Stupid Love

Chapter 1

It was a bright, sunny morning, the fresh sea air was whipping through the peaceful ship of the Straw Hat Pirates. The ship was silent with the exception of the loud snores coming from the lazy swordsman and the erratic captain. The other crew members were out on the island they came upon the night before. Sanji went out hunting for food, Chopper had nothing he wanted to do so he just followed Sanji, Nami was sunbathing on a beach as far away as possible from any of her idiotic ship mates and Usopp decided it was a good day to gather materials for his marbles and to practise shooting.

XXX

Passing the island the Straw Hats had docked on, was another Pirate ship. It's crew members standing in a circle around two of their mates that were verbally abusing each other.

"You ass hole! I can't believe you stole my Gin from my room! While I was sleeping no less! I will never, ever forgive you!"

"Oh Michael you crybaby. Just get over it and share. Sharing is caring~" The other crew mate sung. Michael had an angered expression on his face as it was red and you could almost see the steam coming from his nose as he breathed.

"Geoff! You are going to pay!" Michael took out one of his experimental guns and fired. After the drawback, he yelped and let go of his gun, clutching his hand.

"What the hell! My gun is like 1000 degrees!"

"Looks like another failure~" Geoff sung and the other ship mates laughed.

XXX

Luffy opened his eyes and blinked a few times to clear away the sleep. He looked down from his hammock to the peacefully sleeping Zoro.

Awww. Zoro looks so cute when he is sleeping! Creeping out of his bed, trying not to wake Zoro, he walked out of the room. Breathing in the salty air, he stretched.

"Yooosh!"

BANG!

XXX

Zoro jumped out of bed and landed on the floor.

"Omph! What the – " He looked around up and saw that there was no Luffy in the above hammock.

"Luffy..." he whispered, before running out of the room.

XXX

"Urgh! What the hell..." Luffy looked down at his stomach and noticed a hole about the size of his index finger in the middle of his stomach, seeping a lot of blood. He stared wide eyed at it, then looked over at the horrified Zoro who had burst through the bedroom door.

"Zoro..." Luffy croaked out as he began to cough up blood. Zoro ran toward his captain, who started swaying, and caught him before he hit the ground. Sitting on his knees Zoro shifted Luffy onto his lap.

"Zo—ro. I think I was sh—shot." Though he was in a serious situation, Zoro laughed at Luffy.
"Yeah, Captain. You were shot. Just stay still an—and um, I'll help you." Zoro had no idea what to do. Luffy was shot and hurt most of the time but it didn't really affect him as the bullets just bounced off of him and he only seemed to sustain very shallow cuts. But now... there was a clean hole, right through him. Luffy kept coughing to the point where Zoro had to help him to his knees to stop him from choking on his own blood. Internally Zoro was at war. He wanted to go and find Chopper, but he didn't want to leave his Captain who could die any minute! He suddenly had a great idea.
Securing the rope on Luffy's legs that were around his waist, Zoro grabbed his swords and set off into the jungly island in search of his crew mates.

Chapter 2

Walking as fast as possible but trying not to move Luffy too much, otherwise he'd hurt him, Zoro was straining his ears for any sign of his "friends". Suddenly there was a loud battle yell.
"Haiyaa! Stupid snake!" SANJI! The swordsman was never so happy to hear that bastard cook's voice during the whole time he'd known him. Taking a deep breath he yelled out to the cook.

"Sanji! Help me!" He waited a few moments in silence, panting, then finally the cook answered.

"Why should I go out of my way to help you? Idiot!" Holding back the tears Zoro felt filling his eyes, he took in as much air as possible and shouted as loud as he could,
"LUFFY'S BEEN SHOT!"

All the Straw Hat pirates turned their heads in the direction of Zoro's panicked voice. Chopper was the first to beak the silence.

