Author Notes:

-Two years later...

-I apologize for the terribly late update; the excuse includes re-formatting the computer and not having Word or any program that wanted to keep what I had previously written; then school came; then interest in writing sort of left me

-Life happened (And Hetalia)

-I said I would not abandon, and it is not abandoned; I am getting better at time-management so, depending on school, you can expect quicker updates

-Being away from One Piece for so long has me wondering if I'm still writing things correctly, and it also has me trying to pick up in the middle of a chapter and remember what I was doing; that, alone, is hard, and a good reason to never quit a project, let me be the first to tell you

-There is serious LuffyxZoro cuteness here, partly because I personally wanted some and partly because I couldn't resist the temptation once the idea hit me

-As far as for what's in the letter: I built it up so terribly much and was actually debating whether or not to 'share' what Ace said. I gave in. I hope you're not disappointed.

-In this chapter, I also have a little taste of Usopp point-of-view. Mostly to get a quick overview / reminder of what's happened (at least insofar as our sharpshooter knows).

Theme: "the space between dream and reality"

Pairings: LuZo stuff ~ AceZo and SanZo are on their way. Trust me. Got it all planned out. :)

~!~

Dream and Reality

~!~

Usopp found himself hovering outside the local tavern. Not because he wanted to, but because he didn't know what he wanted to do. Chopper was handling the diagnosis of the disease, talking with the mayor of the village. Nami was with him, probably demanding some kind of reward for Chopper's genius, even if the little reindeer didn't want anything in return. But Nami was always willing to take the best of any situation and turn it to an advantage. Robin had left to visit the local library, small as it was, because she was interested in the history of the island. Something she normally did at an island visit, and something Usopp didn't really care to mimic.

But what did he want to do? Without Luffy, he found that he was at a loss. At least with the captain there to point the way, to act crazy, to play games. Luffy always made sure there was something to do, even if Usopp spent a lot of the time worrying whether or not Luffy would anger the island locals.

But Luffy wasn't here. He had been lost at sea. And so had Zoro. And who knew where those two were now?

With them gone, the crew was acting a little different, a little shaky, trying to handle it and yet they all seemed to have the fear that they were separated forever. Or at least, Usopp knew he had that fear. That scary "what if" idea.

He was pretty sure Sanji had a similar fear - or worry at the very least. Because Sanji wasn't flirting with anyone; he was brooding. Usopp had been surprised when Sanji left them to stand outside. The fact that Ace wasn't lifting a finger to help - that was almost natural. Even if Usopp didn't know Ace all that well, it felt right to have Ace wandering around the village while the Strawhat crew tried to figure out what to do next. But Sanji stepping out? Instead of finding a girl to flirt with? Or at least making something for Nami and Robin while they talked to the mayor...

Things were out of wack. Out of the norm. And Usopp wasn't liking it. At all.

~!~

"You really want me to read it out loud?"

Luffy giggled at Zoro's question, leaning his head back against the swordsman's chest, glancing up through his bangs of black hair. "Yeah, why not? I can read but not that well, you know."

Shortly after asking to read "the letter," Luffy had found himself sitting in Zoro's lap, a position that was oddly familiar even though it was never something that Zoro initiated. It was a position that he was currently enjoying quite a lot. Warmth filled his heart and his body as he had to fight the urge to cuddle his swordsman. Putting a hand on either of Zoro's legs, he grinned wide and waited for Zoro to give in and share.

Zoro sighed. "Really?"

Luffy pouted his lips out and crossed his arms, slouching down in Zoro's lap. There was something poking him in his leg, but he ignored it. "Yes, really. C'mon, Zoro, just read it!"

There was a single moment of hesitation. A single solitary quiet moment in which the only sound was the waves from the ocean and the birds fluttering above them. The sound of crinkling paper soon joined the symphony of outside sounds, being joined by Zoro's cough as the green-haired swordsman cleared his throat.

Luffy grinned as he stared at the letter in front of him. It was soaked and smudged, and it looked like some words may have been ruined. He blinked. Would Ace's letter still be readable?

"To the great green-haired swordsman-" Zoro paused. "I like that part. It's normal. And sensible."

Luffy giggled. His brother? Normal and sensible? Yeah, right.

With another sigh, Zoro continued. "I have often looked at you from afar. There have been many things I have wanted to ask you, curious swordsman of my brother's crew. Sadly, I am unable to ask the most important question to your face. What I really want to know is-"

When Zoro stopped reading – and at the good part too – Luffy frowned and tilted his neck up to look at the furrowed green brows. "What's wrong?"

