Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, its characters, nor am I making money for writing this fiction.
Chapter Four
The trip back to the Sunny was a quiet one. Already feeling awkward and disgusted, Sanji found the silence to be an unwelcome additive. He tried to think of something to say or do to lift the mood, something casual and well placed, but there was nothing. It was like the silence that followed a fight with your spouse, Sanji had to admit. He wondered if Zoro thought the same, but the swordsman was impossible to read. His face had been completely stoic since the conversation about the alcohol he bought.
The argument prior to said conversation hadn't helped, either. Zoro's words felt more like a slap, and he wasn't sure whether or not he realized that. Sanji knew that Zoro was upset about his attitude at the shop, and for the majority of the day, probably. Things had gotten out of hand, yeah, the day hadn't gone anything like he wanted, sure, but Zoro could have been nicer.
At the same time, Sanji scolded himself for not being more honest with his appreciation. Had he done so, the first mate might not have ended up losing his patience. From the things he said back at the store, he seemed to feel ungratefully used. That couldn't have been further from the case.
Speaking of cases… Sanji glanced down at the contents of the cart. He recalled that Zoro seemed to find it strange that he didn't buy any wine. It was his drink of choice, after all, and a staple in his kitchen. There were quite a few bottles left on board, though. Sanji hadn't been drinking much of it lately, using it only for cooking and pouring the occasional glass for Robin.
The cook couldn't believe that Zoro had even noticed the absence of the drink. Did the fact that he didn't purchase some seem so odd that he felt the need to mention it? 'Obviously so,' he thought.
There had indeed been a couple of unfamiliar labels that caught his eye back at the liquor store. The wine was tempting, but the stronger brands were more important to him at the moment. They were key elements, assets to his ultimate goal.
It was somewhat twisted, underhanded… cowardly. Sanji was aware of all of this, but he refused to be deterred before he hardly even began.
He fixed his eyes on the path ahead, listening to the gentle rattling of the cart. Something in his gut urged him to speak. If he didn't, Sanji knew that Zoro wouldn't. "Thanks… for helping today," he started hesitantly.
There were several agonizing seconds of further silence. "Yeah," the swordsman answered coldly without looking at him.
Sanji hid a wince and cleared his throat. "Yeah…" he echoed softly before continuing. "I know… that you didn't want to… But thanks, anyway."
"Chopper thought it was best," Zoro answered, his voice becoming slightly less hostile.
Sanji blinked. "Chopper?" he questioned, not understanding. The swordsman didn't say anything else, so he was left to deduce his meaning on his own. Then the image of the little doctor tugging Zoro off for a private chat came to mind. Sanji realized with a pang of sadness that that was the reason Zoro agreed to help him with the shopping. It was not because he asked, but because Chopper did. He felt like an idiot for not putting two and two together sooner.
"Why did he think that?" the blonde asked, masking the mild hurt that he felt.
"'Cause you were sick this morning. He thought that you might have been pushing yourself," Zoro said, "He also thought you asking me along was too unusual, that something might be wrong, and he asked me to come with you just to be on the safe side."
Sanji was quiet for a moment. "Unusual, huh?" he said, exhaling deeply. He figured that Zoro was subtly seeking a reason why he was asked along and not one of the others. The moss-head could be kind of clever at times. Sanji just wasn't sure how to explain.
"So why did you ask me, anyway?"
The cook tried not to panic. He wasn't expecting Zoro to just blurt the question out. Then again, he wasn't exactly the type to beat around the bush. Sanji bit the inside of his bottom lip. What could he say?
Zoro looked at his crewmate. He was acting apprehensive. "Was it because of what you said last night?" he asked, "If so, forget it. You were drunk."
Sanji paused. "Wait, what?" he asked, turning to gaze back at Zoro. "I don't- What did I say?"
The other man looked back to the path. "If you don't remember, forget it anyway. It's not really important."
"No way! Tell me! What did I say?" Sanji pressed, feeling a terrified, hopeful, and excited all at the same time.
Zoro growled. "Never mind, okay? I told you it's not important. Forget it!"
"That's bullshit, moss-brain! Don't you think I deserve to know? I was the one who said… whatever I said," the cook argued.
