Continuation of The Connector Chapter 7: Shaman (Part 2) B--Zoro and Sanji's Weird Interaction!

[lunaryu]

The Connector

Chapter 7: Shaman (Part 2) B


Sanji felt a sudden loss of something heavy on his body before he woke up to the world outside his slumber. The first thing he saw the moment he opened his eyes was the blinding light on the ceiling. He groaned soundly at the intruding beam on his delicate eye. "The fuck…?" Sanji shook his head slightly before he realized that he was on a hard floor. "What the-?" Confused, he got up to sit while tapping the ceramic floor.

"Woke up already?"

Sanji's head snapped at the sudden low baritone voice coming near him, eyes wide as he was greeted by the sight of the owner. "Aaah! What the fuck are you doing here, marimo!" he almost screeched, almost, while pointing his finger at Zoro. He was mildly shocked. Why on earth would Zoro be there in his room…!

Sanji then looked around him with a more shocked look as he realized something major. "Where the hell am I!" He wasn't in his room! Why wouldn't he be in his own room? He remembered falling asleep in his room! What the hell happened here?

While Sanji was in a shocked panicked state, Zoro only stared, studying him carefully, and eventually getting on Sanji's nerves. "What!" he barked at the green haired idiot.

"You don't remember how you got here?" Zoro asked then, face slightly intrigued despite his usual poker face.

"I don't! I remember coming home and helping my dad for awhile in his kitchen before falling asleep in my own room," Sanji tried to remember more, but his memory was a little vague. "What the hell happened here? Where is this?" He then gave up trying to remember, and began to look around to find out where he was right then.

"It's the school music room," Zoro provided the answer slowly, still staring at him as if he was a specimen or something. Sanji was really uncomfortable with his stare, but he wouldn't admit it, not to this marimo that his gaze made Sanji want to squirm somehow. And fuck, Sanji didn't squirm! Never!

"The school music room? Why the fuck would I be in the school music room?" Sanji set his confused look at Zoro. It was absolutely mystifying.

"How the hell should I know? I want to ask you the same thing," Zoro replied with a raised eyebrow.

Jeez! He and his too fucking calm demeanor!-Sanji scowled slightly as he saw how infuriatingly composed Zoro was despite Sanji's confusing state. Sanji was still puzzled. He didn't understand why he was there, in the music room. He didn't recall when he got to school again, and why. He couldn't explain this anomaly.

Just like that time…!-Sanji frowned as he remembered something nasty. He bit his left thumb nail as he thought the worst.

"What's wrong?" Zoro asked then.

Sanji glared at Zoro heatedly. "Not your fucking business," he said a bit too harshly, but Zoro didn't look surprised. He just kept staring at Sanji until the blond couldn't stand it. "Stop staring, asshole! I am not a fucking show!" he yelled angrily.

Zoro's stare seemed intensified by seconds, and Sanji started to squirm for real now. Damn it!-Sanji hated that green sea anemone!

"Fine, damn it! I admit it! I have this fucking bad sleeping habit!" Sanji gave up then, confessing all together.

"Sleeping habit?" Zoro narrowed his eyes for a moment before raising both of his eyebrow, seeming asking Sanji to explain what 'this bad sleeping habit' was.

"Sometimes I get this… this sleepwalking thing when I am too tired before bed. Then when I wake up, I end up in the entirely different place from where I fall asleep. I have no recollection of what I have done when I am sleepwalking. Just… sometime it gets so bad that I can sleepwalk for days without waking up. It should have been cured sometimes ago before an accident happened," Sanji stopped there, clicking his tongue and biting his lower lip, not wanting to continue the real reason why he was in Japan in the first place.

I can't possibly say that I was kicked out of my own nation for grounding a major accident that caused disaster there, can't I? Especially if I don't fucking remember what I have done to cause it!-Sanji was exhausted. He hated it when he didn't know what to do or what happened.

Sometimes it was annoying as hell that Sanji didn't have any control of his own body. But the most maddening thing here was the fact that he had to explain to this idiotic moss-headed-one-celled-marimo. He had no obligation to answer him whatsoever, but somehow, he thought it would be good to have someone to share his worry. At least, the marimo already saw him when he was sleepwalking. There was no point in lying to him. Besides, getting him as a cover would be benefitting. That way, he wouldn't have to take the trouble to explain his condition to his other friends. Not that Zoro was his friend or anything. He had only met the guy today after all.

"Are you sure it was a disease?" Zoro asked again, slowly, eyes glinting with something akin to dangerous, but Sanji didn't know what he was thinking at that time.

"It's a condition, not a disease," Sanji scowled at him for accusing him being sick. He hated to admit it, but he indeed needed medication for his problem. Didn't mean he was sick, though.

"No, I mean…," Zoro paused for a moment, intriguing Sanji completely now.

"What?" Sanji looked at Zoro expectantly.

"You've never suspected that your sleepwalking is caused by something else aside your condition?" the green haired teen inquired mysteriously.

"What the hell do you mean by something else? What else?" Sanji was getting confused by now. Zoro's question didn't make any sense to Sanji. Normally, people would ask when his sleepwalking started or what the doctor said about it, but never asking something as if he had an idea of the alternative cause of his sleepwalking habit.

