Author's Note:

Well, here's something spontaneous and new for me. Behold, the first chapter of a ZoLu fic inspired by the song Hero/Heroine by Boys Like Girls that eventually just snowballed horrifically into something that wasn't even close to what I first imagined. My fingers were, quite literally, possessed the entire time. That said, I really hope I don't butcher this. Oh! And one tiny detail: this is somewhere after the Time Skip, but I didn't set a definite time.

Rated T for quite a bit of language because, well, Sanji's included here. And it's One Piece; it just fits.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, obviously.

Warning: **Spoilers for anyone not caught up to the aftermath of the Marine Ford arc.

A massive thanks to C.C. for being a fantastic beta, too - any mistakes left are mine.

"Zoro?" a voice whispers softly, and then there's a light shake of his shoulders. "Oi, Zoro!" they try again while a smooth finger prods at his cheek.

The man in question cracks his only eye open, and the ghost of a smile flickers to life for a moment as he swats at the hovering hand. Just a few centimeters of empty space away, an impossibly wide pair of black eyes blink back at him. The trademark scar etched just below the left definitely brings more edge to the otherwise innocent face, and it's so stupid to think of such a thing. His captain's bubbly personality alone flips the idea of him being a widely feared pirate on its head.

That doesn't stop Zoro from admiring, of course – admiring every minuscule detail of Luffy's easy-on-the-eyes smile, every intricate curve of that slender, almost delicate face. Zoro wants to hit himself for that one, knows better than to think of Luffy as delicate. Still, they're close enough that all he has to do is lean forward and - Zoro's breath catches in his throat, startled once he realizes where his train of thought is taking him. But he's quick to cover it up, shaking his head distractedly and smothering the urge to 'attack'. It's harder then he'd like to admit.

"Oi~ Zoro-Zoro-Zoro-Zoro! Come play Hide 'n Seek with us!" Luffy chirps, well beyond what any normal person would call hyper. Luffy never ceases in his provocative tugging on Zoro's arm, impatiently bouncing on his sandal clad feet all the while.

When Zoro hears Chopper's yips of excitement and Usopp's booming laughter (more like maniacal cackling) somewhere in the background, he begins wondering just what the hell kind of sugary monstrosity his fellow shipmates have been shoveling down their throats this fine evening (or maybe it's morning? How long has he been asleep?).

"Luffy, not now." Zoro scowls briefly, certainly not menacingly, and his eye slips shut. Unfortunately, said action is not completed before Luffy jostles him one more time and drops his arm with a THUD, his captain's face falling with it. It's a solemn, saddened look that swallows the joyous grin whole, and it seems very out of place on Luffy when this situation doesn't call for such disappointment.

Warily watching Luffy now, relief washes over Zoro as the expression morphs into the childish pout that appears every time Luffy is denied what he wants. Alleviation aside, he really wishes Luffy would stop making that face. It's one of the few things in this world that tends to make his heart stutter and skip beats inside his chest, no matter how many times he's seen it. The number one thing is definitely Luffy's smile.

"You're no fun, Zoro!" Luffy complains, sticking his tongue out and stalking off not two seconds later.

Zoro sighs, watching as the infamous straw hat and its owner disappear into the kitchen with a desperate whine of, "Sanji~ FOOD!" And even though Zoro's quite alarmed when no crashes sound or harsh profanities are shouted in return, he lets it go in favor of the thoughts pestering him.

How am I- what am I supposed to say? Can't you just give me a sign that we're still... whatever the hell we were, before Saboady, Luffy?

With a grimace, he surveys the wide range of blue sky before him, as if it holds answers, and nearly screams in frustration. But, of course, he doesn't resort to that, because it's not what someone as level-headed as Zoro does. He can't quite come up with an accurate definition of what his and Luffy's on/off fling was before everything went to shit at Saboady Archipelago; Kuma put a wrench in their jubilant family of misfits, and shot down Zoro's already somewhat complicated relationship in the process.

