Enough

A short one-sided Zoro to Sanji set after Little Garden but before Drum.

What's a little fire to eyes so blue?

Sanji's hands were always his favorite part. The most precious part of him and the most talented. He hadn't watched them much, doing other things when they were at their best, creating something in the kitchen, stirring this, pinching that, doing inexplicable things to other things to somehow or another create a meal. But he'd seen his fingers splayed as he balanced a tray with utter stillness on a shifting deck. He'd seen the way his fingers had curled around a cigarette, pinching when he was being cool, gripping when he was stressed and loose when he was feeling all right with the world and no one was watching, just pulling the tie away from his throat with the pale fingers of the other hand and letting the sea breeze push against his face and slide down his shirt. Zoro had never been so fucking envious of wind before.

"Got a staring problem, asshole?" Sanji asked.

"Tch," Zoro replied, closing his eye again. Maybe he did but he wasn't about to admit it. That just lead to problems he didn't want. Anyway, he wasn't the kind of guy to chase after impossible dreams. He could hear Sanji move toward him across the deck, his shoes tapping out the rhythm of: 'I'm gonna start some shit and there's nothing you can do about it'.

Zoro considered faking a snore.

But he wasn't that much of a coward. So he just pretended he didn't notice when that foot nudged him in the ribs. And it was just a nudge. Not even a bracing kick.

"Just sleeping, Marimo?" Another nudge. Just a nudge. Barely even a fucking tickle. "Bastard. If you're going to stare at a guy the least you can do is give him a good fight."

"You're not worth my time."

That kick sent him sprawling halfway across the deck and crashing into Usopp who yelped and there was a small puff and displacement of air. Zoro didn't much care as his hand flew to Wado, only to realize it wasn't there but back where he'd propped it up against the railing.

"What the hell is your problem!" he snapped, curling his hands into fists. Sanji smirked and pinched his cigarette, bracing his long legs and blowing a stream of smoke in his direction.

"If it's not worth your time then it shouldn't matter, shitty marimo."

"You're not worth it," Zoro said, folding his arms, not to be bested by this asshole.

"What did you say?!"

"Fire." Usopp said, or something like that.

"Going deaf, too? I said-"

"Fire. FIRE!" Usopp shouted, bumping into Zoro again and curling around him. There was a soft sound like a fwoom and Zoro felt the scalding heat against the back of his neck and saw Sanji's eye grow wide. It was really blue.

"Zoro!" Usopp called.

"ZORO!" Luffy bellowed and Zoro saw him through a haze of heat jumping down. What- and then he saw a black blur coming at his midsection before it smashed into his midsection, leaving him breathless with a single gasp. He felt himself break through the railing and then he hit the sea which felt like breaking glass.

And down

and down

and down.

The sunlight played on the ripples of the water. He could see the hull of the Merry, cutting her way through the sea, moving under a strong wind. Here and there he could see patches in the wood. Merry was a strong little ship.

And oh shit he was sinking too fast. Better start up. He frogged his way upward, keeping his mouth screwed shut as his lungs grew desperate for air. They could shut the hell up. There wasn't air to be had yet. And he wasn't going to get any until it reached the surface. Even as dark was gathering at the edges of his vision.

Oh shit. Fuck. Damn. No. Not going to drown. Stupid ass way for a swordsman to die. Mouth closed and frogging upward as fast as he could. Throat scratching. Lungs fighting to suck in.

Something plunged under the surface of the blue, spreading bubbles, but so far away, almost as far as the surface. A fist settled in his lungs and suddenly Sanji was there, hair moving like the wavy tendrils of a blond jellyfish, revealing glimpses of his ridiculous eyebrows. Like hell Zoro was going to be saved by him and he was about to say so but opening his mouth just brought the seawater in and he gagged as everything went dark.

Moron

yeah, yeah he knew that already.

Stupid asshole

OI, that was a little

Shitty Marimo!"

A hand stung his back and Zoro heaved, spewing warm seawater into the ocean around him only to get it right back against his neck and it wasn't all seawater. Still the only thing he could do was cough, and gasp for breath, air clawing against his throat as he coughed again.

