Property of Sanji 7
The sound of splashing water wakes Sanji, at first he thinks that he’s on the sea again with Zeff after he and the old man had been rescued, but as he realises that he’s in his bedroom he understands that it’s not the case. Sleepily he sits up in bed and frowns at the noise. It’s kind of rhythmic but it’s not the taps dripping or rain against the windows. He slides out of his bed and walks quietly over to the window. Looking down at the pool he sees a flash of green hair and an endless expanse of tan skin, Zoro is swimming in his pool.
He quietly opens his balcony door and almost sneaks out, he feels ridiculous for doing so, it’s his damn house, his balcony and his goddamn pool, he shouldn’t have to sneak anywhere! All the same he sneaks out and peeks down and Zoro. The other man is swimming like crazy, as if he’s personally angry at the water or something. Sanji’s mouth twitches unhappily, he recognises the look of a stressed workout having had many himself. The conversation and fight that he and Zoro had last night must have disturbed the other man.
He closes his eyes and remembers as clear as day Zoro’s shaking chest above him, that deep scar bisecting his vision of the man above him and the hammering heart under his fingertips. Zoro was damaged and scarred, easily as much inside as his chest was on the outside. He sighs and looks down at the other man, he can’t help but notice the frankly perfect body that the older man is sporting but it makes him feel like a complete pervert to think about.
Somewhat disgusted at himself he goes back inside and shuts the door. Zoro is attractive, anyone with eyes in their head could see that. He had dark tan skin and that exotic looking hair, as dumb a colour as it was Sanji couldn’t argue that it was certainly striking. His earrings and his dark looks just screamed danger so with all of that combined Sanji was practically swooning for the man. It was torture really, he had never felt like such a perverted bastard as he did when he was around Zoro. He had sworn that he wouldn’t exploit his position as someone’s master when his father had curtly informed him that he was to have a mate, but he hadn’t expected Zoro. He’d gone along and answered all of the questions and submitted to all of the examinations, he’d expected some guy to show up that would agree to come along to parties and play the part but otherwise lead a separate life from him. But instead he’d got five foot and eleven inches of surly, sultry, hotness that called itself Zoro.
He whines in a pained way in the back of his throat. He likes Zoro, he really does. If Zoro had been someone that he’d have met at a party he’d long ago have talked the man into bed with him, taken him apart and made him beg for more. But he can’t do that to Zoro, he won’t. And if he ever needs reminding why he just needs to remember the looks of fear that Zoro gave him on his first day or two here. When Zoro had been afraid that he would… god, he could hardly think about it. Zoro might be too proud to admit it but he had been scared of him. He would never give Zoro reason to think that of him, so he couldn’t touch the other man.
He throws himself back onto his bed and pulls the covers over himself even his head. He squeezes his eyes shut and pretends that he’s not there. Every so often since he had been forced to leave Zeff he’d do this, he’d fantasise about what his life would have been like if his father hadn’t found him, it was a well worn fantasy.
He’d still be in the Baratie, happy and with people that he loved. He wasn’t rich but they were happy and they all had each other. Maybe he would have been working there one day and Zoro might have come in, the handsome man with the collar around his neck would certainly have stood out, and Zoro did say that he used to sneak off of the institute grounds a lot. Maybe he would have flirted with Zoro, although it was unlikely. He tended to be attracted to men differently than he was to women. He appreciated almost every woman that he saw and his attraction to those that he liked burned bright and fast, it was nice but mostly superficial. With men however most passed completely under his radar of interest, he just didn’t care for most of them. But Zoro certainly pushed all of the right buttons for Sanji, and with guys like Zoro Sanji had a tendency to fall hard, which he could feel he was already doing.
Maybe Zoro would have sauntered into the Baratie looking for a meal and flashed that sly smirk at him, maybe they would have insulted each other and bickered like they did now. Perhaps after seeing him enough Sanji would have been brave enough to ask him out for a drink and they would have hit it off. But then… but then some other bastard would have bought Zoro and taken him away from him.
He could wish that Zoro had never sold himself in the first place and that his father had never found him. Sanji sighs into his pillow and remembers an idiom that Zeff used to growl at him whenever he spoke to Zeff about wishing things had been different. If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. Man that had always pissed Sanji off.
He dresses and walks down the stairs quietly thinking about all that Zoro had told him about last night. He wants to do something to make it better, he wants to make up for all of the terrible things that had happened to Zoro. He wants to make up for the fact that he owns Zoro, he feels so guilty about it. And if he is honest with himself he feels guilty for being attracted to Zoro when, as an honourable man he should be thinking only pure things about someone that he held so much power over, to abuse that power would be sick. But how could he make Zoro feel better? He couldn’t bring his friend back from the dead, he couldn’t go back in time and stop Zoro from signing himself over to the institute and he couldn’t help Zoro win his swordfight.
