Edited 6-21-13

-His Morning After-

It was five in the morning. Zoro was sure that his veins were still feeding his brain alcohol as he messily parked in front of the gate of his lover's current home. He looked around the neighborhood, seeing the fancy row of two story, perhaps three, houses lined up and looking exactly the same. Zoro never got this "sameness" suburban nightmare of a neighborhood. Mihawk had several places to call his own, but why did he pick this one of all places for them to meet up? His old, used car stuck out like terribly against the well kept family vans. He remembered that Mihawk had mentioned that owning property located in a "normal" neighborhood was least likely to raise suspicion, but after the recent news he figured it wouldn't do much good. Also, Zoro hated to think this was the only property that wasn't being bombarded by search forces, assuming that everything had escalated. This was, after all, where Mihawk and Shanks met up, and even though Shanks was one of the nicest men he had ever come to meet, he was still a drug dealer and up to no good. Zoro looked around the street to check and see if Shanks car was parked anywhere, wondering if its existence could lead to a possible answer to the situation at hand. There was no car. His was the only odd one out.

Zoro unlocked the hinge to the gate, making his way over to the front door and nearly jumping when he heard the gate behind him loudly clock. He noticed a dim light being produced from within; giving him hope that Mihawk was really there. He wasn't sure why he would think otherwise; he could only blame the stress of the day.

He pulled out his keys, trying to locate the right one for this door. He hadn't yet located the key when the door suddenly opened, light emitting from inside and a large shadow covering his form. Zoro squint his eyes, taking a step back as he looked up to the older man in front of him.

"Roronoa," Mihawk said, staring motionlessly at Zoro. "You're surprisingly early."

"I hurried over," Zoro said, looking deep into yellow eyes.

"Your breath reeks of alcohol."

"I'm not drunk," was all Zoro could say.

"You were."

"Awhile ago," Zoro answered solemnly.

"Will you be able to pay attention to everything I say now?" he asked. No questions about how he had gotten here. If he drove drunk or not. "Do you need to rest? From what I can see, you had a busy night."

Zoro felt his face heat up. He looked away from Mihawk, almost embarrassed to say.

"I need to know now," Zoro finally said.

Mihawk continued to quietly observe the younger man, finally inviting him in after an eternity of silence. It made Zoro feel all the more guilty for not mentioning what had occurred hours before. He made it a note to mention it right after Mihawk was done announcing his news.

"I take it you know why you're here," Mihawk said, walking into the dimly lit living room, Zoro right behind him. The only light came from the lamp in the corner. "You've called me several times yesterday."

"I was worried."

"How much have you learned?" Mihawk asked. "I doubt the media went deep into the story. It's still developing."

"Crocodile was arrested?" Zoro asked. "He did something?"

"It was a numerous amount of things," Mihawk said, sitting himself down on the couch. He folded his arms and shook his head, his eyes closed and his face tense.

"Aren't you given protection?" Zoro asked while sitting himself down next to Mihawk.

"He was planning some sort of takeover," Mihawk muttered.

"What?"

"Stealing money from businesses, using it in order to gain popularity by placing it in small interest groups," Mihawk said. "He was apparently doing the same for all the drugs he produces."

"I don't get it."

"He was planning a place in politics," Mihawk said. "And although we're not barred from attempting to do so, the government will do anything in its power to stop us from gaining too much, especially in Crocodile's unique case. The man's built himself a small empire followers. No one is going to let him make his way to the top. The government will allow us to get away with only so much before feeling threatened."

"So you're in trouble now?" Zoro asked.

"The assumption is that if one of us is up to no good; then there may be someone else doing the same."

"That's…"

"Very realistic," Mihawk answered. "I could easily be arrested for several counts for several different illegal activities." He leaned in forward and stared at Zoro. "You know that."

"Then you're screwed," Zoro muttered.

"No," Mihawk replied. "I won't be charged for anything that they already know unless they have enough reason to suspect that I may betray them. Anything they discover though; that's a different story."

