It was past lights out by the time Sanji and Usopp finally made it back to their barracks. Despite Sanji's near brush with death, it was important for them to correct the problem with the lights. After they'd given Sanji some time to recover (time he needed; after the whole event sunk in, he couldn't stop his limbs from shaking) they'd moved on to the next room.
In addition to the problem with the lights, there was still the routine checks and maintenance work to be done. They also had to work together to pull the fallen piece of walk way up from the planting soil and move it to some place where Franky could retrieve it later. Thankfully he assured them he wouldn't be repairing the broken walkway that night.
Moving the sheet of metal had been slightly disturbing to Sanji. He tried very hard not to imagine what he might have looked like if he'd ended up underneath it. The poor plants that had been growing where it landed were obliterated, stalks and leaves broken, twisted, and scattered. There was no hope for saving them.
Sanji pictured himself in their place. Broken, twisted and beyond saving. He shuddered and his jaw clenched in disgust. Why was he even thinking about it? He was here, alive, working with three others to lift the heavy sheet of metal. The pain in his strained arm was enough of a reminder that he was alive and well, but the haunting visions of what could have been continued to harass him.
He tried his best to keep his expression a calm neutral. He didn't want the others to think he was a coward or making a big deal out of nothing. He obviously wasn't doing very well, however, and he could feel Zoro's scrutinizing gaze on him. He chose to ignore it, following Franky's directions with an unnecessary amount of focus.
Zoro himself was another issue here. Though Sanji had sworn to hate the guy and felt very justified in this distrust of the strange man, it had been Zoro that had saved him. He could have easily let Sanji fall to his death. It was thanks to the man's quick reflexes that he'd been saved, had Zoro hesitated even a second Sanji would be as mangled and lifeless as the dead plants that were now behind him.
Surely a man who would reach out to save someone without a moment's hesitation couldn't be evil. That showed a value for human life. And the fact that he'd reached out to save Sanji, who had never been especially friendly or even somewhat polite to him meant that despite whatever he may think of Sanji, he didn't have the desire to see him dead.
And that, frankly, stumped Sanji more than a little bit.
What was he supposed to think about Zoro now? He thought of the moment before the walkway had given in, the moment when he and Zoro were on the verge of a fight. He could still remember the tension between them; it was surprisingly not the tension he'd expected. There was the tension of a fight, a definite exchange of blows, but there was something playful about it. It was like the wrestling matches he and Usopp had gotten into as kids, before they grew and Sanji's long legs put him at too much of an advantage for Usopp to want to play anymore. It was tense, but exciting; playful and exhilarating the way only a fight between friends can be.
Truth be told, it was in that moment, before Zoro had even reached out to save him, that Sanji's opinion of the man had begun to sway. It just took a collapsing walkway to make the scales tip entirely. He couldn't hate Zoro, not after that, and he probably owed it to the man to trust him – just a little bit.
He could still feel Zoro's stare on him as they finally made it to a place where they could set the platform piece down. With the heavy sheet of metal out of their hands, Sanji finally returned Zoro's stare with one of his own.
"What?" He snapped. Despite the fact that he owed Zoro his life, he couldn't help the antagonistic tone he took with the man.
Zoro's brows furrowed just slightly in irritation and his gaze flicked momentarily towards Franky and Usopp. The two were busy discussing what they would do to get the heavy platform piece back up to the walkway in order to repair it and they weren't paying any attention to the two and, having decided it was safe to do so, Zoro spoke.
"Are you okay?"
Three words Sanji didn't know what to make of. He was offended that the marimo though he was so weak. Of course he was okay! He wasn't a child!
And yet…
Sanji cast another look at the torn soil and ruined plants. He was fine, not injured and not on the verge of some kind of melt down…but he was a little bothered by it. After all, he doubted many people recovered so quickly from a brush with death. He wasn't weak, but he wasn't invincibly strong either.
"It's normal to feel that way," Zoro said to him. Sanji had a panicked moment where he thought the green-haired man could read his mind before he realized Zoro had only followed his gaze and made a scarily accurate assumption.
"Moments like that tend to hang in your mind for a while, fill you with 'what ifs', and haunt your dreams while you sleep," Zoro continued, looking back to Sanji.