"Luffy!" he wailed as he ran in the direction of Zoro, then changing his course to the ship as he would need his medical supplies. There were other shouts from the rest of the pirate crew, but Zoro still dropped to his knees and broke down in tears that he was so desperately trying to keep locked away. While he untied Luffy from his back, he held him close to his chest. He didn't care that his back was covered in blood from Luffy's coughing fits, he didn't care about the fact that the other pirates were going to see his crying face, he didn't care about anything but Luffy at that moment. Luffy had started coughing again, through his wheezing breaths, but he didn't have enough strength to even bring up the blood or cover his mouth. Zoro sat on the ground and put Luffy in his lap, the front of his body facing him and legs back around Zoro's waist with his head resting against his shoulder. With Luffy in this position it made it easier for Luffy himself to not choke on his blood but it also helped Zoro to help Luffy bring up the blood by patting his back. 'It's working!' Zoro thought, 'At least he can breathe a bit better now.' Tears still streaming down his face in silence, Zoro put his head on Luffy's shoulder.
"Zoro..." Luffy croaked, "don't—" he coughed a coupled of times then started again, "Don't cry." he said, then he took a deep breath, "From our travels...I always—I keep hearing...f-from other people...that whe-when you die...you go...you go to a nice pl-place." Hearing this, hearing what his Captain was talking about, the swordsman's face contorted in anger and deep sadness at his Captain.
"This—this place, i-it is called—"

"Luffy, St-stop!" Luffy just went on as if he didn't hear his first mate, his droopy eyes fixed on the ground, head still resting on Zoro's shoulder.

"It is called Heaven. I-I wonder what...what it is like..."He sounded very tired toward the end of his ramble.

"Luffy!" Zoro yelled, lifting his head and raising his Captain's head in his hands so he could look at him. Though Luffy was looking down Zoro could see that Luffy was crying too.

"Luffy, do you hear yourself? Are you, the person who brought us, all of us, together to become the greatest pirates in the world and you to be the Pirate King, giving up? Don't give up, Luffy! You have survived worse than this. Don't give up!"

"Do you think—" The captain cut himself off to cough weakly, "that...I would g-give up so e-easily? I-I can feel myself sl-slipping, Zo-Zoro..."he trailed off sighing heavily. Looking up to look into Zoro's eyes for the first time, Luffy asked,
"Hey, Zoro? Can you d-do one thing for m-me? Be-before I go?" Zoro's eyes held sorrow and anger.

"No! I will not do anything for you if you are willing to give up your life! Chopper is a great doctor and he will help you." He saw his Captain's hurt expression.

"B-but Zoro, I-I don't know if I can hold...hold on! I feel very weak." The small, steady stream of tears suddenly came in waves as Luffy admitted that he could very well die. Zoro's tears never ceased either and he was also crying a river.

"You just have to believe in yourself! And your friends to help you. Believe in me! Can you do that for me?" Zoro kept his eyes locked onto Luffy's. He nodded and asked again,

"C-can you d-do me the—the favour now?" Zoro nodded and Luffy continued, "C-can you kiss me?" He saw his first mate's eyes widen in shock, he almost thought that Zoro was going to reject him but that thought dissipated when he saw Zoro's eyes soften. Zoro gladly leaned into his Captain and touched his lips to the captain's and kissed those lips he had been yearning for, for quite a while, not caring that they were covered in blood. When he pulled back, Luffy sighed and looked up at him.

"Th-thankyou." he tried to smile through the pain from his wound but failed as he coughed up more blood.

"Zoro. I-I'm seeing black d-dots. Very weird." The Captain stated, his voice very low and weak. He started swaying, his breathing becoming slower and his eye lids kept opening and closing as Luffy tried to stay concious. Zoro immediately knew what was going on.

"No no no no no no no! No! Luffy stay with me! Look at me! I need you Captain! I need my Luffy!" The last part was said to himself. Luffy was still fighting against unconsciousness but was losing. Zoro held his Captain's face in his hands, trying to make eye contact with the half lidded, far away eyes but his head just kept bobbing, no life what-so-ever as Luffy lost his battle. He was unconscious. Suddenly Chopper burst through the bushes, panting.

