A Smile So Contagious | Zolu

12, I've Missed You!

Ophelia - The Lumineers (Zoro and Luffy meeting after two years)

Luffy and the crew went in the newly coated boat which now had a new bubble around the boat. "Everybody, let's set sail!" Luffy yelled, everybody shouted "Yes, captain" in unison as they unfurled the sails and took off before the marines could catch up to them. Luffy stared at everyone and they all started laughing together, they were all finally back together after two long years. The most excited was, of course, Zoro. "Luffy!" Zoro yelled, Luffy turned back to Zoro and Zoro swooped Luffy off of his feet and started spinning him around. "Zoro! I missed you!" Luffy yelped as Zoro slowly buried his face into Luffy's chest.

"The lover boys are back!" Franky jokingly yelled, since, they weren't even aware of their romantic feelings yet— Franky hyped them both as they hugged. Zoro put Luffy down on his feet and hugged him tightly, Zoro seemed to be taking in Luffy's existence and scent. "We guys'll leave you two alone for now..." Brook muttered as he invited everyone to the aquarium room so that he could play his new songs for them there. "Zoro, you okay?" Luffy asked, he seemed to notice that Zoro was awfully quiet at these times, most of the time, he would say something already. "Uh-huh," Zoro muttered at him.

"I missed you..." Zoro mumbled, he put his head on Luffy's shoulder and Luffy stumbled down, suddenly sitting on the boat's floor. "So, Zoro! What'd you do these past two years?" Luffy finally asked, Zoro sat beside Luffy as he wrapped his arm around Luffy's waist, "Oh, you wouldn't guess who I trained with," Zoro said. "Tell me, tell me!" Luffy nudged Zoro in suspense, as "Mihawk." Luffy's jaw instantly dropped. "You're so joking," Luffy kind of froze, I mean, Zoro basically swore that he would kill Mihawk in order to get the greatest swordsman title. How time changes you, Luffy jokingly thought.

"I'm sure you trained with someone even more surprising," Zoro said as Luffy started poking the bubble coat the boat had, "Ehh, you know, just Rayleigh." Luffy said as if it was nothing. "Dude, that's Gol D. Roger's first mate." Zoro said, Luffy just shrugged it off and noticed a few leaves that fell onto the boat before the coating started. He grabbed some and put it on the top of Zoro's head, while Luffy was trying so hard to make it stay on his hair, Zoro was looking straight a him. At this point, Zoro can't even look away from Luffy and not adore him for one second. "Oh, by the way! I heard that you were the first one to arrive at the island. How was that with your bad sense of direction?"

"Hey, I don't have that much of a bad sense of direction," Zoro defended, but in all honesty, that was obviously the biggest lie he's ever said, Luffy thought. "I...just wanted to see you earlier." He admitted as he avoided Luffy's gaze, Luffy giggled. "Oh, that's why! Did Mihawk give you hell, that's why you rushed?" Luffy asked, "Yeah, but mostly because I just wanted to see you guys again." Zoro replied. "What kind of training did you do?" Luffy asked, "Oh, just the normal. Right after I got out of that stupid bubble and landed at Mihawk's castle, I fought some strange monkeys which were mad strong," he said.

"They could imitate people that came across that island, that's why they were so strong. Mihawk made me defeat them before I could train under him. Well, I already did anyway. So yeah, kinda some hardcore training." Luffy mouth gaped. Zoro's been through a lot, Luffy thought, he was kind of set aback that Zoro started training again right after Sabaody since he was already so injured the last time they saw each other. "You?" Zoro asked, "Oh, okay, so, there were these huge animals in the forest I was in, right?" Luffy was really excited to tell his training story. "I had to fight them while I was wearing a blindfold. It was for my haki, I also trained my gears there and stuff." He said. "That's cool. Heard 'ya even met the infamous Warlord...what's her name?"

"Oh! I think her name was Hammock or something like that." Luffy said. Zoro let out a laugh and cleared his throat, "Yeah, doesn't she have some sort of crush on you or something?" Zoro asked. "Err...I dunno? I never noticed," Zoro knew Luffy really didn't know so he shrugged it off. He was a bit jealous since it was obvious that the Warlord was interested in Luffy, but Luffy didn't seem to have any interest in her, so it was okay to him. If he met that Warlord...well, he would let his feelings do the talking.

Now that Zoro looked at Luffy longer...he noticed that Luffy looked somehow even more beautiful. "So you just trained? That it?" Zoro asked, "Yeah, why? Wait—is there something on my face?" Luffy asked. "No, nevermind." He said, he examined Luffy even more and noticed that his skin was...better. I guess aging like fine wine is real, Zoro thought. Well, not like Luffy looked like he was aging at all.

"You guys! Lunch is ready!" Nami yelled at both Luffy and Zoro as they sat down on the floor of the boat. Luffy excitedly stood up and grabbed Zoro's hand, "Let's hurry, Zoro!" He ecstatically yelled. When they arrived at the dining table, Luffy immediately grabbed ahold of a huge chunk of meat and instantly ate in one bite as if there wasn't any bones on that thing.

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Once they finished eating, Luffy sighed as he was stuffed, "That was good!" He exclaimed. Zoro was in the lookout tower of the Sunny and without getting told that he was there, Luffy just knew that already. Luffy stretched his arm to the lookout tower so that he didn't have to climb up the ladder. The night creeped up on them, the sky was dark but it was also bright since it was covered with stars. Zoro was in a daze before Luffy plopped beside him.

"You sleepy?" Luffy asked, Zoro grunted as he shook his head and crossed his arms, "I can lend you my lap if you are—" suddenly, Zoro's head was on Luffy's lap. Luffy chuckled as he massaged Zoro's head by playing with his hair soothingly, "I thought you weren't sleepy?" Luffy said. "Suddenly I am." Zoro said, Zoro closed his eyes as Luffy played with his hair. Zoro really missed Luffy, he missed being with him, touching him, talking to him, seeing him, everything. He was far away from Luffy way too long.

His heart was burning for him, all of his actions were for him. It's as if living was also for him.

"If you are unable to bear being far away from them, you should not be apart and stay together."