Chapter Twelve
Baratie was a famous restaurant at any part of its hours, with the evening being no exception. Still, there were peak hours where it seemed the building would collapse from the lack of space, and other times when quite suddenly there was almost no one around and the cooks and employees could breathe a welcome sigh of relief.
Zoro's 'nap' had apparently become an early bedtime as far as Usopp and Sanji could tell, as the swordsman had not been seen since he disappeared down the hall and Luffy and Nami went to town. Time passed in waves of customers, and soon enough the two returned, Luffy's arms overflowing with packages and Nami's eyes containing a particularly satisfied sheen.
Sanji had seen them from across the room and tried to call out to her, but they were down the hall before he had the chance, and the noise level was too high at the time for her to have likely heard, anyway. When neither appeared immediately, Sanji forgot about them and focused on the tasks to be done in the kitchen and dining area. Just as the crowd was thinning out again, there was a minor incident where two customers at tables near each other got into an argument that ended in a pitcher of water being dropped on the floor, where one of the cooks running out with food slipped and nearly lost everything.
The cook's quick reflexes miraculously saved the food, but the spill still had to be taken care of and Sanji was not in the mood. He started make his way toward the janitorial closet, irritated at the mess. Normally he didn't care about that sort of thing, but the men had been fighting over something stupid in the first place: which of them was stronger, and why. In Sanji's opinion, if they wanted that answer so badly, they should just fight and figure it out, the idiots.
As he hobbled toward the door, he overheard one of the customers in the corner making some snide remark about the service in the restaurant and how they couldn't even properly clean a spill quickly. Sanji glared in the man's direction, but wasn't in the mood to add another crisis to the already hectic day, so he ignored him otherwise and continued on his way. He made a note of the man in his mind, though, so he could watch for any further trouble or attitude from the man. He seemed like the rich, pampered type, who expected everyone to fall to his charms simply due to the power of the money apparent behind his manners. Sanji took note of the pink hair and mediocrely-expensive suit, and the glint of metal on the man's hand.
The chef's thoughts were disturbed when Usopp stepped in front of him and swung the janitorial closet open. "Ignore him," muttered the curly-haired fellow. "You know Zeff hates it when you beat customers up."
Sanji made a light noise of disgust, glancing sidelong at Usopp with his one visible eye. "What do I care what that old geezer thinks?" he asked a bit crankily, but he made no move to reprimand the man. He paused, giving Usopp a Look. "I can mop, you know."
Usopp regarded him with a startled gaze for a split moment before he smiled. "Ah, but I am the mopping champion," he said pompously, pulling a mop from the array of brooms, buckets and towels.
Sanji snorted and shook his head, but there was a smirk tugging at the side of his lips. "Yes," he said dryly, "You probably hold the title for knocking over the bucket and creating more of a mess than we started with. Congratulations, Champion." The smile had reached his eye, though, causing a teasing twinkle that softened his words.
"It's a clever ruse to confuse my opponents," stated Usopp, his eyes meeting Sanji's, a smile lighting up his face.
Sanji did laugh, then, and reached out to ruffle Usopp's hair. "Sure it is. Be careful of the guy in blue, he looks half-drunk and about to slip in the water even sitting down." He glanced around the room distractedly as he spoke the warning, eyeing the customer base as he calculated what they could start to do to prepare for closing down for the night. They were nearing the last few hours, when Sanji liked to get a head start so they didn't have to stay around cleaning for long after the doors were locked.
Pausing, Usopp peered over Sanji's shoulder in order to get a good look. "Fullbody," he muttered. "Don't tell me you've never seen him around here before."
Sanji shrugged noncommittally, turning his attention back to the pink-haired jerk. "Not sure. There are so many assholes in the world, how am I to keep track?" The question was wry, though now that he thought about it the guy did seem a little familiar... He had probably seen him once or twice around town and not paid any attention.
Usopp managed a nervous sort of laugh before he edged around Sanji and began to clean up the puddle of water that had spread across the wooden floor. He made sure not to make eye contact with Fullbody, focusing upon his task a little too intently.
Sanji noticed Usopp's slightly strange behavior, but didn't have much time to think about it as someone across the room looked around for help. He glanced briefly at his friend, but was soon crossing the room as quickly as he could to see what was needed. He'd just ask Usopp later what the nervousness was about. Maybe he just felt uncomfortable mopping after Sanji had been teasing him about spilling, which Usopp honestly rarely did.
Pattie, however, intercepted the chef before he could reach his destination. "Oi! Sanji!" he bellowed.
"What?" Sanji called back, only slightly slowing his pace. Did the man have no concept of bad timing?
The burly man stepped in front of Sanji's path. "What do you think you're running here, a charity inn?"
Sanji narrowed his eyes, meeting Pattie's glare without a flinch. "The hell? I'm trying to work here, Pattie! Get out of my way!"
"And I'm trying to make sure you're not putting Baratie to ruin!" Pattie thumped a meaty finger into Sanji's chest. "You're letting people lodge here for free, aren't you?"
Sanji caught Pattie's hand and pushed it away, though he was careful not to do anything that would damage him. A cook's life was in the health of his hands, and there was no petty fight that would make him forget that. "What makes you think that?" he said instead, his voice surprisingly calm considering how belligerent he had just been. "Do you even have any proof of what you're accusing, or did you just assume I'd be stupid enough to do that? Really, Pattie, just because you'd do something doesn't mean I would."
"What, then those 'friends' of yours are paying money to stay here?" Pattie seemed to doubt this very much. "Listen, you might have been able to take in one stray runt, but I'm sure the Boss will agree with me that you've gone too far-"
"What happens in my room is no one's business but my own. If I want to let some people pay for rent, then I can. You let me worry about that shitty old man." Sanji's tone, which was already strong, turned a touch lower, a shade more dangerous. He leaned forward, his eye narrowed in anger. "But don't you ever refer to Usopp as a 'stray runt' again Pattie, you hear me? He's my best friend and he keeps Baratie running more than you do. We have plenty of cooks to pick up the slack if you leave, but only one waiter. So stop right now while you're ahead, before I have to kick your ass to get my point across."
"You have no idea how hilarious that sounds coming from a man with a broken leg," snorted Pattie.
Sanji smirked and pulled out a new cigarette, lighting it casually and taking his time. He blew a puff of smoke straight into Pattie's face and replied confidently, almost smugly, "Even with a broken leg I could kick your ass. You don't stand a chance against me."
"You want to find out?" sneered Pattie, his lip curling at the gesture.
Sanji smirked at him, and instead of replying just shifted his weight to the crutch and the leg in the cast, swinging around quickly and strongly with his other leg, aiming to knock Pattie out as soon as possible. His cigarette continued to burn, the smoke a visible, disappearing trail of his movements.
