Disclaimer: Oda owns One Piece… sadly… but as long as he keeps doing a good job, I'm happy!
Warnings: Yaoi, Language, Violence
The sun's intense rays beat down mercilessly on the pitch black highway that led out of town. A warm wind blew through the area, the salt of the sea being carried towards him reminding him of home. It reminded him of the days when everything seemed perfect and all he had to worry about was his dream of becoming the greatest swordsman. Zoro missed seeing Kuina and Koshiro every day and training with them, but all that was torn from him many years ago. When he closed his eyes, he could still see all the destruction the bombs and gunfire caused his hometown; that destruction drove him to his most recent decision… as soon as he turned eighteen two days ago, he signed up for the army to avenge his family and attain his dream.
The familiar presence of tears prickled at the corner of his eyes, but he ignored them as always and instead passed them off as sweat that had fallen off his brow due to the sun beating on his regulated army uniform. He planned on staying on the bus bench so he could be sure not to miss it, but his stomach had other ideas and was grumbling loudly. He ran his hand through his green hair before pushing himself to his feet lazily. He adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder before walking towards the only restaurant that was around for miles; the Baratie.
The Baratie was one of the most renowned restaurants in all of East Blue; not only was the food excellent, but the 'entertainment' was supposedly even better. Zoro had heard that it wasn't rare for someone to be kicked out of the restaurant by one of the cooks for disrespecting the food that had been so dutifully made. One of the rumours going around was that a marine named Fullbody got his ass handed to him because he disrespected a cook and the restaurant itself. Another one he heard, the most famous, was about a coward and pillager named Don Krieg; the entire cooking staff rebelled against the bastard and beat him down.
With that thought, Zoro pushed open the front doors of the classy restaurant to be greeted by the sound of a tinkling bell. For a brief moment the customers of the Baratie were silent when he entered before the noise erupted once more. His grey eyes immediately found a secluded booth in the far corner of the dining room and he made his way over there. He slid into the seat and leaned against the back of the booth with his arms wrapped behind his head and his eyes closed; there were no words to describe how thankful he was for the air conditioning brushing across his tanned skin. He could feel himself drifting off to sleep when a smooth, yet very irritating, voice blanketed over him,
"Oi, are you going to just sit there like the moss on a log you are or are you going to order something?"
Zoro's eyebrow twitched slightly as he opened his eyes to see the bastard who had disturbed his peace. The teen standing before him could be described as one thing in his world and it would be a pompous bastard. The teen had golden blonde hair that could rival the rays of the sun with his bangs covering one of his bright, ocean blue eyes. Despite living in East Blue where the sun tended to shine year round, unless it was raining of course, the blonde's skin was pale; almost vampire pale. He wore a pressed black suit with a pin-striped blue shirt with a black tie hanging around his neck; a lit cigarette was also hanging between his lips as he looked at him. That wasn't even the weirdest thing about him either… the guy had a fucking curly eyebrow! Like literally curly… if it was flipped right side up it would look like a question mark.
"Who are you calling moss you damn curly brow?" Zoro grumbled stoically.
"You dumbass, who else would I be talking to you damn Marimo?" The blonde smirked slightly before letting a scowl grace his features, "And don't make fun of my curly eyebrows asshole!"
"Don't call me Marimo curlicue!" Zoro barked as his anger started to get the better of him, "How do you even know what that is?!"
"DO YOU WANT TO DIE?!" The blonde growled dangerously.
"Come at me dartboard!" Zoro smirked, "You wouldn't be able to land a scratch on me any way!"
The blonde raised his leg and aimed it at the eighteen year old's head. Zoro nearly avoided the long leg, but was slightly surprised to see that the seat he was sitting on was now split in two. With a smile that had not been present for months, he hastily pulled his three swords out of his duffle bag and got into a fighting stance.
His white blade, Wado Ichimonji was in his mouth while his right hand held Sandai Kitesu and his left held Shusui. The blonde seemed to smirk at the sight of the swords and charged at Zoro without hesitation. The blonde launched himself into a handstand and started to barrage Zoro with a series of kicks; kicks that he was barely able to keep at bay. He sliced at the blonde waiter causing him to jump back and avoid from getting pierced by the sword. The blonde went to attack again when a door slammed open immediately halting his movements,
"SANJI YOU IDIOT!" A tanned man with a large chin shouted at the top of his lungs, "What in the HELL do you think you're doing?!"
The blonde waiter, now known as Sanji, simply rolled his eyes and lit up another cigarette,
"It's none of your business, you shitty cook; go clean the toilets or something."
"That's what YOU should be doing you arrogant dumbass!" The cook roared in Sanji's face, "I don't care if you're the sous chef or if you're the freaking King of Sheba, you will NOT attack the customers!"