Sanji was slowly gazing at Zoro who seemed in a deep thought, before he set his serious gaze at Sanji again. "Tell me if you remember anything when you're in your 'sleepwalking' state," he said.

"Huh? Why would I want to do that?" Sanji asked, bewildered. Why would someone get interested to his weird condition?

"It's important that I know," Zoro said again with that mysterious air around him, tickling Sanji's curiosity.

"What is it for you, Marimo? Are you in some kind of experiment or something? Observing my abnormal habit, that is?" He couldn't help the sarcasm dripping out of his tone. He would definitely kill the green haired asshole if he made Sanji his subject in his fucked up experiment.

"Nothing like that," Zoro gazed at Sanji's eyes again intensely, but oddly assuring, making Sanji feel strangely protected in some kind of bizarre reason. The blond berated and kicked his own head mentally at the weird thought. "Just in case… if it's getting out of hand," Zoro continued slowly, almost whispering, probably not intending to say it out loud, but Sanji caught it anyway.

"What do you mean… getting out of hand?" Sanji's gaze was also transfixed in Zoro's dark emerald eyes. He didn't know why, but the more he saw the dark deep green forest-color, the more he felt lost in it.

"Sometimes, bad things just happen, and can't be explained by science only" was the only vague response Zoro gave Sanji as he backed off, stood up and left.

"What the hell-?" Sanji couldn't help looking at Zoro's back as he got out of the music room. The blond then sat there on the floor for some more times, alone. "What he meant by it anyway?" He was still confused. Bad things? What bad things? Zoro really didn't make any sense to him, but somehow, he caught one thing.

It's important for him to know what I remember when I am sleepwalking, does that mean it's important for him to know that I am okay?

Even though that thought crossed Sanji's head fairly fast, he wasn't really sure. But seeing Zoro's intense and serious gaze when he spoke to him earlier, he had an odd feeling that it was true.

ZORO-RORONOA-ZORO

By the time Zoro got out of the school building, it was already 9.00 p.m.

"Shit…, the guard will definitely yell at me for sure," Zoro sighed dejectedly. Not a good record for the first time coming to school after absent for more than two months. He wondered if he could bribe the school guard not to make him sign the report. He hated dealing with the administration.

While walking slowly to the gate and quietly musing about the event with Sanji before, suddenly his stomach was grumbling. Zoro groaned at that, and the 'why Sanji acting weird' matter was immediately forgotten.

Great. Now I remember I haven't eaten anything since this afternoon, except maybe those small heavenly delicious cakes-Zoro sighed more at that. AS mouth-watering as those green cakes could be, they were still not enough to fill his hunger, and he was damn hungry right then. Maybe I should stop by some ramen vendor or such….

"Wait! Marimo!"

Zoro groaned more as he heard that voice and the insult it did to his name. Apparently, the shitty cook decided to follow him out. Zoro turned his face at the intruding blonde sourly. "What?" He didn't mean to bark, but his irritated tone indeed sounded like one.

"I haven't finished talking yet. I still have many fucking things to ask…!" But Sanji's rant was ruthlessly cut by the loud rumbling sound of Zoro's stomach. Sanji actually blinked dumbly at that, and Zoro couldn't help blushing a bit while looking at another way; anywhere but at Sanji's direction. "You're hungry." That, according to Zoro's sure mind, was a statement.

"So? I haven't eaten anything filling since afternoon," Zoro had to grumble through his teeth to hide his shame.

"What the hell are you doing here then, until this late?" Sanji looked confused, but as well as sympathetic.

"I've got a lot to catch up with. I refuse to be the clueless one when we're learning in class," Zoro said coolly. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I have to go home and do my homework," he said as he turned his body again to leave.

"Ah, wait a sec. Why don't you come to my house? I'll treat you to something," Sanji offered while walking following him.

Zoro turned his face at Sanji again while furrowing curiously. "What's this?" he asked, ultimately confused by the sudden proposal. He thought Sanji hated his guts; or him, generally. Why would Sanji treat him?

"I am a cook, asshole. How can I let someone starve when I am around?" Sanji mocked with his irritating tone, but Zoro was pretty surprised at his dedication.

"Even if it's someone you hate?" Zoro asked, still in disbelief.

Sanji frowned slightly at that seeming wanting to protest. He opened his mouth and closed it again, like he was having a second thought on what he was going to say, before "It doesn't have anything to do with that. People getting hungry are normal, and everyone is the same when they're hungry. They need food," Sanji said with a long gaze then, not looking at Zoro. It seemed, there was something he was remembering, but Zoro didn't really want to know about that.

"It's late," he still wanted to tease the shitty blond cook though.

"Shut up, marimo. You're hungry and I can provide you with food freely. You're going with me and it's final," Sanji insisted with a scowl on his face. Zoro didn't know why he was so persistent, but it seemed it had something to do with his principle; and Zoro was not about to insult that principle. Zoro also lived with a lot of principles and he wouldn't appreciate it if someone trampled on them.

