Archive of Our Own

Zoro wasn't sure what to expect when Luffy came up to him, but kissing him definitely wasn't one of them. 

The Going Merry was a smooth sailing ship even amongst the treacherous waters of the Grand Line. Thankfully, today was one of those days that wasn't quite so hazardous, so Zoro sought to take a nap in the crows nest— as per his usual schedule. If he could help it, he'd take a nap anywhere and at any time. 

However, there was always one thing that would interrupt this more than anything else, and that was none other than his own captain. 

Before Zoro could even begin to close his eyes as he was leaning back against the wood, Luffy appeared out of thin air and jumped into the crows nest with him. The sound of his sandals slapping against the ground roused him into a slightly annoyed alertness. Zoro glared at him, hoping maybe Luffy would leave him alone based on his sheer aura. 

Of course, Luffy didn't seem to notice. Or rather, if he did, he simply didn't care. 

"Hey Zoro, do you have a minute?" Luffy asked. He plopped himself down in front of Zoro, crossing his legs and making no indication that he was going to be willing to leave the swordsman alone. 

Zoro raised a brow. As peeved as he may have been, he was also extremely bored. There was nothing to cut, nothing to explore, so it couldn't have hurt to entertain Luffy a little bit.

"Yeah? What is it?"

The rubber man rocked side to side. "Can I kiss you?"

Zoro blinked. 

"Eh?"

"Can I kiss you?"

Zoro blinked again. Okay, weird. Strange. Practically unbelievable if he was being honest. 

He rubbed his eyes and tried to make sure that he wasn't dreaming before ultimately realizing that Luffy was being 100% serious. Sure, Luffy was smiling that bright, beaming smile he almost always had, but he was staring right at Zoro with an expectant gleam to his eye. He wasn't messing around or trying to play a game, Luffy was genuinely waiting for an answer. 

At that realization, Zoro sat up a bit and cleared his throat. He wasn't embarrassed, but this was an awkward comment coming from Luffy of all people. 

"Why?" Zoro decided to ask, if at least for clarification. 

Luffy just hummed and closed his eyes. Then he shrugged. "I just wanted to try it out. People always told me kissing is what you do when you feel really close to someone, so I wanted to ask you first."

Zoro could have laughed, but held it in. Leave it to his idiot captain to never understand the implications of certain actions or gestures. 

But well… did he really not understand them? Luffy may have been an idiot— like really, an absolute moron— but he wasn't a child. He saw first hand just how devoted and battle smart the man was, and Zoro wouldn't be following Luffy if he felt that he was an incompetent kid. 

"Ya don't just kiss anyone you're close to Luffy, you save that stuff to someone… special, I guess."

Zoro said that, but it's not like he really knew what that meant either. He's had casual sex, but romance and relationships was never ever a luxury afforded to him. Not on these cut throat seas, anyways. Getting that close to anybody was a liability, and other things were far more important to survival or for achieving his goals. 

Luffy just tilted his head. "But you are special to me, all of you are. I wouldn't kiss some random guy! That would definitely be weird…"

You're definitely weird, Zoro nearly said, but just sighed instead. 

"Okay fine, but don't go tellin' anybody else about this for now okay? Or else the rest of the crew might get the wrong idea."

Luffy just laughed. "Whatever Zoro says."

After that, Zoro immediately felt awkward. Luffy was still staring at him with those big, round eyes. Suddenly, he couldn't stop analyzing every little feature of his face— his scar, his eyelashes, his nose. As Luffy got closer and closer, he put his hand on Zoro's thigh for balance, which may or may not have been waaaaay too close to Zoro's crotch for comfort. It was extremely clumsy and uncoordinated. Not graceful or romantic or sexy at all. In fact, it was almost irritating. 

This time, Luffy did notice his irritation. 

"Have you never kissed anyone either?"

His voice wasn't teasing at all, but something about the question ticked off Zoro. He huffed and broke eye contact. It was hard for Zoro to admit he was inexperienced in anything, especially for stupid shit like this. 

Zoro frowned. "Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, that's okay," Luffy reassured. He smiled with a brightness that rivaled the sunlight. "Then we can both try it out together!"

God, it was hard to refuse that face. 

Without responding, Zoro pulled him in by the shirt and pressed their faces together. It was not the most skillful act in the world, but it worked, and Zoro could feel the smile on Luffy's lips even as he closed his eyes. They stayed still for several seconds, letting Zoro take in the texture and sensations. Luffy's lips were so chapped (probably from him getting beat up all the time), but extremely soft. The rubbery nature of his skin must have aided in that. Even Luffy's nose was sort of soft as it pressed against Zoro's cheek, and he couldn't help but notice the warmth of the other's face. 

Finally, even if it was only a few moments, they both pulled away. Zoro caught his breath and only then realized how fast his heart was beating. The sound was louder than the rushing of the waves. 

"Ah, did you like it?" Luffy asked. He was still smiling, although perhaps a bit bashfully? 

Zoro hesitated, the embarrassment finally catching up to him. "Sure, what about you?"

"Yeah! It was kinda like…" he scrunched his face up, "...like a hug, but for your face! Though, I dunno why people make such a huge deal out of it."

Zoro sighed again, resigning himself to never truly understanding Luffy's whims. But well, he supposed he wasn't going to complain when it did feel nice. It was like drinking a cold glass of water after an intense workout. 

"Was it not up to standard, captain?"

The rubber man pouted, pulling away and sitting back down. "What? No, Zoro's a great kisser!"

