I had a strange nightmare, so I turned it into a fic. (Thank you Ventusio for the heads up about that weird glitch, should be okay now!)
739 words
Rated T
Zoro moved slowly through the night time streets. He had to keep his headlights off, they were too obvious moving through this inky black of the city, but it made for slower navigation down the pitch dark roads.
The buildings towered above him on both sides like ominous beasts, hidden in the shadows of the night but visible against the back drop of stars in the sky. He knew this street and every one of those buildings by heart, but in the darkness they were transformed into things unfamiliar and sinister.
He pulled up at the corner, stopping at the intersection the way he would if the traffic lights were operating and he was not the only car on the road. The traffic lights were off now, and the distance was an endless stretch of dark road and looming buildings, all dark.
But there was one light on here. A shop on the corner where Zoro sat in his car, the owner had apparently forgotten to turn off their sign. Zoro wondered what sort of trouble that slip of mind might mean for whoever that owner was.
The sign lit the road with a dim, red glow, causing weak shadows to stretch into the road. In the muted lighting, Zoro could see something white sliding across the road. A flyer, he'd guess, one of the many that were hung around town proclaiming new laws and listing criminals that had broken them.
Tomorrow the owner of this store would probably be among them.
Zoro turned right and headed down the road, moving even slower now as trees coupled with the buildings to block out the rest of the night sky. He was close to home now, and he knew the rest of this trip by heart, even the darkness couldn't take his path from him now.
Silently he pulled into the parking lot, coasted into his spot and killed the engine. When he was inside his building, he carefully closed the door behind him. The last thing he needed was for his neighbors to report someone awake and about.
He made it up the stairs and into his apartment quickly but quietly. His apartment was a single room, just enough for a bed, a dresser, and a desk to fit. Meal times and bathing times were set according to schedule, so there was no need for anything more.
On top of this, he had a roommate.
"There you are," Sanji greeted, looking mostly disinterested as he pulled on his night shirt.
"It's so dark out there," Zoro commented.
"Of course it is," Sanji snorted. "It's seven at night, way past curfew already."
Zoro's constant frown deepened. "Do you remember what it used to be like? That Taco Bell was open till three in the morning! It's strange seeing it so dark so early."
"That was before," Sanji shrugged, sitting on the bed. Unfortunately they had to share, although Zoro had had worse roommates before.
They were gone now.
"Did you find anything?" The blond continued. Despite his boredom act, Zoro could see interest sparking in his blue eyes.
"No word on your old man," Zoro regretfully informed him. "But I did find these."
He reached into his pack, tossing a pack of cigarettes and a lighter towards the blonde. Sanji accepted them with glee, gratefully pulling one out and immediately lighting it, releasing the cloud of smoke in a satisfied sigh.
Zoro pulled out a bottle of rum for himself and joined the blond on the bed.
"They're probably dead," Sanji speculated after a length of silence. "My old man never knew when to keep his mouth shut, and if your sister is as wild as you say she is, she's probably the same."
"Maybe," Zoro half shrugged. He hated to admit that the blond was right, and even more so when it was about things like this, but he did have a point. Zoro sloshed the fluid in his bottle around a bit before tipping it towards his roommate. "At this rate though, we might not be far behind them."
Sanji pulled the cigarette from his lips and looked at it thoughtfully, a wry smile on his face.
"Yeah, probably," he replied before tapping his cigarette against the bottle in Zoro's hand. "Cheers."