Just a short sort of drabble about how Zoro and Luffy initally got together that I am planning to continue into a continued set of oneshots that detail how each member of the crew encounters their relationship at different pionts (as well as friends and the random enemy) and their reactions by going through the story. Really, just a bit of fun. I'm sure this has been done before, but whatever. It's my work.

This can also be seen as a prequel to Zoro's dance Carnival, because this beginning oneshot will pave the way for most Zolu oneshots/stories I will do in the future. Hope you guys enjoy, and sorry if there are any mistakes!

Title: First Encounters of the Stretchy Kind

Summary: Stuck in a tiny rowboat with his brand new captain, who has just fallen in, Zoro comes to grips with his new life as Luffy's first mate.

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.

It was quiet at that moment upon Luffy's tiny- and sadly pathetic- dingy, something that Zoro was quickly starting to understand was an extremely rare and almost unheard of occurrence when Luffy was near. In his four scheduled catnaps of the day every single time Zoro had been mercilessly pounced on, poked, prodded, pushed and bothered by his new captain out of pure boredom on the boy's part.

Heck, his hair had even been pulled. And that hadn't ended well for both Luffy or Zoro. Zoro had, like many, many more times that day, considered once again just what he had gotten himself into.

As such, at the current moment Zoro was doing what he could to hold onto the ridiculous amount of sleep he had missed out on lately while Luffy was miraculously distracted with… wait, what was the damn hyper kid actually doing?

Shuffling a bit, Zoro peeked one eye open to see Luffy at the other side of the boat (which was really only few feet away) craned over the side of the boat, staring at something in the water. Zoro watched for a few minutes as Luffy's head dipped lower, disappearing from sight and moving back and forth.

Zoro snorted slightly, struggling not to laugh. No doubt there was some kind of big fish Luffy couldn't help but follow, like a cat with a goldfish. Luffy reached out further, this time one of his hands reaching out to the water and skimming over it and back, humming loudly to himself.

As this happened and Luffy pushed himself out just that tiny bit further, Zoro frowned, moving forward slightly. Luffy was a devil fruit user, right? So that meant he couldn't swim, yeah? So why the hell was he balancing so precociously out of the side of the boat like that? What if he fell in?

Zoro contemplated for a few more seconds before forcing himself to relax back again, a slight scowl travelling to his face. Who made him this guy's babysitter? Luffy was his new captain, not his charge. He could look out for himself. After all, he didn't really think the young man was that irresponsible with his own safely, especially when he had flourished his dreams of becoming the Pirate kind to Zoro with such ambition… but Zoro had been wrong before. But what did he really care if Luffy fell in? Well, he'd have to save him, of course.

Sighing, Zoro let his head fall back, and he groaned to the sky. This one-man-crew job seemed to already be much more trouble than it was worth. But, Zoro knew deep down that was wrong. There was something with this guy, this hopeful, dopey kid, that made Zoro want to be all he could be.

So maybe he should do something about the impending danger Luffy constantly seemed to be in.

Blinking his eyes open to do just that, Zoro was met with a nice view of Luffy's small, tight ass. It was high in the air, with Luffy's torso well over the side of the boat by now.

Shaking away the hot flush that rose up his neck, Zoro reached out a hand to grab Luffy's ankle. 'Luffy-' he started warningly as his hand closed around the skinny limb.

At the same time it did, there was a splash from the side of the boat, and a thick tentacle waved itself from the water toward Luffy's face. Luffy leapt back with a squeak as the tentacle shoot for his neck, but Zoro's grip on his ankle contradicted the huge sideward leap he attempted. As a result, his ankle was ripped from Zoro's hold and he toppled backwards over Zoro. Right over the opposite side of the boat.

The spray from Luffy's splash showered over Zoro, who was still sitting there, staring dumbly at his hand which until recently had held Luffy's foot. Luffy was there anymore, though. He was in the water. Zoro's eyes finally widened in pure panic.

The tentacle had stopped in its assault, and had paused when Luffy hit the water, before shooting downwards eagerly. Without hesitation, Zoro followed. 'Oh no you don't,' he growled to the unnamed tentacle as he dived under and everything turned blue around him.

He immediately caught sight of the octopus right below him with the source of his problems drifting helplessly with the clutches of the masses of thick and powerful tentacles that were winding themselves around every part of his body. Zoro angled himself down, pulsing with anger. The Octopus was no bigger than Zoro, but that didn't hamper it from going for Luffy.

He could see it now; it wasn't just that devil fruit users couldn't swim when they were underwater, they were completely immobile. And powerless.

