A dull hum echoed throughout the small briefing room from the bright luminescent lights stationed across the ceiling, their flickering rays causing Zoro to keep his brow furrowed as he glared at the two men sitting across from him. The shadow cast across his face creating an aura of disdain as neither agent seemed unnerved as they both watched the slow thrum of Zoro's fingers tapping across the metal table with weary trepidation.

Upon being called into the room Zoro had immediately known what it was about, and made no effort to conceal how thoroughly annoyed he was about the whole situation. The younger of the two men had begun fumbling through a tired explanation as to why he was there, and throughout the entire monologue Zoro had remained stoically silent. Left hand having come up on the table and beginning its tapping the moment he had taken a seat.

"Find yourself a girl." The other man offered casually, leaning a bit further back in his seat as he stared down at Zoro as he waved a dismissive hand. Not the least bit perturbed by the murderous glare that the man gifted the agent with, sitting far too confidently in his finely pressed suit for Zoro's liking.

"Settle down." The other agent added with a shrug from where he sat adjacent to his coworker, "Live a simple life."

Zoro continued to silently watch both men, gaze shifting back and forth between them as a rage had begun to coil in his chest at the notion of being forced to retire. Both men acting as though it wasn't absolutely belittling to be in his position, to have lesser men tell him he was the one that was no longer of use. Stare darkening as he bit his tongue to refrain from saying something scathing he might regret.

"In a... quiet town." The first man amended, rising to his feet as he adjusted the front buttons on his suit with an arrogant shimmy of his shoulders, "Preferably."

A silence stretched between them interrupted only by Zoro's increasingly aggressive taps as it seemed both men had finally concluded what they had been sent in to say and now awaited a response. The first still far more comfortable in close proximity with him than the second man was; a visible line of sweat forming on his brow as he watched Zoro tensely as though expecting a sudden strike.

"So, that's it?" Zoro grunted finally – the first words he had spoken since entering the building – hand finishing its tapping as he continued to refuse to break eye contact with the two men that were clearly getting increasingly nervous being in the room alone with him, "You're done with me?"

"Not at all." The second man reprimanded, obviously attempting to abate any rising anger that might cause Zoro to act out, "Think of this like your well earned retirement."

A low growl permeated from his throat at the utterance of the word as the hand on the table slowly retracted to ball into a white knuckled fist. Eyes darting to level on the second man that now seemed to be on the verge of wetting himself as Zoro repeated murderously, "'Earned'?"

The man stammered pitifully before the first stepped forward once more, towering over Zoro as his head blocked out the main light that had been illuminating him. Turning his glare onto the other man, Zoro was more than a little chuffed at the lack of reaction as he had already begun picturing ways of eviscerating the agent with the pen from his breast pocket, "You've served your country, Roronoa. You've done your duty; it's time to move on."

"So I'm useless now?" Zoro clarified darkly, "Is that it?"

"Hardly." The first man scoffed, shaking his head almost regretfully, "However, your time has run its course, and lets face it; that incident in Prague was not a fluke."

"That was-"

"You're done, Roronoa." The first man cut him off firmly, "You know this..."

Zoro's eyes slowly slid shut against the painful truth that he had slowly been forcing himself to ignore the past several months. Each mistake, every mishap, all of the incidents slowly leading up to one inevitable conclusion that he had known would come but had prayed he would never have to face. Anger deflating from his body in wave as cold defeat began inching up his legs before slowly enveloping him whole.

~X~

Eyes sliding open, Zoro stared up at the canopy of his bedroom with a weary gaze as his hand reached out blindly to the side to snag the alarm clock on the bedside table. Twisting it towards himself as his head fell to the side, he noted the time with dismay as sleep still continued to elude him. Setting the clock back down as softly as he could, his hand falling away as he remained lying on his back for several long moments and listened to the steady rise and fall of the blankets as his wife slept soundly next to him.

The sun was still a couple hours from rising and – despite the years that had passed since his employment – he just couldn't shake his habit of waking before dawn. Every morning it was the same, and every morning he lay in bed for several minutes trying to go back to sleep before eventually giving up and getting out of bed. And just as every day he soon found himself resigned to not going back to sleep.

Blinking slowly, he reached up a lazy hand and pulled the blankets aside and stood, making sure to not disturb the sleeping woman as he made his way downstairs. Trading his boxers for a pair of shorts, he stumbled his way into the basement where his workout area was set up and in the early dawn shining through the window he began with his daily routine.

