[It's not like Baren doesn't know a thing or two about the unspoken - he loves to dance in the grey area, taking misconceptions and half-truths and playing with them until they explode like fireworks. It's just—
It's just that even his poker face can't stay in place after that. Baren asked for honesty, but this sort of automatic extreme - Zoro putting his life on the line and promising to be here - that sounds more like... loyalty?
His expression grows uncomfortable because no one's ever said that shit to him.
Not once.
21 years, millions of people that he's crossed paths with, and maybe those promises were whispered drunkenly into his ear or give out frivolously and jokingly from people who didn't matter but.
But.
His expression eventually relaxes when he sighs and he finds his eyes wandering skyward. He knows that in theory, Zoro's not special. There's other people like him that could be found... probably on an island somewhere? Someplace warm, tropical. In theory, determined and loyal and honest idiots can be found anywhere.
Baren doesn't want to admit that he's pretty attached to the one in front of him.]
... I guess if it's like that....
[It's not just good enough for him - it's too good for him.
He knows that.
He can't promise the same, not in so many words, maybe just not out loud, and Baren knows that he does not deserve this.]
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It's just that even his poker face can't stay in place after that. Baren asked for honesty, but this sort of automatic extreme - Zoro putting his life on the line and promising to be here - that sounds more like... loyalty?
His expression grows uncomfortable because no one's ever said that shit to him.
Not once.
21 years, millions of people that he's crossed paths with, and maybe those promises were whispered drunkenly into his ear or give out frivolously and jokingly from people who didn't matter but.
But.
His expression eventually relaxes when he sighs and he finds his eyes wandering skyward. He knows that in theory, Zoro's not special. There's other people like him that could be found... probably on an island somewhere? Someplace warm, tropical. In theory, determined and loyal and honest idiots can be found anywhere.
Baren doesn't want to admit that he's pretty attached to the one in front of him.]
... I guess if it's like that....
[It's not just good enough for him - it's too good for him.
He knows that.
He can't promise the same, not in so many words, maybe just not out loud, and Baren knows that he does not deserve this.]