Eyes sliding open with reluctance, Zoro stared at the canopy of the room for several moments as shadows of early dawn crept across the ceiling. The unease of sleep had returned with a vengeance and it seemed that the stress of their situation had him back into his old habits like nothing had changed; all the progress he had made in the past couple months completely thrown out the window.
Pushing himself up with a stifled grunt, he found the wound in his side flaring up painfully; kicking himself mentally, he realized he had completely forgotten to clean and redress it before going to bed. Getting to his feet with a wince, he eventually found himself standing, albeit a little short of breath due to the pain shooting up his side.
Being careful not to wake the sleeping blond in the bed across the room, he rummaged through his pack until he found his medical kit. He softly made his way from the room, but found himself pausing at the doorway as he caught a glimpse of the sleeping blond sprawled out amongst the blankets.
Eyes peacefully shut, his messy array of curly blond hair fanned out across the pillow with his bangs falling onto his face, several rustling with each steady breath he took. Deep, calm exhales from between barely parted lips as Zoro realized he had never seen the man sleeping like this before.
The absence of all the brilliant smiles and cocky grins left his face lax and completely void of any emotion, the vulnerable expression making him seem much older. It was as though all his exhaustion and age was simply hidden by a facade of laughter and animated commentary.
Tearing his gaze away with a heavy sigh, Zoro forced himself to leave the room despite the longing burning in his chest. Stumbling into the bathroom, Zoro turned on the tap and splashed a handful of water onto his face before glancing up at himself in the mirror. He glared hard at the disgruntled expression that he met there as he continued to quietly berate himself over the feelings whirling inside him that simply refused to go away.
A twinge from his side interrupted his thoughts and brought him back to the more pertinent task at hand. Hooking his shirt up and over his head, he held his breath to keep himself from grunting at the pain throbbing his side. Wheezing a little, he flung the bloodstained rag into the tub behind him and set about tearing the makeshift bandage from the oozing wound. It was a slow process as the scabbing had begun to heal into the pores of the bandage and as Zoro pulled it away fresh blood pooled in the open crevasses.
"Oh, fuck." Came breathlessly from the doorway and Zoro turned idly to find Sanji standing with his hand still poised on the door handle, eyes glued to Zoro's naked torso, jaw hanging slack. Standing dumbly for several moments as Zoro glanced down and noted the exposed wound he had just been examining, before looking back up at the blond, who seemed to have recovered as he coughed dryly into his fist, "Um..."
Zoro just stood silently and waited.
"That... um..." Sanji scrambled in a panicked tone, guilt scratching the back of his neck yet not raising his gaze to Zoro as he managed thickly, "That looks infected."
Zoro shrugged at Sanji's behaviour and turned his attention back to the wound, pulling out the final bit of the bandage and tossing it into the trash, "Haven't had time to clean it."
"When did-"
"Explosion."
At Zoro's admission, Sanji's eyes bugged out comically as he took a horrified step into the bathroom, "What?!"
"What?" Zoro mimicked flatly.
"It's been-" Sanji paused for a moment as the time zone change had clearly messed with his internal clock. Mentally doing the math, his face contracted in concentration, before giving up and approximating to continue with his berating, "like two days!"
Zoro hummed with a hopeless shake of his head, unsure of what the blond wanted to hear, and certainly not admitting that he hadn't wanted to ask for Sanji's help, given the awkwardness that still hung between them.
"Why didn't you say something?!" Sanji continued with flustered annoyance, "I could've-"
The blond cut himself short as it became quite obvious why Zoro had decided to keep it to himself, and although the blond was clearly not happy about it, he dropped the subject. Instead, he fully entered the bathroom and shut the door behind himself, immediately setting Zoro on edge; making him feel like a trapped animal.
Fighting the urge to storm out, Zoro kept his back pinned against the sink as he watched Sanji stride over and take a seat on the edge of the tub across from Zoro. Zoro couldn't get a word in edgewise before the blond was leaning in and assessing the wound with a stern gaze.
Sanji spent several moments simply inspecting the wound before finally reaching out. His hand grazed the skin near Zoro's naval, causing the muscles to seize and jump away from the touch. Zoro hated the way the simple touch had his skin flushing with excitement, and adrenaline rushing to his extremities.
It wasn't fair.
Zoro found himself panicking, hand gripping the edge of the sink behind him rigidly, time standing still as he looked down at Sanji's wide eyes staring back up him with innocent confusion. Swallowing thickly, he muttered in panicked explanation, "Cold."
"Oh... Sorry." Sanji chuckled nervously, rubbing his hands together before reaching out once more, "Cliche, right?"
Zoro just made a noise in confusion.
"Doctor." Sanji stated lamely while holding up his hands with a shrug, "Cold hands."
"Ah. Yeah..." Zoro coughed, allowing an embarrassed silence to stretch out between them as Sanji began inspecting the area again. Zoro eventually broke it by adding slyly, "You're not really a doctor though, are you?"
"Pardon?" Sanji asked with a hint of indignation, gaze snapping up to Zoro.
Zoro mustered up the courage to look down at the blond with a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, knowing full well the comment was completely underhanded and unwarranted, but unable to fully stop himself from riling up the blond like he used to... Like from before he had realized he had feelings...
Sanji looked genuinely affronted for a moment, before a smile broke his face and, just like that, the tension that had been hanging between them the last couple days, shattered. Sanji fought to hold back a laugh as he reared back and kicked Zoro in the shin while snapping, "You ass!"
