The Orange Tree
One day, Luffy docked his crew in the land of Alicante, the rumored city of glass. "Whoa! This really could be called the city of glass! Look at the towers Nami!" Luffy exclaimed. "They are impressive." The redhead replied. I bet you guys didn't know I grew up here. I came back from time to time to." Zoro replied smirking. "No way! Zoro you grew up here?!" Usopp asked. Zoro chuckled. "Yeah. I lived with my cousins and my younger brothers." "So you do have a family eh Marimo?" Sanji piped up, smirking. "That I do shit cook." Sanji's heart gave a little jolt. The blonde had a crush on the swordsman for quite some time, and was pleased that he learned something new about him. "Me and Raven are going to do some shopping. See ya!" Nami called out before disappearing. "Me, Usopp, and Chopper are going to eat. See ya two later!" As soon as the words were out of Luffy's mouth, they were gone. 'They all left me alone with Zoro on purpose didn't they? The one time I trust them to keep a secret they try to help me.'
Zoro looked at the blonde man who was left standing with him at the busy dock. Zoro's heart was beating more rapidly. The whole crew (except Sanji) knew he was bisexual, but only Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper knew he had a crush on Sanji. Both men stood there awkwardly for a moment before Zoro got an idea. "Hey Cook." Sanji looked up at Zoro and saw him smirking, a glint in his eyes that gave the blonde goosebumps. "Yeah Moss head?" I wanna show you something. Come on." Zoro grabbed Sanji's hand and lead him through the streets. The pirate cook blushed when his hand was taken by the swordsman. Sanji quickly regained himself so Zoro wouldn't become suspicious. As they walked through the streets of Alicante, Sanji looked at all the beautiful buildings and quaint little shops on some of the old brick roads. Not once did Zoro let go of his hand. Once they hand been walking for some time, The two were out side of town. "Marimo where are we going?" Sanji asked getting slightly annoyed at the other man. "We're here curly brow." Sanji looked up and saw a huge mansion looming in front of the two companions. "Damn." the blonde replied taking a drag from his cigarette. "Yeah." Zoro replied and led Sanji to the side of the dwelling.
After a few minutes the two men stopped at a wooden door with intricate designs made from black iron. Zoro looked back at Sanji, the man he has had a crush on for nearly three months now, and smiled. "You ready to go in?" The swordsman asked. "Why wouldn't I be?" The cook replied. Zoro chuckled and opened the door.
A stout, older woman looked up when the door opened and gasped at the sight in front of her. "Zoro?" She whispered out. Zoro smiled. "Hey Mavis, how's it going around here?" "Oh Zoro! It has been to long sweetie! Come over here and give the gray haired woman a hug." She briskly walked around the counter she was working at and met Zoro in a hug. "I've missed you too Mavis." Zoro replied retreating from the hug and gently squeezing Mavis' hands. "Yes, yes. Now introduce me to the young man you have brought with you." she replied looking at Sanji from the top of the glasses she wore. "Mavis this is Sanji, he's the cook for the group I'm traveling with. Sanji, this is Mavis, she's the cook here and she practically raised me and my siblings and cousins." Sanji gave a shy wave. Mavis smiled and beckoned him closer. As Sanji drew closer she took his face into her hands and looked at him, her steely blue orbs piercing his being.
"So Zoro, is he a friend, acquaintance... Boyfriend maybe?" Mavis asked. Zoro choked on the water he had gotten and Sanji started to babble.
"No Mavis, we're just friends." Zoro replied. The woman gave the swordsman a look. A look that told him she knew it was much more than that. 'Please don't say anymore Mavis. I promise I'll tell you later...' "OK then. Well Sanji it was lovely to meet you, but if you excuse me, I must finish preparing lunch." She patted Sanji's hands and turned to her cutting board. "Would you like some help?" Sanji asked. "No thank you. You two go on. I have lunch handled." she smiled. "OK then Mavis. I will visit you again later." Zoro replied hugging her again and placing a kiss on her cheek. Mavis chuckled and shooed the two out. "George is in his workshop if you want to see him!" Mavis called to Zoro. "Thanks!" was all he replied. The cook sighed and finished lunch.
"Who's George?" Sanji asked. "Mavis' husband. He's great." Zoro smiled. "Ummmm I also wanted to ask..." Sanji started. Zoro gave a humming sound. Indicating that the blonde should continue. "Why did Mavis ask if I was your boyfriend?" Sanji felt a little awkward but mostly curious. "I'm bisexual. Although it was always said I was more likely to fall in love with a man. Usually only my cousin Maysilee said that." Zoro's cheerful tone dropped a little at the mention of his cousin and Sanji didn't like it. "Well if it makes you feel better so am I." Zoro stopped and looked at his crush. Hope swelled in the green haired man's chest. If Sanji was bisexual then didn't that mean he had a chance? But Sanji hated Zoro, and Zoro was supposed to hate Sanji... "What is it Marimo?" Sanji asked. "Well I always took you for a ladies man. Only ever wanting women." Zoro replied. Sanji shook his head and kept walking. Zoro stopped him. "What now? Is that not the workshop? I mean that's what it looks like, then again I have no idea what to expect from you anymore." Sanji replied. Zoro laughed. "That is the workshop, but I'll visit George later. I want to show you what I came to show you." Zoro instinctively took Sanji's hand and led him towards the woods.
After walking for a while the two came to a clearing. It was huge, with wild flowers sprouting everywhere and in the middle of it all was a huge orange tree. "Wow.." Sanji was amazed. Zoro smiled at the cook's reaction and led him to the tree. "I used to go to this tree every time I got upset and ate the oranges until I was full and my fingers were to sticky to peel anymore. Maysilee would go with me, or I would tell her I was coming here and she would follow soon after. I always used a poem so no one could figure out the tree existed." Zoro pulled out a silver knife with bronze roses on the handle from a hole in the bottom of the tree and started to pick oranges off and peel them with skilled hands. "What was the poem?" Sanji watched as Zoro peeled the fruit.
