Sanji's breath caught in his throat and he actually almost doubled over in physical pain for a second. Zoro had deleted his number after learning of the upcoming wedding? He'd just...chosen to forgotten everything they'd had together because of this? His phone shook in his hands as he tried to think of the proper way to reply. Should he just act like he'd gotten the wrong number? Should he ignore the message and act as if nothing had happened? But then that would be leaving things as is, and he didn't want that. Apparently he'd taken too long trying to make up his mind, because his phone buzzed again, jolting him out of his thoughts. He almost flung the thing across his messy room.
'Hello?' The message read. From Zoro, again. Sanji could almost hear the irritation in his voice. A number he didn't know texting him and then seemingly refusing to explain who they were to him would most certainly be something that set the man off.
"He hates you, you know." Said one of the voices. Ah, Sanji just loved intrusive thoughts. This particular voice often provided enough of them to last him a lifetime.
"Calm down," Sanji's own inner voice responded, "I'm sure everything is going to be fine."
Not wanting to seem offended and pathetic, which he certainly felt right about now, Sanji began typing out a reply with a hint of snippy attitude. 'It's Sanji, you brainless marimo.' he decided to start with. 'Forget me already?' There. Now he wouldn't sound as upset as he felt, he'd sound as if things were back to normal, even though they clearly werent.
He pressed SEND and sighed, settling onto the floor in the middle of his room with a canvas and some oil paints. He also popped one of his emergency anti-anxiety pills, which were much needed in a situation like this, and within minutes he began to calm down. As he painted, he even forgot, if just for a moment, that he was awaiting a response from the so-called Brainless Marimo.
The moment lasted for about fifteen minutes. He was halfway through painting a photorealistic picture of a bowl of oranges and flowers from memory when his pocket buzzed again. Sanji whipped his phone out of his pocket faster than he could light himself a cigarette and opened the text.
'Didn't forget you...angry. We should talk.' Was Zoro's reply.
Sanji rolled his eyes. 'Ya think?' Sanji replied back, in italics. He was pissed off. He'd been trying to talk to Zoro for weeks since the marriage came between them, and this was the first he'd responded in at least 3 weeks. At least this was progress. 'When do u want to meet up?' He typed and pressed send before he could stop himself and chicken out of the situation.
The reply came after 4 hours of sitting on the floor, listening to the voices argue about his taste in furniture in his apartment. Zoro may have been bad at texting by nature, but this was just awful. 'Idk. Nami is having that party at your place next week. I'll come by then.'
That's right. They were throwing one of the last parties they'd be able to throw as roommates before the wedding took Sanji away from them. Zoro had avoided all crew activities for weeks, but now he'd finally get to see him again. Even if the circumstances did seem dire.