"Well, okay. I am not about to turn down free food," Zoro lifted his shoulders while focusing his gaze back at the gate, and pretended not to notice the dazzling small smile Sanji was making right now. How he found the shitty blond cook's smile dazzling was a puzzle even for him. He hated that guy's behavior, remember?

Nearing the gate, the guard really showed up and really did scold Zoro, and Sanji as an addition, of course, for being there that late at night.

"I was working on a project of the school paper and Blackleg was helping me," Zoro lied to the guard. Sanji raised his eyebrow at him, but he didn't say anything. "Please don't tell the teacher. It's emergency," he continued slightly pleading, but with serious flat tone.

The guard looked at Zoro skeptically and then at Sanji.

"It's big, and we can't work it at home," the blond supported the lie and Zoro raised his eyebrows at him as well. Not knowing why Sanji helped him, but Zoro was grateful that Sanji matched his story with him. He didn't need to explain why he lied after all.

"Fine then, but I still need you to sign the board for staying late at school," the guard said with a huff. He seemed really hard to be deterred from the school rules.

Zoro sighed and nodded in agreement. At least he wouldn't get questioned by the teachers tomorrow if he already signed the board. Zoro followed the guard to the guard's post and Sanji was hot on his heels, following him silently. As soon as they arrived at the post, the guard opened the sliding door of the room and entered to get his board. Zoro and Sanji stayed outside.

Zoro yawned slightly before he noticed something inside the room. There was a child sitting on the sofa near the table. Zoro was taken aback by the presence of the small, shoulder-length black haired girl. She looked no older than six or seven year old. What on earth was she doing in a guard post this late at night in the senior high school?

Before Zoro had a chance to call her though, the guard already came back with his board and a pen. "Here, write your name here and sign here," he said while pointing at the rows on which Zoro had to fill. Zoro nodded and wrote down as instructed.

Finishing his obligation, Zoro returned the board. "Thanks," he said. "By the way, who is that little girl? Your kid?" he asked out of curiosity then.

"What little girl?" the guard looked confused.

"Ah? There at your…," Zoro tensed and slightly turned pale as he realized what he was looking at. The girl…, who was supposed to sit down, was actually not sitting at all. The lower part of her body, from waist to legs, was nowhere. He could see the dripping blood smearing and pooling on the floor.

Shit…!-Zoro couldn't help gulping as the little girl slowly lifting her face, her bloody face at him, actually meeting his gaze. One of her eyeballs was popped out and hanging on its socket. If Zoro hadn't been used to the horror by now, he would have screamed bloody murder at the frightening sight. However, since the rei, he assumed, wasn't doing anything but looking at him with her still intake bloody eye, Zoro could only stone on his spot, not daring any sudden movement that might alert the guard in front of him and Sanji behind him.

"What?" the guard began to look wary at the sudden quietness of him.

"Huh?" Zoro was startled for a moment from his stupor before he acknowledged him. "Oh, um… no, nothing. I just want to tease you," he said, pretending to grin even though inside he panicked a bit. That was close.

"Jeez, don't tease an older person like that, Roronoa," the guard scolded him with a frown on his face.

"Sorry. Have fun guarding the school then, old man," he said as he turned his body to leave, after another short lasting glance at the bloody rei, of course. She probably was just lonely and needed company. He decided that the rei was harmless enough for now. It was just a kid after all.

Zoro then glanced slightly at the blond cook behind him. If Sanji noticed something there, he didn't say a word, and silently followed Zoro getting out of the school. It wasn't lasting though, when the moment they stepped on the road, Sanji asked. "What was that just now?"

"What what?" Zoro sighed long. So much for being discreet. He wasn't about to confess that he could see rei to Sanji despite what he might have suspected after his observation.

"You saw something there, didn't you? A little girl?" Zoro almost groaned seeing the knowing glint in Sanji's eyes, but he just frowned at the blond. No way would he know that. He couldn't see a damn thing.

"I am not trying to destroy your fun, but I don't know what you're talking about," Zoro evaded the question in annoyance. The guy was such a pest. He didn't want to deal with explaining things right now.

"Really? Cause' I don't buy the shit you were telling that old man just now, not a bit. A tease? I'm not blind you know. Your expression was the look of a total fucked up," Sanji smirked at him.

Zoro sighed then and scratched his head for awhile. No point in lying at this position. He changed his mind then. "Fine, but I want a word from you that this conversation won't leave us." Zoro gave him a warning glare and Sanji lifted his right hand.

"Not a word will leave my mouth," he promised the green haired boy, going as far as lifting one of his hands as a vow.

Zoro nodded then. "Okay, so… Do you believe in afterlife?" he began while resuming his walk.

Sanji was silent for a moment before saying "I am not skeptic about supernatural beings, but I've never seen one, so I don't know if they're real or not," while following him again, this time his step matching Zoro so they were in the same level.

"Just because we can't see them, it doesn't mean they don't exist," Zoro said again and Sanji nodded slowly. "I can see those beings," the green haired boy added.

There was a pause of breath between the two before "I see…," Sanji responded to him unsurely.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Zoro could guess right away from Sanji's scrunched expression.

"Well, you have no actual evidence to proof that you can see them," Sanji didn't make any excuse. Zoro actually respected that kind of honesty.

