15 Reasons to Fall in Love

Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

10. Zoro is always covered in blood.
Sanji isn't prissy, but he does value his appearance at least a little bit. Blood stains on clothing is a huge turn off. But the worst part is...a lot of the time, the blood Zoro is covered with is his own.

"Shit, shit, fucking shit," Sanji cursed, pacing back and forth in front of the sick bay's door. He'd been banished from the sick bay itself for similar behavior. Chopper didn't take well to frantic, curse mumbling cooks when there was a medical emergency at hand.

The battle had ended pretty quickly after Zoro hit the sand. Sanji's leg was on fire with his Diable Jambe before he'd even put thought into the action, and the intense heat helped to crack through the queen's thick shell. It was all downhill from there, the crack allowed the others to get their shots in. The queen didn't stand a chance against the full force of the Straw Hat pirate crew at that point. With her death, her children panicked; some fleeing, some still attempting to best the pirates, but it was an attempt made in vain.

Sanji didn't care to see anymore. There were more important things on his mind at the moment. Leaving the rest of the battle to his nakama, he moved towards the still figure in the sand. Zoro hadn't moved since he'd landed, and Sanji approached with a deep feeling of dread. Blood pooled around the figure on the ground, soaking into the sand and staining the whole scene a reddish-brown color.

It was a lot of blood, even for the swordsman, who frequently spilled blood in large quantities. Sanji knelt beside the swordsman's body, not giving a care that blood was soaking through his pants. He tried to survey the damage to Zoro's body, though his medical knowledge stopped at cleaning out knife wounds.

Blood trickled in a steady stream from the swordsman's side. How he still had blood to lose, Sanji didn't know. Zoro had landed on his right side, but Sanji knew there was an identical wound opposite of the one he was looking at. Aside from the gaping hole in his side, the fall itself had given the swordsman a smattering of bruises and cuts. Sanji had no idea if anything was broken. He had no idea if there was internal damage to match all the external damage.

Sanji had no idea if the Zoro was dead or not.

"CHOPPER!" He shouted, his voice nearly breaking at the volume. It didn't stop him from shouting again, louder. "CHOPPER!"

After that, Chopper had Sanji help to carry Zoro back to the ship and into the tiny medical room. When Sanji begged to be allowed to stay Chopper relented, but when Sanji proved to be of no use for anything other than panicking Chopper quickly sent him to wait outside. And there Sanji still was, over an hour later. He leaned against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor; his panic driven adrenalin rush was finally giving out, leaving him exhausted. He felt like half his life had drained away in the last hour that he'd spent worrying. If that shitty swordsman lived through this, Sanji would kill him.

Finally the door to the sick bay opened once again, and Chopper emerged, wiping at his hooves with a clean towel. His little hands might have been clean, but the rest of him was splattered with a disturbing amount of blood. Sanji shot to his feet, anxiously awaiting news Chopper was taking (in Sanji's opinion) far too long to give.

"Well?" Sanji edged impatiently. "Is he alive or dead?"

Chopper blinked, looking almost surprised to see Sanji standing before him. The little doctor look down, his eyebrows furrowing the way they did when he was troubled by something. Usually Sanji found this sort of expression endearing, but at the moment it filled him with dread.

"He lost a lot of blood, suffered a few broken ribs," Chopper listed off mechanically, he was in his professional doctor mode at the moment. "I'm worried about his head from that fall, but fortunately he doesn't have any spinal fractions or broken limbs. I managed to stop the bleeding and he's resting now, but..." Chopper's voice cracked and the façade of professionalism he wore fell apart, revealing a young and innocent boy underneath. "It's really bad Sanji. He lost a lot of blood, and his wounds were really deep, and I have no idea when he'll wake up or if he'll be okay..." With that the little reindeer broke into tears and flung himself at Sanji, hugging at his knees with all his might.

Sanji felt a horrible sense of guilt welling up in him. It was, after all, his fault Zoro was in this state. That meant it was also his fault that the usually sweet and innocent Chopper was sobbing into Sanji's legs. Sanji crouched down, a difficult feat with a small doctor clinging so desperately to your legs, but he managed to get Chopper to loosen his hold.

Once he was more to Chopper's level he patted their little doctor on his head. "Zoro will be fine Chopper," Sanji said with a reassuring smile. "I've seen him nearly cut in half before and get up a few hours later. No one's stronger than Zoro. I guarantee he'll be up and about lifting his stupid weights in no time."

"You think so?" Chopper sniffed.

"I know so," Sanji nodded. "Now come on, I'll make us dinner."

