A healing bond is delicate, but precious.

Enjoy~

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Chapter 21

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".. Think you'll feel up for traveling today..?"

Giving a soft groan when strong hands began working over his left calf, Sanji nodded slightly. "Chopper said I should be okay... I should start walking to build my strength back up..."

In the quiet of the boys' cabin, Zoro's hands kept up with their task of aiding the cook's muscles to heal. After they had finally returned to Merry, the swordsman had requested Chopper to teach him what he had to do to assist Sanji's recovery. So after being taught the basics of massage therapy and given a bottle of medicinal oil, Zoro had set to work.

At first Sanji was wracked with pain at every touch, but steadily, after multiple sessions over the past two days, Sanji was able to move with only a little discomfort. His feet were still healing, but he could at least put weight on them. Most of all, his back was finally scarring over as the first wound that started all of this healed.

Though those scars still bothered him, Zoro was glad. Things were going to heal. They were healing.

"I need to pick up something in one of the villages. You can come with. See how well you're doing." Zoro commented on that same neutral tone he always had. Inside his heart was beating a bit faster. Thinking about that thing he had ordered over a week ago...

During this whole ordeal with the storms, that crucial item was always lingering in the back of his head. It irritated him to no end that things seemed to be stacked against them, but he wasn't about to let a stupid island's crazy ass weather deter him. 'That tailor better not have gotten blown up in the storms, or I'm trashing this entire fuckin island...'

"Heh.. If you're leading the way, we'll never return." Sanji teased with a slight smile as he shifted on the couch. He didn't have to open his eyes to know he was fixed with a bland stare.

"... Ass. No, Nami will be coming too. She's paying for it, and wants to make sure it's worth the price." Zoro answered as he carefully worked his way up to the slender ankles. The bandages were still on Sanji's feet, but it was only to keep the cuts on them clean. He took a moment to look over them. A bit astounded at how they could stand up to the tremendous forces of Sanji's kicks.

Now that he knew they wouldn't be hopelessly lost, Sanji easily nodded. "Sure. I'll go. Might go ahead and do our supply shopping on the way back."

'Heh.. After what Nami's having to pry out of her wallet, she'll probably put us on rations for a month.' Zoro mused with a rueful frown. He was going to have to pay out his ass to cover his debts now. But he had already decided over a week ago that he didn't care about having Nami's financial claws tearing at his hide. This meant more than the money that woman foolishly worshiped.'Much more..'

His hands continued with their task, and instead of feeling like a chore, Zoro found himself enjoying it. The quiet closeness it allowed them. The others left them to themselves during these little sessions, which made it a moment they could just be. No crew, no pirates. Just the two of them.

Nothing particularly intimate really passed between them other than the occasional lingering touch or stolen kiss. Though the attraction and desire were there, this wasn't something they could bull rush into. They had to make sure they knew where they stood with one another. How they could make this work, being nakama and still serving Luffy to their full potential. This was something they were going to have to work on together. Everything laid out on the table. No secrets, no hesitation.

Above all, no turning back. Once they set this into motion, there was no going back to how things were before. Once emotions got involved it would be for keeps. Both of them knew that without having to say a word. These sessions helped them with that.

The quiet time let them each mediate on their own thoughts and feelings while keeping contact. Allowed them to relax and learn one another without having to sling a lot of unnecessary back story. Beyond all of that it built their trust. That once shattered and barely recognizable connection had somehow mended itself into something stronger, deeper.

Zoro could feel it in the way Sanji relaxed so easily into his hands now. The way his blue eyes stayed closed. It was such a difference to have his ever present suspicious guard down completely. He could actually see the blond breathing easier now that the tension that had always been there since they met finally drained away.

Sanji felt it in the way Zoro took so much time and effort in making sure that he was going to heal. Not only heal physically, but emotionally as well. The fact the swordsman had actually taken an interest in his thoughts and dreams meant more to him than he could ever say. He knew Zoro wanted him standing at a hundred percent by his side.

The moment things were healed the bond between them would be stronger.

They would be stronger.

Zoro gently sat Sanji's leg back down on the couch before taking up the pale left arm. His fingers started the process of working out the lingering tension. Starting with the shoulder and working his way to the slender hand. Despite Sanji never complaining about his hands hurting, Zoro still massaged them gently. He was always rewarded by a hum of pleasure as Sanji seemed to melt into the cushions.

The hands he had watched and admired from afar were finally something he could lavish attention to without it seeming.. Well, Strange. Even through the pain, though weak, Sanji's hands were still so steady. Zoro almost couldn't believe it. Even during their first session when the pain had been the worst, Sanji merely fisted his hands in the sheets of Chopper's futon and gripped them like a vice. Not even a tremor.

As he traced the fingers, a thought occurred to him. He suddenly found himself voicing it. "Is it weird to find hands attractive?"

"Hm?" Sanji frowned a bit in thought as he mulled over the question. "Well.. I know I've seen ugly hands, so attractive ones logically can exist... As a chef, if I encounter another cook I'll take a look at their hands to see how well they take care of them... I've found the touch and appearance attractive..." The blond head then shook after a moment's pause. "I don't think it's all that weird, no."

"So you won't find it weird when I say I'm attracted to your hands."

That had a blue eye cracking open. Sanji focused on his companion with a curious look. "You are?"

