Disclaimer: One Piece and all of the characters belong to Eiichiro Oda. I don't profit from this or make any money.

A/N: Merry Christmas, everybody! This fic is a COMPLETELY different storyline from Me, You, Them and Us. So, please don't get the two confused! This fic will have a sequel! I'll probably post it on New Year's Day or New Year's Eve, so please look forward to it! I'll post the fic as an entirely new fic, and not a chapter two to this one. As always, thank you for your continued support!

Please Read and Review!

This year had been a lot of things. Rough is definitely one of them.

Fighting.

Cursing.

Screaming.

Cheating.

That wasn't the worst of it.

Pain, anger, anguish, but worst of all, regret.

Sanji regretted the pain this past year had brought to the both of them. He regretted all the pain and suffering he'd inflicted on Zoro. He knew he'd been petty. He knew he'd been cruel. Everything horrible and heart-wrenching in this relationship was honestly all on him. It had been all on him. He'd cheated on Zoro, cursed the man out, fought him, screamed at him. He'd lashed out, wanting to hurt Zoro before Zoro could hurt him.

It wasn't that he was insecure in his relationship with Zoro. No, Sanji was secure in the knowledge that Zoro loved him to death. He knew this like a baby knew how to breathe. He knew with every fiber of his being that Zoro loved him. It wasn't always obvious to their friends, or to himself for that matter, but Sanji knew. It was the way Zoro looked at him when he thought no one was looking, including Sanji. Zoro's expression would soften to something sweet, and tender as he gazed at Sanji. It was also the things Zoro would wordlessly do for him, even when he was teased about it by their friends, or Sanji. Whenever Sanji had had a rough day at the Baratie, he'd come home, and Zoro would have ordered his favorite take out for the both of them, and Sanji's favorite movie would be waiting to play. Zoro never even complained when, after dinner, he had to rub Sanji's feet.

If that wasn't love, Sanji didn't know what was.

But this past year had been horrible, and those moments that he'd once thought of as sweet, had been more bittersweet. They both had known the love was there, but it was just that Sanji had forgotten how to show it. He'd become so obsessed with his own life, with all the pretty women, that Zoro had become more of a hindrance, than a lover. It was a poor excuse for him to lash out and purposely try and hurt Zoro though.

Sanji had cheated, he'd chased skirts, he'd put Zoro down in public. He'd done everything he could think of to degrade Zoro. But still, Zoro had stayed. It wasn't as if Sanji was the only one to blame though. Zoro had fought back, he'd cursed Sanji out, and when Sanji started kicking, Zoro would start throwing his own punches. When they were too tired out from fighting, they'd collapse on the floor of the destroyed area, and have deliciously angry hate sex. Or, if they had been outside, they'd have hurried home to fuck each other hatefully.

The day they'd broken up had been the worst day of Sanji's life.

It had only been for a couple months, but Sanji had known that that had been a mistake. Yet, when they got back together, it was as if nothing had changed. Only, this time, Sanji stopped cheating. It had been too painful to cheat on Zoro, and over time, it had started to feel more like he was punishing himself than Zoro.

It was after a fight that had landed them both in the hospital for a week that Sanji had finally realized why he'd been trying to hurt Zoro. He loved Zoro. So much so that he was terrified. It hadn't made sense to him. How could he love someone so much that not loving them was like not breathing? He had been terrified. If Zoro ever left him, he knew he wouldn't survive. It was a manic, destructive kind of love. He loved Zoro enough to realize that if Zoro ever left him, he would die. Metaphorically of course. Physically, he would be fine. He just would never love again. Zoro was his last, and his only love.

Of this, Sanji was sure.

Thanksgiving was the day everything had changed, for the worse and for the better. It was when they were lying in bed, full and sleepy that Sanji had told Zoro the truth. "I love you more than my heart can bear….and I hate you more than I can bear." Zoro had snorted and pulled Sanji in close, saying something that sounded like "Then you'd better love and hate me more than you can bear for the rest of your life, shit cook." Sanji wasn't exactly sure what Zoro had said, because Zoro had refused to repeat the words again, and had fallen 'asleep', but Sanji was content in the knowledge that Zoro had heard him.

Things had been rocky after that, but now, now things were a lot better, and their love was growing stronger by the day. Of this, Sanji was sure.

Zoro was looking at him with those little looks of tenderness and love again, only, he was less discreet about it when they were home alone. Sanji said 'I love you' more, strange as it was to say. Instead of those three little words being said every once in a while, they were exchanged at the very least once a week.

