p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji awoke from a dreamless sleep, gasping for air. His lungs and throat burned like someone had poured acid in his mouth while he'd been unconscious, and his entire body ached something fierce. He was lying on his back on what felt like grass, and his clothes were damp and clinging uncomfortably to his body. He blinked a few times to clear the bright spots from his vision before trying to sit up, but his shoulders were immediately pinned down with a gentle pressure./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Don't try and move yet, Cook."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The words filtered slowly into Sanji's brain, and he barely registered who the speaker was since he was more focused on the terrible, throbbing pain at the back of his skull. He groaned at the feeling and moved to place a hand on his forehead to steady himself, but his response time was so slow that it was intercepted before he'd barely lifted it and was returned to his side./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I told you not to move, idiot! You're in really bad shape."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"This time, Sanji recognized the voice of the green-haired swordsman, and he frowned at the realization that Zoro was the one preventing him from getting up. It took more effort than expected for him to make his eyes focus on the other man, and when he did, Sanji was surprised to see that Zoro appeared no better than he felt./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What the hell happened?" he mumbled, shoving weakly at the hands holding his shoulders down. "Lemme go, bastard. I'm fucking cold," he complained./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Yeah, I know. You—" Zoro paused, choosing his words carefully. "Do you remember your fight with that woman?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Huh? I would emnever /emstoop so low as to—"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Yeah, yeah. What I should've asked is if you remembered getting your ass handed to you."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Oh. Then yes. She was quite the little spitfire for a marine—beautiful red hair, too."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""That little emspitfire /emkicked you over a cliff into a ravine in the middle of the battle!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""It was an impressive kick," Sanji complimented, fondly remembering the lovely young lady./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Zoro snorted in annoyance and sat back on his knees, releasing his grip on the cook. "So you remember emthat, /embut you don't remember getting knocked unconscious underwater?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""That would explain why my clothes are damp."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""It won't explain why you're an idiot, but it might have given you even emmore/em brain damage," the swordsman said blankly./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Even though his tone wasn't particularly antagonistic, Sanji still took offense and sat up quickly to yell an angry retort in the swordsman's face. Before he could decide on a comeback, his body screamed at the sudden movement, and his breath caught in his throat. If he'd thought his injuries were bad a moment ago, then the cook was nearly doubled over in pain as his rib-cage protested and wet coughs wracked his slim frame. Zoro placed his hand back on Sanji's shoulder in an attempt to keep him upright until the coughing fit passed, murmuring the mantra, "Easy, Cook…take it easy."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""F…fuck…you…" Sanji managed to squeeze out./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Is that really how you want to talk to the person who dived in and dragged your ass out?" Zoro snapped irritably./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Whatever. Could've happened to anyone," Sanji muttered unappreciatively./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The swordsman looked away and avoided his crewmate's glare. When the cook made a move to stand up, he instantly knocked him back onto his ass with a light shove. "Can't you sit still for one freaking minute?! At least until Chopper can get here and look at you."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Why? I'm fine! Get out of my way, shitty-swordsman."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You're emnot /emfine! You have no idea what condition you're in, so just—"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""When the hell did emyou /embecome a doctor? I said I'm fine, now emmove!/em" The cook's last word was accompanied by a swift kick to the swordsman's side, which didn't exactly go over well with his aching ribs. "Goddammit!" he growled, clutching his side reflexively. It was excruciatingly painful, but he didn't want to admit that Zoro might be right about him needing to rest./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Why do you have to be so damn difficult all the time? I'm just trying to help!" Zoro snapped, transitioning into a crouched fighting stance in case the blond tried to kick him again./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I don't want your help! I want to check on our lovely navigator and make sure that she isn't straining herself in this battle."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""The battle's probably already over. I heard Luffy yelling a mile away—no doubt he's finishing up with the boss now. The crew will come looking for us soon, and then Chopper can take care of your injuries properly."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""We shouldn't be sitting here relaxing if there's a chance that the rest of the crew are still fighting marines! It's our job to fight with them—or did you forget that?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Just emlisten to me, /emCook. You won't be any good to them dead! Sit down and wait it out."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Don't tell me what to do, moss-head!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Against his better judgement, the cook twisted into a fighting stance and lashed out again, meaning to bash the swordsman's stupid green head in, but the pain in his torso flared as he tried to execute the maneuver, and his kick was much slower than usual. Zoro easily blocked him on its decent, catching his ankle in a tight grip./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Why do you always have to pick a fight with me?!" he growled./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Because you're always being an asshole! Now let me go!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""No! I'm not gonna fight you like this."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What, you can't take me without your swords?" Sanji mocked since Zoro wasn't within arm's reach of his weapons for once. Something dangerous flickered in the other's man expression at the mention of his swords, causing the cook to pause and stare at the swordsman's midsection in confusion. "Where emare /emyour swords?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""…"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Zoro. Where are they?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I…dropped them earlier," he said evasively, releasing Sanji's raised leg./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You emdropped /emyour swords in the middle of a fight?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""No. It was after you fell off the cliff. The current washed you upstream—I didn't realize that you'd gone under until after I took care of the marine who kicked you. You didn't resurface, so I had to pull you out."