Neeeheeee. You've waited for a new chapter haven't ya:3 Clare hasn't been online for a week, I think her internet is down again. So, give some supernice review for her to read when she gets back ;D Ne?
What Does Your Stomach Tell You?
by
Shiruji-chan & Clarobell
Chapter 10 – Love makes you do weird things
Three days had passed since Zoro had been brought back to the cave by Luffy and slowly but surely both the captain and first mate had regained their strength, but with torn clothes and little food, they were still sick, and still weak. Sanji, though still limping slightly was pretty much fine and had decided that they would go out in search of food. He doubted there would be any more of those beasts on the island, but it couldn't hurt to look.
Sanji had sent Luffy and Zoro together so that they could watch out for one another as he knew neither would stand for the others 'heroics'.
And so that brought us to the present time. Zoro and Luffy were currently climbing the mountainside leaving Sanji to search the flat ground so that the blonde wouldn't aggrivate his injured leg too much.
Zoro grimaced a little as Luffy leaned precariously over the edge of the mountainside and his stomachs did flipflops as the boy started to wobble, losing his balance for a second before regaining it and turning to grin at him. The swordsman sighed and gave his captain a suffering look.
"Luffy, don't get so close to the edge okay?" Zoro asked quietly "What if more of those things attack?"
Luffy whined as Zoro pulled him back by his shorts and pouted at the swordsman. He had been having fun 'oo'ing and 'ahh'ing at the height of the mountain!
"But Zoro!" he protested "Sanji said there wouldn't be any more of those beasties!"
Zoro blinked at his catain and sighed. Yet again Luffy had mixed up what he had heard until it was what he wanted to hear.
"The shitty cook said he didn't think there would be any" Zoro frowned "And the day I believe him I'll wear a pink tutu and dance sword ballet!"
Luffy laughed loudly as the image of Zoro in a pink tutu crossed his mind and seemed very amused by Zoro's words.
"Zoro, that woud be really cool!" he stated excitedly
Zoro's eyes widened. He knew Luffy too well, and when Luffy thought something was cool he usually wanted to investigate it. If he didn't want to wind up in a pink tutu doing 'sword ballet', he'd best think of something quick to change the subject.
"I didn't ... I wouldn't! I mean..." Zoro stuttered "Uh ... so how's your new shirt?"
Luffy fingered the shirt a little and frowned as the tips of his fingers brushed across the rubbery substance. Sanji had made him the makeshift shirt the night before by somehow using the fire to meld some of the leaves they'd been using as blankets together. Luffy wriggled his nose a little.
"It's a little itchy..."
"Is it warm?" Zoro asked, shivering a little as he climbed higher up the mountain
"Yeah, it's very warm!" Luffy grinned, but his grin fell as he saw Zoro shivering "...you want to try it?"
"Ha!" Zoro smirked "He made it for you! It wouldn't fit me! You're too scrawny!"
"I'm not scrawny!" Luffy protested, puffing his cheeks out and tugging at the new shirt angrily.
"Hey, stop that!" Zoro ordered "You'll break it!"
"Fine" Luffy pouted as he stopped tugging on his shirt "But I'm not scrawny!"
"...are" Zoro muttered under his breath as they once again began to advance up the mountain.
Luffy didn't bother to protest though as his attention was pulled away by an evil snowflake that had dared to land on hs nose. He poked his tongue out and stretched the rubbery appendage to lick it off before turning to grin at Zoro. The swordsman just stared back before rolling his eyes and grabbing Luffy's hand, pulling him forward.
"Come on" he muttered
Luffy silenced as the funny feeling in his stomach came back and tried to ignore the heat in his face. Zoro noticed his captain's silence and turned back to face the boy.
"Hey Luffy, you okay?" he asked, concern lacing his voice "You're quiet..."
"Oh yeah! Fine!" Luffy grinned as he started to march up the mountain "Let's go!"
"Hey, hey! Slow it down! You're-" Zoro cut off as Luffy glared at him and quickly corrected himself "We're still recovering you know!"
"I'm not sick" Luffy muttered "I don't get sick ... I'm just a little tired, that's all!"
