Me: I'm so sorry you guys had to wait so long! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far, and I promise the next one will be longer. Again, I'm sorry! GOOMEEEEN!
An Empty Ship Means No One Can Hear You...And That's Okay? Part 1
The swordsman wasn't even remotely tired for once in his life. Oh, no; far from it. Nami said something about the Merry sailing through a coldspot (similar to a hotspot) at night on the way to the next island. Zoro just wasn't expecting to freeze to death. Everyone had prepared ahead of time, equipping four thick blankets for each person. Zoro had figured his high body temperature would actually serve its purpose, so he only kept one blanket. It didn't take long for him to regret this decision, but by the time he came to his senses, all the covers were already taken.
His eyes stung and watered as he stared at the ceiling for too long, shivering, and Luffy's dangling arm in eyeshot. He sighed quietly; Sanji was right next to him, snoring softly as he slept sheltered by various warm layers. A part of Zoro wanted to wake him up just so he wouldn't be alone. Another part wanted to sleep next to him. The last remaining part wanted to be as far away from the manipulative bastard as possible. He didn't know which side he should listen to, though.
Zoro was never good dealing with mixed emotions. Of course, he knew important facts like, yes, he was attracted to Sanji. Yes, he liked Sanji. Yes, he kind of enjoyed the sex. No, he did not like the constant humiliation. No, he did not think that basically torturing him with seductive words and actions was the way to go about his problem. Yes, he still liked the cook despite the shitty things he did to him. But he didn't understand why. So, what exactly did this mean? Was he insane for thinking this way? Or...had he already given into the fact that he was putty in his hands for the time being?
Usopp mumbled so loudly in his sleep to the point of Zoro wanting to throttle him, or himself. The sharpshooter must have really missed Kaya if he's having such surreal dreams about her. Eventually, he sat up straight, lightly swaying the hammock in the process. He buried his face in the palm of his hands and trembled, noticing how icy chips formed on the porthole across from him. It was only a little foggy a few seconds ago. Zoro gently rubbed the goose bumps along his arms. Maybe having his abnormal strength torn from his body affected his core temperature, too? If that were the case, Zoro would definitely need more heat. If not, he'd be dead by morning. Luffy was too much of a wild sleeper to even consider getting close to, Usopp's feet smelled atrocious, and Chopper was too small; his heated fur alone wouldn't work. That obviously left...
Fuck.
Well, maybe dying slowly from the cold wouldn't be so bad.
A huge, breezy gust of wind told him otherwise.
"Seriously, the window's closed. Where the hell did that come from?" Zoro muttered aloud.
He carefully hopped down onto the icy floor barefooted, and stared at the cook's back, debating on whether this was a good idea. Two things were likely to happen. One: Sanji would kick him across the room, or two: he'd stay in Dream Land while Zoro eased in next to him. Though, getting kicked as soon as morning came wouldn't be the greatest wake up call Zoro preferred. Besides, the familiar burn in his stomach egged him on to tap Sanji's shoulder, for what reason, he could only guess. The cook groaned at the touch, shifting onto his other side, setting his sleepy gaze on the swordsman. Zoro could tell he was out of it; it would take more than a few jabs to wake him, but he felt a tad intimidated.
"Zoro...?" Sanji sounded confused, but the lazy grin on his lips unnerved the first mate, "Ma~ri~mo!"
"Shh, idiot cook! It's cold," he said gruffly, "and I don't have enough coverage."
"Hm, sounds rough."
Zoro huffed through clenched teeth, "Can I bunk with you for the night...?"
"I dunno. Never pictured you as a cuddler," Sanji smirked. Zoro climbed in regardless without permission, and Sanji more than happily scooted over as he lifted the blanket open for him. The hammock was only made for one person, meaning they were...unbelievably snug. Zoro had his back towards the cook stubbornly, refusing to look at that stupid grin. He felt a slim arm snake around his waist, which he expected sooner or later, but the gentle chin resting on his head was something new. Sanji's breath swayed his strands of hair and warmed his skull as he hummed contentedly. Zoro wondered why the bastard cook was acting so...affectionate when on other occasions he'd be trying to stick his hand down Zoro's pants. Whatever the reason was, Zoro had to admit he liked it, though the confusion never strayed. His body had stopped shaking long ago, and now he just relished in the scent of fruit, spices, and cherry shampoo (Sanji's unique smell) as he slept. Had he really given in so willingly so fast? Nevertheless, Zoro found his own arm resting on top of the other's after he was sure Sanji was asleep again.
