Chapter Seven – Remembering You All Too Well

"Are you okay?" Luffy asked Sanji in the wake of the break up. "Maybe you just need to eat some meat. I know a great meat place we can go to! ALL YOU CAN EAT K-BBQ! Doesn't that sound amazing!?"

Sanji kicked that moron in the head and locked his door, preventing Luffy from coming in and bothering him some more. Too many rapid thoughts entire Sanji's head on why they just fell apart so easily. I thought we were doing so well…

Did he ask for love too much? Too often? Too greedily? He knew he was flirt but nothing could have taken him away from his green haired man. Nothing. But… somehow… this just broke into small fragments that are too hard to glue back together.

Outside, Luffy continued his ambush, trying to get Sanji out of the house and to do something. Anything. Sanji sighed and stubbed out his cigarette – freshly lit too. It tasted bland and disgusting. Funny how that happened.

He threw open the door and peered down at the young man. He looks so naïve and so innocent. "I'm okay," Sanji said. But I'm not fine in any way possible.

Stupid fucking marimo, Sanji thinks as he chucks the duffel bag into his closet and prepares for bed. What the hell is he going to do now? Sanji couldn't wait for however long it will take for Zoro to come back. No fucking way. With that guy's sense of direction, it'll be a miracle if he even made it back into town.

Sanji knows that he should throw the bag out. He knows that he doesn't need this burden in his life when it's just starting. But, there's nothing driving him to. He could it say it to himself all he wants but he knows that he isn't going to do it anyways. Throwing it out seems too hard for him. So, why kid himself?

At this moment, Sanji is unsure of what he wants. Does he want retribution? Does he want Zoro to come back? Does he want to be loved again? That kind of love – the one that was so special and only meant for Zoro – doesn't come easily. You experience it once in your lifetime and that's it. There's no second changes. There's no do-overs like in a video game. It just happens and sometimes you have to live with it.

Sometimes you can go and take it into your own hands.

Sanji rushes over to the phone and dials the number, hoping – no, praying – it'll be Zoro who picks up.

"Hello?" a voice says. "If you're looking for Zoro, then please stay on the line." Sanji obeys, gnawing on an unlit cigarette.

Zoro answers, "You called earlier than I expect you would."

"Where did you go?"

"I'm in the town over… I just need to think for a bit. I'm coming back to get my stuff but… right now… I just need –"

"I want to know why you came back," Sanji blurts out. "I don't care about your vague reasons. I just need to know." His voice falters.

Over the phone, Zoro takes a sharp breath in. The question must have thrown him off guard. "I-I… something told me to come back. Try again. But when I saw you… I knew the bond… the thing we had wasn't worth it anymore."

"You fucking shithead." Sanji closes his eyes. This isn't Zoro. "You didn't even try… But then again… neither did I. Come back. Please come back." He absolutely hate how small his voice had become but this is his desperate attempt to get Zoro back. He needed Zoro back.

Even with all of Sanji's defences down, Zoro doesn't answer. Minutes, or maybe it was seconds that went by before he gives the answer back. The one thing Sanji needs to hear.

"I'll come back. Maybe we can work this out. But I don't give any promises."

And that is still better than nothing, Sanji says to himself. Better than nothing at all.

A/N: Hello! Yes another update. The story is getting better (hopefully) every update! Woo hoo!

Anyways, I thought this would be nice. And it'll be great for this week. I'm actually unsure when Thanksgiving is in the US, but that's okay. Happy Thanksgiving to those in America!

Thank you for all the likes, favourites and follows, and I promise more will come! Also, thank you for all the reviews! It really means a lot.

To - Aww, thank you. As a writer that is an amazing compliment! I'm really glad you're enjoying the story! And yes it is, thank you very much for understanding. :)

To ema670 - Having fun is all I can ever ask for. And yes, he totally isn't lost... He probably is. What a weirdo Zoro is. XD