"Doesn't matter. I don't need your approval anyway," Zoro chuckled. "I also didn't believe that they exist at first, before I died," he continued with a small understanding smile.

Sanji widened his visible blue eye slightly at the revelation, his jaw hanging a bit. "What?" He looked like a fish out of water, and Zoro was trying not to laugh at his face.

"I died you know, for an hour before I came back to life," Zoro told him with a confident smirk.

"But… how? I meant…," Sanji opened and closed his mouth in a perplexed look, seeming not knowing what to say to that. Zoro had a good guess on what Sanji wanted to ask though. It wasn't everyday that you're resurrected from the death after all. He probably wanted to know how that could happen, but it wasn't like Zoro had the answer because he himself actually didn't know how.

"Ouch, why am I telling you this? That's new." Zoro winced as he realized what he was doing. He had no idea of why, but he wanted to share some of his experience. He could actually do that with Luffy or Usopp or his two childhood friends, Johny and Yosaku (he insisted to leave the girls out of this), but he had a strong feeling that those guys would just laugh at him if he told them that. Moreover, he had this silly part in his mind that wanted to test it, and to get a reaction from this blond idiotic cook first before his friends.

Sanji wasn't Zoro's closest friend. Not yet anyway, even though Luffy already put him inside their circle. He hadn't trusted him, not when they had just met today and he already gave a bad impression on Zoro. Therefore, he didn't have any fear if Sanji regarded Zoro as a freak. Zoro probably just brushed him off easily and ignored him completely, but it was totally different with his closest friends. He didn't want to jeopardize his relationship with his closest friends over his new abilities. He wasn't really sure of how they would react on it after all despite his trust. Each was on his or her own after all. It wasn't like he wanted to hide his ability, no of course not. He only wanted to find a good time to reveal it to his friends, after he and they were ready, that was.

"You haven't told Luffy and the others?" Sanji was stunned as he seemed realizing what Zoro meant with his weird question.

"I wasn't ready to share," Zoro replied shortly.

"And you're telling me because…?" Sanji looked confused.

"Because you're still a stranger, and your opinion doesn't matter to me," Zoro continued.

"Oh," Sanji then quieted down, not speaking on the rest of the way except where to go to his house.

Zoro suspected that Sanji was a little offended of the way Zoro spoke and regarded him, but it didn't really show in his expression. Anyway, it was the truth. Zoro wouldn't lie over something so fundamental like that.

Some minutes later, they arrived in front of a closed restaurant. It was quite close to the school. How convenient. Sanji stopped and turned at him. "Welcome to my house," he said with a hint of pride in his tone.

"Barratie… a French restaurant?" Zoro raised his eyebrows. He wasn't a fan of French cuisine, but he wouldn't refuse to try.

"It's my father's, but someday I'll take over it," Sanji grinned while opening the unlocked door. "Crap, I forgot to lock the door when I am sleepwalking," he visibly winced at that fact. "Dad's going to kill me if he found out," he muttered with a rather pale face.

"Since when have you had that condition?" Zoro asked then, curious of his early suspicion that Sanji might be possessed by rei even though he wasn't sure if rei could really posses people that easily. Shouldn't Sanji be hurt by that?

"I wonder when you're gonna ask," Sanji muttered again while opening the door and let Zoro in the already dark restaurant. "Just sit wherever you want; and I won't tell you anything before I prepare the food, so just sit your ass down and fucking wait," he quickly added while walking to the direction of the other room that Zoro assumed as the kitchen and turning on some light while he was at it.

"Okay," Zoro replied slowly while choosing the closest table from the kitchen.

While he was waiting, Zoro looked around inside the restaurant. High class restaurant, it seemed. There were a lot of shiny fragile things there. On the wall was a big portrait… no, a painting of someone. Zoro narrowed his eyes to look a bit closely. It was a painting of a woman with silk long golden hair in a black Victorian gown. Even in Zoro's eyes, she was really beautiful. Her eyes were really clear blue like the color of sky. The artist must have been someone famous. She looked really alive in the painting.

Zoro admired the painting for a moment before he turned to look at the round tables and the chairs that seemed made from good polished woods, probably. Not that Zoro knew anything about woods. There was a counter in the back, probably selling wines and boozes. Zoro wanted to try some of the alcoholic drinks, though he preferred Sake. Yeah, yeah, he was still minor, but it didn't mean he never violated one or two rules, right? Look how he ended up with the mess in the first place. Drinking sake was just a little part of it.

But if I go home drunk, though I've never been drunk before, Smoker will kill me-Zoro sighed dejectedly. He began to regret letting Smoker be his guardian. At least he was never got caught drinking by his family, but Smoker was a cop, and a good one, damn him. He would surely know if Zoro had been drinking. He wouldn't want to risk that. The last thing he wanted was a permanent criminal record in his life.

While he was busy pondering inside his head on his chair then, it seemed time went faster because suddenly Sanji was back with a big dinner. Zoro's thought was immediately interrupted by the delicious aroma from the food on Sanji's tray. He was practically almost salivating when the cuisines were presented in front of his nose. Did French food look that good?

