Title: Saving Me
Rating: T; PG-13
Warnings: Violence/blood, angst, swearing, shounen-ai (duh)
Pairings: My usual Zoro x Luffy
Song: "Saving Me" by Nickelback
Disclaimer: All right! Luffy is going to do the disclaimer this time!

Luffy: Oda is the one who owns One Piece. Oda, not Tess.

Tess: Becaaaaaaause...?
Luffy: Because if she owned One Piece, Zoro and I would've made out before we even met Nami.

Tess: Good boy! glomples

Saving Me

Alone except for each other and both believing they are going to die, Zoro and Luffy have a few things to say.


On these hands and knees I'm crawling, oh, I reach for you. . . .

"Zoro! Where are you? Are you okay?"

Zoro let out a cry of pain as he pulled himself across the blood-stained ground towards Luffy. This had been one of their tougher battles. Walking together through a port town, they'd been jumped by another band of pirates, and a rather large and skilled one, at that. Ultimately, they had won, and their opponents had either fled or died, but the two of them had sustained serious injuries. Zoro had never seen so much blood in his life, and most of it was coming from his captain. He was only about a foot away now, and he could hear that his captain's breathing was shallow and labored. He reached out and grabbed at the younger boy's hand.

All I need is you, come, please, I'm calling . . .

"Zoro!" Luffy shouted. "Where are you?

And oh, I scream for you – hurry, I'm fallen . . . I'm fallen. . . .

"Zoro!" Luffy took in a gasp of breath and a shudder of pain racked his body. He let out a whimper. "Zoro . . . ?"

Zoro glanced at the boy's body, covered in sword wounds, all of them practically gushing blood. "Christ, you need to see a doctor . . . damn it, where's that reindeer?!"

"Zoro." Luffy clenched his first mate's hand in his. "Are you hurt?"

"Wh- this is no time to be worrying about others, you idiot!" Zoro cringed as he felt his bleeding intensify. He needed to stay calm. But, damn it, who the hell could stay calm at a time like this?!

"But . . ."

"Luffy, don't worry about me."

"But, Zoro, are you . . ."

". . . I'm fine." Zoro gritted his teeth. Lying was for that long-nosed sharpshooter . . . but right now wasn't the time to tell the truth. "I'm all right, don't worry."

"You don't sound all right. . . ."

"Well, you look worse than I sound."

"Oh. Really? I can't see."

"The hell?! Why not?"

"I dunno. Zoro, my eyes hurt. Even when I close them they sting. . . ."

Zoro started. "Oh, shit, they stabbed your eyes . . . ?"

Show me what it's like to be the last one standing. . . .

Zoro painfully pulled himself up from the ground and gently lifted his captain, who let out a cry.

"Zoro, put me down! You're going to hurt yourself . . . !"

Zoro grunted. "I'll be just fine . . . but if we don't get you help. . . ."

"But if you keep moving, you'll die! Zoro--!"

And teach me wrong from right, and I'll show you what I can be. . . .

"Luffy, I'll be fine, but if you keep laying here, you'll die! I have to get you some help . . . you're losing too much blood. . . ."

"But . . . Zoro . . . I don't want you to die. . . ."

"Well, I don't want you to die, damn it!"

Say it for me, say it to me. . . .

"But Zoro!" Tears slid down Luffy's cheeks. "I love you, so you can't die. . . ."

And I'll leave this life behind me. . . .

"Well, I love you, too, so I can't let you die!"

Say it if it's worth saving me. . . .