Sanji/Zoro (6)

(What I Want But Don't Have)

It wasn't even an hour after Brook left that he felt it.

He should have expected it though... but he hadn't. He had mistaken the warning symptoms for side effects of his wounds from Kuma's trials.

He could actively feel the blood under his skin start to warm and could feel sweat starting to form on his forehead.

He opened his eyes and set his sights on the door. His vision wavered for a moment and he knew he had to hurry. He needed to get to his room.

He groaned, his wounds protesting, as he forced himself up with his arm, using the wall for support.

He was slightly unsteady as he made his way down to the deck.

He stumbled once as his feet landed, before trying to shake it off and walked straight towards where the rooms were. Thankfully the ship didn't decide to move around on the way there and in moments he was closing his room's door behind him.

He leaned back against it for a second, his hand coming up and cupping his face. This was going to be rough.

His wounds wouldn't have been bothering him so much, if Heats didn't oversensitize everything. He'd be in pain for the entire week from them, he knew it, and he wasn't excited for it.

He let go of his face and grabbed his shirt over Chopper's wrapped wound and held on tightly to it.

Plus it didn't help that he was so confused about the Cook's actions lately.

He sighed and pushed off the wall, making his way over to the bed to sit on it, pulling his swords out of his haramaki at the same time and leaning them against the wall.

He thumped onto the bed, his elbows resting on his knees, a thought drifted into his mind and he groaned.

He hadn't told Robin this time. Eh.. it wouldn't take her.. or maybe anyone on the crew.. long to figure out what happened, why he disappeared.

He snorted as his thoughts drifted to their possible reactions. He wouldn't know their true reactions since.. he never saw them, and he wouldn't ask. But it was something to think about... Something to try and distract himself from the blonde.

His thoughts were cut short when there was a sharp knock on the door. One of them must have seen him make his way here. Thinking it was the raven haired female beta he called out without standing. "Yea?"

The person at the door must have taken this as an invitation to come in, because the next second the door was open, a body passed through, and it was shut behind them.

Zoro stared slightly wide eyed at the intruder. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a clean pressed suit. He breathing stuttered for a moment, before he snapped himself out of it and narrowed his eyes. "What'd you want?"

Sanji seemed to... hesitate for a moment, an unlit cigarette clenched between his teeth as he stared at the swordsman. Maybe it was the heat approaching.. but... something was strange in the Cook's gaze... something... that made hope spark free inside his chest. A strong hope.

He almost jolted as the cook spoke. "I need to talk to you."

Zoro grimaced as he felt a spike of warmth rush up his leg, reminding him of what was to come. Suddenly he didn't want the cook there anymore... not like this. He couldn't break what little bit they had like this. "..Can it maybe wait till later?"

Sanji's eyes narrowed. "No, it's been put off too much already. We're going to talk now."

Zoro let out a frustrated sound and bared his teeth in a slight growl, he had a few minutes... that should be enough. "Fine. What is it?"

Sanji's teeth clenched and a vein seemed to almost pop on his forehead. He looked furious. "Back on Thriller Bark," Zoro's shoulders suddenly tensed at the mention, "why did you do that?"

Zoro was silent for a moment, staring at Sanji's infuriated face before rolling his eyes. Answering what Sanji expected him to answer, after all, there was no way the cook could know. "Knocking you out? You were being an idiot, that's why. Besides you dying wouldn't have-"

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" Zoro's head snapped back to the blonde's face at his infuriated yell as it cut him off. He sounded seconds away from exploding... a lot similar to when the cook heard that the pervert invisible guy was trying to marry Nami... he wasn't afraid.. but.. he really didn't want that anger pointed at him, like it was pointed at the invisible guy... it made his chest hurt.

Zoro carefully composed his reply as he watched Sanji's rage filled face state at him. Demanding an answer. Zoro wasn't sure what Sanji wanted him to say. The only other thing was- but no. Sanji wouldn't know about that. "Then what are you talking about..?"

Sanji growled and his left foot shot out in front of him, taking an quick step towards the swordsman. His hands clenched hard inside his pant's pockets. When he spoke he sounded like he was straining to not yell in anger. "Why. Did. You. Let. Yourself. Be. Tortured. By. Kuma?!"

Zoro's mind went blank, his eyes widening as he stared, almost uncomprehensively, at the cook. The cook knew?! He knew?! But... how?! Zoro's face suddenly went blank and he turned away from Sanji, waving his hand in the air as if to dissipate the words. Maybe he could just... brush it off.. "Eh? I wasn't tortured. We fought. He left. That's that."

