RelationShipwreck

Chapter 6: Helpless to the Ebb and Flow

That evening was dedicated to cleanup. Sanji was working in the galley, of course, which was probably the messiest place anyway. Scraping up the last of the spilled food off the floor, he stared at it forlornly. Seawater had leaked in at some point, leaving everything that had fallen wet and salty.

"Well, at least we can still use it as fish bait," he muttered as he set the soggy remains aside. He wasn't about to toss anything, that was certain. A few other sailors were helping to gather and wash the dishes, while others were beginning to scrub the tables, benches, and floor. Spirits were down and everyone was dirty, tired and hungry, so Sanji knew it was important to get a tasty, warm dinner ready as quickly as he could.

Outside, ropes and sails were being checked and debris removed. Zoro was out there somewhere, probably doing the work of 15 men. It was about time the lazy marimo did some real labor. None of that "take a watch, work out, sleep," nonsense he was so fond of. The idiot was only good for one thing anyway.

Yeah, that's Zoro all right. Marine problem? Throw some muscle at it.

Sea Kings attacking? Throw some muscle at it.

Reeling in someone who fell overboard? Throw some muscle at it.

Someone having a nervous breakdown? Look them in the eyes and gently oH FOR CRAP'S SAKE STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!

Sanji chopped up several slabs of meat with such force that his helpers were starting to look at him nervously. A quick glare and they went back to their business, worried that he might change his mind about taking his frustrations out on only inanimate objects.

So the marimo can be caring. Big deal! He's not a monster, you know that, even if you do tease him about it. Zoro was perfectly entitled to show his softer side to his nakama, the people he trusted. Just because this was the first time Sanji had actually seen him display any softness, to anyone, didn't mean anything. Certainly it didn't mean that Zoro was treating him any differently than before, or in a different manner than the rest of the Strawhats, or—

Oh, who am I kidding? Time's up, isn't it? Zoro's got to know his heart by now, and I still don't have an answer. Not one he'll like, anyway.

And that was the crux of the problem. As far as Sanji could see, there were only two options: turn down Zoro's feelings, and leave things awkward and unpleasant between them until the swordsman found someone else (however long that might take,) or…

Or… somehow… what? Lead him on? He couldn't do that, not to a nakama. Gain an appreciation for man-flesh? Zoro was probably an excellent specimen for that sort of thing, but his mind went blank every time he tried to consider it. Which left only option one, which still didn't set right in the blond's stomach.

He grabbed a meat tenderizer and began whacking half-heartedly at the red slabs, his burst of energy all used up. There was just no easy answer. No way to make things go back the way they were before, no matter how badly he wished that they would.

* * *

Before night had fallen the ship had been put back in order, the crew fed, and the kitchen cleaned once more. Frey and Joss had eaten with a voracity that surprised themselves before falling soundly asleep on the cots in the infirmary. The freckle-faced boy's arm had been set and bound and there was no particular reason why they couldn't return to the bunk room, aside from the fact that they were too exhausted to face the questions and sympathies of their crewmates. Instead, Royal enthusiastically took up the task of relating the tale of their plight and the heroics of the two hitchhikers, with Moose occasionally throwing a word in. Zoro and Sanji accepted the attention and grateful thanks they received with varying degrees of patience, before insisting that they were dead on their feet and retreating to the safety of their bunks.

Not that we can sleep with all this racket going on, Zoro thought with a sigh. Most of the lights had been turned off, at least, but everyone else was still loitering around Royal and Moose's bunks, yakking away. Sanji kept shifting around above him, making little displeased sounds.

"Too noisy?" he enquired of the expanse of wood above him.

"Too dirty," came the voice, muffled through the mattress. "With everyone clamoring for the shower, I didn't get to spend nearly long enough washing up. I think I still have salt in my hair."

"…"

"I can hear you grinning. Shut up."

"Sure thing… princess."

"Barbarian."

Chuckle. "Good night."

A pause. "'Night, marimo."

Zoro rolled over, pulling the blanket over his head in hopes of blocking out distractions. This is going to be a challenge, he thought with a sigh. The swordsman had managed to keep their brief conversation normal, despite the fact that part of his brain kept providing highly suggestive comebacks to practically everything Sanji had said. Fortunately, I live for challenges.

After all, there were really only two options open to him, now that he knew why thoughts of his nakama were driving him to distraction.

One: he could confess to Sanji, get turned down, and make the poor ladies-man feel uncomfortable and possibly guilty for the rest of their lives.

Or, two: he could keep this little revelation to himself, so things could stay normal. Even if the cook already suspected (which, considering he'd kissed him, was highly likely,) he would probably be quite glad to keep up the status quo. Sanji wouldn't have to be burdened with unwanted affections, and Zoro would simply keep the semi-ascetic lifestyle he'd always maintained so far. Perfect.