"Will you join me by the orange tree
Where we will be for no one else to see.
I will wait for you Maysilee,
Right here under our orange tree."
Zoro's voice ended in a soft whisper, Sanjii knew that he never told anyone else that poem. Sanjii's heart fluttered, knowing he was special enough to hear it. The cook also knew something happened between Maysilee and Zoro, which was why it was so hard for him to talk about her and the tree. The swordsman handed him a peeled orange and the blonde broke it apart and at a sliver. Snaji let out a satisfied moan. The orange was delicious.
"They're good right?" Sanji nodded eating another piece. Zoro smiled. It felt good to share a piece of himself with Sanji. He hadn't been sure before, but now he knew; He knew he loved the obnoxious cook. The sarcastic curly browed piece of shit cook that was so enticing, so captivating that he managed to steal Zoro's once guarded heart. That thought sent butterflies to Zoro's stomach. "Marimo!" Sanji shouted at him. "Huh?" Zoro stopped peeling to look at Sanji. "You were about to cut you thumb off stupid swordsman." Sanji laughed at Zoro's dumb moment, and Zoro laughed too. "Sorry." he continued to peel the orange while Sanji finished the first orange.
After Zoro and Sanji had talked and laughed and ate oranges for a while, Sanji finally built up the nerve to ask the question that had been on his mind ever since the name was mentioned. "So where is Maysilee?" Zoro looked up from the orange he had been eating. The green haired man swallowed, his eyes filling with grief. After a moment Zoro stood up and held out a hand to help Sanji up. When they were both on their feet Zoro slowly led the other man to the back of the large tree.
When they reached the other side Sanji gave Zoro a puzzled look. "Look down." was all he got, so he complied. Sanji gasped. What he saw was a grave. The tombstone read:
"Here lies Maysilee Destiny Jackson, princess of Alicante."
'Zoro:
Meet me by the orange tree,
Where you will be the only one to truly see,
That my body lies here under our precious orange tree.
Our secret lies within the breeze,
And my hope is that you will eventually join me under the orange tree.'
March 24 2000- April 26 2008
Sanji looked towards Zoro, who had ended up on the ground, his tears staining the earth in front of his cousin's grave. Sanji sunk down to Zoro and pulled the swordsman to his chest. Sanji sat there and let Zoro cry for the girl who shouldn't have died so young. "She was only eight. She died of lung cancer." Zoro told him through sobs. "That's terrible." Sanji mumbled. His heart hurt knowing his Marimo was in so much pain. Then it dawned on him. "Today is April 26 2009..." Sanji whispered. Zoro heard him and nodded. "Oh Zoro." Sanji sighed and held the man tighter.
Zoro finally sat up and wiped away the remaining tears. "This was really what I wanted to show you. The place my cousin was really buried." "Everyone in town thinks she's buried in the castle cemetery, when in reality she is buried under this orange tree." Zoro explained. "How did you manage that Moss head?" Sanji asked running his slim fingers through Zoro's green hair. "After the service me and George dug her casket out and brought it here. Mavis came too, so it was like a smaller second service." "Damn. Sounds like a lot of hard work. But I thought you said only you and Maysilee knew about this place?" the cook replied. "We were the only ones, but I needed George's and Mavis' help so I made an exception." Sanji nodded. "So why are you showing me?" Zoro was quiet for a few moments, wondering if he should tell the other man the truth or not.
"Because... Because I fell in love with you." Zoro blushed and looked at the sky. Sanji smiled. "I love you to... Zoro." Sanji whispered. The swordsman looked up at the love of his life, who was smiling wide at him and giggling silently. A grin broke out on his face, and he kissed the cook passionately. They fell onto the grass and kissed until they could not deny their lungs oxygen.
"Maysilee always said I would end up with a blonde cook who was addicted to smoking." Zoro said looking down at Sanji who was laughing. "No she didn't, liar." Zoro chuckled. "It's true I swear." They got up and Zoro placed a gentle kiss on his new boyfriend's cheek. "Let's go back OK?" Sanji nodded and they walked back to the castle.
As the couple walked into the kitchen, they were met with a site they were not expecting. "HEY GUYS! I SEE YOU TWO ARE HOLDING HANDS! I KNEW THEY WOULD GET TOGETHER TODAY CHOPPER.!" Luffy yelled. The whole gang had gathered in the kitchen Zoro practically grew up in. "I knew you liked him Zoro." Mavis said wagging a finger at the blushing man. "I was not expecting Sanji to date a man." Nami replied. "Sorry Nami-Swan, I couldn't help falling in love with a swordsman." Zoro smiled, the first true smile in ages. "Well I say this is a time to toast." a man with gray-brown hair and a bit of scruff replied. "Right you are George!" Usopp replied. "So you're George?" Sanji asked. "Yep, and your Sanji." George shook the cook's hand and raised his glass. The others, including Sanji and Zoro who were given drinks, raised the glasses in the air. "To love, the love that has died, the love that has been born, and to the love that will never die, no matter the circumstance." George replied. "To Princess Maysilee." Zoro said smiling a sad smile while Sanji squeezed his hand. The group toasted, and Zoro felt content. 'I miss you Maysilee, but I know that I won't be miserable without you anymore.'
A/N – I finished! I have been working on this for awhile and I was scared I would never finish it! My computer has been really slow :/ BUT NO WORRIES! I will probably start a Naruto series and hopefully remember where I left off on my Soul Eater Fanfiction and pick up on it. Please review and favorite! - Don'tletmadnesswin321 3