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It was hot out. Painfully hot out. Nami had told them that they were in an area of the grand line with mostly tropical waters and summer islands, and with not a cloud in the sky, it was hot.
Luffy and Chopper lay in a heap in the shade of the tangerine trees, napping to preserve their energy. Nami and Robin were holed up inside charting and reading respectively. Thanks to the heat, relief was in high demand, leaving Sanji to flit restlessly around the ship delivering beverages to everyone.
The only one out on the deck in the blazing sun was Zoro, locked in to the three thousandth or so rep of his workout. He was standing shirtless and barefoot in the sun, sweat absolutely rolling off of his muscled form in waves.
“Zoro, don't you think you should get out of this sun?! You're cooking down there!” Usopp called out to him from the upper deck, wiping the sweat from his own brow.
Zoro didn't pause the swinging of his weights for a moment, hardly sparing Usopp a glance.
“I'm fine. It's just a little heat.” He grunted.
Usopp narrowed his eyes, suspecting that he'd be eating those words once he gets sunburned to hell and back.
“Can't you go a single day without working out? A little bit of relaxation never hurt anybody, you know.”
Zoro didn't grace that with a response, offering a single grunt before resuming his workout. Gazing at Zoro for a moment, Usopp took in the sight of his musculature. Zoro’s build was impressive, of course, but he'd never really taken the chance to get a good look. He could see each muscle flexing and extending, could watch the beads of sweat roll down every curve of his defined form. Maybe he could ask Zoro to let him do a portrait of him one day. –
A loud clang removed Usopp from his thoughts. Zoro had dropped the weight heavily against the deck, his chest heaving as he panted to catch his breath. He sat down heavily on the floor, wiping the sweat from his forehead and closing his eyes to take a breather. His shoulders and back were red, the heat of the sun taking its toll.
“Here, Usopp.” The sniper looked up to see Sanji standing over him, a glass of cold water extended for him to take.
“Ah, thanks, Sanji. Tell Zoro he needs to drink some water, would you? He won't listen to me!”
Sanji scoffed and rolled his eyes, casting a disinterested look over to Zoro. “Tsk. If the mosshead is thirsty he can get it himself. It's his loss.” he grumbled before walking off, presumably to find Nami or Robin.
Zoro could be so thick headed sometimes. It was like he could go from the levelheaded voice of reason one moment to a hardheaded bozo the next. His dedication to anything he deemed important enough to give his attention was admirable though. Despite his stoic nature, Usopp could tell just from looking at him that there was a lot going on in that head of his. Usopp got to his feet with a sigh, making his way for the stairs to the lower deck.
“That's it- You're gonna drink this water, Zoro! Chopper will kill me if he finds out I let you heat stro-”
And just like that, Usopp’s feet were no longer on the floor. What had happened? Had he missed the first step by accident? The glass of water went flying as he fell.
He choked out a shriek, locking eyes with Zoro’s.
The swordsman’s eyes were wide, his body jolting forward to lunge for the stairs.
“ USOPP !” Usopp had never heard such urgency in his voice before, and he recognized the expression on his face as a familiar one. It was fear . This was going to hurt, wasn't it? He closed his eyes and braced for impact, hoping he didn't break anything–
Only to be met with a much softer impact than he was expecting.
“Usopp-! Usopp! ” He opened his eyes to a panic stricken Zoro hovering over him, his eyes wide with worry and his arms wrapped gently yet securely around him.
“...My hero.” he wheezed, clutching his chest in feigned shock like a damsel in distress. Zoro’s face had gone red, and Usopp couldn't tell if it was from the sun or not.
“Save it, idiot! What do you think you're doing?!” Zoro’s worried expression evaporated in an instant, his brow furrowing as he barked at Usopp. His hold on him didn't loosen, however.
“I was bringing your stubborn hide some water so you didn't turn to dust in this heat!” Usopp snapped back. The glass of water in question had shattered all over the floor, a growing puddle spreading beneath them dyed with..
“Zoro! Your feet!” Usopp looked down in alarm. In his haste to catch Usopp, Zoro had stepped all over the broken shards of the glass, chunks of it embedded in the soles of his feet. They bled freely, blood mixing in with the puddle of water that had spilled.
“I'm fine." Zoro stood upright, cradling Usopp in his arms. If the glass in his feet hurt, which Usopp was certain it did, he gave no indication. This gentleness seemed out of character for him, especially for something as minor as a tumble down the stairs.
“Uh.. Zoro? Not that I'm complaining or anything, but you don't have to carry me. I can walk, I'm not injured. You need to get off your feet!” Usopp squirmed in his arms in an attempt to get free from the vice grip Zoro had him in before the swordsman pulled him closer, Usopp’s body now flush against his. His cheek pressed against Zoro’s chest, right over his heart. His skin was hot and flush, smooth and lightly coated in moisture.
That idiot. He was so impassive about everything, he either didn't realize or didn't care about how intimate their current position was. Or maybe that was Usopp reading too much into it, weaving a story in his head as he tended to do.