The other cook took the devastating blow to the side, immediately toppling over into a table of rough looking men. A heavy silence blanketed the entire room as forks and spoons clattered onto the tabletops in shock.
"S-Sanji!" shrieked Usopp, clutching onto the mop with anxiety.
Sanji merely straightened, smoothing his suit of wrinkles while he looked idly around the dining room. "My apologies," he said to the guests in general, "Don't let me interrupt your meal." He then cast a quick calming glance at Usopp before moving toward the table Pattie had fallen onto. Looking at the table showed that several dishes had been overturned and a few may have even been shattered. Annoyed at the waste of food, Sanji grabbed Pattie by the shirt with his free hand not holding the crutch and started to yank him free of the table. "I can arrange for another table for you and new food if you wish," he calmly told the men.
Tension riveted the air, many of the guests on the edge of their seats. Some were frightened and horrified, others eager and anticipating. One or two people had actually stood up from their seats to get a better view.
Baratie was infamous for its spontaneous brawls.
"Just because you're the senior cook doesn't mean you can pull this sort of-!" hissed Pattie, throwing a disoriented swing at him and missing completely, too angry to finish his sentence.
Usopp had already taken to cleaning up the splattered food, his eyebrows furrowed. Nervously casting Sanji a concerned look, the waiter decided to keep quiet for the moment.
"I can do whatever I want," Sanji answered uncaringly, letting go of Pattie's shirt and stepping back. He stopped for a drag on his cigarette, calmly eyeing the cook. "Besides, idiot, I'm Senior Cook for a reason. If being Senior Cook doesn't mean I can put a stop to rebellions and insults, what does it mean?"
"We're gonna be needing our table and food," drawled one of the men, eyes narrowing dangerously.
"I'll see to that for you," said Usopp hastily, dumping the wasted food and broken shards of plates into a bag.
Pattie groggily looked up from the ruined table, but a deep-seeded malice was rooted in the stare he gave Sanji. "It means it's also your responsibility to make sure our customers are happy, idiot," he hissed. Getting up to his feet, he brushed off Usopp's attempts to help him, and he managed a bow to the angry men. "My sincerest apologies."
"Hey, I didn't start this shit," Sanji replied crankily to Pattie, but he still glanced at the men and shrugged with one shoulder. "I'll get the food, Usopp." Turning on his heel, he started back toward the kitchen to get the men new meals. He didn't want to stand around watching Usopp throw away the food. In a way, it was still good to eat... but when the table broke, so did glasses and plates, straight into the food. Trying to eat any of that would probably be more risk than it was worth.
The rest of the evening went by with little incident; as a matter of fact, Pattie seemed to go out of his way to avoid speaking with Sanji. Even so, he managed to throw the blond a scathing stare every time they happened to pass. This wasn't unusual, however, and the rest of the staff was sure that both parties would forget about the whole affair by the next morning.
It was nearing closing time when Luffy appeared in the hallway, wearing different clothes and a strange expression that was somehow determined, amused, but also thoughtful. His now sandal-clad feet clopped against the floor, the white tufts on his long shorts swishing against each other as he padded into the dining room. Most of the customers had left-some because closing time was nearing, and others to move to other establishments for the night. Baratie was famous and impressive, but it wasn't a bar and didn't have quite the same atmosphere, frequent brawls or not. So it was that when Luffy arrived, not incredibly long after he had first disappeared but still long enough, there were only three tables still in use, and the broken table and plates had long ago been cleared away.
Fullbody and his friends were in one corner still, with a couple in another corner staring dreamily at each other over their still-full plates, and a sailor at the third table, laughing animatedly with a presumed friend who looked decidedly shady. Pattie had disappeared into the kitchen, which was perhaps best for Sanji so as to avoid the argument from before at the sight of one of the alleged freeloaders.
Scanning the room for familiar faces, Luffy's expression lit up immensely when he saw Sanji just leaving the couples' table with an empty bottle of wine and a towel draped over his arm. "Sanji!" Luffy yelled out suddenly, grinning and waving, and in the same movement he started looking around. "Where's Usopp?"
Sanji glanced over at his name, partially irritated to see Luffy bothering him while he was working, and partially amused at the sudden change in clothing. What the hell sort of outfit did the kid manage to find? He looked like a scrawny, confused peasant in that vest-shirt and shorts, and yet somehow it seemed to fit his image better than the semi-formal clothing had before.
Instead of bothering to greet him, Sanji only tilted his head in the direction of the kitchen and answered idly as he passed, "Kitchen. He'll be right out." He glanced over at Fullbody's table, his expression twitching a moment toward irritation. "Bitchboy over there was complaining about missing some food from his meal or some shit, and Usopp ran off to the kitchen before I could even ask what the hell the guy wanted." He didn't really know why he was bothering to explain the situation to Luffy, but the kid's large dark eyes turned toward the table anyway, studying the guy and his friends.
"Oh," Luffy said, blinking, the grin starting to falter as he eyed the man. "He looks stupid and mean."
Sanji laughed suddenly, but didn't get the chance to reply before Usopp appeared and Luffy's attention was turned to him instead with a cheerful greeting and a wide, open smile.
The curly-haired man was balancing a tray of grilled vegetables and soup on one hand, apparently going to deliver the food to Fullbody. His eyes glanced at Luffy, however, and his face distinctly lit up. "Hey, there!"
Wandering away from Sanji, who just watched the two with bemusement, Luffy made it to Usopp's side and grinned ravenously at the food. "Oh! This smells good!" He paused, peering at the soup first and then the vegetables, and looked accusingly up at Usopp. "But there's no meat! Why're you carrying around food if there's no meat? What's the point?"
Usopp laughed. "It's side dishes for a customer. Besides, not everyone likes meat, you know…"
Luffy scoffed at the idea and crossed his arms at his chest, leaning back and looking away dismissively. "They're stupid, then. Everyone should like meat-how could you not? It's warm and tasty and makes the entire day better!"
"I once stumbled across a whole city of vegetarians," stated Usopp sagely.
Luffy's eyes slowly widened until he turned to stare at Usopp incredulously, as if unable to comprehend such a thing. "They're... they don't eat meat, right? Those strange people who don't eat it?" He paused, then leaned in and whispered in disbelief, "You mean they actually exist? A whole city of them?"
"That's right!" exclaimed Usopp. "A whole city of them. In fact, it was against the law to eat any meat at all!"
Luffy looked absolutely scandalized, and completely at a loss for words. The very idea was so completely contrary to his own life that it was all he could do to stare at Usopp with his mouth open, eyes wide, and voice utterly silent.