"How would you know if you've never kissed anybody else?"

"Fine, I'll just kiss more people and prove it to you."

Zoro sputtered and shook his head. "That wasn't a suggestion, idiot! Who else would you kiss anyways?"

"I dunno, Nami? Sanji?"

"Luffy, asking the Witch for a kiss is a death sentence, and Dart-Brow would rather filet himself than kiss someone like you."

Luffy narrowed his eyes. "Just watch me."

And just like that, Luffy got up and left the crow's nest. Zoro wanted to stop that moron before he got himself KO'd by his crewmates, but he learned a long time ago that Luffy was not exactly a person to talk logic too. Or sense. Or self-preservation. Or whatever you wanted to call it. Instead, he leaned back against the railing and licked his lips, remembering the feeling of rubber ones on his own. 

Stupid captain. How was he supposed to fall asleep now? 

(Luffy would come by later at night to ask for another few kisses. Zoro didn't put up a fight that time and he felt they were getting the hang of it, for better or for worse.)

Arabasta was a beautiful kingdom, Nami surmised. 

After all the war and bloodshed and fighting, it was wonderful to take a bath at the palace and get dressed in something comfortable. She resisted the urge to steal some random valuables from the place. After all, Vivi was offering them a place to stay, and after so much heartache, Nami would have quite the heavy conscious if she decided to swipe at their belongings. Though, make no mistakes, she was certainly going to "negotiate" some "fair pay offs" if she had anything to say about it. 

But, for now, Nami just wanted to relax. 

Since the palace was so huge, there was no shortage of rooms that were practically just decoration in itself. Ornate rooms to sit in and contemplate life like rich people can do, she supposed. The couches were beyond soft and the walls were speckled with gold leaf. It was a little ostentatious. But it made the migraine she was fighting a hell of a lot easier to deal with. 

That was, until, a certain rubber man burst in through the large doors and made the migraine a thousand times worse. 

"Oh, Nami! I was looking for you!"

Nami felt impending doom begin to creep up on her, but she stayed put on the couch. 

"What for?"

Strangely, Luffy didn't seem to need to bring her anywhere in particular like she assumed. Instead, he closed the doors behind him and walked over, sitting down on the couch across from her. The impending doom got worse. A lot worse. Looking at his small, satisfied smile did not alleviate the symptoms, even if it was a sight to behold. 

Then, Luffy grinned.

"Can I kiss you?"

Nami blinked. 

"WHAT?!"

Her captain did not falter. "Can I kiss you?"

Before she could even control herself, Nami felt her fist impact with Luffy's head and watched him implant into the marble floor. 

"What the hell kinda question is that?!" She screeched, ignoring the way her face flared up with heat. 

Luffy groaned, sitting up and pulling his face off the ground with a pop! 

"...Izz tha' a no?" 

"O-Of course! Why would you just ask me to kiss you? Don't you have any self-awareness?!"

At that, Luffy paused and genuinely seemed to contemplate something. Nami's headache tripled again, not so ready to hear out whatever dumbass comment Luffy was about to say, but she tried to collect what little patience she had. And boy, it was thinning out real fast. 

But, to her surprise, Luffy just looked up at her with pure innocence in his eyes. There was no perversion or indecency, just curiosity. 

"I just wanted to try it. I kissed Zoro and he said it was okay if I tried it with other people, so I wanted to ask you next. We don't have to..."

Ahhhhhh, yes, how completely understandable. Luffy kissed Zoro and now he wanted to kiss Nami. Mhhm. That made total sense. 

Except… 

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU KISSED ZORO?!"

Luffy looked at her like she was an idiot. "Uh, what else would it mean?"

Nami was close to giving up on her sanity. Although really, she should have said good-bye the second she joined the crew. There was no such thing as sanity on the Grand Line— least of all while sailing with people as deranged as the Straw Hats. Every last one of them made her crazier. 

Especially because, embarrassingly, she almost… wanted to kiss Luffy? 

Well, she never thought of it before and probably never would have, but now that he brought it up, she was sort of curious about what it would be like. Her brain ran a mile a minute, conjuring up humiliating image after humiliating image that made her cheeks burn bright red against her will. She nearly couldn't stand to look at Luffy and his dumb yet endearing little face. She had to admit that he didn't seem to have any bad intentions. That was the only reason she was even contemplating going along with Luffy's out-of-the blue request. Otherwise, he'd likely be sprouting a few more serious injuries (like a certain blonde cook who didn't know when to quit.)

"You…" she started, gritting her teeth, "you are such an idiot, y'know that?"

Luffy crossed his arms. "I'm not an idiot! Why do you all say that?"

Instead of gracing him with an answer, she shook her head. "Whatever. I'll kiss you, but only under one condition!"

Luffy immediately perked up and smiled, standing up and getting closer to Nami. Instinctively, she backed up, but tried not to back up any further and gathered her constitution. 

"If a single word gets out about this to anyone unless I say so, you'll be sleeping with the fishes, alright? I'm also charging you 200% interest on whatever we buy for at least a month."

The threat made Luffy laugh nervously, so at the very least she knew it didn't go in one ear and out the other. 

"Yes ma'am."

Nami grinned devilshly. "That's what I thought."

However, the confidence in her vanished the second that Luffy grabbed onto her arms. He was smiling at her so softly, a sort of wonder in his eyes that nearly made Nami forget why she was so pissed in the first place. It was clear that this was something important to Luffy, not just some impulsive decision he was making because… why not? Er, well, it was definitely still impulsive, but Luffy never treated anything to do with his friends lightly, and Nami was his close friend. The way he climbed up the Rocky Drum Mountains for her just a few weeks ago was a testament to that. The way he held onto her firmly yet gentle enough to let her pull away if she wanted to was a testament to that.

