Author note: this is a little fluffy piece inspired by the lyrics of the song "When you say nothing at all" by Ronan Keating. The lyrics were supposed to be added to the story in the right places, but the rules of FFnet don't allow that, so the version of the story I'm posting here doesn't contain the lyrics. If you want to read the complete version of this, you can find it on Archiveofourown, where I go by the nickname Goddess_of_the_arena. Enjoy some Zoro fluff!
oxoxoxoxoxo
Zoro was not good with words.
He was good with his swords, but when it came to talking about feelings, he was at a complete loss. But to Lyra it had never been a problem, for she could read what he wanted to tell her in every little gesture, glance, or touch.
When she was sad or worried, he sat closer than usual to her during the meals and then he grabbed her by the hand and dragged her to a quiet place on the deck to take a nap together, making her lean her head on his shoulder and wrapping an arm around her waist. He didn't say anything, no reassuring words, no cliché lines like 'everything will be fine', or 'I'm here for you'. But he didn't have to, his mere presence had the same soothing effect on her heart than all of the encouraging words in the world and more.
When they were in Skypiea, he decided to sit a little away from the others, the music and chaos of the party for the defeat of Enel were too much for his tastes. She picked up two bowls of meat stew and went to join him, offering him the food and he smiled slightly at her, Lyra smiling back. When she moved to leave, he grabbed her arm gently, there was a blush on his face and he was not looking at her, but she got the message clear as day, so she sat next to him, happy to spend some time alone with her boyfriend. And the smile he shot her, though small, was warm enough to melt her heart.
When she woke up after the fight against Moria in Thriller Bark, she found him passed out on the ground a bit away from the ruined castle, covered in blood and wounds that were not there when she had last seen him, his breathing heavy and irregular. Her heart broke at seeing him like that and she cried as she hurried to heal his wounds and bruises with the power of her Devil Fruit, begging him to not leave her. He opened his eyes and met hers, smiling softly at the worried, scared look on her face. He didn't say anything, he was still too weak and tired to speak, but there was no need for words. His gaze told her loud and clear that he had no intention of leaving her, not now, nor ever.
When they were fighting against a bunch of Marines, a soldier suddenly blasted her right knee with his gun and she nearly fell to the ground, but a strong arm wrapped around her to keep her up while the other arm wielded a sword that slashed viciously at the soldier who had hurt her. His hold on her tightened a little in reassurance and while her knee got quickly back in working order thanks to her powers, she leaned on Zoro in response with a smile.
When they met again after the two years of separation, there were no overdramatic or cheesy declarations of love on his part, he was not that kind of man. But that didn't mean he didn't love her, or that he hadn't missed her. He did and he had, more than he would ever be willing to admit to anyone out loud. When he finally saw Lyra getting on board, her eyes shining with love as they fell on him and her full, soft lips curved in a joyful smile, he smiled back and took her in his arms, holding her tightly to his chest and kissing her until they were both out of breath, pouring every ounce of his feelings for her in that kiss. And as they caught their breath, he leaned his forehead on hers and met her gaze and they both knew, with every fiber of their being, that they would never let anyone and anything separate them again.
Zoro was not good with words. But with her, he didn't need to be.