A/N: A couple of things before we begin the second chapter if you may. First, this is my first fanfic in this fandom, so please excuse me if there are any OOC moments. I love reviews and I'm pretty good at taking criticism, even when strict. Just don't be rude, please. Second, this is an animal AU, where there are humans, hybrids, and animals. Both Zoro and Sanji are hybrids, and later on, when the rating changes to mature, there will be sexual content. I don't think that counts as bestiality, since both Zoro and Sanji are human and only have animal tails and ears. But I will mention it, just in case you don't want to read. There is a couple of other notes at the end, but I don't want to spoil anything. They're just extra notes on this universe, so you may skip them if you want. Again, thanks for reading and please review!
The first time Zoro sees him, he's seven.
It's Perona's birthday, and even though she doesn't know how old she is (she's three, but no matter how much Zoro tells her, she never remembers), she knows that today she can do whatever she wants and their father won't get mad (he does, but he's really good at not showing it).
Zoro is a little upset because he's Dad got him out of his swords class (his Dad insists that's not what it's called, but Zoro doesn't care) to take him and his little sister to some fancy-smanchy restaurant. He's definitely not pouting, and he's definitely not being childish by giving his father the silent treatment.
"Zoro, today is a special day for your little sister," Mihawk says, giving him one of those looks that make Zoro feel like a little kid—and he's not! "Don't tell me you don't want to spend the day with her?"
"No, I want to go back to Kuina!" Zoro snaps, forgetting about his no-talking rule. "And Perona painted my kendo sticks pink! Kuina laughed!"
"Pink is pretty," Perona says, then giggles. Her opinion on the color pink is further proven by the blank teddy bear drawing she's coloring with said color.
"The color of your weapons doesn't matter," Mihawk says dismissively. "And once you're able to defeat Kuina, you'll have the privilege to laugh. Now, smile and be content."
Zoro rolls his eyes. As if he can just choose his feelings on command. His plight is forgotten as his attention is grabbed by a blond man walking towards them. The man is human (Zoro used to get scared by humans, since he found it creepy how they didn't have tails or ears, but Kuina doesn't have a tail or ears and she hit Zoro when he said she was creepy), but what interests Zoro is his braided mustache and peg leg.
Perona is more interested in the large pink and brown cake the man sets in front of them. "For the birthday girl," the man says with a gruff voice, but his eyes are kind when he looks at Perona. "How old are you?"
"Thwee!"
"Thank you," Mihawk tells the blonde man. "I have heard many wonders about your food."
"It's just food," the blonde man says, shrugging. "Enjoy."
Zoro follows the man with his gaze, and his eyebrows raise in surprise when he sees a small kid (not much smaller than Zoro) open the large double doors the man is walking to. Zoro's mouth falls open when he sees that the boy has gold for hair and the sky for eyes. His ears are large, larger than Zoro's and pulled back. The blonde man kneels in front of the boy—Zoro has never seen ears like his—and murmurs something. The boy nods and hold his arms out for the man to pick him up. The blonde man does and carries the golden boy through the double doors.
"Zoro, aren't you going to eat?" Mihawk asks though his eyes are on his daughter and the terrible mess she has made with her piece of cake. That stain is not going to come out easily.
"Dad, gold is expensive, right?" Zoro asks his father thoughtfully, picking at his own cake. Yuck, it's sweet.
Mihawk looks at him, surprised. "It has value. People enjoy it because of its beauty. Though there are things far more precious."
"And can people steal the sky?"
Mihawk's surprise rises. "No, Zoro. People cannot steal the sky."
Zoro frowns. He doesn't want the boy with the gold hair to get in trouble, so he decides not to tell his father about the boy who hides the sky in his eyes.
The second time Zoro sees him, he's thirteen, and back at the Baratie. It's Kuina's birthday and even though Zoro is still a little upset and nursing a bruised rib from their last fight, he's happy he was invited to spend the day with his sensei and rival.
"Are you sure the food here is good?" Kuina asks him worriedly, looking around the fancy place. "It all looks weird."
