We're back! At least we're getting a little quicker with updates... though if anyone decides to get upset, please forward all complaints to Karaleyn. She is the one who has been too difficult to contact lately.
Just a (belated) warning that we're both huge fans of hurt/comfort, so a lot of this fic is bad stuff happening and them growing from it. Hopefully chapter four will be out soon and again, THANK YOU to each and every one of you who has read this story or reviewed! Especially the reviewers. It really means a lot to us, so thank you very much.
Now, chapter three of Breath!
Despite the darkness that enveloped Luffy's senses as he fell into a deep sleep, it was warm and secure against Zoro. But it didn't seem like long before a bright light probed painfully at his eyes, trying to rouse him.
Luffy didn't like bright lights when they were intruding on warm sleep. He scowled sleepily and tried to ignore it, mumbling something that sounded a lot like "leemeelone."
A soft, female voice flittered into his senses. "...are you awake?"
Luffy was too tired to think, so all he managed to mumble was, "No."
"All right then. Sleep." And then she was gone.
Smiling happily, Luffy did just this. When he awoke later, he wasn't sure if he had dreamed that part or if it had really happened. All he knew was he was blinking his eyes open, and he was confused. He looked around, trying to figure out where he was.
A pleasant, blue room greeted him. Sunlight filtered through an open window, and the white curtains softly swayed against the breeze. A lush, green canopy shielded him from a bit of the light, but a few rays escaped to where he was nestled within fluffy blankets and pillows. His shoulder was bandaged, and he found himself in a fresh change of clothes.
Luffy liked this room. It was something comfortable to awake to, but he did not have long to think on that before his stomach rumbled loudly. Groaning, he threw himself to his side and started weakly trying to get out of bed. "I'm hungry!" he announced to no one in particular, his weakness only partially feigned.
A tray of food rested upon the bedside table -- soup and juice, with a piece of chicken off to the side. It emitted a pleasant, hearty aroma. Drifting in from the hallway came the soft, soothing music of an old record player.
"Food!" Luffy yelled, and as if the exhaustion had never been there, he leapt at the tray and began to devour the food rapidly.
Birds softly chirped outside, as the curtains continued to sway in the breeze. The delicate cloth that belonged to the green canopy did the same, and the sheer material that surrounded the bed seemed to dance. The food's smell seemed to fill the whole room, and a mirror that held Luffy's image stared back at him from the other side of the room.
Luffy waited until he was done with the food to look around the room again. When he noticed the mirror, he stood up and wandered over, peering curiously into it. His own, wide-eyed gaze stared back. His bed rested behind himself, as well as several portraits of various members of some noble-class family.
He had a heart-stopping moment when he thought he lost his hat, but he saw it reflected in the mirror, hanging by the door. He immediately ran over, taking the hat reverently off the post and placing it firmly on his head. "Hat!" he cried, relieved, one hand keeping it down out of paranoia.
As he turned around, he was surprised to see Zoro curled in a corner he had not noticed. Cobwebs were stuck to Zoro's bare shoulder and he breathed deeply, almost too deeply, with his mouth hanging open. He still seemed pale, but he had obviously been treated for his wounds. He was clothed in a fresh pair of pants, his torso covered in bandages, his feet bare.
Luffy blinked down at him, considering his options.
Although he thought he should let Zoro sleep, he could not deny how much he wanted to explore the area. But he kept hearing Zoro tell him not to wander off again, and he wasn't sure if it was a dream, but he thought the last time he wandered off there had been stupid men trying to hurt Zoro, as well as hitting and shooting at Luffy. So this time he would not give Zoro a reason to say anything silly, like that he couldn't be his bodyguard anymore.
Mind made up, Luffy dropped to a crouch and gently poked Zoro on the arm, where he appeared to not be hurt judging by the lack of bandages. "Hey," he said in a conversational tone, waiting for Zoro to wake up.
The man didn't stir, his breath still unnaturally deep and slow. Elsewhere, outside in some hallway, an old record player softly played soothing music.
Luffy frowned. He paused, then tried again, a little harder just in case. Poke, poke, poke. "Heyyy, Zoro! Are you awake yet?"
Dark, wild eyes suddenly flew open, and a heavy weight suddenly flung itself at the boy. Within a split second, the prince was pinned against the floor, rough hands pressing his wrists down.
Luffy blinked at Zoro, then started laughing. "You could have just said yes," he informed his bodyguard merrily, unfazed by Zoro's reaction. He was happy to see Zoro awake and moving again. It had been too strange with Zoro covered in cobwebs and breathing so deeply. Very weird.