"The dumbass Marimo swordsman started it." Sanji exhaled the smoke from his lungs, "If you want to yell at someone Patty yell at that idiot."
"Want me to kick your ass again shitty cook?!" Zoro growled again.
"THAT'S IT!" The blonde fumed, "Making fun of my eyebrow is one thing, but calling my cooking shitty gives you a one way ticket to HELL!"
"ENOUGH!"
Everyone's head turned to the staff door and saw a large man with an extremely tall chef hat. Like Sanji, his hair was blonde, but it was more like the colour of sand than of the sun. His moustache was styled into two long braids that stuck out in a straight line… shouldn't they droop or something? The old man was walking towards the scene that erupted in the middle of the restaurant and the green haired swordsman couldn't help but notice that the man had a peg leg. When he approached them, he raised his peg leg and brought it down on Sanji's head; a loud crack engulfed the restaurant as the two things connected. Sanji hissed in pain and started swearing under his breath,
"Goddamnit old geezer! What the hell was that for?!"
"Go take a walk eggplant and blow off some steam." The old man ordered.
"Hell no!" The blonde growled, "There's no reason for me to blow off steam."
"Eggplant, I will not let you make a mockery of this restaurant with your antics," The old man warned, "Either get your ass outside and take a walk or I will not let you set foot in my kitchen again! Is that clear?"
"Whatever…" Sanji muttered as he stormed out of the restaurant and let the door slam shut on his way out.
Zoro's eyes followed the young chef as he exited the Baratie. No matter how annoying the cook was, he couldn't help but feel guilty about getting him kicked out. Then again the curlicue asked for it when he made fun of his green hair.
"Oi, you with the swords!"
The green haired swordsman's attention immediately snapped back to the peg legged chef standing before him. He couldn't stop the lump that started growing in his throat when he saw the menacing glare in the man's eyes. Even he had to admit, this old man was freaking scary as hell.
"Yes?" Zoro asked pretending he didn't hear the slight quiver in his voice.
"Are you here to eat or are you here to cause me trouble?"
Before he could answer the question, Zoro's stomach answered for him. Heat bloomed across his cheeks and he turned away to hide it from the old man, but not before he saw the smirk on the old cook's face.
"Take a seat then soldier," The chef smiled, "How does onigiri sound?"
"But Chef Zeff!" Patty shouted, "He and Sanji almost destroyed the restaurant!"
"No one goes hungry in this restaurant; you know that." Zeff growled, "Now go prepare the onigiri with Carne or I will kick your ass!"
"Yes Chef Zeff!" Patty saluted as he ran towards the kitchen.
Zoro tried to suppress a chuckle at the cowardly loud mouth cook as he ran full speed into the kitchen. Zeff cleared his throat from somewhere beside him causing him to look at the hazel eyed chef. He had a sad smile on his face and he was looking towards the front door.
"I have a favour to ask you swordsman."
"And what would that be?" Zoro raised an eyebrow.
Zeff sighed,
"If your bus hasn't arrived yet when you finished eating, do you think you could go to the pier and check on my eggplant for me?"
"Why?"
"Just do it," The chef stroked his moustache contemplatively, "just so I know the idiot is safe; it's never clear on what he'll do when he's upset like that."
"I don't think he would be very happy to see me…"
Just then, a plate of onigiri was placed in front of him; his stomach growled again when the heart-warming scent wafted into his nostrils. Zoro picked up the chopsticks set on the side of his plate and picked up one of the rice balls. He popped one into his mouth and couldn't stop himself from making an appreciative sound. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Zeff was smiling down at him in a way that Koshiro had in the past. That's when he decided that he would do as the old chef wished and check on the shitty cook…
That's if the pier didn't move first.
ZSZSZSZSZS
Just his luck, the pier did decide to move on him. Zoro grumbled under his breath as he finally found the pier after over an hour of searching. The pier used to be to the west of the restaurant, but it decided to move to the east side instead… stupid moving piers. Zoro wiped the sweat off his brow as he walked down the dock.
The sun was still beating down and his heavy clothes weren't helping him in the slightest. At the end of the dock, he could see the silhouette of a person sitting with their legs in the water. Judging by the black suit, Zoro was able to tell that it was the shitty blonde cook from the Baratie. He approached the cook as quietly as he could so he wouldn't scare the bastard, but when he was a few steps away, the cook sighed.
"What are you doing out here you shitty swordsman?" The blonde chuckled lightly, "Don't you have a bus to catch?"
Zoro, a bit startled by the fact that the cook knew it was him, sat beside the blonde and laid his bag on the dock.
"How'd you know it was me?"
