(Hey guys, so I’ve not been working on prompts recently so this is the last one I have - there will be more eventually, but I’ve been obsessed with a couple larger projects so I don’t know how long it’ll take. Thanks!)
“Zoro!”
Zoro cracks his eyes open, sighting his captain on his special seat, twisting his head around unnaturally far to look at him. Sighing, Zoro forces himself up and walks towards Luffy – he knows when Luffy wants to talk to him.
“What’s up, Luffy?”
Luffy laughs, pointing out at the horizon. “Look! It’s so pretty!” He says, utterly delighted, and Zoro relaxes, the corners of his lips turning up as he turns his eyes towards the horizon.
It’s twilight, and the sky is utterly filled with color, reds and oranges and purples and blues all creating a gorgeous display, reflecting off the waves and dazzling them with their beauty. Zoro’s never really taken the time to appreciate the sunset – training is more important, after all, and after dinner is one of his favorite times to do so (even if he was planning on using that time to nap today), but he’s glad Luffy called his attention to this.
It really is beautiful.
Luffy laughs, turning back to the horizon and leaning forward excitedly, and something in Zoro just relaxes at the bright, happy, familiarlaugh.
(He’d been without it for far too long.
It’s nice to hear it again.)
“What’re you guys doing?”
Nami comes up alongside them, but doesn’t await an answer, instead leaning against the railing on the other side of Zoro, small smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she watches the sunset.
“You really have to ask?” Zoro snarks anyway, because messing with Nami is fun, and Nami huffs, elbowing him in the side.
Luffy laughs, then, and says, “Come sit with me!”
Zoro begins climbing, unquestioning, while Nami blinks in seeming confusion beside him. She says, “Isn’t that your special seat?”
“Yeah! So come up here!”
Zoro snorts at the rapid flickering of emotions across her face before she settles on resigned acceptance (with a small, pleased smile for good measure) as he finishes climbing, settling on his captain’s right side. Nami sighs, then, climbing up with ease and plopping down on the other side of Luffy.
“Shishishishi!”
Luffy wraps an arm around each of their shoulders, bringing them closer with a laugh. Zoro grins, then, snickering at Nami’s exasperated scolding of Luffy for, “…surprised me! We could’ve fallen off!”
A slight blush and pleased smile have creeped onto her cheeks though, happiness shining through at her captain’s attention.
(It had been a long two years, without Zoro’s family by his side. He’d had a purpose, sure, and knew everyone was (relatively) safe, but it was still lonely.
He’d gone a long time without having his captain at his side.
Never again.)
“Hey, remember when we met?” Luffy asks, completely out of the blue. Zoro snorts.
“You mean when you came up to me when I was locked up, made fun of me, and then blackmailed me to get me to join you?”
Nami turns her head and cocks an eyebrow at them as Luffy bursts out into laughter. “You mean to tell me that Luffy – our dumbass, can’t-lie-to-save-his-life captain – blackmailed you?”
“Well, when you say it like that, it sounds a lot worse,” Zoro mutters, looking off to the side. Nami snickers, reaching across Luffy and nudging Zoro in the side teasingly. Zoro then levels a look on Nami, saying flatly, “At least I didn’t decide leaving the crew, ‘to protect us’-” Zoro adds in air-quotes, “-was a good idea.”
“Hey! Wait- That’s-”
Nami cuts herself off and flushes, bowing her head slightly, and Zoro smirks. “It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Nami finally decides on, and Zoro snorts at the utterly unsuccessful attempt at defending herself.
Victory.
Luffy laughs brightly, wrapping an arm around each of them. “I’m glad those things happened, though!” Nami and Zoro both raise their eyebrows at their captain, who continues, beaming, “I like having you in my crew just the way you are!”
Well-
That’s-
Namiblushes, turning her head away from their beaming captain while Zoro sighs fondly, pushing Luffy’s hat down over his eyes and saying, “Aye, Captain.” Luffy laughs as if he didn’t just complement them like it’s the easiest thing in the world.
(Seriously,whydoes this still surprise him sometimes? Luffy’s always been like this.
Giving praise joyfully; giving love freely; giving hope with ease.
His captain, always happy and joyful, sharing his freedom with those he loves.
How lucky he was, to find this captain of his.)
Luffy’s laughs soften, just a bit, and Zoro side-eyes him, watching his beaming smile soften into something more gentle, more private. He says, quiet, “I’m glad we’re back together again. I missed you guys.”
Nami shakes her head, smiling fondly and leaning her head on Luffy’s shoulder, throwing one of arms around his waist. She says, “We missed you too, captain.”
(There’s no mention of the loss that still swallows their captain whole sometimes, no mention of the scar that paints his chest red and that he grips at any mention of his brother’s killer; no mention of the war that had almost killed him.
Almosttaken him from them.
All that’s there is love, and joy, and pure happiness at being together again.)
Zoro, never having been one for words, simply leans just a little bit closer to his captain, nudges an arm against Nami’s, resting near his waist, and they sit, quiet and content.
They stay, simply happy sitting next to each other and watching the sunset again together (being together) for the first time in two years.
“Your elbow’s sharp, get it awayso I that can sleep-”
Zoro sighs frustratedly but obligingly shifts so that his elbow is no longer stabbing Sanji in the side (though he casually leans his leg up against Sanji’s – an annoying weight that he knowsdrives the cook mad). Sanji responds with a kick to the ankle, but otherwise leaves it be. Zoro grins.
Victory.
These “cuddle-piles,” as Luffy insists on calling them, have been a traditional part of their nighttime routines ever since Nami, shoulder freshly bandaged and eyes bright, had asked if they could spend the night together. One thing had led to another, and, well-
“Luffy, I swear to god, if you don’t stop drooling on my shoulder, I’m going to bite you.”
Luffy, oblivious to his impending doom, continues snoring (and drooling), on Nami’s shoulder. Nami, disappointingly (to Zoro, at least, Luffy probably would appreciate it), does not bite Luffy, instead sighing exasperatedly and shoving him off.
(She lowers him gently to the blanket beside her, though, and lays her head on his chest once he’s settled in Brook’s lap, which really belies the whole annoyance factor.)
Of course, Zoro’s really not any better, but at least he’s not afraid to admit it. Chopper is snoozing against his side, head nestled in the hallow of Zoro’s neck, and Zoro absentmindedly strokes along his back, lulling him to sleep.
(He ignores the subtle weight against his back, the subtle movment of Sanji’s ribs breathing reassuring against Zoro’s spine.)
Brook, of course, plays a lullaby from where he leans against Jinbe’s side, Luffy’s head pillowed in his lap and Nami’s feet tangled with his. The younger members of the crew had been listening intently, bright smiles on their faces, before exhaustion overtook them and they fell asleep, leaning against one crewmate or another.
Zoro quickly scans around, eyes catching on Usopp, Robin, and Franky, right next to him. The younger’s head is pillowed on Franky’s shoulder – one of the only parts of him that is relatively soft. Robin’s by Usopp’s hip, head rested on Usopp’s stomach and hand thrown carelessly over Zoro’s leg.
All in all, they’re a hopeless tangle of limbs and affection, and Zoro wouldn’t have it any other way.
He closes his eyes, Brook’s soothing strumming and Chopper’s soft breathing lulling him to a gentle sleep, surrounded by the love and care of his crewmates.
No,Zoro corrects with his last moments of consciousness.
