Work Text:
If someone told Zoro a few days ago, when he was crucified at a Marine base, that he would be in a dinghy in the middle of the sea, acting as a pirate with some boy he just met as his captain, he would’ve called that person insane.
But such is the reality of his life.
It’s only been a day since they left but Luffy already almost died six times because he can’t sit still—one time he tried to catch fish, forgetting a crucial fact such as his inability to swim let alone float in the sea, and almost jumped in. If it weren’t for Zoro’s fast reflexes, Luffy would’ve surely had his lungs full of seawater.
Zoro really should’ve expected something like this if their interaction in Shells Town is anything to go by. Luffy is an idiot, very much so. Though perhaps Zoro is even bigger of an idiot for pledging his life as his crewmate.
His first and only crewmate.
The sun is high up in the sky, the wind barely visiting them. Zoro slumps further to the floor of the boat, his shirt sticking to his sweltering back like a second skin. Luffy is hanging by the edge of the boat, staring at his own reflection on the rippling waves of the sea, and Zoro can only hope the guy doesn’t fall off this time.
“I’m starving!” Luffy whines.
Truth be told, Zoro feels a little hungry as well. He would kill to have grilled meat and a good drink right now, but it seems like the sea won’t let them go just yet. Luffy whines some more, and Zoro’s not really having any of it so he closes his eyes and shuts out the world. Better to sleep if there’s nothing else to do.
Not a minute later, however, he feels the boat sway. Then there’s a familiar heat of a body next to him. It stays there, unmoving, and Zoro wonders what the hell is Luffy doing when he feels something poking his arm.
His eyebrows twitch. “What the hell do you want, Luffy?”
“I’m hungry,” says his captain, his voice softer but not any less whiny. Zoro won’t be surprised to see if there are actual tears in his eyes.
“I already told you, I don’t have food with me.”
He expects Luffy to cry about it again but Zoro is only met with silence. For a brief moment, he thinks Luffy has finally left him alone, but then there’s another poke on his arm.
“Luffy.”
“Your arm is huge,” Luffy says the word huge with such astonishment that it even makes Zoro himself wonder if his arm is really that big. He keeps his eyes closed, deciding to not give in to the comment and instead lets his captain poke him some more.
There’s a pause. Zoro waits. Then he hears Luffy lean in.
“I want to bite your arm.”
The uninhibited tone of his words takes Zoro aback, a sharp inhale almost getting choked up in his throat. He hasn’t known Luffy for long, but he’s spent enough time with him to know that the boy only expresses utmost honesty.
Zoro grunts. “My arm is not meat.”
“But I want to bite your arm! It’s so big and firm but also soft,” Luffy says, a pout quite evident in his voice. The next poke that comes is harder than the previous ones, and if Zoro flexes his arm a little then it’s just between him and this small dinghy.
“Luffy,” he warns.
“Zoro,” the captain whines back.
When Zoro finally opens his eyes, he finds that Luffy is a lot closer than he expected. He is almost pushing his head against Zoro’s arm, still a frown painting his boyish face. Noticing the stare directed at him, Luffy turns to look back at him, eyes glazed with something that Zoro has never seen before.
It’s almost like hunger, mixed with thirst and something else that burns, sizzling like a vat of acid. The blinding, scorching sun doesn’t even compare to the heat of it, and Zoro can barely breathe through the blaze when Luffy pokes him again.
“I want to bite your arm,” Luffy says once more, his voice sounding deeper. Almost like an ominous warning. His eyes turn even darker, swirling with black fire that makes Zoro shiver.
With a click of his tongue, Zoro turns his head away, hoping to find some reprieve. The air is still hot and humid, and it feels as though his shirt has grown a little tighter around his chest. He longs for any kind of relief but it’s like he’s waiting for a single drop of rain in the middle of a desert.
“Geez. Fine,” Zoro says after a while, shifting a little so Luffy can reach his arm better. “Whatever. Just don’t bite hard.”
Luffy perks up with a soft giggle, his smile so bright and blinding, and Zoro’s heart clenches before pounding against his ribcage so hard it rattles. He takes a deep breath as Luffy leans in, holding onto his arm gently, his lips parting in a way that shouldn’t look as alluring as it does.
Despite not taking his eyes off Luffy, the first contact still takes Zoro by surprise. Luffy’s lips are chapped yet soft, slightly slicked with spit that should be quite disgusting but it isn’t. Then comes the array of teeth that grazes Zoro’s skin before sinking down with an unexpected care that has him biting down a groan that threatens to escape his lips.
Something warm and slimy presses against Zoro, moving and swirling as if exploring every expanse of his skin. It takes him a full minute to realize that Luffy is licking him—tasting the sweat and dirt sticking to his skin. A soft sound comes out of Luffy’s throat, full of hunger and satisfaction, and the vibration of it travels along Zoro’s entire body.
