I do not own One Piece or any of the characters.
A/N: This took longer than I expected it to, but mostly because I didn't have any of the chapter planned out before I wrote it. Anyway, I hope you like it! I also want to mention that I appreciate all the great reviews that I'm getting for this story. They make me want to continue it until the end. I never write stories hoping to get lots of reviews, and I don't like to tell people to review either, so it makes me happy that people are enjoying this story.
When Zoro woke up that Saturday morning, he was not excited. At all. More annoyed than anything. He never was very excited about much anyway, but he just did not have the feeling that today would be a good day. Probably because Nami was involved. That was most definitely the reason. If Luffy had come to him and asked if just the two of them could go do something, he would have no objection to it. Vivi was okay, he didn't mind her. She kept out of other's business and was a nice girl, but Nami on the other hand. In his opinion, nothing very good came from her. She was bound to do something that would irritate him today. He'd have to keep a close eye on Luffy and make sure he didn't fall for any of her tricks.
He checked the time, the red numbers on his alarm showing that it was currently eleven-ten. He pushed himself out of bed. Good, that gave him enough time to get ready for the day. He supposed he'd have just enough time to shower and eat something quick before he'd have to pick Luffy up. The younger didn't live too far away. It didn't take long at all to get to the other's apartment, giving him approximately thirty or so minutes to get ready.
It was decided that Zoro would take Luffy, and Vivi and Nami would go with each other, then they'd all meet up at the entrance of the local mall. Hopefully this time, Luffy wouldn't wake up late again. Last time had been different since they could leave at any time, but today they had to be at the mall by twelve, because he really didn't want to face Nami's wrath for being late.
He grabbed some clothes to wear and went to the bathroom for his shower. Zoro by no means was a shopping person. The only time he went out to buy things were when he needed groceries or a new outfit here and there; other than that, he didn't go out to places like the mall to shop for the fun of it. Not like Nami and Vivi. This experience was going to be different for him, but he honestly didn't plan on buying anything while he was out with them, unless something really did catch his eye. The only reason he was going was because Luffy wanted him to go. It would only be for a couple hours and besides that, he had nothing else that important to do before work.
Usually he would devote his time before work to working out. He enjoyed the feeling of striving to become stronger than he already was, that was the reason his body was so toned. He figured taking a day off from it wouldn't exactly hurt. Between shopping and work, he'd be walking around all day anyway, so it didn't matter all that much. He and Luffy hadn't hung out together outside of school in a few weeks either.
Why he found himself wanting to see the younger teen, he wasn't sure. Before Luffy came along, he never looked forward to seeing anyone. This was a first for him. Most of the time he shrugged these kinds of things off, deciding that thinking about them was not worth his time. It could only be because Luffy was his closest friend, so naturally he'd want to see the other at times. At least, that's what he'd originally thought.
Luffy was the only person capable of making him think so much like he had been doing recently. He was also still slightly confused about that thought that crossed his mind those weeks ago in Luffy's kitchen, about the other being cute. He had never expected a thought such as that to cross his mind about anybody, but it had, and it was directed at Luffy of all people. It wasn't that strange, was it? To think of your friend as cute? 'Cause Luffy was; no one could deny that. The kid was a bundle of innocence, at least it appeared that way, and the way he was always smiling about everything was less annoying than he thought it would be, and more captivating than anything. When Luffy didn't smile, something just looked off, and the sight of the other looking anything but happy, was something that Zoro found he didn't like. That was why he'd felt so guilty about making Luffy disappointed the other day. He really had not liked the look on Luffy face then.
It just stirred something in him, and he'd immediately regretted saying anything in the first place. An urge to apologize to the younger had taken over, but he didn't act on it because that was also something he found difficult to do. So, he figured that accepting Luffy's offer would be the only way to make that look go away, and he'd done so. That meant that today better damn well be worth it. Why Luffy wanted to go shopping with those two girls was beyond him, and he wasn't going to question it.
As long as Nami didn't get on his nerves, then the shopping trip couldn't be all that bad. There was no doubting that he and Luffy would end up being dragged around by the two girls today, they were girls after all, and shopping was their specialty. He never exactly understood why it was that girls had to have so many things, well, most girls. Going shopping for new clothing every week sounded pretty stupid to him and a waste of time, but if that was what they liked to do and blow their money on, then who was he to say anything about it?
They could buy out the whole mall if they wanted to, he only planned to stand by and walk around with Luffy. Perhaps the younger would like to buy some things as well. It was only logical if they were going shopping. Why go with the girls and not buy anything when they could go off somewhere, just the two of them? Aside from all of that, he supposed that it would be nice to get out for a bit today before he had to work for the rest of the day. He knew he'd be exhausted by the end of the day, but that wasn't new. He came home exhausted from work every day he had it. It was a good thing that he had tomorrow off, so that he could relax a bit and spend a portion of the day working out. Now that he remembered, he also had all that homework he'd put off too. That could be done tomorrow as well!
