15 Reasons to Fall in Love
Chapter 5
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.
4. Zoro is lazy
Everyone on this ship pitched in and did chores, except the marimo. Zoro did little more than sleep and lift weights.
Sanji prepped and cooked all their meals, and kept the galley exceptionally clean.
Nami kept their log book and tended to the lawn and trees.
Robin did their laundry.
Chopper kept their medicines stocked and cleaned boys bunk room.
Usopp cleaned the washroom.
Franky did daily ship maintenance.
Brook cleaned the crow's nest and dusted the store rooms.
And even Luffy, who wasn't to be trusted with anything that might bore him for too long, swept and mopped the deck every few days.
The only member of the crew who did not have a set chore, and really didn't help out much at all, was Zoro. Sanji wasn't sure when that had happened. He wasn't used to paying too much attention to the marimo's daily activities. Now that he couldn't get the damn bastard out of his head, however, all the little things seemed to come into sharp focus. Little things like the way Zoro never did chores.
Once upon a time, when they'd still had the Merry, Zoro manned the anchor every day. He was in charge of dropping it and raising it when needed. The Sunny didn't need someone to do that though. Thanks to Franky's technology the anchor could be raised or lowered at the flick of a switch, rendering Zoro's one and only chore obsolete. While the rest of them set about their daily tasks, Zoro was usually napping or hiding away with his weights.
Sanji chewed on the butt of his cigarette while he washed their breakfast dishes. They'd be disembarking tomorrow, and most everyone had left to stretch their legs on dry land one last time before they set sail. Sanji didn't mind being left behind, he'd have loved to escort the lovely ladies as they did their last minute shopping, but he cherished the quiet of the ship without the antics of their rambunctious captain and his band of merry men. He wasn't sure who had left and who had stayed, but he knew he was enjoying a little peace and quiet while he could.
He always found a sort of peace in washing dishes. It was a little like meditation for him. His hands went through motions he barely needed to think about to carry out, and his mind was free to wander and find a happy place. That was usually the case, but today his mind was on the marimo again. It wasn't fair that the moss head got away with doing nothing when even the ladies had to sully their hands and pitch in on the upkeep. Surely there was something for that bastard to do...
Though to be fair (and Sanji would never mention this outside of the safety of his own mind) the marimo did work hard in his own way. Whenever trouble struck, Zoro was always the first one in line to defend the ship and crew. He could sense danger a mile off, and put his life on the line to keep it away from his nakama. When he compared that to petty things like dishes and laundry, it didn't seem like such a big deal if Zoro wanted to take a nap instead.
Sanji put the remains of his poor abused cigarette in the ashtray on the counter and dried his hands off on a dishtowel. He sighed. Finding his happy place wasn't going to happen when he had those kinds of things on his mind. Dishwashing wasn't doing its job of relaxing him at all. He leaned back against the counter, shooting a glare at the soapy water as if it were the reason for all his troubles.
Why did it matter anyway? It wasn't as if any of them were struggling with their chores. They all still had plenty of free time to do the things they wanted to do, sometimes too much free time in the case of the younger members of the crew who were always managing to get into trouble. So what if the marimo napped instead of cleaning? It wasn't like Sanji had even noticed until this point, and he was willing to bet the others hadn't either.
Sanji sighed again and pushed off the counter. The best way to solve this problem would be to fix it himself right?
He exited the galley and peered across the deck. It was empty, as expected given the silence he'd been enjoying. Still, he knew not everyone had left the ship entirely. Zoro in particular wasn't big on crowds or people, and the people of this island were way too friendly for the marmio's taste, Sanji was sure.
"Oi! Marimo!" He called loudly. Wherever it was that Zoro was hiding, he'd probably hear the cook.
Sure enough, a window in the crow's nest opened and a green head stuck itself out. "What do you want, Shit-cook?" Zoro frowned at the cook below him.
