"... you're like one goddamn giant bruise," Zoro grumbles, fingertips delicately tracing the mottled blue and black blossoms on his captain's shoulder and side, some of which have already begun fading to shades of yellow and green only slightly less alarming in their intensity.
He supposes Chopper's going to be furious. The bandages and compresses the doctor applied following their return to the ship are now laying in loose tangles beneath their bodies and draped over the box hammock's side, where they were systematically discarded while he sought to examine and thoroughly address every bruise and scrape and unwelcome injury decorating the younger pirate's battered frame.
The reindeer's complaints, however, are the least of his concerns. He'll help rewind all that gauze later, but right now he doesn't want anything coming between his lover's naked skin and his own.
He doesn't bother telling Luffy that he ought to be more careful - doing so will only earn him an innocent, perplexed sort of look or possibly even prompt laughter - but either his demeanor or his cautious touch must hold the slightest hint of rebuke, because the younger pirate wriggles around and rests his forehead against his first mate's neck so they're sprawled facing each other with bare chests and hips brushing and their legs entwined.
"That old guy was really strong. He was still kicking those Marines' asses even after we beat the crap out of each other. I wonder how many of 'em it finally took to... you know."
"I'm not sure, but I've got a feeling he took a few with him." Nuzzling his face into the dark hair tickling his nose, the swordsman utters a soft huff of irritation. "What a crazy bastard. Can't really say I'm sorry he's toast, considering he was ready to fucking kill everybody else in the process of fulfilling his bloody death wish, but... I guess I kinda get it too."
"Yeah," the rubber man mumbles, lips brushing his collarbone. "It'd make me kinda crazy too, I think, losing everybody like that. When I-" He swallows, arms tightening involuntarily. "When I didn't know what happened to you guys that time- when I thought you might've all- and then after my brother- I think I DID go a little crazy. It's hard, losing people."
"Mmm." The sound's noncommittal, neither agreeing to nor challenging Luffy's statement but merely acknowledging its existence- although the older pirate slides both hands down to cup his captain's buttocks and draw him closer, returning the ferocity of his embrace.
"What's Zoro thinking?"
"Couple of things." Leaning back slightly to catch his gaze, his first mate keeps one arm curled snugly around him but raises the opposite to brush gentle knuckles over his cheek, lightly tracing the scar beneath his eye. "I'm thinking that old man was an idiot for not recognizing what was right in front of him. For not realizing that he didn't lose EVERYBODY."
"The plant guy. And that girl with the swords? The one you fought?"
"Yeah. Them. And I was also thinking-" Zoro's fingers are abruptly gripping his jaw, preventing him from looking away. "If you ever decide the same- that you've had enough of everything and you're tired of running and you wanna die-"
The captain makes a small noise in the back of his throat at the odd mixture of anger and sorrow and determination furrowing his swordsman's brow, but he doesn't speak.
"I don't want some asshole thinking he's doing me any favors, raising a fucking ice wall between us, so don't you dare let anybody do some shit like that to me. I swore I'd follow you anywhere you go, and I mean to keep my word."