A/N: ZareEraz here! Here's another update! Happy Reading! :3
Chapter 10: Worried Sick
"You're stupid, Zoro." Luffy grumbled, glaring at his first mate from his hammock, who was resting on the couch in the boy's room below decks. Mostly though, he was glaring at the bandages around both of Zoro's ankles and brooding over it. He'd actually been staring at them ever since Zoro had had to bandage up his own legs after Little Garden. And when Luffy had asked what the hell had happened, Zoro had told him that he'd tried to cut his legs off to get out of Mr. 3's Candle Service and ever since then, Luffy had put on a show for his crew, acting like his usual self until he'd made his way below decks and saw Zoro trying to fit himself onto the small couch, his bandages immediately drawing his attention, after which, he hopped into his hammock and grumped.
"You always call me stupid." The swordsman sighed, trying to get comfortable on the couch that was just a little too short for his tall frame.
"But this time I mean it. You're stupid." Luffy sulked, rolling over to turn his back to the green-haired man. Zoro cracked his eyes open and watched his captain, trying to figure out the weird mood he was in.
"Luffy…what's wrong?" He asked.
"Nothing." The rubber man refused to explain if Zoro didn't already get it. He was so stupid sometimes!
"Luffy, don't be such an ass and just tell me what's-" Zoro started to stand up, placing his aching feet on the floor of the ship when a straw-hatted mass flew into him from the air and knocked him back onto the couch.
"Don't get up!" Luffy snapped, smacking his hands on Zoro's chest and pushing him down into the cushions and sitting his butt on Zoro's abs.
"What the-!"
"Stay down!" Luffy ordered, fisting his hands into the fabric of Zoro's shirt. "Just…don't get up." Luffy's voice broke and he stopped talking, tipping his head down.
"Luffy! What the hell is wrong?!" Zoro grumbled, trying to push his way back up. They were dead locked for a few minutes, Zoro's monster strength pinned down by Luffy's, until he stopped resisting, noticing that the rubber man's hands were trembling.
"Luffy…what's wrong?" Zoro asked again, softer this time.
"Why didn't you wait for me?" Luffy whispered, face hidden by his hat.
"Huh?" The swordsman breathed, watching the top of his captain's head.
"Why didn't you wait for me to come?!" Luffy's head snapped up, tears welling up in his eyes. "Why did you do something so stupid? You could've died of you'd actually succeeded in cutting your feet off! Why did you do it? Did you think that I had lost? That I wasn't coming? Did you think that I wouldn't come to help you?" A few tears slipped down Luffy's face as he spoke, his hurt and worry on the inside finally given physical form. Faced with the unexpected emotion, all Zoro could think to do was sit up and grab the boy, pulling him into his arms, Luffy's hat falling off in the process.
"No. I knew you'd come." He whispered back, holding the young man close to him.
"Then…" Luffy sniffed, trying to hold back his tears. "…why?"
"Because I wanted to beat the crap out of them first."
"By hurting yourself?" Luffy asked, timidly wrapping his arms around Zoro's body. "How would you have walked? How could you have lived after losing so much blood? Nami was right…you are insane." Luffy sniffed, trying to keep from crying any more than he already was. "And now she's sick and we have no doctor. She needs to get better and we're all worried about her and Vivi is the most, I think, but she's also worried about her home which makes everyone else worry. I can't have anybody doing any more stupid things."
"You're one to talk." Zoro interrupted, finally feeling the weight of everything that Luffy had been keeping hidden. He was worried about Nami, trying to keep a brave face on and be his usual goofy self to help everyone stay at least a little cheerful or irritated at him, to keep them distracted from despair as best he could. He was worried about Vivi and her home and the war because Vivi was a passenger on their ship and she was their friend. And he was worried about Zoro too, after his stunt. He was carrying so much on his shoulders, just like a captain should, but Zoro wanted himself to be one less that Luffy wouldn't have to worry about.
"What did you say?" Some of Luffy's irritation was coming back and he tried to pull himself from Zoro's arms, but the swordsman didn't let him go.
"You do the same stupid things that I do. Even if I told you to stop being impulsive you wouldn't. Same with me. When I comes down to it, I'm going to do what I have to do and you're going to do the same thing."
"Doesn't mean you should cut your own legs off! I was coming to get you guys! Did you really think that I had been defeated?! That's mean, Zoro!" Luffy started hitting Zoro's back with his fists.
"No! I didn't." Zoro's arms tightened around Luffy. "I just wanted to kick their asses and get over to you." Luffy stopped hitting Zoro, his hands falling limp. "I just…wanted to be with you." Zoro blushed, hoping that Luffy was too dense to notice any underlying double meanings.
"Okay…" Luffy sniffed. "I don't really get it…but I want you to be with me Zoro. I want to be with you and Nami and Sanji and Usopp and Vivi and Carue…you're my friends…I don't want you to die…so don't die…"
"I can't promise that." Zoro said, leaning back onto the couch to sleep like he'd been trying to do before Luffy got all grumpy, taking the boy with him. Luffy chuckled into his chest.
"I can't promise that either, I guess." Luffy rested his head on Zoro, suddenly tired and very comfy on the swordsman's chest. "Just don't die doing stupid things."
"Okay. Whatever you say, captain." Zoro let his eyes drift shut, in pain in his legs fading a little as Luffy's body relaxed on top of his. "Just rest for now. Worry later." But Luffy didn't hear him, he was already asleep, finding a new favorite spot to take a nap.
A/N: And there you go! We're slowly making our way along, so hang in there a bit! See you all later! :3