Author Notes: I apologize for taking so ridiculously long to get this chapter up. School went kind of hectic for a while. Had a clarinet recital I was practicing for and so I wasn't doing much besides reading and writing a few words here and there. Well, so that recital may be over but the end of the semester is coming up and gosh darn-it I need to get that grade up in my Ear Training class. So I'll be "studying" (which for that class means listening to intervals and chords and trying to identify them by size and type and oi us music majors are so strange...)

Theme: "ano sa"

Pairing: This chapter: mostly LuZo/ZoLu cuteness ~ Because Luffy poses the oddest of questions/comments sometimes...

~!~

Hey, You Know...

~!~

The dawn came slowly with the sunlight filtering through the jungle trees, waking Luffy from his restless sleep. His eyelids slid open, meeting the warmth of the rising sun. As he came awake, he heard the buzz of insects, the chirping of crickets, calls of morning birds, and the light sound of someone breathing deeply in sleep beside him.

Sitting up, he turned to grin at the sleeping Zoro, taking in the small frown on the angular face, looking serious even in sleep. A part of him wanted to cuddle up next to the swordsman, but he had a fear of waking Zoro up and losing the moment. So, with a sigh, Luffy kept his hands in his lap and stopped staring at the green hair.

He moved his gaze to the beach before him and the ocean just beyond that. His mind started to wonder why he was out here with just Zoro or where 'here' was exactly, but then with the approach of a cool breeze he remembered the sudden storm. He remembered walking out on deck and seeing Sanji holding onto Zoro. He remembered being upset and running off to try to find something to distract himself, maybe help Nami lead the ship through the storm. He remembered the rush of wind that stole his hat, and how he jumped to the railing in order to catch it, but...he didn't remember grabbing it. And then there was water...and cold...and darkness...

He could remember only flashes of scenes after that. Someone holding him. More water. A flash of light. And then a good taste on his lips, a warmth flooding through the cold.

And Zoro...

Tilting his head to the side, Luffy stared at the sleeping green haired swordsman. Now he really wanted to reach out and cuddle. His hat was gone. He was separated from his crew. But Zoro had rescued him.

Zoro...had...

Pushing down the stupid emotions, Luffy took a good look around, noting their position on the edge of the jungle and the beach. His stomach growled for food but he didn't want to try searching for meat, not with the possibility that Zoro would wake up, find him missing, and get lost looking for him. No, it was definitely better to try to find food somewhere nearby. He glanced up, to the trees, grinning wide when he saw a large fruit hanging from the palm trees.

Stretching out an arm, Luffy quickly picked the fruit and brought it to his lap where he knocked on it a few times. It reminded him of the fruits from Skypeia. Not wanting to repeat that mistake and break his teeth - and neither did he want to eat it all by himself - Luffy glanced at Zoro's swords lying on the ground inches from the swordsman's reach. Shifting his eyes to Zoro's face, he determined that the swordsman was probably deeply sleeping and not likely to wake up anytime soon, at least not if he was quiet enough.

So, concentrating on being as quiet as possible, Luffy stretched out his right arm, holding the fruit in his other hand. Everything was going according to plan, until his finger touched the hilt of the white sword and a grip on his rubbery arm kept him from going further.

"That's enough."

The deep voice and stern command made him freeze at first. Then pout when his mind said 'Zoro's awake.' He turned to face the swordsman, tugging against the strong grip in an attempt to pull his arm back to a normal length.

Zoro had his eyes barely cracked open, one hand still resting beneath his green hair. There was a frown on his face as the eyes almost seemed to glare in Luffy's direction. But he didn't say anything. Luffy kept expecting Zoro to berate him for doing something wrong - or foolish. Like hanging over the edge of the ship to reach his hat - or attempting to use the nice swords to break open food.

But Zoro just stared back at him, not saying a word.

Eventually, Luffy stopped trying to break free of the insane grip. Of course Zoro's grip was strong. He would only choose strong or cool people to be a part of his crew, and Zoro more than fit that description. Luffy could probably break free if he really tried, but he didn't want to be that forceful around Zoro.

Besides, it felt kind of nice to have the swordsman holding on to him so tightly.

"Oi, Zoro, you know what?" Luffy mumbled, keeping his gaze down, using his free hand to pick at the large melon or coconut or whatever fruit in his lap.

Zoro didn't so much mumble a response as grunt - the swordsman's little way of acknowledging that someone was talking to him. There was probably a lifting of the eyebrow or wider opening of the eyes, but Luffy wasn't looking at the green haired man now so he wouldn't know for sure.