"It has the best food ever," Zoro says firmly. "My Dad always buys carry-out from here, because he knows it's my favorite. And Perona loves the chocolate cake here."
"Ah, speaking of cake…"
Zoro glances at his sensei, and when he notices that his gaze is fixed on something behind him, he turns and gasps.
It's that boy. The same one with the gold hair and sky-blue eyes. His ears are a shade darker now, but they're still very pretty. They're perked up, not like before, and his tail is so soft and gleaming—Zoro's tail never gleams.
The boy is looking down at the cake, but he looks up when he feels eyes on him. Zoro gasps again: the boy's eyes are darker now, more like the ocean than the sky. The boy seems to realize that they're looking at him because he hurries to them and sets the cake in the middle of the table.
"Happy birthday, Kuina," the boy says and Zoro glares at Kuina. She knows him? Why didn't she tell him?
"Thank you!" Kuina tells the boy, then turns to Koshiro. "Dad, you didn't have to do this."
"Of course I did. It's your fifteen birthday, sweetheart," Koshiro says, smiling.
Zoro tries to meet the boy's eyes—well, eye, since the other one is hidden behind his hair—but the boy is only looking at Kuina. What's so important about her anyway? Maybe the boy has never seen a human—no, that blonde man from before was human. Does he like Kuina? But Kuina is so annoying! Why would anyone like her, especially this boy?
"Is there anything else you will need, sir?" the boy asks, still not looking at Zoro.
"Not at the moment," Koshiro says, smiling. "Thank you."
The boy nods and leaves, and he still won't look at Zoro! Zoro follows the boy with his gaze, his eyes lingering on the honeyed tail. It's so pretty.
"Ooh, Zoro has a crush!" Kuina squeals suddenly, and Zoro turns to look at her so fast his neck pops.
"I do not!" he exclaims hotly, feeling his cheeks turn red. "Shut up! You like Adam from the postal office!"
"What? Who told—I mean, I don't—who would like—shut up!"
"Alright, that's enough," Koshiro interferes softly. "Let's just all eat cake."
Zoro mutters something unintelligible and winces when Kuina kicks his leg under the table. He glares at her, but she's pretending to be enthralled by the cake.
"They were kissing behind the dumpster."
"Zoro!"
Zoro grins. It might cost him a couple more bruises, but it's worth getting his rival flustered. Besides, she's a liar. Zoro does not like that boy.
The third time Zoro sees him, it's only for a couple of minutes. It's raining hard, and he's cold, but he doesn't care. The cold makes him feel dumb, and the rain hides his tears. He knows his father is looking for him; hell, everyone is looking for him. But Zoro only wants to be alone. He doesn't want to hear another apology, another I'm sorry for your loss.
He doesn't want to be reminded of what he has lost.
His eyes immediately see the blonde boy, and he moves before he thinks. He doesn't know what he's going to say, or even why he's here. He just knows he wants to talk to him, to see those blue eyes. Will they look a different shade of blue again?
The boy stops in front of a table full of girls, and Zoro stops as well. He doesn't want an audience for when he—he what? What is he going to do? Kuina would know what to do.
One of the girls says something, and she reaches up to touch the boy's ears. Zoro growls and his tail stiffens. The boy blushes red, and he touches the other ear and says something. Whatever it is, it makes the girl laugh.
He has to separate them. That girl is too close. She's touching him too much. Zoro has to separate them. But before he can move, the boy leans down and kisses the girl in the cheek, murmuring something in hear ear before he straightens up and walks away.
Zoro is out of the restaurant and back in the rain in a matter of seconds.
You lost again, Zoro. Always so weak.
He's sixteen and very, very annoyed. His clothes feel itchy, and his nose is clogged with the scents all around the air. Everything sounds so fucking loud, and it's so fucking hot. Why does Luffy want to play basketball anyway? And with Law and Kid? Those two assholes always think they're so much better because they're older. Whatever, Kid is only three years older than him, and Law is the fucking loser hanging out with high school kids when he's already in college.
Still, usually, Zoro has a better control on his temper. It's one of the very first things his father taught him. We are powerful creatures Zoro, so we must not let our emotions control us. To do so, is to give in to the animal within us. Remember, we are human before we are beast.
