Author Note: Eh, what the hell. Yall are bein so nice to me. I'll go ahead and post the next chapter.

Enjoy~

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Chapter 7

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The early morning sun had yet to infiltrate the solitary window of the small room, but a single blue bird had decided to perch on the open sill. There it sat, contentedly warbling its morning song to whatever would listen. The shrill notes made the lax features of a certain swordsman twitch uneasily.

The longer the bird continued to sing, the more pronounced the twitch became. Soon it looked something akin to a sharp pain on every high pitched note. "Fuckin bird... Gonna chop off its head..." he mumbled sleepily before burying his face deeper into the strange silky strands that felt cool against his skin.

"Wrong bird."

The unexpected voice made Zoro frown faintly. Wrong bird? What could that possibly mean? In fact, who had even said it? His mind was still too deep within the clutches of sleep to really care about anything. He took a deep breath and gave a slight groan at the pleasing scent that came from the softness his face was pressed against. For a moment he could have sworn he heard a deep chuckle, but he ignored it when his pillow shook for some unknown reason.

"Fuckin pillows... Stop moving.." he grunted, tightening his grip around the unusually long and firm pillow pressed against him.

"Oi, I thought you were my pillow."

The random statement had Zoro scowling in annoyance. "How the fuck can I be a pillow's pillow?" he growled pointedly. He even wrapped his arms around the rebellious pillow as tight as he could and threw a leg over something that felt a bit too hard and pointed to be a pillow. "Shitty cheap hotel pillows..."

"Hey! I don't mind being called a pillow, but I am not cheap! Idiot Marimo..."

If the indignant words hadn't been enough to wake him, the teeth he felt sinking into his arm certainly did the trick. "Ow!" He jerked his arm away from the unpleasant sensation within the same instant his eyes snapped open. He was confused when all he could see was a curtain of corn silk. However that confusion quickly turned into a wide eyed shock when he noticed the bandage that was wrapped around a now very familiar head.

Now that he recognized the blonde head, it took him a moment longer to realize the very... Intimate position he was now in with the owner of said head. Rather, the fact that he was literally wrapped around a long and lean frame with what felt like nothing separating their equally bare skin. "What... The Fuck... Is going on..?" Zoro managed to get out before he went bitch crazy on the blonde he was nearly smothering anyway.

Another snickering laugh shook Sanji as he snuggled back into the slightly sweaty body behind him. "Nothing much. Just getting mauled by a giant Marimo leech that seems intent on eating me whole. I haven't even been seasoned properly." he teased, more than enjoying the awkward situation.

Zoro was instantly thrown off from his rising anger. The cook was liking this? Why were they even this close to one another? It was then that the familiar headache that followed a long night of drinking descended on his now alert mind. "Fuck..."

"No, we haven't gotten that far yet. Not for a lack of trying, mind you, but I am a gentleman." Sanji stated in his most dapper tone. He wished with a passion that he could see the idiot's face. "However you were grinding into me pretty hard at one point. Got my hopes up, you tease."

If Zoro's face were any hotter he was certain his head would have exploded into a fiery inferno of pure unadulterated humiliation. He simply couldn't process how he was even in this position, or why the perverted cook seemed to be enjoying it. What was worse was how could he really focus on his anger over the situation when HE was the one latched onto the simpering cook in a very compromising position? 'Okay... Just.. Just calm down.. There's gotta be a reasonable explanation...' "What the hell happened last night..?" he finally asked as he tried his damnedest to devise a way to extricate himself from the cook without any further embarrassment.

The question only made the shit eating grin on Sanji's face grow that much wider. "You don't remember?" he questioned in as innocent a tone as he could manage. This was too rich.

"Would I be asking if I did, shit cook?!"

"Shh! Do you want to wake everyone in the building?!" Sanji quickly hissed. Even he didn't want Ojiisan to walk in on this.