She swallowed thickly and looked down at his lips. Her heart was thumping against her chest. 

"Y-You can go ahead."

Luffy nodded. "Alright."

It was not as she expected. It was strange, silly, and almost sweet. It was not as magical as she was told in stories when she was a little girl, but it was so Luffy. The small hitch in his breath made her stomach tie in fluttery knots and he let out a small giggle when they both almost fell over from him having to lean down to meet her lips. Throughout it all, Luffy didn't let go of her arms and she didn't feel any urge to run away. The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like hours, and he pulled away with a lazy grin and hazy eyes. 

"Nami's kisses smell nice," he said. 

Nami scowled and looked away. "S-Shut the hell up, you're so embarrassing."

Luffy frowned a little bit. "Did you not like it?"

"W-Well," she stuttered, feeling like Luffy's touch burned her skin and his eyes burned her soul, "no, I liked it."

Luffy laughed and finally let go, adjusting his hat slightly. 

"That's good, I thought you were gonna punch me again!"

"I will if you keep that up," she said with a huff, "I hope you got what you wanted."

"Yep! I'm hungry though, so I'm gonna find some food now, thank you!"

Like always, Luffy didn't give her much of a chance to respond before bolting out the room and leaving her alone like he was never even there in the first place. She let out a sigh of… relief? Exasperation? and sat back down since her legs were probably gonna give out anyways. The silence wrapped around her skull til the thoughts flooded back into her frazzled brain, all too tired to wonder how this would change their dynamic in the future. Maybe she should talk to Zoro about this….

In the end, she found her way back to the rest of her crew after some time, and totally did not avoid looking in Luffy's direction for the rest of the day. But that's what she got for letting him kiss her. It's only natural she'd get swept up in even the smallest of Luffy's antics. 

(She'd shamefully ask Luffy for one more kiss a couple days later. It was enough to break the wave of infatuation and they were both satisfied with that for now.)

Usopp was scared shitless. But if anyone were to ask him, he couldn't be more excited to be 10,000 meters above the sea. 

See, Sanji, Usopp, and Luffy were all on a very important mission and stuck on this very small boat sailing along these strange cloud paths high above the ground. If Usopp was about to pass out, no he wasn't. And if you thought he was joking to distract from his downright terror, he was simply lightening the mood for the other two. Facing God was no problem what-so-ever. After all, he was gonna be the greatest warrior on the seas, y'know?!

Except, there was a challenge he was about to face that nothing could prepare him for. 

After a few rounds of joking with Luffy and imitating the rest of their crew (and mayyyybe getting the shit kicked out of them by Sanji for it), they settled down for a minute. Luffy scooted a little closer to Usopp, a mischievous smile on his face that struck fear into Usopp's bones. Nothing good ever came out of a smile like that, and everybody on the crew always ended up learning that the hard way. 

"Hey," Luffy whispered, his voice quieter than Usopp thought he was even capable of, "can you do something for me?"

Though Usopp was skeptical, there was no real reason to suspect Luffy of anything just yet. He gave a passing glance towards Sanji, who seemed not to notice anything or be in on whatever his captain was planning.

"Sure," he whispered back, "what is it?"

Luffy's smile grew wider. "Kiss me."

Huh?! 

Usopp's jaw dropped and he leaned away from Luffy, nearly falling backwards even though he was already sitting. 

"W-W-What are you talking about?!" 

Luffy tried to shush him but it was too late. Sanji looked over his shoulder and gave them a hard glare. Usopp could have thrown himself overboard into the abyss from the embarrassment. The only real thing stopping him was Luffy's arm practically draped over his torso. 

"What are you two yapping about now?" Sanji grumbled. The two stood very still. 

Usopp gave a fake laugh. "N-Nothing. Just thought we saw something weird, that's all!"

It sounded like bullshit even to himself, and clearly Sanji knew that too, but instead of prying, the cook simply turned back around to keep pedaling so Usopp could die inside in peace. 

Or well, he would have had peace, had Luffy not immediately started whispering in his ear again. It tickled, and Usopp shivered. 

"So, are you gonna kiss me? If not, then we can just do something else."

Usopp's face had never felt hotter, and his arms were more akin to noodles that were rendered useless. He wasn't really sure how to respond. Luffy had never requested anything like that before, only just "Usopp, let's play a game!" or " Come fish with me, Usopp!" or "Tell me a story, Usopp! " How the hell is he supposed to kiss his captain randomly like this in the middle of some epic adventure? Is this what pirates do? Just… kiss for no reason? As painful and pathetic it was for the great Usopp to admit, he's never kissed anyone before, only fantasized about it. What if he fucked up the kiss so badly Luffy would never wanna fish with him again or something? 

"B-But," he muttered, eyes darting around, "Sanji's right there! What if he sees us?"

Luffy shrugged. "Then just don't get caught. It's like a game!"

Usopp wanted to roll his eyes, but he was really in no position to make fun of Luffy. If anything, it almost sounded… fun? No, no, no. What was he thinking? This was a horrible idea. If Sanji caught them there were only so many reactions he would have, and all of them were probably going to be terrible. Not to mention what a disastrous setting and situation this was to playing this "game." Usopp wanted his first kiss to be romantic, not this! 