Sanji exhaled some smoke from his lungs before answering,
"I knew the old geezer would send someone out to check on me; it's just something he does."
"Oh…"
Zoro leaned back on the dock with his arms behind his head and let the sun beat down on him. Instead of closing his eyes like he normally would, he let them wander over to the blonde sitting beside him. Even though the idiot was rather annoying, he couldn't help but see the beauty that the man possessed. Zoro wasn't afraid of who he was, but just by looking at the curlicue he knew that Sanji did not swing that way. He could picture the dumbass wooing every girl he saw and treating each and every one of them like they were a princess; but at the same time, he could see the same girls using his kindness to their advantage.
"Stop staring at me you stupid marimo," He saw a light blush spread across the pale cheeks, "It's creeping me out."
"Whatever you say curly-brow." He smirked.
"Shut the hell up about my eyebrows you bastard." Sanji mumbled as he looked at the sea.
A soft sea wind ruffled Sanji's blonde hair in a caress which made the cook even more beautiful in Zoro's eyes. Through his entire life, he had never shown interest this quickly with a guy or a girl, but something about the blonde just clicked with him. He didn't want to say something as cliché as 'it was like he met the idiot somewhere before' but that's exactly what it felt like.
"Oi shit-cook," Zoro smiled slightly when he saw the blonde visibly bristle at the nickname, "I know you probably hate my guts and you probably have a girlfriend or something, but I have no one to write to when I'm away…"
"You mean a Neanderthal like you can write?" Sanji's blue eye widened mockingly, "Someone should alert the newspapers!"
Zoro simply rolled his eyes before continuing,
"Would you mind if I wrote back here to you?"
Another light blush spread across the cook's cheeks, but it was gone as fast it came,
"Why would you want to write to me?" He laughed, "I kicked the shit out of you when I first saw you."
"That's not how I remember it dumbass curlicue," Zoro smirked, "If your old man didn't stop us I would've sliced you to ribbons."
"We can have a rematch right now if you like?" Sanji provoked, "I'll still kick your ass!"
"I would if my bus wasn't going to be here in the next five minutes."
"Oh…"
Zoro's smile disappeared when he saw sadness in that one blue eye staring back at him. He pushed himself to his feet once more and swung his bag over his shoulder as Sanji took his legs out of the water and put on his shoes. Zoro hesitantly took the cook by the hand and started to walk down the dock and back toward the road; surprisingly, the shit-cook didn't try to fight back. When they reached the sandy beach, he went to turn left, but the blonde pulled right causing the green haired teen to stop in his footsteps.
"What are you doing?" Zoro raised an eyebrow, "The bus stop is this way."
"No, it's towards the Baratie," Sanji shook his head, "Which is to the right."
Zoro growled in frustration,
"Why must things always move on me?!"
The blonde cook sweatdropped,
"More like you're directionally challenged."
"No," Zoro argued as Sanji pulled him towards the bus stop, "I know how to get everywhere, but every time I get to where it's supposed to be, it's not there anymore."
"Dumbass swordsman…"
"What did you say shit-cook?!"
"Stationary objects can't move dumbass!" Sanji rolled his eyes, "You just don't know North from South."
The swordsman opened his mouth to retort when he realized that he was at the bus stop once more. He gazed down the road and noticed that the bus was heading his way. He turned to the cook and noticed that he was still looking at him with that sad expression. After a few moments the bus pulled up and the doors opened. He went to step on to the bus, but the blonde had yet to let go of his hand. After a few tense seconds, the blonde finally let go and stepped back from the swordsman. He kept his gaze to the ground, but he muttered under his breath,
"You better come back some day."
Zoro couldn't stop the small smile that spread across his face,
"You can bet on it."
He boarded the bus and took the vacant seat at the back. He gazed out the window at the blonde who was still standing at the bus stop as the bus pulled away and took him to his new future. Suddenly, he noticed something rough in his hand; when he opened a clenched fist, he saw a crumpled piece of paper in his hand. He gently unfolded it so that it wouldn't tear and his smile widened when a neat scrawl appeared before his eyes,
Sanji Black
705 Oceanview Highway
The Baratie
East Blue, X9Y 5J1
You better write me moss head!
ZSZS Six Months Later ZSZS
True to his word, the moss head had written him whenever he could. The first letter Sanji had received from the Marimo was a week after he had left the Baratie on the bus. He told him how he met a couple of interesting people while at training camp; to Sanji they sounded more fucked up than anything. He met an eighteen year old boy who was more monkey than man, a cowardly sniper, a narcoleptic bomber, and a half metal man. Even though Sanji had heard from the Marimo every other week, he couldn't help but miss the bastard.
