A/N: Here there be smut. ;)

"Scarlet Fever"

Chapter 7: Surrender

Carmilla's hand stroked his arm, a pleased smile on her face as she sat next to Sanji on the blanket. They were on a vast hill overlooking a picturesque valley strewn with tall trees, the setting sun providing ample light. A picnic basket sat to the side, half its offerings already tore into and consumed.

"It's been too long," she said softly, leaning her head against Sanji's for a moment. "I missed our little chats."

While Sanji felt the same, the composed picture of normality that had been summoned by Carmilla's mind was made all the more jarring by its ethereal nature. "If I'd had my way, I would've been in contact sooner."

"I'm here now, that's all that matters." Carmilla straightened, coming to sit in front of Sanji. While she looked downright striking, he couldn't help but notice an air of uncertainty about her. "What can I help you with this time?"

Sanji wondered if something had happened to Carmilla recently to make her question her position in life. He didn't want to distress her so said nothing, letting her make the decision on whether or not to tell him.

"I…" The words stuck in his throat, Sanji having to clear it. "Changed shape the other day." Despite having gone through it firsthand, he still couldn't really believe it had happened.

Delight lit up Carmilla's eyes, briefly clapping her hands together. "How did you find the experience?"

Sanji shook his head. "Painful as hell until Zoro donated some of his blood to help me along."

Carmilla's mouth turned downward. "Like anything else you do with your body, movement consumes energy. That's especially true of shapeshifting."

"But the price to do it…"

Leaning forward, Carmilla touched Sanji's cheek. "Unfortunately, blood is the coin of our realm. There is little use fighting that fact." Her hand dropped. "If Zoro was keeping you sufficiently fed, shapeshifting would have been seamless. As natural as breathing."

At that, Sanji frowned. "It's not his fault," he explained, surprised at how quick he was to defend Zoro. "During my last feeding with him, I scared myself…and him by going too far. The rush of it all overwhelmed me."

Carmilla looked patient and understanding as she nodded. "Practice makes perfect in this regard. If I may suggest something?"

"What?" She'd never steered him wrong before.

"If possible, focus on seduction before moving onto feeding. The more you concentrate on satisfying the other person, the less concerned you'll be about your own hunger." She held up a hand when Sanji opened his mouth to speak. "I know it's a delicate balance to strike, but with Zoro as your only donor, unless you begin to supplement your diet with other people, it's a basic necessity."

Sanji considered their encounter in the crow's nest a few weeks ago, having to admit that it had been an enjoyable time. The way he'd reacted to some things, the expressions Zoro had shown…

"Sanji." He blinked, refocusing on Carmilla who seemed vaguely distracted. "Do you like Zoro?"

In the comfort of his own head, Sanji had admitted as much. Saying it out loud, even in a dream was a different story. His throat went dry. "I do."

Something passed through Carmilla's features too quickly to read, the woman quickly smiling at him. "Then you should have no problem following my advice, should you?"

She stood, stretching out her arms. "That'll have to do it for now, you're beginning to drift away from me." Carmilla's curvy form was growing hazy, a cloud of fog slowly rolling into the landscape around them.

Starting as Carmilla's hand brushed his chest, fingers about as solid as smoke, Sanji found himself grinning as she pressed forward, kissing him lightly, only the weight of her mouth solid against him.

While the taste of her lips was sweet, the sensation was similar to touching smoke, oddly heavy, but whisper-thin.

"Another time, Sanji-kun."

Sanji was a grade-A idiot.

This information wasn't new to Zoro, but the cook had reached new levels of late. As if Zoro was operating under some secretive mission to confound Sanji at every turn with his behavior. There was no such conspiracy.

There was a void that needed to be filled and that was that. It wasn't like providing blood for Sanji was that hard. The only annoying thing was having to deal with his obstinate nature. That and not having the ability to provide any answers about his condition.

Zoro wished he could smack the one who'd turned Sanji a good one. There were a lot of things he was conflicted about, and it wasn't easy watching Sanji figure it out on his own. Zoro had tried to help as much as he could, but there was little else he could do.

Keeping on an eye on Sanji had become second nature. If he ever truly lost control, Zoro could be the only thing to stop him. Whether that meant spilling more blood or using his sword remained to be seen.

Which is why when Sanji lingered near the back of the group, quieter than normal, Zoro knew there was something wrong with him. More so than usual.

