Disclaimer: If I won the lottery, would that be enough to buy One Piece? Would it?! No? Well, keep it! I'll always have my dream of OP yaoi/yuri! You can't sue me for those, Oda-sensei! -bows with the utmost respect- Terribly sorry about that…
Summary: Maybe the reason he's so happy and friendly is because he's scared of losing even a single friend. Truthfully, Luffy just can't stand being alone. But he never will be as long as Zoro's there. AU ZoLu.
Warnings: This is still ZoLu. I hope none of you expected that to change. And if you did, shame on you! Get out right now! Alright, you can stay.
Y'know, I actually planned on this story lasting at least until Ace got back. But I just got so many ideas that could make this so much longer. If I ever, and I mean ever, start loosing interest in this, I won't be mad if you guys take that time to and yell and scream for me to update. My muses do that a lot anyway…
By the way, this chapter mainly focuses on the other characters, but it has Zoro and Luffy in the beginning. Don't be sad, I'll try cramming as much ZoLu as I can in the next chapter to make up for it.
Yosh! This chapter goes out to Loreto W! Thanks for making me continue this! I'd also like to that Inumaru12 for getting to write ZoLu in the first place. Best little sister eva!! This wasn't even supposed to come out until Friday. I started yesterday and just got carried away! Without further interruption, I hope you guys enjoy.
Perk-up Song
When Luffy woke up the next morning, he found himself comfortably placed in his bed. Upon closer inspection, he realized he was in the same clothes as yesterday. The bouncy boy wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign.
Zoro.
The first thing that popped into his head that morning. Without any regard for anything around him, he ran out of his room and into the hallway (tripping over various objects along the way) praying that Zoro was still around.
The raven-haired boy didn't know what he'd do with himself if the taller man had left during the night after he had begged him to stay.
Oh yeah, the begging. Luffy should probably apologize for that.
"Zoro?!" Luffy called desperately, fearing that he really had left and that he really was alone once again. No answer came. He felt his chest tighten. Tears welled up in his eyes.
No! He shook his head violently, wiping his watery obsidian orbs. I won't cry anymore! Nii-chan wouldn't want me to!
He raced into the living room. No one was on the couch either. Luffy's head sank and, strangely, so did his heart.
Saddened, Luffy continued into the room. At least he could watch television to take his mind off it, right? The lanky teen walked to the back of the sofa and flipped over, as he usually did on Saturday mornings.
He got a face full of hard warm sofa cushion. Except, if no one was sitting on the sofa, how could it be warm? It most certainly wasn't supposed to be hard either!
"L-luffy?" the green-haired man muttered groggily. "The hell're you doin'?" He rubbed his eyes and realized just how awkward their current position was.
The smaller teen was buried sideways in lower abdomen. Almost near his…
Luffy was thrown to the floor.
"Wh-what are you doing up this early?!" Zoro gasped, rubbing furiously at the spot Luffy's mouth had landed. Oh God… his drool was starting to drip downwards!
"Early? It's almost noon!" Luffy exclaimed normally. It's not like his best friend had just threw him from a couch or something homicidal like that. "And I thought you'd left. I'm glad you're still here," he added with a blush.
Zoro looked back towards the bedrooms and reached the possible conclusion that Luffy wasn't able to see him from his lying position on the couch. Truthfully, the groggy teen usually got up at six on Saturdays so he could head to the gym. Last night was just so hectic and weird, he stayed up hours longer than usual trying to make sense out of everything.
He'd held Luffy in his arms. Tightly and protectively until he fell asleep. In. His. Arms. But friends do that, right? They hold their friends when they broke down crying, right? Right?!
Yeah, if your friend's a girl… His mind told him. Hopefully, the smaller boy would just forget and he'd be free to go home.
"Thanks for staying with me last night, Zoro," muttered Luffy.
Crap!
"But geez, that was so weird! I don't even know why I started crying!" the younger shouted, returning to his usual chipper persona. Zoro almost smiled. "I didn't think you'd go so far as to hold me, though…"
Damn, he didn't tell me to hold him, did he? I seriously did something so stupid on my own? Dammit, Zoro, what the hell has gotten into you? Aw this is just perfect! What if he takes it the wrong way and starts thinking weird things? He might wanna do it more often and it'll be all my fault! I'm such an idiot! That was the worst possible thing to do! As he continued to berate himself, Luffy continued chattering on and on about various things. All of which held no relation to the thing that came after.
"But, seriously, thanks."
Zoro was snapped back to reality. He turned away from the boy instantly, stood walked over to the kitchen. There was nothing in the fridge that required simple preparation and Zoro wasn't in the mood to cook (again). He glanced over at Luffy, who was watching innocently, and instantly turned away, embarrassed for some reason.
"Zoro, I'm hungry!" Luffy whined. "Cook something for me!" The green-haired man winced at the command. "C'mon, hurry up! Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!
"All right, damn!!" the older man exploded, a vein popping on his forehead. "Grab you coat and get in the car and I'll take us somewhere!"
"Yay!" Luffy sang, bouncing off to his room. "But we should go to your place first!" he grinned from the hallway.
"For what?" Zoro questioned absently, leaning against the fridge.
"So you can change!" the raven-haired boy chuckled, sticking his head back into the kitchen and holding his nose. "You stink!"
A piece of bread flew at him. He happily caught it in his mouth before heading off to his room.
