Actually an One-shot, with a prequel and a sequel (^.^)'\
Summary; She was his, even if she belonged to another right now. He had her first, it was he who had held her trough the storms and the pain of becoming an adult. And the knowledge of that never left her heart, it crushed her soul as she had to be with another male.
I do not own One Piece! Nor do I own 'Thnks fr th mmrs' by 'Fall Out Boy', which I want you to listen to it when you read this! That song is the reason of this fic, I gotta stop listening to such inspiring music! XD
He stared at her across the room, followed her every step as she was surrounded by "important persons", people who hoped to get a favor if they treated the Bride nicely and fawned upon her. But he knew that something like that never worked on her, empty words ran of like water on a goose. Never had anyone been able to get a liking out of her if they just wanted to use her for their own good.
Allowing himself some nostalgia, he took in her slender form dressed in a tight and backless dress in dark red satin, skirt sweeping around her long legs with white embroidery. That long raven hair of hers was up in an advanced hairdo, only leaving some ringlets to stroke her long pale neck. Hell's curse, he wanted to kiss those strands of hair, wanted to caress the dress of her luscious body!
Clenching his jaw, he calmed himself, this wasn't the time to loose all rhyme and reason. Even if he wasn't here, the bastard still had sent an ice demon as a guard with her, the gorilla never standing more than two metres away from her. But he was unable to tear his gaze away from her even with that in mind, the muscle head would get to know that he lived if he said anything about the swordsman staring.
He knew that most people considered her aunt, Hancock, to be the most beautiful woman in all of the countries in the Underworld. But to him, she had nothing to put up against the girl who laughed in the opposite end of the room. Sighting, memories of how they had spent time in that frozen apple grove as kids flooded his consciousness. She had always watched as her father gave him lessons in swordsmanship, cheering on them both until the boy finally lost, and then she had given him a winter apple, telling him that he did great. "Her laughter has become hollow..."
"Oi, Zoro! What are you staring at?" The voice of his friend brought him out of his thoughts, but he still kept looking at her even as he answered the question.
"An old acquaintance." From the corner of his eye, he saw how the black haired man followed his gaze, blinking as he realized who it was that were the subject for the green haired man's grim look. He let out a soft whistle, murmuring.
"The Bride, heh... Come to think of it, you lived at the Duke's mansion when you were a political hostage. No wonder you know his daughter." The younger man ignored the words, not letting it get to him so that he would loose his composure just because the freckled man reminded him of his earlier life here in the Fifth Hell.
"Ace! Come, the food here is great!" The man's younger brother suddenly jumped forth and shouted, scaring some fine mistresses who had tried to gain the attention of the two older men. And the swordsman didn't complain for one bit, they had just been annoying with all their giggling.
Taking a deep breath, he collected himself and took that first stride in her direction, having to go past Usopp who had followed Luffy from their raid at the buffet.
"Eh, Zoro, where are you going?" Ignoring the long nosed boy, he just kept walking. He was tired of letting what belonged to him be with someone else.
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She felt his eyes burn on her skin, and she knew that they had been on her ever since she entered this ball room. "Oh Dark Lord, why do you put me through this?" Inside she became frustrated at it, but she didn't let anything show on the outside as she smiled against a High Noble, laughing at his lame joke. She had to be diplomatic right now, had to wear a mask of perfection on her face, otherwise there would be a lot of trouble to come.
Throwing a glance at the spot where he had been standing earlier, she saw him walking against her, the people moving aside so that he could pass. His for now hidden strength scared them unwarily, their instincts telling them to get out of the way. Tearing her eyes from him, she faced another one of her party as she tried to ignore the violent beat of her heart as she felt him draw closer. For Christ's sake, she was going to get married soon, she really didn't need the distraction he posed.
When he reached her group, everyone looked at him, the powerful warrior from the Blazing Hell who was invited as a political guest. Interest, fascination and fear played on the others faces, as always when the Cold Ones met with the Ones born of Fire. They were opposed poles and it was said that attraction always sparked when they met. And to her, that was very true. Just to see him stand there wearing that fitting dark blue suit, a mask of slight boredom on his face, broke her heart once again. Since she knew when he looked his best, with sword in hand and no restrictions whatsoever. Seeing past the mask, she saw his raging feelings in his eyes, the tension in his slightly stiff shoulders.
As he made a perfect bow before her, she tried to remember how to breath. "May I have this dance, your Highness?"
"Yes..." The word just above a mere whisper, she let him take her hand and place it upon his left arm. As always, she became amazed by how much darker his skin was than hers, even if she hadn't worn those white gloves she knew that his sunburned skin would contrast strongly against her pale. Forcing herself to swallow down that lump in her throat as he led her out on the dance floor, she looked up at his profile. The candle lights reflected in three earrings dangling from his left ear and deepened the shadows on his face, fortifying his harsh expression. He was just as good looking as he had been when he left her home in the North, and the view made the pieces of her heart hurt.
