Chopper was smiling happily as he was sitting by his desk, writing down a small note for one particular member of the Straw Hat pirates. That particular member was no one else but Zoro, whom he looked up to, but also loved with all his little heart. The note he was so eagerly scribbling on was just a little something for him to show how much Chopper loved and cared for the swordsman who had for so long looked after him and protected him like a little brother. Not that he would mind if Zoro wasn't ready to 'take the next step', so to speak. He liked them the way he was now. But if now Zoro was ready for their status as Nakama to take a new height… that would make Chopper happy beyond describing in words, or even actions. As he kept scribbling on his little note, his smile just grew bigger and bigger, as more words of affection and love formed from the tip of his pen. Even when Luffy and Usopp barged into the boys' cabin, arguing about some fish that Usopp had caught, he didn't stop writing.

"THAT FISH WAS MINE, LUFFY! You knew it, and yet you just gobbled it up the moment I caught it. How can ya be so greedy?" the Long-Nose argued at Luffy, who just pouted lips and made a sour face at Usopp.

"I couldn't help it, Usopp! I was hungry." He whined at the last sentence in his usual tone, his eyes still glaring at Usopp. Both the Rubber-man and the Sniper were soon locked in a stare-down, and as the blue-nosed reindeer saw this, he sighed and shook his head.

"Guys, I know you're really riled up in this argument, but could you take it somewhere else?" he asked gently, before turning to his note again. "I'm trying to work on something." Both Usopp and Luffy – out of curiosity – looked at Chopper as he sat near his desk, writing on his note. They didn't see what he wrote, however, which raised their curiosity even more.

"Hey, Chopper! What'cha writing?" Usopp was the first one to ask, trying to peek over Chopper's shoulder. But the reindeer just covered the note with his fuzzy body, a deep red flush hiding underneath his fur in hopes that Usopp would not see it. He couldn't risk anyone finding out about him and Zoro, not even Luffy and Usopp.

"N-Nothing!" he exclaimed rather quickly, still covering the paper with his small frame while trying to hide what he had written.

"C'mon Chopper, we just wanna look at it! No harm in that, right?" Usopp countered, but as he tried removing Chopper from the note, he clung onto the desk like glue.

"Yes, it is! It's private, and it's rude to look at people's private belongings!" Chopper retorted and held onto the desk as hard as his hooves could. Usopp gave up on trying pulling off Chopper, and turned around, seeing Luffy having left already.

"Eh? He's probably gone somewhere… probably went for Zoro. He usually does that when he whines." The Sniper sighed and also went off. Chopper became slightly nervy of what Usopp said, and hoped that Zoro wasn't having anything 'special' with Luffy already. He knew Zoro was Luffy's first mate and the first of his Nakama, but he hoped that he at least realized what the reindeer had for kind of thoughts towards him. Sighing in relief that Usopp had left, however, he smiled and kept scribbling down words on his small note. He wanted to get in every single detail on how he felt for the swordsman, and he kept rewriting some parts and adding lines where he had previously written. When he finally was done, he went through it, double- and triple-checking it before he was satisfied, and nodded confidently.

"This'll have to do! I hope Zoro gets happy when he sees this!" he smiled to himself and picked up the note, put it in his shorts pockets, and jumped down from his desk chair, trotting out on deck to see where Zoro was. He looked everywhere onboard the Merry; the cargo hold, the kitchen area, he even asked Nami, Sanji and Robin if they had seen Zoro around. But all of them just said that they hadn't seen or heard of him. Sighing, Chopper was about to give up the search, when he heard something from Luffy's captain cabin.

"O-Oi, Luffy! Let go of me!" that voice… it was unmistakably Zoro's voice! He sounded like he was in some sort of drabble with Luffy, and it sounded like it was a bit rough-going.

"No, Zoro! I don't wanna let go! I want you to hug me more!" this made the reindeer tense over a bit. Was Zoro really doing… what he thought he was doing? He had to see it with his own eyes, and so he tip-toed over to Luffy's door, and peeked inside of it, and gasped slightly at what he saw; Luffy and Zoro were both tumbling around on the bed, with Luffy holding around him tightly. Chopper could not see clearly because of his height, but he assumed that he knew what they were doing… and that literally broke him inside. Sniffling a bit as a tear fell from his eye; he just dropped the note and walked away, feeling sad and betrayed.

The slight sniffling sound that Zoro heard made him tense a bit, as he instantly sat up, straight and stiff like a stick, with Luffy falling off him and hitting his head in the floor. Luckily, the Rubber-man was not seriously injured, while Zoro marched up to the door, looking outside it. He didn't see anyone nearby, but as he looked to his feet, he saw a small note lying on the deck floor. Furrowing his brow a bit, he bent down and picked up the note, reading it as good as he could;

Dear Zoro

You are everything for a small reindeer like me. When I am sad, you always hold me close and cuddle with me until I feel safe, or fallen asleep. When I get a bruise, you comfort me while I put bandages on it. But most importantly; you're caring for me as if I was your little brother. That's why I love you so much, Zoro. I just hope you can realize that I love you, and hope that you'll love me back. I know that you're a human, and that I am in fact a reindeer… but it just feels right for me to love someone like you.

