"The witch." Luffy muttered angrily.

"If you're not going to tell me, don't keep talking about it." Zoro chastised, picking up his pace.

"I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to myself." Luffy reasoned. "Fucking wench."

"Damn it, Luffy. Come on. What's going on?" Zoro asked for the hundredth time, pausing in the trail. "We came out here to hike. You should be relaxing. If you have the breath to talk you're not hiking hard enough…"

"It's a gentle slope, Zoro. If I couldn't walk and talk, you'd need to take me to the hospital…" Luffy pointed out, gesturing down the gradually winding path.

"Sure." Zoro nodded quickly. "Back to the point. What did she do? I can join you. We can both shit talk her."

"That's so unlike you, Zoro." Luffy mused, an unconscious smirk twisting his lips.

"Yeah, well, I'm full of surprises." Zoro replied, continuing their walk.

"I can't tell you." Luffy blurted out apologetically.

"What? Why?" Zoro asked, his brows furrowed.

"Because…" Luffy hesitated.

"She told you not to?" Zoro reasoned.

"No, well, she did, but… Mostly I can't tell you because then you'll know and it will be fucking hell to pretend like you don't."

"Well shit." Zoro murmured, straightening out as he walked.

"Yeah."

"Hey, Luffy,"

"Yeah?"

"Is it about Franky?"

"Fuck." Luffy cursed, kicking out at a rock as they passed.

"Okay…" Zoro sighed heavily. "How bad?"

"Bad."

"Damn it. God that sucks. Ya know, I told him. And he didn't listen, he just… Agh! So stupid…" Zoro growled in frustration. "If he bought it… I'll just…"

"Wait, bought what?" Luffy asked, brows furrowed.

"Huh?"

"Don't huh me…" Luffy groaned. "What were you talking about?"

"It's nothing." Zoro insisted. "Just thinking out loud."

"Senpaaaai…" Luffy whined.

"Listen, you don't want to know." Zoro said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Oh, but I do!" Luffy pressed, his nostrils flaring.

"Nope." Zoro refused. "It's unnecessary."

"This hike is unnecessary," Luffy muttered.

"What?" Zoro asked, arching a thin brow.

"Nothing." Luffy breathed out with a pout.

"That's what I thought."

Luffy stuck out his tongue, "I ain't scared of you, tough guy…"

"Huh? What was that?" Zoro questioned, turning around to face Luffy.

"What? Nothing. Nothing…" Luffy replied with a laugh, knocking his shoulder against Zoro's. "You're hearing things."

"Luffy," Zoro began after a long stretch of silence. "I've been meaning to ask you something for a while now."

"Yeah?" Luffy inhaled sharply, a nauseating mix of curiosity and nerves swelling in his belly.

Zoro's cell phone rang. He jumped in surprise at the unexpected interruption. He silenced it quickly, without even looking at the ID, before shoving it back into his jeans pocket. "Sorry…"

"Oh, yeah, no. No problem…" Luffy waved his hands dismissively.

"So, I'd been wondering, you know," Zoro continued softly. "You say a lot of things, Luffy. And at first I just chalked it up to you being crazy, but now, I just… I don't know. I guess it doesn't seem so crazy anymore… since it's you, you know?"

"Yeah?" Luffy breathed out, his entire body humming with excitement.

Zoro's phone rang again. He groaned in frustration, yanking the phone back out of his pocket. His finger slid across the screen his angry features contorting into a more sympathetic expression. "Oh," he said. "It's Franky."

"Oh." Luffy repeated the syllable, his heart sinking into his stomach. "You should answer it. It might be important."

"Yeah." Zoro agreed, nodding his head. He leaned forward quickly, the phone pressed to his ear. But before he spoke into the phone, his lips sprinkled a sweet kiss on Luffy's head, then he turned slightly, and his voice dropped low, "Hey, Franky."

Luffy walked down the path a little ways, dropping down onto a large, broad rock. The stone was rough and uncomfortable against his rather unpadded buttocks. He looked around, the sun soaking through his skin and into his veins. He took a deep breath, his hand unconsciously drifting toward the scar on his chest. He'd underestimated the hike, or perhaps, and more alarmingly, he might have overestimated his ability.

Damn, Luffy thought, what doesn't kill you never fucking heals right.

Zoro paced back and forth, one hand on his waist and the other holding the phone up to his ear. He nodded a lot, rather than reply, a deep notch between his furrowed brows. His face contorted with emotion, his lips held together tightly. He paused, chewing on his thumbnail incessantly. He kept nodding. How silly, Luffy thought. He can't see you, babe.

Suddenly Zoro's expression changed. He looked up and over at Luffy, a wild look in his eye. Luffy frowned, rubbing his hands together as he thought. "What is it, Zoro?" Zoro merely shook his head, replying into the phone, too quiet for Luffy to make out. "What's going on?"