Sanji had been idly starting the closing chores across the room, mostly not paying attention to the two but looking over at Usopp's exclamation. Rolling his one visible eye, he threw the towel over his shoulder and left the empty wine bottle on a table as he walked toward the two. On his way, he saw Fullbody finally look over and notice Usopp standing around gossiping while his food remained undelivered, and his expression changed quickly into anger, disappointment, and the obvious intent to mock. Sanji cut him off before he could speak, however, by calling out, "Hey, Usopp. Remember that waiter thing you do? How about trying it right now and not getting distracted by the shrimp?"
Startled, Usopp gave a small blush before he hurried across the room and over to Fullbody's table, profusely apologizing to the pink-haired man.
Fullbody made a derisive noise as he yanked the plates from Usopp's hands. "The kid can't even serve tables properly," he said mockingly, loud enough for the table to hear but not necessarily loud enough to carry across the room. He glanced at his friends with a knowing look. "Not surprising, considering where he comes from."
His friends laughed, and one nodded, adding, "Yeah, amazing he can do anything at all!"
"Next time," Fullbody was already saying to Usopp in a low murmur, nearly overlapping his lackey's comment, "I expect my food faster, and," he took a bite and made an exaggerated face of disgust, "better. This place's lucky a person like me visits. Wouldn't want your incompetence to drive us well-paying customers away."
Usopp pursed his lips, and his grip on the tray slightly tightened. With each word Fullbody spoke, the waiter's gaze seemed to grow darker and angrier. Instead of lashing out, however, he grudgingly muttered, "Enjoy your meal," and stalked away from the table.
The others at the table burst out into laughter, more out of a need to taunt him one more time than due to anything resembling amusement. Fullbody considered messing with the kid a bit more, but was distracted by the soup that was (admittedly) enjoyable. He didn't feel like dealing with the other waiter either, the pissy blond one who would probably break that table too and make them move again, so he let the matter lie for the moment and returned to an earlier conversation with the others.
Sanji watched the table with his visible eye narrowed suspiciously, but said nothing. Luffy was watching the interaction as well, though his expression was mostly unreadable save being fairly solemn. Still, when Usopp turned and stalked away, Luffy smiled and raised his hand as if to get his attention. "Hey, hey! Usopp! I have a question!"
Pausing long enough to look at Luffy, the angry expression on his face melting into a forced smile. "Yeah?"
"Do you have cream?" The question was asked immediately, as if Luffy had to say the words before he could forget, and he stared blankly at Usopp while he waited for an answer.
"Cream?" asked Usopp. "Well…I know we have some in the kitchen, but why do you need it? Did you buy some cake while you were out in town or what?"
Luffy stared at him, blinking slowly. "Cake?" He frowned thoughtfully, his eyebrows furrowing down as an expression of disappointment and indignation overcame him. "They have cake here? Why didn't Nami tell me?" Looking up suddenly, his eyes lit up with excitement. "Wait! You have cake and cream in the kitchen? Can I have some? Oh! Do they taste good together? I didn't know people did that!"
"What, put whipped cream on cake?"
Luffy looked amazed, never having realized the dual purpose. "Whipped cream! Wow..." He paused, looking away thoughtfully and muttering to himself. "Wait, that makes sense. Whipped cream... I never thought about it before. Of course it works if the word's in the name!"
"Wait," said Usopp, clearly confused. "What kind of cream were you wanting?"
Luffy blinked. "The kind for backs, what else?"
Usopp slapped a hand over his own forehead in exasperation. "Why didn't you say so sooner?"
Luffy looked at him oddly. "I did. I asked if you had cream, don't you remember? And then you started talking about cakes. I never thought about cakes and backs and whipped cream, but maybe it makes sense, actually..."
"Back cream is not whipped cream," said Usopp, his nose wrinkling at the thought. "Although I once found an island where they used whipped cream to treat illnesses…"
"Ahh!" Luffy said triumphantly, slamming his fist into his open palm. "So it's Mystery Cream! If I put it on Zoro's back, though, will it make him better and taste good? What if we have no cake?"
For some reason, this made Usopp flush with embarrassment. "Z-Zoro? Why do you need back cream for Zoro?"
The blush seemed kind of odd to Luffy, but maybe Usopp really liked cream and didn't like to share it with people. Or maybe he was intimidated by the idea of Zoro getting the whipped cream and cake. Zoro could be kind of scary to some people, he supposed. Especially if he was after something someone really liked. Luffy mentally shrugged, it didn't really matter. He just gave Usopp an odd look and said with a smile, "'Cause I said I'd put it on him so now I will, but I had to find some first so I asked you." He paused, curious. "Why? Should he not need it?"
"What's he need it for?"
"Ohh. He hurt his back in Syrup Village." Luffy's tone was fairly nonchalant, his head tilted very slightly to the side. "Y'know, with a whip? That's why I thought whipped cream makes sense. Is it whipped cream you put on hurts like that? I never knew it worked like that..."
"Wh -whip?" squeaked Usopp, but he decided not to pursue the issue. "Uh…lemme…lemme go look for something-" He quickly scurried off.
Luffy nodded, even though Usopp was already gone, and waited for him to return. Now he was getting a little confused. He thought they were talking about whipped cream, which maybe worked for whip marks but not necessarily backs, but then Usopp ran off in a different direction. Shrugging, he dropped into a chair and idly kicked his feet, willing to wait for at least a little while.
It didn't take long for Usopp to come back with a thick, white bottle. "Here," he said. "This will help with the, uh, whip wounds. And it's not for cake, okay? Don't eat this."
"Oh," Luffy said, a little startled at Usopp's sudden reappearance. He looked down at the bottle, tested its weight a bit, then tilted his head up again with a blinding grin. "Thanks, Usopp! I won't eat it, I'll just put it on Zoro."
Sanji, who had half been listening to the conversation, finally sauntered his way over. "Hmm? What the hell are you two talking about? Should I be worried about the state of the room when I go to bed tonight? Or rather," and here he eyed Luffy distrustfully, "what I'll be walking into?"
"S-Sanji!" sputtered Usopp.
"What?" Sanji replied lazily, still eyeing Luffy. "If there's something weird going on in there, we have the right to know. After all," and here he narrowed his visible eye, "they are staying in our room."
Luffy stared blankly at Sanji, looking confused. "Yeah, but it's okay. We haven't messed anything up yet; the sheets are just kinda tangled and have stuff on 'em is all. You know, just a little blood." He paused, then suddenly looked like he understood. "Oh! We're using your bed though, Sanji, if that's okay. The floor was too hard and the cot seems really small, doesn't it?"
"Why the hell is there blood on the sheets?" cried Usopp, looking rather alarmed.
Sanji stared at Luffy, looking like he didn't know if he wanted to burst out laughing or be unnerved.
"'Cause Zoro took off his shirt? And then he was lying down?" Luffy framed the answer in the form of a question, rather confused by their reactions.
"So…he's injured then," said Usopp, looking rather relieved. "I'll bet he got hurt in a fight or something. R-right?"