He scratches at his ear trying to get rid of the annoying buzz he hears. God fucking damn it, why is it so fucking hot?!
"You don't have enough players, so you can't play," Kid growls at him, and Zoro rolls his eyes.
"Just say you're scared of playing against us," Zoro snarls. "Luffy and I are enough to beat your stupid team."
"Hey! Look out—."
Too late. Zoro hears the voice, but his heat-addled brain does not respond in time. He hears the sound of air being cut, and then something hard hits him in the back of the head. Instantly, he turns around snarling, looking for the idiot who would dare throw anything at him.
His eyes fall on familiar blonde hair and that one stupidly gorgeous eye. Immediately, the heat rises and Zoro feels his temper break.
"What the fuck is your problem?!" he shouts at the blonde, barely controlling the urge to jump on top of him and take a bite. He grabs the basketball and throws it back at the blonde. "Hey, are you fucking deaf?" he continues when the blonde doesn't say anything. Fuck, the heat is unbearable.
The blonde jumps, almost as if startled, and Zoro's anger increases when he sees the other creature—a fox, he now knows, he's a fox—take a stance of aggression. "It was a shitty accident, marimo! Your head is just too fucking big to avoid," the fox snarls.
Zoro sees red. "What the hell did you just call me?" he growls, stalking forward. He can tell he's being too aggressive, can smell the fear of the others. But that stupid fox is still challenging him, and Zoro has the strangest, almost over-powering need to see the fox bare his throat for him. "Who the fuck even are you, curly?"
The fox growls, but Zoro can see when his instincts take over. His ears lay back flat on his head, his tail softens and lowers—but the fox doesn't look away. Why won't he fucking submit?
Zoro grabs the other by the shirt, and he can feel his claws rip the shirt like butter. The fox is docile, but he's still not baring his throat. Zoro smirks—he's gonna enjoy mounting this fox.
Before he can make sense of the thought that just has crossed his mind, the fox moves. Zoro doesn't expect to be kicked in the chest, least of all with the strength to send him flat on his back a couple of feet away. He's stunned, and before he can get back on his feet, the fox turns and walks away.
Zoro feels a roar in his lungs getting ready to escape his mouth and force the fox on his knees, ready to be taken, ready and pliant for Zoro to—shit, what am I thinking.
"Zoro?" It's Luffy, his voice confused.
"You need to call his father. Now!" Law yells.
"What's wrong with him?" This one is Usopp, and for once, Zoro doesn't mock the fear in his voice. Zoro is afraid too. What is wrong with me?
"He's going into rut," Law explains. "He sensed another predator in his territory, and it made him lose control. Kid, please step away, you might send him into another episode. Luffy, get his father here now. If he loses control again, none of us will be able to stop him."
Zoro may not like Law, yet he knows better than to doubt his medical expertise. But what he's saying doesn't make sense. Zoro didn't want to attack the blonde because he was a predator—he wanted to get him on his knees and—don't think about it.
His rut lasts seven days. His father locks him in the dungeon—though it's only a dungeon by name. In all actuality, it's a bedroom, with a comfortable king-sized bed and sound-proof walls. Perona is not allowed to come anywhere near him. She might be his sister, and with time Zoro will learn how to discern her sent, but now she just smells like prey.
On the eight day, Zoro visits his father in his office. It's late at night, and Zoro is only wearing a pair of loose sweatpants that don't chafe his sensitive dick. Who would've thought there was such a thing as jerking off too much?
"Zoro, what are you doing awake?" his father asks him once Zoro makes his way inside the poorly-lit room. "You need to rest."
"Father…I thought tigers didn't go into rut," Zoro says, glaring at the man who gave him false information.
His father sighs. "You're still calling me father…you were much cuter when you called me Daddy."
Zoro rolls his eyes. "Yeah, well, too bad. I'm not five anymore. And answer the question."
"Sit down," Mihawk says, nodding to the comfortable chair in front of his desk. He winces in sympathy when Zoro obeys, spreading his legs wide so that his legs won't press against his sensitive member. "I guess I should explain myself a little more, huh? I just don't want to think about you doing such acts…you're far too young."