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""So you left them on the ground before you jumped in?" Sanji guessed./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Not exactly. There wasn't enough time, and I…sort of lost them in the river."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji was immediately suspicious at how Zoro was avoiding his gaze. "You're lying," he accused./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'm not."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Yes, you are. You looked totally out of breath when I came to—sweating and shaking like you'd just run a marathon—what the hell happened? If you dropped them in the water than where's your haramaki?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I—it got snagged on something and tore off while I was swimming."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""That's bullshit, and we both know it. There's something you're not telling me."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Zoro sighed and averted his eyes, shrugging his shoulders stiffly. "It's not a big deal. They were heavy underwater—slowing me down—so I had to let them go."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""emWhat?"/em Sanji said incredulously. "Why the hell would you do that?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I told you. There wasn't enough time—I had to pull you out."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""No. You can't put this on me! I didn't ask you to do that."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I know you didn't. They're just swords."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Since when? The white one is precious, isn't it? You emalways /emhave it with you."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Sure, but it's still just a tool. People are more important, Cook."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji just looked at him in surprise. He couldn't believe what he was hearing from that sword-freak because he knew that Zoro's swords were a representation of his dream to be the greatest. A knot of guilt and embarrassment twisted in his gut when he realized that the other man had sacrificed his most prized possessions to save him—emhim! /emThe cook was supposed to be his equal, fighting on the front lines and protecting the weaker members of the crew. Sanji wasn't weak. He simply couldn't accept having his ass saved by the swordsman./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""That was stupid—you need your swords. Let's check the river and see if we can find them before it gets dark. If they're that heavy than they probably sank not far from where you dropped them."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Not until Chopper gets here. I told you—you don't know what condition you're in. I can get them later or replace them."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""And I told you emI'm fine! /emYou can't just replace something like that. You got Wado Ichimonji from a friend, didn't you?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""She's dead," Zoro told him bluntly, "and you're alive."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"That stopped the cook in his tracks. Shame washed over him as he thought about how he'd treated his crewmate after he'd woken up. Zoro had unflinchingly cast aside his swords to help him, and he had been nothing but ungrateful for it. Even worse, the green-haired man was treating him like a weakling when both of them knew that Sanji had walked off much more serious injuries before. He had to stifle his growing anger, but nothing pissed the cook off more than being underestimated./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""How many times do I need to say that I'm fine, shitty-moss! This is nothing. Don't fucking talk to me like I can't handle a little tumble down a riverbank!" he yelled./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You have no idea what you're talking about!" Zoro yelled back. "It wasn't just a 'little tumble.' You…you were…"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I was emwhat?/em"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""YOU WERE FUCKING emDEAD/em, IDIOT!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji flinched at his aggressiveness, shocked by the wild look in the swordsman's eyes. His heart skipped a beat when the words sank in, and he instantly wanted to deny it. "Th-there's no way…"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Yeah. The current was too strong—it swept you away quicker than I could get to you. I have no idea how long you were under, but when I finally managed to catch up and pull you out, you weren't breathing, and your heart had stopped. You drowned, Cook."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I…but I'm…fine," he argued lamely. Zoro just stared at him until he finally realized what must have happened. It should have been obvious considering that his clothes were relatively dry for someone who'd been submerged in a river. He had no idea how much time had passed, but even the grass he was lying on had dried. "You resuscitated me," he stated, and the swordsman just nodded./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The cook let the silence linger while he stared in detached contemplation at Zoro's mouth. He was alive because the swordsman had shared his air with Sanji, probably breaking a handful of ribs in the process—no wonder his chest fucking hurt./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Do my lips look as kiss-swollen as yours?" he asked casually, startling the other man into speechlessness. "I bet I tasted like an ashtray."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Wha—what the hell are you saying, stupid-cook? This isn't a joke! I thought you weren't going to make it. You were unresponsive for a half-hour! Did the lack of oxygen destroy the part of your brain that processes seriousness?" Zoro snapped angrily./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""It's not a big deal. It worked, didn't it?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Not a…it's a emhuge /emdeal! You probably swallowed a liter of seawater, and I wouldn't be surprised if there were permanent damage considering how long it took to revive you. I…I broke your goddamn ribs, but I couldn't just stop even though I didn't think I'd gotten to you in time."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'm glad you didn't," Sanji said with a little laugh. "You're as white as a sheet, you know. It looks like you're about to pass out. Are your arms that tired from pumping my little heart, swordsman? Maybe you need to increase your reps in training."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I have emnever /emmet such an intolerable asshole—what is emwrong /emwith you?!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'm using comedy to mask the fact that I'm freaking out about it, okay? I thought I'd just given myself a concussion, but you're saying that I actually emdied? /emWhat a pathetic way for a pirate to kick the bucket. I'll never live this down."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Nobody is challenging your manhood, dumbass—and you probably emdo/em have a concussion."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Alright, I'll wait here until Chopper shows up. In retrospect, I shouldn't have fought you on it."