Warnings: AU, mentions of death, ZoLu that can be interpreted however you like, implied AceLu and Zoro/Kuina that's the same way, strong possibility of OOC characters, vagueness.

mourning period

i

When they met, three years, five months, and six days had passed for Zoro.

Over the years, Zoro had learned to cope.

(a painful process that he would rather not think of)

The boy sitting on the stool next to him, with dark circles around tired looking eyes, clearly had not.

Zoro recognized the look in the boy's eyes, having seen it in his own.

Maybe that was why Zoro extended a hand and introduced himself, something that he normally wouldn't do.

Or maybe it was because this kid had lost someone, too.

ii

The brat's name was Monkey D. Luffy. He wasn't that much younger than Zoro; just two years. He had just barely finished highschool and he wasn't even old enough to be allowed in a bar, but he knew the bar's owner so he had been allowed in. He wasn't drinking, though.

(later he would find out that Luffy had frequented this place with the person that he had lost for years)

When the two meet at later date, Zoro finds out that Luffy had lost someone about four months ago.

He hadn't said much about the person, just that they were (had been) "important."

Zoro's thoughts turned to a stubborn and headstrong girl, before telling Luffy that he had lost someone important too.

iii

Eventually, the two started meeting outside of the bar.

(it turned out that they actually had a few friends in common, like the ero-cook)

Time passed and they slowly started talking about the people that they had lost.

Zoro told him about Kuina, who had been his best friend and rival. He told Luffy of an up and coming swordswoman who wanted to become the best swordsman in the world, not unlike himself, and how she had lost her footing and fell down a flight of stairs, breaking her neck and other parts of her body.

(he didn't tell Luffy that she had gone downstairs to sharpen the sword that he had asked her to fight him with earlier that night)

(he didn't blame himself, though)

And he was told about Ace.

He was told about a man who was short-tempered, but polite. Of a man who had been with Luffy since he was little, spending almost everyday with him.

Luffy never specified what their relationship had been, but that didn't matter to Zoro.

(the look in Luffy's eyes told him that he probably wouldn't have understood anyways)

iv

"We fought over two-thousand times and I never won against her once."

The sound of laughter filled the air.

"Same here! Ace always used to kick my ass!"

v

When he talked of Ace, Luffy smiled.

Seeing Luffy smile was nothing out of the ordinary, because that was what Luffy seemed to do best. Smile a warm smile that could light up a room instantly.

But this smile was different.

This smile was easily brighter and warmer than the sun itself.

(Zoro couldn't believe that someone would even think of taking this smile away from the younger man. It was an insane thought that turned into an absurd reality.)

(he wanted Luffy to have a reason to smile like that all of the time and not only when they were talking about dead loved ones)

(a part of him hoped that he would be able to make Luffy smile like that)

vi

One year quickly passed by since the two had met.

It was rather obvious that Luffy was still in pain over Ace; to Zoro and their other friends, at least, and it was well known that Luffy would never get over it.

He still hadn't told Zoro how Ace had died and Zoro wasn't going to make him.

They never really talked about the ones who had passed on in general. Zoro wasn't the type of man to really think of nostalgia, and neither was Luffy.

It turned out to become a relationship that Zoro never wanted to let go of anytime soon.

(and he was pretty sure that Luffy felt the same.)

A/N: Hey! So this is my first OP fic and... I like it. It's a little vague, like I said above, but I like it nonetheless and I hope you did too. It's also my first real try at working with my writing style and coming up with something that I actually like. The ending is a little abrupt, to say the least and I'm not all that pleased with that… (Something I'm well aware I need to work with :P) Or with some parts in the 3rd part... And Zoro and Luffy are pretty OOC... It was pretty hard to get into Zoro's character in general and Luffy is in mourning, so...But I did try and I'm kind of proud of myself for that, tbh.

Oh, and later on Zoro would be told about Sabo too, but I didn't exactly mention him in. And it's pretty obvious that I made Kuina die a little later on than she did in canon.

Also, I would really, really appreciate con-crit and if you could tell me if I missed any mistakes, that would be great too!

Thanks for reading :)