"And why haven't you taken him to an actual doctor?" Law asked. His tone flat and threatening as he examined Sanji's palms. He held them gently in his hands and turned them ever so slightly every once in a while to get a better angle on the damage.
"I tried, but he doesn't have the money for that. If we took him to a hospital, even just asking them to treat some minor burns would cost a couple hundred." Zoro explained from where he was standing at the door of the schools medical room.
"These aren't 'minor burns' Zoro-ya. They are second-degree and cover the entirety of his palms." Law sounded pissed. Probably for numerous reasons. One such reason being that in order to get Law to check Sanji over, Zoro had interrupted Law's 'examination' of Kidd. Another reason being Zoro's stupidity in not brining Sanji to a trained professional right away. Yet another being that Law just naturally seemed to be pissed at everybody.
No. Pissed wouldn't be the right word… more like he was constantly judging people. Looking them over and trying to find their… weaknesses.
"Yeah, yeah. Just tell me how long they'll take to heal. A week? Two weeks…?" Sanji cringed. "Three…?" Law sighed adjusted his glasses. He went to wash his hands at the sink so that he could properly dress Sanji's burns without risking getting any bacteria in the open wounds.
"A month at the very least." Sanji looked completely shocked and like he was about to argue when Law gave him an almost scary look. "I don't think I need to remind you that your burns cover the entirety of your palms. I wouldn't be surprised if you lost some of your ability to feel after they've finished healing." Sanji seemed to shrink at the very idea. "You're quite lucky Zoro-ya was there. He treated your wounds almost exactly how I would have. The dressings were a little crudely applied and there was a bit much burn cream, but it's already begun healing thanks to him. A less experienced person probably would have stuck your hands directly under cold water and that would have most definitely put your body into a state of shock." Zoro felt slightly proud of himself when he heard Law complimenting his treatment.
"I can't be out for a month, I have a restaurant to run! Its how I pay the damn bills!" Law didn't seem at all affected by Sanji's pleas.
"Should have thought of that before you did this to yourself." If only Law knew how deep that went. "You'll have to find somebody to fill in for you. I assume that you have at least one person that helps you out at the stand." Law's voice had a questioning tone to it, but it still sounded flat and emotionless as always. Sanji shook his head and Laws frown deepened. "You'll have to find somebody then. Putting any stress on your hands will increase the amount of time it will take to fully heal. It will also make the scarring on your skin even worse."
"It's going to scar?" Sanji asked as Law applied some weird looking gel to his hands. Sanji cringed as Law applied the smelly ointment but didn't move around too much so that Law could do his job properly.
"You thought otherwise? If it heals quickly and you remember to re-dress and re-apply this ointment every day, it should only be minor, but there will be permanent discolouration. I'll write down all the supplies you will need, you should be able to buy it at the pharmacy not far from your stand. I would also ask Zoro-ya to help you with more complicated tasks while you are healing." Law continued to give instructions as he wrapped up Sanji's hands and then wrote everything down on a pad of paper.
"And… what exactly would be a complicated task..?" Zoro asked as he watched Sanji tentatively wiggle his fingers in the new, white bandages and Law handed him a few days worth of bandages and cream.
"Anything from writing notes in class to getting dressed in the morning." Sanji's face flushed a deep red and Zoro could almost hear his teeth grinding from across the room. Zoro guessed that his own face had probably coloured a little at Law's words, but Sanji looked much worse.
"WHAT?! There's no way I'm letting that dumbass-"
"You don't have a choice here." Law growled as he tore the sheet of paper off the pad and handed it to Zoro. Zoro looked down at the paper and squinted.
"I see you've already perfected your 'doctor's handwriting'." Zoro grumbled as he tried to read the scribbles on the yellow sheet.
"Put on your glasses Moss-for-brains!" Sanji yelled from where he was sitting on the medical bed. Zoro grimaced and pulled his glasses out of his bag. He slipped them on and looked at the paper again.
"Oh."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'OH'?! IF YOUR EYESIGHT IS GETTING THAT BAD THAN YOU HAVE TO WEAR YOUR GLASSES MORE OFTEN SHIT-FOR-BRAINS!" Sanji jumped up and narrowed his eyes at Zoro. Zoro felt the urge to throw a punch at the annoying blond but tamped it down as he was currently injured and it looked like he was pretty embarrassed too.
"Must I remind you that you are in the medical ward? If you insist on yelling like that I will have to ask you to do it outside." Law spoke in a punishing tone.
"It's not like there's anybody else in here." Zoro pointed out.
"Nonetheless, I like having a place to think. Taking that away from me by yelling like children will not end well for either of you."
"THEN WHY DO YOU LET LUFFY DO IT, HUH?!" Sanji continued to shout. Law sighed and looked at Zoro with an expression that Zoro could only really call a silent question. HIM? REALLY? Damn, was it that obvious Zoro had developed some sort of affection towards the fowl-mouthed cook? Zoro shrugged and looked back at Sanji, who was still fuming.
"You and I both know that he is a different story. He refuses to actually leave here unless he's torn something to shit." Law adjusted some papers on his desk. Probably the school medical records on Sanji. "I don't see why you wouldn't have brought him to my house directly after the incident. If you'd asked Luffy-ya, he would have given you my address."
