[in progress]
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: ( i lost my heart, i buried it too deep )
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: ( i lost my heart, i buried it too deep )
Well. Technically it was a mutual decision (which was still very odd when it came to those two) but meeting out in the damp cold of the wharf wasn't exactly something the cook would've suggested himself. Not that he had a better idea at the time and really... it wasn't so bad. The outcome was definitely worth the discomfort, as new and unusual as all this still felt.
Physical contact. That was something he never really had that much luck with, especially not of this variety. The Straw Hat clan was predominantly male and with the exception of Chopper none of the others were all that physical with each other. Violence was one thing but most of the time they didn't even offer a shoulder to lean on - simply because it wasn't necessary.
This was nice though, warm and strangely safe. Like nothing could get to them as long as they remained like this, a small fortress of strength in the turbulent sea that was Discedo and even though they wouldn't be able to stay like this for much longer... as long as they remembered it nothing would change.
The circle wasn't quite finished though and so Sanji reached out for that exposed hand, hesitating for a moment before he grabbed it. After everything they had been through, everything they had done both good and bad... it was still strange to do something so simple like reaching out and grabbing the swordsmans hand. Too intimate, too personal even now and Sanji couldn't help but feel nervous about the whole thing.
But it was the right thing to do, so he did.
His own hand wasn't all that warm even though it had been safely wrapped in a glove all day - the cold and bad blood circulation from years of smoking had him chilled in no time but even so he had to suppress a hiss once their hands touched. Fucking hell, it would be a damn miracle if Zoro could still feel something with that hand!
"Holy shit, you're freezing!"
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Which was true. Normally, he'd just tell them to come to Marshall. But with Luffy and Chopper around, it really didn't make much sense. Gohl wasn't much better. The bar was definitely out of the question... It really didn't leave much else. Zoro would have preferred warmer quarters too.
But this was still their ship. It was home in its own way -- or it would be. When it was done. Insulated and more ready for permanent living. Zoro would much rather live there than in any unstable Discedo building. He figured Sanji would relate to that in his way.
No, it wasn't idea yet. It wasn't particularly warm. But it was theirs. It was quiet and private for the only time it'd ever be that way.
But they were making their own warmth. The close proximity. Soft touches... slight body contact generated more heat than distance did. It was comfortable, almost.
Safe, almost.
Zoro never felt safe in these situations. Especially not on the strange thin ice he was treading with Sanji. It was all still so strange to him just as well. With Umi, he'd grown a bit used to it. They handled things a certain way, and their contact was still... safe. Innocent.
But everything with Sanji was a wildcard that he wasn't sure how to handle all the time. So when the cook finally reacted to the touch of their hands, any peace that Zoro had was instantly lost, his eyes widening in exasperation.
"What the hell did you expect?! It's freezing!"
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"Yeah, yeah," she said dismissively. That was true -- it was a place where they wouldn't have people coming and going. It was strange, in a way...like something secret.
She hadn't noticed the coldness of Zoro's hand -- maybe it was her coat, or maybe she was just as cold. Who knew? Either way, Sanji's exclamation confused her, at least at first. Though Zoro was the type of guy to not notice something like that for a while, huh... She shifted a bit, moving one hand over his for a second, and promptly cringed. Like a freaking ice block...!
"Jeez! Ever thought about wearing gloves when it's this cold?!"
Either way, the shouting between them seemed to dissolve whatever might be left of the tension between them. Despite the chill and however cold Zoro's hands, she was fighting hard to suppress a laugh. Somehow it always turned into this kind of bickering.
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Was that... worry in his voice? Absolutely not. It couldn't be and even if it was it was simply because hands in general was a touchy subject when it came to the cook. Not specifically the swordsmans calloused fists, but all extremities had the right to proper protection and seeing them abused like this -- well, who could blame him if he got a bit worked up about it? A lifetime of protecting his own had made him into something of a spokesperson when it came to proper hand care.
In all honesty, he was worried. Sure, the damn marimo didn't rely on the sensitivity in his fingers in quite the same way as Sanji did. But he did need them to chase after his dream, swordsmanship was bound to require a certain amount of finess and damage like this could screw everything up.
He let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Who the hell am I kidding..." He turned his attention to Umi, voice taking on the tone of a parent telling the neighbour about the latest shenanigans courtesy of their disobedient child.
"This guy? Thought it was a good idea to go swimming in the middle of the damn winter and to top it off he got lost. Under water."
All fun and games but... he was worried. Zoro wasn't the kind of guy who knew how to take care of himself at all times, especially when it came to shit like wounds and weather. Someone had to keep an eye on him... and maybe this light-hearted atmosphere was just the thing they needed to find some sort of starting point for this odd relationship of theirs. It wasn't just two couples divided into three people anymore, they were all in this together and if they couldn't be comfortable around each other this was going to be painful.
So he reluctantly unhooked himself from Umi's waist but remained close, reaching out for Zoro's hand once more. Awkward? Yes. Annoyed? Only on the surface.
"C'mere, before you lose a damn finger."
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He let out an exasperated sigh, adding before he fell silent again. "Tch..."
