A/N: Thank you all for the kind reviews and comments the last couple chapters; we're nearing the ending and I keep getting more nervous lol One more chapter to go after this (and of course the epilogue). Hope you enjoy! Also if you want to enter the giveaway for a free printed copy of this fic the deadline is Feb 3. Just go to my tumblr :)
A sharp, repetitive click could be heard from the obnoxious purple pumps of the secretary as she made her way up the extravagant wooden staircase of the large mansion. Clipboard in hand, making for her bosses office as she went over several of the appointments the man had scheduled today. After several hours of silence from the usually impeccable man, Jora's patience was beginning to wear thin after driving all the way to her bosses home to check on him; already severely behind on her planning for the day.
Coming to a stop in front of his office door, she gave an irritated knock before taking a step back and waiting impatiently with a huff. Several seconds passed as not even a word was uttered from within as she stepped forward and gave another round of sharp raps on the large mahogany door, this time tapping her high-heeled shoe as she waited for his response.
Once more ignored, she leaned in with a sour looked and gave a short listen to see if should could even hear the other man inside. A steady drip could be heard from the den of the business tycoon as Jora crinkled her noise as she began to notice the pungent smell leaking out from within.
"Mr. Donquixote?" Jora tested once more, prodding the door open ever-so-gently in hopes that she didn't accidentally disturb the quick tempered man. Portal giving way with a heady groan, Jora squinted as she tried to locate the master as the closed blinds made it nearly impossible to see.
Taking a cautious step within the room, she reached out and flicked on the light. Looking up at the source of the dripping as a shrill wail of horror left her lips, followed by a heavy thud as she fainted back on the floor. Papers spilling from her lax grip to fall in the ever growing pool of blood on the floor, black print fading as the white absorbed to a dark crimson.
~X~
With the hard panel of wood pressed up against his back Sanji glowered at the other man defiantly, his wrath finally bubbling to its peak over Zoro's words. After everything he had done, every lie he had told, the trust he had forsaken between them – that had been the very foundation of their relationship – Zoro dared to think he still had any claim of ownership over him. As far as Sanji was concerned their sexual contract was terminated.
Zoro's left hand remained clenched around the tie, blocking Sanji's right hand from properly reaching the other man. So he brought his left hand around with all his betrayal put into a single motion, his knuckles collided with the man's jaw with a sickening crack – hand feeling like it had struck a wall – as Zoro took a staggering step back. The adrenaline coursing through Sanji staved off the blinding pain for only a moment before the sensation of his previously injured hand hitting bone properly set in.
"FUCK!" Sanji howled as he dropped to his knees clutching his left hand, having completely forgotten about his injured finger through his haze of rage. The previously dislocated digit felt like it had just been broken properly this time, cradling it as gently as possible as the pain at least seemed to be helping ground himself a little bit.
Quivering through the waves of agony he sent a glance up at Zoro, hair falling into his face as he glared defiantly up at the man through the one eye he managed to keep open through the pain. Zoro had recovered from his stumble, standing stoically as he reached up a slow hand, thumb coming up to wipe the smear of blood from the corner of his lip with an annoyed flick.
"You don't own me." Sanji seethed through a pained grunt, trying to focus on breathing properly despite the electrifying amount of pain he was trying to reign in, "You never fucking did."
Zoro looked like he wanted to say something, but seemed to decide against it as he gifted Sanji with a disregarding look and turned away. Making his way back into the living room and then out of sight, leaving Sanji to his own devices as he seemed to be finished dealing with the blond. Sanji waited tensely, but when it seemed like the man had no intention of returning he allowed his guard to drop as he momentarily focused on his hand.
Sweeping one of his legs under himself he fell back so he was no longer kneeling, and leaned heavily up against the door as he continued to hold his hand delicately. Letting his head fall back against the door as his eyes fell shut, trying to work through the pain that was currently masking most of his distraught emotions. It was helping keep him level, as he made sure he continued to take deep calming breaths which in turn kept him from hyperventilating in his fury.
Once again Sanji was at a complete loss.
The past two weeks had seemed like a trial from hell; each more tortuous and dangerous than the last, and now that he finally had a moment alone he had no idea what to do. The only thing that Sanji could think about was wanting to go home and get away from the other man – his lease wasn't technically up until the end of the month – however it seemed pretty obvious that Zoro didn't want Sanji to leave his sight lest he run to the cops.
Though that idea was currently very low on Sanji's list as he was definitely not up for calling Zoro's bluff, the thought of taking responsibility for Zoro's actions was not a welcoming notion. It seemed for the time being that he was stuck here in this psychopaths house until he could come up with a plan to negotiate his leaving, or perhaps get the man caught before he could frame Sanji. But he couldn't even begin to fathom a plan as he was still reeling from everything that had just happened.
It felt like a nightmare...
After several minutes of sitting numbly, he began testing his hand, slowly trying to curl it into a fist as the fingers initially quivered but eventually began to respond. The ache in his knuckles was still very prominent, however as he continued to extend and flex the fingers their mobility returned. Despite how much they still hurt it seemed he hadn't broken anything, which he was extremely grateful for.
Noting a movement out of the corner of his eye, his head snapped up to see Zoro had reappeared – the shot to the jaw not affecting him nearly as much as Sanji had hoped it would – ice pack in hand as he slowly tread over to Sanji. Dropping to a knee he kept careful eye contact with the blond as he offered pack with a gentle, yet firm hand. Sanji debated slapping it away on principle, but had a feeling that he could only get away with his childish behaviour for so long.
