A/N: Two notes;
1. Most trains in Europe are pretty standard and can travel from speeds of 80km/h to 160km/h(and higher). For the sake of this fic they are travelling on a relatively older train. Cuz I want train dramatics and you can't have train dramatics on a high-speed train.
2. You are totally NOT allowed to smoke on trains in Croatia, but in this fic it's an older train and we're gonna make it okay for the sake of the story lol Anyway, onto the fic...
~X~
A salty breeze drifted across the summer drenched city as Zoro found himself standing in the designated smoking area outside the train station with Sanji. The Croatian vacationing port was a bustle with tourists and seasonal travellers - giving them a fantastic cover while Sanji satiated his habit after their long flight - and allowed Kohza and Stussy time to procure their tickets.
Hand nabbing the front of his shirt, Zoro tugged with a few lazy jerks at the fabric in an attempt to generate a bit of relief on his flushed skin. Thoughts hazy as the Mediterranean sun beat down on his head and made not only his mind, but his body lethargic as well. Tired eyes shifting behind his shades to turn from the view - sailboats dotted the horizon as they skittered across the glittering water that reflected the high afternoon sun - and instead onto the blond beside him who was still taking in the sights.
Releasing a happy puff of smoke, Sanji flicked the butt of his cigarette with his finger as his gaze was eagerly turned towards the city; the European flare of the streets and buildings sloping ever downwards to the sea that crawled out endlessly in the distance. Azure waters sparkling and shifting with cresting waves from the heady wind that gusted through the city; rustling dresses, disturbing parasols, and tousling the blond's soft hair.
The feel of it still viscerally on the tips of Zoro's fingers as he was hardly able to believe everything that had happened in the last few hours. Still in awe at himself for missing all the signs he had thought to be disinterest but were actually thinly veiled concern; the memory of holding Sanji in his arms still feeling like something out of a dream.
A short lived one however as it seemed there was a glaring flaw in their relationship and it was currently stuck on Zoro's ring finger. They hadn't discussed much else after their abrupt confession, and Zoro hadn't even begun to consider what he was even going to do when they returned to Merryville, but they had both decided to leave it for later. Adulterous feelings aside, there was the much more pressing matter of Zoro's bounty; so a fond smile and light pat on the cheek had been the end of the discussion and Sanji had lead him downstairs.
It hadn't been long before he had finished briefing Kohza, Stussy, and Sanji on what he had found out at Law's and their plan to head to Croatia had been formed. It had been almost unspoken that Sanji would be coming along despite the fact that Kohza and Stussy hadn't been privy to their conversation upstairs.
Zoro had a hunch that Stussy was almost completely at fault for that...
He still wasn't entirely certain if he should thank the woman for forcing their hands, or if he should strangle her for keeping Sanji in such a dangerous situation, but at that point he was unable to sway the blond. They had deigned to bring him along and hopped on the earliest flight to Zadar in hopes of finding out the significance of the bar that the bounty was tied back to.
And despite numerous attempts and offered suggestions, Zoro was no closer to figuring out where he remembered the stupid bar from. The amount of places he had been for work alone made it a blur in a hopeless attempt to even guess what the significance of the bar could be...
"Reminds me of home..."
"Hm?" A lazy grunt was all Zoro could manage as he pulled himself from his circular musings, knowing it was pointless trying to remember but unable to stop himself from trying.
"You know," Sanji waved an airy hand, "less fancy, but the harbour and the sound of the gulls… There's something homey about it."
A vague memory of the lake back home and Sanji sitting beside him as they shared their childhood played out before him as he asked, "Do you miss it?"
"Sometimes," Sanji admitted, gaze still turned towards the port as he took another long drag on his cigarette, letting his hand fall away before continuing with a chuckle, "this place is so much more extravagant though… Wine and fine foods; I feel like I should be wearing a suit or something."
"You should come back..." Zoro offered, "when you're not... y'know..."
Not for the first time Zoro felt like Sanji was able to see through his sunglasses and was a touch unnerved with the accurate stare he was met with. An almost quizzical look passed across the blond's face before he hummed absently, "Might be better with someone who knows the area..."
"Yeah..." Agreeing with a short grunt, Zoro found himself on the receiving end of a raised eyebrow that was holding far too much judgment than he wanted to deal with at the moment. Bodily turning away from Sanji, he managed, "good idea."
Before any more comments could be made, they were interrupted by Kohza and Stussy's arrival that had their conversation ending. Two extra tickets held aloft in Kohza's hand as it seemed that even during the busy season they had still managed to get seats on the next train out.
"Train'll be departing shortly so we can board now." Kohza informed as he came to a stop between the two, handing off the tickets to Zoro before shifting his bag back into his right hand. The indiscriminate case that to an outside eye looked like a regular briefcase, however its weight and contents were quite different, "No luggage checks; so we'll just have to be discrete about our baggage."
Due to Kohza's clearance with the CIA, he had been able to get several weapons through security under the guise of work related travel. It was a huge relief since Zoro had not been eager to go through the process of re-equipping himself once they had arrived. It was far too hot to wear a jacket to conceal anything, so for now his weapons remained in his pack currently slung over his shoulder.
"Let's get going then; I could really go for a bite to eat..." Stussy offered, propping her own case at her heels as she looked around the three men impatiently, "Peanuts and club soda are not my idea of a meal."