"I'm sixteen, Father."
Mihawk sighs. "Fine. Normally, we don't go into rut. We are capable of it, of course, but it is triggered by our mate's. We don't have a mating season, like most other creatures do."
"But I went into rut," Zoro frowns. "And I don't have a mate. And besides, neither Vivi, Law, nor Chopper were in heat."
"They don't have to be in heat for your first time," Mihawk explains. "If you are mated, you will have your first rut as soon as your body becomes ready for it just to make sure you're able to. It's a way for nature to make sure that all of the parts work, if you may."
Zoro makes a face at the crude wording. He does not want to talk about his dick with his father or how well it works. "But I'm not mated."
Mihawk stares at him, and Zoro begins to feel uncomfortable. He doesn't know if there will come a day when he's not intimidated by his father's eyes. Probably when he defeats him and takes the title of World's Best Swordsman from him, but that is still far away.
"Zoro…it is impossible for you to go into rut without being mated. Somehow, someway, you have decided that one of your companions is worthy to be your mate. That fox probably got to close to them, and it triggered your protective nature. That is why you wanted to fight him."
Zoro frowns. He can't have a mate. He's sixteen for god's sake. And besides, the only possible mate candidates are Vivi, Chopper, and Law. They were the only prey present. Maybe Nami could be his mate, too, since her Somali breed is flexible and the closest to Zoro's own species. He shudders at the thought of mating with Nami.
Ew.
"Did you feel any type of possessive feelings towards any of your friends? Do you gravitate towards one of them more than the other? Did you feel the need to mate any of them?"
"No, I fucking didn't think about fucking any of them!" Zoro yells, angry. Except—there were those thoughts. But foxes aren't prey. They might not be as strong as Zoro's own species, but they are still predators. So why did Zoro spent his week-long rut imagining a pale body underneath his? Why did he want the fox to submit, to get on his knees and bare his throat?
"Father…I think there's something wrong with me," Zoro whispers, staring down at his hands. Hands that he had imagined to be slender as he gripped himself during his rut-induced delusions. "The f-fox…I had those thoughts, for the fox."
Mihawk stares at his son, face impassive. A fox? He did not expect that. "Zoro, there is nothing wrong with you."
"But he's a fox!" Zoro yells, jumping to his feet. "A predator! I can't mate with a fucking predator!"
"Zoro."
His name is uttered with the same tone of voice his father always uses, but Zoro can feel the undercurrent of danger—a threat that still forces him to lower his eyes in submission, even after all these years. "Father." Speaking when his father has commanded submission is the only way he has to challenge him. It's little, but it is still more than most can manage in the presence of Mihawk Dracule.
"There is nothing wrong with you," his father repeats. "It is true: mating between predators is unusual, but not unheard of. Do not forget, my son, that you are still human. And humans have no notion of predator and prey, least of all in their mating habits. This is your mate Zoro, and you haven't made the greatest of impressions. I suggest you start the courting process, if you still want a chance."
Zoro stares at his father, mouth agape. Court a predator? Court the fox? Is he crazy? Zoro can't be mated to a fox!
But he's strong. He kicked you off of him, something no one else could've done. And he is beautiful. You went to him, when Kuina died. You thought of him during your rut.
"Go back to bed, son. You still need your rest."
"Yes, Father."
You want him.
Zoro spends more time than he would care to admit thinking of how to approach the fox again. His chance comes when Usopp—insisting that Zoro apologize to his friend, Sanji—drags him to the Baratie. Apparently, Sanji is the adopted son of the chef with the braided mustache, who also happens to be the owner of the restaurant.
Zoro sits between Chopper and Vivi, hoping their calming scents will help him ground himself, but it is to not avail. He sees the blonde fox exit the kitchen, take one look at him, and go back inside. They spend two hours in that restaurant, and no matter how many times Usopp asks the other waiters for Sanji, the fox never comes back out.
