~Author's Note~
So, this is a ZoSan/SanZo fic. It's mostly fluff, but it has a hint of lemon in the 2nd Chapter. Rated T for language and mild lemon. I had originally planned it as a oneshot, but it was too long so I split it into 2 chapters.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own One Piece, but damn, Eiichiro Oda is one lucky bastard.
[Under the Sakura Tree.]
[Chapter One.]
Sanji had a thing for fawning over anything with breasts and a three-inch skirt. He'd always squirm under the attention and compliment them tenfold if they praised his cooking. In the mornings he would carry their books and walk them to their classes, even if his own was five blocks away. During lunch he'd serve them his own start-from-scratch cooking, earning pleased giggles from them. After school he would either plead them for a date or walk them home, keeping a close eye on them and making the lewd men that dared to glance at the girls wish they'd never been born.
But it didn't hurt so much that the blonde was always off somewhere with the girls. It didn't hurt so much that he cared for them and ignored or threatened every other male in the vicinity. It didn't hurt so much that the blonde hadn't once ever given him a dessert made with love.
But it did hurt when the blonde didn't smile at him.
Every time Sanji looked at him; every time his gaze strayed his way; his eyes were always full of loathing. Never joy, never happiness, never… Love. Even if it's just once that the blonde smiled at him, the green-haired kid would've been happy. Even if just once Sanji stopped hating him, and decided to not send him to the deepest pits of Hell, he would've been happy. Even if the blonde's smile would be the smallest in the whole world, he would've been happy.
But Sanji never smiled at him. He didn't have D-cups or a soft, curvy figure. He didn't wear tiny skirts or skin-tight, low-cut V-necks. Sanji never gave him a single thought of day. That was what hurt the most. He'd never notice a certain marimo watching him every day, chocolate eyes full of longing.
Zoro sighed dejectedly and walked away angrily, muttering to himself. It'd been a long day, and Zoro was growing sick and tired of staring at the dartbrow everyday, going unnoticed. It's about time that idiot noticed him. What an idiot…Can't even notice me looking at him five feet away! Is his floppy hair blocking out the whole world? Stupid…Idiot…Curly-cue… Zoro cursed Sanji mentally. With an exasperated sigh he decided to make the first move; whether the blonde returned his feelings today or not; it didn't matter.
"Would you smile for me, Sanji?"
Zoro fidgeted, obviously uncomfortable, but determined to get what he wanted, which in this case, was the dartbrow.
The blonde's eyes widened, and his cancer stick fell from his lips onto the ground, burning itself away in the grass. The idiot had forced him here, standing under a sakura tree. It was huge, old and beautiful. The flowers hung off its branches like delicate teardrops, an impossible shade of pink that was harsh yet soft at the same time. It seemed to make the courtyard glow.
This marimo…He can't be confe-No, that's impossible. He can't be…Right? How could he like me? If anything, we hate each other's guts…What the hell are you playing at, Zoro?
Sanji smirked and replied with a defiant little, "No."
The word hung in the air, creating an unbearable atmosphere. Zoro shifted his weight onto another foot and continued gazing at Sanji, his eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. He seemed to be thinking about what the blonde had said, with an eyebrow raised and his left hand tapping his chin.
Zoro stopped tapping his chin after a few minutes, the chilly autumn air drifting around them. "You might not accept me now, dartbrow. But, warui na*, I don't take no for an answer." He gave a devilish wink and strode away, leaving Sanji to eat his dust.
"What does he… Mean by that?" Sanji felt a feeling of impending doom.
A sakura fell.
"Would you smile for me, Sanji?"
The idiot marimo had dragged the flailing blonde out into the school's back courtyard, under the sakura tree, again. He was standing in front of him, asking the same question he did as yesterday. He had his arms folded across his chest firmly, waiting expectantly for an answer.
The blonde glared at Zoro menacingly, a furious blush darkening his cheeks. "Why are you asking me the same question again? Are you some kind of pervert looking for some quick fuck? Well, newsflash, idiot, I don't do quickies. It's disgraceful and ungentlemanly. So get the hell away from me and stop asking me to 'smile' or whatever. Got it?" Sanji fumed as his fists clenched tightly with anger and confusion.
The blonde thought he saw a flash of hurt pass through the marimo's eyes, but his emotions were covered up sooner than Sanji could make them out.
"Oi, oi. Loosen up. You're fuming so badly that your curly eyebrow is getting straighter."
Sanji lunged for Zoro, but missed, instead he was looking at the ground, with something hard jabbing him in his waist. He looked down at himself to find Zoro's arm, stopping him from falling face-first into the dirt. Sanji's blush worsened as he hurriedly detached himself from the marimo and muttered a soft 'thank you'.
"So, what's your answer?" Sanji was quick and swift with his reply. "No."
Zoro smirked again and shook his head, mimicking his actions the day before. "I told you before, Sanji, I don't take no for an answer."
Another sakura fell.
And that's how their routine was established.
Everyday Zoro would force Sanji out into the school's back courtyard and ask him the same question. "Would you smile for me, Sanji?"
And everyday Sanji's standard reply of "No." would be uttered slower and slower. Good, he's starting to break. Every day the blush on Sanji's cheeks would turn darker and darker.
And every night, unknown to Zoro at all, the blonde would lie in his bed, legs tangled up in his sheets, feeling as restless as ever as he gave the brightest smile he could muster as he thought of the green-haired idiot.