Luffy, for what it was worth, was actually being patient for once. Sure, he was fidgeting and glancing at Usopp's lips a lot (which definitely wasn't making him nervous), but he wasn't rushing for an answer, nor was he making a move to ask a third time. It was a nice gesture, one that made Usopp feel less pressured. 

After a good couple minutes of back and forth in Usopp's head, he finally settled on an answer. 

"O-Okay, sure. I'll kiss you."

Luffy beamed. "Really?!"

Already breaking the rules of his own game, Luffy's over enthusiastic voice made Sanji turn around again— though thankfully for only a split second. Usopp's heart could barely take anymore stopping and starting, but damn, it was hard to resist Luffy's contagious happiness. 

Usopp put a finger to his lips. "Yes yes, now quiet down! Don't wanna get caught, remember?"

Luffy's eyes widened. "Oh yeah, don't get caught. You're right." Then he giggled like a trouble-making kid about to do something devious. 

Suddenly, Luffy leaned in close, his chest pressing up against Usopp's right arm. Usopp only turned his head, still too anxious to move any other part of his body. He almost couldn't believe this was happening. Luffy's eyes were half-lidded, a teasing smile tugging his lips upwards just before they found their way to Usopp's lips. It made a chill run up his spine and heat pool down in his gut. Maybe it was his imagination, but Luffy surprisingly seemed like he knew what he was doing— and that was dangerously close to being really attractive. If Usopp didn't pull away this instant then he'd lose his mind and get the "Luffy-kissed-me-so-it-drove-me-insane" disease! 

And just like that… it was over. 

Luffy pulled away just in time, as Sanji turned towards them and started talking about… something or another. If Usopp was being completely honest (surprise, surprise), he hardly could think of anything after Luffy kissed him. The brain fog was really affecting his judgment. It was only when Sanji turned back around to leave them alone that Usopp decided to act on his base impulses. 

He pulled Luffy in for a second kiss. 

The rubber boy only made the smallest squeak of surprise before grabbing onto Usopp and pressing their faces together harder. He seemed to forget all about the fact they were supposed to make quick kisses to not get caught, cause Luffy began pulling on Usopp's clothes and laughing into the kiss, a sound that echoed around in Usopp's empty brain and made his heart thump. Yeah, Usopp was definitely insane for this. 

When they pulled apart, Usopp would have dived in for a third risky kiss… 

But it seemed there really was an end to the cloud road after all. 

A very sudden end of the road. 

(After Luffy beat that stupid fake god, Usopp found the time to kiss him again and again and again. He felt like the luckiest man in the world to have Luffy as his friend.)

Sanji was what some people may have called a "hopeless romantic." Too bad for them, because he certainly wasn't hopeless, and he was as romantic as a man could be. 

If anything, he was an expert in love. Every lady he laid his eyes on was nothing short of a goddess that blessed this cursed planet he walked upon. Nobody else appreciated women the way he did, or at least, not anybody else in the Straw Hats. That damned Mosshead only had eyes for Sake, and the rest were various shades of uninterested in typical romance. Even his dearest Nami-san and Robin-chan weren't fortunate to have the time for it. 

However, Sanji would be an idiot to not address the elephant in the cabin. 

Luffy and Usopp were absolutely terrible at covering up the fact they had something going on between them. And nothing made that more apparent than the intense falling out they just had. 

It was difficult to watch, really. Those two dumbasses didn't pull any punches at all, breaking each other's spirits and— to Sanji's ever keen eyes— each other's hearts as well. He knew heartbreak when he saw it, and it was written all over Luffy's face from the moment they had their first verbal fight to when they beat the shit out of each other. When Sanji handed him lunch, he ate it slowly, and Luffy never ate anything slowly. Even disgusting mockeries of a meal or something so poisonous it'd kill the average human in minutes. 

So when they were alone in the dining area of the hotel they were staying at, Sanji felt little need to berate Luffy over anything at the moment. He took Luffy's empty plate and began washing it silently, nothing but the sound of sink water filling the empty gaps in the air where laughter should have been. 

Then, Luffy started tapping his foot. 

"Sanji," he said, voice flat, "would you be mad if I told you something?"

He paused, holding the soapy dish in his hands without turning around. 

"Depends on what it is, captain. Is it about…?"

For some reason, the name stalled on his tongue, as if just saying it would be enough to incur Luffy's wrath. Though if Sanji had to guess, he was far past the stage of anger in his process of grief.

Luffy tapped his foot quicker. "I guess it's about all of you."

That piqued his interest. Sanji quickly finished washing the last of the dishes before wiping his hands off and lighting a cigarette. He turned to face Luffy, but Luffy still had his back facing Sanji.

"Well, what is it?" Sanji pushed. He didn't want to push too far, but sometimes it had to be done. 

"I was just thinking… maybe I messed up."

Sanji raised his swirly brow. "How so?"

"I kept asking for kisses from everyone in the crew," Luffy started. Immediately, Sanji tensed, but tried to keep his mouth shut. "Zoro kinda told me something a long time ago that I probably shouldn't, but neither of us listened. Then I did it with Nami. Then I did it with Usopp. And now Usopp is gone."

Sanji stayed very, very still. Clearly, Sanji wasn't keen enough to realize that Luffy had a thing going on with everybody right under his nose and didn't know a damn thing about it. But he grit his teeth and tried to avoid the rising jealousy he felt. Maybe later he could give the shitty captain a real talking to over stealing Nami-san's precious kisses, but now wasn't the time. Now was the time to listen. 