Stubbing out his cigarette on the bottom of his shoe, Sanji tossed the remains of his smoke into an ashtray to signal his readiness, waving a polite hand in front of Stussy as he motioned for her to step in front of him, "After you, my lady."
"Thank you, dear." Stussy simpered with a playful curtsy, making off down the platform with Sanji falling in step beside her as they began chatting aimbly. Zoro following shortly after Kohza as he adjusted the the strap of his pack that he kept slung over his good shoulder while taking in the station.
There was familiarness to the entire country that had been nagging at him since they had landed a few hours ago, and while he was almost positive it was nothing work related, he still wasn't a hundred percent sure. Wracking his brain as best he could to try and remember if he'd ever been sent here, to perform any black ops missions on a political figure, or perhaps something drug related. But despite his best efforts; nothing.
Coming to a stop at the edge of the brickwork at the station platform, Zoro gazed up at the massive train groaning heavily on its rails. Steam billowing from the stack as it was preparing to leave the station, Zoro glancing around himself while attempting to find his companions; a split second of panic taking over when they weren't initially at his side.
"Oi! Wandering cactus!" Zoro immediately regretted reacting at the ridiculous nickname - turning to look at the other three whom were already in line to board the correct railcar. Making his way over with a grumble, he kept his hands shoved in his pockets petulantly, trying to ignore the grin plastered on Sanji's face.
"I wasn't lost." Zoro grunted.
Sanji's hands shot up innocently, "You said it, not me."
Zoro fell in step behind them as the line slowly trudged forward as people offered their tickets to the conductor before being directed to their designated cabin and dining cars. The feeling Zoro had had earlier still bothering him as he took a final glance around the station in hopes of anything jogging his memory. When he turned back he found Sanji watching him carefully.
"What?" Coming out far more defensively than he had wanted it to.
Sanji's hand reached out - Zoro leaning away on instinct - until the pad of Sanji's finger rested on Zoro's forehead before rubbing out the frown he had donned while moodily trying to remember anything of use. Scowl deepening as Sanji teased, "Relax. You keep frowning like that and your face'll get stuck that way…"
"...oh wait." Sanji sighed dramatically, and Zoro rolled his eyes as Sanji gave a final poke before turning away, preoccupied with handing his ticket to the conductor and following after Kohza and Stussy. Zoro trailing shortly after, remarkably frown free.
Once onboard they looked completely at home with their suitcases in tow - with the amount of tourists milling about - and managed to find their cabins with relative ease. Luggage carefully stowed and rooms locked before Stussy was practically dragging them away to find something to eat.
The dining car was packed with tourists and was a good place to seat themselves for the times being - it kept them out of trouble; there were no signs that they were being followed as of yet but Kohza wanted to remain cautious. Each of them keeping a wary eye on the passengers surrounding them as it wouldn't be entirely a surprise if they got jumped while in such an open place. While it may be more difficult, there were plenty of agents and bounty hunters that wouldn't mind making a scene.
Several booths lined either side of the car allowing the diners a fantastic view out of the train; to either the seaside stretched out far below them, or upwards to the hills and mountains cradling the country against the water. They took their seats at a free table, Sanji and Zoro sitting on one side while Stussy and Kohza sat on the other. A waiter was along in moments to place several menus out and Stussy wasted no time in ordering a drink for herself as the four sat quietly amoungst the hubbub of other travellers.
When drinks were provided and food ordered, it allowed them a moment of uninterrupted privacy as Kohza leaned in while noting softly, "We'll be travelling overnight to Split; if all goes well we can get to the bar midday tomorrow. The city is a fairly large tourist hub so the more people the better; I'd like as little commotion as possible."
"You think they'll be there?" Sanji piped up curiously.
"I don't know." Kohza gave an honest shrug, "But the bar is on a pretty popular avenue so it might give us an advantage; maybe at least give Zoro an opportunity to try and remember something."
"Considering he spent a majority of his twenties bathing in liquor;" Stussy scoffed, "it's a wonder he can remember where anything is."
Grunting in false gratitude at Stussy's teasing comment, Zoro brought his arms up to cross stiffly over his chest and lean back in his seat irritably. Less annoyed at Stussy, and much more with himself for being unable to figure this whole thing out; he definitely was losing his edge. It had been a little over a week and despite the excitement he had initially enjoyed, he was now beginning to miss the lazy summer afternoon car rides with Sanji...
"Hey."
Zoro looked up sharply at Sanji's voice, blond watching him with a comforting smile before pointing a finger at his own forehead in clear indication of Zoro's own scowl that had once more fell into place. Zoro hadn't realized how tense his shoulders had become, and forced them to relax as he let the frown ease from his face. Gaze turning back to the table as he tried to focus on something else.
Unclasping one of his arms from where it had been knitted firmly over his chest, Zoro reached out to nab the glass of water the waiter had left behind. Ice already melted, he raised it to his lips and took a long swig; the summer heat making him far more thirsty than he had realized.
"So, Zoro..." Stussy mused playfully, sharp eyes gazing over the top of her wine glass with a look that belied the innocence of her following words, "you two seem to finally have everything sorted, yeah? Though I didn't hear nearly as much headboard slamming as I was expecting last night."
The unexpected comment had Zoro inhaling a mouthful of water before hacking up nearly half of it into his lap much to the concern of fellow diners. Sanji shifted uncomfortably in his seat next to Zoro who attempted to mop up some of the water off his pants while pointedly avoiding looking at the blond.
"Stussy..." Kohza's soft tone berated the woman.