"Then I'm not sick either" Zoro snorted "The only one sick here is the love-cook"
Before he had a chance to insult said love-cook further, Zoro promptly tripped and fell face first into the snow
"...Zoro?" Luffy called, trying deperately to hold in his giggles
Zoro shot back up blushing and dusted himself off; unfortunately, neither captain nor first mate were as healthy as they claimed to be and the fast movement made Zoro's head spin and he fell back in the snow with a groan. Luffy's laughter abruptly stopped and he rushed to his first mates side, resting a hand on his forehead. Zoro pushed it away and sat back more slowly this time, blinking groggily.
"M'fine" he muttered "Just tired"
Luffy grinned and nodded, sitting down in the snow beside Zoro.
"Then let's rest!" he chirped.
"We can't" Zoro replied as he shook his head and stood up "We've got to keep moving or we'll freeze to death here"
"Aww Zoro!" Luffy whined "I don't want to!"
"Damn it Luffy!" Zoro shouted, his head pounding and spinning a little "Why do you have to be so childish?!"
The swordsman kicked a random rock against the wall in his frustration, but what he hadn't expected was that very rock to rebound and come hurtling back at him. He barely had time to widen his eyes before it smacked him straight in the middle of his forehead. Zoro fell back into the snow groaning and holding his head.
Luffy burst out laughing, but stopped as he realised Zoro wasn't getting up. Cocking his head to the side, Luffy stood up and picked up the rock before tossing it over the side of the mountain and sitting beside Zoro who was still groaning in the snow.
"Zoro's got to relax, nothing's going to happen anyway!" Luffy smiled, but frowned as he got no response "Zoro?"
Luffy waved his hand in front of Zoro's face and the swordsman smacked the hand away before sitting up holding his head.
"Zoro should have stayed at the cave" Luffy muttered as he leaned back a little in the snow.
"Stupid rock..." Zoro groaned as he blinked away the dizziness
"Yeah" Luffy agreed, glad to see Zoro was okay "I threw it over the cliff!"
Zoro almost laughed at the proud look Luffy was showing, puffing out his chest as if he had done some great deed.
"Thanks buddy" he smiled at Luffy before ruffling his hair and standing up "Come on let's get this over and done with"
"Awwww" Luffy whined as he got to his feet "But I don't want to..."
"Or we could just turn back now and say we looked..." Zoro continued with a smirk
Luffy grinned, but then frowned again "But then there wouldn't be any meat to eat!"
"So I'll catch some fish for you later" Zoro offered
"Really?" Luffy asked as his smile grew once more and then fell again "But ... Zoro's tired, and then you would get more tired and-"
"Luffy shouldn't worry so much about Zoro" the swordsman smirked as Luffy pouted, his earlier words to Zoro being turned against him
"That's cheating!" the rubber boy protested as his stuck his tongue out and Zoro laughed.
"So I'm a cheater then" Zoro smirked again before pulling Luffy along with him back down the mountain "Come on"
Luffy's knees suddenly buckled and both men landed in the snow with a soft crunch. Luffy grinned sheepishly as Zoro raised an eyebrow.
"It seems the tables have turned captain" Zoro muttered as he knelt in front Luffy so that the boy could climb on his back
Luffy protested a little at first but soon gave in and was giggling away as he got a piggy-back ride from Zoro.
"Its fun being with Zoro!" he grinned
Zoro smiled and continued to walk. By the time they got back to the cave, Luffy was barely awake and Zoro was struggling to carry the boy, his own fatigue settling in. He set Luffy down on the cave floor and the boy grinned up at him. He settled a leaf over his small frame for a blanket and lay down next to him.
"Nap time" Luffy muttered sleepily
"Think I might join you" Zoro agreed with a yawn. He was asleep within seconds. Luffy let out a little yawn and struggled to keep his eyelids open.
"Zoro?" he called softly
Loud snoring was his only reply and Luffy pouted. Another yawn later found the boy snoring beside his first mate.
Hours passed and when Luffy woke, Zoro was already up. He stretched a little before blinking at his swordsman. Zoro finally seemed to notice the boy and turned his way.
"Hey Luffy" he greeted a little distractedly
Earlier that morning whilst Luffy had still been sleeping, Sanji had approached Zoro and spoke to him about him and Luffy. The conversation was still whirring around in his head.