Starting with the weights first as he threw several plates on the bar and began completing a set of reps on the bench; going until his muscles stung, his arms shook, and he could barely get the bar extended. He would then drop it onto the catch hooks and force himself into a seated position, letting himself recover for several minutes before doing it once more. Continuing this cycle until he had completed enough sets, and then racking the weights and turning his attention to the punching bag in the corner.

For the next several minutes he would punish the leather with unwrapped hands as the sting to his knuckles helped to keep him grounded and release an iota of the insurmountable frustration that had been trapped within him the moment he had been forced to retire. Pounding punches after viscous kicks he would attack it until his breathing was hoarse and sweat dripped into his eyes before finally pushing himself away with a resigned grunt.

Giving himself only a moment of reprieve, he would then turn to the bar hanging across the middle of the room and set about finishing up his workout with various pull ups, and hanging sit ups. Going until his body would literally be unable to complete another repetition before finally dropping to the floor and stumbling his way upstairs into the early morning.

Upstairs, he downed a glass of water before pulling on his running shoes and sternly focusing on each precise motion as he tied the laces. Each loop and pull of the lace memorized as the attention to each minute detail helped to keep him grounded, kept his mind focused on the present. Pushing himself to his feet, he snagged his light weight sweater on the way out the door and pulled it on before taking off down the street at a steady jog.

Down the block, past the playground, out of the subdivision and into the park. Each morning the same route, the same footsteps pounding underneath him, the same foot falling with surety as he rounded a bend along the winding pathway. Past the elderly couple that were always out for their morning walk at the same time, giving them a curt nod as he ran by and off towards the lake.

Forcefully keeping his mind from wandering during the dull activity as he fought to keep his thoughts centred on all that was accosting his senses. Paying careful notice to the vibration through his sneakers with each pounding stride, the twisting motion of his upper torso as he ran that caused the fabric to rub against his waist, the flicker of fabric around his thighs as his shorts bounced in rhythm.

It was the little things like focusing on the expanding of his chest with each heaving breath, and noting the distinct colour of the leaves on the bushes that morning that kept his mind from straying to torrid territory. Absentmindedness was a catalyst that caused his thoughts to divert back into old memories that should remain hidden; flashes of the past that were detrimental to his recovery.

For the past three years he had practised his self-control with an obsession to the point where he had nearly full control over his episodes. However, despite his resolve it didn't stop them from happening completely and he had become at a loss for what to do. Accepting that his former life was over was something he had never fully expected he would have to do; even when he had been forced to retire he had stubbornly believed he could over come this just like everything else he had. That one day he would be back working.

More infuriating than anything was no matter what he did he couldn't seem to fix what had been broken; how was he supposed to fight when the very thing betraying him was his own mind?

Already finishing his lap of the large park he found himself running back through the subdivision as he berated himself for allowing his thoughts to stray into the negative. Knowing his therapist would tell him not to dwell on it, but unable to stop the occasional pessimism from slipping into his musings. Slowing his pace as he neared his house, he walked the last few blocks as he began thinking about what to make for breakfast.

Entering the house, he kicked off his running shoes and made his way upstairs and back to the bedroom, his wife still sleeping soundly in bed. Quietly divesting himself of his sweaty clothes, he tossed them in the hamper and made for the bathroom just off their bedroom. Turning on the shower and giving it a few seconds to run hot before stepping under the spray with a soft grunt of relief.

Standing completely still he left the shower spray beat water down on his head as his eyes slid shut and Zoro focused on remaining calm despite the darkness. Letting his mind go blank even as he continued to focus on the small sensations riddling his body; each drop of water pounding against his skin, the cool tile under his feet with the edges of grout that scraped the soles of his feet, and the suffocating steam that blanketed his lungs like a humid blanket.

Eyes slowly sliding open, water clinging to his eyelashes as he stared balefully at the tiled wall ahead of him as he tried to locate a semblance of emotion beyond his dreary fatigue and frustration. He had remained in this tiring cycle for so long he no longer felt the urge to break from it, nor knew what he was supposed to do otherwise. Even if he made a full recovery the sad truth was that he would never be allowed in the field again; this was his life now.

Stepping back enough to allow the water to hit his chest, he ran a lethargic hand through his hair that had the green strands springing forward once his hand passed over them and flicking small droplets of water forward. The frustrating thing was not that he disliked his life, it was simply that it wasn't the one he had thought he would be living; he had always assumed he would die in his line of work and that would be the end of it.

How was he supposed to live a life he had never planned for?

