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Zoro can already tell Luffy's up to no good. First, because he's interested in whether this guy who supposedly murdered the king is a good guy or not, and second, because Luffy's been throwing glances at him like he knows Zoro knows.
So the next time their eyes meet, Zoro cocks his head to the side. Luffy gets to his feet like he was expecting it.
They sneak away from the party and unsurprisingly, it turns out Luffy made a deal with the guy everyone hates. Zoro agrees to go along with it easily enough, with only one condition – they’ll kill him if he tries anything.
It's not really what he was worried about, anyways.
The ruckus from the party is muffled. They're far enough from everyone.
"Can I see it?" Zoro asks.
"See what?" Luffy blinks.
Zoro rolls his eye. "Your freest form," he quotes.
"Oh!" Luffy exclaims, appraising Zoro for a second. "Sure."
He removes his helmet and closes his eyes and it's like there's a breeze blowing forth from Luffy himself, his bangs flowing up and his clothes ruffling before he fades to white from the ends of his hair all the way down to his sandals.
There's a soft glow to his skin, as if he has a lantern or his own little sun inside of him. He floats just slightly above the ground, like magical objects in children's books, and Zoro feels strange.
There's something about his face, too–
"Why," he says.
"Hm?" Luffy noises, turning his head like a puppy.
"Curly eyebrows," Zoro mutters, and Luffy throws his head back in laughter.
"Aren't they funny?" he giggles.
"They look like the shit cook's," Zoro laments.
"At least mine are symbolic!" Luffy exclaims, making a swirling motion with his index finger. It creates a little puff of cloud that he starts playing with.
Zoro's brain lags a little. "I think you mean symmetric.”
"Right, symmetric!" Luffy grins.
Zoro can agree that yes, at least Luffy's eyebrows both swirl towards the center of his face. Unlike the stupid cook's.
He lets his gaze travel to his white hair and the wreath of clouds twisting around his shoulders, to his eyes that gleam red in the afternoon light.
It feels like he's losing him to something he can't quite understand; feels like he’s watching the lanky kid that saved him with just a grin be buried under something too heavy and ancient for his frail shoulders.
It makes him nostalgic for simpler times, back when he was the only thing in Luffy's line of sight, sprawled in a dinghy too small for the two of them. He used to grumble about Luffy's incessant whining and prodding, but now he finds he misses it, finds that he wants Luffy's entire attention on him, selfishly and greedily.
It's maybe why he doesn't stop himself when he feels the urge to card his fingers through his soft hair.
There's a sad tinge to Luffy's smile as he lets Zoro pet him, as if he can tell what he is thinking – although Zoro knows Luffy could never fully understand the depth of what it is he feels for him; for his captain, best friend, partner, some other stupid words he'd never say out loud, all tangled up into one and leaving him aching with just how much he wants to be next to him every second of the day.
His hand slides from his hair down to his neck, settles against the warm curve of it. Almost imperceptibly, Luffy tilts his head towards the other side, allowing and welcoming the touch. After a moment, Zoro’s hand slides lower still, finds the left side of his chest where his heart is beating away like it's a wild beast of its own.
He wonders what Luffy sees on his face for him to say, softly, "I'm still me, Zoro."
And Zoro wants to believe that behind all the legends and prophecies, there's still just a boy with a big smile who will sit with him to look at the clouds or the sea or just each other, not too busy with the fate of the world.
Suddenly, Nami rounds the corner and startles when she sees them. Zoro removes his hand from Luffy’s chest as if burned.
"Sorry!" she blubbers, lifting her palms up, a blush tinting her cheekbones. "I thought- I thought you were gonna sneak off to see that Loki guy, not"-she makes a frantic gesture at the two of them-"whatever you're doing."
Zoro rubs the red bridge of his nose and Luffy yells, jumping straight to the essentials,
"Yeah, we're gonna go free him!"
"You-" She glances at Zoro and throws her hands up in the air. "Alright, then. Let's go."
They look at her with surprise. She arches an eyebrow. "Surely you didn't think you could get there without me?"
Luffy laughs and lets his Gear 5 flicker out. "Nope!" he quips, puts his helmet back on his head and runs ahead.
They watch him go and Nami turns to Zoro, hands on her hips. "What was that, huh?"
"Uh," Zoro stammers, "I just-"
"Wanted to touch a god's pecs?" she offers. "You're so gay, Zoro."
"What the- that's not it!" Zoro yells so loudly Luffy turns back to look at them.
"Don't worry," Nami giggles and pats his forearm as she passes him to run after Luffy. "You'll always worship him the most."