took a breath and opened his eyes, "I... I just like you too much, [y/n]."

I could have sworn my heart jumped to my throat with those words.  Those were the words I had only ever dreamed of hearing.

And he actually said them... to me.

"Oh Zoro..." My voice was nothing more than a shaky, broken whisper as I tried to contain the burning joy of my heart.

He nuzzled my cheek lightly as his hand slid away from my shirt and came to rest on my neck.  His thumb traced the bone of my jaw as he granted himself access to my lips.  A low growl sounded deep within his throat as he kissed me and threw me into a fuzzy state of mind.  It was intoxicating, the taste of his lips against mine with all their smothering heat.

I let out a surprised squeak as the swordsman broke our kiss and hugged me tight.  My body was held firmly against his as he rolled onto his back, pulling me on top of his chest.  I could feel his strong muscles against my stomach and I blushed.

He was the man I had admired for so long; watching him train, fight and protect.  He never seemed like he paid any more attention to me as he did the others.  Him showing these kind of feelings for me was shocking... but in the most wonderful and happy way...