He wasn't used to feeling this way; especially about a man. He wouldn't say he's in love with the directionally challenged idiot or anything, but there was something about the green haired swordsman that he couldn't shake. Sanji sighed as he leaned against the bar counter; the Baratie had just closed for the night because of an incoming storm.
He rested his head in his hand while watching the other cooks clean up the tables and floors. The sound of the front door opening caught his attention and a large smile immediately spread across his face. His favourite customers, and of course friends, were walking towards him. The slim red haired girl was waving at him while a fifteen year old boy with curly hair was walking beside her holding onto some cotton candy.
"NAMI-SWAN!" Sanji called out enthusiastically, "What brings my precious mellorine here? You of all people should know there's a storm coming!"
"Just wanted to stop in to visit our favourite chef," Nami winked flirtatiously, "Could you get me a cup of coffee Sanji-kun?"
"Anything for my glorious Nami-swan!" Sanji exclaimed as he noodle danced towards the coffee maker.
"Don't forget about me Sanji!" The boy called as he took a seat next to Nami.
"Of course Chopper," The cook chuckled, "Who could forget a cutie like you?"
Chopper's face instantaneously turned beat red and he laughed quietly,
"I don't like when you call me cute you bastard."
Sanji hummed to himself as he prepared their drinks to their tastes. After a few moments he placed the orders in front of his friends and took a seat beside them. His smile broadened when he heard their hums of content; he always liked when he was able to please people with his cooking. He hoped that one day he would be able to cook for the Marimo…
Did he really just think that?
Clearly he's losing whatever sanity he had left.
"So Sanji-kun…"
"What is it my beautiful Nami-swan?" He cooed, "Would you like more coffee?"
"No, I…"
"Eggplant!" He heard Zeff call out from the back, "You have mail!"
Sanji nearly fell out of his seat as he scrambled to the back room to get the letter that he knew had to be from Zoro. Nami watched as the cook completely forgot she was there and leave; her mouth was dropped wide open causing Chopper to giggle. He watched the swinging door curiously and smiled into his cup.
Looks like he finally found someone who is more important than his 'dear Nami-swan'…
ZSZSZSZS
Sanji had to stop himself from tearing the envelope out of his adoptive father's hand and run away. He knew that Zeff wouldn't appreciate it too much and he also didn't want to wreck the envelope either. The head chef smiled down on his son with a slight quirk of his lips as he waited patiently for the letter to be handed to him. He couldn't say that he approved of his son exchanging letters with a man he met once, but he also hadn't seen Sanji this happy in a long time. The last time that he had been anywhere close to this was when he was an eleven year old boy creating recipes for the menu.
"Oi old geezer," Sanji waved his hand in front of Zeff's face, "What are you staring at? Are you going senile or something?"
"You're fifty years too early to be calling me senile you damn eggplant." Zeff smirked, "Now, do you want this letter or not?"
"Damn right I do! Hand it over you old fart!"
Zeff chuckled under his breath before giving the letter to Sanji. He barely heard the eggplant say 'thanks old geezer' before he was a blur and the door was left swinging on its hinges. Before he gave Sanji his letter, he was pretty sure that he heard Bellemere's daughter and Kureha's grandson in the restaurant; things were about to get that much louder; especially since Sanji wasn't catering to that spoiled witch's every need.
Zeff sighed before going out into the dining room to handle damage control and boy was he needed. Patty, Carne, the chefs, waiters, busboys, Nami and Chopper were all hiding behind the bar watching Sanji as he read his letter at the back of the restaurant; to be precise, that seat…
The seat where everything began…
"Oi, what are you idiots doing over there?" He demanded.
"Oh, hi Zeff!" Nami smiled suspiciously, "We're just keeping an eye on your son, that's all."
"There's no point in worrying about the eggplant, he's fine."
"But Chef Zeff…" Patty argued, "Isn't he a bit too young to be caught up in all this bullshit?"
"Yeah," Carne agreed with his partner for once, "And not only that, but he's met the guy once and they nearly killed each other."
The blonde chef smiled slightly at the memory of the swordsman and his son fighting. No one has ever been able to match Sanji blow for blow, but that green haired swordsman did. Finding people like that only happened once in a lifetime and it usually took that long to get behind Sanji's emotional barriers. Yes, Chopper and Nami were his friends and he did care about them, but he still preferred to keep them at a safe distance. Roronoa Zoro, however, was able to get under his son's skin in under two minutes and gain his friendship in an hour; if that didn't say something, he didn't know what would.
"He's fine." Zeff reiterated, "Eggplant knows what he can and cannot handle."
ZSZSZSZSZS
Sanji carefully sat down in the booth at the back of the restaurant; he rarely noticed it, but whenever he wanted to be alone, he would sit at this particular booth. The booth that was severely splintered and cracked through the middle and would forever remain that way until they could spare the money to fix it.