They'd disembarked on a small summer island in the middle of a heatwave, the sun overhead beating down upon them relentlessly, making Zoro sweat despite wearing appropriate clothing. The long winding forest path to the main part of town offered little relief in terms of cover.

Sanji suddenly fell to the ground, the crew stopping right away, most of them inquiring what was wrong, looking on in alarm as they neared Sanji.

"Does he need meat?" Luffy asked, worried in his own way.

Usopp hit his shoulder. "That's the last thing he needs, idiot."

Chopper immediately raced to Sanji, quickly running through the usual examination steps. Sanji's face was flushed, seeming out of breath as he sat awkwardly on the ground. The lack of apparent sweat on him in the hot humid weather was troubling to say the least.

"What's wrong?"

"Mild case of heatstroke," Chopper confirmed, his grip loosening around Sanji's arm where he'd been taking his pulse. "He needs to get under some shade and rehydrate." The reindeer shifted into human form, going to pick Sanji up. Chopper was understandably confused when Sanji recoiled from his touch, looking at Zoro who was standing off to the side of the path by himself.

A flash of unnaturally darkened eyes, marking Sanji as other, came and went quickly, Sanji keeping his head down afterwards. The sight sent a chill down Zoro's spine. It was no wonder he was resisting going with the others if his self-control was spotty.

Feeling bad about stealing Chopper's thunder, Zoro quickly stepped in, hauling Sanji's arm over his shoulders. "I'll take him back to the ship. You guys go on ahead."

"You sure?"

Zoro nodded. "Just cool him down, right?"

"Make him take a cold shower too if his high temperature doesn't go down as well," Chopper advised, fidgeting, clearly reluctant to leave Sanji in Zoro's care. Too worried about his fellow crewmate.

"Aye, aye, Doc."

As his friends continued onward down on the trail, talking amongst themselves, swiftly disappearing from sight, Zoro looked over at Sanji in concern. "Is it just heatstroke?" he asked, beginning to walk them back the way they had come.

Sanji sighed. "The sun is bugging me a bit, but…no, it's not."

He'd thought so. Since the incident in the storage room, Sanji had kept his distance from him. At first, Zoro had thought it was just because Sanji had taken more blood than usual and didn't need to feed for a while, but after a whole week had passed with nothing more happening between them, Zoro figured Sanji was avoiding the issue.

It was stupid as hell and had Sanji written all over it.

"Freakin' idiot," Zoro snarled, glad to see Sunny docked ahead of them. "Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?"

Sanji chuckled underneath his breath. "If that's not the pot calling the kettle…black." His head rocked back as he momentarily passed out. Zoro moved faster, anxiety clutching at him. Chopper was counting on him after all.

"Cook?" Sanji stirred, his eyes unfocused for a moment. "Stay with me here."

He groaned. "Trying, but my head's killing me."

"Hey, tell me how annoying I am," Zoro goaded, scowling when Sanji's eyelids fluttered closed again, going completely slack in his grip. "Dammit, Blondie. Why didn't you tell me you were this bad?"

Throwing caution out the window, Zoro tossed Sanji over one shoulder in a fireman's lift. He boarded the ship, heading straight for the bathroom. After dumping Sanji in the tub, Zoro pulled off his clothes, barely looking at the skin that was revealed.

Turning on the showerhead on the coldest setting, the water rushed out, shortly soaking Sanji from head to toe. He'd thought that would have been enough to rouse him, but though Sanji's chest rose steadily, still a little too fast, he just laid there. A hint of fang showed on his lower lip.

If cooling off wasn't working, maybe something that flowed in Zoro's veins would. His brow narrowing in determination, he turned to the medicine cabinet resting on the wall over the sink. The razors were exactly where he remembered.

"This better work."

Zoro grabbed a razor and crouched next to the tub, holding one hand over the lower part of Sanji's face. Slicing the underside of his thumb, wincing at the stinging pain, Zoro let the blood drip freely, angling it so it dropped into Sanji's mouth and onto his lips. He hadn't cut too deep, the bleeding slowing after a few minutes.

At first, Sanji was motionless, then his tongue moved across his lips, swallowing hard. His eyes shot open as he sat up in the tub, seeming surprised at where he was. He briefly touched his forehead, staring at Zoro, gasping out, "Fuck me."

"I doubt you'd be up for that," he replied smoothly, crouching by the tub. Zoro reached out and smoothed Sanji's hair back, careful to avoid brushing his injured thumb before dropping his hand, the cook's eyes were still far too dark for Zoro's taste. Sanji was still shaking slightly.

