𝑺𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑫 𝑫𝑨𝑵𝑪𝑬 || 𝒛𝒐𝒓𝒐 𝒓𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒂

• • ᴄʜᴀᴩᴛᴇʀ ɪɪɪ • •

Zoro was the first to be tied up before Venus was next. Moving her head back as much as she could when Helmeppo touched her cheek.

Zoro noticed as he shifted in his spot. "Hey! Don't touch her like that!"

"Or else what? Going to come after me? Oh, wait.. you can't." He laughed before walking away. Leaving them alone for that night.

Venus listened to him leave before glancing over at him. "Why do you keep helping me if you hate me so much?" She asked.

"Old habit." Zoro simply spoke.

"Thank-."

"It doesn't mean you are forgiven by me. You mean nothing to me." Zoro interrupted her with a lie.

"Zoro. Can't we talk normally about this instead of beating around the bush? We literally have nowhere to go."

"There's nothing to say to you. You left me when I needed you. Now you want to act like nothing happened? I see where you stand very clearly from here." Zoro scoffed as he turned his head away.

"I had no choice, Zoro!" Venus spoke up.

Taking the male by surprise as he glanced her way. Intrigued by what else she had to say about that day. The look of despair on her features being something he knew she wouldn't fake. At least, he hoped so.

"I had no choice in what happened that night."

"Then tell me what happened."

Venus noticed that she had caught his attention as she glanced at him. Her eyes growing a bit teary. "I was forced to leave Shimotsuki Village after dinner." She spoke. "A part of me wanted me to stay or at least say goodbye to you but.. I couldn't. That would have meant you'd be at risk and in danger." She spoke as she sniffed a bit. "It's stupid, I know.."

Zoro listened as he calmed down a bit when he noticed her tears. He hated seeing her that way. Especially because of him asking her why.

Venus took a deep breath as she glanced at her shoes. "I was left here two years ago by my uncle and Victoria, the woman you saw when I first arrived. Left to make my own life and I had no way of contacting you or going back. I have let that memory torture me every waking moment. Wondering if we had fled for no reason. If you were even safe."

"Safe from what exactly?" Zoro asked.

"I can't-."

"Tell me what you're hiding."

"You'll hate me even more. I want you to hate me and leave but.. I don't want to lose you at the same time."

"You won't lose me."

"I will though." Venus spoke as she glanced his way. "And things might never be the same again after." She sniffed a bit more.

"You have my word that nothing of that sort will happen. I swear." Zoro spoke.

Venus listened before trusting him like she always had. "My family was murdered before I had arrived to Shimotsuki Village. That woman wasn't my mother. She was a loyal crewmate who sailed with my father. We ran from one of his enemies while my parents held him back. My uncle was in charge of keeping me safe. I watched the whole thing that night and had to be silent about it. One sound would give us away so my uncle covered my mouth as we sailed away. Just the three of us..." She spoke.

Zoro didn't say a word. Letting her get out what she wanted to say before anything else. He had never been aware of what had happened to her and the story she carried on her shoulders.

"That night.. I was on my way to give your room. With everything we had been through I was going to tell you something important but she came into my room in such a panicked state. Told me to pack because she had gotten word that someone who resembled the man who killed my family were close by." She took a small breath before continuing. "I had to run before they found me if it was them that night."