When In Doubt
Chapter 4
"Luffy? Oi Luffy!"
Luffy blinked and then realised he'd lagged considerably behind Zoro and had to sprint to catch up.
"What're you spacing out for?"
Luffy grinned and chuckled, tucking his chilly hands into his pockets.
"Ah man it's cold!" Luffy lifted his hands out again and rubbed them together. December was closing in on them incredibly fast, and it was crazy how quick the temperature was plummeting, almost alarming in its rapidity.
"That's why I told you to bring gloves you dumbass." Zoro rolled his eye and slowed his walking to a halt. "Here, gimmie your hands."
Luffy's hands sprang towards Zoro a little too eagerly, but Zoro didn't mind. He took off his gloves, holding each in his mouth by the forefinger. He then took Luffy's hands between his larger and warmer ones, rubbing quickly.
Luffy's hands heated up pretty soon and even more so when Zoro put his gloves on Luffy's hands and demanded he put them in his pockets straight away.
"But Zoro's pockets are probably waaaay warmer~" Luffy sang, nudging against Zoro's shoulder playfully. Zoro snorted but didn't object when he felt one of Luffy's hands burry into his pocket, clasping with his. "Besides, I don't want Zoro's hands to freeze off!"
Zoro chuckled. "Such consideration."
"I know." Luffy mumbled proudly.
They continued walking again, Luffy's hand safely lodged in Zoro's pocket, fingers lightly weaved together.
"What d'you want?" Zoro asked as they stood in the cafe, gazing up at the menu attached to the wall.
Luffy opted for a hot chocolate and Zoro bought two, passing him the warm take-away cup.
Luffy sipped at it cheerily. He hummed suddenly, making Zoro turn to look at him.
"It's kinda like a date~" he said in his singsong voice.
Zoro chuckled, speaking in the same singsong voice. "Not a very romantic date~"
Luffy laughed. There was some truth to that statement after all. They were both cold, it was beginning to get incredibly windy, so much so that Zoro had to buy some clips to force Luffy's messy ebony hair back so it would stop pissing him off by blowing in his eyes all the time.
They had stopped in a relatively empty park to drink their hot chocolates. The bench, thankfully, was dry because it was covered by a thin roof that fitted over the benched area, blocking off the dripping condensation from the trees above as it had been infinitely colder the night before.
Zoro leant back against the wooden bench, occasionally taking a sip of his hot drink.
Luffy did the same, both hands wrapped around the warmth of the cup. He couldn't really feel Zoro through the padding of his coat that he was rightfully forced to wear, so he decided on impulse just to huddle against him.
It isn't like Zoro didn't enjoy spending time with Luffy because he did. They went out together almost every day and hit the cafe whenever they both had frees at the same time.
In truth, he didn't really know what to make of what happened the previous night. Whilst he was certainly accustomed to Luffy's overly cuddly nature, the kid never made a move like that.
But Zoro hadn't pulled away, even though that had been his first instinct.
He was honestly confused. What was happening was unfamiliar to him, it hadn't happened before, ever, and he was afraid—afraid of what Luffy was doing and how he was making him feel.
It wasn't that it felt wrong, nor did it bother him that Luffy was male. He was just thrown that Luffy had such an effect on him in such a short span of time.
There was a change between them, something raw and tense, something Zoro couldn't pinpoint.
He didn't know the exact nature of the kid's feelings because Luffy was generally cuddly with everyone, granted more so with Zoro, but still.
Luffy could genuinely just want to snuggle, nothing more.
Oh who're you kidding, jackass Zoro thought to himself wryly. There's no way that's true when he's pressed up against you like this.
He gave his head a light shake. He wasn't going to rush into anything, instead just let what happened happen. It probably wouldn't hurt to ask Luffy either.
"I win! Again…"
Zoro groaned and threw his controller onto the sofa, climbing on after it and plopping down whilst simultaneously chucking a couple pillows off to make space.
