The ride back home was quiet, and to Sanji's relief, the tube carriage was devoid of any other passanger. He checked the time on his bangle. It was just past two in the morning. Sighing, he sunk into his seat, the bright fluorescent lights adding to the burden on his heavy eyelids.
Zoro sat in the seat opposite him, posture straight but his shoulders relaxed and even his eye lids sagged. He was still now, no longer glancing at anything and everything. Worry began to gnaw inside Sanji.
"Why are you coming back to the Island?" he asked.
"Why did you take my collar off?" Zoro didn't even look up when he spoke.
Sanji blinked. "You didn't answer my question."
"Answer mine first. Then I'll answer yours."
The blonde hummed. "Childish, but alright, whatever." He glanced at the window, watching the rain smack against the glass and stream down in small rivulets like silver veins.
"I never had any intention of helping you escape," he said. "I know you hate the collar. I thought… I thought maybe if I took it off, I could show you that I really am on your side. We're not keeping you chained forever. It's just… safety measures, I guess. I hoped that taking it off would help you understand that."
He let the silence follow, allowing for his answer to sink in both their heads.
"Now it's your turn," said Sanji. "Why are you coming back to the Island?"
Zoro's eyes flicked over to him. Under that glowing look, Sanji realized the tiger had many forms of staring. This one was similar to the silent, observing eyes that watched his moves when they played chess, and watched his lips as he smoked.
"I'm learning," answered the tiger. Then he looked away.
Sanji was left with his thoughts, staring blankly at the Companion. What did he mean by that? Learning? Learning what?
The rain stopped. Sanji glanced outside and saw the dark tunnel of the main terminal. They were nearly home. He checked his bangle again. The dark green screen was blank. No messages. It was hard to tell if that was a good or a bad thing.
When the tube clanked onto the other rails, Sanji got up and stretched his arms above his head, his joints popping as he moved. He walked to the window, glancing at the starry sky dome that stretched above them, and the tall work buildings with a few lights illuminating the night shift. There were barely any people around. More importantly, there weren't any of Law's lab team or any of the security staff around.
"Looks like we're clear for now," Sanji muttered, more to himself than anyone.
Zoro hummed before Sanji felt his presence beside him. The tiger leaned on the glass door, watching the grassy hills roll by outside in the darkness. It was hard to tell what expression he was wearing now. He was keeping everything hidden behind those stripes.
"While we were out Law sent me two messages," explained Sanji. "I couldn't tell whether or not he knew you were gone from them. There may be a chance nobody knows. So we're going to sneak in, just like we snuck out.
Zoro nodded without a word. It all seemed too easy, and Sanji was suspicious that the tiger was planning something again. Before his thoughts had time to develop, the tube stopped at the living quarters.
He took a deep breath before stepping out into the chilly air. Zoro followed close behind him. It didn't look like there was anyone around, but as Sanji approached the glass doors to the lobby, he spotted two figures making their way out. The dark-haired, tattooed doctor and the labrador Companion.
"Shit, it's Law!" hissed Sanji, shoving Zoro into the hedgerows beside the doorway.
"Hey!" Zoro growled. But Sanji threw a finger to his lips and pushed him deeper into the bushes.
He turned around just as the Lobby doors slid open and Law and Luffy stepped outside. At least the look of surprise on their faces seemed to mirror the anxious look on the blonde's.
"Sanji!" Luffy was first to speak, ears perked and tail wagging. "You're back!"
"He told me you stepped out for a bit," said Law.
"Yeah yeah! I said you went to Mainland," Luffy interjected, grabbing the blonde's arms and nodding his head, looking at him with wide eyes. "He didn't come in to the flat. I told him Zoro was sleeping, and he probably doesn't want to be woken up. And I said you left me with Zoro because he shouldn't be left alone, and that's all I said."
Sanji could see the suspicious furrow of Law's brows at Luffy's sudden odd behaviour. He laughed and pulled out of Luffy's grip, patting the labrador on the head.
"Alright. Good job."
"Geez, man. If you were going out, you could've invited me," said Law, before yawning out loud. Sanji noticed the darker circles under his eyes, and now that he was close, he could smell a hint of alcohol on the man's clothes. Law's face suddenly cleared and he gave Sanji a wry smile.
"Wait…" he said. "Did you… Did you meet someone?"
"N-no, no. I just, I went over there this morning to pick something up from Usopp and I thought I'd go and give it back."
The doctor frowned. "You went to the shelter at this time of night? I thought Spandam had the place in curfew after eight."
"The curfew is for the kids. Besides, Spandam's a pushover. Mention Robin's name and he'll shit his pants."