"That still doesn't explain why you messed up."

Luffy sighed. He was silent for a moment, probably using his last two brain cells to figure out a way to arrange his words. 

"I keep thinking that I still wanna kiss you one day too, but… now it just reminds me of Usopp, and now I can't kiss anybody else. I tried with Nami and Zoro, but I didn't like it like I did before."

Well… that was quite the confession. 

Sanji took a long drag of his cigarette and ruminated on what to say. There were a million things he could've said, probably. Some were compassionate. Some not so much. But Sanji knew petty comforts and sweet words were not gonna cut it. Chopper tried to help Luffy like that as he was bandaging up the rubber pirate after the fight, but his forte was physical health, not mental health. Luffy needed to be told a harsh truth or needed help in making some sort of internal breakthrough. He needed someone to connect the dots for him. 

"Maybe you were in love with Usopp," Sanji stated. It was a shot in the dark, since he wasn't sure if Luffy even knew what "in love" meant. 

However, Luffy let out a low growl at that statement.

"That's not it. I love Usopp, but I also love Nami and Zoro. I love Sanji and Chopper and Robin too!" Luffy deflated and put his head against the desk. His voice came out muffled as he said, "You're all my friends, shouldn't that be enough?"

Sanji shook his head. "You can't treat all your friends the same. Especially not after kissing them."

After that, Luffy didn't respond. Sanji was a little disappointed, not entirely sure if Luffy was gonna take his message to heart, but perhaps it was a lost cause anyways. The rubber idiot got himself into a lot of trouble with his messing around. This time he messed around with people's hearts. That was far more personal than any physical altercation, and if Sanji somehow got himself swept up into all this earlier, he probably would have felt a little strange too. He was thankful to be a third (or fourth? or fifth?) wheel for once. This kissing escapade clearly was getting out of hand. 

Luffy eventually got up off the table and adjusted his hat. Sanji lit one more cigarette, getting ready to leave the room when Luffy turned around. Their eyes locked. 

"Is it bad that I still wanna kiss you?" Luffy asked. 

Sanji nearly choked on the smoke, coughing and sputtering at the ridiculous question. He not-so-kindly kicked Luffy across the room. 

"Yes it's bad, shitty rubber! Don't you learn your lesson?"

Luffy pulled himself out of a pile of debris with a welt on his head. 

"Sowwy…I jus' wanted t'know… your lips look sof'…"

Sanji scoffed, though not without a twinge of fluster. He rolled his cuffs back and rubbed the back of his neck, hoping he didn't appear too ruffled by Luffy's brainless comments. If only a beautiful, majestic, enamoring lady could be telling him such a sweet sentiment as the soft appearance of his lips. But alas! The universe granted Sanji nothing but trials and tribulations. This was just another test to really prove his manhood like all the others. 

For now though, Sanji figured he had to do something to cheer his captain up, and a kiss was all he was asking for at the moment. Kissing Luffy just to give him at least a slight boost in mood wasn't weird, right? Everybody else was doing it so it couldn't have been too bad, right? It didn't count if Sanji didn't like it… right? 

He let out a large exhale. God was testing him today. 

"Whatever. Get over here idiot," Sanji said as Luffy was dusting himself off. "You get one kiss just to try it, and then never again. You got that, shitty captain?"

"Wait, really?"

Sanji glared. "Yes, now hurry up before I change my mind!"

Without having to be told twice, Luffy practically launched himself at Sanji and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. The cigarette in Sanji's mouth then fell to the floor in ashes, the final trails of smoke slipping out between his gritted teeth and into the sunset colored air. Luffy pressed his chest against Sanji's. His rhythmic heartbeat battered his rubber ribcage so hard that Sanji could feel it too. A fast paced thrumming, soothing yet invigorating.  

"Thank you, Sanji!" he breathed, and Sanji could only roll his eyes. He leaned forward. 

When they kissed, it was unceremonious. 

Luffy didn't dive in passionately or even did much besides lean in. If anything, Sanji could hardly even tell they were kissing at all. The contact was so slight and tepid, like Luffy lips were merely ghosting over him with a tickle. It was strange. Extremely, absolutely, mind-bogglingly strange. But, it was okay. He felt safe here in this moment suspended in time where Luffy needed this more than Sanji needed this. Sanji's role in the crew was always to be the provider, after all. 

The pull of Luffy's body weight made them stumble and the kiss deepend the slightest bit. If you asked Sanji just a week ago if he ever thought this was gonna happen, he probably would have kicked your ass so hard you'd permanently drop a few brain cells, yet here he was. And he wasn't objecting. Just for a moment, he opened his eyes and saw the serene expression on Luffy's face. There was no longer any trace of stress aside from maybe some eyebags and the new bandages. Suddenly, it was all worth it. He did not go any further than what Luffy asked for, but he wouldn't pull away until it was over either. 

And when it was finally over, Luffy pulled away with a soft smile. It wasn't as bright and brilliant as his usual big grins, but at least it reached his eyes. 

"Sanji's kisses feel like Sanji's."

(At Enies Lobby, Sanji gave Usopp a real harsh scolding for breaking his captain's heart the way he did. But internally, he was thanking him for the opportunity to get closer to Luffy. His captain needed someone who knew even a crumb about romance to guide him through it all.)

Robin had never felt more happy to be alive. 

Luffy was a showstopper; a force that was nearly as unstoppable as gravity. It was him that granted Robin the will to live after years of agonizing. She'd never forget his symphonic laughter after the miracle that was their win against CP9. Nothing would ever let her take the Straw Hats for granted, and she'd fight for her life to protect them like they protected her. 

