Sanji/Zoro (5)
(Painful Love)
Something had changed in the cook since they left Thriller Bark.
Zoro's thoughts on the matter were running rampant in his head as he sat on the floor of the crow's nest.
His eyes closed as he leaned against the wall. He breathed in and felt the bandages Chopper had insisted on wrapping him with, to the point it was easier to give in, constrict slightly.
Zoro wasn't one to complain. He'd rather leave that to the other members of the crew and make sure they were cared for first for it all, injuries, sickness, everything. He had no problem pushing his problems aside until they became too much. But.. and he knew Chopper had given him some pain reducer, he was in pain.
He was almost trembling from the intensity of it. So he had sat down, taking a break from his training to try and give the waves of pain a chance to pass.
But as he did he could help his wondering thoughts on the one he loved.
The cook seemed to approach him more often, looking like he actually needed Zoro for something for once but almost immediately would shift his attitude back towards a brash insulting manner.
It made him curious, but.. it did hurt just a bit.
He wondered if the cook was acting that way because he stopped him from sacrificing himself and "being the hero".
When he had seen what the cook was doing he had acted almost desperately, afraid that the cook offering himself would mean Kuma would change his mind about something and attack the others, or just take Luffy and leave.
Besides... he didn't want the cook to sacrifice himself.
Either way, it didn't matter now.
He tried believing that the cook was concerned about him. That the blonde kept approaching him for a normal conversation instead of just to blow off steam in a spar.
When he noticed the Cook's subtle glances in his direction, and caught the cook staring at him. He had been baffled, his eyes staring wide at the boards of the deck when the realization hit him. He had started to smile slightly as Hope started to bloom in his chest.
Maybe Sanji didn't completely think he was repulsive.
Then Kamie was spat onto the ship.
He couldn't delude himself any longer as the cook fell at her feet, serving on her every waking need.
It... had been painful to watch... so he didn't.
Going back to the solitude of crow's nest and sitting back against the wall. Unable to train more than with a few hand weights because of the pain his injures still caused.
He had stayed up there the rest of the afternoon as they sailed towards the slave traders that caught Kamie's friend, listening to the chatter of his crew below him, and letting their voices mingle together in a soothing manner.
He opened his eyes as he heard the latch to the door open and close. He looked up to see their new skeleton of a musician plop down beside him.
He grimaced slightly, remembering the awkward last time they were in this position together before shaking the thought away. "Aren't you supported to be on deck with them?"
Brook hummed and glanced, er turned his head, at the swordsman. "I could say the same for you."
Zoro snorted and smirked. "Nah, I'm fine up here. Training." He lifted one of the hand weights and shook it to demonstrate to Brook that he was doing as he said.
Brook didn't remove his gaze though and after a long moment of silence spoke, a certain tone different in his voice than before. "Is something wrong?"
Zoro startled and his eyes went a little wider, before he forcefully composed himself. "No, nothing's wrong Brook."
Brook was silent for another moment before a bony finger came up and placed itself on his cheekbone. "I don't think it's what happened on Thriller Bark, or with Kuma, so... would it happen to be about Sanji?"
Zoro whirled his head around. "Wha-! How did you-!" Too shocked to hide away the truth as he should have, he cut himself off in a sad attempt to take back what he said, but Brook was quick to answer.
"I was alive for a long time. I may have spent many years alone, but I wasn't before that. When you get to be as old as I am, you learn to pick up on things." He titled his head towards a nervously surprised looking Zoro. "So... what's wrong Zoro?"
Zoro grit his teeth for a moment at the fact of just being outed, and turned his head, "It's nothing Brook-don't worry."
"Somehow I find that hard to believe." Zoro grit his teeth at Brook's reply and didn't say another word. Brook took this as an opportunity. "...You do not have to tell me, but... I want you to know that if you ever want to talk, I'll be available."
Brook stood and started to walk towards the hatch door. His hand grabbed the handle when Zoro's voice stopped him. "Brook..." he paused, not turning around. "I want to talk.."
Brook's skull face turned into its equivalent of a smile, and he turned around going back to sit beside Zoro, and listening as the swordsman tentatively, and nervously, laid bare the love he had for their resident cook, that he had kept buried for so long.
And how it seemed to hurt the swordsman for being in love.