Zoro took the punishment, still chuckling to himself as Sanji too, eventually regained his composure, both of them much more relaxed as the blond returned to dealing with Zoro's injury. Using the medical kit Zoro had brought with him, Sanji spent the next few minutes removing the old stitches, and properly cleaning the festering wound.
Sanji paused to dig through the medical supplies, finding all the items he was looking for to begin stitching Zoro back together. Laying them out methodically as Zoro returned to inspecting his own wound, hand coming down to pick at a bit of the scab still hanging from around the edge, only to have his hand aggressively slapped away.
"I'm the medical professional." Sanji snapped abruptly, his earlier flustered nature abated, now fully alert as he scowled up at Zoro, "Let me do my job."
"Fine." Zoro muttered, holding his hands up in surrender as he leaned back against the the sink and let the other man have full access to the wound. Keeping his gaze tiredly off to the side, he tried to not think too hard about the man's caring hands as they moved across his skin; they were thoughts that were not his to have.
The next several minutes were torture as Sanji disinfected, stitched, and properly bandaged the wound, all the while Zoro attempted to think pure thoughts. Not wanting to cause anything to happen that would end up being on eye level with the blond. It would give away the fact that the man playing doctor on him was a situation that was proving to be far more intimate than he had been expecting it to be.
"You're no longer allowed to clean your wounds," Sanji ordered with a huff, pulling back to inspect his handiwork before scowling up at Zoro, "You suck at it; from now on you let me do it."
Zoro heavily debated refusing the blond's order, not entirely up for having the blond place his hands all over Zoro's torso on a daily basis, but he couldn't find the strength in himself to say no. Even though it was something he could never have, it seemed like he just couldn't stop himself from torturing himself by accepting even the smallest amount of physical contact with the other man.
"Sure." Zoro finally muttered noncommittally.
~X~
Popping open the trunk of the procured rental car, Johnny and Zoro looked down at the two large back-country backpacks stuffed inside; each appropriately packed and well worn. Some other gear and travelling mementos were also jammed in, making it seem totally innocuous to anyone that might look in or even inspect it.
"Looks good." Zoro noted, "What's in the bags?"
"Clothes, sleeping bags, other travelling gear - in case you get searched." Johnny shrugged, "Plus, might come in handy."
"I'm hoping we don't have to go anywhere remote." Zoro noted blandly, "So where's everything else?"
Excitement lit up Johnny's face as he reached into the back and pulled out the two backpacks, and set them aside. Clearing away some of the other gear until the bed of the trunk was uncovered, he turned with an eager grin towards Zoro, "Push combination lock."
Reaching to the left, Johnny pressed down twice in the bottom corner, once near the lock in front of himself, and a final three on the top right corner until there was a click. The bottom popping up slightly, allowing him to hook his fingers under it and flip it up, revealing everything else that was stored underneath.
A mass of firearms in all shapes and sizes were organized neatly in their separate slots along the underside of the lid with boxes of ammo tucked neatly below. Several knives and other weapons adorned the remaining portion of the available space, and the rest of the storage unit was filled with tactical gear and several unmarked bags.
Letting out a low whistle of appraisal, Zoro muttered, "Not bad."
"That's high praise coming from you." Johnny snarked back playfully, shutting the lid firmly and replacing the bags back on top. Taking the time to make sure everything fit properly, he then shut the trunk with a firm jerk and began a final walk around of the vehicle to make sure everything else was in order.
"How'd everything else go?" Zoro inquired as Johnny threw open the passenger door.
"Documents are all ready to go, inside." Johnny explained as he rooted through the glove box before shutting it and poking his head above the roof of the car, "Insurance and license are in the glove box. Your extras are already packed, and I threw in a few plates for when you get to Shanghai."
"You're a life saver, John."
Closing the passenger door with a flick and waving his hand airily, Johnny walked back around to where Zoro stood, "It's what I do."
A smile touched the corner of Zoro's lips as he turned and began making his way inside, movement a little stiff from the wound in his side. Though he had to admit that - predictably - Sanji had done a fantastic job and it felt far less inflamed than when Zoro had done it.
"Listen..." Johnny began nervously as he followed after Zoro's retreating figure, "You're not really thinking of going to her, are you?"
Zoro remained silent for several moments, recounting some of the conversation they had had last night after Sanji had left. He knew neither of them were on board with the idea, but they also understood that Zoro didn't have a lot of time to sit around and wait for more people to show up after his head, "It might be my only option."
"She'll kill you." Johnny argued, before amending politely, "Or at least try."
"The sooner I get this figured out, the better." Zoro muttered as they ducked back inside the building through the door leading out to the back alley, "We have to head West anyway, it doesn't hurt to stop by; if anyone has heard whispers about this, it'll be her."
"I don't like it." Johnny singsonged unpleasantly as they entered the kitchen, conversation dropping immediately as they came upon Yosaku flipping through the rest of the documents they had assembled last night. Sanji was leaning over the table while brandishing a passport, looking thoroughly disgruntled.
"Steve[1]?" Sanji huffed pragmatically, "In what universe am I a Steve?"
Yosaku was clearly fighting a smile as he offered a shrug, both of them looking up as the door shut behind the two new arrivals. Sanji spotted Zoro and immediately straightened.
"Oi, Mosshead." Sanji barked, both of them ignoring the snickers from the other two men. Zoro swiftly sent them a pointed look as their laughter was a bit too indicative of what they had discussed the other night. Sanji stormed up to Zoro while brandishing his fake passport, "What name did you get?"
Pulling the passport Johnny had given him earlier from his pocket, Zoro flipped it open and turned it towards the blond who took several moments to read it before shouting.