Zoro carefully, gently, carried Usopp into the infirmary, setting him down on the bed.
“Zoro, seriously!” Usopp laughed awkwardly as Zoro pushed his shoulders down to keep him flat. “I'm fine! You caught me, alright? You saved me, I didn't get hurt! I'm not made of glass, you know. You're acting like I damn near died !”
He'd never forget the look on Zoro’s face when he said that. A hard look. A look that silenced him at once, that pinned him to the bed without words. An unreadable, steely gaze. Usopp couldn't read the number of emotions that flashed across Zoro’s face before it settled into the look. Not many people could read Zoro, what with his ever so stoic nature, but what Usopp could gather from the look was that he had said something very, very wrong. Usopp shrank back, the intense something radiating from Zoro subduing him at once.
“... Z-Zoro, I-”
“Don't move. I'm getting Chopper.”
Usopp watched Zoro walk out of the room, his stomach twisting into knots as he left a trail of bloodied footprints behind him. Usopp knew that he got hurt badly in the average fight, always needing to be bandaged up or rescued, but this seemed different. It didn't make sense for Zoro to hurt himself just to keep Usopp from falling down the stairs. He's taken harder hits just from wrestling with Luffy. The way Zoro had cradled him gently as opposed to tossing him over his shoulder or carrying him under his arm like a duffel bag just seemed… excessive. And Zoro never did anything he deemed excessive or unnecessary.
Faintly, Usopp could hear the low murmur of Zoro’s voice, followed by a loud shriek from Chopper. Probably at the sight of his bloodied feet. A few moments of unintelligible commotion later, the two of them entered the infirmary, Chopper carrying an indignant Zoro over his shoulder in Heavy Point.
“What were you thinking, Zoro! Your poor feet! I've gotta get the glass out..!”
“Give it a rest already!”
Usopp sat up and sighed, shaking his head.
“I tried to tell him, Chopper, but he just wouldn't listen. Tsk. ”
Zoro glared at them both, scoffing as he sat on the bed across from Usopp’s to put his feet up.
“Whatever.”
Chopper shifted back into Brain Point, pulling up a chair with a kit of medical supplies and some tweezers to remove the glass from Zoro’s feet.
“Treat him first.” Zoro nudged Chopper’s chair away, sending him rolling across the room towards Usopp with a squeal. The reindeer pouted and huffed, righting himself with a glare at Zoro.
“Seriously, I'm fine , Chopper! I didn't even hit the ground! Take care of Zoro first!”
Zoro crossed his arms, his sharp glare steadfast.
“Treat him first or I'm walking out of here.” He swung his feet off the side of the bed, about to put them on the floor to stand-
“Alright, alright! Just don't move, Zoro!” Chopper scolded, watching as Zoro conceded and put his feet back up. Usopp merely sighed, allowing Chopper to give him a thorough examination. The entire time, Zoro didn't take his eyes off Usopp. He was staring at him like he might disappear if he looked away, his brow furrowed as if he was lost in thought. As Usopp removed his shirt to let Chopper listen to his heartbeat he watched as Zoro’s eyes flitted over every inch of bare skin he could catch a glimpse of. The sniper blushed under his scrutiny, pulling his eyes away from Zoro while Chopper finished up his examination.
*Everything seems fine to me!" Chopper concluded, mildly confused.
“Are you in any pain at all, Usopp?”
“None. I'm not hurt one bit.”
“Are you sure?”
Usopp and Chopper turned to look at Zoro, who was still staring stiffly at them. He carried a tightness in his shoulders that was unlike his usual tension, and if Usopp didn't know better, his tone almost sounded pleading.
“I'm sure, Zoro.”
Zoro held Usopp’s gaze for a few moments longer. Or was it an eternity? Usopp maintained eye contact, internally begging him to accept his sincerity. It warmed his heart to see, though Usopp didn't feel like he was deserving of so much of Zoro’s concern. Finally, finally , Zoro exhaled a sigh and relaxed, his relief slipping into his expression despite himself.
“Good. That's good." he hummed, softening considerably as Chopper approached him.
“Now can I treat you? Look at you! Your feet are full of glass and you've got a nasty sunburn forming! You must be terribly dehydrated, too! No going outside or walking around for at least a week, Zoro!”
“Hah?! A week? You can't expect me to just sit on my ass for that long!" he blustered at Chopper while the little reindeer began tenderly removing glass pieces from the soles of his feet.
“Don't worry, Zoro, I'll keep you company. Sounds like as good a time as any to catch you up on all the stories you've been asleep for!” Usopp snickered. He expected an exasperated groan or a disinterested eye roll, but was pleasantly surprised by the small chuckle he got in response.
“I suppose I don't have a choice, do I?”
Usopp smiled knowingly, noticing how his words were betrayed by the warmth in his voice.
“You have to remember to stay hydrated when you exercise, Zoro! And no, sake doesn't count!”
Usopp listened to them argue, laying back in the infirmary bed with a smile.
“I'll have Sanji bring you some fruit and ice water.."
“I'd rather die of thirst."
“ZORO!”
It was going to be a long week.