Perchance to Dream Chapter 8
So classes started up again today. And one of my profs. looks a little bit like Hitler which amused me far more then it should have.
I would have been a pretty good day, if it weren't for the extreme pain I was in for 5 hours thanks to my period from HELL. Cramps=sad pandas
WTF. I don't even want kids. Why must I go through this? *sniffle* Hopefully, and I do mean, hopefully, they won't come back tomorrow. I'm out of Midol.
But anyway...
Title: Perchance to Dream 8/11
Rating: From PG to R: This Chapter: PG
Words: 3,499
Pairings: Zoro/Sanji
Summery: “Because happy is what happens when all your dreams come true…well, isn't it?” -Wicked
Warnings: Everything from fluff to angst.
Spoilers: Takes place between Skypiea and Water 7, so…
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don’t own One Piece
Notes: Loosely based on and titled after an episode of Batman The Animated Series. If you’ve seen this episode…shhhhh…
Huge thank you: To bronzetigress for being my super-beta and putting up with my ellipses abuse and lack of commas. Thanks again my dear!!!!
Chapter 8
The couch, Zoro had decided, had nothing on this. For one thing the mattress was perfect, soft enough for the swordsman to have a slight floating sensation, but he didn’t get lost in it. And the sheets had to be silk or something, so light and gentle against his body. They almost felt… alien against his scar. Plus the huge fluffy goose down comforter that topped it all off, it was too good, too fine for him.
He supposed it was Sanji who bought it anyway. A smile found his lips. That brought up the other thing, the best thing, about the bed: the company. He was lying on his side, one arm under the pillow and the other curled around a certain thin waist. The blond’s back was nicely situated against Zoro’s chest as they both faced the wall; Sanji just fit in his arms so well. The swordsman placed a few light kisses on his lover’s neck, trying not to flinch as the golden hair tickled his nose.
It was a good thing Sanji was still asleep, seeing as he’d probably be laughed at for such an act. But he didn’t particularly care at the moment; he was just basking in the afterglow of a spectacular night. They had spent the rest of the evening together. Sanji had laughed and called it their second honeymoon. The only time he had ventured out was to retrieve the picnic basket so they could have a light supper, but even that hadn’t lasted long after he asked the cook if it was still considered wasting food if he licked it off the blond’s chest. All in all, he was happy and satisfied and warm and quite content not to move for the rest of the day. But, he knew that wouldn’t happen as soon as Sanji woke up. Sanji would insist on breakfast and clothes and nonsense like that. He was brushing some hair out of said cook’s face, wondering if he’d be able to fall asleep again, when the blond began to stir. Zoro laid his head back down quickly and closed his eyes.
He felt Sanji’s body move under his arm, at first shifting as awareness found him then stilling right before he turned around to face the swordsman. He could feel the other man’s eyes on his face studying him, watching him, but he couldn’t hold back the grin when soft lips gently kissed his own.
“Hn. Knew you were awake.” Sanji spoke matter-of-factly.
Zoro slid his eyes open, resting them on the cook’s face. “If you knew why the test?”
“What test? I just wanted to kiss you.”
“Well if that’s the case…” he leaned in, stealing one for himself before falling back into the lush mattress.
“You're not going to get up are you?”
“Neh.”
The bed barely shifted as Sanji climbed out of it. Zoro lifted his head off the pillows, taking in the blond’s bare frame as he fished for clothing. He sighed as Sanji located and put on a pair of snug black boxers.
“What?” the cook asked without turning.
“I knew you’d go and get dressed.”
“So sorry to disappoint.”
“I’ll get over it somehow.”
He watched as Sanji slipped into some tight dark-wash jeans and swiftly buttoned his bare chest away under a midnight blue long-sleeved shirt. He had moved on to the mirror to fix his hair when Zoro heard a startled gasp fall from the blond’s lips. Clapping a hand over his neck Sanji slowly turned around.
“Zoro.” He gave the swordsman the look of death.
“Um… what?” he tried.
“Look what you did!” Sanji exclaimed, pointing at the large, prominent marking on his neck. “This thing is not going to go away for days, you bastard!”
“Everyone already knows we're married.” He shrugged. “What’s the big deal?”
“What- What! How about I give you one and see how you like it?”
Zoro smirked, “I don’t think I’d mind actually.” He leaned his head to the side. “You can go ahead now if you want.”
Sanji shook his head. “You really are a masochist.”
“It would take a lot more than your pretty little mouth to hurt me.”
“Maybe we’ll see about that later.”
“No time like the present,” Zoro pushed.
“Actually the present time is breakfast time so I’m heading to the kitchen.” Sanji paused in the doorway. “Clothing is required to join me.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He watched Sanji leave the room, enjoying the back view.
