"Thanks, Sanji, the meal was great." Luffy said with a grin, patting his enlarged belly.
"Mmm… I'm worn out. Some rest would be wonderful." Nami said with a yawn.
"Night, Sanji." Usopp yawned.
"Good night, Cook-san."
"A good night to you, Sanji-san."
"Night." Sanji smiled to the retiring crew as he collected the plates from their late dinner. The reason dinner was late? After the bath incident Sanji needed time to recover, and take care of his hard dilemma. Once the deed was done he sat quietly for several minutes, loathing himself and muttering curses at the perverted Swordsman that put him in the situation to begin with! He sighed mentally, both tired but not feeling the need to sleep.
"Sanji."
"Hm?" Sanji looked down to the young doctor, concern filling the youth's eyes.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"Yes, why do you ask?" Sanji asked as he made his way to the sink, stacked dishes in each hand.
"Your ears."
Sanji stopped short and flicked his ears up from their downward angle. He had forgotten that the extra appendages were an open door to his inner feelings. No surprise Chopper was able to pick up on it when the rest of the crew overlooked it.
"I'm fine, Chopper, really. I'm tired of these things." He twitched his ears and tail. He wouldn't mind them so much if they weren't pulling him in to one awkward situation to the next. He already had a wild crew to follow, he should at least be able to control himself. His fox half was proving otherwise.
"Oh. Well we should be able to figure out what to do soon enough. Once we get to the next island, right? I know we will." Chopper said eagerly.
"I know, Chopper. I know. How about I make you something sweet to eat during your watch?"
"Really?" Chopper's eyes sparkled at the prospect of a late night dessert.
Sanji nodded with a smile. "I'll bring it up when it's done. Hurry up to your post." He pat the little reindeer's head.
Chopper nodded quickly and ran out the Galley with newborn energy.
Sanji sighed and turned back to his routine chore. Thank goodness for Chopper being easily distracted by sweets. Sanji rolled up his sleeves and let warm water fill the sink. His ear's perked up at the sound of heavy steps coming closer. It couldn't be… He wouldn't after what happened. But then again, it was Zoro. The Swordsman wasn't exactly good at picking up moods.
"Cook—"
"The Galley is closed." Sani said firmly before Zoro had a chance to speak more. He kept his back to Zoro and started on the dishes.
"Cook listen—"
"The Galley is closed. It will not open till the morning for breakfast. Leave."
"Cook would you—"
"Zoro get out of here!"
A loud slam on both sides of Sanji almost caused him to drop the soapy dish he held. A beating heat pressed to his back and a warm breath to the back of his ear made his fur stand on edge.
"Cook, I need you to listen to what I have to say." Zoro said lowly with a husky tone in the Cook's ear.
"Zoro… back off…" Sanji said thickly.
He was stiff, paralyzed by Zoro's closeness. The Swordsman had trapped him between the sink and himself. The Swordsman's thick hands were gripping the counter tightly on either side of Sanji. Any chance of escape was removed. Sanji swallowed hard when Zoro moved closer. He could feel the brush of Zoro's bare chest against his back with each breath the Swordsman took. He felt heat rush to his face at the faint touch of Zoro's lips to his sensitive ear. He felt like he couldn't breathe; he was suffocating under Zoro's burning aura. He wanted Zoro to move, but a voice in his head was longing for the space to be closed between them. Damn assertive Marimo.
Seeing as Sanji wasn't going to respond—lucky he couldn't see the heavy red in Sanji's cheeks, for Sanji's sake—and continued his speech.
"Cook." Zoro breathed in the Sanji's twitching ear making him shiver. "Just listen. What happened in the bath, we can't ignore it. Both of us felt something and our bodies reacted to it accordingly. I'm not going to ignore what is happening, and I suggest that you don't either. Otherwise, this tension that I'm certain you're starting to feel as well, will never fade. But if you keep being stubborn about it it'll soon affect the rest of the crew. I rather keep this between us. Alright?"
Sanji stayed silent, soft shivers brushing over caused by Zoro's low and humming tone, his hot breath dancing up his neck to the base of his ears as the Swordsman spoke. The sensation he was holding back was waking again.
"I'll take your silence as consideration." Zoro bit at Sanji's ear.