It was an easy choice.

* * *

Sanji took his usual seat on the bench next to Zoro at breakfast, trying not to look like he was dragging his feet. The swordsman had looked normal enough when he caught a glimpse of him on his way to the kitchen, but that was hardly enough time to judge. It had been impossible not to notice the way the man had been staring at him ever since he joined the ship; how would he behave now that he surely knew his feelings?

"Morning, marimo," he said as be began to dig in.

"Morning, dartbow," Zoro replied with a mouthful of food.

Well, that was painless. There was a sudden cheer throughout the room, and the two looked up to see Frey and Joss entering the galley with their friends. Applause broke out and the two youngest crewmembers looked horribly embarrassed yet pleased at the same time. Several people got up to pat them on the back or ruffle their hair, and even Frey's father, a rather cold and distant man in Sanji's opinion, spent a few moments helping his second son load up his plate.

Soon their table was filled with the usual crowd. Frey's father gave Sanji and Zoro a stiff bow. "My apologies for not saying this earlier. Thank you for saving my son." With that he returned to his own table with nary another word.

"Don't mind him," Paul said, seeing the two nakama's raised eyebrows. "He's not really the fatherly type. He left that job to me." Sanji just shook his head and returned to his food. Breakfast passed quickly, and soon people were shuffling out in threes and fours, returning to their duties. Paul left to take watch, and Zoro stood and cracked his neck a few times, dismissing himself to work out some more before Sanji could rope him into cleanup. Work-dodging, lazy bastard, the chef muttered to himself. Back to his old tricks already. He was just starting to gather the plates when it occurred to him.

Zoro hadn't stared at him at all this morning. In fact he seemed to be acting just like he always had before, back on the Thousand Sunny. What does that mean? Did he not figure it out after all? Or did he come to the wrong conclusion? Don't tell me he—

"Sanji-san?" came the shy voice of Frey beside him. The blond looked down at the shorter boy, who was looking at him with an oddly pathetic expression. "Is… is there any work I can do?"

A quick glance around the room showed Royal sweeping crumbs out from around the counters, two hands firmly gripping the broom; Moose carrying stacks of plates held securely between two hands; and Joss filling the sink up with soapy water, where someone with two hands would scrub the plates and someone with two hands would dry them and put them away.

Come to think of it, two hands were required for fishing, and for manipulating sails, and for climbing in rigging. Frey couldn't even take watch, because he couldn't reach the crow's nest.

Oh.

"Well. Why don't you take a washcloth and scrub down the tables before Royal gets over there with the broom?" The freckled-face burst into a grin before he darted away to do as he was told. Sanji shook his head, a sad smile tugging his lips.

Why can't Zoro be more helpful like that? Poor kid, he's going to feel so useless and bored until that arm heals.

* * *

Lunch came and went in much the same manner, except that Zoro had the distinct impression that Sanji had been staring at him. Kind of ironic, really. Once again he was out on the deck, pumping iron cannons, turning ever darker under the sun's glare. He paused as he realized he was being watched by a more unexpected pair of eyes, and set the weights down.

"Yeah?"

Paul stepped closer, now that he wasn't in danger of accidentally getting hit. "It occurred to me that I haven't given you my thanks for yesterday."

"If you need to thank anyone, thank Joss. And Sanji."

"I have. And I will."

"Good." Zoro leaned back down to resume what he'd been doing, but Paul stepped closer still. "What?" he asked, noticing the man's troubled expression.

"You know, for a while I'd been intent on getting an apology out of you two."

Zoro straightened out, settling for drying off some of his sweat instead. "For what?" At Paul's sour look, he recalled the way he and Sanji had treated the sailor just before leaving from Kamabakka. Blowing cigarette smoke in someone's face probably wasn't the best way to make a first impression, and threatening someone into silence wasn't that great a move either. "Oh."

"However, saving the life of my brother far outweighs a personal slight, so much so that I feel I owe you two a favor."

"That's really not necessary," he responded, dabbing his face with his towel.

"Okay, forget it then."

Zoro looked up in surprise. Paul stared blandly back, though he could've sworn there was a smile twitching at his lips. "Since you've declared us even, is it alright if I ask you a favor instead?"

Zoro could only stare, slightly amazed at the man's audacity. "Such as?"

"How do I get Sanji to stop denying that he played dress-up?"

Zoro's eyes widened, before narrowing under drawn brows. "You don't," he said tersely. "It's none of your business, and neither of us appreciate you bringing it up." Tossing aside the towel, he reached down and hefted up the weights again, forcing Paul to take a few steps back to get out of the way.

"I noticed you're not watching him today like you usually do," he continued recklessly. "Did something happen?"

