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No matter where they are or with who they are, a party is a party, and the straw hat pirates know how to celebrate.
"Oh! Come on, Luffy!" Zoro hears Usopp's voice over the loud beat of the music. "You gotta drink with us!" he says, swinging the tinged bottle of glass enthusiastically above his head.
"No. I don't want to! Tastes bad every time!" Luffy complains, stuffing his mouth with another serving of meat.
Usopp sighs, shaking his head disapprovingly. "It's a toast, Luffy! You have to do it with alcohol, or you're not a real pirate!"
From the sidelines, Zoro chuckles - The sound easily drowned under the music.
Luffy is pouting, eyes filled with suspicion as he considers Usopp's words. The snipper shakes the bottle harder, waving it as he continues to bribe their captain with fake pirate rules.
A smile curves on Zoro's lips as he watches Luffy's eyes double back. Usopp's face turns into a maddening victory grin, and Zoro knows their snipper can see it too - Luffy cracking under pressure.
"Hmmm, fine! But I'm only toasting once!"
Usopp cackles, free and bright, filling a mug of booze and handing it over to Luffy. "There you go!" He slaps him on the back, twice, for good measure, unbothered when the drink spills over the edge. Then, the long-nosed man turns around, his voice roaring when he declares proudly. "All set, people!"
"Yeah!!"
"Cheers!" Usopp shouts at the top of his lungs, his voice straining above the music.
"Cheers!" The crowd echoes back, moving in sync as they raise their own beverages.
Zoro joins them from where he is - leaning against a block of rock that belongs to the scattered ruins, away from the heart of the festivities - lifting his own bottle in unison. He swings down his drink, enjoying the burn down his throat and the bitter aftertaste left in his mouth.
In front of him, Luffy shivers as he stops drinking, his whole body shaking. His face contorts in distaste, disgusted as he throws out his tongue and exaggeratedly rubs off the taste away with his bare hands.
Usopp guffaws at his antics.
"I already told you- I don't like how it always tastes bitter!"
Nami joins them, a witchlike grin plastered on her face. "Come on, Luffy! You're not getting any younger!" she sing-songs, filling his mug once again. "Drink up, drink up!"
Luffy doesn't seem to agree.
"No. You drink it!" He sticks his tongue out for emphasis, running off. Nami and Usopp stare at each other in silence. Yet, the moment their eyes meet, both crackle into laughter.
"He hates you now,"
"No one hates me! I'm too cute for that!" She winks, smiling adorably to help sell her assertion.
"Oh my god, Zoro's right! You're a witch," But Usopp is laughing, howling so hard he has to hold his stomach. Nami snorts, downing Luffy's drink into her own mug.
"Cheers!" she cries out, lifting her liquor.
"Cheers!" Usopp agrees.
They down their drinks way too quickly, their cheeks warming up above their toothy smiles.
Zoro chuckles at their antics, a tad too amused. He drinks a couple more swings from his bottle, not stopping until the burn on his throat spreads down his chest. He licks his lips, savors the harsh aftertaste on his tongue.
I told you, I don't like how it always tastes bitter!
He tries to swallow the words down with the liquor, begging his mind to stop wandering off into uncharted waters.
He fails.
A smile finds its way to his lips, pushing the corners further away as Zoro recalls his words, his face, his antics - All so stupidly Luffy.
He sighs to himself, but it's too late to scold his features. So instead of bothering, he takes another swig and allows a simple thought to remain on his mind.
Would he like it if it was sweet?
Sadly, more than a couple of weeks pass before Zoro gets a chance to test his theory.
To no one's surprise, the last and most recent mess they've gotten themselves into beats every pre-existing record they had going for themselves by a mile. And maybe, that's the reason this victory tastes much sweeter than any other Zoro's had the chance to savor under Luffy's captaincy.
This time, their post-battle celebration feels more than a regular party - no matter how flashy, how lively. - This time, it feels like a homecoming; The return to where they can rejoice, finally and together - how they belong.
Luffy, unsurprisingly, is the center of the festivities. He's the man of the day - someone who challenged the world and won, writing history with pure determination and bloody fists.