Zoro instantly became quiet when he learned they were in an occupied building. It was bad enough when he humored being caught by the rest of their nakama, but being found by complete strangers in such a vulnerable state made his stomach lurch threateningly. "Shit..." He took a deep breath and held it to calm himself before he let it out as slowly as he could. The ache in his head lessened ever so slightly, so he tried to muck his way through the haze that followed any night of boozing. "Okay... I remember shopping with Robin and Chopper..."

"Yay, then you're not brain dead." came the sarcastic reply.

"Shut it!" Zoro hissed before jabbing his elbow into the narrow rib cage in his grasp. He took a little pleasure in the pained grunt it provoked. "Right.. Shopping... Got that done... Was following Chopper... Then.. Not following Chopper..."

"I still can't believe you got lost while following a fuckin reindeer.." the blonde muttered under his breath.

He was going to ignore the statement but it pulled forth a memory out of the fog in his mind. "I wound up in the redlight district... Found you..." His eyes widened as everything clicked back into place. The quiet bar. The old man that was hunched over the cook's prone form. The bandages. The lavish meal that was prepared and all the liquor that was consumed.

And finally... "Dammit.. I remember now..." Another growl rumbled in his chest as he glared at the back of the blonde head. "You bastard... You were perfectly content to let me have a heart attack over this."

Sanji turned his head enough to show off the evil smirk twisting his lips. "Yup."

A frustrated groan left Zoro, but instead of pulling away he buried his face back into the soft hair. "You're not making me very eager to agree to anything, you sadistic shit..."

A little hum left Sanji as he let his hands run over the arms still wrapped tight around him. "You must have decided to agree to something, Zoro-koi..." he teased on a playful purr before leaning his head down to kiss the bite he had inflicted earlier.

The heat in the swordsman's face abruptly turned from an angered humiliation to a hesitant embarrassment. "So you weren't just spouting out drunken shit last night..."

"Mm.. Meant every word.." Sanji took up one of the larger hands and placed a few soft kisses to the rough skin of the scarred palm. "I find it amusing that your head is taking its sweet time to catch up with your body." he mused while pressing back a bit firmer against the solid chest.

Zoro wanted to snap back a protest, but with the way his leg was slung so possessively over Sanji's bony hip he knew he'd only prove himself an even bigger ass than he already accomplished. "It's too fuckin early to deal with this..." he finally grumbled as he pulled his leg from its too comfortable resting place.

Already missing the warmth the limb had provided, Sanji figured he should have a bit more mercy. "Does that mean you wanna go back to sleep, or get started on the day?"

Quick to notice the absence of the teasing edge, Zoro seriously thought about the question. "Could probably sleep for a couple more hours... But we do have a lot of shit to do.."

"Well, you do what you feel like. I need to get up and take off these bandages to make sure my eye's lookin okay." Sanji stated while trying to get the meaty arms to release their death grip.

On mentioning of the tattoo, Zoro found himself wide awake. He resisted the tug on his arms only to wrap them back around the slender frame. "I believe you promised that I would be the first one to see it..." he reminded on a quieter voice.

Sanji let out another chuckle and followed the firm pull back against the swordsman's chest. "Glad you remembered, moss head. However that's not gonna happen if you keep me pinned here."

Zoro was fully aware of that, yet he kept his arms in place. His true desire to see what had been done to the cook's pale face caught back up with his now awake mind. He wanted to treat this carefully. Not rush to unveil something that held so much meaning.

This was Sanji's secret. His dream. He had to treat it with just as much reverence as he would his own. "Let me take off the bandages..." he found himself whispering into the pale ear.

The hot breath on his ear made a chill run through Sanji's spine. He hadn't expected Zoro to make any sort of move just yet, but he was pleasantly surprised. He hated being strung along by anyone he actually wanted, so this bode well for his own desires. "You can... But you better be gentle or I'm kicking your teeth out."

The threat had no force behind it, but Zoro felt compelled to reassure the bitchy cook all the same. "I'll be gentle..."

He tried not to be influenced by the softer tone in the deep voice, but Sanji knew that there was no point. He made his desires known. No point in hiding the reactions until the swordsman gave him reason to. "Ojiisan said there was a bathroom at the other end of the hall. I need to clean it up too, so let's go there."

