Okay, so," Nami said as she held up one of the several books she'd brought over, "What have we learned so far?"
Zoro turned an exhausted eye towards her, his wolf ear twitching at the sound of her grating voice, "That you have some kind of vampire fetish?"
She whacked him hard over the head with the book, "Says the guy crushing on a vampire. Seriously though, have you even read any of these?"
He had started a few of the vampire romance novels she'd lent him, but they'd devolved into creepy stalking and ridiculously inaccurate vampire lore, and he got bored of them quickly.
Nami sighed at his silence, and flipped open the book, "The main take away from all of these is that vampires fall in love with people whose blood they find irresistible. Humans with blood so appealing they can't think about anything other than them," she glanced up at him, "We just need to get Sanji to crave your blood."
The main takeaway Zoro got - from what little he did read - was that vampires didn't fall in love, they became obsessed. Zoro didn't want Sanji to become obsessed with him. He didn't even know what he wanted from Sanji, but whatever it was he wanted them to be equals, not the twisted kind of prey/predator thing that was in Nami's books.
Besides, Nami's plan was doomed to fail anyway because, "He doesn't want my blood. He hates my blood and thinks it's disgusting."
Nami waved his valid point away, "How can he know it's disgusting if he's never tasted it?"
"He doesn't have to," he rolled his eye, his ears and tail twitching in irritation, "He's been doing this long enough that he can tell what he likes and what he doesn't by smell alone."
"Sometimes things taste different than they smell," she said with an air of self assuredness that he didn't think she was entitled to.
But before he could protest further, Sanji came out of his room, dressed in the black button up shirt and matching slacks that he usually wore when he went hunting.
"Oh, Nami," he stopped when he spotted her and smiled, crossing his arms behind his back, "I didn't realize you were coming over today."
"Just going over some financials with Zoro," she said as she casually slipped the vampire book behind her.
Zoro watched Sanji carefully. With the humans coming in and out all the time, he'd been feeding more frequently, so he wasn't particularly worried about Nami's safety, but he was wary this close to a hunt. Still, while Sanji would usually be tripping all over the place to serve and tend to her every need, tonight he was holding himself back and away, a precaution, just in case.
He sighed and relaxed. Sanji knew what he needed to do to take care of everyone. Zoro was worrying over nothing.
"Hey, Sanji," Nami leaned forward, elbows on her knees, a flirtatious smile on her lips, "Just curious, out of all of us, whose blood do you think would taste the best?"
"Uh," He shifted uncomfortably, eyes darting to the open balcony, then back to her, "What do you mean?"
"Oh, you know, if you had to drink someone's blood, between all of us, whose would you pick first?" She gestured at him, "Zoro, me, Usopp, Luffy-?"
"Luffy," Sanji answered without hesitation.
Nami looked taken aback, and Zoro couldn't help but smirk, "O-oh, well, how can you tell if you've never-?"
"His diet is mostly meat," he explained, "and he likes red meat the best. His blood is rich in iron."
"And, that makes it," she frowned and waved her hand in a vague gesture, stumbling to find the right words and coming up with, "taste good?"
"Yes," he nodded, "It makes it delicious. The more iron the better." His eyes widened and he backtracked, "Not that I ever would, I mean-"
"No, yeah, of course," she was quick to assure him, "This is all hypothetical."
"Right," he nodded again and forced a smile, "Hypothetical."
"So," Zoro said, still smirking at Nami, who turned to glare at him, "Hypothetically, who's next on the delicious blood ranking?"
"Robin," he said, making Nami balk.
"Really?" She squawked, "Robin? Over," her eyes darted to Zoro, then away again, "the rest of us?"
"Well," he ran a thumb across his bottom lip as he thought it over, "She has less sodium in her diet than the rest of you, is all. Oh, but don't worry," he gave her a reassuring smile, "You're definitely next, my dear. You pay attention to your diet, so I'm sure your blood is bursting with unique and wonderful flavors."
"I," she blushed, unsure of how to handle the misinterpretation of her outburst, "Thanks?"
"Of course," he bit his lip as he mulled over his next words, "Then, probably Franky. The medication would make his blood taste odd, but I could work with it."
Nami and Zoro stared at him. They'd known Franky for a few weeks now, but he'd never mentioned needing regular medication.
"What," Nami cleared her throat, and asked, "What medication?"
"The calcineurin inhibitors he takes," he said, like it was obvious, "for his organ transplant."
"What organ transplant?"
"I don't know what organ transplant," he shrugged, "I never asked. It's rude to just ask someone about something personal like that out of the blue."
"Then," Zoro asked, "How the hell do you know about it?"
"Because of the calcineurin inhibitors," he scoffed, "Obviously. I can smell them on him."
"I see," his gaze shifted to Nami, who fidgeted, "You can just smell them on him, and know how his blood would taste."