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Finally, you say something sensible," Zoro groaned, relieved. He relaxed into a seated position and ran a hand through his short green hair. Sanji thought that he looked even more exhausted than the cook felt despite the fact that he wasn't the one who had apparently just died and come back to life. The swordsman's forehead was wrinkled with stress, his white t-shirt clinging to his form with sweat, and there was redness around his eyes as if he'd been crying. The cook tore his gaze away from the signs of his strain and tried not to think about the panic his crewmate must have felt after finding him without a pulse./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I didn't know you knew CPR," he commented after a moment. That was the part about the whole situation that he was most curious about—but not because of his assumption that Zoro wouldn't have been able to successfully perform a medical procedure./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The swordsman snorted and shot the cook a wry glance. "I'm honestly shocked that it worked—I've only ever seen it done once, and that was from a distance. You're one lucky son of a bitch."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'm surprised that you would do something like that for emme,/em" Sanji told him, grinning at how the swordsman's cheeks turned red./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What the hell kind of person do you think I am?!" he growled. "As if I would fucking choose swords over your life—or just leave you to die because stupidity might be orally transferable."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Was that the worst part of all this—having to kiss me? I'm not sorry that I missed your terrible technique."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Fuck off, what do you know? Maybe I should've left you for dead. You're a dick."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji laughed again, amused by Zoro's half-hearted grimace. It was almost comical how much the cook's teasing bothered him—and his cheeks were emstill /emred./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Your face is clashing with your hair, marimo."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Do you emwant /emme to kill you? If I'd known that you had a death-wish half an hour ago, I could've saved myself a lot of grief."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Aww, did you cry when you thought I was gone forever? Tell me the truth, Zoro~~ !"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You wish, you goddamn ego-maniac!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Don't be such a grouch, I'm just messing with you," Sanji told him lightheartedly. He relaxed onto his hands, glad to discover that his body was growing accustomed to his injuries, and the throbbing pains were slowly subsiding. His chest still hurt like hell, but at least the pounding in his head had faded to a dull ache. "If I emhad /emdied…" he began a minute later, "would you have cried?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You emdid /emdie," Zoro reminded him evasively./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Yeah, but like, permanently."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Contrary to how it may seem with us fighting all of the time…it wouldn't make me happy, Cook. What does it matter anyway?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Just curious. Sometimes I think that you hate me, but then you go and do something like this, and I wonder if maybe part of it is for show…or do you just have a hero complex the size of my ego?" Sanji asked jokingly. He wanted to kick himself for admitting that he'd ever put any thought into what the marimo thought about him, but he wasn't lying when he'd said he was curious./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The cook was curious about a lot of things when it came to Zoro, and right now his mind was obsessing over that damn blush. He couldn't remember ever seeing the green-haired man's face so flushed, but poking fun at their lip-locking, however necessary it might have been, seemed to have struck a chord with the stoic swordsman./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I don't see why you care either way, but…I don't hate you. Sometimes I think I do, but it's more the fact that I emcan't /emseem to manage it that makes me so pissed."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""So you'd love to hate me, but you hate that you love me—that's what you're saying?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I—I never said that! Stop twisting my words."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Then speak clearly, idiot-swordsman. Do you love me?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""NO!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Hmm…that's too bad," Sanji said with an exaggerated sigh, "and I was so curious, too."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""About what? Who isn't speaking clearly now, Cook? You're talking in circles."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji chose not to reply to that, which seemed to infuriate the swordsman even more. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when the blond just smirked mischievously and fell silent./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I take it back. I definitely hate you," Zoro informed him, eyebrow twitching in annoyance./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The way he was deliberately looking anywhere but at Sanji made the cook grin with inexplicable glee. He didn't let himself think before standing up to walk the short distance towards the swordsman. Zoro opened his mouth to scold him for moving so soon, but the cook cut him off before he could get the words out./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Relax, I'm sitting right back down," he said quickly, dropping to the ground again with his knees on either side of Zoro's thighs. He hovered there for a moment just in case the other man decided to freak out and shove him off, but the swordsman seemed to have frozen in confusion. Sanji took the opportunity to settle himself on Zoro's hips before calmly waiting for his reaction./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What…what are you doing?" he got out, blushing deeper./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Satiating my curiosity," Sanji replied smoothly./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"He leaned forwards and pressed his lips against Zoro's, pausing to see if the other man was going to reciprocate. The swordsman made a small, shocked noise in the back of his throat, but he didn't pull away or put up any resistance when the cook gently parted his lips. They kissed for perhaps three seconds before Zoro suddenly came to his senses and broke apart with a jerk. His flabbergasted expression almost succeeded in ruining the cook's calm demeanor, but Sanji was determined to see his spontaneous action through now that Zoro had shown an interest, so he held in his nervous laughter./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What the hell was emthat?/em" the swordsman asked, looking more flustered than Sanji had ever seen him. "How hard did you hit your head?!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Not hard enough to turn me gay, if that's what you're implying."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Y-you're obviously delusional. Please get off," Zoro told him carefully./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""It's a little premature for that," Sanji quipped, stunning the swordsman with his blatant sexual innuendo./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Seriously, Cook. I'll break another rib if you don't back off or explain yourself emright now./em"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'm comfortable here, so I think I'll take the second option."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""emWhy the hell did you just do that?!/em" Zoro asked him again, shaking his head in confusion./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I wanted to."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""emWHY?!/em"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Because we're pirates," he told Zoro, who just stared at him uncomprehendingly, "and pirates take what they want."