ZoLu h/c part 6 continued
anonymous
October 1 2008, 21:55:10 UTC
It was colder than it had been the night before, and when Luffy flopped down beside him and curled an arm about his chest, it was almost automatic to gather him in a bit closer. Luffy sighed and struggled, and ended up half laying over him, draped like a rubber-human blanket across Zoro's chest with his arms and legs outsplayed, face against his breastbone.
Zoro reached for the bandana. He almost - almost - moved it aside, and just stopped himself in time, fingers twitching helplessly against air. He wanted to see his captain's face -- whole, properly. But however mentally strong Luffy was, he didn't want to destroy the illusory of peace of mind that the ploy of the blindfold had allowed them. If they could stay the panic and reaction until they got back to the others, where Chopper could tell them how bad the news really was...
Astonishing him, Luffy's hand moved in and caught the fingers that hadn't even made contact. Zoro couldn't quash a noise of surprise.
"Felt... movement... air..." Luffy murmured, voice dulled with tiredness. "Thought it was a bug. What're you doin', Zoro?" He propped his hand under his chin, and the blindfold stared into Zoro's face.
"Nothing," he hedged, cursing himself.
His captain gave a little half-shrug and reached in with his other hand, sliding it up the swordsman's t-shirt using the planes of his body as a guide and slowing at his collar and neck. "Can I touch your face?"
"Huh? Why?" Okay, Luffy was... frequently random, but this didn't have the feel of that.
"I want to see what you look like this way. Without eyes. I've been touching the rest of the world all day." He didn't wait for permission but took the silence and lack of any attempt to stop him as assent. Zoro froze as he felt the slightly clumsy touch land on his face, moving over his jaw, then upwards. He blinked down hard, because he certainly didn't want to lose an eye. Lack of depth perception would make it a lot harder to become the world's greatest swordsman.
But Luffy managed to be surprisingly gentle, and didn't poke fingers into anything important. The rubbery fingertips slid over his eyelids, brushing his lashes, travelled onward over the creases of his forehead and the ridge of his nose, and curled to a rest in his hair.
"Luffy..." It was instinctive. Eyes still closed, he reached out and cupped the younger man's face in his own hands, mapping it in return -- careful, so careful, when they wandered close, not to disturb the blindfold. But gently tracing, nonetheless, the bulge of closed eyes underneath. Luffy was still there, even if he didn't completely look like himself with his eyes hidden.
His captain chuckled at him. "Stupid Zoro... you don't need to do that to 'see'."
"Huh." He withdrew the gentler touch and smushed Luffy's rubber face against his chest again. "Just go to sleep."
Re: ZoLu h/c part 6 continued
anonymous
October 1 2008, 22:44:03 UTC
*random Anon who has been following this from the beginning* Awwwww that last scene was so sweet! And I laughed much at Zoro getting lost, his special sense of direction always make me smile XD
I'm loving this story very much, looking forward to next part!
Re: ZoLu h/c part 6 continued
anonymous
October 2 2008, 20:31:54 UTC
Thanks! With the senses stuff I guess this is a... kind of practical breed of h/c. I liked the idea of a circumstance where Zoro could help him in ways the others wouldn't be able to, because of his discipline and training. I'm better at the 'hurt' part than the 'comfort' so I cheat. :)
Zoro reached for the bandana. He almost - almost - moved it aside, and just stopped himself in time, fingers twitching helplessly against air. He wanted to see his captain's face -- whole, properly. But however mentally strong Luffy was, he didn't want to destroy the illusory of peace of mind that the ploy of the blindfold had allowed them. If they could stay the panic and reaction until they got back to the others, where Chopper could tell them how bad the news really was...
Astonishing him, Luffy's hand moved in and caught the fingers that hadn't even made contact. Zoro couldn't quash a noise of surprise.
"Felt... movement... air..." Luffy murmured, voice dulled with tiredness. "Thought it was a bug. What're you doin', Zoro?" He propped his hand under his chin, and the blindfold stared into Zoro's face.
"Nothing," he hedged, cursing himself.
His captain gave a little half-shrug and reached in with his other hand, sliding it up the swordsman's t-shirt using the planes of his body as a guide and slowing at his collar and neck. "Can I touch your face?"
"Huh? Why?" Okay, Luffy was... frequently random, but this didn't have the feel of that.
"I want to see what you look like this way. Without eyes. I've been touching the rest of the world all day." He didn't wait for permission but took the silence and lack of any attempt to stop him as assent. Zoro froze as he felt the slightly clumsy touch land on his face, moving over his jaw, then upwards. He blinked down hard, because he certainly didn't want to lose an eye. Lack of depth perception would make it a lot harder to become the world's greatest swordsman.
But Luffy managed to be surprisingly gentle, and didn't poke fingers into anything important. The rubbery fingertips slid over his eyelids, brushing his lashes, travelled onward over the creases of his forehead and the ridge of his nose, and curled to a rest in his hair.
"Luffy..." It was instinctive. Eyes still closed, he reached out and cupped the younger man's face in his own hands, mapping it in return -- careful, so careful, when they wandered close, not to disturb the blindfold. But gently tracing, nonetheless, the bulge of closed eyes underneath. Luffy was still there, even if he didn't completely look like himself with his eyes hidden.
His captain chuckled at him. "Stupid Zoro... you don't need to do that to 'see'."
"Huh." He withdrew the gentler touch and smushed Luffy's rubber face against his chest again. "Just go to sleep."
[more tomorrow]
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Awwwww that last scene was so sweet! And I laughed much at Zoro getting lost, his special sense of direction always make me smile XD
I'm loving this story very much, looking forward to next part!
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Hope you don't mind that I took the liberty to make Zoro blush~
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AWWW!! That is so cute! I love how it feels like a special volunerability is being shared between them! I can feel that love/trust!
And I Really love how Zoros hair looks between Luffys fingers for some reason...
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It's okay that Zoro's blushing, Luffy can't tell. *is evil*
I too really love the hands in Zoro's hair. And also the expression on what's visible of Luffy's face.
Thank you so much! <3
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THis is so awesome and just continues to be so!
I love how Luffy has gotten really good at the senses and the line with Zoro contemplating carrying the boar/water in the stumps! Awesome!
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