Zoro remembers that it all started with tears. He remembers, thirteen years ago, the little boy that he had punched in the face and he remembers the loud wails and the fat tears that ran down from the boy's eyes. He remembers that the little boy had laughed in his face about Kuina and he remembers seeing red because damnit, she's really gone and never coming back and this asshole is just mocking her and he remembers thinking that the boy deserved so much worse than just a punch to the face. But all that wasn't important. Not the boy, not the tears, not the angry mother who had screamed at Zoro for his behavior. The only thing that was important was what happened right after; the blond stranger who had suddenly showed up in front of him.
"Well, aren't you just a little annoying ball of moss,"
Zoro remembers staring up at the blond man whose smirk was twisted into a jeer. He remembers wondering where the man had come from, it was as if he had appeared out of thin are, and he remembers asking the man.
"That's not really important," He had said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. The blond's clothes, although expensive looking, didn't seem fit for the harsh, cold winter their town had been experiencing and Zoro had wondered if he was cold. The stranger eyed Zoro. "What's your name, shitty brat?"
"Zoro," was the automatic answer. "Who are you?"
The older man had tsked in disapproval. "Wrong question, kid,"
Zoro remembers studying the stranger carefully, taking in every detail he could. The unnaturally pale skin that made him look like he was on the verge of death, the single exposed right blue eye whose color seemed to shift and churn in a way that reminded Zoro of the sea during a storm, and his hair. His golden hair that Zoro could've sworn shined with an intensity to match the sun. Zoro remembers thinking that the blond stranger was beautiful, untouchable, other-worldly...
"What are you?"
And Zoro remembers the blond man's smirk which told him that he had asked the right question.
"Are you sure you don't want to come, Zoro?" Luffy asked over the phone, his voice slightly disappointed by the news. "We're all headed to stay the night at Robin's house for Christmas Eve."
"Ah, sorry, Luffy," Zoro said. He struggled with balancing his phone between his ear and his shoulder as he searched his jacket pockets for his apartment keys. Finally finding what he was looking for, Zoro unlocked his front door. "I already made plans for tonight."
As Zoro made his way into his home he could hear Luffy huff on the other end. "Okay Zoro, but don't forget that we're all meeting tomorrow for a Christmas breakfast!"
"Yeah, yeah," he replied absentmindedly.
"And Usopp and I will come pick you up tomorrow morning so you don't get lost! Because it's a new place that we're going to but I know one of the cook's and his cooking is soooo good, especially his meat dishes-"
"Alright Luffy, see you tomorrow!" Zoro rushed out a goodbye and hung up on the younger boy before he could go on a tangent about food that Zoro had no desire to hear about.
Shedding his thick coat, Zoro reveled in the warmth of his apartment, grateful for once of the heat that trapped itself in his walls. This year's winter had gotten especially cold and the snow fall, thick and while it made for a beautiful white Christmas atmosphere, it had forced Zoro to purchase warmer clothes than what he already owned.
Winter wasn't one of Zoro's favourite seasons. He had never enjoyed the cold that bit at his skin or the the snow that would soak through his shoes and pants. Ice on the road was always a pain to deal with and the dark and cloudy sky never helped to improve the man's mood. Overall, in Zoro's opinion, winter was an overrated season, enjoyable only for Holiday fanatics and those teenagers who liked to wear too large sweaters and drink 100% organic coffee. The only reason Zoro even remotely looked forward to the snow season was-
"Oh, welcome home, shit head,"
Zoro eyed the blond man who was lounged across his couch in a lazy manner. The same bright blue eye and golden blond hair that showed up last Christmas Eve, and the one before that, and the one before that, all starting from that first visit thirteen years ago.
"I'm the Ghost of Christmas 'Get-off-your-ass-and-enjoy-the-goddamn-holiday'" was what he had said. The only introduction eight year old Zoro got out of the stranger. He remembers stretching out his arm with the intent to push the strange man away only to have his hand pass through the blond's figure, coming into contact with only the freezing cold air. The blond had giggled then, claiming that the action tickled.
"Am I going to die too? Is that why you're here?"
"No, didn't you hear me, marimo? I'm here because you need me to be,"
This was new.
Through all thirteen years, Zoro's routine with the blond had pretty much been the same. On Christmas Eve morning he'd wake to that stunning blue eye and the spirit's bright smile and from there the blond would follow Zoro wherever he went, whether it was to that convenient store down the street or to Ace and Luffy's house to exchange presents. The blond was usually quiet when Zoro was surrounded by his friends, opting to watch silently from afar, but every once and a while the bastard would throw in a sarcastic remark or sneer that had Zoro fuming for reasons that no one else could hear or see. When it turned dark, Zoro would return home with the blond still faithfully by his side where they either entertained themselves with old Christmas movies or just simply sat comfortably on his couch tossing insults back and forth. And when the clock struck midnight the blond spirit would once again fade into nothing until next year's Christmas season, leaving Zoro with a sense of loneliness that he would never admit to the blond out loud.
That was their routine. For thirteen years it followed that same pattern. Over the years Zoro grew, taller, bigger, stronger, older than the blond spirit who years ago looked so big, but now looked no older than a high school student in Zoro's eyes. But despite this, their relationship and routine had been a constant. One that Zoro actually looked forward to every year despite the blond's annoying attitude.
But this was new. Not that Zoro was really complaining though.
Zoro laid on his bed staring up at the blond that hovered above him, their faces inches apart. It had been ten minutes to midnight the last time Zoro checked but the thought of the day almost ending was lost on the green-haired man when the blond spirit moved his hand to trace over the large scar that ran across his torso. The touch was cold, as it had always been over the years, no more than air ghosting over the old injury but the cold feeling had Zoro shuddering and biting his lower lip.
