A/N: This is what happens when you watch "1p" and "Dracula" in the same evening. Damn you, Frank Langella, for making vampires look so damn good. I feel like I'm constantly picking on Sanji of late. He's my favorite character in the series, I swear I'm not doing it on purpose! Please note this is a complete story...for now. I may add onto it in the near future.
-Set just after the Fishman Island arc-
"Scarlet Fever"
One Piece One-Shot
Sanji sat down at the hotel bar, the bartender finishing pulling a draft beer, serving it to a waiting customer before approaching Sanji with a friendly smile.
"What'll you have?" Scrutinizing the range of colorful liquor bottles covering the wall behind the bar, Sanji found he couldn't decide. "Surprise me." The bartender raised an eyebrow, but started making a cocktail just the same. "You're the second one to tell me that tonight."
"Oh, who's the first?" He pointed to a table in the corner and Sanji turned his head, swearing the world slowed for an instant. Without a doubt, she was the most beautiful woman Sanji had ever seen, after Nami and Robin of course. Her skin was milky white, long silky black hair cascading down her shoulders and back. She stirred from her reverie, light blue eyes settling on Sanji after scanning the bar for the owner of the questing eyes. One side of her dainty mouth, lips bright red from lipstick, curved upwards.
She raised a hand, crooking one finger, beckoning him. The bartender placed a drink before him, saying something, but Sanji couldn't hear him. He mutely grabbed the glass, putting down some denomination of berry, feeling like he was walking on air as he approached the woman. Her curvy figure filled out the short black dress perfectly.
"Sex on the beach?" Sanji's heart stuttered in his chest at the sultry voice, wondering why she was propositioning a complete stranger. Her eyes twinkled as she laughed, the airy sound beautiful. "Your cocktail, silly." His pulse lowered immediately and Sanji felt his face grow hot. "Right, right."
"Sit if you like, I'd enjoy the company," the woman said, Sanji helpless but to obey her as he sat across from her. He took a sip of his cocktail, the various sweet fruit juices dominating his taste buds, the burn of the vodka barely noticeable. Sanji tipped his glass in thanks to the bartender who nodded appreciatively. "What's the name of my lovely companion?"
The woman's half-smile turned into a full one, white teeth showing for a moment. "Call me Carmilla. You are?" It was the perfect name for such a unique woman and Sanji echoed her wide smile unconsciously. "Sanji. I can't believe you're drinking alone."
"My solitude is not of my own choice." Sensing Carmilla didn't want to say anything more on the subject, perhaps she'd had a bad break-up recently, Sanji was willing to respect her wishes, not pressing for more information. "Are you here on your own?" He took a sip of his drink, surreptitiously surveying the bar inhabitants for any telltale military uniforms. Seeing none, he lowered his glass. "I came with my crew."
Carmilla's gaze lit up, the woman moving to sit next to him, leaning towards him. This close to her, Sanji could pick up her perfume, a subtle spicy floral blend that made his head spin pleasantly. "You're a pirate?" Her voice was low, yet excited. "How fascinating. What a brave man to go against the world order itself." Sanji fiddled with his tie nervously, gratified and appreciative she thought so highly of him. "No more than anyone else does."
Carmilla touched his arm, looking straight into his eyes, mesmerizing him. "I never could, I know that much. What did you do before serving on a ship?" While Sanji thought her interest was deeply flattering, it felt like she was trying to avoid talking about herself. Luckily, he loved a mystery and Carmilla was proving very much to be one. "I was sous chef at a restaurant."
She laughed lightly. "I live for food," she confessed in a whisper, a thread of sadness in Carmilla's voice. "You might even say it's a vice." Her petite figure told Sanji she had a measure of control, not overindulging in the habit.
"We all have our weaknesses," Sanji said, lying a hand on the one touching his arm. Carmilla's fingers were cold, likely from the chilly glass she'd been clutching, and Sanji took them in his own, hoping they'd warm up. She winked at him playfully, not moving away from the bodily contact. "I think I can guess yours." Sanji smiled, signaling the bartender for another drink, both for himself and Carmilla. He had a feeling they'd be here for a while.
