Chapter Text
As much as he usually knows what Luffy is thinking, Zoro has yet to take a direct peek into the inner workings of his captain's mind. When it comes to fighting or adventuring, they always knew what the other was about to do, not even stopping to ask questions but running ahead at full speed. But blindly trusting each other with your life in a fight is different from knowing why your captain is glaring at you like you just stole his food.
And Zoro is absolutely certain he didn't do that. He'd never eat Luffy's meat (he did it once by mistake, and Luffy hadn't talked to him for a whole week) or do anything else he knows would make him mad, so he simply stares back, his whole body tense as he fights the urge to take a step back. An unpredictable Luffy was bad enough, and Zoro knows better than to deal with him when he's angry on top of that.
“What's wrong?” Zoro eventually asks, unhappy with how hesitant he sounds.
Luffy scrunches up his face even more. “You're too tall for me to kiss you properly!”
Zoro blinks once, twice, but the words don't register properly. He cocks his head to the side and raises an eyebrow at Luffy.
“You can kiss me on the cheek just fine.”
“But that's not proper! I want to kiss you on the lips!”
Zoro's first instinct is to give in to Luffy's whims, like he always does. Fulfilling whatever childish wish his captain shouts into the world is second nature to him. This time, though, he stops himself, watching in silent awe as Luffy's angry expression melts into a pout. His lips look far too kissable with how he juts them forward, puffing up his cheeks in an attempt to make him feel bad. Zoro loves Luffy's pout, loves how adorable he looks when he tries so hard to make him give in.
Instead of giving in, Zoro stands up even straighter and does his best to suppress a chuckle when Luffy's eyes narrow. Luffy knows exactly what he's trying to do, just like Zoro can already tell what he's going to say next.
“Come closer. Captain's order.”
And Zoro does. He closes the remaining distance between them until their chests are touching and he can feel the steady beating of Luffy's heart, always a bit too fast for him to calm down. Their proximity makes it even harder for Luffy to reach him. He cranes his neck back in a desperate attempt to kiss Zoro, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and standing on the tips of his toes, but to no avail.
This time, Zoro can't help but chuckle. “Need some help, Captain?”
Before Luffy has a chance to answer, Zoro wraps his arms around his waist and pulls him up and flush against his chest. At the same time, he's leaning back, his grin widening when Luffy strains his neck to reach his lips. It would be so easy if Luffy only used his powers, but he seems determined to manage on his own.
It's a good thing that Zoro trains his self-control on a daily basis, otherwise he would have given in the moment Luffy's lips brush against his and leant forward to capture them in a kiss. But he holds his ground, testing how far he could go before Luffy resorted to simply asking him for a kiss. He wonders how much longer he can hide his own impatience, when Luffy lets out the most pathetic whine he's ever heard, burying his face in Zoro's neck and mumbling against his neck how unfair he's being.
The thin thread of self-control Zoro has around his captain snaps in an instant. He whispers Luffy's name, gruff and demanding, and instantly dives forward as soon as his captain lifts his head. They knock teeth in their eagerness to keep their lips connected, Luffy giggling into the kiss as he wraps his arms around Zoro's neck to pull him closer.
And Zoro complies easily, lifting Luffy higher in his arms to give him better access to his mouth, because, at the end of the day, all he wants to do is make Luffy happy.