Happily (and sometimes Hornily) Ever After
Being the epilogue and happy-go-lucky life of Luffy and Zoro after Breath is finished.
An examination of their relationship in several parts.
As told to Quatrina Raberba and Karaleyn.

originally written 3/3/06

The Abandoned Island

Somewhere in the Grand Line, there exists an island known widely for the level of comfort it offers to world-weary travelers. Lots of shops for Nami and Usopp, and bathing houses filled with luscious ladies for Sanji, all sorts of interesting festivals and sights and restaurants with decadent food. Luffy insisted on an adventure at a nearby deserted island, but no one would listen. So, after some pouting, he decided to go on his own... and Zoro accompanied him. When they arrived, they realized they had the island entirely to themselves. And, come on. Who could give up that sort of a chance?

This is a chronicle of that which ensued.

"Two hundred and fifty..."

A salty breeze had picked up from the direction of the seashore, carrying with it only the sounds of the gently roaring waves of the ocean. Pristine and practically untouched, white sand seemed to stretch for miles on either side. Countless trees lined the edge of the beach, their lush leaves quivering in the wind. The wooded area was fairly silent, however, save for the steady counting that trailed from one of the more solid trees.

"Two hundred and fifty one..."

Muscles taut and feet dangling from the ground, Roronoa Zoro lifted his chin up past the branch that his calloused hands were tightly holding on to. Holding the position long enough to feel a satisfying burning in his body, he lowered himself down only to pull himself back up again. "Two hundred and fifty two..."

Although he had been initially opposed to the idea of leaving the neighboring luxurious island in favor of exploring the less inhabited one, he had felt compelled to follow his captain when none of the other crewmembers wanted to tear themselves away from their easy rest. Despite having to camp out on the beach instead of being able to relax in some hotel, however, Zoro was beginning to decide that coming here was the wiser choice.

"Two hundred and fifty three..."

It was much easier to train without being distracted.

A stirring in the leaves behind him went unnoticed, passed off as the wind rustling a particularly lush plant. Footsteps padded across the sand nearly silently, sandals long ago kicked off in favor of the luxurious feel of sand between the toes. Fancying himself a predator watching his prey, Luffy grinned to himself as he snuck forward and crouched behind a tree to Zoro's right.

The light of the day was slowly fading, casting the sea in tones of deep blue reflecting the crimson and pastel sky above. Clouds moved lazily in the distance, colored brighter than they had any right to be, the sun an amazing backwash to it all. But Luffy was not focusing on the beauty of the approaching sunset; instead, his gaze was rather more caught by the straining muscles and sheen of sweat lining the body of his first mate.

Zoro gleamed in his own way, like a magnet that attracted Luffy's attention no matter where he was or what he was doing. Somehow, the sight of any part of Zoro's bare body with a layer of moisture—be it sweat or water or whatever—always made Luffy's stomach clench and twist in a warm, pleasant way. Just like it did the first time he realized exactly how great Zoro looked with nothing but the moonlight clothing him.

Grinning in wicked mischief, Luffy rushed forward, proud of how silent he managed to be. Just as Zoro was at the lower point of his pull ups, he suddenly pounced from behind. Arms wrapped securely around Zoro's torso, with one hand splayed across the upper waistband of his pants, Luffy grinned against the side of the swordsman's ribs and pretended to bite him.

"Grar!" he breathed into his skin, mirth intermingling with a mock-growl. "You're dead!"

Zoro's breath immediately hitched in the back of his throat, his chest locking up upon feeling Luffy's teeth playfully nip at his side. Hands preoccupied with keeping him up from the ground, the swordsman was unable to push the rubber man away.

"L-Luffy!" he gasped, unnerved at how quietly he had snuck up from behind.

Luffy's grin grew wider and he bit him again a little harder, though the pressure still threatened to tickle more than hurt. "You're still dead! What if I were a tiger on the prowl? You're too open when you train." He sounded almost playful and definitely amused, looking up through ruffled black bangs as best he could at Zoro's expression. But he didn't bother to move away, keeping his arms in a firm semi-hug.

Flushing deeply now, Zoro took in another sharp, quivering breath as Luffy bit down a little harder. Still, he kept his composure enough to snort, "Too open when I train? If you were a real tiger, you'd be dead."

Luffy chuckled deeply against his skin. "Not if I'm a Luffy-tiger, apparently. Luffy-tigers are a rare breed that can sneak up on Zoros in their natural habitat of training, sleeping, and trying to act grouchy and mean but mostly looking cuddly."

"I'm not cuddly," grumbled Zoro, but he couldn't fight back the shiver that raced up his spine.

Luffy's grin widened a shade, his expression quite a bit more teasing. "Says you, but you're hardly in the position to know. I can tell you right now that I'm quite comfortable like this. And only someone who's cuddly could be fun to hug when he's trying to train."

"I'm not cuddly," Zoro said again, more firm this time. "That's something you'd say about a stuffed toy or a dog."

"What would you rather be?" Luffy asked. He tightened his grip and shifted just a bit so he could see his expression better.

"I dunno," the swordsman muttered, his eyes suddenly averting as Luffy mischievously peered at him.

Chuckling, Luffy pulled away a bit as he finally took a bit of pity on the swordsman. "Lemme know when you know. We'll have to do some tests to make sure you're what you claim to be." He absently let his splayed hand shift above the waistband a bit, sprawled lightly across Zoro's muscular stomach. "Want help training? You don't have your weights but I could replace them for awhile..."

