Last time Perona had dinner with Zoro and Mihawk, even though the latter excused himself fairly quickly due to the raging hormones of his unwanted houseguests. And now Perona is actually supposed to meet Zoro in his room but she might have had a bit too much?

Life had been much easier on Thriller Bark. She didn't have to watch her image that much back then. Most of all, she hadn't been so lonely that she'd have to compromise on her standards like that. Gosh, she really was lonely. So lonely she actually enjoyed these mock family dinners. Maybe she should stop sleeping in and have breakfast with them too?

She could maybe talk with the idiot some more? But… it wasn't like back then anymore when they'd both been beaten and depressed. He seemed fine now most of the time, completely content now that he had the drive, the goal and the physical fitness to work towards it. Now it was just her with nothing to do all day but thinking and debating her choices, standards and wants at night.

With the bottle only producing a few stray drops she got up and gripped the table when she realised that the idiot might have been right when he'd told her to stop drinking some time ago.

She went straight to his room, the alcohol in her system evident in her conviction that if she got there drunk he had to have found it sober by now. If she couldn't talk to him the least he could do was take her mind off things.

She knocked, like the obedient little girl he wanted her to be, no matter how much she disliked it. Good girl... Actually, if he could tell her what he expected from her, why couldn't she make demands. Like cuddles! Ah, he had told her to think about those things, hadn't he? He wasn't really good cuddling material, though, not like Kumashi… Oh, she missed Kumashi!

He opened with a frown. "You're la-" he started. "You're drunk," he corrected himself.

She scoffed, "are you going to punish me for that?" He'd spewed stuff like that, hadn't he? And judging by her treacherous body's reaction back then it was probably exactly what she needed to get her mind off things.

"Ain't doing shit with you while you're drunk," he grunted in his very eloquent way, "Go back to your room."

Wha- Wh- Who did that barbarian think he was?! Turning her away like that! She had knocked!

"No I'm not!" She argued and pressed past him, just barely catching herself when he gave way a lot easier than expected. Stupid brute didn't even try to catch her.

"I'm serious, Perona, and I was when I told you I wanted you alert. Either you go back on your own or I'll drag you there, but I won't play unless you're sober enough to consent."

Her fists balled at her side. Stupid idiot brute with his reasoning… the audacity to think he knew better than her!

"Ever thought that this would be easier drunk?" She asked, not at all childishly stomping her foot.

"Ever thought that it's irresponsible to get into stuff like this because of a mood? Last chance, fuck off or I'll make you."

Reason again! Just when had he started to pretend he was an adult? Ha, make her, as if he could make her do anything… she crossed her arms with a huff. Stared at him in challenge, but he just shook his head and had her over his shoulder before she could blink, even though she was sure that might have had to do with the slight spin of the room which definitely didn't improve when she hung upside down his backside.

A not very grabbable backside. Absolutely not. Focus. Right! Hollows. Her powers had to be impaired because there was absolutely no way he could dodge them as easily as he did, he didn't know Haki good enough for this, not yet! She hit his back. Balled fists hurting against hard unforgivable muscle. How was that even allowed?

"Cut it out," he barked and pulled her off his shoulder to hold her at eye level like a child with his hands under her arms. What the- no! No no no this was so not what she wanted this to be! Maybe if she put up enough of a fight? He might just give her something. When she started squirming he put her on the floor and grabbed her wrist in a surely bruising grip and dragged her behind him in a pace she just had to stop flailing unless she wanted to be actually dragged to her room.

Give her something? Like what? What was it even that she wanted from this? He kicked open the door to the kitchen and even in her drunkenness she was sure she saw confusion on his face for a moment. Who'd want attention from a guy that couldn't even find a room that was 3 doors down his own? He let go of her and she cradled her wrist. It was sure to bruise by tomorrow but somehow she couldn't get herself to care about that. She couldn't bruise herself, wouldn't, so even if she'd made a complete fool out of herself and he'd never consider playing with her again she did have proof that she wasn't alone on this stupid, stupid lonely Island.

"Drink," he said and thrust a glass of water in front her as if he'd planned to go to the kitchen all along. It was just water, not sparkling and no ice, no cute umbrella, as if he didn't know her at all.

"You downed that whole fucking bottle yourself, didn't you? You normally don't drink, so trust me and drink water, it'll make you feel better tomorrow," he said and maybe his voice was a bit softer than normal. Like it usually was when he talked about his crew. A memory?

She drank. She didn't give the brute much credit for anything but if anybody should know how to cope with excessive amounts of alcohol it should be him. It was cold at least and she somehow immediately felt a little better, even though her vision was still a bit blurry and her thoughts still just randomly flew in and out of her consciousness. While she kept wondering about the magic of plain water he refilled that glass and grabbed her other wrist to drag her out the kitchen. The grip firm but not as firm as before and he even stopped outside so she could point in the right direction.

She could have sworn that it only took them a couple of minutes to reach her room, even though she knew with him in the lead it had to have been at least half an hour. At least! He let go of her once they were inside but she didn't move away. He'd leave now and she'd be lonely again in her too big room… was that why he'd wanted the little one? So he wouldn't feel lonely?

He put the glass down on her nightstand and looked at her with his head cocked like a curious, but menacing cat. He was cute and she knew beyond a doubt that she was drunk.

"What?" She asked with more venom than she should, considering how he treated her right now. He looked some more before plopping down on her cute pink comforter, now looking more like a disgusting grass stain than a cute cat.

