Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or any of the characters.

Warning: Rushness; Grammar; OOCness; Yaoi; Lemon; swearing; repetitiveness (I'm a repetitive person) and anything you notice that isn't on this list but is on this list. I will also not take responsibility for any problems the readers have experienced. Eg. Puking rainbows.

Not promising perfectness, if you expect it. You know where the back button is. Sorry.

Again, no idea what I'm doing anymore.

IMPORTANT! - REPLY TO REVIEWS!

Krito1389: Tis short because I am delaying. Delaying quite a bit. I can see the end of this story just over the hill. A nice steep hill. Damn that's going to be a long climb!

Aemilius95: Your feelings are quite correct. Something is being built up thus the delaying...and it's not just the ending. Kukuku hehehe hahaha! xD Oh my!

Edited on: 3/4/2014
Word count: 2,907

Chapter 11: Hide and dash

Zoro had woken up with his mind fresh and clear after sleeping on a certain problem involving a blonde haired cook, but no longer was it a problem. He had solved it - to a degree - and he was most certain, that the feeling he had yesterday, that he had towards the cook was most definitely, absolutely, not love. Not in anyway.

Impossible. So impossible no-one knew how impossible it was.

He had decided, that the reason to why he had almost done what he nearly did was indeed because of that perverted ghost woman, who had not only taken the blondes precious memories but had cursed him with the ability to make people lust after him, and he was sticking to that thought, but despite that thought, he was going to fight those forced ill intentions and still be with Sanji in a non-lustful way, as long as he did so, then being with Sanji wasn't dangerous. Not dangerous at all. Completely perfect.

Not wanting to let his mind ponder it anymore, in fear he'd realise how much he was convincing himself with maybe un-trustful thoughts (lies), he walked into the kitchen to see Sanji reading his little diary once more, he opened his mouth and spoke, uttering words he thought he'd never say.

Sanji looked up and stared at Zoro incredulously, before chuckling lightly, his heart fluttering at Zoro's words.

"Well, if you're going to help me cook, you need to wear the spare apron."
Sanji took off an apron from the hook from within the cupboard below the sink and held it out to Zoro, waiting for him to take it.
"You're kidding me right?" Zoro stared incredulously at the blonde who continued to hold out the pink frilly apron, shaking it lightly.

"Nope." He continued to smile, his cigarette dangling between his lips as his blue eyes sparkled in amusement. Zoro gulped, somewhat wishing he was that little white stick. Wait no, no lustful thoughts!

"Then I retract my offer to help you." Zoro turned on the spot and began to walk away and out of the room, hell if he'd wear that weird ass apron. If the blonde was going to make this difficult, it wasn't worth the effort, not when his mind kept wondering. The curse that witch must have put was too powerful.
"…New memories…." Sanji uttered quietly in a sing-song whisper.

It had been quiet, so quiet that it could have been mistaken as a sigh and Zoro could have pretended that he didn't hear it and just walk on, but he had and he knew Sanji knew that he had heard it by the pause in his step.

Zoro frowned and turned back around looking at it, then at the still open cupboard. He had to wear it, after all the blonde had given up getting his old memories. For him? he wished…no he didn't. No. Shut it.

"Can I have the non-frilly pink apron?" Zoro grumbled angrily, trying to contain thoughts and embarrassment.
He pointed at the other apron he could see, he couldn't see why Sanji didn't offer him that one in the first place after all, the frilly one seemed more of the blonde's choice.

"That's mine."
"This is also yours…" Zoro was glaring at the frilly apron once more.
"That's the spare…"
"And how would you know that? You don't remember…" Zoro could feel his eye twitching.

Sanji didn't say anything, but just held up his book, hoping beyond hope that Zoro wouldn't question it. He had bluffed.
Zoro grumbled to himself once more with a low growl, taking the frilly apron and putting it on over his head and tying it around his waist. Damn the cook. This apron would look a lot better on the blonde cook.
Sanji followed Zoro's motions as well, putting on the other apron, a winning smile on his face.

"So, what can I do first?"
"Could you make and whisk the batter whilst I slice up the meat?"
Zoro nodded, "How do I…?" his sentence trailing off as he looked around the kitchen helplessly, hoping things would appear for him to work with.
Sanji laughed and began to gesture and help Zoro with what he needed to do. The morning breakfast, in the end, became more like a lesson to teach Zoro how to cook and navigate his way around the kitchen whilst having fun of course.

Sanji couldn't explain how happy he was during this moment.

—

Zoro could hear the snickers every time he turned his back from them and they wouldn't cease. It was getting on his nerves, but he sucked it in, and just glared, continuing to place the food on the table for them to eat.

But…there's only so much one can take…

"It's not that funny!"
Zoro growled lowly, as he leaned over and close to all of them. He had had enough of the snickers and the humiliation.

"S-sorry Zoro…but! haha!" Ussop had tried to apologise but couldn't contain his laughter as everyone else burst into laughter as well. Zoro's face darkened as his hand gripped around a bread knife. He wished it was his sword, but he had to abandon them - no matter how much he protested - in the far corner of the room away from the kitchen and the dining table.