"Why does Luffy have your address?" Zoro asked as he picked up Sanji's school bag. Sanji gave him a menacing glare for it but Zoro couldn't give less of a fuck. "Actually, why would you give Luffy your address?" Law adjusted his glasses on his face again.
"Do you think I willingly gave it up?" Zoro laughed as he imagined Luffy wrapping his wiry limbs around a very pissed off Law as the doctor-in-training tried to wiggle free and run home.
"Well, I'll remember that if I have to bring curly-que in for another check-up." Zoro laughed and thumbed in Sanji's direction. Sanji growled and walked out the door, his arms swinging uselessly at his sides as he stomped. Zoro turned to follow Sanji out and stopped when he looked next to the door.
"Yo, Law!" Law had just started writing something at his desk and hummed in acknowledgment without turning around to look at Zoro. "Kidd's sitting out here like a dog tied up outside a corner store, you want me to send him back in?" Law turned around and smirked.
"If you could." Kidd stood up and walked past Zoro so he could enter the medical room. Zoro looked over at Kidd as he passed.
"Be safe." Zoro sing-songed and Kidd's entire body tensed visibly.
"Shut it asshat!" Kidd growled, his face turning as red as Sanji's did moments ago.
"I thought I told you I liked this place to stay quiet, Eustass-ya."
"Then maybe you should be quieter when we're-" Zoro slammed the door shut. Do not need to hear the rest of that sentence. Zoro heard the lock on the door click and whistled as he went in the direction he saw Sanji go. He caught sight of the blond quickly. He was wearing the same clothes from yesterday…
-"Sanji. You are anything but weak."-
Zoro covered his mouth with the back of his hand as his face turned a deep shade of red. He kept his eyes focused on the back of Sanji's head as he walked. He didn't know where they were going, but anywhere other than that medical ward was good enough for him. Fuck, why do I have to remember that… that kiss… right now?! Can you even call it that? It barely lasted a second… Zoro's frown deepened as he tried to think about something else… anything else.
-"O-oi. What… what was that?"
"It was… a promise."-
Zoro was surprised that Sanji didn't try to kick his teeth in after what he did. He was even more surprised that Sanji didn't immediately pull away like he had been burned all over again. Instead, he sat there and stared at Zoro with a 'deer in the headlights' look.
-"A promise for what…?"
"I promise that I will never let you feel that pain again."-
Zoro groaned as his face heated. WHY DID I HAVE TO GET SO FUCKING SAPPY?! He wished more than anything that he could run home and train with his swords. Smack around the dummy in the dojo or even let Kuina kick his ass again! Anything but be around Sanji after-
"OI! Mosshead! Come on already! I don't want you getting lost again!" Zoro pulled his hand away from his face and ran in the direction of Sanji's voice. Sanji was stood still in front of one of the school windows. He was chewing on a pencil he'd pulled from his pocket somehow, probably hurting his hands to do even that. Well, it's better than him biting his lip till he bleeds. Sanji turned to look at Zoro, frowning as the sunlight splayed across his skin.
"Worrying about the stand?" Zoro didn't really need to ask, he knew the answer.
"Of course I am… I can't close it down. It's the only way I pay the fucking bills. I can't hire temporary help either cause I need every cent I earn." Sanji continued to chew thoughtfully on his pencil as he seemed to think up different solutions. "There's no way I can ask anybody to run the stand for me…"
"Couldn't you ask your old man to wire you this month's rent?" Sanji shook his head at the suggestion.
"It's not the rent for my apartment that I need, it's for the stand. I can't ask that old geezer to pay for that when I could have just had a regular job. I didn't have to open my own stand, and if I hadn't, I wouldn't be in this mess."
"What did I say about letting people help you when you need it, huh?" Zoro was getting aggravated again. Not twenty-four hours ago did they just have this very discussion.
"Yeah yeah… I get it. But a man's got his pride, y'know?" Sanji said with a slight laugh in his voice.
"Guess you're right." Zoro looked out the window and at the courtyard of the school. It was getting hotter and hotter outside with summer now approaching quickly. The trees had now finished their transition from bare to pink to green. The leaves full and the branches hanging heavy from the trunks. And hanging from those branches? Luffy. Climbing up that trunk? Usopp.
"Oi! Luffy! Get down from there before Nami sees! She's gonna get pissed and then blame me for not stopping you!" Usopp wailed, his trembling arms and legs wrapped around the crumbly bark as he inched higher and higher. He was too far away from even the lowest branches to start actually climbing and gripped tightly to the tree as if he would die from falling two feet.
"Awww! But the trees have turned green now and I wanted to see if there were any apples growing!" Luffy whined and swung from branch to branch.
"They aren't those kinds of trees dumbass!" Usopp fixed his pants with one hand and nearly caught himself off balance. "EyaaA!" Usopp screeched and returned to clinging to the tree. "J-j-just get down here already Luffy!" Luffy laughed hysterically and hopped to the next branch.