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""But—"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji cut him off with another press of his lips. Even though he'd simply been curious, now that he knew what it felt like to kiss the swordsman, he wanted to do it again and again. It was as much of a surprise for the cook to discover as it was for Zoro. They leaned into each other automatically, Sanji reaching over the swordsman's shoulders to slide his fingers into the short hairs at the back of his neck and hold him in place. Zoro grabbed his waist reflexively when the cook rolled his hips forwards to bring their chests together, and Sanji moaned appreciatively in response, causing the other man to gasp against him./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Their self-control broke at the same time, and suddenly the kiss was heating up until it became an untamed fire. One of them had introduced tongue at some point, but Sanji genuinely didn't know who, and neither was willing to spare a moment wondering who started what. They kissed wildly, with unrestrained passion, as though they were in the middle of a different kind of battle—this one with the singular goal of consuming the other. Hands roamed indiscriminately, pants tightening in intimate places as they both shut off their minds to let their bodies just feel. The unexpected intensity of their pleasure was certainly welcome. /p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""This is insane," Zoro murmured against him, sounding slightly dazed./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""That sounds like us," Sanji replied before diving back into it. He could feel the swordsman's hands sliding underneath the hem of his dampened shirt, which was still clinging to him uncomfortably, and had the sudden desire to rip it off so that Zoro could chase away the chill on his skin. The man's body temperature was already warmer than the average person's, so it felt like his fingers were burning trails of heat along the cook's spine. The sensation caused him to shiver wherever Zoro's hands touched, creating little waves of pleasure that seemed to travel straight to his groin./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji moved his fingers to his own collar and was halfway through undoing the buttons when he started to get lightheaded. It washed over him quickly, causing a massive head-rush that scrambled his thoughts so badly that he forgot to come up for air. Suddenly, he broke the kiss to lay his head on the swordsman's shoulder as his body went limp. Zoro caught him and gently held the cook against his chest while he was gasping for air./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Sh-shit…can't…breathe…" he panted slowly./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Well, this emis /ema pretty irresponsible way to kill time before the doctor gets here—especially considering how you weren't breathing at all until a moment ago."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji pulled himself upright and tried to force his lungs to do what he wanted; they were probably getting back at him for all the years of chain-smoking, but he wasn't about to let his own organs cock-block him when he was this horny./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Give me a minute—I got a little carried away."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Why don't you just lie down and take a nap or something," Zoro suggested./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What?! Now? Aw come on, I wasn't finished!" he complained, dragging a grin out of the swordsman./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Let's not put so much strain on your poor lungs just yet, hmm? Your ribs are probably really sore, too. You shouldn't move so much, or you might give yourself internal bleeding."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Ugh, way to rain on my parade, Zoro. There's so much I wanna do right now—this blows!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""H-hold on a minute, don't go getting ahead of yourself. I didn't give you permission to do anything, so put the brakes on your perverted thoughts, love-cook."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji cocked his head and gave the swordsman a mischievous grin. "What, aren't you up for it?" he teased./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Zoro made an unintelligible noise and slipped out from underneath the blond. He held him at an arm's length and gave him a stern look. "I'm not going to answer that until you've healed up and Chopper can guarantee me that you aren't suffering from brain damage."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""It's the reverse Florence Nightingale effect, marimo—you saved my life, so now I'd like to repay you with sexual favors. If I were you, I'd jump at this opportunity before I come to my senses."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Zoro's blush flared up again, spreading along his cheeks and across the bridge of his nose, and Sanji found himself thinking that it was a cute look for him. He wanted to embarrass the swordsman even more, but he was also starting to feel the effects of fatigue after his strenuous accident./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""We'll talk about it later, dumbass." Zoro told him. "Get some rest—you look like hell."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Wow, thanks. You have absolutely no tact, shitty-swordsman. Is this how you woo all the pretty girls?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Did you just call yourself a pretty girl?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""N-no!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Good, because I couldn't care less about girls."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""But women are the epitome of grace and beauty in this world! I simply can't understand how someone, even a Neanderthal like you, could be completely unaffected by their charms. It just isn't right."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Well, I can't exactly help it if I think you're prettier. I don't care if it's wrong—I'm a pirate after all," Zoro said, grinning at Sanji's dumbfounded expression./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I am not empretty,/em" he growled through his teeth./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Whatever, Cook. Get some beauty rest, and I'll wake you when the crew gets here."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Fuck off, you're just as tired as I am…Sleep with me?" Sanji asked him coyly./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Someone will ask questions."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""That doesn't mean we have to answer them. So?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Zoro didn't bother deliberating over it—he sighed in defeat and shoved the cook onto his side, earning a sharp jab in the ribs for being unnecessarily rough. They lay down in the grass side by side, maneuvering into a position where their shapes fit together comfortably. It was warm on the ground with the sun beating down on the little clearing, and there was even a perfect breeze gliding over their skin that cooled it just the right amount./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji thought it was a perfect moment. The romantic in him sighed in content, happy to have discovered this exciting new territory as an alternative to dying. He'd always fought Zoro, especially when it came to accepting help from the swordsman, and he was still looking forward to fighting him in the future. Except, now he might be able to look forward to hot make-up sex afterward. If their impromptu kissing session were anything to go by, Sanji thought that dying today might have actually been worth it./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" align="center"***/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"P.s. Zoro emdid /emend up getting his swords back when Chopper rolled into the river in Guard Point and Usopp pulled him out. /p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Don't try and move yet, Cook."