Tangled

Chapter 5: Insecurities

The world certainly seemed strange in black and white, but that was probably because he was so used to seeing everything in color, vivid and bright. Sanji grimaced. The grayscale vision was really the least of his problems even though it freaked the hell out of him.

He was a fucking dog. And every part of him ached. His throat had refused to work for a while until he could get used to his state, though he was certainly glad he could talk in the end. No other body part would listen to his commands, limbs still a little too weak to hold him up properly. The weirdest part, by far, was having a tail, which put weight on areas he never really thought about, namely his ass.

Twitch.

"Someone's coming," Sanji warned, his floppy and rather sensitive ears picking up sounds he had never been able to. He wondered if being a dog meant that he'd have a short attention span.

The thudding was getting louder and louder, until even Zoro could hear it. The swordsman flinched, instinctively reaching towards Wado.

With a booming sound loud enough to wake the dead, the door burst open as a brown figure practically flew into the room, hooves flailing in the air as it crashed into the wall. It quickly regained balance and turned to face the two of them.

"Chopper?" Zoro asked, surprise visible on his face. "How…"

Chopper returned to his chibi form, looking exhausted but extremely concerned. "You guys, are you alright?"

Zoro said nothing as Chopper gasped, analyzing the half-naked sight of Zoro wrapped all over in gauze. A mumble of "stabs in both shoulders and abdomen, slice in side…must be sterilized, may need stitches…" could be heard in the dead silent room.

"What happened to you?" the little reindeer demanded, examination complete, immediately climbing into Zoro's lap to double check the bandages. "And why can't I see Sanji when he's in this room?"

Shit, I forgot about Chopper. He's probably smelling my presence. Is that how he found us in the first place…

Sanji stiffened, only to realize it caused him too much pain to actually do so. He bared his teeth. Damned muzzle. Just when he was about to try and hide himself under the covers, Zoro moved subtly to shield him from Chopper's view, back muscles tensed.

"Well, Sanji, what do you say?" Zoro asked quietly. Sanji tried not to be affected by the way he calmly said his name, as if it was normal. Which it wasn't.

"What?" Chopper sounded even more confused than before. "I still can't see him."

"We can't keep this from him," Sanji said finally, exhaling loudly in frustration. His ear jerked agitatedly, tail flipping upwards and spastically slapping down on the bed. "Shitty tail. I can't even control it properly."

"S-Sanji?" Chopper stuttered, voice coming out a whisper. "Zoro, what's going on?"

"Chopper, I can't really explain it very well. We got into kind of an accident, but this is what happened as a result," Zoro muttered, shifting completely out of the way and gesturing to Sanji's small form on the bed.

"Hi, Chopper," Sanji reluctantly murmured, nodding his head slightly.

He saw Chopper's face contort into an expression of utter shock.

"Sanji, you're…you're a dog. A pretty golden retriever," Chopper said, dumbfounded. "You're not…human…"

Sanji bristled, a growl emitting from his throat. Did that little toy just call him pretty? He calmed himself only with the thought that he supposed he had to be glad that he didn't turn out to be a poodle or a Chihuahua or something ridiculous like that.

"Some woman's Devil's Fruit power turned him into that," Zoro said quickly. "He couldn't help what he got turned into."

At Chopper's lack of response, Sanji decided to change the subject and wheezed, "Dr. Chopper, you mind helping us? We need your medical expertise."

As expected, Chopper turned a bright red, smiling brightly instantly. Surprisingly enough he didn't say anything about how they were all assholes and how he wasn't happy. He simply nodded. "Zoro, I need you to lie down and tell me everything. Maybe I'll be able to do something about Sanji's condition."

Sanji only paid partial attention to the marimo's explanation as he fought his fatigue. He was doing his best to cope with the massive physical change, but he was weak as fuck and just plain tired.

Zoro's voice was a deep baritone, one that was soothing to his ears, gruff and emotionless as usual. With Chopper, he was friendly, approachable. With him, the moss ball was callous; they were rivals after all.

So he didn't know why he found himself admiring that steady, low-pitched sound that was slowly lulling him to sleep…

"…So can you keep it a secret?" Zoro's voice finally came into focus as Sanji snapped out of the wave of drowsiness threatening to overcome his consciousness completely. Maybe he had taken a brief nap. He didn't really know anymore. His eyes refused to open.