Luckily, there was no need for violence at the moment. The crew had returned to Water 7 after their escape with the Merry (and her subsequent funeral), and were provided temporary housing by the remaining members of the Galley-La company. Robin found herself in quite the rough state due to the battles and trauma. Her wounds were fresh, but healing, so she decided that partying or exploring the island properly was not on her list of activities to partake in. 

And, interestingly enough, Luffy was the same. 

As Robin was sitting on her bed reading a book to pass time, her captain wordlessly strolled over and sat down at her bedside. He glanced down at her book once, then gave her a smile. 

"Hey Robin, can I ask for something?"

She creased the corner of the page she was reading and closed the book. From her peripheral vision, she could see Nami from the other side of the room snap her head towards them. It was a comically obvious gesture, peculiar and interesting in its own right, but Luffy garnered all her attention for the moment. 

"Of course," Robin said coolly, "what can I do for you, captain?"

Luffy swung his legs like he was on a swing. "Can I have a kiss?"

Ah, there it was. 

Robin was not unaware of the fact that Luffy had been kissing around with his crewmates for some time now. Nami let it slip some time ago during the Davy Back Fight that it was going on, even if it was vague, but Robin was meticulous and put the pieces together without much effort. Not only that, but her current reaction to Luffy's question said it all. She was hardcore staring at them with a smirk on her face, not even attempting to hide her curiosity on if Robin was going to accept the request or not. It was funny, and even a bit tempting due to the circumstances. 

But, Robin was quite a bit older than the rest of them. As charming as they all were (especially Luffy), she saw them more as rambunctious younger siblings. They were young adults; wide eyed, eager for action, and a little immature at times. Even on these savage seas, they were trying to figure themselves out. They deserved the privacy to do that without interference from someone older, someone too jaded by bleak experiences and a lifetime of betrayal to play around with love and sexuality, even if she trusted them with her life. 

So, she simply responded, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't do that for you."

Of course, Luffy immediately frowned and sulked. He gave her something akin to "puppy-dog" eyes, although it probably wasn't intentional. 

"Awwww," he whined, "well… that's okay! But, can I at least have a kiss on the cheek? Or forehead?"

Robin hummed. That was definitely more on the table. It was innocent and sweet, something that certainly wasn't going to have as many romantic connotations. 

"Sure, I'll kiss you on the forehead then, is that okay?"

The sadness in Luffy's eyes vaporized so fast Robin almost thought it was a hallucination. He cheered and scooted a little closer, joy radiating off him in waves. 

"Yay! Thank you, Robin!"

Without much hesitation, Robin leaned down and kissed Luffy's forehead, making sure to avoid touching any bandages or wounds so as to not hurt him. A small, dying voice inside her snagged her heart and tried to tell her that this wasn't okay. Fear found her, but it failed. She pushed back against it and let herself love again, taking in every beautiful moment that laid before her. Instead of focusing on her fear, she focused on Luffy's quiet giggles and her lips against his fuzzy eyebrows. The daylight never looked so pretty as it did when Luffy was there to frame it. 

When she pulled back, she saw Nami smiling out of the corner of her eye again. Then Luffy laughed. 

"Can I kiss your forehead too?"

Robin tilted her head. "What for?"

He pursed his lips. "Cuz you need kisses too, duh! It's not fair if only I get my head kissed."

It really was so simple, wasn't it? 

Robin swallowed a lump in her throat. Perhaps it was silly to let her emotions get the best of her like this, but everyday Luffy surprised her more and more. It shocked her to her very core that anyone could be as joyous as Luffy was in such a horrific world, but every time Robin thought it wasn't possible, he proved her wrong. Robin once thought she wasn't born to be loved, and he proved her wrong. 

She chuckled, wiping her eyes inconspicuously. "Go ahead, Luffy."

Luffy nodded his head with enthusiasm and then leaned up to land a quick kiss on her forehead. It was short and sweet, like a kiss from a fairy planting blessings in her head. After that, Luffy seemed to be satisfied and hopped off the bed, stretching his spindly limbs. 

"I'm gonna go find Chopper and Sanji now, seeya!"

He was gone in a flash, leaving Robin there to contemplate how she felt— no less astonished than she always was by his actions. She then finally turned to face Nami, who turned a little red and pretended to be invested in something else. 

"I can see why you're all quite enamored with him," Robin said with a playful lilt to her voice, knowing it was going to embarrass Nami. 

Nami only turned more red, playing with a strand of hair. "D-Don't just say it outright like that!" Then she sighed. "But you're right. He's got us all wrapped around his finger… and that idiot is still so oblivious!"

Robin chuckled again. "Well, that is what's so charming about him, yes? I don't think he'd care to make the distinction between friend and lover. Everyone has something valuable to offer if they're important to him. He's not going to pick and choose."

They both gazed at each other in silence for a moment, letting her words sink into the atmosphere. 

"I guess so," Nami then conceded. "I guess he's not really oblivious at all. He loves us so much— I just hope he knows we love him too."

Robin nodded. "I think he does. No, I know he does."

(Luffy would tell her she didn't have to ask to give him forehead kisses, so she took every chance she got. She wanted to make sure Luffy knew just how much she owed him the world.)

Luffy loved the world. 