Lips pressing firmly into a thin line, Zoro glanced back at Luffy with an expression of feigned irritation. "I think it's impossible to train like this," he remarked, and he abruptly let go of the branch, his weight sinking back into Luffy's arms.

"Hey-!" Surprised, Luffy stumbled back a few steps with an armful of Zoro, trying to support his weight while finding his own balance. He tripped over a large conch shell angled just wrong in the sand and fell backwards almost immediately, laughing breathlessly the whole while.

Landing on top of him with a muffled "oomph," the back of Zoro's head landed against Luffy's shoulder, an arm instinctively moving over where his captain had a hold of him.

Luffy's laughter vibrated through them both as he stared up at the sky, not bothering to shift at all. "You're lucky I'm rubber," he said, "or that would've been painful for both of us."

Zoro only snorted. "It would have been your fault for teasing me."

"It could be worse," Luffy said, laughter increasing.

"A lot worse," admitted Zoro, his gaze staring up through the canopy of leaves and branches.

Luffy grinned, his laughter eventually fading to silence. He unconsciously rubbed his thumb lightly against Zoro's stomach, idly enjoying the texture of his sweaty skin. "I don't get why everyone wanted to stay at that other place," he said abruptly, confused. "It's way better over here." He paused for only half a heartbeat, not long enough for Zoro to react but enough for brief silence to follow his remark. "Are you mad you're not there?"

Shifting ever so slightly at the touch, Zoro closed his eyes for a moment. "Why would I be mad?"

Luffy shrugged, the sand feeling weird against his bare shoulders peeking out of his shirt. "Maybe you wanted a nice bed instead of a hammock or sleeping bag for once?"

"I dunno." Zoro smirked a little. "You're pretty comfortable as is."

Luffy smiled to the sky. "Am I cuddly too?" he asked teasingly.

"I'd use a different word."

Raising his eyebrows, Luffy looked down at the green mop of Zoro's hair. "Really?" he asked, curious. "What?"

Zoro shifted again. "...I don't know what word it'd be. Just something different."

"Hmm." Luffy thought about it seriously for a moment. "Probably rubber."

"...not quite what I was thinking, but I guess that works." Zoro briefly paused, trying to squirm out of Luffy's grasp. "Here, lemme get off of you."

"Stingy," Luffy laughed, but after a moment he loosened his grip in compliance.

"I thought you said I was cuddly," muttered Zoro, his body moving to rest beside his captain in the sand.

"You are," Luffy insisted, his body automatically gravitating toward Zoro as he turned onto his side. With one arm against the sand and hand propping his head up, he watched him calmly as night slowly progressed around them.

"I think I'm rather generous, considering I agreed to come to this boring place with you," Zoro said gruffly as he met the other man's gaze.

Luffy paused, and abruptly grinned so wide he closed his eyes. "I guess that's true."

Upon seeing Luffy smile, Zoro's lips vaguely quirked upward. "But, I'll have to find something else to do to prove otherwise if you seriously think I'm stingy."

"Oh?" Luffy snickered, his tone playful even as his eyes remained closed and smile wide. "Yes, sensei, show me more of your generosity. I missed it the first time."

Zoro looked at him oddly. "What the hell are you babbling about?" he asked, a tinge of laughter coloring his voice as he scooted a little closer to Luffy. "I ain't your sensei."

Luffy peeked an eye open, a glint of a dark eye reflecting the smile on his mouth. "You sure about that?"

"Positive. You're the captain. It wouldn't do any good for your first mate to be your sensei."

"But it's my first time of being captain. Maybe I got confused." Light laughter accompanied his words.

"Or maybe you're playing dumb." Zoro watched Luffy for a moment, a fond smile gracing his features.

"Some people," Luffy chuckled, "would say it's not 'playing' at all."

"I wouldn't be surprised," said Zoro, his eyes drifting to a close. "Though I'd say you're a pretty playful person."

Luffy grinned, strangely pleased. "What's the point of a boring, serious life? We're alive so we can laugh and run and have adventures! Otherwise we may as well have never drawn breath in the first place."

Zoro cracked an eye open at this sudden mini-lecture. "Oi, oi, I never said it was a bad thing."

Luffy blinked, a little startled. "What? Did I say you did?" He looked at him curiously, tilting his head slightly. "Hey Zoro, how come you never touch me first?"

Slightly taken aback, both of Zoro's eyes suddenly opened. "What are you talking about?"

Watching him calmly, Luffy seemed to consider his own question almost as much as Zoro's judging by his answer. "I guess you do sometimes, but usually I reach for you first. I don't mind or anything, but you said you're not used to being close to people. And you used to get really tense even if I was just putting a hand on you or sorta nearby. So then I thought, wouldn't you be more comfortable touching other people first instead of them coming at you? But it doesn't seem to work that way." He paused, his gaze intensifying in curiosity. "So... Why is that? Oh, but I bet I feel weird 'cause I'm rubber."

Frowning some as Luffy spoke, Zoro lightly shook his head. "That's not it. You don't feel weird. I just..." He trailed off some, his eyes narrowing and averting as he slipped into a moment of thought. "...hmm, it's difficult to explain."

Luffy continued to watch him with open, pure curiosity his only expression. He wanted to know the answer, of course, but nothing in his body language suggested he would push it if Zoro would rather not talk about it.