Reaching out a cautious hand, he snagged the ice without a thank you and placed it over his knuckles, immediately sighing in relief as it began numbing some of the pain. It eased it enough that he was able to once more focus on the man in front of him and his frustrating vicissitude of emotions.
"Calmer?" Zoro prodded flatly.
"Still a murderer?" Sanji shot back icily.
Zoro didn't rise to the bait, nor did he show any sign that the barb had affected him as he raised and lowered a shoulder in a minute shrug, head titling in a 'what do you want from me' sort of gesture. Sanji gifted the man with an unapologetic face in return – eyebrows cocking disdainfully – before turning his gaze back to his hand, intent on ignoring the other man. Zoro remained for a few moments longer before conceding to Sanji's wishes and pushing himself away, leaving Sanji alone once more to wallow in his woes.
Sanji sat at the base of the door as hours drifted by, long after his rear and back had begun to ache from the hardwood flooring and the ice pack on his hand had melted back to water. Head hung hopelessly as a steady stream of condensation from the pack dripped down his finger to make a puddle on the floor between his feet. Time swept away in a whirlwind of hopelessness as he desperately tried to get a reign on his miasma of emotions; to no avail.
Once the pain in his left hand had begun to fade to a dull ache, Sanji pushed himself wearily to his feet with his uninjured hand propped against the door behind him. Regaining his footing he began making for the living room where had heard Zoro turn on the television nearly an hour ago. Stomping into the main area, finger already raised as he intended to give the psychopath a proper piece of his mind; no longer inhibited by exhaustion and fear. Finding Zoro sitting casually in one of the lounge chairs with a newspaper in hand, the article lowered as he watched the television intently.
Eyes flicking to the television for only a moment, the words dying on his lips as Sanji stared in horror at the images on the screen before him, unable to take in any of the words the broadcasters and news reporters were saying as he was assaulted with the grizzly footage. Knowing Zoro had admitted to taking care of Doflamingo, but not knowing the true extent with which he did it.
A candid photo – taken by the person that found the man – showed a disturbing display of the body with a near inhuman amount of blood surrounding the corpse. Garnet streaked the walls in vicious splatters and lashes, and even more was sprayed across the furniture in sickening gushes, a large pool formed on the floor beneath the man.
The body in question had been expertly rigged up off the floor with rope – rope Sanji recognized with sickening accuracy – each wrist wrapped in the woven strands that kept the corpse upright in an eerie replica of a human marionette. Ankles too had ropes knotted around them as the tips of his polish shoes just barely trailed across the blood soaked floor.
Clothes hanging from the body in shreds as the amount of blood made it almost impossible to discern what was flesh or bone. Slashes tearing the skin asunder and meaty chunks of muscle could be seen from with the gouges; organs and bones peeked out from deeper wounds. There was hardly anything meticulous about this murder; it was pure rage.
"He deserved what he got." Zoro stated simply, folding the newspaper he had been reading in half and dropping it down on the coffee table with a smack before striding from the room. Sanji watched him go weakly before turning back to the television and covering his mouth with a trembling hand.
Zoro... Zoro had done that...
For him.
It was all Sanji's fault. He had been the one that had gotten himself into this mess, he had been the one that had needed saving, and he had been the one to call Zoro and beg for his help. Whether or not he had actually done it, his hands were stained with the blood of the man on the screen before him.
Sanji continued to watch the report in horror as it was revealed that all of the security footage – and all electronic communications with the man – had somehow been expertly erased. Police were desperately trying to recover footage from the mansions security cameras with no luck, and all contacts with him within several months had been wiped clean. As Sanji continued to watch he realized with dreadful realization that if he were to look in his pack that the USB he had put in there was most likely missing too.
Not only had Zoro stolen Sanji's pack, but he had used everything in it kill Doflamingo. Sanji's initial anger came back at full force as he became indignant over the man's bravado and assumption. What was he trying to prove; was he mocking Sanji?!
Legs trembling, he managed to spin on his heel and chase after the man as his rage had become two fold. It had been one thing to be faced with the murders the man had committed, but to stand and experience one that had just taken place was another thing entirely. And to know that it was done not because the man had selected him, but simply because of Sanji had the blond's stomach aching painfully.
"WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!" Sanji bellowed as he rounded the corner into the kitchen, stalking down the other man and barely restraining himself from curling his hands in Zoro's shirt and shaking him. Instead he got as close as he could to the other man while seething through gritted teeth, "Who the fuck are you?!"
Zoro remained unfazed, only leaning back slightly so they were no longer nose-to-nose before blinking back at Sanji lazily and responding flatly, "Nothing happened; this is me."
"Bullshit!" Sanji spat, jabbing the man in the chest viciously, "I remember a gentle man; a caring man, a concerned man... A man who loved me!"
"I still do."
"Like I give a shit!" Sanji raged hysterically, pulling back far enough so he could throw his hands into the air in his frustration, "All I am is another pawn to you; everything you ever told me was a fucking lie!"
"There were things I didn't tell you," Zoro admitted heavily, "And my motives at the beginning may have been wrong, but everything else was real for me."
"SHUT UP!" Sanji screamed savagely, hating every time those poisonous words left the other man's lips, "You have me bound to secrecy under threat of being responsible for your crimes, locked in here like a fucking prisoner! You're no better than him!"
A flicker of pure vexation flashed across Zoro's eyes before falling away with a wave of indifference, casting a glance towards the living room where the television could still be heard broadcasting more details on the gruesome murder. Levelling his gaze on Sanji as he flicked his head in the direction of the newscasters voice, "I did that for you."
