Zolu Week day 1: Scars

Why is it in second person? The world may never know. Please enjoy and I'll see you at the bottom!
DISCLAIMER I DO NOT OWN ONE PIECE

It twinged, sometimes, the scar on your chest. There would be nothing identifiable to trigger it, maybe you were playing with Usopp and Chopper or sitting on the Sunny's figure head. You would move your hand to rest over it until the pain had passed, the whole thing only lasted a few seconds. The scar under your eye never hurt like this, so you didn't understand why the one on your chest would, but it didn't cause any problems so for the most part you ignored it. There wasn't anything you could do about it and it would only freak your crew out.

Though, sometimes, at night when everyone was sleeping peacefully you would dream of flying and then unbelievable heat and pain. You didn't understand it, the nightmare. It was never any images just pain and heat, the worse nights of it you would even smell burning flesh. In those moments you would bolt upright, hand moving to your chest to try and rub out the deep ache. Those were the times when the pain wasn't fleeting but lasted for hours, always centered on your scar.

The nightmare didn't make any sense, though you figured that it would if you did know what happened, but in your grief you had forgotten to ask about it. You supposed it didn't matter in the long run, and you also had a suspicion about who caused it. Marineford was a blur, and part of you was glad you couldn't remember all the details of that day otherwise you probably wouldn't be able to act as you normally did in front of the crew.

One night, as you were racing up, hand gripping at the torn flesh, you saw that Zoro was returning from the deck. Your eyes met, and in seconds your first mate was kneeling next to you. Neither of you spoke while your breath was calming down, and Zoro didn't move. Finally when your chest was no longer heaving you met Zoro's eyes once more. There was a question in them.

"It was a bad dream." You grin. "Nothing you need to worry about."

That caused Zoro to frown, shifting slightly and grabbing your hand. At first you watched patiently, seeing what the other would do. All your first mate did was wrap his hand around yours, squeezing gently.

"Does it hurt?" He asked, his low voice barely a whisper.

"Sometimes."

Zoro hummed. You were confused, the pain which would've lasted for hours was already subsiding. Maybe because you weren't focusing on it? Your first mate did nothing to indicate that he was going to move any time soon, but he did look lost in thought.

"My scars hurt too, you know."

That wasn't what you were expecting, but it provided the comfort you didn't know you were seeking, it also calmed you down from thinking there was something medically wrong with you. That would've been a blow, you think, to finally be reunited with everyone and find out something else is hindering your journey.

"Oi, you spaced out there for a minute." Zoro was speaking again, and his voice was still steady.

"Sorry." You reply, quieter than Zoro had.

Zoro once again squeezed your hand, and as best you could you squeezed back. He grinned at the returned gesture, but it fell just as fast.

"What was the dream about?" There was something more to his voice, underlying emotion you couldn't put a word too.

You supposed if you were going to tell anyone about Marineford it'd be Zoro, secrets were hard to keep from your crew, especially Zoro. It was a strange thing, how you and Zoro had always been able to read each other so well, better than you and Ace had.

"Not sure. I was flying and there was heat and it hurt." You reply, because you were sure that it was a memory but you couldn't be vague over something already so vague.

Zoro is looking at you, looking for something but you aren't sure what, instead he drops your gaze to look at your chest. You return the favor, looking at the scar that sealed his eye. Lifting the hand that wasn't pinned by Zoro, you place your thumb and run down the length of the scar. It was a small groove and you only assume it came from a sword. Most of the other scars Zoro had came from a blade, and they were either raised or dipped.

Surprising the swordsman let you continue touching it, you has seen how he had denied Chopper's examination. You supposed it was because you would let him do the same, supposing he wanted to examine the X shaped crater in your chest. As you thought that, Zoro easily lifted himself up to the hammock, giving you a look that told you that he was going to lay down.

Some wiggling later and you were both comfortably pressed against each other, somehow your first mate still had a hold of your hand. Zoro rested his forehead against yours, and you pressed against him. It was a familiar position, from back when you both had to sleep in a dinghy. You chuckled at the thought of how far you've come. He raised an eyebrow, but otherwise Zoro gave no reply.

It surprised you, when you realized you weren't experiencing the violent ache that accompanied the dream. You decide then its because of Zoro's presence, the swordsman unknowingly protecting you from pain. The serene calm that surrounded you to lasted for awhile, you were sure that there was purple on the horizon indicating it was morning. Though it didn't seem like your first mate was going to complain about a lack of sleep. You knew that you would find him napping somewhere on the deck later.

Minutes later and you felt you hand being moved so that it rested somewhere on Zoro's torso, it seemed like he was just moving it. So you moved so that it was laying over where you knew his scar was, rubbing at it through the clothing he wore. Zoro did the same to you, only yours was exposed scar or not you weren't going to close your shirt up unless you arrived at a winter island. Slowly Zoro mapped out the scar, using light traces from his index finger. It tickled and was soothing that the same time. Your first mate stopped when he got to the center of the scar and flattened his palm against it.

You tilt your head as much as you can laying on your side, and wonder what he's going to say.

"That was a close call." It was said more to himself than to you, but you could feel the subtle shift of emotions.

You know he's thinking that he should've been there, and sometimes in idle moments you wonder if it would've made a difference if your entire crew was there. Still you poke him in the center of his forehead and chuckle as the odd expression morphed into a small scowl, which didn't last long instead fading into a face of neutral peace.

He doesn't move his hand from where its flattened against your chest and after a few moments of deciding you do the same to him. Zoro only shifts into the feeling, and unconscious movement. You also wonder what's made your swordsman so docile and affectionate this evening. Like everyone else, you guess, the relief of coming back together hasn't quite worn off yet, but it will the moment that you face danger. Which knowing your crew and yourself you know was likely to happen very quickly.

You yawn, surprised that you're just now feeling tired, and blink languidly. Zoro notices it, and only moves so that you're more pillowed against his chest, never suffocating you, but always close enough that you knew you were fine to sleep with him taking guard.

Right before you drifted off another, more childish thought crossed your mind, as morbid as it may seem to others. "Zoro, our scars match."

There was an intake of air that may have been a chuckle, followed by a deep voiced reply you nearly missed as you fell asleep. "Aye, captain."

Please leave your thoughts below! Later! ~IF