The Game

by CharlieNozaki

Games aren't real. Sanji knows this, even if, sometimes, he wishes they were. Life would be easier. Life would be better. Stupid cactus-heads wouldn't be such damn thorns in his side. But video games have no control over that... Right? (Modern AU. Fantasy. [Slow burn] ZoSan.)

10. A

The following evening, all of Chopper's belongings were piled into the back of Franky's Hummer, among them several boxes of books stacked beneath two large garbage bags full of stuffed animals, accompanying his clothes and other toys.

There had been considerably more tears as they stood outside in the driveway to bid farewell, Luffy and Usopp clinging to the boy, blubbering sobs of both sorrow and happiness for their friend with promises to visit every weekend. Sanji had heard them say their true goodbyes late the previous night, the three of them huddled under a cozy blanket fort together.

Franky cried openly, practically hugging the car for comfort, and Robin shed graceful tears through a smile as she embraced Chopper tightly, speaking soft words of encouragement to him, fingers stroking affectionately through the boy's curly hair.

Sanji too had leaked a few tears when Chopper ran at him, the blond accepting the tackle and lifting him up, twirling Chopper in a circle with a few last compliments about how great a friend he was.

It took Chopper a minute to recover from his blushing and dancing, but eventually he turned to Zoro, whose eyes remained dry but whose throat tightened the instant he met the younger boy's shimmering gaze.

Sanji released Chopper with one last squeeze to his shoulders, his eyes falling to Zoro as the boy stepped up to him silently.

Zoro tried to smile, tried to look like everything was okay when he'd insisted to everyone that it was. He tried to look like he wasn't losing his precious younger brother, even if Chopper was staying in the city. Even if his life was about to get so much better.

Chopper reached into his jeans pocket unexpectedly, pulling out a small object made of metallic plastic. And when he took Zoro's hand to press the object there, all of Zoro's efforts to remain composed threatened to shatter.

Because Zoro knew immediately what that object was, without even looking.

It was the little sword keychain he'd won for Chopper from a capsule machine at the arcade the previous year. He'd given it to Chopper, telling him he could use it to fight off bullies. Or at least to serve as a reminder that he wasn't alone, that he had people that loved him and would do whatever they could to protect him.

From that day forth, Chopper had kept it on his backpack, the paint growing more and more worn, but the sword's significance only growing stronger.

But now he no longer needed it, and when he fell forward into Zoro's chest, the teen was quick to bring arms around him, burying his nose in Chopper's hair until he felt the tears soaking his shirt begin to slow.

Franky had driven Chopper away, and everyone had slowly shuffled back into the house, Robin ushering Usopp and Luffy to the increasingly empty upstairs so Usopp could continue packing his things. His dad was coming to pick him up the next day...

Zoro had said he'd be okay if Chopper left. Sanji had asked him and he'd insisted he would be, but he'd stood there on the porch for a long minute after Franky and Chopper drove off, features softly lit in the orange sunset, highlighting glassy eyes that watched the horizon steadfastly.

His jaw clenched almost as tightly as his fingers around that keychain.

Sanji had dinner to make, but he stayed where he was, lifting a hand to rub away the last traces of his own tears, drawing his hoodie sleeve over his nose too. Dinner wouldn't take nearly as long with one less person to cook for.

Not to mention Franky would be late, having to run down to the shipyard after dropping Chopper at Ms. Kureha's. A few more days to secure an apartment down there and he'd be gone too.

They'd be doing this all over again before long.

And Zoro would be there, a moss-covered rock of strength for Sanji to match. But also one that could slip from the blond's fingers easily.

He hadn't touched the game, afraid of what he would find when he opened it, afraid that there would be no more Zoro to stand beside him anymore.

Zoro's eyes flicked to his suddenly, and Sanji hadn't realized just how intently he'd been staring at the other teen, a flood of embarrassment filling him.

In fact, Zoro's heart had skipped a beat too, finding the blond watching him, and though the pain in his chest from watching Chopper drive out of his life was still there, so was that familiar fluttering that took hold of him whenever his and Sanji's eyes met, when their skin brushed, or Sanji tolerated him sitting close.

Sanji looked away first, his cheeks seeming to darken even beneath the lengthening shadows of the porch roof, but surprisingly, he brought his gaze back a few seconds later to murmur, "You okay…?"

Something about Sanji's thoughtfulness brought a lump to Zoro's throat, and he found himself nodding wordlessly, even though tears did indeed threaten to spring.

Sanji nodded too, started to reach out with a hand, but then seemed to think better of whatever he'd been about to do, shoving both in his hoodie pocket instead.

"If you wanna cry later, I won't tell anyone," he muttered as he stepped towards the front door, bumping Zoro's shoulder lightly as he did, smirking at him ever so slightly.

It had never happened so obviously before, with Sanji right there next to him, but Zoro's eyes fell to Sanji's lips, to that endearing tilt and flash of teeth. He hadn't meant for it to happen.

And then Sanji noticed.

And his smile faltered, though he quickly tried to force it back into place. His cheeks reddened again, and Zoro had to force himself to look away before he did anything he'd regret.

But if he was honest with himself, he might not regret it. And that thought was almost as terrifying.

Sanji said nothing though, just sighed and brushed shoulders with him again before heading inside.

Zoro didn't linger long before he followed him, trying to keep his fluttering heartbeat under control.

---

Dinner that night was nothing short of depressing compared to how things used to be. Usopp was quiet, despite Robin's questions and attempts to get him to brighten up. Franky had called to say he wasn't going to make it back to eat with everyone, so Sanji had packed his plate up in the fridge. In fact, the blond had seemed almost bored with the lack of activity to attend to, even Luffy's attempts at stealing food rather lackluster given the absence of open targets.

And Zoro had sat there too with his head in his plate practically, finishing his meal quickly and quietly before asking to be excused.

He needed to be alone. He needed to think about shit, process the fact that his friends were actually leaving, and he needed to process Sanji and what he should do with his stupid feelings when, ultimately, his goal was to see Sanji leave too - to move on to a better life.

He wanted this, but he didn't, and that was fucking selfish, he knew. Surely he was the only one who felt that way. He just needed to work through how he was going to deal with it when it ultimately happened.

So he'd gone upstairs to his and Sanji's room and flopped on his bed, pulled out his earbuds and lost himself in some loud classic rock.

It just sucked that every song made him think, in some capacity, of Sanji...

---

It wasn't until after he'd cleaned up the meal that Sanji worked up the courage to retreat to their room as well, the sight of Zoro's arresting stare fixed on his lips stuck in his mind.

It had been such a small thing, and he might have even imagined it or blown it out of proportion, but to him, it had sure seemed like a thing, and it had sure felt like the silent exchange had lasted fifteen heart-thumping minutes.

Dealing with this shit was becoming increasingly more difficult. Sanji did not like this growing panic he felt particularly when it came to the thought of Zoro leaving him. He'd always been independent and self-sufficient, so he didn't know why losing the idiot would affect him so much. Maybe they could still be friends. Maybe they could still keep in contact somehow.

But it wouldn't be the same. It wouldn't be the same as being there with him, feeling the powerful energy he emitted, comforting, intimidating, and challenging all at once. It wouldn't be the same as hearing his voice or seeing how stupid he looked when he was flustered.

He could imagine Zoro's face when he teased him, imagine his face when he kicked his ass all he wanted. But it wasn't the same as the real thing.

As it was, he was terrified to play his dumb game again, terrified to do it without Zoro by his side, because even though things seemed to be happening at random now, having Zoro there almost seemed like a failsafe. If Zoro was with him, then he wasn't in danger of being eliminated.

This was why, after dinner, he'd headed down the hall to his room, passing Luffy and Usopp's, which had been a continuous mess of suitcases and boxes ever since Chopper had begun packing.

It was nice to see, when he caught a glimpse through the doorway, the two at least had a basketball game going, with an open suitcase as the hoop, and bunched-up clothes as the ball. Robin sat calmly on the floor with a book in the midst of it all, a smirk on her face as she informed the two boys they'd have to refold everything later.

And Zoro was sprawled on his back, mouth agape and snoring loudly as Sanji pushed open the cracked door to their room, music faintly blaring from an earbud that had fallen from his ear onto the mattress.

Sanji slipped in, knowing Zoro wouldn't wake up when he shut the door with a click. When he slept, he slept hard, unless he sensed impending doom, whether that be a natural disaster or a bodyslam from Luffy, which were in fact the same thing.

The blond entered the room, took the opportunity to change out of his jeans into some comfortable sweatpants, pulled on some clean socks, then stepped over the tape line, increasingly obscured by Zoro's clothes strewn across the floor, and maybe some of Sanji's now too. He moved to Zoro's bedside and-

Okay, he had not planned on doing that last bit, but there he stood, eyes on Zoro's face, the other teen's brow relaxed as he slept, chest lifting with his steady breaths and snores.