Okay, so it really wasn't very much of an addition. But it was true. Stupid and reckless as Zoro was, he hadn't been that bad in recent months. Normally, he wore a scarf and gloves with his coat when it was necessary; He hadn't realized the gloves were still sitting in the kitchen, rather than in his coat pocket.
But his hands hadn't gone completely numb. Raw and uncomfortable, yes, but he'd left his hands in his pockets for the majority of the day with good reason - he knew he'd be useless as well without his hands. It was something he couldn't afford to lose.
Of course, when Sanji started going on about the events on Drum Island, he quietly seethed. "Yeah, says the asshole who had his back broken on the same damn day."
There was another pause though. The change in Sanji's tone was undeniable. He wasn't sure if Umi would have caught that non-chalant concern that lay underneath the light-hearted attitude. But Zoro knew the cook well enough to detect the subtle changed in tone. And somehow, that slight concern was enough to for the swordsman to lay off a bit.
Awkward and unusual, it definitely all was. It was definitely going to take time to get used to the way their relationship was. But really... Zoro didn't mind it. He wouldn't trade the bond he shared with these two people for anything. It wasn't the same as his feelings towards the Straw Hats as a whole; There wasn't anything that could compare to that.
But this was a close second.
Seeing Sanji reach out once again, he complied. There was still a slight hesitance. The unfamiliarity of doing this at all seemed to have that affect on him. Regardless, his hand clasped the cook's as he pulled Umi a bit close to the both of them.
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She shouldn't have been surprised to hear any of this, at any rate. She really shouldn't. Not after all the things she'd heard about the Grand Line, after all the weird stuff they'd managed to survive through... But somehow she couldn't wipe the look of abject shock off her face. She glanced back and forth between them, mouth agape because with everything they added the weirdness just shot through the roof.
"Swimming in the-- You've gotta be--" She couldn't even finish, it was so mind-bogglingly ridiculous. "...How the heck do you get lost in the water?!"
Sorry, Zoro, you'll get no sympathy from her there. 'The magic chooses the user,' as Guru Clef had said to them, and water magic had chosen her. It fit; she always felt at home around the ocean. No way in the world could she get lost in a place like that.
Just when she thought it couldn't get any more ridiculous, though, it did. It summed them up well enough, though, right? Weird, ridiculous, over the top -- that was the kind of place the Grand Line seemed to be. It wasn't a bad thing, not by a long shot...but it was something she couldn't get used to that easily. She was trying, at least, and that was something.
As close as she was to the both of them, she couldn't pull away enough to do that facepalming she did so well. Instead she could only shake her head, leaning closer to both of them, exhasperated and maybe...trying not to laugh. Just a bit. It was that ridiculous.
"Jeez...you two!" But there was an affectionate undertone to that exclamation, because this was just who they were. She shifted again, putting her hand over Zoro's free one. Maybe she could help get rid of some of that icy cold.
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The fact that this was just one small isolated event spoke volumes about the nature of the Grand Line. One story out of a million - he could've poked fun at Zoro's vanity by bringing up that time in Little Garden when Mr 3 almost made wax statues out of half the clan and the swordsman thought it was a good idea to strike a pose. Or something completely unrelated - giant goldfish, perverted crabs, sailing vertical streams right up into the sky, trains that ran across the surface of the ocean, villains that stole shadows and made puppets out of corpses---
No, getting lost under water wasn't even a little bit strange in comparison to the stories they could tell. That would have to wait though. Some other time, maybe.
Right now it was more than enough to just stand here a little while longer, wrapped up in the small warmth of their newly founded trinity. He edged closer as the other two did, shoulder to shoulder, one hand returning to Umi's back while the other firmly held onto Zoro's cold, calloused fingers. There was nothing romantic or gentle about it, just a physical manifestation of a bond that had grown and deepened over the months and while Sanji was generally extremely open about his feelings this was quite possibly as open as he'd ever be with the shitty marimo.
He remained silent for a moment, eyes half-closed. No, it wasn't like the deep family bond of the Straw Hat crew but very little could measure up to that. It was just... different. A bubble within a bubble.
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It was all Zoro could really say in response to Umi's question. In all honesty, even he didn't know how he could get lost in the water. Hell, most of the time, he didn't really know how he could lost anywhere. Admitting that, though, wasn't something he really intended on doing. Especially not with Sanji there to hear it. No, directions really weren't his strong suit. It'd taken him long enough to get around Discedo without getting disoriented -- another thing that didn't need to be said.
None of it was really important right then anyway. He was far from lost in this situation. At least, physically. In every other sense, everything was still new and unfamiliar. But it wasn't only him this time, and that made it a little easier.
Zoro's lips curved upwards slightly when he felt Umi's hand against his. Between that, and his other hand being warmed by Sanji... Things felt right. As right as they could in a fucked up city where even more fucked up things would happen.
But this was okay. It was nice. It was a moment of reprieve in a situation where everything was completely unpredictable. Yes. This was okay. He gave the both of them a slight nudge, indicating for them both to edge a bit closer. There was room for it... And they'd all definitely keep a bit warmer this way.
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