He throws his head back, eyes squeezing shut as he hisses. His breathing becomes heavier by the second, worsened by every lick and lap of Luffy’s tongue. Everything’s too hot and heavy and divine; it’s a battle of heaven and hell with Zoro right in the middle of the clash.
A loud sound of slurp erupts in the air, and Zoro feels his skin getting pulled. He freezes, everything around him still consumed by flames. When he looks at Luffy, he finds that the captain is already staring up at him, lashes fluttering over hunger-clouded eyes as he continues to bite and lick and suck Zoro’s skin.
Zoro doesn’t realize he’s flexing his arm again until a broken moan slips out of Luffy, and the sound seeps into Zoro’s skin, rocking his bones.
Fuck.
This should be just another odd whim of his new captain, something comparable to a stupid, nonsensical idea like taking a swim when one is a Devil Fruit eater. Zoro should treat it as such; it’s only another thing to wave off once it passes. A moment so silly it practically never even happened.
But Zoro doesn’t want to forget. He doesn’t even want to stop. It’s a terrifying thought that floods his mind, almost making his vision white—the realization that he would go on with this forever if Luffy asked him to. He’ll stay right there, letting his captain take anything until he’s satisfied.
Life can be funny sometimes. Unpredictable and quite scary, but nevertheless, funny. Because who would’ve thought that Zoro would be in a situation like this? He only intends to follow Luffy for his own gain, to reach his own goal, and yet here he is now, at the mercy of someone he called captain not only a day ago.
Perhaps this is the proof of Zoro’s idiocy—no, insanity. Only an insane person would do something like this. Though he can’t really bring himself to carry all the blame, not when Luffy is at fault as well.
Monkey D. Luffy. Strange, stupid, charismatic Luffy.
Finally, Luffy pulls away with a loud smack. Zoro can’t prevent the groan this time, his body shuddering at the loss of contact—the loss of pressure of jaws around his arm, the heat of a mouth, the slick of a tongue, the tender touch of a hand.
“Zoro tastes so good!” Luffy’s grin is wide, and there’s drool on the corner of his lips which Zoro stares at until Luffy wipes it with the back of his hand.
“Satisfied?” Zoro grumbles to which Luffy nods vigorously, laughing and eyes twinkling with glee.
He looks down at his arm to find a huge vibrant red spot, still glistening with saliva, surrounded by teeth marks so deep it’s a wonder his skin didn’t tear. Something heavy and dark settles in the pit of Zoro’s stomach at the sight of it, his blood thrumming against his ears, rushing through his veins downwards. It’s something he doesn’t want to touch, afraid to awaken a primal thought that’s nowhere near appropriate for a crewmate.
Luffy is his captain now, he reminds himself. No matter how ridiculous they started or how stupid this adventure may all seem, the fact that Luffy is his captain now still remains.
“Oh? Zoro, I see an island!” Luffy exclaims, back to his usual self, completely unaware how he just rattled Zoro’s entire world anew—from the moment he approached him and got his swords back to the present where Zoro's now wearing his mark.
They slowly approach the island, the wind finally picking up to guide them as Luffy rambles about food once more. Zoro only listens and doesn’t say anything as he takes the bandana off of his left arm before tying it around his right, finding peace in hiding a truth he can’t bear right now.
+ + +
The island is small, and there’s not much to do there aside from stealing food and booze from a local bar because there’s not a single berry between the two of them.
Of course, trouble follows them because somehow, it’s always right after Luffy’s heels. It brings the whole town chasing after them sooner than Zoro expected, but Zoro is Zoro and Luffy is Luffy so they manage to escape but only with barely any food left in their hands.
The sun is setting by the time they get back to their dinghy, the townspeople finally out of their sight. Zoro has to keep the food on one side, placing himself between their stock and Luffy, lest the captain finishes it all in one go. It takes a little bit of lecture and manhandling before Luffy relents with a pout, which almost makes Zoro give in but he’s a very prideful man.
When night falls, the wind turns from a friend into a foe, which almost has Zoro shivering. He crosses his arms, generating heat as much as he can as he leans back against the side of the boat. Luffy is seated at the bow, surprisingly silent as he watches the sea glimmer under the moonlight, seemingly unaffected by the cold air.
Zoro closes his eyes, ready for sleep to take him away. Less than a minute later, however, the boat sways gently, and then there’s a body sitting down next to him and a head leaning against his arm.
His right arm that stings a little under the bandana around it.
“There’s food right there, Luff,” Zoro says with a grunt, opening his eyes.
“I know,” Luffy says.