He stops in his tracks with that thought. Zoro was a swordsman… perhaps… perhaps he might want to spar with Brook, after all the skeleton was a swordsman as well as a musician. He could give Zoro one of his passions back! He practically runs out to the pool then, excited at the prospect of making Zoro happy.
Sanji hesitates at the edge of the pool, he doesn’t want to interrupt Zoro’s workout if the man is busy. He sits down instead at the edge of the pool with his bare legs dangling in the water, if Zoro notices him then fine, if he doesn’t then that’s fine too, it’s not like the view is bad. He mentally kicks himself for that thought and shoves the idea out of his mind.
Zoro’s palm slams into the edge of the pool and as he turns to start another lap Zoro seems to spot him. Zoro’s eyes travel up him but the man is too out of breath to say anything, instead he pants and looks up at him curiously. It pleases Sanji that Zoro no longer looks at him with concern, but all the same the other man doesn’t look overjoyed to see him either.
“Hey.” Sanji remarks lamely giving him a half wave. Zoro doesn’t answer and instead just breathlessly hauls himself out of the pool and flops on the side next to Sanji.
“I’d wondered what that frantic splashing sound was that woke me up. I wasn’t sure if you were swimming or drowning very inefficiently.” Sanji teases Zoro with a grin. Zoro flips him off with a scowl which only makes Sanji grin wider, he doesn’t know why but aggravating Zoro is about the most fun thing he’s ever done.
“You’d think that someone who’s hair looks like seaweed would be better in the water.” He continues thoughtfully. At that Zoro kicks up a wave of water at them both, however Zoro has the advantage of being already wet and in swimming shorts, Sanji on the other hand is nicely dressed in clean, and up until just now, dry clothes.
He yelps in horror which makes Zoro chuckle darkly. Sanji scowls at the tan man and kicks him in the ankle. Zoro punches him in the back, so naturally Sanji elbows him in the arm. This squabbling escalates until Zoro snags an arm around Sanji’s waist and hurls them both into the pool.
Sanji’s fine linen shorts are completely underwater and probably ruined too, his expensive light blue shirt isn’t looking so good either.
“You bastard!” Sanji accuses and kicks a wall of water at Zoro who is laughing madly. To Sanji’s pleasure Zoro actually inhales some water mid laugh and ends up in a coughing fit.
Figuring that there’s no point in getting out of the water now as his clothes are as ruined as they’re going to be he decides to stay. He looks at Zoro thoughtfully and remembers why he’d come down here.
“Before you tried to drown me I had come here to talk to you, you know.” He starts with a sigh, swimming over to the side of the pool and leaning against the wall.
“Yeah?” Zoro asks disinterestedly, seemingly trying to see how deep in the pool he can get while on his tiptoes instead of swimming.
“I’d been thinking about Brook, he’s a swordsman too. I think I remember him saying something about a sabre sword, if that means anything to you.” He explains, wishing that he’d paid more attention to Brook when he’d been talking before.
"That's fencing." Zoro says instantly, looking up at him as Sanji hauls himself out of the pool to sit on the side in his soaked clothes.
"That's... different from what you do I take it then?" Sanji concludes as the look on Zoro's face is one of interest instead of exuberant joy as he'd hoped for.
"Well, I suppose they both use swords... Not that a sabre sword and my katana Wado have a lot in common..." Zoro says slightly sympathetically.
"Wow, you're trying to be nice, I must be really wrong." he winces.
"So... Wado, is that a kind of sword? I know that a sabre is a kind of sword." Sanji says hoping not to sound completely stupid and wishing that he'd paid attention to Brook when he'd talked about it in the past.
"No, Wado is a specific sword, she was my sword. Until I became someone else’s property, so I can’t own things." Zoro says bitterly and sinks low into the water, going under the surface and sinking to the bottom of the pool.
Sanji bites his lip, he can’t help but feel guilty about Zoro’s status. He isn’t sure whether or not he wants to know the exact circumstances to Zoro’s sale, he doesn’t know if it would only make him feel worse. Before he can think too much about it though Zoro thankfully resurfaces from the bottom of the pool.
"You look like some kind of swamp creature when you do that with your seaweed hair." Sanji teases. Zoro splashes a wave of water at him but Sanji doesn't care because it means that he's broken Zoro's sad mood.
"Anyway, I actually came down here to tell you that I'm cooking breakfast, but now I have to go shower and get dressed again!" He says dramatically as he stands up.
"My heart bleeds for you." Zoro smirks up at him from where he floats treading water in the middle of the pool.
Sanji walks back off into the house and straight to his room where he sheds his sodden clothes on the floor and steps into the shower to get the scent of chlorine off of him.
As he comes out of the bathroom dry and clean once more he spies his small tablet computer on his bedside table. He runs his fingers over it, turning it on. He opens up the Internet with a tap of his finger and with a shrug and figuring that he has nothing to lose he searches for the name "Wado".