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The words filtered slowly into Sanji's brain, and he barely registered who the speaker was since he was more focused on the terrible, throbbing pain at the back of his skull. He groaned at the feeling and moved to place a hand on his forehead to steady himself, but his response time was so slow that it was intercepted before he'd barely lifted it and was returned to his side./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I told you not to move, idiot! You're in really bad shape."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"This time, Sanji recognized the voice of the green-haired swordsman, and he frowned at the realization that Zoro was the one preventing him from getting up. It took more effort than expected for him to make his eyes focus on the other man, and when he did, Sanji was surprised to see that Zoro appeared no better than he felt./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What the hell happened?" he mumbled, shoving weakly at the hands holding his shoulders down. "Lemme go, bastard. I'm fucking cold," he complained./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Yeah, I know. You—" Zoro paused, choosing his words carefully. "Do you remember your fight with that woman?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Huh? I would emnever /emstoop so low as to—"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Yeah, yeah. What I should've asked is if you remembered getting your ass handed to you."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Oh. Then yes. She was quite the little spitfire for a marine—beautiful red hair, too."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""That little emspitfire /emkicked you over a cliff into a ravine in the middle of the battle!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""It was an impressive kick," Sanji complimented, fondly remembering the lovely young lady./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Zoro snorted in annoyance and sat back on his knees, releasing his grip on the cook. "So you remember emthat, /embut you don't remember getting knocked unconscious underwater?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""That would explain why my clothes are damp."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""It won't explain why you're an idiot, but it might have given you even emmore/em brain damage," the swordsman said blankly./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Even though his tone wasn't particularly antagonistic, Sanji still took offense and sat up quickly to yell an angry retort in the swordsman's face. Before he could decide on a comeback, his body screamed at the sudden movement, and his breath caught in his throat. If he'd thought his injuries were bad a moment ago, then the cook was nearly doubled over in pain as his rib-cage protested and wet coughs wracked his slim frame. Zoro placed his hand back on Sanji's shoulder in an attempt to keep him upright until the coughing fit passed, murmuring the mantra, "Easy, Cook…take it easy."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""F…fuck…you…" Sanji managed to squeeze out./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Is that really how you want to talk to the person who dived in and dragged your ass out?" Zoro snapped irritably./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Whatever. Could've happened to anyone," Sanji muttered unappreciatively./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The swordsman looked away and avoided his crewmate's glare. When the cook made a move to stand up, he instantly knocked him back onto his ass with a light shove. "Can't you sit still for one freaking minute?! At least until Chopper can get here and look at you."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Why? I'm fine! Get out of my way, shitty-swordsman."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You're emnot /emfine! You have no idea what condition you're in, so just—"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""When the hell did emyou /embecome a doctor? I said I'm fine, now emmove!/em" The cook's last word was accompanied by a swift kick to the swordsman's side, which didn't exactly go over well with his aching ribs. "Goddammit!" he growled, clutching his side reflexively. It was excruciatingly painful, but he didn't want to admit that Zoro might be right about him needing to rest./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Why do you have to be so damn difficult all the time? I'm just trying to help!" Zoro snapped, transitioning into a crouched fighting stance in case the blond tried to kick him again./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I don't want your help! I want to check on our lovely navigator and make sure that she isn't straining herself in this battle."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""The battle's probably already over. I heard Luffy yelling a mile away—no doubt he's finishing up with the boss now. The crew will come looking for us soon, and then Chopper can take care of your injuries properly."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""We shouldn't be sitting here relaxing if there's a chance that the rest of the crew are still fighting marines! It's our job to fight with them—or did you forget that?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Just emlisten to me, /emCook. You won't be any good to them dead! Sit down and wait it out."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Don't tell me what to do, moss-head!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Against his better judgement, the cook twisted into a fighting stance and lashed out again, meaning to bash the swordsman's stupid green head in, but the pain in his torso flared as he tried to execute the maneuver, and his kick was much slower than usual. Zoro easily blocked him on its decent, catching his ankle in a tight grip./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Why do you always have to pick a fight with me?!" he growled./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Because you're always being an asshole! Now let me go!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""No! I'm not gonna fight you like this."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What, you can't take me without your swords?" Sanji mocked since Zoro wasn't within arm's reach of his weapons for once. Something dangerous flickered in the other's man expression at the mention of his swords, causing the cook to pause and stare at the swordsman's midsection in confusion. "Where emare /emyour swords?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""…"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Zoro. Where are they?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I…dropped them earlier," he said evasively, releasing Sanji's raised leg./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You emdropped /emyour swords in the middle of a fight?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""No. It was after you fell off the cliff. The current washed you upstream—I didn't realize that you'd gone under until after I took care of the marine who kicked you. You didn't resurface, so I had to pull you out."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""So you left them on the ground before you jumped in?" Sanji guessed./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Not exactly. There wasn't enough time, and I…sort of lost them in the river."