The blond watched Zoro's reactions carefully as he gently caressed the man's chest.
"I remember the year you got this," the spirit said softly, cold air running over the large scar again. "You tried to hide it from me,"
"Because I knew you were going to nag me about it," Zoro replied with a smirk remembering how much the blond had yelled and screamed at him to be more careful and take better care of himself that day.
The hands moved over to Zoro's side, fingers tracing along another nasty scar across the skin. Zoro gasped at the contact, his skin prickling from the cold. His eyes shut tightly as he attempted to hold back the groan that threatened to leave his lips. Zoro knew in the back of his head that nothing was touching him, nothing but cold air, but at the same time nothing had ever felt so real to the man.
The spirit huffed out a laugh. "You got this one shortly after you met Luffy, right?"
Zoro made a noise of agreement, his eyes still shut closed. His grip tightened on his bed sheets when he felt the spirit move down. His cold lips brushing against any and every scar that Zoro had accumulated over the years while quietly murmuring the memories and stories that came with them.
All too suddenly, the contact was gone and Zoro's eyes flew open. He found himself staring at the blond's face that hovered so close to his own.
"Zoro," the spirit's voice was so soft, so unlike his usual loud, more demanding personality Zoro had seen so often. That and the rare use of his name made Zoro's heart clench painfully. What time was it? Hadn't it been almost midnight the last time he checked?
Cold lips brushed against Zoro's for a brief second before the spirit pulled away entirely from the other man. Zoro tried to follow, rising himself up onto his elbows to feel the freezing contact again but the blond's soft smile held him back.
"Zoro," the blond whispered. "You've grown so much. I remember when you were just a lost, lonely, little marimo who desperately needed someone by your side."
"You were there," Zoro mumbled, sleepy.
"Yeah," the spirit chuckled. "Because you needed me there. Because you needed someone to remind you that you didn't have to be alone. But now you have others, Luffy, Usopp, the beautiful Nami and Robin."
The world was fading before Zoro's eyes and blackness crept along his vision. Vaguely he could hear the sound of his alarm clock beeping, signaling the time of twelve o'clock but all of his focus was on the blond that radiated cold and light above him. His eye lids felt heavy, his body relaxed itself despite the heavy feeling that Zoro had in his heart. Soon, his eyes slipped closed and sleep over took the green-haired man with the blond's last words echoing within his dreams.
"You don't need me anymore but I'm glad I got to watch you grow up, Zoro."
"Usopp, Zoro! Hurry up!" Luffy urged excitedly. "Everyone else is already there!"
"Luffy, the food's not going to be gone when we get there," Usopp told him walking slowly by Zoro's side. Luffy made no notice of having heard him and continued to run ahead of the two.
Zoro paid none of this any mind, too lost in his own thoughts. That Christmas morning he had woken up to an empty apartment, which wasn't strange in itself since that was what happened every year. But last night...last night the blond had said some really weird things, almost as if he was saying goodbye. The idea that the blond wouldn't be coming back next year made Zoro's chest tighten. How could, after thirteen years of having the blond visit him, he disappear for good just like that? A small part of Zoro felt empty, as if a large part of him had just been ripped out violently and suddenly, leaving nothing but a gaping wound exposed to the cold winter air.
"Hey, Zoro, are you okay?" Usopp's voice snapped Zoro out of his daze. He looked up to see the other man's concerned face. They had stopped walking, standing in front of a restaurant that Zoro assumed they would be eating their breakfast in. Through the glass door he could see Luffy already inside and excitedly chatting with a worker at the front.
Zoro sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I'll be fine."
Before Usopp could say anything more the restaurant door flew open along with a giddy Luffy. The younger boy grabbed Zoro and Usopp by their shirt collars and dragged them into the building, words flying out of his mouth at a fast pace.
"C'mon guys! Food, food, food! They said they wouldn't serve me until everyone sat down and you guys are taking too long. C'mon! The food here is amazing, just wait until you try it then you'll see—Oh, yeah! There's someone I want you to meet Zoro!"
Most of Luffy's words went right over Zoro's head, the green-haired man not bothering to decipher the younger boy's excitement as he was shoved into a booth, squashed between Franky's large form and Usopp. Luffy sat himself down at the end of the booth, calling and waving one of the workers over to their table.
"Oi, Luffy, calm down. You're scaring all the other customer, damn idiot,"
Zoro's eyes widened. That voice.
"But Sanji," Luffy whined. "I'm hungry!"
Zoro snapped his head up, focusing on the waiter who stood in front of their group's table and for a moment Zoro forgot how to breathe. There he was. His blond standing before him with a familiar scowl formed around a burning cigarette. There were some differences like how the waiter before him had his hair parted to expose only his left eye instead of the right and the man was sporting more facial hair than Zoro had seen on his spirit but the resemblance was uncanny. Both the waiter and Luffy seemed to notice Zoro's staring as they suddenly turned their attention to him.
"Zoro, this is the person I wanted you to meet! This is Sanji, he's a chef here!" Luffy grinned, oblivious to Zoro's open mouthed staring.
The waiter—his blond-Sanji raised an eyebrow at the other man's expression but after a moment smirked and held a hand out to him.
"Nice to finally meet you, man. Happy holidays."
If Zoro had been in the right of mind he would have felt a little more embarrassed at how long he simply sat their staring at the blond, expecting him at any moment to disappear from sight, but at the moment Zoro could do nothing more than slowly raise his hand up to meet the other's.
"Yeah, you too," His voice was too quiet for his liking but it didn't matter.
The hand he gripped was the most solid and warm thing he had ever felt.