:~:
"...ould be dangerous! Do you know what they would both do to us?! My I-Can't-Get-Pummeled-By-Hotheaded-Cooks-and-Swordsmen disease is acting up," a voice whispered.
"Ne, but it's really funny! Usually they're at each other's throats," another shot in.
Zoro shifted an inch, immediately finding that he couldn't move as much as he wanted to. Something was squeezing him tight. His eyes sprung open hastily and saw nothing but the chest of a surprisingly soft light blue shirt. A hand held on protectively to the hip he lied on, and another cradled his head downwards so Zoro's nose and forehead was intimately buried in the cook's clothes, and to his shock, he was clutching onto Sanji's shirt firmly like it gave him security. He noticed the room had brightened; it was morning already? The cook seemingly stayed asleep.
Luffy and Usopp were hovering above them, one grinning stupidly and the other biting his fingernails nervously. Once Zoro's eyes flashed a threatening glare, Usopp ran for the hills, scared shitless as usual. Luffy, however, smiled genuinely. Almost as if he knew...which was incredibly strange to Zoro considering he never caught on that quickly with things. "I was gonna wake Sanji up...but I won't ruin your fun," the captain murmured smugly.
It was then that Zoro accidentally flipped the entire hammock over trying to escape inevitable embarrassment.
Sanji landed on top of him with a gasp, and soon after, a wide scowl. Zoro almost yelled at the cook's dead weight crushing his internal organs. He spluttered for a second before Sanji quickly lifted himself up and pulled at his ears painfully as punishment. "What the hell, mosshead?!"
"Ow! Leggo of me!" Zoro knew the light blush that spread across his face wouldn't have faded away so quickly; he hoped to high heavens that Sanji didn't say anything about it. Luffy laughed wildly, claiming that he loved how funny they were acting, and left the room in search of Usopp. Sanji stared down at Zoro from his place on the swordsman's lap, registering the situation, and smirked with amusement. Lightly tracing Zoro's collar bone, he felt the impending need to ask, "Did you sleep well, Marimo?"
"...It was fine," he huffed, looking everywhere else but at the blonde.
Sanji chuckled, "Good, 'cause I've got a surprise for you today. Something that I'm sure you'll get a kick out of."
"Is it you freeing your knee's grip on my kidney?"
"No, but that's a good guess," the cook said sarcastically, "I'll show you after I've restocked. We'll be alone for the whole evening, since Robin-chan told Nami-san about the long lost treasure this island is known for. I'd say your manners are somewhat improving, yeah?" Zoro didn't respond to that. He barely made any indication that he had even heard him. The cook took that as a positive sign his plan reflected; making the bull-headed first mate practically speechless and hesitant. His hopes were that these so-called "lessons" he taught wouldn't disappear when the sea witch returned. Until then, Zoro was at his mercy, and Sanji planned to enjoy it as much as he could. He gingerly stood, wrapping an arm around Zoro's torso to help him stand as well, which, of course, the other fussed about. Albeit, he did in fact need the extra hand.
Zoro scratched the faded cold hives on his arms timidly. He was almost afraid to ask; almost. "Can I ask if it's something I'm-"
"Ah ah, I ask the questions; you answer them like a good ball of algae. And I'm not telling you anything just for suspense. But...I know you'll enjoy it," Sanji beamed naughtily as his fingers danced on Zoro's frowning lips. "I sure as hell will." With that, he left for the bathroom to shower and change before starting on breakfast, purposely ignoring the fact that he overslept. Zoro was left alone to his own thoughts, silently fearing yet eagerly anticipating what the cook had in store for him. What in the hell was wrong with him?
:~:
Luffy excitedly hopped off the Merry, shouting the word "adventure" over and over to the heavens. Nami and Robin calmly departed down the gangplank while Chopper dragged a quivering sharpshooter effortlessly in Heavy Point. It had been hours since Nami had planned the treasure hunt, making sure everyone got what they absolutely needed from the markets beforehand, and her eyes sparkled as gold belli signs the entire time. Sanji waved them off as they ventured further off the shoreline and into the thickening forest up ahead. With the galley and storage room restocked for weeks to come, the cook let the most impish smile he's ever made in his life flicker across his lips. He had no more worries, other than protecting his fridge from raids at night. But for the rest of the day...the blonde man glanced at the bag he held loosely in his hand as he chuckled. Zoro was his.