"No one asked you to!" Sanji balked furiously.
"Yes," Zoro frowned and stared at Sanji pointedly, "you did."
Sanji's aggression faltered as he fumbled momentarily over the truth of Zoro's words, they both knew exactly what Zoro was referring to, and Sanji wished with all his might he could take that phone call back. Hands balling regretfully at his sides Sanji muttered quietly, "I didn't mean like that..."
"What does it matter; you can go back to your life like none of this has happened." Zoro explained simply, "He's gone; you're free."
A derisive laugh forced itself bodily from Sanji as he nearly howled with disparaging laughter at the other man's words, the ridiculousness of them finally causing Sanji to snap. Recovering long enough to jeer sarcastically, "You're joking, right?!"
Zoro gave a simple shrug, not the least bit perturbed by Sanji's mockery.
"I mean I can't..." Sanji began in disbelief as he realized he could technically go back to his old life now. Without a debt to repay he was now free; as free as you could be when living with a serial killer – but free nonetheless. He could go back to his old job, could start going to University, and could even see all of his friends again. Though as he had learned from a very young age; everything had a price, and Sanji's freedom now cost his silence over the truth about the murder victims plastered all over the news. "How could I ever-"
"You're good at keeping secrets," Zoro surmised with a knowing grin, taking a step around the flustered blond and making his way out of the kitchen, "I'm sure you'll think of something."
Sanji remained floored by Zoro's words and what the man was expecting of him; while true, Sanji had never kept a secret like this before, and he didn't want to. Though how was it fair for him to differentiate between keeping the secrets of an embezzler or a murderer; both should be held accountable for their heinous actions. Zoro had been right about one thing; what he had done had been heartless.
"What did you think was going to happen?" Sanji asked hopelessly, turning to watch as the man turned back to look at the blond at the same moment. A brow raising curiously at Sanji as the blond continued, "After you helped me were you just going to pretend you hadn't done that to him; were you going to keep lying? Or did you think I'd somehow be okay with all of this?"
Zoro stood calmly at the doorway to the kitchen, body partly turned to address Sanji as his hands remained casually tucked into his pockets. Eyes boring uncomfortably into Sanji as he seemed to be calculating his own response, not even a flicker of emotion coming across his face for several long moments.
"I don't know." Zoro finally admitted, showing the first bit of sincerity he had all day as his gaze fell to the floor critically, "I haven't really had a plan since I realized I couldn't kill you..."
Sanji wasn't sure exactly how he was supposed to feel from those words – neither romantic or flattering – but as Zoro turned to leave the room, Sanji launched forward instinctively. Hand closing around the other man's thick wrist, trying desperately to ignore the comforting warmth radiating from it as he glared up at the man seriously as he turned to look back at the blond in mild surprise.
"Will you stop?" Sanji asked shortly, hardly trusting to hope, but desperate nonetheless.
Zoro's lips twitch down for an iota of a second – and Sanji could swear for a moment he saw a shimmer of remorse in those black eyes – before it was replaced with a shadow of mild sadness. Eyes falling to Sanji's hand and the hold it had on him as he shook his head minutely and muttered almost regretfully, "No."
Sanji's hand trembled in barely concealed frustration at the confession, fingers slowly unfurling as he began to curl in on himself once more. It had been foolish to expect otherwise, but even if he wasn't able to make it right for the victims, he had foolishly hoped he could at least stop future ones from taking place. Hands coming up to hold his arms around himself he jumped instinctively as he saw Zoro's hand reaching for him.
The hand froze near Sanji's cheek and the blond fought down his wince of nervousness to jerk his face out of the man's blood-stained reach. There was a reflection of sorrow in his eyes, but Sanji couldn't find even an ounce of pity for the man as he kept his head turned to the side lividly.
"I don't want to have to hurt you." Zoro murmured simply, hand falling away slowly. "Just remember what I said."
"Fuck off." Sanji spat coldly, keeping his arms crossed over himself as he shied away from the other man. Sanji didn't know what games the man was playing, nor if he thought that Sanji would sit idly by as he was forced to live the rest of his life under the tyranny of this psychopath. As far as Sanji was concerned their past relationship was over; regardless of his still conflicting feelings.
Zoro turned to leave and Sanji watched him shrewdly, not daring to lower his scowl until the man had entirely left the room and he was standing alone in the kitchen. Hands slowly lowering from his chest he kept his eye trained on the entrance as he finally decided on a plan.
~X~
Outside the sky was still painted black as the sun had yet to rise, the distant hum of a car skimming through the town could be heard as Sanji found himself wide awake in bed next to Zoro. The man in question sleeping calmly beside him, back to Sanji as his large frame rose and fell with deep exhales that reassured Sanji to the legitimacy of his current state of unconsciousness.
Sitting calmly in bed he tried to control his raging heart beat, leaning his back up against the head board as his hands remained gently folded in his lap. Sleep had been eluding him for several days since he had decided what to do about Zoro, and it was almost laughable that such a simple, everyday task was now the ultimate luxury to the blond. Though despite how worn his mind was, his fear kept him more than awake as the simple thought of dropping his guard around the man currently sleeping beside him was too terrifying to imagine.
Sure, Zoro had claimed that he would never harm Sanji, but how long would it take the psychopath to grow bored with him and decide against his previous notions of 'love'. As Sanji slept, Zoro could easily wake up and decide he no longer cared for the blond; then suffocate him to death with his pillow. It was thoughts like these that had him sitting up right, unable to even contemplate sleeping as Zoro rested beside him.
