A/N: ZareEraz here! Here's another update! Happy Reading! :3

(Updated October 2024)

Chapter 10: Worried Sick

"You're stupid, Zoro," Luffy grumbled, glaring at his first mate from his hammock as it swung from side to side with the waves. Zoro was resting on the couch in the boys' room below decks as Luffy glared at him. Well, he was mostly glaring at the bandages around both of the swordsman's ankles and brooding over it. He'd been staring at them ever since Zoro had had to bandage up his own legs after Little Garden and Luffy's displeasure had only been barely hidden behind his trademark smile.

After they'd been saved from the giant goldfish by Dorry and Brogy, and shortly after Little Garden was out of sight, Zoro had limped to the storage room to bandage the cuts on his ankles. Seeing his first mate injured was quite a common sight at this point, but something felt really off about these new wounds. When Luffy had asked what the hell had happened, Zoro had told him that he'd tried to cut his legs off to get out of Mr. 3's Candle Service, earning himself a shocked look and a fierce glare that flashed so quickly on Luffy's face that Zoro could've almost sworn that he'd imagined them. Luffy, being Luffy, put on a show for his crew, acting like his usual self: running around, singing and dancing with Usopp, and stuffing his face with Sanji's tarts.

Shortly after, Nami had fallen ill and her sickness had come to the forefront of everyone's minds. Everyone was worried about her, what they could do, and how they would find a doctor. The crew was now taking longer shifts at the helm since they were one person down, and their worries only seemed to grow with each passing hour. The captain of the Going Merry made sure that Nami was resting with Vivi looking after her, and occasionally peeked into the lounge to check on Sanji at the helm. Usopp was up in the crow's nest, doing his best to navigate and even though he was no Nami, he seemed to be doing fine when Luffy had last checked on him. Now that the young man had a moment, he cheerily opened the hatch by the mast and climbed down into the boys' room. His smile slipped off his face once the hatch closed. But then a noise came from across the room and he quickly learned that he wasn't alone.

Zoro had been working out at the back of the ship up until a little while ago. He had to stop at 800 reps when the pain in his ankles became unbearable and took a quick shower afterward before heading below deck. He was due to take over for Sanji at the helm in a few hours and wanted to get some sleep first. Having changed into fresh clothes and bandages, the swordsman had tried to climb up into his hammock, but the stabs of agony in his legs (and from the completely ridiculous workout) forced him to resign himself to the couch. In its defense, it was a very comfy couch but it was way too small for the man's tall frame. He'd been trying to contort himself into a comfortable position on the couch when Luffy came in. Luffy had hopped into his hammock and his sour mood permeated the atmosphere. That brought them both to now, with Luffy eyeing the new bandages and Zoro trying to take a nap and failing as Luffy's mood began concerning him.

"You always call me stupid," the swordsman sighed, trying to get comfortable again. Just when he'd gotten his neck and shoulders in a good position, his legs were at an odd angle. When he moved to get them in the right spot, the armrest was being dug into his back - it was seriously impossible. He closed his eyes with a sigh and made peace with the fact that he'd have a sore neck in a few hours.

"But this time I mean it. You're stupid," Luffy sulked, rolling over to turn his back to the green-haired man. Zoro cracked his eyes open and watched his captain, trying to figure out the weird mood he was in. It wasn't like Luffy to be this grumpy. Sure, he got mad and he sulked, but this was different, Zoro could tell. Especially after fifteen minutes, which was around the time when the rubber man would usually begin chattering up a storm no matter how bad of a mood he was in.

"Luffy, what's wrong?" Zoro needed to get to the bottom of this. He hated seeing his friend this upset.

"Nothing." The rubber man refused to explain if Zoro didn't already get it. He was so stupid sometimes!

"Luffy, don't be such an ass and just tell me what's-" Zoro started to stand up, placing his aching legs on the floor of the ship when a straw-hatted mass flew into him from the air and knocked him back onto the couch.

"Don't get up!" Luffy snapped, smacking his hands on Zoro's chest and pushing him down into the cushions. He planted his butt on the swordsman's abs, pinning him in place.

"What the-!?"

"Stay down!" Luffy ordered, fisting his hands into the fabric of Zoro's shirt. "Just…don't get up." Luffy's voice broke and he stopped talking, tipping his head down so that his hat hid his face. He couldn't stop his hands from shaking. Why am I so upset? This was different from all the other times Zoro had gotten hurt, except for his confrontation with Mihawk, but why was it different?