Sensing Luffy's gaze on him, Zoro lightly scratched the back of his head. "...I think... I just feel like it, you know... leaves me open..." He stopped, eyebrows furrowing. "...no, I don't know..."

"Oh," Luffy said, with the air of someone rediscovering a fairly significant piece of a puzzle. He dropped his head to the ground and flopped onto his back to get more comfortable, staring at the sky again. "Is it bad to be open like that once in awhile?" His tone was purely musing with no undertone or ulterior motive to it at all.

Zoro didn't answer him, his eyes moving back toward his captain. He paused for a long moment before suddenly reaching out, his hand awkwardly settling onto Luffy's arm.

Luffy tilted his head toward him and just smiled, soft and pleased and encouraging all at once. He said no words aloud, but something about the expression in his eyes and body language said he would always welcome whatever Zoro wanted, whether he was feeling 'closed,' 'open,' or anything else.

Watching Luffy carefully, Zoro slowly moved his hand across the other man's arm and over onto his chest. It rested there for a moment, and Zoro was vaguely surprised to faintly feel his heart calmly beating against his ribcage.

The smile remaining but widening, Luffy's heart sped up half a beat the moment he realized Zoro's hand was resting even briefly instead of moving on or away. He said nothing, not wanting to break the moment, and he couldn't bring himself to touch Zoro back, as if it would break the spell.

Sensing Luffy's pulse pound a little faster, Zoro kept his eyes carefully on Luffy's face. Though his hand rested in place, the swordsman slowly scooted even closer to where his body was pressing against the other man. It was difficult to read his carefully concealed emotions, save for occasional, subtle gestures, such as how he slightly licked his lips from time to time.

It was different when he wasn't initiating it. Luffy's eyes widened slightly when Zoro shifted closer, and his heart pounded even faster. Was that why Zoro used to be so flustered when he suddenly moved close to him? He had no idea what would happen next because he wasn't the one making all the decisions. It felt good either way, but he liked this way right now since it was so different.

Movement caught his eye and he found himself watching Zoro's lips for the occasional peek of a tongue, as if every time it happened he got a glimpse into the swordsman's uncertainty. For some reason, between the body heat right next to him and the hand on his chest and the lips, Luffy felt a light blush appear on his cheeks, and the fact that he blushed almost made him want to blush more.

Pausing as he noticed the deep flush that was coloring Luffy's face, Zoro watched for a moment before he slowly pressed his leg against the other man's, his face fitting against the side of Luffy's neck as his lips ghosted over the exposed skin there.

Luffy's eyes widened even more and his heart jumped faster. His breath hitched at the light feel of lips at his neck and he unconsciously tilted his head to give better access. Just barely keeping himself from making a noise, it was getting harder to lie still without reaching back. But something stopped him, made him feel like Zoro deserved more time to explore on his own before he should get interrupted.

Taking advantage of the tilted head, the swordsman moved his lips a little higher, warm breath puffing against Luffy's ear. Slowly, Zoro's calloused hand trailed down Luffy's chest, stopping at his firm abdominal muscles. His own pulse was beating a little faster than maybe he would have liked, and he wondered if Luffy could feel it because of the close proximity between them.

Drawing in a shaky breath at the warmth near his ear, Luffy let it out in a soft hiss that contained the faintest hint of his voice when the hand wandered to his stomach. His heart was fast enough that it was all he could pay attention to, but he thought distractedly that he felt a counter-beat to his own. He couldn't think on it much, with the sensation of Zoro so near him and the random, delirious thought racing through his mind that the swordsman must have been right; he couldn't feel weird like rubber if he wasn't pulling away.

"You're sitting there all stiff," Zoro murmured gruffly in his ear. "Something wrong?"

"No," Luffy said, trying to ignore how it sounded mildly strangled, and without even thinking about it he jerked his hand up to place on top of Zoro's on his stomach. He tilted his head slightly toward the warmth near his ear, his free hand reaching over to trail lightly up Zoro's cheek.

Their breath intermingling, the swordsman lightly tilted his head into the touch, his eyes closing for a moment. Though the air was starting to get a little chilly, the body heat they were both radiating seemed to make up for it as they pressed tightly against one another. Zoro wasn't entirely sure who was doing what at that point, but before he knew it, their lips were suddenly pressed against one another.

Fingers tightened on Zoro's hand, and somehow it became more than just lips pressed against each other. An outlet for feelings too hard to convey with words, far easier to show through actions and the almost desperate way Luffy leaned into him. Eyes sliding closed, Luffy hardly even realized he made a soft noise, with want, hope, happiness and hunger all combined in a single unconscious breath. His hand moved up, tangling in Zoro's hair, pulling him closer even though he was already far closer than he had ever been before.

Allowing himself to be pulled against Luffy, Zoro briefly pulled away long enough to get a small breath of air before their lips eagerly met again. A sharp shiver ran through his body as he felt the other man's hand roaming through his hair. His heart was pounding so hard that he could barely hear the way their clothes rustled as their bodies pushed against one another. Slowly, almost instinctively, Zoro's legs tangled themselves with Luffy's.

Dropping Zoro's hand, Luffy let his own fall between them, running his fingers across the swordsman's chest, reveling in the pounding of his heart and following the progress of his scar from upper chest all the way across to his hip. There, he also found a place to grip and pulled him closer again, pulling back for another deep breath of the cooling air.