"Francois[2]?!" Sanji shrieked indignantly, rounding on the two men near the kitchen table watching the exchange with matching grins, "Are you kidding me?! If anyone here is a Francois, it's me! I was practically raised on wine and cheese."
"Hey. Hey." Johnny waved the blond down, "It's always been his alias. We just picked Steve for you cause it's as generic as possible."
"Oh boy." Sanji drawled with facetious excitement, pocketing the document nonetheless.
"Ready to head out?" Yosaku asked, finally rising from the table and stuffing the last of the documents into a manila envelope and handing them off to Zoro.
"Unfortunately," Zoro noted, hating to drop in on them so unexpectedly and then leaving just as soon. However, given how quickly they'd been tracked before, it was best they got moving now. "We've already stayed longer than I'm comfortable with."
"Well, you have our number on your burner phone." Johnny noted, "If you need anything else, let us know."
"I will." Zoro assured snagging the rucksack he had packed that morning and slinging it over his shoulder, "Thanks for everything."
"Hey, make sure to come for a visit when you get all this sorted." Yosaku added as the four of them headed back out towards the alley, Sanji still muttering to himself. "We can go do something without worrying about you getting shot at."
"I'd like that." Zoro murmured with a fond chuckle, turning to give each of them a firm handshake and a grateful nod, "Thanks again."
He headed towards the car and Sanji gave his own farewell before falling in step behind him. Zoro took a moment to throw some extra things into the hidden compartment in the trunk before locking it securely and rounding the vehicle to make his way to the driver's side.
"Steve." Sanji mumbled unpleasantly to himself, as though saying it more might make him dislike it less, nose scrunched up as he made his way to the other side of the car, "Steve."
Johnny and Yosaku bid them farewell from the back door as Zoro tossed his pack into the backseat before opening the driver side door, giving a short wave back at the two who seemed far too choked up at his leaving than they should have been.
"See ya, Zoro!" Johnny called out.
"You too, Steve!" Yosaku added.
Sanji's cheerful wave turned disgruntled as both men burst out laughing and the paramedic turned to look back at Zoro with a childish pout creasing his face, gaze turning accusatory before demanding as though it were Zoro's fault, "Steve?"
With a roll of his eyes he muttered slyly, "Get in the car, Steve."
~X~
The car ride down to Osaka was relatively short and it wasn't long before they were through security – passports posing no issue – and on the ferry heading across the East China Sea towards Shanghai. A two day boat ride had Zoro getting them a room on board as he wasn't in the mood of sleeping in the car, given his injury, and it seemed the courteous thing to do for Sanji.
After a quiet dinner with muted conversation, Sanji abruptly pushed himself from his seat with his cleared tray and dealt with his dishes before returning to the table. Zoro was still poking at his food with a spoiled appetite as he found the fork freezing in place amongst some noodles as Sanji bent down a little too close to him to speak.
"I'm going to go out for a smoke." Sanji offered as he twiddled a cigarette between his fingers, "Do I need an escort?"
Zoro contemplated it for a moment, not liking the idea of giving someone the chance of getting at Sanji just because he dropped his guard, but also very much aware that Sanji was likely going stir crazy with Zoro constantly hovering. Not to mention, he knew Sanji's smoke breaks were times that he really loved to spend alone.
Shaking his head carefully Zoro reasoned, "It should be fine. Just stick to the decks that have other passengers."
"Gotcha." Sanji grinned with a grateful nod and Zoro watched him go with unease.
Poking at his meal for several more minutes, Zoro eventually gave up and threw out his remaining meal before debating going back to his room. As much as he found being alone with Sanji a million times harder than with other company, he knew he couldn't leave the blond be for too long. Heaving a dramatic sigh and rubbing at his eyes tiredly he headed out to search the decks for the man.
It took a little searching until Zoro eventually found the blond out on the deck, leaning against the railing and watching the distant sunset with a peaceful look on his face. Sun danced across his hair, much in the same way it had when Zoro had first realized how he felt about Sanji; this time left him feeling just as breathless.
Coming up to stand next to the blond, he remained silent, unsure if he could say anything without fumbling over his words in that moment, palms sweaty on the cold steel railing as the cool sea breeze did nothing to help the clammy feeling he felt crawling over him. Every time he thought he had everything under control, he would catch Sanji with his guard down and the surge of emotions would overtake him all over again.
Fighting back the urge to fidget, he turned his gaze onto the horizon and the faint outline of the mainland just barely coming into view. Sanji pulled out a fresh cigarette and lit it, turning away to properly shield the flame from the wind, before facing forward once more and commenting around a drag, "Kinda surreal, isn't it?"
"Hm?" Zoro intoned softly, chancing a glance at the blond and instantly regretting it. His insides twisted nervously and he had to grip the railing lest his sweaty palms slip free; nervously watching the way the wind whipped the man's hair to the side and revealed the entire profile of his face, even the curls that coiled behind his ears was blown away revealing the long line of his neck.
"Like..." Sanji mused with a soft smile, cigarette hovering over his lips as Zoro silently panicked over this foreign arousal pooling in his stomach, "if someone had told me I'd be on a ferry in Japan a couple days ago; well I'd have called them a shitty liar. But here I am, and it still doesn't feel like it's real."
"I..." Zoro managed through a dry tongue, eyes pinned to the water surging below them as he forced out, "I'm sorry."
"W-what are you talking about?" Sanji stuttered out in surprise.
"I just realized I never properly apologized for getting you into this mess." Zoro concluded with contrite, "And I figured you'd deserve to know."
