DogBird - SirMarimo_TheFirst - One Piece (Anime & Manga) [Archive of Our Own] (2025)

Warm, rubbery arms wrapped around Zoro’s waist, nuzzling a sleep-contorted face into his shoulder blades. A crack split the air, the white light illuminating the cabin momentarily. The curly-haired man leaning on the sofa gave a soft sigh. “I love storms,” he murmured, rather out of character for the typically over-anxious teenager.

The swordsman grunted, flinching at another crash outside, rocking the ship as waves knawed hungrily for a midnight snack of wood and metal. Luffy squeezed him gently, his eyelashes brushing the green-haired man’s bare back as he blinked.

The loudest crack so far split the sky, even causing usopp to just back slightly from the porthole. He jolted upright, hissing like a startled cat. He rolled carelessly from the hammock, a hand on the wall to steady himself through the cradle-like rocking of the Merry.

Robin glanced over from the sofa, where she held a snoring Chopper in her arms. The women had both retreated to the men’s quarters to keep them all in one place, perhaps for comfort or fear that the men would want to catch the lighting in a bottle- and knowing the captain- this wasn’t unreasonable.

“You alright, man?” Usopp called softly.

Zoro didn't answer, but Luffy shot himself out of the hammock and wound his noodle-like limbs around his first mate's shoulders. “Come baaack..” he whined into the swordsman’s ear. “It’s cold without you,”

He shifted anxiously, eager to put the unwanted energy into something but another comforting nuzzle drew him back to the hammock.

He collapsed face first, inadvertently dumbing Luffy first and laying on top of him. The straw-hatted man yelped, pressing a hand into Zoro's forehead and trying to shove the older man off him. Zoro wrapped his arms around his neck, smirking at his partner. “Ya lucky I love you…” Luffy huffed, sticking his tongue out at him.

Zoro hummed and released his arms from around him, curling up with his head on the man’s chest. He's so gentle, dammit, why don't you hurt me back?

The room flashed bright once again, and zoro dug his nails into his captain, an anxious dog frightened by fireworks. Luffy carefully scooped the claw-like hand away from his side, intertwining it with his own.

…

Nami flipped a page of the newspaper, a bark of laughter from the woman drawing the curious gazes of the others. “Take a look at this,” she snorted, laying the paper flat to show the rest of the crew.

“ “ Pirate hunter ‘Roronoa Zoro’ joins up with pirate with a 100 million beri bounty, confirmed with pirate bounties placed on BOTH men’s heads! Will betrayal ensure? ””

Luffy laughed “Zoro’s not gonna betray me, he’s my first mate! And sides’ Zoro loooves me!” he teased, and the swordsman rolled his eyes, barely concealing a grin.

As many conversations do, the discussion quickly railed off into a discussion about what animal each of the crew would be, minus the obvious of Chopper.

“Well, our captain is clearly a monkey,” Sanji snorted, but Nami furrowed her eyebrows.

“Really?” she asked, “I’d think he would be a bird, like an eagle or a stupid kind!”

Despite Luffy’s yelp of “Hey!” they laughed, and Chopper piped up, “Maybe he’s a turkey!”

Usopp cocked his head with a curious smirk. “Zoro’s definitely like a hunting dog… or maybe a tiger!”

Raising her eyebrows as she sipped her coffee, Robin blinked. “Well that’s certainly unfortunate, he’s a hunting breed? Birds are one of the main food sources for both wild cats and hunting dogs.”

Luffy rolled his eyes. “Why’s everyone saying Zoro’s gonna betray me? Can’t people just admit we love each other and that’s that? Who cares if we’re compatible together and stuff, we’re happy!” He smacked his palms on the table.

He gazed at Zoro. “You’re not gonna betray me, are you?”

“Hell no. I love ya.” Zoro made a sound almost like purring, “Aww, captain, you’re getting sappy! Aren't you scared of me?”

He leaned his arms on the dark-haired man’s shoulders, joining together his hands behind Luffy's head “Maybe I will betray you… :)” he teased, before kissing him, ignoring the snickers of the crew and Nami’s mutter for them to “get a goddam room…”

Luffy beamed and whined at Sanji for breakfast to be ready sooner.

…

White light streamed in through the window, jolting the men’s quarters in lightning. The snarling of an unseen beast of clouds was terrifying to many, but now, exhilaration was turning Zoro’s veins to magma. He searched through the white, jagged flashes for strikes upon the ground, closing his eyes and pricking his ears like a dog to the sound of thunder- somewhere, far, far away, they could be safe from the noise.

