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This evening on the Going Merry was no different from any other evening — the light from the kitchen illuminated the deck, and taking advantage of the pleasant weather, the whole crew gathered on deck after dinner. Nami was sketching the island they'd just gotten off of in her notebook to put on a map; Robin was reading a book; Sanji was grooming the ladies, offering them drinks to cool off; Usopp was entertaining Chopper with meaningless chatter; Zoro was sitting away with several bottles of sake; and Luffy was lying on Mary's head, occasionally glancing at the crew.
Zoro closed his eyes, savoring the silence. No, it wasn't quiet, but the noise on the ship was homely. Cozy. Pleasant. Zoro relaxed completely.
“Why are you sad?” Luffy asked him, suddenly falling down beside him.
Zoro looked at the captain carefully. He hadn't seemed as crazy as he always had for a very long time — which couldn't help but surprise him. And right now, Luffy looked very calm, his shoulders were relaxed and he was smiling with only his eyes. Unusual.
“Am I the one who's sad?” Zoro asked, arching an eyebrow.
Luffy sighed heavily and leaned back against the side of the ship, touching Zoro's shoulder. The straw hat shifted over Luffy's face. He closed his eyes and smiled tentatively, just like Zoro had recently. Except that while Zoro's quiet mood suited him, Luffy's mood didn't suit him at all.
“You alright?” Zoro elbowed him in the side, genuinely interested.
Luffy's slight but sad smile showed from under his hat:
“I'm fine.”
Zoro took one of the bottles he hadn't had a chance to drink yet:
“Here you go, captain. Try a little of this, maybe it'll lift your spirits.”
Luffy lifted his hat and looked from the bottle to Zoro and back again with interest. Then, smiling at something, he opened the bottle and, ignoring Zoro, who wanted to clink bottles, tipped the bottle upright and began to pour it into himself.
“H-hey.. Take it easy!..” Zoro tried to stop him, but the sake was already spilling over the sides of Luffy's mouth in thin drops.
Luffy continued to drink, clutching his eyes tightly shut. Emptying the entire bottle, Luffy wiped his mouth and stuck out his tongue:
“Ugh, what a nasty!”
Zoro snorted. Nasty or not, but it lifted spirits and helped to forget.
***
It was nearing nightfall, and the team was yawning as they went back and forth about the last island they'd visited. Sanji chatted with Robin and Nami about the strange animals and new recipes he'd come up with, Chopper occasionally threw in a word about the health benefits of protein, and Usopp listened and joked. Zoro slowly began to peck his nose right on the deck, and Luffy lay with his feet up on the mast so they wouldn't fall off. He jerked them around as if to step. His arms were lying in shapeless piles at his sides.
Luffy was humming a little song to himself, more often than not «La-la-la» instead of words.
“Hey, Luffy,” Usopp called out when he noticed Luffy laughing and singing to himself, “are you okay, buddy?”
“Everything's wonderful,” Luffy replied with a loud exhale, looking up at the sky covered in thin clouds and continuing to kick his feet.
“What are you doing?” Sanji asked, once again putting out his cigarette.
“Walking on clouds,” Luffy laughed suddenly.
“You miss Skypia?” Threw Nami, watching his goofing around.
And Luffy only laughed louder. Nami glanced over to Usopp and Sanji. Robin, picking up a cup of tea, was the first to guess:
“He's drunk.”
Usopp rolled his eyes and laughed:
“No way! He doesn't drink anything but milk.”
But Sanji wasn't so sure anymore.
“Luffy, have you been drinking?”
Luffy chuckled.
“Just a little bit! Zoro shared it with me!”
Nami's eyes widened and Chopper, panicked, rushed into his room.
“Hey, stupid marimo! What were you thinking when you were drinking Luffy?!”
Zoro wasn't sound asleep yet to hear Sanji's loud scream. He opened his eyes and blinked.
“Zoro, how could you let Luffy drink alcohol? He never drank before!” Usopp was outraged.
“How much did he drink, Zoro?” Nami asked a little worriedly.
“A bottle for sure,” Zoro answered scratching the back of his head.
“Wha-at?!” Shouted Usopp. “Oh, a bottle of sake isn't the best alternative to the milk Luffy usually drinks..”
“Calm down,” Zoro shouted. “He drank and drank. He's a big boy already. Let him make up his own mind.”
Luffy laughed:
“Yeah, I'm a big boy.”
“You better keep your mouth shut,” Usopp jabbed his finger at him, and Luffy shut his mouth with his palm, chuckling.
A little while later, Chopper came running out with a pill in his hand:
“Hey, Luffy, drink this! It'll help with the hangover! Doctorina taught me how to make them..”
Luffy stared at the pill for a long time with drunken eyes before popping it in his mouth:
“Thanks, Chopper! Do you have any more?”
“I do, but.. You don't need more. Or do you feel sick?”
“No,” Luffy shook his head. “Do you have a pill for Zoro? He's been drinking, too. What if he'll feel sick when he wakes up too?”
Sanji snorted:
“A stupid marimo doesn't deserve a pill.”
“Exactly,” Nami seconded.
Luffy stuck out his tongue.
“Don't call Zoro names! He may be fool, but he's my fool!”
Usopp laughed:
“Yeah, that's right. Except you probably meant to say «our» fool. It just sounded like..”
Usopp didn't finish, because Luffy suddenly rolled over onto his stomach and flashed his eyes, making an angry face. Nami laughed at Usopp's confusion.
“Okay, then let «your» fool drag you to quarters!”
Zoro rolled his eyes, but stood up to lift the captain off the floor, who had turned not into a stretched rubber band, but into a jerking jelly. Luffy's face was still ridiculously angry as Zoro lifted him into his arms. Luffy instantly wrapped his legs and arms around Zoro, and then, turning to those seated, stated:
“And just so you know! When I become King of the Pirates, Zoro and I are getting married!”
Robin, who was drinking tea, choked up, but Sanji, who had dropped his cigarette from his mouth, was too shocked to pay attention and pat her on the back.
Nami, Usopp, and Chopper froze with their mouths hanging open, and Zoro.. And Zoro blushed and shuddered.
They'd never talked about this before. Luffy had never once even hinted at sympathy, and now he'd just said it.. It was like he'd proposed to him in front of the whole team.. Or.. Or did he make him a promise?
“Right, Zoro?” Luffy turned his head to him, and for the first time all day there was a genuine smile on his face, the absence of which bothered Zoro more than he was willing to admit.
Zoro was silent for a moment, but the longer he looked into Luffy's eyes, the more obvious it became that he could only answer with the one true phrase:
“Yes, captain.”
Luffy laughed again and rested his head on Zoro's shoulder. And Zoro, trying to act like nothing had happened, went to his quarters. He had to put the captain down.
The last thing the crew saw before Luffy and Zoro disappeared was Luffy nestling into Zoro's ear, whispering something, and Zoro cleared his throat and shuddered, making Luffy laugh.
The crew was silent, unsure how to react.
“Anyone want tea?” Sanji offered quietly, and all four of them raised their hands.