"Yeah. I won't tell anyone if that's what Sanji wants, but…" Chopper's voice sounded uncharacteristically sad.

"We'll have to lie to them," Zoro finished for him. "I know you don't want to. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Chopper said quietly. "I've never heard of Henshin Henshin no Mi, but I'm 99% sure that it's not permanent and it'll wear off on its own time, at least from what it looks like right now. I can't really tell you how long it'll take for you to become human again."

"That's better than nothing," Sanji interjected, hating his weak voice.

"Ah, you're awake now?"

He felt Chopper's clinical touches as the reindeer doctor worked carefully to help him as much as possible. A while later, he heard Chopper's sigh indicating that he was done.

"For now, we should return to the Sunny. Everyone is looking for you guys," Chopper said wearily, repacking the first-aid kit monstrosity he kept in his impossibly small bag. "I'll try my best to play along."

"Thanks," Sanji rasped.

Before he could comprehend what was going on, he felt Zoro's large hands span over what felt like his waist, picking him up gently. The momentary discomfort vanished as he found himself being cuddled by the shitty marimo, held in his arms as if he was a baby.

Zoro's touch…

His hand stroked the top of his head, rubbing softly behind his ears. Sanji had the strangest urge to groan. Just then, an errant finger brushed by his nether regions, making him yelp out in surprise.

"Sorry-"

"Oi, Chopper can carry me," Sanji said, immediately wincing at his idiocy. He not only sounded like a feeble fool but petty. Zoro would never touch him like that on purpose. He tried to ignore how hot his face felt and instead mumbled, "Shit, never mind."

"Ero-cook, you know you like it. You didn't have any problem with me so far."

He could already imagine the smirk on Zoro's face, though he couldn't tilt his head enough to actually see it.

"I wasn't conscious, asshole. You're into bestiality and that shit?" Sanji retorted.

Was that Zoro's heartbeat that boomed so close to him? It was almost distracting in its loudness, its steady rhythm, so much that it was difficult to concentrate on anything else. Zoro's presence was overwhelming, overpowering. But that definitely had more to do with the fact that he wasn't even a tenth of the swordsman's size anymore. That was all.

Yeah. Right.

"What the hell do you take me for?" Zoro said, chest vibrating with the words near Sanji's fur.

"Don't talk," Chopper reprimanded both of them. "You might draw unwanted attention."

"And you don't, Mr. Talking Reindeer?" Zoro teased, making Chopper pout.

Their bickering and conversation continued until the three of them eventually arrived at the Thousand Sunny where they saw the crew anxiously sitting on the deck near the railings.

"Hey, everyone! They're back!" Luffy shouted, grinning maniacally at the sight of Zoro and Chopper.

"Where the hell were you?" Nami yelled, making a move to hit Zoro in the head, only to stop herself and blink, at a sudden loss for words. She looked at Zoro awkwardly and Sanji had the strongest urge to shout "Mellorine!" as if to assure her nothing was wrong. He clamped down hard on his jaw to prevent himself from saying anything. Old habits really did die hard.

"I think Navigator-san wants to ask where Cook-san might be, though she might not want to admit she's a little confused," Robin murmured, her hand cupping the side of her face in an interested fashion. "After all, I'm rather curious why he is not here as well. And that dog…"

Every member's eyes focused on Sanji, making him strangely nervous. He shot a look at Chopper, mentally begging him not to talk at all. Chopper seemed to understand his panic and made a motion like he was locking his lips. Sanji offered a small smile and nodded in thanks.

What a gamble it was, having complete faith in the stupid marimo.

"You guys trust the cook, right?" Zoro muttered gruffly and they all nodded reluctantly. He shrugged lightly, taking care not to move Sanji's body in any way. "He said he'd be back. He doesn't know when, but he'll return on his own. He specifically asked for us to leave without him."

Luffy stood still for such a long time that an uncomfortable silence settled over the ship. He finally nodded and the crew relaxed. "If that's really what he wants, we'll go. I believe that he'll find us."