Beyond his simple, egotistical fears of being killed, there was in fact a much larger horrification that was also keeping him from falling asleep. Every time he closed his eyes, or even times when he didn't, the images of those poor people's bodies would flash behind his eyes and he would become sick. Sick at the notion of what had happened to them, sick that he was currently sharing the bed with the man that had done all of those unspeakable things.
Those hands.
Those hands that had touched and caressed him, cared for him, made him feel such intense pleasure he was sure he would die. Had also been the hands that had brutally murdered innocent people; slit their throats, choked them, buried them. They had been responsible for skinning that young boy and stuffing him full of straw and leaving him in some field like a deranged scarecrow. They had been responsible for strapping the corpse of a man to the underside of a truck. For stuffing the shredded bits of a young boy inside a marionette. Every time he looked at himself he saw the places those exact same hands had touched him and reeled nauseously.
Sanji felt filthy.
Every inch of his skin felt tainted in a way that no amount of soap and water could wash away. It was like looking at his body through a black light and seeing the highlighted areas where Zoro had touched him; bitten him there, cut him there, stroked him there. His entire body felt like a crime scene.
All he wanted to do was crawl out from his flesh, claw as much of the filth and memory away from his bones until he could look at himself and not feel sick and disgusted. It was a pain deep in his gut that had him itching to wriggle out of himself and run as far away from the evidence of what he had let Zoro do to him and what they had done together. But no matter how hard he tried, the experiences with Zoro were practically tattooed on his skin for him to constantly be reminded and it made him sick to his stomach.
Closing his eyes Sanji took a moment to centre himself and shake off the skittering, unsettling feeling along his arms as he turned to inspect Zoro once more. Zoro had fallen asleep about two hours ago and Sanji was still trying to wrack up the courage to move. Knowing that the slightest off movement could awaken the man and probably ruin his good mood. Sanji didn't know how much leeway he had with the man but he didn't want to test it and get himself killed.
The thought alone had him shuddering once more in a terrible mixture of disgust and fear.
Very cautiously he grabbed the edge of the blanket, pulling it back to slowly reveal one of his legs, and then the other. Once enough of the fabric was removed Sanji tested the waters by slowly sliding one of his legs towards the edge of the bed. Stilling in cold fear as he felt Zoro shift slightly from his side of the bed, a deep sigh leaving the man before falling silent once more.
Sitting poised on the edge, Sanji remained frozen for several long moments, waiting for Zoro's breathing to even out once more before edging his other foot out onto the floor as well. It took another few minutes for Sanji to get the courage to stand up, and when he finally did it was met with nothing but silence and a lack of motion from Zoro's side of the bed. Letting out a long, quiet breath Sanji steeled himself and cautiously made for the bathroom.
Not bothering to deal with the noise of closing the door, he made his way to the sink, pausing with remorse as he realized he couldn't wash his face lest the running water wake Zoro. Instead he placed his hands heavily on the marble counter and looked up at his reflection in the mirror.
Looking himself over; he felt sick.
Everything about him looked wrecked. From the hollowness in his eyes from the constant fear and the bags under them from the lack of sleep, to the faint bruises and scars from weeks ago littering every inch of his body in a painful reminder of whom he belonged to. Eyes finally falling on the large discoloured bruise running along the knuckles of his left hand, he couldn't help but chuckle lightly at how much his life had spiralled out of control in these past few months.
It didn't matter to Sanji anymore. Whether or not Zoro could frame him at each one of the murder sites or whether he would be locked in prison until he rotted. Or the fact that he could return to his old life as long as he kept Zoro's horrible secret; he wouldn't allow himself to be controlled by Zoro like this any longer. This game had gone on long enough and he wanted out. This was him throwing in the towel and claiming sanctuary.
Making his way cautiously out to the bedroom once more he snatched up his discarded jeans and hoodie, and snuck from the room quietly. Out in the safety of the living room he quickly pulled on his pants, doing up the button and zip with as little sound as possible before pulling on his hoodie with a nervous glance towards the doorway. When no movement could be heard he tiptoed over to the front door, turning the knob as slow as he possibly could.
When the bolt clicked quietly, it sounded like the loudest thing to ever happen in Sanji's presence and the blond watched the hallway leading to Zoro's room with bated breath. Once again when nothing happened, Sanji tested his luck and began opening the door. Slipping out, he closed it with the same amount of caution and was soon standing out in the dead hallway, with his shoes unlaced and his hair a mess.
With a thick, relieved swallow he turned and made his way down the hall to the elevator, taking it to the ground floor and then outside. Remaining calm and casual to not draw any unwanted attention to himself. Despite how badly he wanted to run, despite wanting to start running from the man and never look back; he instead crossed his arms and forced himself to continue on at a normal pace. Before long he found a bus stop, debating whether or not to stand out and wait for it – and potentially leave himself a sitting duck for Zoro – or to keep moving.
It was quickly decided to keep moving as Sanji began to hurriedly think over the plan he had concocted over the past couple days while stuck at Zoro's. Disappearing from Zoro's bed had easily marked him for suspicion, or worse, being framed for all the other murders; so now that he had made his move there was no going back. The only potential option was to say he wanted to take a walk, but even he knew Zoro wasn't foolish enough to fall for such an idiotic ploy.
However, sticking around to find out what Zoro might do was not in Sanji's cards which meant staying in the city was obviously out of the question. When he had been at the peak of his scamming career he had always had a back up plan for leaving the country at a moments notice in case he got himself in too deep, and while this wasn't exactly what he had thought he would initially be running from, he would certainly categorize it as 'in too deep'.