Maybe they could have been called lovers, considering the plethora of memories Zoro owns in which himself or Luffy had wordlessly dragged the other into the crow's nest for an affair of clinging and groping, limbs tangled in a horribly confusing fashion as nails left burning trails down his chest (he never allowed Luffy to scratch his back in any way- "scars on the back were a swordsman's greatest shame," after all, and Zoro was a paranoid bastard).

That was also when he, quite accidentally, discovered Luffy was ticklish. Luffy couldn't, and probably still can't, be touched in certain places without exploding in laughter or obnoxiously snorting. It was a piece of information Zoro had abused mercilessly, teasing his captain at random times with fingertips that danced across his abdomen, because Luffy's laugh never failed to make Zoro's heart soar.

Unfortunately, all the ruckus it caused often had the other Straw Hats wandering towards their location out of curiosity. Zoro can't even count how many times he and Luffy mad-dashed clear across the deck to hide, naked as the day they were born, in hopes of continuing whatever they'd been doing. Their relationship really wasn't all that complicated, now that Zoro thinks about it. Rather bluntly put, things morphed into casual sex. There was an unspoken tension crackling in the air between he and Luffy, too strong not to act on.

The chance of getting caught was also too thrilling to pass up and, as Zoro later came to understand, said possibility fueled the furnace of lust like the apocalypse was upon them. And yet, who could blame them? It had been a 'now or never' type of situation, considering the dangerous seas they sailed. They hadn't known back then if they would even live to see another day. The Grand Line wasn't called the "Pirate Graveyard" for nothing, after all. Still, it really was an absolute miracle they hadn't been found screwing at least once as their number of shipmates steadily rose.

To this day, Zoro still isn't completely sure whether or not Robin used her powers to spy on them, bringing the phrase "the walls have eyes" into literal terms. It was suspicions like those that had prompted Zoro to glance about the room with narrowed eyes when his you're-being-watched and pervert-alert senses tingled – but then his captain would wriggle beneath him and Zoro's attention would be brought back to current activities with an angry snap of, "OI! NO BITING!"

The dark-humored woman giggled every damn time Luffy sat next to him, and she always lingered in the vicinity of their last make-out session. Call him crazy if such things weren't reason enough to have put unwavering faith in the belief that Robin was as much a pervert as Franky, Brook, or, dare he say it: Sanji.

And when such physical acts of more-than-friendship-ness weren't being carried out, Zoro found that Luffy's company in and of itself was just plain... nice. He'd be content to sit in the crow's nest for hours, listening to Luffy chatter on about ridiculous topics, completely enthralled with the way Luffy used his entire body to tell a story as opposed to simply his mouth. Zoro was so gone. No matter how hard he'd fought it in the beginning, Zoro still developed a sort of – ahem – incurable addiction to any and all parts of Luffy, personality or otherwise. It has just been so damn easy to fall.

But, yet another flaw in the grand scheme of things was that they hadn't exactly hurled themselves too far out of the closet, where all the world and their shipmates were free to openly gawk. They'd never told... anyone, really. Zoro can't help but wonder what could have been if they had. Would they be any closer than they are now?

A deep longing and regret settle in the pit of his stomach at the thought. He recalls that same thrilling connection of lips from so long ago, a thing that he'd failed to take advantage of then and now misses with such a passion that it leaves him fucking breathless. Those moments were too few and too far apart, so disappointingly short-lived. It's like a sucker-punch to the gut when he thinks back to the days where those fiery kisses had made Luffy tug at his shirt and invade his personal space.

Luffy absolutely destroyed the meaning of personal space, and Zoro had often wondered if Luffy was aware of what he did to him, knew he was causing those goose-bumps of anticipation to prickle along Zoro's skin as those fingertips carded through his hair, down his chest, just everywhere. Everything Zoro knew had become Luffy. And he can still feel the ghost of Luffy's breath along the shell of his ear, whispering a set of Captain's Orders that would have left even the most fearsome pirate stuttering madly. Who had he been to deny Luffy?