The results fan out under Sanji's fingertips, the first suggestion being from some weapons wiki suggesting "Wado Ichimonji" the picture of a white sword under it makes him curious enough to click on it. It informs him that the sword is apparently one of twenty legendarily great swords. Sanji raises a surprised eyebrow and scrolls down to the owners section. There are a long list of owners but the most recent give him pause the second to last appears to be a small girl, there's a photo of her in front of a dojo with several other students. He's about to scroll past it when he spies the all too familiar shock of green hair on a small boy. It's Zoro, he was clearly only young, maybe eight, and he's got a look on his face that's far too serious and determined for a boy of his age. Curious he reads the text about the girl and can't help but immediately spot the words "tragic death" at the end of the text.
Under that there is a picture of Zoro, from what happened last night Sanji knows that it was taken only a year ago. Zoro is in the centre of the picture bloodied and wounded with the sword clutched in his left hand, at his feet are two broken swords and behind him is a terrified looking orange haired girl. Nami, Sanji concludes.
"Oh, Zoro." Sanji breathes as he looks at the next picture. The green haired man is sprawled on the floor with a deep gash from collarbone to hip bone, he's drenched in blood and Sanji can scarcely believe that Zoro survived. Towering above him is the fearsome Dracule Mihawk sheathing his sword. He wants to go inside that picture and pick Zoro up, heal his wounds, kill Mihawk for harming him and protect Zoro's friend Nami. But he can't protect Zoro from the past. But... he can change the man's present. He flicks down the page more to see that the sword is currently back in the hands of the man who owned the dojo that the little girl and the younger Zoro were at. He notes down the address and hurriedly dresses.
He runs down the stairs two at a time until he almost runs into the back of Zoro.
"Sanji," Zoro says catching him by the elbow and looking at him with his dark eyes. The man's shirt is undone a fair few buttons and Sanji can just see the edge of that scar peeking out, once again setting off that stupid protective instinct that he's suddenly developed for the other man.
"About what you said about Brook, if he wants someone to fence with I'm sure I can learn." Zoro offers. Sanji wonders if Zoro thinks that he's offended him.
"You don't have to." he assures him.
"No, it could be fun. Any sword fighting is better than none." Zoro says flashing a smile at him.
Sanji doesn't say anything but just nods, even more determined to get Zoro his sword back, Zoro won't settle for second best whilst he's around! He breezes into the kitchen with Zoro at his heels. He steps around the counter, takes a calming breath and turns to Zoro.
"What would you like me to make for you?" he asks with a smile.
"Whatever you're having." Zoro shrugs. Sanji represses the urge to kick him. Zoro has said this for every meal so far or at most gone along with someone else's request, he seems to enjoy the food enough but he never asks for anything. Sanji wonders if the marimo just doesn't care or if he doesn't feel bold enough to ask. He considers Zoro's strenuous work out and his potentially vulnerable emotional state after last night, protein rich comfort food then.
"Sausages, eggs and hash browns then?" he suggests hopefully.
"Sure, sounds great." Zoro agrees easily. Sanji pouts as Zoro sits down, he would almost have been happier if Zoro had said no, at least that would be a real opinion.
Zoro sits and falls into conversation with Usopp and Franky about something, Zoro's stopped looking so confused about Sanji insisting on doing the cooking for everyone since he's been allowed to help wash. A fact that Franky has teased him endlessly about, he'd previously not let anyone else touch his equipment or crockery as people broke or damaged them too often, but Zoro is careful and it seems to make him a little happier, so Sanji lets him.
He cooks breakfast while deep in thought. If Zoro lost his sword then maybe he could get it back for him, he could track down the dojo owner and buy it back, it wasn’t like he was short on money was it? Grinning to himself about his plan he serves up breakfast to everyone and finds himself quietly pleased that again Zoro seems to enjoy his food. Sanji finishes before anyone else and stands up quickly with his plate.
“I’m ah… going to be out today. I’ll take the car by myself Franky, you’re certainly due a day off.” Sanji says casually as he slides his plate into the sink.
“Uh, thanks I guess?” Franky says looking at him suspiciously.
“Should I grab a coat or something?” Zoro asks, looking up at him.
“Oh no, you can stay here. Relax, hang out with these two, do whatever you want. I’ll be back tonight.” He answers quickly and slips off to the garage, leaving Zoro with a puzzled look on his face.
He starts the car quickly and drives off into the sky before anyone can question him further. He’s so excited that he’s almost bouncing up and down in his seat. He’s always been a bit of a people pleaser, especially when it comes to food or gifts, for him giving someone something that they really want is far better than receiving something and he can’t help but be excited to give Zoro his sword back. He wonders how the man will feel about it, he hopes that it will make him happy but the sword itself seems tied to a lot of painful memories.
He parks up in a rural area outside Shimotsuki Village, surprisingly it isn’t more than an hour’s drive from his house, his car is clearly the most expensive thing in the whole village and Sanji, not for the first time, feels uncomfortable at his level of underserved and unwanted wealth.