Zoro stepped closer, the phone dipping slightly away from his ear. He mouthed the next words to Luffy, his nose wrinkled in confusion, 'He wants to meet up for beers'.

Luffy nodded, settling back down on the rock. He released a shallow breath, his lungs pressing painfully against his ribs. Luffy closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the cool kiss of the wind. He licked his lips, eyes still gently closed, "Okay."

"Hey." Zoro called out, waving as he approached Franky at the bar.

"Hey, brother." Franky returned, flashing a broad smile and gesturing to the extra beers in front of him.

"He looks chipper…" Luffy whispered to Zoro as they slowly approached.

Zoro nodded, "Yeah. A bit."

"Hey, Luffy." Franky said in greeting, gesturing to the booth across from him.

"Hey…" Luffy drawled. "So, uh, how's it going?"

"Good, good. And you?" Franky replied with a nod.

Luffy froze in place, Zoro slamming into his side as he moved to sit in the booth. "What the...?! Luffy?!"

Luffy looked from Franky to Zoro incredulously. "Time out."

"Time out?" Zoro repeated.

"Yeah, time out." Luffy snapped. "What the hell did Franky say on the phone? He doesn't look like I expected him to look. How about you? So what'd he say, huh?"

"And it's my fault he doesn't look a certain way?" Zoro snarled in return. "Damn it!"

"Hey, calm down." Franky interjected, raising both wide, strong hands in gesture. "I wanted some company, not a ringside match…"

Luffy sat down quietly, scooting across the bench further into the booth. Zoro followed after him, reaching for a beer and twisting off the top. "So what's up?"

"Well, as I'm sure you both know," Franky began, his voice upbeat and even. "I'm single again." Luffy hissed with his sudden intake of breath. He shook his head, his dark hair falling into his eyes. Franky waved his hand apologetically. "Thanks, brother. But there's no need to get mad about it." Franky shook his head when Luffy opened his mouth to speak. "I appreciate it. I do. But it's not necessary…"

"I'm sorry man." Zoro said simply, clinking his beer bottle against Franky's. "Women."

"You're taking this… well…" Luffy said simply, watching Franky with skeptical eyes.

"There's no need to get all anxious about a temporary thing." Franky explained with a shrug.

"What?" Luffy asked. "What'd'ya mean?"

"Oh, come on," Franky groaned, as if it was all painfully obvious. "She's antsy. She's got the jitters."

"Yeah… and?" It was Zoro's turn for the skeptical look. "Are you taking a break or did she dump you? What am I missing?"

"I was upset at first, but then I got to thinking…" Franky leaned in as he spoke. "She's got to really like me."

"And how do you figure that?" Zoro asked, exchanging a look with Luffy.

"She's thinking about the future. She's thinking about our future together…"

"Yeah, and then she broke up with you…" Zoro said, not so delicately.

"Right. Yeah, well that part sucks." Franky murmured before clearing his throat. "But ultimately, I think it's a good thing."

"How so?" Luffy asked.

"She's gonna miss me." Franky said simply.

The group was silent for a long stretch of time before Luffy replied, "Yeah. I think you're right."

"What did I miss?" Zoro shook his head in confusion.

"I think it's temporary." Franky said, looking down at his hands. "I mean, damn it, brother. That's the only way I can think right now…"

"But what if it isn't temporary?" Zoro questioned.

"If she doesn't want me, I'll move on. It's not my style to be that creep who hangs on…" Franky insisted, waving his hands in gesture. He sighed heavily before fixing his hair. "But I'm sure she'll miss me… I just know it…"

"Ugh."

Luffy ignored her vocalization and focused on the magazine in front of him.

"Are you really just going to ignore me?" Robin asked, finger-combing her long, black hair.

"I might." Luffy muttered.

"Progress!" Robin exclaimed. Luffy clammed back up, turning the page of his magazine with a frown. "Luffy, you're my friend. You can't keep acting like this."

"I can and I will." Luffy spat.

"Monkey D. Luffy…" Robin drawled, shaking her head sadly. "Talk to me." Luffy wanted to say 'no', but instead he turned around in his chair, facing the wall. "Luffy, I'm a grown up. I'm not getting any younger or smarter or more beautiful… I have to take care of myself. I'm past the age of fantasy and magic and true love…"

"No, Robin." Luffy argued. "You can still be happy. You can be loved. You can be safe. And you can do that all with Franky… You're just scared. And being a coward is inexcusable."

"A coward?!" Robin nearly gasped. "Well, at least you're speaking to me."