"Get down here and help me finish the dishes!" Sanji called back before he turned around and reentered the galley.
He picked up the washrag and pulled a plate from the soapy water. He had no idea if Zoro would listen to him or not. Probably not, Sanji thought, after all he wouldn't have listened if Zoro suddenly demanded something from him. He wasn't going to pick a fight about a spur of the moment urge to have the marimo pitch in. He'd just wait and see what Zoro would do.
He glanced at his newly hung spice rack. The marimo had been full of surprised lately after all.
As if on cue with his thoughts, the door of the galley swung open and Zoro appeared, looking mildly confused, in the doorway. "You wanted help?" He asked uncertainly, as if he were thinking that maybe he'd imagined their previous exchange.
"Yeah," Sanji nodded, tossing him a clean towel. "Will you dry for me?"
Zoro nodded silently and made his way to the sink, picking up the first dish and drying it carefully before setting it aside. They worked together in silence and Sanji was at ease again, enough so that he could feel himself slipping into the routine motions with ease and his mind wandered into its usual peaceful place.
As they neared the end of the dishes, Zoro broke the silence. "Are you feeling okay?" He asked.
Sanji's eyes widened in surprise and he took a moment to recover before he replied. "I'm fine, why?"
Zoro eyed him closely, trying to detect the hint of a lie or farce in his reply. Finding none, he gave a half shrug. "It's unusual for you to ask for help. Especially in the kitchen, since you don't really trust us not to destroy this stuff," He gestured to the various cooking implements Sanji had around.
It was true, his pots and pans, his knives, even his dishes (though he'd long since learned not to get too attached to those) were dear to him. His favorite cooking tools were as valuable to him as Zoro's swords were to the swordsman, or the straw hat was to their captain. He truly didn't like people touching them...but he'd invited Zoro to do so.
"Well," Sanji concentrated hard on the pan he was cleaning to avoid the blush he could feel building up the back of his neck. He willed it not to reach his face, but he was losing that battle tremendously. "If it's you, I don't really mind."
Zoro froze mid towel swipe. He didn't move for what felt like forever, which made the whole thing that much more embarrassing. Damn the marimo, Sanji cursed. He kept his head down and let his hair cover as much of his face as it could. He knew without a doubt he was flame red. Doesn't he know he's just making this worse?
Finally Zoro moved, setting the plate he'd been drying aside and picking up another. He cleared his throat before he tried speaking again. "Seriously?" He finally managed to ask.
Sanji thanked the heavens Zoro had decided to avoid looking at him. Instead, the marimo began to intently stare at the dishes he was drying. Sanji did the same to those he was washing, but answered clearly. "Yeah, seriously. I trust you," He said.
Zoro dropped the mug he'd been drying. It landed with a loud crash into the sink. Fortunately it didn't break, and it managed to barely avoid hitting the other dishes, but Zoro still fumbled apologetically. "Shit! Sorry," He scooped the mug up and examined it for cracks or chips before drying it again and placing it carefully off to the side.
Sanji couldn't help but laugh. "Well gee, Marimo, I didn't know my trusting you in my kitchen was that repulsive of a thought." He glanced sidelong at the other man. "So bad you had to try to break it right away, huh?"
"No!" Zoro cried. His panicked gaze met Sanji's. "It's fine! Really, it was an accident! I didn't mean-"
"Calm down moss-brain," Sanji chuckled again. "I know you didn't mean to."
Zoro took a deep breath. "I'm happy," He paused before looking Sanji in the eye. "That you trust me in your kitchen, I mean."
The blush that had finally subsided from Sanji's face came back with full force. He quickly looked away to hide it, but not before Zoro got a good eyeful. He knew what he'd just admitted to the marimo. He'd told him he trusted him with his precious treasures. It was stupid, really that the one person he trusted his most treasured items to was the man who couldn't walk a straight line without getting lost. But he also knew Zoro understood how precious Sanji's kitchen was to him. It wasn't that the others didn't know Sanji put a high value on his cooking utensils, but they didn't seem to understand exactly how much they meant to him. Zoro though, somehow understood.