It was always a day to be noted when Sanji wore jeans on the Merry. Usually the cook only wore them on the occasions when the wash hadn’t been done in a while and he was out of everything else. They were days when the first mate didn’t get much done.
And then there was that one summer island they had to stop at where the temperature soared up to over a hundred degrees, forcing Sanji to take an old pair of jeans and cut off the legs to make shorts since he didn’t own any at the time. That was a good day; Zoro was blessed to see the most skin he thought he was ever going to get where Sanji was concerned, but now… But now he'd seen the whole package. Seen, and touched, and tasted and felt… lots of felt, and downsizing again could never be an option.
He stretched his arms up over his head, knuckles knocking lightly into the headboard. He should get up now. He could smell breakfast down in the kitchen. He threw off the covers, managing not to wince as the cooler air assaulted more sensitive parts of his anatomy, and dressed in simple gray pants with a white button up shirt. Then he remembered his underwear and had to go backwards for a few moments.
Satisfied that Sanji would find him presentable at the least he wandered into the kitchen. The cook was still at the stove when he came in- seemingly engrossed in his work. Zoro crept up behind him and wrapped his arms around the other’s waist.
“Hmm, hello,” Sanji said, leaning back just a bit. Zoro squeezed his arms once in response as he watched the blond's quick hands make a batch of scrambled eggs. “Hungry?” Sanji nudged. Zoro nodded. “Then you’ve got to go sit down. Breakfast’s almost ready and it’s hard to maneuver with you there- as nice and warm as it is.”
“Deal with it,” he mumbled into Sanji’s shoulder. He wasn’t going to let go anytime soon. He liked to keep what he valued close and the last time he checked he had two sides, one for his blades the other for his man. Besides, he was comfortable. Sanji sighed.
“It really is like a second honeymoon. Wouldn’t let go of me last time either.”
“Why would I?”
“Oh, you’ll get sick of touching me soon enough.”
“Never.”
Sanji spooned the scrambled eggs onto each of the plates after shuffling them over to the counter. “Never, huh…Well I think if you do this continuously I’ll have to remove you myself.”
“Pist, fine, be a shit.” He started to unwind but froze as Sanji grabbed his arm.
“I didn’t say now.” The swordsman smiled and reclaimed his territory. “I’m not sitting on your fucking lap though,” the blond added.
The swordsman rolled his eyes but didn’t respond, just watched as sausage was placed next to the scrambled eggs and a small cup of freshly cut fruit was added to the side. They fumbled to the table to set down the plates and then to the refrigerator so Sanji could take out the milk. Once they returned to the table Sanji held out his arms.
“Okay, disconnect now.”
Zoro chuckled, “For now you mean.”
He felt a relatively light blow to his rear sending him stumbling in the direction of his chair.
“Sit. Eat.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
He slumped down into the chair, his stomach giving an appreciative rumble at the spread before him.
“You are hungry,” Sanji observed, taking his own seat.
“Well, we didn’t do much eating last night,” he said, sliding a hand up Sanji’s thigh.
Sanji hit the hand with his fork. “Can I eat before you start groping me?”
Zoro smirked and drew his hand away, forcing his concentration to his meal. It was silent in the room, aside from the clicking of silverware against plate, as they filled their stomachs. Zoro waited until the blond’s dish was half empty before his hand found its way back to the slighter man’s thigh.
“Zoro,” Sanji warned.
The swordsman ignored it, slowly started inching his way up the jean-clothed leg while still pretending to be only interested with his food. Halfway up he began to turn in toward Sanji’s inner thigh, slowly and steadily heading for the cook’s crotch. He peeked at Sanji just as blue eyes glanced up at him mischievously through the fall of blond bangs.
“Roronoa Zoro,” a toss of the hair as Sanji slipped from his chair, and therefore Zoro’s wandering hand, to settle on the side of the table, “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were flirting with me.”
“You think s-” He paused as Sanji crossed his leg over the other with purposeful slowness. “What are you up to now?”
“Hm?” The cook leaned back and plucked a strawberry from Zoro’s untouched fruit pile. Long fingers dragged the berry against Sanji’s bottom lip before the blond took the tip of the fruit in his mouth, sucked on it thoroughly, and finally ended both the strawberry’s and Zoro’s torture by biting down. The swordsman dropped his fork on the table.
“So I take it I didn’t tire out you enough last night?”
Sanji licked some of the juice off his mouth. “Mmm, nice and moist.” The rest of the strawberry was shoved under the swordsman’s nose. “You didn’t even try it.”
“Then I guess I should rectify that?” Zoro’s hand shot out, snatching up Sanji’s wrist and forcing the berry into his mouth. He swallowed the fruit quickly, more concerned with carefully sucking the juice off the cook’s fingers.
