AN: ZoLu with the prompt 'Seperation'. I like writing like in this sort of style, aha.
In the beginning, it hadn't hurt as much as he thought it would.
Cauterization, and all of that, he supposed, but every time he saw Luffy's picture hung on his wall; the only one that he had, the one that showed the uncontrollable, unfathomable sorrow, well-
Sometimes he thought that this particular wound on his mind hadn't cauterized as much as he thought it had. Having scars on his body was easier than having ones on his heart, he'd found, and if Kuina hadn't taught him that years ago then the lesson would've been learnt now, with Luffy's grief-stricken features still branded across his mind whenever he thought of his captain.
Even trying to remember days when they'd all been happy; before Sabaody, before Kuma, before everything had started to unravel at the edges – that all seemed tainted by the looming edge of misery.
The crew was scattered to islands so far away it almost seemed they'd never find each other again, and the nagging fear that he'd get lost coming back home to them all-
Oh, that stayed in the forefront of his mind whenever he thought about finally finishing the two years of training.
To be separated for this long; to be so far away from his captain and the crew for so long-
It made a part of him that he'd thought was a carefully guarded diamond ache as though it was flesh-and-blood, like his heartache was a physical injury.
But he knew like he knew the thrum of his swords in his hands that he couldn't heal an injury done to his heart like he could an injury to his body.
And, to the silence of his mind and the barest whisper of his breath, to the stars he could barely see and the memory of sunshine and moonlight across the deck of grass, he swore an unheard vow;
I will never be separated from you again.