He had never felt so alive in his life, his heart pounding a staccato beat that rushed blood throughout his body, his mind jumping from incoherence to fixating on little things here and there. The sand against his ear and the feel of Zoro's legs tangled with his own. A heartbeat resounding under his fingers and warm breath against his skin.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Luffy made another strangled noise and leaned forward, this time kissing across Zoro's face, not caring where they fell. A cheekbone, a temple, the side of his mouth and the edge of his jaw. His fingers in Zoro's hair shifted from pulling to resting firmly, enjoying the feel of the soft spikes tickling his palm.

Face blushing lightly, Zoro gave the tiniest of moans as Luffy peppered him with kisses. His breathing was starting to come in soft pants as he pressed against the other man's body, his own flushed lips brushing roughly against Luffy's forehead, his nose, then his jaw in a failed attempt to capture his mouth.

Smiling lightly against his skin, Luffy shifted so their lips could touch again, breath heated and short as he concentrated on kissing and not breathing. Someone moved in just the right away and Luffy suddenly moaned into the mouth covering his when Zoro's thigh rubbed against his, their clothing providing texture and friction when he wasn't expecting it. His fingers tightened on Zoro's hip, his leg sliding against the sand unconsciously.

Feeling the gentle pressure against his hip, Zoro's breath hitched as he felt Luffy's fingers softly catch against the waistline of his pants. Any sound that he uttered was muffled by the other man's mouth, their warm tongues curiously exploring one another. Shifting again, his thigh rubbed a little harder against Luffy's, a calloused hand grabbing a fistful of the captain's red shirt in a fit of flaring passion.

Pulling on the shirt shifted their positions just enough that Zoro's thigh pressed briefly against the other man's groin, causing Luffy to jolt from the kiss with a strangled gasp that soon became a breathy groan. Squeezing his eyes shut, he took a moment to pant heavily, his forehead leaning against his first mate's as he dug his hand into his hip, fingers dipping just beneath the fabric to play across his hipbone.

Their heavy breathing intermingling, Zoro gave a sudden shiver as Luffy's hand teasingly slipped into his pants. Though the other man's eyes were closed, Zoro's were dazed and half open as he studied the former prince's strong features, noting the faint sheen of moisture that was forming upon his brow. Swallowing hard, he was unprepared at how his heart seemed to swell and throb with the undying loyalty that he felt toward this man, how his stomach fluttered excitedly as how their bodies fit together.

"...captain," he faintly breathed.

Feeling a shiver race up his spine at the whisper, Luffy opened his eyes just enough for a glint to be seen between eyelashes. Fingers slipping through Zoro's hair, he trailed his hand down to rest gently splayed across his temple and cheek. He leaned forward, their lips lightly brushing as he smiled and silently mouthed something back, the words unintelligible even to him. Eyes slipping closed again, he tilted his head to run his tongue lightly along the corner of the swordsman's mouth, his knee shifting forward to press his thigh between Zoro's.

Feeling Luffy push against his groin, Zoro's fingers abruptly tightened their hold against the captain's shirt, his heels digging deeply into the white sand. A long, low moan left the back of his throat as his lips parted and gave Luffy's tongue permission to enter.

A smile curling his lips, Luffy leaned against him, causing their thighs to press harder against each other. Loving the noises muffled between them, he slipped his tongue between the other man's lips to tangle with and explore every inch he could find. His shirt bunched against his back and it should have been painful, but all it did was remind him that Zoro was shirtless and he was not. Unthinkingly, he dove his fingers deeper beneath Zoro's pants to relish in the heat of his skin trapped beneath the fabric.

Back sharply arching, a choked groan emitted from the depth of Zoro's throat as his heels dug harder into the sand. His chest was beginning to expand with breath and excitement as he pulled away long enough to heavily pant for air. But their separation didn't last long, their lips pushing harder and hungrier against one another, Zoro's calloused hands struggling to finally remove the shirt from Luffy's shoulders.

Without parting their lips, Luffy stretched his back away from Zoro to give him easier access to the shirt. Between gasps for air and deep, sucking kisses, Luffy managed to mumble, "The - buttons..."

Luffy already knew the shirt was a terrible one to pull over his head and he didn't want to have to wait while he untangled himself from it before he could return to sharing breath and moans with his first mate. His own hands he only vaguely noticed were running haphazardly across all the skin he could find, exploring the swordsman's scarred chest, shoulders, back, and the dip right where his pants began.

With slightly unsteady hands, Zoro fumbled with each golden button that held the rubber man's shirt together, his fingers moving a little faster as Luffy caressed the swordsman's body encouragingly. Within moments, the last stronghold had been freed, and the red vest hung open, exposing Luffy's well-toned chest and abdominal muscles.

Pulling away to tug his shirt the rest of the way off, Luffy uncaringly tossed it to the side to land somewhere between them and where his hat was weighted to the beach by his sandals. Chest bare to the air, he shivered slightly at the feel of his sweat chilled by the breeze. Looking over at Zoro, a strange expression stole over his face moments before he wedged his knees firmly against the sand and shoved the other man onto his back. He followed after him, straddling his hips and grinning rather wickedly as he leaned down to whisper playfully against warm lips, "You're dead... again."

Feeling Luffy's weight settle on top of him, Zoro swallowed hard as he gazed into the other man's eyes. "Guess I let my guard-" he breathed lowly, his words dying off for a moment as their lips roughly brushed against one another. "...down..."

