Sanji's body tensed against Zoro's.
"That's a yes? Isn't it?" Zoro sighed
Zoro lightly kissed the back of Sanji's neck.
"If you need to talk..." Zoro trailed off as he closed his eyes.
"Arigato," Sanji whispered kissing the swordsman's arm again.
They both fell into a deep sleep; the cook cradled in the marimo's arm.
He couldn't open his eyes. All he could do was wade around. This was in the hope that he'd grab something to stop his head from being submerged. Sanji's feet couldn't touch the bottom, not that he'd tried too hard. He knew what was surrounding him, what he was swimming in, even with his eyes closed. Every time he breathed it would gush down his throat, leaving a metallic taste in his mouth after he'd regrettably swallowed. There was no doubt that it was blood.
Sanji's eyes shot open and the blood began to drain away. It finally reached the level at which he could touch the ground with his bare feet. He was in a white room and any suggestion that the room had been filled with blood had vanished. That is except from Sanji's once white shirt stained with the blood. In the corner there were two bodies slumped against the wall.
One he'd seen in all of his nightmares; it was Mai's. The other however he'd never seen in his nightmares before and as he looked past the dried blood he noticed tufts of green hair. He screamed, his body doubling over in his own pain. Sanji fell to the floor clutching his chest in hope that it would soothe his despair. Zoro. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes but he fought them back. The cook looked up; they were gone. A sharp pain shot through his left shoulder and only worsened as he howled out in pain. Slowly, the grip loosened and he was able to turn and look up at the person. Mai.
She was older how she should have been then. Her hair was tied back in a bun and her eyes held spite and disgust.
"You're not special. Whoever told you that; be it Zeff or I they were wrong," her fingertips brushed against his left cheek flipping up his fringe.
"Mai?!" Sanji whispered.
"Zoro doesn't love you. How could he?! Not even I; your own sister, love you," she continued.
"Shut up!" he shouted slamming his arm into her body.
The girl flew across the room. Her skull hit the far wall and she let out a blood curdling scream. Sanji turned to look at his sister. Mai sat upright against the wall a thin stream of blood trickling down a spot on her forehead.
"Foolish boy!" she snarled, smirking.
"Do not think you can dispose of me that easily I am indented into your thoughts, your mind, your very memory."
"It's not really you," Sanji answered closing his eyes.
Mai shrugged.
"And what does that matter if what I say is still the truth. The truth is Zoro can never truly love you."