He walks quietly to the Isshin Dojo that he’d read about, it’s not hard to spot as it’s on top of the hill. He can hear children and teenagers sparring, talking and laughing together up the hill, although a few of the kids have already seen him and excitedly run past him to stare at his car. Sanji smiles at them and their little wooden swords on their hips. He looks back up at the door to the dojo and this time sees a tall man standing there with long dark hair, a serious face and glasses on.
“Can I help you?” He asks flatly.
“I’m hoping that you can.” Sanji smiles up at him.
“Let’s hear it.” The man says sharply, as if he already dislikes Sanji. He finds himself a little taken aback by this but he supposes that maybe the man objects to his wealth and has made assumptions based on his car. Still, he should really be polite.
“May I come inside?” he asks hopefully.
“Shoes off.” The older man orders him and strides inside. Sanji hesitates at the door but obligingly takes his shoes off.
Inside the dojo is simple, plain wooden flooring and paper walls. There is training equipment stacked neatly in the corners and padded matting in the centre of the room. Sanji breathes in and finds the pine smell soothing, he wonders if the woodsy theme to Zoro’s room reminds him of this. He realises that it was Robin who suggested it and he wonders if she had been here herself in order to gain that knowledge, she really was a clever lady if she had.
Almost immediately Sanji spots the white sword on the wall hanging on elaborate display hooks. Its sheath and handle are pure snowy white and even with Sanji’s very limited knowledge of blades he can tell that this one is special. He steps towards it in awe and is only halted when the other man speaks.
“It’s not for sale.” The man states with an angry note in his voice.
Sanji pauses and looks at the older man in surprise.
“How rude of me not to even introduce myself first, my name is Sanji Prince. Your name is Koshiro isn’t it?” Sanji smiles pleasantly at the man and holds his hand out in offer of a handshake. The man looks at his offered hand with a scowl until Sanji uncomfortably retracts it.
“So you looked me up when you decided that you wanted to buy Wado Ichimonji. Well, sorry to have you come all this way but she’s not for sale, so you can leave.” Koshiro answers coldly.
Sanji is aware that a few of the older kids have gathered at the door and are listening with badly feigned nonchalance. He frowns a little at the man but decides to make an offer anyway.
“Listen, the sword isn’t for me, I don’t know a damn thing about sword fighting and I certainly wouldn’t be able to appreciate such craftsmanship. But I want to buy her for a friend of mine, and I know that having her would mean the world to him, so really I’m prepared to offer you any amount of money you want, I can afford it.” Sanji says honestly but the older man’s scowl deepens.
“You’re not the first rich boy to come up here offering to buy her and you won’t be the last. Nor would you be the first person I’ve said no to, and you won’t be the last. Maybe you’ll be one of the stupid people who try to take her from me when you realise that I won’t sell her, that’s not worked out well for anyone else who tried it so I wouldn’t recommend that either. What I would recommend is that you go home and think of another present for your friend.” The man growls.
“I’m not trying to threaten you old man, I’m just asking you to at least consider my offer!” Sanji exclaims in exasperation. Koshiro’s eyes suddenly narrow and glare at him with laser focus, this time not so much at Sanji as a whole but instead at something on him. Sanji glances down and sees that the small golden key to Zoro’s padlock has slipped free of his shirt.
“So, you’re the kind of man that thinks that he can buy anything with money, even people.” The old man says darkly.
“Not really. Look, I just want to buy the sword.” Sanji says, tucking the key back into his shirt.
“You’d have to steal her over my cold dead body before I’d ever let someone like you take her. Now get out.” Koshiro orders.
“Well someone stole her from you before, maybe Zoro will again if I tell him it’s still here. I just wanted to buy it for him so that he could have it back, it seemed to mean a lot to him.” Sanji snaps, finally feeling too irritated with the man’s unreasonably hostile attitude to hold his tongue any further.
He turns and walks towards the doorway. He doesn’t want to leave without the sword but even he can see that the man is never going to sell, no matter how much he bargains or pleads. So he’s surprised to hear the sound of the sword being removed from its hooks on the wall. He turns in surprise wondering if Koshiro has changed his mind.
He supposes that it’s years of training with Zeff that makes him move when he sees the flash of movement in his vision. All he knows is that one second he’s turning to see what was going on and the next he’s leaping back as Wado Ichimonji slices silently through the air. He yelps in surprise as the sword swings for him again but he manages to block it with his foot by kicking at the man’s wrist. He would have been able to block the blade itself if he hadn’t taken off his steel toe shoes.
He back flips away and lands just in time to block another swipe. The older man is quicker though and clearly intent on harming Sanji whilst Sanji himself is too busy with defending himself and wondering what the hell is going on to put up the best fight that he could. His foot catches the edge of the mat and he stumbles to the ground, the blade flashes above him but suddenly two young boys, in their early teens at most, are there holding Koshiro back.