The grin and tone Luffy responded with were rather smug. Settling his weight a little more firmly against him, their cheeks brushed as Luffy murmured into Zoro's ear, "I do that to you sometimes." Tilting his head, he kissed along his jaw and neck, his eyelashes briefly brushing the other man's ear before he moved lower, the sweep of lips turning into the occasional open-mouthed kiss and brush of teeth to skin.

Zoro's breath caught in his throat again as his fingers dug into Luffy's bare back. Breathing the other man's name, he pressed up against him, moaning faintly in his ear.

Encouraged, Luffy nipped at his shoulder briefly before turning his attention even further downward. The jagged scar crossing Zoro's torso gleamed in the pale light and Luffy gently kissed the upper edge. Softly, he followed the scar down, kissing and licking and occasionally sucking, his mouth gentle and loving.

Somewhere in his mind he knew this was what he had wanted to do since the first moment he saw it, what he wanted to do to the scars he knew covered Zoro's back as well. Introduce tenderness to the mementos of such relentless strength, and as he passed along Zoro's ribs, he realized he was whispering his name against his skin. Nothing else, because no other word in all the languages of the world mattered at that moment. His hands rested loosely at the swordsman's sides, as if to hold him still or maybe to give himself an anchor.

A calloused hand moving up into Luffy's dark hair, Zoro panted softly as Luffy seemed to blanket every old wound with heavy kisses. His other arm moved down the captain's back, and his fingers dipped underneath the waistline of his shorts. Though his mind practically reeled with desire, a part of him couldn't help but reflect back, looking at how far they had come since their days out in the desert, on the sea, and that first, clumsy kiss they had shared.

Reaching the end of the scar, Luffy paused with his hands curled lightly around Zoro's ribs. He looked up, eyes half-closed at the feel of hands on his skin and tangled in his hair.

"Zoro..." His voice was soft, something faintly pleading hovering in the tone. He wanted... something. He had no idea what it was, but he knew he wanted it, or at least wanted the swordsman to understand and agree, and maybe even know how to get it.

Zoro watched him for a moment, a strange emotion burning in his charcoal colored eyes. "I know," he murmured softly, his hand moving down from the other man's back and toward the front zipper of his shorts.

Accepting the words with a grateful half-smile, Luffy twisted slightly to give him better access, trusting him to have at least some idea of what he was doing. Splaying his hands across Zoro's chest, he leaned down to kiss him on the sternum and busied himself with slowly exploring his torso with his mouth and fingers.

Quietly unbuttoning Luffy's pants, Zoro moved to unzip them with slightly quivering breath, pausing only when his captain kissed at a particularly sensitive spot. In truth, he only half knew what he was doing. Traces of instinct and raw desire seemed to be fueling his movements at this point, the feel of Luffy's body over his own enticing them both in a way that nothing else really could.

Shivering at the brief pause, Luffy suddenly shifted down to feel more pressure. Accidentally catching Zoro's hand between their bodies, he let out a startled moan that he buried in the swordsman's shoulder halfway through. His fingers curled spasmodically, one hovering between a nipple and the scar and the other tensing near Zoro's waistline. His thoughts whirled confusingly, and for a moment he couldn't think properly to move.

Lightly startled himself, Zoro's gaze snapped toward where Luffy's face was pressed against his broad shoulder. "-are you okay?"

"Not if you stop," Luffy whispered harshly into his skin then realized how it sounded.

Lightly kissing the juncture of Zoro's neck and shoulder as an apology, he moved his upper body away enough to angle his hips better and pressed forward again, reveling in the friction and pressure against the growing ache in his groin. He squeezed his eyes shut, face flushed and arms trembling where he propped them against the swordsman, and didn't even notice when he moaned again.

Grunting softly as Luffy eagerly pressed against him, Zoro managed to get the shorts past his hips. He couldn't get them down much farther than that since the captain was straddling him. His pulse had raced beyond his control as he tried anyway, mind foggy with how close they both were, how all he could see, touch and smell was Luffy.

Finally realizing what Zoro was trying to do, Luffy shook his head slightly to regain his thoughts and pulled away to clumsily kick the shorts off. They got caught on one foot but eventually he was free, completely nude as he hovered over the swordsman with an affectionate smile. His dark eyes were intense as they trailed down Zoro's body from his new vantage point, stopping at his pants while he thought distractedly that they really needed to go.

Eyes widening slightly, Zoro's gaze roamed over Luffy's moist body for a moment before looking up at the other man's eyes again. As soon as the shorts had been discarded off into the sand, it seemed as if the magnitude of what was going on had become apparent. His face became pale, the blood rushing to the lower regions of his body.

"...Luffy," he breathed, licking his lips some, though it was difficult to tell if it was out of anticipation or nervousness.

Not noticing the significance of the moment, or maybe just ignoring it, Luffy lowered himself until their bare chests were flush with each other and his arousal was caught between them. He searched out Zoro's mouth, his tongue peeking out of his open mouth before their lips even met this time. Slowly but thoroughly, they kissed deeper than they had before, bits of noises here and there half-muffled before either even knew who made it. Luffy's hands trailed lightly down Zoro's sides to rest at his waistline where he hooked his thumbs beneath and tried to tug the pants down.

Zoro reached down, undoing a button that helped hold them in place. Immediately, the pants began to slide down as Luffy pulled on them. Swallowing hard, the swordsman could barely feel the chill against his hips and thighs, his mind whirling as their kisses grew almost frantic.

