Hi! and welcome back!

I really have to say sorry for taking so long. "my passion my obsession" was (and still is) my first fanfiction and to be honest i havent thought it through the first time, which is why i got really discouraged even though so many people wrote such amazing and heartwarming comments and reviews!

thank you so much for keeping up with me.

so here we go for another try and already for your information; i have a few chapters finished already and i'll try to update ever 3-4 weeks (let's say around the 20th and 30th of each month!) enjoy reading and if you have anything to comment feel free to do so. thank you very much!

Chapter 1 – Marching home

Zoro placed his case at his side and let himself fall on the bench behind him. He was exhausted, his shoulders ached from the heavy backpack he was carrying around for the entire day and his journey was still not finished yet.

Watching out for a bright orange mop of hair and brilliant blue eyes, his gaze wandered through his surrounding but he found nothing but dark shadows gray trees and a lonely lamp.

The park was empty besides the pigeons and the stray dogs under the bridge a few meters away from the bank he was sitting on.

The exhaustion pulled at his eyelids and he glanced down at his wrist that got the old watch wrapped around he had been given by his teacher and father. The old man had always been someone he looked up to. Since he was a tiny naive kid that could barely stand on his own two weak legs, the old man with the gently smile and thin eyes behind his round glasses taught him the way to become a strong man and warrior. Koushiro had always been a wall; tall, strong, unbreakable. Remembering those days hurt and Zoro pushed the memories back, where they could do no harm.

It was 6 pm. Ten minutes until Nami would arrive at their meeting point. Ten minutes for him to close his eyes and drift into a calmer state of mind, that would allow a thoughtless silence but leave him alert enough to notice immediately if some idiot approached him and his belongings in hope to find something valuable.

"She's late…" he groaned and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Ten minutes before his childhood friend's voice made his ears ring again.

"You really haven't changed, have you Zoro?"

Namis stood in front of the sleeping man, her arms crossed so that her chest was pushed up beautifully. A sight every man dreamed of in their lonely moments. Not that Zoro was one of them.

Even with his eyes closed, Nami knew that Zoro felt her coming closer before she actually stood where she did, with her knees almost brushing Zoro's.

The swordsman let out a small sigh and opened his eyes. Two years had passed since the last time they talked to each other from face to face.

The girl in front of him still had the same annoying voice he remembered; she also had that annoying grin on her face that made him want to close his eyes again and fall back into the silence of his mind.

"Just like the old times."

"You sound old." Zoro replied without much force in his voice. He still needed more rest. Ten minutes had passed faster than he had thought and it hadn't been nearly enough to regain enough energy for him to be able to handle the small talk Nami was surely to start.

"Look at you." she put her hands on her hips and blew a few strand of her long hair out of her face "Sleeping on a bench in a park like a homeless man. Five minutes later and I'm sure the dogs would have taken you in."

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Not my fault if someone's late…" he whispered but Nami heard it anyway.

"I'm never late!" she said, her tone bright but with no real anger. "I was perfectly on time, right at the spot where I told you to be. It's you, lost and asleep on a bench at the other side of the park. You really haven't changed! At all!"

Nami grinned as her best friend groaned in annoyance.

She's right, he thought, nothing had changed; Nami still gave him the fault for everything that went wrong. Even when every argument Zoro had to confront her to prove her wrong she persisted, it never mattered if it was an emergency or the Portgus brothers influence or just a frigging accident.

He was still paying for breaking her car. Twice.

Before he left Water Seven, she always used the debt to blackmail him. And now that he was back it won't be otherwise, that he was sure of. Hoping for her forgiveness was useless and more a waste of time than anything else, really. Nami never forgives and never forgets.

One point on the -admittedly short- list why he wasn't THAT happy to be back.

Oblivious to Zoro's inner monologue, Nami had noticed the deep dark circles under his eyes. The trip must have been tiring, plus the heavy baggage, Zoro's dropped shoulders and heavy eyelids made her feel a little bit of guilt in her chest for teasing him.

But even so, the most important thing was that Zoro was back in Water Seven. In their city. Their nakama is back. That means she will have enough opportunities to torture Zoro's nerves either way, and she will enjoy every single second of it. But right now a bed and a meal seemed to be of higher priority than the things her friend had to share with them.