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji was immediately suspicious at how Zoro was avoiding his gaze. "You're lying," he accused./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'm not."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Yes, you are. You looked totally out of breath when I came to—sweating and shaking like you'd just run a marathon—what the hell happened? If you dropped them in the water than where's your haramaki?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I—it got snagged on something and tore off while I was swimming."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""That's bullshit, and we both know it. There's something you're not telling me."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Zoro sighed and averted his eyes, shrugging his shoulders stiffly. "It's not a big deal. They were heavy underwater—slowing me down—so I had to let them go."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""emWhat?"/em Sanji said incredulously. "Why the hell would you do that?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I told you. There wasn't enough time—I had to pull you out."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""No. You can't put this on me! I didn't ask you to do that."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I know you didn't. They're just swords."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Since when? The white one is precious, isn't it? You emalways /emhave it with you."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Sure, but it's still just a tool. People are more important, Cook."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji just looked at him in surprise. He couldn't believe what he was hearing from that sword-freak because he knew that Zoro's swords were a representation of his dream to be the greatest. A knot of guilt and embarrassment twisted in his gut when he realized that the other man had sacrificed his most prized possessions to save him—emhim! /emThe cook was supposed to be his equal, fighting on the front lines and protecting the weaker members of the crew. Sanji wasn't weak. He simply couldn't accept having his ass saved by the swordsman./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""That was stupid—you need your swords. Let's check the river and see if we can find them before it gets dark. If they're that heavy than they probably sank not far from where you dropped them."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Not until Chopper gets here. I told you—you don't know what condition you're in. I can get them later or replace them."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""And I told you emI'm fine! /emYou can't just replace something like that. You got Wado Ichimonji from a friend, didn't you?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""She's dead," Zoro told him bluntly, "and you're alive."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"That stopped the cook in his tracks. Shame washed over him as he thought about how he'd treated his crewmate after he'd woken up. Zoro had unflinchingly cast aside his swords to help him, and he had been nothing but ungrateful for it. Even worse, the green-haired man was treating him like a weakling when both of them knew that Sanji had walked off much more serious injuries before. He had to stifle his growing anger, but nothing pissed the cook off more than being underestimated./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""How many times do I need to say that I'm fine, shitty-moss! This is nothing. Don't fucking talk to me like I can't handle a little tumble down a riverbank!" he yelled./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You have no idea what you're talking about!" Zoro yelled back. "It wasn't just a 'little tumble.' You…you were…"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I was emwhat?/em"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""YOU WERE FUCKING emDEAD/em, IDIOT!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji flinched at his aggressiveness, shocked by the wild look in the swordsman's eyes. His heart skipped a beat when the words sank in, and he instantly wanted to deny it. "Th-there's no way…"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Yeah. The current was too strong—it swept you away quicker than I could get to you. I have no idea how long you were under, but when I finally managed to catch up and pull you out, you weren't breathing, and your heart had stopped. You drowned, Cook."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I…but I'm…fine," he argued lamely. Zoro just stared at him until he finally realized what must have happened. It should have been obvious considering that his clothes were relatively dry for someone who'd been submerged in a river. He had no idea how much time had passed, but even the grass he was lying on had dried. "You resuscitated me," he stated, and the swordsman just nodded./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The cook let the silence linger while he stared in detached contemplation at Zoro's mouth. He was alive because the swordsman had shared his air with Sanji, probably breaking a handful of ribs in the process—no wonder his chest fucking hurt./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Do my lips look as kiss-swollen as yours?" he asked casually, startling the other man into speechlessness. "I bet I tasted like an ashtray."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Wha—what the hell are you saying, stupid-cook? This isn't a joke! I thought you weren't going to make it. You were unresponsive for a half-hour! Did the lack of oxygen destroy the part of your brain that processes seriousness?" Zoro snapped angrily./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""It's not a big deal. It worked, didn't it?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Not a…it's a emhuge /emdeal! You probably swallowed a liter of seawater, and I wouldn't be surprised if there were permanent damage considering how long it took to revive you. I…I broke your goddamn ribs, but I couldn't just stop even though I didn't think I'd gotten to you in time."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'm glad you didn't," Sanji said with a little laugh. "You're as white as a sheet, you know. It looks like you're about to pass out. Are your arms that tired from pumping my little heart, swordsman? Maybe you need to increase your reps in training."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I have emnever /emmet such an intolerable asshole—what is emwrong /emwith you?!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'm using comedy to mask the fact that I'm freaking out about it, okay? I thought I'd just given myself a concussion, but you're saying that I actually emdied? /emWhat a pathetic way for a pirate to kick the bucket. I'll never live this down."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Nobody is challenging your manhood, dumbass—and you probably emdo/em have a concussion."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Alright, I'll wait here until Chopper shows up. In retrospect, I shouldn't have fought you on it."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Finally, you say something sensible," Zoro groaned, relieved. He relaxed into a seated position and ran a hand through his short green hair. Sanji thought that he looked even more exhausted than the cook felt despite the fact that he wasn't the one who had apparently just died and come back to life. The swordsman's forehead was wrinkled with stress, his white t-shirt clinging to his form with sweat, and there was redness around his eyes as if he'd been crying. The cook tore his gaze away from the signs of his strain and tried not to think about the panic his crewmate must have felt after finding him without a pulse./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I didn't know you knew CPR," he commented after a moment. That was the part about the whole situation that he was most curious about—but not because of his assumption that Zoro wouldn't have been able to successfully perform a medical procedure./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The swordsman snorted and shot the cook a wry glance. "I'm honestly shocked that it worked—I've only ever seen it done once, and that was from a distance. You're one lucky son of a bitch."