"I guess not..." Stussy huffed with a petulant shrug, swilling her wine methodically before taking a sip, "Oh well..."
"E-Everything's fine." His own stammer caught Zoro off guard and had him contemplating just slamming his forehead into the table and knocking himself out so he wouldn't have to continue this conversation. Even though he had feelings for Sanji – that were unbelievably reciprocated – he still was very inexperienced when it came to these sexual desires he kept feeling; several of which he still wasn't sure if he was comfortable ever acting on.
The painfully awkward silence was thankfully broken a few moments later by Sanji, who managed out hoarsely, "I... I need a smoke."
When neither Kohza, nor Stussy, offered to go with him Zoro begrudgingly shuffled out of the booth and pushed himself to his feet to accompany the blond. Still making a habit of keeping his gaze at his feet like a child that was being scolded, not sure if he could handle meeting the blond's full stare yet without his cheeks bursting into flames.
"So I still need an escort?" Sanji raised a brow.
"You know you do." Zoro grumbled, refusing to look anywhere but at his feet as he could practically feel Stussy's cheshire grin burning into the back of his head. He had no doubt in his mind that she was also at fault for keeping Kohza from offering to accompany Sanji for his smoke.
"Fine." Sanji shrugged, turning and making his way down the car and past the several other dining tables filled with other passengers. Most of whom were talking amoungst themselves, but a few of them were still watching him, curious over what had caused Zoro to nearly hack up a lung moments before.
"Ta-ta, darling." Stussy sung happily as Zoro followed after, but not before flipping her off.
Making their way down the connecting car, they walked for several moments in silence as Sanji seemed far more occupied in finding an acceptable place to smoke than to talk about what had just happened. Reaching the end of the second car, they found the path blocked by the door leading out onto the precarious view platform. Sanji pausing for only a moment before giving the handle a try and finding it miraculously unlocked. They stepped out onto the rocking platform and Sanji struggled to get the pack of smokes from his back pocket.
"Sorry... about that..." Zoro attempted to lamely salvage the awkwardness Stussy had inflicted between them, watching Sanji tap the slightly crumpled package against the back of his hand to pack out the tobacco before flipping open the top and attempting to get one out from their cramped packaging.
Finally getting a cigarette free, Sanji waved the unlit smoke in an innocent gesture while shoving the package back into his rear pocket, "Why?"
Zoro opened his mouth, but shut it shortly after meeting Sanji's pointed gaze.
"It's not like neither of us have been thinking about it," Sanji admitted rather casually, propping the smoke between his lips as he pulled out his lighter. Murmuring around the cigarette while giving a shrug, "It's just... there's more important things to worry about right now."
"Yeah..." Zoro agreed softly, relieved Sanji was taking everything so easily but at the same time not sure how he was supposed to admit to the blond that the idea of finally having him was far more anxiety inducing than anything else at the moment. A gun could have been put to his head and he still would probably be more nervous at the prospect of kissing Sanji than taking that bullet.
Zoro watched Sanji struggle for several moments in an attempt to shield his cigarette and light the end at the same time - but to no avail. The strong breeze surging past them had each strike of the lighter getting huffed out before it had a chance to spark to life. After several failed attempts and growing agitation, Zoro moved forward suddenly to bracket himself around Sanji and use his back to buffer the wind.
Hands carefully coming up – slowing upon Sanji's look of curiosity – reaching out to politely snag the lighter from Sanji's grip. Taking the hint, Sanji brought both his hands up to cradle his cigarette, while Zoro did his best to block the rest of the wind, flicking the lighter once and holding the flame up to the paper.
Sanji inhaled – the paper crackling faintly as it curled under the heat of the flame – until a proper cherry formed and Sanji was able to pull away to huff on his cigarette.
"Thanks." Sanji chirped through a grin, smoke already curling out from around his teeth as he hadn't hesitated in taking a large drag. Zoro unconsciously pocketed the lighter in his rear pocket as he continued to watch the blond with nervous agitation.
While they had laid everything out on the table – and it had seemed like they were finally on the same page for once – Zoro still wasn't entirely certain how he was supposed to behave around Sanji. It was clear that as long as there was a gold ring on his finger, Sanji had no intention of doing anything - but everything leading up to this implied that there was a lot of sexual tension being ignored.
At this point, Zoro wasn't sure how he was supposed to behave, or what he was allowed to say, since technically they couldn't act on anything. But Sanji had refused to go home, and had made it damn clear he didn't intend on letting Zoro die before they both got back home.
Which meant...?
A frustrated sigh was torn from Zoro as his hand came up to rub against the back of his neck in an attempt to ease some of the tension from his body. Everything had become so damned complicated and Zoro had to wonder how the hell he had wound up in such a dramatic mess.
Sanji raised a brow at him but Zoro just grumbled petulantly before shuffling forward enough to wrap his arms around the blond and shove his head onto the man's shoulder. Blocking his face from the wind and subsequently ignoring the whirling thoughts that he didn't want to deal with at the moment.
Judging from the way Sanji's body stiffened before relaxing a moment later, he was only caught slightly off guard by the behaviour. Not a moment later, Zoro felt Sanji's body jerk with a small chuckle and a hand came up to rest in Zoro's hair placatingly, gently carding through the locks as he went about finishing his smoke over Zoro's shoulder.
"You know," Sanji's hand paused in its motion and Zoro felt a smile against his shoulder, "she does it just to get a rise out of you."