"I make you something easy to dig in," Sanji said while sitting in front of him after putting a glass of mineral water on the table.

"These are easy?" Zoro peered at him in disbelief. Sanji practically provided him with a complete dinner, from the appetizer, which was a bowl of soup, until the dessert. Was that a cup of ice cream? He didn't even know how to react at that. Luffy seemed not bullshitting him that Sanji really could cook.

"I can make food for one hundred people if you want to," Sanji smirked at Zoro proudly.

"Yeah, right," Zoro shook his head at that.

"Go on and eat," Sanji said.

Zoro was about to dig in when he remembered his house custom. He put down his spoon and clasped both of his hands on front of his face. "Itadakimasu," he said with closed eyes, and then he began to eat the soup. He almost groaned as he tasted the amazing cuisine which name he didn't even know, but he could hold himself together from humiliating himself in front of the ero-cook. He wasn't about to let Sanji have all the fun teasing him for that after all. Though, it seemed his expression gave him out as Sanji continually smirked at him.

"Fucking delicious, right?" The blond actually smiled cheerily at Zoro, and he couldn't decide whether he wanted to groan because of the exquisite taste in his mouth or because of that sunshine smile.

Damn it! What the fuck am I thinking!-Zoro couldn't hold the heat that was rising to his face, but he could cover it up by coughing slightly and covering his face partially. He couldn't believe that he was thinking like that. He meant, what the hell? It was Blackleg Sanji, the idiotic ero-womanizer that ticked him off the moment Zoro saw him for earth sake.

Well, not at that moment when he looked just like an angel descended to earth the very first time Zoro saw him though. He still couldn't shake the thought that Sanji didn't belong to human's race with his appearance after all. But Zoro wasn't going to admit that, not to anyone, not to himself either. Call him in denial, but it was just wrong to think like that.

"Easy there, tiger. Don't rush eating or you're going to choke yourself to death. You eat like a baby. The last thing this restaurant wants is your dead boy on its table," Sanji snickered at him.

"Moron," Zoro mocked him in a half-hearted glare.

"Shitty marimo," Sanji replied with playful tone, still smirking teasingly even though there wasn't a real bite in his voice.

Zoro almost smiled at that. It seemed Sanji wasn't that bad. Well, he hadn't called Zoro a freak yet despite what he had shared. He even fed him. "Thanks for this," he said then with a real small smile even though he didn't really look at Sanji.

Zoro considered Sanji already understood it when he heard the quiet reply "You're shitty welcome," and he could almost see his smile in return despite his closed eyes.

ZORO-RORONOA-ZORO

In the end, Sanji didn't have to answer Zoro's question about his condition after he successfully deterred the marimo with his cooking and foods. Despite what Zoro had shared with him, he wasn't that ready to share his story about his condition further. But he would share it later. It was just the matter of time before all of his new friends knew about that after tonight. He already was in that sleepwalking condition, and Zoro saw him. He wanted to ask what he had done when he was unconscious, but he decided it wasn't that important since Zoro didn't say anything either. If it was dangerous, Zoro would have said something, right?

"You didn't finish your desert," Sanji frowned disdainfully at the leftover on the table.

"Sorry, I don't really like sweets." Zoro said with a slight guilty expression on his face.

"Despite eating those cakes from Nami-san and Vivi-chan?" Sanji raised his eyebrows, feeling rather anxious of the fate of his new dessert that he gave the marimo at the lunch time. If he didn't like sweets, who knew what he had done to them? Sanji would kill the shitty asshole if he dumped the cakes.

"Ah, those were different. They weren't that sweet, and wow, they're mind blowing." Zoro commented slowly with an almost pleased tone, even though probably it was just in Sanji's ear. Anyway, that guy's expression was totally hard to read. He had a fucking good poker face. Too good it was infuriating.

"Mind blowing?" But to admit it, Sanji did almost blush at the specific term Zoro used to describe the taste of his new recipe. He wouldn't show it to the marimo at all costs, though.

"Yeah, I couldn't even get over the first bite. If it's possible, I want to buy them for the guy that lives with me, but I haven't asked Nami and Vivi where they bought them," Zoro said slowly.

Sanji was taken aback at that. "How did you know it's not Nami-san and Vivi-chan's cooking?" He actually was more interested in the part that Zoro actually lived with a guy and not his family. He would mention his family if he lived with them, right? He just said 'the guy that lives with him,' so it probably wasn't his family. But he was also curious how he knew about the fact that Nami and Vivi didn't make those cakes. He decided it was safer to ask the later.

"For one, Nami is too stingy to actually cook freely for anyone else, and two, Vivi is a princess, no way will she cook with her house condition, and the last but not least, those cakes were in the entirely different level of skill to make by beginners such as them… unless…," Zoro then paused for a moment.

Uh oh, Sanji noticed as Zoro's eyes began to widen. It seemed he was putting two and two together in his head, and from his expression, it seemed he already figured out what happened.

"Unless… it was your cooking," Zoro finished with a certainty in his tone while looking at Sanji straightly in his eyes.

Busted-Sanji was already blushing as Zoro spoke that out.