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'm surprised that you would do something like that for emme,/em" Sanji told him, grinning at how the swordsman's cheeks turned red./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What the hell kind of person do you think I am?!" he growled. "As if I would fucking choose swords over your life—or just leave you to die because stupidity might be orally transferable."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Was that the worst part of all this—having to kiss me? I'm not sorry that I missed your terrible technique."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Fuck off, what do you know? Maybe I should've left you for dead. You're a dick."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji laughed again, amused by Zoro's half-hearted grimace. It was almost comical how much the cook's teasing bothered him—and his cheeks were emstill /emred./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Your face is clashing with your hair, marimo."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Do you emwant /emme to kill you? If I'd known that you had a death-wish half an hour ago, I could've saved myself a lot of grief."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Aww, did you cry when you thought I was gone forever? Tell me the truth, Zoro~~ !"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You wish, you goddamn ego-maniac!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Don't be such a grouch, I'm just messing with you," Sanji told him lightheartedly. He relaxed onto his hands, glad to discover that his body was growing accustomed to his injuries, and the throbbing pains were slowly subsiding. His chest still hurt like hell, but at least the pounding in his head had faded to a dull ache. "If I emhad /emdied…" he began a minute later, "would you have cried?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You emdid /emdie," Zoro reminded him evasively./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Yeah, but like, permanently."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Contrary to how it may seem with us fighting all of the time…it wouldn't make me happy, Cook. What does it matter anyway?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Just curious. Sometimes I think that you hate me, but then you go and do something like this, and I wonder if maybe part of it is for show…or do you just have a hero complex the size of my ego?" Sanji asked jokingly. He wanted to kick himself for admitting that he'd ever put any thought into what the marimo thought about him, but he wasn't lying when he'd said he was curious./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The cook was curious about a lot of things when it came to Zoro, and right now his mind was obsessing over that damn blush. He couldn't remember ever seeing the green-haired man's face so flushed, but poking fun at their lip-locking, however necessary it might have been, seemed to have struck a chord with the stoic swordsman./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I don't see why you care either way, but…I don't hate you. Sometimes I think I do, but it's more the fact that I emcan't /emseem to manage it that makes me so pissed."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""So you'd love to hate me, but you hate that you love me—that's what you're saying?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I—I never said that! Stop twisting my words."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Then speak clearly, idiot-swordsman. Do you love me?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""NO!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Hmm…that's too bad," Sanji said with an exaggerated sigh, "and I was so curious, too."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""About what? Who isn't speaking clearly now, Cook? You're talking in circles."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji chose not to reply to that, which seemed to infuriate the swordsman even more. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when the blond just smirked mischievously and fell silent./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I take it back. I definitely hate you," Zoro informed him, eyebrow twitching in annoyance./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The way he was deliberately looking anywhere but at Sanji made the cook grin with inexplicable glee. He didn't let himself think before standing up to walk the short distance towards the swordsman. Zoro opened his mouth to scold him for moving so soon, but the cook cut him off before he could get the words out./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Relax, I'm sitting right back down," he said quickly, dropping to the ground again with his knees on either side of Zoro's thighs. He hovered there for a moment just in case the other man decided to freak out and shove him off, but the swordsman seemed to have frozen in confusion. Sanji took the opportunity to settle himself on Zoro's hips before calmly waiting for his reaction./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What…what are you doing?" he got out, blushing deeper./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Satiating my curiosity," Sanji replied smoothly./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"He leaned forwards and pressed his lips against Zoro's, pausing to see if the other man was going to reciprocate. The swordsman made a small, shocked noise in the back of his throat, but he didn't pull away or put up any resistance when the cook gently parted his lips. They kissed for perhaps three seconds before Zoro suddenly came to his senses and broke apart with a jerk. His flabbergasted expression almost succeeded in ruining the cook's calm demeanor, but Sanji was determined to see his spontaneous action through now that Zoro had shown an interest, so he held in his nervous laughter./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What the hell was emthat?/em" the swordsman asked, looking more flustered than Sanji had ever seen him. "How hard did you hit your head?!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Not hard enough to turn me gay, if that's what you're implying."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Y-you're obviously delusional. Please get off," Zoro told him carefully./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""It's a little premature for that," Sanji quipped, stunning the swordsman with his blatant sexual innuendo./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Seriously, Cook. I'll break another rib if you don't back off or explain yourself emright now./em"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'm comfortable here, so I think I'll take the second option."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""emWhy the hell did you just do that?!/em" Zoro asked him again, shaking his head in confusion./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I wanted to."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""emWHY?!/em"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Because we're pirates," he told Zoro, who just stared at him uncomprehendingly, "and pirates take what they want."