Switching places chapter 2
Sanji was teared by the strong current quickly under the Going Merry and, because he was spinning around rapidly in the whirls, he became disoriented. He tried to focus his eyes in something, but everything blurred as he span around like a powerless doll. His oxygen was running out and he couldn't get out of the current. He tried to swim towards the light when the current weakened after a while, but he lost his powers. His vision blurred and he fell into unconsciousness, hand reaching weakly towards the surface.
Zoro, among the others, were yelling on the deck like crazy for Sanji but they didn't saw even a smallest glimpse of him, and marines were getting closer.
''I'm diving, you can go inland, I'll find him!'' Zoro yelled and started taking his shoes off rapidly.
''You dumpass! The current is too strong! Who knows if the same happens to you too!'' Usopp yelled worriedly as he grabbed Zoro's shirt in his fist.
''Let me go! I'm not leaving him there!'' Zoro shouted back and escaped from the sniper's grab as he jumped to the sea, as far as he could from the river, where the current would be weaker.
When Zoro hit the water the current took him under it's power. Fortunately there was just weak whirls and he could easily pop his head to the surface. Usopp saw him coming to the surface and yelled to the others that he was fine and they could go on inland.
Zoro took a deep breath and dove again. He looked in every direction but couldn't see the cook anywhere. He came to surface again to get some air, pulled himself under water and then he saw a glimpse of gold. He immediately started shoving water aside with his hands with strong and steady strokes, and meter after meter he saw him more clearly. He used all his strength he found from his muscles to swim deeper, where Sanji was, and was glad to see a flash of golden hair again as he got closer. As he was about to reach him, Zoro saw some blood coming from Sanji's head and his leg was stuck in between two rocks in the bottom, but the worst was that he had lost his consciousness. He had no time to worry, he had to get him to the surface immediately. Zoro easily moved the rocks, got a grab of him and started dragging Sanji towards the surface. He swam as fast as he could, Sanji had to get first-aid.
He reached the surface and saw two marine ships in both of his sides. ''Shit!'' Zoro cursed quietly and wished that they wouldn't look down. They probably noticed that at least one of the Mugiwara pirates was overboard, so someone was left on duty to watch the sea. Zoro took a deep breath again and dove. They shouldn't notice them as fast as from the water than from the surface, although the water was quite clear. Zoro tried to hold his breath as long as he could and he had a burning feeling in his lungs, but he had to keep going. He saw the shore before him and he popped their heads to the surface and got finally his lungs full of air. He lifted his gaze up and saw a big bunch of marines looking at him with guns pointing them.
''Fire!'' one of them shouted.
Zoro unsheathed his katanas as fast as he could and dodged all of the bullets. Before they could fire again, he threw Sanji on his back and started a dance of death among the marines. He cut throats, bones and heard whining in his ears. He killed marine after marine, but more was coming all the time, they had heard that two of the Mugiwara Pirates had landed on the shore after all. Zoro cut, sliced and crunched them with his katanas, but still felt that it wasn't enough. He got one cut on his elbow, and another one to his side. No, he was totally not giving up, not in hell. His rage grew bigger and bigger and so his concentration, until he was able to use his Kiki Kyutoryu. Finally he felt that he was enough to beat all of their asses. He danced the dance of death three times faster and lifeless enemies fell to the ground one after another. He was furious and was hungry to see blood spilling around, until there was none alive to face him. His rage calmed down as he had no one to fight with anymore, and he finally laid Sanji to ground and furiously started first-aid to him. Sanji wasn't breathing, so he started pressing his chest 30 times and blew air to his lungs two times. He continued the rhythm even though his muscles was aching and tears were blurring his vision. He won't let him die, never!
He was losing his faith. He pressed and blew like million times, but there was no life forming back in him. His tears started falling faster although he tried to stop them. His heart knew he would survive, that shitty cook, but brains didn't believe it. After an eternity, what it was for Zoro, Sanji spat some water out of his lungs and started breathing by himself.