Chopper nodded, looking more relieved at Sanji's words, and led the way to the galley. Sanji followed, relieved he was able to put the young reindeer at ease.

He just wished he believed his own words.

A full day passed. And then another. And then another. With each passing day, Sanji's unease grew. Zoro still hadn't woken up. Chopper promised that Zoro's wounds were healing well; the swordsman wasn't suffering any infections and his blood transfusion had gone well. Zoro was well on his way to recovery...but he wouldn't wake up.

Chopper spent hours tending to the injured swordsman, to the point where Sanji feared for their doctor's health and volunteered to take turns in tending to Zoro so that Chopper could relax. Mostly Sanji just sat beside Zoro's bed, willing the swordsman to wake up, letting his mind wander down dark alleys that tended to leave Sanji feeling worse and worse.

The crew carried on as usual, or almost anyway. There was an almost visible cloud of worry and sadness hanging over each of their heads that made their act of "normalcy" seem just a little forced. To make it worse, their worry and concern didn't stop at their swordsman's condition but rather seemed to carry over to their cook as well. Sanji had told them exactly what had happened to Zoro on the beach, but he couldn't bring himself to confess why it had happened. He suspected some of them might know though; Nami and Usopp had seen his reactions to the bugs on Jaya, and neither of them were stupid enough not to put things together.

He began to notice it in little things as the days went on; Franky's pats on the back seemed to happen more frequently. Robin showed up in the galley for her usual morning coffee, but without her usual book. Instead she opted to converse more with Sanji. Chopper always reported good news about Zoro with a bright smile, reassuring the cook that Zoro would be just fine. Nami took to giving Sanji brief hugs, and pecks on the cheek; something that usually would have had Sanji swooning but instead only made a small smile appear on his features. Usopp offered a multitude of "labor saving" kitchen devices that he would have built in a day if Sanji wanted them. Each invention sounded more amazing than the last, but they did at least sound useful. Brook frequently played soothing but upbeat music, the kind designed to liven spirits.

As much as Sanji loved his nakama and appreciated their concern, it began to make him feel worse. After all, he was the reason for Zoro's condition in the first place. Had he been brave enough to overcome his fear and move, Zoro could have taken down the cricket instead of being taken down by the cricket. He was the reason everyone on the crew was just slightly on edge in the first place, their attempts to cheer him up only served to increase his guilt.

The only person on the crew that didn't cater to Sanji was Luffy. After the battle when they others had learned about Zoro's injuries, Luffy cheerfully declared there was no need to worry about Zoro, that he'd pull through in no time, and carried on the way he always did. It was probably their captain's confidence that gave the others the ability to try and carry on normally. Luffy was usually right about things when they seemed hopeless, and their captain's confidence gave the others confidence.

Since Luffy wasn't worried about Zoro at all, he didn't bother trying to cheer Sanji up. It was refreshing, and despite the fact that Luffy's immature actions usually wore thin on Sanji, Sanji found himself spending the time he didn't spend in the sick bay with the swordsman with Luffy on deck instead. If Luffy found Sanji's sudden need to spend every free minute with his captain odd, he never said so. Instead he invited Sanji to join in on his games and demanded snacks more often than before.

It had been a week. A full seven days. Zoro still hadn't woken up, and Sanji began to wonder if Chopper was wrong. Maybe Zoro really had died, and the little reindeer had made a mistake. He certainly looked dead. Sanji sat in his usually chair by Zoro's bed, chewing on the end of a cigarette that he wasn't allowed to smoke in the infirmary. If Zoro were awake he surely would have called Sanji out on this habit, the way he had in the kitchen not long before he ended up in his current state.

But he didn't. He lay as immobile as ever. His usually tanned skin was just a shade paler than normal, though it was a vast improvement from the Zoro that Sanji had seen bleeding out on the beach. He was breathing, deep and even; disturbingly so, as if every breath was driven by a mechanical impulse and nothing else. Zoro didn't even so much as twitch in his sleep.

Sanji watched with increasing distress. Despite all the times he'd wished for a more silent, less opinionated version of Zoro, he hated seeing Zoro like this. Zoro was supposed to be on deck, lifting weights, practicing sword movements, snoring under the mast...it didn't matter if the action annoyed Sanji or not. Sanji would give anything for the usual obnoxious Zoro to suddenly return to him.

"I'm sorry, Zoro," Sanji finally said. His voice was coarser than he intended, but he refused to break down and cry. Though the swordsman would never see it, he still couldn't bring himself to do something so weak in front of the bastard. "You should be up on deck, spending time with Luffy and comforting the others, not me. I should be laying where you are. That's where I belong for being such a coward."