"How would you know?" Sanji asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. He had no real reason to be suspicious. In fact, he'd just sworn to himself he'd show a little more trust in Zoro, but it was a habit at this point.
Instead of answering, Zoro only chuckled. "My advice is: don't think about it. You didn't die, you're still alive, so don't let it kill you."
Sanji puffed up defensively, his face reddening slightly and his hands clenching into fists as he prepared to unload a tidal wave of shouting and 'mind your own businesses' onto Zoro. He took a deep breath, ready to burst…and let it go.
"Yeah," Sanji sighed. "You're right, thanks."
Zoro only nodded and the two of them fell silent after that. Sanji was grateful to end the conversation, glad that Zoro seemed to be able to read him well enough to know that Sanji wanted nothing more than to let it go. In fact, after his brief conversation with Zoro, Sanji found himself wanting to take that advice. He wanted to forget about the incident and move on like it hadn't happened.
Usopp made that harder, standing protectively by Sanji everywhere they went after that, never straying too far, even if he was supposed to be helping Franky. It made Sanji a little claustrophobic and Sanji actually found himself almost wishing he were alone with the shitty marimo because at least Zoro kept his distance and didn't stare up at him with big, worried brown eyes.
"Usopp, I'm fine," Sanji gently reminded his friend.
"I know you are!" Usopp replied, looking a little surprised by Sanji's reassurance. He probably didn't even realize he was doing it. Maybe he was caught in the same mental replay Sanji was; supplying a different, less fortunate ending to the event, just the way Sanji had.
Sanji was grateful when Franky finally pronounced them finished. He was looking forward to nothing more than a good night's sleep to put everything behind them. He was sure tomorrow Usopp would be back to normal, and after a day in the kitchen Zeff would surely beat the memory out of him as well.
Together the four men finally made their way back to their sleeping quarters. Franky broke off from the group first, in desperate need of a shower. He bid them goodnight, heading up the tunnel that led to the bathhouse. The other three made their way down the tunnel most of the common barracks were located in. Sanji was surprised to see Zoro still following behind them. He'd never thought about where the strange man might have slept.
For a moment, Sanji's suspicions rose again. He hadn't heard a word about a newcomer from anyone, and surely it would make gossip if you had a stranger with green hair staying in your barracks, right? Which set of barracks was Zoro staying in? Where did the man sleep?
He reminded himself to trust Zoro and let the stupid issues rest. There was no basis for his suspicions, they were pointless. He needed to learn to stop jumping to conclusions just because the guy was a little different. He was a stranger, but that didn't mean he was an enemy.
When Sanji and Usopp reached the doorway to their barracks, they waved Zoro a silent goodbye. Usopp immediately ducked into the room, climbing into his bunk and letting out a relieved sigh. Sanji felt the same pull; craving the feel of his simple mattress beneath him for as long as he would be able to sleep, but first he had something he needed to do.
He turned back to the marimo, finding the man a ways down the hall already. Sanji could only barely make out the shine of his three golden earrings in the dimmed lighting, but it was enough to chase the man down by.
"Zoro!" Sanji hissed, chasing after the disappearing figure. He kept his voice down, shouting in the echoing tunnel way that connected several of the barracks together after lights out was asking for heaps of trouble. "Wait up!"
Zoro paused, turning curiously. He gave the cook following after him a quizzical look, but Sanji held off answering until he was close enough to be heard without having to shout.
Sanji reached the other man, slowing his steps and stopping in front of him. The words he'd been practicing in his mind since earlier that evening seemed painfully hard to get out. They sounded awkward and unfitting now that Sanji was ready to finally speak them.
"I…um...well…" Sanji started lamely, making gestures with his hands as if that might coax the words out.
"What is it, Cook?" Zoro asked impatiently. "I don't have all night."
The irritation sparked by those words was enough to push the words past Sanji's lips without a second thought.
"I was going to ask if you wanted to meet Usopp and me for breakfast tomorrow, asshole, but if you're going to be so rude about it…" Sanji growled.
"Why would I want to have breakfast with you anyway?" Zoro asked, raising an eyebrow and folding his arms over his chest.
"Why?" Sanji sputtered. "Because I invited you, you shitty moss! You don't have to be so ungrateful! It's not like I really wanted to eat with you anyway! You'd make the food taste bad!"
"Good," Zoro spat. "Then I'll meet you tomorrow."