Naturally, everyone wants to bathe in his presence, drink with him - to him - and offer their words of congratulations and appreciation. Luffy laughs, smiles, and eats, ignorant of the life he spurs within others.
It's not easy to get Luffy's attention, not when there's so much stimulus around him, but fortunately, Zoro was born to achieve the unachievable.
"Hey! Luffy!" The swordsman calls out when he notices the old hat of straw strolls by.
"Oh, Zoro! Have you tried the meron-meron?" he asks, stopping in front of his first crewmate. Both his hands are full of food - much like his mouth - but that doesn't stop him from speaking. "It's so good! I was going to get some more!"
Zoro bites back a smile. "Sit down here for a little bit," he says, pulling Luffy down by his arm. The captain, surprisingly, complies easily, sitting with his legs crossed and devouring 5 plates of food in under a minute.
"So? What's going on?" Luffy asks, but only when his last plate goes empty.
"Try this!" Zoro says, handing him a mug filled with alcohol.
"Nooo~! Not you too!" He groans, quickly pulling away and preparing himself to storm off. The swordsman moves just as fast, holding Luffy down to make sure he stays put.
"Come on! Give it a try!"
"No. Usopp already made me drink today. I want the meron-meron!" Zoro sighs. "And I want more meat!"
"Here, you can have mine!"
Luffy perks up at the words and eyes Zoro's barely touched plate, still filled with juicy water-water meat that has long disappeared from the number of different available barbecue options.
"Hmm," The captain nods to himself, stuffing his mouth with food," It's so good. Thanks, Zoro!"
"Sure. No problem, but you have to try this in return!" He lightly shakes the mug in front of Luffy, carefully enough, making sure it doesn't spill over.
The captain gasps.
"You tricked me."
His voice is drenched with betrayal and genuine surprise. His shocked face looks so ridiculous, smeared with leftovers of meat and fruit; Zoro almost laughs.
Almost.
"No, I didn't. Come on, just try it. You don't have to drink the whole thing, just taste it."
Luffy pouts, vacuuming another piece of meat off the plate before he relents. "Fine." He pouts childishly, "But just a sip!"
To prove his point, he makes a show of taking the tiniest sip humanly possible. Zoro looks at him amused but doesn't complain.
"There!" Luffy declares proudly, biting another piece of meat to ease the bitter aftertaste, but- weirdly enough, there's no aftertaste to ease.
Absently, Luffy takes another sip, wetting his lips in alcohol before letting it sit on his tongue for a second. Still nothing.
He tastes it one more time, eyeing Zoro suspiciously. The swordsman gives him his undivided attention, clearly invested in his reaction.
He tries the drink again. Again, and again - Until he's actually gulping down a considerate amount of alcohol of his own free will.
There's a slight burn to it, but it's not bitter.
"It's sweet!" Luffy tells him as if the swordsman doesn't know what he had handed him.
"You like it?" Zoro asks, an amused smile on his lips.
Luffy drinks down the whole mug, deciding right there and then that yeah, he likes it.
Zoro laughs, handing him the bottle. His lidded eyes of steel never leave Luffy's.
"Hmm, Isn't it yours?"
"Nah. I got it downtown this afternoon. I had a feeling sweeter alcohol would suit your taste better."
Luffy hums, absently licking his lips as he fidgets to open the bottle. "Yeah. You're right! This is really good. I've drunk alcohol so many times, and it's always bitter and nasty and gives me a headache. I thought all alcohol was supposed to be like that!" He eagerly gulps down the bottle, "But this?! This is so good!! Like really, really good!"
Zoro laughs, drinking up Luffy's enthusiasm with a smile. "Glad to hear that!"
The party hasn't slowed down around them - Cheers echo above the music. Laughter and people speaking too loudly. Maybe they're trying to sing; Zoro isn't sure.
He's not trying to be sure.
Not when Zoro's every sense is hyper fixated on Luffy; The sounds of his laugh, the light of his smile, the glimmer of his eyes. Anything a party could offer pales in comparison.
