Inspired by arts by Syb: .com/art/5yrs-119513170
Damn! DAMN! DAMN!
Zoro looked to the left and then again to the right. Villagers were bustling about in either direction and there was no sign of the pirate captain either way. He ran a hand through his hair with frustration. He couldn't go and grab every woman or girl on the street and still keep a low profile no matter what his current situation might be. He just had to face facts.
He had lost her.
A skinny arm sheathed the swords with practiced precision but his face remained grim. Zoros eye flicked to the storefront window and his frown deepened. The body and face of a familiar thirteen year old boy grimaced back at him, thin and weak looking to his eyes despite having strength and skill beyond an average adult even at that age. That made it worse though since he wasn't dealing with a normal adult. He was dealing with pirates and protecting pirates far stronger than he was at the moment.
Jewelry Bonneys face was still fresh in his mind and laughing at him.
"All the Supernova captains are having a little get together. " She had laughed as a five year old Luffy was slung over her shoulder kicking and screaming. Zoro unsheathed his swords.
"I'm not going to let you take him just like that." Zoro challenged.
"Really, If you are going to act like a child…ten years will do."
Zoro had been about to lunge forward to strike as a hand touched his shoulder and a moment later something weird flowed through him. He felt his line of sight drop inches and the flesh and bone of his body contract as time stopped and plunged into full reverse.
Now he was back to the time he hated, the damn awkward stage where he had often grown frustrated with his body in private for not listening to the commands demanded over it. Sometimes it was an embarrassing trip over his own feet and other times an unbidden erection unwanted and distracting.
He wasn't sure if he had been chasing after Bonney more to get their kidnapped captain back or to force the pirate to return those five years and all the strength and experience that went with them.
Wait. Didn't she say ten years?
The momentary confusion left him as he spotted a girl far down the street beyond the fountain shoot up three feet and place the hat back on her head. She looked like she was talking to someone, her back turned to him.
Zoro got there just in time to see her take off…Luffy now out of the bag and running next to her. HUH. Tunnel vision he started to sprint after them only to react to the sudden attack from the black blur to his right…sliding back several feet from the impact where a familiar shoe met sword before neatly dropping back to the ground lightly.
Sanji was the last person he wanted to see him like this but he forced himself to look the man in the eye with the unspoken question of why he was interfering. The damn cook would have a reason but it better be a damn good one.
Zoro opened his mouth a little in inadvertent surprise as he realized where the other five reversed years had gone. Well surprise and interest. He didn't so much care anymore that the cook was taking the same moment to stare right back at his embarrassing younger appearance.
A thirteen year old Sanji was his height and impossibly skinny with a slight lankiness that hinted at the future cooks long and graceful neck, arms, and legs. Gone was the facial scruff and instead his hair that was normally meticulously neat had a male shagginess to it as if the blond cook knew how dangerously close he could be mistaken for a girl in loose chef whites otherwise.
Suddenly like a bolt of revelation he knew that was exactly why the idiot cook had begun wearing suits in the first place and why he was fussy with his appearance.
Was Sanji discovering things about him too just by seeing him like this? Personal things?
He sincerely hoped he wasn't blushing like the fool cook was under the scrutiny.
The moment was broken as a man shoved past the cook, and Sanjis eyes left Zoro in favor to growl after the inconsiderate asshole. When they returned , Zoro could see the man struggle to remember what he had been about to say.
"The meeting is legit Marimo, Luffy is going with her willingly now and Robin even has an ear planted on him so we can help if he needs us but we have to let him go."
"Ah." Zoro supposed that had to be alright and sheathed his sword. "How did you beat me here?"
"I figured she'd try to lose you in a crowd. Just took a short cut to the city center." Sanji took a short drag on his cigarette and flicked ash to the side. A cool gesture wasted. It seemed too much like posturing on the thirteen year old boy in a suit.
"She say anything about this?"
Sanji shrugged.
"We wait it off, I guess."
Zoro could tell the thought of being stuck this way didn't sit well with the cook either.
"Want to get a drink?"
"There's no way they'd let us in like this." Sanji sneered to himself.
"Hnnn.."
The cooks left foot was tapping lightly against the stone street and it didn't seem like Sanji noticed. Zoro looked at it curiously. A nervous habit from childhood maybe? Cute. He wondered what else was different…what else did time change? Were there scars under the suit that had since healed? Did his skin feel softer? More sensitive?
Oh god…was he ticklish?!
Fuck. He could feel himself start to stiffen at the thought of the cook squirming under him in desperate escape, laughing so hard there were tears at the corners of his eyes. Shaking and heaving as Zoros fingers gave him no escape or mercy.
"But I guess we could go back to the Sunny…" Sanji probably didn't mean to sound quite so hopeful.
Not a bad plan. Guard the ship. Be ready for action. Have a drink. Explore the cooks condition more thoroughly in private. Yeah. Very good plan. His new erection throbbed in agreement.
"Yeah." He began to walk toward the ship.
"Hey shithead the ship is THIS way. That hasn't changed at least, I see."
"Shut up."
Sanji smirked and glanced down at Zoros losing battle with his growing problem.
"Makes me wonder what has."
Zoro didn't respond. They'd both see soon enough.