"But you don't have anything to hide now, do you?" Zoro asked.

Mihawk quietly stared at Zoro; his look almost producing the answer to Zoro's question.

"Aside from me?"

The stoic man produced a small smile at gave a nod at Zoro.

"I just finished saying that I could be arrested for several different things," Mihawk answered.

"I know most of them though," Zoro said. "And if I know them, they must know them as well. You relationship with-"

Mihawk sighed, letting a hand cover half his face as he slowly shook his head. Zoro stopped and looked to the older man, feeling unsure about what he had just said. What else could Mihawk be hiding from him? Wasn't he old enough, trustworthy enough to be told everything?

"You know I have to leave you in the dark," Mihawk suddenly said. It was though he had read Zoro's mind. "I need to keep you safe. The less you know; the better off you are in case you're discovered."

"But you'll still get in trouble," Zoro said.

"With only what you provide them," Mihawk said. He looked all too serious.

How long had Mihawk thought this over? Surely he didn't believe that Zoro would betray him? He could never go against Mihawk. He'd lie if he had to; get himself incarcerated for lying in court just to prove Mihawk how much he cared for him. Zoro loved the man more than anything else in the world.

Zoro frowned," I'd never tell them." He felt his hands form into tight fists as he looked into Mihawk's two gold eyes. Wonderful golden eyes. "You can tell me anything."

Mihawk blinked his eyes moving just a little to the side.

"We all have our share of secrets that we prefer to keep," he said. He looked over at Zoro, his face still stoic. "Don't we, Roronoa?"

Zoro felt his face prickle red. He lowered his gaze, feeling a small stab of guilt, as well as confusion from Mihawk's comment. He was sure Mihawk didn't suspect anything, but it still caused him to feel wary. But if he did, then now was the time to go ahead and confess what he did with that Sanji fellow. Perhaps Mihawk would see that there were no secrets between them, and that he could be trusted. After all, this was not the first time Zoro slept around with other people. Mihawk had suggested that Zoro be more open since he had been a virgin before they got together, also because Mihawk was hardly around at some points. A man your age cannot expect to wait forever, he had said. Mihawk didn't want to hear about any success stories, for obvious reasons, but maybe talking about it would help strengthen the bond between the two.

"I was really wasted," Zoro admitted. "It happened."

He watched as the emotionless expression turn disgruntled. Though Mihawk wasn't one to show off too much emotion, Zoro couls see some form of disappointment and jealousy breach through his demeanor. Zoro waited for Mihawk to calm himself down, watching for those subtle body motions to tell him that the quiet man was ready to talk about the new topic.

"Man or woman?"

"He was a blonde," Zoro stated, raising his head up and looking into the two golden pools. "Trust me when I tell you it was a definite one night stand."

"Don't act so guilty," Mihawk replied. He crossed his leg and folded his arms, stilling staring at Zoro with a secretive look. "This isn't the first time, nor will it be your last. You're still young, and this relationship is anything but normal. It's best you experiment now while you have the freedom." Something in his voice told Zoro that Mihawk didn't entirely believe what he had said.

"You make it sound like I'm tied down to you," Zoro replied.

"In a sense you are," Mihawk said. Zoro watched a smile appear on the man, causing his heart to skip a few beats. "You're obsessed over something I can't really comprehend. Colors."

"A color can say a lot about someone," Zoro said. "You know that."

"We've had this conversation more times than I can count," Mihawk said. "You know I'll never truly understand. I'm not like you. I can't see the world in colors." He got up from his seat and walked over to Zoro, leaning down and staring deep into his dark eyes. Zoro felt his cold fingers graze across his cheeks, letting the vivid image of pure white enter his mind. Clean, calming white. "I don't understand, nor do I care to understand."

"I love you're color," Zoro said suddenly.

"What's so special about it?" Mihawk asked in a whisper.

