[in progress]

[embracethewaves]

Who: Zoro threesword, Sanji baratiesbest and Umi embracethewaves
Where: The shipyard
When: Backdated to Jan. 29th
Rating: pg...13? /stares at dirty pirate language 8|
Summary: There's barely a chance to catch your breath around here, but some things need to be said.
the log:

Comments

[baratiesbest]

"Oi."

A low growl and that's all the response Zoro is going to get to that remark. Normally it would've required a kick to the shins or at the very least a snide comment about the state of the swordsmans facial structure and how it could use a renovation but the situation doesn't really allow for more than an 'oi'.

Snow. Always the damn snow. It seemed like every turning point in this strange relationship happened when it snowed.

Over a year ago, outside of Marshall. That first, bitter fight about things neither of them understood at the time. His blood, painting crimson peonies in the snow. And then in August, same setup even though they had figured out quite a bit by then. It was supposed to be the height of summer, sweltering hot but the streets had been covered in ice and snow and once the adrenaline died down it had been freezing.

And now this. January. Snow. Cold, but not as cold as that growing lump of sheer panic at the pit of his stomach. Just say it. Easy to say but not nearly as easy to do, especially with something you haven't really admitted to yourself yet. But she deserved to know, so he took a deep breath. Readied himself for the plunge. The damn marimo had done the ground work, they couldn't stall forever, someone had to do it.

Might as well be him.

"We..." Pause. Eyes on the ground, expression hidden by that convenient blond curtain. "Let's just say you won't have to worry about us trying to beat each other to death anymore."

Or maybe it wouldn't be him. It was a start though and if this didn't clue her in... well, they'd just have to clarify. One way or another.

[threesword]

There was something that felt horribly embarrassing about the situation. The statement had been pretty vague on its own, and if Umi didn't figure it out just from that alone... well, then what would it take? Would they be able to say something concise, or would it spread into this awful explanation of details that he never wanted to share?

Because the latter of the options was completely terrifying. Their relationship with Umi - or his, at the very least, since he never bothered to ask for details - had been lighthearted in its way. Innocent in the way a first relationship should have been.

With Sanji... Things were so different. So opposite. It was physical and lusty and held lingering desires that made his entire body quiver whenever it came to mind. But it wasn't something they spoke of. Hell, they had reputations to uphold. And... say the rest of the crew found out. Then what?

It was all these little thoughts rushing to his head that instilled a tense fear in him. His muscles tightened and he took in a quiet breath. His cheeks, already pink from being exposed to the cold for so long, had intensified greatly. His eyes continued to droop, sheepishly staring at the ground.

"Most of the time, anyway."

[embracethewaves]

The first thing Umi felt was relief. She had put their near-deadly fights to the back of her mind since August, but she had far from forgotten them. To be honest, she was worried when they were so sullen that they had done something like that again... The reassurance that that wasn't the case was definitely something she needed to hear.

"Good...that's good."

But then, what was the big deal? Why did they both look like kids with a hand caught in the candy jar? It didn't really...make sense.

She looked back and forth between the two, watching their expressions with more than just a bit of confusion on her face. Although when she thought about it, really thought about it...the look was familiar, that was for sure. It was the same look Fuu had when she met Ferio, the same look Umi was sure she was wearing when Carrot had asked her that weird question. Could it really be something like that, even with those serious expressions?

"You don't-- ...wait a sec, do you mean--" She stopped there. It was...unexpected enough that she couldn't be sure -- was she just coming to some weird conclusion?

[baratiesbest]

Oh, they had done something alright. Something that, with a little luck, she never ever had to hear about. Or witness for that matter - that thought alone was enough to make Sanji cringe on the inside. What the hell had they gotten themselves into? The alternative would only lead to trouble though, quite possibly in the form of more near-deadly fights just to let off some steam.

No, this was really the only way to go and it did look like she had a good idea of what this was about. Maybe. So far so good but they couldn't just leave it here, could they? Unresolved. Uncertain. A problem waiting to come back and bite them in the ass, so to speak.

