A Smile So Contagious | Zolu

16, Bounded for Eternity!

love. - wave to earth

I'm not the type of guy to wimp out in a fight or wimp out in anything at all, so why am I getting cold feet now? After our last adventure and defeating some little shitheads, I bought rings for me and Luffy. I was thinking that I wasn't gonna propose or anything, just some promise rings or just matching rings, but...now I don't know if I should even give them. Because, matching rings? Too weird to me...

Does Luffy even want to wear any jewelry on his hands? He's not the type of guy to wear rings, necklaces, or whatever. And he uses his fists to fight, too. I don't want him to remove it, but I guess he has to when he fights...unless he doesn't want to. Well, the ring I bought was real expensive because it was made with a certain 'typa material so it wouldn't break whatsoever, but it's Luffy. He's real strong, so it might break still.

I'm not even the type of guy to make gestures like this either, but Luffy changed something in me. "Zoro! Whatcha doing?" The ring box I was holding in my hand almost fell out when I hurriedly hid it from Luffy. "Nothing, why?" I quickly replied, "...What were you holding?" He noticed it. "Holding what? I wasn't holding anything," I lied, and it's very hard to lie to Luffy. "Uh-huh? Okay. Anyways! See that island over there?" He hopped on the Thousand Sunny's head and pointed to an nearing close to us.

"Yeah? What about it?" I stood up from the floor and stood on top of the hand railings to get a better look on the island. Luffy glanced at me with an excited look, "Nami told me there's gonna be some really nice food there! Then, there's gonna be real nice places to visit, so, we should go to all of them!" He said with an huge grin on his face. Nami's really helping me out right now. I'll just casually give the rings to him while we visit those 'nice' places. How hard will giving a ring be?

Once we arrived on the island, Luffy instantly grabbed my hand and made us both jump off of the Sunny. "We'll go first! 'See ya, guys!" He yelled, we were running through the crowds as he quickly made his way to a food stall already. Luffy started to munch on everything on the food stall without asking for them, and without paying for them either. Didn't matter anyway. Now that I looked around, why was everything so lovey-dovey?

Every single piece of decorations were hearts or a bow and arrow shooting some hearts, and the surroundings were all pink, red, and white. This seemed to be a really romantic island...was Nami doing this on purpose? I told her about what I was gonna give to Luffy and she started tweaking out honestly, but then she told me to 'leave it all to her' as she'll help me in some way. A shiver went down my spine when someone tapped my shoulder. I grabbed my sword and when I looked back, it was just Nami. Speak of the devil.

She leaned in on my ear, "Follow where Luffy's headed. I told him where he should go. Give it there." She whispered, before she left, she giggled and headed back to the others. I saw from a distance that the whole crew was giggling, she definitely told everyone about it. "Hey, Luffy. Where you headed?" I asked, "Nami said that some place was nice so we're going to it...Oh, there it is!" He pointed at a botanical garden. It was a real big one as well, and it seemed like there were no people inside it either. When we entered the humungous looking entrance door, I glanced at Luffy and his eyes looked like it was sparkling.

"You like it?" I asked, "Yeah! It's really cool! There's a big person made out of flowers, look!" He rushed towards it and once he was in front of it, he looked back and smiled at me. Luffy surrounded in sunflowers and roses and other kinds of flowers and plants I don't know, it was perfect. I will never forget this moment. How can someone look as if they were glowing brighter than the sun? This is the moment, I thought.

As Luffy started playing, touching, and poking the different kinds of flowers, I pulled out a small box which had our two rings inside and gulped. I don't even know what to say yet, what do I say it is? A promise ring or an engagement ring? Or just simple matching rings? Luffy looked back again and noticed the box I was staring nervously at, "What's that?" He asked.

A sweat started to dribble down my face, fuck, I'm nervous as hell, but why? What do I want to tell Luffy? What do I want these rings to symbolize? "Luffy, this is..." I trailed off, he tilted his head in confusion. I couldn't focus at all on the rings, I was only focusing on Luffy's face.

His slightly messed up fluffy hair, the scar beneath his left eye, his chapped yet soft and glossy looking lips, his eyes which looked like they were glowing because of the sun, holy shit. Why is he so adorable someway right now? "Zoro? Helllloooo!" He waved a hand in front of my face and I snapped out of it. I'm being so weird, what's wrong with me right now? "What's in the box, this is leaving me in suspense!"

"Luffy, this..." I opened the box and once I did, Luffy's eyes slightly widened. Should I like, get on one knee right now when you're proposing? I know I wouldn't propose, proposing is kinda cheesy to me, but it's Luffy. Who wouldn't wanna just marry him for life? I went on one knee and Luffy put his hands on his head and then on his mouth.

"I'm proposing. I don't know when I started to love and yearn for you, but when we were apart for two years, it felt like forever," Luffy started picking his fingers and his smile started to grow each second. "It made me think that we should never be apart in the first place, so... I want to be together with you for eternity. A life without you, I can't imagine one."

"Luffy, will you...marry me?" I held up the ring box and it was silent for a few minutes, am I getting rejected? "If—If you'll take me, of course." Luffy just stood there, staring at me. "Zoro, I'm gonna be honest," my heart sunk. Is he gonna reject me? "I was planning on proposing to you when I got the One Piece and became King of the Pirates, but I can't wait. Obviously, I will!" He yelled.

Once I stood up, he knocked me over with a hug and we were both on the ground. We were both laughing our asses off, "As corny as that was, I'd do anything at this point for you. Show your ring to guys who hit on you, you better do that." I said. "Shishishi! I never thought you'd do that, Zoro! That speech and everything!"

"Shut up!" I chuckled, then, I heard some leaves rustling. "That...that was beautiful!" Franky cried out and started sobbing loudly. Damn, these guys were eavesdropping, huh? "Thought you'd wimp out, Mosshead." Sanji said, I scoffed at him. I stood up and lended Luffy a hand.

Once he grabbed my hand, I made our fingers intertwine and we held hands without letting go. Nobody can have Luffy now, his ring finger says it all. It basically says 'Married man, don't touch' in my eyes. Tells it to every man or woman in the world to back off. Now that Warlord can back off...

"Hey Zoro, you don't take yours off!" Luffy nudged me and yelled, "Aye, aye, Captain." I replied. As we started walking back to the Sunny or wherever we're headed, I felt a sudden feeling of comfort. I watched Luffy's facial expressions as he started talking about food. He was truly happy. I'll never let him lose that expression.

I'll never let him feel sad, stressed, or hurt. I'll do everything and anything I can to just see his smile. A smile that brightens my day. And a smile that makes anybody just smile too. My captain, and my lover.

Wrote this at 1AM...pardon if it's written badly or if it seems boring.