Sanji had spent the week mentally tallying how much money he had saved away, and planned to catch an early flight out of the city that morning. All he needed to do now was grab his money, some clothes, and his passport; he could be in France, or New Zealand by tomorrow and far away from Zoro and this whole, horrible life.
He'd already quit his job, and said good bye to his friends thanks to the whole Doflamingo debacle, so he really had nothing left keeping him here. It would hardly make a difference anyway if he was going to be framed as a serial killer. All of his old friends would want absolutely nothing to do with him and his life in this country would be over. The only thing that could possibly secure his freedom was Zoro getting caught, which was almost impossible when the man literally had everyone under his thumb.
In his apartment he barely spared a remorseful glance around the place before running to the bags he had left packed in the bedroom, grabbing a small duffel bag and backpack. Haphazardly he tore some spare clothes from one of his suitcases into the bag before doing the same with some hygienic items before zipping up the duffel with finality. There was no time for sentimentality, he simply needed what he'd need to survive until he got somewhere safe.
After calling a cab on his cell, he hurried into the living room, kicked back the rug, and shakily ran his trembling hands along the borders until he found the tiny nick he was able to hook his fingernail under. Popping the board out as his life savings were revealed beneath, several paid off credit cards that he had made for travel purposes, as well as layers of wrapped bills from his years of blackmailing.
Dropping his backpack into the hole he began shovelling the spare cash into it, shoving the spare credit cards into his wallet before grabbing hold of the small tin that was left at the bottom. Quickly putting in the lock code he opened the lid and rustled through the random miscellaneous items; grabbing the several important documents that he needed such as his birth certificate, and passport. And finally, the gun.
It seemed superfluous since he was heading to the airport, but until he had a ticket and was ready to go through customs he wasn't going to let his guard down. Standing with his pack over his back and duffel over his shoulder, Sanji kicked the board back in place and lazily throwing the carpet back over the floor. Without a backward glance he made his way out of the apartment and down to the lobby where the cab he had called was already waiting for him. As he saw the yellow vehicle idling out on the street a feeling of relief washed over him for the first time in days and he ran the rest of the way down the walkway.
Throwing open the back door he tossed his bags inside before jumping in after them, slamming the door and locking it for good measure as he turned to the cab driver and pleaded, "Um... Seattle Airport please?"
"Right away." The portly man grunted, tipping his hat and hitting the timer to turn it on before accelerating the small vehicle with perhaps a little too much vigour. Sanji chose to ignore it as he didn't bother doing up his seat belt, turning to rest his cheek against the cool glass of the window and try to calm his still piqued nerves.
"Yeah," The man nodded solemnly despite not being prompted by Sanji, "Seen a lot o' young men an' women like you in my day. Runnin' away like this; tryin' ta forget their problems."
Sanji's eyes flicked to the rear view mirror not bothering to ask what about him gave it away and instead let his eyes slide shut as he fought back a derisive laugh at the man's words. Whatever problems those other people had been running from couldn't even hold a candle to the hell that he was currently trying to escape.
"Too true." The cabby muttered, not in the least deterred despite Sanji's lack of participation in the conversation, "But I suppose I ain't one ta judge..."
Sanji opted for ignoring the talkative cabby, resting his elbow on the window sill of the door and cracking his eyes open to stare out into the early morning traffic. Pretty sparse so far since the six o'clock rush hadn't currently started up yet, though a few early risers were already out. Still dark however as the sun had yet to rise and you couldn't tell if it was only a few hours past dusk or a few hours until morning.
They pulled up to a red light, the car softly rolling to a halt as a car pulled up in the lane next to theirs. Eyes already glazing Sanji dully looked up at the fellow car; a calm, quiet moment falling over the cab as he locked eyes with the other driver. Jaw falling open to let out a silent scream of panic; the fear that gripped him so intense it had his blood running like ice and his stomach seizing painfully in under a second flat.
Lungs completely useless as he locked eyes with the dark ones that had haunted his dreams and currently his life for the past few months. A long still moment passed before that familiar grin split across the face and finally had Sanji crying out in fear, jarring away from the window in a combination of fear and shock.
"HOLY MARY MOTHER O' GOD!" The cabby screeched in retaliation, looking back at Sanji widened eyes, "Wha' the bleedin' 'ell are you screamin' for?!"
Sanji's pulse was racing to the point his temples hurt, chest threatening to bust open from the strength of his heart beats, and his breathing coming in sharp gasps as he found himself plastered to the far side of the vehicle, arms propped against the window and seat back as his hands shook uncontrollably. Adrenaline was thriving through his veins in a torrent and it gave him the courage to look back up at the car to meet the driver that had previously had Zoro's image.
Instead he was met with the presence of a woman in the other car that was completely unaware of Sanji's previous screaming. Her tired eyes locked on the road as one hand grasped the wheel and the other cradled a coffee in her finely manicured hand, waiting for the light to turn green.
"N-nothing." Sanji mumbled jumpily as he forced himself to once more take a normal seat in the cab, "Sorry."
"You sure 'bout tha' boy?!" The cabby groused as the light turned green and he was forced to face forward as he took off down the road, "You were screechin' like tha' hounds o' hell were tryin' ta nab ya."
"Might as well be." Sanji grumbled in annoyance, dropping his head into his hands and rubbing at his face vigorously to try and fight off the fright he had just undergone. Clearly the lack of sleep was making him lose his mind – seeing things and hallucinating – he could hardly remember the last time he had had a good night's sleep without waking every hour in a cold sweat.