"Of course," he rolled his eyes, "I've been at this a while, you know. I know what I like."
Nami cleared her throat, ducking her head to hide her embarrassed flush, but Zoro caught it anyway, "So, after Franky would be…?"
"Usopp, of course," he said with a nod, "The amount of cortisol from his anxiety adds a bit too much flavor to really work with, but it's not inedible, and Brook doesn't even have blood, so," he shrugged.
"But," she placed a hand on Zoro's shoulder, "What about Zoro? Where's he in the pecking order?"
Sanji scoffed, "He's not in it. His blood is tainted with shitty dog blood, and that's worse than any medication or hormone or poor diet choice. Hell I'd take Brook's lack of blood over Zoro's actual blood if given the choice."
"But, you're a world class vampire chef," she insisted, throwing a bit of that sweetness into her voice that Sanji usually couldn't resist, "Surely there's something you can do to make it taste good?"
"It would be like making a milkshake with rotten milk, spoiled ingredients from the start," he chuckled, "I'm good, yes, but I'm not a miracle worker."
"I," she said, doing her best to ignore Zoro's shit eating grin, "I see."
"Yes, well," he shifted again and nodded nervously towards the balcony, "If your curiosity is sated, I do need to, go."
He stepped out on the balcony as Nami shouted, "Be careful out there. There's been some asshole running around stabbing people at random. Unless you've just been getting sloppy?" She grinned, a teasing lilt to her voice.
Sanji chuckled as he stepped up onto the railing, "I don't need knives, my dear. And I'm never sloppy."
He gave them a quick look over his shoulder and a, "Don't wait up," before stepping off and disappearing into the night.
When he was gone, Zoro couldn't help but let out a cackle, "Told ya."
Nami shoved him hard, and he rolled with it, falling onto the couch as he kept laughing, "Oh shut up. This is your love life we're talking about here, you know! I'm not doing this for me!"
"It was a dumb idea from the start," he said as he got himself under control and sat up, "and I don't need a plan anyway. I'm fine."
"Yeah, sure," she rolled her eyes, "You don't even know how hopelessly gone over him you are, do you?"
"I'm not hopelessly gone over him," he growled and returned the eye roll with one of his own, "I just have a little crush."
"Oh really?" She smirked, "Then, why hasn't your tail stopped wagging since Sanji appeared?"
Zoro's eye widened as glanced behind him, and sure enough his traitorous bastard of a tail was wagging like there was no tomorrow.
"It's just a twitch, a reflex," he claimed with a blush, "It doesn't mean anything."
"Yeah, a reflex to seeing something you like," she said, "You do the same thing when anyone pours you a drink."
"I do not," he tried to deny, but knew it was true.
"Aw, don't worry, puppy," she reached out to scratch his ear, but he growled instinctively and she pulled away.
"Don't touch," he warned her, and she pouted.
"You let Sanji touch all the time," her pout morphed back into a grin, "Because you like him so much."
He growled again, but she didn't back down. And maybe he did like it when Sanji scratched behind his ears just so, and pet his head, because he did like Sanji, a lot more than he was willing to admit. He just didn't want Nami to know how head over heels he was for the vampire, but he had a feeling that was already a lost cause.
He heard whining, and flushed when he realized it was coming from him.
"Don't worry," Nami flashed him an encouraging smile, "If he doesn't need your blood, we'll think of some other way."
"I don't want him to need me," he said, shaking his head as he thought about those vampire books again. He briefly imagined Sanji as one of the vampires in those, telling Zoro how much he needed him, how Zoro was so intoxicating and irresistible, how he couldn't live without him.
Zoro shuddered, "I don't want him dependent on me like some kind of addict."
"But," Nami insisted, "if he's addicted to you, that's good, right? What's wrong with him needing you?"
He shook his head, "That's not what I want from him."
"Well then," she nudged him with her elbow, "What do you want from him?"
He frowned, reaching up to scratch behind his ear in that spot that Sanji always seemed to find, and thought about it. Thought about Sanji draping himself around him as a wolf, about him cooking for him with that pleased smile on his face, about him yelling and fighting him and not shrinking away from his claws or his teeth.
He let his mind wander and wondered what it would be like if Sanji held his face, his human face, in those cold hands of his, and brought him forward slowly, and pressed their lips together gently. What it would be like to have Sanji hold him and kiss him and whisper sweet nothings in his ear and tell him he loved him. Not because he needed him or was obsessed with him, but because he wanted him.
And his heart ached.
"I just," he closed his eye and ran a hand down his face, "I want him to be here. I want him here and safe and with me. I want to love him as much as he'll let me, and if he loves me back…" He shook his head and opened his eye, "He doesn't have to, though. Just him being here, him letting me be here, is enough for me."