Zoro suddenly started, drawing back. "Luffy--" His dark gaze stared at the prince, as if he were wondering what he had just done. He eased himself off of his prince, flopping onto the floor, breathing hard. Still in battle mode...
For as much as Zoro was affected by what had just transpired, Luffy was quite unaffected. He sat up immediately and leaned toward Zoro, looking curious and suspicious at the same time. "Are you better now? Your back? Does it hurt? Can we go eat now? I had some food but I'm still hungry and I bet you haven't eaten yet, and I don't know where we are, but they have to have food, right?"
"If you ring that bell over there," muttered Zoro, gesturing to the bedside table, "they'll bring you all the food you want." His eyes fell to a half-close, and he eased himself to a sit against the wall. "We're at a really nice clinic whose family is very good friends with yours. We're fortunate because we have no money. Anyone else would have turned us away."
Luffy didn't hear anything Zoro said after the stuff about ringing the bell and getting all the food he wanted. His eyes had become wide, and extremely shiny. He looked at Zoro as if he had just said that the answer to all his dreams and world peace was simply in the next room, and would he like some complementary chocolate while he was at it? He just stared at Zoro with the most childlike, happiest expression, and asked excitedly, "Really? All the food I want?"
"Uh-huh..." Zoro nodded, tired, his eyes closing completely now. "Knock yourself out."
"Wow!" Luffy exclaimed, ecstatic. "This is great!" He jumped up and lunged for the bell, already ringing it before he finished talking. "Hey, hey, Zoro! You want some food too, right? I'll tell them to get some for you too!"
"No," he said. "You can have mine. I need to conserve my strength. I should be sleeping since I'm so tired." Although his logic was severely flawed.
Luffy blinked, confused. "But doesn't food give you energy and strength? How come you're so tired? I'm not! " He stopped, then looked suspiciously at Zoro. "...You didn't try to stay awake the entire time I was asleep, did you?"
His cheeks becoming vaguely flushed, the green-haired man suddenly averted his eyes from Luffy's piercing gaze. "Well..."
Luffy sighed and wandered over to Zoro, crouching in front of him and very lightly whapping him on the head. "Dummy," he said, though he sounded amused, "what kind of bodyguard will you be if you're always exhausted like this? You should eat, and then sleep, and you can use the bed since I'm done with it for now."
Zoro shook his head. "The nurse said you were supposed to use it," he stated simply.
Luffy considered this, then recalled what Zoro had said earlier about the noble family something or other. He was quiet a moment, then pulled back enough to look up at Zoro with an expression that was both devilishly mischievous and completely innocent at the same time. "The nurse won't continue to say that if the Crown Prince tells her his bodyguard will be using the bed," he answered lightly.
Zoro blinked. "But...what about you?" He didn't understand why Luffy looked like he was going to stir some sort of trouble.
Luffy blinked back. "What about me? I already got to sleep on it a lot and it's not like I haven't spent my life in big cushy beds... It'll be like an adventure to sleep other places! Plus, if everyone freaks out like they always do for some stupid reason, I bet they have another bed somewhere I can use or bring in or something." He stopped. He wanted to add that he really, really wanted to explore this new place, but he didn't think that would go over too well with Zoro and he wanted Zoro to sleep, not worry and follow him around until he died of exhaustion or something silly like that.
"The nurse wanted you to stay in bed." Suppressing a sigh, Zoro ran a hand through his green hair. "And why're you so insistant that I get in bed?"
Luffy frowned. "Why're you so insistent that I get the bed?" he retorted, crossing his arms. "Everyone always acts like I'm some stupid dessert made of spun-sugar or something. I don't break if you drop me, I don't get ruined if I fall off the plate, and I really won't taste any better if I'm left in some stupid glass case on the highest shelf of the kitchen."
Zoro blinked, somewhat taken aback. "...I don't act like that."
Luffy peered at him. "Yes you do. Sometimes. You still keep reminding me I'm the stupid Prince. The bad man was right at least about that, you know. It is pretty stupid that someone gets to have all this stuff for him just because he's born at the right time to the right people." He stopped, then smiled, and added very happily, "But you're lots better than most!"
"Excuse me for being your bodyguard."
Luffy nodded and stood, walking toward the bell to pull it. "Okay, you're excused. Now eat and sleep so you can keep being my bodyguard, and if everyone's gonna keep insisting, I guess I can stay in bed awhile longer but only if you get a bed too."
Zoro heaved himself up, leaning against the wall silently for a moment. Catching his breath, he allowed himself to fall onto the bed, sinking into the pillows and blankets.
