Chapter Text
There's a clang and a clatter as the door to the apartment swings open, making contact roughly with the wall. Luffy and Zoro both glance up from their spots on the couch to look towards the source of the sound.
The sight that Luffy's gaze lands on is of Nami and Vivi, barely through the doorway as they stumble into the apartment completely wrapped up in one another. They don't seem to notice that they're not alone, and Luffy feels like he and Zoro are interrupting something as they watch Nami push Vivi roughly against the wall and kiss her hard. It looks gross and messy and honestly not at all pleasant, and Luffy finds himself averting his gaze from the secondhand discomfort he gets. Luckily, Zoro isn't taking too kindly to the interruption either.
"Oi, do you mind?" Zoro calls towards the front of the apartment.
The two girls jump at the sound, turning startled expressions towards the sudden voice. Luffy glances back up at them and this time gives a wide lazy grin and a quick wave. Vivi immediately flushes red, eyes going wide with embarrassment as her blush spreads to her ears and down her neck. She ducks her head slightly in an attempt to hide, but Nami doesn't seem ashamed in the least. Instead, the look she fixes them with is a mix of exasperated anger and frustration, not moving an inch from where she still has the other girl boxed in against the wall.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she asks accusatorily, narrowing her eyes at Zoro.
"Uhh… I live here?" Zoro replies simply, raising an eyebrow as he meets her challenging gaze.
"Yeah but I thought you were-" Nami trails off, looking between the two of them before throwing her head back and groaning. "Ugh, you know what? I don't care."
With a huff, Nami steps back from Vivi only to reach for her wrist. She tugs Vivi along with her in the direction of her room
"We'll be in my room. If you need me, keep it to yourself."
Her call is punctuated with the slam of a door, and Luffy catches Zoro wince at the sound before mumbling to himself about his crazy roommate.
Luffy hums in thought, staring at the space that his friends had previously occupied. It's strange, seeing people making out like that, all messy and sloppy but also so passionately. Kissing between people happens all the time; in movies, at parties, or sometimes just randomly on the street, and it seems to be a popular and enjoyed activity. Other people make it seem like fun, but every time he's kissed anyone it's been… well annoying is probably the best word for it. Why would you ever want someone's tongue in your mouth like that? Sharing spit? It's gross and frankly pointless.
"I don't get it," he says suddenly, head resting on the arm he has propped up on the back of the couch.
"What don't you get?" Zoro questions idly, and Luffy can see him taking a sip of his beer out of the corner of his eye.
"Kissing. It's so weird."
There's a pause as Zoro seems to consider that statement, and Luffy hears the shift of movement before the still-playing TV in front of them is being muted.
"Have you ever kissed anyone?" Zoro asks, seemingly giving Luffy his full attention for the moment.
A lot of times when he says he's not interested in something, he gets some sort of pointed inquiry. How can you know you don't like sex if you've never tried it? is a question he's heard many times from people who can't wrap their head around the concept. It's stupid. He shouldn't have to try something he has no interest in just to know that he's not interested in it.
From Zoro, though, the question doesn't sound dismissive or judgmental. No, from Zoro it just sounds like curiosity, as if Luffy's answer won't give any extra weight to or discredit his feelings on the matter.
Truth is, he has kissed people before. Once at the end of what he thought was a hang out with a new friend, which turned out to apparently be a date. Once at some club Ace dragged him to in between dancing with random people on the floor. A handful of times at parties when he had agreed to 'games' that ended up being nothing more than excuses to drink and make out with others. He scrunches up his nose at the memories.
"Yeah, it's all slobbery and gross, and I don't want someone's tongue in my mouth," he answers honestly, pulling his gaze away from the empty entryway and over to his friend.
Zoro gives a noncommittal grunt, as if to just acknowledge that he's heard him. The look he's giving Luffy is focused, like he's considering his words as he takes another swig of his beer.
"What about kissing without tongue?" Zoro asks, again without anything unsavory in his tone.
Thinking back, Luffy doesn't think any of his kisses hadn't involved the other person's tongue. Typically they involved a lot of mouth and spit and—more often than not—the bitter taste of alcohol from the other person. He tilts his head to the side curiously, giving Zoro a sideways look.
"Is that a thing people do?" he asks by way of an answer.
The chuckle Zoro gives is warm and rich, reminding Luffy of just how much he likes his friend's voice and especially his laughter.
"Yeah," Zoro replies with a one-armed shrug. "Trust me, it's a lot different."
Luffy gives a soft hum as he considers that statement. His past encounters have lead him to the assumption that when people lock lips it's mostly the same gross uncomfortable experience every time. But a kiss without that part?
He doesn't mind platonic kisses so much, and he actually rather enjoys them as much as he enjoys any other form of affection with his friends and brothers. The drunken excited kiss Ace slaps on his forehead when they run into each other unexpectedly at a party. The press of Sabo's lips in his hair when he's half-asleep against him on a long train ride. The almost-kiss Sanji gives him as he presses their cheeks together in that French greeting he sometimes does. The firm kiss to his temple from an excited Nami when he's unwittingly helped her pull of some sort of scam. Maybe a kiss like that wouldn't be so bad, one without all the extra stuff.
Luffy sits up straighter and pulls his legs up, crossing them underneath him on the couch as he turns towards Zoro. There's a determination in his gaze as his eyes land on Zoro, met with a bit of apprehension from the other man.
"Can you show me?" Luffy requests, leaning forward slightly.
"What, like, kiss you?" Zoro replies with a quirk of an eyebrow.
Luffy gives an eager nod, smile spreading across his face easily.
"Yeah! Without tongue. If Zoro says it's different then I want to try it."