Sanji squeezed his eyes shut. There was more he wanted to say, so much more, but he couldn't form the words anymore. Not that it mattered either way, he supposed. It wasn't as if the swordsman could hear him in his present condition. So Sanji let himself fall silent, lost in his own guilt ridden thoughts, hanging on the edge of self-loathing.

"Are you done whining, Idiot-cook?"

Sanji's eyes snapped open. It was his imagination, he was sure. He'd been wishing so desperately to hear Zoro's voice again that he was surely imagining it. But his eyes met a pair of familiar dark eyes, open and alert and clearly staring at him. Other than his eyes, the swordsman hadn't moved, at least not until Sanji's gaze met his, and then Zoro decided to take a moment to move his stiff body.

"How long have I been out?" He asked, bending the elbow of one arm slowly. The other was attached to an IV that Chopper had inserted to ensure that Zoro was being properly hydrated. Zoro observed the inserted needle curiously, probably wondering if he could take it out himself. Considering how much Chopper hated when they messed with anything involving their treatment without his permission, it probably wasn't a good idea. Zoro seemed to come to this conclusion as well, instead opting to loosen the joints in his opposite arm instead.

"A week," Sanji replied, eyes widened in disbelief. His voice came out in a barely audible squeak, caused by the departure of air from his lungs.

"Shit," Zoro cursed, rolling his neck. "That explains why I feel like I came out of the wrong end of a sea king," He worked a few more of his joints. "Help me sit up."

Sanji couldn't move, he felt like he'd been permanently glued to his chair. "I-I," He stuttered before clearing his throat, willing his voice to work right. "I don't think you're supposed to sit up. Chopper probably wouldn't want you to."

Zoro glanced sideways at Sanji. "Cook, I've been laying in this bed for a week, I don't think I can lay in it for another minute," He said, attempting to push himself up on his one free arm.

Sanji frowned but moved to help the swordsman, afraid if he didn't that Zoro would hurt himself again. Zoro's back popped a few times as he sat up, and Zoro groaned a bit at the stiffness. Sanji felt for him, it truly hurt to try and move joints that hadn't moved in so long.

Once the swordsman was upright against the wall, Sanji released him and took a step back, looking the swordsman over. Zoro prodded curiously at the bandages on his side and hissed when he caught himself square in the stitches. He continued to take inventory of his injuries and loosen up his stiff joints. Sanji watched in awe. Just a moment ago Sanji had wondered if Zoro was really alive. Now the swordsman sat before him, looking like the last week had never happened.

Sanji's legs gave out and he sat on the edge of Zoro's bed. Zoro stopped inspecting his own injuries and looked at the cook curiously.

"You're an idiot, you shitty swordsman," Sanji said. "How could anyone be so stupid?!" He leaned forward, his voice rising. "I realize you're a moss-brained marimo bastard, but how could you be so stupid?" One of Sanji's hands clutched at Zoro's bicep, the other wrapped around his shoulder. Sanji pulled the swordsman closer, careful to avoid his wounds, and buried his face into Zoro's shoulder. "I hate you, you shitty marimo," He mumbled, failing to keep the slight tremor out of his voice.

Zoro chuckled, pulling the cook closer and holding him with his free arm, while the arm with the IV in it massaged comforting circles into the cook's lower back. "I was worried about you too, Shit-cook."

"I'm sorry," Sanji mumbled into the shoulder. "This is my fault, I'm sorry."

Zoro frowned, pulling the cook back just enough to meet his eyes. Sanji wouldn't look at him though; instead Zoro was greeted with a curtain of hair. "Oi, Cook," He said sternly. Sanji seemed to hear the request in Zoro's voice and met his eyes hesitantly. He looked bad, Zoro thought. Naturally the idiot had probably been drowning himself in guilt for the last week, too proud to admit it to anyone or to seek help. The cook was notorious for acting independently, shouldering his own problems, refusing to burden anyone else with them. Zoro could tell from the lines under Sanji's eyes and the faint bruise colored circles that he hadn't been sleeping, that he'd spent the last week torturing himself.

"Whose fault is it?" Zoro asked. "I'm the idiot who got distracted. I know better than to take my eye off the enemy."

Sanji frowned. "But if I hadn't-"

Zoro cut him off. "Damn, I was really hoping to one up you, and look what happened; I end up looking like an idiot instead."

Sanji looked skeptically at the swordsman, a look that clearly suggested he wasn't fooled by the act. He got the message though. Zoro wasn't blaming him, and was telling Sanji not to blame himself either. It was, of course, easier said than done, especially when Sanji could see how much he'd almost lost. Zoro's antagonizing and confident smirk that usually set a fight between the two into motion had never looked more appealing to Sanji. A week without the marimo had been painful; Sanji couldn't even imagine life without the smirking bastard.