Luffy couldn't even struggle. He was limp, and easy prey for the giant Octopus, who now had his impressive amount of appendages curled far too tightly around Luffy's neck, waist and legs, and was now starting to move towards the far off bottom, probably to slowly digest its meal.

Reaching them, Zoro grabbed the closest waving limb he could and yanked it with all his might back. Like hell I'm going to let that happen, he snarled internally.

The Octopus whirled on him, it's black eyes narrowed in anger as it horded Luffy behind it, its front tentacles flying out at Zoro. Zoro caught each one, and yanked the Octopus again around to avoid a third coming for him.

This would have been so much easier if he had his swords, or just one. Damn.

Wasting no time, Zoro pulled the whole Octopus towards him and leveled it was a smashing blow (still holding the tentacle in his hand as he punched), which regrettably wasn't nearly as powerful as it would be underwater, but still had the desired effect. The octopus reared back, it's tentacles lashing, but Zoro held tight.

Gritting his teeth, Zoro tightened his grip on the two tentacles he had and planted his feet squarely between the beast's eyes, before pushing as hard as he could, straining against the octopus's attached muscles.

Harder and harder he pushed while ignoring the attacking tentacles, pulling and pulling. The skin around the base of the two tentacles he had started to tear, and the octopus started spasming under the pain, it's eyes wide and unseeing.

Black blood started pouring from the octopus, and it went crazy. Satisfied it would no longer fight back, Zoro's grip eased, only to have the octopus rip away from him in blind fear and take off. Luffy was seemingly forgotten within its hold, and was dragged along.

Zoro started swimming frantically after them, his panic rising. He hadn't planned on it bolting like that with Luffy! Damn it!

After a short bout of swimming in crazed panic, Zoro just managed to dive forward and grasp the tip of a tentacle, ripping the poor beast back towards him again. Shoving the failing tentacles out of his way with a bubbled grunt of anger, he located Luffy and started to madly rip all the tentacles off him. The suckers popped off, leaving behind tight bruises and circled marks, but Zoro couldn't have cared less about that right now.

His breath was starting to run out, and he needed to get Luffy out of the water now.

Finally detangling Luffy from the terrified octopus, Zoro kicked his way to the surface, allowing the octopus to dart away. They burst to the surface in a rush of water and air, both panting heavily as the sun turned their eyes to slits.

Luffy coughed and hacked as Zoro held his head up, water spewing from his mouth. Zoro winced from the blossoming bruises that were forming on Luffy's neck as Luffy spat out the last of the water.

Zoro cast his head around for the boat, before spotting it nearby and, making sure Luffy was breathing against his chest, started paddling awkwardly with one hand. He didn't get very far before Luffy's head weakly slumped forward right into the water. Zoro stopped immediately with a curse and pulled Luffy's head up gently by the forehead. His brow furrowed as he thought of the best way to transport Luffy in the water.

Coming up completely blank, Zoro almost missed Luffy's hands trying to grasp at his chest and encircle his neck, unable to do so because of his sapped strength. Catching on, he wrapped a hand around Luffy waist to hold him up and used the other to lift each of Luffy's arms around his neck, automatically leaning back so Luffy's hands would stay there.

Luffy's head rested on Zoro's chest for a moment before he slowly lifted it and met Zoro's eyes, their face close. He smiled weakly, but brightly. 'Thanks, Zoro,' he said warmly. Then, giggling, he leant forward as best he could and pecked Zoro on the nose.

Zoro blinked, his mind chugging along, before he realized what happened and he flushed. 'Yeah, yeah,' he mumbled, leaning back further so Luffy was fully supported by his top half. 'You're an idiot, you know that?' Zoro received a cute giggle in response.

Turning around, he held one arm around Luffy's back as they lay in the water chest to chest, his powerful legs kicking them back towards the boat. He tried to keep the embarrassment, or worse, the pleased smile off his face, but failed as soon as Luffy's forehead fell back to his chest, where he definitely wouldn't be able to see his face.

It was annoying for Zoro to try and drag the both of them into the boat, but as soon as he did they fell together in a tumbled heap. Rubbing the back of his neck with a grunt, Zoro sat up, realizing Luffy was sprawled in his lap, panting lightly as he gained his strength back. He also realized he didn't have the heart –or need- to push Luffy off.

'What the hell were you thinking?' He asked shortly in a frustrated voice, his now mild panic fading, but still present. 'How the hell could you let yourself fall in like that? You know you can't swim!'

He lifted Luffy up like one would to a child, frowning at the light bruises forming along Luffy's arms and neck. None of them were bad, but they would be impressive soon.

'I know,' Luffy stated wisely while grinning at Zoro, before innocently stating, 'But wasn't Zoro the one who tripped me up by grabbing my ankle? That would make Zoro's fault!'