He took a breath and changed his mind at the last second. Lifting his head, he grinned wide, closing his eyes in the process. "You're like a ninja!"

This comment naturally put Zoro off balance, since the air before hand had seemed much more serious. And with the swordsman slightly off balance, Luffy was able to wrench his arm free and have it snap back into position, a little painfully but he was used to that by now.

"What the hell?" Zoro queried.

Luffy grinned to see his swordsman's eyes wide and blinking. He kind of loved that confused off-balance side of Zoro. That may have been why he had quickly grown the habit of saying things that would make the usually stoic swordsman stumble. Their friendly relationship had almost become like a game to Luffy, as the captain's comments went further and further from normal with each passing day. His one fear: that Zoro would become used to it and no longer react the same.

"How did you come up with 'ninja'?"

Grinning wide, Luffy put his elbows on the fruit and leaned down into his hands. "Well, that trick of looking like you were asleep...it was like a ninja! The way you snapped awake like that!"

Eyes still blinking, Zoro sat up. "Huh?"

Luffy laughed and tried a different way to explain it. "Well, ninjas are cool...and you're pretty cool. So, you're like a ninja!"

Luffy felt his chest explode in butterflies when he saw the slight blush form on Zoro's face - probably from the random off-the-wall comment. He was alone with Zoro now, alone and happy and without Ace here to ruin things. Though the swordsman would never want to bond any closer than nakama, Luffy could at least recognize that stranded alone on an island together meant he had a chance.

He had a chance.

With his fingers pressed against his smile, Luffy watched Zoro put a hand to the green hair and shake his head. "That doesn't make any sense, Luffy. We're pirates."

"So?"

Zoro sighed. "Pirates...cannot...be ninjas."

Puffing his lips out in an exaggerated frown, Luffy tilted his head to the side. "Why not?"

This time, Zoro rolled his eyes at his captain, making Luffy muffle a giggle. Except he really was curious. Why couldn't a ninja be a pirate? Or a pirate be a ninja? They were both cool and could kick ass. Besides, if a swordsman could be a pirate, why couldn't a ninja?

"Because, Luffy! Everyone knows that it's one or the other. You can't be both! That would be like...like cheating!"

"Awe...are you cheating on me, Zoro?"

He bit his lip the minute the words left. He never had been good at holding back his thoughts. Whatever came to mind usually came out. There wasn't much of a filter between his brain and his mouth. He had never seen much of a need to put one there.

Except...when...well...

Until now at least.

The humorous air had gone incredibly quiet. Even the jungle seemed to still. Or grow muffled. Like the birds and insects and animals in the direct vicinity could feel the tension as if it was a sixth sense.

Luffy found himself going incredible still, putting his hands over his mouth, and yet knowing that his eyes would always betray him. If only he had the hat...so he could hide behind the straw brim, cover his face in shadow, hide the anger and the hurt. He should be stronger than that; he was the captain of a pirate crew; he should be strong enough to control his emotions; this was ridiculous, shameful.

After all, it wasn't like Luffy had officially told Zoro any of his feelings. There was no way the swordsman would know about Luffy's "claim," even though Ace had decided to ignore Luffy's earlier statements. Even though there wasn't much of claim to begin with... It wasn't like it was Zoro's fault the others were starting to make moves.

Right. He shouldn't be upset with Zoro. It was all Ace's fault anyway. Ace had been the one to act like Luffy's claim meant nothing; Ace had been the one to turn it into a game. Damn it all, Ace was probably the closest to winning Zoro's heart too!

And what could he do? What had he done? Whined about it, grumbled, complained, held back from being himself because he didn't want to upset Zoro - because most of the playful jabs were met with annoyance and complaints from Zoro. Like when Luffy slingshot-ed his way into Zoro's lap or accidentally knocked him over board because of a rebound he hadn't thought through.

Luffy had to admit; none of Zoro's actions showed like he liked Luffy as anything more than nakama. After all, Luffy probably only kept the swordsman because the green haired man was a stickler for keeping his promises, and Luffy had made him promise to join, join or die.

If Luffy ever gave Zoro the chance to leave, would the swordsman take it? Would Zoro leave him?

Fighting the tears in his eyes at the thought, Luffy lowered his head, dropped his arms, felt his black bangs bounced into the edges of his eyes. "Hey, Zoro, you know..." He took a breath. Forced the words out. Would Zoro leave if he called the promise fulfilled? "You know...you don't have to stay if you don't want to..."