Chapter 3

"Chopper! Where have you been!" Zoro yelled.

"I-I had to get my supplies from the ship." Chopper replied shakily. Zoro looked down.

"Oh. Well hurry! He is slipping from me—er—us!" Zoro had depression and sadness written all over his face. But what couldn't be seen was the hole in his heart that kept getting bigger the farther Luffy slipped from him. Chopper had started pulling the medical equipment out of his bag and neatly placing them on the ground.

"Zoro, lay Luffy on the ground over here please. It would be too much of a risk to move him again." Chopper didn't even look up from sorting his equipment. Zoro did as instructed and sat quietly next to Luffy with his head down again, quietly hoping that Chopper didn't see his crying face even though he didn't care before. He was also secretly hoping that his face wasn't red and puffy but his mind was in turmoil. He was trying to envision a happy, bright future without Luffy, his captain, but there wasn't anything his mind could conjure up. Every possibility was dampened because without Luffy he had no future. All he was left with were dull, dark and funnily enough in his visions it was raining which was accompanied by the daunting grey clouds that hung low in the sky.
"How did this happen?" Chopper asked, in full professional mode. Zoro did look up but recited what he had witnessed. Chopper frowned in thought,
"I thought he was immune to guns." though he said this to no one in particular Zoro sill answered with a monotonous, "So did I," as he was far away from everything else, he was inside himself wishing and hoping and praying for Luffy to live and not to leave him alone. Chopper was quickly, but carefully, examining Luffy trying the fastest way to heal him and stop the wound from being infected. He pulled out some herbs and emptied most of their contents in a stone bowl. He grabbed a stone tool which he used to grind all the herbs together into a fine powder. He rummaged again in his bag and picked out a bottle of thick, grimy, smoky, purple liquid and added the substance into the powder. Chopper had used this concoction before to regenerate people's limbs and other fatal injuries. Zoro was still and silent while he worked and it worried Chopper but he pushed it to the back of his mind as his focus was on Luffy at present. He pulled out another tool which was long, wide and metal. Then he poured a small portion of the thick liquid onto the tool and started applying it to the inside of Luffy's wound, circling the shape with the tool. There was a quiet hiss that escaped through the parted lips of the captain. Zoro was the first to react bending over him yelling at him.
"Luffy! Can you hear me! Luffy!" Chopper was relieved that Luffy was alive too, but he had to calm Zoro, otherwise he could cause stress to his captain.
"Zoro...Zoro!" he yelled, Zoro stopping his distressed yelling, glaring at Chopper with more tears threatening to fall.