He slowly held the bread knife near Ussop's long nose, his expression guaranteeing pain and torture if he dared to continue. Once Ussop squeaked and shut up, he glared at everyone else, receiving nervous chuckles. Except from Luffy who continued to laugh happily.

"Don't be mad Zoro! It suits you!" Luffy laughed, helping himself to the food placed on the table before anyone else noticed the decreasing food. Zoro placed down the butter knife and pushed himself up to stand straight, feeling himself calm down by Luffy's voice.

Sanji placed the last plate on the table and dragged out a chair, gesturing to Zoro to sit down on it.
"Everyone should eat now, before Luffy eats it all…" Sanji mumbled, tiredly glancing at Luffy, his mouth full as he tried to defend himself.

Noticing Sanji was right, everyone kicked a fuss at Luffy, quickly grabbing food for themselves whilst fighting back the bottomless pit they called a captain who still wanted more. Sanji laughed, the morning was lively as always, his eyes landed on Zoro and remained on him.

Zoro knew Sanji was watching him, watching each spoonful enter his mouth. He looked up and locked eyes with the blonde who was smiling at him. Zoro felt his mouth dry up and the food almost fell out of his mouth as his heart almost stopped completely.

Zoro couldn't help but think, that he was going to take back his previous statement that maybe being near Sanji would no longer be dangerous if he ignored the thoughts, he was wrong, he was most definitely dangerous like he had thought yesterday. His stupid lies to himself made him think other wise. He would have to keep his distance. Far from him, this whole morning was too much for him and eating his cooking whilst seeing his smile was pushing him over the edge. The thoughts cast by this curse was winning and he had lost.

Zoro couldn't believe how weak he was feeling.

As soon as breakfast was over, Zoro was first to excuse himself. Ditching the apron and high tailing it out of there as fast as he could, before anyone could stop him and question him.

And thus, the rest of the day became 'hide and dash' for Zoro. He would hide away from the shitty cook, moving room to room, after all staying in one spot was dangerous as the cook would certainly find him there. He also made sure to listen carefully, sensing when Sanji was drawing near and when he did, Zoro was out of there before you could say 'A thousand Sunny'.

This didn't go unnoticed by the cook though, he had noticed there was a lack of presence of the swordsman around the ship, mainly wherever he was. Everywhere he looked, everywhere he had visited, Zoro had not been there and yet, everyone else was there instead. So, when he asked everyone, they would all say he was there one second before he came. This might have given Sanji the idea that Zoro was avoiding him. Impossible…right?

The swordsman wouldn't do that, right? Unless…had the cook made the swordsman, angry or upset? Enough to be avoided? Sanji too, began to run around the ship, seeking out the swordsman, but he had a feeling that he was always one step behind. Just one second. It was so frustrating!

Eventually, Sanji gave up what ever game seemed to be going on and sauntered back to the kitchen to cook dinner early. He had wanted to ask Zoro to help him but he guessed in the end the swordsman didn't want to, which was understandable, it wasn't Zoro's kind of thing. Sanji sighed, it was lonely without the swordsman.

"Zoro!"

Sanji's head snapped upwards as he heard the call of Zoro's name, he looked out of the window, and there he was, leaning against the railing with Luffy. Smiling and laughing.
So, he could look like that with everyone?

He watched as Zoro playfully pushed Luffy's head down, watching as it stretched and retracted back to it's original place. That's right, he remembered that Zoro had told him that Luffy had saved him at a marine base. They had been the first to meet, the first to create this crew, they had known each other longer, had been there for each other. They had history.

History he wasn't in.

Sanji continued to watch, a twisted feeling filling his heart that now felt heavy, like it was being pulled down into the very depths of his body, sinking so low and so fast. He tore his eyes away from the scene.

A scene that looked perfect and unbreakable; a scene he couldn't be apart of.

Sanji slowly fetched some vegetables from the storage room and made his way to the counter. He took out a knife from the knife block and began to slowly peel the skin from the vegetables before he began to cut them.

Clink. Clink. Clink.

The scene before replayed over and over in Sanji's mind. Were they more than captain and first mate? Did something happen between them before or was something happening to them now? Was Zoro in love with Luffy? Was the touch and possible kiss the other day something meant for Luffy?

Clink. Clink. Click.

They did seem to match quite well, they got along. They were playful and there seemed to be no boundaries between the two. Luffy was a great kid, a great man who made friends so easily and comforted them effortlessly. He had even given Sanji a feeling that nothing was impossible. Maybe that's what attracted the swordsman to Luffy?

Clink. Clink. Slice.

Sanji hissed painfully, retracting his hand away from the knife and dropping it. He looked at the cut, the blood gushing out and trailing down his hand. Shit, it hurt.