The sea is barely silent, the small waves relentlessly hitting against the hull of the boat. Luffy shifts closer, the heat of their pressed skins almost enough to warm Zoro’s whole body. The moon is bright, though he wonders if it’s bright enough to show how hot his cheeks feel.
Something rubs against his arm, soft and squishy. Rubbery. Zoro takes a shaky breath, grabbing onto every inch of himself, or else, he’ll crumble at Luffy’s feet. There’s a purring sound, and a soft breath ghosts along Zoro’s skin, burning the mark hidden under his bandana.
“Zoro.” Luffy’s voice is low, almost raspy as if his throat is parched. “Bite.”
It’s only one word, but the aching hunger underneath it is contagious enough to make Zoro’s bones quiver with want. He swallows the growing thorns in his throat, his breathing becoming louder with every second that passes.
Zoro unties his bandana, and Luffy pulls away just enough to give him space to take it off of his arm. He puts it on the floor next to him, the reality hitting him like a tidal surge as his fingers let the cloth go. Luffy’s eyes are as bright as the moonlight when he looks at him, just briefly enough to let Zoro know of his intent.
Luffy brushes a thumb over the huge mark on Zoro’s arm, his lips parting like a painter admiring his own work. The mark is dark purple in color now, seemingly screaming. Zoro can’t deny its appeal. Raw and beautiful and almost cruel.
“Zoro will get hurt if I bite him here again,” Luffy says, his gaze not pulling away from the mark. As if to prove his point, he presses his thumb in hard,
Pain is something Zoro is used to. The callouses and small nicks on his palm attested to that. After all, it’s impossible to be a pirate hunter without getting into any physical altercation.
But this—Luffy’s unrestrained touch on the mark he made—it’s a different kind of pain, and Zoro’s not even sure if it’s still pain indeed. Every fiber of his body feels too heated, and electrified; it’s a sensation he’s never felt before. A feeling that he finds himself craving when Luffy releases the pressure.
“Then bite somewhere else,” Zoro says, his tongue thick and heavy.
Luffy’s smile dazzles intensely like the sun. He takes his hand away from Zoro’s arm, and it takes a lot for Zoro not to grab it back and press it further to feel his warmth. “So where do I bite?” Luffy is sitting back on his legs with his hands on his lap, almost patient and obedient.
Zoro doesn’t say anything. He can’t really bring himself to say it out loud. The truth of it is quite embarrassing to face. Instead, he turns his head, tilting it away to expose the unmarked skin of his neck.
“Oh.” Luffy blinks at him. His breathing has become louder, the tips of his ears turning a deep shade of red, and the thought of Luffy being just as affected as him gives quite a relief to Zoro.
No more words are said. For a moment, Zoro thinks that it’s just a figment of his imagination. That he’s just grasping at straws. His stomach churns wildly, bitter bile crawling up his throat, and it’s a struggle to bury it all down.
Then Luffy crawls forward, hands gripping the edge of the boat, caging Zoro in. The boat feels even smaller, the air thick and hot. Zoro’s arms are lifeless by his side, too hesitant, too afraid to move, though his fingers are trembling nonstop in anticipation.
Luffy leans in, and Zoro holds his breath, tilting his head further to create easier access for his captain. Luffy’s breath kisses his skin, the warmth of it making him shiver.
Zoro closes his eyes. His heart is beating too fast to witness something like this. Another gust of breath hits his skin, and it serves as his last warning.
Chapped lips are pressed against his neck, so light it feels like feathers. Zoro inhales a shaky breath, the air in his lungs dissipating. Then Luffy licks his skin, tongue wet and heavy, laps up the salty sweat that accumulated the entire day, the saliva cooling in the night air, another shiver licking down his spine.
His breath hitches when Luffy suddenly stops. Perhaps it’s done. Maybe Luffy doesn’t want to bite him anymore—doesn’t want his taste anymore. Though when Zoro opens his eyes, he finds Luffy looking down at him, gaze so fiery it scalds him, lips so wet that he looks like he’s straight out of an obscene picture book.
Fingers itching to just grab his captain, Zoro clenches his fists instead, blunt nails digging hard into his palms. Luffy blinks, the movement slow and enticing, and this time, that’s the only warning Zoro gets before Luffy leans in and bites into the skin where his neck meets his shoulder.
“L-Luffy!” Zoro moves to grab Luffy by the neck but his mind clears just a little, and he stops midway, letting his hand fall back. The venom of heat from Luffy’s teeth shoots through his veins at lightning speed, and the pain clouds his mind, making him moan.
A mixture of whine and growl comes out of Luffy's throat as he moves his legs so he’s straddling Zoro. His hands leave the side of the boat and find themselves on Zoro’s shoulders. They leave a trace of both frost and flame as they run down Zoro’s chest, slow and deliberate, before finally finding the lifeless hands by his side.