"Would you like to go somewhere a bit more private?" The interest and passion involved in such an offer showed in her soft gaze, making a silent promise. Sanji almost spilled his drink in shock, sure he was dreaming. He'd be a fool to turn Carmilla down. "Yes, please." Was that too eager? Hell, he didn't care. Better she should know he was interested than not.
Sanji took his time admiring the soft curves of Carmilla's body as he walked behind her. He was sure she was aware of his examination because she started walking slower, her hips rocking back and forth. She clearly took good care of herself, even if her pale skin implied she didn't spend much underneath the sun.
Carmilla pulled out a thin card from the small purse hanging off her arm, heading to the bank of elevators. Her elegant finger pushed the button to call transportation forth, Carmilla's eyes locked on Sanji when he came up beside her. He was shaking on the inside, unable to believe his windfall. He knew he usually came on too strong for many women, but this one appreciated his fervent nature.
With a soft chuckle, Carmilla stepped into the elevator that opened before her, reaching for Sanji's arm, pulling him inside. They were alone in the elevator as the doors slid closed and Carmilla's fingers danced their way up to Sanji's neck, her nails lightly pressing against his chin.
"I'm very glad you were here tonight, Sanji. I needed someone," she said boldly, seeming amused at Sanji's dumbstruck expression, not wanting Carmilla to know her words had deeply affected the lower half of his body. She'd announced her intentions and only an idiot would've misinterpreted what she desired.
Her hand shifted onto Sanji's cheek, the cool digits making him shiver. "Truly, I am lucky." He pressed his hand against hers, pulling it down to his chest, leaning down and kissing the back of her hand. "I feel the same way."
"Then we are of one mind," Carmilla replied, smiling as she pulled her hand away from Sanji. The elevator was suddenly too small, Sanji beginning to sweat, anxious to reach the fifth floor of the hotel. Given she had a card, she must have a room as well, and what they might do inside it was making his stomach flutter in anticipation. When the doors opened, revealing the hallway, Sanji gestured for Carmilla to go first.
"Someone was raised well." While that was debatable, coarse as Zeff had been, Sanji thought he would've liked the compliment. Carmilla stopped before the last room, slipping her key card into the lock, and holding open the door for Sanji. The room was plain but functional, the details going fuzzy as Carmilla slid past him. He'd lost count of how many drinks he downed in the bar downstairs and had to lean against the wall for a second to restore his balance.
"Are you well?" Sanji hoped he was, he really didn't want to disappoint Carmilla with a lackluster performance. With the world swam back in focus, he nodded, surprised when Carmilla grabbed his collar. She all but threw him onto the queen sized bed, a fierce expression on her face, gaze smoldering, as if lit from within. Sanji couldn't look away, transfixed at the otherworldly beauty before him.
"Shall we begin, Sanji-kun?" He couldn't wait.
He came awake slowly, lying in utter darkness. The bed was soft underneath him, the covers warm, and Sanji rolled onto his side, reluctant to get up yet. Despite the rest he'd gotten, he was still tired, sorely tempted to go back to sleep. His head began pulsing painfully and Sanji knew it was a hangover. He'd drank too much last night.
Unlike a certain green-haired crewmate he knew, he wouldn't let laziness control him. "Narcoleptic bastard," Sanji muttered as he sat up, immediately regretting the decision when a painful spasm churned his guts. Overcome by a wave of nausea, Sanji rubbed at his forehead, wishing he'd practiced some restraint in regards to his drinking. They didn't call it liquid courage for nothing. How many cocktails had he had?
