Pain Is Hard (Zolu)

Help is okay

Usopp and Franky sat on the deck fiddling with some interesting-looking equipment while the sun shines hotly down on them.  Luffy makes his way over to them with a bounce ever-so-forced in his step.  Everyone pretends not to notice, treating him the same as they always have, it's not because it's easier to do so, not at all. It's just that he's trying his best to keep it a secret and it's not like that pain he's carrying will just vanish if everyone suddenly starts to treat him like a broken person, walking on eggshells whenever he's around, that will only make him feel worse. He knows he's broken.

Franky looks up to see his straw hat-wearing captain donning a smile that has never fully made it to his eyes since that day, present on his face, "Hey! Luffy, do you want to see what we're making? It's going to be a new weapon for the Thousand Sunny! It's going to make her stronger!" He cheerfully said as he held up an almost complete blueprint. He hoped the news of their ship being able to gain strength would make Luffy happier. Distracted him from himself even if it is just a moment. 

"That's so cool! Will it shoot lasers?" He examine the blueprints closely but it didn't matter how hard he looked none of it made sense. He couldn't tell what it was going to be.

"It's going to be a surprise, Luffy," Usopp chimed in while he played with some small gears, trying to mush them together, it almost seemed like he didn't know what to do with them.

"Aww," Luffy slightly pouted at the news of the secret, "but I want to know!" Someone could forget that this boy is broken by the way he speaks and acts like the child he used to be.  That's because each day that passes that disguise of his gets better and better. He's naturally bad at lying but his will to keep his friends in the dark outweighs his bad performance.

In the beginning, you could hear his lack of interest leak into his words whenever he spoke, and his detachment from things only grew but that mask held firm.  Now he's almost indistinguishable from his old self when in the presence of his friends, his crew. But they all can feel that wall he put up, the distance that's being forced between them, that's continuously growing.

It was a boring day out on the ocean.  No boats in sight, no crazy waves to dodge, not even the newspaper to read. The sun brought a comforting warmth down allowing the breeze to be the perfect temperature to sleep. Zoro took this as a golden opportunity to take a nap, well honestly, when doesn't he take the opportunity to nap? Leaning against the border of the ship he drifted to sleep listening to the soft lull of the sea and the quiet chatter of his Nakama.

His nap was cut a bit short when he woke to a small disturbance in his arms. He looked down with surprise when he's met with a puff of black hair that belonged to no one other than his lovely captain.  A smile that held great warmth spread across his face as he reached both arms around Luffy's waist.

Luffy has never taken the initiative before, never once came to seek comfort or warmth from him, that's why he was surprised.  It made an emotion within Zoro burn, spark with the hope that the talk last night might have actually achieved something, might have gotten through to him.     

Slightly with the tiniest, gentlest movement -as he didn't want to wake the sleep-deprived boy that was currently hugging him, leaning his head on his chest as a little drool spilled from his mouth- into more of a comfortable position for the both of them.

But before Zoro closed his eyes again the adorable thing in his strong arms started to stir, gripping his white shirt, crunching it in his fist, clinging to it like he was hanging on for his life or... Someone else's.  A hand moves to Luffy's head, entangling itself in soft hair, Zoro held him close. Uttering sweet nothing in an attempt to calm the boy down.

Almost incoherent words escaped a mouth that was as tight as Fort Knox when awake, "You... promised not to... Don't leave..." They were etched with sorrow, carved with a sadness that's unable to be described.  Sweat began to soak through the red button-up shirt making him tacky to the touch.  Zoro thought it would best to wake him instead of letting him continue this pain-riddled nightmare. A gentle shake shook Luffy slowly awake as Zoro said, "It's okay, you're okay..."