"Yeah. Yeah." Zoro admitted with an irritable nod, pulling away to watch Sanji mouth a final puff from his cigarette before stubbing the butt out on the railing and pocketing it. Exhaling the stream off to the side, a devilish smile crooked the blond's lips.
"She's damn good at it too..." he said with a tone of appreciation, hands finding his pockets, "I wonder if she could teach me some tricks."
"You're already terrible." Zoro groused with a scowl, "You don't need help."
"There is always room for improvement." Sanji argued, hand coming up and setting Zoro's hair straight. Zoro grumbled softly, allowing Sanji to make him presentable again, controlling the urge to close his eyes and lean back into the blond. The urge was overruled when Sanji pulled away and inclined his head towards the door, "C'mon. Think you can make it through a meal without spitting up on yourself?"
"I'll try."
~X~
Twilight had settled across Croatian countryside as the last reflections of the sun on the Mediterranean waters were replaced by the orange glow of city lights from nearby villas the train passed on its journey south. Towns coming alive with all manner of nightlife and festivities, giving the scenic view a whole new warmth despite the sun having set. A comforting rumble rocked the whole train as it chugged down the tracks and many of the passengers began bedding down for the evening.
Zoro watched the view in muted silence from the windows afforded to him in the cramped hall of the cabin car. Back firmly against the door to his and Sanji's room as he awaited Kohza's arrival, keeping a critical eye on all the passengers and workers that happened to walk by. A few minutes passed before Kohza was finally making his way down the car towards Zoro and came to a stop beside him.
"We'll be arriving early tomorrow morning." Kohza advised softly, gaze shifting down the hall before back to Zoro, "I've checked with the conductor and there were no unusual scheduling or passenger changes, however I still wouldn't put it past anyone sneaking aboard."
Zoro nodded, "When do we get in?"
"Oh-five-hundred." Hand coming down on Zoro's uninjured shoulder comfortingly, Khoza muttered, "Keep alert."
Zoro nodded once again, and Kohza offered a small smile in return before turning and making his way down the hall to the cabin adjacent theirs. Once Zoro heard the lock slide shut, he turned and pulled open the small door to the cramped cabin provided and stepped inside.
Sanji had taken up residence at the small table near the window - which he had cracked open several inches - as he enjoyed a nightcap in the form of a cigarette while watching the darkened countryside slip by. Attention turning towards Zoro upon his arrival, he remained silent as he finished his smoke.
Shutting the door and locking it, Zoro stopped short at the sight of the single bed situated under the netting that held their bags. Gaze shifting to the limited seating on the adjacent wall, it was obvious that it was not meant to be slept on. Sighing, he turned his gaze to the floor in resignation.
Pulling down his bag from the netting, he pulled out a couple handguns and some mags that Kohza had helpfully brought into the country in his luggage. Stashing one under the bed, and a second under the table, he then tossed the pack back up on the rack and began pulling out several spare blankets and pillows kept under the passenger seats.
Without much care, he dropped them to the floor in a semblance of a bed. Pausing in his attempt to fold a blanket in half for more padding when Sanji spoke up, "What are you doing?"
Zoro glanced down at the blankets haphazardly thrown on the floor that were still in the process of being folded to a makeshift sleeping pad. Looking back up at Sanji, unsure of what the blond was asking, he found the man watching him quizzically before tilting his head towards the mattress.
It took Zoro a few seconds to realize that Sanji was inviting him to sleep in the bed with him, the understanding causing Zoro's cheeks to turn a bright red - the reality of Sanji's invitation hit him full force. Breathing becoming tight and choked, his skin was suddenly clammy and itchy, and his throat instantly parched as words failed him.
"Relax." Sanji chuckled through a huff, chin coming to rest in his palm as he looked up at Zoro with soft eyes, "You look like a tomato; take a breath."
"I..." Zoro gasped out with a breathless croak, before finding his voice and hoarsely managing the rest, "don't think..."
"Don't worry," With a dismissive shake of his head, Sanji waved off Zoro's initial worries with a teasing shrug. Twisting to the open window, he took a short drag before exhaling the stream outside and turning back to Zoro, "I just don't think it's necessary for you to throw out your back sleeping on the floor."
That earned a derisive snort as Zoro discarded the partially folded blanket at the foot of the bed and his arms came up across his chest defensively, "How old do you think I am?"
Without missing a beat Sanji chirped, "At least fifty."
Rolling his eyes to the side, Zoro drawled, "Didn't realize I aged that poorly."
"Just awful; you look like a shrivelled cabbage." Sanji teased, tilting his head to the side in contemplation before adding, "Smell like one too."
"You're the one who likes me." Zoro pointed out around a small chuckle; letting his arms unfold as he scooped up the extra bedding and began shoving it back into the seat compartment. Closing it with finality before making his way over to the blond and looked down at him, "So it sounds like a 'you' problem."
"I never said it was a bad thing." Sanji mused with a grin, head tilting back to allow his bangs to properly fall away from both of his eyes and reveal the growing bruise to his eye from the wedding. Zoro's gaze was drawn to the swelling as Sanji added snidely, "Besides, I don't like to waste food."
Zoro offered a small smile at Sanji's cheesy comment, but was still far too distracted by his injury. His hand came up to gently inspect Sanji's face and the swollen wound around his eye that had been so charitably given to him just the other day. Initial red, now a deep purple and black, with sickly yellows tinging the outside; even though the eye was usually hidden behind the man's swept bangs, it didn't stop Zoro from noticing it. Thumb coming up to brush earnestly across the bruise, he commented, "Got worse."