"I see," Nami's smile softened as she played with the edge of her book, "Behind the claws and the fur you're actually just a big softy, huh?"
Zoro growled, but she wasn't intimidated in the slightest, and started fidgeting, wondering if he said too much.
She sighed suddenly and started packing her bag, "Clearly I need to do more research."
"On," he blinked, almost afraid to ask, "On what?"
"Werewolf romance," she nodded as she stood up, "I'm sure there's plenty of werewolf romance novels out there for us to look into."
"Please don't," he begged her, but her mind was already set and she was out the door.
He sighed and collapsed face first into the couch with a groan. He caught a whiff of Sanji's scent on the cushions, making his tail wag again unprompted.
He really was acting like a lovesick puppy.
He closed his eyes, wondering if he could get a quick nap in before Sanji got back.
Usopp was heading home after a long night of studying. He was tired, head drooping, more focused on putting one foot in front of the other than anything else going on around him.
Which was why he was surprised when someone grabbed him bodily by the arm and yanked him into a nearby alley.
Usopp flailed about as he struggled, punching and kicking at his assailant as best he could as he tried to get away. When he felt a knife press up against his throat, he stopped his thrashing.
"Please, keep struggling," a cruel, harsh voice hissed in his ear, "It's so much fun when they struggle."
He started shaking. Of course, he'd heard about the serial stabbings that had been happening in this area. No deaths yet, but as each attack was more vicious than the last, practically everyone agreed it was only a matter of time.
So, maybe Usopp would be fine. Getting stabbed wouldn't hurt too much, right? Just once, maybe twice, and it'd be over?
Optimistic thinking, but he had to try.
The man tossed him hard against the wall and he let out a squawk of pain at the impact, eyeing the entrance to the alley and wondering if he could make a run for it. But his attacker was too quick, and before he knew it, he was up in his space again with the knife against his throat once more.
Usopp whimpered, breathing heavily as the knife caressed his throat, the blade moving across his skin and down his arm to his exposed hand, playing with his fingers as if deciding which to cut off first.
He was not going to get out of this fine.
The man hummed as he leaned in again, whispering right into his ear, "Oh, I'm going to enjoy watching you bleed. I won't be able to stop myself this time. I may just have to bleed you dry."
Fucking shit fuck he was going to die.
"Please," he begged, but even as he did he knew it was useless, his life flashed before his eyes. He hoped they found his body. He hoped his friends remembered him. He hoped-
Suddenly a large black and blond blur crashed into the man, latching onto him as he screamed and flailed wildly. Usopp ducked, but the knife didn't get anywhere near him as the man fell to the ground. Blood oozed out of a giant wound on his neck as Sanji loomed over him, blood covering his hands and his mouth, dripping down the front of his black shirt.
The vampire turned to face Usopp, his normally blue eyes bright red and piercing as they bored into him, his tongue darting out to lick at some of the blood around his mouth. Usopp backed up, hitting the wall again as he tried to get away from the monster closing in on him, urged on by some primal fear older than humanity.
"Are you alright," he said, the words coming out in a low growl. Usopp shook from head to toe, unable to speak, but managed the slightest of nods.
The man recovered somewhat, and stood up, his knife rising once more to point at Usopp.
"No," the vampire said in a tone that brooked no argument, only obedience, and the man froze, his eyes glazed over and unfocused, "Drop it."
He did so immediately. Usopp flinched when the knife hit the ground, but the man just stood there, neck bleeding and eyes empty, waiting for the creature's next command.
"Sit down," he said, but his eyes never left Usopp, "and be quiet."
The man did as he was told, and Usopp fell to the ground as well, his knees giving out on him.
The vampire was by his side in an instant, reaching out a bloody hand to help him. On instinct, Usopp bat his hand away and scurried back as far as he could.
The vampire's eyes went wide, and hurt flashed across his face, which surprised him. As if he wasn't just a powerless human, collapsed at his feet like a bug waiting to be crushed. As if this monster couldn't rip him apart, piece by piece, like it was nothing. As if Usopp was capable of hurting something like him.
The vampire clenched his hand into a fist, but backed away from him. He glanced down at the man, his prey, bleeding and obedient, just as he made him, "You should go."
Usopp gulped, but found he couldn't move, too frozen in fear to do anything but whimper.
"Go!" The monster barked at him, and Usopp found it in him to scramble up and away.
He risked one last glance back into the alley, and saw the vampire's mouth wide open, fangs fully extended as it closed in on its prey.
Usopp shuddered and ran, as far and as fast as his legs would take him.
He didn't stop running until he was back in his dorm room, door shut and triple locked. He collapsed to the floor and lay there for a moment, shaking and shivering all over, until he felt his stomach start to turn and retch. Reacting quickly, he lunged for the bathroom door, getting to the toilet just in time to puke his guts out.
