This one goes out to Lew! You are amazing and you will always be so!
Luffy had inexplicably announced his desire to go on a road trip, and Zoro had agreed before he'd fully processed what had been said.
And so the two found themselves in their old van, the one with the faded and peeling green paint, travelling cross-country with no specific plan. They would take turns driving, switching it up at every necessary stop. How Luffy had ever gotten his license was a mystery; he would go over the speed limit at random intervals, come to a screeching stop at stop signs and red lights (when he noticed them), and seemed adamant on not using the turn signal. Zoro, on the other hand, was a far better driver, but he too had his faults; more often than not, he would take wrong turns, miss the turn entirely, take U-turns where it was illegal, or flip the turn signal one way and turn the van the other way.
While one drove, the other would sing songs (with no music, as the van's radio had been broken for ages) or read a book aloud to keep both of them occupied. Luffy's voice was enthusiastic and bright, and Zoro often stumbled over the words.
The sun was starting to set. It was Luffy's turn to drive, and he was looking for an inn to stop at for the night. Zoro had a book open.
"'There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them,'" he read aloud. He abruptly closed the book. "End of the chapter, and it'll be too dark before I finish the next one."
"Aw," Luffy pouted. "Well, we can finish the book tomorrow, right?"
"Any luck finding an inn?" Zoro asked, scanning the roadsides.
Luffy glanced around. "Nope."
"Oh, hey—wait, there's a motel!" Zoro exclaimed. He pointed left. "To your right!"
Luffy frowned. "You're not pointing right, Zoro! Which way is it?!"
"It's where I'm pointing!"
Luffy glanced to the left and promptly swerved, causing several others on the road to screech to a stop and horns to honk. He sped into a parking space and slammed on the brakes, jerking both him and Zoro forward.
"We're here," he announced cheerfully.
Zoro checked himself to make sure nothing was broken. "Yeah, let's go pay for a room. I'm exhausted."
"No bedbugs," Luffy announced, checking the bed, "I think."
"Cool," Zoro said sleepily. He looked around. The room's wallpaper reminded him of their van's paint, and the TV was practically a historical artifact. The crack beneath the door let in far too much cold air.
"Wanna watch something before bed?"
"Hm . . ." Luffy flopped onto the bed. "Anything good on . . . ?"
Zoro went up to the TV and turned it on, flipping through some of the channels.
"Stop!" Luffy exclaimed. Zoro quickly stopped and glanced back at him. This channel was showing a rerun of an old cartoon.
"I used to watch this when I was little," Luffy said, grinning. He lay on his stomach and stretched out his limbs, watching the show intently.
"You're still little," Zoro said, sitting next to him.
Luffy frowned up at him. "Am not."
Zoro messed with his hair. "Which one of us is taller again?"
"Me," Luffy said immediately.
"Which one of us is taller without being on the other's shoulders?"
"You," Luffy muttered, turning to watch the TV again.
Zoro laughed. "I'm only teasing. You're not that small."
Luffy flipped around so he was on his back. "I'm big," he insisted.
"You shouldn't lay on your back like that," Zoro said sternly.
"What? Why? Some superstition?" Luffy said in surprise.
"No," Zoro said. "A monster might get you."
"What kinda monster?"
Zoro grinned. "A raspberry monster." He promptly yanked Luffy's shirt up and blew on his stomach, drawing out a shrieking laugh.
"Zoro!" Luffy exclaimed, giggling. He quickly sat up and started tickling Zoro's neck, the cartoon forgotten. Zoro held a straight expression for a moment before breaking and laughing out loud, grabbing Luffy's wrists.
"Okay, okay, you win," he exclaimed, grinning as he recovered. Luffy pinched his cheek and grinned in return before he suddenly hiccuped. He looked so surprised that Zoro had to laugh again, dropping Luffy's hands.
"Hey," Luffy said indignantly. "It's not that fu—" he hiccuped again.
"Go get some water," Zoro ordered, still laughing. Luffy rolled off the bed and trudged out. Zoro sighed, recovering again, and glanced at the TV.
When Luffy came back, Zoro was focused on the cartoon, lying on his stomach.
"You like it?" Luffy asked cheerfully, his hiccups apparently cured.
Zoro tore his eyes away. "Maybe," he said guiltily.
Luffy climbed on top of him and rested his chin on Zoro's head. Zoro rolled his eyes up at Luffy and smiled.
And then the TV and the lights abruptly went out, leaving them in darkness. They gave exclamations of surprise.
For a few minutes they quietly lay on the bed together. Then there was a knock on the door. Zoro got up to answer it; the hotel staff informed him there had been a power outage and they weren't sure how long it would last. The staff member offered up a flashlight, and Zoro took it, though when the employee left, he just set it by the bed.
"Guess it's bedtime," he said, flopping back onto the pillow. Luffy yanked out the blanket, flopped onto his pillow, and covered them both with the blanket. They each had only brought about three outfits along for the whole trip, so they would sleep with their day clothes on, regardless of the dirt or the smell.
"G'night," Luffy said, always sleepy as soon as the lights went out. He scooted towards Zoro and rested against him.
They both quickly fell asleep in each other's warmth.