Topic: Haunting
The words haunted him, invading his dreams and hijacking his waking thoughts, it was insane.
He had said the same, exact, words to countless women, and then some! He had always, always longed to have them returned by those same lovely, enchanting ladies.
And yet… when he finally has someone say them, unprovoked no less, he freezes up and flees.
And, of course, Sanji tries to rationalize things in a way that doesn't make him look like a horrible, cruel bastard, tries to make outsomething in his head that made sense and would hold up to the hurt and angry man who had but him in this situation in the first place.
Really, Sanji thought, It's really not my fault! He broke the rules!
Yes, that was it!
Zoro knew the rules! He understood the boundaries of their late night jaunts, should have expected Sanji's reaction!
But none of that changed the fact that, well, Sanji was a coward in the face of those words, a coward in the face of something so sincere and raw as the emotion Zoro had bared to him.
Sanji saw all that, all the force behind those words, all of the truth in the swordsman's eyes, and he ran as far and as fast as he possibly could from it.
And now, those words, his eyes, and the glint of something Sanji didn't want to believe he saw wouldn't leave him alone.
It was a week of silence, routine and awkwardness between the two. For the most part, Zoro appeared as he normally did, gruff and rude.
However, if they're eyes met, even for a second, Sanji could see it all, accusing him, bombarding him with a million questions none he could answer.
Why did you run?
Why does it scare you?
Why?
Logophobia: Fear of Words.