“Ah-” Sanji gasped as Zoro released his fingers.
“Pretty good.” He rose from his chair leaning into the slighter man, “But I think I need another taste.”
“Wouldn’t want to hold back a starving man,” Sanji whispered.
Zoro held back a shiver as Sanji’s breath danced across his face. He wrapped a hand around the blond’s long, graceful, successfully marked neck, intent on pulling them together and-
DING DONG!
They both jumped at the impatient doorbell, causing their heads to slam together instead of their lips.
“Fuck!” Sanji shuffled backward away from the table, rubbing his forehead.
“Yeah…”
DING DONG
“I’ll just, uh, go get that then.”
Sanji ducked out of the room, heading for the door.
Zoro wondered if the cook would mind if he killed whoever was behind it. He had almost gotten a forkful of scrabbled eggs into his mouth when he heard Sanji yell, “Oh damn! No, this-”
Zoro poked his head round the corner; Sanji was at the front door gesturing angrily, fighting with someone.
“What seems to be the problem here?” he asked, coming up to stand beside his husband.
“Hey, woah,” the delivery guy responded, raising his hands in the air. “I just bring it to where it’s labeled. My job here is done. See ya!”
“Ya well- see if I ever use your services again!” Sanji yelled after him.
The man didn’t seem too worried.
“Come on, it can’t be that bad.”
“They delivered the replacement glass to the house! I told them to send it to the restaurant!” Zoro rested his chin on the blond's shoulder to look. A large rectangle package wrapped in brown paper sat leaning up against the building.
“Hn,” he responded with a noncommittal sound. “Just leave it, we’ll bring it over later.”
“I can’t just leave it! What if it gets broken or -ahhh!- Zoro! Knock it off!”
The swordsman wrapped an arm around a thin waist dragging the cook away from the door, his mouth not leaving Sanji’s alluring neck all the while. “I swear, if that’s -Oh…- the same spot you attacked last night -neeyeah!- I’m going to injure you severely.”
In response the swordsman bit down on his little piece of claimed territory “I think I’d like to see you try.”
“And I think I still owe you a marking.”
“Bring it on shitty-cook.”
A few hours later, and after an early lunch, Zoro was lugging a pane of glass off to Shades of Blue with a wickedly smug husband beside him- and a matching mark on his neck. He stopped to briefly rub his neck against his shoulder before moving on.
“I know I didn’t bite you nearly as much as you did me.” Zoro mumbled in the blond’s general direction.
“I thought I couldn’t hurt you with my ‘cute little mouth’.”
“You cheated.”
“CHEATED!” The cook burst into annoying laughter. “I didn’t know there were rules to this.”
“Well…you can’t just...”
“Humm???” Sanji pressed against his side. Zoro shrugged him off with a twitch of his shoulder. “Oh come on now, don’t get all pissy.”
“M’not pissy.”
“Yes you are, because you’re frowning and getting those little lines between your eyebrows.”
“So when do I get the ability to read your face like a book?”
“You already had it, but I guess you have to start all over again now.”
The swordsman shifted the glass to his other arm. “How fun for you.” Sanji nodded. “And by the way, when is it your turn to hold this?” Zoro grumbled.
“Why should I when it’s you with all the upper body strength?”
“Oh I see. You didn’t want a husband, just a pack mule.”
“So you’ve seen through my clever ruse already have you?” Sanji laughed that clear laugh again and Zoro couldn’t help but smile. He loved that.
“Diabolically Evil.”
“I know, I know.” Sanji slipped his arm into Zoro’s free one, “That’s why you like me.”
Zoro couldn’t disagree with that, but he couldn’t admit it out loud either; so he just leaned over and kissed the side of the blond’s head before they made it into town.
They were greeted with the same good will as they were on his last visit. This time he gave his best effort to wave and nod back.
“Ya’know,” he whispered into Sanji’s ear, “it’s kind-a nice to come to a town and not be worried about Marines picking you up or other pirates coming after you.”
“And no sideways suspicious glances, either,” the blond replied with a smile.
“Yeah…” Zoro scanned the villagers with a content expression.
Everyone seemed so happy…no evil warlord, or money-grubbing leader, or glory crazed dictator repressing them or their country. They were free to sell their goods in peace. He saw children running and jumping around each other without a care in the world, and their mothers weren’t afraid to let them wander. It was… that word again… perfect. He frowned slightly. Almost too perfect… Usually when things got this good, bad wasn’t far behind. What kind of evil awaited his new community? But then again it didn’t matter. He’d stop it; he and Sanji would stop it. He glanced over at the constant weight on his arm. Sanji was still there, still greeting and shouting short comments at their friends. He shifted the glass again, but when the package moved he saw something out of the corner of his eye.
Brown.