"Oi" Sanji called as he shuffled over to seemigly asleep swordsman "I know you're wake, so quit pretending, we need to talk"
"...'bout what?" Zoro finally replied after a few minutes of silence and realising Sanji would not be leaving him alone.
"About Luffy"
Okay, now he had his attention. Zoro slowly sat and up and turned to face the blonde, shifting closer to the flickering fire for warmth.
"So what do you want to talk about?" Zoro asked finally "If this is something stupid you're gonna be-"
"You love him don't you?" Sanji interrupted, levelling Zoro with an intense look
"W-What?!" Zoro spluttered "Shitty cook! I don't-"
"Keep you voice down Marimo or you're gong to wake him and he'll hear whatever shit it is that you about to come out with"
Zoro clamped his mouth shut and turned his gaze to his snoozing Captain. Reluctantly he lowered his voice and turned back to Sanji.
"Don't know what you're talking about" he muttered
"Yes you do" Sanji replied plainly "And he loves you too you know he just hasn't figured it out yet"
"He does? I mean – why would I care?!" Zoro muttered
"Stop playing dumb with me Marimo, its as plain as day!" Sanji replied "The only poeple who can't seem to see it are you and him!"
"And how can you be so sure huh?"
"Just watching you two – I bet if I wasn't here you'd have been fucking each other already!"
An interesting shade of red flushed Zoro's cheeks from both the comment and the mental images it brought and the swordsman shook his head to get rid of them. Sanji was smirking at his reaction and Zoro knew he had done exactly what the blonde had wanted him to do. Slowly Sanji got to his feet and started walking towards the door.
"I'm going fishing" he stated "There's not many fish."
"So?"
"So I'll be gone for a while and Luffy will be waking up soon" Sanji stated "Try and talk to him while I'm gone – maybe you can get through that thick head of his"
Zoro didn't have a chance to reply. Sanji was gone before he could even think up a decent reply to that anyway.
"What'cha doing?"
Luffy's voice woke him from his memories and Zoro shook his head turning to the boy. Suddenly he felt so nervous around him, and he couldn't understand it. He was Luffy for crying out loud! So what if he lo-liked him?
"Nothing" Zoro replied "Sanji's gone out fishing..."
"So he didn't find anything either?" Luffy frowned, cocking his head to the side a little – had Zoro just called Sanji, Sanji?
"No" Zoro muttered, prodding at the fire with a twig "I guess not"
"Zoro?" Luffy asked as he crawled over to his first mate "What's wrong?"
Zoro took a deep breath. Where should he start? Should he even start?? He glanced at Luffy, the boy was looking him with those big eyes all full of worry. Damn it. Now or never.
"Luffy ... I..." Zoro stuttered "Uh ... are you hungry?"
Damn it! He wasnt good at these sort of things. Ok. Maybe he could just avoid it.
"YEAH!" Luffy grinned "But, I'm not stupid Zoro"
Double damn. Luffy was on to him. How to turn this around? Aha! Maybe he could make Luffy forget by making him mad ... it was worth a shot.
"You're not?" th swordsman asked, raising an eyebrow "You look stupid to me"
Luffy pinned his 'serious face' on Zoro. The insult had washed straight over his head, not affecting him in the slightest. Well, fuck it.
"Don't look at me like that Luffy" Zoro sighed as he rested his head on his arms suddenly feeling very tired
Luffy's gaze didn't falter and Zoro sighed again, peeking an eye out before sitting back up. He was beaten and he knew it.
"I was just thinking about something okay?"
"Okay!" Luffy smiled and turned his attention to something else, not wanting to pry.
Zoro blinked in shock. Was that it? Surely that couldn't be the end of it! This was Luffy! The endless ball of energy and curiosity!
"That's it?" Zoro asked hesitently, almost feeling disappointed at Luffy's lack of intrusion to what he might have been thinking "No annoying pestering me about what's wrong?"
"No" Luffy blinked back "Why?"
Zoro smiled. Typical old Luffy. He ruffled the boys hair and laughed lightly. Luffy always could make him feel better.
"No reason" he replied
Luffy giggled as Zoro tousled his hair before plopping beside the fire, kicking of his sandals and sticking his feet as close to the fire as possible. Zoro rose an eyebrow as he watched Luffy, only just now noticing how exposed the boys feet must have been the whole time – he must have been freezing! But there was nothing they could do about it other than wrap the boy's feet in the fuzzy leaves, but Zoro doubted Luffy would appreciate that.