Yours truly, Tony Tony Chopper

"Chopper…" Zoro said slowly, never realizing that Chopper felt this way for him. Sure, they had been the best of Nakama now and then, and Zoro knew for a fact he was like a big brother for Chopper, but this… this was just overwhelming. And now he had… dear god, Chopper saw it, didn't he? Sighing, he knew he had to find Chopper now. And fast. He rushed out on the deck, looking everywhere for Chopper. But he didn't find the reindeer anywhere, not even at his little desk in the boys' cabin. Sighing, he went out on the boat deck again, only to hear a slight sniffle from somewhere. He recognized the noise, and heard it from the cargo-hold. He looked down, and heard the whining become a bit more audible. Without further ado, he climbed down the ladder, and began looking around the massive boxes and bags they stored in cargo. Finally, he found him, being curled up in the corner of a few boxes, his face pressed against his knees as tears ran down his fuzzy little cheeks. "Chopper…" he called out slowly, but as the reindeer looked on him, he closed his eyes and looked away again.

"G-GO AWAY!" he shouted and cried, more tears falling from his eyes. "Y-Y-You're the reason I-I am like this! Y-You knew how much I-I look up to y-you… a-a-and yet you choose LUFFY over me!" rolling his eyes, Zoro sighed and ignored Chopper's demand, sitting close to him.

"I didn't 'choose' Luffy, ok? He was being obsessive about me comforting after he argued with Usopp about a fish or somethin'." He said as-a-matter-of-factly, looking down at the sobbing reindeer. He sighed again, and opted to stroke Chopper's cheek gently. "Listen to me, lil' guy… I never realized you liked me that much, y'know? I knew that I'm like a big bro' to you and all that… but that much? Do you actually love me, Chopper?" sniffling a bit more, the reindeer looked up at the swordsman and gave off a short nod.

"Y-Yes…" he nodded slowly. Zoro rolled his eyes again and just looked at Chopper. He knew that this relation – if they would ever get one – had to stay in-between the two of them, or who knows what the others might say to them? "Z-Zoro… do you… love me back?" Zoro glanced at Chopper, shrugging a bit.

"I dunno… never had anyone to love…" Zoro said, looking at his hands a bit, which he was twiddling with nervously. Him, nervous? That was a rare sight. "I dunno if I could pull it off, either…"

"W-Well, I could help you." Said Chopper, and dared to move a bit closer to Zoro, holding his hands with his hooves. Zoro looked at him again, and saw Chopper smiling up at him. "I'm good at helping others, y'know! I'm sure that, as long as we don't tell the others, we'll be a great couple!" Zoro was a bit baffled of Chopper's quick emotional change, being all chatty and happy now. And the way Chopper asked him right there if he wanted help… it was sort of weakening him inside. Making him feel scared. For once in his life, he was nervous about something. Usually he'd just do it and have it over with, but now… he seriously had to think if he wanted to do it. But then again… he and Chopper were already best Nakama, so why not? Smirking a bit, he looked down at Chopper and nodded.

"Well, if you're so eager to help me, I can't say no, can I?" he grinned, before lifting up Chopper and resting him on his lap. Chopper was a bit surprised, although he smiled and enjoyed being this close to Zoro, nuzzling his chest gently with his cute, fuzzy face. Smiling gently, Zoro took off his pink top hat, stroking Chopper's small, furry head, his fingers trailing through the tufts of fur easily, feeling his softness. For once in his life, Zoro felt at ease. It was as if he was taking one of his naps… but he was wide awake. No troubles in the world at all. Just him and Chopper. Leaning his head down a bit, his face burrowing into Chopper's scalp fur, he took deep breaths, feeling Chopper's scent through his fur. It was like a mixture of medicine and cotton candy, and he loved each whiff of it. His unoccupied arm held around Chopper's body, pulling him closer to him while the reindeer kept enjoying nuzzling him. "Hey, Chopper…" he looked down at Chopper, who instantly looked up at him.

"Yeah, Zoro? What is i-!" he was cut off as Zoro's lips went down to his muzzle; locking them together in a slow, deep kiss. Chopper's eyes flew wide open at the sensation, his entire body tensing and relaxing at the same time as a warm feeling flushed over his small body, finally relaxing him. He could not believe it; Zoro was kissing him! And he loved each second of it. Letting out a slight moan, Chopper let his hooves run up and down Zoro's toned chest, which was revealed slightly through his white shirt, hearing the young man moan slightly as well. His embrace became lighter, and he broke the kiss for awhile, a string of their mixed saliva running down their lips. He began smooching and kissing Chopper's cheeks and forehead, while taking deep breaths of Chopper's smell, enjoying each moment of it. Chopper just had his eyes closed, enjoying the moment with him and Zoro together. Finally, Zoro looked down at Chopper, smiling at him widely.

"Well… that was something I've never tried before…" he said, his smile growing into a slight grin. "And I loved it~" kissing Chopper's nose and watching him squirm with glee, the swordsman put down Chopper on the cargo floor, and stood up again. "So, you're done sulking now?"

"Uh-huh!" Chopper giggled, and went up to Zoro's leg, nuzzling it like a cute puppy. Zoro smiled again and nodded, as both of them went up on deck again, and the day went on as usual. Except now, Zoro and Chopper both had a little secret… that neither of them would reveal to anyone else than each other.