Day by day, Zoro was slowly melting the ice that froze Sanji's unwilling heart.
Until there was a day when Zoro didn't ask him that question.
By then, there wasn't a single sakura left on the tree.
Zoro sat quietly through all his classes, ignoring every glance the blonde threw at him, and ignoring every not-so-accidental shove he gave him. Zoro was completely detached and expressionless.
This time it was Sanji's turn to force the marimo into the school's back courtyard. "Ne, Zoro, why didn't you…Ask me anything today? Why didn't you even…" Sanji grew frustrated, clutching at his hair and gritting his teeth. I don't know what the fuck I'm supposed to be doing…! "Why didn't you even give me a smirk? Or a shove? An insult? You didn't give me anything! Why would you…! How could you just ignore me out of the blue?"
Zoro still wasn't looking at the hysterical blonde. He merely sat on the soft grass, breathing in the calming scent of dewdrops and flowers, hands brushing against the fallen sakuras that were piled on the grass. His gaze was locked on the dazzling pink flowers.
"Kono..YARO*!" Sanji lunged for the green-haired bastard, tackling him to the ground. The sakuras were sent flying in a puff as Zoro's back slammed against the hard-packed earth, donning a shocked and somewhat hurt expression. "Why are you slamming me?"
It was an innocent question, but it sparked Sanji's fury. "WHY?! Do you have any idea how horrible it feels to be ignored completely? You bastard!" Sanji turned his face away, hiding his expression from Zoro. Sanji now sat atop Zoro, arms folded and jaw clenched. "Ne, Sanji…If you want, I can ask you again. That question. But this time, you have to give me your real answer."
Sanji's head snapped back into position as his eyes grew round and wide, making him look like a childish kid. "Zoro…I can't promise you anyt—" A tanned hand clamped over his mouth. Zoro's eyes were distant and…Lonely.
"Sanji. You don't have any reason to be sad. You're mad because…I've ignored you. I've brushed off your gestures. I haven't asked you that question. But…Have you even realized how many times I've been asking that same question, day after day? Look around you."
The blonde's eyes travelled around the courtyard. All he could see were sakuras all over the ground, creating a gorgeous pink parade. The whole courtyard seemed to be doused in a glowing pink. It took Sanji's breath away.
Zoro's calm voice broke the silence.
"In case you don't get it yet, I'll give you a clue: Every day, a sakura flower falls in this courtyard." Zoro whispered softly, looking right into Sanji's wide eyes.
Once every day…But…There must be hundreds of sakuras in this courtyard. That's impossible! Zoro couldn't have… asked me that question that many times…! Could..Could I have been the one doing the ignoring..? "Zoro…" Sanji's voice came out as a shocked whisper.
Sanji slowly turned back towards Zoro. His heartbeat grew quick and erratic. His breath came in short, strained pants and his hands were growing clammier with each passing second.
Zoro rose from the ground into a sitting position, gazing straight back at him, his eyes hopeful and unwavering. "Sanji, I'm going to ask you one last time…Would you smile for me?"
The moment the words left Zoro's lips Sanji felt the scent of the sakura hit him with full force. It was a sweet, glazed aroma that made him feel like he was wafting on the clouds. It had just the right tinge of tanginess that had him begging for more. The scent was breathtaking.
Sanji knew, from the bottom of his heart, what he felt. He finally realized.
And for the first time…Sanji smiled at Zoro.
Head titled to the left, his lips upturned showing the slightest bit of white teeth, his hair blowing in the wind with his large eyes shut in happiness…It was the most beautiful smile Zoro had ever seen. Zoro knew for sure that that smile was as sincere as it could get.
A stray sakura landed on the blonde's head, and Sanji's eyes opened as he laughed, patting his head and taking the sakura out of his golden strands.
I can't take it. I feel like my heart's about to explode.
Sanji lowered his head, towards Zoro's shoulder. His smile glowed with happiness.
Zoro felt the blonde's sleeves rustle as he reached up to his head. Zoro felt something be tucked behind his ear, followed by childish snickering as Sanji moved back and admired his work. Zoro's hand reached up and felt for his left ear. His hand met with something willowy and soft. His hand came away with a sakura.
Zoro smirked, "Nice try, dartbrow. But one little sakura in my hair isn't going to make me embarrass—" A bright white flash blinded him temporarily as Zoro saw black spots dance across his eyes.
"Bwahahahahah! Yeah, right, marimo! Did you honestly think I'd let such a chance slip away?! Take a look at this!"
Sanji showed his slim phone to Zoro, who gawked at the horrifying picture that was displayed on the little screen.
It was Zoro. Well, not exactly. It was Zoro, but his hair was a flowery field. Literally. There were sakuras all over his head; how the blonde managed to get all those flowers on without making a single sound he had no fucking idea.
Sanji had already doodled on the picture with words like 'aho marimo', 'planthead', 'baka' and even 'natural treasure'. He'd even drawn a marimo with a fucking rainbow over it.
"Oi, oi, oi. That stupid picture of yours better not be seen by anyone else, or I'll have your eyebrow torn off…!" Zoro blushed furiously.
The innocent little smile that Sanji wore turned into a devilish smirk as he whispered into Zoro's ear, "Ne, Zoro…I love you."
OoOoOoOoOo
End of Chapter One. Thanks for reading! Chapter Two's right ahead! :)
*warui na – saying sorry or apologizing with a hint of defiance and teasing. [In Zoro's context, at least]
*konoyaro – a rude way of saying 'you asshole'