He stopped, abruptly spinning on his heels- just in time to see a flicker of brown robes disappear behind a covered market stall.
“Zoro? What’s wrong?” Sanji tugged at his arm.
“Shhhhh,” he hushed the other, “It’s Yashin. Behind that stall.”
“Oh, leave him alone Zoro.”
“I’m dragging this thing around ‘cause of him. I at least want an explanation as to why he broke the original!”
“He might not even know himself!” Sanji tried to drag him off but Zoro stayed fast.
“I’m going to ask.”
“Zoro!”
“Come or don’t but I need my arm.”
He pulled forward, jerking Sanji along with him- and straight into the path of an oncoming woman. They promptly crashed into each other sending the young woman to the ground and Sanji stumbling backward, only just staying on his feet.
The swordsman looked at the girl and sighed.
Damn it
She was beautiful; he’d never hear the end of this now. He could hear it already: ‘Damn you fucking Marimo, how dare you make me interrupt the path of such a fair lady as this?’ BLAH BLAH BLAH. He hated Sanji in stupid frilly girl mode. He just wanted to smack some sense into him.
He watched as his husband rushed over to the young lady and offered her a hand back up. The girl had long wavy red hair reminiscent of Nami’s actually, maybe just a shade darker-- with light green eyes. She was dressed in the normal fashion of not-enough-clothes with a too-tight tank top and too-short mini-skirt.
Zoro squeezed his eyes shut ready for the voice and stupidity and unavoidable yelling at him.
“Oh my gosh, are you okay Miss? I’m terribly sorry.”
Zoro’s eyes flew open. That wasn’t it.
Sanji had helped the girl to her feet; she was brushing off her skirt with a smile. “Oh I’m just fine, don’t worry about it.”
“You're sure? Oh! Your purse.” He bent down and picked it up, handing it over to the redhead.
“Oh, thank you!”
“The least I can do considering.”
WHAT? Zoro’s brain couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing. A GORGEOUS young woman was smiling at the love cook and bending over in a tiny top but he wasn’t doing anything! Just making sure she was okay… in his normal register… without the annoying pink hearts dancing around in his eyes. Their fingers even brushed when he handed her the purse! What the HELL was this?
He watched in shock as Sanji gave the girl a simple wave goodbye and came back to stand beside him.
“Oi, Marimo, be more careful next time, you could have hurt someone.”
Zoro looked over at the blond but Sanji was just lighting up another cigarette, apparently done with the conversation.
There was no way. NO WAY that he should have gotten off that easily.
Wrong. Wrong. WrongWrongWRONGWRONG!
The back of his neck began to tingle.
NO! NO!!
He clapped a hand down on his neck.
Not with him… He couldn’t get that feeling with Sanji. Yashin sure, he was a villain: a bad guy… He was supposed to feel bad things about those kinds of people… But not, not his nakama, his lover.
He couldn’t believe it, wouldn’t believe it. It had to be a fluke, maybe he… maybe something happened and--
“Zoro? Zoro, are you okay? You look sort of pale.” He felt Sanji tugging at the hand that he had clasped onto his neck. “Zoro? Baby? What’s wrong?”
“I…uh…”
Why didn’t he notice it before?
…their current adventure is finishing up the fine details of Nami’s world map.
…Robin left just before we did. In an interesting turn of events…
No loving Nami-san? Or endearing Robin-chan? Good GOD, he’s never even looked at a woman like he should for these whole three days!
“Zoro! Answer me! Everyone is looking at us. What’s wrong?”
He'd probably been like that since puberty. Was it even possible for him to outgrow a thing like that? Change an obsession in just five years? Zoro’s brain was telling him NO, but his heart was saying yes-of course! Sure it would be nice to have Sanji’s never wavering attention and admiration, but that would just be a dream! How could a pattern like that change? There’s no way that could actually happen, but wasn't that what’s happening now? How could that be?
“ZORO!”
He snapped back to the present. The whole market place was staring at him; Sanji had a look of sheer panic on his face.
“Are you okay? Zoro? I’m taking you to the doctor.”
“N…no. I just need-- we need to get out of here.”
Sanji nodded, grabbed his hand and started to pull him out of the market place.
Yashin was forgotten.
Once they were away from the villagers and their numerous stalls, Sanji took the glass from Zoro.
“Okay, just… sit down, okay?”
The swordsman fumbled for a hold on the rock behind him as he sank down on it. The blond watched him, chewing on his bottom lip nervously. Zoro threaded his fingers into his hair, trying to get his flying thoughts back into some semblance of order. He felt Sanji’s hands on his knees; looking up, he saw the cook kneeling in front of him.
“Now tell me. What is wrong with you?”
Zoro shook his head. “That’s not the question.”