Sanji growled, the side of his fist suddenly slamming against the wall. "I know damn well you didn't fight. You offered your life before you knocked me out. You were willing to die so he wouldn't take Luffy's Head. And you wouldn't take help either. You weren't the only one conscious after you slammed your damn sword in my gut. So tell. Me. The. TRUTH!"

Zoro bared his teeth, his composure snapping, but.. he couldn't bring himself to look at the cook. "You just said why! He was going to take Luffy's Head! I couldn't just let that happen!"

Sanji growled, his rage increasing. He felt like a pot of boiling water.. and he was about to overflow. "So offering your head, your dream, your life up instead was better?!"

Zoro whirled around to face him, defiance crackling in his eyes. "What else was I supposed to do!? Just let him take Luffy!?"

"No! You dumbass! But something else could have been done!" Sanji was practically growling each of his words out.

"Oh yea like what?!" Zoro's eyes blazed.

Sanji growled, nothing coming to mind to say, unable to come up with a solution that would have gotten them all out alive.

Zoe smirked ruefully. "Exactly." He turned away from the blonde as the other silently seethed. His breathing was starting to come harder, but he wasn't sure for what reason that was. The fight.. or what was approaching.

He heard Sanji growl again and he sighed, his head leaning against his bent elbow. The back of his hand against his forehead. His voice came out as a tired drone. "Why do you even care..."

It was silent for a long moment and Zoro almost wanted to look to see if the cook had left. Just as he went to glance up, the Cook's voice stilled his movements. "You're a dumbass, you fucking mosshead. Why do you think I tried to stop you? Because I felt like it? Because I wanted to be some screwed up version of a hero? If you think that you really are an idiot."

Zoro's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion as he looked over at the other. The cook had that weird expression on his face again, and it seemed as if his anger had started to fade into annoyance instead of fury. Sanji scoffed at Zoro's look before growling, he opened his mouth again to finally confess, his heart practically beating out of his chest, when he noticed.

Zoro's face was slightly flushed, his frame was trembling, and sweat was slowly making its way down the swordsman's face.

He swallowed hard at how the other looked. He had struggled with his feelings towards the swordsman before. Struggled to accept them, and when he finally did he suppressed them.

But at that moment, he couldn't see why he ever had second thoughts about loving Zoro. And couldn't find reasoning as to why he suppressed himself for so long.

That train of thought was cut short when he heard Zoro call his name. He snapped back into reality quicker than Luffy in 2nd gear and he suddenly noticed he wasn't standing by the door anymore.

He was halfway across the room, and had been taking steps towards the swordsman. Who, now that he noticed, had crawled back onto the bed a bit, as if trying to keep a distance from the blonde, a nervous look on his face as he watched Sanji.

That's when the smell hit him.

It was different. A sweet undertone, like mint leaves, a slight metallic edging like steel, and something he could only describe as Amber stone.

As soon as that processed he realized. Zoro, was about to go into heat...

And he was practically trapping the other in his own room at the moment.

A flash of panic ran through his chest deep down, he did NOT want that. He didn't want to betray Zoro like that, didn't want to betray his trust, make things so awkward between them he wouldn't even be able to be in the same room with the swordsman in the future.

...Those thoughts were more painful than seeing Zoro stand up and face his death.

His eyes went wide and he whirled around, his long strides getting him to the door in no time. He grabbed the handle, fully intending to go to the kitchen and cook himself to blissful mindless motions. He-

The doorknob wouldn't turn. He tried it again and again and again but it wouldn't turn. He let out a frustrated noise and started banging on the door even if he knew it was useless. All the doors leading to personal rooms in the Thousand Sunny were thick, and made to last against strong attacks.

It wasn't long after he started banging on the door that a mouth appeared near the doorknob. He stared down at it as it spoke. "Why hello Sanji. We hear that you've notice that our Navigator has locked the door from the outside. This is intentional and she wants the message relayed that, as she puts it, until you two can get along and 'make up' the door won't be opening. Don't worry about cooking for us, we've already got everything handled."

And the mouth disappeared without another word.

He stood there for a second, frozen. His head thumped against the metal door in front of him. He swallowed hard. "...Hear that Zoro. I guess I'm not leaving."

Zoro who's vision had been going hazy for the past few minutes, glanced in the Cook's direction. His hand clenching tightly on his shirt over his wounds. "Huh..?"

Sanji turned his head slightly towards the swordsman's direction without fully turning. "I said I can't leave. Franky switched the door around and Nami ordered him to lock it.. or at least I think that's what happened."

Zoro stared for a moment, his mind growing a bit hazy, as he was unable to process the other's words.

He gave into the warmth surging under his skin instead.