People say that he has a bad sense of direction, but Zoro knows that the buildings move. It's just that he has never caught them in the act. It's not his fault at all. And besides, most of the time, his nose leads him on the right track.
And this time, it has led him on the perfect track. He's in Usopp's building, he can smell Nami's citrus scent, partnered with Chopper's slightly sweeter one. There's Luffy, who smells like meat, but not in the good way, and Usopp, who smells like fear and gunpowder. He can also smell Vivi, her woodsy scent the most appetizing out of all of them.
At least, until the new scent hits him. The smell of nicotine and spice, with the slight hint of seafood. It makes his mouth water and his brain stutter, but most of all, it soothes his senses. He follows it to a closed door, and when he knocks and no one answers, he sits down in front of it and takes the scent in.
He loses track of time, but his mind slowly settles as the smell of gunpowder interrupts the first scent. Such a pity. He opens one eye and fixes it on Usopp.
"What are you doing, Zoro?" his friend asks.
"Huh? Didn't you say to come to your house? Where the hell where you, long nose?" he snaps, knowing full well that this isn't Usopp's house. He can smell his scent from somewhere down below, but not in the apartment behind the closed door.
"Home! Which is on the fourth floor. This is fifth! Let's go!"
Zoro rolls his eyes but follows the long nose. That wonderful scent assaults his senses as he gets closer to the elevator, and from his peripheral vision, he catches something gold.
He's hiding.
Zoro swallows and lets the elevator doors close behind him.
"You know, that was Sanji's apartment."
Zoro doesn't look at Usopp. "I know."
For some reason Zoro doesn't understand, he wants to spend all of his time at Usopp's place. The others don't mind, since Usopp is the only one with a DVD Player, but it bothers Zoro. Usually, he doesn't like spending too much time in this apartment complex. The more time he spends here, the more likely he'll meet the fox again.
His mate. His mate…who is afraid of him.
"You know, if you just apologize, I'm sure he'll give you a chance," Nami says, throwing him a piece of jerky.
Zoro leans back a little to be able to catch hit with his mouth, and glares at her. "I'm sure he's eager to forgive the guy who molested him in public then kept him out of his apartment for hours because I was too busy smelling his door!"
Vivi giggles, but tries to hide it when Zoro glares at her. "Sorry, Zoro. I just can't believe you actually spent two hours outside of his apartment, sniffing."
"You know, I've been doing a little bit of research about this," Chopper says, looking up at Zoro. Zoro looks down, his nose almost touching Chopper's, since the boy is sitting on his lap. He's the only one allowed to treat Zoro like a pillow, mostly because Zoro can't say no to such an adorable face.
"About what?" Zoro asks, curiously glancing at the textbook on Chopper's lap. Gibberish.
"Well, about you mating another predator," Chopper explains. "Considering the fact that your species is almost extinct, it would make sense for you to pick a female prey, since they're the ones with the highest chance of getting pregnant with your children. Something strong, like a deer or gazelle, would work the best. Even another feline, despite being predators, would've worked. But since you are human, you take other accounts when looking for a mate, such as compatibility."
"So Zoro and Sanji are compatible?" Usopp wonders, giving up the fight against Luffy for the last slice of pizza. "But how could Zoro know that? They have never even talked!"
"It's love at first sight!" Nami exclaims, bursting into laughter when Zoro glares at her. "Aw, Zoro, don't be like that. We all had to spend years listening to you sigh about the gold-haired boy that worked at the Baratie."
"Yeah, man. It's the only reason why I started talking to him," Usopp adds, smirking. "You pick them well, Zoro. Sanji's hot."
Zoro snarls, and Usopp falls out of his chair in fear. "Keep your eyes to yourself, long nose."
"I think it's more than that," Chopper cuts in, patting Zoro's arm absentmindedly. It works, and Zoro is able to calm down. "It's true that Zoro, as a tiger, is bound to be conceited and temperamental. But if you look at his father, his personality is totally different from Zoro's. If Zoro had been born a human, he would still be stubborn, arrogant, aggressive, blunt—."
"Wow, Chopper, tell me how you really feel," Zoro mutters.
"Shishishi, that's totally Zoro!" Luffy laughs. "And stupid!"