Funny how three little words could change a whole relationship.

I

love

you.

Three little words that aren't said enough, but should be said more.

Now, sitting here on the couch, and celebrating Christmas Eve, Sanji couldn't believe how far they'd come. Sanji ran his fingers through Zoro's hair, letting his idiotic lover sleep. Zoro had had to work on Christmas Eve. Sanji hadn't been happy about it, and neither had Zoro, but it was work, and it was good money. Luckily, Zoro had been able to get an early morning shift, timing it so that he got home in time for dinner. Zoro worked hard as a nurse at the local hospital, but that wasn't his passion. When Zoro had the free time, he made extra money teaching kendo at a local dojo. Zoro wanted to work there full time, but the dojo didn't have the money, or the need for an extra teacher. So Zoro worked as a substitute instructor when the main instructor wasn't feeling up to teaching, or had other things he needed to do.

Zoro loved it.

Sanji knew his lover did.

Which was why Sanji's Christmas present for Zoro was something extra special. He'd had to hide it for fear that if his lover saw the packaging, the male would guess what it was. Sanji had taken Zoro's favorite sword, Wado Ichimonji to get professionally sharpened and cleaned. He'd paid to have the sword and sheath restored to near-pristine condition without changing as much of the original sword as possible.

That had been the plan anyways.

When Sanji had stood around at the blacksmith's shop, waiting for the man to deliver the sword, Sanji had spotted two swords in a display case. After talking to the man, Sanji had bought the two swords for Zoro as well. Altogether, the gift had eaten up all of his savings, but he didn't care. As long as Zoro loved the gifts, Sanji was happy to spend the money.

Sanji had to admit though, there were a few close calls when it came to Zoro. Several times Sanji had caught Zoro nearly tearing the apartment part looking for Wado, but Sanji managed to distract Zoro with the promise that he was taking care of it that Zoro settled down. While he hadn't been happy about it, Sanji hadn't minded Zoro's sulking. After all, it was just as easy to distract Zoro from being grouchy with food, a recorded sword fighting match with his idol Mihawk, and a good bout of delicious sex.

Today would have probably gone the same way too if Zoro hadn't had work this morning. Luckily, when Zoro had come home from work, he'd only had energy to go shower, before eating. After Christmas Eve dinner, they'd settled to sit down in front of the television and watch a bunch of Christmas movies. It wasn't long after that that Zoro had nodded off. Sanji had, with some flexibility, and mild discomfort on his part, managed to rearrange Zoro so that the man was lying down on their comfortable black leather couch. After that, it had been simple to settle the marimo's head in his lap.

As Zoro slept, wearing ratty old sweat pants and a blue tank top, Sanji had begun to idly run his fingers through Zoro's green hair. If Zoro hadn't been so tired, Sanji would have probably been fucking Zoro right now. Still, it couldn't be helped. Zoro was tired, and Sanji would rather have his lover well rested and happy tomorrow morning for his Christmas present, than exhausted and half-conscious from exhaustion.

Sanji relaxed even further into the couch. His suit was crumpled, but he couldn't be too mad. It was Christmas after all, and his lover deserved a break. He'd get mad at the idiot marimo some other time. Sanji didn't even notice Zoro waking up. Instead, he continued to absentmindedly watch the television, not really paying attention to what was playing. He was startled out of his musings when he felt a familiar hand bury itself in his hair.

Blinking, Sanji looked down to stare at his lover. Zoro's expression was dazed, bleary, like he'd just woken up, and wasn't fully awake yet. Offering his lover a playful smirk, he said "Oh~ is the idiot marimo finally-mmf!" Sanji was cut off from finishing the sentence when Zoro not-so-gently yanked his hair, forcing his head down until their lips met in a kiss. Instead of a harsh kiss, it was a soft, lazy, sweet, and tender kiss. Sanji relaxed into the kiss, enjoying the faint sour taste of sleep in his lover's mouth. He loved moments like this. It was just the two of them, and nobody else. Moments like these were moments that Sanji was quickly learning to love and appreciate.

While these moments weren't rare, they were new. Ever since he and Zoro had patched things up, these moments had slowly but surely begun to happen with more frequency. Sanji loved each and every moment of this tenderness between them. Zoro would have called him sappy, and Sanji would have agreed. He was a sappy, love-struck idiot, but only for Zoro and that suited him just fine.

