Zoro lay on his side, gazing down at his sleeping captain. A breeze rustled the trees, blowing a red leaf off its branch. He watched it twirl down towards the sleeping boy next to him and land on his exposed chest. It matched the boy's vest perfectly. Zoro gently picked up the leaf, allowing its pointed tip to trace the indent up the middle of Luffy's chest. He twitched slightly, but didn't awake.
Zoro stopped when the leaf reached the indent between Luffy's collarbone. He examined the hollow gently, before leaning over and placing a soft kiss there. He pulled back slowly, burying his nose there and breathing in. Luffy's skin was soft here and Zoro could feel the faintest beats of Luffy's heart under the warm surface. He counted them for a while before noticing they began to speed up, jumping rather erratically for a bit. He pulled back, gazing up at Luffy's face to find wide-awake eyes.
"You're awake," Luffy said, and Zoro brought his head to hang over Luffy's, resting their foreheads together and looking down into his eyes.
"Couldn't sleep," Zoro murmured, running a few of his fingers through Luffy's hair, splayed in the grass he was resting on.
"Don't be silly, you can always sleep," Luffy smiled curiously. He didn't understand Zoro sometimes, like why he had kissed his collarbone, or why he was running his fingers through his hair. He reached up, running his own through Zoro's. There wasn't much, but his short hair was soft and pleasing to touch. Ah, perhaps he did understand.
He pulled Zoro's head towards him. Zoro went for his lips, but Luffy pulled him further forward, his first mate following his unspoken command as always. Luffy smiled softly and nuzzled his nose against the crease between Zoro's left ear and his scalp. Soft hairs tickled him and he inhaled Zoro's scent. Ah, he supposed he understood this too. Luffy hummed contentedly and Zoro pressed his face into the crook of Luffy's neck, letting his captain take the time to appreciate his lover.
Zoro started softly caressing his lips back and forth against Luffy's neck, breaking the spell of contentment and warmth. Luffy huffed and Zoro chuckled. As impatient as the captain could be, he enjoyed reveling in these moments of calm with him. Zoro pressed kisses up his neck, trailing to his jaw and across his cheek, promising his captain he'd make up for it.
Their lips met and pleasant tingles shot through Luffy's skin. Theire lips slowly moved together, continuing the trend of soft and slow reverence of each other's feel, warmth, smell, and now taste. Luffy breathed in as Zoro breathed out and it felt like they were one person. Luffy hardly noticed when he was gently rolled so he was laying on top of Zoro. Zoro tucked his hands under Luffy's vest, drawing gentle patterns on the skin there and Luffy left his fingers on Zoro's scalp. He massaged it gently and Zoro hummed happily. His finger trailed up and down the indent Luffy's back muscles made, spreading his hand across his shoulder blades, feeling them move as they continued their kiss.
Luffy pulled away, eyes hooded and filed with warmth hard to find in his usually oblivious expression. He brought a hand to Zoro's face, pulling his thumb across Zoro's cheek. Zoro leaned into his hand, closing his eyes. The hand was calloused, but it felt wonderful against his skin. Luffy moved his thumb to Zoro's moist lips, red from kissing, enjoying that he made them that way.
He brought Zoro's mouth back to his, sucking lightly on his lips and pulling away when Zoro craned his neck forward to deepen the kiss. Luffy giggled, sitting back and running his hands down Zoro's face, his neck, across his shoulders, which he stopped to admire. So broad and muscular, and Zoro seemed proud of his captain's interest, flexing a little, earning a smile from Luffy. Zoro worked hard on his muscles, a side effect of his training.
"Zoro, why do you stay with me?" Luffy asked, looking Zoro dead in the eye.
"Eh? You don't remember? Captain Morgan-"
"I know why you came," Luffy clarified. "But why do you stay?" Luffy's eye contact didn't waver.
"I'm a man of my word," Zoro said easily, but that wasn't all of it, or even half of it. "And… I'm better by your side," Zoro said. It wasn't quite what he meant, it wasn't elegant and descriptive, but it suited them. It was simple, to the point, and meant so much more than it first seemed. Besides, it seemed enough for Luffy, because he grinned and surged forward, wrapping his arms around Zoro's neck and kissing him deeply. Zoro gripped his hair, drawing him into himself further and kissing him to his heart's content until they were out of breath.
"Besides, how could I possibly leave this?" He said, looking at Luffy's disheveled hair, glimmering, kiss-swollen lips, and eyes with a blunt affection that made everything between them so easy and so simple. Luffy giggled, pressing another kiss to Zoro's lips, trailing down his neck, kissing the hollow Zoro had been so infatuated with earlier, and down his chest.
"You'll still be with me, even when you become the greatest swordsman?" Luffy asked gazing up at him through his eyelashes. Zoro couldn't help thinking how sexy and how beautiful he looked like that and he felt his heart clench and ego swell at the decisive statement his captain made. When he became the greatest swordsman, and he knew Luffy was behind him every step of the way.
"It's not exactly a desk job," Zoro grinned. "I can do it anywhere. Plus, it seems a suitable title for first mate of the Pirate King." Luffy grinned, curling his head into his chest, listening to Zoro's heartbeat, his grin easing into an effortless smile of pure contentment. Zoro laid his head back, wrapping his arms around his captain and looking into the red leaves above them.
"Stay with me," Luffy hummed, this time a request, not a question. Zoro rubbed little circles into his lover's skin.
"Always."