The blonde cook held the envelope so he could read Zoro's messy scrawl on the front of the envelope. It's been a while since he received a letter and it kind of made him wonder if the Marimo wanted to keep talking to him, but here's the proof that clearly said that he still wanted to. He tore open the envelope and slowly unfurled the crumpled letter that lay inside. He smoothed it out over the cracked tabletop before picking it up to read it slowly:
Curly-brow,
Sorry I haven't been able to write you much, but things have been getting pretty nuts over here lately. A few weeks ago we were moved from the training camp in Alabasta to the training camp in Saboady Archipelago. I guess I'm not really supposed to be telling you this, but those assholes can screw themselves for all I care; I'm one of their best fighters so they can live with it if you ask me. Well, they have no choice, but to live with it… like I said, things are getting pretty rough.
Remember the brothers I was telling you about, Ace and Luffy, well things didn't bode well for them. Ace was accused of being a renegade soldier and was arrested by the World Government; in all honesty, I think it was because Ace's old man was Gold D. Roger and they're afraid of the potential Ace has. Anyways, after Ace was arrested Luffy and a bunch of guys went to go bust him out (I would've helped, but I was still in the hospital from the Kuma incident)…
A chill travelled down Sanji's spine at the mention of Bartholomew Kuma. Zoro wasn't the one who told him about this incident, Portgas D. Ace was the one who had written to him and told him what had happened. When he had heard that Zoro might not wake up, he had locked himself in his room and refused to come down for days. The only reason he would come down was if he got a letter from Zoro himself. After two weeks of waiting, Zoro had finally written him and said that he was going to be fine, but he was stuck on bed rest until further notice. Sanji forced himself to continue reading the letter 'cause it seemed like things were getting interesting…
Our whole squadron and Ace's old squadron were involved; they actually attacked the World Government. Even old man Whitebeard came out of retirement to lend a hand; I wish I was there to see him in action. However, Ace was killed by Admiral Akainu because he threw himself in front of Luffy. Luffy is now missing and the Government is looking for him; he still shows up during battle sometimes to help us out, but that's only when the Government doesn't notice. Luffy hasn't really been the same since that day though… I don't think any of our squadron has.
When things get tough like this, I can't help but let my mind wander to that day on the pier. Yes I'm aware that makes me sound like a sap dartboard, so just shove it. There's just something about that day that gives me something to live for. If I hadn't met you that day, I would've died a long time ago. When you see me again, you'll probably tease me to no end and then I'll kick your ass so we'll be even. So be ready for the fight of your life Sanji because I'm coming for you and that's a promise!
-Marimo
Ps. I know it's going to be strange, but I won't be able to write for a while… but if you feel the need to talk, send me a letter and I'll send you a response as fast as I can.
Sanji had to reread the letter over and over again before what was written in it truly sunk in for him. Portgas D. Ace was dead and Monkey D. Luffy was missing; they were Zoro's closest friends over there and they were just gone in a blink of an eye. Not only that, he couldn't even do anything to stop it because he was on bed rest; that must have chewed him up inside knowing that he wasn't there to have his friends' backs.
The blonde cook carefully folded the letter back up and placed it back into the envelope. He pushed himself out of the broken booth and walked past the counter, ignoring the inquiring gazes, and walking to the back of the restaurant. He pushed open the back door and ran as fast as his legs could carry him; the sea air brushed against his face and the dark storm clouds loomed overhead, but he paid them no heed. He didn't stop running until he reached the end of the pier that they had sat on that fateful day.
The rain had started to fall now, but he didn't care anymore; he liked the cleansing feeling it left on his skin… it helped to wash away the guilt that gnawed on him. While he sat here safe and sound the Marimo was risking his life to make sure that the four seas and the Grand Line remained free of Blackbeard's control. He couldn't help but think he should've enrolled; he was a skilled fighter after all, but he couldn't get himself to leave Zeff and the Baratie behind. Without Zeff, he wouldn't have been alive to see today, he would've rotted away in that cell like his family…
"Sanji-kun?"
The blonde was glad it was raining when he turned around to face the red haired beauty. Nami and Chopper were watching him with something akin to concern that made his blood boil. He didn't need their pity, he didn't need their care and he sure as hell didn't need them to pry into his life. He didn't want to listen to them lecture him about how unhealthy this 'relationship' with the Marimo was; they wouldn't understand…
"You love him don't you Sanji?" Chopper whispered.
He looked back toward the angry sea as the waves continued to grow. He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and brought it to his thin lips. A sad smile spread across his face, but it was almost painful to look at…
"Nami-san, Chopper, do you think you can leave me alone for a few moments…" He whispered, "Please?"