Sanji frowned thoughtfully at the dish water below him. He sensed Zoro shooting curious glances at him a couple of times, but in another act of surprising insightfulness on the marimo's part, he remained silent and let Sanji organize his thoughts in peace.
"Oi, Marimo," Sanji finally spoke.
"Hm?" Zoro replied, setting aside the dish he'd been drying and giving Sanji his attention.
Sanji looked at the swordsman contemplatively. "Would you be willing to help me out? More than just today? It really helps to have another set of hands, and I'll have more free time to make menus and inventory ingredients and what not."
"Sure," Zoro replied easily. "Whenever you need help just let me know, I'll come help."
Sanji smiled; a wide, genuine smile that Sanji hadn't let loose in a long while. "Really? You know it might cut into your nap times. You might have to put the weights down every once in a while."
Zoro smirked. "Ah, what a pain in the ass. No can do then," He shrugged before making to leave the galley.
"Hold it!" Sanji called, grabbing the marimo's arm before he could get away. "It's too late for you to go back on your word!" He smirked devilishly. "You're a slave to my demands now."
Zoro seemed to think it over for a minute. "Damn my mouth," He replied, but his face was a warm smile. "I guess I'll be at your service," He gave a sarcastic bow. "Any time you need me, master."
Sanji blushed again, but this time he wasn't entirely sure why. Except...well, Zoro playing the part of a servant to him...
Sanji quickly brushed the thought away before it did things to him. "Yeah, yeah," He grumbled, giving Zoro a light shove. "Help me put this shit away so I can start on lunch for the returning mob, Shitty-marimo."
"Whatever you say, Shit-cook," Zoro beamed.
Zoro was true to his word. After meals, the swordsman always stayed to help Sanji clean up. The really amazing part was after they'd set sail again, and everyone was settling into their usual routines. Sanji had to wake Zoro from a nap to ask him to help clean up the breakfast mess. Zoro yawned and stretched, but complied easily without complaint. When they'd finished, Sanji sent Zoro off to finish his nap.
Zoro never complained when Sanji asked for help, which he found himself doing more and more just to test Zoro's limits. On the contrary, the swordsman seemed happy to help, even though helping meant having to spend extra time with Sanji and frequently kept him from his usual hobbies. They bickered as usual for them while they worked, but there was an almost playful air to their arguments. It wasn't long before Sanji noticed he was starting to enjoy their time together as well.
A week later, Sanji stood alone in his kitchen, leisurely smoking a cigarette during the lull between meals. He really should be starting on the next meal, but he just needed a moment to think. There was one undeniable truth that had come to the surface during their stay on the last island. It had been growing immensely since then, and while Sanji hated it and didn't want to admit it, he could only lie to himself for so long though before he gave up.
The one truth that could never be uttered was this: Black-Leg Sanji, member of the Straw Hat pirates, was undeniably attracted to and most definitely falling for Roronoa Zoro.
A/N:
I am back! I thank you all so much for your patience! The convention was a BLAST. And I may have come back with a couple of ZoSan doujinshi... :D
Thank you all SO SO much for the reviews! I was so happy. I read them and reread them because they made me so happy, so thank you very much!
Ah...this chapter was pure...fluff. It was so sweet it gave me a tooth ache. But that's okay right? Fluffy is okay sometimes too, right? Right! It also went back to being a little short, but the way I'm writing this story out, I've realized chapter length is just gonna be sporadic that way.
One more announcement, I'll be starting overnights soon. It doesn't really mean much, because I usually write at obscene hours of the night anyway, but in case the next chapter takes another week or something, that's probably why.
As always, please forgive the grammar and spelling errors and typos. Unless they are REALLY frequent and bothersome, then by all means please correct me.