Speaking of, he surveyed the hotel room, realizing in short order that he was alone, his companion from the previous evening nowhere to be found. The very thought of the woman- no, the drop dead gorgeous bombshell, made Sanji smile. Carmilla had been a breath of fresh air, flirting with a natural grace not many possessed. She'd seemed fascinated with him, her gaze never once looking elsewhere, Sanji only too happy to keep her entertained, regaling her with stories from his Baratie days, relishing the sound of her laughter.
When she'd suggested a more private location, Sanji almost wept with joy. Unfortunately, at that point, after downing one too many cocktails, he couldn't remember what had happened once she pushed him down on the bed. They must have done something as Sanji's current state of nudity could attest. Trusting he hadn't ended up making a fool of himself, he stood up, running to the bathroom when the contents of his stomach started making an unwanted reappearance.
After flushing the toilet a few times, spiriting his sick elsewhere, he felt better even though he looked like hell warmed over in the mirror. There was a purple hickey on the side of his neck, showing how ardent and possessive Carmilla had been. Sanji considered it a parting gift, making no attempt to hide it as he began the process of seeking out his clothes. He collected them from the lamp, the floor, and the open nightstand drawer. The last location made him pause because he wondered why it was open in the first place.
Even with the rough abuse, they were only mildly wrinkled and given he didn't have another set of clothes on hand, Sanji worked with what he had. He really wanted a shower, but not having planned to spend a night away from the crew, Sanji knew they would be worried about him. As soon as he stepped outside of the hotel, the sun stabbed at him, making his hangover worse. Squinting, holding a hand to his forehead to ward off the bright rays, Sanji slowly made his way to the shipyard.
They'd docked the Sunny at an island called Kasei, needing to restock their supplies, cola in particular. Seeing the place he called home was a relief, both because he was more exhausted than he initially thought and because he wanted to see his friends again. They'd all separated to make the task of restocking the ship easier. After he'd done his part, he'd gone straight to the nearest bar. He considered himself a pretty social person, but even the friendliest individual needed alone time every now and then.
"Sanji!" Grinning at Chopper as he enthusiastically waved over the Sunny's railing, Sanji boarded the ship, a lit cigarette hanging from his mouth. It was getting late in the day, the lunch hour long since gone, and given his condition, Sanji decided he'd make dinner than go to bed early.
It came to him in flashes. Carmilla's lovely body laid bare in front of him, her dress puddled on the floor. Her hands clutching the back of his thighs as she leaned down, breath hot on him. The sharp jerk of arousal, Sanji gritting his teeth to keep control of himself, pressure building even as Carmilla moved above him, her long hair brushing his chest. The pleasant sting of her mouth on his neck, enflaming his passion again. Carmilla's light laughter as she held his shoulders firmly, taking control of the situation.
He came awake with a jolt, his face hot. Sanji put his hands over it, wishing he could remember more of the encounter. Were it not for the hotel room he'd woken up in and the hickey, Sanji would have thought it was all a dream.
The first sign something was seriously wrong with him was in the kitchen, a few days later. Nami had graciously agreed to assist him with dinner, chopping up vegetables for a stir-fry. Sanji was tackling the protein side, breaking down a large cut of pork on the kitchen counter. A headache pulsed persistently near his forehead, Sanji doing his best to ignore it. The pain relievers Chopper had given him did nothing but make his stomach hurt so he had stopped taking them. His system was still excising their effect though and that too had to be endured along with the headache.
Nami cursed, the steady sound of chopping abruptly stopping. Sanji closed his eyes as a pleasant aroma filled the air, robust and fragrant all at once. He looked up, realizing the smell was close by. Wanting to find the source, he opened his eyes to see Nami looking flustered, holding her hand away from the cutting board, over the table edge. One of her fingertips was seeping red, the blood dripping onto the floor.
She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Sanji-kun. I don't think any got into the food." Sanji should have been hovering over Nami's hand, asking if she was all right, what he could do to make it better. However, it was taking all his willpower to remain where he was and not cross the room to approach her. The wonderful smell that had teased his nose, made his mouth water, and caused his body to become so alert was Nami's blood.