"If you want me to come down, you'll have to make me! Shishishishi!" Zoro laughed as he watched Usopp struggling. Chopper was sitting under the tree and taking a short nap and Uh oh, here comes the witch.
"DAMNIT USOPP! I TOLD YOU TO KEEP AN EYE ON HIM WHILE I BOUGHT MY LUNCH!" Nami screamed as she stomped her way to the tree.
"WELL IF YOU HADN'T TAKEN SO DAMN LONG, MAYBE HE WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN SO FAR- OW!" Usopp fell from where he was practically melded to the tree and landed flat on his ass. He acted as if he's fallen from a damn skyscraper though. "DAMNIT NAMI!"
"For your information, the food at the cafeteria is far too expensive for my tastes! I've been spending the last ten minutes convincing a couple of dumbasses to pay for my lunch for me! IF YOU CAN'T KEEP LUFFY FROM GETTING HIMSELF INTO A RECKLESS SITUATION FOR TEN MINUTES, WHAT CAN YOU DO?!"
"IF IT'S SO EASY THAN WHY DON'T YOU GET HIM DOWN?!"
"Nami my princess~! If you asked me to, I would kick his ass right out of that tree for you~!" Sanji cooed out the open window. Nami looked up and smiled.
"Thanks Sanji! But I got this under control!" Nami called and turned her attention back to Luffy. "GET YOUR ASS DOWN FROM THERE RIGHT NOW!" Zoro didn't even have to look to know that Luffy had jumped down from where he was perched in the tree. Nami giving anybody that tone would scare the shit outta them. Even Luffy wasn't immune to it.
Sanji sighed and turned away from the window, facing Zoro again and pulling the chewed pencil out of his mouth.
"So, what should I do?" Sanji asked. Zoro already knew the answer. He'd known the answer since Sanji had brought up the point of not being able to run the stand. He could argue with himself all he wanted but it wouldn't change why he was offering what he was. He especially couldn't argue after the move he pulled last night…
-"I promise that I will never let you feel that pain again."-
He liked the cook. Liked the rude, obnoxious, shitty, annoying, bastard of a cook. Liked his hair, liked his face, liked his stupid, curly eyebrows. He liked how he would curse out anybody that pissed him off, liked how he could match him in a fight, liked how confident he was in his cooking skills. Liked every shitty, wonderful thing about him… and that's why he was gonna stick his neck out again.
"I'll run the stand for you." Zoro grit his teeth as he awaited Sanji's no doubt pissy reply.
"You can't cook dumbass." Sanji snickered and Zoro rolled his eyes.
"Well I wouldn't be doing it alone! You'd be giving me directions while I cook! It wouldn't be for very long and if I'm really doing suck a shitty job, I'll stop helping you at all." Sanji raised one of his curly eyebrows and attempted to twirl the pencil around in his fingers, dropping it and grimacing once the pain in his hands shot through him.
"So, let me get this straight. You're going to help me get ready in the mornings, help me take my notes during the day, and help me run the stand at night? You're really making it hard for me to believe that you hate me as much as you say you do."
"First of all! I'm only helping you take notes in Japanese cause we share that class, you're on your own for the rest. Second, I have my limits! There are things I will do and things I won't do in the mornings. I won't hold your dick while you take a piss and I won't help you shower." Sanji's face turned a cute shade of pink and Zoro smirked at the reaction. "And if you complain too much while I'm cooking, I'll just drop whatever I'm doing and leave. You get to clean up the mess after."
"Asshole! That doesn't explain why you're doing any of this for me in the first place! Even before I fucked up my hands, you'd started treating me differently. With most people, I would accuse you of trying to look down on me." Zoro flinched as he heard those words. He would never do that to Sanji and he opened his mouth to voice as much when Sanji spoke again. "But I know you'd never do that. It's too complicated a task or your tiny, moss brain anyway."
"I see you as my equal, I'm not doing this out of pity. I don't know why I've been treating you differently in the last few days, but it's not like I've done anything wrong. So if you're pissed about it, get pissed, but don't make any stupid assumptions."
Sanji hummed and stretched his arms over his head, turning to look out the window again and yawning.
"Oi, are you listening, or is all that stupid hair of yours getting in the way of your hearing?" Zoro growled. Sanji continued to look out the window and smiled a little as he watched Luffy running around wildly.
"So, you're going to cook for me, take notes for me, and help me with almost anything else I ask for? Am I getting that right?" Sanji looked over at Zoro and the green-haired boy nodded slowly. Sanji's smile grew wider and he walked forward until he was standing directly in front of Zoro. Sanji held up his hand until it was hovering directly in front of Zoro's lips and bent most of his fingers as much as he could so that only his index finger stayed at attention. Sanji made a tapping motion so that he nearly touched Zoro's mouth and smirked. "Wanna make that a promise?" Zoro quirked a sharp eyebrow at the cook's actions, but nodded again.
"Y-yeah, sure. I prom-" The bandaged pad of Sanji's finger touched ever so lightly to Zoro's lower lip, pulling away immediately after. Zoro's face lit on fire as Sanji turned around and waved good bye, throwing back a short 'See ya in class!' as he disappeared.