Sanji let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Zoro certainly made things more realistic just by talking in his gruff tone. Maybe it was the fact that he was reliable, with his rock-like support and no-nonsense demeanor.

"And that dog…?" Robin asked softly.

"I found it on the street so beaten up it couldn't stand. It looked so pathetic that I couldn't stop myself from picking it up," Zoro said with a smirk and Sanji bit his arm in irritation. The damned moss head didn't have to put it like that. "I figured you guys wouldn't mind if I brought him along."

"It's so weird. It looks just like Sanji…" Luffy said, scratching his head. "Ah, it must be a mystery dog."

"How does that look anything like him? It's a golden retriever," Franky said matter-of-factly. "If curly cook bro was an animal, I bet he'd be a fox or something. Maybe a lion."

Robin chuckled then turned her attention back to Zoro. "So did you name it, Swordsman-san?"

Sanji snarled in warning. You better not say something retarded-

"Buttercup?" Zoro suggested, chuckling. "Rather cute, isn't it?"

Asshole!

His fur bristled as he saw Chopper and Luffy rolling on the ground, guffawing as if it was the funniest thing ever.

Shitty marimo.

"It doesn't seem to like that very much," Usopp laughed. "You know, it really is kind of like Sanji. I can't really explain it."

But of course it's like me. Because it is me. Sanji sighed. It might have been so much easier just to tell them…

"Is it male or female?" Brook remarked.

"Male."

"Banana. Pineapple. Corn. Maybe mango-"

"Oi, we're not naming him after a fruit," Usopp said in disbelief, smacking Luffy lightly in the head. "Otherwise you'll eat it."

"Really?" Luffy asked, as if he was actually surprised.

"What if we name him Sanji?" Brook suggested. "It's not to replace Sanji-san or anything but it seems to fit him the best. Dog-san seems to have the same colored eyes as well."

Without thinking, Sanji nodded approvingly, only to have Nami giggle.

"The dog actually agreed," she laughed. "Isn't he a cutie?"

Ah, Nami-swan, you would never say that to me normally, Sanji thought wryly, though he didn't really mind. After all, his obsession with her was more of a joke than anything else.

"Wait, you guys, how is this going to work? I need a cook!" Luffy gasped, as if the thought just hit him. Most of the members buried their faces in their palms at their slow captain.

Every muscle in Sanji's body froze up, causing him pain he couldn't even register properly. He couldn't even fulfill his responsibilities as a part of this crew anymore, not in this body. He looked up slowly at Zoro who was staring back at him with concern.

What do I do…

"I can cook."

Sanji blinked, shocked at the words coming out of Zoro's mouth. Oi, marimo, what are you getting yourself into?

"You can?" Luffy asked, eyes shining. "I didn't know that!"

"Don't expect Sanji's level of cooking or anything," he muttered. Sanji tried not to smile at the compliment, but it seemed like Zoro noticed, quickly changing the subject with, "Well, captain, are we going to go or not?"

"Let's set sail!" Luffy shouted, laughing. He swung himself to his usual spot and the others dispersed to do their own things.

Naturally, Zoro walked up to the crow's nest where his gym was set up, along with Chopper who insisted he check up on them again. When the door was tightly closed behind him, he set Sanji down on a mat carefully.

"This is going to be difficult, love cook," Zoro mumbled, sprawling out on the floor, "and for you too, Chopper."

"I think it'll be fine on my part if I don't talk," Chopper said wryly, double checking his body. "Sanji, if you feel anything or if there are any side effects, come to me right away, okay?"

Sanji nodded. "I think I can move around a little now."

"Just in case, Zoro or I should be with you at all times," Chopper continued in his professional mode. "I don't know how we'll explain it to the crew if you suddenly change back or something. Even if you guys don't like it, you're going to have to deal with each other somehow."

"Understood, Doctor," Sanji murmured and the reindeer blushed.

"Well…you guys do your own thing. I'm going to go back to my room," Chopper said, opening the door and leaving.

Sanji stared around the room, unsure of what to do or say. To his regret, he couldn't admire the color of the sky or the ocean. Damned grayscale vision.

"Oi, what time is it?"

"Nearly dinnertime," Zoro responded, arms crossed behind his head.

