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.

IMPORTANT! REPLY TO REVIEWS

krito1389: Haha! Don't worry that wasn't the end. I was joking. :L

CeinSemek: Thank you. and I'm sorry, someone had mentioned it was a little squashed, I thought I had fixed that during the re-read and editing of those chapters.
Oh god? Oh yes, chapter 14…oh god…and I'm glad they look clean and seem to have improved? Although they're the chapters that have yet to be re-read and edited, I guess that's good?

Rina: Haha! It is not so :L The fluff? Maybe there is fluff in this chapter? I don't know yet…:)

Oneechan94: I'm glad you love this fanfic :) There is an ending, happy? I don't know yet. and I'm also very glad it is one of your absolute favourites. :D

michelleferreras: I think you answered the question yourself there. xD

Things happened.
I had some money stolen at a fun fair...I applied to be an exchange student...I applied for a job which I got an interview...I had to complete a brief for uni...I ran from a friends party at a nightclub cause I couldn't stand being around the guy I like and not be able to date him whilst my friends were blatantly not kind about it.
This chapter was kinda written, half sleepy, a little depressed and I wasn't drunk. As stated in the warning, Not promising perfectness, if you expect it. You know where the back button is. Sorry.

Also previous chapter ending had been changed. The title is also different. I suggest to quickly re-read it as a re-cap.

Yet to be re-read and edited
Word count: 1,722

Chapter 16: Finally

Sanji had heard Zoro's shout of his name moments before he entered the water. He felt like this had happened before, except Zoro had called him cook right before he fell into the water. It was nice that the last thing he could hear, would be Zoro speaking his name.

He slowly floated downwards-not attempting in anyway to save himself, he would take death like a man-a blue light hovered around him.

Compared to the blueness of the ocean, the blue light was warm, filling his entire body with warmth as his memories slowly came back to him. Little scenes here and there, until they were all back, along side with the memories of the past few days.

He smiled to himself.
He had a good life…

He closed his eyes and beckoned the pretty lady to come get him. He was ready, so ready that he had even came to find her instead of letting her take him away unwillingly.

But nothing happened.

Sanji opened his eyes, and readied himself to swim up. She wasn't here, she wasn't coming for him and he could still live, he could get away.
He didn't know if he wanted to now…not after confessing to that shitty Marimo like that. How would Zoro react to him now? Would he be disgusted? No, he wouldn't, not when Zoro liked Luffy. But now Zoro knew Sanji's feelings, he was sure the bastard would stay clear of him.

He mentally sighed, motioning to swim to the surface but then in the corner of his eye, he saw her. She was standing at the bottom of the sea; staring up at him with a sad pleading look. It ached his heart to see a woman like that.

If this was him who had no memories, then he would have ignored her, and he would have swam back up with no hesitation but this wasn't. This was Sanji, a man among men, a man who loved the ladies, and to see a lady with a face like that staring right at him meant he couldn't leave her.

He swam down towards her, watching as her right arm lifted, pointing at something before she vanished; a smile gracing her lips. Sanji was taken a back, but it was too late to turn back now. He swam to what she had pointed at, what was it?

It was something that shouldn't be in the ocean tangled in the sea weeds and rocks. It looked tattered and old, something that once was new and beautiful, a dress for a woman. He grabbed at the fabric, his eyes widening at what he was staring at now.

They were body remains. Her body remains.

For all these years, she had rested here wanting to be found? Is that why she saved Sanji? Because she knew the pain of being lost in a cold and dark place, but that didn't explain about all the other people she had supposedly "saved".

He could find out later, for now, he'd take her remains with him. He couldn't leave a lady here. He noticed a small golden necklace as well, slightly covered over by the sand. He brushed it away, grabbing at the small object and tucking it safely into his trousers pocket before kicking off and swimming to the surface of the waters that had finally calmed.

Zoro stared down from the ship and into the sea, he looked so lost and so defeated, to the point that he didn't know what he could do.
How could the cook do such a thing? How could he confess to him, so boldy and bravely but then jump into the ocean as if he was running away and beckoning death so easily?
Had that been his regret completed even though he had promised that he would create new memories instead of getting his previous ones back?

It had obviously been a trick, Sanji had said it just to please the swordsman and Zoro had to admit he felt ashamed. He had honestly thought that the cook had been sincere.

If only he had been strong enough to save Sanji, to protect him from himself. If only he hadn't been blinded by jealously then he would have noticed the blonde's feelings. Why didn't he notice?

He wanted to jump into the waters, to defeat that ghost and save Sanji just so he could kill him for being so stupid and then bring him back to life again so he could kiss him senseless and exclaim to the whole entire government of the world who the hell he was in love with, but he couldn't bring his body to do what his mind wanted to do; to jump in and save him.