Not bothering to answer, Zoro released his hold and forced his stiff muscles to move. Soon he was standing on the cold wooden floor and held out a hand to the blonde who was finally sitting up. Sanji had a sly look in his eye like he wanted to make some sort of coy remark, but he mercifully kept quiet as he took the offered hand.

Zoro pulled him up, but he hadn't expected the skilled hands that were gliding over his broad shoulders a second later. When they slid inward to his neck and trailed up to his sleep mussed hair he stayed still more out of bemusement than anything else. The cook seemed so at ease simply touching him and being close to him.

If anything, Zoro had expected a shit load of special rules and a petulant fight over who was the dominate one in their not quite resolved relationship. Instead the blonde seemed content with letting things flow as they would as long as no resistance was met. As tender kisses traveled from his chin along his jaw to the piercings in his ear, Zoro found himself more open to the sensations than he originally had planned.

His own hands were compelled to narrow hips when he felt the warm lips brush over a certain spot just behind his ear. "You're not playing fair..." he grunted, but made no move to stop it.

A deep chuckle left the blonde's throat as he moved in to speak into the still blushing ear. "Pirates don't play fair..." The coy statement was followed by tugging gently on one of the gold earrings with his teeth.

The gesture was more of a turn on than Zoro thought possible. He had no idea that his ear would be that sensitive, but Sanji kept hitting spots like he was reading a map. "Bastard... Come on..."

"I'd rather come in..."

The purred innuendo didn't escape him, but he used all of his self discipline to turn the blonde around and force him towards the door. "Stop distracting me, dammit..." Zoro growled, even though it lacked an edge.

Noticing the absence of any hostility, Sanji smirked triumphantly to himself. Zoro was his. It was just a matter of time before the meat head realized it.

Zoro made certain that they moved as silently as humanly possible through the hall. Sanji wasn't thrilled about the hand clamped over his mouth, but he endured it as they reached the door he pointed out. It was almost comical how quickly Zoro opened the door and ushered them in.

Much so that Sanji couldn't stop from laughing the moment the hand was away from his mouth. "What's wrong, Marimo? Afraid Ojiisan's gonna catch us sneaking around in our skivvies?"

Flicking on a light switch, Zoro tried to glare at the blonde, but his eyes were fixed on the few spots of blood that were on the bandages over the left eye. "Did I brush against your eye last night..?"

Confused by the sudden concern, Sanji glanced over to the medicine cabinet mirror above the sink and caught sight of what was bothering his companion. "That? Nah, you didn't. Tattoos do that when you first get them. Especially tebori. It'll be fine. Might be some scabbing and swelling."

"Scabbing?" Zoro repeated with a frown.

"Yeah, a tattoo hasta heal like any other skin abrasion. I'll need to get Chopper to make me some salve for it when we get back." Sanji opened the medicine cabinet and searched around in it for a moment. He found a small grooming kit and unzipped it to pull out the small pair of scissors that were inside. After closing the medicine cabinet Sanji perched himself on the edge of the sink and held out the scissors to the swordsman. "Ready when you are."

Zoro was already standing in front of the cook reaching for the scissors before he had time to take everything in. He allowed his fingers to linger against the pale ones when he took the grooming scissors a moment longer than necessary. They shared a silent glance, but Zoro was grateful when the blue eye mercifully closed.

Now that he wasn't being watched he felt his confidence slowly return. With steadfast hands, Zoro smoothly cut through the top layer of the bandages. He placed the small scissors into Sanji's hand before carefully unwrapping the strip of gauze from around the blonde head. Letting it fall to the ground, Zoro was left staring down at the lone gauze pad that separated him from the ink that would forever brand the pale flesh. His fingertips hesitated for a moment, hovering just inches from the tape that held the pad in place.

"Take it off, Zoro.." Sanji whispered, feeling the heat from the other man's hand against the tender skin.

