Other Stuff

[dethorats]

Title: The Same But Different
Rating: G
Pairing: OT5
Word Count: 407



That year there were no sweaters, no bows, no tricks involving mistletoe. Not because anything bad had happened. On the contrary, it had been a surprisingly good year. Rather, it was because it had, as Nami, Usopp, and Yasopp all sagely concluded, already been done and then some. A break would make returning to the trend in a year or two all the more unexpected. They had still needed a picture, though, despite a certain trio of grumps who didn’t exactly agree. But the combined will of Ben, Mihawk, and Zoro was no match for the single-minded determination of Shanks and Luffy. And so, after some protests and grumbling, their rather unusual and certainly unconventional group had collected on the deck to stand before Usopp and his camera.

It quickly became a question of pose; none of the more studied arrangements seemed to turn out quite right. Nothing, as Luffy said, a finger up his nose while he studied the pictures, that really captured them as a THEM. And that was the heart of the problem until Shanks, having surreptitiously passed his flask to his co-conspirator Zoro, found the solution. “Dog pile on Ben! He’s the biggest.”

And that idea, Ben’s half-hearted reluctance notwithstanding, was seized upon eagerly by the captains. Shanks and Luffy grabbed a half of a lap apiece and tugged Zoro into sit on the floor between Ben’s knees. But that left Mihawk, watching the proceedings with a disapproving expression and a glint of laughter in his eyes, out and that just wouldn’t do. So Luffy, who was turning out to be a genius that day, hopped off Ben and gave his seat to the golden-eyed swordsman. Then, with the kind of ease only rubber limbs could have, he latched onto Ben’s back, resting scarred cheek to scarred cheek. Smooth limbs stretched around to accommodate the other three, Luffy’s fingers lacing together around Zoro’s stomach.

So all five of them were in the picture and it was just wrong enough and so very very right enough to work. The shutter of Usopp’s camera flicked open and shut, captured them for posterity. Luffy and Shanks even managed to steal kisses before Ben ordered them off, the threat of simply dumping them on the deck hanging in the air. And so that was the Christmas card for the year, the five of them wrapped up together, and even Mihawk managed half a smile for a change.

Comments

[scribe-protra.livejournal.com]

The ficlet is so cute and snuggly.

[dethorats]

XD Thankyou. The OT5 is at times a bit hard to wrap one's head around, but somehow Luffy's arms are always stretchy enough to make it work.