"Umm, sorta," Luffy said, uncharacteristically not explaining further as he looked down at the bottle in his hands. He was silent for the space of half a heartbeat before he looked up again with his eyes closed and a smile on his face. "Soo... what do I do with this again? Don't eat and no cakes, I got that much."
Sanji watched the two interact with a sharp, alert expression, as if he were deciding whether he felt like getting involved in the conversation or not.
"You, uh, rub it into the wound," the curly-haired man replied, shifting where he stood.
"Oh, okay!" Luffy said brightly, and turned to leave. That didn't sound too hard, so he should probably start on that as soon as he could. Zoro was probably wondering what was taking him so long, anyway.
Sanji stuck out his hand before Luffy could pass, though, his other arm resting casually against the crutch. "Waaait a minute, kid. Not so fast. You think you can get away with getting my bed all nasty when I go out of my way to be nice to you people?"
Luffy stopped and blinked at him. "What...?"
"S-sanji!" The waiter's eyes widened. "It sounds like he…uh, just got hurt during some sort of confrontation in another town, that's all-"
"Be serious, Usopp," Sanji replied, a bit sharper than he had initially intended. He dropped his hand to Luffy's upper arm and tightened his grip enough to be a warning, to silently say that he was not intending to let the visitor leave until he was satisfied. "We have bandits roaming the desert, coming up with bigger and better ways to fuck us all over. They've started direct attacks, yeah, but who's to say they wouldn't do something else? What if some faction's gotten smart—started sending in spies, unlikely enemies, shit like that?"
He paused, leaning against the crutch propped against his ribs as he found a cigarette, placed it in his mouth and lit it one-handedly. Taking a deep drag, he narrowed his visible eye suspiciously and stared Luffy down, who only stared back at him with an unreadable expression. "You guys claim to be innocent travelers, but we'd have to be idiots not to tell the fighting ability in that idiot friend of yours. What kinda swordsman like that gets his ass kicked by small fries, or—more importantly—wanders around free on his own? People like that get snatched up by purposes in no time. You can't tell me there's no purpose for you."
Luffy watched him, his eyes seeming even darker as his expression fell to completely unfathomable and replied evenly, "We already told you. I'll be the Pirate King and he'll help me get there. I heard Zoro tell you that, even if I was only sort of paying attention."
Sanji snorted in disbelief. "There's more than that."
Luffy shrugged with one shoulder, the side that Sanji was not currently restraining. "That's all I have to say. What's this have to do with your room, anyway?"
It was Sanji's turn to shrug, though his was more languid than anything. "Lotta things," he said, looking away with a slight frown. "But I won't trust you two 'till I feel like I'm getting a straight answer. I don't care about the details of your past, I just wanna know what Baratie may be getting into housing people like you."
Something about the comment must have gotten to Luffy, because his eyes darkened even more and he looked away pensively. "If anything happens, we'll get it figured out and help you make it better," was his unhelpful reply.
Sanji raised his eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Ch. Like that helps."
Usopp silently watched, his eyebrows furrowed some. Sanji was usually more trusting of those whom he encountered within Baratie - sometimes to a fault. Sadly, he noted that the sudden influx of bandits in the area probably made his blonde friend more wary. At least Sanji hadn't turned away any hungry mouths despite the fear that loomed in the air…
When Luffy didn't immediately answer, Sanji stared hard at him for a moment before realizing quite abruptly how silent his friend had been during the conversation. He glanced over at Usopp, only to find him watching the two with a slightly thoughtful expression... or was that disappointment? Sanji couldn't tell, but it irritated him a little to have that expression aimed in his general direction when he was just watching out for Baratie.
Pattie had a point. No matter what Sanji did on his own time, he still had a responsibility to the restaurant, one that (despite all his cursing) he took extremely seriously. If something turned out shady with the newcomers, it would be Sanji who had brought ruin to the restaurant, Sanji and no one else. And while he intensely disliked the idea of anything befalling his precious home, he was equally irritated with the idea of the old geezer never letting him live down the mistake, or Usopp looking distraught at some sign of betrayal from supposed friends. Grunting with slight crankiness, Sanji abruptly let go of Luffy's arm and looked away, drawing a deep breath through the blessed filters of his cigarette.
"Whatever. The longer you stay here, the longer that idiot bleeds all over my stuff. Usopp, give him better directions on how to use the shit or we'll find it all over the room with him saying something stupid like he thought Zoro's wounds meant the walls." But though Sanji's words were mildly derisive, his tone was more grudgingly dismissive than anything, his body language implying he was ready for a (temporary) truce.
"Um, sure." Usopp stepped toward Luffy, pointing at the directions. "It's really easy, you know…you just rub it into the wounds on his back." He paused before his tone sounded almost desperate. "Please don't eat it or get it on anything…"
Luffy's attention switched back to Usopp as soon as he began explaining again, and though he watched him intently, a smile started to war with his serious expression. He had just been told the same simple directions several times, with the same warnings. Watching Usopp get more nervous about Luffy misusing the cream made him burst out laughing, waving one hand as if to fend off the idea.
"No worries, no worries, Usopp!" he said confidently, his voice rippling with the undercurrent of amusement, "I don't think I'll forget not to eat this, and I'll only get it on Zoro, nothing else." He had idly brought the bottle toward his face, as if to demonstrate how close it could be to his mouth without him feeling tempted to ingest it, when he suddenly raised his eyebrows and looked down at the cream in surprise.
"Ohh, but it smells good, doesn't it?" He eyed it, then turned his gaze back to eyeing Usopp curiously, determinedly. "Are you sure you shouldn't eat this? Why would they make something smell so nice if you weren't supposed to?"
"They make it smell nice so your skin won't be stinky," explained Usopp. "Don't eat it or it'll make you really sick. I'm serious."
"How can you be so sure?" Luffy asked, laughing freely at Usopp's determination. "Have you tried?"
"I'm sure someone has because it says so on the bottle," said Usopp. "So don't eat it or-or else you're stomach will melt or something."
"Ah! My stomach'll melt?" Luffy demanded incredulously, holding the bottle away from him as if to keep the danger at bay. "Will it melt skin, too?" His eyes grew wider as he thought he suddenly understood. "Wait! You mean it makes things better by melting the wound away?"
Usopp gave a small grin. "Something like that. But it won't melt right away."
Luffy looked equally disturbed and interested, and stared at the bottle again with a new light in his eyes. "Wouldn't that hurt, though?"
"No, it'll make his wounds feel better."
"By melting them! This stuff is weird... even if it is Mystery Cream."
"Just don't eat it or get it on anything," said Usopp again.