"I think you'd deserve to know if it was worth repeating, and it isn't, so let it go!" Zoro snapped in return.
Huffing angrily, Sanji barely managed to keep from kicking the marimo's head clean off his shoulders. He knew that Zoro probably wouldn't give in, which made this a lost cause. 'Damn it.'
"Fine! Whatever. Not like I give a damn, anyhow," Sanji spat, telling an obvious lie, but he didn't care.
He marched ahead of Zoro, hoping that the idiot would get lost again. There was no such luck this time. They arrived to the small beach where the Mini-Merry was parked not five minutes later. Sanji sighed and opened the cargo hatch. Zoro pushed the cart inside without having to be told to, something that the cook was thankful for. They were about to climb into the boat when…
"Sanji! Zorooooo! Wait up!" called the unmistakable voice of Luffy.
The two turned just in time to see that their captain was hurtling towards them at an amazing speed. The stretchy boy had, more than likely, launched himself from one of the near by trees. Neither had time to dodge before being tackled into the sand. Luffy really needed to stop making entrances like that.
"Hahahahahahaha, I found you guys!" he cackled happily from his position atop his crewmembers. Zoro was sprawled out on his back with over half of his body buried in sand, and Sanji was lying across Zoro. Luffy reclined on Sanji's back.
"Damn… rubber… idiot," Sanji grunted, picturing all the ways he could pummel their halfwit captain into mush. On the bright side, he was no longer upset at Zoro.
It turned out that Nami and the others were headed back to the beach along with Luffy. They had simply gotten left behind when he sprang ahead to pounce on their unsuspecting friends. The flying "Gum-Gum Tackle" left both Zoro and Sanji a little more than upset. Needless to say, Luffy received a knot on the head and a boot to the face when the cook and swordsman recovered.
The group returned to the Sunny with their respective loot in tow. Zoro wheeled the cart of grocery up from the soldier dock and parked it just outside the galley, as it was too wide to fit through the door. Finally, his tour of duty was complete.
The swordsman turned to go, but paused when he noticed Sanji approaching with an unsure expression. He looked like he wanted to say something, or worse, ask for something. Zoro was tempted to make a break for it. The cook probably wanted to bug him about his drunken ramblings again. He groaned, crossed his arms, and waited to be annoyed.
"Oi, Zoro," Sanji began, causing the first mate to raise a curious eyebrow. "Could you… gimme a hand with the crates?" he asked, motioning to the cases of alcohol. He took a cigarette from his pocket and lit up. "It shouldn't take long..." His voice was somewhat pleading.
As much as he wanted to reject the request and walk away, Zoro couldn't bring himself to do so. The cook seemed rather beaten down; defeated, like he was expecting to be told no before he even asked.
"Fine," the swordsman agreed with a sigh. Sanji appeared to be relieved. He nodded to his crewmate and then walked past him. The cook entered the galley and turned on the lights. He also unlocked the pantry and freezer.
Zoro picked up two of the crates and carried them inside the kitchen. Sanji directed him to the pantry. "Anywhere is good. I'll rearrange them later," he instructed. Zoro grunted in acknowledgement.
He sat the boxes down in a vacant spot and then left to get the others. In the meantime, Sanji was making some space inside the central refrigerator for the milk, butter, eggs, breakfast meats, and other perishable items they used everyday.
The alcohol was soon unloaded, but the wagon was far from empty. Zoro huffed and grabbed a few more of the remaining parcels. Sanji stepped out of the walk-in freezer and blinked at the rather surprising sight. "Oh, hey, you don't have to…"
"I got it," Zoro interrupted, hauling an armful of groceries into the pantry. Sanji stared for a moment, but then returned to what he was doing, attempting to ignore the pleasant flutter in his chest.
"Guys? Sanji, Zoro, you in here?" came the voice of Nami several minutes later.
The cook, who was crouched behind the counter, stood up when he heard his name, and Zoro leaned out of the pantry door. "What is it, Nami?" Sanji asked curiously. For once, he left off the overly dramatic and lovey-dovey suffix he always used for her. The navigator didn't seemed to notice, or more than likely, she didn't care.