"Okay. Stand up." She said then, taking the case at Zoros side and dragged it along the way out of the park, hearing rustling behind her as the swordsman lifted himself and his backpack up to follow her.

Two years were a long time. The man that she remembered as her childhood friend had changed, contrary to what she had said earlier.

Zoro should be around 23 years now, his hair a little longer than how he usually wore it, and his face cut with serious lines, a sharp chin and sharp cheekbones. A thin pale scar parted his left eyebrow and trailed down over his -luckily undamaged- eye. It hadn't been there the last time she'd seen him.

"Zoro…"

Nami's long orange hair danced as she turned around to face her friend. The orange a stark contrast against the dark night around them.

A smile pulled at her lips as she saw the young man glaring at her with tired eyes as if he was waiting to hear another teasing.

God, she couldn't wait to let everyone know that Zoro's back.

"Welcome home!"

Zoro stared at her. The tiredness in his eyes softened into something lighter and Nami knew what it meant.

He had missed them. He had missed the long nights awake while he was playing poker with Ace and Usopp, he had missed laughing with Luffy about things he normally wouldn't even smile about, he had missed drinking with Nami, he had missed their young genius Chopper that was like a little brother to him, he had missed Robin and her silent smile and dark humour, Franky and his ridiculous fashion sense, Brook playing music on his violin for them in the morning after they had a sleepover.

He had felt so much more alive with them in Water Seven than in the two years of gray routine and Zoro admitted silently to himself that he had felt lonely.

His heart felt warmer as he realized that he's going to see all of his friends very soon. And hope spread in his chest as the heavy emptiness he felt during the last two years faded away, making place for something much more welcomed.

The lamps of the street passed them in blurred lights.

Zoro was close to slip into sleep as Nami drove him through the city he knew so well to his old apartment. When he had left, Nami was the one he had given the keys to. 'Use it for whatever you want' he had said.

Zoro let out a heavy sigh and pressed his forehead against the cold window. Beside Nami, who had send him mails nearly every other day, he had difficulties to keep in contact with the others.

He was way too lazy to write monologue after monologue like the girl sitting behind the wheel, he never tried to call someone, feeling uncomfortable for reasons he was not ready to share with them, not yet. But he knew they would wait. Well most of them as Nami squeezed answers right out of him immediately after he had announced his leaving.

"We're here." Namis voice brought him back from his thoughts. He looked up into her bright eyes and saw something like empathy in them. „Just a little longer and you can crash, Zoro."

He must look really tired.

Zoro nodded and heaved himself out of the car. With baggage and everything, because he didn't expect any help from Nami, he climbed up the stairs and then stood in front of his door.

"You have the keys?" he asked with a hoarse voice, his eyes fixed on the painted wood of the entrance to his home. A golden shield was attached at eye level and at some places the white paint peeled off and showed the brown wood of the door underneath.

"Yes!" At the jingle of keys hitting keys he turned around. Just in time to catch them in midair when Nami threw them at him.

Zoro opened his hand and was about to snort when he saw the little pendant attached to his apartment keys. The Jolly Roger wearing a strawhat was the symbol of their little group; their 'crew' as everyone lovingly called them and Luffy as their selfdeclared 'captain' had given them all selfmade pendants. They were horrible.

Usopp their -undefeated- 'sniper' had took pity on them and crafted some metal pendants for them to carry. Since then nobody ever complained.

The lock clicked as Zoro turned the key and he froze. He never felt at home in darkness before. But this was it. Without thinking he reached out for the switch and light spread in the small corridor, leading to a wide living room with his favorite couch in front of the TV, where he and Luffy had played games with his Playstation and the table for dinner with six wooden chairs. The kitchen in the next room was small but two people would fit in there without problems.

Two other doors lead to the remaining rooms in the apartment. The room behind the left door had been his doujo with barbells and some other stuff he had needed for his training and on the right his bedroom. His bed.

Zoro didn't seem to have realized how long he had been standing at the doorframe, the key in his hand, the baggage at his feet, until Nami laughed behind him. „Never thought you'd prefer a park-bench over a bed." she said.

„Shut up, woman." Zoro groaned and took the first step inside since two years. He had left without looking back and now a weird feeling settled heavily in his stomach.

Zoro took of his shoes and tapped into the living room, leaving the backpack and case besides the couch. He was way too tired to unpack everything. Tomorrow, he promised himself.