He turned and walked away from the counter and to the exit but then he hesitated in leaving to find Chopper, it meant he had to go out there and see the scene with Luffy and Zoro again, he didn't want that, so instead, he walked over to the sink and held his hand beneath the cool water, washing the blood away, watching as the water in the washing bowl changed to a dark red. He grabbed a paper towel and held it to his wound, letting it soak up the bleeding.

Zoro frowned, it had been quiet but he had still heard it. He had heard what he assumed, was a knife being dropped from the kitchen. Everyone else hadn't questioned it or hadn't heard it, but Zoro had. He had roughly left Luffy and to the kitchen quickly. He had been ready to thrust the door open and demand what had happened to the idiot cook, but he then hesitated, feeling like he wouldn't be able to control himself if he did. His hand hovering over the door knob for a moment longer.

The swordsman, peeked into the window and saw the blood. He had almost ran in and grabbed the blonde then and there. Why wasn't he panicking right now? Those were his precious hands!
Zoro pushed himself away and quickly ran for Chopper, slipping and sliding around the ship in a hurried pace for the little reindeer.

Fuck! How could the shitty cook let his precious hands get hurt, the cook never allowed it, but since he did, why didn't that idiot come find Chopper! His hands were his tools!
Wait… shit, he forgot, the idiot cook down there doesn't know how precious they really are to him…

"Chopper!"
"Eh? Zoro?" The little doctor looked at Zoro, noticing his panicked expression. "What's wrong?!"
Zoro coughed slightly, relaxing himself slightly. "The shitty cook's cut his hand…" before Zoro could explain Chopper was up and panicking; rushing towards the kitchen to tend to Sanji.

"Sanji!" Chopper shouted as he burst into the kitchen, seeing Sanji holding his hand in a paper towel. "You're hurt! You should have came to me as soon as it happened!"
Chopper began to cry slightly, as he pulled at Sanji's hand to take a look.
"Don't you rely on me as a doctor? Am I terrible?" Chopper sniffled.
The blonde laughed and patted Chopper with his other hand to calm the reindeer down, he didn't expect such a dramatic reaction to just a cut on his hand.
"I'm sorry. I didn't think it was that bad."

Chopper looked at him, the tears streaming from his face before he left and came right back to the kitchen with his equipment, tending to his hand and fixing it up so it would heal up nicely.
"It wasn't bad, but still you should come to see me." Chopper strictly said in his Doctor voice.
Sanji nodded. "Yes, I will next time."
"Good!"

As soon as Chopper left, he got rid of the spoiled vegetables and begun restarting the preparation for dinner once more, this time paying attention to what he was doing. He couldn't allow another mistake like that to happen. But the question was, how did Chopper know that he had cut his hand?

Sanji looked around the kitchen, he was sure he had hurt himself when no one was around. Was there cameras no one told him about? It didn't matter, it's not like he does anything wrong in the kitchen but cook, and there was nothing wrong with cooking, it would just be nice to know he was being watched.

"Oh Sanji, can we talk?" Nami and Robin came into the kitchen, smiling at Sanji who turned around to greet them.
"Nami? Robin?" He opened his eyes and widened them. "Oh no, I'm so sorry I forgot the snacks." Sanji had been too involved in finding Zoro and his own thoughts that he had forgotten about the snacks and had just jumped right into cooking dinner.

"Oh no, that's okay Sanji, we noticed you were quite busy." Nami quickly said in an attempt to calm the blonde who looked like he had committed a crime to them.
"Did you hurt your self cook-san?" Robin noticed the bandage around his left hand which was quickly hidden by Sanji.
"Just a slip of the hand, it really isn't anything."

"If you're certain…" Robin smiled kindly at him. Sanji smiled back happily, "How may I help you two Ladies?" Sanji asked, looked back and forth between the two.
"We came back from Shopping, and look, look!" Nami held up a flyer to Sanji who reached out and took it so he could read it. What was it?

"It's a festival tomorrow night." Nami explained. Sanji remained still, blinking as he raised an eyebrow. A festival? Again, what was it?
"Cook-san, it's where the village will celebrate the day a hero saved their village many many years ago, and we were thinking we all can go and celebrate as well."
"Sound's wonderful." Sanji smiled as he continued to speak, "Does that mean I don't need to cook tomorrow"
"Yep, you have a day off Sanji!" Nami smiled coming over to Sanji and grabbing him arm.

"Uh, Nami?"
"We'll help you in what you wear tomorrow!" Nami smiled, a smile that Sanji couldn't tell was hiding something, to him it was completely lovely and warm.
"Wear?" He asked the two, looking between them once more, why did he suddenly feel like he had missed something, he really should pay attention to everyone on this crew.
"Yes wear, cook-san, that is okay right?" Robin asked Sanji who opened his mouth to politely decline but was stopped, looking at their expressions; he felt like he couldn't decline and that he had to say yes and that was what he did.
"That's fine…" He strained out slightly, wanting to completely take it back when their smiles seemed to widen.

"Good!" The two woman smiled before leaving, telling Sanji they were going to prepare his outfit for them.
He looked down at his suit.

Was there something wrong with his suit?