"Eh," Sanji shrugged dismissively, but continued to allow Zoro's hand to carefully cradle his jaw. Zoro idly noticed the stubble that had begun to form along the man's jaw since the last time he had shaved; looking about as scruffy and underslept as the first time Zoro had run into him outside that coffee shop all those months ago... "I'm fine; always wondered what being pistol whipped felt like anyway."
Drawn from the memory, Zoro let his hand fall away as he inclined his head with a weary gaze trained on the blond in mild disbelief. His hand came up to rub at the back of his neck, expression stating everything he didn't have the time to say- contempt for letting it happen, but mainly exhaustion over Sanji's ridiculous response.
"Not pleasant." Sanji finished with an informative nod of his head, his messy bangs falling back to partially cover the injury.
Hand pausing from where it had been rubbing the tension out of his neck, Zoro muttered under his breath, "Could've told you that."
"It's a learning experience," Sanji argued firmly, dismissive hand waving a final flourish as he demanded, "Would you deny a man a fantastic dinner story?"
"You..." Zoro paused as the concern he had been harbouring since this whole ordeal began to rise up on his tongue with a sour tang. Garnering a swallow, he watched Sanji seriously, weary over the blond's insane optimism that this mess wasn't just going to go from zero to one hundred in the next couple hours. Head shaking minutely, he inquired, "You really think everything's gonna be alright, don't you?"
"Of course." A flicker of concern flashed across Sanji's face, replaced moments later by a frown and shrewd scoff, "Should I not?"
"I..." Hand finally falling away from where it had been resting on his neck, it fell limply to his side as he gave an honestly hopeless shrug, "I just thought you were being nice..."
"Well," Sanji paused, "Yosaku assured me there's no safer place than with you..."
"And you believed him?" Zoro scoffed skeptically.
"Not at first... No..." Sanji's words came out slowly, gaze growing distant for a few moments before rounding on Zoro with intense clarity. That unbelievable smile stretched across his kind face as he added, "But you did a pretty good job at changing my mind..."
"I…" The word was wheezed out before Zoro even knew what he was going to stay. Watching Sanji breathlessly for a few moments before a chuckle had him giving up on any sort of proper response. Instead, he simply watched the man warmly as he took the compliment for what it was, and cracked a smile in appreciation.
Sanji's suave attitude flickered as he gazed up at Zoro and the silence once more stretched between them, a mild blush of his own began creeping up the blond's neck. Zoro watched curiously as Sanji quickly turned away to take a final puff on his smoke with a trembling hand before speaking again.
"C'mon," Jamming out the remainder of the cigarette into the makeshift ashtray - that he had fashioned out of the cardboard lid of the cigarette packaging - he pushed himself to his feet decisively, "Let's get some sleep; I know you haven't been."
For all his previous ignorance, it took only a moment for Zoro to realize Sanji was just as embarrassingly affected by him as he was by the blond. Smile transforming into a wry grin, he realized that unnerving Sanji was pleasantly entertaining and now had an inkling as to why Sanji enjoyed trying to rile him up so much.
Without a word, Zoro agreed with a nod and began to stiffly remove his shirt, shuffling it off his shoulders as he lowered his arms to find Sanji firmly looking the other direction as he undid the cuff on his own shirt. Zoro glanced down at his pants before firmly deciding against removing them, looking back up in time to see Sanji finish taking his shirt off and toss it onto the couch. Zoro realized that if this was a game they were going to play then he was going to lose almost immediately.
Sanji turned around to face him, and in that moment Zoro knew for certain he had lost the match. The blond took a step towards him and all Zoro could do was limply let his shirt slip through his fingers and fall to the floor. Blinking owlishly, he realized Sanji was looking at him expectantly, and stuttered out, "What?"
"I said, how's that?" Sanji repeated with a light tap to the exposed bandages on Zoro's shoulder, Zoro's still dazed gaze followed the motion before fully realizing what Sanji was asking.
"Fine." Zoro managed while clearing his thoughts, genuinely trying to think about how the wound was doing, "I cleaned and changed it before the flight."
"I'll change them tomorrow, yeah?" Sanji offered with a smile, turning away and toeing off his shoes as he made for the small bed. Zoro watching the line of the blond's back in interest as he realized it wasn't often that he saw Sanji without a shirt on, his skin so much paler than he would have thought.
"Yeah…" Zoro agreed on a mindless exhale as Sanji fell into the bed with a groan of relief, eyes falling shut the moment his head hit the pillow.
For all of Zoro's earlier cockiness, he found himself right back at square one as he was met with the daunting task of getting into a bed that had Sanji in it. As the floor once more started becoming a fantastic option, he caught the sight of Sanji's expectant gaze and gave in with an inaudible tortured groan.
Zoro slowly climbed into bed, settling into the blankets awkwardly, lying on his back and staring up with his body remaining unnaturally rigid. True to his word not to do anything unseemly while Zoro was still tied to another, Sanji rolled over with his back to Zoro and settled about going to sleep. For Zoro, however, sleep seemed impossible with the whirlwind of thoughts keeping him awake.
He was keenly aware of every inch of the blond's body currently in contact with his – the heel of his foot brushing against Zoro's ankle, his lower back pressing into Zoro's hip, and his broad back pressed up to Zoro's shoulder – none of this wearing on him nearly as much as the heat he felt radiating from Sanji. Each rise and fall of the blond's body as he drifted off became a metronome that Zoro's heart fell in beat with and despite its hypnotic power found himself no closer to sleep.