Luffy looked up at Usopp, then started laughing again. It wasn't as surprised or loud as before, but he was still amused. "Fine, fine, I'll use it right. I'm not hungry for melty-stuff anyway." He turned again toward the hallway, and it was only when Sanji did not stop him that he noticed the cook had moved away awhile ago and was halfway across the room talking to someone. Still, Luffy felt his gaze on him (strong, considering there was only one eye to do all the glaring for both) and looked over. Luffy smiled in Sanji's direction, and started to walk away from Usopp, still thinking of how amusing Usopp was when he worried endlessly like that.
The curly-haired man watched him leave in silence, a hand idly placing itself into his pocket. "He's a little strange."
Sanji couldn't decide between abrupt laughter and sarcasm, which resulted in an aborted, semi-strangled chuckle. "You think?" he asked, but the tone was teasingly sarcastic. "Seems like a normal guy to me."
Casting Sanji a mildly exasperated look, Usopp was about to answer before Fullbody's harsh tone filled the room. "Waiter! Hey, waiter! Give me my check!"
"I'll be back," muttered Usopp before he shuffled away, looking less than enthused.
Sanji watched Usopp go and shrugged to himself, turning back to his duties. Still, he kept a discreet eye on the brat customer just in case. He had already shown himself to be a nuisance before; he likely would be one again. And Usopp, as brave as he liked to try to be, sometimes wasn't the best at defending himself against personal attacks, even verbal ones.
Minutes passed as the transaction was made, but it was difficult to hear what words were being exchanged. Fullbody spoke lowly and smoothly as he reviewed the check, Usopp shifting nervously all the while. At last, however, the pink-haired man slammed the money on the table and stood up with his gang of buddies. "There it is in full - I suppose the food was good enough for that at least. But don't expect any tips from me!" he said haughtily, his words slurring from too much alcohol. "I don't tip common mutts." And with that he and his friends departed, guffawing heartily.
A cold silence had fallen over Usopp as he grudgingly cleared the table.
"He only tips the finest inbreeds, you see," Sanji said blandly, appearing rather suddenly behind Usopp. Standing near enough that his body heat could be felt, Sanji reached out to start stacking dishes to help his friend.
The waiter's frosty demeanor seemed to immediately melt away. "I wish he wouldn't insult my family like that," he muttered instead.
Sanji tilted his head forward in a half-nod, gathering some dishes into a pile and leaning back to balance on his crutch as he turned toward Usopp with a serious expression. "He's an idiot, but the worst kind. The kind that thinks they're suave and intelligent and above everyone else. He's got no right to say that shit about you or your family, and if he keeps it up he'll learn soon enough when to keep his mouth shut. Still, you'll run into shitheads like him a lot. Maybe they're obsessed with money and rank, but all the people that matter in this world aren't. Whatever that idiot says, there's nothing common or mutt-like about you oryour parents. So ignore him, huh? Laugh at his stupidity instead of believing it, and you become the better person."
Usopp suddenly turned toward Sanji, his dark eyes meeting the cook's firm gaze.
Sanji merely watched him for several long moments, his intent expression not wavering a bit. After a heartbeat he raised his eyebrow, as if to ask if Usopp disagreed with his opinion and that was the reason for that look.
Blushing a little, the darker man lightly averted his eyes. "I know he doesn't have the right. So far, he hasn't blatantly said anything about my dad, but I know he's thinking it." His eyebrows furrowed. "If it weren't for the fact that he's a regular customer, I'd punch him."
The comment made Sanji burst out laughing, the amusement so much that he closed his eyes and blindly put his free hand on Usopp's shoulder as if to keep his balance despite his other hand on his crutch. "Usopp!" he said helplessly, unable to stop chuckling even just to speak, though as he continued it slowly died down. "This is Baratie we're talking about. Fistfights are the main freaking course! If that guy's an ass, I don't care how much money he gives this place. We can find others to replace him easily, who will probably even tip." He shook his head to himself, looking at Usopp with laughter shining in his visible eye. "You damn idiot." Yet he managed to make that sound amused and almost affectionate, the effect strengthened when he ruffled Usopp's curly hair.
Managing a nervous smile, Usopp smiled a little at Sanji's playful, light-hearted attitude. "That might be so, but…"
Sanji shrugged, dropping his hand from Usopp's head to the table where he absently moved some more dishes. "Hey, if you don't have any faith in Baratie to pull in non-asshole customers, just come out and say it. You think our cooks draw the worst sorts in the area? That we can't have respectable people here, or get any to come…?" There was nothing sharp in his tone, more an idle comment that he let trail off meaningfully as he glanced sidelong at Usopp.
Usopp suddenly looked up at his friend. "No!" he said, almost shouting. "No, that's not it at all! Baratie is the best restaurant in the entire region! All sorts of people come here - all sorts of really nice people! Baratie-Baratie is the best..."
"Hmm." Sanji seemed to consider that seriously for a moment, then glanced over with an expression that was hard to read, though may have held a mild amount of exasperation. "Interesting. So, mind telling me why it's so important we cling to scum like that guy, if we're the best and can bring in 'all sorts of nice people'...?"
"I has nothing to do with clinging to any sort of scum," said Usopp firmly. "I just don't want to lose my job."
"Ahh. Well, we'll see what happens. There's no use risking anything on your part for a dork like him," Sanji conceded aloud, though a decidedly less polite thought passed his mind. I, on the other hand, have far less to lose...
Pursing his lips, Usopp's eyes roamed across the mostly empty chairs and tables. He could recall all the times the other cooks had fought or ran a few customers out none-to-calmly. But they were different - part of the 'guys.' They were the best of the best in their field, and although their relationships with one another could be volatile, there was a common interest that bound them all together. But he, Usopp…was just a regular waiter, no one the other cooks had ever really taken too all that well. Pattie's attitude toward him, though usually better tucked away, was sheer proof of this. No matter how long he stayed there working with Sanji, he knew he would never fit in with the family of cooks at Baratie. Just because the others did something didn't mean he had the same liberties.
A melancholy expression fleetingly passed through his face.
Noticing the heaviness of Usopp's silence, Sanji glanced at him from the corner of his eye. The clinking of dishes was the only sound for a few moments before he suddenly spoke. "Ch. You think too much. Let's get this place closed up so we can get to bed."
Turning toward Sanji, the curly-haired man gave a large smile and laughed. "Sure. I don't know about you, but I'm beat."
Sanji nodded, gathering the dishes he could with one hand and shifting away from the table. "Would I have suggested that if I wasn't tired too?" he asked, though the question was rhetoric and there was no bite to it. "Hurry up, turtle."
"Turtle?" Usopp snorted. "I have the speed of a thousand roadrunners, I don't know what you're talking about." He quickly stacked several plates on top of one another, speaking with a sing-song voice.
Sanji snorted, calling over his shoulder, "Maybe if 'roadrunner' is some strange breed of turtle. Right now you're slower than a snail." There wasn't exactly the sound of a smile to his voice, but he spoke lightly enough that it was getting there.
