A Brother's Love

A Brother To Rescue

I tried my best to warn readers of the dark content coming on as the story progressed. This chapter is where the warning really applies. I did my best to pull at the heartstrings for this chapter and then next, which will be the last. Enjoy~

Luffy woke up after only about fifteen minutes of sleep. He wasn't used to during the night, and it obviously threw him off when the next morning he had trouble falling back asleep. During the night, Luffy was allowed to play with Robin's tablet, and even Zoro was watching it work from behind Luffy as he sat in his lap. It looked like some sort of magic to both of them, and lasted all night. They also had music playing on low volume, which Luffy really liked. He didn't really seem to have a favorite except the first song he'd heard, but listened to whatever came on. Zoro did not like some of the types of music and Luffy didn't really care when he would change the song, so they sat together and played with the human technology, and went to bed as the sun came up. It took almost half an hour after getting in bed for Luffy to fall asleep. One of the perks of sleeping at different times of the others was that the two got to use Robin's big bed that was more comfortable than the other cots in the room. It was going to take some time for Zoro and Luffy to get used to sleeping flat. Usually they slept propped up in a sitting position.

Zoro hadn't said a word as he passed the other three as he walked with Luffy to bed. Robin just smiled and nodded at them, waving to Luffy as he looked at her with his big eyes and made a small smile. Ever since they had met Robin, Zoro had noticed Luffy smiled more often. He tried not to take it personally, because of course Luffy would be happier not sleeping on the hard ground and walking all day every day.

The only thing that really assured Zoro that he was still Luffy's favorite was because of how much physical contact and affection he wanted. He would crawl into his lap or reach for his hand quite often. When they were by themselves, living with only each other, Zoro was scared of humans catching them of course, but now that they had gotten caught and were in what he considered prison, he rarely left Luffy's side. They were only separated when Zoro needed to use the bathroom and Robin would walk him. When Luffy needed to go, he would be carried by Zoro with Robin. He had started burying his face in Zoro's shoulder so he didn't have to see all the humans and more specifically the one who said he'd burn him. Besides being separated from Zoro, sunlight was his biggest fear and worst enemy, even more so than the humans were.

After a week, Zoro had finally started talking to the other two kids, though they were both annoying to some extent because of Sanji's whole personality and Nami's wish to hold Luffy and talk to him. She would tell Zoro off for "hogging Luffy," to which Zoro would snarl at her and say Luffy was his, which would cause Sanji to laugh, Zoro to fight, and Nami to get to Luffy. Every. Time. Though Nami thought the two's relationship was endearing, it was also quite inconvenient for the others. He rarely let anyone touch the little vampire, who could have easily been mistaken for a human child if he didn't drink blood from basically a sippy cup and sleep during the day.

Even Usopp was starting to warm up to the kid, but from a distance. He never went any closer than two meters from the two new additions. The only person Zoro really let touch Luffy was Robin, but she rarely tried to make contact with the toddler, no matter how much she wanted to pick him up and play with him. He was just too cute for his own good. She wished that was how the other humans thought of him.

Conis came sometimes to check on the two she saved. The first time she had come, she never mentioned that after she dropped them off here, the men she ditched punched her in the face and left a horrible black eye. She didn't regret it, though. Zoro even nodded his head in thanks to her when no one was looking. She didn't visit often, though. She was part of the search team to kill any left over people. She may have shown an act of kindness, but was still a murderer, which Zoro would never forget or forgive, even if she were to save them over and over.