Chapter Text
After getting everything out of the Going Merry, we brought what we could until we got into a guesthouse, since it was empty, we ended up staying there. The crew was silent the whole way there, except for the sniffles. Saying goodbye to one of our crewmates was hard, seeing a fight between the other and his captain was worse.
But Usopp decided so, we can’t do anything. Nami and Chopper didn’t stop crying even after we got there. The navigator cried silently shrunken in one of the beds, Chopper cried loudly sitting on the ground holding his small blue bag. Ero-cook was quietly smoking his cigarette by the window, keeping his posture, without shedding tears, but his counter didn’t hide his sadness and concern. And on top of that, we didn’t know where that woman was. Robin disappeared.
-I’m… going to get some fresh air – we heard Luffy cut the silence, leaving right after saying that.
I looked at the cook, that looked back at me, I got up and went after our captain, in case of an emergency, since we’re in an island surrounded by water.
When I left the room, I couldn’t see any signs of the smaller one in the corridor, I walked in a slow pace to the front of the building and didn’t see anyone walking on the streets, I thought about keep going, but I wasn’t in the mood to move around much.
After a few minutes thinking if I was going to or not, I grumbled and screamed in frustration. I thought about Usopp and the Going Merry, in the adventures we had as a crew, the dangers we went through and everything we did together. He's one of those who's been in the crew the longest, obviously we lived for more time together.
Thinking about those stuff was annoying, the stupidity he did, the decision he made. Leaving the crew wasn’t a joke, after all, he challenged our captain to a duel. We had just found out that we had to say goodbye to our ship, and he do this, on the other hand, I understand his reluctance in leaving Merry, but he had to understand that it wasn’t an easy decision to Luffy too, even being the idiot he was, he’s our captain, he owns the ship we had to abandon. We all had feelings for Merry, especially Luffy.
Also, Usopp knew that when Luffy decides, we must obey him, even if he acts like this sometimes.
“I… could have been a bit rough with Luffy, but I know he understands.”
Although, seeing him so sad like that way was bothersome. “Upstairs will be easy to search for him”. I went back inside the building. My intention was to find the stairs, but it sounded like a hard task. After half an hour, I could find them.
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Opening the roof door the swordsman frowned, even if it was night and it was dark there, he could distinguish Luffy’s shadow, that was sitting at the edge of the roof. Backwards, Zoro couldn’t see his face, but could hear his cry.
Slowly, he walked until a concrete box that had there. Felling someone approaching him, Luffy quickly cleaned his face and turned in the direction of the step sounds.
-Zoro…- said low.
Zoro raised his head and looked at his captain eyes, without saying anything. For a few seconds, Luffy was quiet, so Zoro got up and sited besides his captain, hesitating for a few seconds, pulled him for an awkward side hug. Luffy at first didn’t knew what to do, but soon hugged him back, crying.
The pain that the smaller one was feeling, Zoro could understand, that’s why, didn’t commented anything. He himself felt sad for not being able to do something about it. Usopp was so determinate that it was impossible to change his mind. Besides that… the Going Merry… losing it. Nothing was easy.
-Zoro… the Going Merry… Usopp… Robin – Luffy cried, the more tears, the more the swordsman's heart tightened.
-I know…I know it Luff – Zoro tightened his grip.
After what seemed like an hour pass by, Luffy wasn’t crying anymore, only sniffled sadly. The swordsman was still holding him, and Luffy didn’t seem to want him to drop him, he had just got comfortable in his first mate arms. When his stomach growled as a sign of hunger, the green haired knew he had to move, but the captain didn’t seem to agree, and it worried him, hunger was the thing that made his captain complain the most, but that silence was terrible.
Breaking the hug, Roronoa dropped his captain.
-Ne sencho, let’s eat. Curly brows must have made dinner by now – Zoro got um and more distant from the edge as he waited for Luffy.
Luffy hesitated, but agreed, leaving his daze. They walked to the stairs with Luffy walking slowly to the floor the others were in. As we arrived at the room’s door, Zoro stopped, waiting for Luffy to get in first, but he didn’t immediately, which the swordsman cursed mentally.
Sighing, he held Luffy’s hand and slightly tightened his grip, opened the door and a small push to get Luffy in, dropping his hand in the process. Their crew raised their heads as soon as they entered, Sanji was serving Nami, the red haired had swollen eyes. Chopper was sad looking at his plate.
Sanji looked at Luffy that was with his head down and silently sited on the ground close to the entrance door, the cook was serving two plates, when he finished it, Zoro got them and brought them, handing one to his captain, sitting and supporting his back in the wall. Silently, the crew ate. After everyone finished and kept in silence, Zoro got his plate and his captain’s plate and placed in the small table occupied by Namo, Chopper and Sanji.