Instead remaining within the mental vicissitudes of freaking out over being in the same bed as the man he had feelings for, and fighting the urge to roll over to throw his arm around the other man. These thoughts swirled within him for what felt like hours before he eventually caved to his dreams.
~X~
Sweat covered and gasping, Zoro jerked awake into the blinding darkness and the unsettling rocking of the caboose on the rails. Drawing in several ragged breaths, his eyes adjusted to the dark despite the vision of his dream still burned into the back of his eyelids, causing his sweat to run cold. An unexpected hand on his shoulder had him jerking into action and tackling the suddenly visible figure to his left.
Pinning the other man to the bed as best he could before his vision corrected itself enough to see Sanji staring up at him calmly. That expression, more than anything, caused Zoro's anxiety to stop short – faster than any other time he could remember – and he fell limply onto the man's body. His hands eased their grip on Sanji's wrists immediately as he noticed a small reassuring smile quirk Sanji's lips.
A word of gratitude got stuck on his tongue as his nightmare continued to fade, only to be replaced by the terrifying notion of how intimately he had Sanji pinned beneath him. His body fitting perfectly against the blond, he became acutely aware of just how close their faces were, and how Sanji wasn't moving to pull away or push Zoro off him; only continuing to watch him with that damn look of reassurance.
Each breath that tumbled across his dry lips came out as a rattled pant of anxiety and nerves. Unable to think of a time in his life he had ever been this terrified, or intimidated, by someone who was simply looking up at him. Maybe it was the trust – or the vulnerability – but whatever it was, it had Zoro trembling like a leaf in a summer breeze and breaths shuddering out like he had never used his lungs before.
Sanji's look of adoration slowly fell into sympathetic bemusement before settling with a slight frown of concern at Zoro's choked breathing - watching Zoro carefully with apprehension. Zoro began to realize he was starting to have a very mild panic attack.
Zoro knew Sanji had drawn a firm line between them, but things kept changing between them faster than it seemed either of them could control. And despite everything said, Sanji had invited him to the same bed, and the blond certainly didn't seem at all in a rush to stop what was currently happening between them now.
Tongue slowly coming out to draw across chapped lips, Zoro watched as Sanji's eyes followed the movement with interest before rising to meet Zoro's once more. Not saying anything, and certainly making no motion to stop Zoro, allowing the man to slowly lean in and-
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A shrill scream echoed from the hall of the train, startling its passengers and causing Zoro to jerk away from Sanji with poignant urgency. Leaping from the bed – Sanji sent sailing onto the floor – Zoro flipped the mattress and snatched the gun he had hidden underneath; loading it, cocking it, and rounding on the door with it raised as Sanji gave a groan of livid annoyance from his place on the floor.
"Son of a-"
Zoro dropped to the floor as swiftly as possible, keeping the gun trained on the door as his other hand clamped over the blond's mouth to silence him. Sanji's face was a gorgeous concoction of heated outrage and livid indignation as Zoro lowered himself closer and muttered as quietly as possible.
"Shh." Zoro mouthed silently, before ducking his head a fraction and mumbling guiltily, "Sorry."
A mild snort and an exaggerated eye roll told Zoro that Sanji wasn't nearly as annoyed as he was pretending to be, though still a tad unimpressed. Releasing his hold on the blond, they both remained silent and strained for any sound of the other passengers. Heavy footsteps and slamming of doors – followed by cries of outrage – seemed to indicate someone was searching the train.
Side eyeing the blond, he gave a short nod before training the barrel of his gun on back of the door and waited. Listening as door by door got knocked in until - judging by the annoyed cursing heard through the wall - theirs was next. Zoro found himself breathing out a slow stream of air as he focused intently on the press of Sanji's shoulder he had pinned under his back, rather than his previous nightmare.
The second the door was kicked open, Zoro kicked the door immediately shut - just barely catching the surprised look of the man who hadn't expected both of the cabins' occupants to be on the floor and especially not one of them to have a gun trained on him. Zoro got enough of a look to notice the gun in man's grip and the moment the door was shut once more, he levelled his own on the wood where the man's head had been a moment before and fired.
A crack echoed down the train and garnered several more screams from terrified passengers, but not enough to mask the thud of a limp body hitting the floor outside their door. Keeping low, Zoro inched towards the door and pulled it open sharply to find the man he had just shot on the floor with a bullet hole going perfectly through his forehead.
Leaping to his feet, he kept his back up against the now open door with his gun poised readily as he snuck a quick glance out into the hall. A crowd of horrified bystanders gathering on each end of the hall as several figures could be seen making off in the opposite direction.
Reaching back, Zoro tucked his gun into the back loop of his belt to hopefully not draw attention from the crowd as he stepped out into the hall, Kohza was outside his cabin a moment later with Stussy behind him. Jerking his thumb over his shoulder, Zoro grunted, "That way."
"Got it." Kohza clarified as he began making for the front of the train with Stussy close on his heels, offhandedly asking, "You good?"
"Fine." Zoro assured, watching as the crowd dispersed enough to let them through. Curious murmuring and concerned voices began to fill the hall as he leaned back into the cabin to check on Sanji. At the same moment someone broke free from the crowd and fired a shot that narrowly missed where his head had been moments before. A shrill cry and thud let him know one of the other passengers had taken the bullet intended for him.