He hurried up his shower and proceeded to get dressed after, making his way to the kitchen for a small snack. According to his watch, it was eleven-thirty five. He finished eating and slipped on his shoes, making sure to grab his wallet and stuff it in his back pocket. Then, he grabbed his keys and left his apartment. At this rate, he'd probably get to Luffy's with just enough time to spare to get to the mall. Which meant that Luffy better be ready and waiting for him when he gets there.
On a good day with little traffic, it only took him about five or so minutes to arrive at Luffy's apartment. He turned off his car and got out, beginning to make his way to the correct apartment. This may have been only the third time he'd visited the apartment, but by now it wasn't too difficult to find the right apartment number. When he did, he knocked, patiently waiting for someone to answer.
He didn't have to wait long before the door opened, revealing not Luffy, nor the older occupant of the apartment. A man with shockingly bright red hair, and three scars over his left eye was the person who'd opened the door. Zoro had never seen this man before in his life, and he kind of wondered who he was, since he was the one in Luffy's apartment after all. Unless he got the wrong apartment, but he was absolutely sure this was Luffy's.
The man blinked at him and then smiled. Zoro was going to ask for Luffy, but the other man cut him off before he could open his mouth. "Might you be this Zoro guy that Luffy's expecting to pick him up today?" So, this was the right apartment. Then, who the hell was this guy?
"Yeah, I am. Is Luffy ready?" Zoro didn't want to sound rude to a guy he didn't even know, but he and Luffy kind of needed to get a move on, that way they wouldn't be late to the mall.
"Ah, yes. Actually, he's been waiting for quite a while. He's been in his room this whole time getting ready. Why don't you come in?" The man held the door open for Zoro and the teen accepted the offer, walking into the familiar apartment. The other began walking further into the apartment, and because Zoro was behind him, he never noticed the smirk planted on the red-haired man's face. "Oh, Luffy! Your boyfriend's here!"
At that comment, Zoro felt himself feeling very surprised, and his face was beginning to feel warm. Who did that guy think he was saying such things? He and Luffy were nothing of the sort! They were simply friends. What the hell was he spewing? Luffy busted out of his room, immediately spotting Zoro. His eyes widened, knowing that Zoro had to have heard that remark. And, he honestly wasn't sure what to say now. Would Zoro take it seriously or not? He was also stuck feeling all didn't kinds of emotions at once and he didn't know which one to act on. So, he went with whatever and just said something to break the silence that had fallen. "Shanks, don't say those stupid things! Zoro's just my friend! And, we're leaving!" He stomped forward and grabbed a fist full of the front of the older teen's shirt, dragging Zoro behind him toward the door. He hoped to whoever was listening that Zoro didn't notice that his face was very red by this point.
Once they had left the apartment and were away from the guy whose name Zoro now knew as Shanks, Luffy let go of Zoro's shirt. That name sounded oddly familiar. Wait, if he recalled correctly, Luffy had mentioned this man once before. Oh well, it didn't matter. What mattered was that they needed to get going, but Luffy wasn't moving. He was just standing there in front of Zoro with his back facing the other teen.
Luffy could take Shanks' teasing, he was used to it, but that was a little too far. Shanks knew how much he liked Zoro. He should have known to come out and wait for Zoro outside of the apartment or something instead. God, this was all Ace's fault! If only the bastard hadn't gone and spilled everything to Shanks, this wouldn't have happened. What in the world would Zoro say? Would he say anything? Zoro hadn't said a word yet. Luffy had to say something. That was just too awkward to ignore. But, he couldn't let Zoro know anything about what he felt. His face still felt warm, so he knew it was red. That meant he couldn't face Zoro just yet. Without turning around, he spoke. "I'm sorry. Just ignore anything Shanks says."
Zoro stepped forward. "Who is that guy anyway?" He wondered why Luffy wouldn't face him. Was the kid embarrassed or something? And, that comment Shanks made was a bit hard to ignore. But, if Luffy was telling him to ignore it, then that meant that guy didn't mean anything by saying it. Right? Was he kidding or not? Because this was seriously beginning to frustrate him. If there was something he didn't know, well, he damn well wanted to know it now! And, why the hell wouldn't Luffy look at him?.!
