Bonding Over Bloody Noses

"Shit, Ace, sometimes I get the feeling you're doing this in purpose." Zoro hefted the older boy up onto his back and turned to head towards Ace's house. Unfortunately, Ace's neighborhood was made up of lots curved roads and dead ends. Needless to say, Zoro quickly got lost.

He gently lowered Ace down and sat next to him, taking a moment to catch his breath. He took out his phone and scrolled down to the S's, pressing Smoker's name and waiting for his brother to pick up.

"Well this is a surprise, Marimo. You never call me."

Zoro froze when he heard Sanji's voice. Shit, he'd pressed the wrong number.

"Dammit, Zoro, you better not have butt dialed me again."

'Again?' Zoro stuttered a moment before collecting his thoughts. "Ahh, no, sorry, I meant to call my brother. Ace passed out on me and I was gonna try and take him home, but I got kinda..."

"Lost?" Sanji couldn't resist laughing a little. "Where are you?"

Zoro got up and looked around for the street signs. "Uhh...corner of...Braid and Home."

Sanji felt his heart jump a little bit. "Oh, I'm about 3 blocks from there." Closer to 6, but Zoro didn't need to know that. "Here, I'll grab my dad's van and come get you guys."

Zoro was surprised by Sanji's offer, but he'd have to be an idiot to refuse. "Uh, y-yeah! That'd be great. ...Is...that okay?"

"Yeah, yeah! I'll be over soon!" Sanji hung up and hurried to get out the door. His dad wouldn't be home for another hour yet, so he'd probably get away with stealing the car for a spell. Or at least he hoped so.

Zoro was sitting next to Ace's body when he arrived. He parked and got out the car as nonchalantly as he could manage, pretending like he hadn't just been in the greatest hurry to get there.

"Hey," Zoro greeted with a half smile, "thanks for doing this."

"No problem. Help me get him into the car."

Sanji and Zoro took hold of their unconscious friend, Sanji holding him under the arms and Zoro taking his feet

"You know," Zoro mused, "it probably looks like we're trying to hide a dead body."

Sanji laughed, "Only the best of friends will help you bury a dead body."

Zoro's head snapped up to look at Sanji, but the blonde was looking behind him as he stepped back up into the back half of the van. Zoro looked down, brow furrowing. 'Best of friends, huh...' Zoro couldn't help but think it was quite the jump from their usual relationship.

"Alright, set him down." They lowered Ace onto the back seat, trying to get as much of his body onto the seat as they could manage.

"I'll stay back here with him." Zoro offered, missing the look Sanji gave him.

"Yeah, okay." Sanji maneuvered into the front seat, slipping his belt on before throwing the van into drive and peeling away from the curb.

Zoro lurched and hit his face against the door with the force of his entire body behind it. "Ow, shit!" Blood slowly trickled down the inside of his nose. "Fuck, you shitty cook, your piss poor driving gave me a bloody nose." As Sanji took another turn, Zoro had to brace himself, one hand shooting out to make sure Ace didn't join him on the floor.

"No shit, really? Sorry, didn't mean to."

"Yeah, I can tell you mean it."

"Is it really that bad?"

"Yeah, 'm gonna get blood on my pants."

"Damn, can't let that happen." He dreaded his father's reaction to the blood on his cloth seats. The stain would never lift. Sanji pulled over again and threw the car into park, turning the car off all together this time. "Got napkins in the glove box, hold on...come up here. Don't drip on anything though."

"Yeah, yeah." Zoro tried to stand up from where he was somewhat stuck. He couldn't use his hands to stand up, as they were holding his nose as it bled, and he couldn't get up without them. Well shit.

"Oi, Marimo, get up here."

"I can't."

"What?"

"I can't. What are you, deaf?" Zoro struggled again, trying to stand without getting blood anywhere.

"Hey, hold on, I'll come down." Sanji slunk back into the back seat, a clump of napkins in his hand. "Lemme see."

"I can wipe me own damn nose." Ace started to slide off the seat and Zoro had to use his forearm to hold him up, the blood trickling down his face and through his fingers.

"Holy shit, that's not normal." Sanji brought a hand up and pinched Zoro's nose. "Did you hit your face on an ice pick or something?"

"Shut up! I just fell face first into your jank door." He tried his best to keep from moving as Sanji helped him clean off his face while he kept Ace from falling on top of them. He ripped off a piece of paper and single handedly rolled it up so he could plug his nose.

Sanji finished wiping the remaining smears off his face. "There. Well, at least your face is clean."

"Yeah, thanks Mom." Zoro snarked.

"Che, you're welcome, ya bastard." He sat back a bit, chuckling, "Now you definitely look like you tried to kill someone. You got blood on your shirt."

"Yeah, well, now you're my accomplice."

Sanji snorted a laugh before got up and went back into the driver's seat. "Alright, let's get your dead body home."

