Author's Note: I don't own Sanji or Zoro...or any of the characters or things found in One Piece. Although, I wish I did...I don't. Sad, isn't it?
WARNING: AHOY!!! FOUL LANGUAGE AHEAD!!! (You have thus been warned...)
---------------------------------------------------------
"Can't..."
"Can't what?"
"Can't..."
"Sanji, talk to me..."
Caught somewhere between the land of dreams and consciousness, the blonde cook thrashed around beneath the sheets that covered him.
Even with someone dabbing his forehead with a cold, damp towel, Sanji couldn't bear to open his eyes. His lids were leaded weights. And, his chest felt like several boulders were sitting on it. So hard to breathe. So difficult to...
Like an out of water fish, flopping around on a cold hard floor, Sanji's mouth opened wide, his lungs unable to pull in any of the precious oxygen in the surrounding room. His body bucked as he felt himself slipping into convulsions...
"Baka! Dammit you stupid Ero Kokku! Breathe!"
The oily darkness seemed to be pulling him down. Smothering him...
As his mind slipped into it's final stages of life, Sanji felt strong hands take a firm grip of his head, tilting his head back. Something clamping down on his mouth, and warm air being forced into him.
-----
"Breathe, dammit..." Growled the green-haired swordsman as he forced air into the blonde man's lungs. "Breathe..."
It had only been an hour ago. Zoro had wandered into a pub in the village to have a drink, or two...or three.
As he finished off the bottle of rum he had paid for, Zoro had ordered another bottle just as Sanji had entered the establishment.
"Oi, Marimo. Time to return to the ship..."
"I'll come when I'm ready..."
"No. You'll get lost when your ready, and Nami will kill us both. You for not coming back on time, and me for allowing you to be late!"
""Allowing me?'" Hissed the green-haired man. "I do what I like! I don't have to listen to Nami!"
Just then the waiter returned to the table, carrying a newly opened bottle of rum. Neither man had noticed the unsure side-glance that the waiter gave to the pub owner behind the bar, who merely shrugged.
Without giving the waiter a chance to serve the rum, Sanji grabbed the bottle, and took a large swig...
"Tastes like shit..." Grumbled the blonde before he smashed the bottle against the corner of the table. "Let's go!"
"I'm going to kill you!" Yelled Zoro, as he unsheathed his katanas.
After a series of angry words and blows, the fight ended when Zoro noticed that the blonde's attacks were becoming increasingly unfocused, and the cook's face was turning paler and paler.
"Ero Kokku? You okay?"
Sanji glared at Zoro. "I'm okay enough to kick your ass!" Seethed Sanji, just before his legs gave out and he fell to the floor.
Bending down to check on the unconscious man, Zoro caught a whiff from the broken bottle on the floor. The biting smell of alcohol was strong. "Baka! Can't hold your liquor can you?" Then, as he tried to pull the cook to his feet, he smelled something else. It was a faint unidentifiable, pungent odor.
Eyes flashing around the room, Zoro's glare settled on the waiter who was now trying to melt into the walls.
"You!" Shouted Zoro, as he stood up and advanced on the cowering man. "What did you do?"
"It wasn't my fault!" Screamed the man as he was yanked forward by the throat. "They wanted the bounty on YOU!"
"What did you do?" Repeated Zoro, beginning to close his grip on the waiter's throat.
"The marines...coming...been called..."
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!?" Shouted Zoro, now unsheathing a katana with his free hand.
"...knockout...drug...strong...could...kill..."
"Shit," thought Zoro as he let the waiter fall to the ground. If they were trying to slip him a strong knockout drug, it would have to be a VERY STRONG drug. With the amount that Zoro was known to down in one sitting, they had to have known that a normal drug would only make him drowsy. This drug had to be incredibly potent, and for someone who only drank heavily on those very sporadic, special occasions...this drug would probably be deadly.
Added to that, the Marines would undoubtedly be on their way to take both of them away. And, knowing those officials, they wouldn't give a damn if one of their prisoners died in their care or not.
"Come on," said the swordsman as he heaved the dead weight of his companion onto his shoulders. "Time to go..."
"BREATHE, YOU STUPID ASSHOLE!!!" Shouted Zoro, feeling light-headed as he continued to force air into other man's body. "BREATHE!!!"
And, as if finally deciding to take the advice of the cursing swordsman, Sanji finally started to breathe once more on his own.
"Asshole." Zoro began to relax with each passing breath, finally pulling up a nearby hotel chair and settling down into it. "If you die after saving my life...I'll never live it down."
-----
As the sun rose, the green haired swordsman slowly woke as he felt the warmth of the sun's rays caressing his face. Slowly stretching his aching muscles, tight from sleeping on a hard, uncomfortable chair, Zoro opened his eyes.
"Definitely not the Thousand Sunny," he thought to himself as he squinted against the bright light peering in through a nearby window.
As the room came into focus, Zoro glanced to his left. A bed? And, why wasn't HE sleeping in it?
Then he noticed the lump lying beneath the bed sheets in the bed.
"Oh, SHIT!!!" Yelled Zoro as he jumped to his feet and leaned over the body in the bed. "Oi, Cook, wake up," he whispered, trying to see if the man was alive...or...
The body didn't stir at all.
"Come on, Kuso Kokku," muttered Zoro, the slight crack in his voice giving away the emotions that were raging inside of his granite exterior. "If you die on me, so help me, I will go to whatever hell you are in...and DRAG YOUR ASS BACK HERE!!!"
Still no movement.
"Luffy broke the refrigerator lock and is eating everything!!!" Yelled Zoro, hoping that would wake the unconscious man.
Nope, still nothing.
Then, after a few moments of thought, Zoro leaned over and whispered into the blonde man's ear. "Sanji...Nami wants you to come to her--"
Before he could finish his sentence, the body sat straight up in bed.
Without even opening his eyes, Sanji called out. "My beautiful Nami-swan is summoning me, I cannot disappoint my lovely and generous Nami-swan..." Before he collapsed once more and fell asleep.
"Idiot," growled the green-haired swordsman as he settled back on the wooden chair. "Let's see how
'beautiful and generous' your Nami-swan is when we show up THIS late." Then with a slight smile of relief, Zoro closed his eyes and fell asleep.
--------------------------------------------------
Author's note: Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this story. Please let me know if you did. Or, if you didn't. It's always nice to know what people think. Thank you!!!