Hurrying off to the kitchen, Usopp called after him over his shoulder. "I'll be finished before you, just watch!"
"Yeah right." But Sanji sounded amused, and he moved a little faster as if they were really in a competition. With both of them aware the other's progress, the actual closedown of Baratie went faster than ever. Some of the cooks, after finished in the kitchen, appeared to help at the very end. Soon, everyone was gone but Usopp and Sanji, who were heading toward the hallway in record time.
Laughing some, Usopp leisurely stretched as they walked together. "I so had you beat," he teased.
Sanji smirked around his newest cigarette. "You always were good at denial."
"You're just jealous," stated Usopp pompously. "I beat you completely under your nose."
"You'd have to. You're shorter than me." Sanji pointedly looked down at Usopp, his smirk almost evil.
The curly-haired man flushed in spite of himself, and he stared pointedly at Sanji. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"That you're short," Sanji said, though he couldn't help laughing. He whapped Usopp lightly on the upper arm, fluidly pulling his hand back to jerk his thumb back toward the main room in the same movement. "Hey. Don't forget the lights. I'm not hobbling all the way across the damn room just 'cause you're too lazy to contribute some tonight."
"Me lazy? You're one to talk." Easily pulling out his slingshot, Usopp retrieved a small handful of coins from his other pocket. Within a series of quick motions, he promptly shot each coin at the light switches positioned around the room. One by one, the light bulbs flickered off, bathing most of the restaurant in darkness.
"Yeah lazy. You don't even walk across the room to shut them off," came the bland reply, but they both knew Sanji found his aim to be impressive. He had said so, the first time he saw Usopp do that. Had said again when he saw Usopp do the same thing in the dark. The guy had talent, even if it was at such a seemingly random skill.
"Only because I work hard practicing," said Usopp, grinning at his friend. "I have the right to be lazy when it comes to stuff like that. I earned it in this case."
Sanji laughed again, but he made himself quiet down as they came closer to the two rooms. His gaze lingered briefly on the second room, the one Nami-san was supposed to be in, and noted with relief the darkness under the door. Good. She was getting some sleep. They would be poor hosts if their guest couldn't get comfortable for the night. Though, speaking of comfortable and guests... His gaze slid to the first door, the one to Usopp's and his room. It was dark and silent outside the door, which implied Luffy and Zoro were asleep as well. They damn well better be, Sanji thought to himself, frowning at the door, And they better not be on my bed! He was only letting Zoro use it while he didn't need it. There was no way he was letting them keep it from him all night.
Reaching for the doorknob, he twisted it with enough pressure to silence the usual squeakiness that became apparent only in the dead of the night with no background sound to mask it, and he slowly pulled the door open. The only light left on in all of Baratie was the very dim light in the hallway that always remained on to illuminate the way to the stairs, bathroom, bedrooms and out to the rest of the restaurant. Even that faded light was a change to the darkness inside, though, and a rectangle grew across the floor slowly as he opened the door and peered inside.
The room looked the same as it had been left, with the exception of the covers kicked around a bit on Sanji's bed, and the addition of the two new occupants. Luffy could be seen in the slight rise and fall of his chest, the faint spill of shadow-toned color on his sprawled form on one side of the bed. He was sprawled out on his back, looking completely dead from the world.
Beside him, Zoro rested just as silently, his broad chest rising and falling. The only exception was that his eyes lazily drew open as the sliver of light spilled across his form. The glinting stare he gave the onlookers wasn't malicious or hateful, but it held a firm self-assuredness that clearly said that he was not to be messed with.
Sanji was a little surprised to see Zoro open his eyes from such a seemingly deep sleep, and was even more unnerved-yet-amused to see him give them such a Look. What the hell was up with that guy, anyway? He was strange enough on his own, but the way he hovered around Luffy was almost disconcerting. He couldn't help a wicked grin, wanting to tease the ass a bit. What'd the guy think, Sanji and Usopp were going to steal his precious Luffy right out from beside him? Or maybe he was trying to stake his claim on the bed. Whatever the case, Sanji let the grin slide to a smirk as he gave him a knowing look that seemed to say he had noticed how weird Zoro was, and he was definitely going to call him on it later. At the moment, though, the only thing from his mouth was the soft command, "Off the bed. Now."
"You're not waking him up," muttered Zoro, jerking a thumb toward Luffy.
Sanji laughed outright at that, but the sound was somehow quietly teasing. "You're suggesting I take your place? Hmm. What do you suppose Luffy'd think about that…?" He pretended to give it thought, his visible eye glinting faintly as he tilted his head so most of his face was no longer in shadow from the backlighting.
"Are you kidding me?" Zoro raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't trust you enough to let you do something like that."
"Ahh, but trust me," Sanji said with a smirk that was meant to annoy Zoro, "I've had plenty of experience."
Zoro's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Sanji shrugged easily, answering with a drawl, "Whatever the hell you want it to mean to get you off my bed right now. Just kick Luffy off, what's the big deal? He's sleeping like the damn dead anyway, I doubt he'd notice."
"Quit talking like you know how he sleeps," growled Zoro as he slowly sat up. He lightly winced as his wounded torso stretched from the movement.
"Nice to know I'm conversing with an expert here," Sanji answered dryly, even as he eyed Zoro. This conversation was just too weird, as was the way Zoro was so casually protective (almost possessive?) of Luffy. Sanji couldn't even begin to guess what sort of weird ass relationship the two had going, other than the obvious conclusions that didn't quite seem to fit with the way the two interacted. Whatever the case, Zoro was moving and looked to be complying with his demands, so that was good. The rest of it could wait until later, when he wasn't so damn tired and his cast-covered leg wasn't inexplicably (and rather annoyingly) aching.
Silently ignoring the pair of onlookers, Zoro slipped his arms beneath Luffy, slowly lifting him up and against himself. He paused long enough to get used to the weight, his back lightly arching in pain as he gave a soft hiss. Casting Sanji an irritated glance, the green-haired man moved away from the bed, Luffy securely in his arms.
Luffy, for his part, did not seem to notice in the least the movement, the only indication of his change in position being his head lolling to rest against Zoro's chest. He continued to breathe deeply, his mouth wide open and emitting the occasional faint snore, though now all the heat of his breath was gathering against the new obstruction and was returning to warm him slightly back. Perhaps noticing that much, he did close his huge mouth long enough to murmur something pleasantly, but the moment was gone almost as soon as it happened, and he was back to the oblivious almost-snoring.