"It's pure," Zoro answered, letting his eyes close and focusing on the strong image in his mind. "It's so solid. It's who you are."

"Then why not say "I love you" and save yourself the awful cliché, Roronoa?"

Zoro opened his eyes and looked at Mihawk.

"You're not very romantic," he said.

"You're not much better," Mihawk replied. He leaned in and kissed Zoro on the lips, quickly moving his hands down the younger man's clothing and tauntingly playing with the zipper. Zoro wrapped his arms around Mihawk, eyes closing and heart racing with the need for the older man's physical attention. He could see that white landscape in his mind, like a back drop, and it made him so excited to see that. He loved it, loved reaching out, touching it, and loved mixing with it. And touching Mihawk only made it more invigorating. But just as he felt his pants grow tight Mihawk suddenly removed his hands from his younger lover and pushed him away. "Go take a shower," Mihawk said. his voice was lower than before, and noticeably harsher.

"We only got a few hours," Zoro protested, letting his fingers go through his lover's ebony strands.

"A quick one then," Mihawk said, removing Zoro's hands away from him.

"You can't be serious."

Mihawk looked up at him with a determined expression. It didn't matter how he felt, Mihawk wasn't going to continue.

Whoever thought jealousy could be cute obviously had not experienced the pain it could bring to denied arousal. It was amusing that Mihawk would get bothered by the idea that someone else had slept with Zoro, even though he acted and said it was no big deal, but it obviously was and it meant less time for them to be together since he wanted Zoro cleaned up. And there really wasn't much time to begin with.

"Clean yourself up." The words were sharp and cold, like blades against his heart.

Zoro sighed. He wasn't going to let this get to him; after all it was his fault that he decided to get drunk and flirt with some guy he didn't even know. He barely even remembered any of it…what a waste. The only thing he could really recall was the color; that deep passionate blue. And he'd have to hope that Sanji was already on his way back home, lest he bear with the painful awkwardness of explaining his current relationship. Plus there was always that chance that Sanji might have someone else in his life, assuming it wasn't Nami (in which case both were screwed). Zoro gave a defiant nod, letting Mihawk get up and move aside and make his way up the flight of stairs with him in quick pursuit. He'd have to hurry through the shower, knowing full well that Mihawk wouldn't be going in or doing anything of that nature till he was cleaned up. Mihawk had to be a bit of a prude sometimes, or at least old fashioned. Zoro did honestly prefer that part of him over the other part that told him to go out and sleep around; at least that side made the relationship feel more real. He couldn't wait for him to be old enough to be taken more seriously, for their relationship to become more serious. Mihawk still saw him as the seventeen year old virgin who wanted to attempt a dangerous secret relationship. That same kid who, not too long ago, had lost to him by just standing there and doing nothing, like some kind of idiot.

He'd have to work hard to change that.

Colors didn't just tell him things. Zoro could feel it; the calm, trusting sensation that was brought to him when his mind envisioned white clouds, blankets of snow, and even angels. It seemed so cheesy, and Zoro felt his face burn with embarrassment when he thought about it, but then those feelings would take over him, and he'd feel absolutely fine.

But he could see and feel, through the simple sensation of touch. That was more than reading or writing and depicting a rainbow through the words. It could become nauseating; seeing a slew of random colors following each other in no particular order. And it wasn't really all that special. Reading a word didn't make him feel the same way as being with another person did. He could come up with feelings for the colors he saw, but then everyone could do that. There was always something exciting about coming into contact with another.

He always saw white, but it always felt so new when coming into contact with Mihawk. It was exhilarating, wonderful, and it made him forget all those stressful worries that life held. It made him calm, relaxed, energetic, aroused; whatever Mihawk wanted.

Zoro gave a small sigh, his body sinking into the warm sheets. Zoro's body was tired and still somewhat sore from his last encounter. He had done it before; having sex several times in a row, but Mihawk tended to be gentler on those nights. Zoro felt his body shake and quiver from the contact, his own hands trying to grab hold of Mihawk and pull him in.