“Then what is?” the blond asked gently.
“What’s wrong with you?”
I would have been a pretty good day, if it weren't for the extreme pain I was in for 5 hours thanks to my period from HELL. Cramps=sad pandas
WTF. I don't even want kids. Why must I go through this? *sniffle* Hopefully, and I do mean, hopefully, they won't come back tomorrow. I'm out of Midol.
But anyway...
Title: Perchance to Dream 8/11
Rating: From PG to R: This Chapter: PG
Words: 3,499
Pairings: Zoro/Sanji
Summery: “Because happy is what happens when all your dreams come true…well, isn't it?” -Wicked
Warnings: Everything from fluff to angst.
Spoilers: Takes place between Skypiea and Water 7, so…
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don’t own One Piece
Notes: Loosely based on and titled after an episode of Batman The Animated Series. If you’ve seen this episode…shhhhh…
Huge thank you: To bronzetigress for being my super-beta and putting up with my ellipses abuse and lack of commas. Thanks again my dear!!!!
Chapter 8
The couch, Zoro had decided, had nothing on this. For one thing the mattress was perfect, soft enough for the swordsman to have a slight floating sensation, but he didn’t get lost in it. And the sheets had to be silk or something, so light and gentle against his body. They almost felt… alien against his scar. Plus the huge fluffy goose down comforter that topped it all off, it was too good, too fine for him.
He supposed it was Sanji who bought it anyway. A smile found his lips. That brought up the other thing, the best thing, about the bed: the company. He was lying on his side, one arm under the pillow and the other curled around a certain thin waist. The blond’s back was nicely situated against Zoro’s chest as they both faced the wall; Sanji just fit in his arms so well. The swordsman placed a few light kisses on his lover’s neck, trying not to flinch as the golden hair tickled his nose.
It was a good thing Sanji was still asleep, seeing as he’d probably be laughed at for such an act. But he didn’t particularly care at the moment; he was just basking in the afterglow of a spectacular night. They had spent the rest of the evening together. Sanji had laughed and called it their second honeymoon. The only time he had ventured out was to retrieve the picnic basket so they could have a light supper, but even that hadn’t lasted long after he asked the cook if it was still considered wasting food if he licked it off the blond’s chest. All in all, he was happy and satisfied and warm and quite content not to move for the rest of the day. But, he knew that wouldn’t happen as soon as Sanji woke up. Sanji would insist on breakfast and clothes and nonsense like that. He was brushing some hair out of said cook’s face, wondering if he’d be able to fall asleep again, when the blond began to stir. Zoro laid his head back down quickly and closed his eyes.
He felt Sanji’s body move under his arm, at first shifting as awareness found him then stilling right before he turned around to face the swordsman. He could feel the other man’s eyes on his face studying him, watching him, but he couldn’t hold back the grin when soft lips gently kissed his own.
“Hn. Knew you were awake.” Sanji spoke matter-of-factly.
Zoro slid his eyes open, resting them on the cook’s face. “If you knew why the test?”
“What test? I just wanted to kiss you.”
“Well if that’s the case…” he leaned in, stealing one for himself before falling back into the lush mattress.
“You're not going to get up are you?”
“Neh.”
The bed barely shifted as Sanji climbed out of it. Zoro lifted his head off the pillows, taking in the blond’s bare frame as he fished for clothing. He sighed as Sanji located and put on a pair of snug black boxers.
“What?” the cook asked without turning.
“I knew you’d go and get dressed.”
“So sorry to disappoint.”
“I’ll get over it somehow.”
He watched as Sanji slipped into some tight dark-wash jeans and swiftly buttoned his bare chest away under a midnight blue long-sleeved shirt. He had moved on to the mirror to fix his hair when Zoro heard a startled gasp fall from the blond’s lips. Clapping a hand over his neck Sanji slowly turned around.
“Zoro.” He gave the swordsman the look of death.
“Um… what?” he tried.
“Look what you did!” Sanji exclaimed, pointing at the large, prominent marking on his neck. “This thing is not going to go away for days, you bastard!”
“Everyone already knows we're married.” He shrugged. “What’s the big deal?”
“What- What! How about I give you one and see how you like it?”
Zoro smirked, “I don’t think I’d mind actually.” He leaned his head to the side. “You can go ahead now if you want.”
Sanji shook his head. “You really are a masochist.”
“It would take a lot more than your pretty little mouth to hurt me.”
“Maybe we’ll see about that later.”
“No time like the present,” Zoro pushed.
“Actually the present time is breakfast time so I’m heading to the kitchen.” Sanji paused in the doorway. “Clothing is required to join me.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He watched Sanji leave the room, enjoying the back view.