"Have you tried it?" Luffy asks, offering his bottle. His cheeks are warmer than usual, the flush traveling all the way to the tip of his ears.
Zoro adverts his eyes, certain the alcohol is to blame. "I haven't."
"Really?" Luffy sounds breathless, surprised. "You should. It's really good!"
"Thanks, captain. But I'll pass. I'm not a fan of sweet things." he says, eyeing the bottle, then Luffy, "Too sickening."
Luffy wrinkles his nose in disdain. Then halts, his eyes widening momentarily. There's a promise of a challenge in his smile. "You don't know what you're talking about."
Zoro sighs, "I just said- I'm not a fan of the taste-"
But Luffy isn't listening.
He sits up, moving his body to the side, so he is facing the swordsman.
"You're wrong, Zoro," he says once again, leaning in, closer. "Here. I'll show you."
Luffy's right hand finds its way to Zoro's face, seizing it under the caress of his fingertips. The touch is careful yet possessive, lighting Zoro's chest on fire.
When Luffy finally looks at him, he smiles, pleased with whatever he's seeing.
He dives in slowly; The silver glim in his eyes is brighter than the moon, hollering silently, speaking to Zoro without a sound.
Pull back if you don't want me to-
Zoro doesn't withdraw.
Why would he? Why would he ever turn away when Luffy's undivided attention is set on him - His eyes, round and bright like the moon, shimmer at him. His smile, wide and radiant, beams at him like the stars.
It's stargazing, finding nameless constellations and bathing under their light.
Zoro's eyes close when Luffy's lips find his; He tastes like alcohol, reeks even more so. His heart speeds up when Luffy swipes his tongue over his mouth. Without thinking, the swordsman gasps, moaning breathlessly to Luffy's ears alone.
The captain, opportunistically, takes immediate action, shoving his tongue into Zoro's mouth and gifting him what's left of the liquor in his mouth.
His throat isn't the only thing burning, "Fuck."
Luffy pulls away a bit too quickly, breathing out unevenly, and that's the only indication that gives away his confident demeanor. He cleans the corners of his mouth, where the sugary alcohol sticks to his skin.
"So? How's that?"
Zoro takes a deep breath and smirks, fierce and dangerous. "Not sure you've managed to get your point across, Luffy."
Those words definitely light up a spark. A matching devilish grin spreads Luffy's lips apart.
His eyes shimmer in the colors of the fireworks above them.
"Want some more, then?"
Hell yeah, he does.
There's no need to utter a word; Luffy has the answer before Zoro himself knows what he's going to say. For some reason, Zoro doesn't mind being read like an open book as long as Luffy is the one flipping through his pages.
"Zo-ro," The captain breathes his name. "Closer. Need you- closer."
"Damn it, Luffy." Zoro snarls, looping both arms around the raven-haired teen and snatching him to his lap without a second thought.
Luffy laughs as their clothes chafe together, unbothered when his precious straw hat falls off his head and settles on the floor behind him. His giggles chime in unison with the sparkling colors left by the fireworks on the obsidian sky.
Once he's comfortably seated on his throne, Luffy loops both his arms around the swordsman's neck. His hands burn where they caress against Zoro's skin - Moving to his back, scraping, carving, marking their way to Zoro's nape, where they anchor, gripping down on green hair and sunburned skin.
Not holding back suits Luffy much better; Their lips fervently connect, mouths fitting together like two separate pieces finding their place in the puzzle.
He can feel the moment Luffy smirks against his lips; The corners pull back so far, it makes Luffy's face ache.
When he retreats - it's not to breathe, it's not to end their kiss - It's to laugh.
Uncontrollably.
Wild and pure.
Every gasp Luffy draws leaves Zoro breathless.
The raw happiness emanating out of Luffy is palpable; Zoro finds himself smiling, grinning, laughing. Guffaw after guffaw until their laugh tale sounds louder than even the final bangs from fireworks above.
No matter how loud they sound, this story - their story - is something only they can hear. And, while the whole party is admiring the rainbow of sparks left in the night sky, Zoro settles his eyes on something else entirely - Just as bright. Just as loud. Just as beautiful and lively.