When he was done, he washed his face and rinsed his mouth out, still feeling numb and tingly all over. His hands were still shaking.
He knew Sanji. Sanji, who always made sure to have his favorite snacks ready to go when he was cramming for an exam, who gave him a fucking art studio, who bought an entire hospital's worth of bandages and antiseptic when he found out leeches couldn't be used to treat infections anymore.
He knew Sanji cared.
But, he knew that that thing in the alley was also Sanji. That creature that attacked that guy without hesitation, who cut him open and forced his will over his, who drained him, who killed him, that was Sanji too.
He knew Sanji was a vampire, and vampires drank blood, and that blood had to come from somewhere. He'd just never thought about where Sanji's blood came from too hard.
He'd never thought about Sanji being a monster.
When he started shivering more from cold than fear, Usopp dragged himself out of the bathroom and collapsed onto his bed, too exhausted from the night's events to change into his sleepwear.
He'd think about it in the morning.
Sanji landed back on his balcony and stared down at his bloodied hands. He tried to wipe some of the blood off on his pants, but they were already too stained for that.
The jars in his bag clinked together as he shifted, reminding him again of their contents, of what he had to do to get them, of that look on Usopp's face when he saw the real him.
Sanji growled and ran a hand through his hair. He could still feel the buzz from the fresh blood coursing through his body, pumping him up, making him feel alive again, and hated it, hated the feeling, hated himself for how much he didn't hate it.
He scowled as he entered the apartment, lighting a cigarette to dilute the smell of blood. His gaze fell to the couch where Zoro was sleeping, his tail wrapped around his waist tight as he snored away.
Sanji sighed as he made his way into the kitchen and opened the fridge. At least during the crescent moon he had little to no fur, so the shedding shouldn't be a problem, but still, Zoro should know better than to sleep on the couch when he was transformed.
He went to put the blood jars in the fridge and paused at the sight of his red hand gripping the jar. He thought about the man he'd killed, how he'd cornered and tried to hurt Usopp, tried to kill his Usopp. The man had been on his shit list for a while now, but that last misstep had been one too far, sending Sanji into a rage and sealing his fate.
That man hadn't killed anyone yet, but Sanji killed him anyway. Bit him, drained him of every last ounce of blood. Drank what he needed and bottled the rest.
He'd hurt people, sure, and someday he may have killed, or maybe he would have stopped. Sanji would never know, because he killed him first.
Was he any better than him?
Usopp's face flashed in his mind again, that look of terror and disgust directed at him.
He shuddered, quickly tossing the rest of the blood haphazardly in the fridge and slamming it shut.
He went back to the living room and glanced down at Zoro's sleeping face. Had Zoro ever killed anyone? Sanji assumed so, but he'd never ask. He certainly didn't need to kill people, not like Sanji did. Maybe Zoro had better control of his faculties as a wolf than Sanji gave him credit for.
Maybe Sanji had just been projecting his own monstrosities onto the werewolf the whole time.
Sanji reached down to scratch behind Zoro's ear, a comforting habit at this point, but Zoro never seemed to mind. He caught sight of the red still staining his hand, and pulled it away. He looked peaceful as he slept, and Sanji didn't want to taint him any more than he already had.
Zoro snorted suddenly and sniffed the air. His nose crinkled, no doubt smelling the blood all over Sanji despite the cigarette smoke, and he blinked himself awake.
"You're back," Zoro yawned as he sat up, and glanced out the window, "You're back early, it's nowhere near sunrise."
Sanji hummed in acknowledgment. Normally he'd find a few more victims to pad out his reserves - not kill them and drain them, like he had Usopp's assailant, just siphon a pint or two as needed - but Usopp's reaction had taken away any desire to hurt anyone else that night.
"Are you okay?" Zoro asked, leaning towards him, and Sanji took a step back.
"I'm fine, you mossy wolf," he sighed and ran a hand through his own hair, "Just tired."
They stared at each other for a moment, Zoro's green eye boring into him, as if he was trying to gaze into Sanj's very soul and see what was there.
Usopp's face flashed into his head again. He knew what Zoro would find if he looked hard enough.
Usopp's face morphed into Zoro's, and suddenly he was thinking about Zoro looking at him with such fear and disgust, of Zoro being frightened by the monster he truly was.
He swallowed thickly, his heart aching at the thought of Zoro hating him like that.
He backed away from him, putting his cigarette out in a nearby ashtray, "Are you hungry? I can clean up and make you something."
"I could eat," Zoro said as he stretched and got to his feet, "but you don't have to if you're too tired."
Sanji nodded as he made his way to his bedroom.
"Are you sure you're alright?"