"Nn!" Sanji turned to face Zoro finally, a hand slapped over his assaulted ear and face an even brighter red. Zoro stepped back in time with Sanji's turn. He said nothing about how the Cook looked, out loud at least. Mentally, the Cook looked rather pleasant, maybe even appealing to whatever this growing hunger was. He cursed himself in his mind and walked to the door.
"Think about it." Zoro repeated and left the Galley without another word.
At the click of the Galley door closing Sanji fell to his knees.
Zoro… there was something seriously wrong with him, and now he was bringing Sanji with him along the ride. Sanji dropped his hand and took a deep breath to calm himself. As brash as Zoro was, he had a point. There was something they had to figure out, preferably in a less hands on way.
Sanji shook his head and pulled himself back to his feet. Now he really didn't feel like sleeping.
"Thanks, crappy Swordsman. You had to go and stir up some random shit." Sanji sighed, ears angling down. He might as well take advantage of this and get some chores done. After he made Chopper the promised sweet.
~~O~~
An open grass field seemed to glow under the radiating sun and clear skies. A soft breeze made the tall blades dance. A sweet scent carried along the breeze. There were probably flowers nearby, freshly bloomed pointing up high towards the sun above. Sanji's nose twitched at the scent curling around it. He closed his eyes and breathed the sugary scent in deeply. He sighed with a smile at the beautiful scene.
The blades of grass before him moved, bending and rustling as something approached Sanji. He stepped back, unsure what to expect in this field.
A golden furred fox head popped out between the blades. Bright green eyes glistened with wonder at the other before him. Sanji jumped back. The fox was the same colour as his own foxy parts.
Green eyes… could it be…?
It was taller than the average fox, looking more like a thin wolf. A fox wolf? Sanji thought to himself. No. it just looked like one. Sanji could tell it was all fox. He stepped closer, curious now.
"Kyuuu~!" The fox yipped and lunged at Sanji ready to tackle him.
Sanji jerked awake with a snort, nearly falling from his seat. He blinked away the blur from his eyes. The Galley came in to view. He had fallen asleep at the table sometime mid polish. He wasn't in an open field. He was back on the Sunny, rocking at the whim of the waves carrying her. But he had been there; it felt so real. He even felt the pressure of the other fox's paws on his chest when it tackled him. The other fox that looked like him minus the eye colour. The fox felt familiar.
"Is it…?" Sanji reached up to touch one of his furred ears. "It could have been… but where was I?" It wasn't a dream, he knew that much. It felt like he had teleported somewhere else; he had been physically present in that grass field. Or maybe he wasn't. It could have been an illusion. "Out of body experience?" Sanji asked himself.
Whatever the cause for what he had experienced, he knew one thing without a doubt. The other fox was the spirit inside him trying to make contact with him, and wanting to play. The spirit fox had found him, maybe he could find it as well. It seemed plausible. The only thing was how. His contact could have been a fluke, just a lucky coincidence. Plus, the spirit had the advantage of being able to bend Sanji easier than Sanji could it. Sanji sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"I can't sleep and hope it finds me again. I could find him my own way but… ugh." He felt a headache starting. "If I can we could learn to make the best of this situation, maybe find out something useful too." Sanji nodded to himself in a silent approval. Now the problem was, where to start?
The morning came with a bright glowing sun fully rested for its shift. Sanji, however, was running on about four hours of sleep by the time the warm morning glow painted the Galley. Sanji yawned tiredly, ears and tail droopy with his weariness. He needed his morning pick me up to awaken him for the day. Breakfast was made and staying warm on the stovetop due to his self-inflicted graveyard shift. He could do with a longer morning smoke as the rest of the crew woke.
Making sure nothing was on Sanji left the Galley and made his way to the back of the Sunny, cigarettes and ash tray in hand. The sunrise coloured the sky in a serene painting style. The orange of the sun blended with the calm blue sea in a watercolour splendor. The sea breeze was calm, just the faintest touch of salt permitting the senses. It was a morning most calming after long nights at sea. If only Sanji was less tired, he would have enjoyed the scene more.
He lit up and pressed the filter end to his lips for the much needed first smoke. He took a deep drag, closing his eyes in the silent comfort. He held his breath, wanting to have the stir of nicotine warm him more.
Except.
He coughed, feeling a sting in his throat not typical to the pleasing one he felt normally. With the smoke gone from his lungs he took a deep breath of sea air to calm his cough. That had not happened in a while, not since he first started smoking. How irritated Zeff got when he picked up the habit. His taste buds worked just fine, and will continue to.
