Chapter six: Night song
"Oi, cook, wake up." Zoro began to shake Sanji a little to wake him up from his deep sleep. In Zoro's eyes the blonde asleep was the most adorable thing he has ever seen. One of the cook's silky blonde locks of hair fell over his eye. Without even hesitating the green haired man knelt down and brushed the strand of hair away and tucked it behind the cook's ear. Zoro smiled and looked the blonde up and down. How he wished he could jump in bed beside Sanji and forget about everything.
The cook, noticing the warmth of Zoro's hand; slowly fluttered his eyes open. To his surprise the swordsman was right in front of him; faces inches apart. Although the sight shocked him, Sanji was really happy that the first thing he saw after he awoke was the shitty swordsman with a glimmer in his eyes. He tried to hide his smile, but it was no use. He'd just end up biting his lip and blushing.
"Good morning, cook!" Zoro exclaimed, "What's for breakfast? Even if they are only 2 other people on the ship, you're still the cook!"
"WHAT, it's morning already?!" Sanji leapt out of bed and sprinted out onto the main deck towards the kitchen. Sanji began to wonder why the sky was becoming different colours such as red, pink, orange and purple. The sun rise was lighter colours not shades of red!
"GODDAMMIT MARIMO, I SWEAR… You almost gave me a heart attack!" Sanji realized the shitty swordsman was kidding and went back to the girl's room to kick some sense into him.
"Look who caught on" The green haired man taunted and winked at the cook and walked towards the kitchen. "I mean…I know it isn't breakfast but I am kind of hungry, could you make me something?" The swordsman was genuinely hungry. The three of them had slept for over 4 hours! Chopper was still in bed, he wasn't going to get up anytime soon.
"Yeah sure marimo, what do ya want?"
"Surprise me!"
Sanji laughed "Alriight…But you better eat it!"
"Of course cook, nothing you make is bad…" Zoro realized what he had just said and began to blush. For some reason he didn't feel the need to hold back his feelings around that blonde anymore. There was just something about the cook's eyes and how they sparkled against the moonlight, there was something about his laugh and how it could brighten up Zoro's day. It was those small things that Zoro loved about Sanji. He loved his compassion and his determination. However there was one thing that Zoro hated, it was how Sanji accepted how Nami and Robin treated him! Every day he dreams of how it would be if the blonde was like that with him. Zoro would treat Sanji like the king he deserves to be.
Stunned by Zoro's compliment, Sanji just laughed it off and continued to think of what to serve the marimo. He couldn't serve him rice balls again! What else does that marimo like other than rice balls and sake? Sweets? Does that marimo like sweets?
"So, cook…" Zoro started and cut himself off. He wanted to ask the cook a question but he had no idea what to ask him! He wanted to know every little thing about that blonde, but how does one ask that..?
"Yeah, marimo, what is it?" The cook was curious as to what the swordsman was going to say. "Come on; just say it, shitty swordsman."
"Eh… I just wanted to know if you could tell me some more about yourself…" Zoro stammered and turned away feeling warmth appear on his cheeks.
"Oh? Why, marimo?" Sanji smiled with his back to the swordsman. He wanted to see how much he could get out of that shitty marimo before answering.
With a sigh Zoro replied "I just want to know more about you cook! All I know is you want to find the all blue, raised by an infamous pirate, nearly starved and will feed anyone no matter what. Oh and you're woman crazy."
Taken aback by Zoro's last comment, Sanji felt a little insulted but no matter how you phrase it, what Zoro said was true but he'd never admit that. "I'm not woman crazy, marimo. I just respect them."
"Well same thing…" murmured the swordsman under his breath. "Could you tell me how you feel about Luffy and becoming the pirate king?" Zoro felt he should start the conversation lightly.
"Well where can I begin with Luffy?" Sanji smiled and laughed. He heard the swordsman laugh as well. He never caught the green haired swordsman laugh much. His laugh was deep and cheerful. Sanji wished he could see this side of the swordsman more often.
"I have complete confidence that we will be the crew of the Pirate King! Luffy is full of confidence and his will-power is insane. I mean hell, look at how he made Franky join his crew! He ran through town with his pants!" The two men laughed.
Zoro continued with "Do you know how I joined his…Er…Crew?"
"No…But you were the first one to join so I have wondered how he managed to get you to join him…I mean who in the right mind would join a 17 year old with the dream of becoming the Pirate King." Sanji teased. He looked back towards the swordsman and stuck his tongue out at him. Zoro rolled his eyes at the blonde and continued his story.
"I was reluctant at first, believe me cook. I was in a somewhat sticky situation though. I hadn't eaten in 3 weeks, tied up at a marine base and Luffy came storming in with the wild idea I would want to join a pirate crew, despite the fact I was known as a "pirate hunter". However Luffy saved my life. He and I beat a crazy marine captain and escaped on a fishing boat. So it was either be killed or become a pirate. And that's pretty much how I joined this crew…"
"Damn…Luffy sure does get what he wants when it comes to nakama eh?" Sanji laughed as he put the vanilla cake in the oven.
"Mhhmm… We've come a long way, huh cook?" Zoro looked at the cook as he sat down across from him.
"Yeah, it's been crazy! I have no regrets!" Sanji was so happy he could really express his feelings with someone. Although Zoro was the last person he'd ever think he'd have this conversation with.
"So what did ya make, cook?" Zoro's eyes lit up with excitement. His stomach was rumbling for some food!
"Do you like sweets?" Sanji asked curiously, raising one curly eyebrow.
"Hell yeah I do, question! Is there sake..?"