"I wanted to let you two know that I signed you up for a pool tournament tonight. It's being held in the village at one of the nicer saloons I came across," the redhead explained.
Zoro's eyebrow twitched. "And just why would you do something like that without asking first?" he asked in an irritated tone. "There must be a cash reward."
Nami smiled that same catty smile of hers. "You guessed it. The prize is 300,000 berries. Not bad for a couple rounds of pool, huh?"
"That doesn't explain why you signed us up. Why don't you just win it yourself, miser?" the swordsman asked, scowling all the while.
Zoro expected Sanji to nag about him giving Nami a hard time at any moment, but strangely enough, he said nothing. He simply stood there, observing the exchange with mild interest.
"I did it because it improves our chances of winning, stupid! We're all playing. No matter who wins the money, even if it isn't me, the berries still end up coming home with us!" Nami screeched.
"And by us, you mean you, right?" Zoro asked flatly.
The fiery female growled in exasperation and seconds later, Zoro had a large bump forming in the corner of his forehead. Nami turned to Sanji. Her face became sickeningly sweet. "You'll come and play, won't you?" she asked, flashing the cook her brightest smile.
Sanji seemed oddly torn. Zoro noticed. He didn't know how to respond. His hesitant body language suggested that he didn't want to go. The swordsman found himself hoping that he would decline. However, he could all but see Sanji's resolve crumble when Nami's facial expression turned to disappointment at his silence.
"Of course I'll come and compete! We can go together, right, Nami, dear?" Sanji beamed, willing his voice to become high and eager. He even threw in a half-hearted wiggle. Zoro groaned.
Nami's pout transformed into a satisfied smile. "Sure we can! Thanks, Sanji!" she said happily. She snapped her head in Zoro's direction and sent him a threatening glare. "And I better see your sorry butt there, too."
Zoro glared back. "Whatever." It was the closest thing to an agreement she was going to get.
"Good! It starts in four hours. Try and look presentable, okay?" the girl said before exiting the kitchen.
The swordsman felt a little insulted. "Presentable?" he questioned. "What the hell does she mean by that?" He heard Sanji laugh.
"It means try to look a little less like a bum," said the cook, who grinned as he got back to work behind the counter.
"There is nothing wrong with my clothes," Zoro insisted.
"Oh, trust me, there's plenty wrong with your clothes," the blonde replied.
Zoro scoffed loudly. "What? I suppose I should dress like you?"
Silence followed this question. The cook peeked across the top of the counter and gave his crewmate a quick once-over. A light pink hue spread on his cheeks. His exposed eye widened at this and he crouched down again. "Wouldn't be so bad…" he answered.
It wasn't the response he was expecting, but it was just as ridiculous. Zoro rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right." He murmured this with much sarcasm before going to fetch more items from the cart.
A good thirty minutes passed before the wagon was emptied and all the groceries were put away. Sanji was pleased by the state of things. His kitchen, larder, freezer, and liquor supply were all fully restocked. Speaking of…
He glanced towards Zoro. The swordsman had snagged himself an apple from one of the fruit containers. He was now taking a load off on the sofa, which sat against the east wall of the galley. Sanji watched him for a minute, and then disappeared inside the pantry.
Zoro munched on his apple and gazed out of one of the near by portholes. He could see a few of the others out on the grassy deck. Chopper was rocking leisurely in the swing while flipping through one of his new books. Usopp and Franky were comparing random gizmos excitedly.
He finished his snack and yawned. This had been one of those days when the swordsman hadn't gotten nearly as much rest as he would have liked. He craved a nap, but there was no time. There was an impending pool tournament that he was being forced to attend. Zoro huffed and slouched against the back of the couch, closing his eyes.
It was then that an object was placed gently in his lap. He jumped a little and looked up. There stood Sanji, who averted his gaze as soon as their eyes met. He had given him something.
Zoro looked down at the unknown thing. It turned out to be a container of sake, an expensive brand judging by the make of the bottle and the foreign writing on the label.
"Thanks for… your help," Sanji said, his smoke-roughened voice was soft, but honest. "Thought you'd get a kick out of that." He motioned to the sake.