It was always a day to be noted when Sanji wore jeans on the Merry. Usually the cook only wore them on the occasions when the wash hadn’t been done in a while and he was out of everything else. They were days when the first mate didn’t get much done.
And then there was that one summer island they had to stop at where the temperature soared up to over a hundred degrees, forcing Sanji to take an old pair of jeans and cut off the legs to make shorts since he didn’t own any at the time. That was a good day; Zoro was blessed to see the most skin he thought he was ever going to get where Sanji was concerned, but now… But now he'd seen the whole package. Seen, and touched, and tasted and felt… lots of felt, and downsizing again could never be an option.
He stretched his arms up over his head, knuckles knocking lightly into the headboard. He should get up now. He could smell breakfast down in the kitchen. He threw off the covers, managing not to wince as the cooler air assaulted more sensitive parts of his anatomy, and dressed in simple gray pants with a white button up shirt. Then he remembered his underwear and had to go backwards for a few moments.
Satisfied that Sanji would find him presentable at the least he wandered into the kitchen. The cook was still at the stove when he came in- seemingly engrossed in his work. Zoro crept up behind him and wrapped his arms around the other’s waist.
“Hmm, hello,” Sanji said, leaning back just a bit. Zoro squeezed his arms once in response as he watched the blond's quick hands make a batch of scrambled eggs. “Hungry?” Sanji nudged. Zoro nodded. “Then you’ve got to go sit down. Breakfast’s almost ready and it’s hard to maneuver with you there- as nice and warm as it is.”
“Deal with it,” he mumbled into Sanji’s shoulder. He wasn’t going to let go anytime soon. He liked to keep what he valued close and the last time he checked he had two sides, one for his blades the other for his man. Besides, he was comfortable. Sanji sighed.
“It really is like a second honeymoon. Wouldn’t let go of me last time either.”
“Why would I?”
“Oh, you’ll get sick of touching me soon enough.”
“Never.”
Sanji spooned the scrambled eggs onto each of the plates after shuffling them over to the counter. “Never, huh…Well I think if you do this continuously I’ll have to remove you myself.”
“Pist, fine, be a shit.” He started to unwind but froze as Sanji grabbed his arm.
“I didn’t say now.” The swordsman smiled and reclaimed his territory. “I’m not sitting on your fucking lap though,” the blond added.
The swordsman rolled his eyes but didn’t respond, just watched as sausage was placed next to the scrambled eggs and a small cup of freshly cut fruit was added to the side. They fumbled to the table to set down the plates and then to the refrigerator so Sanji could take out the milk. Once they returned to the table Sanji held out his arms.
“Okay, disconnect now.”
Zoro chuckled, “For now you mean.”
He felt a relatively light blow to his rear sending him stumbling in the direction of his chair.
“Sit. Eat.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
He slumped down into the chair, his stomach giving an appreciative rumble at the spread before him.
“You are hungry,” Sanji observed, taking his own seat.
“Well, we didn’t do much eating last night,” he said, sliding a hand up Sanji’s thigh.
Sanji hit the hand with his fork. “Can I eat before you start groping me?”
Zoro smirked and drew his hand away, forcing his concentration to his meal. It was silent in the room, aside from the clicking of silverware against plate, as they filled their stomachs. Zoro waited until the blond’s dish was half empty before his hand found its way back to the slighter man’s thigh.
“Zoro,” Sanji warned.
The swordsman ignored it, slowly started inching his way up the jean-clothed leg while still pretending to be only interested with his food. Halfway up he began to turn in toward Sanji’s inner thigh, slowly and steadily heading for the cook’s crotch. He peeked at Sanji just as blue eyes glanced up at him mischievously through the fall of blond bangs.
“Roronoa Zoro,” a toss of the hair as Sanji slipped from his chair, and therefore Zoro’s wandering hand, to settle on the side of the table, “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were flirting with me.”
“You think s-” He paused as Sanji crossed his leg over the other with purposeful slowness. “What are you up to now?”
“Hm?” The cook leaned back and plucked a strawberry from Zoro’s untouched fruit pile. Long fingers dragged the berry against Sanji’s bottom lip before the blond took the tip of the fruit in his mouth, sucked on it thoroughly, and finally ended both the strawberry’s and Zoro’s torture by biting down. The swordsman dropped his fork on the table.
“So I take it I didn’t tire out you enough last night?”
Sanji licked some of the juice off his mouth. “Mmm, nice and moist.” The rest of the strawberry was shoved under the swordsman’s nose. “You didn’t even try it.”
“Then I guess I should rectify that?” Zoro’s hand shot out, snatching up Sanji’s wrist and forcing the berry into his mouth. He swallowed the fruit quickly, more concerned with carefully sucking the juice off the cook’s fingers.
“Ah-” Sanji gasped as Zoro released his fingers.