Zoro wiped off his hands as Sanji started the car, looking at the back of Sanji's head with a bashful little smile. Little did he know that right behind him, Ace's face had split into a wide, shit-eating grin.

o()o()o

"Yes, yes, I'm coming, I'm coming." Dadan opened the door to see one young man with blood on his shirt, another blonde boy with blood smears on his hands, and her unconscious foster son's unconscious body. She didn't know what to think, so she settled for openly gaping.

"I, uh, I got a bloody nose." Zoro explained awkwardly.

"Heyyy...Dadan..." Ace mumbled from where he was draped across Zoro's back.

"Oh, finally awake?" Zoro turned to try and look at Ace. "Want me to put you down?"

"Well, I'm kinda cataplectic at the moment. So it'd be greatly appreciated if you'd set me down on the couch." His speech was a bit slurred as he directed Zoro to the pull out couch. Sabo was lying on one side while Luffy sat on the end, the two of them playing a video game.

"Oh, Ace." Sabo sat up a little more, but with difficulty. "You're home."

"Hey Ace! I'm kicking Sabo's butt in this new game~"

"You are not!"

"Hey, Sabo." Ace was gently laid next to his ailing foster brother. "How you feeling?

"Better than you probably are."

Dadan sighed, "Ace, how long have you been out?"

Ace squirmed as he began to get the feeling back in his body. "Dunno...45 minutes, give or take."

"That's not normal!" She screeched, "You're getting worse! You're not taking your meds again!"

"I know, I know. Jeez, I can take care of myself, you old bag."

"Obviously not, you ungrateful brat! Your friends just carried you through the door!"

Sanji and Zoro stood awkwardly in the doorway, not sure if they should go or not. Ace noticed their hesitance and made an effort to smile. "You guys can stay if you want. I don't think I'd be much fun until I can move again though."

Zoro tilted his head. "Why can't you move, though?" He asked, "I thought if you had a fit you'd just pass out for a while."

"Oh, narcolepsy is a barrel of fun. In addition to falling asleep uncontrollably, I get muscle weakness; sleep paralysis sometimes. Even worse is when my brain's asleep but my body's up and about. That's why sometimes I do things and then don't remember even doing them."

"...Wow...that...really sucks." Sanji offered weakly. He knew it was an understatement, but he didn't know what else he could say.

"Haha, it's not too bad. Could be worse." He brought his arms to his sides and scooched himself up. "There we go... Hey, ya guys wanna play a game of—"

"Where's my favorite grandson!?" Garp burst through the door, a wide grin on his face as he laughed boisterously.

"Shit! Grandpa!" Luffy winced instinctively, looking over at his grandpa.

"Garp! What are you doing here?" Dadan was just as surprised, if not more so, than Luffy was. She took a whiff of the air and could smell alcohol and cigar smoker on him. "You've been out drinking again!"

"Ahh, I was just out with an old friend of mine, Zeff." The emphasis Garp put on the name sent shivers up Sanji's spine. "You know, having just gone from seeing him, and then seeing his van out front, got me a little confused."

Zoro looked over at Sanji, cocking a confused eyebrow. Sanji wasn't daring to look anywhere but the floor as icy fear ran up his spine.

"Haa, it's good to know that it was just his son that stole his van. He must be worried, I'll give him a call." Garp knew very well that Zeff did not 'worry' about things such as that. But the implied threat was enough to get Sanji talking.

"N-Naw, that's alright," he was trying to play it cool, but Zoro saw straight through it, "I'll give him a call. I should probably get going anyways."

"Hey, I'll come with you." Zoro offered before he could think otherwise. "I mean, if we both tell him why you took his van, then he probably won't get so mad, right?"

Sanji sighed. Why did Zoro have to see him looking so lame? "Yeah, alright."

"We'll be headed out, Ace." Zoro waved as they started to walk around Luffy's grandfather. He was a very powerful looking man, and he held an incredible presence within the room.

"Aww, c'mon," Luffy whined, "you guys just got here!"

"Well, I should be getting home anyways. Mom's probably worried." Zoro looked down at Ace, "And I'm kinda worried bout my brother too. He wasn't really himself earlier."

Ace looked away, a light blush forming on his cheeks.

"Oh, you're leavin already? Well, be careful driving home, ya brats." Garp smiled knowingly down at Sanji, who simply looked down and away as he slunk out the door after Zoro.

"Hey, thanks for, uh, comin with me." Sanji mumbled awkwardly as he scratched at the back of his head.

"Well, in return you can take me home." Zoro smirked as he yanked on the passenger side door handle, impatiently waiting for Sanji to unlock it.

"Ha! Fat fuckin chance. I just helped you transport a dead body at the risk of my own skin. If anything, you still owe me." Sanji unlocked the doors and climbed in.

"Hey, I didn't have to volunteer to put my ass on the line for you."

"You wouldn't have to if I hadn't stuck my neck out by picking your wayward ass up in the first place." Sanji lashed out and playfully punched Zoro in the shoulder before starting up the van and pulling away from the curb.

