Chapter Five: A Stolen Kiss from an Old Friend

Sanji knew he should be dead tired. He hadn't gotten any sleep in days, not since Zoro went into a coma. But try as he might, he couldn't sleep.

//I'm lying in the most comfortable bed I've laid in for weeks, and I can't get one fucking wink and it's all that bastards fault. Not that he can help being sick, but if he would just be a fucking normal human being and sleep
inside and eat regularly, he wouldn't get sick. But no, leave it to the idiot to give me an anxiety attack by slipping into a coma. If he doesn't kick it from being sick, I'll kill him when he wakes up.//

Sanji growled in frustration and grabbed two pillows, stuffing one over each ear.

"This is useless. I won't be able to sleep until that moron wakes up." Sanji got out of his bed and went to the closet that they had provided him.

//I could certainly use some decent clothes but these…. I'm too pale to show so much damn skin. Zoro doesn't look half bad in
his clothes. Ch, who am I kidding? He looks like a fucking god.//

In the end Sanji decided to combine pieces with the most surface area from two outfits to make one. He took a black pair pants, slim black boots, and a red sash from one outfit, and a skin tight black, sleeveless shirt from another outfit.

The cook studied himself in the mirror.

//Not bad. Guess I could use one of those twirly arm thingies.//

Sanji grabbed the gold arm cuff from off of the dresser.

//Doesn't get any more perfect than this.//

Smoothing his hair in a couple of places, Sanji abandoned his room. By default he immediately headed for Zoro's room.

Zoro waited impatiently on his bed.

// Of all the god damn places in all the god damn world we end up here on that bastard's island and I've contracted King's Evil. Well shit.//

//Maybe this way you can resolve some things.//

//I don't want to resolve anything. I don't want to think about him. I don't want to remember anything. I just want to get on the Merry and get the hell outta here.//

//So you don't care anymore?//

//I forgot about him a long time ago. And he probably did the same thing.//

//Then why does this situation bother you so much?//

//He betrayed me. Am I supposed to relish that memory? I don't tend to purposely put myself in harms way. //

//Really? And this, coming from Roroana Zoro, the man trying to become the best swordsman in the world.//

//You know what I mean.//

//But do you? And what about Sanji?//

//What about him?//

//You tell me.//

Zoro sighed and went to the window. He pulled open the curtain. The sight that met him was something to behold. Stretched before him was a vast city of clay houses and a huge bustling market street. There were thousands of people making their way to and from buildings. Large animals carrying bundles were led by people through the bustling crowds.

//I wonder why I didn't realize where I was sooner. The clothes should have been a dead give away.//

//Well you had a lot to deal with at once. Where you were, why you were there, what was wrong, Sanji etc.//

//Sanji.//

"Zoro." Came a voice from the doorway.

Zoro didn't turn around. "Kell."

The man in the doorway took that as permission to enter the room. He was adorned similarly to Zoro, colors being the only different. Where Zoro was wearing green, the other man wore a dark, midnight blue and gold. His dark hair, which made it a few inches past shoulder length, was tied back in a delicate tail. At first glance his hair was black. But when the sun shined on it just right, you could see that there was a gleam of blue to it. He was handsome. His complexion was like Zoro's, as was his build. He was slightly taller than Zoro, however.

"You shouldn't be up right now. I didn't really expect you to wake up for another couple of days at the earliest."

"I've gotten stronger." Zoro turned around and the other man an analyzing look. "You don't look any different."

Kell smiled. "I haven't changed much. You look a lot different." The doctor walked over to Zoro with no hesitation, giving Zoro an almost challenging look.

"Especially-" Kell ran his finger along the scar on Zoro's chest. "this." His finger rest above Zoro's navel. "How the hell did this happen?"

Zoro's eyes burned through the man. He took Kell's hand and shrugged it off, walking past him to sit down on the edge of the bed. "Mihawk."

Zoro could hear the sharp intake of breath indicating Kell's surprise. He couldn't help but quirk a small grin, despite his overall displeasure with the situation. "Surprised? You never thought I'd amount to anything. But I'm doing it."

"Zoro, I never-"

"How long until I'm fit to travel? I want to leave as soon as possible."