Mihawk was in a hurry. He was needy, and perhaps even upset, and there wasn't that much time for preparation. Tonight would be quick and rough, Zoro knew it.

Before Zoro knew it, Mihawk had entered, causing him to hiss in pain. Mihawk was close enough for him to wrap his arms around, giving him the closure and sensation he wanted from the other. He could still remember Sanji's touch, and it made it so hard to think straight with his mind bouncing between the two. He felt lips press against his, causing him to open his eyes and look into Mihawk's two golden eyes. He was memorized by it. Mihawk breathed against his neck, bit it, sucked it, making a soft comment about something, but Zoro couldn't quite hear. What was it? Zoro didn't ask. After several seconds Zoro could feel the pain overcoming all other sense. Zoro clung tightly to Mihawk, hissing and yelping with each rough thrust, his muscles contracting around the other man's length bringing bother closer to orgasm. It hurt like hell. Mihawk knew this. He wouldnt stop though, certainly not after hearing he'd be getting sloppy seconds. A little numbness and blood would be the lesson learned, and Mihawk knew Zoro knew this, and probably would get off it as well.

He let go of his lover, collapsing into the sheets and staring blankly at the ceiling above him. He felt Mihawk pull out and move the side of the bed, sitting up for several minutes before actually laying down besides him. Zoro continued to lay on his back, breathing a bit more calmly as felt a hand brush his face. He would've made a grab for it, but then Mihawk suddenly pulled away from him. There was a long silence between the two, and each refused to make any sort of eye contact with the other.

"What color was he?" he heard Mihawk finally say. Zoro wished he hadn't. It brought back that feeling of guilt as he realized that the thought of him with someone else was still on Mihawk's mind.

"I…I think it was blue," Zoro said in an unsure matter. He Didn't want to make it seem like a big deal, especially now. This definitely was not the time to be talking about such things.

He heard Mihawk feign a chuckle.

"You think?"

He had gotten, at most, an hour worth of sleep. Zoro sighed, grabbing the sheets and dragging his body out of the messy bed, his eyes lazily focused on Mihawk, who was already dressed and on the phone. He leaned over on the edge of the bed, letting his hand hang before grabbing his alcohol scented clothing. He carefully sat himself on the bed, wincing from the soreness from his past activities, but dressed himself quickly and silently. Zoro watched Mihawk pace about, talking to whomever on the phone.

Zoro stood, up, his legs a bit wobbly from exhaustion, and walked over to the door. He made eye contact with Mihawk for a few brief seconds, and he made sure that Mihawk knew that he was leaving. A part of him wanted Mihawk to shower him with promises of calls and affection, but another told him to leave as soon as possible. He had spent those few hours so very close to the man, and the weaker side of him didn't want to think about going without that feeling for weeks, perhaps months.

He had made it down the stairs, and had even managed to open the door without hearing Mihawk call for him. Already Zoro's heart was aching. He couldn't stand feeling so weak and upset. And just as Zoro took his first few steps out the door, he heard it;

"Will you be fine without me calling?" Mihawk asked. Zoro turned and stared at the older man who was leaning against the entrance to the house.

"You won't call?"

"Not unless you want me to," Mihawk said, staring hard at Zoro.

It was nearing ten in the morning. Mihawk would have to disappear from existence before noon, when his flight was scheduled. After that Zoro would have to wait things out and hope for the best…not that he was worried. Mihawk was more than confident that he would be safe from the main media, and was sure of himself that anything Crocodile did would lead to another man, perhaps Doflamingo, getting caught. Mihawk's ties with Crocodile were not that strong, so it would hopefully work to his advantage. Mihawk even went on and told Zoro that Doflamingo had been conducting illegal human trafficking, and that no one outside the seven of them knew about it. That alone would grab all attention from the media, and Mihawk was counting on it as a means of getting away with any deeds he had committed, whatever they were. Zoro still didn't know.