"Can I leave you alone, or do you need help to find your way around?" Nami said with sarcasm in her voice. Zoro snorted and got back to the apartment door.

Nami leant against the doorframe where he had stood moments ago, playing with a few hair strands. She smiled at him.

Zoro stopped one step away from her, scratching his neck and Nami was close to hint him -friendly of course- that coming close was not a good tactic to hide the blush on his cheeks.

„I'm okay." he said with a very tired voice.

Her eyes wandered over his face and lingered a second longer on the thin scar. He has to tell her how he got it sometime. Not now, of course. He deserved to rest.

So she let a laughter slip out „Still the scratching-neck-thing when you're about to say something embarrassing?"

"Shut up." Zoro hissed, before a yawn escaped his mouth and Nami laughed again.

"Well then I'm off. It's already pretty late and tomorrow I have a looooooooot of plans." the girl was about to close the door as Zoro opened his mouth again. "Nami…"

Nami turned her head and saw Zoro scratching his neck again.

"Thanks."

Nami hid a soft smile behind a curtain of orange hair. "You're welcome." she said and then left the swordsman alone standing in his door frame.

As soon as Nami was out of sight, Zoro's hand left his neck. When had been the last time that he had done that...

Nami let the door of her car fall shut and turned her radio on. It was 8 pm already. Fifteen minutes for her to hurry back to her television and the newest episode of her favorite series. She wanted to be up to date for tomorrow.

Her dance instructor was also a huge fan of the series and she enjoyed talking to him about it, even if he was a little annoying in some aspects. While she sat in her car, he was probably already sitting in front on his television, a red blanket wrapped around himself and a glass of wine close by, like the savourer that he was.

The orange haired girl picked her mobile out of her bag and scrolled down for the name of the blonde. When she found it she pressed the 'call' button, changed to loudspeaker and turned the key to start the engine. The car came to life as her phone ringed a few times before he heard his smooth voice singing her name.

"Nami-swan!"

Nami laughed and rolled her eyes at him, totally aware that he would just hear her laughing.

"How do I deserve your call at this time of the day?" he continued, his tone light and cheerful. As always when he talked to her...or any other woman.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm on my way home. Is the new episode already streaming?"

She heard a soft rustling as he apparently changed the position of his phone. "No darling. Take your time and drive safe! It will stream later because of the news. Remember the huge fire we had in the city?"

Of course she remembered. Right before Zoro left Water Seven the news were overflowing with reports and interviews. Eye witnesses, police officers, the mayor. Everyone had at least one moment on television.

The public eye was glued to the fires occurring in their beloved city but Nami hadn't actually been worried about it until one night, when the fire almost swallowed something too precious.

When Ace got interviewed by a local reporter he was already back, safe and sound among his closest friends. A few hours before though, Nami had seen a side of her friend that had left her shaken and a tiny part of her heart still ached from the memory.

Among the chaos of firefighters, police and emergency doctors, Ace had been sitting with his younger brother cradled in his arms. The younger Portgus was hidden from her sight and she expected the worst as she had approached the older in hurried steps.

Ace had been crying. Thick streams of tears leaving trails on his by the smoke blackened face as he sobbed silently into Luffy's hair. It was terrible.

Ace and Luffy had lost so much in that fire. They had been so lucky that they still had each other and Nami swallowed dryly as her heart ached a little more.

The blonde took her silence as a yes and continued. „Well the police seemed to have found some lead-"

„Was it arson?" Nami asked, her voice tight with concern.

The man at the other end of the line stayed silent for a moment. „They are not sure. Are you interested in the case? Should i record the news, my swan?"

Nami shook her head, holding at a red traffic light and took the phone into her hand again.

„No it's okay. How much more until they start the streaming?"

„Ten." The man answered. „Did something happen, my love?"

Nami frowned "No. Why?"

Another rustling in the line.

"You sound like you want to share something."

Namis eyes grew wide at that. Since when had she become so easy to read?

It was true though. The blonde at the other end of the line had reminded her of what they had nearly lost and of what Luffy and his big brother had to go through these past weeks. Even though, with all of what they had lost, today they gained something back.

Zoro, who had them all worried -even the younger Portgus- was back. They all had grown so close to each other that it had hurt to see the silence surrounding them for a few moments whenever they were to meet up without their green-haired friend showing up. These moments had become shorter along the way but the odd feeling persisted.