There was a short brooding silence from Zoro, who realized that Luffy was (shockingly) right, before Luffy laughed, pushing himself up Zoro's body until he was resting with his side to Zoro's chest, with his legs curled over Zoro's.

'But I wasn't worried. I knew Zoro would save me,' he confidently and seriously stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and Zoro were an idiot for not knowing.

Zoro opened his mouth to say something, then realized he didn't know what to say to that. The unwavering trust that had so easily been placed in him without a second doubt… no-one had ever trusted him with such responsibility before…

'But…but… you dumbass! What if I hadn't been here?' he groused, still struggling with the strange situation.

Luffy tilted his head up cutely, blinking, his face blank. 'But you were.'

Zoro growled in frustration at Luffy, again finding no rebuttal to Luffy's straight forward logic. Luffy grinned knowingly at him, his hand reaching up to tip his straw hat, only to find it wasn't there.

Luffy's eyes widened, and he scrambled wildly out of Zoro's hold, falling flat on his face before he could stand up. The boat rocked, and Zoro gripped the side for support. 'Luffy!' he yelled. 'Calm down, you'll fall in again-!'

'My hat!' Luffy yelped, looking around, his stick-like arms flailing around. 'Where is my hat?' He finally spotted it floating in the ocean where it had fallen a far way off. Without a second thought, he leapt off the side of the boat for it.

'LUFFY!'

Zoro dived for Luffy without leaving the boat and swiftly grabbed the scruff of the boy's vest, jerking him straight from midair and back into the boat, fuming.

'Wait HERE,' he snarled, yanking off his water-logged boots. 'I'll get it! You know, cause I can actually SWIM!'

Completely oblivious to the pissed sarcasm in Zoro's voice, Luffy clasped his hands in worship like wonder, staring at Zoro with stars in his eyes from the bottom of the boat. 'Ne, Zoro? Really?'

His answer was a huge splash as Zoro hit the water a second time that day, and started stroking swiftly towards Luffy's wayward hat. He reached it in no time, grabbed it, and started making his way back, grumbling sourly the whole way.

Before he could even clamber back in the dingy Luffy had whipped the hat from his outstretched hand and was hugging it for all he was worth. Zoro growled angry as he hooked his leg over the side and rolled in, dripping water everywhere. That was just like Luffy, no gratitude-

He wasn't prepared for Luffy to suddenly pounce on him, his eyes shining like the sun, even though he strangely expected it. 'Zoro, you saved him! You saved my hat!' And just like that, Luffy began raining light kisses on Zoro's forehead, nose and cheek.

Zoro's eyes bulged to a comical degree and his hands landed on Luffy's shoulders, ready to shove. Then one of the kisses landed pleasurably right beneath one of his eyes, and his mind short-circuited.

'Uhn, wha-?'

Luffy didn't slow down. 'Thanks, Zoro!' he squealed. 'No-one has ever jumped into the ocean for my hat before! You're the greatest!'

Zoro seriously considered sharply telling his new captain that no one had ever jumped him and considered him the 'greatest' before just because of a stupid hat, and no-one ever should, but as Luffy's kind and loving affections continued, Zoro found himself suddenly not as obliged to shooting his captain down as he would have.

Luffy stopped and lay over him grinning, before he sat up. Zoro about to protest at the stop before he caught himself. Silence reigned as the two stared at each other, before Luffy simply smiled at him.

Zoro found himself blinking, his face slowly melting into a small but pleasured smile. Luffy leant forward whilst sitting on Zoro, their noses almost touching, and his smile widened.

'Oh, and Zoro!'

Zoro tilted his head in a dreamlike daze, feeling like he was in one for all he was worth. 'Hm?' he questioned deeply, not sure where this was going.

'Do you have any meat?'

Zoro was brought tumbling back down to Earth, and he blushed furiously. Luffy was abruptly dumped from his lap.

'Idiot,' Zoro ground out, leaning back against the boat's side and crossing his arms. He closed his eyes, ignoring the keening whine emitting from the boy at his rough treatment. It was a few minutes before the whine died painfully out as if Luffy were reluctant to let it go but had to because it was boring him, and small splashing noises replaced them. Zoro didn't bother to open his eyes, figuring Luffy was probably entertaining himself by teasing the fish again.

If he fell in again…

A smug smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

If he fell in again, Zoro would be there, grumbling and grousing, but inside... well, not as disappointed as he should be on the inside. And he figured he could live with that.

Yes, I am aware Luffy could have easily grabbed his hat by stretching, but c'mon, he was crazy with worry for Shank's hat. Of course he would have paniked. And it's much cuter when Zoro comes to the rescue.