When In Doubt
Chapter 6
"Why weren't you watching where you were going?!" Luffy yelled, slamming his hands down on the cars rolled down window. "You could see us couldn't you?! You had lights on!"
"Sir!" The paramedic called for the umpteenth time. "Are you friend or family?"
Luffy felt his heart gallop and his stomach flip uncomfortably.
"No!" He yelled desperately, rubbing the blood out of his eyes as well as the significant amount of liquid that's welled up there, dripping and dampening his cheeks. "You gotta let me ride with Zoro!"
"Alright alright," the paramedic said finally, knowing that he wasn't going to get anywhere with this kid.
Luffy cast a glance at the Audi driver, the feeling of hate that had bubbled within him soon subsiding when he saw the guilt and fear on that person's face.
"Luffy, I'm fine seriously." Zoro tried, lifting a hand and embedding it in Luffy's messy locks.
"Zoro almost died!" Luffy mumbled miserably, looking up at Zoro with shining eyes.
"Oi I didn't," Zoro insisted. "If anyone got really hurt, it was you—sorry about that by the way, you weren't listening so I kinda had to shove you."
Luffy crawled onto the hospital bed, laying next to Zoro with his head against his chest and arm slung lightly over his waist.
"If I hadn't said I loved Zoro then Zoro wouldn't have been so surprised and hit by a car." Luffy mumbled miserably against Zoro's chest, arm tightening slightly on his waist. Zoro supposed that under different circumstances, that would actually be funny.
"Oi stupid," Zoro grumbled, a hand falling against Luffy's head and yanking at his hair until the younger looked up at him. "Why're you apologising for that? And I didn't get hit- not seriously anyway."
Luffy pulled himself closer and propped himself up on his hands so that his torso was elevated and he was face to face with Zoro.
"But now, Zoro's safe." He mumbled, leaning forward and nuzzling Zoro's nose.
"I love Zoro," he whispers. "And it's okay if Zoro doesn't love me back."
He felt a hand slap against his head and he yelped, giving Zoro a hurt and confused look.
He put an arm around Luffy's neck and pulled him close, stroking the back of his head with his hand. "I love you too dumbass."
Luffy welcomed the warmth in his cheeks, his lips stretching into a smile.
"How sickeningly romantic."
Both looked up to see Sanji and Usopp in the doorway, Usopp's face twisted in worry and Sanji's face softening into relief.
"Oh, shit cook. Talk about a mood killer."
"What? Zoro you're okay?!"
Zoro turned to Usopp and made a face.
"We got a call from a very worried Luffy saying Zoro died." Sanji mumbled.
Zoro looked at Luffy with an eyebrow raised. "Well no... I'm alive. And I'm fine, I don't know why they insisted I stay here for so long."
Usopp let out a groan and gave Luffy a look. "Don't scare us like that!"
Luffy, who had drooped against the older man with his head snuggled in the crook of Zoro's neck, made a slight noise that signaled he was a sleep.
Zoro chuckled and threaded a hand through Luffy's dark locks and let the other pull him close, resting on his back.
"He was probably up all night waiting for you to wake up. You can really knock out a person who has moss for brains."
Zoro ignored the blonde in favour of lifting Luffy's chin with the hand that was previously on his back and pressing a light kiss to his slightly parted lips.
Soon, after a lot of swearing and some sweet talking on Sanji's part, Zoro finally managed to convince his doctor—his female doctor—that he was fine and could leave.
She was hesitant at first and made him undergo a thorough check up before even considering letting him get out of bed.
Sanji was convinced it was because she had a thing for him, which was probably not entirely false judging by the way she touched him and talked to him, both with utmost care and grace, and the occasional bat of an eyelid that Zoro continued to miss completely.
Luffy obviously got irritated that someone was making eyes at his man and ended up glaring outright at the woman until she finally cleared Zoro and left the room with cautious glances over her shoulder.
Usopp and Sanji went on ahead back to the apartment that Usopp didn't know who it belonged to anymore because all four of them practically lived there, promising food that made Luffy's stomach sing.