On instinct he found his hand snagging his gun free from his belt and rounding the corner, training on the man responsible and firing a single shot. At the two gunshots pandemonium broke out as passengers screamed and ran in different directions, desperately trying to get out of the hallway and back to their cabins; the calamity allowing Zoro enough time to see the one man he managed to shoot limp off down towards the end of the train with someone else in tow.
"Stay here!" Zoro barked at Sanji, throwing the door shut behind him as he darted out into the carpeted hall barefoot and gun drawn much to the horror of several of the passengers that were already panicked and trying to get to another car to safety. Darting down the hall, many flung themselves out of his way as he could still see the two men fleeing into the next car.
Skidding to halt in front of the door, he threw it open to find the dining car completely deserted, lights off, and wine glasses clinking minutely from the bar. Gun raised and ready, he stalked into the room, continuing for the next door as the trail of blood on the carpet made it apparent neither were going to try and hide.
Bursting through the second door, Zoro found himself on the end platform of the train with the tracks beneath him whirling past into the darkness. The light from the train only illuminated so much around them before the rest was lost to the night and only the vague shadowy figures of passing trees and poles could be discerned. There was no way either of them would have been bold enough to jump, which meant...
Turning abruptly to the ladder poised to the off side of the door, Zoro grunted in annoyance before snagging a rung and began climbing. Getting up onto the roof was harder than he had anticipated, wind cutting in his eyes and stinging his face as he could just barely make out the figure of a man trudging along the roof.
Steadying himself, Zoro began running along the metal grated walkway atop the train as he tried to catch up with the countryside whipping past them, wind hitting his bare chest and rustling his pants as the man was making for the front of the train. "Oi!"
A random shot fired towards him had a bullet pining off the roof several feet away as it at least seemed the man didn't intend to stay and fight; making it a lot easier for Zoro. Another shot with a tad more aim ricocheted off the metal in front of him and sent a spray of shrapnel up at him.
"Son of a-" Zoro cursed under his breath, reaching behind to pull his own pistol free as he muttered, "Fine; have it your way."
Dropping into a crouch, he cupped his hand on the underside of the barrel and rested his hands on his knee, the wind and rocking of the train making it nearly impossible to aim. Using his leg to steady himself, he took aim on the retreating man, before pulling the trigger once. The crack of the shot was completely muffled by the rushing of the wind, however the body dropping a moment later and tumbling from the train let Zoro know he had hit his target.
Without a second look, Zoro was back on his feet and following the other man that was nearing the end of the two conjoined cars. A large gap separating them and the next two cars ahead of him, the man speeding up his pace as it seemed he was going to attempt to jump.
Mid jump between the two cars, it seemed like he was going to clear the gap flawlessly before something reached out to snag the man's foot, sending him crashing to the deck below. When Zoro managed to reach the end of the car and look down to the area below he found Sanji looking up from the railings with a cheerful smile on his face and hand raised in greeting; the other man lying unconscious on the platform.
"Yo!"
Rolling his eyes, Zoro carefully climbed down onto the platform below and swung himself across the links connecting the two cars until he landed in front of Sanji. Having to yell over the rushing of the wind and the clattering of the train on the tracks, "What the hell were you thinking?"
"You're shit at 'thank you's'," Sanji commented dryly, "has anyone ever mentioned that?"
"Yeah, you!" Zoro bit out savagely, "But that doesn't-"
A sharp pain to his ankle and sudden weightlessness took over him as he felt his body begin to tumble slowly backwards with the momentum of the moving train. Only barely noticing the man who had regained consciousness and had managed kick his feet out from under him while he had been preoccupied.
Hand lashing out at the last second, he managed to grasp one of the railings as his legs swung dangerously underneath the platform. A scream left him as his bad shoulder took most of the weight and he immediately felt his stitches tear free for the umptenth time.
Other hand flailing up to grasp one of the other railing legs as he attempted to pull himself up, he watched in horror as the previously unconscious man was now back on his feet. Blood from where he had hit his head was trailing down the side of his face, but judging from the snarl on his face, he was intending to return the favour to Sanji. Hands already raised, he launched at the blond, Zoro's panicked shout coming short as Sanji retaliated.
"Sorry about this!" Sanji bellowed loudly, knocking the man's hand aside, his own hand lashed out and grabbed the man's collar in a firm grasp before falling back onto the grated platform. Jerking the man down with him, Zoro watched as Sanji placed his foot in the crook of the man's hip and kicked up; flipping the man completely over Zoro, the railing, and sending him flying off the train.
A second later the blond was rolling onto his knees and crawling over to Zoro, one hand on his wrist in a vice grip and the other at his elbow as he helped pull Zoro back up. As he got further onto the platform, fingers tangled aggressively around his upper arm and he was yanked forward with enough strength to send both men crashing back onto the platform. Slamming into the metal floor, the air gushed from Sanji painfully as Zoro tried to lighten the impact by taking some of it to his knee and hip - fighting to cover a hiss as his still healing hip took most of the force.
Stillness hung between them as their position mirrored what had taken place moments ago in their cabin before being so rudely interrupted. It was significantly colder due to the wind, and there was more clothing separating them, but there was still a delicate intimacy in the moment that had them both frozen to the spot. Nervous breathes danced between them as neither attempted to break the stalemate first.
"Uh..." Zoro finally grunted out lamely, "Thanks."