Heaving a large sigh he stepped out of the shower and snagged a towel from the rack to swiftly dry off his hair before lowering it to his face. Scrubbing the soft cotton across his exhausted face before angling his head to the side and gently patting his life ear dry to avoid hooking the fabric on the three golden rings that pierced the skin at the lobe. Lowering the towel to quickly dry off the rest of himself, he paused as his eyes fell across his tattered body that was a macabre reminder of everything that had happened to him.

Hand raising out of instinct to rub at the scar running the length of his torso, he paused with his fingers hovering over the skin as his eyes traced every long laceration that had become a silver scar, and each bullet wound that had healed into a faded starburst of healed tissue. Letting his hand fall away he took a steadying breath to force himself to not reminisce on the memories associated with each wound as he turned away from the mirror and only briefly catching a glimpse of his unmarked back.

Quietly going through his closet, he got ready for the day and was soon downstairs and dressed just as he heard the stirrings from the woman upstairs that he had called wife for the past two years. By the time he was done making breakfast, his wife was making her way down the stairs dressed and ready for the day; impeccably dressed as ever and her long blond hair swaying about her in an elegant array.

Neither of them had to work. It had led to Zoro's increasing frustration as he searched for an outlet to channel his passion, and caused his wife to spiral into a pit of boredom that had led to some unsavoury activities. Worse yet, Zoro was entirely aware of what she was up to. However, it was unspoken between them that he knew what she was doing, and that she knew that he knew; and they both pretended that she didn't.

"Thanks for breakfast, sweetheart." She cajoled happily as she swooped by him with a cup of coffee in her hand, delicate fingers coming up to gently touch his chin as she rose to give a soft kiss to his cheek. Her dainty lips far softer than any worn, or calloused part of his aging body as they pulled away with a soft noise.

Zoro only nodded minutely, giving her a soft smile as he watched her walk away and ignored the hickey that was barely concealed by the collar of her blouse. Not bothering to ask where she was going for the day as he began dealing with the dishes before also heading out the door to occupy himself for the day.

~X~

Car pulling up to the local animal shelter, Zoro made his way up the serene walkway as he could already hear a chorus of howls and yipping inside from the many fosters. Yanking open the first door as he made his way inside the place that he had been volunteering at for the past year at the suggestion of his therapist. Removing his dark leather jacket and placing it on the coat rack, he idly adjusted the collar of his shirt before opening the second entry door.

"Conis." Zoro supplied with a curt nod as he stepped inside, closing the secondary door behind him as the odorous concoction of urine and septic cleaner accosted his nostrils; luckily he had smelt far worse things. Remembering how his therapist had been urging him to engage as he forced out awkwardly, "How've you been?"

"Good, thank you." She simpered happily, rising from the desk and coming around to greet Zoro properly, "We got a new drop off today; I was hoping you could get a feel for her?"

Zoro just nodded in response, allowing her to lead him into the back where all the kennels were located and standing uncomfortably behind her as she unlocked the door. Holding it open for him she gestured inside, "Kennel seven; Wado."

"Alright." Zoro managed softly, and Conis just smiled and released the door for him to walk through before leaving him to his devices. They didn't speak much but Conis understood most of what Zoro tried to say without having to vocalize it which had been a huge relief to the man.

At first she had been a little weary of the hulking man that had come in and fumbled through a conversation about volunteering, but she had very quickly come to realize and understand his situation. He had been relieved to not have to explain it to her, and she seemed to just be happy that someone volunteered as often as he did. Neither bringing up that half of the time Zoro spent with the dogs was almost certainly more for his benefit than theirs.

Zoro had never wanted to admit to needing a service dog after his retirement, but the gentle contact with the animals had helped him greatly when dealing with his diagnosis. It was something he had loathed admitting to his therapist since she always had this infuriating ability to always be right; she was abrasive but no one else would probably be able to handle him if he was being completely honest.

Making his way down the hall, he regretfully passed by several dogs that he was well acquainted with that got up eagerly as they saw him approaching. Giving pause to dote a little on each as he passed their cages, murmuring apologies for not being able to focus on them today. As he rounded on kennel seven, it took a moment to notice the older dog sitting near the back but when he did he couldn't stop his gaze from softening at the sight.

The dog in question was a beautiful. A long, elegant body that was lean from years of care, her fur a gorgeous white that gave her a pure, regal look, and sharp, calculating golden eyes that sparked an air of aged wisdom around her. In all his years he had never really seen a dog that appeared so ethereal before. At first she was a little weary, but curiosity got the better of her as she slowly began edging towards him.