She pulled a face that had absolutely no impact on him as he leaned back on her bed, his hands crossed behind his head. "So, ya going to tell me what's crawled up your ass today?" He asked, stoically staring at the high ceiling… or maybe he was rocking a bit too and fro but who knew…

Wait what did he say? Did that mean he'd let her talk? Didn't he want to put his disgusting thing into her cute kitty? Not that she didn't want that… no, she didn't. She really couldn't remember alcohol making things so difficult.

"I just miss them," she sighed and she was ready to blow up at him when he answered with a scoff, "of course you do."

But then she remembered their other talks. Yeah of course she did, so did he. So instead of sending her hollows to him, she plopped down next to him. A grave mistake because the room started spinning and her stomach along with it.

"Put your feet on the ground," he chuckled after a few of her groans. "Seriously is this the first time you got drunk?"

"Of course not!" She argued and still followed his advice. Yeah… he knew a thing or two about alcohol. Grounded by her feet she sighed. "No it's not the first time, but I've never been a drunk like you and it's been a while."

He grunted his understanding not even denying her accusation. "Did you party a lot with your Nakama on Thriller Bark?" He asked.

"Not really, but Cindry, zombie nurse and I had lots of girl nights with lots of sparkling wine," she told him, not at all surprised with how easy it was to slip into this comfortable talking with him. They had spent a lot of time like this. Nice to know that that other thing hadn't ruined that. "What about you?"

He barked a laugh and it definitely did surprise her that she didn't find it revolting anymore… maybe she would have if she was sober?

"Luffy would use anything for an excuse to party. Caught an especially big fish? Party. Found a cloud that looks like Usopp? Party. Slept through the night without bothering any of us? We'd throw the party ourselves."

Couldn't she at least hate him for making the one responsible for all her misfortune sound awfully cute? She couldn't because the stupid brute himself looked awfully cute with that fond smile on his face he always had when thinking about his crew. Did she have that too, thinking about her own?

"You're cute when you talk about them," she said, realising her mistake only when the constant static in her ears was disrupted by a hearty chuckle and a surprisingly gentle pat on her head.

"I promise I won't let you drink that much again while I'm around… Creepy as fuck if you're so nice," he said absolutely ruining the statement halfway through… Stupid brute.

"I'd appreciate that," she said despite that.

"Moria was like a father to me," she sniffled after a while of oddly comfortable silence and he grunted in understanding. It was weird that she just knew he wouldn't hold it against her. Not only because she'd told him before, but… it didn't matter that Moria had been his enemy, it didn't make her feelings any less true or any less viable. In moments like this, he'd always just accepted her… Much more mature than herself… Ugh…

"I miss Absalom, too, he was like my perverted uncle or something," she said deciding to put his maturity to the test with something she hadn't told him before. He stiffened for a moment, as expected. She'd seen how protective he was of his crew and from his reaction earlier… not that she condoned what Absalom had done to their navigator but… She knew he could be a pervert and a creep but she'd known him since she'd been little, he had helped her out with pranks and had stolen cakes from the kitchen for her. And she didn't care if the stupid brute would hate her for feeling like that!

"We got a pervert, too," he offered albeit a bit tense, "a few actually. One of them we picked up at Thriller Bark, might have been something in the water or something," he joked and she knew him well enough by now that it was forced.

"I know he did terrible things… planned worse, but I liked him, alright? He was never like that with me, he was nice and we stole sweets together and he taught me how to-"

"Shut up, idiot. I'm not asking you to defend your feelings," he interrupted her and she felt a blush creep up her cheeks. As if she had to defend herself in front of a brute like him.

"I won't forgive him for what he's done, but if I meet him again I'll let him live for you, alright? I might cut off his cock and grabby hands but he'll survive. And besides, our shitty cook is jealous of his devil fruit because he wants to spy on girls in the bathroom so I can't exactly judge you for liking the guy," he said much more sincere even though she was sure he'd only added the last part to make her feel better.

"Thank you."

He grunted in response. Right. Was all he needed to do. This was what friends did, after all. Be there for each other.

"You're really not that bad for a stupid brute," she laughed and the mattress jumped when he joined in. "Yeah, guess there are more insufferable brats I could have been stranded with."

She didn't even hollow him for that. Stretched her arms in the air with a sigh. She really felt better now. The room didn't even spin anymore, but she blinked a few times to banish the funny dots from her vision. Took her too long to realize it was bruises forming on her wrists.

The chuckle beside her died down. "Sorry 'bout that," he said somber. Not at all ashamed or awkward about it. Honest. Didn't search for excuses even though she guessed there were a few that actually made sense… especially since Mihawk-chan had put him on cleaning duty for the month after he'd accidentally shattered a bottle of fine wine with his bare hands. She also didn't call him a brute for nothing. Actually it was surprising that he hadn't hurt her when they'd been together.

It didn't really matter though.

"I think it's cute, purple suits me."

I really hoped you liked this bit of bonding time. Let me know in a comment if you'd be so kind.
I have vague ideas for the next chapter but... This are really hard times for all of us, I assume. This whole quarantine business is sucking all creativity and motivation out of me and my betas so the whole writing and betaing process takes some time... So thanks a lot to ghost for still managing to work through this chapter!
For those of you who read The Cockatoo Chronicles I am still working on it, in fact I'm thinking about it all the time and have like 80 ideas for various fun chapters and the next one is on Rexica's table for betaing, but as I said, it all takes more time than it usually would.
Stay healthy, or get well soon. Wear your masks to protect those around you and don't listen to people that couldn't spell science even if you slapped them with a dictionary.