More reserected from my Doc's file...
This one was started early 2006. I'm on a roll...
Title: Tangible Memories
Rating: PG
Pairing: LuZo ever so faintly implied- Chopper-centric, though
Word Count: 882
"Chopper?"
The reindeer jumped, startled out of his reverie. Zoro had always been a light walker, but he could usually tell when the swordsman was coming, nonetheless. He supposed it went to show how deeply he had fallen into memories. A hoof absently rubbed at the fur concealing an old scar, when he turned to the other man.
"Zoro... are you feeling ok?"
It had only been a day since he had taken a stray bullet from Luffy- and while he had protested, the small doctor demanded that the dressings remain on until he said otherwise.
Zoro snorted, looking down at his bandaged chest. "It’s fine."
Chopper blinked, uncertain. "Oh. That’s good." He paused a moment, considering the instances that would bring Zoro to this secluded portion of the ship, invading his rarely-sought-after privacy.
“Um… I’m not in your spot, am I?”
He had been hiding out in the Mikan grove for the last several hours, and while he didn’t normally associate the green-haired man with this area, one never knew where he would next decide to catch a nap.
The other man only shrugged in response, but came a little closer, to sit at a comfortable distance.
The swordsman looked him over critically, then, and Chopper suddenly found it very hard to pretend - feeling as if he were being looked right through. He turned away, the only defense he had to that piercing gaze.
A few tense moments passed before Zoro shattered the brittle silence.
“What is it?”
Startled, the doctor looked up, started to protest, but stopped when he met the other man’s eyes. They were not eyes to lie to- they would recognize the deception before it left his lips.
Still…
“I… its nothing- you just reminded- I just remembered something, is all.” He smiled- tried to make it real, he didn’t want to burden them with his childhood problems; they all had their own pasts to cope with- did any of his nakama let that make them all weepy? Did it stop anyone else from living their daily lives?
No.
They were all stronger than that- stronger than him, and all he could do was try to live up to their example- their expectations; push down the pain, don’t let it affect him... It was all he could do to repay them- they had taken him in, let him pursue his dreams, treated him like family, instead of the monster everyone else saw; how could he possibly give them less?
“I’m ok, Zoro”, he said, finally feeling the shade of a normal smile settle on his face. “really, I was just thinking.”
There was a long pause before Zoro sighed, finally returning, “Don’t lie to me, Chopper, it doesn’t suit you.” The tone was easy, and quiet, and not at all angry, taking the bite out of the words. It startled the false-calm out of him.
“I- but… I….”
Zoro’s eyes slid to him, expression softened, “There’s no shame in having painful memories, everyone does. Do you want to talk about it?”
“I… it’s just… it shouldn’t affect me like this, but”, he swallowed hard, unconsciously touching his shoulder again, parodying Zoro’s own wound. “It was… since… Dr. Hiliku- it’s been 9 years, since… since he…” His eyes lowered, and he could feel tears welling up again. Embarrassed, he rubbed harshly at his eyes, feeling childish. “It’s nothing. It shouldn’t bother me, still. It’s just - when you were hit, it reminded me of the day we met, and everything came back.”
He finally looked back at the other man, feeling embarrassed, but a little more under control. “The wound probably wouldn’t have killed me, but I had lost all hope of being accepted. I may not have found shelter, if he hadn’t found me, decided to heal me. Take me in…”
He trailed off, thinking of the lengths that man had gone to to gain his trust.
“You’re lucky.”
Chopper startled, giving the other an incredulous look.
“Your important person left a mark on you, one that can’t be taken away”, unconsciously, fingers tightened on a white hilt, then lifted to the cleft marking his chest. “This reminds me every day how far I’ve come, and how far I have to go. What I risk to get there…”
Fingers shifting to rest lightly over new bandages, and Chopper was surprised to see a slight smile turn the other’s lips. “This will remind me what I have to protect, what is most important...”
Earnest eyes slid back to his. “Scars are tangible memories; you don’t need to feel guilty when they affect you: they leave marks inside, too.” He shrugged, then, adding, “If you’ve ever seen Nami touch her shoulder when she thinks no one’s looking, she’s thinking about her village and who she left behind; things she’s been through to get here. Everyone does it.”
A few quiet minutes passed, as the doctor contemplated this new perspective. The guilt of hurting was slipping quickly away, leaving behind only the bittersweet longing for a long dead friend. It was… something he could live with.
“Come on”, Zoro said, finally, getting up and starting away, “You can change my bandages and see how this memory is setting in.”