"Wow, you are good," Zoro admitted with an expression that looked suspiciously like amazement. And Sanji had a thought that Zoro was praising him not only for the cakes, but also for the fact that he duped Zoro to consider that the dessert was from Nami and Vivi instead of himself.

"It's not like that I wanted to hide it. They were really from Nami-san and Vivi-chan since I made the cakes for them. They just weren't in the mood for cakes, so they told me to give them to you instead, as a peace offering," Sanji stroked his neck, slightly nervous, but he wasn't going to tell Zoro that he was a bit concerned at the fact that Zoro was recovering from his accident that Sanji didn't know the detail of, plus, Zoro hadn't eaten that afternoon. He was already embarrassed enough as it was. He didn't need more ammunition for Zoro to tease him for being a mother hen.

"A peace offering? You're using food to bribe me?" Zoro scoffed and looked amused for some reasons.

"Shut it, marimo. It worked right?" Sanji put his hands on his waist, challenging Zoro to say more.

Zoro actually laughed at that. "Yeah, totally," he was still chuckling as he shook his head again.

Sanji didn't know what Zoro found amusing or funny about the whole situation, but it seemed it had something to do with Luffy because Zoro muttered lightly about some things. Sanji caught one of them as Luffy's name. Or it sounded a lot like Luffy's name, anyway. Sanji wouldn't ask. He didn't really want to know.

"Okay, my business is over. You're full, now scram off my dad's property," Sanji shooed Zoro away to the front door now.

"What, now you're kicking me out? How rude," Zoro stood, took his bag, and walked to the front door still shaking his head in his chuckles.

"We're closed, Mr. Customer. You can come back tomorrow, and actually pay for your food next time," Sanji smirked at him sarcastically.

"Hey! You offered the treat," Zoro protested.

"A onetime thing, Mr," Sanji straightened him out, but immediately regretted his choice of words as he realized how vague and suggestive those words innuendo were. He even blushed as he thought about it.

Damn me and my big mouth!-Sanji was almost afraid of seeing Zoro in the eye after that, but if Zoro noticed something, he as hell didn't say anything. He didn't want Zoro to get the wrong idea, though.

"See you tomorrow at school, shitty cook," Zoro then said before opening the front door.

As Sanji wanted to say good bye as well a sudden big wind passed them both. "Ugh…! Shitty fall weather…," Sanji blinked his eyes repeatedly as some dirt got into his eyes, and then he felt a sudden chilling wind that lingered too long on his body.

What the hell…?-Sanji stroked his standing body hair on his neck and arms. It was really cold suddenly.

Then Sanji looked up to notice that Zoro was still there, looking at Sanji oddly. "What?" Sanji asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Are you… okay?" Zoro asked mysteriously.

"I am. The wind is just cold. What is it?" Sanji could see that there was something more on Zoro's tone aside asking for his well being, but apparently, Zoro wanted to keep that for himself as he shook his head.

"No, just my imagination then," the green haired boy said before he walked away from his door.

"Weird," Sanji shrugged as he lifted his shoulders and decided to close the door before the cold wind could enter to his, err… his dad's restaurant as well as his home, more.

While Sanji was walking to turn off the light after cleaning up the dishes though, he noticed that the cold feeling was still there around him, but he blamed it on too much walking outside in the cold wind earlier.

ZORO-RORONOA-ZORO

While walking home, Zoro couldn't help glancing back at the restaurant for a good measure. He was sure; no, he was deadly sure that he felt a very bad feeling when that strong wind blew inside the restaurant. Well, no, he didn't see anything and actually didn't feel any rei presence, but he could have sworn he heard a sound… voice, actually.

Or might be it was because Zoro was too paranoid since his awaken ability made him more sensitive to the presence of the reis and his surroundings, but he actually heard it, pretty clearly. He even could decipher the voice and what it was saying, and it made him a bit uneasy.

Yet Sanji was okay. He would say something if he felt something weird or wrong; and the wind was indeed cold, so maybe it really was only Zoro's imagination when he heard it, right?

Zoro shrugged again, and turned to really leave now. Smoker was probably home after all.

"Finally… I found you…."

ZORO-RORONOA-ZORO

When Zoro came home, it was almost 11 p.m. Thanks to forgetting where the last turn was, he almost got lost in the way home. Thank god there was a road-blocking at that street, so he could go back and turned to the right way. By the way, Smoker car wasn't in the yard, so probably he wasn't home.

"Does he pull double shifts or something?" Zoro wondered out loud. His silver haired guardian seemed working too much. Zoro didn't know the reason, but Smoker was probably just a workaholic. Or he had a really big case, either one.

Zoro entered the house with the spare key Smoker had given him before, and immediately putting his bag down on the sofa. He would just copy Vivi's home work tomorrow; he was kinda tired after a day. He had to work out more to compensate the absent from training. His body was out of shape, obviously, if he was tired of something like this.

As he finished preparing to go to bed after a quick shower, Zoro couldn't shake the feeling he had on Sanji and that wind, and that mysterious voice. When he laid down, he kept thinking that he would keep an eye on Sanji, though. Just in case…

Then Zoro remembered that Sanji actually hadn't said anything more about his sleepwalking condition. Damn him and his cooking. Zoro realized that he was deterred by that cunning blond haired fox. Well, he could always ask tomorrow at school. Sanji wouldn't run away from him after all. Zoro already knew his secret. He wouldn't want him babbling it out the entire school. Not that Zoro was about to. Sanji also held one of his current secrets even though he still didn't believe him.