After a few more minutes of driving with the cabby monologuing about how Sanji's screaming had been bad for his arrhythmia Sanji decided he might as well try and get some sleep before his flight. Resting his head against the window he slowly closed his eyes and decided that perhaps a short nap for the rest of the drive was probably desperately needed.
~X~
"Oi. Wake up, sleepyhead." A voice grumbled in Sanji's ear, a hand gripping his arm as he was gently shaken.
"Alright, I'm-" Eyes blearily opening, he expected to see the cabby leaning over from the drivers seat waking him to let him know they were almost at the airport. Instead he was met with a face that had his words dying in his throat and his limbs going from lax to steel tense in under a second flat.
Mouthing wordlessly around his response he stared back at dark eyes and stark emerald hair of Zoro, turned casually in the driver's seat to face the back, one arm propped on the seat back as the other braced against the steering wheel. The silence stretched out minutely before Zoro arched a sharp eyebrow in question at the look of horror on Sanji's face.
"Problem?" Zoro asked pointedly, the touches of a smirk playing around the edges of his lips as Sanji took in a shuddering breath and launched himself at the passenger door, struggling with the handle with panicked, shaking hands.
Throwing open the door to the cab he hurled himself onto the sidewalk thankful that the cab had been stopped at a red light at an intersection. Foot catching on the seat belt he tumbled from the cab in mess of limbs, distantly feeling the sting of his palms sliding on the pavement. The pain barely registered, especially not when his fear had adrenaline pumping through his system at a dramatic rate that was causing everything else to be put in the back seat for the moment.
Pushing himself up off the wet asphalt he took off down the street, ignoring the confused shouting of the cabby he had left behind. Backpack bouncing on his back he continued to run, not sure where to but certainly not willing to sit vulnerably in that cab; hallucination or not. The airport was only a couple miles away, he'd make it there eventually.
As he rounded a street corner to continue down the long stretch of boulevard toward the airport a dark shape darted out of the alleyway to his right. The figure lurched violently, arm extended in a viciously cocked punch as Sanji tried desperately to dig his heels into the cement to keep from running into the attack. Though it all happened too fast; skidding into the man's path at the same moment that strong fist connected directly with his nose with a sickening crunch.
Sanji lay on the wet asphalt, groaning as he felt the blood already pooling in the back of his throat as his hands gently cradled his nose. Pain blossoming from where the assailant had managed to catch him across the face, only vaguely noticing as the man came to loom over him. Squinting up through watery eyes, his fear redoubled as the same taunting face could be seen glaring down at him.
Shutting his eyes he desperately wished that this was just another hallucination, possibly a mugger wanting his backpack, or maybe even one of Teach's men wanting payback for fighting them. Anything, anyone, but the man that he kept envisioning everywhere. A garbled sob shook his frame, blood gurgling in the back of his throat as he wished that whomever it was leaning over him was anyone but the one man he thought it was.
When nothing immediately happened Sanji slowly cracked his eyes open, but unlike other times where the hallucination had vanished, this time it hadn't. The green-haired man continued to stand over him, face expressionless as he seemed to be waiting for Sanji to recover and look at him before a wide grin split his face.
"Naughty." Zoro tsked in disapproval, shaking his head minutely at Sanji before a dark look slid over his features and he was leaning down. Hands tangling in the front of Sanji's jacket before he was bodily hauled to his feet by the larger man.
Dangling pathetically, feet barely able to graze the ground as Zoro levelled him with a look of disdain, mouth down turned as his once warm eyes were almost black in his unsettling fury. Hands twisting their grip tighter he pulled Sanji in until they were nose to nose, Zoro's hot breath ghosting over the drying blood on Sanji's lips and making it feel moist once more. The tang of copper on his tongue from the blood dripping from his undoubtedly broken nose.
Sanji frowned in disgust at the taste before Zoro shook him bodily, snapping Sanji's attention back as he hissed, "Thought you could leave without me noticing?"
Sanji didn't say anything, couldn't say anything. As he hung pained and beaten in Zoro's grip, all the life and fight in him left in an instant. No matter how hard he fought, no matter how hard he tried to run; Zoro was somehow always just a step ahead of him. Always able to block Sanji's path and keep him trapped like an animal. So Zoro's words fell on deaf ears as the blond could only limply hang in Zoro's grip as the reality of how helpless and alone he truly was sunk in.
"HUH?!" Zoro grunted, shaking Sanji furiously as he tried to force an answer from the blond. Sanji only remained limp, despite the angered shakes of the man, "Answer me!"
"Tried." Sanji finally grunted out quietly, word distorted by his broken nose and the blood currently gurgling in the back of his throat. His pack was beginning to slip from his shoulders but he hardly cared at this point; all the money in the world couldn't make a difference; couldn't possibly save him.
"Going to the cops?" Zoro crooned, "Gonna tell them your pitiful little story?"
Not wanting to be hit or shaken again, Sanji slowly shook his head. A low growl of anger rumbled in Zoro's chest as he turned and slammed Sanji up against the nearby wall with an unnecessary amount of force that had the back of his skull singing in pain and his ears ringing loudly.
"Don't lie to me." Zoro hissed quietly, but his words trailed off somewhat as he noted Sanji's pack keeping him from pinning Sanji fully to the brick wall. The look of dawning realization had Sanji shrinking even further into himself as he braced for whatever Zoro was going to do in angered retaliation.