"You – !" Sanji started, but his argument fizzled out. "You-you'll what?"
"I'll meet you tomorrow, for breakfast," Zoro shrugged, letting his arms drop and turning away again. "Anything to spoil your meal," He added with a cocky smirk before continuing up the hallway once again.
Sanji stood where he'd been left behind, staring after Zoro in confusion. What an…absolutely confusing bastard. Sanji shook his head, clearing away his confusion to be able to say one more thing.
"Zoro!" He called quietly.
Once more the other man stopped and turned to face him.
"Thank you!" He said before turning and heading into this barrack. A good enough token of thanks, he thought.
As Sanji lay in his bed that night, just before the tendrils of sleep consumed his senses entirely, he caught himself thinking that Zoro was irritating, obnoxious, rude, and suspicious…and yet somehow undeniably interesting.
"Uh, Sanji," Usopp frowned, watching the steadily growing line for breakfast. "Shouldn't we line up soon?"
It wasn't the first time Usopp had asked the question, and Sanji felt his limited patience slip.
"I told you, we're waiting!" Sanji snapped.
"Right," Usopp nodded in agreement. "But…for what?"
Sanji hadn't bothered to tell Usopp that they were waiting for a certain green-haired idiot. Mostly because he was embarrassed to admit that he'd been the one to invite Zoro after all of the fits he'd thrown over the other man. It was pointless to keep it a secret, it wasn't like Usopp wouldn't realize what they were waiting for when Zoro finally showed up.
…if the bastard showed up.
Sanji sighed, glancing once more at the line. It had gotten quite long in the time they had been standing here. If they didn't go now, they might lose their chance at breakfast altogether. He cast one more look around the atrium, hoping to catch a splotch of green among the crowd. There was nothing though, and Sanji couldn't help but feel the slightest bit pissed off that the marimo couldn't join them for breakfast after just agreeing to.
"Let's get in line," Sanji said in defeat, moving towards the end of the queue.
Usopp followed, and Sanji could feel the inquisitive look the younger man was giving him. He chose to ignore it. He didn't want to explain, the whole thing was even more embarrassing now that Zoro had stood them up. Not that it should matter. They weren't exactly friends but…
Despite the length of the line, they made it with plenty of time to spare. Sanji ushered them into a couple of seats by the door, once again to Usopp's confusion. They were close to the remains of the line here; a dangerous location because of bored eavesdroppers and not the kind of place Sanji and Usopp would usually sit. In fact it was a place they would try to avoid.
However, the doors to the mess hall hadn't closed yet, and a few stragglers were still filing in. There was a chance the moss-head might be among them. Perhaps he overslept after being kept out late last night, Sanji reasoned. From their spot by the door, he and Usopp would be easily seen should Zoro make it in time to join them.
Since they'd seated themselves in such a risky place, they kept their conversation restricted to work related things. Neither of them mentioned the accident from yesterday, but felt it was safe to discuss the repairs Franky and Usopp would be making to the sprinkler system in growing room three later in the week. They also safely stayed away from the topic of a possible food shortage but discussed a new recipe Zeff had taught Sanji last month.
"Hey, do you want to go to the library during lunch again?" Usopp offered. "Not to…" He trailed off, shooting a cautious glance around but left the sentence unfinished. Sanji knew what he meant anyway.
"Just to visit Nami," Usopp continued. "I'm sure she'd like to see us."
"I'd really like to see her," Sanji sighed dreamily. For a moment he lost himself in fantasy and was only pulled from it by the feel of Usopp's unamused stare.
"Yes," Sanji replied. "We should go to the library during lunch."
"Great!" Usopp smiled before digging into the remainder of his breakfast with renewed vigor.
Sanji remained fairly alert and on the lookout for anything green and mossy looking, but breakfast came to an end without a single sighting of the rude bastard. Sanji was angry, though he knew he had no right to be. Zoro didn't owe him anything, after all, and it wasn't like Sanji had ever been particularly kind or welcoming. He didn't have any right to feel angry with Zoro for turning down his invitation, really.
Sanji entered the kitchen, feeling worn out and tired. His shoulder still twinged with pain if he moved it wrong, he was tired from his late night of work, and this whole business with Zoro had him in a foul mood. He shot Patty and Carne a glare that silenced them both before they could start on their usual harassment. Zeff seemed to notice his bad mood but didn't make a comment, instead he simply gestured to a pile of meat that would need to be trimmed and sliced into small chunks. Sanji picked up a knife and started to work.
