Zoro looked around the room with all the prisoners sitting at various tables. Finally, he spotted Luffy in the center, waving his arms to get Zoro's attention. It had been a few months since Luffy had been jailed for a joint attempted robbery with his temporary partners-in-crime, a burly man named Chopper and a man with large forearms named Franky. Due to the failure of the robbery and the lack of real weapons, as well as a first-time offense, Luffy's and Chopper's times were a few years, but Franky's time (as a repeat offender) was far longer.

"Hey, Luffy," Zoro said, sitting at the table with a grin. Luffy leaned across the table to hug him.

"How's prison life?" he asked once Luffy had leaned back.

Luffy made a face. "It sucks. The food sucks and the cell sucks. At least I can talk to Chopper."

Zoro glanced over to where Chopper sat. An elderly woman and man had joined him at his table, and he cowered as the woman spoke sternly to him. Franky, sitting a ways away, had no visitors.

"You guys are friends, then?" he asked, turning back.

Luffy grinned. "Yeah! We both kinda regret teaming up with Franky, even though he seems like an okay guy."

Zoro glanced at Franky again. "He's got a record of multiple offenses, not the least of which include armed robbery and breaking out of prison."

"Yeah, but he's an okay guy."

Zoro sighed. "If you say so."

"How's being a cop?"

Zoro shrugged. "It's alright. I'm usually on traffic duty or in the break room with Robin."

"Robin?"

"She was the other cop at the bank where we caught you," Zoro explained. "I've known her since college."

"Oh, her," Luffy said in surprise. "She seems cool. She took down Franky no problem!"

"She is pretty cool," Zoro admitted. "Don't tell her I said that."

Luffy flopped over the table. "I want out. I wanna come live with you already."

"I'm all ready for that," Zoro promised. "But you'll have to get a job eventually."

Luffy looked away.

"Luffy . . ."

"I dunno what I could do," Luffy said, turning back with a pout.

"How about retail?" Zoro suggested. "I worked retail in college. They probably wouldn't care if you killed someone, so a felony record wouldn't matter much."

"I worked retail one time before I got kicked out of home," Luffy said. "And then I got fired for punching a customer."

Zoro narrowed his eyes. "Maybe try not to do that again."

"Well . . ."

"Luffy."

"Okay."

Zoro reached across and took his hand, massaging his palm. Luffy closed his eyes.

Visiting hours ended all too soon.

"Hey," Luffy said one day while Zoro visited him. "What do you do at home?"

"I play solitaire or surf the web," Zoro said. "Sometimes I meet blondie or Usopp for coffee."

"The guys from the bank?" Luffy said in surprise. "Oh, yeah, you're friends with them. They're dating, right?"

"Yeah, they've been together since high school," Zoro said, staring up at the ceiling. "I was always a little jealous of them."

"Why's that?"

"I'd always missed you," Zoro muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "They've always been happy together, so . . ."

"Oh." Luffy grinned. "But I'm here now."

"Yeah," Zoro said with a smile. "Hey, what happened to your brother?"

"Ace?" Luffy said.

"What other brother do you have?"

"Well, there's Sabo."

Zoro frowned. "Who's that?"

Luffy smacked a hand to his forehead. "Oh, yeah, you never met him! Sabo was studying abroad that year! He came back a little after you moved away!"

"So he's another brother of yours?"

Luffy nodded with a grin. "He's really cool and smart. Anyway, um . . . the last time I saw him and Ace was when I got kicked out. I dunno where they are now."

"I see. What about your grandpa?"

Luffy frowned. "I dunno and I don't care."

"Alright."

"Merry Christmas," Zoro said one day.

Luffy grinned. "Merry Christmas! Sorry I can't get you anything."

"I brought you something."

"You did?! How?!"

"You have to come over here."

Luffy stood went to sit closer to Zoro. Zoro leaned forward and kissed Luffy's forehead.

"Oh!" Luffy exclaimed.

"No exchanging it for something else," Zoro said with a grin.

Luffy threw his head forward and slammed a sloppy kiss to Zoro's cheek.

"Merry Christmas!" he exclaimed, pulling back.

Zoro rubbed his face. "Let's work on that later."

A whole year had passed since Luffy had been jailed. Around this time, a pleasant surprise came to him.

"I can't believe I'm getting out," he said with glee, bouncing on his feet as Zoro sorted out things with the on-duty folk. "I thought my sentence was a few years, not one!"

Zoro shushed him and finished up with the officers. He led Luffy out of the building (both in civilian clothes) and took him to his car.

"I may have had something to do with you getting out so early," he admitted.

Luffy stared at him with round eyes. "How?"

"Starts with 'B' and ends with 'ribes,'" Zoro replied. He pulled out and drove down the street. "You're technically on parole. Basically, for a while, you're not allowed to go out in public unless I'm with you, you're not allowed near alcohol or drugs, and if you put one toe out of line you'll be back in prison and no amount of string-pulling is gonna get you out for a long time."

"Okay, that's fine," Luffy said, grinning. They pulled into Zoro's driveway. "Ooh, I like your house!"

The house's sides held peeling paint, and the inside was only about as big as an apartment.

"You do?" Zoro said in mild surprise.

Luffy grinned. "It's nicer than an alleyway."

Zoro got out of the car, went around, pulled Luffy out, and drew him into a crushing hug.

"Zoro?"

"I'm gonna make you the best meal you've had in a long time."

"You can cook?!"

"I live alone! Don't sound so surprised!"

Once dinner was done (Luffy had nearly cried upon eating a proper meal), Luffy and Zoro lay on the couch together, the tiny TV playing an old sitcom with the volume down low.

Zoro looked at Luffy and found he had fallen asleep already. Luffy's face was on Zoro's chest, pressing his cheek flat.

Zoro ran his hand through Luffy's hair with a smile before he fell asleep himself.