Chapter 4: A birthday party

Sunlight streamed into Zolo's room and he opened his eyes slightly to glare at the offending fingers of light as they crept across his face.

Stupid sun, couldn't it understand that he was trying to sleep, and that he would prefer not to get up right now if he could help it?

Hmm, apparently not as the fingers continued to slide over his face, almost as though it were trying to pry his eyelids open. There was a crash and Zolo sat up quickly, one hand going to the swords that were laying by his bed.

"Luffy!" he called.

"Sorry Zolo! I just fell out of bed that's all!" Luffy's voice returned, muffled by the walls and doors that separated them.

Zolo sighed and decided that if he was awake now he may as well get up. He yawned and stretched and got up rubbing his eyes. There was something about today, but he just couldn't put his finger on what it was. He pulled on a plain white shirt and changed into his green trousers. He walked out of his room and ambled down the hall to where Luffy was staying. He knocked on the door.

"Come in." Luffy called. Zolo opened the door and walked in. Luffy was just pulling on his shirt and he pulled it down quickly. But not quickly enough to hide the bruises that lined his back. Zolo looked to the side as though he had seen something as Luffy pulled on a black jacket. He was wearing long jeans and a sleeveless red shirt underneath the long black jacket he had pulled on.

"Let's see your neck." Zolo said remembering what that Kuro fellow had done. Luffy halted a moment and then realised what Zolo was talking about. He turned his back on Zolo and pulled down the back of his jacket so Zolo could see the scratch. Zolo inspected it and gave a little sigh.

"I think we should put a little antiseptic on that. It looks a little infected." Zolo said. Luffy nodded and followed Zolo as he made his way to the bathroom. Zolo dug around in the medicine cabinet and pulled out a bottle of antiseptic, a cotton ball and a bandage. Zolo had been in fights, and competitions, with other swords fighters often enough to have a constant supply of antiseptic and bandage and stuff like that so he knew exactly what he needed.

He had Luffy sit down in the chair in the corner and stood behind him. He used the cotton wool to dab at the cut and Luffy tensed in pain and then relaxed as Zolo finished what he had been doing, then wrapped the bandage around Luffy's neck.

Luffy jumped up when Zolo was done, gave the swordsman a brief hug and then ran out. Zolo was stunned a moment and he felt his face warm a little. There was something about Luffy, something that just seemed to stick in his heart and didn't want to move any time soon.

There was a knock at the door and Zolo hurried down the stairs. He had no idea where Luffy had disappeared to, but, as long as the kid was in the house than he didn't really mind. He hurried down the stairs and saw Luffy sitting in the lounge room, the TV going a million miles an hour again. Zolo chuckled and opened the door.

"Hey Zolo!" Nami cried. Usopp and Sanji peeked out from behind her. Nami was holding a present and she was grinning like a madman. Usopp was holding a box of what looked like party decorations and Sanji was holding a gigantic box of what looked like cooking groceries and utensils.

"Uh…" Zolo said and Nami frowned.

"You didn't forget did you? It's Vivi's birthday and you said we could have the party here." Nami said. Zolo slapped a hand to his forehead.

"Sorry, yeah, sure, come in." he said and stepped back to let the three in. Luffy chose that moment to peek his head out of the lounge room.

"Hey guys!" he exclaimed happily. Nami looked from Luffy to Zolo and then back again and hid her mouth behind her hand. She began to giggle uncontrollably.

Zolo growled. Sanji wandered past, a smile on his face and a smoke in his mouth.

"Sanji, if you're going to cook in my house then you should at least smoke outside." Zolo said ignoring Nami's continued giggling. Sanji grumbled and put out the smoke, glared at Zolo and then went into the kitchen. Usopp went into the lounge room to begin decorating.

"Can I help?" Luffy asked happily. Usopp grinned.

"Sure." he replied and handed a heap of streamers to Luffy, who ran over to the window and began sticking them up.

"Nami, what are you laughing about?" Zolo finally asked regretting instantly that he had asked. Nami stopped laughing and turned to him.

"You…and Luffy. I didn't know you were gay." she said.

"Gay?" Zolo exclaimed. Nami nodded and Zolo frowned. "We are not gay." At least, I don't think so. Well, if I like him does that mean I'm gay? Oh great, now she's got me doubting myself.

"Nami! Can you help me?" Sanji's voice filtered out of the kitchen. Nami gave Zolo one last sly smile and then walked into the kitchen. Zolo relaxed and went into the lounge room to watch/ help/ supervise Usopp and Luffy. Luffy was going wild, running around like an idiot and sticking balloons all over the room higgledy piggledy. Usopp was carefully pinning up a big banner that read Happy Birthday Vivi. Zolo smiled as Luffy ran past, a streamer stuck to the back of his head.

"Luffy." he said and the boy stopped and turned back to look at Zolo. Zolo smiled, walked up to him and pulled the streamer off of the back of his head.

"Ow." Luffy said and rubbed the spot where the streamer had been.

"Be careful where you stick them then." Zolo said. Luffy grinned and raced off to put more up. Zolo watched him, a smile creeping over his face. Maybe liking Luffy wasn't so bad. Nami peeked out from behind him, nearly making Zolo jump out of his skin.

"I thought you were helping Sanji." he said moving quickly away.

"I was. He only needed me to hold the door open on the oven so he could put the cake in." she said and then looked towards Luffy who was whining about not being able to reach the light to tie a streamer around it. "If you like him, tell him." Nami whispered.

Zolo stiffened and felt a blush rise in his cheeks. "Nami, I am going to say this once and only once, I don't like him that way." he said. Nami smiled slyly and then walked over to Luffy.

"Oh, and you still owe me money plus 10 percent interest for not paying me when you were supposed to." she said as she walked off. Zolo growled and went upstairs to get the present that he had remembered to buy last week.

Sanji was just placing the cake on the table when there was a knock at the door. Nami smiled and made a shushing motion with her hands. Luffy was sitting by Zolo behind the couch and Zolo was feeling very inclined to just grab the boy and kiss him. Weird. He had never felt that way towards someone before.

"Hey Vivi." Nami said from the hallway. Zolo resisted his urge and turned his eyes to the doorway.

"So, Nami, what did you want me to come here for?" Vivi asked.

"We have a new friend we'd like you to meet." Nami replied which was partially true. Vivi appeared in the doorway and Zolo quickly put a hand over Luffy's mouth.

They weren't supposed to do anything until Nami gave the signal. Luffy glanced at Zolo with a frightened expression and Zolo realised that Crocodile probably did this to Luffy at some point and gave Luffy what he hoped was a reassuring smile. It must have worked because Luffy visibly relaxed. Nami hugged Vivi which was the signal and Zolo and Luffy popped up along with Usopp and Sanji who had been hiding on the opposite side of the room.

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY" The four men cried. Vivi jumped and then laughed and grinned.

"I have to say, I never expected this." she said then she spotted Luffy who was standing beside Zolo and she glanced at Nami who winked.

"Hello there. You must be Luffy." Vivi said walking over to where the boy was. Luffy grinned and nodded. "Aw, he's so cute." Vivi giggled.

"How come you don't go to school with us?" Luffy asked. Vivi giggled.

"Because I am older than you and I have a job that I have to do every day." she explained. Luffy nodded. The party was a huge success and everyone had a wonderful time, except for when Luffy tried to eat all the food at once, then tried to eat the cake whole. But, the party was good and went until 6 o'clock that night when everyone had to leave.

Sorry, had to cut it off there. More effective if I did. :D If you review, you get Zolo plushie. And thankyou to all who have reviewed already!