Law laughed. "That's true."
Sanji noticed Luffy was glancing over at the hedgerows, nose twitching at a scent. The dog really couldn't keep a secret, could he?
"Uh, was there something you wanted?" asked Sanji, hoping it would get the doctor moving.
Law shook his head. "I, uh… I just thought I'd check on the tiger. I messaged you but you didn't reply. I met Luffy in the hallway. Sounds like everything's still the same with our untalkative cat, huh?"
There was something about Law's awkward chuckle at the end of that sentence that had Sanji narrowing his eyes. Something was off, and it wasn't that Law knew Zoro was missing for a few hours…
"Anyway, it's late. I was just gonna walk this little guy home," he paused and ruffled Luffy's hair. "And I better not keep you. Don't you have work in the morning?"
"Yeah, I need sleep."
"You look it."
"Look who's talking."
Law chuckled as he made for the tube tracks. "I'll see you some other time then."
Luffy walked ahead a little bit but turned back.
"You came back with him?" He asked in a hushed whisper.
Sanji nodded. Before the look of confusion had a chance to develop in Luffy's face, the tube pulled into the tracks.
"Luffy!" called Law, standing in the open doorway. The Labrador bounded after him, and Sanji waved them off as the tube pulled away.
The hedgerows rustled behind him and Zoro clambered out, brushing twigs and leaves from his clothes and fur.
"That was close," said Sanji, letting out a sigh of relief.
Zoro grabbed the collar of his jacket, sneering into this face. "Warn me next time you want to shove me into the greenery," he growled before pushing the man away and continued to brush leaves from the top of his head.
"He doesn't know I left?"
Sanji shook his head. "Doesn't seem like it. Didn't even know you were right here, just behind him. At least we know your camouflage works."
He grinned and reached up to pull a stubborn leaf stuck behind the tiger's ear. A stripped hand lashed out and gripped Sanji's wrist. Eyes wide and pupils in slits, Zoro's fur bristled. Sanji froze, feeling that instant switch in Zoro's defences. Perhaps he was foolish to think he and the tiger were in equal terms now…
The tiger's eyes moved from Sanji to the leaf between his fingers. Realisation relaxed the glare in his face. Zoro let go of him, turning to enter the lobby. Cindry, still functional from greeting Luffy and Law, turned and beamed at the two of them.
"Welcome back, Mr Black! And company!"
"Shut up," groused Zoro.
Cindry's face froze, unable to comprehend a response. Sanji fought down a laugh and nudged Zoro as they entered the lift.
"Don't talk to her like that."
Zoro frowned. "Why not?"
"It's rude."
"So?"
Sanji looked at him squarely. "First lesson in polite socialising: Never be rude to a woman."
"Just women?"
"Women deserve your utmost respect, adoration, admiration and everything else above and beyond that."
"So I can be rude to men? Like you?" Zoro grinned, his fangs glinting.
"Be rude to me, and I just might forget to feed you."
"Huh. What's a meal or two skipped?"
Sanji glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. Zoro glared back an equal challenge at the cook. The lift dinged on their floor.
"Lesson number two, kitty," said Sanji as he walked into the hallway. "You'll learn to value food when you're with me."
Zoro kept his challenging smirk. "Is that a threat to starve me, blondie?"
"No, it's a threat to kick your face in if you take your meal times for granted."
Sanji paused to slot his key card into the door, leading the two of them in his flat. A cold wall of silence hit them as soon as the door closed behind Zoro. Sanji busied himself with taking off his jacket, kicking off his shoes and disposing of the umbrellas now twisted and crumpled from the rain.
Zoro didn't seem to know what to do with himself. After shrugging off the coat and shaking of the beanie, leaving both articles on the floor, he stood by the entryway, glancing around the living room with uncertainty.
Sanji cleared his throat. "It's late. You better get some sleep."
The tiger walked a little further into the room, but stopped and glared down the hallway. His ears spun like radar dishes atop his head and the fur started to bristle around his neck. Sanji understood.
"You can sleep on the couch tonight, if you want," said the cook. "Or anywhere really. You don't have to stay in that room."
Zoro's shoulders eased at that. Pleased that he seemed to ease some worry in the tiger's mind, Sanji strode down the hallway into his room. In his en suite, Sanji rolled the sleeves of his shirt up and splashed cold water on his face. He stared at his reflection on the mirror. Eyes red and skin sagging with fatigue. He sighed, stripping off his shirt and grabbing a small towel to dry his face with.
He walked out of the bathroom, stopping when he spotted Zoro inspecting his bedside table. The tiger's ears turned towards the blonde, but he continued his exploration of Sanji's bare room.