He let the usual loud and raucous noise of the kitchen wash over him. It was soothing, in its own way; familiar and comfortable. The people in the kitchen were trustworthy, and though they were obnoxious, they were good people in general. He didn't feel the need to watch his back here, and it helped to calm his frazzled mind exponentially.
The slight hush that settled over the kitchen for a moment, however, was not a part of Sanji's familiar kitchen atmosphere, and since he was currently so focused on the sounds of his surroundings, the silence was particularly alarming.
He spun, trying to find out what had caused the silence in the back half of his current safe haven. His eyes fell on the figure in the doorway. Its shape was out of place in his familiar kitchen environment but not unfamiliar.
"I…" Zoro trailed off, seeming to notice that several pairs of eyes had landed on him and that conversation had ended in his presence. "I missed breakfast," He finished.
For a moment, no one who was currently staring at the man moved or spoke. At least not until Zeff finally turned around, wiping his hands off on a towel and fixing Zoro with a look that made Sanji flinch automatically.
"You've got a bad habit of missing meals," The head chef stated, staring Zoro down and daring him to disagree.
Zoro scratched the back of his neck, looking rather uncomfortable under Zeff's glare. Once again, this was the Zoro that Sanji didn't have the privilege of knowing. Instead he got stubborn ass Zoro, and he wondered if they were really the same person.
"I know," Zoro replied. "It's not intentional, I kinda…got lost."
Sanji looked closely at the man in front of them. He did look a little worse for the wear. He was still in yesterday's clothing, from the black bandana tied securely over his strange green hair to the slightly stained shirt he'd ruined while helping Franky lift something greasy and dirty. Not only were his clothes ragged, but the man himself looked like he hadn't slept properly that night at all. There were dark circles under his bloodshot golden eyes. He looked terrible, and Sanji found himself forgetting his anger at the guy for the moment.
"He worked with us last night," Sanji said to Zeff. "We were out late, he probably didn't get much sleep."
Sanji walked closer to the man before turning to face the head chef again. "Come on, old man, what's a little food going to make a difference."
Zeff looked at him with something that was almost astonishment for a moment before his usual scowl settled back onto his face.
"And what about the vegetables I told you to talk to Franky about?" Zeff asked.
Sanji hesitated, and he could see the same look of realization in Zoro's eyes. When Zeff learned the truth there was no way he was going to let Zoro have any food. Still, Sanji couldn't lie to Zeff either. That was a dangerous lie to tell, one that would put the whole colony at risk. With an apologetic glance to Zoro he answered.
"There was an issue in the lighting system," Sanji said. "Franky and Usopp say the younger crops should be okay, but for a little while things will be a little…short."
There was a collective murmur from the other cooks in the kitchen, but Sanji ignored them. Zeff was the only one whose opinion in this case mattered to Sanji. If the old man showed any hint of doubt or panic, Sanji would know to panic too.
Zeff didn't panic though. He nodded once in solemn acknowledgement and looked back at Zoro.
"Sorry kid," He spoke, and he did sound genuinely apologetic. "I'm going to have to be more conservative with food for a while. That means no table scraps to people who can't show up on time for meals."
"I understand," Zoro nodded respectfully before turning to leave.
"Wait!" Sanji called after him, stopping him from leaving, before looking back to Zeff. "He can have my food."
Once again the old man looked surprised by Sanji's behavior, but he didn't show it for more than a moment.
"You already ate your breakfast," He growled impatiently, turning back to his station.
"He can have my lunch then!" Sanji reasoned.
Zeff paused, looking at Sanji thoughtfully for a moment.
"I'll skip lunch, and he can have my food now," Sanji explained now that he had the old man's attention. "Someone's still missing a meal, and no food is getting wasted, so it's an even trade, right, old man?"
Zeff's scowl deepened. "If you're serious, you're promising not to touch any food over lunch. Not even Usopp's."
"Of course," Sanji scoffed. "That kid's skinny enough as is."
"I mean it, brat," Zeff snapped. "If I find out you so much as touched food over lunch-"
"I got it!" Sanji frowned. "I won't touch any food at all. Now can we feed the lost marimo and get back to work?"