"I swear I'm not going to keel over and die." Zoro sighed, shrugging on his jacket and raking a hand through his hair. "But I do need a shower."
Luffy bit his bottom lip.
"Oi stop looking so damn maudlin. It's not your fault that car clipped me okay?"
"But it is my fault!"
Zoro sighed again, taking Luffy's hand and weaving their fingers together before tugging him out of the hospital.
Luffy couldn't help grin smugly when they passed that female doctor.
Zoro was his, after all.
"Luffy it wasn't even serious. I just hit my head that's it, I don't even have a bruise so would you quit beating yourself up about it?"
Luffy fiddled with the keys in the door, the lock finally giving way after a solid fifteen seconds of shoving and pulling.
Usopp and Sanji must've stepped out to shop which would explain why the door was locked.
Upon entering, Zoro dropped his gym bag on the floor and made a beeline for the bathroom.
"Zoro's okay?"
Zoro groans as he begins stripping off his shirt. "Luffy stop or I swear I'll toss you outta your own window."
Luffy chuckled and trotted over to the bathroom doorway. "Does Zoro need help? I could wash Zoro's back?"
Zoro dropped his shirt to the floor and he examined Luffy's features for any hidden ulterior motive.
Seeing he wasn't swaying his boyfriend, Luffy took a different approach.
"I'll shut up about the accident."
"Done."
Luffy gleefully walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.
Zoro stripped off the rest of his clothes, towel lazily slung around his midsection as he perched on the little red stool, Luffy scrubbing away at his back after discarding his own clothing as the bath ran in the background.
"Zoro's all tense," Luffy pointed out as he worked his fingers over Zoro's shoulder blades.
"Cause you've been pestering me all day."
"It's only cause I was worried about Zoro." Luffy said defensively, hitting Zoro's shoulder before sliding his arms around his neck.
After showering off, Zoro slid into the bath and laid against the back, letting out a breath.
Luffy climbs in haphazardly, splashing water here there and everywhere, and it takes a few feet to the face on Zoro's part before he finally gets situated, perched between Zoro's legs and leaning against his chest, arms propped comfortably on Zoro's elevated knees.
"Nngh- it's too small in here asshole get out."
"Nooooo wanna bath with Zoro!"
"What about my peace?"
"I said I'd stop talking about the accident nothing else."
Zoro snorted, craning his neck to press a kiss to Luffy's cheek. "Looks like I got the short end of the stick."
Luffy chuckled.
"Oi Luffy quit moving around so much! My towel is fucking soaked enough. Some of us would like to get dry when we get out."
"But Zoro doesn't need one when it's just me."
Zoro grabbed Luffy around the waist before he could slosh around anymore, holding him against his chest. "Well I don't wanna walk outta here with my junk hanging loose for that shit swirl brow and Usopp to see."
Luffy ponders this. "Yeah. I'm the only one who gets to see naked Zoro."
Zoro snorted.
Once home, two shopping bags in each hand, Usopp snickered at the sight.
Zoro was sleeping right way up on the couch, a book covering his face as Luffy lay prone, one leg swung over Zoro's shoulder and the other over his knee. Luffy was obviously wearing one of Zoro's shirts because Usopp had seen Zoro wearing it before. Both of them were snoring.
Nnngh... that's really cute... he thought reluctantly.
With a snort, Sanji walked in, closing the door when Usopp entered as well.
He considered slamming the door to wake the couple up, but he decided not to in favour of having some alone time with Usopp who had well and truly been avoiding him.
Both of them had gotten the call from Luffy and both had rushed to the hospital. It was at that fateful moment that they met there, outside the hospital doors.
He could tell Usopp was considering going in without him or straight out pretending he didn't see him, but they ended up going together when he called Usopp's name, mostly out of instinct. It's more like the younger man's name just slipped from his lips naturally.
Whatever the case, Usopp had been awkward and looking everywhere but Sanji and fiddling with every article of his clothing and his hands.
"Would you stop that? People here are going to think you are in dire need of a piss."