Sanji's skin prickled with awareness that he was half naked around the tiger, so he quickly sidled over to his wardrobe and pressed the screen of his bangle to the sensor. Slipping in as the doors slid open, Sanji threw on a thin tank top and some loose sweatpants. As the garter of his sweatpants snapped against his hips, he saw Zoro cautiously enter the walk-in wardrobe. His nose twitched as he inspected the rails of suits and trousers and shelves of shirts and shoes.
Zoro frowned halfway through Sanji's smart suits. "This room is full of clothes."
"It's the wardrobe. It's where I keep my clothes."
He stepped back into his room and ran a hand over the sensor.
"C'mon," he gestured for Zoro to come out. The tiger slid between the doors as they shut. He stared at the wall that was now closed, hiding the wardrobe behind it.
Sanji shook his head and walked back to the kitchen. It was strange, almost jarring, to see an innocent side to Zoro like this. Nonetheless, the cook couldn't help but feel somewhat special at the thought of being the first to see this side of the tiger.
He poured a bowl of water, stalling in the centre of the living room. Usually, he left water in Zoro's room overnight. But he doubted that the tiger would want to return there. He left it on the coffee table, the fish panicking at the shadow cast over their world and retreating to the plastic reefs at the other end of the aquarium.
Sanji returned to his room, hesitating at the doorway. The tiger had climbed onto his bed, curled up smack bang in the middle of the whole king sized space. His eyes were shut and his chest rose and fell in slow rhythm.
The cook crept up the side of the bed. "Zoro?" he called out softly.
Nothing but the tiger's soft breathing greeted him. Zoro was completely out. Sanji hung his head and let out a deep sigh. What was he going to do now? He stood back, eyeing the little space the tiger had left on the bed. No. There was no way Sanji had the nerve to try and get in regardless, and risk waking the tiger and getting shredded for his troubles.
With no other option, Sanji grabbed a blanket from the drawers under his bed and moved to flop down on the couch in the living room. It wasn't bad, his couch was comfortable and accommodating enough. But for what seemed like a long time, Sanji lay on his back and stared up at the empty ceiling, as the lights dimed around him until nothing but the aquarium light illuminated the room.
Sanji couldn't remember the last time he slept without the ambience. In the silence of the living room, he could hear the gentle humming of all the machines that surrounded him. He could see how the tiger could find this irritating. It was jarring with the general homely and comfortable atmosphere the Company worked so hard to create in the living quarters. But that humming… a constant reminder that you are never far or away from work.
The cook turned on his side, watching the orange fish in his tank swim lazy circles in and out of the reef. In his mind's journey towards sleep, he conjured up the sound of waves lapping on the side of a boat. As his eyes drooped closed, Sanji's mind lulled him into a dream, where orange fish darted like small balls of flame through the water, and peeking through the seaweed and the coral, were a pair of burning eyes, framed by burnt amber striped with jet black.
Leaving the flower shaped building, Sanji stretched his arms over his head. His back clicked in three places as he moved and a long yawn escaped his lips, barely concealed behind a hand. He glanced at his reflection as he passed the silver walls. The dark bags were still there under his red eyes. Looks like he was definitely getting an early night tonight.
He managed to grab a seat on the busy commute back home, fighting with his flagging conscience to stay awake and not miss his stop. Keying into his flat, Sanji froze halfway through stepping out of his shoes. A feminine, light-hearted giggle, came faintly from the tiger room.
Sanji walked into his flat and looked around cautiously, heart drumming at his chest. He left Zoro alone that morning, half asleep and sloppily eating breakfast at the island counters in the kitchen. He didn't even think of putting the tiger back in his collar just in case someone did come for a surprise visit.
Swallowing a lump of panic building at his throat, Sanji strode to the tiger room. Zoro was sat at the table, bowl of water in his hands, listening as Robin spoke to him from the other side of the room. He met the cook's eyes, exchanging a look of understanding. Sanji breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw the collar around his neck.
"Ah, welcome home, Mr Black," greeted Robin from where she stood, by the open panel on the wall that housed the blue glowing sphere. Sanji's relief clogged in his chest and another wave of panic flashed through his body.
"M-mrs Robin," stuttered the cook through a nervous chuckle. He forced a smile to pull at his lips. "If only you were here to greet me every time I come home from work."
Robin giggled and Sanji continued before she could speak. "What, er, what brings a beauty such as yourself here?"
The raven haired woman placed a hand around the orb and dislodged it from the slot on the wall. She placed a new one into the wall.