Zoro nodded simply as he continued touching the calloused pads on Sanji's hand. "Yeah." The callouses were different from his own, but somewhat similar. He could tell the years of gripping the handles of the knives Sanji held so dearly. "Never really thought of it before.. But you know how to wield a blade. I'd say you'd be a decent swordsman if you ever decided to."

That statement coming from Zoro was seriously saying something, and Sanji knew it. "You know I won't."

"I know." Zoro lightly traced the lines on Sanji's palm. "Your hands aren't meant for it. Your touch is too delicate to be wasted like that."

Sanji raised a brow at the odd words. "Delicate?"

Realizing he wasn't making much sense, Zoro frowned. Frustrated at himself for still being unable to word things properly. "Too.. Steady. Your hands are like rock. They never hesitate. They're always so confident and sure." Zoro paused in his attentions as he simply held the pale hand in his own. "They're meant for meticulous work. Things that require finesse and patience." he stated, hoping that he managed a better explanation.

The honest words pulled strong at Sanji's heart. All the times that he thought Zoro wasn't paying attention to him, turns out he was paying very close attention. It made a blush want to form on his cheeks, but he fought it off. Instead he curled his fingers around the tan ones. "Observant Marimo..." Sanji whispered as he looked to Zoro's dark eyes.

"Lately, at least..." Following his impulse, Zoro lifted Sanji's hand and place a kiss to the pale knuckles. He let his lips linger there on the soft skin before parting them and letting his tongue barely taste it.

Blue eyes widened and dilated when he felt the warm wet touch on his skin. "Zoro.." Without a second thought, Sanji gripped tight to the hand holding his and tugged hard. Pulling Zoro on top of him.

His breath catching at the sudden pull, Zoro had to quickly shoot up his left hand to grab the back of the couch. Stopping himself from crashing down on top of the pale body. He was left with his face only inches apart from Sanji's. Looking into the blue eyes and that tiny smug smile again. He raised a suspicious brow. "And that was for..?"

Sanji's smile grew into a smirk. "You weren't close enough." Before Zoro could retort, Sanji's right hand moved up and tangled into the short green hair. Gripping firm, he pulled his nakama down and kissed him. Slowly, taking his time in tasting the other man's mouth

Zoro managed a gasp before his mouth was claimed, but he was soon giving into the cook's impulsive demand. Carefully, he began lowering himself atop the blond. Making sure to brace himself on the couch so Sanji wouldn't have to bear his weight on the still healing back.

Exploring his nakama's mouth, catching that faint hint of steel, Sanji hummed in pleasure. His left hand wandered up and roamed over the broad back. Sanji was beginning to get a strange pleasure in touching Zoro's back. As his fingers found their way under the annoying haramaki, he paused when he notice something. A material that wasn't the same as the green haramaki. It was smoother. A higher quality cloth. It felt familiar.

Losing himself into that kiss, Zoro nearly purred when that hand moved down his back. However when Sanji seemed to pause and get distracted, he pulled back. "What is it..?" he asked when he caught the puzzled expression on the pale face.

Saying nothing at first, Sanji tugged the piece of cloth free and held it up. It was a torn piece of vivid red fabric that had thin black.. Stripes...

"This.. Is from my shirt..." Sanji frowned in confusion as he looked back up at Zoro only to blink at the sudden blush that was on the tan face. "... I threw that shirt away almost two weeks ago..." '.. Did he fish it out of the trash...?'

Coughing slightly, Zoro sat up. He hadn't expected that to be discovered, so found himself scraping for what to say. Sanji was looking at him expectantly, which caused him to rub uneasily at the back of his neck. "I.. Got it from that room we were staying in when the storms fist started. It was caught on that piece of metal you.. Saved me from." His eyes focused on the fabric with a frown. "Don't really know why... But I kept it."

Sanji had listened quietly at the not so much of a explanation, but he found it didn't matter. Slowly he managed to sit up as well. He rubbed his fingers over the fine fabric of his shirt with what could be called a thoughtful expression on his face. It had been one of his better shirts. Tailor made for him. It had pissed him off that it had been ruined, but a lot of his things had been ruined thanks to this shitty island and its fucked up weather.

But the thoughts of his shirt fell away as he tried to grasp the fact that Zoro made the decision to keep the worthless scrap of cloth. Even after hell had broken loose between them. Zoro still held on to it.

Zoro was watching, more than a little tense as Sanji kept looking at the red cloth. He had no idea what was going through the cook's head. 'Shit.. I don't know what was going through my head when I kept the damn thing..' He could only hope it didn't stir up any bad memories.

After a long moment of silence, Sanji reached over and took hold of Zoro's right hand. He brought it closer and placed the scrap of fabric into the larger hand. As he had the tan fingers close around it, an amused hum left him. He looked up at he nakama with a sly smirk. "Congrats. It's now the finest thing you own."

The teasing tone had Zoro blinking for a moment before he was glaring at the blond idiot. "Shit cook." he growled, but still tucked the cloth back under his haramaki. He glanced down when a pale hand covered his own over the green cloth. Glancing back up he was a bit surprised to see Sanji leaning in with that same smirk. "Need something?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Depends..." Sanji licked the tip of Zoro's nose playfully. "How much time do we have until we need to head out to that village?"

That playfulness had Zoro quickly smirking in return. "Enough."

"Perfect."

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TBC

Keepsakes are for keeping's sake.

Later~