The voiced their affirmation and left the blonde cook alone on the pier; they would be sure to get him if the storm got any worse. Sanji just continued staring at the dark sea, allowing his mind to wander to the green swordsman once more. He clung to the letter in his hand and prayed to any God that was up there to keep Zoro safe. He wasn't one for Gods or miracles, but he was sure about one thing…
You love him, don't you Sanji?
He would do anything in his power to make sure Roronoa Zoro would return to him.
ZSZSZSZSZS
Zoro was sitting in his tent with his arms stretched behind his head. To many, it would look like he was taking one of his many catnaps, in reality, he was alert and waiting for an incoming attack. The swordsman sighed and let his mind wander to a blonde cook working in a restaurant; he wondered how the idiot has been doing lately, but he hasn't heard from Sanji since he had sent off his last letter. Zoro flinched when he thought of Ace; other than Luffy, he was his closest ally and understood his reason for joining the fight.
After the World Government killed Ace, he had started to question their true motives. As far as he was concerned, the government was just as bad as Blackbeard himself. In truth, he had thought about deserting the army and joining the Revolutionaries; just as Luffy had done. He wasn't the only one, Marco, Franky, Usopp, and the majority of their squadron wanted to leave. Quite frankly, that would result in the inevitable loss of the war due to the fact that the deserters would be 99.9% of their best fighters.
"Oi Zoro-bro!" Franky called, "You got mail from Cook-bro!"
His eyes immediately shot open and he slowly pushed himself to his feet. He stretched his shoulders and ruffled his hair before walking over to the mail bin. He sat down beside the half-cyborg as he was handed the letter. Sure enough, the blonde's neat script was written across the front; he honestly never met a guy who could write this neat; and he mercilessly teased the blonde about it for the first three months they started exchanging letters. He opened the letter and a picture tumbled out and onto his lap. He picked up and smiled when he saw the blonde standing next to a shattered booth that was practically split in half. There was a sign on the table that said 'Reserved for the Marimo – So get your moss covered head back here you asshole!'; Zoro couldn't stop himself from running his finger over the blonde's face.
"So that's Cook-bro?" Franky asked curiously, "Hm, he seems to be missing you a lot."
Zoro nodded, not really listening to the blue haired man as he flipped the picture over. Sanji's writing covered the entire back of the picture. He got up and wandered over to a nearby tree and leaned against it so he could read it in private. Not that he didn't trust his crew, but he just felt the need to be alone when he read the cook's letters.
Marimo,
I'm sorry about what happened with Ace and Luffy, I'm sure it's hard on you. If I were you, I would put less faith in the Government and think of alternative ways to fight Blackbeard. Honestly, those assholes convicted Ace on such bullshit grounds that I would even consider leaving the old geezer and going to kick their ass.
Zoro laughed silently at Sanji's rage; he had to admit the blonde sure knew how to hold a grudge. He also liked the fact that they were thinking along the same thought stream, hell even the cook wanted him to desert the government.
Whatever you decide to do Zoro, make sure that you come back safe. I know what you're going to say… I'm being a girl and should grow a pair, but I can't help but worry about you, you damn shitty swordsman. I always thought that I would be with a lady so that I could shower her with all my love and devotion… but now everything has changed…
He could hear his heart pounding in his ears and his stomach was swimming with anxiety. Was the Cook…
Suddenly an explosion cut off his thought process and immediately shot him into action. He shoved the picture into the pocket of his vest and dove into his tent for his three swords. As soon as he grabbed them he ran over to his comrades and stood by their side only to have anger and irrationality consume him. Kuma was stalking towards them, but his aura seemed different from the last time they fought. Zoro's eyes wandered around the area and noticed that five more Kuma's were coming for them, which could only mean one thing…
"Pacifistas…" Marco whispered darkly.
"Well, it looks like they knew that we planned on deserting." Zoro growled as he placed Wado's hilt in his mouth.
"Clearly." Franky readied his firearms, "But we aren't going to go down just standing here, are we bro? We've got people to return to after all."
"I, the Great Captain Usopp, will stay by your sides and fight to the death!" The long nosed sniper screamed despite his shaking legs.
"Luffy is here as well," Zoro smirked, "We'll get the job done!"
Don't worry Cook, I won't die here!
ZSZSZSZSZS
Sanji woke up that day with a sense of foreboding gripping onto his heart. He didn't know what it was, but he did know that it was chewing him up inside. When he first realized the feeling, his mind immediately jumped to Zoro, but he quickly shrugged that aside. There was no way that he was even going to consider going down that road. He adjusted his tie before going down to kitchen to start cleaning the counters for the day. Only Patty, Carne and Zeff were down there at the moment so everything was pretty quiet and zen; he knew that the feeling wouldn't last for long because the doors were about to open soon.