Distantly, Zoro also remembers that Usopp once attempted to follow them, obviously having misunderstood what they were getting up to, and requested he join them. Needless to say, Usopp was sent running in terror at Luffy's infuriated, genuinely offended glare, and words Zoro won't soon forget punctuated by an amusing stomp of a foot: "Are you crazy? I can't share Zoro, that'd be like sharing meat! Zoro's mine. So there, Usopp, you can't have him!"

All hell had broken loose in the seconds that followed, of course. Perturbed yells of, "You are so fucking dead, Luffy!" and a flaming blush at the implications of Luffy's words were the main part of Zoro's reaction. Then he had chased his chortling captain to each corner of the deck, screaming that he was serious about drowning the bastard for it. Zoro never did, but he knows that he would have jumped in to save Luffy, anyways, trying to smother a grin because of the little squeeze of happiness Luffy's declaration had given him (despite being likened to a piece of meat).

Outside ship-life, battle hadn't permitted conversations, and the alternative was subtle touches bestowed upon tan and fair skin alike, meaningful glances promising with unparalleled certainty some form of closer contact later that same night in either pirate's hammock.

Lo and behold, this is where the cuddling ensued.

It had always been a reoccurrence since the very beginning of their togetherness. The pair were still screaming their insane dreams to the wind, counting the stars in a cramped dinghy that offered no ample room for any kind of separate sleep whatsoever, when the great cycle of snuggles began. Zoro supposes it became a bit of a habit for both Luffy and himself, the head of the Straw Hat captain typically resting upon the myriad of scars cut into his first mate's chest and a pair of muscled arms keeping Luffy where they felt he belonged. When Nami unofficially joined, she had given them odd yet knowing looks in response to their behavior, which Zoro had resolutely ignored for the sake of his sanity, and which Luffy was downright oblivious to.

Even when Merry Go had been presented to them, breaking from this tradition seemed impossible. Foggy memories of seeking closeness and flopping down on different bunks after managing to find his counterpart in the darkness of the men's cabin are still ever-present. Zoro doesn't deny that he somewhat enjoyed those moments (More than enjoyed, his mind chides snidely), and sorely misses them now because they don't happen anymore.

None of it does, actually.

Despite knowing that sad truth, Zoro's blood is pumping like Franky's cola to the Sunny, heart damn close to beating out of his chest as a consequence, and it really hurts - a lot more than he suspects it should. His stomach is an absolute mess, flip-flopping all over; it's fluttering like butterflies on steroids are batter-ramming into some metaphorical exit with all their might.

So they're Mystery Butterflies, Zoro muses, Luffy's adorable "aha!" face flashing in his mind quickly. He squeezes his temples between the heels of his hands with a groan and just barely refrains from slamming his head onto the railing as hard as he can. Everything goes back to his captain, it seems. God, this was so fucking stupid.

Why did one simple, short, insignificant conversation with that kid make him unravel like this? Zoro doesn't do that for anyone but Luffy, not even Kuina, although he wouldn't say his feelings for her were even remotely similar to what they are now for Luffy. It's sort of fucking terrifying. Zoro can't pretend that everything was no-strings-attached. Hell no, it wasn't! Those strings are still tied so tightly that they feel like they're cutting off his circulation.

"You're in looovvee~" a voice, supposedly locked in a faraway corner of his mind, taunts bitingly.

It sounds suspiciously like Sanji.

It's... true, despite how horrifying and yet somehow elating the thought of loving Luffy is. The way Zoro imagines it, outright rejection or uncomprehending silence would be the immediate answer to a confession of his feelings, and this scenario nags and screams to be heard above all else. He wishes he could just say fuck the consequences and go for it, but Zoro can't risk that – he can't risk losing Luffy, or risk making things so awkward that Zoro is forced to leave the crew altogether.

Luffy can understand the simplicity of sex just fine, obviously has more than enough experience, but Zoro isn't so sure his captain realizes that there's an actual relationship thriving somewhere in between. At least, feelings have always been a part of it for Zoro. And maybe that's just it; maybe Luffy has never been on the same page as him and Zoro's just begging for a broken heart. It isn't a fun thing to dwell on, but it keeps surfacing and surfacing until he's unable to just stop thinking about it.

