Chapter17: Cemetary Visit

*_+_*

Luffy felt as though he had been walking on air since the day that he and Zoro admitted that they felt the same and will remain friends until they were truly sure about what they feel for each other. 'Friends with innocent benefits.' He thought as he was walking to his apartment, since it was his turn to cook. Earlier he received a call by the female doctor and he was a bit concerned to know what his more than friend had to say to him.

Once he was in his apartment, he changed into some comfortable clothes and got to work in the kitchen. He was looking through his cook book to see what he was going to make and looked at the fridge to see what he had and made sure it was enough to make what he wanted to make.

By the time he had the cooking pan out and the ingredients, Zoro let himself in with the spare key and looked to see what the other was making.

"Lasagna?" Zoro said as he looked at the cook book.

"Hai, the lady next door gave me some strange looking noodles and it turns out that it's good for lasagna."

"Ah. Need help?"

"Well, I haven't even started."

Zoro smiled as he read the instructions before preparing the pan while the other worked on the sauce.

_/\/\/\_

Once they were done, Luffy placed it in the oven and they sat down on the couch and had a channel on, but they were more interested in holding each other's hands as they pretended to watch the program.

Luffy enjoyed the feel of the other's hand as he moved his hand to feel the rough texture of the palm while the other hand was doing the same with his hand. Soon he just leaned close to the other, his head resting on the broad shoulder as the arm went behind him and wrapped him close to the other's form.

_/\/\/\_

When dinner was ready they sat down, thanked the meal, and there was a moment of silence before Luffy remembered what the doctor told him earlier and looked up to see that the other did have a look of thoughtfulness, as if trying to find the right words to say them. "What's wrong Zoro?" He asked. "You have that thinking hard look."

Zoro blinked as he sighed. "Well… there's no easy way to say this…" He said as he looked at the other straight in the eye. "But, I went to see my doctor as asked her to put me back on the list for awaiting for a heart transplant."

Luffy was shocked to say the least, but he smiled. "Really!? That's great!"

"Maybe, but if the poor bastard were to have a bad heart then I'm good as dead on the table."

"You'll get a good heart." Luffy said. "I know it!"

Zoro grinned as he took a bite of the lasagna. "If you say so, it might happen." He said as he looked at the other. "Is it really okay with you?"

"The chances of having a heart donor isn't great, but I'm glad you're on the list just in case one does come up. But until then I'm glad we're having this time together."

Zoro smiled as he raised his glass. "For being together."

Luffy raised his glass and tapped it with the other glass. "Taking in every second."

_/\/\/\_

The next few days things were calm and easy, Luffy and Zoro were invited to see the other four as they haven't seen them since the picnic incident.

"Oi!" Usopp said as he waved them to join them.

"Hey guys!" Luffy said as he and Zoro sat down.

"What have you guys been doing lately?" Nami asked, getting straight to the point.

"I'm working." Luffy said.

"Rotting." Zoro said.

"So the usual…" Nami said with a sigh. 'So boring…' She thought.

"Oh, I've been teaching the kids how to cook a little." Luffy said.

"Really? How'd that go?" Sanji asked.

"They were really good for their first time." He said with a laugh. "They said they wanna do it again soon."

"What about you, Zoro-san?" Vivi asked.

"Well, I got myself back on the waiting for a heart list."

"Really? You weren't on it before?"

"I didn't have a reason to be on in the first place."

Everyone looked at the younger of the two and Luffy looked at them strangely.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing…" They said as they went back to talking about themselves and filling their friends what they've done lately.

While the others were talking, Zoro moved his leg and joined it with Luffy's, who smiled to let the other know that he got the message.

"Well, would anyone be interested in coming to the cemetery with me?" Nami asked. "I haven't visited my mother in a while and I would like to do that today."

"I'll go." Zoro said. "I have to say hi to my older sister."

"You had an older sister?" The group said as Luffy seemed surprised to hear this as well.

"She's not really my sister, but she annoyed the hell out of me while we were growing up. That is until she fell and broke her neck."

"Damn…" Sanji said.

Zoro shrugged. "She would have a fit with me by now if she was still alive." He said as he and Luffy got up.

"Anyone else?" Nami asked.

"Now that you mentioned it, I haven't seen my mother's grave in awhile." Usopp said as he agreed to come along.

_/\/\/\_

Once they were at the cemetery, they went their separate ways to visit the graves as Luffy got to meet Kuina.

"Kuina?" He said as he looked at the name on the grave.

"Hai. She always kicked my ass when I was little, even when I can beat adults twice my size and weight."

"No way!"

"Way." He said as he looked at the grave. "Kuina, this is Luffy, the crazy guy I told you the last time we met."

"Oi…"

"Well, we're kinda together now, believe it or not." He said with a smile. "It's too bad that you couldn't be here in person to tell me how stupid I am, but you know, I'm happy with this guy. Got a problem with that?"

At that moment the sun seemed to shine a bit more as white birds went overhead.

"Wow… that's cool."

"Then it's okay by you then?" Zoro asked, but he knew the answer. "Alright then. You can stop worrying about me now. I'm not leaving this world any time soon as long as Luffy's here."

Luffy blushed as he didn't know what to say or do.

Zoro looked at the other and smiled. "You're blushing."

Luffy pouted, but he looked away instead of trying to say something, making the other run his hand through his hair.

"It's cute."

"I'm not cute…"

"Are too…"

"Not!"

"What's going on?" Nami asked as she looked at the two.

"I was just saying that Luffy looked cute."

"I'm not cute!"

"Yes you are." The four said in unison.

"Eh!? What about me is cute!?"

"You're boyish looks for one thing." Nami said.

"The way you smile." Vivi said.

"The way you sleep." Sanji said. "When you're not snoring and waking up the dead."

"Oi!"

"The way you act sometimes." Usopp said.

"Guys…" Luffy said as he pouted.

"Get over it!" Nami said. "You're cute and have every right to be."

"But why cute!?"

"Just cause!"

_/\/\/\_

Later that day, Luffy and Zoro were walking back to the apartment with Luffy still pouting about being cute. Once they got into his apartment, Zoro decided to talk to the other.

"Oi, Luffy, you're still pouting about being cute." His response was a pout and glare combo. "You know it isn't a bad thing."

"How?" Luffy said as he sat on the couch.

Zoro grinned as he walked over and sat next to the other. "You really want to know?" When he didn't get a verbal answer he looked to see the other looked at him with almost a blaming look.

"Well then…" He said as he turned to face the other. "What your friends said about you is part of it. But I think you're cute when you pout."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because I want to kiss you when you put your bottom lip out."

Luffy blushed a nice shade of pink, making the other blink.

"Oh but you blushing is also cute."

"Would you shut up about me being cute already!?" He said as he started to turn red.

"Okay." He said as he leaned closer and claimed the other's lips. "You're not cute, you down right adorable."

Luffy whined. "That's just as worse!"

"Get over it." He said as he kissed the other's neck, causing the other to moan.

"Okay! Let me tell you what I think about you being cute?"

"Good luck."

"You're cute when you sleep."

"Eh?"

"You kinda look like a kid when you're asleep."

"No way."

"Way!"

"Anything else?"

"Hm…" Luffy thought about it when he smiled. "That time when you visited the kids and you were playing along, I thought it was so damn cute of you."

"Oi…" Zoro said with a blush.

"Oh! But a blushing Zoro is both cute and hot!"

"You!" Zoro said as he trapped the other in a head lock and gave him a noggie. "No more kisses for you for some time."

"Zoro!"