Finally, chapter 7! I guess I owe an apology for all of you who have been waiting for this chapter, because it took quite a long time for me to finish it. I kept adding and deleting things. ^^' (Princess Darkcloud, I'm sorry it took so long!) But it's done now! Shi shi shi! Thanx a ton for you guys who have been reviewing this fic, you all have been motivating me and helped me conquer my lazy self! Enjoy!

Chapter 7 : A sign to let go

"…uh, what?"

"The kiss. What's it for?"

"Uhh, it's…. an accident. I didn't mean to… I thought you were sleeping and…… Hey! You're FAKING it!"

"Just answer it!"

"Go to hell!! You trapped me you bastard!"

"…Are you scared to answer the question?"

"You're one to talk! What about that fake sleeping thing you just did, huh??!"

"It was not a fake… I did fall asleep until you do those weird motions on my back!"

"That's the way I massage, if you don't like it then give me a big favor of telling me before more of my time and energy are wasted on your stupid back!"

"Then the last part was also your 'version' of massage I suppose."

"It's… I told you, it's an accident!! I wasn't thinking earlier and… suddenly it just… it happened!" The cook saw the other man was still giving him skeptical stare and he sighed in defeat.

"Okay…… I guess I didn't know what else to do… I was jealous, knowing about Nami and you. I think I have… I've fallen for… y-her." The last said part was barely above a whisper and the cook partly hoped that the other man didn't hear it. He desperately wanted to tell him the truth, but he wasn't sure he could cope with the swordsman's reaction. He was cornered and saw there was no other option beside lying.

Long pause. The other man seemed unresponsive either because he didn't catch the whole sentence or he couldn't decide how to react to it.

"…you don't need to be jealous… we are not together. We're just pretending to fool everyone." Slowly, the swordsman finally said.

"What?! What for?" The cook clearly tried to hide his interest from the other man, but it's evident in his face. They're NOT together? Thank God!!! He almost jumped and laughed at the same time.

"… I can't answer that. You should go and ask her."

Something was wrong, although the blonde couldn't read the swordsman's expression for his face was as stoic and unreadable as usual, his voice was different… it has slight trembles in it, as if the man was cold or not feeling well. It sounded weak, quite the opposite of how it used to be. Confused, the cook decided not to push the man with further questions and simply nodded as a reply.

"I have to go." Zoro said and left the upper deck quietly, leaving the blonde alone with only the descending sun to stare at. As Zoro took his leave, the blonde gradually regretted his lie. Why did he lie to him when he was so close into telling him the truth? The only thing the cook wanted to do now was to bang his own head against the ship's mast for letting the opportunity slipped away once he had it in his hands. He should've told him the truth for it could be his only chance to confront his biggest fear yet he didn't dare to take it, fearing what the outcome might be.

Sanji, you're such a useless coward!! The cook spat at himself.

Nami happened to walk out to the lawn deck the minute Zoro stepped out from the aquarium room and their eyes met. "Zoro! How's it going?" She asked excitedly, wanted to know the 'development' of her plan. The green haired man didn't bother to stop; he even fastened his pace through the deck as if he didn't hear her. "It's fine!" He finally answered before climbing to the crow's nest. The confused navigator stopped in her track and watched her crew mate disappeared into the crow's nest.

So the plan didn't work out as she thought it would. She sighed softly and turned her gaze to the upper deck, wondered what had happened before.

Zoro closed the door behind him as soon as he reached the training room and slowly took a seat. The last scene on the upper deck instantly flashed back in front of his weary eyes. The last spoken word sent a huge blow to him. The blonde said he had fallen for their orange haired navigator. He knew Sanji's attraction towards Nami was greater than any other girls since the first time he laid eyes on her and to hear his confession of her wasn't supposed to be this painful as the swordsman had closed his heart for any possibility he had long ago, yet it felt very hard to hear it from the cook just now. Especially to hear those words came out from the very lips which had given him the kiss he had been dreaming ages ago. He couldn't believe he's still holding stupid dream of the cook and him together despite the fact that Sanji would never love him back.

It was just a moment ago when Nami told him that the blonde would give him a massage and he was so nervous he couldn't get his mind into thinking something else afterwards. He wasn't sure of what exactly she was planning to happen but he didn't want Nami to notice his anxiety so he didn't refuse. Besides, it would be a good lesson for the idiot girl-craving cook to show his stupidity of being easily used by women, Nami in particular. What could be worse than having to serve the person he hated under his most beloved girl's request? All Zoro had to do was appeared to be sleeping and enjoyed the time while the cook obeyed his precious Nami-swan and holding curses under his breath. Then the cook kissed him. That idiot cook! Why did he had to go and ruined the swordsman's little fun for the afternoon?! To make things worse, he then confessed his feeling for Nami! The swordsman had never been this pissed his entire life, excluding the time when he heard Kuina's death and the time when he lost from Mihawk. How come he let his guard down and accepted the kiss easily as if it was a real offer of love? How come he embraced the fake hope so easily? How come he became so stupid? He knew the cook would never love him in return but it seemed that his brain didn't want to accept it just yet. But perhaps it'll be different now since he knows what Sanji truly feel. The kiss however, left strong impression on him, creating wave of mixed emotions which ran wild within his head and ruined his self control.

ARGHH!! SHIT!!! Why did that girl-loving idiot had to kiss me??!! That idiot!!

He punched the wall furiously but it wasn't quite relieving because he only used half his strength. Having the entire crow's nest collapsed on his head wasn't seemed like a wise decision. He then began banging his head against the wall out of frustration. IDIOT!! IDIOT!!! He banged and banged his head until he was too dizzy to continue and stopped for a moment. He rested his body on the floor and concentrated on the pain. It helped him suppress the unwanted emotions and he felt more relaxed as slowly he gained back his self control. Tired and nauseous, he then decided to take a rest.