Someone had to do something and it might as well be him, even though he was at a complete loss for words. He just couldn't find a way to fill in the blanks here, no words or clever phrasing seemed to be good enough for what he needed to say. So he sighed, shoulders slumped in defeat. When words weren't enough...

The cook turned towards the other man, gave him a nonchalant glance.

"Sorry."

And with that he brought up a hand to grab the swordsmans neck before leaning in, planting a quick kiss on his mouth. If that didn't clear things up... nothing would.

[threesword]

There had been the mildest feeling of relief that washed over him. Umi had understood. Even if she wasn't completely sure, she had an idea.

One that was confirmed very completely by Sanji's action. At the word 'Sorry,' Zoro had no idea what the hell the cook was apologizing for. But then it was there. The sensation of a firm hand on his neck, and then lips against his own.

It sent a chill down his spine, but in the very same second, his entire body went tense, his eyes widening in shock. Zoro pulled back, his face looking whiter than a sheet.

"What the hell are you doing, shithead?!"

Well, he knew the answer that. Sanji was trying to prove a point - one that could easily be conceived in an entirely different way. He ruffled his hair again, looking over at Umi. The color had returned to his face; Now he was completely red in a way he never thought was possible for himself. His hand landed on the back of his neck, rubbing the now-damp skin. All of this was causing him to work up a sweat.

"Yeah, it's that." He paused again, awkwardly. "But I... We... Still feel the same way. About you."

[embracethewaves]

...So that would be a "yes." But that...that definitely wasn't something she had expected. Of all the ways to confirm something--

Surprise was the simplest, mildest way to put how she felt in response to something like that -- it was just something that seemed so...unexpected for them. Or was it? Even she had said before how alike they were, how close they seemed. But that...

Maybe shock was a better word for it.

Every inch of that showed on her face, with complete solidarity. She didn't know how to respond yet, although the color rose in her cheeks both at witnessing the kiss and at Zoro's words. But even through the shock she realized she was falling back into that old pattern, not being able to say things, not knowing what to think or feel...

"I-- Well-- ... O...oh," she began, but she didn't know where to go from there. Not yet. She just needed a moment to absorb it -- and more importantly, what it meant.

[baratiesbest]

"Just saving time, shitty marimo."

This could've been solved a lot easier. They could've done the good and adult thing and given it more thought beforehand, figured out the right thing to say and the way to say it. They could've taken it slow, wrapped the bomb in cotton and maybe, just maybe, that could've led to a different outcome.

But Sanji was tired of waiting. Waiting was the very thing that had gotten them here in the first place, waiting had forced them to almost kill each other just a few short months earlier and he for one just wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. She had to find out, somehow. Now she knew, without a doubt. It wasn't smooth or suave but at least it was honest and that was good enough for him right now.

That didn't mean that he didn't feel anything. A deep pink had crept up on his cheeks, partly from the cold but mostly from sheer embarressment. He didn't - they didn't - but now they did. Had. She knew. The cat was out of the bag. His eyes quickly drifted back to the ground as he turned away from the swordsman, heart beating furiously in his chest.

There was bound to be questions. None of this was solved yet, not by a long shot but before they could do that they had to... calm down. Catch up.

[threesword]

There was a panic tightening in Zoro's chest. Umi's reaction was completely terrifying. That look of shock, the sputtering... This could end up completely hideous if they didn't clear things up. His eyes stared ahead at the ship - he couldn't really look either of them in the eye yet. The horror was still sinking in.

"Come on. Let's talk about this crap somewhere a little warmer."

Without much thought, he started walking again. He couldn't remember the last time, if ever, that he'd felt this way. It was unlike him in every way - if anyone who really knew him, save for Sanji, had caught on to all of this, they'd know something was wrong.

Was this what Discedo had done? Or was it time? Or was it the effect the two people standing with him had over the course of time?

The hell if the swordsman knew. He didn't know what to say or how to react. But shit. He was cold and wet from the falling snow, and his hands were starting to go numb from the exposure to the temperature.