Luffy turned slightly, and pulled his hat down some to shield part of his face. Like that was any better. Luffy still wasn't looking at him when he spoke, and for some reason it really bothered the hell out of him. "That's Shanks. He a friend and he's been staying with us for a few days." Luffy peeked up at Zoro from underneath his hat, yet he still did not let the elder see his face completely. He wouldn't let Zoro see until this stupid blush went away. Except that it was starting to grow back when he looked into Zoro's intense eyes. Intense. Why was Zoro looking at him that way? Had he said something wrong? Because Zoro looked slightly off from his calm self. And, of course he would notice something like that. Geez. He followed Zoro's every movement practically now!
Zoro's eyes narrowed. Luffy was deliberately not showing his face. It was plainly obvious. Zoro felt a bit of frustration rise at that knowledge. What? Luffy couldn't look him in the face now? And, why was he irritated by something so insignificant anyway? It didn't make sense. And, he vaguely noted that they needed to be leaving at the moment. Zoro took another step forward. When he did, he noticed Luffy's foot start to move backwards. Okay, something was going on. Luffy wouldn't normally start to back away from him like that. "Luffy-"
"Shouldn't we be leaving?"
Zoro frowned. Yes, they should be leaving, but Luffy was starting to bother him, and he wanted to know why the kid still wouldn't pull that goddamn hat off his head. Or, at least lift it up, so he could see his face. He'd never disliked that hat until this very moment. Stupid strawhat. Luffy turned around, ready to walk away. Zoro took the few strides he needed to catch up to Luffy, and placed his hand on the younger's shoulder. At the contact, he felt the muscles in Luffy's shoulder tense, which made him frown more. The only reason that would happen is if Luffy was feeling uncomfortable around him. And, Luffy had no reason to feel uncomfortable around him. "Wait. What's wrong? You're acting different than normal, and you keep hiding your face."
Luffy's whole body tensed at that. Zoro had noticed that he was not showing his face on purpose. That was bad, because he'd want to know why, and Luffy had no other excuses other than the obvious, but Zoro could not know about that! And, he was a very bad liar, so lying his way out of this wouldn't exactly go over very well.
Zoro's fingers twitched. If he could just rip that damn hat off Luffy's head and turn the other around to face him properly, he'd feel much better about this. Though, he was pretty sure that Luffy would not appreciate that. But, did it matter? Luffy was the one causing him to feel irritated in the first place by not looking him in the face. Which still confused him by the way. The fact that Luffy wasn't looking at him and the fact that he cared that Luffy wasn't looking at him. Why did he care so much when Luffy was involved?.! 'This is getting me nowhere. If Luffy doesn't like it, oh well.' With that thought in mind, he slid his hand down Luffy's arm, and pulled him around to face him, while pushing the hat off Luffy's head at the same time. Now, he felt better. Even though Luffy was looking at him with slightly wide eyes, shocked that Zoro had done such a thing, he felt better. 'Cause now he could see the expression on Luffy's face for once.
And, he could see exactly why Luffy was hiding his face in the first place. The kid's face was red, from embarrassment, he assumed. And, it only grew redder as he continued to stare at Luffy.
Luffy was shocked out of his mind. He did not count on Zoro doing that, and Zoro had seen how red his face was. Questions were sure to come now. Questions he did not want to answer. Was it too late to run away? Yes, it was. He couldn't suddenly turn tail and run from Zoro. The other would only follow him, and they still were planning on going to the mall. They were. Was that going to happen now? What was going to happen from this point on? Luffy had to think of something and fast! Except nothing came to mind. Zoro's face was enough to stop him from thinking all together. He did have quite attractive features, very attractive, so much so that he didn't want to stop staring at the beauty in front of him. But, he had to, so he turned his face away reluctantly. A hand grabbed his chin and forced his face back to where it once was, so that he was staring at Zoro again.
"Stop looking away from me. It's annoying." Zoro's hand held his face firmly, keeping him from turning his head away. Staring at Zoro like this was too much though, and this position was only making him feel more embarrassed. He did the only thing he could. He turned his eyes away instead. Zoro grit his teeth. Was looking him in the eyes longer than ten seconds really that hard? "Luffy! I mean it when I say stop looking away! I don't know why, but it's making me angry." Luffy's eyes snapped back at that. Zoro was angry with him? All because he wouldn't look at him? He didn't want Zoro to be angry because of him. When Zoro saw that he had Luffy's attention for once, he sighed. Luffy had this worried look on his face, and Zoro just knew it was because of his last comment. "I just want to know what's gotten into you."
Luffy swallowed. He guessed there was no getting out of this anymore. "Are you really mad?" He asked instead. First off, he didn't want Zoro angry, and if Zoro was, then he wanted to fix that immediately.
Zoro shook his head. "Not anymore. Now, what's wrong? Why are you so embarrassed?"