However no pain or angered words were directed his way, only sharp barking laughter as Zoro seemed to take true delight in the fact that Sanji had been trying to flee the city. There were few times in his life that laughter had never not been enjoyable to him, and as Zoro's mocking bark of a laugh echoed in his ears; it was the third time in his life he felt ill at someone else's enjoyment.
When Zoro finally calmed down he readjusted his pinching grip on Sanji's clothes and leaned in menacingly, "You can't escape me."
Zoro pulled away, watching Sanji calmly as a slowly building smirk began to spread across Zoro's face, revealing pearly white teeth and gums as he began to chuckle lightly. Sanji only stared back uselessly as Zoro pulled his arm back, hand slowly closing into a fist before he grunted while bringing the arm down. The last thing Sanji remembering was the painful stark feeling of hard knuckles to his temple, a resounding crack that sounded distant, and then the blackness that engulfed not only his vision but his consciousness as well.
~X~
Waking probably wasn't the term Sanji would apply to his current condition upon blinking away his latent unconsciousness. To rouse from sleep was nothing to how he felt as he practically had to drag himself away from the pleasantness of his subconscious to be faced with the nauseating reality.
Temples first – throbbing with an incessant persistence – had a small groan of pain slipping from between swollen lips. Eyelids were next, heavy with fatigue, and even more so with the swollen heat of the black eye he was sporting thanks to a rather well placed punch to the corner of his face. It was a struggle getting his eyelids to flicker open, but eventually the darkness subsided and the hazy shapes of the room came into focus; the soft charcoal carpet, warm sunflower-yellow wallpaper that he was intimately familiar with, and the wavering cyan drapes that bordered the slightly fogged window that revealed the still dark city skyline visible from Zoro's apartment.
Another couple blinks to rid himself of the last vestiges of his altered eyesight, shaking his head in a futile attempt to possibly shake off the pain and vertigo causing things to continually spin in his vision. When things were beginning to become clearer he chanced a glance around the room, noting no movement as he looked as far behind himself as his stiff neck would allow. Empty, silent room that had Sanji on edge as he turned back and finally noted the immobile figure in the corner of the room watching him through dark, hooded eyes.
Jerking in surprise Sanji nearly toppled the high-back office chair he was situated in as he locked eyes with the man that had by some unknown means managed to track him down and knock him out. Had Zoro managed to sneak a tracking device on him at some point, had the man been following his movements for a while now? Eyes widening visibly he realized he'd had his phone on him the whole time; surely Zoro hadn't been tracking it?
"How did you find me?" Sanji managed out, choking back the pain mingling in his words, still unable to fathom how the man could have located him, "There's no possible way."
Zoro remained thoughtfully silent, face emotionless and hands clasped as his eyes pierced Sanji with an intensity that was unsettling. It took all of Sanji's control not to fidget under that gaze; to rub at his knuckles nervously, to dart his eyes to some other source, or to swallow thickly to try and rid himself of the taste of fear. Instead he focused solely on steadying his breathing as he watched Zoro silently and waited for the man to reply.
If the man was impressed in any way he did not show it, however it seemed that he sensed Sanji's internal battle and at least gained some amusement from it because the stoic expression fell away as a sharp smile crooked the man's face. Shadowed, dangerous eyes as lethal as ever, but the perfect, white line of teeth revealed seemed almost playful.
"It's just as I told you Sanji." Zoro crooned smoothly as he strode forward gracefully, head cocking to the side as he seemed to contemplate Sanji, "You can't escape me."
A hollow terror formed a pit deep in Sanji's stomach at those words as he found his previous fiery resilience fading at an alarming rate. Everything from these past two weeks had tested the limits of his willpower, and from the mess with Doflamingo to now this; he had jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.
He wanted to give up.
After all the hell he had been through the past couple weeks – this roller coaster of visceral emotions – he wanted it all to end; he was tired of fighting, tired of being frightened, tired of everything. If he simply gave up and let the rest of his life be controlled by this psychotic man; would it really be so bad?
But...
Sanji had never been a quitter. His whole life was a monumental testament to his ability to persevere and over come impossible obstacles and obstinate challenges others would have paled at. He'd been willing to sacrifice everything to get out of Doflamingo's clutches, and if he had to do the same with Zoro then it shouldn't be an issue either. Conflicting emotions aside he wasn't going to let himself get pushed around anymore, he'd get Zoro out of his way regardless if he got taken down as well.
Sanji's eyes flicked swiftly to his packsack and back up at Zoro, hoping the man wouldn't notice the small nervous movement. The bag was several feet away, slumped near the wall where Zoro had obviously torn it from Sanji's unconscious body and tossed aside when he had dragged Sanji in here. Hopefully he had been too distracted to notice all the money in the bag, along with the gun Sanji was desperately wishing he could grab.
If he could just get to the gun without Zoro stopping him, then he would have a clear advantage. Not only would he be able to defend himself against Zoro's enraged ravings, but also, maybe, be able to coerce the man into staying still until Sanji could phone the cops so they could come and get the man. But none of that would happen without the gun and it was currently closer to Zoro than it was to him, and it seemed like a risky move.
Zoro seemed to sense Sanji was planning on doing something, eyes narrowing harshly as he undoubtedly noticed the way Sanji had sat forward slightly in his seat, his body had tensed and he was most likely sweating nervously. They had spent enough time together – sexual and not – that Zoro was unequivocally experienced in Sanji's body movements and ticks that gave him away. It would practically be impossible to belie his body language and fool the man, but he had to at least try.