"Damn it all," the swordsman grunted, setting down the single piece of paper he asked Nami for earlier. This was his training, since it would be completely idiotic to even try lifting one of his lesser weights. Hell, the paper was giving him a hard time the more repetitions he did. And he'd only done three! Of two!
Okay, so he couldn't blame his lack of concentration or lack of strength entirely on the sea witch. Sanji's words had gotten him a bit, dare he say it, excited and eager for what was to come. He heard the crew leave already, but couldn't be sure if Sanji went with them. If he did, who would protect him in case the ship got raided? Did Roronoa Zoro need protection? Hell no! But...perhaps admitting it to himself wouldn't be so much of an ego-buster. Alright then. Yes, he needed protection and, frankly, he was considering lying low in the bunkroom if Marines or other pirates did in fact show. Despicable, but this is why he hoped he wasn't on board alone.
"What are you still doing in here?" the cook's voice smoothly flowed from behind him, "I'm not feeding you again."
Zoro scoffed, "Don't say it as if I'm some kind of animal."
"Oh, but you are." The swordsman couldn't have been more perplexed or angered at that; he'd call himself a bit sloppy but certainly not a damn animal. Sanji chuckled while setting down a beige handbag on the counter top as Zoro skeptically watched. The blonde kept his back towards the other, hiding a malicious grin. "You know, mosshead, I've always wanted a cat. But I've spent most of my life on ships, so a pet besides a damn goldfish was out of the question. However, a thought came to me yesterday. A cat depends on their owner, right? To protect them, to feed them, to shelter them; to care in general."
"Why are you telling me this...?"
The cook rummaged through the bag's contents and pulled something out, keeping it out of Zoro's sight as he turned to face him. Sanji's innocent twitch of the lips was more of a miniature smirk than anything as he continued, slowly inching towards other. "Then I started thinking. Who needs protecting? Who needs to be fed? Who sleeps all over the ship?" Standing directly in front of the curious swordsman, Sanji quickly slapped something on top of his head, fastening what felt like straps to his hair. Zoro let him, obviously, but wasn't the least bit amused at the situation. He hadn't got a good look of what the object was, but he could make a shitty guess. Zoro reached up immediately to tug the blasted thing off, but his wondering hand was swatted back down to his side. "No fussing with your cute little ears now," Sanji teasingly scolded.
"Come on, really? You're not actually going to force me to wear this, are you?" Zoro huffed irritably. There wasn't a chance in hell that someone would catch him wearing this fuzzy, plastic monstrosity. Nodding with a ridiculously lusty gaze, the cook dug deeper into that damn bag, oh what more terrors laid in it. A long, black and orange curled tail soon followed after a small box, its contents still unknown. The tail was clearly made out of fabric with a metal or pipe cleaner interior; Zoro hadn't seen the ears, but of course they had to match. So...he was some sort of domesticated tiger, not a regular cat? And why the hell wasn't it bothering him as much as it should be?
"Consider it another form of a lesson in manners. For instance, learning how not to tell someone to piss off when they ask you something or call for you."
"Mainly you, right?" Zoro scoffed, crossing his arms stiffly.
Sanji ignored that, though it was entirely true, "We'll see how well you do when everyone comes back tomorrow."
"And what the fuck kind of excuse should I use?" the swordsman growled fiercely, "I suddenly got a knack for playing dress up? Don't you think this is getting a bit too suspicious, co-" A choked sound curdled in Zoro's throat as soon as the nickname almost formed, and he felt ghost touches of the blonde man's fingers on him, forcibly covering his mouth once again, though said person only stared expectantly, keeping his precious cooking tools to himself. "T-This is getting suspicious...Sanji."
