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1.
Zoro wakes up when a shadow blocks the sun for longer than a passing cloud should. He wrinkles his nose and blearily blinks his eyes open to see his newly accepted Captain leaning heavily into his space, staring down at him.
For a split second, Zoro’s heartbeat quickens. It’s as though Luffy is examining the best way to kiss him and isn’t that a strange thought?? Kissing isn’t really on Zoro’s radar, never has been. The only kiss he’d gotten before was a drunken accident, someone pulling him in at a bar and he’d been too slow to react, too confused by the situation.
This feels entirely different so when Luffy straightens up with a large smile, he can’t help but feel just a little…disappointed.
“Zoro snores when he sleeps!” Luffy says, almost in explanation but Zoro doesn’t really feel like Luffy is the type of man to explain himself. “Shishishi, it’s funny.”
He grunts back before turning onto his side, trying to ignore the butterflies swirling in his stomach, and goes back to sleep without a word.
2.
Pain echoes throughout his entire body. Not a single muscle, tendon, or nerve doesn’t ache. Hell, even his skin hurts. He’d won (kinda) and protected his Captain and crew. It was worth it and he’d do it again, over and over again until he couldn’t stand anymore. Until the pain eventually got to him and he died right then and there; but not before making sure his nakama were all safe.
A hesitant hand runs across his head, just the ends of his hair and he groans lowly. The hand withdraws and Zoro tries to force his eyelids apart. It's like they've been glued together but finally he manages to pry them open.
Once again, Luffy is looming above him, blocking out the light. Now that he’s coming back to himself, Zoro can hear the sounds of a celebration somewhere in the background. It all feels very distant.
“Captain,” he rasps. Luffy says nothing just stares at him, expression blank. It’s so unusual, so unfitting for the ray of sunshine that his Captain normally is. He wants to reach out, touch the side of Luffy’s face just to make sure it’s not an illusion.
He only manages a few scant inches before his hand drops back down and he winces. Luffy picks it up gently, leaning over him further.
“Zoro,” he whispers and the breath puffs out against his lips, making Zoro’s eyes widen. There’s a beat of silence, then two before someone calls Luffy’s name from behind them and he looks over his shoulder.
The moment is broken when he turns back, a wide smile back in place as if it had been there all along. “Thank you, Zoro. Make sure Chopper fixes you up good for the next time!” Then he’s gone.
His hand feels empty, the heat from Luffy’s skin disappearing quickly and he wonders if there’s something else wrong with him. Everything hurts, sure, but he doesn’t think his heart should be on top of everything else, it seems to be working fine otherwise.
3.
It’s two years later and everything feels different yet still the same. The Sunny is just as they left her and the excitement of the crew feels just like that day so long ago now. Even this moment feels almost like deja vu, as if they were supposed to be having it then, awe and wonder at the sight of sea creatures swimming by before them.
They weren’t ready then, but they are now, Zoro is sure of it.
Luffy bounds up to his side as he’s resting against the railing, just soaking it all in, crew steady and happy at his back.
“Zoro!” he calls out cheerfully before jumping onto the railing beside Zoro, his back facing the sea and Zoro raises a silent, questioning eyebrow at him. Luffy should be more interested in seeing the scenery than looking at Zoro. “Lemme see what’s different!” Luffy demands, holding his hands out at him and making a grabby gesture.
He chuckles before he stands up straight and steps between Luffy's spread legs. Hands grasp Zoro's cheeks before tilting his head this way and that.
“Hmm,” Luffy mumbles, a hint of his tongue sticking out, deep in thought.
“Something the matter?”
“Did it hurt?” Luffy asks, running a finger down his scar.
Zoro’s other eye considers him, the seriousness of the question, and the way Luffy isn’t quite meeting his eye.
“It did, but it was worth it. I got stronger.” Before Luffy can reply, he presses a hand against Luffy’s chest, in the middle of the scar. “Sorry I wasn’t there.”
Luffy smiles, small and sad, and meets his eye at last. “I’m not. Zoro and the others, knowing you were all out there…It helped me. Otherwise, I would have been too worried about everyone. I won’t lose you all again, never.” His voice is a vow, a promise, and a demand; Zoro feels it sink into his bones, another oath to add to his list.
“Never,” Zoro agrees and Luffy’s smile widens.
Maybe, just maybe, he sees Luffy’s eyes dart down to his lips as he licks his own. Zoro mimics the moment, mouth suddenly dry. The moment hangs as Luffy’s gaze returns to his and Zoro can’t hear anything except for the rushing in his ears.
Then Luffy’s eyes go big and bright as they focus on something over Zoro’s shoulder.
“Oooooh!! Usopp look at that!” Zoro easily steps aside as Luffy rockets off to the other side of the deck, entranced by something and he snorts at himself. Wishful thinking, perhaps. At this point, he’s used to it.
4.
Zoro wakes up without a sound, solitary eye suddenly wide in the darkness of the room. He’s sweating, blanket kicked to the foot of his bunk. Heart pounding, he takes a deep breath in from his nose, holds it, then breathes it out slowly from his mouth.
A nightmare.
It doesn’t do anything to dwell on what it was about. They’re all similar, broken promises and expectations. Letting his nakama down, failing to protect them. They blur together to form a lump in his throat that takes a while to clear. Sleep is normally an easy feat but tonight he can tell that if he falls back asleep he’ll only keep having bad dreams so he rolls onto his feet.
Meditation will help, he knows. Clear his head, reaffirm what he’s doing and how he’ll achieve his goals.
Feeling slightly calmer with a task in mind, the snores of the room permeate his hearing at last. Zoro smiles before grabbing some pants off the ground and leaving the room.