Luffy stares right back, determined to commit every single detail of the swordsman in front of him to memory. How his lidded eyes glimmer with the remnants of the fireworks. How his smile grows wider the more he looks back at Luffy.
Excitement boils in his stomach, lighting a fire pit within the black-haired teenager.
Refusing to wait for another second, Luffy uses both hands to sweep away Zoro's hair. The swordsman indulges him; His head leans back, following the movement blindly.
Luffy rests his forehead on Zoro's, still staring at the swordsman's eyes, challenging. Then, he grins, pulling away just enough to reposition his face closer. First, their lips brush, then kiss, and later, devour each other.
Luffy's right hand finds its way to Zoro's jaw; His finger lock, manhandling the swordsman's head until he's facing just the way Luffy wants. Golden earrings chime, sounding so much louder when Luffy keeps drowning his moans in Zoro's lips. The metal sings, ringing to every movement of Luffy's hand, every flick of Zoro's head.
This time, when Luffy pulls away, Zoro follows. His lips endlessly chasing after the trail of warmth left behind. The swordsman only stops when Luffy's index finger rests against his mouth.
He opens his eyes, witnesses Luffy's eyes order him to settle down, to wait.
The raven-haired teen is quick to find the bottle of liquor, quicker to down a large gulp into his mouth and dive.
Dive back into Zoro's arms. Dive back into Zoro's lips.
So eagerly, it's endearing.
"What are you waiting for, captain?" Zoro mouths at Luffy's lips. His mouth curves into a teasing smirk that makes Luffy's entire body shiver. The corners of Luffy's lips frail, pulled so far back into a smile some of the liquor drips out of his mouth.
Without sparing it a second thought, Zoro laps him clean. He pulls back, watching Luffy's moonlit eyes veer between Zoro's lips and gleaming eyes like he can't decide which one he wants to ogle.
Then, Zoro licks his lips clean, and Luffy's eyes widen.
"Hmm!" Luffy's hand clutches to his neck, yanking him down with it.
Zoro follows, obeys every unspoken demand his captain makes.
His tongue is quick to find Zoro's mouth, quicker to pry it open so he can drain every drop of liquor down Zoro's throat.
The swordsman drinks it down eagerly, ignoring the drops that leak from the corners of their mouths and paint sugary trails down Zoro's tanned neck.
"There. Tastes great, right?"
For once, Zoro realizes he might not mind sweet after all.
"Yeah," He smirks, snatching the bottle from Luffy's hand and diving the drink home, gulping it down eagerly. The taste is sweet on the tip of his tongue, and when he swallows it down, the liquor softly lights a fire down his throat.
He allows a portion of it to sit on his tongue, heavier than water, lighter than syrup.
Pulling Luffy to him, Zoro watches his captain's wide eyes close when they meet halfway. Their lips connect easily, just as fiercely as they had before, and Zoro shares the burn of alcohol down Luffy's throat.
He's quick to pull back, desperate to watch his captain's reaction - His cheeks burn, face alight, bright red under his eyes.
Breathless.
Zoro licks the sweetness off his lips - It's like nothing he ever savored before. And the alcohol might have nothing to do with it.
The next time Zoro gets to be a part of a post-battle celebration, two whole years have passed.
He walks into the core of the festivities as Nami fills everyone's glass, waving the recently bought bottle in front of Luffy's sulking face.
"Here's yours, captain!" Zoro says, ignoring the confused stares from half the crew. Luffy's eyes are wide and lost for only a moment. He gasps and stares at Zoro expectantly, the gleam in his eyes asking a question.
Zoro's smile is all the answer he needs.
To everyone's surprise, Luffy enthusiastically takes the bottle, opening it impatiently.
"Thanks, Zoro!"
"Don't mention it."
The matter is quickly dismissed as Luffy orders a toast, raising his bottle of alcohol high up in the air. Everyone cheers in unison, downing their own drinks and laughing off the adrenaline of the fight.
When Luffy smiles, Zoro savors a lot more than just alcohol on his lips.
Maybe, he's starting to develop
a taste for the sweeter things in life.