''Sanji!'' Zoro shouted in joy and hugged him tightly, tears still falling down from his eyes, transforming to tears of joy and love. Sanji's body was trembling and he didn't answer, he wasn't totally okay yet, but he was alive. He took Sanji to his back again and started running inland in hope of finding Chopper somewhere. He couldn't follow the river, because marines would see them, and he didn't want that to happen again. He was tired of his fighting and he had lost a bit of blood from his cuts, enough to affect his condition. He followed the sounds of fighting and stopped to the side of a meadow. His crew was fighting furiously against marine group twenty time bigger than theirs. Zoro looked for Chopper and saw the pink hat and horns in the other side of the meadow. He decided not to just run through the battlefield, he ran in the woods instead and was happy to see their doctor quite close to the other side of the meadow.
Zoro left Sanji hiding in the bush and he himself headed to the battle. He cut his way through marines quite fast and met up with Chopper.
''Zoro! You're okay! But where's Sanji?'' Chopper asked with a very worried expression.
''He's quite okay, but I had to leave him hiding further, he's too weak to fight, so nobody should find him now.''
''Okay, that's good, partly, but I will check him as soon as I can.''
''No, go now, I'll take care of this, just go. I don't know how well he can breath with water on his lungs. Just go by that three with bush under it, he's there.''
''Okay'' Chopper answered and went through the hole of marines that Zoro did for him. Zoro concentrated only to those marines and killed one after another. He was weaker, though, he was still tired and had a tiny blood loss, but he still was too powerful for second class marines. He was about to kill the last ones around him but then he heard a loud
shout: ''Everybody stop moving or this bastard here dies!''
Zoro looked to the direction where he heard the voice coming and saw Chopper on ground, and Nezumi holding a gun which was pointing to Sanji's forehead.
''No! Chopper, Sanji!'' Zoro shouted and saw a motionless body of Chopper lying in the ground. He stared at the body and was glad to see that Chopper, and Sanji too, were still breathing.
''You damn mouse, that's not fair!'' Zoro heard Nami shouting somewhere behind him. She looked like she's gonna explode any moment, Zoro bet that she haven't thought about seeing that unfair bastard anymore. Zoro looked around and noticed that he didn't see Usopp anywhere, was he hiding somewhere or being killed?
Nezumi just laughed at that and continued: ''There's no life left in this one, though'' he said an poked Sanji's forehead with the gun.
Zoro's rage was building inside him again, but if he moved, that shithead would fire that damn pistol.
''So, the deal is: you let my men to capture you with no resistance and I'll let this one live and go with you to marine headquarters. There's nice bounties from your heads now... But those wanted posters say dead or alive, as you well know...''Nezumi said and grinned.
Zoro squeezed his fists tightly and thought hard what to do. Before he got any proper solution in his mind he heard a little breeze of air just right next to his ear and in the same time the pistol in Nezumi's hand flew away from his grab. Thank you Usopp, he said in his mind and saw his chance and ran as fast as he could to fight with Nezumi. But then he saw him taking a new pistol from his belt and pointing it again to Sanji's forehead and he was about to fire it.
''You broke the deal...'' Nezumi said grinning and Zoro saw his finger move to the trigger.
NO! He was too far away! Everything was in slow motion in his head after that. He just continued running desperately towards Nezumi, with fierce eyes. Nezumi was pulling the trigger of his gun and Zoro shouted his lovers name in distress, as he watched Sanji's eyes slowly opening and seeing pistol before him. Sanji's expression didn't change, as if he have been aware of that all happening around him, waiting for the right moment to act. And then, Sanji moved. He moved his head just ten cents, but that was enough to evade the bullet which was aimed to penetrate his head and he survived with just a scratch of bullet in his ear. Zoro's eyes become wet from the tears of joy, but that ended quickly as he saw Nezumi trying to fire the pistol again. This time he held Sanji's head still with his other hand. Zoro concentrated as well as he could while running and sent a cut in the air, which reached the victim quickly. The next thing he saw was Nezumi's hand being cut and he heard him screaming as he fell on his back to the ground, holding his stump hand, and his disjoint hand with pistol falling on Sanji's lap.