The blonde cook was cleaning his knives when a sharp knock came from the front door of the restaurant. The four cooks looked at each other with raised eyebrows before Sanji put down his knives and went to answer the door. The door rebounded off the bell issuing that familiar chime that let them know that customers where there. Without even glancing at the man standing in front of him the blonde started the usual spiel,
"Sorry sir, the restaurant isn't open yet; come back in a half hour."
"Maybe it's a good thing that the restaurant is closed then Mr. Black."
The blonde blinked a couple times before finally looking at the person who was addressing him. The man was fairly tall and wore a white soldier uniform that only the Admirals would wear. His hair was black and curly and his eyes were black and very sharp. Sanji felt as if he was being scrutinized in any way possible and it really through him off. Not to mention, that the man seemed to give off a frosty aura that screamed he could kill you without a thought.
"Now that the unnecessary things are out of the way, I'll tell you who I am," The man stated lazily, "My name is Admiral Aokiji and I was the Admiral in charge of the 40th Squadron."
Zoro's squadron…
Sanji swallowed thickly,
"And what would bring you to the Baratie, Admiral?"
"Are you familiar with the swordsman, Roronoa Zoro?"
The blonde could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He wasn't fond of where this conversation was going. It could go one of two ways… 1) He's asking if he knows of anything regarding Zoro's desertion… 2) Zoro was… NO! He couldn't think like that… the Marimo was fine, he was always fine! He's like a cat with nine lives and he still has like seven left so he should be fine…
"Yes, he's a close friend of mine… or I guess rival… we kind of sparred a bit." He finished awkwardly.
"He must have regarded you highly because we found this on his person."
Aokiji held up one of the previous letters that Sanji had sent; by the looks of it, it wasn't the most recent one. Wait…
"What do you mean found it on his person?"
Aokiji sighed and looked at Sanji coldly,
"I'm here to inform you that Private Roronoa Zoro has been listed as missing in action. However, due to the recollections of the remaining squadron, Private Roronoa was near death before he disappeared, therefore we are led to assume that he is dead."
Sanji's entire world just froze at that moment. He was no longer there, Zoro was no longer there; but that couldn't be true, he wouldn't just die like that! As if possessed, Sanji grabbed the Admiral's lapels and pulled him so they were face to face.
"Do you have no faith in your men; he was one of the strongest fighters…"
"And that is why he is dead."
The cook gazed into Aokiji's cold, dead eyes and he saw a hint of mirth lingering in them. The anger Sanji felt growing in him was imaginable; for the second time in his life he wanted to kill. He shoved the admiral and launched a kick at the man only to have the bastard dodge, but the cook wasn't done yet. He kicked at the man as his anger intensified; if it could he was pretty sure his leg would catch on fire.
"It was YOU!" Sanji growled, "YOU killed your own men!"
"It wasn't me specifically Mr. Black, but I did have a hand in it."
"YOU BASTARD!"
He dove at the admiral only to have strong arms lock around him tightly preventing him from going anywhere. He tried to kick at the person holding him, but he wasn't landing any hits. He could hear a voice calling to him, but he couldn't hear it… he wouldn't hear it. That Aokiji asshole, the damn World Government, they needed to go DOWN! He didn't care if he had blood on his hands afterwards… all of them were going to PAY!
"Eggplant, calm down," A voice whispered in his ear, "He's gone."
"Let me go you shitty geezer!" Sanji shouted brokenly, "I already know he's gone!"
"Then why are you still fighting?"
"Because the bastard is lying, he can't be gone!" He sobbed as tears rolled down his cheeks, "He promised!"
"Are we talking about the same person eggplant?" Zeff froze when he realized what had gotten his son so upset.
Sanji's sobs swallowed the empty restaurant as his father held him tightly. At some point they had fallen to their knees and Sanji clung to his father for the first time in eight years. He knew Patty and Carne were in the room watching them, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Only one thing mattered to him…
Roronoa Zoro, the one he loves, was gone…
ZSZSZSZSZS
It's been two years…
Two long years…
Zeff watched his young eggplant with worry and sadness. The blonde still cooked, nothing would stop him from doing that, but he wasn't the same. The light and happiness that was once in his son's eyes were completely extinguished. He did everything as if he was on autopilot and only talked if he was being talked to. He rarely hung out with Nami and Chopper anymore; when he wasn't cooking, he was holed up in his room. He hasn't eaten properly in those two years and he smoked like a chimney until he confiscated his cigarettes. His son was slowly killing himself and no matter what he did, he couldn't stop it.