Luffy turned the console off, flipping on the TV instead and clambering onto the sofa next to Zoro.
He laid down with his feet propped atop the sofa, his head just hanging off the end.
He then outstretched a hand and pulled Zoro's phone out of his butt pocket.
Zoro grumbled questioningly under his breath and Luffy chuckled.
"Zoro has good games."
Zoro mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like a "mmhm" before burying his face in the crease of his arm whilst Luffy rested one of his arms on the side of Zoro's leg that was resting atop the other, both calves tucked behind Luffy's outstretched legs.
After playing with every single version of Angry Birds that Zoro had grudgingly allowed Luffy to download, Luffy swivelled around so he was right way up. He then scooted closer to Zoro and leaned over to slip his phone back into his back pocket.
Luffy then crossed his arms and rested them on Zoro's hip bone, gazing at him.
He sighed quietly before shifting to his knees and putting one hand beside Zoro's arm that was curled up next to his face and the other beside the back of his head.
Cowering over the older man, Luffy leant down slightly.
What would he have to lose, really? Nothing. Besides it was beginning to drive him crazy that he couldn't just act on impulse as usual.
Mere centimetres from his face, Luffy paused. "Zoro?" He whispered. No answer came but a faint noise made at the back of Zoro's throat to show he was listening, or possibly just that he acknowledged Luffy's presence.
The corners of Luffy's mouth twitched, itching to peel into a grin.
With a vague intake of breath, Luffy leaned forward and closed the distance between his lips and Zoro's cheek.
It sent a shrill of electricity through his body, feeling Zoro's skin on his lips for the first time.
Luffy let out a shuddery breath against Zoro's warm flesh, his heart hammering in his chest.
Zoro shifted slightly, a quiet breath exiting his parted lips.
Outstretching his arm, Luffy grasped Zoro's hip lightly and pulled, making Zoro's torso shift slightly. He then slipped that hand under Zoro's arms that were covering his chest, his palm flattening out against Zoro's chest where his heart was. Pulling the green-haired man towards him gently, Luffy craned his neck and pressed his lips to Zoro's.
It wasn't really a proper kiss at first, Luffy was merely pressing their lips together and gently trailing them back and forth to see how it felt.
It felt good. Incredibly so.
Luffy opened his eyes that had fluttered shut briefly and he pulled back somewhat, gazing at Zoro's face.
His heart lurched when Zoro's eye opened, his body becoming uncomfortably warm.
Luffy's first instinct was to jump back and plead idiocy, but his body wouldn't move. Maybe because of the shock of what he just did, or maybe because Zoro's hand had grabbed hold of his upper arm.
Suddenly, he was yanked downwards causing him to let out an unmanly yelp. He found himself beneath the older man, Zoro's torso elevated and hovering over his.
"Zo—!"
The rest of his name became muffled as Zoro crushed his lips to Luffy's in one swift movement, making no effort to deny any longer what was already so painfully apparent.
Luffy felt a tongue smoothing over his bottom lip, insistently delving into the opening, forcing Luffy's brain into a pile of mush and his eyes to slide closed.
The kiss was heated and unskilled, involving a lot of tongue clashing and the occasional tooth bump, but Luffy wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
Soon, however unready to pull away either of them were, the demand for air overruled the need to kiss each other senseless so Zoro released Luffy's lips, both panting slightly.
Luffy let go of Zoro's shirt where his hands had fisted, both appendages falling limply beside his head.
Zoro's head drooped, his forehead pressing against the crook of Luffy's neck as the younger threaded his fingers through short green hair.
"Mmm, I think Zoro likes me." Luffy hummed, releasing Zoro's hair in favour of wrapping his arms around his neck.
Zoro nuzzled his nose just beneath Luffy's jaw affectionately, the action eliciting a string of giggles because the feeling was just shy of ticklish.
"Zoro thinks so too."
"Would you stop smiling like that? It's fucking creepy."
