He looked down at the school grounds scattered with protruding rocks. Sanji didn't want to die but if it meant the end of his pain he would gladly jump.
"Don't jump," a voice said and Sanji stumbled forward, almost falling.
A hand grabbed him and pulled him backwards.
"Don't jump," he repeated letting go his shoulder and sitting back down on the edge of the roof.
"W-who are you?" Sanji stuttered sitting down next to the boy.
"Silver Foxy," he answered. "Just Foxy is fine."
"What are you doing up here?" the cook asked.
"Celebrating," he answered monotonly.
Foxy looked out over the countryside spread beyond the school grounds and sighed.
"I jumped, a year ago to this day, almost to this minute. I broke two of my ribs and lost my leg to the rocks. I've been in and out of the intense care unit this past year."
"Your ribs?!" Sanji said his voice chocked and hoarse.
"Yeah, was a really difficult and long surgery to extract the fractured bone. They couldn't save my leg though," he patted the robotic leg and lifted his trouser leg revealing the metal. "When I wasn't in the ICU I was in therapy and counselling sessions."
"But you're better now?" Sanji asks and Foxy nods his head. "Why'd you jump?"
"Same reason as you. Pain," he said staring Sanji straight in the eye.
Zoro had seen everything. He'd seen Sanji walk to the edge of the roof and that's when he began to run. He hurried up the stairs taking them five at a time where he could. The swordsman was determined not to lose Sanji for the same reason he'd lost Kuina. Zoro was out of breath as he climbed the ladder. His lungs screaming when he hauled himself onto the roof, his adrenaline screaming back at them.
"Sanji!" he almost whispered.
The cook snapped his head back and he scrambled to his feet when he saw the swordsman. He flung himself into the marimo's open arms.
"Gomen ne. I love you," Sanji cried as a new waterfall of tears cascaded down his slightly pink cheeks.
Zoro held Sanji close to his chest as the cook said the words Zoro most wanted to hear.
"It's okay," the swordsman whispered kissing the top of Sanji's head.
"It doesn't help you know!?" Foxy said when they were back in the Thousand Sunny house.
"What?" Sanji asked his hands still shaking even though Zoro was holding him as close as possible.
"Death. Your pain just gets passed along to the ones you've left. You of all people should know because you've been left, by Mai," Foxy answered.
"Mai!?" Zoro said weaving his fingers into Sanji's as they began to clench up.
"H-how do you know her name?" Sanji stuttered.
"I know her name and that she is dead, but that is all," he said getting up and leaving the house.
"Sanji-kun, who is Mai?" Zoro asked after Foxy had left.
Sanji ripped his hand from Zoro's grip.
"Don't call me that. EVER. And don't say her name," he said disappearing into the girls dorm.