"Robin, I don't want to fight with you… Especially about your love life…" Luffy began to speak rapidly. "If I thought you didn't love Franky. If I thought you didn't want to be with him… I wouldn't say a word… I swear…"

"I know." Robin murmured, covering her face with her hands.

"Why can't you just be smart about this? You're so smart…" Luffy groaned. "You're so smart and you should be happy too."

"I don't know what to say to you, Luffy." Robin admitted, shaking her head.

"You don't have to explain yourself to me." Luffy replied. "I just wish you'd be more honest with yourself. And stop being such a damn coward."

"You just don't understand where I'm coming from."

Luffy nodded in agreement, his jaw held tight in frustration, "You're right, I don't understand."

"What would you have me do?" Robin asked, sweeping her arm as she spoke.

"Give people a chance first. You just automatically decide they're going to fail you." Luffy accused. "That's not fair. That's not right. Don't let your past ruin your future too."

"Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me…" Robin pointed out.

"What did Franky do?" Luffy said. "Anything?"

"Women either get smart or they get broken." Robin argued.

"Okay, I can go with that. So be fucking smart! Don't break yourself so someone else doesn't have the chance to!" Luffy cried out.

"Just leave it alone, Luffy." Robin pleaded, shaking her head.

"I'll leave it alone," Luffy agreed. "When your heart matches your mouth." Luffy grabbed his magazine, rolling it up in his hand as he stood. "When you can say you don't love him, and mean it, I'll drop it forever. So? What's it going to be?"

Robin nodded, releasing a heavy sigh. "Not today, Luffy."

"You can't say it?" Luffy asked, his voice softening.

"Not today."

"Then maybe you shouldn't be making decisions yet."

"Hey, Luffy?" Usopp murmured, rolling over in bed. He peered through the darkness, his blanket pulled up and under his chin. "Is that you?" A shadowy figure passed his bedroom door, definitely moving and definitely human. Usopp let out a strangled cry, rolling over and yanking his side drawer out, dropping the contents onto the floor. He found his mace spray and leapt from his bed. "Who's there?"

There was no response. Whimpering with dread, Usopp kicked open his door. No one was there. He switched on his light and peeked around the jamb and down the hall. He saw a blur of skin and the color red. Usopp swallowed, holding the can of mace out defensively. "Luffy! Luffy are you awake?"

Usopp tiptoed down the hall and jumped nervously across the room to the next light switch. He let out a terrified cry as a narrow beam of light ran through the living room. He forgot that two of the bulbs burned out earlier. There was a person by the front door, turning the knob and attempting to flee. Usopp rushed forward with a cry, reaching for the telephone on the coffee table.

"You've fucked with the wrong apartment, Mister!" Usopp shouted, dialing Zoro's phone number with shaking hands. He propped the phone between his neck and shoulder, his eyes clenched tightly shut. "I've got huge friends! Huge! And they're just gonna kick your ass to hell! All thirty of 'em!"

The intruder struggled with the door before turning around. Usopp covered his eyes with one hand, holding out the mace with the other. "I'll spray you! Don't you think abou it! I said 'no!' Don't come near me! I mean it! Damn it! Damn it! I don't wanna die!"

"Hello?" Zoro answered sleepily.

"Oh my God!" Usopp screamed. "I'm gonna dieeee-ee-eee!"

"What? What's going on? Where's Luffy?" Zoro questioned, instantly awake. "I'm on my way. I'm hanging up to call 119."

The intruder was suddenly upon Usopp, crashing into him with a drunken force. Usopp pushed off the cap of his mace and sprayed, holding down the pressure and not letting go until it clogged. He shook the can rapidly in his hand, doing his best to push the screaming intruder off. He felt bare skin, slender limbs, short but unkempt hair. Usopp dropped the mace and sat back on his knees.

"Oh my God! What the hell!" Usopp cried out, grabbing Luffy by both shoulders and shaking him. "Why didn't you say anything? I didn't know it was you?"

Luffy screamed himself hoarse, scrambling backward blindly, clawing at his eyes in agony. "What's going on?! I can't see! Where am I?"

Half an hour later, Luffy, dressed only in underwear, was sitting on the couch with ice packs over his eyes, Zoro beside him wearing only flannel pants. Usopp paced the room, explaining for the third time, what had happened to the police officers, whom grinned as they wrote. "And why is it that you didn't identify yourself?" the officer asked, leaning over Luffy.

"I must've been asleep…" Luffy groaned, moving one of his ice packs reluctantly. The paramedics had already rinsed his eyes but they were still red and swollen. "I went to bed and when I woke up, I was getting mace to the face."

"Any history of sleepwalking?" the second officer asked.

"No." Luffy muttered, covering his face back up.

"Well, I think we're all done here." The first officer concluded with a head nod. "You gentleman have a good evening."