"So... you're a bad guy?" and there's barely even a pause for breath before another statement is fired off with all the nonchalance in the world. "I'm looking for people to join my pirate crew."

"Pirate? Heh!" Zoro laughs mirthlessly, pondering the boy's opening question but not commenting on it just yet. "So you're another one of those suckers... just gave up on life and became a criminal, huh?"

"Hey, watch it! That's my dream!" the stranger suddenly grows hard-eyed. "There's nothing wrong with being a pirate."

"Hmmm?" Zoro half-smirks, half-grins in that way of his that sends people running, something occurring to him. "I don't suppose you're going to force me to join, after you untie me."

"Haven't decided yet." The young pirate ducks his head and adjusts his hat with a poorly hidden grin. "I thought I'd check you out before making that call, since everyone says you're a bad guy."

Well, that's different from anything Zoro's ever heard, and he's sure it shows on his face: blatant intrigue.

Zoro sighs, but the sound is inaudible. "...A bad guy, huh?"

Reminiscing was never on Zoro's to-do list, so he doesn't know why the reminder of their meeting comes rushing back to him all at once. But there it is, all splayed out in front of him: a simple boy. That was it. A seemingly ordinary boy who appeared out of nowhere when Zoro was in the most pitiful condition of his life up to that point.

He was languished, bloody, hungry because of those damned guards taunting him, and just all around dizzy from the blistering heat. One more detail played a huge factor in their meeting besides fate and destiny - all those other superficial names you could call a chance event like this one. It was, of all things, Zoro being tied to a splintery pole in the yard of some Marine Base, as punishment for protecting a few civilians from the wrath of some spoiled brat who allowed his vicious wolf, an animal literally born and bred to be wild enough to attack the human population, do that very thing.

He had already sat outside that dreadful marine base for nine days. (It's only for a month, then I'm out of this hell-hole for good, he'd been thinking, the phrase repeating like a broken record through his head as the days seemed to drag on longer.)

Then, Luffy came and blurted the question without a care, with no regard for how offensively it could be taken.

And it was offensive, at first. Zoro remembers it had actually stung just the slightest bit that Luffy even sought to investigate such a thing. But Zoro should've known, because everyone else who glanced at his "scary" face automatically assumed that, yes, he was definitely evil and to be avoided at any cost. (He now admits he hadn't known Luffy well enough yet to understand that he was just brutally honest with everything and anything that moved.)

His grin had turned feral when Luffy told him he'd set him free and take him aboard his ship – not as a prisoner or whatever Zoro might've been thinking, but to join him; to be his friend. It was laughable, really. He wanted Zoro to join his pirate crew? Honestly, he'd been expecting the boy to run for the hills with his tail tucked between his legs, him being a famous pirate hunter and Luffy being, well, a pirate. That was mainly why it didn't add up when nothing of the sort happened - the kid was fearless and Zoro had tried so damn hard not to be impressed. Luffy's dark eyes were intense, and even now Zoro rarely saw that intensity dim. It was shiver-inducing, how Luffy tried so persistently to convey that he was not to be sent off with a sharp glare that easily. Not him.

But he's nothing special, he's the same as every other damned fool out there, Zoro had reminded himself, over and over again, willing himself not to be sucked into that contemplative stare; it was unnerving, irksome, reminded him of a long-dead friend who, once upon a time, expertly handled swords.

After all, nobody ever bothered to deal with Zoro kindly, such a thing was preposterous when they thought it would get them nowhere.

He had never answered Luffy's initial question, he realizes now, because he honestly hadn't known the answer. The only thing Zoro had known back at that time was that when he'd been reliving the past – hearing the smack of two bamboo swords ricocheting off of one another so clearly, and thinking of Kuina, a girl who could only be described as one huge hole in his heart that had never quite filled properly - Luffy had been standing right there as he snapped out of it. Right in front of Zoro, like a gift from above that screamed he's it, he's here, he's your beginning and end.