If Usopp had been his usual self and if Usopp hadn't been intending to avoid him like the plague, Usopp would have laughed, and when he didn't, it was quite obvious he was mad. Or sad. Or both.
But Sanji had no idea what he could of done to anger him or sadden him.
And that pissed him off.
Maybe it was because he touched him too much. Maybe Usopp didn't like that. But he never said anything against it so Sanji had assumed it was okay.
But if Usopp had a problem, he should tell him rather then making him suffer trying to find out what he did wrong.
It upset him that Usopp stopped texting him everyday, that Usopp no longer called him over or rang him at ridiculous hours in the morning because of a new project he just thought up and he hated it most when Usopp wouldn't talk to him. Being ignored by Usopp was as bad as being yelled at by him.
Even though he was angry and he wanted to slam Usopp up against the wall to get the truth out of him, he cherished their friendship too much to ever hurt the long nose and he didn't want to see their friendship disappear as it was slowly, fading through his fingers. Losing his cool would also evidently worsen the situation.
He helped Usopp unload the shopping, careful not to accidentally touch the younger man in fear of aggravating the situation further.
The unloading went with ease and Sanji started on the meal.
He was thinking of steak café de Paris for dinner today. Out of all Sanji's French cuisines, Usopp liked that particular dish the most.
Maybe Sanji needed to show he cared from a distance and without any form of physical contact.
He began with the sauce, readying the crème, herbs and corn flower.
He could tell that Usopp was getting ready to leave, and he desperately needed a reason for making him stay.
"Usopp, would you mind cutting a few onions for me?"
Usopp halted in the doorway. Sanji could tell that he was seeing through this. Sanji cooked everything himself and never asked for help. It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to see something was up.
"Sure..."
Usopp cautiously took a knife and began slicing the onion into half moons.
"Say Usopp," Sanji began, pulling a pot out of the cupboard above. "What's been bothering you?"
He saw Usopp flinch out of the corner of his eye.
"Nothing," Usopp mumbled sheepishly. "Why would you say that?"
Sanji felt his blood prickle beneath his skin. "Usopp I'm not fucking blind okay?"
He automatically felt bad about snapping and bit his bottom lip when Usopp directed his gaze back at the onions with a miserable expression.
"Look... Usopp I—"
"Ouch! Shit!"
Sanji turned, alarmed, preparing himself to see hacked fingers. "What?!"
"Fucking onions making my eyes sting!"
Sanji bit back a laugh.
"Don't laugh you asshole!"
"Oi oi don't rub at it! Here," Sanji wet a fresh soft kitchen cloth and cupped Usopp's cheek, dabbing the cool cloth at his eyes.
Usopp whimpered, flailing a little when the cold towel touched his closed eye lid.
"Don't poke my eye out."
Sanji chuckled. "Don't be a dumbshit, of course I won't poke your eye out."
Without even noticing, they had been talking normally again, and Sanji's movements faltered for a second, heat swelling in his chest.
Suddenly, Sanji felt an overwhelming impulse to kiss the younger man, so much so that he was actually leaning down towards him.
Mere centimetres from his lips, Sanji stopped and pulled back, eye slightly widened.
"Oi Sanji? Why'd you stop? IS MY EYE NUMB?"
Sanji laughed, continuing his dabbing. "No, it isn't."
Sanji then dropped his hand and backed up a bit, feeling something akin to adrenaline rushing through his veins after being so close to Usopp.
Usopp blinked slowly and cautiously opened his eyes full, heaving a breath of relief when the sting was gone. "Ugh, you can cut those things from now on." He grumbled, fiddling around with Sanji's ingredients to find something else to cut up that wouldn't harm him.
Sanji, baffled for a moment, smiled.
Usopp was staying.
A/N: I was never really going to kill Zoro, however my older sis and I had very interesting scenarios planned for the moss head. We must've been high on air or something because my mother said we were both cracking our shit laughing about dropping a piano on Zoro's head when he's laying on the asphalt after telling Luffy that 'your love is music to my ears'.
I swear I don't remember any of that.
I would never drop a piano on Zoro's head.