“Pretty good.” He rose from his chair leaning into the slighter man, “But I think I need another taste.”
“Wouldn’t want to hold back a starving man,” Sanji whispered.
Zoro held back a shiver as Sanji’s breath danced across his face. He wrapped a hand around the blond’s long, graceful, successfully marked neck, intent on pulling them together and-
DING DONG!
They both jumped at the impatient doorbell, causing their heads to slam together instead of their lips.
“Fuck!” Sanji shuffled backward away from the table, rubbing his forehead.
“Yeah…”
DING DONG
“I’ll just, uh, go get that then.”
Sanji ducked out of the room, heading for the door.
Zoro wondered if the cook would mind if he killed whoever was behind it. He had almost gotten a forkful of scrabbled eggs into his mouth when he heard Sanji yell, “Oh damn! No, this-”
Zoro poked his head round the corner; Sanji was at the front door gesturing angrily, fighting with someone.
“What seems to be the problem here?” he asked, coming up to stand beside his husband.
“Hey, woah,” the delivery guy responded, raising his hands in the air. “I just bring it to where it’s labeled. My job here is done. See ya!”
“Ya well- see if I ever use your services again!” Sanji yelled after him.
The man didn’t seem too worried.
“Come on, it can’t be that bad.”
“They delivered the replacement glass to the house! I told them to send it to the restaurant!” Zoro rested his chin on the blond's shoulder to look. A large rectangle package wrapped in brown paper sat leaning up against the building.
“Hn,” he responded with a noncommittal sound. “Just leave it, we’ll bring it over later.”
“I can’t just leave it! What if it gets broken or -ahhh!- Zoro! Knock it off!”
The swordsman wrapped an arm around a thin waist dragging the cook away from the door, his mouth not leaving Sanji’s alluring neck all the while. “I swear, if that’s -Oh…- the same spot you attacked last night -neeyeah!- I’m going to injure you severely.”
In response the swordsman bit down on his little piece of claimed territory “I think I’d like to see you try.”
“And I think I still owe you a marking.”
“Bring it on shitty-cook.”
A few hours later, and after an early lunch, Zoro was lugging a pane of glass off to Shades of Blue with a wickedly smug husband beside him- and a matching mark on his neck. He stopped to briefly rub his neck against his shoulder before moving on.
“I know I didn’t bite you nearly as much as you did me.” Zoro mumbled in the blond’s general direction.
“I thought I couldn’t hurt you with my ‘cute little mouth’.”
“You cheated.”
“CHEATED!” The cook burst into annoying laughter. “I didn’t know there were rules to this.”
“Well…you can’t just...”
“Humm???” Sanji pressed against his side. Zoro shrugged him off with a twitch of his shoulder. “Oh come on now, don’t get all pissy.”
“M’not pissy.”
“Yes you are, because you’re frowning and getting those little lines between your eyebrows.”
“So when do I get the ability to read your face like a book?”
“You already had it, but I guess you have to start all over again now.”
The swordsman shifted the glass to his other arm. “How fun for you.” Sanji nodded. “And by the way, when is it your turn to hold this?” Zoro grumbled.
“Why should I when it’s you with all the upper body strength?”
“Oh I see. You didn’t want a husband, just a pack mule.”
“So you’ve seen through my clever ruse already have you?” Sanji laughed that clear laugh again and Zoro couldn’t help but smile. He loved that.
“Diabolically Evil.”
“I know, I know.” Sanji slipped his arm into Zoro’s free one, “That’s why you like me.”
Zoro couldn’t disagree with that, but he couldn’t admit it out loud either; so he just leaned over and kissed the side of the blond’s head before they made it into town.
They were greeted with the same good will as they were on his last visit. This time he gave his best effort to wave and nod back.
“Ya’know,” he whispered into Sanji’s ear, “it’s kind-a nice to come to a town and not be worried about Marines picking you up or other pirates coming after you.”
“And no sideways suspicious glances, either,” the blond replied with a smile.
“Yeah…” Zoro scanned the villagers with a content expression.
Everyone seemed so happy…no evil warlord, or money-grubbing leader, or glory crazed dictator repressing them or their country. They were free to sell their goods in peace. He saw children running and jumping around each other without a care in the world, and their mothers weren’t afraid to let them wander. It was… that word again… perfect. He frowned slightly. Almost too perfect… Usually when things got this good, bad wasn’t far behind. What kind of evil awaited his new community? But then again it didn’t matter. He’d stop it; he and Sanji would stop it. He glanced over at the constant weight on his arm. Sanji was still there, still greeting and shouting short comments at their friends. He shifted the glass again, but when the package moved he saw something out of the corner of his eye.
Brown.
He stopped, abruptly spinning on his heels- just in time to see a flicker of brown robes disappear behind a covered market stall.