This was unusual. Zoro had never gotten a present from the cook before. As weird as it was, that didn't make him any less grateful. He picked up his gift and examined it with a considerable amount of mirth. He was eager to taste it.
"Ha, this looks pretty nice, curlybrows," Zoro said, standing up and slipping the bottle into his haramaki. "Thanks," he added, flashing the blonde a crooked smile. It was the one Sanji had only seen, but never received. The cook was a little stunned.
"Uh… Y-Yeah," Sanji stammered, feeling a familiar heat rising to his cheeks. He tried to think of something else to say, but again, his brain had turned to stone.
Zoro strode past the flustered chef and headed for the exit. Sanji slowly turned around to watch him leave. How he wanted to speak up, to call out to him. He balled his hands into fists, frustrated at his own lack of nerve.
The galley door swung open and then closed. Sanji relaxed his hands and sighed, his gaze lowering to the floor. He was alone again.
An hour passed, and the Strawhats were preparing for their second trip to the village. Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp had all bathed and were currently getting dressed inside the men's quarters. Out of the corner of his eye, the cook watched his green-haired crewmate. Zoro was clad only in a pair of dark-wash denim pants as he rummaged through his locker in search of a "presentable" shirt.
"Damn woman… What the hell did she mean?" the swordsman murmured with a frown. Perhaps he should just get Nami and let her pick something for him to wear. Zoro shuddered at the thought and kept looking.
Sanji breathed a sigh and shook his head. He wanted to help, but he didn't want to be too obvious. Glancing around, the cook fixed his tie and then went over to his wardrobe. All of his shirts would be far too small for Zoro, but he had an idea.
He slid all of his suit jackets and dress shirts aside so that he was looking at the very back of his closet. Sanji grinned at what he found. "Oi, marimo. Try this on," he said, taking a garment from its rack and tossing it at Zoro's head.
Zoro pulled the shirt off his face and inspected it with a curious expression. "This yours?" he asked, "Looks too big."
"It's one of Zeff's. Believe it or not, the old geezer used to have a build kinda like yours. He gave me a lot of his old stuff, but I could never fit it," Sanji answered with a shrug, trying to act causal.
The swordsman smirked. "'Cause you were too scrawny?"
Sanji bristled. "Look, do you want the damn shirt or not, moss-head?"
"I'll take it. It's better than what I got," Zoro stated, undoing the buttons. He paused after a moment, seeming to consider something. "Just know that if Nami complains, I'm blaming you."
The cook clicked his tongue. "Yeah, yeah. Hurry up already or you're gonna make us late."
At the other end of the room, Usopp snickered. "You sure you guys weren't married in another life?"
"Shut it, long-nose!" both boys shouted together.
It was early evening by the time the crew ventured back into the city. The sun was long gone, but the sky wasn't completely dark. Everyone had freshened up and donned "spiffier" clothing, nothing fancy, but indeed a step above their usual attire.
Sanji could hardly tear his eyes away from Zoro. The shirt he gave to him turned out to be a perfect fit. It was a two-toned button up. The body was black, but the sleeves and collar were white. Zoro left the two top buttons undone, finding them too constricting. This was just fine, as it worked to give a wonderfully teasing glimpse of his defined chest underneath. Sanji definitely planned to let him keep that shirt. In fact, he could have the rest of Zeff's hand-me-downs if they had the potential to work out as well as this one.
Nami led the group through the square and towards the building where the event was being held. They were minus their doctor this time around. Chopper elected to stay behind and guard the ship. Bars and clubs just weren't his cup of tea. Besides, the alone time would give him a chance to go over more of his new medical books.
"Here it is!" the navigator announced, stopping just outside their destination. The sign that hung above the door read, 'Seven Queens Restaurant and Saloon'. It was a rather nice place, appearing to be a little on the newer side. Loud, lively music was coming from within, and people were all but spilling out of the two swinging doors.
Luffy rushed inside ahead of everyone else. He didn't care about the tournament or the prize money, he was just there to eat. Nami groaned in annoyance and marched in after him. The others followed suit.