Zeff continued to glare at Sanji for another moment before giving him one sharp nod and returning to his work. With the matter settled by their head chef, the other cooks returned to work as well, only pausing to shoot curious looks at the younger pair by the door.
Sanji took that as his cue to gather some food for Zoro, which he set about doing right away, scrapping together some leftovers to make a satisfying meal.
"You don't have to do that," The green-haired man frowned, looking down at the plate of food Sanji was throwing together.
"Shut up," Sanji replied, handing the plate over to the marimo when he was finished. "Now go into your corner and eat and regrow or whatever it is mossy life forms like you do," Sanji pointed to the crevice Zoro had stayed in the day before.
Zoro glared at him, but the glare was softened slightly by the true gratitude displayed in those golden eyes. He followed Sanji's orders, pushing aside one of the racks and disappearing into the small space. Sanji watched him go before he moved back to his station and went back to work.
By lunch Zoro was napping against the wall again. Sanji's leg kicked out, bumping against the green-haired idiot's knee. He stared, even more surprised this time then the last time he'd tried this method of waking the moss up. The last time Zoro had come close to catching his foot and easily avoided Sanji's foot with lightning fast reflexes. This time, Sanji's foot landed squarely against the marimo's knee cap.
Sanji would have assumed Zoro had been too deeply asleep to properly dodge him this time, but the look Zoro was giving him through one cracked eyelid was alert and aware the way only someone awake could be. Zoro had known he was coming, he just hadn't bothered to move this time.
It wasn't only Zoro's behavior that surprised him, it was his own too. Last time he'd swung at Zoro hard, his leg aiming to cause damage to the other man. This time his kick had been much lighter. Zoro was right not to waste the time dodging it, it was hardly harmful. It was almost…playful in a way. A kick with no actual intention to hurt, only to gauge the other's reaction to it maybe.
Zoro peeked up at him thoughtfully for a moment before yawning widely and stretching his arms up above his head. After a showy display of waking up, Zoro scratched his chest and looked up at Sanji again.
"Is it lunch time?" He asked.
"Once again, you'd slept most of the day away, shitty marimo brains," Sanji told him. He refused to dwell on the fact that it was strange Zoro had nowhere better to be. He'd given up on those kinds of questions.
Zoro yawned again and stood. He looked better now. His clothes were still messy, even more creased and worn looking now than before, but he looked more rested and less like someone suffering from sleep deprivation.
"Let's go," Sanji turned, leading the marimo out of his hidden corner and towards the door. "Unless you were planning to avoid us for another meal," Sanji added, throwing a glare over his shoulder.
"I told you, I got lost," Zoro frowned.
Sanji scoffed and opened his mouth to make a comment about the man's lack of basic directional skills when he was cut off by another voice.
"Eggplant," Zeff called from behind him.
Sanji looked back curiously, turning when he saw Zeff some ways behind him standing with his arms folded across his chest and a look in his eyes that suggested Sanji had done something wrong.
"What do you want, shitty old man?" Sanji frowned.
"You're not going to get any food," Zeff reminded him. "We agreed on that."
Sanji's frown deepened. "I know that, you shitty geezer! What, do you want to make Zoro and Usopp wait so you can lecture me about things I know?"
Zeff continued to stare at him, burning a hole through him with his piercing blue eyes. Sanji stared back with equal intensity, and there was a long stretch of tense silence between them.
Finally, Zeff broke their staring contest to look at Zoro. "If he so much as nibbles on a bread roll, I want you to let me know."
Zoro looked from Zeff to Sanji and back and wore a facial expression that suggested he'd really rather not get into the middle of it. However, Zeff was now fixing him with the same heavy stare he'd been giving Sanji, and the silent reminder that Zeff was the one truly in charge of feeding him seemed to hang heavily in the air.
"What?!" Sanji cried, breaking the silence. "You don't trust me, but you're going to trust him?" He pointed to Zoro. "The moron who couldn't even find his way to breakfast this morning?!" He spun, making his way to the door again, determined to ignore the old chef. Usopp was probably waiting for him, he didn't have time to argue with a senior citizen.
