A/N: ZareEraz here! I've got another update for you! Please read and let me know what you think! Enjoy! :3

(Updated October 2024)

Chapter 11: Cold Comfort

Snow fell from the sky, some still pink from Hiriluk's powder as Drum Island fell to the horizon behind the Going Merry. It was late, all the partying over with and the ship was quiet for the moment as Zoro kept watch outside. He huddled into himself, the cold atmosphere of the Winter Island trailing its grip across the sea even this far out. The swordsman shivered in his stolen coat as he sat outside the kitchen, listening to the waves of the ocean and the snoring of his crewmates just inside the door. The almost stillness of the night clashed with the ringing in his head, the loud party and carousing into all hours of the night echoing in his ears as the moon rose higher in the sky – Usopp laughing and telling lies like he always did, Sanji throwing around insults at the swordsman and cooing over the girls, Nami and Chopper giggling at everyone, and Vivi quietly laughing while Carue shivered. Luffy's boisterous laughing was echoing the most in his ears, comforting in the quiet, except Luffy had been an ass when he cheered on the damn cook instead of him when another fight had broken out. The man sneezed, the cold turning his nose even redder than it already was, and he grumbled about drawing the short straw for watch duty. He really should be sleeping off his night of drinking, but Nami wouldn't allow it after he'd been assigned to watch until morning. It was cruel really: he was out here standing in the cold while everyone else got to sleep in the warm cabin, all piled on each other haphazardly in the after-party manner. Well, almost everyone was sleeping it seemed.

"Are you cold?" a voice asked. Zoro looked around and found Luffy squatting next to him, still wearing Nami's torn coat that was missing the right sleeve.

"Duh, I'm cold," the swordsman replied, crossing his arms to try and hold in more heat. "Aren't you? You're wearing shorts and your coat's missing a sleeve." Luffy sat there for a minute, thinking about what Zoro had said, and then threw his arms around himself, shivering.

"Cold…!"

Zoro rolled his eyes, remembering that Sanji had complained that Luffy had kept doing that on Drum Island when he'd forget that it was winter. That was the reason that Luffy had ended up with Nami's coat in the first place since he'd lost his somewhere along the way.

"You idiot," the swordsman sighed, watching the rubber man shiver. But Luffy didn't go inside, he just kept squatting on the deck and didn't say anything. So, Zoro said something. "Why don't you go inside and sleep? It's warmer in there."

"I'm not sleepy. And you're out here all alone. And it's cold." Luffy's teeth began chattering and it would've been almost comical if the swordsman hadn't been so worried about his captain's health.

Zoro rolled his eyes. "That's why I'm saying that you should go inside."

"Then you come inside too," Luffy suggested, reaching out and pulling on the swordsman's sleeve.

"I'm on watch. I can't go inside until morning. That's what 'keeping watch' means."

"But you fall asleep on watch all the time, so what does it matter?" Luffy laughed quietly at the look Zoro gave him and then sneezed, the cold weather turning his exposed arm a little red. Zoro stared at his captain's bare skin and sighed, standing up and unbuttoning his coat. "What are you doing?"

"Come here. You'll freeze to death." Zoro grabbed the rubber man's wrist, spun him around, and pulled him into his chest, back to front. Once in place, he closed his coat around them both and did his best to button it up again. What area of Luffy's skin wasn't covered sent shivers up the swordsman's body when they touched, but it warmed up quickly near his own body heat.

"It's warm! Shishishi!" Luffy said loudly, laughing and snuggling into his new heater.

"Shh! Idiot," Zoro huffed quietly. "Don't wake everyone up."

"Oh, that's right!" Luffy replied, much more quietly this time.

"We're sitting," Zoro whispered as he leaned against the wall and slid down, Luffy following and plopping down in his lap, their legs parallel to each other. The rubber man's head fit perfectly under Zoro's chin, but his hat was in the way, pressing against his throat uncomfortably. The green-haired man reached up and took the hat off (with a little protesting from Luffy) and tucked it in the triangle of space between his back and the wall. Luffy settled back into Zoro's chest, once he knew his hat was safe and that the swordsman wouldn't let anything happen to it. Zoro tucked Luffy's head under his chin again and watched the sea in front of them while wrapping his arms around his captain a little tighter.

"Comfy?"

"Yeah!" Luffy whispered back excitedly. "You? Are you still cold?"

"No, I'm good now." Zoro blushed, feeling the other man relax completely into his arms, his head falling to the right heavily.

"Thanks, Zoro. Mmm…night," he sighed.

Zoro chuckled and smiled softly. "I thought you said you weren't tired."

"I am now. Zoro's comfy and warm…" And with that, Luffy fell asleep in Zoro's arms. The swordsman chuckled again at his idiot captain and watched the snow fall for a little while.

But soon, Zoro was also feeling sleepy, and having his own little heater in his arms didn't help him stay awake. He fell asleep shortly before dawn, but Nami wasn't too mad at him for neglecting his duties when she woke up and saw him snoozing outside – it definitely had something to do with how happy her captain looked all bundled up in the idiot's coat with his arms around him. It was just too cute to mess up. So, instead of knocking the slacking watchman silly with her iron fists, the navigator gently prodded the rest of the crew awake to show them the couple and then they giggled about it quietly until breakfast was ready. Once breakfast was ready, Luffy would wake up howling for food and everything would go back to normal, so they let the pair have their little moment of peace as the snow slowly faded from the sea.

To be Continued...

A/N: And there you go! And I'm sorry to say that we've caught up to where HeartQueenVivaldi and I are in watching One Piece. I'll update as soon as I can when we finish story arcs so until then, I'll be seeing you all later! :3 Be sure to come back and visit!