Sanji's hands went right back into his hoodie pocket as he found them itching to reach out for Zoro. He didn't know what they would do - poke him or - or be more gentle because that was what his instincts were telling him to be.

And that was fucking weird because it was Zoro and when had he ever been gentle with him before?

So he decided to compromise, settling down onto the edge of Zoro's bed, trying to focus on the strong beat of the song blaring from the earbud between them instead of the similar beat of Zoro's pulse when Sanji's eyes took in his angular jawline.

Much easier said than done.

How many times had he seen Zoro asleep before? He shouldn't stare at him while he was sleeping. It was creepy.

So he reached out to grab Zoro's jaw with a hand, fulfilling his decided compromise to brush fingers there for just a second before he squeezed hard enough to wake him.

The predicted garbled sound of shock cut off Zoro's snore and his eyes shot open to reveal Sanji hovering over him with that dangerous smirk, the hand touching his face quickly retracting a second before Zoro became aware of the drool about to cascade from the corner of his lips.

Zoro's arm shot up, sleeve curled in his hand to wipe away the evidence, a strange feeling in his chest from waking up to Sanji so close.

"What the hell do you want, Curly…" he muttered in his usual sulky tone to cover up his embarrassment.

This had Sanji's smirk dying a little, however, and Zoro noticed that he didn't move off his bed, still sat there, even as Zoro tentatively sat up and brought their faces closer.

"I should play again," Sanji answered, eyes dropping to his lap. "I need to see if anything else has changed, but I'm…"

He trailed off, though Zoro thought he could finish that sentence.

"I just don't wanna do it alone," Sanji eventually amended, flicking eyes to Zoro almost expectantly.

But Zoro was already nodding, swallowing hard and hastily ripping his earbuds out, fishing for his phone before realizing it was wedged somewhere under his leg.

"Get your 3DS…" he mumbled, only moving to yank out his phone when Sanji got up to do so.

Had he moved earlier, their thighs would have brushed, and his leg tingled with even the thought...

---

The first thing Sanjius is aware of is the sound of the ocean, that familiar and comforting rush of water and spray that immediately reminds him of home.

He could be dreaming, as he has so many times since they've left the kingdom, longing to go back, to end their increasingly fruitless journey through lands that are far too foreign.

He hears the ocean though, and it instantly fortifies his soul, revitalizes his spirit in ways few things can.

He smells the salt and the grass in the dunes, feels the beating of the sun on his face, the scratch of the sand against his cheek and-

His eyes shoot open, pupils shrinking quickly when the hot pink beyond his closed eyelids becomes a blinding burst of bright sunlight, forcing him to blink several times to adjust.

No longer is he in the mountains, outside the ruins of Zoua on that grassy hillside. No longer are there thick forests in sight, nor any of his friends-

"No!" he stammers in a panic, bolting upright, his cloak spread beneath him like wings and his hair falling out of its tie.

He is on the beach near his castle. He'd recognize those cragged cliffs anywhere; he's memorized this shoreline.

But at first glance, he is alone with the breeze, and the brilliant sunset starting over the horizon.

Until, that is, beyond the dark line where sand meets surf, he sees, with a jolt of terror, Zorin lying prone, his form half soaked from the water lapping beneath him.

He makes out his slack features, unmoving, and that's all he needs to see before Sanjius scrambles to his feet, struggling to right himself when his head gives an unsteady spin, but he manages to make it across that line into the wet sand, falling to his knees beside his knight.

Zorin is most definitely unconscious. He might be the only person Sanjius knows who could sleep in the surf, the rush of waves surging directly beneath his ears, but Zorin's stillness is not sleep and for a terrible moment, Sanjius fears the worst. Maybe Zorin has been able to heal after tremendous injury before, but after losing so many, Sanjius is no longer certain of anything.

Zorin's chest is hidden beneath a plate of metal armor, so instead Sanjius' hand darts out to clamp on his jaw, fingers stretching up to hover above his lips.

He waits.

But then he feels the warm movement of air puffing over his fingertips, and he nearly collapses with relief, dropping his head and closing his eyes.

He doesn't realize how close he's moved to Zorin's face until his nose brushes against the knight's cheek, and unconsciously, he nearly tilts his head to brush lips there before he remembers himself and sits up again.

He watches Zorin's face for a long moment, listens to the soft white noise of the water as it slides up between them.

His knight is too still, and he has no idea what's happened. In fact, all he remembers clearly is Francus being swallowed up by that terrifying darkness, the rest of them forced to run for their lives until everything went black.

"Wake up," he says to Zorin, hand still at his jaw.

No reaction, so he says it again.

"Wake up."

Nothing.

His hand squeezes tightly, voice turning into a worried growl.

"Wake up!"

Zorin's features tense, and he makes a small unconscious noise in his throat, Sanjius sighing heavily the second more movement follows.

It takes him a minute, subtle shifting and furrowing of his brow eventually leading Zorin to flutter eyes open experimentally.

As with Sanjius, the brightness of the sunlight catches him by surprise, but the prince waits patiently for Zorin to gather his surroundings until finally, their eyes meet properly.

"Your Highness," Zorin stutters, pushing up quickly to grab hold of the prince's wrist, unscarred eye wide as it takes in Sanjius' status. "Are you-?"

"I'm fine," the blond insists, knowing he probably looks anything but with how disheveled he is. He's more concerned with his knight anyway. "You were the one unconscious in the water…"

Zorin looks down, seemingly noticing, for the first time, just where he's sitting, the water slowly seeping into his boots and armor.

He doesn't move though, just lifts his head to look back up at Sanjius again, his gaze softening when it meets the tumult in the prince's.

He remembers too, Sanjius can tell. He knows they've lost another, and the fear is real that Usio, Luffient, and Robisia are missing as well. After all, shouldn't they all be here?

Neither of them moves for a long time. Sanjius feels Zorin's thumb start to shift against the skin of his wrist, rubbing up and down slowly, soothingly, and that's when Sanjius notices that tears have sprung to his own eyes.

Hastily, the prince sniffs and brushes them away with his free hand.

"We - We must - the others," Sanjius says, hardly able to form a full sentence, but Zorin understands, nodding and moving only when the prince does, staggering to his feet, a hand on Sanjius the whole time.

The two of them stand there, a little shaky, trying to get their bearings, but eventually Sanjius' hand shifts, encircles his knight's to tug him gently along behind him as he moves down the beach.

He hears Zorin's breath catch, but soon he follows, his hand warm against Sanjius' tingling palm.

---

Just before the prince and his knight round the corner of the cliffs, their footsteps trailing them in the sand, there's the sound of fierce grunting and frustrated growls, followed by great splashes that aren't coming from the natural movement of the water.

They share a glance, but keep moving. Zorin at least has his swords at his side, and Sanjius' emotions are heightened enough that he knows he can take out any foe. He has to.

But it's not a foe they discover. It's Luffient making those noises, they find, his hair wild and teeth bared ferally as he takes huge rocks from the shoreline and throws them as far as he can into the water. Again and again, rock after rock. Stones that look far too heavy for a normal person to lift he throws with one hand, until finally he falls to his knees, his armor sinking into the sand, hands lifting to clench in his own hair.

"Luffient!" Sanjius calls out, unable to watch this go on any longer, and he only releases Zorin's hand to hurry to his other knight's side.

The younger man lifts his head with a start, eyes wide and shimmering with disbelief when they land on the prince, and Zorin beyond.

"Sanjius - you're-"

"Right here. I'm alright," he assures. "And so is Zorin."

He glances back over his shoulder, but Zorin is moving towards the larger rocks along the shore, and Sanjius notices for the first time that Robisia is seated on one, her wet purple robe nearly black, thin arms hugging herself as she stares numbly ahead of her.

Sanjius lets out a breath, gives Luffient's arm a squeeze, then rushes to her next, making it to her just as Zorin does.

"Robisia," he murmurs, quickly unlatching her wet cloak at her throat and replacing it with his own dry one.

She doesn't move the entire time, prompting him to ask, "You're not injured, are you?"

She shakes her head minutely.

"Not physically," she answers quietly, and instantly, the prince's mind is taken right back to the clutches of that horrible black void, consuming Francus entirely…

His arm comes around her, rubbing up and down in some vague echo of comfort, difficult when he's beginning to feel as empty as the hole that's no doubt in Robisia's heart.

Luffient has gotten to his feet, slowly coming over to their tiny group, his shoulders heaving with breaths that are far too distressed for just standing as he is.

"Where's - Where's Usio…?" he asks.

Immediately, Sanjius' heart drops, and Zorin's eyes find his, wide and panicked as well.

Luffient's heavy breaths increase, their silence enough of a terrifying answer for him.

"No-" he stammers, stumbling back a step towards the water. "No - no, where's-"

Then he turns and screams Usio's name, loud enough to echo off the tall cliff walls, a scream that is loud, but vulnerable and broken, full of bottled-up pain that's come from losing his dear friends one by one. It's evidence that Luffient has been masking perhaps more pain than any of them, because it's his responsibility - his purpose - to protect. And he's failed.