"I can't make it out anymore. I remember it being something really perverted but my swim in the ocean..." he paused to meet Luffy's eyes – to which the Strawhat Captain just smiled and shrugged. "My swim in the ocean made the letter get ruined."

This was not fun at all. The best part, ruined? No fair!

"Aw, Zoro, can you remember any of it?"

Groaning, the green haired swordsman hung his head, resting his forehead against Luffy's shoulders. This gesture made the Strawhat Captain grow warm in the face. Was he blushing? He didn't blush; he didn't get embarrassed. No, he was probably just excited at having Zoro leaning on him.

With a sigh, the swordsman continued, "Well, it had something to do with sex, but he didn't actually come out and say it – and I can't remember exactly what he said."

Luffy gaped. So he's really going that far?

This would not do. This would not do at all. But if his brother was willing to go that far, then that meant that Luffy could push things much harder than he was currently. It meant Luffy could act like himself. Heck, it meant Luffy could do things he had been afraid to do.

Screw the rules. He was happy now.

Spinning around in Zoro's lap, Luffy looked up at his swordsman, eyeing the blush, slapping the letter out of his hand. "Luffy? What the hell?"

Shaking his head, Luffy put a hand to his lips and made a gesture to be quiet. "My question first." Zoro rolled his eyes in response but nodded. "What's your answer?"

With a blink, Zoro tilted his head. "Huh? My answer? To what?"

"To the letter!" Luffy exclaimed, as if it were obvious. "To whatever-it-was that Ace wanted to do!"

He glared at the blush. Mention Ace and the letter and Zoro blushed. Would he do that forever now? "Oh, th-that?" Sitting back, Zoro shook his head. "I'm not going to have anything to do with him."

"Yay!" Luffy exclaimed, feeling his heart burst with excitement.

So his brother wasn't someone to be scared of after all. Zoro didn't like his brother. Of course he didn't. It had been silly to assume otherwise. Zoro just wasn't used to someone being so straight forward about sex. Yeah. He definitely wouldn't like Ace, then.

Leaning forward, Luffy embraced Zoro in a hug, making them both fall backwards to the forest soil beneath them. Zoro laughed. "Okay? Why is that a 'yay'?"

"Well...because..." Licking his lips, Luffy stared at the green haired swordsman. He gulped.

What were the rules again? What was he supposed to do and not do? Did it really matter? No, of course it mattered. He had to follow the rules. This was important. He couldn't cheat. He had to do things the right way.

The right way...

What was the right way? Wasn't the right way to follow your heart? Weren't you supposed to tell people the truth and show them what they meant to you? Weren't you supposed to give them gifts and hugs and special things? Weren't you supposed to enjoy little moments?

...Was this one of those little moments?

Yeah. Yeah, it definitely had to be one. They were sharing a special moment. The two of them together. Alone. Trapped on an island away from the crew. No crew. No ship. No hat. And yet... and yet...

It was just him...and Zoro.

So, Luffy leaned down and planted a kiss on Zoro's lips. Because he didn't care about any rules. If Ace was going to ask something straight up, then who cared? Besides, it wasn't like anyone would know. He was alone with Zoro!

He kept it simple though. A peck. He didn't want to push his luck. A quick light touch, wanting more but being good, being slow, being nice, trying to think of Zoro's feelings and not just his own.

To his surprise, Zoro only stared up at him, his face confused, his eyes blinking. Luffy laughed, putting a hand to his black hair and crawling off of Zoro so the green haired swordsman could stand up. Quietly. As the swordsman got his feet, he reminded Luffy of a stone, having gone incredibly stiff and serious all of a sudden.

Gathering his swords together, Zoro seemed to be looking anywhere but at his captain, as if he was embarrassed. Luffy had to force himself not to giggle. Zoro was embarrassed. Ah, he was loving this little moment.

After a few moments of taking time to double check the area, the green-haired swordsman cleared his throat and spoke, but it wasn't at all related to the letter or the kiss. "We should start walking toward the center of the island. Maybe the others will meet us there."

Luffy nodded. Yeah that made sense. Did it? Of course it made sense! Important things were always in the center. All kinds of candy put the best parts in the center, after all. Except, this was Zoro making an assumption about a direction to walk. Luffy knew he had bad direction sense; he knew that Zoro's direction sense was the worst among all the StrawHat crew members. So, should he really follow Zoro's advice?

