Sanji awoke the next morning with a fluttering heartbeat under his palm. The nipple under the pad of his thumb was certainly a surprise for the chef, and he immediately tried to recollect his memories. He didn't bring a woman back with him to the ship did he? Finally opening his eyes to assess his situation he was momentarily unaware of his surroundings. Wriggling his toes in a form of a stretch, he noted that his left leg was on the floor like it should be. Yet his right leg was suspended, not in the air that is, but it seemed to be resting in the dip of two muscular legs. The gears in Sanji's head finally started catching up as a noticeable bulge could be felt squashed above Sanji's right knee. Just to be sure of his judgement, the chef nudged his right leg into the bulge slightly, gulping at the familiar voice that moaned in satisfaction. Mentally kicking himself, Sanji regretted his decision to 'cuddle' with Zoro last night. Yet as Sanji peeled his cheek from the warm chest of his nakama, he noted that he had had the best damn sleep last night.

Sanji was now looking down at the man resting his head on his left arm (the apparent cause of its numbness) and he couldn't help but smile. Sanji knew that it would be easier for the both of them if they weren't spotted sleeping together like this, so the chef decided he should separate himself from the warmth of Zoro's body. Hoisting his leg up and to the floor was easy, but the hand that was acting as Zoro's pillow would be a challenge to remove. Sanji had an idea on how he could retract his arm and it was crazy, but he knew that it would work. Lowering his mouth directly next to Zoro's ear, Sanji took a deep breath and faintly whispered, "Marimo, lift your head for me..."

Sanji was surprised when the man below him took in a deep breath and lifted his head slightly. The chef was amazed at how obedient Zoro was when his sleep was concerned, and his arm was soon removed with ease. The rhythmic beating of Zoro's heartbeat continued to make Sanji's right palm tingle, and he momentarily wavered before he lifted it from the scarred chest. Now fully extracted from his previous snuggling partner, the chef decided that it was time he started on breakfast.

As he made his way outside, the morning breeze ruffled through Sanji's suit and shiver passed through his body. The chef tucked his hands into his armpits and trudged towards the kitchen. Fresh snow crunched under Sanji's shoes as he made his way through the door. Now glad to be in the confines of his kitchen, Sanji couldn't help but wish he had stayed with Zoro a little longer, but he immediately brushed away the absurd thought. Preheating the oven was his first move, before proceeding to boil some water and prepare tea as well as some hot chocolate, knowing that the early risers of the ship would appreciate a warm beverage. Sanji's teeth chattered as he opened the fridge and hurriedly grabbed the ingredients needed to prepare a warm breakfast. This morning the chef would be making bacon and eggs with his famous hash browns, accompanied by some oatmeal for those looking to really warm the belly.

The first arrival in the kitchen was Robin, who was deeply grateful for the boiling hot tea pre-prepared for her. A light conversation between the pair was interrupted by the entrance of Chopper and Nami who were showing opposite reactions to the chill atmosphere. The small reindeer had trouble hiding his excitement at the snow falling lightly outside, and exclaimed that he couldn't wait to play outside with Luffy and Usopp. The navigator however was complaining that she wouldn't be able to keep a steady hand whilst drawing her maps from her shivering in this cold weather. Sanji handed the tea to Nami and the hot chocolate to Chopper before he started on their breakfast. After half an hour the room was full of bustling laughter and echoes of chattering teeth. Sanji announced that breakfast was served, and the crew stared in awe at the steam rolling off the hot meal ready to be eaten. Sanji shivered at the opening of the door, yet it wasn't he cold breeze drifting through that caused it. Both men knew this moment would come. The morning after such an intimate act between the two men would be awkward, yet Sanji hoped that things would continue like normal.

Just the chef was about to lecture Zoro about his tardiness, it seemed someone had a bone to pick with him too.

"Zoro! I hope you enjoyed your sleep last night because according to Robin here, she didn't sleep a wink!" Zoro visibly cringed and scratched the back of his neck and Sanji began to worry that the man would spill the beans.

"It's alright Nami-san, I was too caught up in reading to remember to switch shifts. I just hope you all would not mind if I caught up on some sleep today."

Nami huffed and returned to eating her breakfast, yet Robin's attention remained on Zoro. Sanji watched in embarrassment as Robin subtly winked at Zoro before she too returned to her meal. Zoro had taken a seat at the table and Sanji placed a hot plate of food in front of him, avoiding eye contact. With his heart suddenly racing, the chef picked Chopper's plate off the table and topped it up with seconds. As he was placing the plate back down on the table, Chopper whispered to him.

"When you have time, I'd like to have a check up on your back"

Sanji nodded and continued to cater to the needs of his crew and the endless pit of his captain's stomach. Soon the food was eaten and the crew headed outside to play in the snow. Eventually Sanji had finished cleaning the kitchen and made his way down into the men's room. Inside was Zoro sitting on the couch with a thermometer sticking out of his mouth, and he didn't look happy. Just as Sanji was about to leave and come back later, he realized he was spotted.

"Ah Sanji great timing! Please strip down and take a seat on the lounge next to Zoro, I'll be with you in a second."

The awkward atmosphere was heavy as Sanji slowly unbuttoned his shirt and slid it down off his shoulders. The chef's ears flushed as he pulled down his pants and could sense the dark eyes watching every movement. The thermometer in Zoro's mouth rose a few degrees as Sanji sat down next to him and the chef couldn't help but distract himself by fiddling with the hem of his boxers. The pair sat in awkward silence as Chopper finally made his way towards Sanji with the stethoscope.