Music started to play, a famous waltz with many strings. As he took her left hand in his right and placed the other at her back, she got a flashback of how they had practised dancing to just this piece as children. It had always ended with aching toes for her, as he hadn't been the best of dancers.
After they had danced for a little while, with no mistakes, she couldn't be quiet anymore. The silence between the two of them, out of all people as everyone around them chitchatted and laughed, put such a pressure on her that she almost felt like screaming.
"You've practiced."
"Yeah." But in the next second, she felt a familiar mashed sensation in her right foot. The pain shoot up her leg, making it even harder for her to keep a straight face and balance. It was already hard enough to be so close to him and walk in these damn high hells without anyone stepping on her toes!
"Watch it." She clenched her jaw, and tried to ignore the pulsations of pain. He apparently hadn't gotten that much better... But as he bend closer to her ear, grinning, she became very aware of the fact of how his rough palm felt against the sensitive skin on the small of her back, of how their legs brushed slightly against each other.
"I've missed you..." Her heart skipped a beat, for then starting to thunder in her ears, making the blood rush to her cheeks and make her blush lightly. When he straightened up again, she felt his eyes burn at her. But she couldn't find the strength to face him, it was too embarrassing, nor to lie, she knew he would see past it either way. At all powers, how much hadn't she missed anyone who could see through her mask and see that she suffered? Even if he was so damn irritating, and couldn't dance, she still needed him. Looking down at their dancing feet, steeping so that he wouldn't smash her toes again, she silently said the words she always said in her dreams.
"I missed you too." At that, he squeezed her hand even harder and as they spun around he caressed her back. Her breath hitched in her throat, tears pooling up from the ache in her heart which she fast blinked away. She couldn't cry now, that would create a to big rumour. But the memories flooded her senses, of how he had held her at already then forbidden nights, making her shiver at the heat he radiated. She was frozen to the bone, she knew, and he was the only one who could warm her up and make her heart beat faster.
The music stopped to play, and some of the dancing couples left the floor to give room for others. He steered her of the dance floor, not against the people she had talked to before, but to some young men she recognised as Representatives from Zoro's home country.
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He was glad that Ace didn't smile his brightest, glad that Luffy didn't throw himself at her or Usopp tried to impress all too much. Since even if it was just for this short amount of time that he could be near her, after so long time of not even being able to speak to her, he didn't want anyone to come close. Not even his closest of friends.
"It's a honor to meet you, your Highness."
"Please, call me Eira, I do not see any reason to be so polite." Her clear voice as she answered Ace made him relax a bit, soothed him actually, but he was still on the alert, looking over his shoulder to see if Johnny and Yosaku was keeping the guard occupied. Well, it seemed like they at least had confused the snowman, since he was running around looking like he had dropped his head. Grinning, the swordsman turned back to the others, just as the rubberboy introduced himself.
"I'm Portgas D. Luffy, and I'll be the King of Devils!" She put her hand in front of her mouth, hiding and stifling a merry laughter, one totally different from the way she had laughed before. The sound made something move inside of his chest and he found himself incredibly thankful against the younger male.
Feeling his heart beat stronger than it done in a very long time, he looked own at her smiling face and once again felt that burning sensation, the knowledge of that she was his. No one could ever change that, not even the fact that another male tried to take her for himself. And as she glanced up at him with those yellow eyes of hers, the emotion just intensified with the insight that she still returned his feelings. When she lowered her gaze, he tautened his left arm where her hand rested, telling her that he was there, no matter what. A small smile pulled at his lips as he saw how that blush on her cheeks returned. For some reason, he liked the fact that it was only he who could bring that kind of reaction out of her.
"And I am Gorwedd Usopp, one of the Blazing Hell's bravest warriors. Once, I defeated a hundred of beasts from the Second with just my bare hands!"
Their silliness made her smile big, laughter slipping through her lips. But just as soon as it started, she smothered it and putted on that damn mask of calm and perfection again. Looking around, he could see why. People stared, whispering. He bared his teeth against some woman who pointed at them, making them hastily turn around and try to get the attention of waiter who passed by with a tray of refreshments.
But he didn't get any chance to tell her that she shouldn't give a damn about it, before a yell made almost everyone in the room turn their heads in their direction.
"What the hell have you done with the buffet, you damn shit-heads!?"
The green haired male groaned as he recognised the voice, it was just his luck that that idiot would be here too. Taking a step to the side and pulling her with him, they avoided the lethal leg which crashed down in the middle of their little group. As she stumbled a little, he straightened her by grabbing a hold of her left elbow. The action brought them closer together, and he once again caught a sniff of her perfume, jasmine. Hell, he wanted to press his nose to her neck and breath the scent in deep, to him it represented her. Heck, he had been unable to even see a jasmine flower and not think of her during the time they had been separated. Not that he hadn't done it anyway.