"It'd be nice to hear from you," Zoro said, trying to subtly inform his lover that he really would like to get those calls. It was going to be a long summer; Zoro didn't think he could bear it without knowing what was going on with Mihawk. The man had left before, usually for a few weeks, but mainly for business. Zoro learned to stop being so nervous during those times, but this was very different.

"I'll see what I can do," Mihawk muttered. "Be patient."

"I always am," Zoro said, giving one last look at Mihawk before walking over to the gate, jumping it, and hurrying over to the car. He knew getting emotional would only upset Mihawk and make him worry about him while he was away. Zoro needed to show him that he could be trusted, and that he was mature enough to handle this.

He could handle this.

He opened the door, giving a glance over where Mihawk stood. He was still looking at him, his gold eye locked on to him, staring expectantly. Mihawk seemed so sure, Zoro wished he could feel the same way about the situation. What was it that made the man seem so confident? Luffy was always like that, but he was so different; so much bolder and deeper than Mihawk. He knew he couldn't always rely on colors to determine a person. Zoro turned on the engine and drove off.

Zoro pushed away any more thoughts on the matter. What was important now was trying to get through another long summer with what little money he and Luffy had. Working minimum wage and making a living off of it wasn't the easiest of things to do, especially when he had someone like Luffy. The guy could eat through a weeks worth of food in two days. Speaking of which, he and Luffy were supposed to go shopping today to get food. He groaned, knowing all too well that he would be bombarded by an upset Luffy. Between the two of them, he was the better cook, and the one who knew what to look for when searching for food. He could either expect a "starving" Luffy, or a bunch of instant noodles and hamburger helper filling up the fridge and cabinets. With all this in his mind Zoro quickly forgot about red and whites, and Mihawk leaving for hopefully a few weeks. He'd be able to spend the rest of the day as per usual.

Zoro continued the drive, blasting the radio on high to keep him awake as he made his way back to the small, crowded apartment he shared with Luffy. He parked his car across the street and walked over to the building, looking around for any indication that Luffy was around. He couldn't spot any of his friends' cars, which made him wonder if Luffy ever made it home. He knew he was his only ride, save for Ace who was far too drunk to have been allowed to leave the party that night, and it made Zoro feel just a tad guilty that he may have left his friend for Mihawk. He opened the front gate and walked into the complex, wondering if he should wait a few hours before calling Luffy, in case the boy might be suffering from a hangover. But as he made his way over to his number he noticed that the screen door was slightly ajar, and Zoro tucked his cell back into his pockets as he carefully approached the apartment, taking in the sounds of light chatter. Luffy had made it home, and that wasn't all.

Zoro threw his keys on the worn out coffee table, his eyes wide at the strange scene in front of him. He walked over to the small kitchen table, his jaw agape as he stared at the bags full of actual food. Real, fresh food. Bright red and yellow were poking out from the top of a brown bag, either fruits or vegetables, signifying that someone must have went shopping with Luffy, since veggies weren't usually on his mind. Zoro picked through the bags, taking out a container of fresh strawberries, smiling eagerly at the bright red colors. It looked great.

"Luffy," Zoro called, placing the strawberries down and making his way through the other bags. "Hey, Luffy; you there or what?"

Zoro crumbled a bag and tossed it behind him, not caring whether or not it hit the trash. He pulled out the rest of his spoils, impressed by the wide selection he had to work with. There were a ton of fresh ingredients. It had to have been Nami.

"Zoro!"

Zoro turned himself and stared at the front door where Luffy was. He had two very full plastic bags in his hands, swaying about. But what caught his attention was the worried look on Luffy's face.

"Hey, Luffy," Zoro said as the younger man approached him. "Something wrong?"

"You weren't there in the morning?" Luffy said in a very concerned tone. Zoro felt his stomach twist with guilt as he saw Luffy's upset expression. "What happened?"

