onepieceyaoi100 | Not an entry, obviously.

You'd think angry music would make me write angry fics. Oh, no, my brain has to be contrary and write this weird mix of angst and fluff.

Word Count: 300 / 364
Rating: PG
Pairing: Vaguely Zoro/Luffy

Correct Misplacement
Zoro has a problem trusting people. Most people.
by Alena
May 26^th, 2004

Zoro's not stupid. The more obvious things may escape him sometimes, and he is reckless to the point of it being nearly idiotic, and he doesn't even have enough of a sense of direction to have it being worth mentioning his lack.

But he knows himself. He knows himself to the core, and whatever truth about himself he finds that he hadn't noticed before, he accepts it. Psychological change, he knows, happens as it will.

Emotions, though. Those are new to him. Oh, he's used to the regular ones: rage, hatred, annoyance, frustration. This, though... this is new to him. He's not used to trust, or the attachment that comes with it. Ironic, really; he doesn't trust trust all that well.

And he's not used to feeling like trust is a decent thing, instead of an unnecessary risk.

Luffy's good at making people feel like that.

Zoro remembers dying with Kuina painfully well. Even with his promise to her, there was a part of him that had left with her. Every hour of every day, that unfulfilled vow, that broken trust, sits at the back of his mind like the demon he's taken for.

He tells himself that this trust is not misplaced; Luffy will not leave him willingly.

But Zoro knows, better than most, that no one is immortal.

If Luffy's death occurs... Zoro could give up the trust right now, give up the emotional attachment. He could stop worrying every time Luffy does something so reckless that even he thinks it's foolhardy. He could save himself the pain of dying again. He could—

Zoro looks up from his pseudo-nap, and Luffy catches his eye from his perch and grins at him, and Zoro can't help but smile back.

It's just one more death he'll accept with open arms.

Zoro's not stupid. The more obvious of things may escape him sometimes, and he is reckless to the point of it being very nearly idiotic, and he doesn't even have enough of a sense of direction to have it being really worth mentioning that he doesn't have one.

But he knows himself. He knows himself to the core, and whatever truth about himself he finds on occasion that he hadn't noticed before, he accepts it with a shrug and moves on. Psychological change, he knows, happens as it will; there's no point in trying to force it so.

Emotions, though. Those are new to him. Oh, he's used to the regular ones: rage, hatred, annoyance, frustration. This, though... this is new to him. He's not used to trust, or that damned attachment that comes with it. Ironic, really; he doesn't trust trust all that well.

And he's not used to feeling like trust is a pleasant thing, a decent thing, instead of an unnecessary risk.

Luffy's good at making people feel like that.

Zoro remembers dying with Kuina painfully well. Even with his promise on her grave, there was a part of him that had left with her. Every hour of every day, that unfulfilled vow, that broken trust, sits at the back of his mind like the demon he's taken for.

He tells himself that this trust is not misplaced. Luffy cannot leave him; will not leave him willingly.

But Zoro knows, better than most, that no one is immortal.

If Luffy's death ever comes to pass... Zoro could give up the trust right now before it's too late, give up the emotional attachment that always comes with such trust. He could stop worrying every time Luffy does something so reckless that even he thinks it's foolhardy. He could save himself the pain of dying again. He could—

Zoro looks up from his pseudo-nap, and Luffy notices the movement, catching his eye from his perch on the Going Merry and grinning at him. Zoro can't help but smile back, just for an instant, before he goes back to his busy task of inactivity.

It's just one more death he'll accept with open arms.