"You shitty old man!" Sanji called out last time before heading through the door and out to the mess hall. He could hear the clack of footsteps some ways behind him and figured that Zoro must be following him but slower than the angry pace Sanji had set. Not that Sanji cared at the moment, he had bigger things to worry about than some traitorous marimo who was going to spy on him for the old man.
Sanji didn't need the supervision. He was good on his word, and he'd meant it when he'd agreed to trade his lunch for Zoro's breakfast that morning. He wasn't the kind of man that made promises lightly. The colony was crawling with people like that, always ready to take advantage, making promises they never intended to keep. He refused to be one of them. He always kept his word, and the old man had known him long enough that he should have known that.
That was why Sanji was so upset. It wasn't because of Zoro or because of his lack of food. It was because his old man should have known him better, and the lack of trust Zeff was showing in him today stung him deep. He'd always looked up to the shitty geezer, but it seemed the shitty geezer still looked down on him.
Sanji let the remainder of his anger rest as he approached Usopp. There was no sense in pouring his bad mood off onto his friend.
"Hey Sanji, Zoro!" Usopp greeted, seemingly just as happy to see the green haired moron as he was to see his best friend. Usopp had taken to the stranger fairly easily, much to Sanji's dismay.
"Hey, Usopp," Sanji greeted with a soft smile. "Let's get in line, okay?"
Usopp agreed and together the three of them lined up. Sanji knew he had to play things off right in this situation. If he didn't he'd be forced to go back on his word, and there was no way he would allow that to happen.
Sanji patiently waited in the line with the other two, making light conversation with Usopp and occasionally throwing a question or two Zoro's way to allow him to be included. Of course the idiot very rarely had any valuable input to add, but that didn't stop Sanji from trying.
When they were only a couple of people away from the food tables, Sanji suddenly turned to Usopp, one hand resting uneasily on his stomach as he spoke.
"You know, it looks like the mess hall is filling up pretty quickly. Why don't I go snag us some seats while the two of you get your meals?" Sanji offered, edging himself carefully out of line. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Zoro roll his eyes at his poor act, but Sanji ignored him, focusing instead on Usopp's concerned features.
"But Sanji…"Usopp's frown deepened. "If you leave the line, how are you going to get food?"
Sanji patted his shoulder in assurance. The hand that was resting against his stomach rubbed it gently as he spoke in a quieted voice.
"Zeff had me sampling new recipes all morning, I couldn't possibly eat another bite," He told the younger man.
Usopp's frown never faded, and it was clear his concerns had not waned in the slightest, but he nodded and allowed Sanji to slip away to find them a seat.
The mess hall wasn't even half full, another obvious untruth in Sanji's lie, but it was simpler than explaining the whole thing to Usopp. He found them seats quite easily, quiet and fairly private just the way he and Usopp preferred. He sat, ready to defend three seats from any others who would try to take them.
Fortunately it wasn't long before Zoro and Usopp joined him, both sitting across the table from him. Their trays of food wafted the smell of chicken in some sort of preserved tomato sauce. Sanji subtly sniffed the air. Of all the days to miss out on a meal, it had to be the one when something appetizing and fresh was being served. If Sanji didn't know any better, he would have sworn the old man had planned it that way.
Unfortunately, he wasn't being as subtle in his observation of the food as he had thought, and once again Usopp's face frowned with worry. The poorly timed growl of his stomach didn't help in any either.
"Here," Usopp said, plucking his roll from his tray and placing it in front of Sanji. At the moment, even the wafted fragrance of the tough bread they ate with every meal sounded appetizing, but Sanji couldn't dwell on that.
"No thanks, Usopp," Sanji smiled easily, handing the roll back to his friend. "I told you, I'm full, I really don't want anything."
"You're obviously not," Usopp fixed him with a flat look, proving he knew Sanji better than Sanji would usually give him credit for. He wasn't buying the lies in the slightest. "At least eat the bread. It isn't much, so even if you're full you should be able to stomach it."
"No, really," Sanji urged, sliding the bread back to his friend. "I don't need it."
"Sanji!" Usopp frowned, placing the bread in front of Sanji once more. "Just eat it! You'll need some energy to prepare dinner, right?"
"And what about you?" Sanji asked, pushing the bread back. It was stopped in the middle of the table by Usopp's hand.
"You're a scrawny little bean pole," Sanji continued, struggling against Usopp's forceful hand. "You need food if you want to grow up into a big guy like Franky."