Tongue darting out to wet his parched, trembling lips, his gaze locked with Zoro and for a tense moment a minutia of understanding passed between them. Sanji could read the warning in those eyes, narrowing marginally as they dared Sanji to follow through on what he was planning, and who only knew what the man was reading in Sanji's gaze in return. It was now or never, lest Zoro decided to tie him down to prevent any further scheming.
Darting forward, the chair skidded backwards harshly as he lunged for the bag slumped by the wall at the same moment Zoro launched toward Sanji, intent on stopping him. The next few movements happened in the span of a few seconds as Sanji skidded across the floor on injured knees from falling on the asphalt, as Zoro's hand tangled in the back of Sanji's shirt. The blond sunk a hand into the top of the bag, hand furling around the handle of the Glock at the same moment the neckline of his shirt cut into his throat and gagged at the force in which his jugular was crushed.
Another second as he was jerked back onto his rear and turned to face Zoro as his arm was pulled from the bag while he fell backwards, arm coming around to point the gun directly at Zoro's forehead as Zoro's free arm came down on Sanji's throat in an iron grip. Neither moved as they remained frozen together; Zoro lunged over Sanji's sprawled figure, gun to head and hand to throat as they both breathed heavily to recover from the tense moment.
Eventually when Sanji managed to calm his fearful gasps he hardened his gaze and bit around tightened teeth, "Let go of me; there's no way you'll win this."
Sanji saw the spark of challenge glint excitedly in the man's black eyes and for moment Sanji was fearful Zoro was going to take him up on his bluff. Surely with Zoro's training he could easily steal the gun from Sanji's grip, not that Sanji wouldn't give in without a fight, but with a hand at his throat and the potential of wrestling Zoro for a gun it didn't look in his favour. However, Zoro seemed to weigh his options as well, and oddly enough the shimmer dimmed from his eyes as he fractionally loosened his grip on Sanji.
An innocent smile breaking out across his face before removing his hands altogether, raising them in a sign of surrender as he slowly pushed himself to his feet. Backing away a few steps to give Sanji his space as the blond watched him cautiously, wondering exactly what his game was. Zoro wasn't one to give up easily, if he was doing this he definitely had some sort of plan going on in that devious head of his.
Swallowing thickly, Sanji placed his free hand on the ground behind himself, not lowering his gun from where it was trained on the other man as he slowly pushed himself to his feet. Carefully watching each step as he circled back around until he was once more in the middle of the room, gun locked on Zoro as the man stood with his back near the far wall, hands slinking almost too casually into his pockets as he watch Sanji.
"What now?" Zoro asked dryly, entirely too calm for their current situation and far too relaxed for what Sanji could currently do to the man. Despite how simple the question, it was essentially loaded with an insurmountable amount of variables that Sanji could hardly begin assessing.
Sanji could end it all right here and now and shoot the man. Deal with his own demons and the evil haunting this city once and for all. Or he could let Zoro go; Sanji could escape, and Zoro could continue his demented lifestyle. Or they could go to the cops immediately. Despite the option Sanji knew he desperately wanted to take, he steeled himself as he knew for once in his life he had to do the right thing.
"We're going to the police," Sanji finally managed stiffly, readjusting his grip on the gun to further steady his aim at the other man. Sweaty hand causing the metal in his palm to itch uneasily, "You're going to admit to what you've done, and you're going to be out of my life for good."
"Mm. No. I don't think so." Zoro hummed carelessly, as Sanji scowled and choked down the urge to snarl outright as the man continued, "You're making it sound like I'm going to go willingly."
Sanji lunged forward with an aggressive stomp as he jerked the gun in Zoro's direction and seethed, "Yeah, well you're not in the position to be negotiating. And unless you want your brain splattered on the fucking wallpaper then you're going to shut up for once and listen to me!"
Zoro only blinked calmly, unfazed by Sanji's outburst and clearly not impressed in the slightest by Sanji's attempt at machismo. Instead he locked eyes with Sanji, dark amber boring into Sanji's with unwavering confidence as he murmured tauntingly, "Do it."
"Wha-" The disbelief gushed out of Sanji's mouth before he even realized his own shock, his eyes widening in horror as Zoro so blatantly called his bluff.
Gun beginning to shake in his quivering grip as Zoro took a step forward, still unblinkingly locked with Sanji's gaze as he loomed, "Shoot me; if you even have the resolve."
Sanji found his sure grip faltering as his arm lowered slightly and his hand began trembling, watching Zoro's taunting gaze with slowly dawning terror. He knew Zoro would be strong headed and stubborn but he truly hadn't expected the man to walk straight towards the loaded gun in his hand without a batted eye.
"Pull the trigger." Zoro goaded calmly, "Do what you've wanted to do all along."
"No." Sanji spat shakily, "I'm not like you."
"Come now, Sanji." Zoro drawled exasperatedly, "We've had this conversation before."
"We're leaving," Sanji managed back stiffly, raising his chin in defiance as he levelled Zoro with a resolute glare, "Now."
"I'm not going anywhere." Zoro seethed as he launched forward, Sanji taking a reciprocating step backwards and his hand retracted on the trigger instinctively.
An echo carried throughout the house with a sharp intensity that had the glass in the windows rattling faintly and a ringing resounding in Sanji's ears. The faint taste of gun powder tart in the air as Sanji tried to swallow around it, knees trembling and hand tingling as the intensity of the gun in his hand left the fingers numb. The faint vestiges of the bang faded until a stiff silence swept through the apartment, broken only by the heavy thud that hit the plush carpet in front of Sanji's feet.
TBC...
A/N: Haha. I love cliffhangers...