Besides, the swordsman would probably jump at the chance to escape. He had never really wanted to come here in the first place. He had his own dream. Sure, Luffy had agreed that Zoro's dream would come first. But...

"What?" Leaves rustled. Probably Zoro moving. Probably leaving. Walking away.

Luffy kept his gaze on the dirt and sand, staring at the points where the beach met the jungle floor. The area was covered in leaves and branches, mostly where Zoro had been sleeping, but the beach began just a few jumps away. "I said..."

"I know what you said!" A hand smacked his head and he fell forward only to spring back up like a slinky, stretching his neck. Nami had done that to him once... "Idiot! Why would I leave? What the hell has been wrong with you lately? It's like Ace did something..."

Blinking, Luffy looked up, not bothering to wipe away the tears at the edges of his vision. "He did..." Luffy murmured, facing Zoro straight in the eyes.

After a moment, the swordsman crossed his arms and glanced away from the stare. "Baka..."

Silence stalked.

Luffy stared at Zoro, content yet again to stare at the green hair and just imagine. It was all he was allowed. To imagine. So, Zoro hadn't left. But that didn't mean anything. He shouldn't read into it. If he got too hopeful, he would be disappointed. And he was tired of being disappointed.

"Oi, Luffy..."

Zoro didn't turn to face him; he was talking but looking into the distance. Staring at the ocean. But Luffy watched the dark eyes, wondering if the phrase about "eyes being windows into one's soul" was true. Wondering if he could figure out what Zoro thought about him. If only he knew what Zoro thought of him, felt for him. Whatever. If only he could know.

"Remember how Ace wrote that letter?"

He watched the tan face turn pink, then red, then pink, as the swordsman fought to control his own reactions. Luffy felt himself go through a similar bout of control. But he was fighting to control anger, feeling crushed and upset that Ace had done such a thing, and that Zoro still had the letter. Why did Zoro still have the letter from Ace? How many times a day did he read it? Why did Ace have to be so far ahead of him when it came to life? Always so far ahead...

With a pout, Luffy glanced away, meeting a cool ocean breeze, which ruffled back his hair and clothes. He had forgotten about the fruit still sitting in his lap. He wasn't so eager to eat it anymore.

"Yeah," he mumbled.

Catching movement out of the corner of his eye, Luffy glanced up to see Zoro put a hand at the back of his neck. He watched the swordsman close his eyes and take a breath, finding his eyes drawn to the tight white shirt hiding the swordsman's muscular body. Luffy would probably never have muscles, even if his punch was just as strong as Zoro's sword swing. Because Luffy was rubber. Sometimes, he was rather envious of the swordsman, but most of the time he just wished Zoro could be his...

"I told you it didn't matter what he said. That I wasn't going to respond."

"Yeah..." Luffy had to fight the urge to clench his hands and teeth. A part of him wanted to know what was in the letter. He wanted to know what he was up against. He knew Ace was smart and tricky, and a pervert, but he felt like he was fighting a losing game. And he had no idea how to play by the rules. Where was the line that Ace had drawn? If he knew how far his brother would go...

Well, maybe Luffy would be able to push harder than he was right now. Or at least be able to open up.

After clearing his throat, Zoro continued. "Would you want to read it? See how ridiculous it is?"

Surprise. Shock. Happiness.

Luffy jumped up immediately, the fruit lying forgotten in the mix of dirt and sand. He clenched his hands into fists. Slapped his feet to the ground. Opened his mouth.

"Really?"

Zoro backed away from him. Dropping his arms to the side for a moment before taking in Luffy's excited appearance. Then he crossed the arms and grimaced, refusing to meet eyes. The face was turning red again, too.

"Y-Yeah..."

With a squeal of delight, Luffy pounced. He tackled the green haired swordsman, sending them both flying to the ground - with Luffy on top of course. On top and grinning, snuggling into the chest of his swordsman. His swordsman. He had to remind himself. Zoro wouldn't leave. Zoro wanted to be here. That had to mean good things, right? And he wanted to share something secret, too. Had to mean good things.

Loving the feel of being close to Zoro again. Nothing was awkward anymore. Not at this moment, at least. Not right now. No, for just a few moments, things were back to normal. For a few precious moments, there was no 'awkward.'

And Zoro laughed. "Now, that's more like you."

And Luffy's next smile was the most genuinely happy smile he had shown in the past days.

~!~

"...I have determined that the disease..."