Chopper smiled and followed, feeling better than he had when he’d come.
Title: Tangible Memories
Rating: PG
Pairing: LuZo ever so faintly implied- Chopper-centric, though
Word Count: 882
"Chopper?"
The reindeer jumped, startled out of his reverie. Zoro had always been a light walker, but he could usually tell when the swordsman was coming, nonetheless. He supposed it went to show how deeply he had fallen into memories. A hoof absently rubbed at the fur concealing an old scar, when he turned to the other man.
"Zoro... are you feeling ok?"
It had only been a day since he had taken a stray bullet from Luffy- and while he had protested, the small doctor demanded that the dressings remain on until he said otherwise.
Zoro snorted, looking down at his bandaged chest. "It’s fine."
Chopper blinked, uncertain. "Oh. That’s good." He paused a moment, considering the instances that would bring Zoro to this secluded portion of the ship, invading his rarely-sought-after privacy.
“Um… I’m not in your spot, am I?”
He had been hiding out in the Mikan grove for the last several hours, and while he didn’t normally associate the green-haired man with this area, one never knew where he would next decide to catch a nap.
The other man only shrugged in response, but came a little closer, to sit at a comfortable distance.
The swordsman looked him over critically, then, and Chopper suddenly found it very hard to pretend - feeling as if he were being looked right through. He turned away, the only defense he had to that piercing gaze.
A few tense moments passed before Zoro shattered the brittle silence.
“What is it?”
Startled, the doctor looked up, started to protest, but stopped when he met the other man’s eyes. They were not eyes to lie to- they would recognize the deception before it left his lips.
Still…
“I… its nothing- you just reminded- I just remembered something, is all.” He smiled- tried to make it real, he didn’t want to burden them with his childhood problems; they all had their own pasts to cope with- did any of his nakama let that make them all weepy? Did it stop anyone else from living their daily lives?
No.
They were all stronger than that- stronger than him, and all he could do was try to live up to their example- their expectations; push down the pain, don’t let it affect him... It was all he could do to repay them- they had taken him in, let him pursue his dreams, treated him like family, instead of the monster everyone else saw; how could he possibly give them less?
“I’m ok, Zoro”, he said, finally feeling the shade of a normal smile settle on his face. “really, I was just thinking.”
There was a long pause before Zoro sighed, finally returning, “Don’t lie to me, Chopper, it doesn’t suit you.” The tone was easy, and quiet, and not at all angry, taking the bite out of the words. It startled the false-calm out of him.
“I- but… I….”
Zoro’s eyes slid to him, expression softened, “There’s no shame in having painful memories, everyone does. Do you want to talk about it?”
“I… it’s just… it shouldn’t affect me like this, but”, he swallowed hard, unconsciously touching his shoulder again, parodying Zoro’s own wound. “It was… since… Dr. Hiliku- it’s been 9 years, since… since he…” His eyes lowered, and he could feel tears welling up again. Embarrassed, he rubbed harshly at his eyes, feeling childish. “It’s nothing. It shouldn’t bother me, still. It’s just - when you were hit, it reminded me of the day we met, and everything came back.”
He finally looked back at the other man, feeling embarrassed, but a little more under control. “The wound probably wouldn’t have killed me, but I had lost all hope of being accepted. I may not have found shelter, if he hadn’t found me, decided to heal me. Take me in…”
He trailed off, thinking of the lengths that man had gone to to gain his trust.
“You’re lucky.”
Chopper startled, giving the other an incredulous look.
“Your important person left a mark on you, one that can’t be taken away”, unconsciously, fingers tightened on a white hilt, then lifted to the cleft marking his chest. “This reminds me every day how far I’ve come, and how far I have to go. What I risk to get there…”
Fingers shifting to rest lightly over new bandages, and Chopper was surprised to see a slight smile turn the other’s lips. “This will remind me what I have to protect, what is most important...”
Earnest eyes slid back to his. “Scars are tangible memories; you don’t need to feel guilty when they affect you: they leave marks inside, too.” He shrugged, then, adding, “If you’ve ever seen Nami touch her shoulder when she thinks no one’s looking, she’s thinking about her village and who she left behind; things she’s been through to get here. Everyone does it.”
A few quiet minutes passed, as the doctor contemplated this new perspective. The guilt of hurting was slipping quickly away, leaving behind only the bittersweet longing for a long dead friend. It was… something he could live with.
“Come on”, Zoro said, finally, getting up and starting away, “You can change my bandages and see how this memory is setting in.”
Chopper smiled and followed, feeling better than he had when he’d come.