Chapter Ten – Loving You for All the Wrong Reasons
Someone – he thought it was either Ace or Nami, he couldn't remember it at this moment – once asked Sanji why he loved Zoro. That caused the blond to hesitate for a little bit. Half a second at the most. Completely unsure of why he truly loved the green haired man, he gave that someone a generic answer. "Because he's good to me". Though, it was not a complete lie, it wasn't the full truth either. Sanji firmly believed that falling in love is like making a great seafood stew.
The broth had to cook fully first, before you could add anything else in. Plus, in that moment, both of them weren't placing their relationship at the top of their lists. It was lingering, festering, molding in the background. It was there, like a forgotten child.
Sanji felt his feelings growing stronger with every passing moment. He wasn't sure if Zoro even felt the same. In fact, looking back on it, Sanji isn't even sure if he knew anything about Zoro at all.
Three weeks passed and still no sign of Zoro. The logical conclusions went through Sanji's mind first. He must have gotten lost. It is Zoro we're talking about. Still, Sanji waits up for him to come back home.
The green haired man never did.
Sanji wanted to call him, but Zoro never liked it when people coddled him. The swordsman was independent, walking down various paths to get to the same destination. Not that the blond minded. He was the same thing, but the main difference between the two is the fact that one of them prefers the distant help of others. They can watch him, they can look in, but they could never touch him.
It's like Zoro is disappearing steadily across the horizon.
The seasons begin to change, and the weather becomes colder and colder. The green haired man never showed up at Sanji's doorstep.
Zoro being lost went out the window in a fiery blaze. And Sanji can't seem to understand why Zoro was taking so long to come back. Was it something he did? If it was, could he change? Or was it too difficult to?
Slamming his hand into the wall, nearly going through the drywall, he racks his brain for something. Anything. Even if it is a shitty reason, he still needed to know. But he comes up with a blank, pissing off the blond more and more with each passing second.
There wasn't anything wrong, at least, there shouldn't have been. So why isn't he coming back? Why doesn't he always have to do this to Sanji? Can't Zoro see how selfish he's being?
Lighting up a cigarette, he blows out the smoke, looking up at the ceiling. Fuck him, the blond thinks. Fucking him and his fucking swords. I don't even care anymore.
Sanji knew he shouldn't have been lying to himself. But he can't help it. Every second that swordsman is away, the cook could feel his chest tighten into something representing unbearable pain. As much as he hates to admit it, he misses Zoro.
He misses the way Zoro would lazily sleep on any surface – or anywhere for that matter – that just looked comfortable. He misses the way Zoro would just get drunk on sake (later the blond found out that Zoro could not get drunk and practically faked all of his 'drunk antics'). Most of all, he misses the connection the two men had with one another.
They were meant to be. They just happened to fall in love at the wrong time.
A knock at the door the next morning, wakes Sanji up from his slumber. He wasn't sleeping properly for the past three weeks. Each waking moment, he spent sitting on his sofa looking down into the streets. Each night, waiting eagerly for the green haired man to come home. And maybe, this was that moment.
Opening the door, Sanji could hear his heart beat loudly inside of his chest. His throat becomes dry.
"I'm sorry," Zoro says. "I—"
Impulsively, Sanji pulls the man in for a kiss. The swordsman did not waste any time kidding back. It was a battle for dominance and neither one was winning. Even in a deep passionate kiss, Sanji could feel that something was off.
He just couldn't place his finger on it.
A/N: Man, I'm a roll today. Two fanfiction updates!? Unheard of! But you know, today is a "treat-yoself-day". So there's that.
To ema670 - Haha! Who knows! We'll all have to wait and see! I really hope you enjoy this chapter. All the romantic tension is gone. So, woot woot.
Thank you for all the follows, favourites and comments. I really appreciate it!