"No. Now get lost. You may be a good guy where your brother's concerned, but right now you're pissing me off."

"Do you have a little brother? Or anyone like a little brother to you?"

Before Zoro could ignore him or threaten him off, an image of Chopper popped into his mind, in his small, fuzzy form that the reindeer favored most, bashfully cussing him out after receiving a word of praise. More images came crowding in, of long-nosed Usopp clinging to him in fear, and of his captain, Luffy, grinning confidently at him. The thoughts of his missing nakama slowed down his angry retort long enough that Paul knew he'd found some common ground.

"You do have someone."

"So?" Zoro said gruffly, but it didn't come out as angrily as he'd intended.

"Do you love them?"

"Of course I do."

"Would you do anything for them?"

"Of… course."

"Look after them when they're sick? Talk to them when they're sad? Try to help them with their problems, even if those problems are things you can't understand and can't help them with no matter how good your intentions?"

Paul's eyes were wide with fierce sincerity, and in spite of himself Zoro felt some of his anger leaving him. "Of course," he said more softly.

The brown haired man let out a shaky sigh, rubbing his hand across his lightly freckled face. "Well, I have no less than four boys that I feel that way about. I taught them every trick I know about sailing, I gave them a shoulder to cry on when they needed one, and I give them space when they want that instead. I'm far from perfect, but I try. And if they need something that I can't provide, then I'll do my best to find them someone who can."

His righteous fury spent, Paul stuck his trembling hands in his pockets and stared at the deck below his feet. Zoro stood still, the cannons suspended somewhere in the middle of a rep, pondering the man's explosion. He recalled the way Paul had looked so happy the day before, when Sanji agreed to stay and talk with the boys.

So…he's looking for…role models?

"And you think Sanji and I are the ones you're looking for?"

"More or less," he replied evasively.

Zoro stared, simultaneously suspicious and intrigued. "What does Sanji's stint in Okama-land have to do with this?"

Paul looked up and grinned. "I'll be happy to explain, if you'll promise to help."

* * *

What on earth are those two talking about? Earlier, Sanji had caught sight of his green-haired nakama having a heated argument with Frey's brother while he was heading to the storage room to collect fruit for dinner. Now that he had emerged from the mess hall to ring the dinner bell, he was amazed and rather irritated to see that they were still out on the deck, calmly holding a conversation. What could Paul have to talk about that could hold Zoro's interest for hours?

He tried to ignore them as everyone ate dinner, but it was hard when the two were sitting next to each other, all chummy-like. Sanji shook his head and focused on his food. Stop being silly. Zoro made a friend; it's a good thing. So what if that meant the swordsman had gone from watching his every move to completely ignoring him? That was the way things were supposed to be.

I do not miss the attention. I am not an attention-whore. I hated it, anyway. Sanji chugged down his drink, trying to wash away his uncertainty. Tilting it back to get every last drop, he lowered the mug and stared morosely at the dregs on the bottom. Maybe…I was wrong? Maybe that kiss was just a product of drunkenness with no hidden meaning behind it. What if I've been worrying myself nuts over nothing? Have I seriously spent the last several days agonizing over the state of Zoro's feelings when it was all in my head?

The cook slid out from under the table, stomping over to refill his drink with a sour look on his face. Crap, what was I thinking? Stewing and stewing over a problem that I don't even know is real? Has he been laughing at me all this time? A quick glance over his shoulder showed Zoro grinning at some joke Royal was telling, looking for all the world like he didn't have a worry in his empty head. Sanji glared at him all the way back to his seat before pasting on an indifferent look when one of the boys looked his way. Picking up his fork once more, he resumed eating.

Wait a minute. I'm going about this all wrong. I may have wasted a few brain cells worrying over the marimo, but doesn't this mean that my problem's solved? No one has to get hurt. Everything is normal, just like I wished it would be! The blond pasted on a smile as he finished his last bite and tried to pay more attention to the conversation going around the table. Look's like I've been spared. Isn't that great!

He watched Zoro from the corner of his eye, taking in the way his three earrings glimmered in the lamplight whenever he nodded his head, the way the sharp lines on his temples moved when his eyebrows went up, and the feral way he grinned when he was amused. Looking back down at his empty plate, Sanji sighed.

Maybe it just takes a while for the relief to kick in?

O-ho, we finally got a peak into the workings of Paul's mind! And Sanji's. And Zoro's. I guess this was mind-reading!chapter. Coming up next we have humor!chapter, which turned out even longer than action!chapter length-wise, but not word-count-wise. Does that make sense? It has lots of dialogue, I'll put it that way. And my promised cliché dodging! Or maybe just cliché-using. Guess it's a matter of opinion, but I'm hoping you guys'll take it as dodging. :D

Was there anything in particular you liked about this chapter? Did I surprise any of you?