Before Nezumi got any time to stand up, Zoro reached him, and placed his katana on his throat, putting some slight pressure to it. He wanted him to know that he really would kill him if he did anything he didn't him want him to do.
''If you move even a millimeter, I'll thrust this katana through your throat and let the animals eat your corpse.'' Nezumi looked defeated, but there was something strange in his behaviour, he didn't know what. But he knew that that man wasn't such a coward like before, which surprised him.
He did a quick glance around and saw that Luffy and others had killed the other marines and was running towards him.
''Luffy, what we'll do to him?'' Zoro asked his captain.
Luffy glanced at Nezumi laying on the ground and he stared back, with no regrets, with strong and unwavering eyes.
''Let's bind him to a tree. He can try to escape if he wants, but let's destroy those ships. Usopp, take supplies as much as you see necessary for Going Merry's repairing and then burn the ships.''
''Hai!'' Usopp said and rushed to do his job. When Luffy returned his gaze back to Nezumi, he was already bound to a tree, Zoro was looking for Sanji and girls for Chopper.
''Hey how's Chopper?'' Luffy asked from the girls and went to check Chopper's condition too, they really needed the doctor to take care of Sanji after all.
''Hey Sanji, are you okay...?'' Zoro asked with a little trembling voice when he noticed that there was no one too near them. He heard that Sanji breathed with difficulties. Zoro grabbed his hand and almost started crying when Sanji smiled weakly at him.
''I thought, that I... I would lose you...'' Zoro whispered and wept his tear to his hand. No he can't cry now, Sanji was alive.
''I won't die that easily Marimo...'' Sanji answered weakly and grinned. Zoro chuckled gave a quick kiss to his lover. Sanji closed his eyes and forgot his pains for a few milliseconds. As he opened his eyes again, he gave the sweetest smile he could give at Zoro and reached for Zoro's cheek. Zoro leaned to the touch and smiled back.
''Zoro would you carry Sanji quickly to the ship so I can treat him? That water in his lungs is dangerous, we must get it out, or else his brain will be damaged because of the lack of oxygen '' Chopper asked, and he was coming to look Sanji, so Zoro and Sanji returned to their regular roles again, at least partly.
Zoro got Sanji up in his arms easily and followed Chopper to the infirmary. As Zoro looked to his lover, he was already asleep. Zoro smiled happily, placed a gentle kiss on his lover's hand and carried him gently to the infirmary.
For the next few hours Zoro stood right next to Sanji -who was sleeping now- and holding his hand. He had bandages around his head, as like Zoro has around his torso and elbow, to protect their cuts. Sanji had a slight concussion, but still had some fluids in his lungs. Chopper didn't get all of it out, so they had to wait that it evaporates. It will take some time, as Chopper had told him, and meanwhile he couldn't smoke, or do anything which would get him panting. He promised to care of that.
Chopper had asked him carefully why he was holding Sanji's hand and Zoro had admitted him that they were dating. As the word ''dating'' slipped from his mouth, and he saw Chopper's confused expression, he had started thinking how stupid their thing was. Chopper definitely thought that they were just fuck buddies or something while they were on the sea. They spent days in the sea at a time after all, so he must have thought that they got their release from each other when they were horny. It wasn't as nice to just jerk off by himself as to have actual sex, he knew that.
In addition, their relationship was like between a teen and 5 year older man: the other was the inexperienced, and other in lead. He cursed at himself. He had been so childish, why he was so weak under Sanji's touch? What if Sanji just got along just to get sex, and maybe he just acted that he cared. What if he was just amused of the whole thing, he was weak as hell, because he knew almost nothing about sex. He had asked Chopper not to tell anyone of them, it was the best.
Zoro let go of Sanji's hand and went outside. The bright shine of the setting sun shone right in his eyes and he couldn't see anything in a while. He was immediately questioned about Sanji's condition as other saw him. After telling the quite good news everybody sighed in relief. Zoro continued his way to the back of the ship to get some sleep. He was tired.