He was horrified his first instinct was to grab her hand and suck the wound. "Sanji-kun?" The sound of his name brought him out of it, Sanji taking a deep breath, refilling lungs that had been deprived of oxygen for a full minute. Thoroughly disturbed, Sanji gave Nami was he hoped was a reassuring look. "I'll fetch Chopper," he said, leaving the kitchen before the navigator could ask more questions.
There was a first aid kit under the sink for just such occasions and Sanji had no reason for vacating the room so far as Nami knew. Realizing his hands were shaking, he walked to the back of the ship after sending Chopper to tend to Nami, wishing he could forget the scent of her blood. As soon as he was out of view of anyone, he leaned against the railing, slowly sliding down until he was sitting with his arms on top of his knees.
Pain erupted inside his mouth and Sanji pressed a hand to it, feeling something long against his fingers. Hanging a big longer than usual, his canine teeth had become thin and tapered, the tips dangerously sharp. The word fangs flashed in Sanji's mind and he shook his head, wondering when he'd fallen asleep. It was all too surreal to be reality.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Cook?" Going still, Sanji looked in shock at Zoro who was sitting across from him, staring at him with a raised eyebrow. There was sleep crusted in the corner of his eye and he rubbed at it lazily. Shit. Just his luck Zoro had chosen to nap here of all places, he was the last person Sanji wanted to see right now. Unsure how long the swordsman had been awake, he kept his hand over his mouth, hoping Zoro was too far away to make out any details.
"Nothing," Sanji said, closing his mouth, turning away to look out at the sunset, the ache in his teeth an itch he couldn't scratch. "I wonder about that." That was all the warning he got as Zoro was suddenly standing over him, one of his hands grabbing Sanji's shoulder. Zoro hauled him upright, pushing Sanji against the railing, getting up in his face. A snarl ripped itself from Sanji's throat and he froze, too dazed to move when Zoro touched his mouth, pushing his upper lip upward.
Zoro's expression was carefully blank, interest clear in his eye as he leaned back, clutching Sanji's shoulder, his grip growing tighter. "There's a word for this," he said casually, a look on amusement shifting his features. "What's funny is on Kasei, there were rumors. I thought it was all superstitious bullshit." Tired of being mocked, Sanji stomped on Zoro's instep, forcing him to move back, Zoro hissing under his breath in pain.
Sanji glared, angry at the intrusion of privacy and that Zoro's hand had started to smell good. He had no idea how close he came to getting bitten. "I'm not talking about this with you." Zoro chuckled, crossing his arms, arrogance written all over him. "Chopper then? It's a bit out of his wheelhouse, isn't it?"
"It can't be what you think, it's impossible."
"Says the guy with fangs." Hearing the word said out loud cooled his anger some because it was true, and Sanji hadn't wanted to face it. "What the hell am I going to do? I refuse to put the girls in danger because of my…issue." His almost constant stomach ache during the last few days took on a whole new chilling meaning. Even the thought of what he needed was alternately scary and thrilling, his inner nature at odds with itself.
"It's just blood, right? Take mine." Sanji gaped openly in disbelief, unable to understand why Zoro would offer. Sure, he bled the most out of everyone in the crew, but there had to be a limit, didn't there? He was acting as if it was normal to discover your crewmate was a vampire, not seeming bothered by the thought of a little bloodletting. Actually, to a swordsman, a cut or two wasn't a big deal. Still, Zoro's blasé attitude was weird.
"Don't hold your breath, I'm not that desperate," Sanji said, brushing past Zoro as he walked by him. He checked his mouth, finding his teeth were normal again. It was a relief to know it wasn't a permanent change. "Suit yourself," Zoro replied, sounding like he didn't give a damn either way. When Sanji was at the top of the stairs to the main deck, Zoro called out, "It was that woman, wasn't it?"