Unwilling to pull away from kissing, Luffy tugged Zoro's pants down as far as he could with his hands, then brought one leg up and tried to push them down more with his toes, his legs flush against Zoro's and foot ticklingly brushing against his outer thigh and calf on the way down. The pants caught around one ankle and one knee anyway, so he switched to shoving down with his other foot until they could be kicked in a pile to the side. The only clothing that separated them now was the thin layer of Zoro's underwear, and Luffy wasted no time in slipping his hands beneath to tug on them as well.

As soon as the underwear slipped off, Zoro's broad arms wrapped tightly around Luffy's shoulder blades. There they were, flesh against flesh, the swordsman heavily panting, he felt an intoxicating energy burn between them. Without even thinking anymore, he moaned Luffy's name into his mouth, shifting against the sand and beneath the other man's body.

Mildly startled by the grip but unable to think on it clearly, Luffy groaned at the contact and his name moaned from cherished lips, felt his heart beating so violently it must be vibrating through Zoro right into the sand. He could not resist angling his hips against Zoro's, moving to increase the contact and pressure at the same time. His fingers found their way to Zoro's hair, both hands tangling lightly in the short strands, breathless moans, half-formed words, and Zoro's name falling from his lips each time he managed to breathe.

Back arching, Zoro gave a quivering, breathy moan as Luffy pushed against him. His heels were digging into the sand again, deeper now as he felt Luffy's pulse pound against his own chest. Relishing in the feel of Luffy's slick fingers running through his moist hair, Zoro couldn't help but kiss him harder, hungrier, again and again, as he pushed his hips up against Luffy's thighs.

The hunger Luffy could feel from Zoro was enough on its own to make him moan almost constantly, his fingers convulsively pressing into the other's scalp. Groaning from deep in his throat as Zoro pushed his hips up, Luffy squeezed his eyes shut, feeling like he was going into sensory overload. Without thinking, he slid one hand down the swordsman's body to rest at his hip, gripping a second before shifting over to press against the other man's groin. He jumped at the feel of someone else against his palm, startled despite the fact he had initiated the movement, but his hand remained where it was as he kissed Zoro even deeper.

A sharp shudder running through his body, Zoro abruptly pulled back a moment to gasp as Luffy pressed against his most sensitive areas. It was enough to make him hurt, but the pleasurable sensations he received countered it enough to where he only gave a long, low groan.

"L-Luffy," he managed between wet, heated kisses. "...you're killing me..."

Luffy grinned against his mouth, unable at first to respond as their kisses intensified. His heart had nearly skipped a beat at the words, and hearing Zoro's voice rumble in such a groan shot straight through his body like wildfire, making it almost painful how much he wanted him. A bit deliriously, he thought of how he used to feel so proud any time Zoro just didn't twitch away from him, and now... he had this.

"God," Luffy managed to moan between kisses and his body nearly melting from desire, "I- this-" But he couldn't string a coherent sentence together, could barely remember to breathe properly or how it felt to not be pressed, sweaty and insistent, against the person he cared most about in the world.

Gasping for air now, Zoro barely felt a trickle of sweat run down his cheek. He eagerly pushed up against him as best as he could, but that only increased the pressure against his aching groin, causing another sharp jolt of euphoria to electrify his body.

"Luffy! You're... killing me," he said again, louder and more desperate.

A chuckle from deep in his throat was Zoro's only answer at first, Luffy's eyes glinting predatorily as he whispered, "I... thought you were," and he broke away in a startled, strangled moan when they shifted against each other, nearly making him lose control of his body right there, "-were... already dead." He breathed heavily, everything spiraling away from him but the feel of Zoro's body against his and the pleasure that was threatening to wipe away his entire existence in its presence. He pressed down against Zoro again, unable to keep from crying out desperately at the sensation.

Hitching his knees up now, Zoro's heels continued to dig into the sand. His fingernails were practically raking across Luffy's bare, sweaty back, as he pushed up against Luffy harder. "...I've died twenty times-" He took in a sharp breath, moaning briefly. "-over..."

Luffy couldn't seem to decide whether to laugh or run his voice dry with moaning and crying out, so he settled for a mangled combination. His laughter hitched in his throat, became a moan that became something else, and he almost felt tears in his eyes as what was happening suddenly overwhelmed him.

Gripping Zoro's shoulders almost desperately, fingers shoved between sand and hot, sweaty skin, Luffy suddenly said in a voice so laden with emotion it dropped to almost a whisper, "Zoro- Zoro, this- every-" He stopped, shook his head, pressing their hips together again, harder, more insistently. He had to try again, words that wouldn't even form in his mind he still somehow needed to say, but he couldn't seem to. "I- You're- Everything, you're every..."

Between Luffy's fractured sentences, their passionate embrace, the way their faces pressed together in a flurry of pants, kisses and moans, and how their bodies fit so neatly together, Zoro understood exactly what was being said. But words were too difficult for the swordsman, even when his mind wasn't lost in a fog of a wide variety of emotions - desire, loyalty, passion, and maybe a little fear? Instead, he gasped Luffy's name with every breath, holding onto him as if his very life depended on it.

Luffy tried to respond, but it all became too much. Like breathing, like water, like waking up every morning to the sun in the sky, and how had he existed before Zoro was there? His heart was beating blood too fast through his body, everything was dizzy and out of control, and Luffy had to squeeze his eyes shut to even be able to breathe properly. Zoro's breathless voice gasping his name, and he felt so overwhelmed it was like drowning in the sea all over again, but the only terror about it was how right it all felt, and how it was so much at once that it almost felt like he would snap from the pressure.

