You hummed quietly as you neared the town square. You were so excited; you had been waiting for this all day. He had asked you to meet him here, he would be here soon; he just had to finish putting supplies away. You scanned the crowd, looking for his familiar face, but you couldn't see him anywhere. So you waited. You waited for him to get there so you could go for a walk.
He must have gotten held up with something. He'll be here soon… You told yourself as the sun started to set. The crowd had died down, only a few people lingered in the dying light. He wouldn't have forgotten. He said he would be here… He asked me to meet him. He'll come, I know he will.
You swung your legs back and forth as you waited, glad that the people who had been sitting on the bench had finally left. As you looked up at the stars that were now visible in the sky, you finally let your smile fall. No one was around to see you right now, so you no longer needed to pretend to be happy.
"Of course he isn't coming..." you let yourself fall back onto the bench, your legs hanging off of the side. Why would I ever think he would actually come…? Why would he want to?
You slowly stood up and started heading back to the ship. You took the long way back, going down several side streets. You didn't want to get back quite yet; you weren't ready to put your mask back on.
"Oi, Yuki, is that you?" You turned around, forcing a smile to your face.
"Hey, Zoro, what's up?" You sounded like your normal, happy self, but you knew he could see through it. The captain and the first mate could always see through you.
"You've been gone for hours! Where have you been?"
"Out here. I wanted to explore the town!" You smiled brightly at the man in front of you.
He raised an eyebrow at you. "In the middle of the night?"
"Well, I started around noon. It just took a little longer than expected!"
"Come on," he stepped toward you. "It's time to go back."
"But Zoro," you whined as he picked you up and threw you over his shoulder. You sighed; you knew struggling was futile; you had never been able to get away from him when he had you like this. Besides, you needed to save your energy to keep smiling when you saw him.
It took a while, but Zoro finally got to the ship. And, when he did, only Luffy was on the deck.
"Oi, Luffy," Zoro called. "Where is he?"
Luffy pointed to the kitchen, but didn't say a word. Zoro nodded silently and walked around the deck, staying as far from the kitchen as he could while taking you to your room. You appreciated his efforts, but nothing could have prevented you from seeing in the kitchen. He was in there, serving Nami and Robin. He was always with them… When Zoro set you down, you thanked him and went to your bed. Now that you were truly alone, you could let it all out and cry. Why did I ever think I stood a chance…? Robin's so smart and Nami's interesting. And they're both so beautiful… while I'm just plain… washed out. I'm the annoying girl who tries too hard to be happy, to get along with the crew…He's only near me when he has to be, but I still thought I stood a chance. You looked in the mirror. You had pale skin. Grey eyes, and blonde hair. You were dull compared to the others; you didn't fit in at all. You walked to your window and stared at the stars. I wonder… You pushed the glass open and perched on the ledge. You ignored your instincts, pushed your fear of the sea away, and prepared yourself. That's when you felt arms wrap around your waist. He was all you could feel as he pulled you out of the window and set you down on your bed, his arms still around you.
"Do you think we're really free when we die?" You were still staring at the stars as you asked the question.
"I'd rather not have to find out." He mumbled.
This is why you fell for him. No matter what he did, he had a way of making it all better in the end. Even if he didn't love you, you couldn't keep yourself from loving him. "You're always getting in my way."
"And I'll keep getting in your way even if it kills me."
You couldn't help but smile as you let yourself relax a little in his arms. "Damn cook."