Zoro shook his head as he thought and forced his eyes to shut. He had to sleep now; he would deal with that problem tomorrow. He would see the situation first before he jumped into conclusion. After all, he hadn't had any proof that Sanji was indeed possessed earlier at school. Probably it was indeed his sleepwalking 'condition' problem….

ZORO-RORONOA-ZORO

In the morning, Zoro was woken up by the smell of a coffee. He groaned slightly and blinked several times before waking up to sit. "What time is it…?"

"It's 7 a.m.," Smoker's voice came from outside the door, from the dining room direction, actually.

How can he hear that? And what time did that guy come home last night… already woke and up earlier than me?-Zoro grunted for a moment before standing up and went to the bathroom to wash his face and brushed his teeth. Then he changed his clothes to his running gear and went out to find Smoker sitting beside the dining table, a plate of baked breads and some omelets on the table completed with a mug of coffee fresh from the coffee maker.

Zoro took a glass of mineral water from the dispenser beside the table and drank it before sighing in relief. He put the glass down on the table and glanced slightly at the foods. "You made those?" Zoro was stunned then. He didn't know Smoker could cook despite already living with him for almost a month now. They usually bought take-outs at Chinese or fast food, or usually Zoro made rice balls, but he had never seen Smoker cook.

"No, it's my subordinate," Smoker said slowly, not releasing his gaze from his newspaper as he spoke.

By then, Zoro could hear the activity inside the kitchen. "Someone cooks for you?" He was surprised even more at that fact. However then, he heard a crashing sound and a thud, and a girly yelp, and he couldn't help breaking sweats of his entire face as he pointed concernedly at the kitchen. What the hell happened inside that chamber?

"Tashigi! Quiet down, will you?" Smoker shouted from his spot, appearing calm and indifferent.

"Ye-yes! I am sorry, sir!" the voice in the kitchen said in a yelp before more crashing sounds were heard. "Sorry!"

"Is she alright?" Zoro was downright worried now. It seemed that girl was a total klutz.

"She's just awkward and clumsy. It's okay. She'll be fine," Smoker said with a chuckle.

"I am more worried about your kitchen well-being though," Zoro said, sweat dropping. Smoker laughed at that.

"You're going to run?" Smoker then turned his face at Zoro as the green haired boy was looking for his running shoes.

"Yeah. I am kind of out of shape," Zoro said as he found his shoes and began to wear them.

"Well, be careful on the way then… and don't get lost," Smoker snickered at him while Zoro was scowling in annoyance at the mention of one of his weak points.

"Shut it, old man," Zoro grumbled as he put a bottle of mineral water and a hand towel he had fetched earlier inside his small bag before setting it on his waist. "Yep, I am going! Spare some breakfast for me!" Zoro yelled before he was out of door. He could almost see Smoker shaking his head at him, and when he was about to close the door, he saw someone getting out of the kitchen.

Zoro widened his eyes in a shock when he saw her. A girl with short black hair wearing oversized glasses. "Kui-!" But the door was already closed before he got a good look, and his heart hammered so hard and fast that Zoro didn't dare to open the door again to check the truth out.

It's impossible… she's already dead…-Zoro's hand was on the door handle for awhile before he released it. No…, it's not Kuina. It can't be her. Smoker calls her Tashigi and… even though they look like each other, it isn't her.

Zoro then looked up and determined his mind. "I have a running to do, and a lot of reis to convince right now," he said as he started running. "Not to forget that the ero-cook is also still nagging in my mind now," he added quietly. Zoro would meet Smoker's subordinate later and probably wanted to talk to her, but right now, he didn't need any more distractions. One at a time, Zoro; one at a time.

ZORO-RORONOA-ZORO

After Zoro run on the road that brought him to the park in the center of the town, he saw something disturbing there. There near the pond, was Sanji, still dressed in pajama. "What the hell?" Zoro turned slightly so his running track was to Sanji's direction now.

It wasn't just the fact that Sanji was there with only his pajama that surprised Zoro, but the fact that he wasn't alone. He was with some people from before, the thugs whose asses had been kicked by him yesterday. And it seemed his situation was a bit dangerous.

"Please let me go," Zoro could hear Sanji spoke, but what the fuck! He was using Keigo (3) for heaven sake! And he spoke timidly like a fucking girl. The hell was going on here? It was totally out of character and Zoro would have fallen down the street, sweat dropping, if the situation wasn't that serious.

"He said 'please let me go'?" one of the thugs asked with a mocking snort.

"What happened to your fucking bossy attitude yesterday, pretty boy?" another one asked with a sneer.

"What are you talking about? I was just asking for a direction," Sanji looked completely frightened and confused, and Zoro's instinct told him that the blond was a step further from breaking down and crying, so he speeded up and went to his rescue despite the niggling feeling that Sanji was totally alien right now.