"Maybe I breathed in too hard." Sanji said to himself. He took another deep breath of smoke but the cough came again. With each puff a cough escaped him. Harder and harder he coughed to a point that the cigarette slipped from his fingers to the sea bellow and he collapsed on to the deck in a coughing fit. His breath grew shorter and shorter with each cough.
He wheezed, trying some way to catch air between his coughs. Then, everything went bright. He was back in the grass field from his dream. Except this time, grey clouds cast down on the once peaceful scene. His sight was blurry, each time he turned his head a whir of multiple images followed his head then settled in a blurred view, as if he was looking in to a kaleidoscope. He focused forward and there was the golden fox spirit again. It was coughing too, puffs of dark smoke choking out of its muzzle with each cough. It looked to Sanji, green eyes with sorrow and pleading. It coughed harder, the smoke it coughed swirling and taking claim of Sanji's vision.
"Sanji! Hey, Sanji, stay with me! Chopper help!"
That was Usopp's panicked tone. Sanji was back on the Sunny. Blue looked down at him instead of the murky grey sky from the field. He still couldn't breathe properly. His consciousness was just about gone by the time Chopper's hurried steps clopped near.
~~O~~
Sanji felt warm, light, relaxed mainly. He was sure he had passed out sometime after his coughing fit. So he was expecting to wake in the Sick Bay. He jerked awake at the sudden splash of cold water to his face. He snorted, water going up his nose as jolted up.
There was the fox spirit, snout dripping with water. Its ears perked upon seeing Sanji wake. He nuzzled his soaking face against Sanji's face, happy coos escaping it.
"Nngh… get off." Sanji groaned.
The fox spirit quickly moved away on command. It watched Sanji sit up, tail wagging with excite of the awoken companion. Sanji let his swirling head settle before scanning the area. The grass field again, but back to the bright world which he first experienced.
"It's back." Sanji said with slight confusion.
"Nyu!" The fox spirit answered.
Sanji looked to it, getting a better look at the spirit possessing him. He still didn't understand why it was teller than an average fox though the figure remained similar. The fur was certainly the same as Sanji's.
"So… you're who took a ride in my body." Sanji said to the spirit to which it nodded its answer. "And where are we?"
"Ruu yu!" The spirit answered.
Sanji sighed. "Why am I trying to talk to you? I can't understand you."
"Nyu!" The fox spirit propped its front paws on Sanji's shoulders and pressed its cold nose to Sanji's forehead. A shock made Sanji jump back.
"Ah! Hey!" Sanji snapped at the fox.
"Sorry! It was the only way I could think of."
Sanji blinked, rage dying and confusion climbing up. He saw the fox's mouth move, but instead of the hyped up chitter, a voice came out. A soft voice like a young males, maybe even a young boy yet to experience puberty. Certainly not as high pitched as Chopper's. It was smooth, light and free.
"Did you just…?"
"You can understand me now!" The spirit said happily. "Oh, well, while I'm with you."
"With me? What do you mean by that?"
This had been what Sanji had wanted, not exactly how he imagined it, but it was a way to communicate with the spirit, to learn what he can about his situation. Maybe he'd even learn how to end it. He was disappointed when the fox shook its head.
"I don't know anything." The fox answered. "I just know mother said your body was perfect to carry me home. Oh, and to look out for Sister."
"Sister?"
"Hey, want to play? I can finally talk to you so let's play!" The fox crouched down, tail up and swaying. His pose showed his eagerness for fun.
"Wait who's this Sister?" Sanji insisted.
"You're it!" The fox lunged at him. Sanji yelped when the fox's paws slammed in to his chest and pinned him on his back. Sanji choked on the air knocked out of him. He glared up at the fox but noticed something off. The fox seemed to be his size. That wasn't right. Sanji was human so he should be bigger than him.
"Hey, why do you look like my size?" He honestly didn't want to hear the answer.
"Oh, you don't know?" The fox spirit got off him and looked to the pond next to them.
Sanji stood slowly. He could guess what the fox wanted him to do, but to will himself to do it was the bigger problem. He took a deep breath and approached the pond. The fox spirit's ears were perked up with silent excite as he watched Sanji. Sanji closed his eyes and leaned over the pond. He opened his eyes and screamed, falling back on his furred rear.