"Whaf? I havenf done anyfin!" Luffy quickly shuffled everything inside of his mouth, his cheeks looking like a hamster's. The long nose didn't have the same luck with abilities, so he tried to hide his own estate behind his back. He actually succeeded pretty well, since he was no where near the quantity of his accessory. The oldest man in the group on the other hand...
"Ah, please excuse my little brother and his friend. They have no manners." He bowed and received a bow in return, all the while he was still eating on a big piece of meat.
"Oh, so polite of you. No, it's okay, it was just that th- What the hell, you are eating it too!" After bowing and scratching the back of his head, the blond devil got back into his killing mode, aiming a kick to the black haired male's head. But it never landed where it should, instead his foot was caught by the wrist and stuck just before the other man's face. And just as Ace was going to shove it down to the floor and give the cook a lesson in good behavior, he fell asleep.
"What the...? Is he sick or something!?" Shocked, Sanji could just stand there on one leg and stare, never having seen anyone fall asleep so fast, not even the marimo.
"Yeah, he's narcoleptic. Now can you please calm down, you eyebrow freak, 'cause everyone is already staring." Almost growling as he said the words, the swordsman felt the need to put his arm around Eira's shoulders instead, to show the bastard that he wasn't allowed to come any closer. But that would just create more trouble, he knew. People was already looking odd at them, and the risk of the guard coming increased by each passing second, the other two wouldn't be able to keep him away for much longer.
"Shut it, moss-head, I do whatever I want!" Then his eyes fell on the girl standing next to said moss-head, and in the next second he pulled his leg free and called out loudly to all of those who were looking at them.
"Alright people, nothing to see here, I've taken care of the food-thieves! Now, please enjoy the party!" He clapped his hands and the orchestra started to play a light-hearted Viennese Waltz, stealing the attention away. As he turned back towards the others, he looked at Luffy and Usopp, making the younger men shrink beneath his glare. "Raid the buffet one more time and I'll make sure that you never will be able to eat again. Ever."
The boys nodded quickly, neither of them wanting to get their heads kicked in. Zoro gnashed his teeth as he watched Sanji taking out a cigarette and lighting it, the smell of the nicotine sticking in his nose. If jasmine flowers represented what he wanted, cigarettes represented what irritated him the most. For the umpteenth time this night, he tried to place his right hand on swords he didn't carry, and he cursed inside. Why did these people have to be so bloody cautious, it was not like he was going to kill anyone just because he carried weapons. At least not if there wasn't any good reason for doing so, like someone irritating the life out of him.
"By the way, marimo, isn't that your friends who are waving like idiots over there?"
Scowling, the swordsman looked in the direction which the blond man pointed with his thumb, and what he saw made him swallow down hard. Johnny and Yosaku truly did wave like idiots, but for a very good reason. The guard had seen her and was heading their way. A curse slipped past his lips and he racked his brain in an attempt to figure out what to do now. He felt how she tensed beside him, she had seen the demon too, but what he didn't notice was how the cook looked at them.
"Eira-sama, do you know of the door behind the second drapery to your left?"
"Ah, yes... How come?"
"Use it to get out to the garden, I'll take care of that gorilla." As the chef turned around against the nearing ice demon, the two of them looked at eahc other, and in the next moment they were heading for the door.
"Hm, that was a surprise." Sanji fast threw a glance towards the now awake Ace, who crossed his arms and looked after his friend, quirking an eyebrow against the scowling devil.
"What?"
"Nothing, I just got the feeling that you and Zoro hated each other." Biting down at his cigarette, the other man answered as he walked against the incoming disturbance.
"We do, it's just that I know she is happier with him than with that shit-head who has claimed her as his Bride."
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Outside the air was cold and still, almost no wind at all was blowing through the snow clad branches. Looking up at the dark sky, she saw how the stars twinkled down at them, as gentle as they always had. At all the ruling powers, why did fate have to be so cruel against them? How had everything spun so out of control and left them with all these wounds? "Who the hell was it that said I was born under a lucky star, when all I get in this life is pain?" She had lost count of how many times she had asked herself that, all she knew was that she had been left with no answer every time.
Averting her gaze towards the man standing next to her, she felt her broken heart beat. God, she loved him still and would never stop doing so.
"Aren't you cold?" The cool didn't bother her, she was used to it since she was born here and had lived in it for her whole life. This place was actually warmer than her home. But he came from the Blazing Hell, a place of heat and flames, even if he had spent his teenage years here it was still a huge difference between them.
He just shook his head and looked over his right shoulder, the tip his ears starting to look red from the coldness and his breath becoming white smoke. Sighting inside, she wondered once again why men had to be so proud and stubborn. But she soon forgot to wonder about that as he made her let go of his arm and instead wrapped it around her shoulders, bringing her close to his warm side.