They end up being Sanji’s, the silk soft against his skin and a bit too tight on his hips. He shrugs and continues on. He’ll deal with the cook’s whining later.
When he opens the hatch, he’s surprised to see Luffy leaning against a window, elbow on a bent knee, looking out at the sea. Dark eyes turn to look as Zoro makes it the rest of the way inside.
“Thought it was Usopp’s watch,” he says slowly.
Luffy stares at him for a second in silence before the tension in the room abruptly fades and his shoulders relax. “It’s my brother’s birthday today.”
Zoro thinks about which brother it could be as he comes closer. “Sabo?”
“Yeah.”
There’s a weird sadness that is clinging to Luffy and for a moment Zoro wishes he could grab literally anyone else. Well , he amends, except the cook . Curly brow would be just as bad, if not worse than him at this moment.
Still, he feels woefully ill-prepared as he takes a seat on the floor next to the bench Luffy is sitting on, leaning his back against it.
“What’s it matter?” he settles on. Direct and to the point.
Luffy hums in thought. “Missed a buncha them.”
“You missed a bunch of Ace’s,” Zoro points out, “and it didn’t bother you then.”
“Feels different. Does Sabo remember his birthday, do ya think?”
Zoro rubs at his temple with two fingers. “If he doesn’t, you can always remind him.”
“Why are you up, Zoro?” Luffy changes the subject abruptly and Zoro sighs with relief. There’s no bitterness in the tone, no lingering sadness, only genuine curiosity. He isn’t sure if he really helped but Luffy wants to move on and he'll gladly take the out he's given.
He knows he’d sit here for as long as it took until Luffy felt better, knows that sometimes he’s not the best at it. Still, today it seems like enough and he's grateful for that.
“Bad dream.”
Rubbery legs brush against his shoulders as they wrap around him and Luffy’s body leans against his back, arms looping around his forehead. He grunts at the treatment but doesn’t push Luffy off.
“Sorry Zoro, I’ve got you.”
Strangely, that’s all it takes and Zoro feels himself relax into the embrace, leaning back heavily, letting Luffy take on his weight. His eye flutters as sleepiness suddenly hits him as he yawns.
“Thanks.”
The arms looped around his head fall down to his shoulders as Luffy’s face peeks over, cheeks pressing against each other. “Zoro?” he whispers and there’s something in the tone. A secret, a plead.
A snore breaks through the room. It’s a plea that Zoro doesn’t hear, already lost to the steady and comforting presence of his Captain. Luffy laughs quietly and pulls away.
5.
The island of Zou is interesting. The loyalty of its citizens impresses him deeply but it’s largely overshadowed by the loss of their cook.
It’s not surprising to hear Luffy is going after Sanji, nor about the crew splitting up. They’ve all made a promise to help with Wano and there are things that need to be done. Zoro needs to go with their nakama to Wano, there’s nothing else for it.
If Luffy is leaving with one half, he goes with the other now that curly brow is out of the question (for now).
“Luffy,” he calls and Luffy instantly turns in his direction. Zoro’s never been one for poetry but he’s always felt that Luffy was like a sunflower. The sun for him was always his crew; despite which one of them it was Luffy would smile large, basking in their warmth and attention.
“Zorooo!” Luffy’s voice interrupts his muses and he focuses. Grabbing Luffy by the back of the head, he pulls him towards himself, leaning down into the shorter man space. Their foreheads press together and Luffy looks momentarily stunned, surprise coloring his face.
“Get him back, bring them all home,” Zoro tells him. Immediately, Luffy’s expression brightens.
“Yeah!! ‘Course I will.” A hand winds up Zoro’s back before it buries into his green hair. “Promise.”
“Good.” Zoro grins because he believes it. There’s no doubt in his mind that Luffy’ll do what he says. He gives Luffy’s black hair (so soft under his fingers) a short tug before he releases him and steps back.
It feels like maybe it takes Luffy a second longer to follow but he could just be imagining it.
+1
“Oiiiii, oiiiii!!!” A voice yells out over the plains. Zoro squints at a giant yellow dog running at him before he spots a familiar figure sitting atop it and his face breaks out into a large smile.
“Luffy!! You’re here!”
“Zoroooo!!” Luffy yells as he jumps towards him. There’s a moment of pure joy and happiness at seeing him before Zoro’s face falls with a brief hint of fear before Luffy lands, legs going around him tightly.
“You got the others with you?” Zoro asks immediately.
“Yup! Got lost along the way but they’re all here.” Luffy’s smile is the best he’s ever seen and it feels good to see it again after so long apart.
“Good.” Zoro grins, laughing in his giddiness before Luffy’s face turns serious and he stops laughing abruptly.
Before he can ask what’s wrong, Luffy’s hands tilt up his face and he bends his body in half, brushing their lips together in a clumsy kiss. It’s more of a brush of lips against each other but Zoro quickly gets with the program, grabbing at Luffy’s back and bunching the fabric there. He pulls Luffy onto his feet as he makes a noise of confusion which quickly turns into a pleased giggle as Zoro tilts his head up to capture his lips again.
They trade a few kisses back and forth before Luffy pulls away. He smiles up at Zoro, clutching at his shoulders tightly before his expression changes and he sniffs a few times leaning towards Zoro’s body, following his nose down.
“You have meat!!” Luffy exclaims, straightening up with a joyful smile. “Gimme!”
There’s nothing to do but smile and laugh as Zoro pulls out the meat from the bag and easily hands it over.
Maybe he could ask questions, wonder why—why now, why here, why me, but that’s not Zoro’s style. He’ll follow wherever his Captain might lead.
And Zoro will trust Luffy in this.