"I was with Mihawk," Zoro said stoically. He tried to keep himself as calm as possible, as to not attract any unnecessary attention from Luffy. Luffy always seemed to know what was going on, even without being told. He wasn't going to let Luffy in on what was going on, not just yet.

"So you left early in the morning?" Luffy asked.

"It was important," Zoro answered quickly.

Luffy carefully dropped the bags on the floor. "Did…something happen?"

"What? No," Zoro said, keeping himself from going on the defense. "Why do you ask?"

"Just that…you were with…" Luffy's voice trailed off just as Zoro picked up the sound of two familiar voices from the door way. Both men turned and faced the doorway, Luffy's face tightening up a bit as the sounds grew louder.

"Let me borrow the key…" The first voice asked. Zoro recognized the voice, but from where he didn't quite know. It was very familiar though.

"I told you there's nothing to worry about!" That was Nami's voice. "The cops don't do a thing in this neighborhood. They won't mind that I parked in red."

Zoro watched as the two figures appeared in front of the door. There was Nami, dressed up for the long, hot day, cheery and careless about whatever she had done, and right next to her was…

Great.

"He's here," Zoro muttered.

It was Sanji. Carry the last of the groceries, with a look of concern on his face as he followed Nami, trying to get her to give him the car keys for one reason or another.

"Yes, but it would be a real shame if I got a ticket," Sanji said with a forced smile on his face. Zoro watched with deep regret as the blonde's gaze lifted, meeting up with his. He felt his body stiffen as he looked into Sanji's surprised expression. Sanji obviously remembered him from last night.

"Well!" Zoro heard Nami say. He broke away from the blonde and turned his attention to the irritated woman now standing in front of him. "I was hoping I'd see you," Nami said, frowning at Zoro. "You are in serious trouble."

"Hey, Nami," Zoro said with a shrug. He looked away from Nami, glancing over at the blonde in dismay. Sanji continued to stare back, his expression was too hard for Zoro to read.

"Is that all you have to say?" she asked.

Zoro shrugged again, not knowing how to respond.

"Uhm…"

"Zoro had to visit a friend," Luffy responded.

"A friend?" Zoro heard Sanji ask with interest.

"I don't see what that has to do with him and Sanji messing up my room," Nami said with a scowl.

"He would have cleaned up if he had stayed, but he couldn't," Luffy said, trying to calm Nami down. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a weak smile before turning to Zoro. "Right, Zoro?"

"Yeah," Zoro said, looking over at Nami. He sighed, feeling his face heat up. This was so painfully awkward. Why didn't he think about this while he had first entered the apartment? And now Sanji was here as well.

"We'll talk later," Nami said, huffing just a bit. She shook her head and gave a long sigh. "I just got back home, and we have a party to attend later…I'd hate to ruin all of it with a poor attitude."

"Another party?" Zoro asked.

"Yeah," Luffy said with a wide grin. The tension that had built up in the room had faded now. "It's gonna be by the beach. Nami invited some of her friends from her college, and Ace said he'd invite some of his buddies as well!"

"Ugh," Zoro groaned.

"You don't have to stay long," Nami said. "But it would be great if you did come over. We do have a lot of catching up to do…unless you're too busy screwing around."

"Dammit Nami," Zoro said.

"You don't like parties much, do you?" he heard Sanji say. Zoro looked over at the blonde and felt his face heat up. He had already forgotten about him. Why did Sanji have to make his presence known? Shouldn't he be on his way home by now?

"No," Zoro said.

"He gets dizzy from all the contact," Luffy said.

"Because of his con…thing, right?" Sanji asked. Zoro raised a brow, already knowing what Sanji was about to say before stopping himself. He really didn't seem to understand.

"I get headaches," Zoro replied flatly.