Zoro looks at him for a moment, considering. It doesn't take long for him to seem to make up his mind. He leans forward and sets his beer on the coffee table before turning to face Luffy, voice even and agreeable when he answers. "Sure."
Luffy beams at his friend's agreement, not that he really expected Zoro to turn down his request. Sabo always teases that he has Zoro wrapped around his finger, and maybe there's truth to that statement.
He's not quite sure where to start, but luckily Zoro has no qualms with taking the lead here, shifting a bit closer and reaching a hand out towards Luffy. The feeling of Zoro's hand splayed across the side of his face and jaw is nice. It's a sensation that is both familiar and new. They're not strangers to affection and physical contact between the two of them, but something about this touch feels more purposeful and intimate. Zoro's hand is rough and calloused from countless hours practicing and refining his kendo and iaido skills, and the evidence of the man's dedication and training sparks something within Luffy. He realizes he rather likes Zoro's hands.
Zoro leans closer and then hesitates, almost like he wants to check in and make sure that Luffy is serious about this whole thing. It only lasts for a fraction of a second however before that uncertainty is gone. That's one thing Luffy loves about him; he takes Luffy's words at face value and never tries to find some different meaning. If Luffy says something, Zoro trusts that he means it. Honestly, it's such a simple little thing, but something that's so hard to find. He's grown tired of people looking for deeper meaning or hidden intentions in his words, but with Zoro he never has to worry about being misunderstood.
When Zoro resumes his movement, he pulls Luffy towards him as well, and Luffy lets himself be guided forward until their lips meet. True to his word, Zoro's mouth stays closed. There's no heat or tongue or press for anything deeper. Instead, it's just the press of lips to his own and the hint of movement that he mimics as best he can. He slips his eyes shut once he notices Zoro has done so as well, following his friend's lead.
It's… nice. Really nice. Surprisingly nice. Zoro's lips are slightly chapped from too many days spent under the sun and pressed this close Luffy can smell the scent of alcohol and sweat underlined by something sharp like steel. He leans in a bit closer, making the kiss firmer but no less chaste. There's a small noise of what might be surprise from Zoro, and Luffy finds himself smiling into the kiss at the feeling of sound against his lips.
He wants more of this. More of these lips under his and the feeling of a firm hand on his face. More of the sounds and smells of having his friend so intimately close. More of Zoro, filling all of his senses.
When Zoro pulls away, Luffy can't help the disappointed whine that tugs itself from his throat. His heart is pounding in his chest and he's grateful for the weight of Zoro's hand which hasn't yet left. He blinks his eyes open to Zoro looking at him with a slight smile on his face.
"So?" Zoro asks, voice a little bit breathier than before. "Was that any b-"
Luffy cuts him off by pressing their lips together again, surging forward and reaching to take Zoro's face in his hands. Zoro's huff of surprise is muffled by Luffy's mouth, and so is his startled shout as the force of the kiss tips them back. Their lips barely stay connected as Zoro's back hits the seat of the couch and Luffy lands unceremoniously onto his chest, and Luffy can't help but laughing slightly into the kiss even as he doesn't pull back.
One of Zoro's arms wraps around his waist as he kisses back, and Luffy finds he quite likes the weight of it and their new position in general. He's always been a fan of physical touch and laying like this means he can feel Zoro closer than before. The hand that lingered on his face slides back, calloused fingers carding through his hair.
This time, Zoro doesn't pull away. He follows Luffy's lead and lets the kiss go on for as long as Luffy wishes it. Luffy feels comfortable and happy like this. It's nice to just to just lay with his best friend and touch and kiss. He thinks he understands the appeal of kissing now, if only in this way.
Eventually though, Luffy breaks the kiss and puts the smallest bit of space between them. He's a little bit breathless as he lets a grin split his face and smiles down at Zoro with bright eyes.
"Zoro was right," he proclaims with a laugh. "That was a lot better."
Zoro looks a bit dazed as he gazes up at Luffy. His eyes are slightly unfocused, his lips are parted, and his chest is rising and falling in rapid succession as he tries to catch his breath. He opens his mouth to respond, but Luffy doesn't give him a chance. He reaches out to grab Zoro's chin with a hand before pressing their lips together once more.
This time it doesn't last very long, just one more greedy kiss from the boy who isn't afraid to take what he wants, before he breaks away once again.
"We should do this again sometime," Luffy states with a smile.
Zoro blinks up at him, eyes still somewhat faraway even as they flit down and fix their attention on Luffy's mouth. Luffy watches Zoro's throat work as he swallows and tries to find his voice.
"Yeah…" Zoro says finally, something disoriented in his tone. "Okay…"
Luffy gives an excited laugh and that seems to finally snap Zoro back into some sort of focus. His heart gives a small skip in his chest at the sight of a smile fond smile on Zoro's face. He loves all of his friends, but there's something special about moments like these spent with just the two of them.
With their fun little moment of locking lips over for now, Luffy's attention gets pulled away to the next thing. Or rather, the previous thing as he reaches over to the coffee table to grab the disregarded television remote, stretching for the object and determined to grab it without forfeiting his place on top of Zoro. He toggles off the mute, and instead of resuming his earlier spot on the other end of the couch, he relaxes further into his new favorite position of the evening. The arm still around his waist tightens its hold just a bit and Luffy props an arm under his head and turns his attention back to the show they were watching earlier.
It's nice like this —comfortable and easy and simple—and not for the first time Luffy thinks about how grateful he is to have found someone like Zoro. Barely ten minutes have passed when Luffy starts to hear the even breathing and associated snores of the man below him. He laughs to himself at how easily Zoro is able to fall asleep just about anywhere and thinks that he might be able to drift off right here as well, pressed comfortably to Zoro's chest.