Sanji nodded thoughtfully, a contemplative looking taking over his face, silently finishing the rest of his cigarette as the sun finally set. Eventually, the cigarette burned down to the butt and Sanji finally spoke, "You know I didn't mean it as a bad thing; this whole... thing."
Zoro cautiously glanced at the blond, raising an eyebrow.
"I mean sure; my apartment got blown up, my friends think I'm either dead or missing, and there's currently people trying to kill us," Sanji listed off, with far too congenial of a tone before shrugging, "But hey, when am I ever going to get the chance to do something like this again, huh?"
"I suppose..." Zoro rasped out on a chuckle.
"Might as well enjoy the ride." Sanji surmised with a lighthearted smile, crushing out his finished cigarette and replacing it back in the packaging before straightening. Inclining his head towards the door, he asked, "Shall we change your bandages before turning in?"
Zoro nodded softly, turning to follow the blond, "How's your shoulder?"
"A little stiff, but nothing a few muscle relaxants can't fix." Sanji dismissed while giving the previously injured shoulder a test roll and commenting absently, "You popped it back in, practically, perfect."
The words had a smile touching Zoro's lips - which he was grateful Sanji couldn't see as he followed behind the blond. The smile only lasted so long before being replaced with a worried frown at the reminder of the danger they were both still in and his unsurety over it. He had no idea what he was up against, had no idea what was even going on, and worst of all, he had no idea if he could keep his promise to keep Sanji safe...
~X~
"So what's the plan?" Sanji prodded a tad too eagerly as they unloaded a few bags from the car outside the hotel Zoro had pulled them into. Getting a couple things from the trunk as discreetly as possible, Zoro tucked them away in his pack before locking up and heading towards the main office.
"I'm going to leave you here while I go check in with an informant." Zoro explained tersely, not wanting to go into too many details while they were out in the open, "I don't like it, but taking you along isn't the best idea."
"Why not?" Sanji groused, actually sounding a little put out which made Zoro refrain from rounding on him with an incredulous expression, opting to roll his eyes heavily instead to try and release some of his credulity at Sanji's excited behaviour.
"Let's just say that we aren't on the best of terms." He tried phrasing it delicately as he held open the door for the blond.
Sanji walked through, giving Zoro a shrewd look, "What'd you do?"
"Why do you assume it was my fault?" Zoro snapped, stepping inside with the door falling shut behind as he caught up with the blond, an indignant scowl on his face. The receptionist looked up with a bored expression before glancing back down at his computer, clearly disinterested in what they were talking about.
"Have you met you?" Sanji snipped with an eyebrow raised childishly.
"There was a disagreement and some backstabbing," Zoro explained shortly as they neared the counter, "It was resolved, but they're still a little sore about it."
"Huh," Sanji huffed sarcastically, "imagine that."
Zoro gifted Sanji with a final look, that promised the blond wouldn't get the last word before turning to the receptionist and booking themselves a room. Paying in cash to avoid a trail – even a credit card with a falsified identity made Zoro uneasy – they selected a room and were soon heading upstairs with keys in hand.
"Anyway," Zoro muttered pointedly, continuing on from where they left off, "I'll leave you here with some protection as well as a few backup precautions. If anyone comes it'll give me more than enough time to get back here."
"Alright..." Sanji hummed wearily, clearly not entirely sold on Zoro's plan, but deciding on trusting him regardless. The elevator arrived on their floor as Sanji stepped out first and made his way down the hall ahead of him. Eventually finding their room, he fumbled with the key before managing to get it in.
With a click the door unlocked and Sanji pushed it open, revealing a dark room inside with the faintest of light filtering in the through the curtains. They only had a moment before a figure was darting out of the room and Zoro had his heart jumping into his throat at the stupidity of having Sanji enter before him. Bag falling from his shoulder, Zoro barely got a step forward before Sanji was yelping in surprise.
In one fluid motion Sanji raised his arms defensively as his foot lashed out to hit the man directly in the middle of the chest. The stranger went flying back into the room to sprawl on the floor with a pained groan as Zoro's bag hit the floor with a thud in the silence that followed what Sanji had just done.
Zoro slowly made his way over to the doorway, standing next to the panting blond, gazing down at the man laying on the floor, his prone figure making it clear he wasn't in any condition to spring back to his feet. Turning back to look at the - still indignant - blond glaring down at the man, he asked, "Did you just spartan kick him?"
Sanji looked at Zoro and gestured vaguely towards the man before rationalizing, "I didn't want to get stabbed."
Zoro just stared at the blond for a long, perplexed moment before finally managing with a frown, trying his hardest not to sound condescending, "That logic makes no sense."
"If I tried to punch him he might have pulled a knife on me," Sanji reasoned with a scowl before gesturing aggressively at his feet, "Shoes are safe."
Zoro opened his mouth to reply, but found nothing coming out in the wake of Sanji's odd reasoning. The initial shock wore off as well and Zoro suddenly found himself far more attracted to the blond than he currently should be - given the situation. In an attempt to gather control over himself, he turned his back on the blond that was stirring weird emotions and strode over to the attacker.
Dropping down into a crouch by the man still holding his chest, Zoro grunted, "Does it hurt?"
All he got in response was a wheeze as it appeared the man had also been winded.
"Good."
~X~
"Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God." Sanji repeated over and over from the passenger seat in a panic, face buried in his hands as he muttered, "I can't believe we have a kidnapped man in the trunk of our car. Oh my God."
"Sure," Zoro drawled, "and the dead guy wasn't a big deal?"