When Zoro gently pushed Sanji away, Sanji let a faint whine escape his lips, disappointed at having to break the kiss so soon. It had barely started! At least, that's what it felt like to Sanji anyways. Shooting his lover a half-hearted glare, he said "I wasn't done kissing you yet."

Zoro released his hold on Sanji's hair and said sounding more amused than upset "But I was done kissing you." He shot Sanji a rather smug smirk.

Sanji bristled and snipped "Oi, bastard! Tha- What the hell are you doing?" His expression had gone from irritated to perplexed as Zoro shifted in his lap.

Zoro said as he rolled over to lie on his side, facing Sanji "What's it look like, shit-cook? Your dumb lovestruck ass didn't make dessert, so I'm helping myself to dessert."

Sanji's eyebrow twitched, the swirl in his brow twitching in a way that Zoro normally found hysterical and adorable. Sanji kept his voice calm, even if he wanted to chew Zoro's ass out "I made dessert, idiot! It's in the fridge."

Zoro huffed, and Sanji shuddered, the heavy exhale was stirring up parts of Sanji's anatomy that he definitely didn't want stirred up. Zoro noticed though. Chuckling quietly, he said "I don't want that dessert. I want the one right here."

Before Sanji could even come up with a proper response, Zoro's mouth descended on his clothed cock, tearing a moan from Sanji's lips. Shuddering as he felt Zoro's tongue work with the fabric, he gasped and shuddered as he felt Zoro's skillful tongue tease him through the fabric of his pants and boxers. Sanji threaded his fingers through Zoro's hair, silently urging the male to continue. Sanji's head lolled back as he felt Zoro's talented mouth stimulate and tease his clothed cock.

Sanji didn't even notice when Zoro had freed his cock from his pants, but he sure felt it when he felt a warm, wet heat surround his cock. Gasping, Sanji jerked his hips reflexively, earning a grunt from Zoro. Zoro's gag reflex was almost non-existent thanks to the fact that he wielded three swords. Not to mention he had had a lot of practice sucking Sanji's cock, so Sanji never worried about choking Zoro.

Zoro raised his head from Sanji's cock, earning a whimper from Sanji in response. Chuckling, Zoro pressed a kiss to the tip of Sanji's erection, murmuring affectionately "Merry Christmas, Sanji."

This seemed to rouse Sanji from the pleasant, lust-filled haze he'd been in. Blinking, he looked down, and grinned at Zoro, looking mischievous, he said "Merry fucking Christmas, Zoro." Burying his fingers in Zoro's hair, he yanked the other male off his lap, the hair pulling earned Sanji a moan from Zoro's lips. Kinky fucker. Zoro had always liked the kinkiest shit. Getting to his feet, his grip still in Zoro's hair, Sanji said "Let's take this to bed." Releasing Zoro's hair, he let the male get to his feet and trail behind Sanji. Sanji didn't stop when his suit pants and boxers pooled around his knees, he simply paused long enough so that he could kick them off.

Standing in the doorway to their bedroom, he turned to face Zoro, and held up a hand, indicating that Zoro should stop. Sanji shook his head, a cocky smirk on his own lips and said "Uh uh, Marimo. You're not coming in the bedroom until you're completely naked. Strip."

Zoro's expression clearly showed that he hadn't been expecting the demand, yet, his hands hastily reached to yank his tank top off, showing that he was more than eager to comply. Tossing the tank top off to the side, Zoro fumbled hastily with the drawstring of his sweat pants. Muttering an expletive when his fingers had a hard time undoing the knot, Sanji had to laugh. Zoro's bulge was more than obvious now, and his arousal was making him sloppy. Sanji confidently sauntered over to Zoro, and swatting Zoro's hands away, he said "Here, let me do it marimo." Sanji's nimble fingers were quick to undo the drawstring.

Sanji sauntered off in the direction of the bedroom, not even looking back. He didn't have to look back to know that Zoro was kick off the sweat pants, and hot on his heels. When Sanji entered the bedroom, he made a beeline straight for their four poster queen sized bed. On each post of the bed, Sanji had tied a red ribbon for Christmas. The two at the foot of the bed didn't serve a purpose like the ones by the headboard did.

Turning to face Zoro, he smirked as he drew the pliant Zoro into a kiss, guiding his lover back towards the bed. Breaking the kiss, Sanji shoved a startled Zoro onto the bed, and followed after Zoro, climbing into Zoro's lap. Sanji grinned at Zoro, and said "Get ready Marimo, because I'm going to show you how to celebrate Christmas Eve properly."

Zoro smirked and said cockily "Hou~? I'd like to see you try, shit cook."