He glanced over his shoulder at his captain, who was picking his way carefully down the ladder with two bowls, one balancing precautiously on top of his straw hat, and the other which he had hooked his teeth over the brim of to carry it in his mouth. He took one in each hand when he landed on the carpet of the men's quarters, offering one to zoro, who fully turned from the porthole, swinging his legs over the couch to admire what seemed to be chicken soup.

“Hi,” he murmured, smiling despite the inner turmoil.

“Hi!” Luffy chirped back. “Is Zoro ok with the thunder?”

The swordsman nodded and began ladling soup into his mouth with the spoon luffy dropped in his lap before flopping on the carpet.

When they both finished after devouring the still boiling stock in great gulps, zoro stood and offered a hand to take Luffy’s bowl up the to kitchen.

“Thanks, Zoro!” the straw-hatted man beamed while his partner took the bowl, shifting both pieces of porcelain in his arms as he attempted to stack them. Zoro fumbled with shaking fingers, dropping his own bowl, still with hot residue inside, which splattered over his captain, who yelped at the shards of bowl and soup.

Zoro gasped, “SHIT, sorry, sorry Luffy-”

“It’s ok,” Luffy stood and stepped back from the mess, wiping at his shorts and bare legs. “It’s just a thing!”

“I- I hurt you-” The swordsman reached a hand out to his boyfriend, but jerked back, knowing he would inadvertently hurt him more. He hurts everyone. It’s how he was.

Luffy blinked, confused. “But it was an accident! It doesn't matter!” he tilted his head, wondering why his swordsman was so overwhelmed with a simple mistake, when it was just a stupid bowl that was broken.

“Zoro, it’s just a thing, no one cares about it.”

“I HURT you! I keep hurting you, shit, luffy, i-”

“You didn’t hurt me, zoro! IM FINE. SEE?”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Zoro yelled, on the brink of panic-stricken tears as the hand not covering his face fumbled for something to release his anger on. His hand brushed something. A photo frame containing Usopp’s sketch of luffy and zoro napping in the sun was thrown at full force into the wall, shattering the glass upon impact.

His captain stared at him. Zoro’s panting refused to subside, but he managed out a short curse and mumbled apology. With the brink of his hat covering his gaze, luffy prowled past him, crouching to wipe shards from the drawing.

How had the breaking of a bowl freaked out the green-haired man this much?

He stood, gazing numbly at the swordsman. “Capt- Luffy. I’m sorry, I don't know what I was thinking,”

Luffy gave a short nod and stalked past him once again. “Luffy-” Zoro’s fingers caught the back of the straw-hatted man’s vest, a vain plead for him to stay. “C’mon, stay, let's talk about-”

Luffy pulled himself forward, yanking his shirt from his swordman as he made to leave the room. “We will. We can talk later though.”

Zoro’s legs collapsed underneath him and he quickly found himself with tears streaking his cheeks, staring after where his captain had disappeared.

...

Zoro sat on the couch, his hands fiddling with everything and nothing. Luffy was blinking at him calmly, his hands balled tightly in his lap.

“Why are you still willing to be with me?”

“Because I love Zoro! Does he not want to be together? Please tell me if you don’t!”

“I do! I really want to be with you. But why are you still kind to me when I'm a dick? Luffy, don’t you fear me? You’re… you’re amazing, you're too good for me, you're too gentle, I need you to hurt me back!”

Luffy opened his mouth to object. “I don’t want to hurt zoro- I-”

“Luffy. I love you. So much, but all I’m doing is hurting you, I wish I could take you back, back to where you’d never heard of people like me, people who hurt you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I don’t treat you like I should- I-”

“SHUT. UP. ZORO.” luffy snarled.

“I don't CARE if Zoro’s mean or kinda a dick, honestly I think it’s sorta hot- but Zoro, just cos you’re mean, it doesn't actually mean it’s hurting me!”

He ran a hand through his hair, blinking startled brown eyes at his first mate. “Maybe to others, they don’t like people being mean, but I don't care about that! It’s…”

He paused, blinking in what looked like pure wonder, fascination at the idea that anyone could hate the man.

“It’s Zoro. And I don't care who calls me crazy for liking it but it’s me. And it’s you! We don’t have to change for anyone if it doesn't hurt people. You being mean doesn't hurt any of us. Maybe jus’ be careful and don't be TOO mean, y’know?”

“You’re all that’s good in this shitty world, y’know, Luf?”