I want to ask the same thing as those thugs. What the hell happened to Sanji's confidence and bad boy attitude? He looks completely like a different person-Zoro thought silently with an odd feeling.

"Your girly acting is completely disgusting!" One of the thugs raised his hand; probably about to punch Sanji and Sanji shut his eyes in complete fear as Zoro hurriedly caught the hand.

"Hey, now, five on one isn't a very fair game, is it?" Zoro said while twisting and clutching the thug's wrist hard.

"Oww, what the fuck-!"

"Who are you, asshole!" The other thugs then went on alert at Zoro's intrusion.

"I have to ask you to release him. He's not in a condition to fight right now," Zoro said with a warning glare.

"Bastard! You're also going down, kid!" One of the thug was about to attack Zoro as he tightened his clutch at the thug's hand he was holding. The guy screamed in pain at his ministration that halted the attacker's movement.

"One more step and I'll break his hand," Zoro narrowed his eyes, threatening all of them with his serious intent to kill and the other thugs chickened out and backed off while groaning cautiously. "Now, please release that blonde there, and I'll release your friend," he said smirking with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

The other thugs immediately released Sanji and the blond hurriedly ran to his side with a very worried look. Zoro slowly released the thug in his hold and he also ran to his friends. "We-we'll remember this!" he swore as they scrammed away from Zoro and Sanji.

"Cowards," Zoro spat at their direction with a huff. Then he turned his face at Sanji in annoyance. "What the hell are you doing here with a pajama, ero-cook? And why are you acting like a damn sassy? It's not like you couldn't kick them down by yourself!" Zoro was partially angry that Sanji was acting stupidly, but then he had to widen his eyes when he looked closely at the blond.

Sanji was looking at him with glassed eye, his face flushing prettily and Zoro had to stare at the feminine gesture he made with a flabbergasted expression. "At last… we finally meet, Zoro-sama." Sanji said with a very grateful adoring look.

Zoro's body hair stood at that. "Holy shit-! What the fuck is with the Keigo! Stop using the fucking Keigo, it gives me creeps!" he screeched in Goosebumps at Sanji's totally alien behavior. Did he finally lose his mind or something?

Sanji looked really hurt at that. "You mean… you don't remember me?" he asked with a sad longing look.

"Huh?" Now Zoro was officially confused. What the hell was wrong with Sanji? No, precisely, who the hell was this guy and what had he done to Sanji, anyway?

The tears then suddenly fell from that blue eye of Sanji and Zoro panicked. "Why the hell are you crying!"

"I… want to see you," Sanji said while sobbing lightly. "Always… always… want to see you… Zoro-sama," he said with a very sad tone that Zoro was forced to shut his mouth at to stare amazedly at the beautiful crying blonde…

Wait! Where the hell does that come from! I didn't just consider this ero-womanizer-cook beautiful!-Zoro panicked more as he couldn't shake the feeling that Sanji was too feminine to be a guy, damn it! He was fucking crying and spouting nonsense! And why is he calling me Zoro-sama, anyway?!

"I miss you… so much…!" Sanji added before he went closer and hugged Zoro's stoned body suddenly.

WHAAAAAT!-Zoro almost screeched at the sudden shocking development, but then he smelled something so familiar from Sanji's body. Huh?

It was a smell of flower, a flower that only grew in one place, and only one family had the plants. And only one person that Zoro knew had that smell on her body.

Zoro's head began to spin at that. Why would Sanji have that smell? Then the sudden realization crashed into his head. Zoro's suspicion yesterday… it seemed it wasn't just a suspicion.

"Kei…?" Zoro tried slowly, carefully with a disbelieving tone; and at that moment, Sanji released him and looked at his eyes hopefully.

"You remember me?" Sanji asked with a hint of relief in his voice and face.

"Holy crap…!" And Zoro knew for sure then.

Sanji is indeed possessed by a rei!

End of Chapter 7

Tbc…

Notes:

(1)Bitter Q: I take the reference from one of One Piece ZoSan doujinshi authorized by Saruya Hachi, entitled "Targeting Slow Green", scanned and translated by Arigatomania. Apparently, it is a fruit/vegetable that taste very bitter or very disgusting (even Luffy doesn't want to eat it raw), but Sanji can make it into a very delicious vegetable juice exclusive for Zoro (at first, before he reveals it to his other nakama).

(2)Shinai: bamboo sword for kendo practice.

(3)Keigo: it's an honorific language in Japan. Usually to show some distance over the user's relationship with the one he/she is speaking with. It gets a suffix like -kudasai in the end of the words. In this case, Sanji is saying "Hanashite-kudasai," which means "Please let me go," and is totally out of character for him and his bad mouth.

A/N: Hiih, I know, I know! I am still in hiatus, people! This is just for letting a steam out! I'll try to update some other stories as well, ya know. Just wait for them patiently, and I will update again. Honest. So… what do you think of this chapter? Yeah, it's not as long as the last chapter, but damn it. I have no time to write more, so… let's just wait what I can do to the next chapter, okay? Fuel me, people. Let me think what you're thinking through your review ^_^.

With love,

Lunaryu~~~

To The Next Chapter: Chapter 8

Previous Part: Chapter 7 Part A