"You know what to do."

Sanji took in a deep breath until his lungs were full and shivered at the cold metal that suddenly pressed against his chest. Chopper recorded the results and moved behind Sanji, so the man coiled forward so that his head was nearly in between his knees. The stethoscope lingered on his back and moved around a bit before it was removed. The scribbling of a pen prompted Sanji to turn his torso facing away from Zoro, waiting for a few seconds before he twisted to finally face Zoro. Blue eyes widened at the close proximity between their faces, and Zoro seemed to be as stumped as he was. Gazing into Zoro's eyes, Sanji could hardly feel the hooves prodding along his spine as the two men stared at each other. A "Next" from Chopper snapped Sanji from his staring, and he suddenly stood and balanced his body on his toes, effectively flexing all of his legs muscles. Sanji made sure to keep his head slightly turned towards Zoro to keep an eye on his embarrassed reactions as Chopper's hooves prodded up from Sanji's toes up to his hips. Hooves continued to squish around Sanji's thigh musces, and after a few more pokes from Chopper, the chef was sitting down on the couch again. Chopper eyed his results for a moment before smiling and handing the folded shirt and pants back to Sanji.

"Your muscles having noticeably relaxed and it seems the swelling around your spinal chord has lessened, whatever sleeping pattern you've developed has greatly helped you and I recommend you stick to it."

The cluttering sound of plastic hitting the wooden floor brought all attention to Zoro, who sat staring at the pair with a slightly gaping mouth. Sanji realized the inclination of Chopper's statement and started buttoning his shirt up faster.

"Wahh! Zoro why did you do that? What's wrong?"

Zoro hurriedly left the room and Chopper picked up the thermometer from the ground, reading it's result. Sanji suddenly felt that he needed air, so when he finally finished buckling his belt he thanked the doctor and left.

The rest of the day was full of snow fights and warm meals. Sanji was tuckered after cleaning the table and was not looking forward to washing up the various cutlery and dish-ware from today's dinner. His hands tingled from the warm water encasing his hands as he began to wash the messy dishes. Loud stomping entered the kitchen, and suddenly a pair of hands holding a cloth were wiping down the plates that Sanji had already washed. The cook eyed Zoro suspiciously as the Marimo silently helped him, and Sanji felt like breaking the stifling silence.

"So about last ni-"

"What's wrong with your back?"

The sudden question almost had Sanji dropping the bowl in his hands, but the chef collected himself and thought on how he should answer.

"Tch, let people finish speaking first, asshole."

The swordsman grumbled at the chef and put down the last bowl that needed to be dried. Silently the pair made their way to the men's room and prepared themselves for bed. Sanji removed his jacket and shoes, whilst Zoro was left wearing only his pants again. The chef made himself comfortable on the floor and watched in curiosity as Zoro laid himself on the floor closer to Sanji than usual. Brushing away his bustling thoughts, the cook turned onto his side and closed his eyes.

Zoro watched on as Sanji's body slowly curled in on itself and created a ball of protection. The man didn't know if the chef was still awake or not, but wanted to try and push his luck. He was cold, and he wondered whether he could wrap around Sanji's warm body again like the night before. Lifting an arm towards Sanji's body, it was swiftly retracted as the man in front of him wiggled and turned to face Zoro. Sanji's eyes were hooded as he gazed over to Zoro, and a pale hand twitched towards the swordsman slightly. The movement must have been a mistake as suddenly Sanji's face scrunched in pain and a groan made its way out of his mouth. A pleading look was sent Zoro's way and the swordsman stared at the man crumpled in pain. Guessing it was what the chef wanted from him, Zoro shifted his body closer to Sanji's and grabbed the hand reaching out for him. Suddenly he was pulled closer and a strong leg was hoisted over Zoro's thigh. Surprised with the bold movement and the sudden intimate position, Zoro could only watch as Sanji's body pressed fully against his and the sigh that left the chefs mouth snapped him back to reality.

"What-"

"Shhh"

Zoro took the hint to shut up and laid still as the blonde held him close and arched backwards, effectively moulding their hips together. A few cracks from Sanji's back echoed through the room and Zoro's face reddened at the quiet moan that left Sanji's lips. The chef straightened against Zoro's body again, except this time his arm snaked over a tanned hip and stayed there. Zoro laid waiting for Sanji's next move, but when it seemed the blonde was finished with his stretch, the swordsman felt it was okay to be bold. A thick hand grabbed Sanji's leg and hoisted it further up his thigh, before trailing along the thigh and sliding up to Sanji's thin waist. Pulling the man closer to him, Zoro moved his face closer to Sanji's until their noses were almost touching, just like the way they had fallen asleep the night before. The blonde man sighed in encouragement and shuffled his head closer to Zoro, effectively rubbing the tip of their noses together.

"We don't speak of this." Were the last words that Sanji whispered.

"Agreed."

TBC

So this is turning from a two chapter story to a three or more chapter story! I'm sorry for the wait for this, but I had so many ideas that my brain nearly exploded. I never realised how hard it was to keep Zoro in character whilst making him do cute things, but i'll try and make it work. I hope you're all enjoying this story because I really love writing it. The reviews from from the first chapter made me so excited to write more, so thank you all for the encouragement.