Sanjius can do nothing but stare at his knight, at a complete loss for what to do, for how to feel even. How can he continue to feel?

They should look for Usio, but something sinister and defeatist is telling him that it's no use. That they won't find him….

Zorin bears his teeth in a pained grimace. Robisia drops her head into her hands.

Luffient continues to call his name, whirling in frantic circles, stumbling in the loose sand.

Sanjius remains silent.

---

"We need to find Sir Shannik."

Luffient's voice is small, broken, a far cry from his normal confidence. He is huddled there on the sand, back against one of the rocks, knees pulled up to his chest, and his gaze despondent.

None of them have moved for some time, the sun sinking ever lower over the horizon. None of them particularly wants to venture into the town, for fear of what they'll find, for fear of putting themselves in danger, for once. For fear that their beloved Baratia will look no better than Zoua...

No one answers Luffient's statement, so he says it again, louder, hoarse with emotion.

"We need to find Sir Shannik!"

"What will he do…" Sanjius mutters in reply, still seated on the rock beside Robisia. "He can't change what's happened…"

"I can't protect us!" Luffient cries, turning a desperate gaze up to his prince, eyes watery with tears. "I can't do it! I'm not good enough and I can't help you take the kingdom bac-!"

"Then we're all going," Sanjius says, monotone, numb, looking out to sea so he doesn't have to observe the raw pain on his knight's face. "We can't separate. You know what will happen. We're dead if we do….." He chuckles morosely. "We're dead if we don't-"

"Don't say that."

Zorin's voice cuts in, strong enough to draw the attention of everyone in their small group.

Sanjius slowly brings his head around to look at Zorin, who's staring directly at him, his eyes dry and fierce.

"Don't be a damned fool," he bites out bitterly. "I refuse to submit myself to that fate. I refuse to believe anything is set in stone, and so should you!"

Zorin's hand quivers over the hilt of his prized white sword, as if he's just short of drawing it to prove his point. His body trembles with pent-up emotion, visible movement in his shoulders beneath his armor indicating his heavy breathing, and everything about him is so ferocious that Sanjius' heart automatically picks up.

He is ferocious and alive, actively combating defeat, and though Robisia is still quiet and Luffient is still distraught, Sanjius feels the depressing coating of surrender begin to crack around him, if only a little bit. So long as he keeps his eyes on Zorin.

There's a long minute of powerful silence, nothing but the rush of the waves to fill it.

Zorin's voice is softer when he speaks again.

"Luffient's right. We should find Sir Shannik. We storm the castle as we are, then we're asking for trouble. We don't know the state of things."

There's a crunch as Luffient's fingers clench in the sand, Robisia letting out a shuddery breath.

Then a second later, Luffient slowly gets to his feet, reaches a hand out for Robisia to take.

She stares at it dully, but then something seems to sharpen in her gaze, and when she places her hand in the knight's, she lets out a soothing pulse of healing energy, her magic traveling up Luffient's arm in a blue ring that disappears into his chest.

Luffient closes his eyes for a moment, eyes that are still red-rimmed, but fierce when he opens them again and pulls Robisia to her feet.

He spares one last glance at Zorin and Sanjius, then leads Robisia off down the beach, heading east towards the castle with a final determined, "Come on."

Sanjius doesn't move, even when the two of them have made it several paces away.

Zorin stays where he is as well, waiting silently.

Sanjius listens to his knight's attempt to control his breathing, keep it steady when he no doubt wants to sob as much as the prince. He doesn't know how he knows this, but he can feel it.

"We've lost everyone, Zorin," he states glumly.

"We haven't," Zorin shoots back.

Sanjius just nods, his lips turning up forlornly as he looks into Zorin's eyes, hoping they can rekindle his own fire, his will to fight.

Zorin makes a frustrated noise and moves to sit beside him on the rock.

"We haven't," he says again, close to Sanjius' ear.

From the corner of his peripheral, the prince sees Zorin's hand start to creep up, as if to brush at his hair, but he quickly retracts it.

Strangely, it leaves the blond with an empty feeling, one he doesn't fully understand. He shouldn't need coddling, particularly not from Zorin. He's a grown man, and their prince. He shouldn't be sitting here in defeat while even Robisia managed to pick herself up and at least move forward.

Is he that weak? Is he that easily broken….?

Is he foolish for thinking that losing five friends is something that shouldn't break him?

"I know they're gone," Zorin murmurs after a minute, though Sanjius' gaze stays fixed on the surf lapping gently at the sand, at their footprints from earlier that are slowly filling in, becoming unrecognizable depressions that will soon erase their trail entirely.

There is a long pause, during which Zorin seems to struggle for words, judging by the multiple times he starts to speak but stops himself.

What he does say sends a surprising jolt of warmth through the prince's heart, and he turns his head, eyes automatically falling to Zorin's lips when his knight utters his name, not his title, for the first time in his memory.

"Sanjius…"

The prince's breaths come lightly, and Zorin seems nervous too because he stammers and shakes his head, brow furrowing when Sanjius' gaze finally lifts to look at him properly. He suddenly has the urge to reach out and touch Zorin's reddening cheeks.

"I need you to keep fighting," Zorin finally says, his own steely eyes raising to meet the prince's. "Fight until there's nothing left to fight for."

Until there's nothing left to fight for…

Sanjius closes his eyes, his mind immediately drifting to his lost friends. To Brokard, Namilia, Chonrad. Francus and now Usio.

He remembers what he'd overheard mere hours ago, during Usio and Zorin's conversation on the hillside, minutes before tragedy struck.

Zorin had faith in him. Zorin believed in him, and Sanjius doesn't know why when he feels he can't rely on his own conviction.

His strength isn't coming from within right now; it's coming from somewhere else.

From someone else.

He can't lose Zorin, he realizes, and it's a powerful realization at that. If he loses him, it's over, as far as he's concerned.

He doesn't know how to voice this. He doesn't know how to say it aloud to his knight who, until recently, had been the bane of his existence.

He doesn't know what to say, needing him as much as he does now, when he never would have admitted that before everything changed.

"Only if….you do the same," he settles for, opening his eyes and finding Zorin right there, close, watching him intensely.

Zorin lets out a breath slowly and nods.

"Always," he replies.

---

Sanji watched the screen go black, taking him back to the map, his small avatar once again bouncing without a care over the jagged coastline near the kingdom of Baratia. There was one path option available, a single orange line leading from his avatar's current location to the town surrounding the castle.

Sanji left his character where he was, instead snapping his 3DS shut and setting it aside on Zoro's bed.

Zoro's heart was beating fast after watching that scene play out, so similar to the moment he and Sanji had shared the previous evening.

Surely it was obvious. Surely it was obvious how he felt about the blond, how much Sanji meant to him and how much he hated seeing him uncertain or in pain. How Sanji was his strength, and how he wanted him to be okay.

Sanji was quiet too, and Zoro wondered, a little fearfully, what he was thinking, if seeing a similar scene in a different context would make him clearly see Zoro's unsaid feelings.

He wasn't sure if he wanted this, so he didn't have to say it himself….or if he'd rather it be a secret forevermore. Either way, he was certain Sanji couldn't feel the same. Ultimately, the question was which would be less painful, in the end…

"So Usopp's really gone…" Sanji muttered eventually, and despite his indecision, Zoro felt his heart plummet a little with disappointment, disappointment that Sanji didn't address the conversation. "That leaves Luffy, Robin, and…."

He trailed off with a sigh, finally bringing a tired gaze up to meet Zoro's.

There was one thought clear in Zoro's mind, seeing the haggard expression on his face, as if the burden of the game was physically heavy on his shoulders.

"Let me play," Zoro said. "Let me do it. It's stressing you out way too damn much."

"No, mosshead, I'm fine," Sanji replied dismissively. "I'm just….gonna wait until Usopp leaves before I do anything else. And hope it doesn't fucking glitch again…"

"Why can't I, Curly?" he pressed. "You can watch if you want, but at least it won't be all on you-"

"Because, Zoro!" Sanji cried. "I know what you're going to do, and I'm not okay with that!"

"And you think I'm okay with watching you sacrifice yourself for everyone else's happiness?!"

"It's not a sacrifice! The game is mine! I'm the only one who can-!"

"I found it first, stupid! It's just as much my responsibility!"

"Well, too bad, idiot! I've already decided I'm gonna get you out of here so-!"

Both of them stopped as soon as the words left Sanji's mouth, staring at each other with comically wide eyes.

Zoro's stomach did a flip, heartbeat practically thundering in his ears at this point.

He wanted to grab Sanji suddenly, grab him and - he didn't know what, but he wanted to keep him there, with him. He didn't want Sanji to fucking do that for him when it would leave him all alone. They'd talked about this, and it shouldn't feel so traitorously good either, to think that Sanji had decided to help him first.

Zoro didn't grab him, but instead, he shoved him. Right in the chest.