Silence filled the air for a short while before finally Zoro decided to give it another go.
"Hey Luffy?" Zoro called "Um ... what did Sanji ... what did he say to you?"
"That you shouldn't eat the meat when it's raw I think" Luffy replied, blinking.
"Not that!" Zoro shouted, whacking Luffy lightly round the head before his tone dropped "I meant ... I mean when he..."Zoro trailed off blushing lightly, though trying to hide it "...spoke to you about me ... and you"
"Oh, I didn't get all that" Luffy replied, frowning in thought "He was talking about the stupid feeling in my stomach and stuff"
"...stupid? Oh" Zoro replied, trying to hide the fact he was now feeling very awkward. If he thought that having feelings for him was stupid then that was that, he wasn't even going to try and explain how he felt "Yeah, that shithead's pretty stupid huh?"
"Nah" Luffy frowned still thinking on his talk with Sanji "He's just weird"
Zoro sighed. Maybe ... maybe he could make Luffy understand. It really wasn't that hard to explain things to Luffy, you just had to be to the point and simple. But then again, Zoro wasn't good at explaining feelings at all, so how could he simplify it?
"Luffy ... do you ... I mean ... aww fuck it – just forget it ok? Never mind..."
Luffy stayed silent. His talk with Sanji was replaying again and again in his head and suddenly it clicked what Zoro had been trying to talk to him about. He remembered how Sanji had told him Zoro loved him and how he loved Zoro back. Did he love Zoro? Luffy's frown deepened as he concentrated. Well, he loved all of his nakama, but only Zoro made him feel that nice feeling in his stomach ... but then again he also made him feel the bad feeling! Was that love? The boy vaguely recalled a time Sanji spoke to him about life and love and remembered the blonde going on about taking the good with the bad. So did that mean he loved Zoro if there was good and bad?
Luffy's head started to hurt and he sighed, glancing up at Zoro. His eyes trailed over the swordsmans body, looking at his tight top which left little to the imagination and his large muscles. Zoro loooked at him and suddenly Luffy felt very embarrassed and looked away as his cheeks started to heat up, and this time it wasn't because of the fever. Why was he so embarrassed now? He'd seen Zoro naked plenty of times, but then again he'd never really been looking at Zoro's body those times. Was this love?
Maybe he could talk to Zoro about what Sanji had said and then they could figure out whether they did love each other or not.
"Um ... Zoro?"
"Yeah?" Zoro replied snappily. He was frustrated at Luffy's obliviousness. Luffy ignored the snappy tone and continued.
"Sanji said that..." he started, but stopped as a wave of dizziness hit. Taking deep breaths he waited for it to pass, but Zoro it seemed, wasn't willing to talk about his feelings any longer, and so changed the subject before the boy had a chance to continue.
"I can't believe we got ourselves into this mess" he muttered "And what the hell is taking Nami and the others so long to find us?"
"...that Zoro liked Luffy" Luffy finished, completely ignoring the change in subject
Zoro and Luffy both fell silent as they found interesting spots on the wall to gaze at. Zoro took a deep breath and looked at the floor. It was now or never. He could take the plunge or he could back down and keep his feelings inside. Though Zoro was known for keeping his feelings in check, he was not known as one to back down. And so he took the plunge.
"...and...and what if Zoro does?"
A blush stained both their cheeks crimson though Zoro's was admittedly darker as he grabbed up his stick and resumed poking at the fire. Damn it, he was not good at this sort of thing!
Luffy looked up at Zoro and smiled a little sheepishy. He opened his mouth to reply but-
"Is this where you confess your undying love for one another?" Sanji smirked from the entrance of the cave
Luffy squeaked and looked up at the blonde. Zoro's eyes widened impossibly wide as he sat stunned beside Luffy.
"Sh-Shut up shitty-cook!" Zoro spluttered as his cheeks coloured a deeper crimson "We don't ... we wouldn't - would we Luffy?"
"Uh, I don't know" Luffy replied honestly now over his embarrassment of Sanji's intrusion "Should we?"
Zoro smacked his forehead and glared at Sanji.