Meanwhile in the kitchen Sanji had almost finished preparing dinner for his crewmates. He also had come to a huge decision after thinking things thoroughly while preparing the dinner as cooking had always helped him seeing and thinking things more clearly. Long had he lived with lies and denials that made him a miserable blind fool but not anymore! He intended to tell Zoro the truth tonight and he won't let his fear got in the way this time. But first he had to make sure everyone's had their dinner. Luffy, as usual had been the first person to enter and get his seat on the dining table closely followed by the others. But one seat was still empty. It was the lazy swordsman as usual so Usopp the sharpshooter volunteered to call him to join them.

"Oi Zoro, dinner's ready." The swordsman heard Usopp called from the deck below. Damn… it's dinner time already. The last thing he wanted to see now was the cook's face. He was rather starved to death than having to see the guy or even to eat his cooking which would only caused another mental attack to his self control. He needed some time alone without Sanji around so he ignored the call. He was about to continue his sleep when the sharpshooter called him louder.

"Zoro, wake up! It's dinner!"

"Shut up and leave me alone!!" He barked from above, unintentionally a bit too rude in his attempt to get rid of Usopp. He was aware of it, but too angry and tired to apologize at the moment.

"Okay okay, no need to be rude man! Geez, if you want to be left alone just say so… " The sharpshooter said, grumbling along his way back to the kitchen.

Back in the galley…

"Your dinner, ladies." The familiar phrase was heard as the cook served the first dishes to Nami who thanked him with a smile and Robin.

"You look more enthusiastic than usual, Cook-san." Robin said.

"It must've been your beautiful presence tonight that has lightened me up, mademoiselle!" He sang while dancing in circle of pink hearts. The others were just sitting on their seats; some rolled their eyes while waiting impatiently for the cook who was still fawning over the girls.

"Maa… Sanji, quick give me my food! I'm hungryyyy!!!" The captain protested while banging his palms on the table to demonstrate his frustration.

"Be quiet! You must wait until I finish serving the ladies or you'll get none!" As Sanji began to serve the others their plates, Usopp walked in to the galley and joined the others on the dining table.

"Zoro isn't joining us?" Chopper asked Usopp who was sitting across his seat. The sharpshooter shook his head as a reply.

"He isn't sick is he?" The little reindeer asked again with his small worried voice.

"Nah, he's just being a jerk right now, he's probably upset over something. You better stay away from him for a while." Usopp said to the small reindeer.

"Huuuh? He doesn't want his dinner? Great! Then I can have double dinner!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly but instantly being smacked by Nami who sat next to him on the dining table. "Ouch, what's that for?!"

"Never seen the swordsman bro this pissed before." Franky commented with mouth full of food.

"He must've been so angry to not wanting his dinner!" Luffy said again. "Okay! I'll make sure no one get their hands on his plate!"

"You're the only one who put your hands on it!!!!" Everyone yelled at the straw hat in unison.

"Heeey, it's not fair!! I was just trying to move it somewhere safe!" Luffy whined. A moment later the conversation shifted to other things and the dinner continued quite as usual, except for Sanji. He was wondering if Zoro was angry because of him. It might be the kiss that bothered him, he thought. The cook could only hope that the swordsman wasn't avoiding him right now because of it, although he couldn't quite tell why it bothered him so much. He seemed like a cool person who didn't easily being affected by such thing. At least, that was the cook thought. Well, whatever it was, he will need to figure it out before moving on with his plan.

Dinner's over and everyone resumed their previous activities. Luffy however, was still in the galley with the cook, he's having a hard time struggling with his inner devil. He wanted what's in Zoro's plate for himself, but he had promised to keep it for his first mate. It was almost an impossible battle for the food-driven captain, but he finally conquered his greedy-evil side and decided to give it to the swordsman. A promise to his friends is more important than his hungry stomach, he thought, and so he intended to keep it.

"Hey Luffy, where are you going?" Sanji heard Nami asked the boy on his way to the deck.

"To the training room, of course. I wanna bring Zoro his dinner." Came the reply.

"Whaa!! I couldn't believe you're actually keeping it for him!" Usopp shouted in frustration.

"Haha! Usopp, you owe me twenty belis!" Franky exclaimed.

"Oh, crap!"

"Luffy, since I'm going to climb up for my night watch turn, why don't you let me take it to him." Nami interrupted.

"Uuh… fine then, but don't eat it on your way up, okay?"

"Like I would!" Nami barked at the boy.

Sanji left the galley and waited for a while until there's no one on the deck and then he climbed up carefully to the training room. The cook regarded eavesdropping as a low shameless act, but he made an exception just this once because he needed to know what was happening. He took a spot right below the training room's door and followed the conversation carefully.

"I told you, it's nothing!" Zoro said with his gruff heavy voice.

"If nothing went wrong then why are you quitting? I thought we had a deal!"

"I know, but it didn't work! We thought we fooled them, but in the end we're only fooling ourselves."

"…What happened, Zoro?"

"He's in love with… someone else."

"…what?…"

"I've known it since the beginning and I thought I've thrown this feeling away a long time ago but I was only fooling myself. It was still there and I realize I can't control it or make it stop until there's a sign that shows I should stop. And so it appeared; he said he had his heart for someone else. It's time for me to let go and move on with my life."

"…Zoro, I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be. It's the best way for me and the cook. Honestly, I'm quite relieved it's finally over."

Thanx for reading and see you in the next chapter!