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""But—"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji cut him off with another press of his lips. Even though he'd simply been curious, now that he knew what it felt like to kiss the swordsman, he wanted to do it again and again. It was as much of a surprise for the cook to discover as it was for Zoro. They leaned into each other automatically, Sanji reaching over the swordsman's shoulders to slide his fingers into the short hairs at the back of his neck and hold him in place. Zoro grabbed his waist reflexively when the cook rolled his hips forwards to bring their chests together, and Sanji moaned appreciatively in response, causing the other man to gasp against him./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Their self-control broke at the same time, and suddenly the kiss was heating up until it became an untamed fire. One of them had introduced tongue at some point, but Sanji genuinely didn't know who, and neither was willing to spare a moment wondering who started what. They kissed wildly, with unrestrained passion, as though they were in the middle of a different kind of battle—this one with the singular goal of consuming the other. Hands roamed indiscriminately, pants tightening in intimate places as they both shut off their minds to let their bodies just feel. The unexpected intensity of their pleasure was certainly welcome. /p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""This is insane," Zoro murmured against him, sounding slightly dazed./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""That sounds like us," Sanji replied before diving back into it. He could feel the swordsman's hands sliding underneath the hem of his dampened shirt, which was still clinging to him uncomfortably, and had the sudden desire to rip it off so that Zoro could chase away the chill on his skin. The man's body temperature was already warmer than the average person's, so it felt like his fingers were burning trails of heat along the cook's spine. The sensation caused him to shiver wherever Zoro's hands touched, creating little waves of pleasure that seemed to travel straight to his groin./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji moved his fingers to his own collar and was halfway through undoing the buttons when he started to get lightheaded. It washed over him quickly, causing a massive head-rush that scrambled his thoughts so badly that he forgot to come up for air. Suddenly, he broke the kiss to lay his head on the swordsman's shoulder as his body went limp. Zoro caught him and gently held the cook against his chest while he was gasping for air./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Sh-shit…can't…breathe…" he panted slowly./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Well, this emis /ema pretty irresponsible way to kill time before the doctor gets here—especially considering how you weren't breathing at all until a moment ago."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji pulled himself upright and tried to force his lungs to do what he wanted; they were probably getting back at him for all the years of chain-smoking, but he wasn't about to let his own organs cock-block him when he was this horny./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Give me a minute—I got a little carried away."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Why don't you just lie down and take a nap or something," Zoro suggested./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What?! Now? Aw come on, I wasn't finished!" he complained, dragging a grin out of the swordsman./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Let's not put so much strain on your poor lungs just yet, hmm? Your ribs are probably really sore, too. You shouldn't move so much, or you might give yourself internal bleeding."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Ugh, way to rain on my parade, Zoro. There's so much I wanna do right now—this blows!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""H-hold on a minute, don't go getting ahead of yourself. I didn't give you permission to do anything, so put the brakes on your perverted thoughts, love-cook."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji cocked his head and gave the swordsman a mischievous grin. "What, aren't you up for it?" he teased./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Zoro made an unintelligible noise and slipped out from underneath the blond. He held him at an arm's length and gave him a stern look. "I'm not going to answer that until you've healed up and Chopper can guarantee me that you aren't suffering from brain damage."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""It's the reverse Florence Nightingale effect, marimo—you saved my life, so now I'd like to repay you with sexual favors. If I were you, I'd jump at this opportunity before I come to my senses."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Zoro's blush flared up again, spreading along his cheeks and across the bridge of his nose, and Sanji found himself thinking that it was a cute look for him. He wanted to embarrass the swordsman even more, but he was also starting to feel the effects of fatigue after his strenuous accident./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""We'll talk about it later, dumbass." Zoro told him. "Get some rest—you look like hell."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Wow, thanks. You have absolutely no tact, shitty-swordsman. Is this how you woo all the pretty girls?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Did you just call yourself a pretty girl?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""N-no!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Good, because I couldn't care less about girls."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""But women are the epitome of grace and beauty in this world! I simply can't understand how someone, even a Neanderthal like you, could be completely unaffected by their charms. It just isn't right."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Well, I can't exactly help it if I think you're prettier. I don't care if it's wrong—I'm a pirate after all," Zoro said, grinning at Sanji's dumbfounded expression./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I am not empretty,/em" he growled through his teeth./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Whatever, Cook. Get some beauty rest, and I'll wake you when the crew gets here."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Fuck off, you're just as tired as I am…Sleep with me?" Sanji asked him coyly./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Someone will ask questions."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""That doesn't mean we have to answer them. So?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Zoro didn't bother deliberating over it—he sighed in defeat and shoved the cook onto his side, earning a sharp jab in the ribs for being unnecessarily rough. They lay down in the grass side by side, maneuvering into a position where their shapes fit together comfortably. It was warm on the ground with the sun beating down on the little clearing, and there was even a perfect breeze gliding over their skin that cooled it just the right amount./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sanji thought it was a perfect moment. The romantic in him sighed in content, happy to have discovered this exciting new territory as an alternative to dying. He'd always fought Zoro, especially when it came to accepting help from the swordsman, and he was still looking forward to fighting him in the future. Except, now he might be able to look forward to hot make-up sex afterward. If their impromptu kissing session were anything to go by, Sanji thought that dying today might have actually been worth it./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" align="center"***/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"P.s. Zoro emdid /emend up getting his swords back when Chopper rolled into the river in Guard Point and Usopp pulled him out. /p