"The dead guy was dead!" Sanji rationalized with a bark, refusing to remove his hands from his face as he muttered morosely, "Plus, I'm pretty sure I was still in shock and suffering sleep-deprivation!"
"Well we couldn't kill him in the hotel room." Zoro reasoned with a scowl, "I wanna sleep there and removing a dead guy is a lot harder than removing an alive one."
"Oh my Goood." Sanji grumbled, hands dragging down his face furiously, until they were clasped across his mouth in mild horror. He didn't look nearly as distraught as Zoro had expected, just exhausted and perhaps a little nauseous.
Letting Sanji continue with his internalized freak-out, Zoro drove them down to an abandoned industrial area and located an empty warehouse that appeared to be used for squatters. Cutting the engine, he left Sanji groaning in the front seat as he got out to take a look around to ensure they were completely alone. A lap of the building and the surrounding area turned up nothing and he was finally comfortable enough to return to the car and deal with the assailant hogtied in the back.
As Zoro opened the trunk and wrestled the distressed man out with a hand curled firmly in his hair, Sanji seemed to have calmed enough to get out of the vehicle as well. Grabbing the chair from the backseat that Zoro had swiped from their hotel and following after Zoro as he guided the blindfold and gagged man into one of the decrepit buildings.
Strapping him down to the chair - none too gently - and leaving him positioned in the middle of the room so he couldn't cause any trouble before coming back out to the car. Trunk still open as Zoro reached in and popped the second one up, snagging one of the unmarked bags Johnny had provided.
"Please tell me this isn't a bag full of tools for torture..." Sanji groused.
"Wha- no!" Zoro balked, a little taken aback that that was what Sanji's mind immediately jumped to, slamming the trunk closed and locking it while staring at the blond incredulously, "Besides torture never works."
"What?" Sanji frowned.
"Torture is made up for movies." Zoro clarified, slinging the bag on his shoulder before gifting Sanji with a judgmental look, "It never works."
"Well, that's ruined every movie for me."
"Sorry." Zoro shrugged lamely, offering as best an explanation as he could while they headed back inside, "If it's a secret worth dying for, then he'll die. If it's not a matter of life and death then chances are he'll give me the information. It's that simple."
"So what's in the bag then?" Sanji asked speculatively, handling the situation far better than he had a while ago in the car.
"Money."
"Money?" Sanji chirped, utterly perplexed.
"C'mon." Zoro urged dismissively, dragging the warehouse door open once more and allowing Sanji to step inside before closing it behind them, making their way over to the man currently cowering nervously in his chair as he watched the two men approach.
Handing off the bag to Sanji, he stepped forward to eye the man critically, allowing him to squirm for a few minutes. There was something different about this guy compared to the other two, and a sense of nervousness that the other two didn't have. The other tip off was that he hadn't had a cyanide capsule hidden on him; his motives overall seemed less legitimate than the others.
"Who are you working for?" Zoro demanded darkly, arms coming up to cross over his chest aggressively, "And how'd your buddies find me?"
"Buddies?"
"The man that tracked me to my home, and the other who tailed me in Tokyo." Zoro clarified, "Who are they working for?"
"L-l-look I ain't got no buddies." The man pleaded earnestly, "I was sent after you by my boss; he didn't tell me why!"
"What the hell are you doing here then?"
"Drug cartels, m-man." He practically sobbed, "Look I don't know you or why they're after you; I just did as I was told."
Zoro watched the near sobbing man for far longer than was probably necessary, before slowly uncrossing his arms and revelling in the way he flinched. Stalking forward, his smirk only grew as with each step, the man cringed further away, as far as his restraints would allow till Zoro stopped right in front of him.
Leaning down with a wicked smirk, he reached out as the man whimpered in terror. Zoro grabbed the gag and fixed it back in place then reached around behind to pull it nice and snug, leaving an arm on the man's shoulder as he whispered with a taunting grin into his ear so that only he could hear, "You're lucky I'm not doing as I'm told anymore."
Pulling back and standing tall again, he had to admit it was gratifying to see tears in the man's eyes. Snagging the bag from Sanji's lax hands, he unzipped it to reveal the massive amount of cash within and waited until the man composed himself enough to see what Zoro was offering.
"Last chance if you do know anything."
He shook his head furiously, making it clear that he knew nothing more, perhaps even more upset that he didn't after realizing what he was going to miss out on. Zoro sighed regretfully, doing up the bag and slinging it over his shoulder before levelling on the man with finality.
"Now, I'm going to leave you here, and maybe in a day or two, someone will come find you." Zoro stated with a monotonous drawl, "Or maybe not. Either way I don't care. But if I see your face again, I will kill you."
Another whimper left the man as Zoro turned and stalked out of the warehouse, Sanji following along in stunned silence until they were outside and Zoro finished padlocking the doors. It was nearly the same look Sanji had on his face after the first time he had seen Zoro kill somebody and it made Zoro slightly ill, not liking such an unsettled look on the blond's face to be caused by him.
Stalking back to the car in stilted silence, he replaced everything in the trunk until his thoughts began to whir over what to do next. Out in the dimly lit yard, they stood by the open trunk together; Sanji still watching him with a mixture of awe and terror, and Zoro beginning to realize that there was no way he could leave Sanji alone.
"So..." Sanji stalled hesitantly, clearly not up for talking about what just happened, "what's next?"
"I'm gonna have to take you with me." Zoro muttered bitterly, not wanting to take Sanji into such a hostile situation but also far more wary about leaving Sanji alone. If that man had been able to find out their room in such a short period of time, then the chances of others finding it was even better. Leaving Sanji alone in the room was practically handing him to anyone that would love to use him as leverage.