With a laugh and a shrug, Luffy put his hands behind his head and decided that, yes, yes he would. If he wanted to win Zoro's heart, he would have to trust him. People liked to be trusted, after all.

"Okay," he said. "Will it be like an adventure?"

Slapping a palm to his face, Zoro sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, this is one big adventure. Isn't that what we always do?" Swords in place, the green-haired man started walking, picking what seemed like a random direction.

Luffy shrugged and followed, walking beside his swordsman, sandals slapping the ground beneath them. "Yup, you're right! Pirates are all about cool adventures!"

"Haha, yeah," Zoro responded, a little strangely out of character, and sounding like his thoughts were elsewhere.

Luffy stared at him for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. People drifted off sometimes. He was sure it was nothing big. If it was important, his swordsman would share-

"Hey, Luffy?"

Maybe it was something important! Trying not to panic, Luffy tilted his head and stuck a finger in his ear, digging around and pulling out a wad of earwax. Acting bored. Acting like he wasn't worried. That was the important thing: don't seem worried. "Yeah?"

"...You know I'm not gay, right?"

Words could not explain the feeling that his heart, like a spear in the chest, like a bug in his mouth, like jello in his shoes, like ice on his stomach...

He had to fight the tears in his eyes. He had to keep his breath from stopping. He had to keep his mind from freezing up. He had to face it. Face it and accept it.

...Accept that it was all for nothing?

~!~

Sanji paced around the village well. He would not admit he was restless. He would not admit that he was worried. He would not admit that what his mind was really thinking of – or who. No. No way. He was not thinking about that stuipd marimo! He was worried about Luffy. He was worried about their captain. And that was it!

Wasn't it? With a sigh, he stopped in place, tossing his finished cigarette and stomping on it to put it out.

Damn.

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out another one, lighting it up and sticking it in his mouth. "Isn't that your sixth one?"

He turned to glare at the man behind the voice. Ace was sitting on the well. Crouched down, feet on the stone blocks, looking out at him as he paced. The Fire Devil Fruit User was too damn carefree for this situation. It really pissed him off.

"What does it matter?"

Ace shrugged. "Just that it's kind of obvious you're going stir crazy."

Sanji raised an eyebrow. "Stir crazy?"

Ace nodded. "Yeah. You know, you can't stay sitting here doing nothing. You want to go out and find them yourself."

Sanji crossed his arms. "What if I do?"

To his surprise, Ace tilted his head and grinned. "Then we should go together!" He jumped off the well and started walking, but he wasn't walking back toward the village or toward Sanji. No, he was walking toward the forest.

"Hey, wait a minute!" When his captain's brother turned around, Sanji found himself unsure of what to say. "Why?"

Ace frowned. "Oh come on. That's too easy." Hands went to his hips and he stared back at Sanji, as if trying to understand what the blond haired cook was thinking.

Heck, Sanji was trying to understand this crazy brother of Luffy's. He should have given up long ago. It was about as difficult as trying to understand his own captain. "Okay then, different question. What's the plan?"

With a laugh, Ace turned back around and stopped walking, apparently assuming that Sanji would just follow. "Who needs a plan? Just pick a direction and walk and see where fate takes you!"

Blinking, Sanji found himself staring wide eyed at the Fire Devil Fruit User. That had sounded something eerily familiar to something Luffy, or even Zoro, would say. Those two members of the Strawhat crew had the same outlook on life: pick a direction and go for it. Or, better translated. Pick a goal and never give up.

Clenching his hands, Sanji stared after Ace for a little while longer, eyes twitching, before he threw his hands up and gave in. "If we get lost, I blame you."

Ace just laughed as Sanji came up to walk beside him. "Okay. I can take the blame for that."

For some reason, Sanji had the feeling that this was a terrible idea. A terribly stupid idea. Stupid stupid stupid. Why was he going off into the forest with Ace? Why was he going off and searching for Zoro and Luffy without telling the others? There was no plan. There was no back up. He groaned as Ace started whistling.

This was such a bad idea.

~!~

A/N: Hi, me again. I bet that was terrible. A year and a half since I wrote this. So sorry. But, hey, it updated! Does that mean anything? ...Probably not. Ah well. ;)

What is the correlation between dream and reality? Luffy's dream: Zoro loves him~ Reality: Zoro says "dude i'm not into guys" And all the fangirls say: "lol yea right"

~~Thank you for all reviews/alerts/favorites; they did help motivate me to get off my ass and write! I just wrote in such tiny increments it took too long to come out with a chapter. But it's summer now – and I'm on a roll! Anyway, thank you!~~

~Reda