"What!" he shouted, his voice wavering slightly. The doctor was stunned at this out burst but recovered into his professional faze.
"You need to stay calm. Having you yelling at Luffy may cause him distress and it could worsen his condition. Try and stay calm." Chopper saw the concern in Zoro's eyes as he knelt back down on the ground going into his own world again. Chopper sighed and continued his ministrations, no more sounds came out of Luffy. After applying a fair amount of the purple liquid, he took out some water from his case and thinned the purple concoction. Once he deemed it fluid enough, he lifted Luffy's head and carefully and poured the concoction down his throat, aware not to have him choke on it. Zoro didn't move at all, still deep within himself. Chopper nodded his head in finality as he has done all he could do for Luffy. The only thing left to do was wait. Chopper had just packed his things when the rest of the crew came barging in from the foliage around them. Nami stopped in her tracks, a hand over her mouth as tears started to form over the sight of her Captain. Sanji was internally shocked and upset, but his outward appearance showed no emotion. Usopp on the other hand wailed when he saw Luffy, repeating the scene Zoro did previously and once again Chopper calmed him down, though he was sniffling and was crying a waterfall. Everyone turned to Zoro who was in the same position after he yelled at Luffy. The crew was worried for him, but thought it would be best to leave him be.
"We have to head back to the ship. This place is full of bacteria which could infect Luffy and it could worsen his condition." Chopper stated quietly as he picked up his medical bag. The crew except Zoro nodded in agreement and started to head back, Sanji bending to pick up Luffy. His hand was about to slip under his head when a vice-like grip encircled his wrist. Zoro's face was twisted into a snarl of anger, much like an animal's.
"Don't. Touch. Him!" He whispered angrily and possessively in Sanji's ear. Sanji's face lost blood and became pale white at the intensity of Zoro's fierceness. He backed away and ran after the other ship mates. Sanji noted that Zoro's eyes lacked soul. They were dull and lifeless as though he wasn't completely there. His bout of anger was really out of character and it worried him a little. Zoro gently lifted Luffy and cradled him against his chest, walking towards the ship.
When Zoro finally came aboard the ship, the other crew members were silent, sitting on the front deck, heads bowed. They looked up at Zoro before looking back down at the wood. Chopper came out of the bed cabins and ushered Zoro inside with his bundle. He led the swordsman through another door none of the other members knew about and with Choppers instruction, Zoro put Luffy on the single bed in the room and sat beside him. Chopper didn't argue and left the spare room.
Over the coarse of a week, Zoro hadn't moved an inch from where he sat since they brought Luffy in the spare room. Nothing had changed with Luffy as far as the other crew members knew, as Chopper was keeping the results from them because he didn't want them to get their hopes up. Actually Luffy had progressed a lot. His gaping hole had started to stitch itself back together and now it was half the size it was and his complexion was better as Chopper had managed to feed him and keep him hydrated though his own means. Zoro never questioned anything, never looking to see how his captain was doing. He was just as gone as Luffy. He hadn't eaten the whole week, though he did sleep as Chopper frequented Luffy at night. Zoro had lost some weight and wasn't looking well at all, but no matter how many times Chopper had tried to talk to him, it was like talking to a brick wall. The rest of the crew were also worried about Zoro's health, but they couldn't do anything but wander why Zoro had taken the unfortunate event to heart.
On the start and a brand new week, Chopper went about his new daily routine of checking on Luffy and Zoro, removing bandages, cleaning the wounds and feeding Luffy. He had given up on Zoro last week. When he was done he left to tell the same lie that he had been telling the crew for the past few weeks: Luffy hasn't progressed in his healing. Back in the hidden spare room, Zoro and Luffy were still as motionless as always. Suddenly there was a drawn out groan, followed by, "MEAT!" Zoro bolted upright and was on the bed staring intently at Luffy. His eyes were open and looking at Zoro with question.
"Zoro? What are you— mph!" Luffy was cut off as Zoro's chapped lips crushed his own. Luffy moaned into the kiss and circled Zoro's thick neck. Zoro broke away and was placing light but frantic kisses down Luffy's neck and across his collar bone to his shoulder. Luffy giggled.
"Zoro, he he he, what—that tickles. Ha ha ha ha!" Zoro looked up and passionately kissed Luffy again. He came away and looked into Luffy's eyes with a massive grin, tears welling in his eyes.
"You're alive! Oh thank god!" Zoro balled, wrapping his arms around his beloved captain and crushing him to his chest, trying to have as much as Luffy as possible. The captain giggled again and said,
"Zoro, you're acting weird. Ha ha ha ha!" He snuggled against Zoro, soaking in as much of his presence and warmth he could contain. "Of course I'm alive! Ha ha ha! I had a really good sleep though and I'm really hungry for some meat!"

Chapter 4

Upon the wakening of Luffy, everyone was bustling around him. Crying and laughing and hugging and crying some more. Sanji was in his kitchen cooking loads of meat as celebration. When Luffy was deemed fit to do as he pleased by Chopper, he ran outside and screamed, "MEAT!" and ran straight into the kitchen and into Sanji who was holding plates upon plates of the cooked meat.