He loved meat and dancing and singing. He loved exploring new islands with mountains and new plants he's never seen before. He loved the smell of the ocean and the taste of new foods and the sound of people talking. He loved when he made others smile and seeing all their beautiful faces, eyes twinkling with joy. 

Luffy loved his friends. 

Who wouldn't love his friends? Every single one of them were so amazing in their own right. 

Zoro was so badass, effortlessly swinging his swords around in battle and keeping his cool. His hands were strong, and his heart was even stronger. Luffy could depend on Zoro to protect everybody else if he wasn't there to do it himself. 

Nami was smart, even if she lost her temper a lot. It was hard not to stare at the shimmer in her eyes when she was talking about some complicated navigation stuff. Even if Luffy didn't understand, Nami would always try her best to make sure they were all on the same page. 

Usopp was the funniest guy around. No matter what, Luffy could go to him to cheer himself up. Usopp called himself a coward, but there was nothing cooler than watching him hit a target from hundreds of meters away. It was impressive every single time. 

Sanji fed Luffy the best meals in the world. Maybe he was stingy, but when Luffy saw the way his face became so happy while cooking, he couldn't get himself to complain. His smile was something so rare, yet so captivating. A sight worth protecting forever. 

Chopper had so many skills and was so reliable. He made medicine specially made for all of them, and after each battle, he would always fret over them. Luffy could try to tell him that he didn't need it, but Chopper wouldn't back down until he knew Luffy was healed up. 

Robin may have been more reserved, but she treated Luffy with respect. He loved the way she looked at him with understanding, because she was just so smart like that! She even tried teaching him book stuff sometimes and was very patient. 

Franky was always a riot to hang out with. His inventions were out of this world, pulling weird creations out of thin air it seemed like. Anybody would get excited over having a cyborg on their crew, right? It's just the coolest! 

And finally, Brook was just so wise. Despite how wacky he always was, Luffy could sometimes see the cracks of someone who really has lived decades out on the sea. Brook had the skills of a fine artist while also being really strong mentally and physically! 

Really, was it any surprise that he'd love them all? 

Luffy thought, once, maybe he shouldn't have overstepped these vague boundaries when it came to how he treated them. People always said that romance and friendship were to be kept seperate. He didn't really understand at all. These stupid arbitrary rules were constricting and confusing. What really was the difference between it all? Did it even matter if he didn't treat any of his friends the same in the first place? After all, the way he played around with Usopp was always different from the way he played around with Zoro, even before they started kissing and getting more physically intimate. 

Intimacy, it never was hard for Luffy to initiate it. Something in him— he just loved the feeling of someone else's skin on his. A soft hug from behind, a firm grasp on somebody's hand as they're running away from danger, a kiss on the lips given while they both giggle in the dark. Was it bad that he wanted it? Was it bad that he asked his friends to do that with him? 

Well, Luffy had the answer right in front of him. 

On their way to Fishman Island the Straw Hats decided to have a day to just rest and chill without doing much planning. They already had ideas of what to do, so it was fine to just goof off. Luffy was gladly taking advantage of that, playing a game of Tag with Usopp that ended in him needing to be rescued from almost drowning in the ocean. Which meant he lost by default. Buuuuuut oh well! It was fun, and now Luffy wanted to go bother Zoro. 

Zoro was taking a nap near the front of the Sunny. Luffy took it upon himself to plop down on Zoro's lap, laughing when the swordsman startled awake. 

"O-Oi! What the hell Captain," Zoro grit out, "I was tryin' to sleep!"

Luffy chuckled. "Zoro's always napping. You can take a nap later, I wanna play with you!"

The green haired swordsman gave Luffy a glare to end all glares, but Luffy wasn't deterred. It wasn't a glare telling him to get off, more like… a glare that said " do that again and I'll chop your head off, you're on thin ice!"... Or something funny like that. 

"Luffy, last time you asked to play a game, the kitchen was almost set on fire."

"Ehhhhh? That wasn't my fault though."

"YES IT WAS, DUMBASS!"

He laughed as Zoro nearly strangled him. 

"Besides," Zoro angrily continued, "do we have the time to be messing around? How much longer do we have until we get to the next island?"

Luffy tapped his chin, trying his best to remember what Nami told him about how long they had til they got to their destination. She definitely told him more than once, but he forgot a lot of things more than once too. So turned his head and called out. 

"Hey, Nami!"

In the middle of the deck, Luffy could see Usopp with his arm slung around Nami's waist, explaining something to her about some cool thing he made (that Luffy was certainly gonna harass him about later). They both jumped at his loud voice, and Usopp dropped the device. 

"What is it this time, Luffy?" Nami shouted back.

"When are we getting to Fishman Island again?"

Nami sighed, even though Luffy couldn't hear it from where he was. He could just tell because her shoulders sagged in disappointment, and she did that around every other time Luffy opened his mouth. 

"We have at least another whole day or two til we get there, just be patient!"

Instead of correcting her and telling her that Zoro was actually the one who needed to know, Luffy just grinned and turned back around. 

"See, plenty of time!"

Zoro just grunted. "Fine, whatever. What do you wanna do, then?"

Luffy played with the collar of Zoro's button up. "Well, I actually didn't wanna do much. Maybe just work out together a little bit, cuz Zoro's handsome when he's training, hehehe!"

The comment made Zoro's face turn from tan to a brilliant shade of red. When Luffy first noticed what happened when he said that kind of stuff, he was worried he had made them sick somehow! But then he realized it was normal, and after that he kinda liked seeing them like that. All their faces were already pretty, then they magically changed color just from a few words! Like when he said Nami's hair smelled nice or that Sanji's hands were soft. He didn't really get it, cuz he was just telling them the truth! 