I'm rubber, though, Luffy thought a little deliriously, I won't break anymore...

Suddenly kissing Zoro desperately, needing to cling to him, to know he was there and he understood, he would always understand, and he felt the same way back, Luffy felt his heart skip a beat, maybe two, and everything fell away from him the moment he reached orgasm.

Zoro immediately felt Luffy's body tense up, and he sensed what was happening between them. Holding him tighter, the swordsman heavily returned the kisses, feeling the way his companion shuddered in his grasp. "L-Luffy-!"

Somewhere along the way, Luffy's eyes had opened again, and for a confused moment he could only stare at dark eyes and skin so close they blurred together. Blinking, he sagged against Zoro, exhausted and lost in a state of dazed satisfaction, enjoying the feel of a warm, slick body beneath him. He shook his head slightly to clear it, and leaned back enough to stare down with intense dark eyes.

"Wanna help," he said softly, aware that Zoro had not reached a sense of completion yet. He snaked a hand down again to touch him, looking slightly questioning as he asked, "This? Or, how...?"

Zoro's arms gently encircled around Luffy, and he peered down at him with tired concern in his eyes. "...don't worry about me. Are you all right?"

"Idiot," Luffy said, but the word was fond and his answering smile was genuine. "I'll be wonderful once you're as great as I am right now." He pressed his hand a little more firmly against Zoro, palming him lightly as he kissed him affectionately on the neck. "What do you want?" He voice was light, honestly curious, as if he would give Zoro anything in the world to make him feel the way he just did. Which was exactly what he meant.

Sucking in a sharp breath as Luffy touched him, Zoro closed his eyes. "I don't... I don't know..."

Luffy continued his attention on Zoro's neck, open-mouthed with the occasional chaste kiss. "Tell me what you like," he said softly, huskily, and firmed his grip slightly on Zoro's arousal he idly slid his hand up and down.

Shuddering, Zoro bit back a strangled moan. "A-ahh... I..." He tried to speak, tried to articulate how new this all was for him, but all he could do was dissolve into another gasp.

"I think," Luffy said with another deep chuckle, "you must've liked that."

Quickening the pace and pressure some, he ran a line of kisses over Zoro's jaw, to his cheek, to just beside his mouth. "You're amazing," he said softly against one side of Zoro's lips, barely more than a hint of voice encased in a whisper, but he meant it so much it almost hurt.

Shuddering, Zoro's grip around Luffy tightened as he groaned against the other man's lips, shaking his head.

Every time Zoro reached for him, called out his name or gripped him closer, something inside Luffy swelled with such an overwhelming sense of happiness that it was almost too much to handle. Staring at him with an expression that could only palely reflect his thoughts inside, Luffy sped the pace of his hand considerably, and when he leaned down to kiss Zoro, he put every ounce of that same emotion into it. Because words would never be enough, would never even come close, but maybe his body could express what his mind could not.

His hair completely standing on end, Zoro pushed some sand away with his feet, groaning sharply as he suddenly hit his peak of arousal. Fingernails dragging across Luffy's back again, Zoro opened his mouth to speak, to make a noise, but the only thing he could muster was another quivering moan. His pulse was skipping furiously again, its frantic beating letting itself known against Luffy's bare chest.

Another smile, genuine and so full of emotion that it sparked in his eyes, and Luffy shifted both hands up to dig between the sand and Zoro's scarred back to hug him fiercely. The chaotic heartbeat beneath his chest only made him smile wider, gentler, and he buried his head beneath the other man's chin to get even closer and give Zoro a chance to catch his breath.

His chin lightly pressing into Luffy's hair, Zoro's slick body rested within Luffy's hold, his frame softly trembling.

Tightening his hold, Luffy dragged one hand through the sand with a bit of clumsy difficulty to run his fingers through Zoro's hair. He was quiet a few moments, feeling the heartbeat slowly begin to calm beneath him and the trembling to fade.

"You'd better not die so much anymore," he said a bit suddenly, his tone somewhere between lightly teasing and perfectly serious, "'cause I don't think I could live without you."

Zoro was quiet for a moment. "You're the one who's always killing me," he finally remarked, his voice rather hoarse and quiet.

"Mm. That's a problem." Luffy paused, then propped himself up just enough to be able to look into Zoro's eyes. "As long as I can resurrect you I guess it's okay." He smiled, something almost quirky, but full of so much humor and love and life that it was anything but normal.

Managing a small smile, Zoro met Luffy's gaze long enough to take in his vibrant expression. Then, his eyes settled to a close, and he drifted off to sleep right there.

Watching him with a mixture of amusement and fondness, Luffy laughed softly to himself and plopped back down to his chest. He was surprisingly comfortable, considering the sand grinding into his skin, his arm caught between the ground and the weight of both of them, the breeze over his chilled sweat, and the stickiness between them.

He knew he should care about the fact that they were sprawled naked on the beach and anyone could easily see them if the person walked by, but no one was on the island and the rest of his crew had no intentions of meeting them for at least another day. And Zoro was warm and trusted him enough that he fell asleep so easily and...

Yawning, Luffy settled against the chest lightly rising and falling beneath him, and soon was lost to dreams.