Zoro watched Sanji frown, taken aback by his uninviting response. What was he expecting? Zoro honestly figured Sanji was a one-night fling. The two had gotten drunk and had screwed around a bit; there was no reason to think anything more would come of that. Zoro was already with someone, and he had figured Sanji was in the same situation.

"We need to put these away…" Zoro said, gesturing at the food that was on the table. He made sure to keep himself from making eye contact with the blonde.

"Oh, right." Luffy smiled at Zoro. "Nami and Sanji went shopping with me and we got a ton of stuff!"

"I can see that."

"You really owe me one," Nami said, smirking at Zoro. He grabbed hold of his arm and looked up at Zoro.

"I'll go to the damn party, don't worry," Zoro said, pushing her away. He walked past the group, still keeping away from Sanji, and made his way into the hall.

"Somebody's grumpier than usual," Nami commented loudly.

"He had a rough night," Zoro heard Luffy say.

Zoro walked into his room and lay down on his bunk. He stared up, feeling rather upset about everything. He pulled his cell out from his pocket and stared and the blank screen. It hadn't gone off yet, which meant Mihawk was still traveling, or just ignoring him for the time being. It was probably the latter. Zoro let the phone drop to the floor before pulling his arms in and turning to the side.

Why on earth was he being so pathetic about this? Did it bother him that Mihawk was gone, or that he had slept with Sanji before saying goodbye to him? Or was it something else?

"Why are you moping around?"

Zoro jumped, turning himself around and staring at the figure that had entered his and Luffy's room. He frowned, staring angrily at the blonde for startling him.

"What?" He asked hastily.

"You're the one who walked out," Sanji said, producing a small smile. "Shouldn't I be the one acting out?"

"That's not why I'm upset," Zoro answered, getting up from his bunk and walking over to Sanji.

"That's good to hear," Sanji replied, still smiling. "For a second, I was afraid the roles were mixed up. That, or I did something wrong. "

Zoro approached the blonde, crossing his arms and keeping a small distance between them. "Why are you here?"

"What?" Sanji asked.

"Shouldn't you…" Zoro stopped himself. He was sure he was making an ass of himself.

"I'm just trying to figure out what's going on." Sanji shook his head. He was no longer smiling. "Nami had mentioned you before. She said you were…single."

Nami? Of course. Sanji had flirted with him on purpose. While Zoro was drinking and garnering attention with the intent of getting laid, Sanji had been planning a small relationship. Or maybe a bigger relationship. Zoro had no idea how long the blonde would be around, for all he knew Sanji might have been planning on commitment.

"That's why you're here?" Zoro asked loudly.

"No," Sanji said. "I'm here because I woke up alone, and because when the topic was brought up in front of your friend, he got all uppity and didn't believe a word of it." He leaned against the wall and covered his face with a hand. "And now you're upset. It has me worried."

Zoro frowned.

"You were with someone shortly after, weren't you?" Sanji asked, looking up at Zoro.

Zoro could almost remember that color. It was such a nice color. Sanji had to be a good person. And it made Zoro feel all the more miserable to nod his head knowing that he really had messed him up. Why did he flirt with the blonde? Why didn't he restrain himself?

"Well, shit," Sanji said. "D-do I need to get tested or something?"

"What? No! Look…"

"I'm really sorry about this," Sanji muttered.

"What?" Zoro asked.

"I saw the way your friend Luffy was acting," Sanji said. "He was defending you, trying to keep the conversation from going down hill. I take it something happened." The blonde looked down. "I'd really hate to be "that person", if something did happen."

So that's what it was? Sanji wasn't heartbroken or anything? Zoro felt a little of the weight lift fro his shoulders as he watched Sanji remove himself from the wall. It didn't make the situation any less awkward though. Zoro needed to say something to fix things up. And he would need to talk to Luffy later.

"It's definitely not what you think," Zoro said, trying to reassure the blonde. "Nothing bad happened." He looked into a worried blue eye and felt his heart weaken as he let a hand rest on the man's shoulder. "It's not your fault…I should've known better."