A door closing blocked the rest of the sound from the doctor's voice. Sanji didn't care to hear more about the disease. Chopper would handle it. Chopper and Robin could figure out all the technicalities. If they needed food or strength, he would be called on. But right now...

He really wanted a cigarette.

So, making sure to look casual - in order to keep the locals from worrying needlessly - he pulled out a smoke and leaned back against the house wall, lighting up. It was time to cool and enjoy a moment. It was time to analyze the situation.

Chopper, Robin, Usopp, and Nami were inside the village leader's house, discussing the problems of the disease. How it came to the island. Why it spreads. What's the cure. Who was susceptible. And in Nami's case - how the village planned to pay them back for helping.

Sanji, on the other hand, had other things on his mind. A little more pressing. But no direction.

Where would Zoro and Luffy be at? He was sure they were safe. Even the marimo could manage to swim to shore, at least if one of his nakama was in danger, and especially if his captain was in trouble. But where would they be? How would they find them?

They were on the Grand Line. It wasn't like they could just easily back track and mount a search and rescue party. Ace had said that they were more than likely on the island, just at a different location. And that made sense. Depending on how the island was shaped at least.

But where? And how to search for them?

Were they just supposed to go trudging through the jungle looking for the two members with the worst direction sense in the world? Damn it, why was he so fucking worried? Those two could handle themselves. They were completely capable of surviving. Where they failed in direction sense and intelligence, they made up for in strength.

So he shouldn't be worried.

At least, he shouldn't be worried about their safety. No, it would make more sense to be worried about ever meeting up with them again. The fact that they had all met was luck anyway. Luck. Destiny. Whatever. The chances of them meeting again...

Sure, if they were on the same island, things would probably work out. But, what if they weren't? What if Zoro had never found the captain? What if Luffy had drowned in that storm? What if Zoro was lost at sea? What if they both were? What then?

Pulling the cigarette out of his mouth, he dropped it on the ground and crushed it beneath his boot. Thinking was making him too damn worried. He didn't need to panic over this separation. They had been separated before. Plenty of times, in fact. In battle.

But...they'd always had the assurance that they were at least on the same island.

He put a hand to his head, starting to run his fingers through the blond hair. A giggle and familiar bouncing hat in the corner of his vision caught his attention. He stood up immediately, feeling the hope and relief flood through his heart. That was Luffy's hat...and...Zoro's bandana...at least, it looked like it. They were in the distance, but...

Were they...kissing?

"That's just two kids playing. The girl has Luffy's hat - I've talked to them already."

Ace's voice made him jump a few feet in the air. Why had his guard been down? He shouldn't be so jumpy. And Ace was chuckling at him, too. With a growl, he turned to Luffy's brother - who was standing right beside him, looking so nonchalant and devoid of worry. Devoid of any emotion, really.

"Why does some girl have Luffy's hat?" He snapped, that being the first question he could easily put to words.

Ace shrugged. "Said she found it on the beach. I told her it was my brother's. She said she'd give it back, but I told her not to worry about it. At least not until we found him."

Grinding his teeth, more because he was still annoyed at having been caught off guard, Sanji snapped another question, pointing at the two kids now running around on the beach. "Then why the hell does the boy have a bandana that looks like Zoro's?"

Ace only shrugged again. "They're playing pirates and ninjas apparently."

To that, Sanji found he could only blink. "What?" When Ace didn't respond, he decided to throw more words to his question. "What does that have to do with looking like Zoro?"

As a response, Ace stretched his arms up and yawned. "Doesn't matter. If you don't understand the connection, then you won't even if I explain." To which Sanji wanted to snap at him some more. But Ace turned to stare at the island jungle in the distance. "If they don't come here tomorrow, I'm going to look for them."

When the Fire Devil Fruit User turned and walked away from him, Sanji felt his anger explode. Was he going to get nothing out of this character? What the hell went through this man's mind? He gave simple answers to questions that demanded more. And then random statements that didn't make any sense...

"What the hell?"

Ace stopped and glanced over his shoulder. "You can come, too, if you want. The more in the game, the more fun it becomes, after all."

Which, of course, was no kind of answer and left Sanji even more confused. Couldn't someone around here at least make sense?

~!~

A/N: Yay! Done! Haha! Remember, review if you read. This chapter took a kind of humorous turn. I think it needed some humor, and I am in a happy mood because I am out of school for a week. Yeah.

Kairi: Sanji, you've been living in this world for, what? 19 years? You should know by now that... Nothing. Makes. Sense...EVER.