30 Day Writing Prompt Challenge

Day 03

'Patching each other up'

By aoi koneko chan


The kettle on the stove was quietly bubbling accompanied by the occasional crack of flames from the furnace. The light from the fire cast fluttering shadows across the room's two occupants one seated on the table bench the other at his feet.

Medicinal supplies littered the floor around the kneeling blond. A curtain of blond shielded his stormy blue eyes from the other, but nimble hands moved deftly threading the sterilized needle with clean strokes. Both parties kept the silence, neither wanting to be the first to speak. In the short while that the two had known each other, this had become too often a ritual that they shared. Neither liked it.

Sanji's hands trembled slightly as he clipped the excess thread. They had never done that before. His hands were his life, his livelihood. As a chef he couldn't afford to have shaky fingers. Any chef that couldn't hold his own could get out of the kitchen. And yet, now, of all times, in the silence of the aftermath, his fingers quavered. His thoughts were unsettled, flying by a million per minute. What if he hadn't been there? What if he hadn't come in time? He didn't pursue those answers too far, he didn't want to think of what lay down those tracks.

Zoro's feet twitched in front of him, obviously an involuntary reaction to the tendons being cut and the muscles aching. Having everything in order, Sanji steeled himself and raised his head to face golden eyes.

"Ok, I'm ready. This will sting."

He paused a moment, is eyes searching Zoro's own for the sign that the marimo was ready. A brief nod was his reply and he raised the alcohol to pour over the wound. Clear liquid ran like a waterfall over the severed skin. Though the vodka was innocent looking enough, Zoro's hiss at its touch belied its pretense and Sanji used a clean cloth to wipe up the excess as well as ensure the wounds were properly penetrated by the liquid fire.

As he removed the cloth he heard the muffled curse slip through the relieved lips of the swordsman and couldn't stop the sarcastic huff that left his own.

"You wanna say something, blondie?" The swordsman's irate voice grated from above.

If asked later, Sanji couldn't give reason to why he did what followed other than stress and sadness and pain bottled up for too long.

Raising his head he glared angrily at the stupid moss head. "Take care of yourself more." It was spat with an air of contempt not at all with the care he wanted those words to be said. Fuck, Zoro was always so reckless. He ran off, on his own, got lost and battled insane numbers of enemies on his own. Then he wandered back to the group and sidled up to fight alongside them never stopping to rest, never thinking of his bleeding wounds and pushing on further, longer till blood seemed to be pouring out of him like wine out of a decanter. His head dropped to his chest. It had to fucking stop. His heart couldn't take it anymore, watching the marimo shuffle his way back with the rest of them to the ship. And whose job was it to clean the idiot up?

Luffy could barely place a band aid on himself. Usopp got funny at the sight of blood and Nami and Vivi shouldn't have to defile their delicate hands with such things. This meant this kind of thing always got left to him and despite being great at applying bandages and not being squeamish around blood he fucking hated seeing Zoro brought down to this level.

Fuck. Zoro's fight with Mihawk was what finally inspired Sanji to get off his rump and do what he wanted to do – find All Blue. It had been terrifying to see Mihawk slice Zoro's chest as if it were butter but still, every time he thought of that memory, he heard Zoro's voice calling out to Luffy, promising to never fail again. To never lose again.

And fuck, if that didn't strike a chord within him.

He knew Zoro would achieve him dream. With the amount of drive the idiot had towards his goal it was certain to be realised. But not if the idiot kept doing stupid stunts like today.

Suddenly coming back from his thoughts he raised his head to see Zoro looking at him with patience and curiosity. Shit. He'd gone and done it, hadn't he. Zoro didn't want to hear that kind of sentiment, least of all from him. He floundered in his own thoughts not knowing what to say to fix the situation. Just as he resolved to fucking stop sitting in silence and go about stitching the bastard up, the man in question spoke.

"Didn't think you cared, curly brow."

Despite the aggravating nickname, there was no teasing tone and no scorn. Just a simple statement that made Sanji sorely want to raise his head, to see those eyes and see for certain what Zoro was saying. His body refused to cooperate though worried about what he'd see. Zoro never lied and his eyes told powerful truths that were sometimes not what people wanted to hear. The truth always seemed to be shut out like that.

However, this time, there was something in the swordsman's voice that said exactly what Sanji wanted to hear, however now that he heard it, he was too scared to take the final step to take it in his grasp.

"Oi, Sanji."

Oh. There it was again.

Zoro's deep timbre called to him like a siren and he found himself raising his head to have blue clash with gold and his breath sucked out of him. A strong hand reach out to brush some of his hair from his face and a look more tender than anything he'd ever seen on the idiot settled on his face.

"I'm sorry for worrying you."

Sanji only turned his face into the very warm palm resting on his cheek. Tears slipped through tight eyelids unbidden and lips pressed lightly against tanned skin.

"Just take better care next time, idiot."


Whoo! Three days. Gosh it feels like it takes long to write when you have a long day of work. Well that was prompt three! I think I might revisit this moment soon maybe in another fic, who knows? Anyway, until next time!

aoi koneko chan