"What was that about you being able to cook?"

"I can keep myself alive."

"That's hardly reassuring, marimo."

"You have recipes, right? I'll just try following one of them."

Sanji snorted. "You're going to have to try harder than your best if you want to keep up with my recipes."

[~ * ~]

"Baked ling cod with lemon-garlic butter sauce…Question, you should get better names for your dishes."

"Don't make fun of me, damn you. Besides, I wouldn't be talking. Your nicknames are retarded."

Zoro had carried Sanji in his arms down to the kitchen to try and make dinner under his supervision. After all, who knew what the idiot would do to his precious kitchen knives?

"Follow the recipe exactly. If you need help with anything, make sure to ask me," Sanji demanded.

"Sure, sure…what the hell? Clam juice? We actually eat that stuff?"

"Just do it," Sanji ordered. "It's in a container in the fridge. And also we're going to have to use the whole fish, since my recipe makes enough for 4 normal people. Slice the fish into thick fillets."

He watched carefully as Zoro yanked the giant cod out of the refrigerator. Involuntarily, Sanji's mouth went dry, staring at the tanned muscles of the swordsman's arms flexing, the white shirt stretching tautly across his back.

What the hell?

"Oi, cook, I just slice it up?"

Sanji swallowed. There was no way he was even remotely attracted to this moss ball. No way. No fucking way. Zoro was his rival. A man.

"Oi…"

"Yeah. Just cut it," Sanji finally replied, looking down at his feet abashedly. Scratch that. His paws.

Then he heard the metallic shing! shing! as the cod fell into perfectly equal pieces on the grilling pan. Sanji blinked at the sight of the fillets lined up perfectly for baking.

"How…" Sanji stared, shocked that the swordsman could actually cut something that wasn't a human body with such precision.

"I'm not completely useless in the kitchen," Zoro muttered, turning around. "Didn't I tell you that already?"

Was that a blush Sanji just saw? No, he must be imagining things.

"Stick the fish into the oven while you prepare the sauce," Sanji said, wincing at how he sounded. The way he nagged was annoying even to his own ears. To his surprise, however, Zoro said nothing, getting out a large bowl and dumping things haphazardly into it after placing the pans of fish into the oven.

"You ungraceful brute," Sanji mumbled, watching him stir carefully.

"I added the right amounts, love cook. Isn't that all that matters?" Zoro grunted.

"That's why you're not a cook," Sanji sighed. "But I suppose that makes perfect sense."

"IT SMELLS SO GOOD!"

"You can't come in here, Luffy!" Sanji shouted as usual, before he realized with horror that he had forgotten his state of being. SHIT!

Luffy stuck his head inside the kitchen with a confused frown. "Did I just hear Sanji's voice? I could have sworn he just yelled at me like he always does."

"No," Zoro said flatly. "You're imagining things-"

"Wow, it really smells good," Luffy noted, already distracted. Sanji exhaled slowly in relief.

"Just following the dartboard brow's recipes," Zoro said, busying his hands by making rice. "Dinner's going to be simple. Don't expect too much, captain."

"I know. But you must be better than you say," Luffy chuckled, reluctantly leaving. "I'm looking forward to dinner!"

"That was close," Zoro said softly. "You sure you want to do this, cook?"

"I don't want them to see me like this," Sanji replied, unable to meet Zoro's intense gaze. "Hell, if I had a choice, I wouldn't want you to know either."

"Well, I'm glad I do."

Sanji's head shot up to stare at Zoro who was looking at him with such a burning, unidentifiable emotion that he nearly slipped off the counter.

"L-look after the cod," Sanji stuttered, breaking eye contact first. What was up with the shitty swordsman?

"Oh…it smells burnt," Zoro said suddenly, opening the oven only to reveal golden, crisp cod slices.

Holy shit, it was cooked perfectly. Even Sanji himself had trouble getting it to bake like that.

He felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest…and not in a good way.

You don't belong in this crew…

We don't need you…

With a soft, humorless laugh, he jumped off the counter, feelings as if he was being smashed into bits as he landed harshly. He preferred the physical pain. Turns out that Luffy didn't even need another cook. Zoro was the strong first mate capable of taking care of the crew despite what it looked like most the time.

