It hurt.
Seeing somebody you had been so invested in for a few (measly) years, pretending you didn't even exist. Pretending you weren't standing right there, taking in the sight of them doing the same things you had been doing with them for months.
It hurt like a bitch.
Zoro stood there, frozen, not knowing what to do at all as he watched the blond dance to the beat of the music, with his gorgeous body, and legs that went on forever. He gripped his beer bottle tighter, and turned around and went straight back to the bar. He couldn't watch. It'd go right to his head, and he'd think that he'd be able to get him back.
He already knew it was impossible. The hot headed blond hadn't even spared him a glance for the whole span of two months since they had broke up. It was... too much for Zoro. Sanji had changed his number, and wouldn't even return broken messages relayed between roommates and mutual friends. It was crazy. He was pretending as if they were strangers...
Zoro had thought they were perfect for each other. He had thought that the amazingly beautiful cook was happy and loved him just as much as he loved him.
But he had been wrong. After a few amazing months, things had dwindled down to... nothing. Zoro had just stopped feeling the initial spark he had felt when they had first met. The snide remarks and teasing comments. They had been nice and refreshing. Nobody had ever stood up to him and actually bickered with him.
The green haired male ordered a shot of tequila, and downed it immediately. He nodded to the bartender for another, as he took in a breath to settle himself from the burn of the hard liquor.
Blinking, Zoro looked down at his beer bottle, then tossed it into the nearby trash bin. He wouldn't be needing that anymore.
Taking a seat, Zoro put his hands over his ears in a weak attempt to drown out the intense bass from the music in the club. He closed his eyes for a moment, and reopened them to find the shot waiting for him.
The bartender tried to hand him some salt and lime, but he shook his head no. He wanted to feel everything.
Taking the shot in his hand, he threw his head back and swallowed all of the alcohol in one go again.
Sighing, Zoro rubbed at his eyes. All of this was such a mess. He wanted to fix things, he wanted to make things alright. Maybe not exactly get back together with the cook,but just... patch things up.
Closing his eyes, he laid his head on the bar.
He remembered their little cuddling sessions. And the steamy hot make-out ones as well. He remembered his skin underneath his finger tips, and his hot breath against the shell of his ear.
But... he didn't love him anymore. It sounded like he did, but, he just didn't. It didn't feel right anymore, and all of the former sparks they had experienced were long ago burnt out. It was discouraging, to find out that even though they had such an explosion of a emotions when they first got together, that one wouldn't even talk to the other now. Yeah, the cook had suggested to being 'just friends'; and though Zoro had been all for it, Sanji hadn't even bothered to check in on him.
So, here he was, trying to drown out stupid feelings that should have been snuffed out all together when they had broke it. The hurt... it tore Zoro from the inside out, burning everything, just as the alcohol did as it trickled down his throat.
The blond was dancing on the dance floor, attracting ladies left and right. But, they hadn't been holding his attention that night.
There he was. That asshole, standing, staring. Sanji urged the other man to make a move. To come over and just settle everything already. He knew it was impossible, but hey, a fellow could try.
He had been avoiding the other man on purpose. This was the exact place he had wished he'd never see the man. At the club. Trying to drink away his problems (just like he did with everything else.)
It was disconcerting, and though the cook wanted to go over and talk to the man, he knew he couldn't.
So, he continued on like he had been doing for the past two months or so. He turned away from him, and pretended that there was something else very interesting on the far side of the dance floor.
Eventually, the cook had noticed that Zoro had left. Sighing to himself, he ran a hand through his hair.
Their relationship had been... amazing. Sanji had never had anything like it.
Which was why he had been so damn confused when he had started feeling himself fall out of love with Zoro.
Of course, even though they had a lot of fights, they weren't serious. But when they were, he had always felt as if he were to blame. He always felt guilty and tried to make things better.
He had held onto every single word that Zoro uttered for the next day or two afterwards. Things settled down, and they were back into their usual schedules. That was how it always went. They fought, they bitterly bickered for the next day or so (while Sanji looked for any type of sign from Zoro), and then they would talk or something and release all the built up tension.
It was a pattern the cook appreciated. Of course, until he started taking things too seriously and looking too deeply into some things that Zoro said. He couldn't help it. It was just how he felt in this particular relationship.
Of course, when the other man had popped the question of breaking up or taking a break or whatever, he hadn't been surprised. Hesitant to agree, yes, but not surprised. He had still felt love for the oddly green haired man, but he knew that Zoro couldn't stay with him.
A little separation, and Sanji knew that Zoro wouldn't get caught up on him, and he wouldn't have any problems with killing off the rest of the feelings he had for the wonderfully built man,
That had been much harder than he thought it'd be. It hurt to not talk to the man. Yes, he had said that they'd be friends. That was what he wanted. But he had to stay away, just for that little while. So Zoro wouldn't do the things he was doing now. So he wouldn't pull him back into a relationship he thought he wanted, but everyone else knew better.
Sanji looked out over the massive throng of people in the club. Looking out to the back, he noticed the familiar green hair.
He was just laying there. Looking utterly broken.
He should fix things. He should. He should just go on up and talk to the man, and apologize properly for once in his life.
Slowly, he made his way through everyone towards the bar. He was going to talk to Zoro, and make everything all right again.
He got to the bar. He stood right behind the man. All he had to do was reach out a hand, tap him on the shoulder, and spill the beans.
But Sanji never got that far. And he never would.
Instead, he stood right next to the man with his head down, and ordered a drink. Nice and loudly.
He wouldn't let a few feelings of his get in the way of things. Zoro was fine. He didn't need to stay hung up on a guy like him anyways.
The blond got his drink and paid for it. Turning away, he started walking back out onto the dance floor.
They both breathed in slowly.
"Don't go," thought one as the other looked calmly ahead and thought, "I have to."
Time stood still. Neither wanted to reach out.
Their stubbornness and pride got in the way. That had been the reason they weren't fixing things.
So now, they were merely strangers to one another.
Now, they were just somebody that they used to know.