[embracethewaves]

That sudden silence...was even more uncomfortable than anything. For a second Umi felt so utterly helpless in the face of it, in the face of those two guys who couldn't look at each other, much less at her. She still felt a little dazed as she nodded at Zoro's suggestion, even as she crossed the makeshift plank over to the deck of the ship and headed for the nearest cabin door.

Shelter from the wind and snow helped; it wasn't a whole lot warmer, but it was something. She was still cold, still shivering a bit and trying to stamp warmth back into her limbs, but it was better than nothing.

That was the easy part though, wasn't it?

She didn't like this feeling. The uncertainty and the frailty of...whatever this was. She wasn't sure what they were trying to tell her, either, other than the words that kiss clearly spoke. Now it was her turn to wonder, after everything that had happened...what did they want?

"...So--" She paused there, again. and sighed a bit. "Jeez. I'm sorry. I don't..." But, again, she didn't know how to finish that. She looked at both of them, watching for any sign of what they were thinking, any hint as to what they wanted from her, what she needed to say.

[baratiesbest]

The ship was no Thousand Sunny or even Merry during her worst days but it still granted a sense of familiarity. Safety. They had been on solid ground for so long and for someone like Sanji who grew up on a rolling deck that sort of thing wasn't right. This was better though, not good but close to it. Maybe here they could get to the heart of the matter now that they were out of reach from the wind and the cold.

Or so he thought. The blond had kept his eyes on the ground until now but Umi's words forced his head to jerk up, as soft as they had been.

"Don't..?"

She didn't... no, of course she didn't. He should've expected it really and some parts of him had probably seen this coming from miles away. Less optimistic parts, the ones that still thought leaving the Baratie had been a stupid idea. But he had hoped that she would've reacted differently. This was Umi after all, the wonderful blue haired goddess with a heart the size of the Grand Line. She of all people---

But she didn't. They screwed up. It was the only logical conclusion. He bowed his head slightly, shoulders slumping yet again. Shit. Shitshitshitshit. Worst possible outcome and once again he's at a loss for words, tongue tied and throat squeezed shut by the sheer pressure of rejection - there's no way he can say anything but something needs to be said so he settles for a soft noise. A nod.

"Ah."

[threesword]

There was a strange comfort to the inside of the ship. No, it wasn't the Merry. It wasn't as sturdy, but still, it was theirs. Warm... Not really, but still a massive relief for the consistently falling temperatures.

Remaining silent, Zoro plopped down on the cabin's floor, rubbing his hands together for a moment in an attempt to try and warm them up. He wouldn't be much of a swordsman, nor a master of his craft if he lost his hands due to frostbite.

A shiver before accepting defeat and shoving his hands in the pockets of the coat. He looked up, first at Umi, then Sanji. Umi's expression... It confused him. She was... confused? Hurt? Disappointed?

He had no idea, but looking over at Sanji - seeing him look so defeated really took a lot out of the swordsman. His eyes darted away again, that awkward feeling returning.

".... Hell."

[embracethewaves]

Those words, their expressions, what...?

Umi didn't realize she had said anything that made any sense. Stammering, grasping at words -- it had been a while, but she remembered the hopeless feeling of not knowing what to say to that. What had she even said?... Realization hit her like a brick; when she understood how it must have sounded, a hand flew over her mouth. Did it really sound like-- did they really think that--?

What could she even say to that?

"That's not--" she began, and it was muffled at first, but she couldn't keep doing this. Even if it was tough, even if it didn't sound just right or elegant or anything, they gave her the truth. She couldn't just keep stammering in response. It was frustrating, her own inability to articulate anything and the idea that they'd think she held such a double-standard.

"You-- ...idiots... That's not what I meant at all! How could I--" A pause; she sucked in a deep breath, but her cheeks turned a faint shade of pink.

"You said you still...feel the same. That goes for me, too."

[baratiesbest]

It took a moment. A few seconds, half a minute - and then it finally started to sink in. He was wrong. Dead-wrong by the sound of that mumbled nickname she had pinned on them but in this moment he didn't mind being an idiot. Sanji relaxed, released a breath he didn't realize he had been holding and even though the cabin was cold he could feel the blood run hot in his veins again.