"What kind of idiot are you," Sanji said, hooking one of his thin arms around Zoro's shoulders and easing him back. It was an orange shirt, Zoro realized vaguely. The one he went into fits over whenever- But hold on, Sanji was, practically carrying him in the water as he made his way back to the ship.

"O-oi!" he said and coughed again, twisting to get free. He could swim on his own he wasn't-

"Just stay still, moron. You nearly drowned because you're too stupid not to open your mouth underwater so can't you relax for one goddamned second?!" Sanji's voice hit him like a whip. Fine. Fine whatever. There was pride and there was stupidity and he had too much of both, maybe.

The Merry was anchored further away than he realized and the choppy water kept splashing him in the face. It suddenly occurred to him that it would be a hell of a swim when his legs felt like lead. But Sanji was a tough bastard and it didn't seem to bother him. He only cursed once when a wave overtook them completely and Zoro felt Sanji's fingers clutch at his shirt. But even this water was enough to wear him out.

"I can handle it from here," Zoro said once they'd resurfaced, his voice sounding croakier than he'd like.

"No way, I'm not going to go under after you again. So just...just stay."

Zoro stayed.

By the time they reached the ship the worried faces of their nakama were peering overboard. Luffy looked like he wanted to jump right in with them and might have if Nami didn't have a tight grip on his vest.

"Dummy, who said you could go swimming," Luffy said with a fierce really worried captain frown. No one could frown and mean it like Luffy could.

"Sorry, Captain," Zoro said as Usopp unfurled the ladder.

"Me, too," Usopp said. "That super mega awesome fireball was way too powerful for one man to contain."

Zoro had nothing to say to that as he pulled himself on board and coughed a few times before accepting a towel from a worried Karoo and patting him on the head absently.

"Thanks," he said.

"I'm glad you're okay, Bushido-san. We were all worried."

"It will take more than being a living fire ball to daunt him," Nami said, shaking her head and coughing herself. Vivi frowned at her faintly, the little line of worry appearing between her eyebrows.

"That was pretty cool, though, you just went up all at once," Luffy said, relaxing now that the danger was over and perching himself on the railing. "You should do it again."

"Let's not," Nami said flatly.

"Honestly is there anything in your head but rubber," Usopp said, rubbing his forehead.

"Shishishi"

"Shishishishi is not an answer!" Usopp said.

"Can I get you anything, Bushido-san? Warm sake perhaps?" Vivi said smiling at him despite the worry line growing deeper. Considering this was the guy who was going to save her kingdom, he didn't blame her. He was about to tell her no when Sanji spoke up instead.

"You needn't worry yourself with that, Vivi-chwan. I'll fix this dumbass a drink even though I should kill him for making you worry."

"Ah, no thats okay, Sanji-san, it's really nothing."

"It's completely okay to be worried about them," Nami said, rapping Vivi lightly on the head with her knuckles as she passed. "Pretty soon you go past worried and straight into annoyed without looking back, so feel free to use them as you like."

"Oi, who asked you?" Zoro growled, though he was too drained to put much heat into it and she just stuck her tongue out at him like she'd been teasing -even if she normally didn't let on so quickly. Maybe something else was bugging her. Her eyes did seem a little glazed.

"Anyway," Nami said, turning away from him and heading toward her room. "Bring me something warm, too, Sanji-kun. I need to work on some charts."

"Right away, Nami-san!" Sanji said, spiraling away and sending droplets of water flying. Karoo gave an impatient kweh and shielded himself against it with a wing. Vivi smiled faintly then worried her lip between her teeth a moment before smiling again.

"I'm glad you're okay, Bushido-san," she said again, before following the path that Nami had taken. Zoro moved to sit beside his swords again, grunting as his skin pulled and he noticed how red it was. There was even a blister forming on the back of his hand. Damn.

Ah well it would heal up on its own. He closed his eyes, heard Usopp, Luffy and Karoo make their way closer, with the thump of boots, shuff of sandals and the scratching of claws respectively. Their shadows fell over him and he could feel them peering down at him.