The younger so wanted to look away, but he knew Zoro would not tolerate that. What a predicament he got himself into this time. Damn Shanks. Damn Ace. Damn himself for feeling this way in the first place! "What Shanks said, it was embarrassing, and I didn't want you to see." Admitting that while looking Zoro dead in the eyes was very hard to do, but he managed to all the same.
Zoro pulled back slightly. That was the only reason Luffy was acting like this? Because of a comment like that? He'd found it to be embarrassing at the time too, but not to this extent. "That's all?"
Luffy nodded and Zoro dropped his arms from Luffy. So, he pretty much got worked up over something he may have thought would have been more serious, yet it wasn't. "Weren't you the one who said to ignore what he said?" He asked Luffy
"Well, y-yeah, but it's still embarrassing!"
Zoro stared at Luffy for a few seconds before checking the time on his watch. Great. The mall was about a ten minute drive on a good day, and they only had five minutes to get there. That clearly wasn't going to happen. They were going to be late for sure. "Come on. We need to go." Zoro stated as he began walking away. Luffy turned around and wordlessly followed, placing his hat back on his head. This day could not get any worse for him.
Zoro and Luffy did in fact arrive late, six minutes late exactly. Nami and Vivi seemed to be waiting for them outside of the entrance, talking to each other. Nami was the first to spot them, a glare directed at both of them, but mostly at Zoro since he was the one who drove. "It's about time. It would be just like you both to show up late."
"We're here now, aren't we?" Zoro countered. He could feel some irritation starting to build up already.
"Mr. Bushido's right. We're all here, so why don't we go in?"
"I agree with Vivi!" Luffy shouted, almost jumping up and down. His previous embarrassment was gone. He wanted to go inside and check everything out since this was his first time here. And, the sooner they went in, the sooner he could start looking around at different stores to see if there was anything he could buy for Zoro. He had the money Ace gave him folded up safely in one of the pockets in his shorts and everything. He hadn't thought about how he would buy the elder something with him right there, but he would surely figure something out when the time came.
Nami sighed. "Fine. Let's go in."
Luffy's attention was caught the second the four teens walked through the doors. He could smell food all over the place, and when he walked in further, he realized they were in the part of the mall that served all kinds of food. His mouth watered. Everything smelled so good! He turned to Nami. "Can we eat?.!"
Nami placed her hands on her hips and set Luffy with a stern expression. "We're not here for food, Luffy. Didn't you eat something this morning?"
"Yeah, but everything here smells really good!"
"If you already ate, then you shouldn't be hungry! Besides, if you spend all your money on food, you won't have enough to buy anything else."
Nami's statement stopped any other thoughts about food going through his head. He couldn't waste the money Ace gave him on food because it smelled good! This money was important, because he needed it to buy Zoro stuff. How else would he be able to woo the guy? This was his only chance at the moment! How dare he think of food at a time like this? Luffy's face turned determined. "Right! Let's go then!"
Zoro lifted a brow at Luffy's behavior. Since when was the kid able to pull himself away from food? Especially when he had money to buy it? Luffy must have decided that he wanted to buy something more important than food, if that was possible. The other three began walking in some direction and he followed, not bothering to pay attention to anything really. There was nothing of interest around.
"What should we do first?" Vivi asked.
Zoro was too busy not caring, while Luffy was taking everything in at once, so that left Nami to decide. "Let's look at clothes! At least if we buy too much, we'll have two certain guys to carry our bags for us." Nami smirked evilly.
Luffy remained oblivious, but Zoro had overheard her comment. "I'm not carrying your bags. Carry them your damn self." He remarked casually. Again, he was only here one reason and one reason only.
Luffy suddenly jumped into the conversation, already bored with looking around. "What store are we going to?"
Nami glanced around and pointed to a store. "Vivi and I shop here all the time. They have some of the cutest things."
With that, the two girls headed to that store, while Luffy and Zoro followed behind. Cute things? Luffy wasn't sure if Zoro would appreciate stuff like that. It wouldn't hurt to look around still. And, if he didn't find something there, they could go to all different kinds of stores after. He was bound to find something Zoro would like in the mall somewhere.
For the most part, Nami and Vivi were the only ones picking out things to buy as they went from one store to another. Zoro looked around to see if there was anything interesting, and Luffy also looked around the stores, but for a different reason. At this point, they had walked around to four stores and Luffy couldn't find a thing that he thought Zoro would like. The older teen was just too hard to shop for. Also, he found himself getting distracted by all kinds of cool things he found while looking. If only he had a little extra money, he could have bought some of those things.