Kell moved into Zoro's line of vision. The look on his face was stern. "You have type B Zoro. You won't be seaworthy for at least a week. You of all people should know that you can't rush a recovery with this-"

Zoro stood up. "I'm stronger than I was. We'll be gone in a day or two-"

"Zoro listen to me." Kell's countenance went from stern to almost pleading. "Please. If you won't listen to me as a friend, then listen to me as a doctor. You will not survive if you push it. I know you're stronger. I can see it in your eyes. I saw it when you were carried in here half dead. You SHOULD have been dead. And a few years ago you would have been. But you're not invincible, not yet. Please just stay. A week. That's all I'm asking."

Zoro sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"A week. And then I'm gone."

The relief in Kell's face was obvious.

"Good. Now-"

"You're awake." Sanji stood in the doorway. "Took you long enough. I had to do your cleaning duties on the ship while you were napping you stupid bastard." Sanji took a drag on the cigarette he'd been smoking.

Zoro snorted. "You never do YOUR duties, how in the hell are you gonna say you did mine?"

Sanji grinned and flicked the cigarette out. "Good to have you back." He nodded at Kell and turned to leave.

//Idiot! Thank him or something!//

Zoro got up and hurriedly stumbled to the door, not quite having the energy to run. "Oi! Cook!"

Sanji turned and paused.

Zoro could feel his face getting hot.

//This feels familiar.//

"Uh...thanks...for...looking after me. Nami said… you took care of me."

Sanji blushed as well.

//Is he...blushing?//

"Oh...well, yeah. Nakama and what not." Sanji coughed and quirked an awkward smile.

Zoro smiled back with equal awkwardness. Sanji bit his lip and left.

//I feel...like...I'm floating...//

"Is that your boyfriend?"

The balloon Zoro had just been floating on popped.

"That's none of your business." He snapped.

Kell smiled. "I see. So he is."

Zoro growled. "No, he's not." He leaned against the wall, suddenly feeling very tired.

Kell was suddenly in his face again, his arms on either side of Zoro's head. "So then you're still available?"

Before Zoro could spat a nasty reply, Kell's lips had already melded against the swordsman's.

//Why aren't you fighting?//

Zoro grabbed Kell's shoulders and shoved him off.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Did I interrupt something?" Came Nami's obviously irritated voice from the doorway. Her eyes were daggers.

"Not a damn thing." Zoro said, slightly short of breath. "Where is everyone else?"

"Luffy and Usopp are in the kitchen with Sanji. Sanji was just getting ready to make lunch. For you. Because that's what Sanji does. Because he cares about you. He wouldn't ever go around cooking for other people."

Zoro threw Kell a deadly look before saying, "I'll join you." Despite his physical exhaustion, he followed Nami down the hall. Once she was sure Kell was out of ear shot, Nami started in on him.

"I thought you said you-"

"I didn't kiss him, he kissed me. It was not mutual. And before you go getting any ideas, I meant what I said. Kell is... an old flame. Nothing more. Apparently we don't share the same view on this situation. Do not tell the cook. Or anyone else." Zoro said quickly.

Nami looked relieved. "Have you seen Sanji yet?"

"Yeah."

"Well, what did you say?"

"Why do you want to know? I already told you, nothing is going to happen."

Nami sighed, aggravated. "I hate men. I really do."

"What about Luffy?" Zoro said as they went through a pair of double doors.

"What about me?" Said Luffy, who was sitting on the counter next to Sanji, who was busy chopping some ingredient. Usopp was sitting at a table, tinkering with some sort of device. "ZORO'S AWAKE! GOMU GOMU NO STRETCH!"

Luffy's arms shot out and caught Zoro by either shoulder. Luffy came zooming behind them. The rubber boy smashed into Zoro, knocking them both to the floor. Before Zoro could recover Luffy said, "GOMU GOMU NO WELCOME BACK SMOOCH!"

"No-no-NOO!"

But it was too late.

Five minutes later, Luffy sat pouting on the counter with a large bump on his head shaped like a frying pan. Sanji kept shooting death glares at the captain. Zoro sat, somewhat dazed and confused, across from Usopp and next to Nami.

//That's twice today. What, do I have "Molest Me" written on my forehead?//