The Abandoned Island, Morning After

Something was tickling his face, to the point that it wove into his dreams and woke him up. Mumbling something in annoyance, Luffy flapped a hand lazily at his head, but nothing happened. Peeking one eye open eventually, he realized it was his own hair moving in the wind, and the sky was a lot lighter than he remembered it being.

And he was alone.

Normally that wouldn't be strange, but last night... Blinking awake now, he looked around and realized he was lying alone on the beach, completely naked. Frowning more out of curiosity than anything, he pushed himself up and peered in all directions.

"Zoro?"

There was no answer.

Movement caught his eye, and he noticed that his clothes were still there, though Zoro's were gone. Even more confused now, Luffy wandered over to swipe his clothes and shoes from the ground, and put his hat on. He listened intently for any sound out of normal, but didn't hear any. Very faint footsteps in the sand led away from where he'd woken to the forest behind him. Deciding to follow it, he idly slipped his shorts on just to keep from getting scratched by bushes and underbrush, but didn't bother with his shirt or sandals, which he held loosely with one hand.

Watching the forest for anything interesting, he idly called out again, "Zoro?"

A faint splashing drew the young man's attention toward a particularly shaded area to his left. The tall trees kept the lighting fairly dim, though a few scant sunbeams penetrated enough to trace Zoro's large, familiar figure amidst a pool of waist-deep water.

"Oh, hey," Luffy called casually, veering to lean against a tree and watch. "You're awake."

Zoro sharply turned to look toward Luffy, though he didn't seem as if he hadn't heard him coming. His dark eyes flickered to the wad of clothes resting at the damp edges of the pool before his gaze met Luffy's again. "Hey."

Luffy smiled brightly, not seeming to notice the glance toward the clothing. "Morning! Hey, does that feel good? I'm all sticky and full of sand." Staring at the water, he reached to take his shorts off again.

Zoro momentarily averted his eyes. "Yeah, it's... nice."

Smile remaining, Luffy dropped his clothes and hat beside Zoro's and wandered into the water. The water gradually rose around him until it was about waist deep for him, though he was still a few inches above Zoro on the incline. He squatted so he could dunk his head under water and appear again with a grin, looking at Zoro.

Flushing faintly, Zoro turned away and splashed some water onto his own face and hair. "So, you can swim in regular water, huh?"

"Guess so," Luffy cheerfully agreed. He paused then grinned a bit teasingly. "You didn't say anything before, though. Were you just waiting to see if I'd drown? Or did you want me unresisting for something?"

Zoro choked, his eyes bugging at the last suggestion. "No! I was just..." He gritted his teeth and willed himself to calm down. "...trying to make small talk."

Luffy laughed, standing up fully again. His tone was light and unthreatening. "Why're you so weird right now? Usually you avoid small talk."

Zoro didn't say anything as he splashed as his face again, sinking completely into the water for several moments.

There was a pause as Luffy watched him, but his grin fell and he looked a little more serious, or concerned. "...Are you mad about last night or something?" he asked, trying to understand.

"No. I'm not mad," Zoro quietly assured him. "I'm just..." He floundered for a moment, unsure of how to articulate his feelings.

Luffy watched him quietly a moment, dropping into the water until it was up to his shoulders, his knees scraping against the sand on the ground. He waited, giving Zoro a chance to finish if he wanted.

Zoro looked over at Luffy and gave a small smile. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

Luffy frowned thoughtfully. "No, what's wrong? Did it hurt or something?"

Zoro's face immediately turned a darker shade of red. "No. It felt... fine." He rubbed the back of his head some. "I just... never had done that before, and I wasn't... expecting it. It was really... even if we didn't, you know..." He glanced up at Luffy almost embarrassedly.

"Oh." Luffy closed his eyes with light laughter. "Yeah, it was pretty surprising, huh?" Opening his eyes again, he smiled warmly. "I hadn't either, but I'm glad we did. I like being with you, Zoro."

END

Author's note: Annnd that's all I have. Sorry, folks! But even though we're missing a huge chunk of story between last chapter and this, at least we wrote this epilogue ahead of time so you can sort of see how we intended their relationship to end? Also you got the long-awaited smut, even if it's not that explicit or long?

Yes, yes I'll just spin this until it doesn't suck that I'm posting an unfinished story…

For reference, I seem to recall we were going to have Luffy have a hell of a time in the task at the end of Breath/with Kuina but he was going to persevere, and eventually they set off on their grand adventure. I also think they were eventually going to meet up with Shanks on an island. Ace and Robin may have been intended to show at some point as well. I wish I had a summary of the ending somewhere I could post (or remember). As I mentioned in another note, if I ever find one I'll add it as another chapter.

I do have one last bonus bit I could offer you – Breath omake. Does anyone want to see that? It's just some short excerpted joking conversations between us as we wrote the story. If anyone wants that I'll add another chapter, perhaps, or provide a link to a livejournal entry. For now, I'll leave this on the semi-serious note of this 'epilogue.'

Thank you for spending all this time with us on our fanfic! I hope you enjoyed what was written of the story—and for those of you who wondered for years where we were going with the plot, I hope this gives you as much closure as possible in the circumstances. I also hope you weren't madly disappointed after such a long wait.

In conclusion: Long live One Piece! I think I will always be obsessed with the wonderful world and characters Oda has created. (How could I not?)

Thank you again and again for your awesomeness these past six years. I can't believe how much time passed. By the way, if you'd like to know what we're each up to now, check our individual profiles for more information.

Goodnight, everyone, and good reading.
-Karaleyn