The fact that he could find nothing that Zoro would like was beginning to get to him. It was most likely because Vivi and Nami were taking them to the stores they wanted to go to and most of those were filled with girly things. But, what kind of store would have stuff that Zoro liked? He was currently browsing through some accessories like jewelry. Would Zoro like any of these things? He did have his ear pierced, but Luffy had never seen him wear any other earrings besides those three. This was so complicated! He was mostly afraid that whatever he picked out for Zoro, the other wouldn't like. "Why is this so hard?" He asked out loud to himself.
"Are you having trouble with something?" Vivi suddenly asked from next to him. Luffy looked over at her and pouted. Zoro was currently elsewhere in the store, probably wherever Nami was, considering somehow she had persuaded him into carrying some of her things. Luffy wasn't entirely sure how that happened, since he wasn't around. He had been too busy looking for what Zoro might like. "I want to buy Zoro something, but there's nothing here that I think he'll like."
Vivi smiled. "I wouldn't get upset over it. Just look a bit harder. I'm sure whatever you buy for Mr. Bushido, he'll like very much."
Luffy wasn't so sure about that. Zoro didn't show any interest in much really. Why would he like something that Luffy bought for him if he disliked everything else? The guy didn't even want to be here anyway, and he hadn't purchased a single thing yet either. That just meant that Zoro didn't like these kinds of things. That made shopping for the other even harder. "How do you know that?" He asked, averting his attention from the jewelry. "I don't think Zoro likes any of this stuff here."
"Well, you are his friend. I think that he'll appreciate that you bought him something, no matter what it is."
Luffy thought about it. Could what Vivi said be true? Would Zoro really appreciate anything he decided to buy him? "Even if he does, I still can't find anything that I want to buy for him."
"How about I help you?" Vivi offered.
The other grinned. "You'd do that?.!"
Vivi nodded. "Of course." She looked down into the case that Luffy had once been admiring, filled with jewelry. "You were thinking of buying him jewelry?"
Luffy also looked back into the case. "I thought about it. He only wears those earrings, so I'm not sure if he'll like anything else."
"Maybe a necklace? Nothing too girly, like with a bunch of diamonds or anything, but a necklace could do if you found the right one."
He wasn't finished looking at everything in the case, so Luffy leaned back over to examine the rest of the jewelry inside. Vivi did so as well, helping Luffy scan over every piece. Luffy absently traveled further down the case, nothing exactly capturing his attention. He almost gave up when he reached the end of the case, but one particular necklace inside stopped him. He stared at it some more, wondering if this was what he wanted to buy for Zoro. Vivi came to a stop next to him and glanced at the same necklace. "Is that…?"
"Yeah. Should I get it? Does it look like the right one?"
"Do you think it's the right one?" Vivi asked instead. "It looks perfect to me. But, you decide whether you want to buy it or not, Luffy."
Luffy examined it some more, going over in his head if that should be what he buys Zoro. "I like it! And, there aren't any others like this one. It makes me think of Zoro just looking at it."
Vivi laughed. "I thought the same. It's very fitting, I think."
Luffy turned to Vivi, a large grin adorning his features. "Then, I'll get it!" He looked around after that exclamation, spotting what appeared to be a worker at the store only a few feet away. Vivi stood where she was, watching Luffy talk to the woman and have her follow him over to the case. "That one." He pointed to the necklace through the case.
"The one with the three swords?" She asked, just for confirmation. Luffy nodded and the worker proceeded to unlock the case, retrieving the necklace from inside. "Is this all you'll be buying?"
"Yep!"
"Follow me to the register then." Luffy and Vivi did as such, and the lady walked around the counter. "You look very excited. Is this for someone special?" The woman asked as she worked on putting the necklace inside of a small box.
"You could say that." Vivi answered instead. They waited for the lady to finish packing the necklace, before Luffy paid for it. He wrapped the small bag it was inside around the box and stuffed it into his pocket, so that way Nami or Zoro wouldn't ask questions. The necklace had taken most of his money, but he didn't mind. He was simply happy that he found something. Now, he just had to give it to Zoro. When? He wasn't sure, but he wanted it to be soon.
"Thanks for helping, Vivi." He told the other after successfully hiding the gift.
"No problem." Vivi paid for her things as well. While doing so, Nami and Zoro appeared at the register. Zoro was clearly irritated at having to hold so many bags at once.
Luffy blinked. Zoro had a lot more bags than he'd been carrying the last time he saw him. Which was probably only fifteen minutes ago. Nami shoved all of her things on the counter. Vivi tried to stifle a giggle. "Mr. Bushido, didn't you say that you wouldn't carry our things?"
"Don't ask. I don't want to talk about it." Zoro looked to Luffy who appeared to be empty handed. Had the kid still not bought anything? "Aren't you going to buy something?" He asked Luffy, curiously. That was a part of why there were here, wasn't it?