Sanji grinned to himself. Suspicious? That sounded like Zoro didn't want anyone to know what they were doing. This obviously meant he didn't want to be found out. Did Zoro not want to stop the cook? The very thought sent excited shivers throughout his body. Why did that awkwardly turn him on? Not to mention that it seemed his "lessons" were working extraordinarily well so far. Yes, he had caught that little slip of the tongue; he wasn't a moron. He should know from previous experience how many times he had to respond to his so-called "second name". Zoro fussed with his ears regardless, hesitantly poking here and there as Sanji sneakily strapped the matching tail's cord onto his waist. He noticed immediately, but never once tried to pry it off. Sanji smiled knowingly. Zoro probably knew he wouldn't be able to anyway. "Why isn't it dragging me down?" he questioned, referring to the tiger tail currently curled into his lower back.
"There's helium inside the metal, so it's light. I took that into count for you when I bought it," Sanji stated earnestly. Zoro blinked in confusion. Sanji sure was...thinking about him a lot. Which is oddly flattering.
It began to darken outside; the galley's porthole gladly informed them of the day's early ending. The cook had left the job of explaining to the first mate. That is, until he remembered how bad the other was at lying, so Sanji told him something very simple. "You...just like cats."
"That might fool Luffy, but there is no way in hell that would work for anyone else. I don't even believe that's believable," Zoro criticized lightly. "Face it. There's no logical way for me to explain this."
"But it goes so well with the lesson!"
Zoro's face flushed deeply. "I-...is that what you've been calling this shit?! Honestly, you bastard! You've been acting like I'm some damn undisciplined kid in need of a lesson, and this was how you gave it?! As if I've...I've..." Zoro swallowed thickly, staring at the slightly aroused man before him, "Like I've been a...fucking bad boy!"
A hot pair of lips was on his own in mere seconds, and Zoro couldn't help but welcome them. He was so furious yet so turned on that it confused the hell out of his body. He wasn't sure whether to fight back or grind against the other. Sanji's hands were annoyingly wondering all over his torso under his shirt, but he didn't necessarily want it to stop. Zoro soon discovered his own limbs had been thrown around the cook's neck, willingly or not, he wasn't entirely sure. Attentive, persistent licks on his ear made his knees buckle, and a gasp escaped involuntarily. Sanji chuckled lowly, "You haven't been a bad boy lately, so I suppose I should reward you. Would you like that, Marimo~?"
The seductively said words did more to Zoro's libido than he would have liked to admit. There was no possible way anyone couldn't link that to sexual activities. The swordsman's pride was shamelessly tossed aside as he nodded eagerly, causing the blonde to actually laugh. He slipped away for a moment towards the counter, and grabbed the small package Zoro saw him pull out from the bag earlier. It was quite colorful, with big bold kanji letters spread across the front. Zoro couldn't read it from where he awkwardly stood (mind you that he had a raging hard-on and his shirt was ruffled). Once the cook opened it, Zoro's face twisted in disgust. Inside were bite-sized pieces of terribly sweet mochi. Surely the blonde knew he didn't like sweet things?
Sanji noticed his scowl of distaste, and grinned slyly. He tossed one into his mouth and hummed, "It's a different kind of mochi, Moss-head, so don't get all judgmental. It was marinated in cherry flavored sake." Zoro's ears perked up a bit at the mention of alcohol. He hadn't drunk sake in two days, which was way over his usual time limit. He held out his hand with an extremely excited expression, wanting taste it right away. Sanji, however, only pointed to the floor expectantly. The swordsman frowned and stared for what felt like an eternity, waiting for the other to just give him the damn thing already.
"What're you doing?" Zoro eventually spoke.
"Sit, Marimo-kitty."
"..." Were they really doing this? The entire act? With a defeated huff of breath, Zoro flopped onto the bench, seated at the table, and held out his hand again impatiently. There, he sat, right? Okay. That was easier than he thought. Sanji sighed, seemingly in disappointment, which Zoro caught instantly. Did he do something wrong?
The blonde scowled irritably, "Animals don't belong at the table, do they?"
"Chop-"
"Chopper," Sanji sneered, angered that Zoro just had to bring him into this, "is a man-reindeer, so he doesn't count."
"Technically, aren't I a man-tiger? 'Cause-" His words were cut off by a something being shoved into his mouth; it was unexpectedly delicious, and easily addictive. Then he realized, had the cook did that just to shut him up? Before he could even get pissed, Sanji grabbed his upper arm roughly and forced him to his knees. "There," he gave a cocky grin, and then added, "Now stay." Zoro glared heatedly up at him, but didn't move as the cook retrieved another item. Zoro could only imagine how many more humiliating things remained.
