Title: Happy Place
Author: Chibimono Akuno
Pairing: ZoLu
Rating: Um... teen or whatever?
Warnings: I suppose you will need to know all the 7 crew members.
Disclaimers: Not mine. Just pretending.
A/N: Trying my hand at the characters. First posting of anything I've written One Piece related. I've written other stuff, but have not completed them yet. I hope I don't suck nearly as much as I think I do. This is just me trying to share. There needs to be more ZoLu.
Word count: 491

Happy Place

Cheap rum and brandy were nothing to Zoro, even on an empty stomach. He cursed his high tolerance for alcohol and tossed the empty bottle aside. He could not even manage to get a buzz, let alone reach that happy place. If only he had something stronger...

Getting on his feet, he headed to the hatch of the men's bunk in hopes of possibly falling asleep. In the faint glow of a nearly new moon, Zoro did not see the figure laying in his path until he had tripped and fell sprawling to the deck with a strangled curse.

"What the hell!" he growled, feeling around for the damn bastard that dared to be in his way. Grabbing at fabric, he awkwardly hauled his captain into a sitting position. "Luffy?"

"Yay, Zzzoro!" he slurred. "You found meeeee! You win..."

Zoro could not help but to smile, despite his irritation. Luffy was lucky; he was still easily liquored up on poorer quality spirits. He had no reason to be jealous, though, as he would not trade anything for the hangover the rubber boy would possibly have tomorrow morning.

"I win, eh?" Zoro smiled. He tried to drag his captain to his feet, but Luffy was nothing more than a floppy, rubbery mess.

"Yay!" Luffy made a feeble attempt at cheering, his enthusiasm slowed and toned down from the alcohol. "Yay for Zoroooo! Because he wins! Because he's so fierce and strong and wins... Yay!"

"Yeah, I win, alright," he chuckled, pulling one of Luffy's arms over his shoulder as he put one of his own arms around Luffy's waist.

It was a struggle to get Luffy down the ladder, but Zoro somehow managed among the drunken cheers of his friend.

"Yay! Zzzzooro is so strong! Yay! Zoro is a winner. Winnar! Winnar...? Winner...? Zoro wins! Yaaaaaay!"

By the time Zoro had reached Luffy's hammock, the boy was swaying, as if having his arm over Zoro's shoulder was an invitation to dance. He tried to kick his legs, like he, Usopp, and Chopper would do on deck, but his coordination was lost in the haze of liquor.

"Luffy, time for bed," Zoro chuckled, moving to scoop the rubber boy up and deposit him in his hammock.

As he was picked up, Luffy's free arm joined his arm already about Zoro's neck. He allowed himself to be hefted and his whole world went vertical to horizontal before he felt the fabric and netting of the hammock against his back. A lazy, satiated grin slid across Luffy's face as he smiled up at his first mate.

"Zzzzoro gets a prize now," the captain whispered, the grin widening just a bit more before Zoro felt a tugging about his neck.

The arms about his neck brought Zoro down to the rubber boy's face, and as smiling lips met his own, the swordsman decided he really did not need alcohol to help him find that happy place.