It was really true, then. Even if he didn't ever come back in his human form, it didn't matter.

The laughter got louder, fake to his own ears. Hollow.

"Cook…"

"You don't…ha…you don't need my nagging. The cod is coming along fantastically. Just…follow the directions. Spread the sauce liberally. Lots of rice for Luffy, of course. I think I'm just going to go sleep. Not hungry. Hope you guys have a good dinner. I don't feel that great. But you're fine on your own so, just keep going," Sanji babbled, pushing through the door.

"Sanji…"

Ignoring him, Sanji limped slowly towards the crow's nest, strangely comforted by the small space and the numerous weights. He was so damned pathetic.

Damn it.

The beautiful ocean was just a dull gray color, the sky only several shades lighter. At the feeling of hot wetness at his eyes, he smirked in self-derision as he swiped it away with his paw.

Why couldn't he have the same confidence that Luffy and Zoro had? Excluding Brook, who had just been added to their crew, everyone knew their place, was certain where they belonged. They didn't doubt anything, didn't torture themselves with awful thoughts that Sanji seemed to do to himself so much recently.

He was a mess.

Before he knew what he was doing, he found himself walking back to the kitchen where the entire crew minus himself was sitting down at the table. Pushing the door open just enough to enter, he sat down in a corner and watched them eat.

"Zoro, this is so GOOD! It tastes just like Sanji's cooking! Shishishi~"

"You've outdone yourself, Swordsman-san."

"Zoro-san, my stomach can't handle your delicious food…though I don't have a stomach!"

"Sanji would be proud of you, seriously."

"Even I can't find anything to complain about."

"SUPER!"

Only Chopper remained silent as the crew praised Zoro. Sanji smiled a little, glad that Zoro managed to feed them well. At least the marimo was doing something right.

"My cooking doesn't even compare," Zoro said so seriously that the crew stared at him. Sanji frowned. What was he up to?

"What are you talking about?" Nami asked blankly. "It tastes almost exactly the same. In fact-"

Sanji's smile turned tight. The words "it tastes better" hung in the air, unsaid but just as audible as if she said it aloud. From what it looked like, it seemed inevitable that it would be better. Zoro had beaten him in the one area that he was confident in. He wasn't a sore loser, but he had to admit that it hurt.

"Guys, I'm going to…uh…use the bathroom," Chopper said suddenly, leaving the kitchen. Sanji sighed. It seemed like the reindeer was taking it even harder than he himself was. He followed quietly, spotting Chopper on the main deck, arms wrapped around his knees.

"Sanji, I'm so sorry."

The words of pity seemed to stick themselves physically into his flesh, but Sanji swallowed the rude words he would have normally said at the sight of the reindeer's tears. Chopper was more sensitive to these kinds of things and Sanji understood that he meant no harm.

Sanji wrapped himself around Chopper's small chibi form. "I'm fine."

"But I want you to know that none of us think you're replaceable!" Chopper said vehemently. "It hurts to see you like that, did you know? And I can't do anything about it, even though I'm the doctor! I can't turn you back…"

"How is that your fault?" Sanji asked softly. "Idiot, just go back and eat. I'm fine, really. Hurry up, or they'll get worried about you."

Chopper wiped his tears and looked at him. "Are you sure?"

"You really are an idiot, aren't you? How many times do I have to say I'm okay for you to believe me? Get going, emergency supply food."

With a small smile, Chopper finally got up and walked back into the kitchen to sit back down at the table.

I'm fine…

[~ * ~]

After dinner, Sanji finally mustered up the mental strength to go back into the kitchen. Zoro was doing the dishes, elbows deep in soapy water.

"You must be hungry."

"You heard me come in, huh," Sanji mumbled. "I just wanted to try your food."

Zoro washed his hands and set down a plate for him on the ground, the cod still steaming.

"I managed to keep it warm for you," Zoro shrugged, returning to finish the chore.

The fish was cut up into small chunks for Sanji's comfort. He flushed with embarrassment. Fuck, he really was a dog. And that meant he had to eat like one, too. He slowly took a piece with his teeth and ate it.

Shit. It was delicious. Better than he could ever make it.