"I bought some candy!" That was actually true, but he'd bought it like two stores ago and didn't have any left to show for it. The stuff was cheap and he figured it wouldn't hurt to buy a couple pieces. "I'd give you some, but I ate it all."
"That's okay. I don't like much candy anyway." Zoro glanced down at all of the bags in his hands and back up to Nami. "Oi! Are you done yet?.!" He called out, irritated.
Nami turned around. "As a matter of fact, I am. Now, do your job and carry all of these." She pushed the three bags at Zoro, whose eyebrow twitched. He didn't appreciate being ordered around by Nami of all people.
"Why do I have to carry your shit?.! You're capable of doing it yourself!"
"Shut up and just carry them. You aren't doing anything useful!"
"Maybe I want to look around?.! And, I sure as hell don't want to lug all of this around while I'm at it!"
"Fine." Nami turned to Luffy. "Luffy can carry my stuff from now on."
"You can't just say he'll carry your stupid stuff! Luffy doesn't have to do anything you tell him to!" Zoro snatched the bags from her.
"Zoro, I wouldn't mind carrying the-"
"Shut up." Zoro cut Luffy off. "I'll carry the damn things. But, this is never happening again!"
Nami smirked. "That's more like it. Let's go to the next store!"
"Haven't you bought enough already?.!"
"Oh, Zoro, what you're carrying is only a small portion of what I usually buy. I wouldn't complain just yet."
Zoro scowled. That bitch. How he hated her so. "We've been here for an hour. How long are your shopping trips?"
"A few hours at least." Nami replied, casually leading the other three out of the store.
At least? He had work! There was no way he could stay here longer than that. "It better not last longer than two hours. I still have to take Luffy home and I have work at four, so remember that."
"Quit complaining so much, it's annoying." Nami took them to another store and looked around. "I've been wanting to bring Luffy to this store since we got here!" The look Nami set Luffy with made him feel slightly uncomfortable. She turned to Vivi. "Hey, Vivi, don't you think it'll be fun to dress Luffy up in some things? Who knows, maybe he'll find something to buy here!"
Luffy didn't exactly have the money to buy anything else, but he decided to keep quiet about that.
"Dress Luffy up? Hm, it does sound kind of fun. Do you mind, Luffy?" Vivi asked the dark-haired boy.
Zoro didn't have the best feeling about this, and Luffy was just confused. "I guess I don't. But, why do you want to have me try on things? Don't you want to buy stuff?"
"'Cause it'll be fun! Come on. Vivi and I will start picking out things right away!" They walked further into the store. Nami pointed across the store. "Luffy, you and Zoro go wait over there. That's the dressing area. We'll be over there in a few minutes."
"Okay." Luffy and Zoro did so. Zoro dumped all of the bags on the ground, not caring if they spilled over, and took a seat on the bench next to one of the dressing rooms. "Those two sure are weird sometimes." Luffy remarked, watching the girls shuffle through clothing racks.
Zoro leaned back against the wall, placing his hands behind his head. It felt nice to finally sit down for a bit. "Tell me about it."
Nami smirked as she pulled out another top from the rack she was currently looking through. "Zoro's gonna love this."
Vivi looked over at Nami. "What are you talking about?"
The red head folded the shirt over her arm. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed! Zoro totally has a thing for Luffy. I can completely see it, even if he doesn't know yet himself. I'm only doing him a favor by doing this."
"So, this is why you said you'd been wanting to bring Luffy here. It'll be interesting seeing Mr. Bushido's reaction."
"Yep!" Nami looked down at the bundle of clothing in her arms. "I think this should be enough for now. Let's go over and give Zoro the surprise of his life."
The two girls walked over to where Nami had ordered Luffy and Zoro to wait. Nami pointed at one of the dressing rooms. "Luffy, you go in there and get undressed. Then, I'll throw you some things over!"
Luffy hesitated before going inside of the small room and closing the door behind him. He wasn't sure why Nami wouldn't give him the clothes until he was already undressed, but he figured it would be best not to ask about it. He slipped his sandals off, his shirt and shorts coming off right after. He threw each article of clothing on the small sitting area attached to the dressing room, leaving him solely in his boxers, which wasn't very fun because it was kind of cold.
"You undressed yet?" Nami called through the door.
Luffy stepped forward. "Uh, yeah!" After that, a few articles of clothing came soaring over the top of the door. He caught them before they could fall to the ground. Luffy dangled what appeared to be a short skirt in front of his face. Why exactly did Nami give him this? He held the shirt up too, which was a white v-neck and looked kind of small. He made a face at the clothing. These were not men's clothes! "Nami! Why'd you give me these?.!" He yelled to the redhead on the other side.