"Zoro's got a funny expression!" He laughed, then gave the man under him a kiss on the edge of his lips. 

Zoro growled. "And who's fault is that?!"

Luffy cocked his head. "Um… yours?"

"I'LL CUT YOU UP RIGHT NOW!"

Luffy only laughed some more and jumped out of Zoro's lap, running away before he really did get cut up into pieces. Only thing was—he was running backwards, so it didn't take him long to crash into someone. Then, he got a foot in the face. 

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" Sanji roared, holding a platter of drinks that looked absolutely delectable . Luffy's mouth began to water, ignoring the furious stare Sanji was pinning him down with. 

"Woah! Those look so good, can I have one? Sanji, Pleaaaase?"

Sanji rolled his eyes, dusting off his suit with his free hand. "Just wait your turn, shithead. These are for Nami-san and Robin-chan."

Luffy pouted. "Okay…. Where is Robin anyways?"

"Probably flirting with Franky somewhere," Zoro then said, having followed Luffy silently the whole time. Sanji didn't seem to like what Zoro had to say very much, going for the throat with the back of his heel. 

They began to argue and squabble like they almost always were doing nowadays. Usually Luffy found it funny, but he was getting desperate for food. He didn't even really remember why he was over here in the first place since every thought was consumed by urges to consume lots of food and drinks. He needed a distraction right this instant. 

Thankfully, Zoro finally stopped arguing with Sanji and grabbed Luffy by the collar. 

"Come on, Captain. We gotta go work out without this dumbass around."

As Luffy was dragged away, he whined. "B-But— I'm hungry!"

Zoro didn't listen to any of his pleas because Zoro was very mean, but Luffy supposed he could make up for it later by stealing his food in revenge. It only worked half the time but half was enough for him! When they made it to the training room, Luffy eventually decided to stop complaining and helped Zoro set up the equipment. 

Once he was done, Luffy stepped back and watched him in silence for a minute. 

Zoro grunted, straining to push up the comically large barbells. The small sheen of sweat made his muscles glow as they flexed and relaxed, flexed and relaxed. Occasionally, he'd close his eyes and put all his focus on pushing, which seemed to help him push up with less strain. It was impressive to watch. Luffy impulsively wanted to climb onto the barbell and have Zoro lift him up too. It's not like it'd add much weight. Lots of people have told him that he was surprisingly light—including Zoro himself! He liked it when Zoro carried him cause then Luffy could physically feel just how strong he was. Solid hands gripping onto his rubbery limbs and throwing him around like a paperweight... 

Then, Zoro broke the silence when they made eye contact. 

"Whatcha' starin' at me for? Tryna' feel me up with your eyes?"

Luffy raised an eyebrow. "I can't feel things with my eyes, only my hands!"

Zoro sighed. "Figure of speech, Luffy. Just sayin' you're like, drooling over there while watching me."

At that, Luffy wiped at his mouth and his hand came back dry. He was about to refute Zoro's statement, but then realized that he was using a "figure of speech" again. Hmmm, he did drool a lot when he saw food so… maybe Zoro was saying Luffy was looking at him like he was tasty! That made sense. 

"Well, Zoro looks really strong right now," Luffy said while rocking back and forth. He smiled fondly. "I like it!"

The green haired man huffed, looking away. "You're such a handful, you know that?"

Luffy hummed. "I've been told."

As their small banter progressed, Luffy joined in and they both helped each other work out. It was nice, only occasionally interrupted by one of the others coming in to get something or put something away. After a while, they both got a little bored, and then decided to have multiple arm wrestles, because being a man meant filling up the arm wrestle quota at least once a week! 

Now if only Sanji or Usopp agreed to do this with him…

But once they had both been holed up so long that the rays of sun were now long streams of orange light coming through the windows, they finally took a break. They sat against the wall, breathing heavy, with Luffy leaning against his shoulder. 

"Ne, Zoro."

"Hmm?"

"Remember when I first kissed you?"

Zoro straightened a little, folding his hands together on his lap.

"Yeah, what of it?"

Luffy took his hat off and placed it in his own lap. He yawned, eyes drooping even though he felt as though he had something important to tell Zoro. It was just so quiet and peaceful. Who wouldn't feel a little sleepy right now? 

"I still think you're a great kisser," he drawled. His vision began to blur. 

Zoro clicked his tongue. "I'm surprised you even remember that. Guess you always stick true to your word."

Luffy let out a little chuckle, then another yawn. 

"Told ya so.."

When Zoro responded, Luffy didn't catch it. 

His eyes closed shut and he was greeted with a swimming darkness, and then a dream. A dream that wasn't much unlike the reality he was already living in. A fuzzy warmth of hugs and light touches. Of smiles that glinted like starlight. Of voices that sounded like music. Of food that tasted like magic. Of love that felt like a hurricane. And in that dream, the hazy touch on his rubber skin pulled him into a tight embrace. Arms wrapped around him from everybody he loved, and he didn't need to see their faces to know who was who. He knew the softness came from Nami. He knew the fuzziness came from Chopper. He knew the smoothness came from Brook. 

And later, once he woke up in the cabin after the sun had gone down, he ate dinner with everybody feeling happier than usual. He couldn't exactly place his finger on it, but they all just looked so perfect. 

He really did love them all so much. 

...

...

(Luffy didn't get to kiss any of them good-bye. Two years was gonna be a long, long time.)