"What?" He was so focused on the upcoming meal, he didn't twig onto the fact they were still on the same subject. Zoro pointed to his neck, and understanding what he was inferring, Sanji fumed, a hand rising to touch the hickey briefly.
"Carmilla would never d-" Sanji went silent, loathe to admit that Zoro had a point. The changes had started soon after their encounter on Kasei, which meant Carmilla had been a…holy shit, he'd slept with a vampire. The question was why she had done this to him. Conceivably, it could have been an accident. After all, he didn't know what such a process would entail.
He remembered thinking Carmilla had appeared very world-weary, then there was that comment she'd made about not liking solitude. Maybe others of her kind were rare. Carmilla might have been travelling in search of a companion to spend eternity with. Wait, was immortality part of the vampire package? Sanji supposed he wouldn't know until enough time passed.
"Only you would fall into that kind of honey trap, Cook. You probably didn't even question why she wanted you, just happy to finally have some female attention, weren't you?" The remark cut deep because Zoro was right. Even though he'd gotten better after Kamabakka Kingdom and could interact with women normally, Sanji had craved the touch of one like a dying man. Such a desire had possibly blinded him in regards to Carmilla and her intentions.
He'd been used. It hurt thinking such a thing, especially since he'd thought she honestly liked him. Sanji refused to consider the matter further, not responding to Zoro as he continued to the kitchen. Nami was likely bandaged up by now, and he had a meal to finish. Sanji would worry more about his condition later.
Thanks to Zoro, Sanji began going down a mental checklist of what myths were true. The biggest and most worrying was the effect of the sun. He'd been in and out of it multiple times, but prolonged exposure was another story. To prove he could do it, he spent a few hours fishing with Luffy and only came away from the experience with a headache and mild fatigue. So that was one symptom that had nothing to do with his bloodlust.
Experimentation found he could still eat and drink regular food, but it only curbed his hunger for a short time. Sanji could see himself in the mirror, garlic was no problem, and clearly he could cross running water. It was only the urge to suck blood that was kicking his ass. Would he really be reduced to going to Zoro for it? He didn't want to, yet the odds of Sanji lasting another day weren't looking good.
Finally giving into need and curiosity, Sanji drained the blood from a package of raw meat into a drinking glass. "This is so gross," he moaned to himself, sniffing the animal blood, wishing Carmilla was here to help him. It didn't smell completely terrible, but it wasn't fresh blood by any means.
Screwing up his courage, Sanji quickly drank it, then gagged as it came right back up his throat. It was too cold, too dead. When his stomach was finally empty, Sanji flopped down at the kitchen table, wrung out from the experience. Animal blood was definitely out of the running as a substitute. "Give up yet?" Zoro asked, sticking his head into the kitchen for a moment. He must have been nearby to see the end of Sanji's desperation move.
"Fuck you," Sanji retorted, in no mood to deal with the swordsman. "I'm on night watch duty tonight if you change your mind." His only response was flipping Zoro off, too tired to full out start a fight with him. That was the only good thing about all of this, Sanji was too preoccupied with his own problems to let much else bug him.
He slept fitfully, his dreams full of dark rolling shapes and a crimson horizon. Sanji kept running from it, but couldn't seem to put any distance between him and the nightmarish landscape. In his gut, he knew fleeing wouldn't accomplish anything. If anything, the undefined monsters at his heels were gaining on him, their eyes glowing eerily in the blackness. Just as he felt one of their claws touch his back, Sanji awoke with a start, covered in sweat, his breath unsteady.
Putting a hand to his chest, feeling his rabbit fast heartbeat, Sanji sighed, lying back in the bed. Each time he was close to unconsciousness, his stomach spasmed, wrenching Sanji awake. The thirst had grown worse with each passing hour since this afternoon. His throat was dreadfully dry. Before sleeping, he tried to drown the craving with water, which only served to fill his bladder and little else.
He shifted in the bed, wincing as his gut constricted involuntarily. Hugging his knees and pressing his face his face against his pillow, Sanji groaned quietly so as not to wake any of the others. It was torture, worse than even the two years spent away from the crew.