She... didn't mind. Nothing would change, at least not for the worse, at least not now and that was way more than he had ever expected. This constellation grew more complicated and bizarre with every twist and turn but if it was one thing he had picked up during his time as a Straw Hat pirate it was that weird wasn't always bad. The impossible was, surprisingly often, very possible.

Sanji slowly raised his head, unable to hold back a tentative smile that quickly grew into a more confident grin.

"So... this..?" He hesitated, stumbled a bit, made a vague gesture at the three of them as if to explain what he was trying to get at. The disbelief in his voice was clear as day even though there was a healthy amount of sheer, unbridled hope in there as well.

"...it's okay?"

[threesword]

Those words... Maybe now, Zoro could breathe again. Hearing her words, seeing the expression. It had been a misunderstanding after all. At least, it sounded like that.

His eyes grazed over, looking to Sanji. Seeing Sanji's lips curve into a smile like that one was a relief all its own. They were one step closer to making sense of the entire situation. That look - his green eyes studied it for just a moment, not realizing his own lips were contorting into a similar, more subdued expression. Never was that day supposed to come; The day where Sanji's smile brought one to the swordsman's face? It almost seemed blasphemous, but there was one thing that was undeniable. Discedo had changed them all over the course of time.

The expression still on his face, his eyes meandered over in Umi's direction - awaiting a response. Zoro was often a man of few words. He knew when to speak, usually. But when Sanji was doing the talking, there wasn't much he could say. It was covered for them both right then.

It was what he wanted to know as well. This. The three of them being what they were... Was it really okay? It wasn't just the two of them sharing time with Umi. It was more than that. It was spending time, the three of them. It was a different kind of relationship. Intimacy. Something more than he'd ever imagined he'd actually experience.

His eyes watched the motions Sanji made, his head nodding slightly in accordance with what he was saying. His shoulders tensed - not because of nerves, but because of the bone-chilling shiver that ran down his spine. His hands were still cold, and that in turn seemed to be affecting the rest of his body. It was better than it had been outside, but it was still damn cold. Gloves. He really needed to actually make use of the ones he had.

"Hn."

[embracethewaves]

Somehow the most confusing thing now was why that was even a question. Was this...really what had had them so worried? What had caused those sullen faces, the awkward pauses, her own worry -- that one little question. 'Is it okay?' She had thought the answer would be obvious.

She leaned back against the cabin wall a little, took some of the weight off of her leg. Glancing from Sanji to Zoro...she couldn't help it, the small, sheepish smile that crossed her face.

"Hey. You guys aren't the only ones that can share, y'know."

It was deeper than that, of course, much deeper. She cared about them both so much more than she usually put into words -- enough that sometimes it still scared her a little. But this was good, this change. It felt like the way things should be, in a way that she couldn't exactly describe. It wasn't just "sharing," not in those words, at least.

It was more than that, and somehow it seemed like the right thing. In this weird triangle, this strange trio where they were all in over their heads, somehow they could find a path of their own...it made her smile widen a bit.

[baratiesbest]

Sometimes the simplest questions are also the ones most difficult to ask, even when you know the answer. In this case, neither of them knew how she would react. Sure, they had talked it over and agreed that if anyone would understand it would be Umi. She'd get it and everything would be alright but there had always been that possibility that she wouldn't and that alone was enough to make them hesitate.

But she did. She got it, she understood and what was even more mindboggling - she didn't mind. It was okay, whatever this turned out to be and to have free reins like that... it felt like they could handle anything.

Unconventional. Rebellious. Even a bit weird and if anyone could handle this it was a pair of pirates and a magic knight. No, it wasn't about sharing in the terms of making compromises. They complemented each other, filled in the gaps and balanced each other out. Always had. And now, when it was coming full circle... it made sense. This was the way it was supposed to be after everything was said and done, after everything that had happened and the ways they had changed - this was the only possible outcome.

The grin widened even further, growing into a warm smile, spilling over into a low, relieved chuckle. They'd be fine, the three of them, for however long they had each other. No matter what.

"Damn... you're still full of surprises, Miss Umi! ♥"