“Don’t do it sensei! If you kill him think of what’ll happen to you, to the dojo!” The first boy pleads, holding back his sensei’s hand.
“No one will find the body!” Koshiro roars shoving past the boy.
“Kuina and Zoro wouldn’t want this!” The second pleads. That seems to still the older man for a moment.
“Zoro… Zoro trained here didn’t he? I saw his picture, or I thought it was him anyway, how many other green haired kids are there running around after all?” Sanji says inching carefully away from the blade that hovers only inches from his throat.
“Yes, before you bought him this was his home.” Koshiro growls. Sanji winces, there’s not much point denying it and he’s not wanting to get into the habit of trying to aggravate men who are trying to kill him by lying to them, after all if he does so he may not live long enough for it to become much of a habit.
“I just wanted… I wanted to try to give him back something of his, to make up for everything that the institute has taken from him. He isn’t something that I own, not to me anyway.” Sanji answers honestly. Koshiro seems to pause to consider this so Sanji keeps talking.
“He told me about protecting Nami, about how he took his sword back and tried to protect her. He told me about how he failed. He blames himself even though it’s not his fault and… I just thought that maybe I could make it better somehow. I thought that I could ask you for his sword back, pay you whatever you wanted and give him something of his own back to him.” He adds.
“Why do you care how Zoro feels?” Koshiro asks suspiciously.
“What?” Sanji says confused. What does he mean?
“Why do you care? What’s it matter to you what he feels? Or are you trying to play nice so that you’ll get what you paid for?” the man questions with a scowl and jabs the sword closer to Sanji’s face.
“I care because I’m not a sociopath and Zoro’s a human being with feelings! Even if he is a sarcastic irritating bastard I care about him! And I highly doubt that even if I was trying to get him to sleep with me that giving him his sword back would help me achieve that!” Sanji shouts, feeling fed up of being attacked and having his character insulted again.
“Now, either kill me or let me up, I don’t have all day!” He snaps.
Koshiro looks at him, actually looks at him as if trying to see if he’s being genuine. Sanji can only conclude that he’s seen something worthwhile as he steps back, although he does notice that the man doesn’t sheath his sword.
"You're either brave or you're stupid." Koshiro says finally straightening up completely and sheathing the sword.
The older man shoos the two younger boys out and sits down before Sanji with the sword in his lap, he taps a finger on it thoughtfully as he looks at Sanji.
"So you own Zoro then." He states simply.
"I don't believe that it's possible to own someone, but I have some papers that say I do, yes." Sanji answers diplomatically as he sits up.
"Do you know why this sword means so much to me, or to Zoro? Do you even know what you're asking for?" Koshiro asks him as he looks at him levelly.
"Zoro hasn't told me the story, no. But I know about Nami, that he used it to protect her." Sanji answers.
"That was that girl's name? Zoro and girls are trouble, always have been." Koshiro snorts dismissively.
"How do you mean?" He frowns trying to suppress the tickle of jealousy at the back of his neck, Zoro had said that Nami was like a sister to him.
"He's too self sacrificing, especially when it comes to people he cares about, girls just seem to be bad luck for him. This used to be my daughter Kuina's sword, she and Zoro always used to train together, Zoro was desperate to surpass her. He never did. If she hadn't had her accident then I'm sure he would have done so, but I guess we'll never know." Koshiro sighs.
"I read that she died, I'm sorry for your loss." Sanji says gently.
"She fell and hit her head, a stupid accident really. I wish it had killed her instantly, instead she was in hospital fighting for her life for days." Koshiro says harshly, his eyes cold and angry.
"She was my only child, and... in grief a man can say thoughtless things. I said that if I had been rich, I suppose as rich as someone like you must be, that I would have been able to pay for the kind of treatments that would bring her back to me." Koshiro says bitterly.
"You have to be careful what you say around children." The man says simply, looking down at the white sword in his lap with regret in his eyes.
"What do you mean? How would saying that if you'd had the money for better treatment have-" Sanji starts but is cut short by a horrible idea stealing over his mind. He remembers what Zoro had said about setting your own price when you sold yourself. If Zoro had thought that they needed money to save his friend's life...
"No... Tell me that he didn't." Sanji breathes in horror.
"You're the one with a key around your neck." Koshiro snaps at him.
"He made a deal that he would sell himself to the institute if they would pay any medical costs for Kuina that I asked for, those were his terms." Koshiro explains sombrely.
"But he was so young, surely someone else had to sign off on him making that deal, did you-" Sanji frowns.
"I would never have agreed to that! The law says that if you're less than thirteen your parents have to agree, but that law doesn't apply to orphans, there're regarded as being responsible for themselves. Everyone in the institute is an orphan, or damn close." the old man snaps angrily.
"I... I didn't know. So, did the treatment not work?" Sanji asks, already knowing the end result, that the girl was dead and Zoro was his.