"Don't sound so enthused." Sanji rebuffed flatly, arms crossing over his chest as he watched Zoro.
Running both hand through his hair in agitation, Zoro had to fight down a growl of frustration while tugging at the strands. Eventually dropping his hands to his sides, he looked up at Sanji regretfully, "It's not going to be safe."
"So?" Sanji's shoulders shook with a laugh, unfolding his arms to raise them in a hopeless gesture, "Doesn't seem like anywhere is safe."
"But..."
"But nothing." Sanji cut him off quickly, "You promised you'd get me home; I'm holding you to that. Plus Johnny and Yosaku have me pretty convinced that there's no one else I'd rather hire to keep me safe."
Zoro opened his mouth to protest, but found himself thrown by the unwitting compliment. Closing his mouth in defeat, he heaved a sigh and inclined his head before rooting around in one of the bags. Finding what he was looking for, he tossed the bagged suit in Sanji's direction which the blond caught with a look of surprise, glancing down at it before back up again, jaw slack as Zoro ordered, "Put that on."
~X~
An opulent gate had Zoro pulling the car to a halt as they stared up at the large mansion nestled just beyond a sea of finely hedged bushes and old oak trees. Curling metal grates of stunning silver wove their way out of the intricate brickwork of the two large pillars that bordered it. Firmly shut to the public, Zoro had no other option that to roll down his window and face the fancy microphone installed into the masonry.
After a short pause, an authoritative voice demanded, "Who is speaking?"
"Zoro Roronoa." Zoro stated succinctly.
"A moment." The haughty voice responded, connection cutting short as they sat silently for several moments before the voice returned, "You may enter."
With a loud whirring, the gates swung back, allowing Zoro to drive up the expansive driveway, taking a spot near the entrance of the mansion since he wanted a quick getaway if things went south. Leading Sanji up the front steps he fiddled with one of the shirt cuffs, hating the way they always felt like they were chafing. They barely landed on the top step before the front door was swinging forward dramatically to reveal a finely dressed butler.
"Master Roronoa, I presume?" The woman inclined her head politely as she waited for Zoro's nod before noting, "I have been told a weapon's check is mandatory."
"Fair enough." Zoro grunted, raising his arms lazily as the woman stepped forward and began patting him down. He had known from the beginning that bringing anything along to see her would be useless, however it hadn't stopped him from wanting to at least put Sanji in a bulletproof vest. It seemed he was going to have to be on his best behaviour, and also be very weary of what he said.
Finishing with Zoro, the woman moved on to Sanji to pat him down as Zoro corrected his suit jacket with a jerk and redid the second button that had been undone. The butler finished searching Sanji just as quickly, the blond taking the time to correct his rumpled jacket as well before both of them looked back at the woman.
Seeming appeased, she gestured inside with a polite murmur, "Please, follow me."
Following the woman inside the luxurious mansion, they made their way down a long entrance hall littered with expensive works of art and massive marble sculptures. Plush velvet rug guided them deeper into the building as the distance noise of a banquet taking place could be heard, eventually passing by the large double doors propped open to the expansive ballroom housing what had to be at least a hundred guests.
They continued past it, up a grandiose staircase that lead to a second landing and shortly after that they arrived outside a large oak door. The butler proceeded to knock twice, announce herself, as well as whom she was with before awaiting for a response.
Zoro took the moment to glance at Sanji and found the man nervous, but nonetheless in awe of the place. He was unable to catch his gaze in time to try and tell him to stay calm, as a rich voice responded and ordered them to enter. The servant opened the door and allowed them to step inside before closing it shut with a heavy thud.
Upon entering the splendid room, Zoro found the woman he had not seen in nearly five years lounging comfortably in a large chaise by the fireplace. Red evening gown flowing off her elegant frame, the fabric illuminated by the flames flickering beside her and casting a shadow across her stern, yet gorgeous face. A glass of wine darker than her dress was poised in her hand as she watched the two men enter with a sharp gaze.
With a beckon, Zoro strode forward before coming to a polite stop several feet away from where she sat. A large fur rug separated them, the only light in the large den was that of the fire. Dark earthy tones, and rich woods kept the room shrouded in darkness and gave the entire place a much more hostile aura as he waited for the woman to eventually speak.
Taking a long, slow sip from her drink, she eventually lowered it and began swirling her glass as she murmured softly, "Roronoa."
"Boa." Zoro grunted as politely as he could manage, inclining his head in a short, stiff nod. Not wanting to take his eyes off her for a moment, especially not eager to give her a courteous bow after the scar she had given him on his upper thigh.
"Who's your little friend?" Boa noted with a snake-like grin, eyes drifting to Sanji who was currently staring at the woman with a blatant concoction of confused emotions. The most obvious of which was attraction, judging by the stupid look he had on his face, only slightly askew due to his clear nervousness.
Zoro had to refrain himself from rolling his eyes at the flirtatious man, "Ste-"
"Real name." Boa corrected swiftly, waving an elegant hand as she shook her head, "Not that silly fake one you gave to border control."
Fighting a grimace, Zoro knew he should have expected as much from her before replying, "Sanji."
With a pleased nod, she turned her attention back to Zoro as it was clear that she didn't care and only did that to try and throw Zoro off as well as remind him of her influence. Setting her wine aside, the glass clinking sharply on the table beside her, she spoke, "If you're here then I can only assume it's because you want to know why so many people are after your head."
"Correct." Zoro affirmed, not at all surprised with her knowledgeable guess.