"Why do you always do this?" Zoro cried, hating that look of resignation on Sanji's face. "You think you don't matter! You think you-!"

"That's not true…" Sanji cut in quietly after catching himself with a hand on the mattress, not moving to hit Zoro back, but rather staring at him dully.

"Yes, it is!" Zoro insisted, thinking of how many times the blond had come to bed far too late after talking one of the younger boys through a tough time, or forgotten to study for an important test because he was too busy helping Nami study for hers.

"You put everyone else before yourself every damn time when you shouldn't!" Zoro continued, even if it had never happened to him. He'd never been the one Sanji wanted to help. Until now, apparently…

"What the hell are you doing then, you damn hypocrite!" Sanji retorted, a bit of spark returning to his eyes as the argument escalated.

"I'm doing it for selfish reasons!" Zoro barked back instantly, and though his stomach dropped a little at the admission, Sanji was still glaring at him, and that was enough to spur him on.

"Because I can't fucking think about - about you being alone!" he continued, frustrated with himself and his inability to properly express his stupid feelings that complicated everything, especially now. "You already were before you came here - you don't need that again!"

"Well, neither do you!" Sanji shot back quickly.

"Well then what the fuck do we do?!"

It was a question to Sanji, but it was also a question to himself, a question that ate at him every time Sanji smiled, every time he said shit like he was saying now, when he showed he actually did give a fuck about him.

He looked at Sanji desperately, desperate for an answer, a remedy, closure, anything to combat this confusion he had, this feeling that made him want to pull the blond closer, even if they seemed destined, at this point, to part.

Zoro's eyes were wide, and so close to helpless that it nearly took Sanji's breath away, the blond squirming under the pressure to come up with an answer that would be good enough for Zoro. He knew how stubborn he was, but even this didn't seem like stubbornness. It was much more unsure, much more fragile, and Sanji wasn't sure he'd ever seen that look in Zoro's eyes before.

He brought a hand to his head, scratching through his hair, features scrunching up as he tried to think of some compromise.

"What if…" he started. "After Luffy and Miss Robin…...we leave it. I won't touch it. Neither of us will…"

He didn't like the thought. He didn't want to risk Zoro's future so readily.

"But it deleted Franky and Usopp on its own…" Zoro replied, his argument admittedly sound. "What if it happens again...or what if nothing happens."

Of course Sanji was afraid of this, but there was nothing else he could say just then to make Zoro give up his conviction.

"Then isn't it just like….life?" he tried, feeling like he did so often in literature class, pulling some bullshit analysis out of his ass. "Whatever happens, happens?"

Zoro wasn't satisfied. That much was obvious by his unhappy silence, the frown on his face.

Sanji wanted Zoro on his side. He wanted his full support on the matter, and he could tell the idiot was still warring in his mind.

Considering how much of an emotionally stoic rock Sanji used to think Zoro was, he was now coming to realize just how readily the guy actually wore his emotions on his features.

Or maybe that was just around him…

Still, he tried to lighten the mood, reaching out to jab Zoro in the side.

"Come on, mosshead," he said. "Not gonna come at me with some brave line about combating fate…?" Just like his game self had…

But Zoro didn't rise to his teasing, merely gave a frustrated growl, reaching out to push Sanji halfheartedly on the arm.

He was quiet, and when he pulled his hand away, his touch trailed slowly over Sanji's arm, leaving a path that prickled with what felt like warm static over Sanji's skin, though he might have imagined it.

Surely he had, even if Zoro's gaze had fallen forlornly to his hand, staring at it like he'd felt something too.

A few silent moments, permeated only by the soft orchestral music of the game playing from the 3DS, and Sanji's own heartbeat, which was deafening, he thought, until finally, Zoro moved again, scooting himself off the bed and instantly bending to scoop up a pair of sweatpants crumpled on the ground.

He mumbled something nearly unintelligible about getting changed as he gathered up yet more fallen garments and headed for the door.

Sanji couldn't help but feel an immense disappointment, a fear that maybe he'd said something wrong, hurt Zoro for real.

He sat there on Zoro's bed, watching him go, and even if Zoro was just going to the bathroom, already the spot beside him felt empty, terrifyingly so, a sad premonition of what might be their future.

But then Zoro paused in the doorway, a soft breath leaving him and his head angling towards the blond.

"Thanks...anyway…" he murmured, voice quiet and almost shy.

His face was half hidden behind the open door, but Sanji could still see the pink rising to Zoro's ears, complementing his green hair like a vivid watermelon.

"For what…?" Sanji breathed back, rather taken by this image, particularly when Zoro peeked an eye at him, his hand anxiously fumbling with the doorknob.

"For wanting to help me…." he mumbled back, nearly inaudible before he quickly disappeared from view, closing the door behind him.

Sanji's heart skipped a beat.

He pulled up his knees and buried his face there to hide the redness rising to his own cheeks.

With a trembling hand, he reached out to snap his 3DS shut, Zoro's face stuck in his brain and confusion surrounding his heart.

---

The next day at school passed normally, but it was full of a sad anticipation. Usopp wasn't changing schools. His dad's new apartment was still within the school district limits, but, yet again, it was a day of lasts.

His last breakfast at Sunny, eating a fantastic meal prepared just for him by Sanji, who paid special attention to include all of Usopp's favorites, syrup drawings on his pancakes and all.

It was the last time they'd all go to school together, the four boys, Luffy, Usopp, Sanji, and Zoro, three bikes and a skateboard along the pale sidewalks, already heating up from the morning sun, the call of seagulls greeting them as always.

It was the last time Usopp would park his bike in the garage, unable to take it with him to his dad's. Luffy insisted he could still come visit, ride it whenever he came, but both Sanji and Zoro knew that wouldn't be happening if they had their way. There'd be no one left to visit.

He wasn't even eating dinner with them, Shanks and his dad planning to pick him up shortly after school.

It was a day of many lasts, but it was also a day of firsts, for Sanji in particular, who awoke thirty minutes before his alarm with a strange fluttering in his stomach, particularly when he became hyper-aware of Zoro's snoring across the room.

He'd rolled over onto his back, turned his head to look over at his sleeping roommate, and it was a sight he'd seen countless times before.

Zoro was flopped there unceremoniously, one knee up in the air, blankets tangled around his legs, and a flash of midriff visible beneath his loose T-shirt, which had ridden up in the night. His mouth was open, just waiting for spiders to crawl in, and his hair was mussed, features softly lit by the horizontal bars of sunlight that filtered in through the window shades.

There was a soft gurgle beneath his snores, most likely due to the drool that spilled out of his mouth and soaked the pillow beneath.

It was pretty damn vile.

But it was the first time Sanji hadn't scoffed in disgust, hadn't turned right back over to sleep the extra half hour until his phone alarm buzzed beside his head.

It wasn't that he found the sight itself entrancing, no. Most certainly not.

It was just…..Zoro.

Zoro and everything he was, everything he'd turned out to be, which still surprised and baffled Sanji to this day.

By the time the half hour was up, Sanji had curled onto his side, still watching the idiot quietly, and he'd determined a few things, some of which he was okay with….and some of which were affecting him significantly.

He and Zoro were friends now. He was okay with that, happy about it, and Zoro was too. Zoro was still an idiot, and he still pissed him off to no end, but the fact that this hadn't changed was good.

Because all day, through homeroom, all his classes, lunch, everything…. He couldn't understand why Zoro wouldn't leave his mind. They didn't even have their shared study hall that day, but Zoro's smile, how it had felt when he'd said Sanji's real name….the strange tingling feeling he got whenever their skin brushed….how Zoro had held him protectively at the skatepark when he'd fallen….

These memories continued to flash through his head, so much that he couldn't concentrate on his studies. Final exams were the following week. His teachers were reviewing and cramming like mad, but not even that, nor his melancholy over his friends' departures, could distract him from the weird-ass emotions that were plaguing him about the mosshead.

Maybe it was regret. He'd had that before, thinking about what a damn shame it had been that their friendship had only started now. That it had taken the threat of being pulled apart to push them closer together.

Surely it was regret. He would miss Zoro when he went. Because despite what he'd said to him, Sanji was still determined. He would help Zoro, even if it made Zoro angry. He'd thank him in the end.

Not that he wanted thanks…..

He just….wanted the idiot to be happy….

It took up to the hour Usopp was leaving for Sanji to shake his thoughts, Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy all gathering in what was now, sadly, only Luffy's bedroom, Usopp's empty bunk bed now joining Chopper's across the room.

The four of them sat on the floor, just as they had with Chopper, and said their goodbyes, even if they knew they'd see each other again. It was the end of an era in their lives, and it was one none of them wanted to forget, Luffy and Usopp snapping goofy pictures on their phones, clearly trying to pretend everything was okay.

And it was. Everything was great. Usopp was finally getting to live with his dad, who'd kept his promise, even after so many years. Both father and son had always wanted this reunion.