"Sorry, I kind of messed up on the sauce, all the proportions and whatnot," Zoro muttered. "It's not going to taste like yours exactly-"

"It's good. Don't worry about it," Sanji said quietly. He chuckled dryly. "Remind me again why you aren't the cook-"

"You're the cook, asshole. Or have you forgotten already?" Zoro sounded…angry?

"Oi, why can't I even compliment you without getting insulted?"

"It wouldn't kill you to be confident of your own abilities."

Sanji blinked.

"I'm a swordsman. My ambition is to be the best swordsman. Our path may be the same but our goals are different. We'll find the answer to it somehow along with Luffy and the others. I'm not the cook, I'm not interested in being the cook, and my dreams have nothing to do with cooking. You think that I do this better than you? I don't even like cooking. The only reason I offered was so you could help me with it." Zoro stopped himself so suddenly that Sanji wondered if he had bitten his tongue or something.

But it was surprising how attentive the swordsman really was. Sanji looked up at his tall, tense figure, wondering what really went on inside that moss head.

He felt warmth spread from the soles of his paws to his head to the end of his tail. Zoro wanted him to help with cooking?

"I-idiot," Sanji stammered.

"I'm capable of saying cool things once in a while," Zoro said lightly. Sanji growled in response, laughing. He turned his attention back to his plate and ate as cleanly as he could.

Grumble.

Sanji stared at Zoro, who had been watching him eat, turn slightly red. His eyes narrowed, observing Zoro's reaction. He hadn't…he couldn't have possibly-!

"This wasn't your dinner, was it?"

"Well, Luffy ate your portion, so…" Zoro shrugged.

"You're such an idiot," Sanji barked, feeling his own face turn hot. This shitty marimo…!

"You wanna keep watch with me tonight?" Zoro asked quickly as if he was anxious to change the subject.

Sanji grinned. "Who'd want to do that with you?"

"You do, obviously," Zoro smirked, picking him up by the waist again to snuggle him against his broad chest, capturing him in with his arms. His large, calloused hands absentmindedly stroked his golden fur.

"Shitty swordsman, what the hell are you doing?" Sanji growled, unable to fight the urge to push his head into Zoro's hand. Goddamn. This is all because I'm a dog. Dogs like being petted, right?

"According to the story we told the crew, you're my pet. Right, curly?" Zoro laughed. "You have to stay with me."

A shiver traveled down Sanji's spine. Dear Roger, Zoro couldn't possibly know how weird that sounded.

"I don't remember that but…F-fine," Sanji stuttered. Dammit. Was he going to let every little thing affect him like that?

Zoro carried him up to the crow's nest, setting him down on a mat on the floor.

"How many times am I going to end up on this mat…" Sanji muttered as Zoro settled down against the railings serving as the wall.

"It's better than the metal carpet. Don't complain."

"Tch." Sanji made a face.

"You feeling alright?"

"Just fine. And you?" Sanji replied sarcastically.

"Fine. By the way, cook, if you feel too tired to stay awake, go to sleep."

"What are you implying?" Sanji rasped. "That I can't stay up?"

Zoro chuckled. "Maybe."

"Asshole."

"Dartboard brow…speaking of which, I wonder why you don't have curly eyebrows as a dog."

"Don't ask me," Sanji shrugged, stretching out on the mat. "But if I had those eyebrows, I couldn't possibly keep my identity a secret. Unfortunate trademark."

"Huh. Well, good luck staying awake, Prince."

"That sounds wrong coming from you. Plus, I stay awake more often than you do, alcoholic."

"Whatever."

Sanji found himself smiling.

[~ * ~]

Disclaimer: Credit goes to SimplyRecipesdotcom for the Baking Ling Cod recipe and food name. Used only for the purposes of this story, not to make a profit or anything O.O

Author's Note: Ah, this chapter looks a lot longer than it actually is because of all the dialogue. And wow, I made Sanji well enough to within a single day, sorry about that! Then again, they all have superhuman recovery powers…

Dear readers, is the relationship moving too fast? I can't really tell XD

Well, the next chapter is going to have some smutty scenes (I think). How will that work? You'll just have to see…*cough* no bestiality *cough*