The action made her heart speed up, and she felt how blood rushed to her cheeks. Why was he always able to make her blush? She had done it more just tonight than she usually did in over a quarter.
As they started to walk on the paved path, neither of them spook. They just enjoyed this one moment they had alone with the other, no words were necessary between them. Leaning her head against him, she felt the warmth of his body seeping through the fabric of his shirt and warming her up, reminding her of how his body could make her feel like she was on fire. She couldn't stop her thoughts from wandering, memories flooding her senses as she breathed in his scent. Inside, she admitted to herself that she never expected any male to be able to make her feel such passion as the warrior walking beside her, with his arm protectively around her. But as he suddenly stopped, she was still in her thoughts and stumbled a little in her high heels. Oh, how she hated wearing those.
"I'm not gonna take it anymore." His stern voice made her look up at him, seeing that his face was even harsher than his voice. Then the words he had said sank in and her eyes widened.
"W-what are you talking about?" But she already knew the answer, and she felt a shudder going through her whole body. "No, please, don't say what I think you'll say..."
"I'm not going to take it anymore, the fact that that damn bloody bastard has chosen you as his Bride." Looking up at him, she almost expected his eyes to flash with demon red and black, his teeth to become fangs and the skin on her shoulders to be pierced by sharp claws. Still, he kept that part of him under control, didn't let it rose to the surface. But as he looked down at her, she could see the rage burning inside of him through his eyes.
As he reached up with his right hand and cupped her face, his warm thumb stroking her left cheek, the difference between the tenderness and his actual mood almost frightened her. Shivering, she closed her eyes as he leaned down towards her. But then the words he had said to her suddenly echoed inside of her mind.
"If you ever let any male touch you, I'll make sure to kill him."
Her eyes shooting open, she pressed her hands against his chest and stepped back, leaving his warm embrace as she shouted. "No, don't!"
The fact that his arms let her go, that he didn't try to hold her back, it shocked her. But as she looked at him, she could see why. He was breaking. Anger, fear, sadness, rage, every feeling she felt inside was playing all over his face. His hands became hard fists and now he couldn't hold it back anymore, his eyes becoming blazing red with black slitted pupils. The way he looked at her broke her heart in pieces, made it unable to beat.
"No..." The whisper hung in the air, echoing in the darkness.
"Who does he think he is!? You are mine, I held you first."
"I can't belong to you!" Tears started to stream down her face and she clasped her hand over her mouth, tried to silence herself so that she wouldn't say anything and create even more pain. But words came anyway, forced themselves out. She just couldn't let him believe that she didn't love him. "He'll kill you if I let you touch me..."
At those words, he went back to his normal self, his whole body relaxing. But her own tensed even more, as he looked at her with those dark eyes of his.
"I'm not afraid of him, and you know that."
The soft spoken words made her jolt and the tears streaming faster. Tearing her gaze away to stare at the ground, she felt him look at her with intense eyes. She could take his anger and raised voice, then she could scream at him too. But this, this softness, it wore her down her defences completely and mad her loose the little strength the anger gave her. As he saw her tears just increasing, he felt a feeling of panic well up inside his chest.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean too..."
Shuddering, she shook her head and felt the last of her strength disappear. Then she all but tackled him as she gripped at his shirt and bore her face into his chest.
"No, I won't forgive you for stealing my heart away." She sniffled as she murmured those words and felt his strong arms wrap around her in a tight embrace. The feeling of his lips on the top her head, the warmth of his body pressed against hers made her heart mend, heal. Honestly, did she care about the fact that he held it? She still knew that she held his anyway.
"You can't stop me from challenging him, I can't even stand the very thought of someone else holding you like this."
"I know... And I don't want anyone else to hold me..." As those words left her lips, she felt his firm hand once again cup her face and make her look at him. Fire burned inside of his eyes and she let out a shaky breath as he brushed some tears away from her cheek. But she knew that this fire was different, this wasn't a fire born from anger or rage. It was from love, and lust.
This time, as he bended down against her, she just closed her eyes and reached up with her arms around his neck. As his hot lips met with her cold ones, she felt his fire spread to her, melting the ice inside of her. She knew this was for her forbidden, that he risked his life just by holding her in his arms. But as his tongue entered her mouth and tasted her, she didn't give a damn about anything else.
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First of all, I wanna thank the people who helped me with this;
Jen, A-chan, Kurki & Stini-sensei
Thank you guys, you really helped me out with this, even if it just meant reading it and saying it was good!
Furthermore, if you want to know how these two ended up in this mess, tell me to write on the prequel; 'Give me back my heart'
If you want to know how it all ends, tell to write the sequel; 'For you I will'
Or just tell me what you think or what I could have done better (^v^) Either way, please review!!