But it was still bittersweet when Miss Robin and Franky appeared in the doorway to call Usopp downstairs. Franky's hand was rubbing softly at the small of Robin's back, and his grin was a little smaller than usual when he heaved one of Usopp's suitcases over his shoulder like it weighed nothing, knowing it was the last time he'd do so until he carried his own belongings out in a few days' time.

Usopp had taken one last look at the room around him, swallowed hard and leaned desperately into Luffy's embrace when the other boy draped himself over Usopp's shoulders.

He looked to Zoro and Sanji for support, the two of them doing their best to exude their usual calm confidence, though it was clearly wavering. They could both feel it.

Still, they headed out into the hallway to the staircase to wait for Yasopp and Shanks, and it was over, just as it had been with Chopper, Nami, and Brook.

Sanji swallowed hard as he reached the top of the stairs, about to follow the others down when, suddenly, he felt a hand clamp onto his wrist, his heart instantly leaping into overdrive.

He looked up just in time to see Zoro mouthing a few words to himself, almost as if he were practicing what he wanted to say.

"Curly…" he managed, lifting eyes nervously to the blond's face. "Can we-?"

But then the doorbell rang. And the moment was quite obviously shattered, Zoro's hand immediately falling away forlornly with a muttered curse under his breath.

Still, Sanji's heart hammered, even as Franky opened the front door in the entranceway below them, Shanks striding in with a bold, "Heya, kiddos!", Yasopp smirking close behind.

Zoro was already starting down the stairs, mumbling, "Nevermind," but whatever force had kept Sanji's thoughts on him all day left the blond standing there in his wake, swallowing hard, now fully obsessed with whatever Zoro had wanted to ask him.

The game. The game could get him to do it. He was sure of it, thinking of that little 'B' that still hovered over their avatars, the fact that advancing that could help nudge the real Zoro along.

He'd said he wouldn't play….

But maybe….what Zoro didn't know….

Sanji shoved hands in his pockets and started down the stairs too.

Later, he promised himself. Later...

---

Walking through the cobblestone streets of Baratia feels like a dream, and a terrible one at that. It's the first time Sanjius feels unwelcome in his own city, having to pull his cloak hood low over his face, just in case he is recognized. Robisia insisted he wear it again for that reason...

Of course, with only four of them on foot, it is easy to move more inconspicuously, but it also puts them directly into the heart of the damage wrought upon his beautiful home.

Buildings have been razed, businesses and homes alike destroyed, burnt shells of their former facades. Animals, far more than usual, roam the streets, homeless chickens, dogs, and cats searching, disoriented, for where they once belonged.

The smell of cinders is in the air, no longer the sweet smell of the ocean, nor the vendors selling hot food, no scent of bread wafting from the bakeries.

The city is gray, the streets devoid of hustle and bustle, the only voices those of men calling orders, clacking wood, hammering, the desperate struggle to rebuild underway but fueled by little enthusiasm or vigor.

All of the prince's banners, the proud sky blue flags Usio helped create, with Sanjius' own self-designed crest that once hung from every streetlamp, are gone, ripped, burned, some lying in tatters on the dirty ground. Every last one.

They've been replaced with a swirling pair of sixes, dark black over a deep crimson, the heavy fabric sinister as it flaps like the beating of ominous wings along the gravely quiet roads.

Sanjius feels as desolate as his city, as broken and weak, and he wonders how he's able to walk through, show his face here when he ran, abandoned his people. He'd been selfish, even if he'd told himself he was getting help. It didn't matter. It had been foolish and fruitless. And now he was ashamed to have lost not only his friends, but his kingdom.

If he'd put his people, his loved ones first...he could have saved them.

Zorin is beside him, staying close the entire time, close enough that their arms brush, the warmth that permeates each time it happens the only thing keeping him moving, keeping him from completely collapsing.

Somehow, Zorin has become his rock, the hand that finds his back now and again his only driving force. He thinks of Zorin's words from earlier, and he knows now that Zorin is the only one who can keep him fighting. He is the only one holding him up from the depths of his despair. Even if Luffient's powerful resolve is unwavering, it's Zorin's fierce eyes he thinks of, his quiet strength and his voice which sears in his mind.

He finds himself stealing glances at his knight, whose jaw is clenched tight, brows drawn in as he scans every side street and alley for potential danger. His left hand is attentive to Sanjius, but his right remains poised on the white hilt of his most precious sword.

He looks like himself, but he doesn't, Sanjius thinks. He looks older, but also more vulnerable, particularly when he flicks eyes to Sanjius now and again, accidentally making eye contact before he quickly looks away. It's strange and flighty, and the prince averts eyes as well, but it leaves a curious fluttering in Sanjius' stomach every time he feels his knight's eyes land on him again.

He walks closer to Zorin's side, eager to enter the safety of his space, to ignore what he sees around him, the sadness and gloom.

Luffient, leading their small band, steers them towards the far end of the docks. Whether it's a conscious decision or not, Sanjius doesn't know, but he is silently grateful. He doesn't want to see any more destruction. He doesn't want to see the castle, which no longer belongs to him. He fears what awaits him inside.

What they find, anchored far out to sea, nestled near a group of large concealing crags, is a ship, a familiar one, a massive schooner with a flag fluttering from the crow's nest, white with three red slash marks painted diagonally across.

"He's here," Luffient breathes, stopping precariously close to the edge of a dilapidated jetty, thick seaweed puddled in the water beneath.

He stares at Sir Shannik's ship with an equal amount of awe and hope, his stance a little taller than it has been, a little stronger. His arm twitches, fist clenching, as if he wants to reach across the very ocean and grab hold of the ship, fling them there himself.

But he can't, and it's only when Robisia touches his arm and murmurs softly about finding a rowboat that he relaxes and the frustration seems to melt off him, if only a little.

She loops her arm through his, steals a brief glance back at Sanjius and Zorin, still standing, stoic, at the top of the steps that lead down to the docks.

Luffient makes eye contact with Zorin first, a silent message passing between them before his gaze lands on Sanjius.

"Sir Shannik is gonna help us," Luffient says, and it's clear that the knight who trained him is the one holding him together right now, even just the thought of him. "This isn't over."

He says it isn't, but it is. Sanjius knows this now and accepts it. Maybe there's a bigger war to fight, but for now, they've lost their own battle, and he desperately wishes they could stop to pick themselves up. Right now, as they are, he fails to find a reason they should regain hope.

But then, a hand finds his wrist, warm and supportive, callous fingers curling over his pulse point gently.

"We'll search this way," Zorin murmurs, jerking his head in the opposite direction, where little else lies besides a few charred lots where houses once stood, the low stone wall that protects the buildings from the sea broken and crumbling as well.

Sanjius narrows eyes, knowing they won't find a boat there, but Luffient nods as if there's nothing off about his suggestion, reaching up to pat Robisia's hand at his forearm before the two start off down the bleak dock together.

As soon as they're gone, Zorin tugs him, a little roughly, but it's good because it jolts Sanjius from his thoughts, keeps him from focusing too much on the rows of destroyed vessels that now float, little more than driftwood lined up in the water. It stops him from thinking that it's more likely they'll need to build a new rowboat than find an intact one.

Zorin leads him down the stone steps, onto the slick wood of the dock that lines the wall that towers up above them now.

He stops at a patch of sunlight, between two smaller sailboats with broken hulls. The breeze is warm, the sound of water lapping gently beside them, the boats giving their occasional creak or groan as they slowly rise and fall with the waves.

Zorin stops, turns to face Sanjius with his hands finding the prince's biceps.

"Earlier. I'm sorry, but I lied," he says, the prince's heart leaping into his throat automatically.

Lied? Zorin lied? He tries to quell any hurt, any fear that threatens to overtake him, though it's already beginning. He can't stop it.

"I'm going to the castle," the knight continues. "Tonight. I'm going to kill whoever is holding your throne."

Sanjius' jaw drops, his voice coming out as a hissed shriek as panic instantly fills him.

"What - on your own?! You most certainly are not going in there alone, Zorin, are you mad?!"

Zorin's grip on the prince's arms tightens.

"If I take Luffient, he'll announce us immediately. I can't let Robisia fight anymore. And you're the Prince! You'll be a walking target-!"

"I don't care about that!" Sanjius cries, and he lifts hands to shove Zorin hard in the chest, the sound a loud slap of his palms against slick metal. Zorin doesn't budge, but still he growls, "Do you think I'm going to let you risk your life just for-!"

"Stop!" Zorin grits out, quickly snatching up Sanjius' wrists in both his hands. "Do you see that ship out there? The deck is empty! Sir Shannik might be dead for all we know! If someone doesn't do something, then the kingdom's lost!"

Rage, barely masking a burgeoning fear, fills Sanjius, capping the thoughts he's had all day, that he needs Zorin with him. Zorin is the only one keeping him together right now, and if something happens to the damned bastard, then-

"Why does it have to be you?!" the prince shouts, and it's a question that's not merely about this situation.

He doesn't understand why it's Zorin. Why has Zorin become his source of strength? Why is the thought of losing Zorin of all people the one that plagues him the most?