Two years had passed and the missing piece of their little family was finally back and Nami felt such a relief that she was about to scream into the calm night. Now they were whole again, whole and strong. And Ace and Luffy would be alright.

Both had lost their house, their clothes and photographs and so many mementos of their young lifes but the fire couldn't steal their treasured family away from them. Ace and Luffy-

"Oh shit!" Nami jumped in her seat and nearly let her mobile fall.

„Nami-swan! What's wrong?!" sounded an alerted voice through the speaker.

„I'm such an idiot!" Nami hissed „I'm sorry. I need to call someone. We will talk tomorrow alright?"

And without waiting for an answer she canceled the call and drove home in record time. Opening the door she had her mobile in her hand again, searching frantically for Zoro's name in her contact list as she ran up the stairs to her house.

At the time Zoro's mobile vibrated in the pocket of his jacket the man had already fallen asleep in his bed with his feet tangled in white soft sheets.

Minutes after Nami had left, Zoro's clothes were laying on the floor leaving a trail toward the bathroom. The last bits of stiffness melted under the hot water running over Zoro's shoulders and he was finally able to relax.

The welcoming warmth of his bed was the only thought in his mind. It was pulling him in like a lullaby, singing him into a fast and deep sleep.

And while the tired young man scuffled to his bed, the two toothbrushes by the sink went unnoticed.

Zoro pulled the sheets back, not even caring for boxer shorts or pyjama as his body crashed on the mattress. His eyes had already fallen close when his head hit the pillow.

"…that case yours?"

The bed was warm and soft and it was so tempting to just stay under the sheets for the rest of his life if he just could, but something felt not quite right. Zoro frowned but refused to open his eyes, the pillow was too soft, too perfect to just let go of it now.

„What case? What the hell are you talking about, Lu?"

The darkness surrounding him drowned every thought but the feeling that something was not like it supposed to be was there. The tiny voice in his head demanded his attention. It nearly screamed for his body to move, to open his eyes, to be frigging aware.

„Over here!" A dull sound came from the room next door as if someone had forcefully kicked something really heavy right there.

Okay, he thought as he allowed one eye to open. He saw his wall, gray from the lack of light. Gray and innocent. As innocent as a gray wall could ever be.

The only window was still closed by curtains, but thin rays of the morning sunshine found their way through and onto Zoro's skin. It was as if the sun had decided to say good morning. He groaned at the thought. Ridiculous.

„I'm telling you; what ca-"

The sounds from the other room silenced abruptly. Then there was some shuffling and Zoro slowly realized what that nagging feeling had been all along.

„That jacket..."

Stomps followed. Each quick, strong and fast and from one second to the other Zoro's mind awoke to full alertness, his body jumping up into a kneeling position. He wasn't alone. He hadn't been alone in his apartment, where he was sleeping just minutes ago, unaware and so fucking stupid.

Zoro's shoulders tensed with anticipation. The steps were close to his door now. His mind was racing, his eyes searching for a weapon and cursing himself for leaving his swords by the couch the night before. He was so stupid.

The door burst open and two persons entered the room, the first throwing himself onto Zoro and tackling him back into the mattress. The air was knocked out of his lungs and his ears began to ring as the one tackling him screamed „ZORO!"

And then Zoro's brain catched up.

Luffy had his arms wrapped tightly around his midsection, giggling like an idiot and rubbing his face into his stomach. Zoro struggled for breath as the embrace tightened even more and the younger Portgus spoke again. „You're back!"

„Luffy?!" Zoro rasped and looked down at the boy on him. Black ruffled hair hid the face of his young friend. That and the fact that he was still pressing it against his stomach.

Zoro wasn't sure if he should expect to see tears on the boys face should he look up at some point.

So he just stared, indecisive and awkward.

„You're back!" The young one said again, choking and his voice trembling a little. Okay then. Tears.

Zoro rested a hand on the black mess of hair instinctively and looked back towards the door, to the other person, recognizing the freckles and the white-teethed grin the Portgus brothers had in common immediately. Ace was wearing nothing but black boxer shorts, his arms crossed at his chest as he watched his younger brother squeezing every bit of air out of his old friend. Guessing from the widening of his charming smile when their eyes met he must be thinking that Zoro deserved every tiny bit of this treatment.