He was a fox, just like the spirit. He was practically a mirror image of the other fox. Except for the eye colour and the curly fur draping over his right eye. Now things have hit rock bottom hard. It wasn't just fox appendages, his entire body had gone animal.
"You look scared."
"I'm not scared… I'm in shock!" Sanji snapped at the spirit. He felt no guilt in causing the spirit's ears to angle down. "I'm an animal! This is hell!"
"Not hell, spirit."
"What!?"
"Spirit. This is my room in the spirit realm. Neither hell nor heaven, but a guide in between. At least, that's what I was told when I was born."
"Spirit realm?" Sanji asked, more and more confusion building.
"Mhm. It's huge with thousands of others like me, just different animals. It's normally animals here at least." The spirit answered.
"Mostly animals? So that's why my body… what else can you tell me?"
"I can tell you anything I know, after we play. You're it!" And the fox spirit took off in a full sprint.
"Hey wait! Ugh!" Sanji growled and ran after the hyped up spirit.
This was annoying. Not just because Sanji was trying to figure out how to run on four legs without face planting in to the ground, but the fox spirit had way too much bubbly energy in this situation. It far contradicted his own personality by a long shot. He'd have to really rely on his patience to get his questions answered. If this spirit even could. It was a chance Sanji had to take.
"Slow down will you!"
A bright and airy laugh answered Sanji.
~~O~~
"Ne, Chopper, is he going to be okay?" Luffy asked the blue nosed reindeer.
He had grown worried when Usopp screamed with panic for help for the wheezing cook. Sanji had gone in and out of Sick Bay far more than was normal for him, and most of the crew, in a span of a few weeks. Luffy wasn't exactly pleased with his nakama being so ill, and having no way to cure him.
"His breathing's calmed down." Chopper answered, making notes in his file on Sanji.
"Do you have any idea what caused this?" Luffy asked, his tone low with serious concern.
"I have a theory… but he might not like the solution I have…" Chopper said with his own tone of worry.
"Whatever it is, he'll have to listen. It'll be for his own good." Luffy's grip tightened on his crossed arms. "This can't repeat itself."
"I know. I already prepared a substitute for him to use."
"Good. I can always trust you, Chopper."
"Flattery won't make me happy, you jerk!" Chopper tried to sound angry, but his blush and happy wiggle showed his true mood.
"Nnngh…"
"Ah, Sanji!" Chopper hurried over to the bed, Luffy following close.
Sanji blinked awake slowly, head hurting and eyes blurry. He felt horribly tired thanks to chasing that fox spirit around for what felt like miles until he tackled him. Their game continued on and on until they both settled down to calm after the long run. He hadn't fallen asleep like the spirit had. So the fox really was a supernatural entity, and Sanji was being manipulated by him. Sanji must have had the door closed in his face and returned to his concourse mind when the spirit closed its own. And, to no surprise again, he was in Sick Bay. He groaned and rubbed his head.
"Sanji, how do you feel? Does your throat hurt? How's your breathing?" Chopper's questions ran off his tongue.
"Chopper… m'fine…" Sanji mumbled.
"Sanji."
Sanji looked to his Captain. The feeling of dread came upon him. How much trouble had he become to the usually positive captain to bring that frown of worry to him?
"Luffy… look I don't know what happened but—" Sanji stopped when Luffy calmly held up a hand.
"You don't have to say anything. You need to listen to Chopper without complaint right now."
"What do you mean?" Sanji looked to Chopper for the answer.
Chopper looked down to his hooved hands, folding them together as he thought about how to start. He knew what he had to say, but to actually form the words was a challenge, especially towards a short tempered cook, who was bound to get even shorter tempered with what he had to say.
"Chopper." Luffy pat the young Zoan user's head.
Chopper took a deep breath and slipped in to doctor mode. "Sanji, I've deduced what sent you in to that coughing fit. Um… it was… it was… your cigarettes…"
"What?" Sanji sat up at that. "That's not possible. I've smoked plenty with nothing happening." He'd even smoked five at once under the stress to beat Camie being sold on Sabaody Archipelago.
"I-I know but… I think it isn't you but…"
"The spirit. Fucking thing again!" Sanji yelled.
"I-I know this is going to be hard but I need you to stop smoking, at least until this passes." Chopper said before his bravery faltered further. "I rather you not smoke at all but… here." Chopper held out a paper bag to Sanji.