"Feeling better?" His face wasn't as red as before and Sanji's breathing had visibly quieted. "Less dizzy anyway. My head's still a throbbing mess. Hard to think past it," Sanji mumbled, sitting back against the tub wall.

Zoro rolled up one sleeve, offering his arm without comment. Even after a few months of this, Sanji still hated relying on him as a food source. Had Zoro been in his shoes, maybe he'd feel the same, but you could only fight the inevitable for so long.

Sanji's eyes landed on him with laser focus before doubt and worry crept into them. "You sure? Last time, I…"

The thought was enough to clench Zoro's stomach. The way they'd both surrendered, how goddamn good it had been despite the danger involved. He swallowed, pushing back the memory with effort.

"I'm to blame too," Zoro admitted softly. "Don't think you can hog it all." The last thing he wanted was for Sanji to feel bad about it.

Sanji smiled. "Good to know," he said, pushing Zoro's arm away. "Not right now, okay?" Unsure of exactly how long Sanji should stay under the cold water to recover, Zoro left Sanji alone for a few minutes to go to the kitchen and get some ice water.

Upon returning, he shoved one glass at Sanji until he started drinking it, quickly draining it. Zoro gave him another one, glad to see Sanji's frame finally stop shaking. Taking a deep breath, he went to stand up, Zoro having to steady Sanji by the elbow when his knees trembled.

"Don't push yourself."

"I'm fine," Sanji said, stepping over the edge of the tub, standing on his own. "See?" He took the towel Zoro handed him, weaving it around his waist. "It's not as bad as it was before."

Wondering if Sanji's recuperative powers were to blame for his fast recovery, Zoro silently watched him turn the shower off. Sanji's gaze went to the hand he'd cut himself on, softening a touch as he scented the air. He slowly grabbed Zoro's injured hand, bringing it to his mouth.

Zoro's eye twitched shut at the sensation of the Sanji's tongue against his thumb, staying longer than needed, the faintest edge of pleasure brushing along his nerves. He bit his lower lip, deliberating whether or not to take action. The growing mischievous expression on Sanji's face said he was thinking along the same lines.

Figuring Sanji would tell him if he went too far, Zoro closed the short distance between them, replacing his thumb with his mouth. Sanji was cool to the touch, his skin wet as it slid against Zoro's own. He knew the moment one of Sanji's fangs scratched his tongue, the brief spot of blood causing Sanji to clutch at Zoro's sleeve, moaning lightly.

He was sure if Sanji had his eyes open, they'd have darkened yet again. Zoro's hands started to roam downward towards the towel resting on Sanji's waist. He groaned into Sanji's mouth as the cook curved his tongue, stroking the underside of his playfully.

The heat that clutched his lower stomach and below was enough motivation to rip the towel away, confirming Sanji was having a very good time himself. Zoro let Sanji undo the front of his shorts while he moved onto Sanji's neck, digging in his teeth on the right side, slowly increasing the pressure.

It was as if Zoro hit Sanji with an electric current. He shuddered underneath him, movements becoming frenzied as a rumbling growl slipping from Sanji's lips. There was a loud ripping noise, Zoro's shorts and boxers falling to the floor, a large rip running down the length of them.

Wasting no time now that they were free of clothes, Zoro let go of Sanji's neck as he moved them to the edge of the tub, getting some much-needed leverage on his part.

Sweat beaded on Sanji's forehead, his crewmate breathing unsteadily. Not much better, Zoro lowered his hands, clutching Sanji's cock, relishing in the catch in his voice as Sanji bit off, "Shit."

Sanji grabbed Zoro gently, causing him to grunt in surprise and satisfaction. "You…too," Sanji said softly. It became a game to see who'd break first, Zoro trying his hardest, drawing on a few experiences in the past where he'd proven he didn't give a damn what type of body someone possessed.

At a particularly hearty squeeze on Sanji's part, Zoro's eyes crossed and he had to take a step back, almost stumbling due to his weak knees.

"Giving up?" Sanji questioned teasingly as he raised an eyebrow.

Zoro narrowed his brow. "Not at all." He turned away from Sanji and went back to the medicine cabinet. His eyes caught on a small container of moisturizer, taking the time to make sure mineral oil was the main ingredient. If Sanji wanted to play like that, Zoro was going to test him.