„What the hell are you two doing here?!" Zoro managed as he wiggled a little in Luffy's merciless hug.

"That's what we should ask you, man." Ace left the doorframe he was leaning against and took two steps towards Zoro and his brother. The grin never left his face but now that he was closer Zoro saw something shadowing the joy in Ace's black eyes. He rose an eyebrow but didn't comment on it. „Since when are you back? We didn't hear you-"

„Why didn't you tell us you're coming back, Zoro?" Luffy interrupted, raising his face from Zoro and staring him right into the eyes. The younger brother sounded genuinely disappointed and Zoro felt guilt swelling up in his chest.

The whisper of darker thoughts in the back of his brain started to become louder again and he tried to ignore them. He won't allow them to raise up again. Not now.

„Oi! Why didn't you?!" Luffy repeated and his lips curled into a pout. Zoro had to bit back a laugh. That sight was just so familiar as if nothing had truly changed while he was away.

„I wanted to. But then you burst into my room, like some damn pirates!" Zoro frowned „This is my room, isn't it?"

Ace laughed out loud while Luffy just continued to pout, completely ignoring Zoro's confusion.

„Your street, your apartment, your room." Ace confirmed, laughter still obvious in his voice. The freckled man glanced down to Luffy before his eyes found Zoro's again. The shadow Zoro had noticed before was back. It made the unease in Zoro's gut grow thicker as he realized that Ace was nervous, even afraid of something.

„Nami gave it to us after our house burnt down."

Zoro stared. Mouth hanging open and both eyes wide. Luffy lowered his head back against his skin and Zoro stopped the urge to press his young friend against him protectively. Ace continued smiling.

„What?" Zoro whispered. The two brothers were known for attracting trouble, for their bad luck, for their recklessness. Everyone expected those two to get into trouble twice a week, but this was a new level of trouble. „How?!"

The older brother shrugged. The motion was short and tense. For Zoro this wasn't the end of the story and he knew that Ace would tell him everything by the look his friend gave him. He nodded, softly, so that Luffy wouldn't notice and he saw the older brother thanking him for it.

Luffy pushed himself up again, his arms untangling from Zoro.

„Now that Zoro is back we are roommates!" he exclaimed, a huge grin stretching his lips. „We can have parties and play games everyday and we can invite Usopp and Chopper to sleep here too! It will be so much fun!"

Luffy laughed and jumped back onto his feet, his babbling a never ending waterfall.

„Brook will come too! He needs to tell you his new horror stories and Franky built that awesome thing you need to see. It's almost done he said and Robin will come over too! Did you already call Nami? She said she had a performance in a few weeks and did you know? She started dancing while you were away and that school she goes is really cool!"

The young boy was bouncing up and down the whole time and Zoro listened.

Ace's smile had become softer during Luffy's excitement.

„It has huge mirrors and it's so high you can build a tower in there. Usopp wanted to try but Nami got angry at him and her teacher kicked us out. It was funny and you have to meet San-"

A loud growl interrupted him.

Zoro stared at his young friend for a second before he snorted. Suprising that the biggest glutton on earth would forget his empty stomach so easily just to tell some stories. Ace had rolled his eyes the second the sound resonated through the bedroom.

"So…who's hungry?" he asked and Luffy immediately leaped towards the kitchen. In his hurry he oversaw the case still laying on the floor and stumbled over it with such a force that he flew and landed hard face first on the floor. It hurt just seeing it but Ace burst out into laughter at his brothers misfortune.

Zoro scratched his head and yawned.

As he pushed the sheets back Ace laughed even harder and then Zoro remembered that he hadn't bothered to change into any clothes last night. Now he was sitting on his bed completely naked and Ace had to steady himself at the door frame to not fall over from his laughing attack.

The whole picture would have been hilarious for an outsider. A man with green hair naked on the bed, a freckled man already on his knees laughing like a mad man and another younger one on the floor whining about his aching face.

Zoro was certain, that with these two joining him in his apartment he could forget about the silent calm life he had had before the last two years. But somehow he didn't feel very remorseful about that.

Days filled with laughter, noise and life were better than what he had lived with outside of Water Seven. It probably was the start of something that could make him forget the hollowness he had felt. He would be okay.

thank you so much for reading and i guess there are still a lot of grammar errors but before i never finish this story i thought ill just continue writing.

the more you use the language the more youll get used to it right?