A/N: Just watching some of the Rocketman episodes for Water 7/Enies Lobby arc when this little plotbunny hit me. And does no one else wonder where the new outfits came from? They just appeared out of nowhere Oo' Also, it should be noted that I've seen Zambai's name also spelled Zanbai. Since I wasn't sure which is the correct spelling, I went with the first.

This oneshot contains spoilers for the Water 7/Enies Lobby arc as well light shounen ai/yaoi, consider yourself warned.

The usual disclaimer's apply, the characters belong to Eiichiro Oda, the plot of this tidbit belongs to me.

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"Here, it isn't much, but at least you'll be dry."

Zoro glanced at the offered jacket in Zambai's hand. He was perfectly fine with wearing his usual shirt (even if it was now torn, soaked through and stained with blood), but the bounty hunter seemed eager to offer his assistance.

"Ah, thanks," He took the jacket with a straight face. Luffy had invited them on board, an almost back-handed forgiveness when it came to his captain, so Zoro no longer held a grudge for their actions against Usopp. The destruction of their home and the ass-kicking was satisfaction enough.

Zambai grinned, embarrassed and nervous—there was even a hint of shame hidden just behind his shakey grin—rubbing the back of his head as he returned to his close-knit group of comrades.

With a twinge of pain, Zoro pealed his shirt off. His wounds still smarted and some of the blood had dried to the material, pulling still-new scabs loose. It wasn't anything serious, hardly worth noticing compared to some of his past injuries, but it still stung.

He sighed as he wrung out the poor shirt. He really needed to try and avoid getting torn up all the time; he was starting to run low and replacing them was a pain…

Luffy plopped down next to him, pulling the sides of his shorts with a big, goofy grin on his face.

"They've got pockets!"

"Ah."

"They're so cool! None of my shorts have pockets this big," Luffy went on, still pulling at the shorts in his simple amazement, "I bet I could fit lots of meat in here!"

Zoro pressed a finger to his temple, "Only you would think of something like that."

"Really?"

Zoro shook his head, astounded by Luffy's train of thought. After traveling together for so long, his captain still managed to surprise him with things like this.

"So you seem to be feeling better," he muttered, changing the subject. He really didn't feel up to having a discussion on Luffy's idea of pockets and what you could put in them.

"Yup! I ate a whole lot of meat," the rubber pirate answered with a grin, patting his full stomach.

Still, Zoro reached out with a finger and snagged his collar, yanking the pirate closer. Though startled by the sudden action, Luffy didn't protest as Zoro glanced down his shirt to examine his wound. It didn't look life-threatening like it had when he'd received it; the healing helped by rubber properties of the youth's body.

"Does it hurt?"

Luffy shook his head in a negative, staring intently at Zoro's face as he looked. Zoro trusted Chopper—they all did—but the captain had noticed early that the swordsman liked to personally investigate his wounds from time to time.

As he watched, he noticed the ever-so-slight tensing of the eyes, the almost invisible twitch of the jaw. The crease of the forehead deepened further, and Luffy began to wonder when Zoro had started developing worry lines.

With a single finger, Luffy pressed against the crease, lightly smoothing it. Zoro was startled by the interruption, pulling back with a snap. The room narrowed around them, the other bodies tuned out as Luffy whispered quietly, "You don't have to worry about me, Zoro."

Zoro frowned, uncomfortable and irritated.

"It's not something I can help," he muttered darkly, clearly unhappy that Luffy would suggest he do otherwise.

Luffy gave that answer some thought, watching silently as Zoro pulled the yellow jacket over his shoulders. Zoro looked much older than he did when they'd first met. He'd filled out more, naturally, thanks to all his training, but there was a quiet seriousness to his face that hadn't been there before. When he thought about it, Zoro didn't play with him as much anymore either.

"When did Zoro leave me behind?" His voice held a quiet sadness, a fondness for old memories and past adventures.

Surprised, Zoro stared at his captain, the smile-that-didn't-carry on the boy's face. He hated that smile. Luffy had worn it too often lately, pretending to be happy when, inside, his heart was slowly broken by the recent changes.

"I never left you," he stated, sitting up straighter, one callused hand coming up to rest on a smaller shoulder—a shoulder that wasn't as bony as it used to be, "I've always been right here, trying to keep up."

Luffy was confused now.

"Then why do you look so much older?"

Zoro blinked at the odd question, then laughed, amazed.

"If I'm getting old, then it's your fault, Captain!" he exclaimed, speaking the title with amused emphasis.

It was Luffy's turn to blink.

"Eh? Me?!"

The hand on his shoulder suddenly slipped around his neck, yanking Luffy forward into a headlock. Another hand pushed his hat back, knuckles digging into his scalp playfully.

"Yes, you! You and your crazy antics and your adventures and your charging in without thinking, idiot!"

"Gah! Zoro, stop! Leggo! Leggo!!"

Luffy pulled free of the loosened grip, Zoro smirking as he rubbed tenderly at his head. The pout turned into a frown, though, Luffy turning back to the conversation.

"I don't want you to worry about me so much, though…"

With a mock scowl, Zoro lifted a hand and flicked Luffy's forehead with two fingers, annoyed at his captain's refusal to be happy.

"Idiot. I told you, it's not something that can be helped. You are who you are. As long as that doesn't change, I'll always worry," he explained flatly, cutting Luffy off when he opened his mouth to reply, "And don't go trying to change because of that! Something like that won't make me happy."

"Then what will?!" Luffy asked, almost petulant with exasperation.

With a fond shake of his head, one hand lifting up to brush against a scarred cheek, Zoro replied with a smile, "Just being with you—that's enough."

Luffy stared, amazed at the answer, a small tint of red coloring his cheeks, before being pulled back into their surroundings, the moment passed. He smiled, a real smile—if a hesitant one, as if afraid to be happy with things still as they were—giving the hand at his face a small squeeze before bouncing up and away, laughing as Zambai and the Galley-La troupe recovered from Nami's lack of modesty.

If it's enough for Zoro…then, maybe, it's enough for me too…