One Piece Comfortember:

Anxiety

One Piece © Oda

Story and OCs © Me

Zoro sat quietly on the lawn deck, legs crossed and hands folded in his lap. His eyes were closed as he took deep, silently breaths, in and out. His mind was calm...his body and soul were still...he was completely at peace.

"HEY, ZORO!"

Zoro jolted as he saw Luffy standing in front of him, grinning like the little idiot that he was. The swordsman could only sigh in exasperation. So much for his meditation.

"What do you want, Luffy?" Zoro asked.

"I'm bored," Luffy said. "Wanna play tag with me?"

"Go bug Usopp and Chopper," Zoro replied as he closed his good eye. "I'm busy, right now."

"You don't look like you're busy," Luffy said. "You're just sitting down."

"I'm meditating," Zoro answered. "It's part of my training regimen. I meditate for at least an hour a day."

"Huh..." Luffy muttered. "Well...I'll join you, then!" He soon sat down beside the swordsman, crossing his legs and putting his hands in his lap. "Is this right? Am I doing it right, Zoro?"

"Yeah, yeah," Zoro said. "Now just close your eyes and be quiet."

Luffy grinned before he soon did as he was told...and for a little while, everything was quiet again. However, the silence didn't last very long, for Luffy furrowed his brow as his leg started to bounce, prompting Zoro to open his eye.

"Luffy," he said. "You're supposed to be sitting still."

"Oh, right!" Luffy realized before he grabbed his knee while chuckling, sheepishly. "Sorry about that, Zoro."

Zoro only quietly shook his head before he continued his meditation with the captain following suit...but once again, Luffy began to make these little keening sounds as his leg started to bounce, again.

"Umm...Zoro?" Luffy asked. "Is sitting still all we have to do?"

"Yes," Zoro answered.

"...Can't we meditate while...running around?" Luffy inquired.

"Meditation requires that you sit still," Zoro replied. "In order to hone your spirit, you clear your thoughts and relax your body."

"...Rayleigh said the same thing, back then," Luffy muttered. "Okay...if we really have to sit still, then I will."

Soon, he returned to the same meditative position...but once again, his leg started bouncing, causing Zoro to groan.

"Okay, Luffy, clearly you don't wanna do this," he said. "If you're just gonna bother me, go somewhere else!"

Luffy shrunk back a bit, and for a moment, the swordsman thought that the captain looked visibly hurt...causing him to sigh.

"Look, Luffy...I get it, okay?" Zoro asked. "I know you can be a bit anxious and high-strung at times...but you know, even I gotta admit, even you're not this fidgety, sometimes." He then looked Luffy in the eye with a look that looked something almost like concern. "So...what is it? Are you anxious about something?"

Luffy paused before he swallowed the lump in his throat, then looked down at the grass on the deck.

"...I am a little bored," he admitted. "I don't really have anything to do. I mean...we haven't fought anybody in a while and Nami says the next island's still a long way off." He then looked at Zoro. "I...I just thought that maybe we could spend time together or something...and since you're doing this, I thought I might join you."

Zoro sighed. So that was all it is. Luffy was bored and a bit lonely, so he just wanted companionship.

He had to admit...it had been quite some time since he and his captain had spent a little time together as friends. Perhaps Luffy just wanted to make up for lost time, is all. After all, it wasn't usually so calm, and sometimes, Luffy didn't know what to do with himself during times like this, so maybe this could preoccupy him for just a little while.

"I'll try and sit still," Luffy said. "I won't make any noise! Honest!"

"Well...sure," Zoro replied. "But honestly...I don't care what you do."

Luffy smiled before he sat down next to the swordsman once again, taking on the same meditative posture as he did before. He smiled as he could hear the sounds of the waves gently rocking the Sunny up and down...the sounds of Usopp and Franky working down below deck, Aika and Kumi playing tea party together, Nami and Robin in the Aquarium Bar, chatting over the latest fashions, Brook quietly strumming his guitar while Blizzard napped near the library, and Sanji in the kitchen, chopping up something for lunch.

Speaking of lunch, he was starting to get a bit hungry.

All of a sudden, Luffy groaned as he slumped over, his hands over his growling stomach...and at first, he froze, thinking Zoro was going to bark at him to be quiet...but instead, the swordsman only chuckled.

"Ah, what the hell?" he asked. "I could use a bite to eat, myself." He soon stood up, prompting Luffy to grin as he stood up and followed him to the galley...and as he did, Zoro reached up and ruffled the captain's black mop of hair, causing him to laugh.

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