Luffy grinned hugely. Wow! This was getting lots easier the more he tried it! He felt a little bad, making Zoro do everything he said, but he was trying to help so he thought it was okay. He clanged the bell, looking over at the door as he waited for service.
The door creaked open, and two trays were pushed across the floor and into the room. The door quickly shut behind them. Zoro didn't even shift as this was done, and he remained still.
Luffy blinked, confused. Somehow he thought they would actually walk into the room with the food, but having it pushed in was pretty amusing. Luffy looked over at Zoro curiously, wondering if he had fallen asleep that quickly. He did his best not to move so Zoro would not realize he was watching.
Zoro's eyes were cracked open, and he silently regarded his prince with a tiny smile.
Luffy didn't understand why he was smiling at him, so he just grinned brightly back. "Okay! Let's eat and then you sleep and it'll all be better then," he said as he walked over to pick up the trays and walk back over by the bed, ready to offer one to Zoro.
"I figured you'd want both," he stated simply.
Luffy looked at Zoro oddly. "No, didn't I say you need to eat too?" Was Zoro not listening before? What a weird bodyguard he got... Fun, but weird.
Zoro pushed himself up and propped his body against the pillows. "All right."
Pleased, Luffy grinned and plopped down on the edge of the bed, setting the tray for Zoro in front of him and placing his own tray on his knees as he dug into it voraciously. Zoro quietly ate his meal, finishing it rather quickly. All the while, he observed the prince eat the food, soft amusement in his eyes.
Luffy was in the land of Good Food, and thus completely missed any expressions Zoro had. All his considerable amount of energy and determination were bent on stuffing as much food into his mouth as he could at once without choking himself. He was successful, and his plate was clean almost from the moment it touched his knees.
Finishing his food, Zoro silently set his empty plates aside and settled beneath the blankets, covering himself with them. His eyes gently closed. He really wasn't one to be pushed around, but the swordsman figured that it was important for him to do what his prince wanted him to do as long as it didn't interfere with His Highness's health. An odd smile lit his face. His Highness. What a strange title to have.
Meanwhile, Luffy idly kicked his feet in the air as he eyed Zoro sidelong. He had to be asleep soon, right? Kick.. kick.. kick.. The bed bounced a little each time, but he didn't think it would be enough to keep Zoro awake probably, and maybe it would make him sleep faster if he knew Luffy wasn't running away or something.
Zoro sighed as Luffy jostled the bed. He supposed there was no point in getting irritated, although he pulled a pillow over his face. He grumbled, shifting within the sheets.
Luffy noticed Zoro's movement and slowed his kicking a little, though he didn't stop immediately. He wondered how long it would take Zoro to fall asleep...
"I'd stay put if I were you," stated Zoro simply. "The nurse said you were very lucky."
Luffy put his hands behind his head, loving the feel of his Adventure Hat against his palms. "Really?" he said, sounding entirely too pleased considering the topic, "I'm always lucky! What was I lucky about this time?"
"Bullet grazed an artery, but we got here in time." He silently regarded his prince for a moment. "I won't fail you again."
Luffy laughed. "You didn't fail me! My clothes did. They should be tougher and then I wouldn't get hit." He shrugged with his uninjured shoulder. He wanted to say that getting shot wasn't that big of a deal and he thought the nurse was exaggerating, but he didn't bother since they would probably just end up arguing about it.
"Promise me you won't wander away again."
Luffy looked sidelong at Zoro, considering this. He couldn't promise it since that was exactly what he planned to do. But if he said no then Zoro would never sleep and then he would never get to explore the clinic! He looked back to the ceiling, still idly kicking. Suddenly, the solution occurred to him. He wouldn't wander away again... he'd just have to be sure he was hopping or striding or crawling or something else from then on. "Okay," he said, pleased with his solution.
Zoro nodded, turning over onto his side. Surely his prince would never lie to him. And with that, he drifted off to sleep, breathing deeply.
Luffy continued to lie on the bed for several minutes, slowly stopping the kicking until it faded away to nothing. Then he waited a little longer to be sure Zoro stayed asleep. After a few more moments of anxious waiting, he slowly eased himself up and crept over to the door, looking over his shoulder every few steps to be sure Zoro had not moved.
But Zoro continued to sleep, his face buried into his arm. He shifted lightly, but did not wake up. The curtains of the window gently blew in the breeze, and the soft record player in the hallway continued to run.
Pleased, Luffy was ready for some Adventuring. Since Zoro was probably exhausted, he figured it would be awhile before he woke up. That gave Luffy plenty of time, and if he got caught he already knew his excuse: he wanted more food. Ringing the bell took too long when he could just go to the kitchen and be done with it. Sneaking to the door and turning the knob as silently as possible, he was into the hallway without a sound. All that sneaking out of his room back at Anchor was really paying off, even if back home he often became too impatient and blundered loudly around anyway since it was easier to be loud and fast than slow and silent.