Sanji raised his visible eyebrow at the display, the smirk remaining on his face as he rather bemusedly watched Zoro deal with Luffy as carefully as if he were glass. Or some precious, rare item. The guy was seriously odd-rough all the time but so randomly gentle here. Sanji didn't even want to bother dealing with implications or questions, and only nodded approvingly (almost smugly) at Zoro. He finally stepped fully into his room and headed toward his bed as fluidly as he could with the crutch. "That's great and all, but you may want to set him on the floor or something. I doubt even you sleep standing up holding someone like that."
"I just don't want to wake him up," growled Zoro. "I really don't think you want to listen to him ramble about the bugs you have in here for the rest of the night."
Sanji blinked at the random comment, and turned to Zoro with an honestly startled, curious look. "Bugs...?"
The swordsman only shook his head as he gently placed Luffy onto the floorboards.
Sanji frowned, a little irritated that the question had been ignored. He almost wanted to lightly kick at them just to see what Zoro would do, but it probably involved more energy to deal with the consequences of that than Sanji had right then. Looking away and ignoring the rest of the room, Sanji carefully propped his crutch against the nightstand and the wall, and settled down on his bed. At least Zoro and Luffy had listened to his condition that they had to lie on top of the covers.
At least, it seemed they had as nothing was amiss that he could tell. He still felt a little strange thinking that those two had just been using his bed-especially when he could clearly feel the two spots with lingering heat-but he ignored it and turned his back to the rest of the room, yawning hugely and closing his eyes to prepare for sleep. He was tired enough that he didn't think it would take long. Which was just as well, since he had to be up early helping with chores in the morning.
Usopp languidly made his way over to the small, cramped cot that hung at the other side of the room. Casting Zoro a quick, nervous glance, he awkwardly settled into it and closed his eyes. "Night," he said hoarsely.
Zoro muttered something in return as he gingerly laid himself down beside Luffy, his wounds hindering him a little.
"Night," Sanji called back sleepily, and if there was any response he was too tired to have noticed.
The first thought that hazily came to mind was that he didn't remember the bed being so hard. The second was that he was vaguely starting to get hungry.
Squinting his eyes open blearily, Luffy yawned hugely and unconsciously stretched as much as he could, noting once more the hard and straight bed. Blinking, he yawned again and flopped over, staring uncomprehendingly down first at the floor (what was the floor doing on the bed?) and then up at the source of the only other sound in the room: Zoro, and his quiet but steady even breathing.
Pushing himself up, Luffy rubbed at his eyes and peered around the room blankly. He thought he remembered falling asleep on the bed, but there it was, up there, with him down there on the floor. He didn't really mind, just found it to be a curious thing to wake up to. Maybe he fell off somewhere in the middle of the night, and Zoro thought he could protect him from monsters under the bed better if he joined him on the floor. That had to be it. Luffy had to grin to himself, amused. Sheesh, to think Zoro still believed in monsters under the bed... What a weird guy. Everyone knew they lived in the closet!
Not really wanting to wake Zoro up, and still being sleepy enough that he didn't feel any burning need to be anywhere but where he was, he shifted quietly so he could lean against the cot. Settling back into a fairly comfortable position, he let his legs flop bonelessly open and his hands rest by his side as he idly watched his bodyguard sleep, content to do nothing but that.
Zoro shifted stiffly, as if he could feel Luffy's gaze burning into him.
As if accounting for that, Luffy tried squinting (to lessen the intensity of his gaze, obviously) and relaxing even more against the cot, trying to exude an aura of peacefulness. He was curious to see if Zoro would go back to sleep if he had awoken (or if he would relax if that was just tension and not him coming awake) if he was convinced that Luffy was fine. He wondered how much of Zoro's tension was him being a bodyguard, and how much of it was just Zoro being Zoro.
At that moment, the swordsman's face lightly twitched, and his dark eyes flickered open.
Luffy laughed, his question answered. Apparently it was just Zoro being Zoro. "Morning!" he said cheerfully with a wide grin.
Instead of answering, Zoro crankily turned his face away, stifling a yawn.
That only made Luffy laugh again, sounding delightedly amused this time. He crossed his legs abruptly, leaning forward and watching Zoro curiously. "You didn't sleep well? Probably because you were too worried about the monsters. It would've been fine, you know. I don't think that closet's big enough for one, and they don't exist under beds."
"I wasn't worried about monsters," he said gruffly, slowly bringing himself to a sit.
"Then what's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just my wounds acting up again." As if to dispel any possible concern for him, Zoro began to casually stretch.
"Ohh." He had almost forgotten about that. He blamed the morning, really. Watching Zoro closely, Luffy noticed the tension when he stretched. It was still hurting, obviously, which meant only one thing! Shifting forward abruptly, Luffy stretched over Zoro to snag the cream off the table and drop it into his lap as he sat down again near his bodyguard. "Okay, you can take your shirt off now!" he informed Zoro cheerfully, a confident and encouraging grin dominating his expression.
Eying the bottle warily, Zoro paused in mid-stretch. "Why?" But it was pointless to ask.
Luffy rolled his eyes good-naturedly and reached for the shirt instead of waiting. "Because I don't think the cream works very well through clothes, but we could try if you want."
Despite the defiant stare Zoro gave the prince, he eventually obeyed and shed the shirt. After he tossed the garment onto the floor, he bowed his head and silently waited with a set jaw and tense muscles.
Luffy caught the expression, and laughed for the third time that morning. He poured a generous amount of the healing cream into his palm and said slightly teasingly, the amusement dancing in his voice, "You don't have to look so upset about it. It doesn't hurt, does it? You look like you're waiting for punishment."
Zoro said nothing for a moment. "Just get it over with."
"So it does hurt?" Luffy asked, though the question was idler than it normally would be when discussing harming Zoro. Since he knew this was supposed to heal the wounds by melting them, it would make sense if it hurt a bit at first. And while he wasn't a fan of Zoro being in pain, he knew Zoro had almost positively felt far worse in his life, and this was all to help him anyway. It was to make things better. He paused before he actually put the cream on Zoro, though, waiting for a response so he would know if he was supposed to be doing this quickly to 'get it over with' or if it would be better to go a little slower so he wouldn't be jostling the wounds as much.
"It could be worse," Zoro replied simply.
Luffy couldn't decide if he was amused or exasperated by the response, so he just shrugged and concentrated on spreading the cream thoroughly, but fairly quickly, across all of Zoro's wounds. "Maybe you're just not used to the tingly-feeling," he said idly, still managing a rather matter-of-fact tone. "I think it feels fine, if a bit weird, but I guess it's not going on open cuts for me." Though his hands remained a little sensitive since the fire, the cream stillfelt nice to him. Maybe it was because whip-wounds and burn-and-cut-wounds reacted differently or something.
As he felt fingers roam across his sore muscles, Zoro's back lightly arched. He said nothing during the process, but the swordsman tried to will himself to be a bit more relaxed. Minutes seemed to crawl by, but his body began to slowly ease up, and Zoro permitted his weight to lightly lean into Luffy's hands.