He struggles to be free of the knight's grip, eventually lifting a leg and pivoting himself to try and kick out Zorin's knee.

It's a move that will surely only land him in the water, but Zorin predicts it, bending low and shoving all his weight at the blond, slamming him up against the wall and pinning him there.

His chest presses directly into the prince's, and though it's covered with armor, Sanjius can still feel the heavy rise and fall beneath. Zorin's face is close, close enough that he can see the details in his fierce iris. Unable to look away, quick pants leave the prince as well, and he's glad for the armor between them because his heart begins to pound in his chest, tingles of something shooting down his entire body.

For a long moment, he can't say anything, and it seems Zorin is at a loss too, the frustration and yet determination to get something out written all over his features.

"Because-" he starts, his voice low. "I want you safe, Your Highness."

He shakes the prince's wrists hard against the wall to drive in his point, and he doesn't move off him, as if he can physically block Sanjius from coming after him.

Sanjius' heart hammers and his breath stutters because there's an edge to Zorin's voice, one that is new. Zorin isn't simply doing this for his job….

"You can't think that my life-" Sanjius breathes, hushing his voice as well, eyes stuck on Zorin's. "-is more important than yours….it's not…"

"It is-" Zorin shoots back.

"It's not!"

"It is!" Zorin insists, baring teeth. "I trained for the castle guard so I could protect you!"

"But-" Sanjius stammers. "Why! I thought you couldn't stand me…"

Zorin growls, finally releasing Sanjius' wrists roughly, backing up and lifting a hand to rake through his hair, then down his face, over his mouth.

He says nothing, but he shakes his head, ears reddening, staring hard at the water lapping at the wood beneath their feet.

Sanjius feels as if he's missing something, something important, and his mind flashes back to the forest, outside the witch's hut, just before Namilia had-

He stops himself from remembering the wrong thing, instead focusing on what Zorin had said, how he'd seemed disappointed that Sanjius hadn't remembered something…. It had, understandably, slipped his mind over the following weeks, but now….

"Zorin…." he murmurs, stepping off the wall to turn his knight towards him, studying his sulky features that he still seems set on keeping averted.

Why is he disappointed? Why is he so upset in reaction to the prince's words….?

This is not the same Zorin from the start of their journey. Surely not…

"Zorin, what have I forgotten…?"

Again, Zorin shakes his head, but this time, he chuckles a little, though it's a tired sound, not borne from amusement.

"It's not your fault," Zorin mutters. "It was - so long ago, and - you're the Prince. I'm certain you had better things on your mind than…"

He trails off, but Sanjius isn't letting him. He kicks him in the shin and urges sternly, "Tell me," knowing his knight is incapable of refusing a direct order.

Zorin scowls at the kick, looks about to raise a fist and retaliate out of habit, so Sanjius takes that fist in his own hand, covers it and implores again, more gently this time, "Tell me."

Zorin lets out a breath, then looks directly into the prince's eyes, seems to draw upon some sort of resolve there because a second later, he speaks.

"When I was ten," he says, not looking away from Sanjius' face, enough that the intensity of his gaze has the prince's heart speeding up. "My sister and I were orphaned. We had no food, nowhere to live, nothing. We made it for a while on scraps, but people stopped being so generous...and she grew weak."

Sanjius swallows, not sure why Zorin is telling him this, particularly when he's never told him before. He'd never known Zorin had a sister, and while he assumed the knight's parents were not involved in his life, he had no idea Zorin was an orphan…

He feels a strong pang of empathy, suddenly, learning they have more in common than he'd thought. Even if his own father is still alive, he feels no connection or love for the man, who would rather conquer his kingdom than show him any care. As far as he is concerned, he doesn't have a father either.

Still, Sanjius remains silent, sensing that Zorin will speak again.

"One day, I went into town," he continues, his gaze dropping to the dirty fabric of Sanjius' collar, no longer its brilliant clear blue after so many weeks of wear and tear. "I left my sister in the woods and I decided to go to the palace itself. I don't know what compelled me to do so, but…"

He shakes his head.

"I never made it that far… I collapsed in the street, and when I woke up there were soldiers surrounding me."

Sanjius watches the look in Zorin's eye, how far away it is.

"And - you - you don't remember this, but….you appeared," Zorin murmurs quietly. "And you had a whole damned basket of bread and meats. You could barely carry it… You told me to take it and - and you smiled and just-"

Zorin lets out a breath, lips turning up ever so slightly, his face now tinted red. He lifts his gaze and Sanjius realizes, with a knock of his heart, that Zorin is looking softly at his lips.

"That was it," Zorin says. "But… It saved our lives…and ever since, I knew I wanted to serve you. To try and repay you."

The prince stares at Zorin and racks his brain desperately, searching his memories of countless visits to town, countless times he's helped feed his people, tries and tries to remember how it had felt to-

His eyes widen suddenly. A vivid memory of his first time preparing a cut of beef. He'd nearly chopped his finger off that morning. He remembers spilling too much salt in the meat seasoning. Patriz had been angry. He remembers one of the young maids hurrying fearfully to clean it up, insisting it was her fault, and he remembers assuring her it wasn't, that he wanted to fix it himself.

He remembers sitting in the carriage with that huge basket on his lap, on his way with Robisia, and Francus, driving the horses, to visit a school, legs too short to reach the floor as the coach bounced around on the cobblestones.

They'd slowed, finding a gathering of distressed soldiers on a road near the castle, and there he'd been. A weak little boy dressed in rags, and the young prince had made the decision that this boy needed the food far more than he, or even the children at the school, all of whom came from families with steady incomes.

He'd felt sad for the boy, sad that he could live such a difficult life, even in his beautiful kingdom, but he'd put on a smile just for him….

Had Robisia and Francus known all along? Had they known who Zorin was…?

"That was….you were that boy…?" Sanjius breathes, and Zorin's eyes widen briefly, face turning a darker shade of red.

Still, he swallows and nods tentatively.

Sanjius lets out a disbelieving chuckle, lifting a hand to his head.

"You must've been properly filthy if I couldn't recognize your head of moss."

Zorin shrugs.

"The food was good anyhow…" he mumbles sheepishly. "Little salty I think, but…"

Again, Sanjius chuckles, eyes falling to his other hand then, which he realizes is still holding onto Zorin's gently. He doesn't let go.

"I'm sorry I didn't remember…" he murmurs, silently comparing his own slender fingers to Zorin's more rugged ones. He meets Zorin's eye again. "Your sister…?"

He's worried to hear the answer, considering there's been no mention of her ever, and considering Zorin remains quiet for a long moment after he asks.

He squeezes the knight's hand to encourage him.

Zorin, surprisingly, turns his palm to lace their fingers instead.

"Just before I came to serve you," he says. "She took a fall. Down a flight of stairs. Broke her neck, and she was gone. Just like that. I truly had nothing left to lose by joining your army…. I wasn't expecting you to remind me of her so much….and it was painful….despite how much I'd wanted to come..."

There is pain in his voice, but also acceptance, and it's that fact that clenches hard at Sanjius' chest. Zorin came to him a little over a year ago now. And he knows a year is never enough time to fully grieve.

"I never knew…" is all he can say, and it's hardly adequate.

Zorin's aloof attitude, his irritability and desire to focus on nothing but training...if he hadn't lost his sister, perhaps things would have been different.

"No one did…'cept for Chonrad," Zorin admits, shifting himself a little closer, the two of them nearly chest to chest once more. His lips turn up a bit. "And do you know the first thing he said after I told him?"

Sanjius shakes his head, wondering if Zorin can feel his heartbeat slamming in his chest.

"He asked if I'd told you yet."

Some of the tension leaves the prince, who offers a small smile too, particularly when Zorin's widens more.

"I'm...happy..." Sanjius murmurs slowly, at a loss for words when all he can focus on is the slide of Zorin's thumb which starts at the back of his hand again. There is something utterly bewitching about even that small contact.

"...that things are the way they are now….between us…" Sanjius manages, and he finds he can think a bit clearer when, just as soon as it starts, Zorin's thumb stills.

And then he's pulling his hand away gently, expression more serious.

"The way things are….yes…" he agrees with a half-hearted nod.

Sanjius isn't sure why a strange pang pokes at his heart suddenly, only bringing back the very catalyst to this whole conversation.

"That's why….I can't lose you," he asserts again, swallows in anticipation of what he will reveal next. "I can't lose….the man who became my best friend."

He watches Zorin inhale shakily, waits for the teasing he may be subjected to at such an admission.

But it doesn't come. Zorin merely nods, letting out the breath he's taken just as shakily.

"You won't lose me…" he says, almost inaudibly, and Sanjius can feel something's changed in the air, enough that he touches Zorin's forearm instinctively.

"What's the matter…?" the prince presses.

Zorin just shakes his head again with a tiny smile, finally lifting his head to look the prince in the eye again.

"I….would you really have….married a foreign princess…?" he asks.