Zoro slowly looked around at the rest of the crew who looked just as hopeless and helpless as he felt. They were obviously shocked, it had happened so fast and no one was able to process the quick turn of events.
Their faces slowly contorting to that of sadness, anger and betrayal. Zoro frowned himself, looking longing into the water as he gripped at the railing. He still couldn't bring himself to dive in no matter how much he wanted to, something just told him not to.

A small clutter of things sounded behind them all, causing them to whip their heads around to see Sanji straightening himself up from having placed something down gently to the deck of the ship. They ignored the object and stared right at the soaking wet cook.

"Sanji?" Nami whispered staring right at the blonde.

Sanji looked at her, ignoring how soaked his hair and clothes were. He smiled, the wet cigarette between his lips dangling. He'd have to toss it now, it was no longer useable.
She ran at Sanji, hugging him and hitting him at the same time. "Are you stupid?!" Nami yelled at him, tears in her eyes. "You scared the hell out of me with such a dramatic act!"

"I'm sorry Nami-Swan…" Sanji whispered quietly hugging her back as she cried slightly. He suddenly felt guilty that he had been so willing to die moments ago.
"You should be! I'll charge you for doing that!" Nami yelled once more.

"You just called Nami-bro, 'Nami-swan'…" Franky mumbled, looking straight at the blonde as well, voicing the thoughts of everyone on the ship. The Sanji they had slowly grown accustomed to for the past few days had dropped the suffixes.
As much as Sanji wanted to keep hugging Nami, he released her. Nodding his head, he was preparing himself to crouch down to the remains on the deck that he had covered up in the old clothes that were with them and explain to them what he had found.

"I may have my memories back…" Sanji answered, allowing the rest of them to link together what had just happened.
Luffy was the fastest.

"So you were prepared to die!?" Luffy shouted, he could feel the anger burning in him. His own Nakama hadn't relied on them, on him. What if that had gone the wrong way, he would have been dead, Luffy could have defeated that ghost and saved him!

Sanji nodded. "I was." He could tell Luffy was angry at him for not trusting in him and his ability to protect his Nakama, but Sanji had done it on the spur of the moment with irrational thoughts.
"I'm sorry."

"Damn right you should be sorry you stupid curly asshole!" Zoro yelled, all thoughts finally connecting in his mind, cutting off anything the rest of the crew wanted to say. He stomped up to the blonde, his eyes angry as he glared at him.

Sanji glared back.
"Shut it Marimo! Are you starting a fight!?" He yelled back, he had just apologised to everyone and yet the Marimo had to be bloody arrogant idiot.

Zoro could have said anything, he wanted to say everything on his mind but he stuck to what he does best. He used actions instead of words.
He reached his hand to the nape of Sanji's neck, pulling him towards him, allowing their lips to connect.

It was gentle, as if he was treating Sanji like he was fragile, like he would break in an instant, and as he gently moved his lips against Sanji's, he waited for a response and when he did, he deepened the kiss, his other hand resting on Sanji's lower back; pulling him closer to him.

The kiss was then no longer a gentle, tentative kiss. It became hungry full of love and lust, of missing him, and needing him. Zoro could taste the spices and the salt of the water on his lips, and he was loving it to the point he knew it would be an addiction.

Sanji was flabbergasted. Zoro had dared to insult him with angry eyes and then kiss him in front of everyone. Even Luffy who he swore Zoro liked?
What did this mean? Did Zoro like him?
Thoughts continued to fill his mind but then, it didn't matter…he let himself kiss him back with everything he had, every desire had for the swordsman until Zoro pulled away, his lips inching away from Sanji's as he looked straight into the blonde's eyes.

"Don't confess and run…" Zoro whispered, his breath tickling Sanji's face.
"…without hearing my reply…"

Green eyes stared hard into blue eyes, searching them, seeing the emotions flicker through them. He enjoyed Sanji's attention being fully on him. They had both forgotten about the audience once more.
"I love you too."

Sanji felt like his heart had burst from so much happiness. He couldn't believe his ears, Zoro was confessing to him, but Luffy? Well, shit, that would be a question for later, for now…he'd wanted this moment. It was a moment he thought he would never have nor be apart of, those words meant everything to him.

He smiled at Zoro who swore the blonde wanted to cry from happiness.
"I love you too, shit face." Sanji chuckling as Zoro frowned, registering the response.
"Stupid Curly Brows"
"Shitty Marimo."

He stared at Sanji, their insults dying and then, finally, finally, he kissed him once more.
Grinning into the kiss as he felt the blonde grin too.