"I'm fine," he said.

"I don't know, Zoro, you're pretty red," Usopp said. "And I'm low on burn cream. I could make more, of course, I'm a world famous medicine man!"

"Ehh? Really?" Luffy said, completely taken in yet again.

"Of course! I've been healing people in the East Blue since I was three. Of course I had to carry around my own little stool and—"

"Kweh!" Karoo said and there was the thwap of a wing hitting cloth.

"Oh right right. Anyway, Zoro, you should let us do something."

"It'll heal on its own," Zoro said, though he was sort of grateful for their cool shade.

"You should try some anyway. Burns really hurt."

There was something serious in Luffy's tone that made him open his eyes. The captain had a different frown now. Softer and worried like he was remembering something else. Zoro let out a grunt.

"All right. Give me what you have and I'll put it on."

"Yosh. I think I know where I left it." Usopp clattered away, Luffy close on his heels. Karoo heaved a ducky sigh and settled beside him, but not close enough to brush his skin which barely hurt. Zoro closed his eyes again and rested his head back against the railing. He'd only rest for a moment.

It was dark behind his eyes. A cool sweet breeze blew over his skin and tangled in the collar of his shirt. A hand was holding his wrist, narrow soft fingers pressed against his pulse and another hand touched something cool to his skin. Zoro let out a long relieved breath at the sensation. He slowly opened his eyes to night and stars and Sanji.

Zoro jolted back, gritting his teeth, neck twinging. Sanji glowered at him without even raising his head, red light glowing on the end of his cigarette and reflecting faintly in his eye.

"Not a word, shitty marimo. Someone has to do this so our idiot captain can stop asking about and I'm sure as hell not making the ladies tend to a big green baboon."

"I can do it myself," Zoro said, because Sanji's pale fingers, made even paler by the goop, gliding over his arm was weirdly pretty, but also pretty weird.

"About time, shithead," Sanji said, letting him go and sitting back. He didn't leave as Zoro had expected but remained sitting there, one foot flat on the deck so that his knee jutted up at a sharp angle. His head was bent, too. Everything was angled and he was glowering at nothing, fingers clenched around the cigarette as he smoked.

"It wasn't your fault," Zoro said, taking some of the goop onto his own fingers and rubbing it against his neck, closing his eyes at the sensation. Haa that felt good.

"Never said it was," Sanji said. "I saved your ass at least three times today."

"Then why are you acting so guilty?"

"The hell I am," Sanji said, kicking Zoro's shin with his free leg but it was half hearted kick at best. "I'm just tired of Vivi-chan fretting over your sorry ass." He tilted his head up to the sky and let out a stream of smoke. Zoro snorted but let it go. It wasn't important anyway. He rubbed the cream onto his arms and neck and paused when he glanced at Sanji and found the love cook watching him, resting his arm on his knee, thumb pressed against his temple as the cigarette sent smokey streams into the cool night air.

"What were you staring at anyway?"

Zoro finished the last of the goop, which ran out sooner than he would have liked and screwed the lid back on. There would be no damn good of telling Sanji the truth. It was a truth that didn't mean anything anyway.

"Nothing at all."

"Bullshit."

"A loud mouthed pain in the ass love cook, then."

"Yeah well this pain in the ass saved your dinner from bottomless pit captain," Sanji said, standing and nudging a tray of food closer with the toe of his shoe. "Enjoy it or not, shitty Marimo. I don't care." And he walked away, waving over his shoulder.

There was a chilled bottle of sake on the tray. And onigiri, still steaming hot. Had to save this from the captain his ass.

"Thanks, Dartboard-brow," he said, picking up the bottle of sake and drinking. The cold felt good.

"Anytime, Marimo-kun. You have to keep a lawn well watered, you know."

That didn't even make sense but he let it go because Sanji was smirking at him, bathed in the warm light of the galley, one hand resting on the railing. Zoro just closed his eyes and drank. It wasn't much but it was enough.

It was enough.