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"Thank you." (Y/n) smiled as the taxi driver helped her with her stuff.
The man shook his head as he reciprocated with a grin. "Anything for a pretty lady." He bowed like a gentleman before rushing to his car.
(Y/n) faced the house that seemed to be the one that was written in the letter. She raised a hand to press the doorbell, the ring could be heard from the outside. No later than one minute, the door swung open to reveal a man.
"(Y/n)!!" Luffy cried as he threw himself at her. His arms magnificently wrapping around her head and his legs curled around her waist, pressing her face into his chest. He sobbed and would adjust his hold on her a few times. The woman patted his thigh and waved her other hand.
"Lu-luffy. Can't breathe. Luffy!" She clenched her fist on the cloth of his shirt, tugging on it really hard. "Let go! Luffy, let go! Can't breathe, Luffy! Luffy!!" Her voice muffled by his body.
"Luffy!" A gruff voice called and a hand gripped unto the back of Luffy's shirt. The strength this person had was so great that if (Y/n) didn't hold onto the doorframe on instinct, she would have been pulled as well.
(Y/n) risked on letting one hand go so she was just hanging on the doorframe with one hand, smacking her freehand on the forearm of the person who was pulling unto Luffy. "No, stop. Don't pull!" As the person kept on doing what she pleaded not to do, Luffy's hold on her tightened. "Air. Air!"
~ timeskip brought to you by sneezing Chibi Zoro ~
They weren't able to get Luffy to let go of (Y/n), but they managed to move Luffy so that he hung by (Y/n)'s side like a baby or a Koala. Though he never stopped crying, tears quietly rushing down his cheeks without a sound from his mouth.
"Hi, Zoro!" She waved a hand on greeting.
"(Y/n) (L/n), Luffy's big sister." The man took her hand and shook it as a formal handshake.
(Y/n) stared at their connected hands then gave him a catatonic look. "I think I know who I am." Trying to shake her hand away from his grasp, but just like the strength he had shown from the tug-of-war not a little long ago, he had a really tight grip. "Ok.. so uhm, where's Luffy's room?" She asked.
"He doesn't use it."
"I know." Her countenance didn't change and Zoro interpreted like she was looking at him as if he is an idiot. "He clings to you when he sleeps."
His mouth opened and his jaw smacked back closed before finally letting out a "How.. how did you know?"
"He did that when Sabo died. Ace never let Luffy to actually cry on him. So I'm the only one who comforted him then. And I'll be the one who'll comfort him now." (Y/n) absentmindedly petted the top of Luffy's straw hat.
"Weeeaaaa.. aaaahh." Luffy sniffled. "(Y/n) was the kindest brother."
"Brother?" Zoro's neck was near to snap into two with the angle he had tilted his head.
"He still believes I am a man." (Y/n) sweatdropped. "Anyways.. where's Luffy's bedroom. I want to sleep now."
"The last door to the right." He pointed towards the kitchen.
Her mouth was ready to speak out that he might be pointing the wrong direction, but she shrugged it off. Successfully dragging her luggage while carrying Luffy.
~ month timeskip ~
It has been a while, not much... (Y/n) applied at the nearest tattoo parlor and even at a hair salon since she is talented with hairstyling. When Luffy couldn't stay put at home, he would visit her and for some reason unknown, he is like an obedient puppy. Keeping still and waiting quietly.
And when her shift ends, she would bring Luffy to the ice cream parlor for being such a good boy. When it was too early to go home, they would spend time together at the park or at the mall or anywhere that isn't home. (Y/n) would feel really sad how Luffy would act... not Luffy. Like he is so silent and so still like a statue, and the distant look in his eyes was sure to reflect the inner conflict that invaded his mind. Which is definitely not Luffy. He doesn't use his mind for anything.
Then, one of her regulars would drop by when he wasn't on call or on duty. Trafalgar D. Water Law, he's a surgeon that owns his own hospital. He just likes to listen to (Y/n) who would sometimes tell him the rumors she heard or stories she remembers from the past.
But when those two met, nothing could ever stop Luffy from popping Law's personal bubble. So sometimes, Law would tag along with those two and spend time together.
And when Luffy and (Y/n) get home, it's as if those two were stuck by super glue. At night, Luffy would use (Y/n) as either a pillow or teddy bear.
Zoro never felt so free when (Y/n) showed up. The man who he considered as his best friend was just choking him from his daily life and he admired the girl who simply lived her own and did not think of Luffy as a bump to her road.
God forbid him to admit that he actually missed waking up to Luffy desperately hugging him to death, the early morning wrestling was seen as an exercise to fully wake him up before taking a bath.
So when (Y/n) woke up to notice that she was wrapped by two people, nothing came into her mind. The days passed since Zoro first slept on Luffy's bed.
And after three months, on the night when Luffy decided to sleepover at Law's house... Law had no choice as he couldn't say no to the pure hearted man... that was when Zoro asked (Y/n).
A second before (Y/n)'s consciousness fell, Zoro had asked which sounded more of a demand. "Be my bed."
Since (Y/n) was so close to sleeping, she just chuckled and patted his green hair. "Ok, Zoro.. I'll be your girlfriend."
When she had fallen asleep, Zoro couldn't even blink an eye.
~~~
(Y/n) sat criss cross applesauce on the couch, Luffy's head using her right thigh as pillow while Zoro's head used the other. Both men were snoozing as their bodies were halfway sticking out of the couch. Luffy's straw hat rested on her head as she raked her fingers into their respective scalps.
"That's it?" Sanji monotonously asked.
She shrugged. "Well, I'm not into the process of dating before having the real relationship. I'm not sweet, but I am loyal, committed. I've never been in a relationship before, but I know I don't have to be overly fake to please my guy."
"Meant for each other." Robin chuckled as she sipped her tea.
(Y/n) released a relaxed sigh and gently stood up, not really caring that Luffy's and Zoro's heads were dangling off the couch now. "I'm tired for the day." Her hands held onto Zoro's sides and lifted him up her shoulder before flinging Luffy over her other shoulder.
"You can actually carry them both!" Usopp snorted.
"Like sacks of potatoes." Nami muttered.
"I'm strong." (Y/n) smirked. "Old man Garp is a Marine veteran. At a young age, I enlisted for the Air Force while Luffy and Ace became Marines."
"So that means... You participated in the War of the Best." Robin stated.
"Yes." (Y/n) was ready to step out of the living room, her muscles were tensed underneath the sweater she had borrowed from Zoro.
"You know... when you need a shoulder to cry on, you could always run to us." Nami said.
"What kind of an older sibling would I be if I lose my composure?" (Y/n) questioned.
"If Luffy was so broken that Zoro kept it to himself, and you were the only one who could keep him together, then is it not you who we are indebted to?" Robin countered. "It was Luffy who built this friendship, and you were the one who built Luffy. It is only natural for us that we would do anything for you."
"My actions are never measured to that of my brother's. Whatever he does, it was his doing under his command. Not because he wanted to please me, but because he just wanted to. I fight for my selfish acts as he does as well. You do are not indebted to me. You are indebted to Luffy who is a different person."
"Only Luffy saw our tears and fought for every sadness. And we fight so that we would never have to see his tears. But if you were the one who he runs to and weeps to, the one who he seeks comfort, then it is natural for us that we would protect you because you can stop his tears, can calm his stress. We're risking you for Luffy, and we just want to help you because we put you in such a situation." Robin argued.
"Only when I bite something I can't swallow. I'll keep your advices in mind." At that, (Y/n) headed off to Luffy's room.