"How'd you fishing go moron?" he asked "I thought you were going to be gone a while!"
"I caught a few" Sanji answered, setting the sfish down in front of a drooling Luffy, who seemed to have completely forgotten the previous conversation "How'd your talk go Marimo?"
Once again Zoro fell silent and Sanji smirked. How was he supposed to come up with a comeback for that?! 'Great fuck head! Me and Luffy are getting married next week!' – yeah, he could see how that would turn out!
"I can't believe you two are being so childish about this!" the cook muttered suddenly "Do you both even realise how you feel?"
Blank stares.
"Thought not" Sanji continued "Do I really have to do this?"
Blank stares. Sanji sighed.
"Luffy, do you love Zoro?"
"Of course! I love Sanji too!" Luffy replied with a grin
"Hm, maybe I should start with moss head" Sanji stated, turning back to where Zoro had been sat only to find him gone "OI!"
"Sanji?" Luffy asked cocking his head to side "Where did Zoro go?"
Sanji ignored the question and instead turned to Luffy with a purpose. To get him and Zoro together. Now normally Sanji wouldn't do anything like playing matchmaker, but the chef really couldn't stand the way the two were acting any long; what made matters worse was that everybody aside from themselves knew how they felt about each other. They were giving off dead giveaways that neither seemed able to see. Secret glances at each other in the galley at dinner which everybody but the recipiant of said glances noticed, Luffy crawling into Zoro's hammock when it was cold, Zoro letting Luffy crawl into his hammock.
Fucking hell it was pissing him off! If he had to watch as they pined after each other for one more day he was going to go crazy. He had hoped leaving them alone would let them take care of things, but as he had been fishing the thought had occurred to him that they had been alone on this damn island for days now and nothing had happened. That was the original reason he had returned. When he had heard the words passing between the two he couldn't help teasing them as he entered, but now he was regretting it. This could have all been over if he'd of just stayed out.
"Luffy" Sanji spoke slowly "Do you remember what we spoke about? When I told you how Zoro felt about you?"
"Yeah" Luffy replied with a nod
"How has the feeling been since then?"
"Well it doesn't like me" Luffy pouted, poking his stomach a little "That's for sure"
"What?" Sanji asked, laughing a little; sometimes Luffy came out with the strangest things...
"Like, when Zoro fell down that cliff it hurt really bad and then when me and Zoro were talking it was happy, and now its gone all funny and tingly again!" Luffy whined "Sanji? How do I make the stupid feeling go away?"
"You can't Luffy" the cook replied "The feeling is love, and unless you stop loving Zoro, then it won't go away"
"But how do you know?" Luffy asked
"I don't for sure, do you want to test it?"
"How?"
"Who, if you had to share some food, would you give it to?"
"Hm – Zoro!"
"Alright, who would you most like to snuggle up with at night?"
Sanji almost snorted at relating the word 'snuggle' with Zoro.
"Zoro"
A sly smile crossed Sanji's face.
"Who do think looks the best in the crew, and not just the women"
Luffy blushed lightly as his memory replayed the view of Zoro's body he'd got this morning and the rubber boy shook his head a little before replying quietly.
"...Zoro"
"How about this one?" Sanji asked, obviously pleased with the answers he'd gotten from Luffy "Who do you like to watch most of the time on the crew?"
"Um ... Zoro"
"And who do you think about most?"
"...Zoro"
"Well I think that proves it" Sanji grinned as he watched Luffy twiddle his thumbs awkwardly before rubbing his stomach, Sanji presumed it was because the 'mystery feeling' was back "Even if you're not in love with Zoro you like him very much in a..." Sanji trailed off, not sure whether assiciating the words passionate or romantic could really fit "...in a way that means you like him more than a friend" he finished lamely
"Do I?" Luffy asked quietly, seeming to finally understand what Sanji was telling him "I think I do ... but what about Zoro?"
"He loves you back" Sanji replied in a bored tone, "want me to prove it?"
Luffy nodded and Sanji sighed rubbing his temples. God, he wished he had a cigarette.
"Alright, who's the first to dive in after you when you fall overboard?"
"Zoro"
"Who gives you bits of their food when nobody else will?"
"Zoro"
"Who lets you sleep with them when its cold?"