"That's better." Sanji responded with a smug grin, sounding far more breathless than the situation required as Zoro began pushing himself off the blond. Getting to his feet and offering a hand which Sanji took, barely getting back on his feet before he was goading, "That's the second time I've saved your life!"
"You're keeping track? Zoro cast an incredulous look at the blond.
"You're not?"
Zoro simply shook his head, both in disbelief and in answer to Sanji's question. Turning away, he jimmied open the door to the car and stepped inside as the blond followed. Closing the door and cutting off the roaring wind, he was finally able to talk to Sanji in a relatively normal tone, blond already heading back to the main railcar.
"Count is four to two by the way." Sanji informed over his shoulder, "Slowly but surely; I'm not defeated yet, I'll-"
"Are you okay?" Zoro interrupted Sanji's rambling a tad harshly, coming to a halt as he watched Sanji's back carefully. Aware of the huge elephant in the room that Sanji seemed intent on ignoring in favour of a few snide comments. Sanji turned a wry look back on Zoro as the man watched the blond seriously.
"Why are you asking me that?" Sanji scoffed, gaze flitting up and down Zoro humorously, "You're the one that almost got guillotined by a train."
"That man…" Zoro alluded softly to what had just transpired out on the platform, "you…"
"It's fine." Judging by Sanji's tone he didn't want to continue the conversation that Zoro was clearly trying to start, but how could he not. How could he ignore the fact that a week ago Sanji had adamantly tried to save one of their attackers, and now he had been forced to do the exact opposite because Zoro was stupid enough to drop his guard.
"If I hadn't…" Zoro muttered, unable to finish his statement as he cast a bitter look to the side and growled, "I made you do something terrible."
"Oh, don't you dare." Sanji practically groaned the words as he rounded on Zoro and strode towards him with a finger raised in warning, "Don't you dare blame yourself. I swear to god if you do I will kick the shit out of you!"
A quiet murmur was all Zoro could manage, "A week ago you would have never done something like that."
"Probably not, but that doesn't matter." Sanji argued with a firm finger finding Zoro's chest and jabbing into it, hair a glorious, wind tangled mess and eyes a burning blue of ferocity, "Priorities change. I get to decide what's important to me; not you."
Zoro didn't have a response, but if there was ever a time he wanted to gather Sanji up in his arms and kiss him this was most certainly it. However the moment passed, and Sanji was huffing with finality and retracting his finger, turning to continue down the deserted car, Zoro's hand lashed out to nab Sanji's elbow and turn him back to face him.
"You know... Um…" Zoro paused, unable to meet Sanji's gaze, fumbling over his words as he tried to reassure Sanji, "he's probably not dead. This is a slow moving train; the worst he'll have is some broken bones. So you don't have to… you know… worry."
Sanji's foot came into view as the blond took a step closer, and Zoro glanced up to see Sanji take another step towards him. Hand coming up to gentle card through Zoro's hair and cup the back of his head, he pulled Zoro forward until his forehead rested on Sanji's and he found his eyes crossing in an attempt to focus on blue. A smile lifted Sanji's cheeks and the blond muttered sincerely, "Thanks."
Zoro swallowed thickly around a response, arms slowly rising to hold Sanji in return before nearly jumping out of his skin as a voice from their right singsonged pleasantly, "Am I interrupting?"
Both men snapped their heads to the side to find Stussy standing in the doorway to the car, in the process of tucking her gun away as she watched with a rather mischievous grin. Hands coming down to rest on her hips, she continued to watch them expectantly, "Well, don't stop on my account~"
An audible growl was just barely discernible from Zoro as Sanji took a step back with an awkward chuckle and hand at the back of his head, other hand coming up to wave her claims aside, "No. No. Nothing was going on."
"Aw…" Stussy pouted with a heavy sigh, before her tone once more took on a seriousness as she rounded on Zoro, "I heard there were a couple others?"
"They're no longer on board."
"Alright," Stussy muttered with barely a hint of surprise to her tone, "Well I suppose that makes it easier; where's your gun?"
"Dropped it." Which was entirely the case. After nearly falling off the train, the gun he had had hooked through his belt had come free and was now laying in the gravel near the tracks of the deserted Croatian countryside. It was just a relief that it wasn't one of his own; had it been he probably would've jumped off the train to go looking for it.
"Even easier. C'mon." Stussy ordered as she lead them back down the train, "Kohza is getting everything sorted; I switched our cabins in the commotion so we'll deal with the police when we reach the station. It's a clear case of self defense, but you're here illegally so it'll be easier for you if Kohza and I to cover for you. Until we can rendezvous, you two need to continue to act as passengers, clear?"
"Crystal." Sanji chirped happily as Zoro just grunted in confirmation.
They remained silent the rest of the walk back to the cabin car where they were able to slip back into the crowd of panicked travellers that were still huddled outside their cabins. Many of them calmer now as it seemed Kohza and Stussy had rounded up the other two thugs and that had at least put some of the people's worries at ease. Kohza was currently doing damage control with several of the train employees as Stussy shoved them along through the distracted crowd.
Getting them to their new cabin, Stussy made sure they were both inside before casting a careful look around and ducking her head back in, "Kohza's left a burner in your bag; we'll call you with a meet point once we finish getting this sorted."
"Good luck." Zoro nodded in gratitude.
"No problem, darling." Stussy winked, before shutting the door behind herself, "Stay out of trouble."
TBC…