She came up to the cage cautiously as he crouched down to be on her level, offering the back of his hand through the links as she butted the knuckles with her golden nose and sniffed curiously. At closer inspection Zoro was actually able to note a honeyed golden hue to certain spots on her coat that weren't visible from far away, making her appear even more gorgeous up close. It wasn't long before her amber eyes were glancing up at him with an innocent air that reassured Zoro to her docility.

Pushing himself to his feet, he unlocked the cage and slowly stepped inside. Still keeping his motions slow and non-threatening as he once more dropped to a knee and held out a hand as he waited for her to come to him. It took a lot less time to earn her trust than some other dogs did, and within minutes her head was being nudged into his chest as she requested more scratches to her ear.

Chuckling softly, Zoro ran both hands down the sleek neck as he reminded himself to focus on the feel of the fur under his palms, tilting his head to meet her eyes as he murmured, "You're beautiful."

It was met with happy, guttural bark as she got more bold and put her paws in his lap to climb further into his arms. Zoro actually letting a laugh out at her boldness as he continued to test the water by stroking his hand down the length of her back. After several more minutes of acquainting himself he found her trust in him reassuring enough to take her out and see how she reacted when around other people.

"Wanna go for a walk, girl?"

A resounding wooing howl was a certain yes, and he pushed himself to his feet to go grab a leash for her. Once she was properly secured and ready to go, they made their way out of the kennel and off towards the entrance to the shelter. Wado keeping in tame step at his side; her stride patient, graceful, and calm. She was clearly a very well trained dog; either she was given up because the owner died, or they had thought the dog was too old. Regardless, it was a shame that such a beautiful dog was left here.

"I'm taking her out." Zoro informed simply as he passed by the front desk, Conis glancing up from her paper work as Zoro continued, "I'm going to gauge her sociability."

"Awesome. Thank you Zoro." Conis chirped, "What would I do without you?"

Zoro just gave nervous smile and an embarrassed shrug as he held open the door for Wado and led them outside and down the sidewalk towards the main area of town. Merryville was a fairly small city with a respectable population and main hub with most of its amenities within it; the rest of the subdivisions and locals lived outside in the beautiful sprawling hillsides that made the whole area a quiet, rural community.

At first Zoro had been adverse to moving somewhere so small, but it had eventually grown on him as it had begun to feel like a surreal piece of heaven outside the horrors of the real world. Even after three years it still felt like he had come to live in a dreamland that couldn't have possibly been part of the world he had experienced for the first thirty-two years of his life. And despite his internal struggles, it hadn't stopped him from appreciating the beauty of the place.

Getting onto the main street that stretched the length of the small downtown area of the city, they continued down the sidewalk at a careful pace as Zoro kept himself calm and in turn Wado matched his relaxation. People walked by as she remained completely unperturbed, and even when a few stopped to gaze at her beautiful coat she didn't get at all nervous. Zoro let a soft smile crook his lips as he couldn't believe how well trained she was.

Nearing the end of the street, they approached one of the local coffee shops that was dog friendly and decided she was well behaved enough to venture inside. It was also just hot enough outside that getting her some water before heading back was probably the least he could do.

"Okay, big test now girl." Zoro murmured softly to the dog, pulling open the door to the shop and stepping inside. Wado followed behind perfectly, and when Zoro stopped in line to wait, she took a seat on the floor beside him with the gold tinged paws placed elegantly between her feet.

After snagging a coffee for himself, and a water for Wado, Zoro guided them back outside as he set down his own coffee and poured some water into his palm to let her lap it up, continuing the action until she eventually lost interest and Zoro was able to dump the rest and toss the empty cup into a nearby garbage. Picking up his own coffee, he turned to make his way back down the main street towards the shelter when he found himself jolted out of reality with a sudden jerk.

A sharp crack echoed out across the street and it had a slue of vividly painful memories flashing behind his eyes with a visceral force that had him gasping and reality warping. Sensations of pain lanced through him leaving him breathless, and concussive wails of bullets echoed in his ears before managing break from it. When everything faded and he was back on the sidewalk, he glanced around for a confused moment before realizing it had just been a car back firing.

It took another moment to realize his hand was held aloft with nothing in his grasp and as he looked down at the paper cup on the sidewalk and the coffee splattered across the pavement, he had to grit his teeth to refrain from yelling in his frustration. It had been three months since he had an episode; he had thought he had been getting better...