"Oi, I don't want to hear that from you, asshole!"
"The point is," Chopper interrupts before the argument can escalate. "Zoro would not have been happy with a prey hybrid. They would be too submissive for his liking. A predator, however—."
"Would be a challenge," Nami cuts in, grinning.
Zoro frowns. It's true that he doesn't like weak-minded people. Even Usopp, behind his cowardice, hides a backbone. It is a very small backbone, but it's still there. But the way Chopper and Nami speak…it makes it sound like Zoro is looking forward to forcing Sanji to—no, it's better not to think about it.
But that's not the point. It might sound strange, considering the fact that Zoro has only spoken to the blonde once, but he likes Sanji. He likes his scent, the color of his eyes, his smoky voice—he even likes the pretty amazing way he kicked Zoro, because those legs carry power and just thinking about them, wrapped around Zoro, makes him feel things that—that are better left alone, especially with Chopper sitting on his lap.
Maybe Nami is right; he should just clear any misunderstandings between himself and Sanji. They could start off as friends, and hopefully, later, it can become something more.
He already knows where Sanji lives, but he doesn't want to knock on his door—he doesn't want to admit that he knew Sanji was hiding from him all those months ago. That's why, when he catches sight of Sanji entering the elevators in Usopp's apartment, Zoro rushes forward before the doors can close.
Instantly, his senses flat-line as the smell of nicotine and spices flood his nose. He stares at Sanji, but the fox isn't meeting his eyes. In fact, his whole body is angled away from Zoro. His tail is tucked between his legs, his ears lay flat, and his mouth is pull down—it's not submission, is fear.
Sanji is in rut.
Zoro almost chokes on air, but he can't breathe. He holds his breath, trying to clear his mind off the seriously amazing scent. His nails dig into the palm of his hands, and he can feel them break skin as his body yells at him to take Sanji. It doesn't matter if they're in a fucking elevator, he just wants to push the fox to his knees, pull his pants down, and enter him. He closes his eyes, and he can almost see it: Sanji would beg for more, he would spread his legs wide for Zoro and show his neck. His body would welcome the tiger's, and he would let Zoro mark his pale skin, crying out for more—shit, he can almost feel it.
Sanji is so close, Zoro just has to reach out—it's just a couple of feet, he can do it, he can take him. Sanji would welcome it; he stinks of need, of sweat and cum, of dissatisfaction.
Sanji's arms wrap around his bag tightly, and he turns away. Zoro is so close to touching him, but the elevator doors open, and just the barest whiff of clean air is enough for him to force his body to flee. He doesn't stop running, taking the stairs back downstairs. His whole body is screaming at him to go back to his mate, to satisfy his mate—why the fuck are you running when your mate is so ready for you?!
But he keeps running, because Sanji isn't ready. He's afraid.
He hasn't seen Sanji in a year. He makes sure to takes the stairs from now on—he never wants to be caught in a situation like last December's again. The others have stopped trying to figure out ways to get him back to Sanji. Zoro doesn't want to. He was never with Sanji in the first place.
Still, some part of him, maybe the animalistic part that his father insist Zoro control better, likes to be close to the fox. So he visits Usopp more than necessary. Like today—except today the long nose forgot to inform him that he and Kaya would be…uh, taking care of Kaya's heat.
Ugh, just thinking about it makes him shudder.
And the smell of Kaya in heat makes him feel things. It doesn't make him go into rut like Sanji's does—he doubts he will ever be able to find anything that makes him lose control as easily as Sanji does—but it does make heat pool in his belly.
He decides to head to the roof to clear his mind. The couch Luffy and Usopp brought up here a couple of years ago is still there, relatively clean thanks to Nami and Vivi's efforts. They're the ones who clean it regularly.
His eyes are closed and his body is lax in meditation when the scent of nicotine hits his nose. Slowly, he opens one eye and stares at Sanji. His heart stops as he takes in the desolate imagine: Sanji sitting on the ledge, his blue eyes stormy and wet as he looks down with an undiscernible expression on his face.