Sanji looked at the hand on his shoulder, then back at him.

"Everything is ok," Zoro said. He removed himself from Sanji and took a step back.

"You have an odd way of showing it," Sanji commented.

"It's difficult." Zoro replied.

"What happened?" Sanji asked.

Zoro shook his head. "I can't tell you," he answered. "It's very personal."

"Do they know?" Sanji asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, but it's no big deal," Zoro answered rather causally. It was half the truth. If the sex told him anything it was that Mihawk didn't like "sloppy seconds". Sanji was willing to let it go though as long as it appeared that what had happened wasn't a big deal though, and Zoro was going to take advantage of that.

"It isn't?" Sanji asked in surprised.

"Like I said, it's difficult," Zoro said. "You really shouldn't worry about it."

Sanji stared, not willing to believe everything that he was told. "I can't imagine being ok with my partner sleeping around…"

"Ugh," Zoro groaned. He rolled his eyes. Why did he even bother trying to explain this to Sanji if he was just going to question it? This was the very same reason he kept this from Luffy.

"Excuse me for not taking this well," Sanji commented.

"Look," Zoro said,"Let's just forget about this." He licked his lips and quickly added. "Start over, or whatever, just accept what we did is nothing to cry over."

"I wasn't going to cry," Sanji said.

"You felt guilty about it," Zoro replied.

"I try to be a good person," Sanji said, producing a small smile. It made Zoro feel so much better to see it.

"We both had our intentions," Zoro said. "Let's just put them aside right now and try to work together for as long as you're here."

Sanji chuckled. "What was yours?" He asked.

"Not to get with you," Zoro answered.

"What a bastard," Sanji commented. He raised his head and smirked at Zoro.

Zoro pointed at the door.

"Keep that in mind," Zoro said. "I'm not interested in making a relationship with anyone." He walked out of the room and made his way back into the hall. He might as well go back to Luffy and Nami, seeing that his room was now off limits with Sanji in it.

"Because the one you're in is working so well," he heard Sanji say. He felt a hand grab his and give a rough yank, demanding an answer. Zoro froze, his mind filling in with that unique shade of blue. He really wanted to call Sanji out, but couldn't find it in him to do it. Not with that color. Those kinds of people…

"Sorry, but you won't be getting anything else for the rest of the summer," Zoro muttered. He pulled himself away from Sanji and walked off.

Oh, he was going to kill Nami. She must have thought she could just go ahead and pair him up with whoever she met. Even though Nami didn't know a thing about Mihawk, Zoro was annoyed beyond reason.

"Zoro…" Luffy said, walking up to the older man with a cautious look on his face. "What happened?"

"I'll explain later," Zoro said. "I just need time to relax and…think."

"Is it about…"

"Later," Zoro stated.

Luffy gave a nod, looking hard at Zoro with his concerned look. He knew Luffy was just worried, but it bothered him so much. He wished Luffy could understand.

"Zoro?"

Zoro looked over at Nami. Her arms were crossed, and a frown now covered her face.

"What?" he asked.

"Uhm, is everything ok?" she asked.

Just then, Zoro heard the sounds of footsteps behind him.

"Everything's fine," Sanji said, walking into the living room. He pulled out a cigarette and smiled at both Zoro and Luffy. "There's nothing wrong now, is there?" A blue eye locked on to Zoro.

"Yeah," Zoro said, staring intently at Sanji.

There was something about that look, something that told Zoro that everything that he had just told Sanji in the room had meant absolutely nothing. That blonde who looked like he was about to crumble into a ball out of guilt for possible causing a break-up; that guy was no longer there. That innocent, conservative, caring look had been replaced by a more vigorous, confident one. Blues weren't supposed to be like that. They were soft, cool, calming…and a lot more submissive. Was it because Sanji was darker? Or was it something else?

This was going to be a long summer.

Compliments, concerns, and criticism are all welcomed.