A/N: Second fic let's get this party started :) I had totally planned for this to be a series of one-shots, but then this plot bunny showed up and wouldn't go away. Oh well, maybe next time. I really like the idea of Chopper and Chuchi as a couple. They're two of my favorite characters, even if they get almost zero screen-time and never meet in the show. Still that leaves a lot of room for creativity on our part in their relationship.
You're sick of reading me ramble, huh? Either way, please enjoy Scars and Marks.
Chapter 1: Nightmare
Chopper shot up in bed, his skin coated in sweat. He ran his hands over his face, the screams of fallen brothers and the ring of blaster fire reverberating in his ears. He felt a smaller, much softer hand brush his cheek. Brown eyes met yellow as he took in his companion.
Riyo looked at him with the same loving concern she always did when he was plagued by nightmares. Her knuckles brushed the scars on his face without fear or hesitation, causing him to once again wonder what he had done to deserve her affections. Chopper took her hand and turned to kiss her palm, bringing a soft smile to his lover's lips. His mismatched eyes drank in her slight frame, her flawless skin glowing under the planetlight shining in through the window. Her lavender hair fell in gentle waves over her shoulders, framing her face like a halo. She was an angel, she was his angel.
"I love you." she murmured. She never told him it was just a nightmare, never said it was just his imagination. She knew better than that. They were memories; memories of death, of a war he had been forced to fight. A war that everyone had lost in the end. She never lied, not to him. She simply held him close. It was one of the many things he loved about her.
"And I love you cyare." Chopper whispered back, leaning in to capture her lips. The kiss was sweet and tender, seeming to last for an eternity before they broke apart. Chopper lay back down in bed, tucking Riyo against his side. "I'm not worthy of you." he said into her hair. Riyo turned her head to look up at him.
"Now you're just being silly." she told him, a smile pulling at her lips.
"You deserve someone who can give you whatever you want, not some bitter army grunt." Riyo moved so she was straddling him and took his face in her hands, her eyes boing into his.
"I want you. And if you're willing to fight to keep me in your life, you deserve to have me." How was he supposed to argue with that? Chopper chose to instead pull his lover closer for another kiss.
cyare- beloved, loved
A/N: First chapter completed, yay! *cue fanfare* I listened to the song Glitter In The Air by P!nk when writing this chapter because to me it's kinda the theme song for Chopper and Chuchi's romance. This fic is partially inspired by AL0LT0's fic beauty and the beast, which I highly recommend (AL0LT0, if you're reading this, we're still waiting for the next chapter, hon). Reviews are love. :)