Zoro gets to his feet slowly, quietly, and takes a couple of steps forward before he speaks. "You're gonna fall, curly."
Sanji startles, and Zoro's heart touches his throat as he moves forward, his arm wrapping painfully tight around Sanji's bicep before the blonde can fall to his death.
"Didn't picture you for a jumper, curly," Zoro says, letting go of him once Sanji's feet are both on the ground. It costs him, but Sanji is trembling, and Zoro doesn't want to make him worse.
"I wasn't going to jump, dumbass," Sanji growls. He walks away from Zoro and takes a seat on the floor.
Slowly, making sure not to make any sudden movements, he takes his place back on the sofa and closes his eyes. His ears are perked, though, listening for the slightest noise. He wants to ask Sanji what's wrong, what made him come up here. He wants to touch Sanji, to make him stop shaking, to wipe away that look from his face that makes the blue of his eyes dark.
But he can't. So he settles for the next best thing and speaks.
"What's that?" he asks, scenting something delicious in the air. Not as delicious as Sanji, but good in a different way. He opens his eyes and locks on the plate behind the cook. Food?
Sanji looks up and follows Zoro's gaze before he smiles. He grabs the plate and holds it out for Zoro. "Steak. Wanna try it?"
Zoro stares at the plate, his eyes momentarily stopping on Sanji's hands. They are firm, unlike the rest of his body. He grabs the plate and takes a piece of it.
Holy shit, this thing is good. No, it's not good. It's the best fucking thing since sliced bread. He swallows a moan and takes another bite eagerly. Did Sanji cook this? It's so good. Oh god, if Zoro could eat like this every day.
Can Sanji get any more perfect?
"So how is it, marimo?" Sanji asks, his words bringing him back from Nirvana. "Best stake you've ever had in your life, am I right?"
Zoro freezes for a moment. What the hell is he doing? He can't—shit, he can't stay too long with Sanji. Especially since he came up here to try and get away from the odd sensations Kaya's heat made him feel. Already, Sanji's scent has made him drop his guard. He needs to stay away from Sanji, because no matter how much Zoro just wants to admit that the food in his mouth is heavenly, he can't be friends with Sanji.
He can't never only be friends with Sanji.
"Tastes like crap," Zoro says and forces himself to spit on the ground.
Zoro can see the hurt in Sanji's eyes. There is something, an inner turmoil of sorts, fighting inside Sanji and Zoro's words seem to feed it. He forces himself to keep staring Sanji in the eye, until the fox breaks.
"Drop dead," Sanji snarls, his voice full of hurt and sincerity, and Zoro's heart aches as he watches the fox walk away.
He waits until he can't hear the fox anymore and grabs the discarded plate. It really is the best thing he's ever tasted.
Usopp tells him Sanji quit the Baratie and left the States. Zoro pretends he doesn't care, but that night is the first time he gets drunk.
Luffy is there to pick up the pieces. He's the only one Zoro will allow next to him. It takes him a couple of weeks, but he gets past it. After all, Zoro Roronoa is not one for self-pitying, even at the loss of his mate. But despite his self-assurance that everything is fine, his friends know better.
Especially Luffy. Zoro knows his friend doesn't like it when Zoro goes down to the docks and participates in the rabid fights: underground, illegal fights when you fight other hybrids, pumped so full of steroids and drugs that they have lost their humanity.
It's the only thing that can keep him from spiraling out of control, though. He needs to fight, needs to train. He promised Kuina that he would become the greatest swordsman in the world, at that time not knowing that his own father holds the title. He had gone lax on that promise with Sanji on his mind, but now that the fox is gone, Zoro can concentrate again.
The first fight he loses is against his own father.
He doesn't know who is the one that told him about Zoro's nightly excursions, but when Zoro enters the ring and sees his father and Yoru, he doesn't run away.
He gains knew respect for his father that night. Because when they fight, it's not a battle of son versus father. They're just two swordsmen: one a master, the other a child that bit more than he could chew. Zoro has no chance of defeating his father, and when he receives the strike that cuts him in half, he can't help but smile. Is this the man that spent a day in the sewers looking for Perona's favorite teddy bear?