Instead of responding right away, she remained sitting comfortably in her chair and watched Zoro with calculating eyes. He couldn't fathom to guess the thoughts whirling through her mind, but he knew without a doubt that he wouldn't be leaving without offering something in exchange for the information she had.
"What do you want?" Zoro scowled, "I'll pay anything."
"Please, Roronoa." Boa scoffed sardonically, "You should know that in our line of work dealing in money is only for the babbo[3]... I want something far more valuable."
Trepidation was already filling Zoro upon the woman's request, knowing that nothing good could come out of anything she might desire. Forcing himself to remain as amiable as possible, he responded, "What?"
"Information." Boa purred the word slowly and seductively, rolling each syllable off her tongue as though whispering something naughty. Eyes burning with fiery excitement, she refused to break her gaze away from the defiant man standing before her.
"I've been out of the game for years." Zoro countered, knowing that she would pull something sneaky like this. And while he was certain that she wouldn't ask unless she was absolutely certain that he knew something she wanted, he would play ignorant for as long as he could, "I don't know much anymore."
"Oh, you'll find that you do." Boa crooned eagerly, finely manicured hand poised beside her elegantly as she stared down her nose at Zoro, "You're actually the one person that has the answer to the question I've been so desperate to know for years."
"Fine." Zoro snapped, not in the mood to be playing her games. To her, he was just a mouse that she enjoyed taunting before devouring whole, and he intended to be long gone before she had the chance to follow through, "What do you want to know?"
"Everyone knows the story of the great Zoro Roronoa; The Bounty Hunter, Demon of the East – odd since you've been the lap dog of that joke of a western intelligence agency..." Boa trailed off as she seemed to be mulling over her own words before casting a shrewd glance back at Zoro and hissing almost menacingly, "Asura."
While Zoro didn't outwardly react, he found himself flinching internally at the mention of a name that he hadn't heard in nearly three years. Vivid memories attached to it, the ones that he had attempted to forget for the sake if his own sanity, flashed before his eyes. Steeling himself against the recollections, he questioned indignantly, "What story?"
"The love story and untimely end of the feared operative." Boa mused with a smirk, "Met a beautiful woman who melted his ice cold heart, fell in love and got married, and then moved to some rural – podunk – farm to live happily ever after."
"Podunk?"
Zoro could hear Sanji softly mutter the word indignantly under his breath and had to refrain from turning on the blond and telling him to shush. Forcing himself to keep his gaze level with Boa as she readjusted herself in her seat, crossing her legs once more, and stared down at Zoro.
"There's only one thing wrong with that story..." Boa's gaze turned dark and she whispered through tight lips, "You don't have a heart to melt."
Zoro remained silent.
There was nothing to say, and anything he did wouldn't change what she was clearly implying. Though he would admit that current events involving the man to his right would definitely bring that statement up for debate. If this was what emotional vulnerability was, then he had definitely never felt it for Kalifa. However, Boa didn't know that and it would be best to keep it that way.
Staying as impassive as he could, Zoro grumbled lazily, "You're an idiot if you think you know me that well."
"And you're ignorant if you think you can trick me with such an obvious lie." Boa sneered, "If you're here for what I think you are; then I'm curious as to where your supposed wife is. And who this strange man is."
Unconsciously, Zoro felt his hand retract into a fist as he should have known someone as intelligent as her wouldn't let something so obvious slip by her, and there was definitely no way he could lie himself out of this situation. Sliding minutely in front of the blond, he muttered darkly, "What is your question?"
"Oh!" Boa intoned with genuine shock, eyes halting their flitting to level on Zoro with glee, "My, my, Roronoa. Aren't you giving me a fair bit more information than you ever intended; this is absolutely juicy."
"WHAT. IS THE QUESTION?!"
"Fine." She huffed dramatically, tossing a few stray strands of hair over her shoulder, "What I want to know is the answer that everyone's been wondering since you retired; the real reason you retired."
"You clearly have your own assumptions beyond what you've heard." Zoro scowled, growing uneasy with the way her gaze kept slowly straying towards Sanji before snapping back to him. He wasn't certain what she was up to, but it couldn't be good, "What difference will my word make?"
"Darling, you're so naive." Boa chuckled, "Half the fun is getting you to admit it."
Zoro felt his resolve slowly breaking – finding it harder and harder to meet her gaze – the truth of the matter weighing on him far heavier than it ought to. But it had taken him months to admit it to himself, let alone his therapist. Being able to admit it to Sanji had been one of the hardest things he had had to do; and now he was just supposed to say it?
Why was it so hard?
"Is it true?" Boa continued with a gleeful smile, "Has the great Demon of the East lost his mind?"
"I don't know what you're talking about-" Zoro began softly. Hating how tiny his voice had gotten as he was being forced to admit his worst fears to the woman. Hating how easily she was managing to break his spirit over something he should have found laughably trivial.
"Don't lie." She snapped lividly, icy stare matching his own wavering one. For the first time since they had entered her chambers she appeared genuinely angry, and Zoro could only meet her glare defiantly for so long. Regretfully, Zoro found his gaze breaking first as his eyes turned down in shame.
"Well, I would say you've given me far more information than you ever intended... So, I shall make good on my bargain." Boa bemused with a content smile, "There's a bounty on your head."
That caught Zoro's interest enough to regain some of his composure, "By who?"
"How should I know?" Boa simpered with a bored flick of her hair.
"Why didn't I hear about it?"