His tone is teasing, and it lacks the disdain of when they'd first discussed this, or rather, growled it at each other all that time ago, before so much happened.

There's something about Zorin's question, or maybe it's the little smirk on his lips, but Sanjius finds himself fixating there. And for a fleeting moment, there's a powerful feeling, something he's never felt before, never in the presence of a man, and certainly not when it comes to Zorin…

It's something forbidden and dangerous and he can't even think it, and yet the temptation suddenly springs him, shoots through him thrillingly and almost rebelliously…

He holds it back. He has to, instead falling quiet, merely shaking his head minutely in answer to Zorin's question, an almost sad smile coming to his lips.

"But you were planning to," Zorin presses, reaching out to poke him in the chest.

The prince's insides twist and flutter, struggling desperately against his own resolve, the resolve that is keeping him from touching Zorin again, as he unexpectedly wants to. It keeps his hands from running through his hair, his eyes from getting lost in Zorin's dark one, from falling under the spell of his crooked smile.

"Yes, but…" He swallows. "I'm not so sure I need to anymore…"

Silence comes over them once more, though something else hangs there too. Something so close to regret that it scares the prince. It scares him and forces him to insist again, so that maybe their future won't be cut short.

"Promise me that I won't lose you, Zorin," he breathes. "I can't…"

He means it, and he's sure Zorin can sense it, maybe even relates to it when he stares back so desperately. Sanjius can't tell what he's thinking, but his expression mirrors his own so well behind that thin invisible veil that separates them. It nearly takes his breath away.

Zorin sighs after a few moments, almost in concession, closes his eyes briefly.

But when he opens them, there is conviction there, and his hands are back on the prince's.

"Then come with me tonight," he says resolutely. "You'll make sure it doesn't happen."

Zorin's eyes are bright, despite the fading sunlight and the desolation surrounding them.

Sanjius refuses to let that light go out.

---

The light of the screen faded, the picture with it, and Sanji found he was trembling, his grip on his 3DS slick with sweaty palms, heart thumping a mile a minute as he stared at the small dialogue box that popped up as soon as the conversation ended.

'Rank A achieved!' it declared proudly, but that wasn't the issue.

What followed was, and, sure enough, when he tapped the A button, another message appeared, one that sent a new and terrifying mix of both uncertainty and exhilaration shooting straight through his chest.

'Do you wish to proceed to S Rank?'

He knew what that meant, and this was why, after saying goodbye to Usopp, after everyone had eaten dinner and Zoro was preoccupied talking with Luffy, Robin and Franky having a serious conversation in the kitchen, he'd stolen away. Far away.

He'd taken his bike and rode away from the house, down to the beach where the empty docks sat, jutting out from beach houses that were only in use during the summer months, but now sat vacant and quiet, save for the distant sound of some hammering coming from a few maintenance workers down the street.

He'd pulled up to one of his favorite houses, the Warrior of the Sea, with a welcoming, pale yellow facade, and half circle windows that seemed to be smiling at him, contrary to its fierce name.

His bike he left in the parking area, propped against one of the house's stilts, and he'd snuck around back, sat himself on the house's private dock between two empty motorboats in an effort to have privacy for what he knew he would soon face.

S Rank. The romantic rank in games like this.

The game was asking him if he wished to pursue a romantic relationship. With Zoro's character, but considering how he knew the game to affect real life….

If he accepted, would Zoro suddenly fall for him? Would he fall for Zoro? Did he want that? Or perhaps the better question was, could he make sense of that?

He liked girls, as far as he knew, always had. He wasn't into guys. He couldn't - couldn't - force Zoro into something anyway, his own sexuality aside. He and Zoro had agreed not to touch the game, aside from helping Luffy and Robin. He'd already broken that rule, if only to talk with Zoro's character.

Forcing someone to feel something they didn't….that wasn't right. It wasn't.

Sanji selected 'No' in answer to the question, hastily shut his 3DS as soon as it took him back to the map screen. He shoved it aside and pulled his knees up to his chest, staring at the water and lifting trembling hands to wipe at eyes that were mysteriously wet.

---

Zoro hadn't known what had compelled him to stop Sanji at the top of the stairs, at the worst possible time with Shanks and Usopp's dad arriving. But his conviction worked in strange ways and seemed to follow no one's schedule. He hadn't even been sure what he wanted to say to him. Everything he could possibly think of just sounded stupid and would surely end in the blond putting him down.

Because he knew what he wanted to tell Sanji. He wanted to tell him, before it was too late, before either of them did something stupid and broke the little pact they'd decided upon…..

He wanted to tell Sanji how he felt. How he really felt about him. His deepest secret that he hadn't even wanted to admit to himself for a long time, knowing nothing would ever come out of it.

But now, they were friends, and part of him, a part that grew with each passing day, had begun to hope he could at least get it off his chest without Sanji berating him or teasing him mercilessly.

But then he'd sink into uncertainty, into the fear that it would thoroughly ruin everything they'd built so far. That they'd be separated, never see each other again….and it would all end on a terribly awkward, sour note.

Because there was no way Sanji felt the same.

Zoro was terrified. But Sanji told him he cared. Sanji wanted to help him, so surely he could talk to him. Maybe he could even bring it up differently, pretend it was someone else and ask the idiot's advice, for that other person that most definitely wasn't him….

Fuck, it was stupid. It was all so stupid, and the only thing that served to clear his head, remind him what was important was Sanji himself, being with him, and letting him, everything he was, soothe his nerves.

After dinner, he'd talked to Luffy, sat with him in his now empty bedroom, let the younger boy slump against his shoulder and cling to him for a bit, just to remind him that he was still here.

Luffy had taken everything so well, on the outside. He'd smiled and been so genuinely glad for each of their friends. He still was. But alone with Zoro, Luffy had simply murmured, "It's hard…." the statement carrying far more weight than it should for a young kid of fourteen.

Zoro had simply nodded, lifted a hand to gently muss through Luffy's hair until he'd felt the boy's weight grow heavy against him, soft snores following. Still, he sat there in the darkening room, thinking of Sanji until Robin poked her head in and offered to take over.

The sound of Franky's Hummer starting in the garage told him the man was heading out to the shipyard, and Zoro heard no more noises in the kitchen, nor the TV downstairs. His and Sanji's bedroom was empty.

So he'd taken his skateboard out into the evening, unsure of where he'd find him, but knowing he would, somehow. It seemed he always did.

And he had, riding the few blocks down to the oceanfront, where he knew Sanji liked to go to think. It was just a hunch, but it still hadn't taken long to spot his bike, its long wonky shadow standing out beneath one house amongst the straight, uniform ones of the house stilts.

He rolled his skateboard up with an extra kick, coasting onto the smooth pavement of the driveway and hopping off, leaving his board next to Sanji's bike and heading straight on through to the wooden walkway that cut through the tall seagrass behind the house.

The grass was warm and dry, ghosting over his bare calves as he walked, tickling his arms, the sound of the wind through the plants a soft whisper above the applause of the ocean beyond as he stepped through the curtains of greenery.

The walkway split, one leading to stairs that climbed to the upper deck of the house, the other stretching to the docks beyond, and sure enough, a familiar shape sat huddled on the dock, blue between two bookends of white, the motorboats accompanying him silently.

Zoro heard Sanji sniff, the teen wiping his face against his T-shirt sleeve, and it was then that Zoro noticed the 3DS resting beside him on the ground.

His heart sprang to his throat, fear for what he'd done….or what he'd discovered….filling him instantly.

But he forced himself to keep his pace steady as he approached, finally lowering himself down to sit cross-legged beside him, careful not to block Sanji's view of the sea.

Sanji huffed out a breath, sniffled again, and Zoro noticed the tears which were slowly ravaging his face.

"Idiot…" Sanji muttered, seemingly on reflex alone, maybe to preserve a semblance of pride, though he needn't have worried about that now. "How did you...find me….?"

Zoro just shrugged, his heart still pounding hard because of his lingering fear, but now, he'd found Sanji in tears, and that was enough to crank his anxiety up even more.

He waited a minute, during which Sanji tried hard to clean himself up, before he muttered, "Did you play?"

"I…" Sanji started to say, his guilt completely obvious, which he admitted to a second later. "Yes...but not to do anything! Or I mean - I just wanted to see - urgh…." He trailed off for a few seconds. "Nothing happened. Everyone's still….there…"

Then why was he so miserable-looking, Zoro wondered? Was it because Usopp had left? Maybe…..but then why would he be messing with the game? Nothing else had happened that evening, no fortuitous visitors or phone calls, so Zoro had to believe he was telling the truth about him doing nothing….

"The game…" Sanji said suddenly, knees pulled up to his chest and his gaze on the horizon. "It's not our life...you said…..it's….they're just characters. Their stories are different, but how much is-?" He growled under his breath, cutting himself off. "Ugh, it's stupid."