Sanji looked skeptical as Zoro came back to him, eyeing the container in his hand before shrugging, all but giving Zoro permission to proceed. He put his hands on Zoro's shoulders, leaving him plenty of room to work.

Zoro worked the thick cream onto the fingers of one hand with a smile, using his other one to grasp Sanji's cock. In no time, Sanji was panting, thoroughly distracted.

Going slowly, Zoro probed Sanji's backside, the cook jumping as Zoro's fingers touched him. "That's cold."

"Sorry," Zoro muttered, starting with one digit, which he worked in with effort, Sanji still too tense to relax. As casual as he might try to appear on the outside, Sanji's body was more honest about the situation.

Not too much longer and…Sanji gasped, his fingers digging fiercely into Zoro's arms, starting to pant in earnest. "Holy shit."

Wanting to see that reaction again, Zoro shifted his fingers, adding one more, this time far easier since Sanji had loosened up some. The cook moaned, a fine tremble wracking his frame that had nothing to do with heatstroke.

"You…know what you're doing?"

Though it'd been a while, Zoro nodded, proving his point as he redoubled his efforts, the wanton look on Sanji's face as he grunted almost enough to set Zoro off. He forced himself to slow down.

Sanji took a deep breath. "I'm not sure I want to know."

"Misspent youth," Zoro replied, realizing that that didn't explain much. If Sanji was really curious, he could always ask later.

Sanji suddenly gripped his shoulders hard, Zoro leaning forward a bit in unease. "You doing all right?" He'd made a fast recovery, but Zoro didn't want to push him too hard.

His breath uneven, Sanji nodded. "Better…this way. If I go straight for the jugular, things go bad."

Well, that was a matter of opinion, but Zoro let it go, preferring to focus on what was really important. "So you want to be dominated then?"

Sanji laughed. "You wish, asshole." His light-heartened expression turned serious as he met Zoro's gaze, something of a nervous energy about Sanji, which since he was usually so infuriatingly confident, was rare. "If we time it right, I can bite you just as you, uh…"

"Come in?" Zoro's mind boggled at the suggestion, yet his body gave as a resounding yes as a surge of arousal hit him straight in the gut. "Yeah, let's do that." Talk about an understatement.

He wasted no time slipping more of the cream onto himself, having to hold Sanji back from helping because Zoro was too worked up and one wrong move would spell disaster.

Zoro pressed close to Sanji, positioning himself as Sanji's mouth settled onto his shoulder, the delicate sting of fangs making Zoro's breath stutter in anticipation. That Sanji was even letting him do this was amazing.

"Now," Sanji whispered, his grip tightening on Zoro's back.

Zoro slid inward, feeling barely any resistance as Sanji bit down, the hot tightness combined with the wave of bliss that descended upon Zoro nearly unraveling his careful control.

When Sanji brought his legs up, locking them behind Zoro's legs and pulled him closer, sucking in earnest, Zoro slammed his eyes shut, willing himself to last as long as he could.

It was awkward at first, Zoro slow to move, both because he didn't want to overwhelm Sanji and because even standing still felt damned good.

He finally drew back, Sanji giving a long moan when Zoro gradually came forward again, his fingers pressing into Zoro's skin hard. Fire burned along Zoro's nerves, seeming to extend to his whole body, coherent thought hard to come by.

It was beyond any of his expectations, perfect in its own way, which is why it couldn't last.

Zoro's hips bucked once, his voice raspy with effort as he asked, "Had enough?"

Sanji's head rose from Zoro's shoulder, a smudge of blood on one corner of his mouth. "I'm good."

"Thank god." Zoro retreated, then slammed forward with the last of his energy, Sanji crying out near his ear, fingernails raking his back, Sanji's body pulsing around Zoro from within, pulling him into his own climax.

Zoro nearly blacked out, clutching Sanji close, his breathing high as his mind went blank from the pleasure. They were both sweaty messes when his awareness returned, the strength in Zoro's legs threatening to give out.

Before it could, Zoro kissed Sanji, the copper taste of blood hitting his tongue along with a sweetness that was Sanji's own. For his part, Sanji, most of his vitality returned to him by Zoro's donation, responded in kind, keeping the kiss mostly chaste.

Breaking away from Sanji's mouth, Zoro grinned. "How's that for quality patient care?"

For a second, Sanji stared at him, then smiled, beginning to laugh. "Your bedside manner needs some work, but not bad, Marimo. Not bad at all."

To Be Continued…