You stirred awake feeling heavy and warm, really really warm, too warm. Opening your eyes, you found your youngest brother bandaged up and snuggled into your torso. He'd done this many times when he was just a little kid whenever he was worried or stressed. You gently ran your fingers through his hair.

"He was worried about you." Ace murmured from the armchair on the other side of you.

"Awe, my babies," you whispered with a chuckle, wincing at the slight shift of your body.

"He really fucked you up." your freckled brother affirmed.

"Chipped one of my vertebrae." you nodded, " I'll show you the bruise later I'm sure it's worse now."

"Here." Ace handed you your Vicodin and water.

"Oh, I forgot to ask Zoro who won the fight?"

"We did, of course." the raven replied.

"I'd call it a draw." the greenette voiced from the recliner, "Smoker showed up and split us up just when more people started to join."

"So, we owe Kid a visit?" you laughed.

"F/N," Marco called sternly appearing in the doorway.

"I was only kidding." you held your hands up innocently.

He raised a brow at you, "Wake Luffy up, lunch is almost ready."

"Luuuuuunch." Luffy muttered against you.

"This kid will never change." you laughed poking his face, "Oi, Luffy... There's food in the kitchen."

The youngest stirred more eventually sitting up to rub his eyes, "F/N!" he hugged you a little too tight.

"I wasn't dying. Geez."

"But he really hurt you, right?" his big brown eyes met yours.

"Nah I'm fine." you pinched his cheeks, "Go eat. I'll be up in a second."

Your brothers filed out of the room leaving you with Zoro. He yawned and stretched flopping back into the plush chair.

"That chair is cozy right?" you eased yourself into a seated position.

He nodded a little taken back that you were sober and speaking to him.

"Luffy was four when we adopted him. I used to put him to sleep there. He had to be read to every night, well until I started university then the guys told him he had to toughen up."

"Wait so, how many years apart are you?" he flushed, the question just tumbled out of his face.

He knew you were older, just not by how much.

"Thirteen years." you snorted, "I'm surprised they hadn't told you with the amount of time they spend calling me an old lady."

That made you eleven years older than him. Eleven. No wonder you got along so well with Shanks you were closer in age. He was feeling intimidated again, you would probably only see him as a kid.

"They've never said it around me." he shrugged watching you slowly stand.

Carefully you bent down to get one of your pillows, "It'll happen sooner or later."

Zoro stepped forward offering his arm to steady you as you winced trying to stand back with your pillow. You glanced up inspecting his face in the daylight, the puffiness around his eye wasn't as bad but the bruise was a deep purple strangely complimenting the flecks of gold in his brown eye. His lip was a bit swollen and bruised, you made a mental note to give him more ointment before letting him leave.

"Does it hurt?" you asked.

"What?" he snapped out of the trance you had him in.

"Your face." you chuckled taking an experimental step forward.

"I'm fine. You're the one in pain." he pointed out.

"The pills will kick in soon. I'll be kicking these guy's asses in no time." you winked.

With Zoro's help, you shuffled into the kitchen and dropped your pillow into a chair before easing down into it.

"Thanks, greenie." you chimed.

"Oh, he doesn't -"

"It's fine," Zoro stifled Ace, "you're welcome. I should get going."

"Nonsense, you should stay and eat at least, lad." Pops insisted.

Zoro nodded and took a seat by Sabo at the other end of the table.

"Smoker said you should stop by the station today if you plan to press charges." the younger blond informed you.

"Nah, it's fine." you shook your head.

"But he shoved you through a table." Ace piped with a mouth full of food.

"We were drunk, and I was gonna punch him anyway." you shrugged earning chuckles from your brothers.

"I'd expect this from these brats, but not you F/N." your father scolded, "You've always been more mature."

"But not too good to pass up a fight." Ace laughed.

"Or too old." Sabo snickered.

"You used to be the good one," you complained tossing a piece of your bread at him.

"Enough." Pops rumbled silencing the table, "Just try to stay out of trouble until you heal, and you boys better think twice before starting any trouble with Eustass over this. If F/N isn't bothered leave it be."

After lunch, you got the hang of shuffling around with minimal pain. Zoro finally was taking his leave to get ready for his night shift at the bar.

"Ah wait," you called after him plucking the ointment from the open first aid kit on the coffee table, "I know scars are attractive and all, but infections aren't."

His fingers brushed over yours as he took the tube from you, "Thanks. Try not to get in any fights."

"Right back at ya." you paused feeling a bit awkward as he looked down at you, "See ya 'round I guess?"

His right hand came up with the intent to brush your hair from your face, but he quickly talked himself out of it, just like he had with giving you his phone number. You had enough brothers and could take care of yourself so the excuse of "if you ever need anything" was out, and you kept referring to Ace, Sabo, and Luffy as babies, surely you would see him that way as well.

You held your breath waiting for him to say something. You'd already talked yourself out of giving out your number, especially now that he knew how old you were. You'd been in this situation before and while the poor guy was really into you, you also terrified him.

"Yeah, see ya." he huffed turning to head down the steps.

That's all he had? See ya?

Well, you hadn't given him much to work with.

He mentally kicked himself all the way to his truck.

When you reentered Ace was making growling cat noises while holding his hands up like claws.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" you crossed your arms.

"He's trying to say you're a cougar," Sabo explained.

"You're on my list now Freckles. Just wait 'til my back is better." you threatened inching toward him.

He backed up quickly bumping into Marco.

"I can hold him for ya, yoi."

"Ah why thank you my sweet twin."

"Hey ... Hey wait!" Ace cried as the blond grabbed his wrists and crossed his arms over own his chest.

As quickly as you could you stepped forward and began tickling the younger male.

_______________

Over the next few days, you received quite a bit of teasing from Ace and Sabo over your schoolgirl crush on Zoro. That's all it could be after all. You had convinced yourself there was no way he'd be into someone eleven years his senior. Luckily you only saw him a few times. You'd just find a way to push those silly feelings aside.

With your back still injured there wasn't much to do but sit around with your own thoughts which quite frankly you were over.

You sat on your bed leaning against the wall flipping the small embossed rectangle of cardstock, trying to get your guts to calm down. Unlocking your phone, you typed the number from the card into your contacts and bit your lip opening a text conversation.

Me: So about that chat...

Smooth F/N... real smooth.

Law: Hello F/N, I thought you'd never ask