"One roll isn't going to— Hey!" Usopp cried out as a warm, bronzed hand reached in between them and snatched the roll off the table. "That's mine!"
Zoro paused with the bread half way to his mouth, frowning back at Usopp. "Then eat it," He said, tossing the roll back to the younger man. "Obviously the shit cook doesn't want it. I'd be careful though, with his shitty cooking, it might be poisoned."
Sanji bristled at the insult but held his tongue since technically Zoro was on his side for this one.
Usopp looked at the roll in his hands thoughtfully before biting into it. "Hah!" He declared as he chewed. "It's not poisoned! Sanji's way too good a cook for that."
Sanji beamed at the younger man in spite of himself. Ah, Usopp, ever a faithful friend, standing faithfully by Sanji's side whenever he was –
"The chicken on the other hand I'd be careful with," Usopp snorted, earning himself a hard kick in the shin.
They finished their meals quickly, still hoping to make it to the library in time to visit Nami for a little while. Zoro seemed reluctant to go when they explained where and why they were going, but with some not so delicate coaxing, Usopp managed to convince him to come along.
"Nami's really not so bad. You guys got off on the wrong foot but she and I did too, and we're really close now," Usopp explained with a cheerful smile. Visiting Nami always put him in the best mood.
Sanji caught himself sharing a look with Zoro. The memory of their first meeting was still fresh in both their minds it seemed, and it surely would be in Nami's as well. Sanji knew for a fact Nami and Usopp hadn't gotten off to that rough of a start. He resisted the urge to mention this to Usopp though. The younger man's high spirits were contagious, and there was no harm in letting the guy think positively.
The library was mostly empty when they arrived, as it was usually during the lunch hour. Today Nami sat alone at the desk, flipping the pages of a book at steady intervals. She looked bored with her reading, and Sanji was more than happy to provide her with any entertainment she might need while he could.
"Nami-swan!" He cooed, rushing forward to greet the delicate flower where she sat, ready to shower her in praise. Behind him he could hear Zoro scoff, but he chose to ignore the obnoxious brute.
"Stop shouting in the library," Nami chastised, finishing her page before even bothering to look up. When she did, her eyes barely landed on Sanji before they flicked to Zoro. "And what the hell is he doing back here?"
"Ah, Nami, my dearest," Sanji started to explain before Usopp cut him off.
"We invited him!"
Nami's eyes narrowed, flicking over to Usopp long enough to make the poor guy flinch before returning to Zoro. "I thought we banned him."
"Actually, Nami-swan," Sanji wavered slightly under her glare. "No one was banned that day. And Zoro isn't so bad so..."
"He saved Sanji's life!" Usopp added, much to Sanji's chagrin.
Nami looked at Sanji for confirmation, and with a heavy sigh he nodded.
"It's true," Sanji admitted. "He's really not so bad, we just had a bad start."
Nami eyed Zoro like she was looking at something particularly distasteful but said no more about his presence.
"So why are you here?" She asked instead. Judging by the steady look she was giving Sanji, she was daring him to say what she thought he would say. She may have accepted that Zoro was going to be with them today, but there was no way she was letting him into the back room.
"Do we need a reason to come visit you?"
The line was suave, something he himself might have delivered, and Sanji was impressed with Usopp's courage. He backed up slightly, letting Usopp move forward and converse with Nami. He moved back to stand by Zoro, who had his arms folded across his chest and was looking slightly uncomfortable.
Usopp and Nami began to talk, her angry scowl brightening into a much more cheerful look as Usopp described to her the tale of Sanji's near death experience and Zoro's valiant rescue, aided by Usopp's quick thinking and cunning. Neither Sanji nor Zoro bothered to correct the young man in his lies, they simply left him to tell his own (slightly fabricated) version of the tale.
"Did you want to…look through books or something?" Sanji asked Zoro. It wasn't that he looked forward to alone time with the stoic moss head, but he felt a little invasive standing so near Usopp and Nami at the moment.
Zoro frowned at him in confusion but followed Sanji's lead when he guided him away. They wandered down between the rows of shelves, occasionally passing by other visitors to the library, none of which paid them any real attention. The nice part about the library was, even if Sanji was forced to stay in the main portion, he was left alone. Most people came to the library for the purpose of getting away from the rest of the colony, if only for a little bit, either in their imaginations or just to enjoy a few moments of quiet. Because of this, almost no one disturbed anyone else in the library, and everyone was left to their own devices without interruption.