Sanji heard a soft thump behind him and turned around, pressing himself into the door with his back. Zoro had fallen back onto the bed and was laying on his side. Curled on his side with his arms around his torso.

His face was scrunched in pain and every few seconds a whine would slip from his throat despite the vain attempt he was putting forth to keep quiet by biting his lips.

He knew that Zoro was loosing logical thinking pretty fast by the way the swordsman's eyes opened and kind of floated around the room looking at everything.

Sanji pushed himself back against the door, wishing he could sink into it, through it, just so he wouldn't hurt Zoro.

He could already feel his composure fraying.

For a moment Zoro wished Sanji could open that door and leave, but it was overwhelmed a second later by an desire for the cook to stay, glad that the sea witch had locked it, but he couldn't remeber why he felt like that was a bad idea.

He felt his cheeks heat up, and he couldn't stop the slight moan that slipped out when he caught Sanji, his alpha's, scent.

No he wasn't one to latch onto the first person he saw during heats, but... but... this was his alpha... right?

He knew he loved the cook, the alpha he could smell, so why did... Why did he have a nagging feeling that it was wrong to think of this alpha like that?

It was... a hollow ache to think about it.

He heard his alpha mutter something that sounded like a curse when a particularly violent shudder racked Zoro's frame and he whined at the pain it caused under the medical wrappings.

He suddenly had to stand. It was too much. He had to get up.

It was painful but he soon found himself on his feet, swaying slightly in unsteadiness.

His ears just started to ring when he felt a hand on his shoulder. A second later the scent of cigarettes, spices, and just pure alpha hit him and his senses started to clear, but not as fully as he would have liked.

He looked up as his alpha started talking to him, Zoro's eyes half lidded and his face burning in a red blush. His hands clenching tightly at his middle. "Maybe you should lay back down."

Sanji's teeth were grinding together as he stood near Zoro, as the other trembled, pain evident on his face. He knew gears could be painful for some, but he had a feeling that wasn't the only thing causing the other to hurt. He figured it would be better for the other to lay down. Maybe take his weight off himself so it'd lessen the slightest bit.

Zoro really wasn't looking too good at the moment. He looked like he might pass out.

Sanji also knew very well that a heat wasn't supposed to be intruded on, unless the omega invited you, but he was locked in and Zoro's heat was unexpected. There wasn't much he could do about it besides try to keep to keep himself together and help Zoro the best he could while not hurting him.

Though... he looked back at Zoro's face and grimaced slightly. Zoro looked dazed, his eyes were half lidded and his pupils were dilated more than usual. His nostrils flared slightly every few seconds, and from his cheeks to his ears and all the way up his neck was flaming red. His mouth was open slightly as Zoro panted out puffs of air in quick succession of each other. He swallowed hard. How was he supposed to keep him composure against... that... and Zoro's smell..? It was almost too much.

"Alph-Sanji?" Sanji started at Zoro's soft voice and blanched at what Zoro almost called him... Zoro must really be farther down the spiral than Sanji had initially thought.

This wasn't good.

He was already fighting his instincts of claim claim claim. His omega was right here in front of him, acting so presentable. But Sanji did nothing but deny himself.

He wouldn't take advantage of Zoro, of his nakama, of the one he really loved, of his omega. Not like that. Not ever.

He couldn't.

He couldn't ruin the trust Zoro had in him already. He didn't want Zoro to hate him.

Zoro breathed out a loud breath and fell forward, his arms still wrapped around his middle, burying his nose in Sanji's chest, soft whimpers escaping his throat as his body shuddered and trembled both in pain from his wounds and from the too warm flowing of his blood.

Sanji froze and his eyes went wider than before, his resolve being chipped away at with a sledgehammer bit by agonizing bit.

A second later Zoro starting whimpering out words over and over. "Alpha, Alpha, Alpha." It was some sick mantra that Zoro couldn't seem to stop. Sanji didn't want to hear that from him. He knew it wasn't Zoro's choice. It was unfair to both of them.

His hands shakily came up and gently grabbed at Zoro's shoulders, careful of where he touched because of the injuries, and slowly pushed Zoro away from him. The other whined and Sanji twitched.

He applied the smallest amount of pressure to the other's shoulders and Zoro collapsed back on a sitting position on the bed.

He gasped at the jolt, white fire sparking across the worst of his injuries. Sanji felt guilty for causing the other pain but it wasn't like he could do much about it.

The longer he stared at Zoro the more mesmerized he became.

Before he knew what he was doing he found his hand caressing Zoro's hair.

Zoro nuzzled his hand and whined out a single word. "Sanji."

Sanji felt the rest of his control he had over his instincts snap.