Zoro's question made him pause, hand hovering over the doorknob. His gaze turned to the portrait Usopp had painted of them, and guilt welled up in his stomach, even as the fresh blood from the man he killed thrummed throughout his body.
He felt sick.
"Yes, Mosshead," he said as he opened his door, "I'm just fine."
Despite what he said, Sanji was not fine.
Something was bugging the prissy vampire, but Zoro couldn't figure out what. Every time he asked directly, Sanji would either insist he was fine or redirect the question, which left him no choice but to figure it out for himself.
He wasn't eating. He was still cooking for Zoro and their friends whenever they stopped by at least, but he himself was eating less and less. When Zoro did point it out, Sanji insisted that Zoro was mistaken, and while he did make himself a plate that night for dinner, he only ate a few bites and let Luffy have the rest.
Zoro's concern rose at that. Sanji was always good about keeping his blood ladened food away from the rest of them, so either he'd stopped giving a shit about Luffy's health - unlikely - or he wasn't putting blood in his food to begin with.
He checked the fridge later and found he still had some reserve jars of blood left, but they seemed light. Sanji never kept that much around anyway, just enough to keep himself fed and a little extra just in case. Thinking back on it, the last time he'd seen Sanji go hunting was a while ago, during the last crescent moon.
He tried to think of anything that could have happened to put Sanji in this funk. Usopp was busy with exams and Nami's sister was in town, so they hadn't been around as much, but Robin and Brook had been coming by more often, so it couldn't be because he was lonely.
Zoro watched Sanji from his spot by the fireplace as he flitted around the room cleaning up Zoro's fur. This was a familiar routine during the gibbous moon - an excessive one, in his opinion - but there was a tenseness to him as he carried on, his shoulders just a bit too tight, his teeth a hair too clenched for him to be relaxed.
His smell was all off too. No matter what, Sanji always smelled like he was drenched in blood. It could be covered a bit by his cigarettes and wine and if he was cooking, but it was always there, underscoring everything. Lately though it seemed like his blood scent was growing fainter, almost like it was vanishing. In his human form, Zoro could barely smell it anymore, and even with his mostly wolf gibbous nose, he had to concentrate to find it.
It put him on edge way more than the scent ever did.
"When's the last time you went hunting?" Zoro asked when Sanji went to put the vacuum away.
Sanji growled as he turned to him, "That's none of your business."
"I'm just wondering," he growled back, "There's no need to-"
"No need to what?" He snapped, "Be offended that I'm constantly being interrogated in my own home?"
Zoro snarled, fur raising as he crouched automatically into a defensive position, "I'm not trying to interrogate you!"
"Then what the shit is with all the questions?" he said as he shoved the vacuum into the closet with more force than strictly necessary, "Can't I just be without having my every move scrutinized like some kind of-" He cut himself with a snarl and kicked the door shut.
"Excuse me for being worried," he barked and blatantly turned away from him, his tail beating hard against the floor in aggravation.
He heard Sanji sigh and walk over, stopping right behind him. He reached out, hand hovering right above his head, and Zoro perked up in anticipation. But Sanji pulled his hand away, and he couldn't help but feel disappointed.
That was another thing off, Sanji had stopped touching him. No scratches behind his ear, no casual bumping of shoulders, no ruffling of his fur, no matter what form. Zoro was too proud to beg for it or god forbid bring it up, but that didn't mean he didn't miss it.
Whatever funk the vampire was in he needed to snap out of it.
"I just," Sanji sighed, and Zoro turned to face him, "I'm fine. You don't have to worry."
Him telling him not to worry only served to make Zoro worry more, "You just, you seem off. You're not eating and I can see you're tense and you haven't left the apartment in weeks. If there's something bothering you-"
"Nothing's bothering me," he insisted, crossing his arms and growling, "For fuck's sake, if I'm such a bother and a distraction for you, why don't you just leave!"
"I didn't say you were a bother," he bit out before the rest of his tirade caught up to him, "Do, you want me to leave?"
Sanji froze, as if he just realized what he'd said. He bit his lip and rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced away, honestly thinking it over.
Zoro's ears drooped, but he managed to hold back the whine that wanted to escape at the thought of Sanji wanting him gone. He scratched anxiously at the carpet in an attempt to calm himself down.
"You," he said after a while, gaze sliding back to Zoro, who immediately stopped tearing up the carpet, "probably should."
His heart sank, and he felt the cold dread spread through his stomach, but that wasn't a no, "Do you want me to?"
Sanji hesitated, so he added, "If you want me gone, then I'll leave. You won't see me again."
He clenched his hands into tight fists as he waited for Sanji's answer.
Eventually Sanji sighed and ran a hand through his hair, worried blue eyes focused on Zoro as he said, "No. I don't want you to leave."
Zoro relaxed instantly, his tail wagging and he didn't even care if Sanji noticed, "Okay, then I'll stay."