"So what do you like to read, Marimo?" Sanji asked curiously, keeping his voice low so to not disturb the other patrons.
"I don't," Zoro answered simply.
"Hmm," Sanji hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe you can't read?" There was a pause in which Zoro neglected to reply to Sanji's comment, and Sanji supplied his own response. "You really can't? What do they teach you where you grew up? Even I can read, idiot-moss," Sanji snorted.
"I can read!" Zoro snapped, his pride getting the better of him. "I just don't like to. It's a waste of time."
"Keep your voice down," Sanji reminded him. He led them into a further corner of the library, one where there was likely to be less people. "You were here just the other day," Sanji continued when he was sure it was more private. "The library is a strange place to be when you don't like to read."
"I wasn't looking for books," Zoro scowled.
"No, maps. I remember," Sanji nodded, turning to face the other man properly. "Maps of the surface."
Zoro looked warily down at Sanji, and Sanji knew he'd been right.
"Why did you want them?" Sanji asked curiously.
He wasn't entirely sure what to make of Zoro yet. He didn't know if he could entirely trust the man. He was curious about him, and yet he wasn't able to learn anything new about him. He didn't really like the guy, but he seemed drawn to him as well. Zoro was a mystery he couldn't make sense of, but wanted to keep trying at all the same.
It occurred to him that if Zoro wanted maps of the surface, they probably weren't all that different. They probably both shared an interest in what the surface was like. They probably had similar dreams or wishes. He didn't know much about Zoro, but he hadn't really allowed Zoro to learn much about him either.
"Why do you want to know?" Zoro asked suspiciously.
"Ah," Sanji hesitated. He could confess, but that was risky. If Zoro wasn't trustworthy, the truth could go very badly for Sanji. However, if he and Zoro really were similar…maybe this could be his opportunity to find some common ground. He just needed to decide what to do…
"Uh, well…" Sanji took a deep breath and made his choice. "I'm really interested in the surface too. We're not supposed to talk about it, but I found a few books that mentioned it," He left off the details of exactly where he found these books. If he was going to get into trouble for this, he wanted to leave Nami and Usopp out of it.
"I really like the ocean," Sanji continued. "I mean, there's a lot about the surface that's probably really important, but the ocean always catches my attention. It's huge! And there's so much unknown about it. And it's beautiful. I've never seen a picture of it that wasn't beautiful…" Sanji trailed off, the smile that had been growing on his face fading into something wistful. "You know…if we can ever get out of here, I'd really like to see it. That's my dream," Sanji paused to laugh. "It's pretty impossible though."
Throughout his whole monologue Zoro only watched him. His eyes widened slightly for a moment before settling into his usual passive expression. Or, it was almost entirely passive, his eyes were still alight with interest, studying Sanji with new focus.
"Why are you telling me this?" Zoro asked curiously.
"You're the same right? That's why you want the maps. You think about the surface a lot too, right?" Sanji asked.
Zoro looked surprised, which Sanji took to be a confirmation that his suspicions were correct.
"It's not a popular topic, and we could get in trouble for talking too much about it, but it's nice to hear that someone thinks the same things, right?"
Zoro continued to look him over with those golden eyes. They shined even in the dimmer lights of the library, and they were sharp and focused. Curious. Like he was trying to solve the same puzzle in Sanji that Sanji had been trying to solve in Zoro.
There was a long stretch of silence between them, and Sanji waited patiently to hear Zoro's reply. Finally the green-haired man gave a heavy sigh.
"Sanji," He called.
It was the first time Sanji could ever remember the other man using his name, and he turned his full attention to Zoro.
The green-haired man looked him in the eye, seeming to weigh a decision, much like Sanji had just done earlier. Sanji knew the moment Zoro had reached his decision. There was a tightening in his jaw and a gleam of determination in his eyes.
"I'm not interested in the surface the same way you are," Zoro said.
Sanji could almost feel the crushing disappointment; disappointment in himself for misjudging Zoro, and, in an odd way, disappointment in Zoro for not meeting his expectations.
He froze when Zoro continued his sentence.
"…because I'm from the surface."