Some days, he couldn't help but think that he should've listened to the others. If he had stopped Sanji from writing and responding to those letters, his son wouldn't be the living dead right now. But, he also knew how stubborn his son could be; even if he tried to get the eggplant to stop writing, the blonde would've done it anyway.
"Eggplant," Zeff addressed his son, "Why don't you take a break and go outside for a bit."
The blonde's dead blue eyes gazed up at him and he sighed. Even he knew that wasn't a request, but an order. He placed his knife on the counter and shoved his hands in his pockets; he was craving for a cigarette, but he didn't know were the geezer hid them, so he wasn't even going to try looking for them. He gnawed on his lower lip and exited through the back door of the restaurant. He had to squint his eyes slightly to get adjusted to the sun shining in his eyes; it's been a while since he ventured outdoors.
He let his feet lead him to wherever they wanted to go without trying to stop them. Before he knew it, he smelt the salt of the sea as the cool breeze brushed his blonde fringe out of his eyes. It only took him a moment to realize that he was at the pier and he suddenly felt the need to leave. Damn his subconscious mind for trying to bring him to this place; he didn't need any of this bullshit. He turned on his heel to head back to the Baratie when he noticed a figure standing at the end of the dock watching the falling sun. Something urged Sanji to go to the figure, but he didn't know what it was and whether or not he could trust it.
The blonde focused his eyes to see if he could get a better look from this distance; what he saw caused his heart to stop beating. The figure had three katana strapped to his hip and he wore a white shirt with dark pants and boots. Strangely enough, he also wore a green hamaraki around his waist. But what through him off the most was the mossy green hair that rested on the figure's head. Sanji reached out his hand and took a step forward causing the boards underneath his feet to groan. He held his breath as the figure's head snapped up and turned towards him,
"Oi shit-cook, is that you?!" He called.
"Zoro…" He choked as tears gathered in his eyes.
"I believe that's Marimo to you."
Without a single thought, Sanji ran at the swordsman at the end of the dock. He jumped onto the man and held onto him as if he would disappear. He felt Zoro's deep chuckle reverberate through his own chest causing more tears to fall down his cheeks. His shoulders shook as a calloused hand ran through his blonde hair and he heard the heartbeat thrumming underneath his ear.
"Please tell me this isn't a dream," He whispered, "I've had this dream a thousand times…"
Sanji felt as warm hands cupped his cheeks earnestly; he slowly opened his eyes and found himself falling into the mesmerizing grey. He noticed that one of the swordsman's eyes had been cut and that he was now blind. He gingerly touched the scar and ran his delicate fingers over it causing Zoro to shudder on his touch.
"I'm here Sanji," He ran his thumbs over the pale cheekbones, "And I'll never leave your side again."
Zoro leaned down and sealed his lips on Sanji's. He stared at the closed eyelids of the swordsman in shock before he reciprocated and kissed the shit of the swordsman. Sanji shivered when Zoro ran his tongue across his bottom lip asking for interest. After a moment's hesitation, he obliged and let the Marimo pillage his mouth. The taste of metal and alcohol overwhelmed his mouth, but he definitely didn't hate it. He moaned when the swordsman ran his tongue over the palette of his mouth. In retaliation, Sanji grabbed a hold of Zoro's tongue and sucked on the tip of it causing Zoro to grip the back of his head and bring him closer. As they separated for air Zoro nibbled on the Sanji's bottom lip.
"I love you Sanji Black." He whispered.
"I love you Roronoa Zoro…" Sanji hummed happily against the swordsman's lips.
"However…"
Sanji whipped out his leg and kicked Zoro into the water with an almighty splash. The swordsman burst out of the water gasping for air as he glared at the cook. The glare soon morphed into a look of apology as he realized the pain that the cook must be feeling.
"If you ever pull a stunt like that on me again you damn shitty swordsman, I'm going to fucking kill you! Do I make myself clear?!"
Instead of responding, Zoro grabbed onto the cook's ankle and pulled him into the sea. Sanji cursed when he broke the water and glared at the Marimo before wrapping his arms around the broad shoulders and wrapping his legs around Zoro's waist.
"I won't do it again shit-cook," He whispered, "You have my word; I did come back didn't I?"
Sanji leaned forward and pressed his lips against the swordsman's chastely,
"And no doubt got lost a few times along the way…"
THE END!
Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this fic… it was a tough write and took me a long time to complete it! I got this idea from 'Traveling Soldier' by The Dixie Chicks… but of course Zoro and Sanji need a happy ending! I mean what ZoSan fan doesn't want to read about them making out :P I really want to hear your thoughts on it… but flamers are unacceptable! And I know that they are all a little OOC, but I tried guys really I did! Waiting on your reviews :)
-sktrgrl