Luffy’s hands are warmer and somewhat softer than Zoro expected. He grabs Zoro’s hands in a tight grip and guides them to his waist, still not pulling away from biting and feasting upon his neck.
With Luffy’s encouragement, Zoro holds onto his captain’s waist, squeezing them so tightly it makes Luffy pause with a yelp. Zoro chuckles, low and deep under his breath. He then pulls Luffy down without a thought, making the guy sit properly on his lap.
It makes Luffy still, mouth opening as he looks at Zoro. Then reality hits Zoro like a huge wave crashing against a shore unannounced. His pants feel too tight, and the bulge of his rapture strains against the fabric, fitting perfectly against the soft swell of Luffy’s ass.
Luffy tries to move, wiggling his hips, but Zoro stops him immediately with a hiss. His predicament is met with a laugh from his captain, bright and loud.
“Does Zoro feel good?” Luffy asks, his tone too innocent for such a question.
“Y-Yeah,” Zoro manages to say. His hand is still gripping Luffy’s waist, his sanity holding on by a thread. If Luffy moves again, he just knows he’ll come undone.
He doesn’t want to know the consequences of that. Not yet.
Humming, Luffy stares at him with curiosity. He smiles widely and tilts his head to the side, exposing the smooth expanse of his flexible neck. “Zoro can bite me too if he wants!” he says with such conviction that makes Zoro’s head spin even further.
“No,” Zoro says, unable to think it through. He clears his throat. “Maybe next time.”
Luffy leans in. “Do you want me to bite you some more? Does Zoro enjoy it that much?”
Zoro takes a deep breath. He gathers his words and lets them roll off his tongue. “Yeah. I do.”
“Okay!” Luffy doesn’t need to be told twice. He pounces on Zoro, head burying into his neck as his teeth sink into his already wet and raw skin.
A blissful sigh escapes Zoro’s lips as he throws his head back, offering everything he has to offer. Luffy grabs onto his shoulders and pulls him closer until their chests are flushed against each other, with no space left for even the wind to pass through. Zoro pulls Luffy by the waist, the push of his erection against Luffy’s ass making the captain gasp.
He thrusts up again, a groan ripped out of his throat, pulling down harder when Luffy bites hard and sucks his skin with a squelching noise. Luffy laps it all up, soothing the raw mark he just made, before moving onto the other side of Zoro’s neck.
Zoro groans when the bite comes with a sting. He can’t remember how many times he’s bled during a fight, and yet, this feels like the first time. Luffy licks a strip, relishing the taste of Zoro’s blood on his tongue. Zoro wonders if it’s any good; if it even comes close to a savory meat or perhaps a sweet candy.
His lung burns, his mind teetering on the edge, hazed with carnal urge. Still gripping Luffy’s waist, he starts to move his captain, making him roll his hips. Luffy seems to be dumbfounded for a moment but then the intent comes across. Soon, Zoro doesn’t even need to move. Luffy rolls his hips on his own, grinding his ass down against Zoro’s dick, as he continues to take his fill on his neck.
Luffy nudges his lips upwards, running along the curve of Zoro’s neck. He stops below Zoro’s jaw, directly over his pulse, and there’s no way he doesn’t feel how fast it is. How erratic. Zoro bites his lips, afraid of the unfiltered pleasure about to tear off his throat, and squeezes Luffy’s waist.
The captain rolls his lips again and bites down, taking Zoro’s sweat and pulse. And Zoro gives, crumbling right under his captain, stars exploding behind his eyes. He gives his voice, his body, his blood, his seed. It damps his pants and he knows that Luffy can feel it, the heat and the mess and the smell.
A grin paints Luffy’s face when he pulls away, spit and a little blood staining his lips, no longer chapped but red and raw and so delectable. Zoro’s breathing doesn’t slow down, his heart still pounding at the beauty of his captain in the silver moonlight.
“Zoro tastes the best!” Luffy says. Just as bright and innocent as the first time.
“Glad you enjoyed it, Captain,” Zoro says after he finally recovers, sitting properly to hide the stain on his dark pants. Luffy definitely doesn’t care and somehow, it makes it all the more embarrassing.
Luffy giggles and gets off of him. Zoro knows the moment is gone as Luffy turns to the other side of the boat, rummaging through their small food stock even though it’s the middle of the night. He doesn’t stop the captain this time, letting him finish the food in a matter of minutes.
Zoro grabs his bandana off the floor, and as they sail away to their next adventure under the moonlight, he decides to tie it back on his left arm. There’s no point in running away from a truth screaming at his face, marked by the blooming bruises on his right arm and neck. It’s a reminder of the present; of the dream his chasing; of the life he’s pledged to his captain.