Sanji didn't even bother responding. Instead, he chose to take this moment of surprise, and attack. Well, not really attack. He more or less tied his lover's wrists to each post, using the ribbons on either side of the headboard to restrain his lover. Straddling Zoro's hips, he smirked as Zoro shifted to get comfortable, not even looking the least bit surprised or upset. Sanji said "Merry Christmas marimo." He leaned in to kiss Zoro, not waiting for Zoro's response, much less reaction.

Zoro made a pleased noise in response and when Sanji broke the kiss, he said huskily "Merry Christmas, love cook." He shuddered as Sanji ground back against his aching erection. Fuck, but he loved the shitty bastard, regardless of the shit they'd been through in the past year.

Any further thought was cut off, when his aching arousal was encased in tight heat. Gasping loudly, he threw his head back, bucking wildly into the tight heat. Sanji grunted "Merry, fucking, Christmas, marimo."

Zoro grunted in response, unable to coherently form a response. Shit, Sanji was moving his hips! Zoro knew there was something more he wanted to add, but when Sanji moved his hips like that, Zoro couldn't even think straight. As it was, he barely kept time with Sanji's movements, thrusting up when Sanji lowered himself. Working up the rhythm, it wasn't long before both parties were moaning and gasping with wild abandon.

Sanji came shortly after, crying Zoro's name in ecstasy as he did. With a couple more thrusts, Zoro came as well, shouting Sanji's name as he emptied his seed into Sanji's body. Collapsing on top of Zoro, Sanji panted for breath, matching his panting with Zoro's as they fought to get air back into their lungs. Sanji was the first to get his breath back.

He sat up, still straddling Zoro's hips as he reached over to untie Zoro's wrists from the headboard. Chuckling, he grasped the freed wrists in his hands and delicately kissed each wrist before he freed Zoro's hands, allowing the male to reach out and pull him down to lie beside him. Sanji snuggled into Zoro's side contently, as Zoro maneuvered them to lie under the covers. Nothing more was said, instead, they both drifted off to sleep, curled up together, and just tuning the world around them, out.

The next morning found Zoro the first one awake.

Zoro looked down to see Sanji fast asleep, his head resting on Zoro's chest. Zoro quietly reached over with his free hand to gently pet Sanji's hair affectionately. That dumbass.

This past year had been tough.

For both of them.

There were plenty of times when Zoro had been convinced that it would be just easier to leave Sanji, than to stay and be hurt over and over again like this. But Zoro stuck it out, and now, their relationship was better than ever. While he still regretted some of last year, he knew that he probably didn't regret things as much as Sanji did.

Zoro was a simple guy.

It didn't take a genius to tell him that he loved Sanji, he still did, no matter what shit Sanji put him through. Zoro wondered if maybe this was how real love felt like. Was it like this? He didn't know. He just knew that he loved Sanji and felt happy when the other male was by his side. He'd been devastated during their break up, and had been drunk most of the time, in an attempt to drink the pain away. Sanji didn't know that though, nobody did. Zoro had kept it to himself and hid it well.

Zoro didn't regret any of the pain, the suffering or the anguish, because things were better now than they'd ever been before.

Zoro looked down at Sanji, and was struck by a thought. Maybe it was time to settle down permanently.

He already knew that Sanji made him happy, and that he made Sanji happy, but, he wanted to be with Sanji forever, and not just for now. Zoro wasn't the greatest when it came to romantic things, he tried, and as Sanji would be the first to tell anybody that would listen, he failed more often than not. This time though, Zoro was confident that this would be the right thing to do.

He would ask Sanji to marry him.

Grinning dopily at the thought, he grinned at his sleeping lover, and leaned down to gently kiss the top of Sanji's head. Letting his hand flop onto the bed next to him, he stared at the ceiling, the same dopey expression on his face. He was going to ask Sanji to marry him. Zoro was almost giddy with delight at the idea.

He was going to ask Sanji to marry him!

HE, Zoro Roronoa, was going to ask one Sanji Black to marry HIM!

Zoro's eyes slipped shut as he dozed off once more, plans for the proposal forming in his mind.

Yet, even while he planned, he could only think of how excited he was.

Zoro Roronoa was going to ask Sanji Black to marry him.

God, he hoped Sanji said yes.

Unbeknownst to Zoro, Sanji opened his eyes, and said with a sleepy grin, unaware of Zoro's plans "Merry Christmas, Zoro." Sanji's eyes slipped shut as he drifted off to sleep once more.