And then, his mouth got considerably dry.
There Sanji stood, sexy smirk and an aura of complete and utter desire, holding what made the swordsman's heart beat quicken.
A large, dark purple dildo with a cord connected to the bottom. Zoro had no idea what was on the other side of the cord, since it was still inside the bag. His erection hadn't gone down yet, and seeing the sex toy didn't help. If anything, his cock twitched in anticipation. Chuckling broke his trance, and he focused on the cook again, who couldn't stop cackling mentally. Seriously, Zoro was turn into more of a sex slave than a disciplined person like he originally planned, but, come to think of it, was that really such a horrible thing? "Like what you see? Wow, you really are a little whore. Or...are you just in heat?" Sanji teased. Of course, Zoro kept quiet, not knowing how to respond to something like that. Because, yes, he liked what he saw; very much so. However, he wasn't going to fucking beg for it. His poor pride and ego were diminished enough. There wasn't a battle in the world that he won that could help them. Perhaps he should just stay silent for once, and maybe the cook would be done soon. That could work, right?
"I want an answer, Marimo. A proper answer."
"Proper" probably meant calling the bastard "master." Zoro folded his arms across his chest moodily and gazed out the porthole. Sanji didn't seem please with this reaction. "Zoro..." he warned, noticing how hard the other fidgeted, "not answering counts as being a very bad kitty. You won't get any more treats."
"Fuck your treats! I want to take this shit off and sleep without getting harassed!"
Oh, fuck. The first mate paled slightly at his own foolish outburst. Who knows what the cook would do to him? Fear sunk into the pit of his stomach like a boulder. That accidentally came out on impulse! Sanji watched in amazement as Zoro sincerely panicked, and fumbled for his words. "I hadn't meant that! I..." Realization hit him hard like a pound of bricks. I...hadn't meant it?
Clearly, Sanji wasn't expecting that. His face burned a bright red at the honest confession, and Zoro wasn't sure which of them should be the most embarrassed. Everything had engulfed an uncomfortable silence after that; Zoro hadn't moved an inch from the floor, and the blonde man couldn't decide whether to continue this act or not. Why the fuck did I just say that? Zoro let out a shaky puff of air as his arms dropped down to their sides.
"You...do you want this?" Sanji's voice had dropped into a raspy octave, vulnerable and genuinely curious. Zoro had no choice; he couldn't just take everything he said back without leaving some kind of suspicion.
"Look, I...I don't really know what the hell is wrong with me. You are a mean, manipulative bastard in your own ways, but...yeah, I want it. I'll admit to it. And I don't care if you think I'm some kind of weird freak for wanting this, and not being a fucking lady loving nympho like you. Frankly, I have a lot of shit of my mind being powerless, and I don't need you clogging it up as well."
"Wait, Zoro," Sanji stuck his hands in his pockets since he didn't know what to do with them, "What if I told you I wanted this, too?"
"You're fucking with me. A pussy maniac like you wouldn't want this. You've already made that clear when you basically raped me. So don't give me that crap, cook. I'm going back on my word to myself. If you come near me again, I swear when that damned witch returns, I'll fucking kill you," Zoro growled. Fire was visible in his eyes; a sign of complete seriousness and determination. Sanji could tell he wasn't bluffing.
"And what if I tell everyone how you've kept an important secret from them?! You're the one who didn't want them to know! We could've needed you to steer the router, or take the helm, or fucking fight off marines for that matter!"
Zoro was speechless. It seems that they came to a stalemate. Regardless, Zoro ripped off the cat ears and tail violently and clumsily got to his feet. Most of the blood in his body had taken a detour down south, at least, that's what the swordsman blamed the lack of balance on. "It's settled then," he scowled bitterly, "You don't tell them, and I don't tell them. Now fuck off forever." He stormed out of the galley, though he really had no clue where he could avoid Sanji on a damn ship. So, instead of jumping off the Merry and probably ending up ass backwards in the forest, Zoro settled for burying himself in multiple blankets in his hammock. Well, it was done. He was positive the cook wouldn't come near him from now on.
So why did his chest ache at the very thought?
Me: Well, that took a dark turn. I promised the next chapter won't be as late!