He glanced back one last time as he shut the door to be certain Zoro was asleep, but his bodyguard had not moved at all, his body still beneath the drapes and canopy of the bed.
Smiling to himself, Luffy shut the door silently and looked around. The hallway was largely empty, a soft, fluffy rug running down the middle of it. A white table hugged the side of the wall, holding a pot of beautiful, red flowers. A window rested across from the table, leaking in rays of happy sunshine that lit up the hallway.
Luffy decided he liked this place and was even more determined to Explore. Putting one hand firmly on his Adventure Hat, he randomly chose a direction (which ended up being 'right') and continued to creep down the hallway, because if he stopped creeping around he would have lied to Zoro.
As he passed the window, the exciting, enticing scene of a bustling market greeted him. Several children ran through the street, a dog chasing after them. An old couple merrily walked together, hand in hand. A young man pulled a cart carrying fresh fish and fruit. The smell of baking cakes reached his nose through that open window, and gleaming, red apples screamed for a glance from a small stand.
The idea of all the new people and food was too exciting for Luffy to pass. He pivoted midstep and ran over, leaning out the window to look around eagerly. A market and cakes and apples and food! He really wanted to go look around! Glancing down, he was happy to see he was on the first level and nothing was there to get in his way.
The ground was dry, sending clouds of dust around his bare feet as he landed from his jump out of the window. Hardly anyone paid him a glance, however, as they were too busy caught up in their own affairs.
Although his shoulder ached from the jump, he ignored it. There were too many wonderful sights and smells! He had far more important things to do, now that he was on his first real adventure outside of Anchor. He forgot that he was not supposed to wander since he was too caught up in his thoughts. The shiny red apples had his attention, but just before he reached them, he caught the scent of cooking meat to his left. His head snapped up, nose flaring at the smell. Meat! His favorite! He almost tripped over his feet as he took off running for the stall, his bare feet slapping into the ground. It felt good just to run, bare-feet and all, in a place he didn't know.
A freshly cooked stick of meat hung just in his grasp, sizzling in the morning air. The scent it gave was so alluring as it dangled in the pleasant breeze that Luffy could not resist. Not even thinking, he immediately snatched it down and devoured it in seconds.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over him. A bearded man stood over the prince, eyes narrowed shrewdly. "You have money?"
"Nope!" Luffy declared cheerfully, reaching for more food.
"Then you be stealin'?"
Luffy blinked, hand stopping in mid-air. He looked at the man, confused. At the marketplaces in Windmill, he always got food free. It never occurred to him that a person had to pay for it. Someone else did for him, or else the merchant or vendor just let him have it since he was the Crown Prince, and Crown Princes don't have to sink to the level of paying a peasant for food. Unfortunately, this lack of experience in the way proper markets worked served only to thoroughly confuse Luffy now.
"What? No, I'm not stealing. I'm eating." He grinned widely at the man.
"Stealing, stealing," he hissed, abruptly snatching the boy's wrist. "Shameless rat! We don't do stealin' in these parts." He raised his voice. "Help, help! Thief!"
"OW!" Luffy yelped when the man pulled on the side that he had been shot in. "HEY! I'm not stealing! Let go!" He tugged at his arm, trying to get free from the crazy man.
Several people looked over at the commotion, including an orange-haired girl who had been standing across the way. She was about to look away, dismissing the scene as the typical bluffing of a thief getting caught, but as she watched she began to realize the boy in question really seemed to have no clue what was going on. Perplexed, and slightly pleased to see someone so bad get caught (because honestly, it was people like him that gave good thieves a bad reputation), she tilted her body so she could watch the scene better without seeming obvious about it. Not that it mattered. Several people around her had already turned to stare openly at the scrawny teenager trying to jerk his arm away from the vendor. A few shook their heads to themselves, quietly wondering how society came to this, but others were watching with hard eyes. They lived difficult lives too, and had no reason yet to steal. They felt no sympathy for a thief who hadn't even the decency to be stealthy about it, or quiet about being caught.
"You have money?" the vendor hissed at Luffy, his grip only tightening further.
Luffy winced--that hurt! He looked up at the man, his expression completely innocent. "I don't know... not with me, I think. The bad men stole it from us before we got here."
"You took the food, ate it without paying," emphasized the man. "That be stealin'. We don't tolerate that here. Don't care if your money was stolen. That's what beggin' is for."
