This little ficlet goes along with Teasing, also known as Chapter 4. It's a sadder version of what could have happened between Zoro and Luffy in the aftermath. Happy Reading... well... or not...

You Don't Have to Love Me

Luffy and Zoro were up in the crow's nest, standing and facing each other. Both faces set with a hard glare, and Luffy's lip started to tremble the longer they stayed like that, just facing each other down, waiting for the other to give in. Tears started rolling down Luffy's cheeks when he realized that Zoro wasn't going to budge. "Zoro." He said quietly, closing his eyes so he didn't have to see Zoro's angry face directed at him anymore. This was their first real fight as a couple, and Luffy already wasn't taking it well at all.

Zoro sighed at the sight of his distraught boyfriend, and scratched the back of his head. "Luffy, it's not like I don't love you. I just want you to understand."

Luffy's tears flowed faster, and he sobbed once. "It's okay. You don't have to love me."

Zoro gaped at Luffy, and immediately contradicted him, "Hey, I just said that I do love you!"

"Then why are you yelling at me. I don't think I did anything wrong!" Luffy half-whined, half-yelled at the green-haired swordsman.

Zoro groaned. "Luffy, I'm not yelling at you, I'm trying to make you understand my side of what's going on. I want you to understand that this is a serious thing to me. I don't want to play this game anymore." He approached the younger man and rubbed his strong biceps up and down a few times.

Luffy removed his hands from where they were rubbing his eyes, and asked, "What game?"

"You are mine, Luffy. I don't want you, or anyone else, to forget that."

"I know I'm yours. I don't want to be anyone else's. So why would you say that?"

"Luffy, you were flirting with Law today. You led him on to the point where he looked like he would devour you. Then you pissed him off when he found out you were just teasing him." Zoro could still picture Luffy taking hold of Law's hand and sucking on a popsicle in the most vulgar way possible, and Law's facial expressions at the sight. Zoro hated that moment.

"Yeah, but I only did it, so you would pay attention to me. You've been ignoring me lately, and I don't like it." Luffy pouted, and whispered, almost inaudible, "and maybe I kind of like him. Especially since Zoro ignores me. He doesn't love me anymore."

Zoro huffed exasperatedly. "Luffy, I just told you that I do love you. But fine, if you like Law so much, then go get him. And if that's the case then there's no reason for me to be here, or for us to have this argument." Zoro turned to head back down onto the main deck, more upset than he was letting on, and feeling like he might start crying himself if Luffy actually followed through with what Zoro had just told him to do.

Luffy panicked, though, and stopped him by grabbing his arm. "Wait, Zoro. Stop. I didn't mean it. Please don't go."

"It sure seemed like you did, Luffy." Zoro turned back around, and Luffy could see the pain hidden in green eyes.

"But I didn't." Luffy started to tremble from head to toe, afraid that Zoro would turn around and leave.

"Then don't say it, dummy." Zoro turned around fully again to face Luffy. He stepped forward to stand right in front of his younger boyfriend, who had pulled his hat down over his eyes, and still had the brim clenched tightly in his fists.

Even with the hat pulled over the majority of his face, Zoro could still see the fat tears rolling down Luffy's cheeks and dripping off his chin. "Zoro," Luffy sobbed. "I'm sorry. Please, can we just forget about it. I'm really sorry. I won't do it again. I just want my Zoro. Please…"

Zoro sighed, and Luffy started crying even harder, his body trembling, and his chest heaving with heavy sobs. "Okay, okay, but please no more flirting with other people. If you want my attention, all you have to do is ask, okay? And stop crying. Come here." Zoro unclenched Luffy's fists from the brim of his hat and pulled Luffy's arms so they wrapped around his waist. He knocked the straw hat off his head to hang on his back by the string around his neck, and he enclosed his captain in a secure embrace. Luffy buried his face in Zoro's chest and continued to cry, but more from relief now than sorrow. "I love you, Luffy."

"I love you, too, Zoro."