"Zoro"
"Who always trusts you, even when the rest of the crew think you're crazy?"
"...Zoro" Luffy mumbled out. The realisation seemed to be dawning
"So do you get it now Luffy?"
Luffy nodded
"So now that we know you love Marimo, and Marimo loves you, what do we do?" Sanji spoke as if he was talking a five year old child through a simple math problem
Luffy's brow creased in concentration before he pumped his fist in the air and grinned. Sanji sighed, this coud finally all be over.
"We eat!" Luffy stated proudly and the cook's jaw fell open in shock.
"Damn it Luffy!" the blonde growled as he grabbed the boy by his fuzzy shirt "I'm trying to help you here!"
"Oh, sorry!" Luffy grinned, not looking sorry at all before suddenly his grin fell "Sanji! You made my head hurt!"
"Forget your head and focus on what we were talking about!" Sanji snapped
"Where'd Zoro go anyway?" Luffy asked, looking around the cave
"How should I know?" Sanji replied irratably as he dragged Luffy to his feet and started to push him out the cave entrance "Look, just get out there and talk to Zoro about it, because I can't stand all this fucking shit between you two any more – and don't even think about coming back until you've sorted things out!"
Luffy was pushed outside the cave, and shivered a little as his bare feet hit the snow.
"But Sanjiii!" he whined, looking at the diminishing pile of meat and ice "What about food?!"
"So food's more important to you than Zoro?" Sanji asked suddenly trying to use guilt to get the boy to go "No wonder he left – I wouldn't be surprised if he got over his feelings for you with an attitude like that!"
The plan worked as Luffy's eyes widened and he turned and ran into the woods looking for his missing swordsman, calling out his name. Sanji smirked and walked over to the small pile of meat, taking what he needed for the days feeding and skewering it on the makeshift barbeque (being a stick propped up by two others above the fire).
"Good luck captain" he whispered as Luffy disappeared from sight
---
Zoro yawned and scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. He was angry at Luffy for being so oblivious and he was angry at Sanji for ruining the moment when the boy seemed to finally start to understand. His eyes trailed to the woods and widened a little as he heard his name being called. He knew it was Luffy and before long the boy came into view. After Luffy spotted him he ran like mad and Zoro wondered if something was wrong.
"ZORO!" Luffy screamed as he reached Zoro's sight
"Luffy what are you doing here?" Zoro asked "What's wrong?"
The rubber boy panted for a second, a little dizzy from his run before taking a deep breath and explaining
"Well Sanji siad I should tell you I love you or the feelings will go away – the good ones I mean, and he wont let me have fooooood!" Luffy whined desperately
Zoro growled, mistaking Luffy's word and getting the impression that this had all been planned by Sanji as a prank. The way Luffy had explained to Zoro what he had come for had portrayed that the blonde had told him to tell Zoro he loved him and that the idea he had, had all been a set up, a trick.
"Why does that shit-head always have to mess with me?!" Zoro hissed angrily "He told you to say that all along! I should have known ... I'm such a fucking idiot!"
Zoro turned away from Luffy scowling. Luffy couldn't understand what he'd said wrong? What was Zoro on about? What was so wrong with Sanji telling him to tell Zoro he loved him?
"But Zoro-"
"Just shut up Luffy!" Zoro shouted "You don't know what you're taking about!"
"But Sanji said-"
"I know what he said damn it!" the swordsman growled "I'm going to slice that bastards legs off!"
Zoro began to storm back to the cave, muttering curses directed at Sanji and Luffy's eyes widened. Zoro was serious! He was really going to go and hurt Sanji! But what had Sanji done that was so wrong? The bad feeling was back again and absently Luffy moved a hand over his stomach. He couldn't let Zoro hurt Sanji! Sanji didn't do anything wrong!
"ZORO!" the boy cried, running after im "WAIT!"
"Just shut up Luffy!" Zoro snapped "He's got this coming! I can't believe he'd play with me like this!"
Normally Zoro would never talk to Luffy the way he was, but from the way Luffy had explained himself he honestly believed the boys 'feelings' for him had all been an act Sanji had confused him into playing. That only increased his anger and embarrassment over the fact that he had practically admitted his own feelings to the boy!
"Zoro! Stop!" Luffy shouted, slightly out of breath "Captain's orders!"