Despite not wanting to, Sanji felt his eyes grow wet. No, this wouldn't do. Setting his jaw, Sanji wiped the near tears away, stubbornly refusing to be so pathetic. He wasn't so full of himself that he wouldn't admit he wanted help. He needed Zoro, or rather what flowed in the swordsman's veins.
Sanji was nervous as he climbed the ladder up to the crow's nest, poking his head up into the large room. The weight of Zoro's gaze held him in place, Sanji saying nothing, his throat blocked up. Zoro started to smile, and Sanji shook his head. "Screw this," he said, climbing back down to the main deck. This was a bad idea. He could hold out longer. When the next island appeared, he'd…
His control would be so strained by that point, he would probably attack the first person he saw. Chewing on his lower lip, Sanji paused in the middle of the ladder, then started back up. He refused to become an animal, he could be civilized about this, dammit. Sanji ignored the knowing look on Zoro's face, standing in front of him. "I need it," he said simply, feeling like he was talking about drugs, or worse sex. In a way, he supposed he was.
Zoro stood up, reaching out and flicking Sanji's forehead with his fingers. "You're a complete idiot." Annoyed, Sanji growled under his breath, taking a seat. He eyed Zoro suspiciously when he sat next to him, looking oh so casual despite the downright bizarre situation.
Hunger gnawed deep in the pit of his stomach, twisting his guts. He'd eaten dinner with the others, but it may well have been a single peanut for all the good it did him now. "Is it really that bad?" Sanji gave Zoro a hooded look, the latter glancing away, rubbing the back of his neck.
"You're not changing your mind?" Zoro's upraised arm dropped to his side. "Of course not. Just…where exactly are you doing it?" Sanji ducked his head, hiding a smirk. Zoro had found out his crewmate was a vampire, offered his blood freely without batting an eye, and his lone concern was a matter of location. His priorities were ridiculous.
Squashing the urge to laugh, Sanji examined Zoro, considering his dining options. The neck was ideal, but too obvious. The others would notice immediately. His eyes flicked to the wrist, knowing a main vein rested there. That was a problem in of itself, if he bit down too hard, there was a possibility Zoro would bleed out. The bend of the elbow was perfect. Doctors took blood there and wounds clotted quickly.
Sanji leaned over Zoro, all but crawling into his lap, his hand skimming Zoro's arm. The swordsman jumped faintly, his eye narrowing in unease. Sanji's hand closed over Zoro's bicep, sliding down until stopping with one finger pressing against the vein, Zoro's pulse pounding on the pad of his finger. "Here fine?" Zoro swallowed loudly then nodded stiffly, cheeks slightly red. It was oddly endearing and Sanji couldn't help smiling.
"What's that look for?" Zoro asked gruffly, starting to pull away, pausing when Sanji tightened his grip. "Cook?" He was so thirsty and so close to sating the overwhelming craving. It was like Sanji was back on the island with Zeff again, starving to death slowly. "Zoro," he breathed, moving closer, not even aware of what he was doing. Zoro's expression changed, showing hesitation. His nose almost against the swordsman's skin, an aroma rose from it. Sanji could pick up metal and clove oil, underneath that the cloying scent of blood.
Sanji wondered what he looked like, sitting in Zoro's lap, leaning over his arm, hunger completely riding him. "I don't know if it'll hurt," he confessed, afraid he'd start drooling any moment. "Just do it," Zoro said bluntly, his voice hard. Sensing a strange itch in his gums, Sanji knew his fangs had descended, up to the task ahead. Not needing to be told twice, he bit down, almost passing out at the sudden burst of desire that seized him as Zoro's blood hit his tongue.