He survives the slash. His father didn't want to kill him, after all. Zoro makes sure to wear shirts at all times in front of his father from then on, hating the pain that flashes behind those yellow eyes when he's reminded of the wound he inflicted on his own son.
His friends—sans Luffy—think that's gonna be the end of it. Luffy and Zoro know better, and when they get involved with Crocodile and his gang, they know they're putting their lives at risk. Zoro doesn't complain when he gets kidnapped—he did not get lost going home, no matter what Luffy says—instead, he tries to cut off his feet, as those are the only things that were handcuffed to the wall. Luffy arrives just in time, and Zoro is glad he didn't get to cut off his feet, mostly because Chopper is pissed enough with what he did get to cut.
His father offers to train him when he turns nineteen, but only if he promises to go to college. Zoro knows he won't get an offer like this ever again, so he readily accepts. Nami helps him pick a course—kinesiology—and Chopper helps him study. With his father's offer as incentive, and Chopper backing him up, Zoro easily gets accepted.
College is not that bad, actually. His roommate is an asshole, but Zoro just ignores him. The man is also a coward, but he's not so stupid as to anger Zoro to the point of violence. It helps that his father's lessons focus deeply in meditation, something that he takes to rather easily ever since Koshiro taught it to him and Kuina.
His twentieth birthday comes with a wonderful present: another fight with his father. He loses, but when before it took two minutes for Mihawk to utterly destroy him, this fight takes thirty. Zoro loses an eye, but Mihawk gains a couple of scars himself.
His friends don't understand how it's possible for his father to harm him and Zoro not care, but that's okay. Because Zoro knows that when he fights, he's not facing his father. He's facing the greatest swordsman in the world, and that makes all the difference in the world.
The one good thing that comes out of his missing eye is that when he returns to school for the second semester, his roommate drops out in fear that he's living with a gangster. And because he only has four more months in the semester, his RA decides to let him live alone in the empty apartment. Zoro enjoys his freedom, and the quiet helps him train his new lack of depth perception.
During summer vacation, he gets a call letting him know that a new roommate was assigned to him, some transfer student from France. Zoro doesn't really care, but if the guy only speaks French, then that means he won't bother Zoro.
When he arrives, the apartment is empty and his new roommate has set up in the room his last roommate vacated. He can detect the barest hint of nicotine, and he groans when he thinks his roommate could be a smoker. He only hopes the other man's natural scent is stronger, because he doesn't want to be reminded of Sanji while living here. He dumps his duffel on the bed and leaves, going to Luffy and Usopp's place to play some video games. When he returns, it's dark but his roommate is still not back. Zoro stops by the other man's room, but the smell of cigarettes is stronger there. Zoro returns to his own room, turns his music on high, and jerks off to the thought of Sanji.
It's not the first time he has done so, and he doubts it will be the last.
When he wakes up, the smell of sizzling sausage catches his attention, and he stumbles out of bed towards the kitchen. If his new roommate is a cook, they're going to become friends.
He yawns and rubs at his heavy eyes, hoping the other man made coffee for him, too. If he did, they'll become great friends. He opens his eyes and his world stops as they land on an impossibly soft tail and ears the color of honey.
His new roommate turns around, a bright smile in place as he begins his greeting. "I made break—."
Sanji stops, staring at Zoro as if he has seen a ghost.
"Curly?"
"Shit."
A/N: Okay, so a couple of times I talk about prey and predator. In this AU, prey are submissive or 'the bottom' if you may. There is no mpreg in this fic, so you don't have to worry about that. Mating is mostly controlled by the animal side of a hybrid, and it's similar to finding your soulmate. Not everyone finds their mate, but that's okay. Most of the time, mating happens between prey and predator, and even though sexual relationships between people of the same sex are not frowned upon in this world, prey x prey or predator x predator relationships are. That's why Zoro is so worried. Basically, predator x predator relationships are equivalent to homosexual relationships in our society: there is nothing wrong with them, but some idiotic people still don't like them. I think that's all I have to explain...if you think of anything, please let me know and I'll be more than glad to answer!