"We never got to find out. Whilst Zoro was making that stupid deal Kuina passed away, even of she hadn't she was past saving by that point anyway, but Zoro hadn't realised that. There was no charge to release her body, so the institute didn't have to pay a penny, the stupid boy sold his life for absolutely nothing." Koshiro says venomously.
"Zoro..." Sanji breathes sadly. He can't even bear to imagine what Zoro must have felt like when he realised.
"Take it, give it back to Zoro. It belongs to him now." Koshiro says holding out the sword in his hands to Sanji.
Hesitantly Sanji reaches out and takes it from the old man. It's heavy in his hands and for the first time he wonders if having this sword will make Zoro happy or not, it almost seems cursed for him.
"And these two are his too, don't open that one though, it cuts everyone except Zoro, it's a problem child." Koshiro warns and places two more swords in Sanji's arms. Sanji is surprised and slightly suspicious of the old man's sudden change of heart, but he isn't going to risk losing Zoro's swords.
"Thank you. I can pay you whatever you think is fair." Sanji offers, standing up with the swords in his arms.
"They're not mine to sell, they're Zoro's he'll tell you what a fair price is." Koshiro smiles slowly at him. Sanji's suspicion rises further.
"Well, thank you." Sanji says eventually.
"Give them to Zoro, and tell him that he's always welcome in my home, no matter what." Koshiro says solemnly.
"I will." Sanji nods and, with nothing else to say, walks to the door. He stops to put his shoes back on and feels a little concerned at the pairs of shocked eyes on him from the students around the dojo. Determined to remain calm he picks the three swords up and walks quietly to his car, climbs inside and drives off.
He gets about five minutes away before he has to stop and think. He was sure that Koshiro meant to kill him and if those boys hadn't been so quick then he might have given Sanji a real run for his money and, since he was without his shoes at the time, done some real harm. But then he so suddenly changed his mind, why? He'd been so insistent that he wouldn't let the sword go and then he'd just let him walk out of the door with three. He had thought that perhaps the man meant to jump him when his back was turned but he didn't, none of the students did either.
Confused but without answers he starts up his car again and drives home. He parks in the garage and sits for a moment looking at the three swords leaning in the footwell against his front passenger seat. Was he doing the right thing? Damn it all, even if he wasn't it was too late to back out now. He grabs the swords and gets out of the car.
He bumps into Franky tinkering in the workshop. The cyborg looks up curiously and gives the three swords in his hands an assessing look.
"Where's Zoro?" Sanji asks, almost anxious to get his gift over with.
"In the gym, he hadn't found it until now. He was pretty excited, like a kid in a candy store. I suppose it explains how he looks so good." Franky answers, pushing his glasses up into his hair.
"Been shopping then?" the older man adds looking at the swords curiously.
"Not exactly." Sanji mutters and heads off quickly in the direction of the gym. He holds the three swords in his hand behind his back and finds that his nervousness is growing with each step. By the time he sticks his head around the door of the gym he's almost trembling with nerves.
Zoro is doing push-ups in a handstand when he gets there, he's shirtless and even in his state of panic he finds himself staring for a few seconds before clearing his throat to announce his presence.
Zoro drops to his feet and slumps back sprawled on the floor, his skin covered in a fine sheen of sweat.
"You weren't gone long." Zoro remarks looking up at him from the floor.
"Don't sound so disappointed, marimo." Sanji jokes weakly.
"Why're you hiding behind the door?" Zoro asks inquisitively tilting his head at Sanji's half hidden stance. In his hidden hand Sanji holds Zoro's swords.
"I... I have something for you. Close your eyes." Sanji commands on a whim, trying for an authoritative voice to cover up his nervousness.
"What am I, five?" Zoro snorts, clearly unaffected by Sanji’s supposed authority.
"Just do it." he says jiggling on the balls of his feet impatiently. Zoro squints at Sanji for a moment before breaking out into a massively smug grin.
"You're nervous!" Zoro declares triumphantly.
"No I'm not!" Sanji denies hotly, his face flushing with embarrassment.
"You ARE!" Zoro crows with laughter.
"Just close your goddamn eyes!" He snaps. Zoro smirks at him but does what he's told this time.
Biting his lip anxiously Sanji steps into the room and walks over to where Zoro is sat on the floor, leaning back casually on his elbows with his eyes shut. Sanji kneels down and, not for the first time, is struck by how attractive Zoro is. He's not boyishly pretty and he's not got a soft romantic look to him that Sanji has been told that he possesses. Nor, despite the muscles, is Zoro manly and rugged like a lumberjack. But... he is attractive. He has high cheekbones that are sharp and on anyone else might look too harsh, but with his tan skin and dark eyes look just right on him, and his clever mouth twisted into the sneaky grin that he's wearing now looks just perfect. Suddenly Sanji remembers what it was like to kiss Zoro. The other man had been somewhat tense at first but after that he'd participated in a way Sanji hadn't expected but had found addictive. He wants to kiss Zoro again now, but the heavy gold padlock resting in the dip between Zoro's collarbones reminds him why he can't. He hopes that perhaps this gift is enough.