"Sure if you want marimo! Although I'm not sure how vanilla cake and sake will taste together…" Sanji smiled. He didn't know why, but every time Zoro called him "question" it made him feel special. It was probably because no one understood that nickname, "question". Although for Sanji it was pretty easy to comprehend.
"Everything tastes better with sake. What did you learn from Zeff?!" Zoro laughed a little as he teased Sanji.
"Oi, oi, oi, there marimo! Want cake or not?" Sanji taunted the green haired man. He got up to check on the cake. "I would say about 5 more minutes until it's ready"
"Sounds good… So cook, tell me about your life before becoming a pirate! Did you spend your whole life on the Baratie..?" Zoro was curious about the curly eyebrow man's life before joining this crazy pirate crew! Above all, he wanted to know if Sanji was ever in a relationship.
"You could say I spent most of my non-pirate life on the Baratie. I was pretty young when I met Zeff; the Baratie is pretty much all I remember from my past. I don't miss it as much as I thought though! I can do all the cooking I want here. It's fun to make so much food for our captain with an endless stomach." Sanji was so happy he joined this pirate crew. He felt he was never really LIVING until he met Luffy. Every day was an adventure!
"So you pretty much lived with Zeff on the Baratie your whole life..?" Zoro asked, he wondered if Sanji ever left the Baratie to the near islands and met any women…
"Pretty much, marimo. Although occasionally I'd go to the nearest island to buy supplies and some fresh produce. That damn old man; one day I brought an eggplant back other than some damn celery or something and he never forgot it! That nickname stuck for years…" The blonde sighed and went to take out the cake. The aroma of vanilla filled the room. Sanji could tell he had done a good job with the cake. He knew the swordsman would love it! He felt somewhat nervous serving the green haired man; with all his heart, he wanted Zoro to enjoy his dessert!
Mouth half filled with cake, Zoro chewed out "Oh cook, dis cake ish sho good! Mmm!"
The blonde felt pink cover his cheeks. He was proud of his work! "Oh well, I'm glad marimo…" Is all the cook could choke out. He took his seat across from Zoro once again. The two men were enjoying the cake; silence filled the kitchen.
Sanji decided to break the silence "So marimo, now you tell me about your life before joining Luffy!"
"Oh well…" Zoro swallowed the last bit of cake in his mouth and continued "I left my village in search for Hawk-Eyes, but I guess you already know that…" The green haired man began to blush. Sanji didn't want to know that! He wanted to know what his life was really like before he became a pirate! "My life pretty much consisted of hoping on pirate ships, killing the captain or whoever had a bounty, giving them into the Marines and eating…"
"Well that seems like a fabulous life…" His voice filled with sarcasm, Sanji took another bite of cake hoping the swordsman would continue.
Zoro chuckled "It worked for me, cook. When I met Johnny and Yosaku we formed a team. They were really the only people who wanted something to do with me during that time. The only thing I cared about was finding Mihawk." Zoro laughed a little and got up for some more cake.
The blonde couldn't believe how much the swordsman opened up to him just then. He began to wonder if he was ever in a relationship before! He probably was I mean look at him!
"Did the great marimo swordsman ever have a girl in his life?" Sanji taunted and winked at Zoro as he sat down. He sounded as if he was kidding but the blonde really wasn't. He wanted to know.
"Oh cook, getting a little personal there aren't we?" Zoro snickered at Sanji's embarrassed face. "Cook, I was kidding! There was this one girl though…" Zoro's bright mood dimed a little with the thought of Kuina.
"Oh…Sorry to bring up bad memories or…" Sanji cut himself off. He wasn't sure what to say about this. He felt terrible for making Zoro feel bad.
"Oh not like we dated or anything, cook! We were childhood friends; my sword Wado was once hers. When she died I vowed to become the greatest swordsman in the world; it was a promise."
"Oooh…" Sanji now understood. "I'm still sorry though marimo."
"Don't worry about it. Now tell me, any woman in your life blondie?" Zoro winked at the cook. He saw the blonde begin to blush at Zoro's new found nickname.
"Oi…" Damn that marimo. He always has new nicknames for him! Why can't he make the green haired man blush at a new nickname?
"Anyways, no there isn't, lost boy." Sanji smiled at his new nickname for the swordsman. He saw the marimo blush as he continued "I believe all women should feel special. So I do my best to do so! Sounds silly, but that's how I was raised."
The moonlight cut through the kitchen. The two men looked outside. It was night time already! They had been talking since sunset. And to their surprise, they were getting along!
"It alllll makes sense now…" Zoro acted as if he had just had an epiphany.
"Oi shut up, marimo!" Sanji laughed and kicked Zoro in the shin from under the table. Zoro rolled his eyes; they were beginning to feel heavy. Sanji then yawned and looked at the green haired man's eyes. He was beginning to see how sleepy that man was.
"Marimo, I'll take the night watch alright?"
"You don't have too…" Zoro's eyes gently fluttered closed, a few moments later the man fell asleep on the table with his arms as a pillow.
Sanji smiled at how innocent the green haired man was when he slept. He even liked the little puddle of drool forming on the table. Sanji then whispered goodnight to the swordsman and climbed the rope up to the crow's nest. Struggling to not fall asleep, he began to think about everything the marimo told him tonight.
They learnt a lot about each other in that kitchen. It comforted Sanji how easily the swordsman opened up to him. The cook felt pretty open with the marimo as well. Sanji then realized something, something that allowed the cook to stay awake all night. Was he bisexual? I mean, he found woman attractive yet, he also found Zoro attractive. He'd never thought about this before! The thing is he didn't find any other man attractive other than Zoro!
As the sun rose, Sanji had figured it out. He was… Zoro-sexual.