"But," Sanji flicked his nose, making him growl out a warning that he ignored, "Stop badgering me. I'm fine. I don't need you to worry about me, okay? I can take care of myself."
"Doesn't mean you should," Zoro muttered as he rubbed his nose, but Sanji had already walked off to obsessively clean something else.
He watched him go, drumming his claws against the floor near the fireplace.
He knew something was off with Sanji, but it wasn't like he could make him tell him. All he could really do was be there for him if and when he decided to ask him for help.
And, if he was too much of a stubborn bastard to ask, be ready to help him anyway.
Until then, he wondered if he could get Sanji to make him a snack.
Sanji was starting to feel dizzy.
It was hard to concentrate. The scents coming off of Robin were so alluring, so irresistible that it was hard to focus on anything other than the blood pumping deliciously through her veins and beneath her skin and-
"Sorry," he shook his head to clear it and smiled at her, "What was that?"
She smiled calmly at him, "I was asking about the French Revolution. You said you were born in France in the 1790s, correct?"
"Yes," he put out his cigarette in the ashtray on the table and gripped the arm of the chair tightly, trying his best to control this new round of cravings.
They'd been getting worse. He knew he needed to hunt. He could only sustain himself on his reserves for so long - and even those were almost out, despite his best efforts to ration them - but more importantly, if he didn't get fresh blood every so often, the cravings would only get worse and worse until-
"Sanji?" Robin's concerned tone snapped her out of his daze.
"Yes, sorry," he smiled at her, "I was too young to remember much, and I lived far enough away from the cities that the worst of the violence didn't affect me much." He'd only heard about it later, from the nobles trying to flee to England, about the blood running through the streets, so much of it, for anyone to take, and he could have some now. Robin was just sitting there so full of blood and he could have it if he just-
He dug his nails into his leg until the skin broke, the pain grounding him.
"Sorry," he apologized yet again, "My early memories are all very fuzzy. I'm not sure how much help I'll be."
"That's alright," her smile remained serene, even as Sanji heard her blood pumping, "I don't mean to bring up anything that may be traumatic for you."
"No, it's fine," he insisted as another wave of dizziness took hold. He raised a hand to his forehead, "I just, my memories as a human aren't very clear. It was so long ago."
"I understand," Robin said as she closed her notebook, "I must say, you aren't looking so well."
"Indeed," Brook agreed from where he was sitting nearby, hands playing with the cup of tea in front of him. He couldn't actually drink it, but he liked to be included, so Sanji always made sure to serve him, "My friend, you look like a living corpse."
Sanji smiled shakily at him. Normally he would quip back something about his undead state, but today he just wasn't feeling it.
"I guess I am feeling a bit under the weather," he said as he stood up from the table. Robin's eyes narrowed suspiciously, and Brook gave him a quizzical look, but he waved them off, "Sorry."
"No need to apologize," Robin assured him as she grabbed Brook's violin case and stood up, "If you're not feeling well, you should get some rest. We'll take our leave."
"Thank you once again for your hospitality," Brook said as Sanji walked them to the door, "As always it's been a delight."
Sanji passed by Robin to open the door for her, and caught a whiff of her blood again.
He'd ranked her second of all their friends when Nami had asked, and with good reason. She took care of herself and ate well, and he knew that her blood would be sweet, but not too sweet, with just the right mix of flavors that only a well balanced diet could bring out.
It had been so long since he'd had fresh blood, and his body craved it, more than it craved nicotine or touch or even air. He wanted blood, he needed blood, and Robin had so much just sitting there under her skin and it could be his and-
He'd reached out and grabbed her arm before he could stop himself, gripping her tight enough to hurt. Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn't react otherwise, and Sanji's fangs grew in his mouth. The desire, the pulsing need to bite her, to taste her fresh, delicious blood across his tongue was too tempting to resist, and he opened his mouth to do just that.
"I do hope you'll have a lie-down, my friend," Brook said as he stepped between him and Robin, making Sanji's arm pass through his ghostly form, "We certainly don't want you to catch your death. Again."
The sudden chill from touching Brook snapped him out of it, and he instantly released Robin and drew his arm back.
"No," he responded, a detectable tremor in his voice as he held his traitorous hand close to his chest, "I think once was enough for me."
When they left, he closed the door behind them and leaned his head against it, horrified at what he'd almost done.
Shit. Fuck. His control was slipping. He'd put off hunting for far too long.
He leaned his back against the door instead and slid to the floor, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hand. He knew it was reckless and dangerous to go so long without a hunt, but after what happened with Usopp, he found that he couldn't. Every time he tried, he would remember Usopp's terrified face and remember that he put that look there, that he was this terrible monster that scared his friends and hurt people, and he couldn't go through with it.
