Two Years Later
Every day the same routine.
He went to school, slumped against his desk and fell asleep. The teachers used to shout at him, back when the blonde idiot would knock his elbow to alert him to their gaze, but they didn't any more; now they just looked at him in pity.
Once the bell rang for the end of the day he grabbed his bag and raced out of the building, down the steps and out of the gates. From there it was straight on to the now painfully familiar sight at the far side of the island.
Two lefts, one right, another left and he was there.
The door was closed meaning Zeff wasn't inside. The old man was probably getting the dinner service ready with the chefs.
He turned the handle and walked inside, closing it behind him before making his way over to his usual spot and taking a seat on the hard plastic chair, dumping his backpack on the floor beside him.
Sanji lay as he had done for the past year, still and quiet, the rhythmic sound of the ventilator there to remind them that despite appearance, the blonde was still fighting in there.
He was thinner, the feeding tube giving him all he needed to survive but nothing more meaning that the hospital gown he wore had been replaced with smaller sizes numerous times since his admission. His skin was pale from lack of sunlight and pulled tight in places over sharp bones.
He checked the readings on the monitor, the nurses having had ample time to explain what they all meant for his brother, and was happy with what he saw.
"Zeff still doesn't know I come here everyday you know?" He paused. "Well... I've never told him I mean, but I'm pretty sure he's worked it out by now. He obviously doesn't care 'cause he's never tried to stop me. I wouldn't listen even if he tried though."
Zoro scrubbed a hand through his hair before crossing his arms as he leant back in the chair.
"There's nothing that will stop me from being right here. I don't want you to be alone, not ever."
Sniffling a little he shook it off before reaching down to unzip his backpack. He pulled out the book inside and smiled.
"We're nearly finished, only a few chapters or so left. I'll have to go and get a new one; I'm sure the woman at the library will have some more suggestions."
He found the piece of paper he'd been using as a bookmark, a stupid doodle Sanji had drawn of him back when he'd been bored during History class and felt like bothering him. He'd not found the fun in it back then, the blonde's antics having irritated the life out of him, but now... well he'd give just about anything to be back in those days. Flipping to the correct page he began to read.
It was an hour or so later and he'd finished the book only a few minutes prior when the door to the room opened and Zeff's head popped round.
"I had a feeling you'd be here, watercress."
He was sat with his knees pulled up to his chest, his arms wrapped around them, tears that he refused to admit to in his eyes.
The old man closed the door before he walked over and dropped a hand into his hair offering it a ruffle.
He then turned to Sanji and did much the same.
"Hey, Eggplant; are you going to open those eyes today for us?"
He said the same thing every time he visited. Zoro would have found it annoying if it didn't seem to be the thread holding the old man's composure together as his son lay unconscious being kept alive by a machine.
"What's wrong, kid?"
He was brought away from his thoughts by the question.
He didn't offer an answer but he saw Zeff's eyes travel to the book lying haphazardly on the floor beside his backpack.
"Finished another one? How many is that now?"
Zoro growled a little under his breath.
"Too many."
Zeff took the seat next to him.
"Sanji's trying as hard as he can, but he can't rush his recovery, his body clearly needed this much time to make him better."
He didn't care about the medical explanation, or the 'glass half full' view of looking at it, for once in his life he wanted to allow himself to be selfish.
He wanted his brother.
Zeff still loved him, the chefs back at the Baratie hadn't changed around him, and his home was still the luckiest break he ever could have recieved... but it just wasn't the same. The atmosphere felt wrong, their room felt empty, the sun seemed a little less bright.
The world was missing Sanji.
He was missing Sanji.
And fuck... he just wanted him back.
Before he could even attempt to hold it back, a sob burst from his lips, another following in quick succession before he broke down.
He was quickly brought closer against the old man's chest and held tight in a warm, reassuring hold, a hand rubbing up and down his back soothingly.
"Sorry... 'm sorry."
"You're allowed to cry Zoro, you don't always have to be strong for him, he wouldn't want you to be."
"I'd never hear the end of it if he saw me crying." He teased, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Not before he beat up whoever had made you cry in the first place." Zeff added. "I remember that meeting at the school."
The one where Sanji had been screaming about how the asshole kid had deserved it for hurting Zoro.
That was back when they'd only just joined the school. They'd been outcasts for sure, and often mocked for not having a house to their name on the shore.
Apparently everyone on the island knew of the restaurant out at sea, and of course it's reputation which meant Sanji would often fight for Zeff's honour when stupid brats would try and throw slander about Baratie.
They got detention a lot.
Well... Sanji did.
The blonde would somehow always seem to find a way to swing it so he'd never have to get the red dot on his record. He had no idea how, but apparently he just had a way with words.
Zeff had registered them as Roronoa Zoro and Roronoa Sanji meaning that the other kids were aware of them being brothers.
He remembered back to when they'd first talked about it.
'What even is your surname?'
He watched the blonde still, his eyes glazing a little before he seemed to snap out of it.
'I uhh... don't have one.'
'Oh... then, do you want to use mine?'
Sanji furrowed an eyebrow.
'What?'
'If you want a surname but don't have one, then you can just use mine.'
'We're not married, mosshead!'
'No, I meant like... brothers, you know?'
Shitty eyebrows paused.
'You think of me as a brother?'
'Well... yeah, I do. You don't have to feel the same way about it obviously.'
'No I do, I just never expected you would.' The blonde smirked. 'Roronoa Sanji; that has a nice ring to it.'
'So Black Leg Sanji as your pirate name and then Roronoa Sanji for your civilian one, I like it, they both sound cool.'
'Stop saying pirate name, I'm not becoming a pirate!'
Zoro burst out laughing.
'You don't wanna' be one either!' Sanji reminded.
'Hey I just want to be a swordsman, I don't care how.'
They all thought Sanji was older than him, and truthfully, he was, but only by eight months. Their main reason for thinking it though clearly stemmed from the blonde's protectiveness over him.
That had been another thing he'd found annoying back then, and now he missed it something fierce.
Zeff's hand came to pat him on the shoulder.
"Come on, watercress. There's only so long we can leave those idiots unattended before they manage to burn the place down."
The old man got to his feet and gently took hold of Sanji's hand, giving it a soft squeeze before leaning down to press a kiss to his crown.
"I'll be back tomorrow, kiddo. I love you."
'I love you' was a phrase they'd never used prior. They were all guys, he and Sanji were teenagers, and not technically Zeff's actual kids, so they'd kinda' just preferred to not say soppy shit like that to each other. They knew that without having to say it and making everyone embarrassed.
Now though it brought a warmth to his chest to see Zeff say those words because he wanted Sanji to know that so desperately.
Wanted him to wake up...
"I'll find you another book and bring it tomorrow, Curly Brows." He stuttered out before grabbing his stuff and quickly leaving the room.
Zeff smiled once the kid had gone.
"Your brother misses you a lot so if you wanted to ever make him smile, then try and flicker those eyes open for him."
He exhaled softly.
"It's okay if you can't, as long as you're fighting then that's okay too; I'm proud of you either way."
He gave Sanji's hand one final squeeze.
"See you tomorrow, Eggplant."
And with that, he left the room.