"I'm here to collect the observation footage," she said, pocketing the recorder transponder. Sanji's stomach lurched as he watched the sphere disappear into her blazer pocket. "It will be interesting to watch over our interactions with the tiger over the past week."
"Y-yeah…" Sanji was cursing and kicking himself inside. How could he forget about the recorder transponder? He even set it up himself! His mind spun like a wheel as he thought about how he could stop Robin from watching the footage.
"I won't keep you, Mr Black," Robin continued, walking back into the living room. "I just have one other thing to give you."
She patted a plastic box sat on the end of his couch, right on top of the blankets he'd folded up from last night. Sanji swallowed, wondering if she'd noticed.
"I collected a few clothes that might suit Mr Zoro better than that old hospital vest and those trousers," said Robin, pulling Sanji's attention from the box. "Hopefully, this will cheer him up a bit."
"Thoughtful as ever," answered Sanji with another painfully wide smile. "Thank you."
"Well, I'll leave you to it."
"Uh, Robin… What, er, what exactly do you plan to do with the transpoder footage?"
Robin gave him a blank look. "I'll play through it, make my observations and come up with an analysis. Don't worry, Mr Black. I'll report back to you and Doctor Law tomorrow evening at our meeting."
"Well, I was just thinking… Wait, what meeting?"
"To discuss the progress and next steps with our project with the tiger. Did Law not tell you about this?"
Sanji shook his head. Was that why Law came by last night?
"Well, it's tomorrow evening down in Law's laboratory," said Robin rolling her eyes. "Genius he might be, but he certainly lacks the organization to head a team project."
"Ah, wait," Sanji called her again as she turned for the door. "Er, about that transponder… You're probably really busy with your own work at the moment, right? I'd be happy to analyse the footage and make a report myself."
Robin stared for a long time at the cook, before her face broke into a smile.
"You underestimate my ability to multi-task, Mr Black," she replied. Then turned and headed for the door. "Don't worry about me. I'll manage to get the report done for tomorrow. See you then."
The door shut with a thud, and Sanji was left gawking at the empty hallway. Clicking his tongue to the roof of his mouth, he strode back into the tiger room.
Zoro was still sat at the table. "Is she gone?"
Sanji nodded, glancing at the collar still around his neck. "Did she see you-"
"Of course not. Do you think I'm stupid? I heard her come in, so I ran in here and put it back on before she saw."
He moved a hand to take the collar off.
"Wait!" cried Sanji. Zoro's hand stilled. "Don't… Don't take it off yet."
"What? Why?" growled Zoro, his pupils slitting.
Sanji strode out of the room and back into his bedroom. "Just… wait there a minute!" He called out.
Retrieving the scrambler device he hid in his wardrobe that morning, Sanji returned and stood by the panel with the blue orb on the wall.
"What is it?" asked Zoro.
Sanji gritted his teeth. "Sorry, Robin," he muttered, then pressed the scrambler into the panel and pushed the button. The lights flickered again. Sanji pulled back and observed his handiwork. The transponder still glowed, but the panel behind it stopped humming. Did it work?
A striped hand reached around him and snatched the device from his hand.
"Ah! Zoro, no!"
Zoro held the scrambler way from the cook. "You need to stop using this thing. Do you know how annoying that whistle is?"
"What whistle?"
"You can't hear it?"
"Look, just give it back. It's not mine and if I break it, the guy who owns it is gonna kill me."
Zoro regarded him for a minute, a playful smirk pulling at his lips. "Will he really?"
Sanji shrugged. "Well, he could try, but he probably won't get that far. C'mon, just hand it over. I won't use it again."
After a moment of hesitation, the tiger handed back the scrambler. Zoro pointed to the panel behind him.
"What was that, anyway?"
Sanji groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "A recording transponder… It's recorded everything that's been happening in this room since I installed it last week. Including…"
"… Including me getting out last night…" Zoro finished his sentence.
Sanji nodded. "Robin's gonna look through it tonight… Then she'll tell Law everything tomorrow."
A harsh sigh escaped his lips as he continued to glare at the panel.
Zoro's tail twitched as he spoke. "What'll they do then?"
"I don't know… Write me off the project for being irresponsible, for sure."
"What will they do to me?"
Sanji looked Zoro square in the eyes then. "Nothing bad, I'll make sure of it. If I'm off the project, I can still catch them in other places. I'll talk to them. Don't worry."
The cook made his way back to the living room, Zoro close behind him. He eyed the box as Sanji unfolded the lid and pulled out a simple, black shirt.