"Probably because it's being kept hush-hush." Boa rolled her eyes, "If anyone still loyal to you found out about it then I'm sure your American comrades would throw a little fit; whoever wants you dead doesn't want the CIA interfering. Or it could be them; who knows? All I know is it's been fun hearing about your new escapades and I'm sure it'll only get more so."
"Anything else?" Zoro attempted lamely, wanting to end the affair as soon as possible.
"I know MOSSAD is still sore about the whole Alabasta incident you pulled several years back; they've taken up the bounty request and intend to try and fulfill it." Boa mused offhandedly, "I believe they're still sore about you killing their best agent."
"That was seven years ago."
"So?" Boa scoffed scornfully, "You may be retired, but this bounty puts you back in the game, whether you want it or not. The only reason no one came after you before is because they'd be stupid to even try. The price of this bounty however, has blinded even the most rational."
Zoro bit back a scathing response as Boa began examining her nails.
"Anyway, apparently some operatives there have been in contact with the buyer." She mused, giving them a final once over before lowering her hand, "That's the best lead I can give you."
Swallowing past the dryness in his throat, Zoro gave a stiff nod and it took all of his restraint to stop himself from spitting out his curt reply.
"Thank you." He managed, turning on his heel as he began to lead Sanji from the room, knowing that at least the humiliation was over and he could continue with this cursed manhunt.
"Uh, hold on, Roronoa?" Trepidation filled Zoro's next step, foot hitting the polish floor with a loud clack before pausing to glance over his shoulder. Boa was smirking at him from her throne, "Deal's over, but did you really think I'd let you leave after what you did to me?"
"I thought money didn't mean anything to you." Zoro snidely reminded her of her previous statement.
"Three hundred twenty million of it, does." Boa hummed as she rose elegantly to her feet, pistol drawn with inhuman speed to train directly on Zoro. Finger already resting on the trigger as she continued, "You really were a fool to come here unarmed."
A split second decision had Zoro darting in front of Sanji at the same moment Boa decided to shift her aim onto the blond. Hooking his foot behind Sanji's ankle with a swift jerk, and a violent elbow thrown into Sanji's side sent him to the floor in the same second Hancock pulled the trigger.
A muffled bang echoed throughout the small room at the same moment something impacted Zoro's shoulder. A heavy sensation took over the limb as he darted towards the table set just off to the side of the rugl. Kicking it up as hard as he could so that it went sailing at the woman, distracting her and giving him enough time to snag Sanji by the back of his collar and drag him to his feet before running towards the door.
It swung open with a ferocious shove, and Zoro was lucky to have it clip the butler waiting outside and send her sprawling as Zoro grabbed Sanji's hand and dragged him down the hallway they came from. A bullet whizzed by the both of them and shattered a vase as they rounded into the next hallway, and instead of attempting to make the sprint he tackled Sanji into the next room they encountered.
He glanced around the room in panic to find anything he could use to defend them from the crazed mafia boss coming to collect his bounty. A regal suit of armor was poised in the corner, and without thinking Zoro snagged the sword from its grasp and tested the edge to find it fairly sharp.
"What the hell are you gonna do with that?!" Sanji screamed incredulously in a hushed voice, clearly not stoked with Zoro bringing a sword to a gunfight.
"I don't know!" Zoro growled back in the same panicked tone. The clicking of heels interrupted them as Zoro grabbed Sanji by the tie and dragged him behind the sofa in the middle of the room. Backs up against it, Sanji clasped a hand over his mouth to keep from giving their position away with his breathing as Zoro attempted to steel himself for what was to come.
Peeking the edge of the sword around the side of the large sofa, he angled the blade until he was able to get a clear view of the doorway. Keeping his eyes glued to it, he pulled out the car keys and handed them to Sanji, muttering softly out of the corner of his mouth, "When I go; you run to the car as fast as you can. Got it?"
Sanji didn't say anything, but Zoro could see him nodding from out of his peripheral and went back to focusing on what was about to happen.
Adrenaline was coursing through him with an intensity that had his hands shaking – the wounds in his shoulder and side vague sensations compared to the rush currently burning him from the inside. Old anxiety threatened the edges of his mind, but for some reason, they were easy to drown out in replacement of the mantra of getting Sanji to safety.
No fear. No memory. No mental wall was going to stop him from getting Sanji out of here alive.
A movement flashed across the blade as Boa entered the room and Zoro sprung from behind the couch, sword in hand as he launched himself at the woman. Not entirely sure of his intentions but bringing the weapon down is swift arch with no regard for the repercussions.
There was a clang of metal on metal as Boa flipped the gun around at the last moment to catch the blade between the barrell and the trigger guard. Zoro kept the pressure on until he saw Sanji dart past him and he disarmed the gun in a swift motion, ducking under the high kick meant for his injured shoulder, and slammed the sword down into the floorboards, pinning her dress into the hardwood.
Without waiting for a response, he darted out of the room as fast as his injured body could carry him. Distantly hearing her enraged shrieks as he got turned around several times before jumping out a window into the garden and sprinting to the driveway visible beyond the hedges.
Darting past the stairs that Boa stood atop, remnants of her destroyed dress in her hand, screeching at him with murderous intent. Reaching the vehicle, he found Sanji already in the driver side with the car idling, and practically fell into the passenger's seat. Keeping a hand pressed to his chest in a lame attempt to help staunch the bleeding as Zoro bellowed, "Drive!"
TBC…
[1] In an SBS Oda stated that Sanjis character was based off of Steve Buscemi in "Reservoir Dogs".
[2] Zoro's character is named after the real life pirate Francois L'Olonnais.
[3] Mob slang for dopes/idiots or useless underlings.