"Luffy! What the hell is wrong?!" Zoro asked, trying to push his way back up, but ultimately being stopped by the rubber man's weight and force. They were deadlocked for a few minutes, Zoro's monster strength pinned down by Luffy's until he stopped resisting, noticing that the rubber man's hands were trembling.

"Luffy, what is it?" Zoro asked again, softer this time. "You can tell me." He almost reached up to hug the smaller man, but decided against it, even if he wanted to do it. He honestly didn't know how Luffy would react, and though he wouldn't admit it, he was scared that the reaction would be negative.

"Why didn't you wait for me?" Luffy whispered, his face still hidden by his hat.

"Huh?" the swordsman breathed, watching the top of his captain's head.

"Why didn't you wait for me to come?!" Luffy's head snapped up, tears welling up in his eyes. "Why did you do something so stupid? You could've died if you'd actually succeeded in cutting your feet off! Why did you do it? Did you think that I had lost? That I wasn't coming? Did you think that I wouldn't come to help you?" A few tears slipped down Luffy's face as he spoke, his hurt and worry on the inside finally given physical form. Faced with the unexpected emotion, all Zoro could think to do was sit up and grab Luffy, pulling him into his arms, his hat falling off in the process. To hell with his fears.

"No, I knew you'd come," he whispered back, holding the rubber man close to him.

"Then…" Luffy sniffed, trying to hold back his tears. "Why?"

"Because I wanted to beat the crap out of them first."

"By hurting yourself?" Luffy asked, timidly wrapping his arms around Zoro's body. "How would you have walked? How could you have lived after losing so much blood? Nami was right, you are insane." Luffy sniffed, trying to keep from crying any more than he already was. "And now she's sick and we have no doctor. She needs to get better and we're all worried about her and Vivi is the most, I think, but she's also worried about her home which makes everyone else worry. I can't have anybody doing any more stupid things."

"You're one to talk," Zoro interrupted, finally feeling the weight of everything that Luffy had been keeping hidden. He was worried about Nami, trying to keep a brave face on and be his usual goofy self to help everyone stay at least a little cheerful or irritated at him, to keep them distracted from despair as best he could. He was worried about Vivi and her home and the war because Vivi was a passenger on their ship and she was their friend. And he was worried about Zoro too, after his stunt. He was carrying so much on his shoulders, just like a captain should, but Zoro wanted to be one less thing that Luffy had to worry about, especially after his captain had shown such vulnerability to him.

"What did you say?" Some of Luffy's irritation was coming back and he tried to pull himself from Zoro's arms, but the swordsman didn't let him go.

"You do the same stupid things that I do. Even if I told you to stop being impulsive you wouldn't. Same with me. When it comes down to it, I'm going to do what I have to do and you're going to do the same thing."

"That doesn't mean you should cut your own legs off! I was coming to get you guys! Did you really think that I had been defeated?! That's mean, Zoro!" Luffy started hitting Zoro's back with his fists, but lightly so that he didn't hurt the injured man anymore.

"No! I didn't." Zoro's arms tightened around Luffy. "I just wanted to kick their asses and get over to you." Luffy stopped hitting him, his hands falling limp. "I just…wanted to be with you." Zoro blushed, hoping that Luffy was too dense to notice any underlying double meaning.

"Okay," Luffy sniffed, "I don't really get it, but I want you to be with me, Zoro. I want to be with you and Nami and Sanji and Usopp and Vivi and Carue. You're my friends and I don't want you to die, so don't die."

"I can't promise that," the swordsman said, leaning back onto the couch to sleep like he'd been trying to do before Luffy got all grumpy, taking the other man with him. And suddenly, the couch was comfortable, however, the hell that happened.

Luffy chuckled into his chest, some of his stress drifting away in the swordsman's warm embrace. "I can't promise that either, I guess." He rested his head on Zoro's broad chest, suddenly tired and very comfy. "Just don't die doing stupid things."

"Okay. Whatever you say, captain." Zoro let his eyes drift shut, the pain in his legs fading a little as Luffy's body relaxed on top of his. "Just rest for now and worry later." But Luffy didn't hear him; he was already asleep, having found a new favorite place to take a nap.

To be Continued...

A/N: And there you go! We're slowly making our way along, so hang in there a bit! See you all later! :3