He pulls the swords from behind his back and places them gently in Zoro's lap. The other man's eyes snap open instantly and his face is wiped clean by shock. Zoro tries unsuccessfully to start several sentences mostly asking how, what or why.
"Are you giving these to me?" Zoro eventually manages.
"I said that they were for you didn't I?" Sanji points out as he sits down in front of Zoro and, out of an attempt to cover his nerves, lights a cigarette.
"Why?" Zoro asks staring at him wide eyed.
"Don't you want them? I was worried that they might bring up bad memories... I hope-" he starts feeling concerned that he made the wrong choice.
"What?! No! I want them! I- they mean everything to me!" the green haired man exclaims, clutching the three swords to his chest as if Sanji might take them away.
"Then that's why." Sanji smiles in relief and blows a stream of smoke out to the side.
"You did this to make me happy?" the other man asks in a small wonder filled voice.
"I think that you might be too dumb to understand what presents are moss-head." Sanji laughs awkwardly and taps the ash off of the end of his cigarette. Zoro stares at him for a second before launching himself at him and mashing their mouths together almost painfully. Sanji should be pleased, a gorgeous man is kissing him, but he's not pleased, he's pissed off.
"I didn't do this so that you'd kiss me, I didn't do it to make you like me. I did it because I wanted to and because I thought it might make you happy. So stop that." Sanji says firmly as he places his hand on Zoro’s chest to push him away. Zoro does move back slightly, his lip caught between his teeth in a rare display of uncertainty. Sanji has seen him scared, angry and relaxed, but uncertain is a new thing for Zoro.
“I just… wanted to say thank you.” Zoro says, his eyes taking in Wado in his hand before glancing back up at Sanji.
“So just say it then.” He retorts.
“Thank you.” Zoro grins at him. The green-haired man slides Wado free of her sheath and marvels at her. With a sigh that sounds like something Sanji would be pleased to hear falling from a lover’s lips Zoro runs his finger along the flat of the blade and tenderly touches the edge itself. Sanji doesn’t know anything about swords but he knows about knives and from that knowledge he can see that Wado is sharp. He feels grateful that the old man didn’t catch him with that blade, he’d have been dead in an instant if he had.
“How… how did you convince Koshiro to give this to you?” Zoro asks suspiciously, eyeing Sanji over the blade.
“I asked, offered him money. Told him who it was for, then he tried to kill me. And… then, I don’t know. Two kids hauled him away and talked him down and then suddenly he just gave them to me, I don’t know what changed his mind. Oh… he told me to tell you something too.” Sanji says still feeling confused by the other man’s behaviour and sudden change of heart. Zoro raises an arched eyebrow at him curiously.
“When I offered him money he said that the swords weren’t his to sell and that you’d tell me what was fair. He said to tell you that you were always welcome in his home, no matter what. Then he gave me the swords.” Sanji repeats, the least that he can do is to get the old man’s message right.
Zoro stares at him for a second or two before barking a loud laugh and smirking at Sanji.
“You don’t get it do you? He realised that I was with you and that you were, incredibly stupidly, willing to arm me. He was inviting me to come to him after I kill you, he’s probably expecting me to be on my way there now.” Zoro laughs.
Sanji’s eyes widen in surprise, no wonder that old bastard had changed his mind so suddenly! Zoro kneels up suddenly and, with some consideration flicks the sword in his hand so that the blade is facing outwards, towards Sanji. Quickly he leans over and with his power and weight, throws Sanji to the ground and holds the blade above his throat.
“I could kill you right now, lie to Franky - tell him that you were taking a nap, take your car and be at Koshiro’s before anyone even found your body. He could find some way to cut my collar off, if anyone could do it Koshiro could, and then I’d be a free man. And all because you were dumb enough to just give me my swords back.” Zoro smirks down at him.
Sanji doesn’t even dare to swallow, he can feel Wado’s coldness radiating from the blade. Sanji lays silently for a moment and thinks. He can fight, that much is certain. But even he can’t kick Zoro off quicker than the other man can slice his jugular open. He is completely helpless.
He considers his life, all in all he’s not been too bad. He’s tried to help others, he fed the hungry when they came to the doors of the Baratie and when his father took him back he invested a considerable amount of money in many different charitable funds. He tried to steer his father’s wretched company in a more ethical direction, not that anyone on the board ever listened to him beyond what they needed to mock him. But still, he has harmed Zoro, and if the other man is right about his plan then he can’t deny that Zoro would be better off with him dead.
Still, he doesn’t want to die and he’s not going to give anyone the satisfaction of hearing him beg. So he looks up into Zoro’s dark, menacing and still somehow lovely eyes and repeats the same words that he said to Zoro’s sensei.