“Zoro? What’s wrong?” Sanji tugged at his arm.
“Shhhhh,” he hushed the other, “It’s Yashin. Behind that stall.”
“Oh, leave him alone Zoro.”
“I’m dragging this thing around ‘cause of him. I at least want an explanation as to why he broke the original!”
“He might not even know himself!” Sanji tried to drag him off but Zoro stayed fast.
“I’m going to ask.”
“Zoro!”
“Come or don’t but I need my arm.”
He pulled forward, jerking Sanji along with him- and straight into the path of an oncoming woman. They promptly crashed into each other sending the young woman to the ground and Sanji stumbling backward, only just staying on his feet.
The swordsman looked at the girl and sighed.
Damn it
She was beautiful; he’d never hear the end of this now. He could hear it already: ‘Damn you fucking Marimo, how dare you make me interrupt the path of such a fair lady as this?’ BLAH BLAH BLAH. He hated Sanji in stupid frilly girl mode. He just wanted to smack some sense into him.
He watched as his husband rushed over to the young lady and offered her a hand back up. The girl had long wavy red hair reminiscent of Nami’s actually, maybe just a shade darker-- with light green eyes. She was dressed in the normal fashion of not-enough-clothes with a too-tight tank top and too-short mini-skirt.
Zoro squeezed his eyes shut ready for the voice and stupidity and unavoidable yelling at him.
“Oh my gosh, are you okay Miss? I’m terribly sorry.”
Zoro’s eyes flew open. That wasn’t it.
Sanji had helped the girl to her feet; she was brushing off her skirt with a smile. “Oh I’m just fine, don’t worry about it.”
“You're sure? Oh! Your purse.” He bent down and picked it up, handing it over to the redhead.
“Oh, thank you!”
“The least I can do considering.”
WHAT? Zoro’s brain couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing. A GORGEOUS young woman was smiling at the love cook and bending over in a tiny top but he wasn’t doing anything! Just making sure she was okay… in his normal register… without the annoying pink hearts dancing around in his eyes. Their fingers even brushed when he handed her the purse! What the HELL was this?
He watched in shock as Sanji gave the girl a simple wave goodbye and came back to stand beside him.
“Oi, Marimo, be more careful next time, you could have hurt someone.”
Zoro looked over at the blond but Sanji was just lighting up another cigarette, apparently done with the conversation.
There was no way. NO WAY that he should have gotten off that easily.
Wrong. Wrong. WrongWrongWRONGWRONG!
The back of his neck began to tingle.
NO! NO!!
He clapped a hand down on his neck.
Not with him… He couldn’t get that feeling with Sanji. Yashin sure, he was a villain: a bad guy… He was supposed to feel bad things about those kinds of people… But not, not his nakama, his lover.
He couldn’t believe it, wouldn’t believe it. It had to be a fluke, maybe he… maybe something happened and--
“Zoro? Zoro, are you okay? You look sort of pale.” He felt Sanji tugging at the hand that he had clasped onto his neck. “Zoro? Baby? What’s wrong?”
“I…uh…”
Why didn’t he notice it before?
…their current adventure is finishing up the fine details of Nami’s world map.
…Robin left just before we did. In an interesting turn of events…
No loving Nami-san? Or endearing Robin-chan? Good GOD, he’s never even looked at a woman like he should for these whole three days!
“Zoro! Answer me! Everyone is looking at us. What’s wrong?”
He'd probably been like that since puberty. Was it even possible for him to outgrow a thing like that? Change an obsession in just five years? Zoro’s brain was telling him NO, but his heart was saying yes-of course! Sure it would be nice to have Sanji’s never wavering attention and admiration, but that would just be a dream! How could a pattern like that change? There’s no way that could actually happen, but wasn't that what’s happening now? How could that be?
“ZORO!”
He snapped back to the present. The whole market place was staring at him; Sanji had a look of sheer panic on his face.
“Are you okay? Zoro? I’m taking you to the doctor.”
“N…no. I just need-- we need to get out of here.”
Sanji nodded, grabbed his hand and started to pull him out of the market place.
Yashin was forgotten.
Once they were away from the villagers and their numerous stalls, Sanji took the glass from Zoro.
“Okay, just… sit down, okay?”
The swordsman fumbled for a hold on the rock behind him as he sank down on it. The blond watched him, chewing on his bottom lip nervously. Zoro threaded his fingers into his hair, trying to get his flying thoughts back into some semblance of order. He felt Sanji’s hands on his knees; looking up, he saw the cook kneeling in front of him.
“Now tell me. What is wrong with you?”
Zoro shook his head. “That’s not the question.”
“Then what is?” the blond asked gently.
“What’s wrong with you?”