Nothing they could say would cheer anyone up. Sanji was the first one to make a move to get out of there, taking the dishes with him. Luffy side eyed Nami and Chopper and his look saddened. Zoro saw his captain moving to the door, leaving again. Sighing, the swordsman got up, before leaving, Sanji got in.
-Our meting point will be here, if we’re not here, we’ll be upstairs – Zoro said to the others, lastly looking at the cook.
When Zoro left the room, Sanji reached him.
-I’ll search for Robin-chan – he said walking downstairs.
He didn’t saw, but Zoro nodded. Going upstairs where he knew Luffy would be, he was surprised as he found the brunette in the middle of the way, the same who walked slowly, step by step. Before he got to the entrance hall, he sited on the stairs, crouched he hid his face on his knees.
Zoro frowned, but sited a few steps after him, his back on the wall and crossing his arms he closed his eyes. After a few hours, Zoro’s back started to complain because of the position, the green haired man opened an eye, looking at Luffy, that was still that he thought he was sleeping. Opening his both eyes and turning to the captain’s direction to check on him, Zoro was surprised that he was sleeping. So, he got up, got downstairs, and went into a corridor and tested the first door that he saw, after making sure it was an empty room he went back to the staircase, got Luffy in his arms, trying not to wake him up he brought him to the room.
After laying him in one of the beds, he dropped Luffy, covered him with a blanket and closed the door. Verifying the brunette was asleep, he got his swords and putted them on the other bed, his bandana from his arm, his shirt, his haramaki and went to the bathroom.
He needed to take a shower and stay alone for a while. Thanking for being a guesthouse with piped water, he filled the ofurô and after taking all his clothes off, he went in and sited, leaning against the side. He closed his eyes and tried to avoid thinking about his problems, but seeing Luffy crying, having to say goodbye to Merry like that, with some of his crewmates missing. It was a long time since he felt like that, losing a nakama, even if it really wasn’t even close to the real sensation of losing someone, where the person dies, but it was close. Zoro almost cried, his heart ached, even if he didn’t show, he was also really sad.
After some time thinking, he decided to not let that feeling control him, so he got up and dried himself, dressed up with the same clothes as before and got out of the shower drying his hair. He got shocked seeing Luffy sited, looking at his back at the other side of the bed.
-Luffy… - Zoro called him quietly – He didn’t know he was up.
Luffy turned his head to him slowly, with a sad face with swollen eyes, the brunette bot up and hugged the green haired, making him shiver and stay still. But soon enough, the smaller one went to the shower, and the swordsman could only sigh. He hated to see Luffy sad, but himself couldn’t do a lot either. He waited ‘till his captain got out, putting his stuff in a desk and laying down with his upper body, leaving his legs loose.
The swordsman started to get worried after a while, he sited again and when he was going to get up, he saw Luffy get out of the bathroom, walking slowly. He looked at his captain walk to his bed where he was laid before, sitting, and then laying down, without saying a word he left his hat besides him. The green haired understood him and went back to lay down, this time, removing his shoes and moving to be completely laid in the bed. Closed his eyes and waited for the sleepiness to dominate him.
After a few minutes, he heard Luffy’s muffled cry again. He furrowed his brows, in some way he understood him, but it was annoying at the same time, he knew Luffy was right, Luffy himself knew this, even so, he suffered by that decision. Some time later, Zoro wasn’t supporting it anymore, so he got up and sited on the ground, besides Luffy’s bed, thinking about a way to calm the brunette down. With fear, he putted his hand on the younger’s hair and petted, waiting that it would comfort him in some way, but was surprised when Luffy really stopped crying, even calming the swordsman heart.
Some time passed and Zoro believed Luffy was already asleep, getting up, he was going to his own bed when he feels his wrist being hold, confused, he looks at Luffy that had his back on him.
-Lay with me… - he hears the silent request from his captain – Only… for today.
The way that the brunette asked broke Zoro, incapable to deny it, he nodded, even without Luffy seeing it, he laid, settling in how he could by his side, because the bed was small, both could only fit if they had their bodies turned, and since Luffy still held his pulse, Zoro turned to his side, hugging him.
Luffy couldn’t see him, but Zoro was red, only when he hugged Luffy, ne noticed that nor him nor Luffy were using a shirt, making their skin touch, letting the swordsman even redder and hot. “It’s not the time to think about this now” he mentalized, trying not to show how much he was being affected by that. Since it was cold, Luffy pulled Zoro’s arm, making their bodies really glue to each other. Moments later, Zoro only calmed down when he heard a snore coming from Luffy and then he could close his eyes and try to relax too.