Because, really, looking back on it now, he swears it was a sign that Luffy would soon become someone very special to him; a dear friend to be protective over even when he knew all too well that Luffy could handle himself. Coincidentally, Zoro falls asleep, dead to the world the second the thought crosses his mind. He surrenders, allowing himself to be lured into a homey dream - well, memory, he supposes - just as fast.

Zoro gasps and, head snapping up swiftly, he tries in vain to grab his swords. His eyes are wide, breathing ragged and heavy as he snaps out of the trance memories of her always induced. The swordsman focuses on the thrumming of his pulse, commands it to slow. "Huh?" he grunts, noticing the shadow darkening the ground before him, and his eyes travel upwards to see the same kid that pestered him earlier.

"Yo," the boy raises a hand far too casually, like they know each other.

The condescending sigh escapes before he can stop it. "You again? Leave me alone already, I don't wanna be a pirate!"

"I'm Luffy," the odd character suddenly gives his name, but offers no further introduction. "If I loosen those ropes, you're gonna become my nakama, 'kay?"

Zoro grimaces, almost growling at the (apparent) pirate in front of him. Luffy's invading his bubble, inches from his face now, and it annoys him to no end that he can't back away. "I thought I'd made myself clear last time, dumbass! I have things I need to do. Besides, I'd rather not sink to the level of a pirate."

"Does it even matter? You're already known as the 'evil pirate hunter' anyway."

"I don't care what society thinks. There's not one thing I've done in my past that I regret, and the same will be true for my future." He glares harder. "I won't become a pirate."

"Don't care! You're joining me!" Luffy barks in a clipped tone, only adding to the effect when he crosses his arms defiantly and puffs his cheeks out in one of the most childish displays Zoro has ever seen.

Zoro gapes, bristling defensively. Who did this kid think he was? "You can't just decide that by yourself!" he shouts, incredulous.

"Hey, you use a katana, right?" Luffy spits out another random question, never ceasing to keep Zoro guessing about the things he could be thinking or what is going to come out of that forever-grinning mouth next. Honestly, it's the oddest, most mind-boggling thing he's ever come across; this new creature called a 'Luffy'.

"Well, yeah..."

"Where's it at?"

"Somewhere in the base, 'cause that damn brat took it. It's... something I treasure most, aside from my life anyway." Zoro has to ask himself why he includes that last bit, because it isn't something he tells just anyone, and he's already decided Luffy isn't… special.

"Treasure? Hmm, must be something great!" Luffy points a finger towards the building, catching Zoro's attention further. "Guess I'll go find that 'damn brat' and take your katana back, then!"

"Wait, what?"

"Oh, you know. So when I return your sword you'll have to become my nakama," and the bastard has enough guts to laugh in Zoro's face.

"You really are dense. And that's just playing dirty!"

Luffy merely laughs once more and runs off, leaving the sound hanging in the air and ringing in Zoro's ears.

Zoro can do nothing but watch him go, confused and frazzled by the audacity Luffy has. Is he seriously going to take on the whole base alone? What an idiot.

Then something occurs to him and he wants to slam his head into something; the kid's going in the opposite direction of the base (and oh, the irony of this situation).

"Hey! It's on the other side, you imbecile!"

This is not going to end well. But Zoro can't lie - this stubborn, mysterious boy with the straw hat has piqued his interest.

Coby shows up not too much later, and begins untying him. The runt's spouting something intriguing, though. It's all blabber about Luffy going ballistic on Helmeppo after finding out about Zoro's execution coming sooner than expected (he should have seen that one coming, really, there was no reason to be so surprised), and retaliating by punching his lights out. The only significant part of the whole story that has really gotten under Zoro's skin is a certain phrase, and it just won't stop repeating through his mind.

Luffy had... done it all for him. By then, it's too late. Luffy has managed to make Zoro let him in.

But next thing he knows, Coby is caught red-handed, and the Marines are pointing dozens of guns at them. All Zoro can think about is he how cannot die here, because he made a promise to a girl who echoed Zoro's dream, who fell down the stairs and had the heavens steal her soul away not a day after that vow was established.