“Well, if you’re going to kill me get on with it, I don’t have all day.” He snaps. They’re pretty good last words in consideration. Zoro’s mouth splits open into an amused grin.
“Lucky for you I don’t kill innocent people, even if they are idiots.” Zoro says and leans back onto Sanji’s hips and sheathes his sword. He rolls off of Sanji and unsheathes another sword to admire it.
“Innocent?” Sanji says rolling the word around in his mouth.
“Yeah. You’ve not done anything to hurt me, I mean, you put this padlock on my neck but you’re not responsible for the collar. The bastards who run and own the institute are responsible for that, you’re innocent.” Zoro states, sheathing one sword and unsheathing another.
“Innocent.” Sanji repeats staring up at the ceiling.
“Unless you’ve done anything that I’m not aware of, yes.” Zoro says absently.
Oh, Sanji thinks, I really should tell him…
Zoro seems to take his silence for shock or mortal dread and speaks up again with a little concern in his voice.
“I wasn’t actually going to cut your throat out you know.” Zoro points out, looking over the top of his blade at Sanji.
“Darling,” Sanji says flatly, “you say the sweetest things.”
Zoro laughs at that and the sound is bright and warm enough that Sanji’s insides fizz. Still… he sighs and stares up at the ceiling a little more.
“I’m hardly innocent. Not guilty maybe but…” he trails off.
“Join the club, you know what I meant.” The other man interrupts him and sheathes his last sword with a scrape of metal.
“I meant it though, you were stupid to give me these. I could have done anything to you.” Zoro points out reproachfully.
“Maybe I trust you.” Sanji retorts, and with that Zoro stands up, takes his swords with him and strides out of the room.
What the hell?
Sometimes Sanji just didn’t understand Zoro, the man was baffling. But he really did want to understand Zoro. Hell, he wanted to do lots of things to Zoro but his honour wasn’t going to let him. He was in hindsight rather irritated at Robin for getting someone as wonderful as Zoro for him, perhaps he should buy her a library and tell her not to read any books in it as revenge. No, that wasn’t right, for one Zoro wasn’t just a thing that could be bought - never mind what the law said. And for another he wasn’t one to be cruel to people, ladies especially.
Why had Zoro gone though? It had all seemed to be going so well, the other man had seemed to be so pleased by his gift. He admits that he was just righting a wrong by giving it back to him but he had seemed pleased. And the threat, well, Sanji supposes that Zoro had been right, it had been quite a risk and he’d not even thought about it. He supposes that he just trusts Zoro implicitly. It was probably a bad idea to do so but he can’t seem to make himself want to do any different.
His ears perk up though when he hears Zoro’s heavy footsteps approaching again. Zoro reappears in the doorway, this time his swords are hanging from something at his hip, a belt perhaps, Sanji can’t see. But in his hand is something brown, a file of some sort.
“You trusted me, perhaps stupidly, with your life when you gave me my swords back. So I suppose I should trust you with this.” Zoro says and throws the file so that it lands neatly on Sanji’s chest.
“It’s my file. I stole it from your office after you threw it out. You can read it, or not, I don’t care. But I took it from you and I shouldn’t have. It doesn’t say much you probably don’t already know, and it doesn’t tell you how to get into my head, Chopper doesn’t write like that. But… there are things in there… advice given… that I’d hate for you to follow. So… I guess that I’m trusting you to be you and not some bastard. It seems even.” Zoro states with a tense sigh.
“I’ll see you later.” Zoro adds and leaves.
After a little while Sanji stubs out his still smouldering cigarette on the floor, sits up and looks down at the file in his hands. He’d not read it because he’d thought that it was cheating and he didn’t want Zoro to think that any progress that they made was because of some guide to him that he’d read.
Sanji heaves a sigh and opens the file. Most of it is interesting if unremarkable, things to do with Zoro’s academic history, a note from Chopper warning him not to give Zoro any bladed instruments (hah!). But his blood freezes when he comes to the behaviour section. He’d thought that perhaps the section would be an in depth discussion of Zoro’s quirks but instead it was something much more sinister. The recommendations that this so called teacher was making were not only obscene but mind bogglingly immoral. If Sanji had done what this guy recommended he’d be a monster and Zoro would probably be irreparably broken, assuming that he wouldn’t have killed him at the first opportunity.
Sanji snaps the report shut and deliberately unclenches his teeth from where his rage had cemented them together. This bastard is going to pay.
A/N: Thank you all again for reading, sorry this update was late but I’ve been both slowed down by being ill and getting halfway through the chapter in Zoro’s POV before realising that it needed to be re-written as Sanji. Zoro’s POV may as well have read “and now Zoro doesn’t do much because all the interesting stuff is happening to Sanji in this chapter”. Gah. So, straw poll, do people want me to stick with Sanji in this next chapter or so back to Zoro?