After each of them, save for Luffy and Brook, made their attendance known by signing the registry, Franky and Usopp found them all a spacious table to lounge at until the games began. Zoro and Sanji headed towards the bar while the rest of the gang ordered something to eat.
"I'd like a bottle of rice sake," said the swordsman as he slid onto one of the few empty stools.
"Shot of whiskey, please," Sanji chimed in as he sat down next to his crewmate.
"Comin' right up," the large, gruff-looking bartender replied.
The cook turned to gaze at the first mate. "I'm surprised you already want more sake, moss-head. How was the bottle I gave you?"
"I didn't drink it," Zoro replied, shrugging.
"What? Why not?" Sanji questioned.
"It's mine, isn't it? I can do what I like with it," the broader man answered grouchily. "I'm saving it."
Sanji couldn't bring himself to snap back with one of his usual snide remarks. "Oh," was all he could muster. The cook felt much too flattered. Zoro was saving the drink? Did he consider his gift special enough to hold onto? Sanji had no way to know for sure, but that's what he wanted to believe.
"Here ya go. One tall sake and a shot o' whiskey," came the voice of the man behind the bar. He sat their orders down in front of them and then left to take care of his other customers.
Zoro completely ignored the fact that he had been given a glass and began to drink straight from the bottle. Sanji picked up his shot and downed it quickly. He closed his eyes and his nose scrunched up. To him, it was like drinking kerosene. He gave a light cough and wiped his mouth.
"Bartender, can I get another?" the cook rasped, lifting his hand. The gruff man nodded his way.
"Wine not your thing anymore?" Zoro asked, sounding genuinely curious.
"…I haven't been craving it much," Sanji lied, toying with his shot glass while he waited for his refill. He glanced at his crewmate. "I've had… a taste for something different."
"Mm," was the short response Zoro gave as he took another swig from his bottle of sake. He found Sanji's answer to be somewhat cryptic, and that merely intensified his curiosity. However, he didn't think now was the correct time to press the issue.
"Here ya go, mack," said the barkeep as he poured another shot of whiskey into Sanji's glass.
"Thanks," murmured the blonde. He threw his head back and drank this one just as he had done the first. It was a little easier this time.
"Hey! You two!" Nami called from where she the rest of the group sat. Zoro and Sanji both turned to look behind them. "Get over here, we're about to start!"
"Ah, shit," sighed the swordsman, turning back to the bar. He paid the barkeep, grabbed his bottle, and then headed across the large, crowded room. Sanji followed.
The tournament began. The match-ups were one-on-one unless the combatants requested otherwise, and thankfully, playing as a group was allowed. Score was kept by a panel of three judges, one of which who was selected randomly from the spectators.
Over the next two hours, Nami's group managed to clench victories over three other teams. They still had two more to go before the prize money was theirs. The second battle to the last was the trickiest thus far, but the Strawhat crew was able to pull out a narrow win.
Free drinks were served to the players throughout the game. Zoro, Nami, Sanji, and Franky happily accepted them one after the other. They were all raring to go by the time the final round was set to begin.
It turned out that their team of six was playing against another group of six. It was the hardest struggle of all. The cook, swordsman, and shipwright lost their matches straightaway.
Nami, Robin, and Usopp, however, managed to tie things up with their wins. The crowd roared loudly with encouragement for the teams they favored the most. Some people were even placing bets. Luffy and Brook cheered for their friends with as much vigor as they could muster from their seats at the bar.
Each team was to select a member to play the tiebreaker round. The most skilled of the opposing group stepped forward. It took a little longer for the Strawhats, as an argument had broken out between Nami and Usopp. They both wanted to go for the win.
The two ended up letting a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors decide who would tackle the final battle. This was probably the most eager for a "fight" Usopp had ever been. He beat Nami with a clever choice of Rock and cackled triumphantly. The navigator growled and grabbed the long-nosed teen by his collar. She yanked him close, threatening to cut him up and feed him to Sea Kings if he lost.
Usopp, however, was quite confident. He gave Nami a thumbs-up and then went to face his opponent. The navigator wasn't quite as laidback about this as he was. She stepped back to observe, her arms folded and a look of irritation on her face. Nami was already going through her mental list of ways to make Usopp's life miserable for the next month.