Sanji opened his eyes in the infirmary and looked for Zoro or Chopper. He saw Chopper doing something by a table on his left side, sunk in his thoughts. Sanji got up and put his shoes on and was about to go outside, when he heard Chopper asking him: ''Where do you think you're going?''
''I need a cigarette now, I'll be right back''
''No! You're not allowed to smoke until the fluid in you're lungs is totally gone!''
''What? I cannot smoke?''
''You heard me right, and you're not allowed to do anything hard either, like running or climbing. Zoro promised to watch after you so you won't do anything stupid.''
Sanji sighed and rubbed his forehead. 'Nothing hard', so no sex. He so wanted to light up a cigarette, he needed something to chew at least. Or something else to his mouth. Sanji grinned to the idea.
''Well, I'm going to find that shithead then, and I promise I won't smoke.''
Chopper thought a moment and let him go. Sanji opened the door with a smile on his face and he was greeted by his crew after he got out. He said he was fine, he really was, and then he went to search for the marimo. It wasn't hard to find him, his loud snore almost echoed from the back. Sanji sat in Zoro's lap and kissed him deeply. He felt that Zoro woke up, answered to the kiss, but ended it quickly.
''Hey are you horny right now?'' Sanji purred suggestively to Zoro's ear and licked it.
''Hey stop it'' Zoro answered and shoved him away. Sanji was surprised of this acting.
''Hey what's wrong?'' Sanji asked worriedly.
''Nothing, just let me sleep''
''Eh? Are you mad at me or something? What did I do?''
''The question is, what I did, what didwedo. You know, I'm not your 'bitch' anymore,'' Zoro said bluntly, got up and went away before Sanji could say anything. What was this behaviour and what the fuck he meant by 'bitch'?
Sanji went after him and found him climbing up to the nest on the main mast. He was about to follow him up there, but then he remembered that he wasn't allowed to do that. He cursed under his breath and decided to do something he should be doing right now: a meal for everybody. He'll speak with Zoro later, he won't be up there for an eternity after all. He was about to light a cigarette for him but remembered again that it won't do. He just sighed and went to kitchen to cook.
When Sanji yelled everybody to eat, Zoro finally came down from the mast, so Sanji decided to talk to him after the meal. He noticed that Zoro acted like there was nothing between them, he acted like they were before their 'thing', maybe more than he didn't exist to him anymore. Sanji was becoming very stressed. He didn't have any kind of idea what the fuck did Zoro do, or they did together, as he said earlier. Was he angry for himself? It's stupid, but he's a mossbrain after all, who would think that he has any good thoughts in that small head of his?
Sanji didn't have any appetite. He tried to eat for his own good, he had to get better after all, but he mostly just poked his food with a fork. He gave up, put his plate in the fridge and cleaned the kitchen. Everything he did seemed to take twice more time as usually, so when he stepped to the deck, the sun was already set and the first ones far asleep. He looked up the mast and saw Zoro there at a night watch. He can't get up there, damn shithead must have changed this night's watch for himself with somebody. He sighed and went back to kitchen, he wasn't sleepy, not at all. He opened a bottle of sake and sat down at the table. He sipped once and twice, until he drank the whole bottle at once, it didn't matter.
But then he realized: what the fuck he was actually doing? Zoro didn't speak to him so he wants to get drunk and forget the whole thing? Ha, he was the bitch in here now. He still didn't know what Zoro meant by that. He had to talk to him.
He got up and walked to the deck. He lifted his gaze up to the nest and saw Zoro glancing at him and then turning his head to the sea again. It seemed that Zoro believed he couldn't climb up there. Fuck what Chopper said, he was gonna go up!