Zoro stopped in his tracks as his body shook with pent up anger.
"That's not fair Luffy!" he hissed
Luffy marched up to Zoro, a determined look on his face. He had to make Zoro understand.
"The truth is Zoro ... that Sanji ... Sanji knows me too well" the boy frowned
"What do you mean?" Zoro sighed, looking away and forcing himself to calm down
Luffy blushed a little and also looked away. This was harder than he had thought it would be. He took a deep breath and turned back to Zoro with a grin on his face. Now or never.
"Luffy likes Zoro!"
"Luffy ... you don't know what you're talking about" Zoro sighed, thnking this was just another thing Sanji had tricked the boy into saying "Sanji's just used you to get to me"
Luffy's mouth fell open in shock. Zoro hadn't believed him – Zoro always believed him! Even in the stupidest things he always trusted him. So how could he not believe him now? Of all times why now? Anger slowly replaced the shock and Luffy growled, turning to walk back to the signal they had made (where he had met Zoro).
"STUPID ZORO!" he shouted at he stormed away
Zoro's eyes widened. It was rare for Luffy to get angry and even rarer for him to be angry at Zoro. The last time he recalled Luffy being honestly angry with him was back in Whisky Peak when he thought the swordsman had attacked all of the poeple there.
"Luffy?" he called following "What are you so mad about? What's wrong?"
"Zoro should stop thinking about Sanji all the time!" Luffy growled as he sat on one of the large rocks, spelling the word 'meat' "Sanji didn't make me say those things"
Zoro stopped beside the boy and they both fell silent for a few seconds before Zoro took a deep breath. Maybe this could be his chance to find out if Luffy really did like him.
"So..." he muttered "Who should Zoro think about?"
"Zoro ... Zoro should think about Luffy..." the boy muttered out, drawing his knees to his chest as his feet grew numb from the cold.
Zoro spotted that Luffy had forgtten to put his shoes back on and tutted, moving to sit next to him and pulling his feet up. The boy squeaked a little and fell so that he was lying on the rock. He giggled as Zoro hit a tickling spot on his foot and started to squirm, but Zoro merely pushed him back to the rock when the boy tried to get away from him.
Luffy sighed as Zoro sat so that the boy's feet were in between his legs and the cold limbs tingled as feeling returned to them. For a normal person, ths position would have been quite uncomfortable, but for Luffy and his rubber limbs it was no problem. When both were comfortable, Zoro continued.
"Why should Zoro think more about Luffy?" the swordsman asked softly, they were treading on eggshells here and he knew it. One wrong move and things could shatter.
"Because..." Luffy muttered, brow creasing as his thought "Because Luffy wants Zoro to understand"
"Then tell me what you want me to know" Zoro continued "I'm listening"
"Luffy ... has weird feelings" the boy whispered, laying his head against Zoro's shoulder.
"What kind of feelings?" Zoro probed slowly, creeping one of his arms across his captain's shoulders and fighting off a blush as Luffy snuggled into him "Are they ... good?"
"Sometimes" Luffy admitted, and then added reluctantly "But they hurt as well"
"When?"
"When ... You fell down the cliff" Luffy admitted, shuddering a little as the memory returned "And when we had that ... fight"
Zoro sighed. He understood where Luffy coming from. He'd felt the same feeling when they'd had the fight too. He was just happy things were ok now.
"...I'm sorry for yelling at you" he apologised "I thought Sanji told you to say those things to tease me"
"No, its okay" Luffy smiled as he leaned his head on Zoro's shoulder "I did something wrong I guess..."
"We're pretty stupid eh?" Zoro mumbled as he tightened his arms around his captain
"Yeah..." Luffy replied as he leaned in a little closer
The rubber boy's eyes trailed up to gaze into Zoro's and the swordsman blushed, suddenly feeling very naked under the stare from those wide eyes. It didn't go unnoticed by Luffy and a light blush crept across his own face. He blinked slowly and reached forwards and Zoro bent down as their lips met in a shy first kiss.
"About time morons!"
And then they just sat there like deers in the headlights as Sanji stood there smirking at them.
:3 That was really evil wasn't it? We're sorry.
Review or the EVIL evil Sanji will come and kick ya and he doesn't care if you're a woman ...(I wish)