"Just put them on!" Was the response he received.
He couldn't wear these things. They were meant for girls! "But, I can't wear this! These are girl clothes!"
That comment from Luffy made Zoro crack an eye open. What? Nami so did not give Luffy women's clothes to put on.
"Who cares? Put them on!"
"I don't want to wear girl clothes!"
She so did. What was she thinking doing such a thing? "What the hell, Nami?"
"Zoro, you stay out of this. Luffy! I'm not letting you come out until you put those on!"
"I don't want to do this anymore!" Luffy shouted back.
"Too bad! You already agreed! So, put those on!"
Luffy sighed and glared at the clothing. Why did he have to do this? Yes, he agreed, but he wouldn't have if he'd known that he would have to wear this! Luffy held the mini skirt out in front of his face with both hands. This thing was really small. He looked down to his boxers. He was pretty sure that his boxers would stick out if he put this on over them. Stupid Nami. Making him do something this embarrassing. Zoro was just outside of that door too! Oh God, he couldn't let Zoro see him in something like this! But, Nami said he couldn't come out without them on. And, Nami was a very mean person when she didn't get what she wants.
The teen slipped the shirt on first, noticing how it clung to his torso tight. It really was kind of small after all. Then, he looked at his boxers. Those were not coming off, no way. Instead of taking them off, he rolled them up. After that, he slipped the skirt on over. This thing felt very different, and it was extremely short! He looked into the mirror, noting how much different these two simple pieces of clothing made him look. Well, he didn't look horrible or anything, but it was still embarrassing. He really didn't want to step outside of that door wearing these things.
"Hurry up, Luffy!" That was Nami's voice. Luffy could hear a giggle from outside too. That must have been Vivi.
"I don't wanna come out!"
Zoro straightened from his position. "Stop making him do things he doesn't want to do."
"You just wait until he comes out, Zoro." What the hell did Nami mean by that? "Get out here, Luffy! Zoro wants to see you!"
This woman was really getting on his nerves. Using him to get Luffy to come out. Who did she think she was? Luffy unlocked the door and hesitantly pulled it open. He poked his head around it, frowning at Nami's face in front of his own. "Why do I have to do this?"
"Quit your whining and get out here." Nami pulled Luffy forward, out of the dressing room. Luffy instinctively tried to cover himself. The red head stood back, looking Luffy up and down. "You know, it doesn't look half bad on you. Who knew you could make these clothes look good."
The second Luffy was pulled from the dressing room, all thoughts inside of Zoro's head stopped, and he stared. The emotions that overcame him at that moment were all extremely confusing to him. In a sense, Luffy did not look bad at all. Zoro would dare say that the younger teen looked cute more than anything in those clothes. But, then the logical side kicked in and Zoro realized that Luffy really should not be wearing those clothes. Nami turned around to Zoro. "What do you think, Zoro? Doesn't Luffy look cute?"
Luffy looked away at Nami's question. If Zoro was going to stare at him like that, he didn't want to see, it was all too embarrassing. Zoro didn't answer. Instead he stood up and approached Luffy. The younger looked up, unsure of what Zoro could be thinking right now. "I think that's enough dressing up." Zoro stated, pushing Luffy backwards into the dressing room. Nami went a bit overboard with this whole dressing Luffy up thing.
Luffy was expecting Zoro to push him into the dressing room and leave, so he was confused when Zoro stepped inside with him and closed the door. "Zoro?"
The older teen sighed. "You shouldn't listen to what Nami says. She shouldn't have made you wear this in the first place." Zoro grabbed the hem of the shirt and lifted it up, pulling the clothing over Luffy's head. He threw the shirt in a random direction. "Put your actual shirt on."
Luffy glanced over at his shirt and snatched it. "Did it look that bad?" The younger asked, pulling his shirt over his head. Even if he hadn't liked the clothing, Nami had said it looked good, and Zoro's opinion mattered to him more than anyone else's. Did Zoro think he looked disgusting in those clothes or something? He was more curious than disappointed.
Zoro absently scratched the back of his head. Was there any way he could put this without it sounding too weird? Probably not. "No, it didn't look bad, but you shouldn't wear those, especially if you didn't want to."
"Oh! So, Zoro did like them?" Luffy cocked his head to the side.