Just when he starts believing this really is the end for him, there's the distinct sound of glass shattering as bullets fly straight at them - and, to Zoro's horror, Luffy is standing right in their path. He waits for some kind of terrible scream, or for the body to drop to the ground, dead, at his feet (and, of course, he awaits the regret for even allowing himself to put trust in someone).

But, and this really shouldn't be as shocking as it is, all things considered, Luffy defies the laws of nature as the bullets sink deep into his skin, a bunch of thin mountains stringing out endlessly for a few seconds. And then, like some twisted version of a mutant, bullet-proof trampoline, he bounces them right back from where they came.

"That won't work!"

Who, and what, the hell is this guy, exactly?

Apparently, he is Monkey D. Luffy, a "man" of seventeen who has eaten the Gomu Gomu no Mi and turned into rubber, proud wearer of a tattered straw hat. The cherry on top, of course, is that he's totally and completely dead-set on becoming the next Pirate King, which he so proudly screams when Zoro asks his identity. What. The. Hell.

"Become the Pirate King?! Do you even understand what you're saying?!"

"The Pirate King is the Pirate King... what else could it mean?" Luffy replies matter-of-factly, and everyone just stares at him like they've just witnessed him finally derail from a little thing called sanity.

But Coby's eyes shine behind his glasses as he beams at Luffy in admiration. "I was surprised, too, but Luffy-san is real serious. He will become the Pirate King, and find One Piece. I just know it!"

Zoro's mouth falls open in shock at the amount of faith the words carry and Luffy laughs awkwardly at the attention, scratching at the back of his neck sheepishly while he grins a mile wide. He blinks suddenly and holds out the three swords previously strapped to his back.

"Here. I couldn't tell which one was yours, so I just took 'em all."

"I own all three. I use three katana to fight..." He fidgets, shoulders rolling in hopes of getting his arms free, waiting impatiently to finally, finally take his beloved swords back.

Luffy hums, frowning slightly for a reason Zoro can't identify before he's all smiles again, shoving the swords into Zoro's face, "You'll take them, right?" Luffy's smile widens, and his tone rings mischievous, playful. "But if we fight together, you'll owe me. You get to pick, I guess, so... which is it, killed by Marines or becoming my nakama?"

Zoro resists rolling his eyes. He knows he owes him, just for getting his damn swords, but now he's truly indebted to Luffy. He's saved Zoro's life. Still, he declares, "You're the son of the devil!" and his grin amplifies indefinitely. "Fine. I'd rather be known as a pirate than die here."

"Awesome! You'll be my nakama, this is perfect! Yahoo~" Luffy exclaims animatedly, doing a bizarre victory dance with Zoro's swords involving raising them up and down repeatedly... in the middle of a fucking Marine Base's courtyard like it's the most normal thing he could be doing in this situation. Seriously, what on earth is wrong with this kid? Zoro has the sneaking suspicion that Luffy is asked that question quite a lot, which, unbeknownst to him, is completely correct.

Letting it go for now, he just shakes his head and says, "I get it - now untie me from this pole!"

As Zoro predicted from the start, Luffy can't handle the knots, claiming that they're getting tighter instead of loosening. They run out of time. The Marines come at them quickly, intending to chop Luffy, and he quotes, "into little rubber pieces". Thankfully, Luffy manages to get one side undone and Zoro yells for him to hand over his swords.

Soon, all three katana are released, blocking each and every sword the soldiers hold. He hears Luffy squealing about how cool he is, the Marines scared for their lives behind him after a very effective threat. Then he decides, just for the hell of it, right there and then, to make the conditions between him and his new captain crystal clear.

"I promised I'd be a pirate with you, and challenging the Marines will make me a wanted man. That's all fine. However, there's one thing you must honor: I will always follow my own ambitions."

"Ambitions?"

"To become the World's Greatest Swordsman," Zoro states firmly. "If you ever do anything that jeopardizes or causes me to abandon my goal, you must end your own life, by my sword."