"So?" Zoro immediately countered, a little too quickly, but he didn't care. He had something stupid weighing on him as well, and maybe this was his opening. Maybe if he showed Sanji they could talk about stupid shit, then he'd have a better shot at explaining himself….

Sanji made a frustrated noise, sliding hands back through his hair, where they stayed.

"I just-" he tried again. "How much is….similar, I wonder…"

Zoro's mouth was dry, thinking back to the game conversation he'd witnessed at the skatepark and the previous day, how so much of his own thoughts and feelings had been mirrored in those interactions onscreen, enough to make him nervous that Sanji would see right through him.

Right through to the part of his brain that told him Sanji looked incredible there with his hair practically glowing in the sunset. The part that wanted to brush fingers across his jaw, comfort him far more tenderly than he ever had before, make him feel secure and accepted, just as he'd made Zoro feel through their newly-found friendship.

"You know I never hated you...not even when we first met…"

The words fell from Zoro's mouth before he could stop them, but they were true, and he wanted Sanji to know this.

"You got a funny way of showing it then…" Sanji muttered, and Zoro winced a little.

He was right. None of this was Sanji's fault, at least not initially. It was because of Zoro that things had been tense between them.

For the first time, Zoro had the chance to explain, and though his heart was slamming against his ribcage, he forced himself to continue.

"I just…..you reminded me of someone...someone who…"

He trailed off and sighed, knowing it would be confusing to start there, so he tried again.

"I came here 'cause my last foster dad gave me up."

"Yeah, I know…" Sanji murmured, blue eyes, still wide and shimmering, shifting slowly to look at him.

"Yeah, but…" Zoro said, and this was the painful part. "He was probably gonna adopt me….but….his daughter….his real daughter….she died. And...I dunno, after that, he didn't want me or - couldn't - I got no fuckin' clue. I was angry and - and - that girl was like my sister, so I was-"

"Grieving," Sanji interrupted, letting out a shaky breath at the realization and running a hand over his face. "Fuck…"

Emotion came over Sanji's features again, his lower lip trembling a bit, though he tried to hold himself together.

Zoro's eyes burned too, struggling to push the memory from his mind, of hearing that tumble down the stairs, of the ambulance….watching the paramedics as nothing worked…

"You reminded me of her...so much," he admitted quietly. "And - I couldn't stand it at first. It was just - stirring up all these dumb emotions and - I just didn't want to deal with any of it. So I shut down. Shut you out… I wish I hadn't but...I mean, I was ten, I…"

There was no excuse, even being as young as he had been. Why the fuck should he have punished Sanji, who he knew was coming from a similarly tragic situation? He remembered the blond trying to reach out….. He remembered the blond slowly giving up….

Zoro didn't realize tears had sprung to his own eyes until it was too late. He wasn't actively crying yet, but dammit, he was close, closer than he'd been in a damn long time, and his voice was thick when he continued.

"I just - didn't want to look at you, didn't want to - to hear your voice, not when you had - the same sense of humor, the same - fucking strength - I just couldn't fucking-"

Sanji didn't say anything for a long time, didn't move, didn't do anything.

Now it was Zoro's turn to wipe frantically at his eyes, try and get himself together when Sanji probably thought he was pathetic for being so damn emotional. He was sixteen. He was too old for this. He'd never shown emotion like this before. Not to anyone, but definitely not to Sanji, and it hurt his heart so much to think of the blond putting him down for it.

"Zoro, did you love her…?"

He stopped, in the middle of swiping his T-shirt sleeve over his eye, and looked at Sanji with surprise.

It took him a minute to answer, stammering slightly until he managed, "Y-Yeah…..she was my best friend…"

Sanji nodded silently in understanding, and Zoro found himself desperate, desperate for Sanji to just get what he was implying, that he meant just as much, if not more now, than Kuina ever had. He wanted to say it, but it seemed his own throat was blocking his words, and he didn't know why.

"I never hated you…" he nearly whimpered instead, again, sniffling a few times.

Again, to his surprise, the blond's lips tilted up a bit, almost in relief. Zoro stared, scared, transfixed.

"I only…" Sanji said, still with that tiny smile. "Well, I only didn't like you because I thought you didn't like me-"

"It's not true-" Zoro insisted.

"I heard you the first time, idiot."

Zoro huffed out a breath, shaking his head, unsure what else to say. He'd come out here for a reason, but now, emotionally compromised as he was, his confidence slipped and there was no way. No way to make words work as they should.

"...I'm sorry…." he eventually muttered, rubbing at his eyes again. "...f-for…."

"Don't," Sanji said, his hand landing immediately on Zoro's free one, resting on the dock beside his hip. Sanji's warm hand covered his and squeezed comfortingly. "Things are good now, right?"

He squeezed again and it was like he'd sent a jolt of electricity up Zoro's arm, straight to his chest where it jump-started his heart, especially when he met Sanji's gaze, which was fixed directly on his.

Things were good now. Things were incredibly good, and Sanji had no idea. No idea just how good he made things simply by sitting there, smiling, touching his hand and reassuring him.

Things were perfect. He shouldn't be afraid. He should get out of his own head, be brave. He should tell Sanji just how amazing he made him feel, just how invincible and happy and all that stupid sappy shit and-

Sanji was talking again, murmuring, "We're - f-friends and - and-"

But he trailed off when he noticed something had changed in the other teen, the way Zoro was looking at him, so intensely, almost in awe of him, shaking his head slightly.

"What…?" the blond asked, raising a brow.

Zoro sprang forward suddenly, lips first, to smash his to Sanji's in what was unmistakably a kiss, despite how clumsy and impulsive it was.

Sanji's eyes widened immensely, his body freezing in place.

Nothing happened aside from Zoro providing a warm pressure for a long moment and Zoro's hand shifting beneath Sanji's to lace their fingers. He didn't touch him more than that, didn't try to push the kiss deeper. In fact, he pulled away rather quickly, huffing out a hot breath over Sanji's lips.

Sanji sat there like a deer in the headlights, honestly feeling numb, unable to react.

What was he supposed to do? He'd never kissed anyone before, never been kissed. And furthermore, why had this happened? He'd specifically chosen not to proceed to S Rank in the game. He didn't force Zoro to do anything, but Zoro had, and dammit-

He had. He really had! Zoro had fucking kissed him! Zoro! Why? How? Was he dreaming?

"I like you, Sanji…" Zoro suddenly stuttered in one nervous breath. "A lot….I have for a long-ass time…"

Sanji was speechless, utterly speechless, stuck between feeling flattered and terrified. His heart was fluttering out of control as he tried, and failed, to process what had just occurred. His lips still tingled, as if Zoro had never broken contact, and his hands began to shake.

And the first stupid thing that fell out of his mouth was, "Zoro...you're….gay?"

He immediately kicked himself mentally afterward.

But Zoro stayed close, didn't pull into an offended scowl or anything of the sort, still inches from his face, the heat coming off his cheeks palpable in the air between them.

He cleared his throat awkwardly and mumbled, "If that's what….liking you makes me then….yeah, guess so, but….it's only you and I don't know if I even…" He sighed and seemed to give up on explaining himself fully. "I just know you make me feel really damn good."

Sanji trembled even harder as Zoro voiced aloud something he'd also thought to himself. Only recently, but he'd definitely thought it, that he felt good, felt better, whenever he was with Zoro.

Did that mean he liked him back?

Fuck…

He wasn't sure he was ready for that, if it was even true. He didn't know what he felt beyond a deep and growing desire to keep the other teen in his life.

Zoro was waiting for him, surely, judging by the way he watched Sanji's face, eyes wide and scared just like his, but searching for something, some response.

"I-I don't…." Sanji stammered, unable to make words come. "Zoro, I…"

Zoro quickly pulled his fingers from the blond's and sat back, giving Sanji space, looking away.

"It's okay…" he said quietly, and yet it was so pained that Sanji immediately grabbed him back, clamping hands down on his arms despite how terrified he was.

"I don't want to hurt you," he implored, all but begging Zoro to see this. That was the last thing he wanted.

Zoro slowly brought eyes back to Sanji's insistent ones, unable to help the sharp breath he sucked in when the blond slid his hands lower to hold Zoro's wrists. Sanji could feel Zoro's pulse racing there.

There was a long moment of understanding between them, Zoro finally murmuring, "I know."

He did know now, for sure. And that should have been enough. Surely wanting more was selfish, especially when Sanji clearly didn't.

"I just-" Sanji gritted out, a growl of frustration leaving him. "Fuck…"

Zoro knew he'd screwed up. He'd burdened him with this. Now Sanji felt bad...maybe even pitied him.

He didn't want that.

"It's fine, Sanji…" he assured, embarrassed.

The blond dropped his head helplessly and said nothing more.

All the emotion that had filled Zoro just a minute ago seemed to drain, his eyes and throat burning, but dry.

Hadn't he known this would be the outcome? Shouldn't he have known…?

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, and though Sanji shook his head in response, still held onto him, it was like he couldn't feel it.

Sanji was right there in front of him.

But he could have been miles away.