Those words steeling his actions, Zoro paused to tuck the silky hair behind the cook's ear tenderly before gently peeling the tape loose on both sides. The fluttering in his gut returned with a vengeance as the last barrier was freed up. Holding both sides of the gauze pad in his hands, Zoro took a deep breath and held it as he carefully pulled it off the skin. There was a faint sticky sound as it was prized free from the eye, more than likely from the blood that was left over.

"Silly Marimo..." Sanji whispered. Before Zoro could comment, a warm grip settled over both of his wrists and tugged downward. Pulling the gauze pad the rest of the way off and finally revealing what it hid.

The sudden motion irritated him, but his breath hitched in his throat once the tattoo was revealed.

Countless shades of blue encircled the closed eye in a whirl pool that spun out into four white capped waves. The detail was exquisite and the colors were rich in spite of the red and raw looking flesh that was around it. The waves looked so lifelike on the pale skin that Zoro was expecting them to wash over the rest of the blonde's face at any moment.

Unable to stop himself, Zoro's hand carefully slipped onto the faintly stubbly jaw until his fingers brushed against the delicate ear. His thumb curved faintly around the edges of the slightly swollen skin in an almost soothing gesture. He couldn't take his eyes away from the vortex of blue. "Sanji..." Zoro whispered, completely entranced by the symbol in front of him.

A that moment the center of the whirlpool flickered open, revealing a crystal blue eye. "How does it look?" Sanji asked quietly.

The eye that now stared at him from the center of the whirlpool made Zoro's heart pound hard against his rib cage. "It... It's amazing..." It was so moving. Staring into that blue eye was literally staring into the soul of Sanji's dream. Zoro couldn't begin to describe how utterly humbling this moment was. 'And... He wanted me to be the first to see it...' The fluttering suddenly teamed up with the warm fuzzies and went into a full out rebellion in his chest. It was simply too much.

Sanji's lips curled into a smile at the awestruck expression on the normally stony man's face. "I'm glad you like it... Could you get me a wet cloth so I can start cleaning it?"

Zoro's gaze quickly shot to the towel rack next to the small tub in the room. He instantly spotted the white wash cloth that was resting atop the towel. He pulled away from the cook and took up the wash cloth. Instead of making Sanji move from the sink, Zoro turned on the cold water in the bathtub to soak the cloth. He gave the cloth a light squeeze to get rid of the excess water so it wouldn't drip when he brought it back to the sink.

Sanji's head was tilted slightly to the left as he watched the swordsman's body move. His smile was still in place as he observed every flex of muscle with each simple movement. He had always been fascinated by how much strength the man's body was capable of, but he was still capable of gentleness. He didn't get to see it often, but now that it was directed at him it made all the aggravation and headaches the kelp brained idiot put him through worth it.

When Zoro approached Sanji tried to take the cloth from him, but the pale hand was smacked away. "Tell me how to do it." he ordered gruffly.

This surprised Sanji, but his smile soon twitched wider. "Lightly dab... Don't rub."

Taking heed to the simple instructions, Zoro held the cook's chin steady with his left hand as his right commenced tenderly cleaning around the fresh ink. Sanji was almost startled by how careful the moss head really was. His skin was still sore, but the cloth never pressed too hard into the healing flesh. Just enough to clean away the blood and ink that seeped out over the night.

The cloth was steadily making the colors stand out even more as the coolness soothed the surrounding skin. Zoro took the utmost care to every inch of the tattoo. Silently examining every detail to lock away into his memory.

After today the symbol would be hidden beneath that curtain of hair once more. 'There may not be another chance to see it again...' His thoughts drifted back to the confessions that had been made in the darkness of the cook's beloved kitchen.

The idiot cook probably didn't expect to live long. There was just an air of acceptance around him that had never settled right with Zoro. 'Perhaps that's why he's doing this... Maybe he thinks that our travels will only become more treacherous... More risky... He wants to have what he can now...' "No regrets...?" he asked out loud.

The question was sudden, but Sanji still seemed ready for it. His left hand traced the scar across the swordsman's torso like he had the night before until it settled just above the waistband to the dark red boxers Zoro wore. "None..."

Zoro cleaned a smudge of dried blood off the temple and kept his eyes focused on his task as he spoke. "You made a promise to that old man... That his last creation would be around long after he was gone."