That, Luffy decided, must mean it didn't hurt as much anymore. Which was good. After being quiet for awhile, Luffy pressed just a little harder to make sure he was getting the cream rubbed in sufficiently. "Does that hurt?" he asked, a little softly since he was concentrating so much on keeping the correct amount of pressure.
"Could be worse," he said again, his eyes closing. "But it kinda feels good…"
Luffy smiled to himself, amused and pleased. Maybe Zoro's definition of 'good' for everything was 'could be worse' after all.
"Good," was all he said aloud, and continued with exactly the same pressure except in a few places where he thought maybe it would be better to press just a little harder. He was mostly done, but he couldn't help thinking that if it felt kinda good then maybe he shouldn't stop immediately, so he continued to pour more cream on his palms and rub ointment into the tan, scarring skin. Besides, if he put on more than was needed, it would stay on longer and help for longer too, right?
His palms resting against the rough floorboard, the swordsman shifted a little awkwardly. But whatever shyness he felt was squelched by the soothing properties of the cream and Luffy's touch. In spite of himself, a soft moan left Zoro's throat.
Luffy grinned to himself but said nothing so Zoro wouldn't think he had to get all tense and serious again. He just continued what he was doing, and wondered idly what Zoro would have labeled that. Would that translate as 'could be a lot worse'? The thought was amusing.
A soft puff of air leaving his mouth, the green-haired man lightly tilted his head back, his eyes settling to a close. As Luffy's fingers diligently worked, Zoro could feel the pleasant sensations of the cream healing his wounds and his muscles loosening up. His heart began to slow to a relaxed pace, his fingers digging leisurely into the wood. He didn't know when the last time he had felt this good and alcohol hadn't been involved. His skin tingled pleasantly, and the smooth feel of Luffy's touch filled him with a deep satisfaction...
At that last thought, his stomach did a nauseating flip, but the swordsman quickly swallowed it down.
Something about watching Zoro relax so much made feel Luffy feel both triumphant and satisfied, as he was finally able to give something concrete back to his bodyguard. Zoro got those wounds to protect Luffy, so it was only fair that Luffy could give back somehow, could make the pain of the wounds go away and leave something far more pleasant behind. He was fascinated by the way the muscles slowly relaxed beneath his hands, how the constant alert tension started to muffle and dissipate a little.
But even more, he found his attention caught rather unexpectedly by the way Zoro tilted his head back, and part of him wanted to see what those dark eyes looked like when influenced by an emotion other than guarded control. When Zoro did not open his eyes immediately, Luffy looked down to watch Zoro's fingers dig into the floor, his attention now riveted by such an unconscious, unguarded movement.
He felt so proud, so pleased, and wished he could do this all the time for Zoro instead of just when he had the cream. That had to be the only reason for any of this in the first place, but he was still happy he had thought to get cream. If he hadn't, Zoro would never be so fascinatingly (and satisfyingly) relaxed and... open, maybe, or maybe vulnerable without being weak.
He could only hope sometime he would be able to see him like this again. Maybe he should bring the cream with him when they left Baratie for Shanks'...
His full weight beginning to lean into the prince, Zoro exhaled again. The pain and tightness was slowly melting away beneath Luffy's skilled hands, and he involuntarily gave the tiniest shiver.
Having to support someone while still trying to smear cream on them was a little more difficult than just putting on the cream itself. Luffy didn't want Zoro to fall over backward, but he didn't feel it was necessary to stop what he was doing to support his bodyguard's weight either. So he just let the extra heaviness aid him by digging his fingers in a little deeper.
Luffy never really had a reason to deal with anyone so closely for an extended period of time, so he wasn't sure, but he thought he could feel the muscles loosening in Zoro's back, more than Luffy expected them to. It must be a good thing, or he assumed it was. The shiver could have meant Zoro was cold, though, and maybe he was leaning back to silently tell Luffy to stop by trying to make it harder to continue.
Not really caring to stop until Zoro outright told him to, though, Luffy just kept rubbing in the cream he had, and infrequently added more. His hands were positively pulsing with the tingling, but it was a strangely pleasant feeling, and even if it wasn't he would have continued if it meant Zoro was feeling better, or if this made his initial crankiness morph to relaxation.
A few moments drifted by before Zoro slowly opened his dark eyes. Shifting a little, he sat up more and pressed less weight against Luffy's hands. Turning his head slightly, his gaze met his companion's.
Luffy had been watching his hands, concentrating so much on what he was doing that he almost didn't realize anything had changed. But when Zoro shifted and sat up, almost like a statue shaking off decades of slumber and coming to life, Luffy glanced up automatically. He was so startled to see Zoro starting to turn his head that he momentarily stilled his hands-bracing them just below the shoulder blades to support his bodyguard's weight. He stared as he found himself caught by dark eyes, and for that moment there was nothing shielding his completely open expression, not even the usual over-cheerfulness.
Luffy stayed silent, and though he usually would be brightly grinning and laughing at that point, he didn't. Maybe it was the surprise, or maybe it just seemed like the grin would seem somehow fake right then, even if it were sincere. Instead, he stared, and if the corners of his lips did lift in the gentlest beginning of a smile, and if his eyes were soft enough as if he had smiled outright, well, that was just an indication of how he felt inside: peaceful, content, and pleased.
"You do that good," the swordsman muttered awkwardly.
"Do I?" And the smile did come out fully that time, though it was calmer than the usual brightness. "I've never tried it before."
Zoro averted his gaze, almost shyly. "Yeah…"
"I told you the cream worked," Luffy said suddenly, and the smile shifted to a grin that still remained mellow. He felt too relaxed to exude the usual excessive energy.
Not saying anything right away, the green-haired man shifted his gaze back onto the prince's eyes.
Luffy just continued to smile, deciding the silence must be some form of agreement. Maybe it was the new 'could be worse.' Though he didn't know why Zoro kept being so quiet and looking him in the eyes. It didn't seem like they met each other's gaze for long periods of time very often. Luffy didn't mind at all, he just didn't know what it meant.
"Thanks," Zoro muttered after a moment.
Luffy shrugged. "No thanks needed. It's kinda fun." He smiled happily.
Pulling away, Zoro casually swiped his shirt up from the floor, pulling it over his scarred torso. "I'm hungry."
"Good thing we're in a restaurant then, huh?" Luffy asked rhetorically, laughing. He finally remembered to put the cap back on the cream bottle and set it on the table. "Hey! Last one to find Usopp or Sanji gets no food!" Without waiting for a reply, he jumped up and slammed the door open, tearing out into the hallway in hopes of winning his own wager.
Suddenly irritated, Zoro slipped on the haramaki and jogged after him, leaving the door slightly ajar. "Oi! Wait up!"