Zoro snorted, ignoring the blonde man standing in his doorway in favour of grabbing Luffy by his arm and yanking him to his chest before he could dance out of the way again.
"Zoroooo~!" Luffy whined, trying his best to escape the coat that was being shoved onto him.
"Stay the fuck still damn it!" Zoro growled, sitting down on the sofa and wrapping one arm around Luffy's waist to keep him in place. "The sooner you put the damn thing on, the sooner we can leave."
"But I don't wanna leave~" Luffy mumbled, turning around in Zoro's grasp and straddling him, legs wrapping around his waist.
Sanji coughs pointedly from the doorway, but Luffy isn't listening as he cranes his neck to give Zoro an Eskimo kiss before Zoro tilts his head and Luffy connects their lips in a chaste kiss.
He hears Usopp groan from the doorway. "As thrilled as I am you two are finally open with one another, we are seriously gonna miss the movie!"
"C'mon you shitheads, get your asses into gear."
"Mmm, maybe you should go without us." Luffy mumbles, wiggling around on Zoro's lap and causing the older man to swear under his breath.
"Oh for the love of—"
Zoro cuffs Luffy's ear and the younger boy pouts, sliding off his lap.
"Fine fine fine fine."
The movie was pretty boring in Luffy's opinion. The last thing he wanted to do after kissing Zoro for the first time was to be cooped up in a crowded room with a bunch of other people. Even though Luffy wouldn't think twice about kissing him in public, he knew Zoro got strangely self-conscious about those sort of things.
There were, however, two upsides upon entering the crowded cinema. One, he got to remove that damn restricting coat and two, he got to hold Zoro's hand during the entire film. The simplest of actions sometimes made Luffy the happiest, be it the pad of Zoro's thumb stroking over his knuckles or Zoro leaning in slightly to press his lips against Luffy's neck or cheek.
Due to the subtle affections, Luffy had practically missed the entire film as well as thinking about what went down just a few hours ago. Just the thought alone was enough to make him giddy all over. He wanted to do it again, and Zoro knew it too. Not to mention they probably would have continued if Sanji and Usopp hadn't come knocking.
"I was waiting for you two to start making out in there seriously. The sexual tension was suffocating."
"Oh shut your face damn cook." Zoro grumbled. "Are you sure it wasn't coming from you?"
Usopp cast a death glare in Luffy's direction but the dark-haired boy just shrugged innocently.
He definitely told him. Usopp thought miserably.
Luffy listened whilst Zoro and Sanji bickered some more before he finally got tired of it and grabbed Zoro by his lapels, dragging him down and capturing his lips in a deep sloppy kiss.
There was muffled laughter coming from Usopp and Sanji and a few catcalls from people passing by, making Zoro blush all the way to the tips of his ears.
Zoro sputtered before regaining full use of his voice. "LUFFY don't do that shit in public!"
"But I really wanted to kiss Zoro!" Luffy whined.
"Thank you for voicing that particular impulse." Sanji mocks although his tone has no ill intent and he's smiling.
"C'mere you." Zoro grumbles, lifting his arm over Luffy's shoulders and pulling him to his chest, using the sudden closeness as an excuse to nuzzle the top of the boys head, his silky hair tickling Zoro's face.
"Shishishi!"
Usopp turned to look at them briefly, warmth spreading in his chest at Luffy's face because he's pretty sure he's never seen him so happy.
A/N: Ugh more fluff wow I can't help it... I was listening to mushy songs like 'stay with me' by Sam Smith so I guess it was to be expected. But don't worry, it'll get a lil more serious soon so you're not all gagging every time you read. THERES JUST SOMETHING ABOUT A SNUGGLY ZORO THAT... Just aaah. Snuggly Zoro is my weakness.
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FlightWulf, somefangirl, Atsuki-rin, Cartoon-Slash-fangirl (I totally agree with you), psychotriton, thank you all for your reviews!
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