Luffy frowned. "But begging's supposed to be beneath me," he said plaintively, tugging on his wrist again. "Let go! I'll go eat somewhere else!"
A few of the people watching the scene snorted or tsk'ed at the comment, and the orange-haired girl narrowed her eyes dangerously. What was with this boy? Was he too stupid to understand the marketplace? And--begging being 'beneath him'? Who did he think he was?
"You can't give back the food you stole!" the vendor screeched. By then, several law enforcers had shown up at the scene, roughly grabbing Luffy by his arms.
"This is the thief?" asked a short, squatty man.
"Yes!" exclaimed the stall owner, eyes wide. "Ate my meat right in front of me, without a beli on 'im!" His raving was beginning to attract quite a crowd.
The law enforcer sighed. "We just recently got this problem under control. Punishment should be swift and severe to warn other potential thieves."
"Ow!" Luffy yelled when the law enforcers jerked his wound again. This was getting annoying. "I am not a thief!" he said, irritated, "I just wanted some food, and I saw it, and he didn't ask me to pay before I ate it, so it's his fault!"
The man stuttered. "Wh-what! What kinda freak are ya, kid!" He waved his arms in the air. "This is a market!"
"What a joke," muttered the other officer, tightening his grip on Luffy. "Let's take him to the square for his punishment."
Luffy squirmed, trying to yank away. "No!" he said firmly. "I don't want punishment! I don't like punishment."
"Yeah?" screeched the man. "Well, I don't like little brats who be stealin' my food!"
Suddenly, a heavy hand placed itself on Luffy's shoulder.
"I don't know what he did, but don't punish him," came a gruff, familiar voice.
Luffy froze, looking rather like a child that had just got caught stealing cookies from the kitchen. Which, in a sense, he was. Looking over his shoulder, he was greeted with Zoro's grim expression, which was aimed at the enforcers.
"I'm sorry sir," spoke the first law enforcer. "But justice must be served. Stealing is a serious offense here, in case you didn't know."
"Then I'll take it for him," answered Zoro, his face set into a grimace.
Luffy scowled at that. "No!" he said vehemently, turning to the law enforcer. "This is so stupid! I have tons of money back home--why can't I just go get some and give it to you? I didn't know I had to pay, that's all. I've never had to pay before, and some jerks stole all our money, so I didn't have any,but I do not want my friend hurt!"
Zoro nudged Luffy in the side. "What are you talking about? You don't have any money at all," he said pointedly. Didn't Luffy realize how important it was to keep his identity a secret?
"What?" Luffy asked Zoro, confused. "Yeah I do! Lots and lots of it... I saw the vaults once and it was like a swimming pool of gold." He thought that was pretty cool, and his opinion showed in his huge grin, eyes closed happily. "So we just have to tell my dad and then he'll pay you back." It was simple, really. Why didn't anyone get this?
"Luffy!" hissed Zoro. "You're not rich, you're not nobility, you're not anything." He paused, sighing deeply. "This is the real world. Get used to it."
Luffy scowled, but before he could say anything, the law enforcer spoke up. "The law is the law," he said firmly, though his tone was not unkind. He had no idea what the kid was ranting about, and he was getting impatient with the delay. "Punishment is a must."
"I said I'd take it for him," growled Zoro. "What do you want? A written invitation? I'm ready to go now."
"No!" Luffy said angrily, yanking to get away from everyone so he could cross his arms. "I refuse this. Everything." He looked at the law enforcer who seemed to be in charge and spoke in the tone he had been taught since childhood to use, the Princely Tone. "Go back to your station, officers. We'll be on our way."
The law enforcer rolled his eyes. "I don't think I could even bring myself to punish an idiot like this." Noticing the boy's pajamas, however, he raised an eyebrow.
"He escaped from the clinic," said Zoro simply.
"Ah. Then I'll take him back," stated the other officer, taking Luffy by the arm, beginning to lead him away.
"I'll take this one to the square," said the first law enforcer, leading a silent Zoro in the opposite direction.
Luffy dug his heels in. "No! What are you doing? Let go! Let Zoro go too! What are you going to do? Let go!"
But no matter how he struggled, the officer had too strong a grip. Still, Luffy did not give up. He paused though, looking up at his bodyguard, expecting him to break free any moment or at least look over his shoulder reassuringly. He could overpower those men no problem, but he just walked along calmly, tensely, and never so much as twitched his head as if considering looking back.
Luffy stared, shocked somehow, and for a brief moment he ceased his struggling. The wind blew past from the right; bringing with it a cloud of dust that clung to clothing and blurred the eyes. And somehow, in the space of that dust, Zoro was gone.
To be continued...
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