"I promised to take care of it." Sanji corrected lightly. He knew where this was heading. He wasn't going to stop it, but he seriously hoped it wouldn't ruin everything that had been built between them.

"You can't take care of it if you happen to be dead..." Never one for subtle, Zoro decided to address it quickly so they knew where they stood. "Why don't you expect to make it back to the East Blue?"

The blonde noticed that the dark eyes weren't focused on his. He could almost sense the tension that was hidden beneath the calm motions. "Is that really important?"

"If you expect me to consent to anything between us." Zoro readily grunted, but his touch was still delicate on the wounded skin. "I don't like the thought of getting involved with someone that could so easily throw their life away."

It was a valid point. 'And I've come this far...' Sanji closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. He was craving a cigarette, but he forced himself to plow through. "I don't want to be in a situation like that rock again."

Zoro paused to examine the faint crease in the pale brow. "What do you mean?"

Sanji slumped forward a bit as the confession made its way past his lips. "I don't want to wait for death again... To watch it just staring back at me. Taunting me. Making me suffer through another day." His hands gripped tightly at the edges of the sink as he recalled the slow torture again. "It does things to you... It makes your thoughts twisted. It changes who you are. Makes you desperate... Turns you into a monster."

"A monster? I don't understand..."

The blue eyes snapped open and focused on the swordsman. "I snapped at one point on that rock. I spent a week devising different plans to kill Zeff and take whatever he had left. The idea was so warped inside my mind I was even thinking of torturing him for leaving me alone. For saving me. For still being alive. The man that fuckin SAVED me. I wanted him in pain more than anything." Sanji tore his gaze away and stared angrily at the baseboards. "I was willing to use a kitchen knife to spill another man's blood. I wanted to. I can still remember how steady my hands were when I finally snuck up behind him."

The way the eyes suddenly dilated and his posture wound as tight as a spring, Zoro knew that this had seriously left a deep scar on the cook's mind. He let the cloth drop to the floor with the soiled bandages and carefully placed his hands on the rigid shoulders. "But you didn't..."

"Hn.. Only because I was shocked back to my senses when I discovered what he had done." Sanji shook his head before he bowed it in shame. "That slow wait drove me to that when I was just a kid. Now... Now I can't even stomach the thought of what would happen if it were to happen again... Now that I have people that I care about... "

"Do you really think your will is that weak now?" Zoro challenged lightly, gripping a bit tighter to the pale skin.

A weak laugh left the blonde as he placed his hands on the strong arms. "Everyone has a breaking point, Zoro. Physical and Mental. Physical I can deal with.. Mental is more complicated. I've already been broken once. That sort of thing leaves behind cracks. Weaknesses that can be exploited." Sanji finally lifted his head up once more as that fatalistic smile returned to his features. "I want it to be quick. I want it to happen while I'm doing something I believe in. Die with my boots on... Not alone slowly going insane while no one gave a damn."

The hands on Sanji's shoulders shot up to hold firm to the sides of his face. A low growl was heard from Zoro as he glared into the startled blue eyes. "I give a damn!"

The snarled words coupled with the heated scowl stunned Sanji for a moment. It was the purest emotional response he had ever provoked from the man. Nothing was hidden. Everything that Zoro felt was laid bare for Sanji to see. It frightened him, yet thrilled him at the same time. In the end, it only strengthened his decision.

His hands clutched at the swordsman's arms as he leaned in closer. "I'll always choose you..." he whispered, echoing his statement from their late night talk in the galley.

Anger was still tinging the majority of his thoughts, but the quiet vow cut through him better than any of his blades ever could. That kind of devotion... That kind of love? It was something Zoro knew he couldn't treat carelessly. In fact, it was something he knew he should treasure. Just like the unprecedented amount of trust the blonde obviously had in him. Confessing such secrets and sharing such personal moments.

He glared a moment longer at the unwavering gaze before his hands slowly shifted to thread his fingers into the silky hair. "I will beat you senseless if you ever dare..." he threatened once more.