Much to her surprise and eternal delight, the young sniper achieved victory with special strategy he had apparently been saving for such a situation. The name of said strategy was way too long and far too laughable to even remember, Nami felt. It wasn't like she cared, anyhow. She was just happy that their group was walking away with 300,000 berries!
A victory party was thrown in honor of the winners. Their group was treated to a free dinner (Luffy took full advantage of this) and unlimited booze for the rest of the night. Zoro headed straight for the bar again. He sighed as he sat down, glad to rest his feet and even happier to have the tournament be over. This had been a long day. The swordsman ordered another bottle of sake, chilled this time.
Sanji soon joined him, requesting some rum over ice. The bartender saw them and grinned. "Back for more, fellas? I can't blame ya. Drink up!"
The two young pirates were served whatever they wanted for the next hour. Sanji, not wanting to get too drunk too fast, had begun to pace himself. He made sure to order mixed drinks or smaller servings with ice to take the edge of the alcohol. The cook noticed Zoro's relaxed posture. He seemed to be feeling his liquor, finally. This was the perfect opportunity to make conversation and get a few things said.
Sanji swiveled around to look over the crowded saloon. His eyes darted from face to face, searching for an unknowing participant. He needed a stranger, preferably one of the saloon staff. There were lots of lovely waitresses. They weren't what Sanji was looking for, however. He wanted…
'Right there!' the cook declared in his mind. He found the one. His eyes were settled on a young man, a waiter. He was about Sanji's age and even had blonde hair, though his was a duller shade. It was also much longer. His facial features were delicate and his eyes were a striking shade of emerald-green. The server was smartly dressed in black pants, a white shirt, and a crimson waistcoat. His body was slender and feminine, but still unmistakably male.
'He's perfect,' Sanji thought as he took a sip from his newest glass of rum. He waited until the young waiter was close enough and beckoned for him, waving a little more frantically than necessary for effect. Sanji was pleased when Zoro glanced towards him. His attention, as well as the waiter's, was successfully grabbed. Quickly, Sanji turned to the barkeep and requested a sweet, fruity drink.
It took just enough time for the waiter to weave through the mass of people and reach them. The drink was served as he came to stand before them. "Good evening. May I help you?" asked the young man, flashing Sanji a polite smile.
"You may," the cook replied, using his most suave tone of voice. He took the waiter's hand, which was soft and well manicured. He kissed it. Sanji was aware that this was a huge gamble. There was a chance the young man would not react well to such a flirtatious gesture from another man. Lucky for him, though, the boy merely gave an amused tilt of his head. Zoro watched the interaction with calm curiosity.
Sanji picked up the brightly colored, tropical beverage, "Do you see that beautiful woman over there?" he asked the waiter, motioning across the room to none other than Robin.
"The one wearing the cowgirl hat?" asked his fellow blonde.
"That's the one. Could you take her this, please? Say that it's from 'Mr. Cook'. She'll know," Sanji explained, passing the curved glass to the waiter.
The young man smiled. "My pleasure… Mr. Cook," he replied before going to deliver the drink.
Sanji chuckled and relaxed in his chair, watching him the entire way. Robin looked surprised when the sweet treat was placed before her. The waiter said something to her and pointed to Sanji. Robin smiled to him before sampling the drink. She nodded a moment later and raised her glass, sending a silent 'thank you'.
A grin spread on Sanji's face and he lifted his own glass. His plan had been executed flawlessly. All that remained was to see how Zoro would react. Sanji turned back around to face the bar and asked for a refill. Beside him, the swordsman chuckled.
"What's so funny?" Sanji asked.
Zoro shrugged his shoulders, a faint smirk on his face. "Just think that you've had a few too many."
"Why? I ain't drunk," the cook defended.
"You sure?" the green-haired man asked, not seeming convinced. "You know that was a guy, right?"
Sanji blinked. "Who was?" he asked, playing dumb.
"The waiter, dumbass!" Zoro barked. "You kissed his hand."