Zoro looked away. He couldn't bear to see Luffy looking at him like that. Also, the kid was still wearing that skirt that he should probably be taking off. "Just put your pants back on." He ordered. Luffy hurriedly took the skirt off and slipped his shorts on. This was an experience that he never wanted to have again. The fact that Zoro was standing there the whole time he changed back into his shorts was a bit unsettling, but because Zoro had told him to change, he did. Zoro was glad to see Luffy back in his normal clothes. Luffy grabbed his hat and slipped the string over his head, allowing it to rest against his back instead of placing it on his head. "I think I've had enough fun here. Do you still want to stick around or is it okay to leave?" If Luffy wanted to stay a bit longer, Zoro wouldn't mind it, he did have a few hours to kill before work.
Luffy grinned. The biggest reason he was here was accomplished, so they could leave. "If you want to."
"Then, I guess we're leaving. Nami can carry her damn bags from now on." Zoro grabbed Luffy's wrist and unlocked the door, pulling the teen behind him. He decided not to say anything else to the girls as they walked past.
Nami opened her mouth to call out to them, but Luffy beat her to it. "Bye! I'll see you guys at school!" He waved to them with his free hand, as Zoro dragged him out of the store.
Nami blinked. "They're leaving already?" Then, she looked over at all of the bags that Zoro had placed on the ground. "What the hell? That bastard! He's supposed to carry my stuff!"
The ride back to Luffy apartment was relatively nice. It wasn't awkward, and Luffy was thankful or that. This whole shopping trip was not what he'd expected it to be, but other than the whole dressing up portion, it had been fun. He was very happy to have found something to buy for Zoro. That's right. He still had to give the necklace to him. Should he wait a bit longer to give it to him or now? He really was excited to see if the other would like it. Giving it to him sooner wouldn't hurt. "Zoro, do you have work tomorrow?"
Zoro didn't bother to look away from the road as he answered. "No. Why?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to come over tomorrow. Ace doesn't have to work either, so you could talk to him too since this time he's not sick."
Zoro thought it over. He originally planned on staying home tomorrow to finish up his homework and stuff. He didn't have the time to hang out with Luffy, no matter how much he may have wanted to. "I would, but I put off all that school work and I need to finish it."
Actually, now that Zoro mentioned homework, Luffy did have his to finish as well, and he needed help with that stupid math homework. "You could do your homework with me! I have all of the math stuff to do."
Zoro wasn't too sure if they would get their homework done if they tried to do it together. It was obvious that Luffy really wanted to hang out with him some more, and denying the kid something as simple as that made him feel bad. Luffy was very good at controlling his emotions. "I guess it wouldn't hurt."
Luffy looked very excited. "Does that mean you'll come over?"
"Yeah, but I can't waste time. I have to get that stupid homework finished."
"Don't worry! We can work on it together! We'll be sure to get it done."
Zoro didn't say anything as a thought occurred to him. Would that red-haired man be there tomorrow as well? He didn't know the guy at all, but he didn't exactly want another experience like earlier to happen again. What did Luffy say his name was? Shanks? Yeah, that was it. "Is that Shanks guy going to be there?" He asked the other.
"Nope! Shanks is leaving tonight. That's what he said. He can't stay with us longer than a few days. It'll just be me, you, and Ace." Luffy loved Shanks and all, but even he was kind of glad that the older man would be leaving. He'd gotten an overdose of Shanks' teasing, and quick frankly, he was getting annoyed with it. He knew Shanks meant no harm by it, but one could only take so much.
The rest of the ride was filled with small conversation between the two. When Zoro pulled up to Luffy's apartment, Luffy opened the door, but hesitated before getting out. "Zoro?" The older teen gave Luffy his attention, waiting for the younger to continue. "I know that you didn't really want to go to the mall today, so thanks for going." Luffy grinned and reached into his pocket. "I found this and thought you'd like it, so I bought it." Luffy handed the wrapped box to Zoro, who accepted it, confused as to why Luffy would consider buying him something.
"Luffy-"
"I'll see you tomorrow, Zoro!" Luffy was already out of the car. He grinned and waved to Zoro before shutting the door and running off to his and Ace's apartment. Zoro glanced down at what Luffy had given him, deciding to go ahead and see what it was.
He pulled the box out of the small bag and opened it, surprised to find a silver necklace inside. It was on a silver chain and it was a heart with what appeared to be three swords sticking into it, two on one side, and one on the other side. Why would Luffy buy him something this nice? He hadn't received a gift from anyone in quite a while. And, believe or not, he actually liked the way it looked. He felt extremely grateful that Luffy had thought about him enough to buy him something like this.
He fingered the small heart, smiling at it, despite himself. He admired the necklace for a few minutes before unlocking it, and fastening it around his neck. It was so like Luffy to do something like this. Why the teen had bought him the necklace, he didn't know. What he did know, however, was that he really appreciated the necklace. He liked it a lot, and he planned on holding on to it for quite some time.