"You didn't have to agree!" Zoro punched him back, a broad smile on his face.

"What, and leave you to roam the streets for the rest of your life just cause you couldn't find your way out?" Sanji reached over and tried to hit Zoro again, but Zoro blocked. He began to wave his hand around, trying to get in a good slap whenever he could. Zoro grabbed Sanji's hand and batted at Sanji with his free hand.

"Geh! That's cheating! That's cheating!"

"What are you, a kid?" The two of them were laughing as the van swerved all over the dark and thankfully empty street.

Zoro finally established a firm grip on Sanji's wriggling hand with both of his. "Heh, guess I win."

"Yeah, yeah. Only cause I'm driving..." Sanji could feel the incredible warmth that surrounded his right hand and he couldn't help but feel a little giddy. All he had to do was rotate his hand a bit and their fingers could interlace. He was scared to take that first step, but after steeling himself with a deep breath, he moved his hand ever so slightly so his fingers were nestled between the creases of Zoro's fingers.

Zoro felt his heart jump when Sanji's hand moved to hold his. The hand that he had resting on top of Sanji's fell away and his other spread to let Sanji's hand intertwine with his.

Sanji's fingers slowly curled around Zoro's hand, Zoro reciprocating the movement. When Sanji came to a stop sign, he looked down at their intertwined hands and smiled, chuckling nervously. Zoro looked up at Sanji, an uneasy expression on his face. Sanji smiled back and gave his hand a gentle squeeze before driving off again.

"Saanjiii!" Zeff bellowed when he heard the door open and close. "What have I told you about taking my van without my permission!" He stormed into the foyer, calming down a bit when he saw Zoro standing next to him, shirt covered in dried blood. He folded his arms across his chest. "You kids better have a damn good explanation."

"Uh, well, you see, our friend, Ace, passed out and then Zoro called me when he'd meant to call his brother, but then I figured it'd be easier to get Ace home if I used the van...so...yeah."

"Why's the kid covered in blood? What'd you do, kick his ass?"

Zoro scoffed at the very idea. "As if he could beat me up. No, I just tripped and fell."

"Damn hard fall."

"Dad, can I just use the van a little longer to take Zoro home?"

"Why should I let you use it now?"

"Cause I already promised Zoro I'd take him home!"

"Well, maybe this'll teach you a lesson not to make promises you can't keep."

"Look, ya old geezer, let me take my friend home real quick, and then you can lecture me until you're blue in the damn face."

Zoro's eyes shot wide. If he'd ever even thought of talking to his parents like that he'd be sent to hell and back 10 times over. It was completely surreal to him that Sanji got away with it.

"Hmph, fine, but we'll see about punishment when you get back." Zeff turned and hobbled away, his false leg making a solid clunking sound as he walked.

"C'mon, let's get you home." Sanji turned and headed back out the door, Zoro following behind silently. When they got back to the car, they sat in the driveway a moment. "Sorry bout that," Sanji muttered, "wish you didn't have to see that."

"See what?"

Sanji chuckled, "You probably think I acted like a little shit to my old man." Zoro didn't disagree. "Well, that's just how we've always been. But it suits us just fine." Sanji gave Zoro a small smile before looking away shyly. He looked back over at Zoro and offered his hand, quirking one of his curly eyebrows.

Zoro chuckled and reached out to take his hand.

The front door swung open, banging noisily. "Sanji!"

The pair ripped their hands away form each other. Sanji rolled down the window, gritting his teeth. "What is it?"

"If you plan on staying for a bit let me know."

"Alright." Sanji rolled up his window and backed out of the driveway.

"...Did you just get out of being punished?"

"...I think so."

The pair drove in silence until they were about halfway to Zoro's house. Sanji's hand was resting limply on the gearshift. Zoro shifted in his seat, eyes glued to whatever was passing by the windows. His hand shakily groped around for Sanji's. He took the pale hand in his and squeezed, turning his face away as red seeped up to his cheeks.

Sanji also kept his eyes facing straight ahead as his own face burned with a blush. His thumb gently began to stroke Zoro's, slowly as they drove all the rest of the way to Zoro's house.

"Uhh, thanks for driving me home." Zoro said before regrettably letting Sanji's hand go and undoing his seatbelt.

Sanji stared for a moment before he realized he'd been spoken to. "...Uh, yeah! Any time." He watched as Zoro went around the front of the van. He felt like he had to do something to get Zoro to stay. He quickly rolled down the window. "H-Hey, Zoro!"

Zoro stopped in his tracks and turned around to head back towards Sanji's car. He put a hand on the door. "Yeah?"

Sanji stared a moment, clearly trying to work up the nerve to do something, anything. He racked his brain as he stared into those captivating red-brown eyes.

A) Kiss him!

B) Ask him on a date (Next Chapter)

Author's Note

So.

It's been a while.

How are things?

Hope y'all are doing well.

I've missed you all.

-PD