"I hate you, Shitty Marimo," Sanji repeated, but this time he returned Zoro's smirk with his own.

"Is that so?" Zoro asked, his voice low. "Because you seem pretty comfortable here to me."

'Here' of course being in Zoro's arms. Sanji hadn't bothered to pull away, too distracted by his emotions to think of it. Instead of pulling away though, he moved slightly closer. He'd spent the last week coming to terms with his feelings. There was no point in denying them anymore, and he didn't want to. He could have lost Zoro while he was wasting time trying to deny how he felt for the shitty bastard.

"Maybe I am," Sanji replied with a playful smirk.

Zoro was stunned. He'd expected the cook to pull away once he'd pointed out their position, but instead he'd moved closer. The usually confident swordsman suddenly felt very unsure of himself as he watched Sanji's eyes drift down to his lips. Was this pity? Was the shit-cook pitying him and acting the way the thought Zoro wanted?

'No' was the answer Zoro came up with when Sanji's eyes raised to meet his own again. No, there was no pity in the blue orbs, only barely concealed want and a playful sparkle of mischief. It was the way he'd always wanted Sanji to look at him, and he didn't miss it when Sanji's tongue darted out to wet his own lips. Zoro watched the pink tongue closely, fully intending to follow it with his lips.

"Oh! Zoro! You're awake!" Chopper happily squeaked out.

Sanji jumped like a cat that had water dumped on it and pushed himself roughly away from Zoro. Zoro cursed at the sudden jolt that seemed to spear straight into his sides and winced. Sanji sent him a brief apologetic look before standing.

"What were you guys doing?" Chopper asked, shooting a suspicious glare between the two.

What were the doing? Zoro wondered that too. Had he imagined the look in the cook's eyes? Had the whole event been a dream? Sanji stood cooly beside Zoro's bed, no hint of emotion betrayed by his body language. Zoro almost convinced himself he'd imagined the whole thing, until he caught the blush staining the cook's cheeks.

"I was just helping the bastard to sit up," Sanji replied to the little doctor. His voice was steady and calm, with just a hint of the loathing it usually had when he was talking about Zoro, but he was still blushing, and the look he sent Zoro was anything but hateful. Rather, it made Zoro further curse Chopper's unfortunate timing.

"Zoro!" Chopper frowned. "You shouldn't be sitting up yet!" He reprimanded, making Zoro feeling guilty with just a look. Chopper had that ability and no one could resist.

"I told him," Sanji smirked. "But he refused to listen," The cook pulled a cigarette out of his pack and slid it between his lips. "I'll go get started on lunch, and make something simple for the newly awoken moss," Sanji said moving for the door.

"Something he doesn't have to chew much would be best, Sanji," The little doctor suggested as Sanji passed.

"Will do," Sanji replied, pulling the door open.

Zoro was usually very fond of Chopper. It was probably his innocence that appealed so much to the swordsman, who'd spent enough time around deceitful, wicked characters in his life. However he couldn't help but feel a streak of bitterness towards the ill-timed little reindeer when he saw the look Sanji gave him just before he closed the door behind him.

It was a look that told Zoro he would have had everything he'd wanted if Chopper hadn't picked that moment to return.

A/N:

Zoro was never dead, guys, don't worry. He also recovered (at least from critical condition) pretty quickly. He just needed to take a nice, long, healing nap. The lazy marimo loves his sleep!

Oh my gosh, Sanji contain your angst. I listened to "Hurt" by Johnny Cash on repeat while writing most of this. (I know the original is by NIN but I've always preferred the Cash cover.) It's a very sad song. So I know it's probably OOC. I'm sorry. I suppose that's my failure as a writer, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway!

Thank you all so much for the reviews! I had been trying to get back to you all individually, but I completely stopped doing that last chapter. I got lazy I guess. However, just because I don't respond does not mean I don't cherish every single one of them. They make me very happy! I love the all the feedback I get, even if you want to point out what you don't like, I love that. So by all means keep them coming, it makes your author very happy.

Also, I've been a very mean author haven't I? First a cliffhanger and now this. How rude of me. And I'm very, very, very sorry I haven't been getting out chapters faster than this. I truly wish I could. Honestly though, for various reasons I've been trying to pace myself on how much I write in a week. I hope you can trust me when I say this is for the best, and I hope you can all be happy with weekly updates.

Please excuse my minor grammar and spelling errors and typos. If you see anything major though please bring it to my attention, I'll probably want to fix it.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed~!