Wado began to whine nervously and Zoro guiltily realized his anger was beginning to cause her to become anxious. Stooping down, he cradled her face in his palms and he shushed soothingly, forcing his demeanour to return to normal as he focused solely on keeping himself steady and reassuring her.

"It's okay. It's okay." Zoro crooned in a soft, low tone, "I'm alright, girl. You're alright."

After several moments she eventually calmed, but when he opened his eyes again to look up at her there was a curious concern in the depth of her eyes that Zoro was met with. Shoulders dropping in self directed defeat, he kept one hand on the leash as the other ran through Wado's fur one last time as he met her stare with a baleful apology.

"That's a bummer." A voice intoned from behind him, causing Zoro to glance sharply over his shoulder at a lean man stopped behind him. Dressed in bright blue scrubs with his blond hair tied back in a messy topknot, juggling what had to be at least nine coffees in his arms.

Pushing himself up to his feet slowly, his eyes ran the length of man as he was able to note a slight darkness under the man's eyes along with some stubble that had formed along his jaw and chin that was in need of a shave. The charming grin overshadowed the slight scruffiness however, as Zoro fought his nervousness to respond and gave a shrug while he muttered, "Slipped."

"Ah, classic butterfingers." The blond intoned with a nod of understanding – his voice a heady timbre that was friendly on the ears – blowing a strand of free hair out of his face before oddly angling his elbow towards Zoro, "Take one of mine."

Zoro just stood staring at the man for a long, confused moment as he tried to figure out why a nurse would be handing out coffees to strangers on the street. When the blond cocked his eyebrows earnestly and once more jerked one of the many coffees at him Zoro finally found his voice, albeit quietly.

"I'm fine." Zoro murmured, immediately regretting the possible rude underlying tone as he quickly tried to amend, "They're clearly for somebody."

"Eh, coffee run." The man shrugged passively, "I always buy extras; there's always somebody who didn't order anything but wants to have something the moment I arrive. It's just damage control."

Zoro didn't know what the blond expected in response, and just continued to watch the eccentric man calmly as he berated his lack of ability to create small talk. Never really knowing how to respond to such random statements beyond apologizing or just giving a nervous laugh and agreeing. Most often he opted for silence which caused people to become unnerved and assume he had issues; his therapist was still trying to get him to work on that.

"Seriously," The blond urged seemingly not the least bit affected by Zoro's silence, this time with a humorous tone that also clearly stated that he wasn't going to argue about it, "Take one; you'll be doing me a favour and lightening my load."

Zoro glanced down at the dog at his side, not sure what help he was expecting from the canine before glancing up helplessly and meeting the blonds vibrant blue stare. Finally giving a short nod and reaching out for the nearest cup that was precariously balanced in the middle of the coffee tray and not really held in place by anything.

"Thanks." Zoro mumbled, holding the drink awkwardly at his side suddenly very much aware that he wasn't sure what was the correct way to hold his arm at his side that didn't appear robotic. Eventually deciding on snugly at his side with a perhaps too-tight grip on the flimsy paper cup.

"Don't mention it." The man nodded before continuing off down the sidewalk, arms still laden with a ridiculous amount of beverages as Zoro assumed he was making for the hospital several blocks away. Watching him walk for several moments as he was still baffled at the man's charismatic ability to strike up a conversation with a stranger so confidently. Trying to contain his small hint of jealously before making off down the street, Wado at his side.

~X~

Back at the shelter, he made his way inside with timid steps as he still wasn't able to shake the self-hatred that had begun to swell in his chest at the scene that had taken place downtown. Wado had calmed considerably but was still on edge as she undoubtedly sensed the frustration radiating off of him in vexing waves. Having to remind himself to relax his tense grip on the leash every couple minutes.

Once inside, he gave a short wave to Conis whom smiled cheerfully at his return, " How'd the walk go?"

"Good." Zoro responded tersely, knowing he should make more of an effort to continue the conversation and perhaps detail some of the things he had noted about Wado, but currently couldn't be bothered. Still far too irritated at himself to worry about his therapists wishes.

"I have some forms for you to fill out on her before you leave, alright?" Conis asked softly, "Just so we have some information on her."

"Okay." Zoro commented stiffly, sweaty hand retracting and releasing the leash in his grip several times before finally murmuring softly, "I'm gonna spend some time with Kitetsu before I leave..."

A worried expression graced her delicate features as he could see her intention to rise from her seat in concern at the mention of the temperamental dog. She was always gracious enough to never mention – and to never ask – about any of the issues that plagued him, but it hadn't stopped her from figuring out that he had begun to rely on some of the animals whenever he was in particularly rough shape.