Sanji's lips curled into another smirk as his long legs wrapped around the rock solid waist and pulled the swordsman closer. "Bring it, Marimo." he teased before deciding to go for broke.

He closed the remaining distance between them and swiftly claimed Zoro's lips in a kiss. He had expected some resistance, but to his shocking pleasure, Zoro readily returned the gesture in kind. Lips soon parted and tongues squared off in a ruthless battle. Teeth clacked together a few times as the passion steadily rose. Moans were muffled and hands explored feverishly as the new territory became available.

Zoro's anger soon gave him an edge in the movements, causing Sanji to whimper as he finally surrendered to both the kiss and the touches. He knew that the moss head would be fierce, but he hadn't expected so soon. He was still somewhat emotionally drained after the past week, so the passion that he was being subjected to was quickly overwhelming him. Soon his head was spinning, leaving him only able to hang on. He wrapped himself around the broader frame, reversing their roles from when they woke, and held on tight.

Nails scratched down his back and made Zoro hiss against the faintly bruising lips. He could taste lingering smoke on Sanji's tongue, but he there was something spicy that he couldn't describe. It made his own mouth tingle, and he took several attempts to taste more of it.

All of the reservations he had about taking the cook's offer seemed to have melted away. While he still wasn't certain where to take it, he was more than willing to indulge in this one moment. One moment when he was locked in the embrace of someone that stood as his equal in more ways than he could fathom. A moment where he could loosen the death grip on his control in the company of someone he trusted.

Neither wanted to pull away, but they both had to calm the angry demands of their burning lungs. Their breaths came in harsh gasps when they finally parted. Lips still barely touching as they shared every inhale and exhale.

Zoro's left hand loosened from the tight hold he had on a fist full of the blonde hair and moved to the heated cheek. "Sanji... I don't have a clue about any of this... But I know I want something... Can you bear with me until I decide..?" he asked between his heavy breaths.

"Yes..." Sanji hissed out slowly. "I can... Just.. Don't keep me at a distance... I still want to argue.. I still want to fight with you.. I just..."

"I know... I feel the same..." Zoro whispered, placing a tender kiss just below the tattoo around the left eye. Now that an understanding was reached, Zoro wrapped his arms around the smaller frame and held on tight.

The moment Sanji returned the embrace he saw what the cook was getting at the night before. 'A warm pair of arms to go to...' The thought of having someone to hold on to. Someone to keep him grounded when everything was falling apart. Knowing that someone was waiting for him at the end of it all.

They stayed locked in one another's arms for a few more moments. Listening to the other breathe and feeling their chests move with the action. The way the smooth hands ran along his back relaxed Zoro even further into the potential of this situation. But they had many things left to do. "What are you going to do today?" he asked quietly while absently counting each vertebra down the curve of the pale back with his fingers.

Sanji nuzzled the corner of Zoro's jaw and nipped at his ear before he answered. "After I wash up a bit I'm gonna get dressed and fix breakfast for Ojiisan before I leave." He pulled away and poked the center of the swordsman's forehead hard and grinned. "Then we're gonna head back into town and you're gonna play pack mule for me again."

Zoro's eyes crossed slightly to look up at the hand poking him. "Oh I am, huh?"

"Yup. But just on the way back to the docks. Then I'm leaving you there so you don't get lost again." Zoro looked as if he was about argue with that, but Sanji smoothly cut him off. "Then while you're loading up everything we got, I'm gonna go shopping for fresh produce and hit the meat market. I'll have Chopper help me there." Sanji smirked and gave a playful lick to the tip of his potential lover's nose. "If you do a good job, I'll take you to the forest to the north. Ojiisan said there was a good hunting trail up there, so you can catch us something fresh."

A green brow lofted high. "How is that supposed to be a reward? I'm doing all the work." it pointed out flatly.

The blonde chuckled and leaned back a bit. "The reward is that you catch it, I cook it. Whatever you want."

"Ah... That may be worth it." Zoro thought aloud.