He figured he was fine as long as he had reserves, but they were almost gone - just barely a spoonful left - and his body craved and needed something more. He knew at this point the second fresh blood touched his lips he'd be completely out of control. Even if he hunted tonight, it wouldn't be one of his normal, controlled hunts. It would be a massacre.
He needed to do something, come up with some kind of plan to curb his cravings and regain control, but what?
His phone buzzed, startling him. He quickly wrestled it out of his pocket and saw that Nami was calling.
Nami. She always smelled of oranges. He wondered if she tasted of them too, if her blood had absorbed the scent so it was sweet and tangy. A delectable treat sitting right under her skin, that could be all his.
He canceled the call and tossed his phone down the hall, burying his face in his hands as he groaned.
It was getting worse. He couldn't see his friends in this state, couldn't see anyone or else he'd lose it completely. Even Zoro would be in danger at this rate, and he was very grateful that he was at Luffy's tonight.
He needed blood, and he needed it now.
The sun was setting soon. He'd have to drink the last of his reserves and break into a prison or a hospital, somewhere they wouldn't care about or notice the extra blood-drained bodies and he could have his fill.
He stood up and made his way to the kitchen.
As he passed the intercom, the screen lit up. Nami was outside his building, and it had started raining, soaking her to the bone.
"Sanji, are you there?" She was asking, "Sorry, I tried to call ahead but you didn't pick up."
"My sister ate me out of house and home, so I figured we could get dinner," she was saying, "The sun's setting, so if you're not up for cooking we can get take-out somewhere. Your treat, of course."
He stared at her image on the screen. She was in trouble, she needed his help, and if he helped her, then he deserved a reward, right? And she had so much blood and-
No.
She needed to go.
His finger hover over the answering button to tell her to.
She needed to leave, to get out of here. If Nami came up here, he wouldn't be able to stop himself. Nami, with all her sweet, irresistible blood, just writhing in her, just waiting for him, just asking to be taken. He needed to buzz her in, he needed her to come up, needed her to bring him that wonderful blood, all his all for him all-
He slammed his fist into the wall, the plaster cratering around his hand as his breath came out in heavy pants.
No.
She needed to go.
He pressed the answer button.
"Sure," he heard himself say into the speaker, his finger somehow sliding down to buzz her in as darkness engulfed his vision, the hunger and need inside of him consuming everything.
"Come on up."
Nami knocked on Sanji's apartment door, but received no answer. She huffed in annoyance, Sanji was usually so eager to greet her at the door. Yeah her visit was unannounced, but what was he doing in there?
She knocked again and tried the doorknob, finding it unlocked. Strange, but it wasn't like Sanji and Zoro couldn't handle themselves against home invaders, so locking their door probably wasn't a priority.
She shrugged it off and entered.
"Hey, Sanji?" She called out, and again heard nothing from him. The whole place was dark, and she felt along the wall for a lightswitch. Was he even home? But, someone had answered her and buzzed her in, right?
"Sanji, where are you?" She tried again.
Still no response.
She made her way further into the apartment, the hair on the back of her neck prickling with each step she took, her unease growing.
"Sanji?" She called out as she entered the living room. The curtains were open, the pale moonlight from the half moon not giving her enough light to see the entire room.
She felt her way from the living room to the sitting room, unease growing with every step she took.
Where was Sanji?
Maybe he was hiding? Maybe he was feeling extra photosensitive tonight, and that's why he had all the lights off?
But he would have come to greet her. He wouldn't have buzzed her in and just abandoned her.
Unless something was wrong.
"Sanji?" She called up the spiral staircase, "Are you there?"
No answer.
She shifted, unsure what to do. Should she leave? But what if Sanji was in trouble and needed help?
She took out her phone and pulled up Zoro's number.
"Yeah?" He answered with a grunt.
"Hey," she said, hoping the nervousness wasn't showing in her voice, "Is Sanji with you?"
"No," she heard him shift and Luffy shout in the background, "Why?"
"Nothing, just, I'm at your place and I can't find him."
"He's probably out," he said, and yeah, no shit, but then who let her in? "You should go before he gets back."
"Yeah," she sighed, glancing around the empty apartment, but she couldn't shake that prickly feeling that someone was watching her, "But-"
As she turned to go, something cold caught her arm in a vice grip. She shouted and struggled to get away, but was tossed against a nearby wall. She braced herself against the impact and slumped, dropping her phone to the ground with a loud clatter.
"Nami?!" Zoro shouted through the phone, "Nami, are you there?!"
A black shoe stepped on her phone, crushing it and ending the call.
Sanji was standing before her, but he didn't look anything like her friend. His pale skin absorbed what little light there was, his fangs were elongated, reaching well past his bottom lip, and his eyes were empty, black pools that contained no recognition, only hunger.