He started climbing up the robes and saw Zoro watching him with a little worried but cocky face, he still thought he wouldn't get up. ''I'll show you,'' Sanji murmured to himself and climbed. A slight wind waved the net of robes a bit, but it couldn't stop him. When he started panting a little, he felt like there was not enough air for him. His lungs started feeling tight and he was soon feeling dizzy. He had to go up! Had to! He had had worse than this, he's not a weakling. He lifted his gaze and met Zoro's worried eyes. Zoro lent him his hand so he would help him up, but Sanji's vision started to blur a little, he needed more oxygen. He breathed like crazy, but he still felt like he'd been holding his breath for an eternity. His lungs hurt, he lost his balance. Then, Zoro got him. He felt him being lifted gently up, and laid down to his back.
''Hey are you okay?'' Zoro asked worriedly.
Sanji couldn't say anything, he just wheezed. He still had difficulties to breathe properly and he was panicking.
''Hey, Sanji, relax. It'll help,'' Zoro said and slided his hands gently on Sanji's cheeks. It relaxed him enough to slow his breath and heart beat down, and so to get enough air. He was feeling slightly better all the time, so he got up to sit. He leaned his back to the nest and closed his eyes and concentrated only in breathing.
In a minute he was okay again, so he opened his eyes. He didn't saw Zoro right next to him like he was a while ago. Instead he was staring at the sea again.
''Thanks, Zoro.''
''No problem,'' Zoro said bluntly. Sanji didn't expect to get any nice words anymore, and so he didn't.
''You probably know why I'm here?''
''Maybe''
''I want to talk to you. Why have you been so cold to me today? You said something that you're not my bitch, what does that mean? Please tell me...''
Zoro was quiet for a long time. When he started speaking, his voice was low and he turned to speak to Sanji: ''I thought about this thing we had. Isn't it ridiculous to you? We're like horny and desperate roommates who are just fuck buddies. I'm not going to be just a toy of yours which you have no feelings for.''
''What do you actually mean by this 'thing'?'' Sanji asked and lifted his visible brow a little.
Zoro snorted in clear frustration and walked in front of Sanji, and kissed him. He placed his body right against Sanji's and grinded their bodies together, so that they both moaned to each other's mouths. When Zoro retreated from Sanji, he leaned forward to get more, but then Zoro stopped him with his hand and said: ''I mean this. These things we've had.''
''I don't think it's ridiculous, I want you, and I can see you want me too, why don't we just-''
''No. It's not enough. Just wanting me isn't enough, you have to like me too, love me...'' Zoro said with low voice and blushed.
Sanji smiled to that face he always loved to see and said: ''I do love y-''
''Liar. You say that just to get to bed with me,'' Zoro answered angrily. Sanji was starting to lose his temper too, Zoro was acting like an idiot, a fucking teenager.
''What do you want me to do then?! Kiss your hand, buy you flowers, or what? I''
Zoro was quite for few seconds and Sanji tried to calm down.
''Just be patient. If you love me, you'll wait, and I'll wait,'' Zoro said quietly and stepped out of the nest. ''It's your turn now, I won't carry you down.'' Zoro continued and disappeared from the sight.
What the fuck got that musclehead to thinking something like that? He had been gentle with him, he proceeded if he got permission from him, and he always kept track of his expressions. He loved him.
Or did he? He had to think. He had been seriously in love once, but he didn't say those feelings to that person back then. How was it like? He remembered thinking him all the time and always wanting to be good in his eyes. He tried to talk to him, and over-analyzed his acting and what he said, desperately trying to read between the lines to get some kind of message, a confession or something. Damn he was naive back then. You won't get somebody, if you don't say it to them, that you love someone.
Sanji sighed. He reached for his pack of cigarettes, but Chopper had taken them from him, he sighed again. Now or never he needed a cigarette.
He looked at the clear starry sky and asked himself, what he would do for one he loved? Truly loved.
He would deal with him with respect, he would cook him dishes no one could imagine in the world would be, he'd kiss him in the sunset, massage him, love him hard, love him gently, whatever he preferred. He would die for him. All that he'd do for Zoro. Now he just had to come up with a plan which would definitely convince Zoro about his sincerity. Just a bunch of flowers or a morning kiss just wouldn't do it, that he knew for sure. But, what did Zoro like?
Sorry, it took so long again to write this chapter. New one comes aprox. in a month :3