"May be?" Sanji huffed. He dealt a light kick to the small of the swordsman's back with his heel. "Watch it asshole. I've been making a lot of extra effort with your meals lately. Stuff I do for you would cost several grand at a high end restaurant." he informed the moss head on a growl.

Zoro smirked slightly at the annoyance in the other's eyes. "You have, huh? Haven't really noticed. Tastes all the same to me."

Sanji knew that he was being baited, but he pounced right on it anyway. "Tastes the same?! This coming from a guy who has the taste pallet of a fuckin goat! Chopper oughtta examine your tongue!" An evil expression fell over the tattooed face as a thought struck him. "Or maybe I should cleanse it personally..."

"Huh? What are you talking ab-Mmph!" Zoro was cut off abruptly when a mouth clamped over his own.

Any thoughts of pulling away were shot when a strong pair of hands fisted in his short hair and held on tight. Before he could think of how to react his mouth was being plundered, and his tongue was taken hostage. Sharp teeth nipped and tugged on it, but when he felt the light suction on it he felt his knees go a bit weak. He felt Sanji's tongue swirling around the tip and lavishing it with attention all while suckling on it gently. With every motion Zoro's imagination flew that much further into the gutter with all the possible uses of such a talented mouth. 'Shit.. Shit shit shit..' was all he could think as he steadily became turned on.

Sanji could already notice the affects his actions were causing from the faint quiver in the large hands that were gripping tight on his arms. Just knowing that he could do such a thing to the stone wall that was Roronoa Zoro was enough to give him a bit of a rush. 'If I had known a good kiss could send him crumbling I woulda tried this a long time ago..' Now that he did, that knowledge was safely tucked away to be exploited at a later date.

Soon Zoro couldn't take any more and pulled away from the wicked mouth. A ragged gasp sent him staggering back, but the strong legs around his waist kept him in place. His eyes blinked in a daze for several moments until he could string his thoughts back together.

The moment he could use his brain again, he glared at the too smug expression plastered on the cook's face. "That.. That was evil."

Grinning wide, Sanji let his hands slip from the green locks down to the strong neck. "Were you expecting sweet and innocent from me? Really.. I would think you'd know me better than that by now, Marimo..." His fingers played with the three dangling earrings. He had always enjoying the soft clinking noise they made, and Zoro seemed to enjoy any attention given to them. "Hm.. Just wait... You thought I was perverted before... Just wait until you see my special cook book.."

For some reason Zoro's throat was suddenly very dry. He swallowed hard and forced himself to speak normally. "Special cook book?"

"Mmmhmm..." Sanji purred as he dove in for another quick kiss. "I like to experiment with food... I've written down everything that I found worked exceptionally well..." His lips were back on Zoro's ear, nibbling and caressing with teeth and tongue. "If you decide you wanna go that far, I'll let you read it... And if you're really good I'll let you pick what you'd like to try..."

The mouth on his ear combined with the heated words was putting an epic strain on Zoro's control. What was worse was the fact the mirror behind the blonde gave him a good view of how much his left eye was twitching. The mirror also gave him a view of what he looked like with Sanji all over him. Their contrasting skin tones and hair colors were intriguing, but he enjoyed the way the lean body looked draped over him. Being able to see the perfect hands caressing his skin from a different perspective. "Any of those recipes involve mirrors..?" he found himself asking.

Sanji paused at the strange question, but he remembered the mirror behind him. A glance back showed him the look of interest in the swordsman's reflection. That interest instantly had Sanji grinning once more. "Can't say that they do, but I'm all for adding a little variety.." He returned to the kiss swollen ear and gave a breathy chuckle. "Now what dirty thoughts are running through your head, Marimo?"

Zoro saw his own eye twitching in the mirror again, but instead of getting embarrassed he decided to stoop to the cook's level. He pushed the legs down from his waist and pulled the blonde off his perch on the sink. He ignored the sounds of protest and spun the cook around until he was facing the mirror. Zoro then pressed his chest against the pale back and immediately had his hands wandering all over the lean body. "I'm sure you can figure out what I'm thinking, love cook..." he muttered before letting his mouth descend on the long neck.

