Pink and Gold Skies

My Not-Hero

It was around thirty minutes before sunset when Koby and Luffy stopped dancing.
They'd come to a halt on the side, panting. The ball had been filled with cheers as other pairs swirled and whirled around them, because they had somehow became the main attraction. Koby's face was flushed and he was out of breath, but he was laughing and dizzily clutching Luffy's shoulder for support. Luffy was also smiling, stuffing his face with meat Nami and Zoro had brought them as they sat down.
"You guys are surprisingly good at dancing." Nami grinned, a knowing glint in her eye that made Koby stiffen and blush.
"Yeah, I didn't even know Luffy could dance like that. You must be a pretty good teacher, Koby." Zoro complimented, downing what had to be at least his sixth bottle of sake.
"I- I didn't really teach him much. He's really great.." Koby trailed off, gazing fondly at the man who was shoving his cheeks with something called "monkey bread" in a way that was somehow similar to a chipmunk.
Nami raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"A-at dancing! He's really great at dancing!" Koby stuttered, and then frantically grabbed the first drink offered to him and threw it back, desperately trying to find an excuse to not talk.
He grimaced at the strong taste, and realized it was definitely a type of strong spirits.
"Shi- shoot." Koby sighed and placed it on the table. He had a remarkably low tolerance for alcohol, and it made him even more of a sensitive crybaby when he drank. Last time he drank, he ended up vomiting off the side of the ship and curled up crying on Helmeppo's shoulder.
To this day, he still got teased about that.
"What's wrong?" Zoro said, and leaned forward.
"I just have a pretty low tolerance with alcohol. It really messes me up." Koby shook his head, already feeling foggy.
"Hah. Weak." Zoro snickered and sat back. "Offer this one the right amount of Beli, she'll drink the whole damn bar out!" The swordsman threw his head back and laughed.
"KMbY! HgMFodo!"
Before he knew what was happening, he was being dragged up by a hungry Luffy.
Koby stumbled, and suddenly felt somebody grab his waist as he was separated his friend. Fright filled him.
"My, my. Your a cutie. How about you come back home with us?" A group of girls had grabbed him, and several started groping on his arms as he froze.
"I-Im s-sorry, but I- I.. I need to get back to my friend.. I-I really don't.. I cant-" Koby panicked, unable to speak as the ring-leader frowned.
"So what? I offered you to come sleep with me. You should jump at the chance." She snapped, grabbing the collar of the marine.
"But- I.. I dont like girls! Im sorry!" Koby just wanted to get back to Luffy, and he hated how dizzy and sick to his stomach felt. He hated how he couldn't speak, and how he wanted Luffy to come and swoop out of nowhere to save him. It was just a group of drunk girls, and Koby would never harm civilians, but he was also very messed up and on the verge of tears.
She snarled, and shoved him against a wall as the others closed in. "Really? We've got a gay boy on our hands! I say we teach a lesson to this faggo-"
Suddenly, the woman was flying onto the floor, and Koby couldn't stop his tears from falling out as Luffy hovered over her with a furious expression.
"Shut up! There's nothing wrong with a guy liking a guy! You need to leave Koby alone, or else I'll beat your asses!" He shouted at them, and the group recoiled as the man walked over to Koby.
"Still a crybaby? Are you oka-" Luffy stopped short as Koby wrapped himself around the shorter man, weeping silently into his shoulder.
"Th-" Hic! "Thank you, Luf-Luffy-san.."
"Yeah, yeah. I've got your back, always! Those girls should'nta come for Koby like that!" He shot a scowl at them, who quickly grabbed their friend and ran off into the crowd.
Luffy extracted himself from the weeping Koby, and looked at him in concern. "Stop crying. Its okay." Grabbing his hand, Luffy led him outside. They walked to the cliff they'd seen earlier in the day and sat near the edge together as the pinkette  pulled himself together.
"I'm sorry.. I just- I.." Koby's voice died in his throat, and after a minute of quiet thinking, he sighed and closed his eyes.
"Shut up. Stop apologizing!" Luffy frowned at him, poking his shoulder as Koby let out a strangled hiccup.
"Im sorr-"
"I LITERALLY JUST SAID STOP APOLOGIZING!"
Koby laughed a little, and lifted his mask to drag a sleeve across his eyes. After a moment of silence, Luffy randomly reached up and patted Koby's head like a dog.
"Wh-"
"Ooh! Look at the sunset!" Luffy leaned forward, and pointed at the horizon.
The sky was painted with beautiful shades of peach, red, lilac and lavender. Veins of blue still hid in the sky behind the sun as Koby and Luffy watched it set. Exhausted from the day, Koby leaned against Luffy and closed his eyes for a while.
"I really like you." He slurred quietly, slipping into Luffy's lap as he fell asleep.
"You- What?" Luffy stared at him with wide eyes, but Koby was passed out, already snoring.

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It was around midnight when Brook finally found the two on the cliff.
"THESE IDIOTS! I WAS OVER HERE TEARING MY HAIR OUT IN WORRY, AND THEYRE OVER HERE TAKING NAPS?!" Nami shrieked, stomping through the beach to the Sunny.
Zoro was carrying Luffy, and Franky held Koby on his back. The two of them had been dead asleep in a pile, snoring, when they had finally been located.
While the crew climbed onto the Sunny, Franky and Zoro slid Koby and Luffy into their hammocks before they changed. Robin took first watch, and everyone else relaxed in their beds, drifting asleep.
Koby was quietly asleep, dreaming of a certain person outlined behind a fiery sky holding Koby so close.

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I feel alot better, after lots of music, naps, and a girls-day with my friends! If its not too much, I'd absolutely love it if you guys could share some random One Piece ships in the comments, as I think i might make a sort of modern-au dating show book inspired very heavily of "strings, entangled" by @SeekerSky143 on AO3! Also, im writing a KNY (demon slayer) genmui short story for my best friend. Enjoy!