"In the meantime, it looks like you're being spoilt," said Sanji with a smirk, chucking the shirt right in the tiger's face.
Zoro hissed at him, but his attention jumped to the shirt as he inspected it at arms length and high in the air. Sanji pulled out another shirt from the box and grimaced at the burgundy cotton covered in yellow palm trees.
"Oh god," he muttered. "These are Franky's old clothes…"
He chucked the red shirt behind the couch. "Don't wear that one. Ever. Please."
He tossed another pair of sweatpants at the tiger. These should fit him better than the biggest of Sanji's clothes. Zoro pulled the hospital vest over his head, revealing that long, gnarled scar that cut across the tight muscles of Zoro's chest. Sanji looked away, getting flustered for realising he didn't really need to look away, but he felt there was something inappropriate about watching the tiger get dressed. Still, Zoro should know better than just to strip in front of people.
Sanji strode into the kitchen, lighting a cigarette and pulling out a chopping board and a large pot. When he glanced to the living room, Zoro was completely clothed again. The shirt still pulled across his body, but that and the trousers fitted him a lot better. Zoro looked more comfortable too.
"Hey, you hungry?"
Sanji vaguely registered Zoro's nodded reply, busying himself with pulling ingredients from the fridge and whacking the stove on. His mind retreated into his reel of thoughts, spinning endless excuses of what he could say in the meeting tomorrow.
Zoro attempted to escape, but I followed him and coaxed him back.
He managed to get the collar off, not me.
He and Luffy were fighting, so I thought I should separate them.
Sanji gritted his teeth as began to slice up small potatoes, his knife tapping rapidly against the slate chopping board. Nothing. There was no believable excuse he could fathom for the current circumstances revolving the tiger. The only alternative was to tell the truth. What's worst that could happen?
He placed the knife down and filled a large pot with water, the sound of rushing water splashing against steel drowning out the silence. If Law and Robin knew what he was doing without their knowledge, they would deem him irresponsible and take Zoro away, place him in some other employee's care. Sanji didn't want that.
Regardless of the danger of being in close quarters with the Companion has put him in, Sanji didn't want to let go of Zoro. He was a tiger. A fragment of a relic from the times when animals of all shapes and sizes roamed land. Nobody else seemed to understand that. Nobody else would know just how valuable Zoro was.
Sanji paused, feeling the heat of a gaze on his back. He turned to see Zoro sat on a barstool, staring straight-faced at Sanji's hands, now back to slicing potatoes.
The cook cleared his throat. "This might take a while. You don't have to wait there."
Zoro didn't move. Hesitantly, Sanji returned to his cooking. He wasn't used to having an audience, but he hoped that Zoro would loose interest soon.
"What will you tell them tomorrow?" asked Zoro after a moment of silence.
Sanji sighed, scraping the potatoes from the board and into the pot.
"I have no idea. But there's no point worrying about it too much. I'll figure something out."
Zoro's eyes met Sanji's, his face unreadable as always.
"I've noticed you spend a lot of time saying everything's going to be okay without having any real grounds that it will be."
Sanji stared at him. It amazed him how the tiger could be so silent and suddenly come out with long winded sentences out of nowhere. He smirked.
"Am I sensing a little doubt?"
"Just a little? Your senses need tweaking."
Sanji narrowed his eyes. "If we're going by that logic, there's no grounds for things to go badly either."
"Yes there is. The fact that you can't think of a way around the problem is grounds enough."
"Alright. Fine. Do you have any ideas?"
Zoro's ears folded. He hunched in his seat, glancing away. "I didn't say that I did."
Sanji sighed. The tiger looked dejected and it planted a seed of guilt in the cook's gut again. He crossed his arms and stood before Zoro.
"Look, whatever happens tomorrow night, we'll work around it. Whatever happens after that, we'll work around it. I say everything's going to be okay because in the long run, that's what we're working towards. So ultimately, if we keep sorting out problem after problem, we'll be okay in the end."
Sanji was rambling. He wasn't even sure if what he said made sense, but it all kind of just came out at once. Zoro, however, seemed to relax. Ears perked, and pupils retaining their normal size. At least he seemed convinced.
"That's an interesting way of thinking," said the tiger.
Sanji raised a brow. "Interesting good, or interesting bad?"
"There's no good or bad to interesting. Just… Interesting."
The cook chuckled. "You sure like your philosophy, don't you?"
Zoro frowned and tilted his head. "Philosophy?"
Sanji shook his head. "Nevermind." He opened the fridge and pulled out a green bottle, passing it to the tiger. "My point is, take it off your mind for now. I'll think of something. We'll figure out the rest after tomorrow evening."