"What's this?" Sanji took the bag and opened it. He arched his curly brow and pulled out one of the many wrapped lollipops within.
"Your body will still crave the nicotine while you can't smoke so I made you some lollipops to use as substitute. As long as you use them you should be able to ignore the need to smoke. It's for the better for now. The spirit in you is starting to influence your body more, we don't know how far it will but for now, avoid what we know hurts both it and you."
"But…"
"Sanji, listen to Chopper. Until this situation is taken care of you won't be allowed to smoke. Chopper was able to help you this time, but if you aren't near him if it were to happen a second time…" Luffy trailed off, looking stern at the thought stuck on his tongue.
Sanji understood well enough what Luffy was trying to say, but it wasn't fair. It was his body, his choices, his right. An invading spirit shouldn't get shotgun in how Sanji managed his body. The balance between himself and the spirit was fluctuating wildly.
Sanji grumbled to himself as he unwrapped the nicotine sweet and popped it in his mouth. He sucked it with bitter hate. "Fine… I won't smoke." He growled with defeat.
"Thank you." Chopper sighed. "You're free to go."
"Hmph." Sanji stood without a word, bag clutched tight in his hand. He left with his ears pinned to his head and tail flicking.
Chopper shook his head and sighed heavily. He looked up to meet Luffy's soft smile and understanding look. He pat the younger's head. Luffy was proud of Chopper for standing up to the short tempered Cook that even he was afraid of, sometimes. But Luffy was concerned if Sanji would be able to resist smoking and stick to the safer lollipops or not. He had given Sanji the order to not smoke, but he understood it was an addiction. It would be like asking Luffy to give up his need for adventure. He hoped, though, Sanji took the warning by the hand and held on tight. There was no set time to how long the spirit would remain hitchhiking with Sanji. Until that time was met Sanji would have to tolerate any changes to his lifestyle. Especially when it put his health at risk.
"How about some fishing, ne, Chopper? I bet if we catch a lot it would make Sanji happy."
Chopper smiled and nodded. "Okay!"
"Shishishi~! Come on then!" Luffy ran from Sick Bay with a laugh and a giggling Chopper at his heels.
Sanji watched with a glare at the two young Straw Hats laughing as they ran across the grassy deck. He ground his teeth on the lollipop trying not to break it with his rage. He turned sharply to shut himself away in the Galley but froze mid turn. Zoro stood in front of the Galley door, arms crossed with a serious look to his face.
"What happened?" He asked.
Sanji recovered and glared at the Swordsman. "Leave me alone." He huffed and shoved past the Swordsman.
"Have you thought about it?"
Sanji stopped, hand on the doorknob. He broke the lollipop then. "I said, leave me alone." He said bitterly.
"Cook—"
The slam of a door ended their tense conversation. Zoro sighed. He hadn't expected for Sanji to put to mind what he had said earlier, but he had hoped he at least considered it some. He gave too much credit to the Cook, it seemed. Even if Sanji stubbornly refused to consider Zoro's proposal he would continue carrying the thought around.
Zoro didn't like how the Cook was starting to become more and more prominent in his mind. Not only that, the fact he had actual concern towards Sanji and his well-being. This was starting to get annoying. Zoro sure as hell wasn't going to be the only one to suffer. That, perhaps, wasn't the best way to think about his dilemma, but it drove him to continue his persistence to hear what Sanji had to say.
"Damn Cook. He'll get it eventually." I hope I do too. Zoro thought to himself. The pain in his chest was getting more and more irritating than the itch of his scar.
AN: Hello my lovely readers~! Sorry for taking so long to update again. I've accidentally Pavlov'd myself in to having my best moments of inspiration while in class. I need to fix that especially if I aim to be a writer. Anyway~ Thanks to that I am actually two chapters ahead in writing! Just have to type them. But I do have something really interesting planned that I originally didn't have planned for this story but it's too good to let it go. So look out for that in a few chapters! So how was Sanji finally talking to the spirit in him? Originally I wanted Sanji to go full fox but, it would have been too much, so spirit room! Also, when imagining what the spirit fox looked like the Maned Wolf came to mind, which basically looks like a tall fox. Look them up, they're interesting creatures. Thank you all for being so patient with me and for all the thoughtful reviews you've given so far. I look forward to making more entertainment for you. Til next time!
Kitsune out~!