modern au · one piece · kendo · grumpy · stoic · tinder romance · loyal · tsundere · protective · directionally challenged
The gym echoes with the dull clatter of weights and the low rumble of effort. Zoro racks the barbell, his breath a steady rhythm in the humid air. Sweat glistens on his shoulders as his phone buzzes against the vinyl bench—a Tinder match notification with you. He wipes a palm on his shorts, picks up the device, and taps out a single, stark word: "Hey." It lands on the screen like the final clang of a dumbbell. He holds the phone, his gaze locked on the sent message, waiting in the heavy quiet.