It was the sweetest and richest wine he could ever have imagined, instantly intoxicating, and Sanji didn't know if he would be able to stop drinking it. He drew more, glad he'd closed his eyes before biting down, so Zoro couldn't see how sucking blood affected Sanji. God, there was so much of it, each mouthful doing things to the lower region of his body. He was already rock hard, pulses of pleasure racing down his limbs, fingertips gone numb, and heat saturating the pit of his stomach.
It was easily the most erotic act he'd ever experienced, and Zoro, of all people, was the cause of it. Someone moaned, a millisecond of sound cut off abruptly, and Sanji stilled, cognizant that it wasn't coming from him as his mouth was otherwise engaged. He'd been so overwhelmed with his own reaction, Sanji hadn't thought about Zoro's. Rolling his eyes upwards, his vise-like grip on Zoro's arm slackened in surprise.
With a hand plastered to his mouth, Zoro was hunched over, leaning away from Sanji, visibly trembling. His face was bright red and his eye was wild, a tiny bit of panic showing, but mostly lit with need. Sanji's fangs were locked in Zoro's arm, a fine suction keeping the blood flowing. Pulling harder, needing to confirm it, Sanji watched as Zoro's shoulders dropped, breathing shakily, and despite his best efforts to remain silent, he gasped.
His eye met Sanji's and the knowledge that this act had them both hot and bothered hung heavily in the air, waiting to be acknowledged. They'd done this to each other on accident, but neither had stopped yet. Zoro hadn't cried foul and shoved him away, which was all the encouragement Sanji needed to continue. It was hard to tell how much blood he'd taken, but it couldn't have been enough to hurt Zoro, not if the swell against his leg was any indication.
Sanji knew he could end the torment for both of them easily. Zoro's heartbeat was unusually loud in his ears, his low "do it" almost drowned out by the sound. Sanji plunged his fangs in deeper, goaded by the groan of pleasure that sounded above him as he did so, and the hand coming to rest against his head, Zoro's fingers clutching his hair. Was he feeling what Sanji was or was it different on his end? The blood was bliss, alighting every single nerve ending.
Greedily, Sanji kept pulling, slowing when he felt Zoro stiffen above him, and emit a hoarse cry. As if related to the climax, Zoro's blood seemed to heat up, making Sanji jerk and moan. The warmth seared the roof of his mouth, shattering the pressure that had been building steadily ever since he'd tapped Zoro's vein, pleasure radiating throughout his body. Gobsmacked by the ferocity and longevity of the orgasm, Sanji finally disconnected from Zoro's arm, small aftershocks vibrating along his spine.
Panting, clutching his crewmate's arm, Sanji was stunned to see the bite wound was neat and tidy with two tiny near invisible punctures in the bend of Zoro's arm. A bit of blood seeped out of the wound and unable to help himself, Sanji licked it up, Zoro flinching. Lazily raising his head, trying to get all his limbs in order again, Sanji stared in amazement as the bite mark completely vanished before his eyes.
Zoro did a double take, taking back his arm, running a hand over his arm in disbelief. Putting distance between them, Sanji wiped at his mouth then scoffed. "If I'd have known that would happen, I'd have gone for the neck." There was a moment of silence before Zoro snorted, breaking into laughter. The awkward tension broken, Sanji joined in, a bit buzzed from the blood high, and grateful Zoro hadn't reacted negatively to the situation.
He really hadn't expected the act of bloodsucking to be so damn sensual. Sitting close to Zoro, Sanji was aware he needed to go clean himself up. Beyond looking a bit pale, the swordsman was no worse for wear. Zoro shifted awkwardly at the attention paid him, avoiding Sanji's gaze, face flushed a little. "When do you think you'll need blood again?"
Was he asking because he wanted a repeat of the experience or because he was dreading it? Sanji had lasted three days without liquid sustenance, mostly because he wasn't exactly sure what his body had been craving at the time. Now that he knew, Sanji figured he could go four days before his need was dire enough. "Thanks for volunteering," he said with a grin, winking at Zoro before he got onto the ladder that would lead down to the main deck. "I'll let you know."