Innocent, yet intelligent eyes wandered over him critically before she seemed to rethink her initial reaction as her hands stilled on the arms of her chair. Pausing in the motion of rising as she gave a curt, understanding nod and added gently, "I'll have a pot of tea ready for when you're done."

Zoro simply nodded gratefully and then made for the kennels, putting Wado away as he bid her a final goodbye with a couple last loving strokes before making his way down the hall and towards the more secluded areas. Carefully undoing the latch on one of the off limit cages, he made his way over to the far wall where a young mutt waited with dark eyes and a hardened stare.

Dropping down heavily onto the floor, he let his legs sprawl out from under him as the tempered canine edged towards Zoro carefully, eventually crossing his paws and lowering himself down to the floor. Letting his head rest on Zoro's thigh calmly as Zoro placed a hand to the dogs back, giving a heavy, reassuring pat before letting his hand lie still as he stared blankly ahead of himself in morose defeat.

Hours passed as he sat in the kennel with the mute dog whom he had always connected with above all of the others. Maybe it was because neither of them were sociable, or perhaps even hostile at times, but Zoro felt that the most likely reason was they both had a past that made them untouchable. And it could be ridiculous, but from the moment he had first met the feral dog there had been something painful in its eyes that Zoro had understood implicitly.

Letting his eyes fall shut he allowed himself to drift off lightly, knowing that naps were far safer territory for him as he tried not to dwell too hard on the events that had transpired. Brows furrowing as he stomped down an ache of hopelessness in his chest that constricted his breathing and made his muscles seize. Once again faced with the horrible reality that this battle with his memories was one he was never going to win.

~X~

Closing the door softly behind himself as he returned home, he slowly trekked up the stairs and divested himself of his clothes and found a ratty pair of sweat pants. Making his way down the hall as the initial frustration from earlier that day had once again faded to become a part of swirling miasma of defeat that had taken control of him for years now. Compartmentalizing the reality of his life as he entered his den and flicked on the light with a weary hand, glancing around balefully as the sudden brightness glinted tantalizingly off of the many jars stationed around the room.

Another crutch his therapist had forced upon him in hopes of helping with his recovery, an attempt to give him an outlet despite ignoring the very obvious issue of his disinterest... initially. It had been hobby that had taken a while to gain a knack for – though part of his defiance was simply his small joy at disobeying his therapist – but he had eventually taken a liking to it and was now actually fairly fond of his projects.

Dozens of jars lined the walls of the small room, each lit up gloriously with the sun from outside to illuminate the vibrant array of colours from each ship within. Some massive jars with a gorgeous warships, and others, impossibly tiny, with a small vessel; each done with intricate detail as Zoro's patience had grown and skills had become honed. The pride and joy of the collection still placed high on a shelf above his desk so it was the first thing that caught your eye when you entered the room.

An average sized jar, but the ship inside was like none of the others he had created before as he had spent several months on it trying to get it perfect. A small, sturdy vessel that he had begun making after seeing a design in a children's book and adapting it; making it a much more intimidating ship. It was also the only pirate ship in the collection and he was especially proud with the detail to the horns on the figurehead of the ram.

Taking a seat at his desk he began working on the ship that had been the object of his devotion for the past several weeks as he was still in the process of prepping it before putting it inside the bottle. Having spent almost two full weeks trying to get the carving of the figurehead correct before mulling over which paints to use. It was now about time for him to start working on the mast and sails, which he had been putting off for quite sometime as he had a knack for always accidentally breaking the mast.

Sliding his chair forward, he snagged the pair of round spectacles from the work bench and placed them on his nose as he set about pulling out all the items he'd need to begin creating the sails. Keeping his mind pinned to the task at hand as minutes dissolved into hours and the sun faded from the window as he was just finishing the stitching on the first sail when he distantly heard the front door open as his wife returned home.

When she eventually made her way upstairs and into his den, Zoro said nothing as he noted her clothes and hair were obviously dishevelled, and continued to remain silent when she pulled him from his desk and dragged him to the bed room. He didn't even say anything when she pulled him down into the blankets for a greedy kiss and he could smell a pungent cologne of another man quite obviously hovering over her.

This is how it had been for months; this was how it was going to stay...

TBC...

A/N: Prompt was the song "Steady, As She Goes" by The Raconteurs; it became an idea for a multi-chapter that I haven't been able to get out of my head. The only reference to the song is the first scene; the rest of the fic will have no reference to the song. Thank you.