"World's Greatest Swordsman? Hmmm, that sounds nice!" Luffy's voice is filled with awe, eyes sparkling. It isn't hard to tell he's thrilled at the prospect, talking about Zoro's dream like it's his own. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you, since you're going to be the Pirate King's nakama. I'd be in a dilemma if you couldn't accomplish at least that much!"

"Heh! Indeed," he scoffs.

They fight Morgan, but Zoro stands back for a while because, surprisingly enough, his help is unnecessary. He watches Luffy's insane display of strength as he finally pins Morgan, punching him angrily and accusing him of sullying Coby's dream. Then - what a surprise - that idiotic son of Morgan's comes running out into the courtyard like a maniac, pulling a gun on Coby, threatening to blow his head off. Luffy begins standing up. Coby continues whimpering when the barrel of the gun taps his head every time Helmeppo's hand trembles, worried the trigger will be pulled accidentally. Then Coby glances up at Luffy, blinks owlishly, and there's resolve in his eyes once he looks away. Zoro wonders what the hell happened, but has a brief, crazy thought that Luffy is magical and decides not to go down that road.

"Luffy!" Coby yells. "I don't want to interfere with your dream, even if I die!"

Luffy grins calmly, reassuringly, and all the more convincingly when he slaps a hand onto his bicep as if prepping for a punch - not that he isn't, because there's no way Luffy's passing up yet another chance to pummel Helmeppo.

"Hear that? Coby's serious..."

"I am the great Marine Captain, Axe Hand Morgan!" the overconfident giant roars, "sneaking" up behind Luffy, who doesn't even blink or stop smiling or budge from his stance of the punch he means to aim at the man's son. It's a show of trust, Zoro realizes with a jolt. Luffy trusts him with his life even though he's only truly known him for a few hours, and the sentiment makes something inside Zoro clench in a pleasantly painful way. Clamping down on Wadō with his teeth, Zoro moves with swiftness unseen and slices at Morgan, stopping the fatal movement of the axe that would have chopped Luffy in half just as it lightly taps the straw hat upon his head.

"Nice..." Luffy chirps, unfazed, his arm slithering back into place with a sharp snap while Morgan shouts in agony and falls to the ground like a tree trunk, "Zoro."

The way he says his name, his tone when he uses it, makes Zoro grin around his katana. "It was nothing. Just doing my job..." pausing, he tests the foreign word, "Captain."

The image of the Marine base fades and suddenly they're eating in the little girl and her mother's café. Luffy's telling him about how it's just going to be them in the crew until they stumble upon more people he thinks - no, wants and/or demands join. In Zoro's case, blackmail. He's startled to find that this fact doesn't bother him. Shaking it off, Zoro looks out the window to see exactly what their "pirate ship" is like.

He quirks an eyebrow, disbelieving. "...That?"

"It's small now, but I promise I'll get us a reaaaally big one!" Luffy yells enthusiastically, gesturing with his arms just how big the ship is going to be.

Zoro doesn't think anyone's ever gotten him to laugh so hard in his entire life.

It's remarkably warm. That's the first thing Zoro notices as he wakes up from his dream, not bothering to open his eye to identify the source. The heat is extremely comforting, after all, though he doesn't know why. Feeling oddly compelled, Zoro pulls the warmth closer, hugging it with a visceral need. It's only when the warmness groans, and something that feels distinctly like a pair of arms squeeze tighter around his middle that Zoro's eye snaps open.

Someone is cuddling him, intimately, and all he can think of is the endless possibilities of it somehow being the Love-Cook or Usopp, and maybe even worse: Nami. Please, please let this be Robin playing some sort of retarded prank. But, no, it couldn't be, because his gaze is met with a mop of unruly raven-colored hair. And Zoro is so damn happy about that simple color that he must be glowing; it really has been too long since this last happened.

"...Luffy?"

Let me know what you guys think of it so far! Expect the next chapter very soon, too, as I've already written the whole thing out and only have some minor editing to do.