"Brat," Zoro grumbled.
XXcHaRaCtErChAnGeXX
A little later in the afternoon, a tan-skinned man was calmly walking down the street near the park with a small animal held affectionately in his arms. The little furry creature peaked it's head up from its owners arms to view the world around it. The park was strange place for this particular animal to be. Heck, this animal was strange to even have as a pet!
"Hey, Usopp!" a loud feminine voice called from one of the benches. The long-nosed man looked around until his eyes set upon a smiling redhead in heels, an orange t-shirt and a miniskirt.
Standing next to her was a blonde man smoking a cigarette and a cheerful looking blue-haired girl.
"Oi, Nami!" Usopp yelled, running over to her. His new pet bounced up and down in his arms at the motion his master was making.
"It's been a long time since we've seen each other, Usopp-kun." the bluenette smiled.
"Vivi?!" he nearly choked. "When did you get here?"
"I told she was coming down here yesterday! Don't you listen when I talk!?" Nami said, scolding the man. He jumped back in fear of the woman.
"What the hell is that you're holding?" Sanji asked, removing the ciggy from his mouth. "A freakin' tanuki or somethin'? You gonna cook it?"
The animal's eyes widened and Usopp nearly choked.
"Aww, it's a reindeer!" Vivi gasped, marveling at the creature's cuteness. "Usopp-kun, where on Earth did you find him?"
"Well," the liar began, clearing his throat, "It was storming one night and, I, the brave Usopp-sama, was heading home when I heard the feeble cries of this poor, poor creature pleading to the Heaven's for someone to come and rescue it from its terrible, lonely, saddening, fearful torture. Luckily, I--"
"Just tell the truth, you dork," the blonde grumbled. Vivi chuckled in amusement and Nami sighed, shaking her head.
A faint blush crossed the long-nosed boy's cheeks as he cleared his throat. "Well, uh, when I went to Syrup Village last night, Dad took me to see Kaya and she gave him to me. She said he came all the way from Drum Island."
"No wonder he looks so soft and fluffy! Since that's a winter island, Father said it's perfect for raising reindeer!"
"What're you gonna call him?" Nami questioned.
Usopp pursed his lips in thought for a moment. "Umm, how about Chopper? I mean, look at his antlers! Yes, Tony Tony Chopper! A brave name from his brave owner!"
"Yeah, right," Sanji rolled his eyes. The tan-skinned man set the creature on the ground and stood on his tip-toes to meet the taller man's gaze.
"What about it?" Usopp asked gruffly, puffing out his chest. Sanji blew smoke in his face and the teen fell to the ground, flailing his arms sporadically. Nami laughed at the display while Vivi bent down to get a better look at Chopper.
"Hi there, Tony-kun," she said to the creature sweetly. The reindeer got a scared freaked-out look in his eyes and hid behind his owner.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you guys he gets nervous around strangers," Usopp managed to get out. Sanji chuckled at his display and helped him to his feet.
"So, Vivi, is there somewhere you'd like to go while you're in town?" Nami asked politely to the girl next to her.
"Well, I guess it wouldn't be a visit if I didn't see Luffy-kun or Mr. Bushido," the rich girl grinned.
"Knowing Zoro, he's probably asleep. Luffy's most likely at home with Ace-san though."
"Great, let's go see them!" Vivi announced.
"Those bastards. How dare they make someone as delicate and beautiful as Vivi-chan walk all the way to see them?!" Sanji grumbled, love-love persona kicking in. "Fear not! I'll gladly carry you wherever you want to go, Vivi-chwan!!"
She stared the large pink hearts that suddenly replaced his eyes and declined his oh-so generous offer. "So we're going to Luffy-kun's place?"
"Yep! It's not that far from here, actually," the redhead responded. She had a mental map of the city engraved in her memory and could spout off the best directions at any given moment.
"I guess I'll see you guys later then! I gotta go pick up some things for Chopper!" Usopp announced, already taking off in the opposite direction. The small reindeer followed wholeheartedly.
"It was nice seeing you, Usopp-kun, Tony-kun!!" Vivi shouted after then, cupping her hand around her mouth.
"But it was even nicer seeing me! Right, Vivi-chwan?!" Sanji exclaimed affectionately.
"Sometimes certain people should just stay seen," Nami sighed, pulling the man along by the collar. The girl with light blue hair smiled and went along with them.
Tsuzuku…
Ending Omake
Ice: It was a joke, I swear! You didn't have to tie me up! (sad face)
Sanji: You were trying to take pictures of us!!
Usopp: Have you no shame?
Ice: But… but you didn't have to have to smash my camera! That was expensive! And it's your fault for being so sexy in the first place!
Sanji: Think about that before you spy on people! …and thank you, non-woman.
Ice: You're welcome, pervert. And at least I don't spy on girls in the bathhouse.
Usopp: Of course you wouldn't…
Ice: Usopp, I'm crushed you'd say that (coughnotreallyjerkcough). Anyway, just untie these ropes! I said I was sorry!
Sanji: (tightens ropes)
--crash--
Usopp: What the heck was that?!
??: I'm hhheeerrreee!!
Usopp: Eh? Whose that girl with sake and playing cards?
Sanji: Sake? Playing cards? What the hell're you--
Ice: (gasps) Inu-chan! I'm save-ed!
Inu: Oh yeah, I'm awesome! (grins)