Gasping when teeth suddenly scraped and bit at his skin, Sanji stared wide eyed at the reflection in front of him. To see the swordsman touching and kissing him along with his new tattoo made a groan rumble in his throat. "Fuck... You.. You better be careful if you.. You don't want me to.. Oh right there.. Take.. Take things too far..." he grunted out in warning.

Enjoying the stammered words, Zoro's response was to bite down firmly on the left side of Sanji's neck. The hissing moan it provoked encouraged him to continue. He licked at the flesh in his mouth and sucked just hard enough to mark the cream colored skin. All the while he heard growled curses, but no hints that the blonde disapproved.

His lips lingered for a moment longer then pulled away. The angry red mark left behind made him smile, and his eyes looked towards the mirror to see the blonde's reaction. He saw Sanji breathing a bit faster, but there was a smirk on his lips. Combined with the pink hue that dusted his cheeks, Zoro found his attraction to the cook nearly double in that moment. "Hm... I take it you like watching too.." he mumbled, placing a few kisses around the mark he made.

Sanji hummed deeply and let his eyes slip shut. "Maybe... You're acting rather confident for someone that still needs time to decide.." he pointed out coyly, but made no move to pull away from the arms around him.

"Heh... I'm testing the waters before I jump in..." Zoro carefully nuzzled the blonde's left cheek just under the tattoo. "You're very responsive... I like it..." he admitted quietly.

"Mmm.. I'm holdin back quite a bit... Don't wanna push you..."

"Figured you were... I appreciate that.."

Sanji opened his eyes and focused on the face against his own. "As much as I would love to continue, I need to get cleaned up so I can start on breakfast."

The green head nodded and slowly pulled away. Zoro missed the warmth the moment he stepped back, but he ignored it as he moved to the door. "I'm gonna get dressed."

"Let me know if you need any help~!" Sanji cooed before snickering at the glare he instantly received. "Go on. I'll be quick."

Rolling his eyes, Zoro quietly left the bathroom. The moment he closed the door behind him he covered his eyes with his hands and took a deep breath. When he had sought sanctuary in the galley almost a week ago, he had no intention for things to spiral so out of control.

He was confused. Excited. Maybe even nervous. 'It's too sudden... But I don't want to back away... I have to really think about this.. I can't let myself get carried away... But he feels too damn good...'

It was almost disturbing. The cook was good. He was charming, coy, and seductive in all the right ways. He honestly thought that what he showed to the women around him was the depth of his romancing skills. Now he was getting a full course of teasing with a side of skilled touches that made him feel like he was going to melt. "Little bastard blind sided me..."

A deep sigh left him as he shook his head. He was caught. That's all there was to it. Now all he could do was try to figure out what his own feelings were. Which would probably be the most annoying thing of all. 'I need time to think away from him.. I've been too close to him.' he concluded as his feet carried him to the room their clothes were in.

On entering the room he saw that the sun had risen higher, bathing the entire space in a golden hue. He was about to move straight for his clothes and tug them back on, but the light pouring through the window seemed to focus intensely on the pale green shirt that rested on the table. The sunlight made the shirt seem to glow unnaturally, and Zoro found himself soon picking it up. His fingers fisted in the soft fabric. Sanji's cologne and smoke tickled his nose, making him bring the shirt up to his face and inhaling the scent deeply before he could stop himself.

It took him a few seconds to really notice what he was doing. The moment he did, a frustrated growl left him. "Fuck... It's worse than I thought... I'm falling for the bastard..."

He felt like banging his head against the table a few times to knock himself back to his senses. The problem was that he actually liked the feeling. He liked the thought of Sanji being there for him. His skin was still tingling from every touch the blonde gave him. His head rang with every offer and promise those pale lips spoke. It was a perfect storm. He was caught in it dead center.

"But he gave me the time to figure this out... I'm gonna take it..." He forced himself to put the shirt back on the table and turn away from it.

He was going to think this through seriously.

"Sanji deserves nothing but honesty..."

fjfjfjfjfjfjfjf

TBC

haha, gooey Zoro

Later~