"Oh, him," scoffed the cook. "Yeah, I knew." He picked up his refill and took a casual sip.
Zoro gave the blonde a look of considerable disbelief. This situation didn't make sense. Sanji, notorious womanizer and skirt-chaser extraordinaire, had knowingly kissed the hand of another man? What the hell? He had to be drunk. There was just no other explanation. Well, technically, there was, but what were the odds of that being the reason? Still…
In his mind, Sanji was rather giddy. This was going well. He could feel Zoro staring at him. His eyes were, figuratively, burning a hole into the side of his head. The cook downed the glass of rum and then looked to his crewmate. He put on an annoyed frown. "What?!"
Zoro looked away, shaking his head. "Nothing… Just never seen you flirt with a man before," he answered, taking a swig from his fourth bottle of sake.
Sanji watched the swordsman's face for any signs of disgust or apprehension. "Well, yeah… I guess it's not something I normally do…" he trailed off. The first mate gave a sarcastic huff and Sanji frowned. "What? Does that… bother you or something?"
Zoro shrugged again after a moment. "Not really. It's none of my business," he answered easily. The cook was surprised. Zoro went on. "You just don't come off as someone who swings both ways. With the way you go to pieces over women, I never expected to see you flirting with a guy."
His heart racing, Sanji calculated how to respond. He turned from Zoro and looked down into his empty glass. The honest route seemed to be the best way to go, he thought.
"It's not something… that I've done a lot of," Sanji explained, "But it's something I have sort of been… considering for a while."
"Why the sudden switch?" the swordsman asked, sounding interested.
Sanji swallowed hard. "I dunno… It's stupid," he mumbled, breathing a sigh.
Zoro snickered. "Probably."
The cook chuckled bitterly. "Yeah… It's just…" he started again, "I love the ladies… They're beautiful, and I love to pamper and protect them… They deserve the best, every one of them."
"But?" Zoro pressed.
Sanji sighed once more. "But… There is never… never any mutual interest," he said, speaking softly. "I know it sounds whiney, you don't have to tell me that… I can't help how I feel. I want… I'm ready for some attention, some affection in return, you know? For once…"
Zoro didn't move or speak. He simply watched the blonde in silence. Sanji was a little unnerved by this, but he continued. "So… I thought I'd see what the other side is like…" he said, "An experiment of sorts, I suppose…"
The silence remained. Sanji felt naked after such a confession, and with no response from his crewmate, he began to feel like an idiot to boot. He had told the truth, or a part of it, anyway. Didn't Zoro have anything to say, any opinion to give? Sanji wanted to scream at him. He wanted to run away and hide.
"I thought so."
This statement made Sanji freeze. He looked at Zoro and blinked several times. "You…?" he asked, "You thought what?"
"Part of me always wondered when you'd get tired," Zoro answered, locking eyes the cook. "The stuff you do… It's nice and all... I can tell women like it, but I can also tell how empty it leaves you. It's hard to watch sometimes…" he told him before looking ahead again.
Sanji felt that same pleasant flutter returning. It was stronger than ever. Never had he known that Zoro paid so much attention to him. Attention… One of the things he craved so badly. Heat was collecting in his cheeks and he finally glanced elsewhere as well.
"So… you don't think this is weird?" the young chef asked hesitantly.
Zoro shook his head. "Nah, not if it's what you want. I've never been that hung up on gender, myself," he replied, a distant looking coming to his eyes. "Someone said something to me once, and ever since then… I could care less. Being a woman or being a man… is probably the most 'serious' thing… that matters the least."
Sanji's exposed eye trembled as he stared at his crewmate. "I… I agree…"
At this, Zoro nodded and resumed drinking. Sanji did the same. His confidence and will to press on had been strengthened tremendously. No more words were spoken for quite a while. The silence was back. However, this time, it was different than before. It was comfortable, and filled with a peaceful level of understanding.
End of Chapter Four
BlackRoseVixen05: Hello once again, dear reader! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Sanji is making progress, wouldn't you say? It's slow, but it's still progress! As always, please take a moment and leave a review, if you will! I'd appreciate the feedback and would love to know what you thought ^_^ Thank you! Ja ne!