"Yeah…" Usopp groaned, following the officers out of the apartment and bolting the door behind them. "Well fuck."

"Uh huh." Luffy mumbled.

"Sorry, Luffy." Usopp sighed, sinking into the chair beside the couch. "I panicked. I didn't know it was you."

"I know…" Luffy said, for the fifth time. "I'm not mad."

"Are you sure?" Usopp whined. "I'm really sorry."

"I'm not mad." Luffy repeated. "Just blind."

Usopp dropped his head into his hands. "Damn it."

"Say it." Zoro demanded, raising his bottle of beer to his lips and eyeing Franky pointedly.

"Ah, but…"

"Say it!" Zoro repeated.

"Alright, he's probably possessed." Franky conceded, throwing his hands up in surrender.

"Now, hopefully demons are allergic to mace." Zoro mused, nursing his beer with a smile.

"It kills me how stupid you are." Franky groaned, shaking his head.

"You need to worry more about yourself." Zoro pointed out. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" Franky asked before guzzling the rest of his beer.

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Have you talked to her?" Zoro asked.

"Nah." Franky shrugged, gesturing to the bartender for another beer. "I'll take her back. But she's gotta be the one to call me…" Franky gestured to himself. "I mean just look at me! I'm Franky!"

Zoro sighed, finishing his beer. "Well, I gotta admire that confidence."

"You look like shit."

"I don't wanna hear that from you," Robin breathed, looking up from her stack of papers to be graded. "Your eyes look like custard."

"You look old." Luffy returned.

"I mean, pink eye is more attractive than what you've got going on…" Robin murmured, shaking her head in disgust.

"Yeah, you're pretty and all but your age is just really settling into those fine lines, Robin…"

"Oh, it's just too much!" Robin cried out. "What do you want?"

"I came to see you. We're friends."

"Luffy, dear, I've killed people for less than what you said just now…"

"And I get to live because we… are… friends!" Luffy drawled with a stiff smile.

"If you've come to scold me, just keep on walking. I'm not in the mood today." Robin announced.

Luffy made a face, his lips turned down in a pout, "Are you feeling practically old and alone today? I can understand that…"

"Luffy…" Robin hissed.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry." Luffy raised his hands apologetically. "I won't tease you or interefere with your business today."

"Okay. Thank you!" Robin emphasized the last two words.

"Need help grading those papers?" Luffy offered, pulling a chair up to her desk.

"Can you even see to read?" Robin asked.

"Mostly." Luffy replied with a grin.

"That really does look painful." Robin replied, shaking her head as she handed Luffy half the stack. "Usopp owes you one."

"Nah, I think this makes us even." Luffy said quietly.

"So, why'd you come? Not that I don't enjoy your company, but I know you're upset with me…"

Luffy nodded, "I am upset with you. But I understand. I'm not stupid. I just think you should be… braver…"

"I don't know if I can justify taking a risk with my future." Robin answered honestly.

"Think of it like a business venture," Luffy suggested, rather logically to Robin's surprise. "Does the business make sense? Yeah, Franky and Robin is a good thing. Do you know how to run the business? Yeah, Franky and Robin runs itself and has for quite a while now. Will the business make money? Yup, Franky and Robin will both make more money if they combine…"

"I get it…" Robin interjected.

"Is there a demand for the business? Uh huh. All your friends love the Franky and Robin…" Luffy continued.

"Yes, I understand. I get it." Robin sighed.

"Do you enjoy the business and have plans to do it for years? Well, you can answer that one." Luffy finished.

"And you're not a business major…" Robin teased.

"You're not either." Luffy replied. "You're so stuck on past tragedy that you majored in it."

"Oh, shut up." Robin snapped, shooting a staple in Luffy's direction angrily. "I'll strangle that skinny, little neck if you keep it up."

"Do you think Zoro is beneath me? Am I too good to spend the rest of my life with him?" Luffy asked, brows furrowed.

"I think if he's who you want then…" Robin stopped suddenly, placing her papers down on her desk. "I'm going to get some coffee. If you're here when I get back, I'll probably poke your eyes out."

"Want me to come with?" Luffy offered with a smirk.

"Please don't." Robin groaned.

Luffy snickered, throwing his arm around Robin affectionately. "Big Sister, I love you. And you can't get rid of me."

"Do you take it personally when people tell you that you're too much? Because I think you should start taking it personally. Everyone says it and they mean it…" Robin said.

"So, can we talk about me for a bit?" Luffy asked, feigning offense. "I mean, all you ever wanna do is talk, talk, talk about yourself. I have problems too. I need some advice every once in a while…"

"Oh really?" Robin drawled. "I have some advice for you…"

Luffy snickered, hugging Robin gently. "I bet you do."