Chapter 6: A phone call and bruises
Zolo had fallen asleep beside the couch and Luffy was waving the others off. He was grinning from ear to ear as he shut the door.
"Wow Zolo they were really cool!" Luffy exclaimed and then saw that his friend was asleep by the couch. He smiled and was about to go back upstairs when the phone rang. He ran back down, thinking that if Zolo was asleep then he would have to answer it. He picked it up.
"Hello?" he said happily. Then his face fell and paled as he heard a voice he hoped he would never have to hear again. It was chilling and it made Luffy shiver as he listened. He dropped the phone and ran into the lounge room and launched into Zolo, putting his arms around his friends neck and moaning in fear.
Zolo woke with a start to find Luffy hanging off of his neck.
"L-luffy?" he stuttered. Something was wrong with the boy. Zolo looked into his face and noticed that Luffy's eyes were squeezed shut and he was shaking. His teeth were clenched together and his hands were tight around Zolo's neck.
"What's wrong?" he asked. Luffy shivered and buried his face into Zolo's shoulder and began to cry. "Did Nami or Sanji say anything to you, because if they hurt you or your feelings then I'll kick their asses at school tomorrow." Zolo threatened thinking that Nami had upset Luffy by saying something about the two of them living together or something like that. Luffy shook his head. He seemed so helpless that Zolo couldn't help putting his arms around Luffy and hugging the boy to his chest. "Whatever it was, it can't hurt you now and it wasn't true." he soothed, running a hand over Luffy's back. Luffy calmed and his raging sobs turned into little hiccups and then Zolo noticed that his friend was repeating something under his breath. Zolo leaned close so he could hear and his blood boiled at what he heard.
"Crocodile." he kept saying. Zolo hugged Luffy until his hiccups stopped and he was finally able to look up with a smile.
"Thanks Zolo." he said. Zolo smiled.
"Want to tell me what happened? If you don't want to, you don't have to." Zolo said a little more hastily than what he had intended. Luffy hesitated and then nodded.
"He rang here. He knows where I am and he threatened to come and get me!" Luffy said tears gathering in his eyes again. Zolo was shocked and angry. That monster had dared to find out where Luffy was and then threaten to come and get him? This was too much. Zolo had an idea and he hoped that it would help, but, he didn't know.
"Luffy. I have an idea. Do you want to hear it?" Zolo asked. Luffy paused a moment and then nodded, his wide chocolate eyes shining with unshed tears. "Well, I could teach you to fight and defend yourself, if you like."
"Fight?"
"Yeah. Then if something happened, then you would be able to defend yourself." Zolo said. Luffy thought a moment and then his eyes widened happily and he grinned.
"Ok!" he cried.
Zolo smiled. "Good, but, now I think we should have a look at your bruises. I think some of them might need attention." Zolo said. Luffy stiffened.
"You saw them huh?" he asked.
"Trace told me about it."
"Oh."
"Come on, take off your jacket." Zolo said and let the smaller man go. Luffy slowly relaxed his hold on Zolo's neck and began to shrug off his jacket, careful to avoid knocking any of his wounds. There were long slashes down his arms that were healing slowly and many hand and finger shaped bruises on his arms. Zolo looked at them in horror and Luffy winced.
"They're healing and I have been cleaning them every night." Luffy pleaded as Zolo took his arms carefully.
"Luffy…" Zolo whispered and then looked up into the boy's face. "How many others have you got?"
"I…havesome over my back and some on my legs." Luffy whimpered and Zolo felt a stab of pain tug at his heart. This was cruel and abusive punishment for such a wonderful boy.
"Do you know why he hurt you?" Zolo asked as he led Luffy back to the cabinet where he could get the bandages and antiseptic.
"N-no. I don't." Luffy replied and turned his face away as Zolo dabbed at the cuts and bruises on his arms. Zolo knew the boy was lying, but didn't draw any attention to it. If Luffy didn't want to tell him about it, then it was okay. Eventually when this whole mess was over he would tell Zolo everything and if he didn't then that would be alright as well. Luffy hissed in pain as Zolo accidentally pressed one of his bruises.
"Sorry." Zolo muttered. "It's lucky no one decided to grab you today and hug you or you would have been found out."
"Yeah. I avoided everyone pretty well." Then Luffy yawned and watched silently as Zolo wrapped up his arms.
"Do you want me to do the others?" Zolo asked. Luffy hesitated a moment and then nodded. He pulled off his shirt and exposed his chest and back to Zolo who gasped. All down Luffy's back were long gashes and they spelt out a cramped word. Crocodile. There was something at work here. Something horrible and twisted. Zolo didn't think Crocodile had hurt Luffy for no apparent reason. In fact, he thought there was an evil intent behind these bruises and cuts. He didn't say anything to Luffy, as the boy already seemed to be terrified of the bastard enough as it was.
"Are they bad?" Luffy asked knocking Zolo out of his thoughts.
"Uh, no. Actually, I'd say these were nearly healed and won't need any bandages but they do need a bit of first aid cream I think. Hang on." Zolo said and then got up and went to the cabinet again. He retrieved the cream and sat back down behind Luffy and rubbed it gently into the horrid word that had been cut into Luffy's back. Those cuts would heal, but there would be a scar there forever more. Zolo sighed. Kid, as long as I am around, I am never going to let this happen again. Zolo thought.
Poor Luffy. Crocodile is a sadistic creep. will post more when I get more reviews. He he. Zolo plushies for people who have reviewed and will review:D