"S-Sanji…?" She gasped out as the creature stepped forward.
Fear shuddered through her body and when he took another step towards her, she bolted away, running into the living room as fast as her legs could take her, but she could still feel him breathing down her neck. She opened the first door she came to and slammed it shut, locking it behind her and leaning against it to hold it closed.
She pressed her ear against the door and listened for him, but heard nothing through the wood. A quick glance around the room revealed that she had locked herself in Sanji's bedroom.
The door shook as Sanji knocked against it. She gasped at the force of the blow, but held tight, sinking her feet into the carpet as she pressed harder against the door.
The knocking stopped just as suddenly as it began. She leaned further into the door, listening for any possible sign of the vampire's whereabouts.
She heard nothing, and began to relax.
Two pale hands slammed into the door, bracketing her head. She jumped and turned around, back pressing against the door as Sanji loomed over her. The sliding door leading to the balcony was open, she noticed, a faint breeze rustling the curtains slightly.
Sanji snarled as he leaned in, his breath brushing her neck as he inhaled sharply.
Nami kicked him hard in the side, but he caught her swiftly by the ankle and held tight.
He hissed against her skin, his beady black eyes pinned on her face as her hands scrambled behind her. His grip tightened, painfully so, as he brushed the tip of his fang against the skin on her neck.
She found the doorknob behind her and turned, the door unlocking as it opened. They both fell down, him on top of her, and the impact on the floor startled a gasp out of her and made him let go of her ankle.
She scrambled away, but he was too quick, grabbing her calf and forcefully pulling her back under him. She whimpered as she fought against his hold, kicking and punching and scratching wherever she could reach, but it didn't phase him, didn't slow him down one bit.
He grabbed both her wrists in one hand and tugged them harshly to the side. His other hand still held her leg, and he pinned her other leg under his, trapping her completely
"Please," she pleaded, tears running down her face, "Sanji…"
But Sanji didn't listen. He opened his mouth wide and leaned down, teeth scraping against her neck even as she cried out.
There was a low growl from somewhere behind Sanji, then he was suddenly yanked off of her and tossed to the side, crumpling against the wall like a ragdoll.
Zoro stood protectively between her and Sanji, claws out, teeth bared, looking far more like a beast then she'd ever seen him in his half moon form.
"Are you okay?" he asked her, steady green eye never leaving Sanji.
She nodded, wiping the tears from her face as she gasped out, "Y-yeah."
Sanji shuddered and slowly stood up. His soulless black eyes slid over Zoro and landed back on her, sending a spike of fear through her heart and freezing her in place.
"Get out of here," Zoro said as he crouched down and snarled. His ears and tail were pointed, stiff and alert, the fur on them puffed out as he analyzed the threat.
"But," she risked a glance back to Sanji, who was still staring at her with that starved look in his eyes.
Sanji lunged and she flinched, hiding her head behind her arms, but he never made it to her. Zoro had caught his wrists and was holding him back, his claws digging into and puncturing his skin.
"He's in a blood frenzy," Zoro said between gritted teeth, "He hasn't been feeding and now he's desperate for blood."
Zoro tossed him aside again, sending him careening into the couch. Sanji sat up and snarled, his sharp nails scratching at the leather, but no blood spilled from the wounds on his wrists.
Nami glanced down at her own wrist, "If he needs blood-"
"No." Zoro stated firmly, eye following Sanji's movements as he stood up once more, "He's not in control right now. If he bites you, he won't stop until he's full or you're drained, and I don't know which will come first."
Sanji lunged again, but Zoro caught him by the waist and tackled him to the floor.
"Just," he panted as he twisted around, getting Sanji in a headlock and draping a leg across his waist to pin his legs, "Just go."
Nami stood up as Sanji clawed at Zoro's arm, making him wince, but he didn't let go, "But-"
"Go!" Zoro roared at her, making her flinch as his eye turned towards her, "If you wanna help go rob a blood bank or something, but get out of here! Now!"
Sanji snarled, sinking his nails further into Zoro's skin and forcing him to finally let go with a pained shout. He lunged for her again, but Zoro's leg tightened around his waist, sending him sprawling to the ground again.
She glanced at Zoro again, but his focus was back on Sanji, face determined as he growled and closed in on him again. She spared him a quick nod and fled the apartment.
Once she was out on the street, she pat herself down, looking for her phone, only to remember that it was still in the apartment and broken. She cursed, making a mental note to get Sanji to buy her a new one once he was back to normal.
If he ever got back to normal.
She shook that thought out of her head. Zoro was with him now, and Zoro would take care of it, take care of him. She knew he would.
And she would do what she could to help her friends too.
Zoro knew how to take down a vampire in the midst of blood frenzy. In some ways it was easier, any cunning and higher thought the vampire once had was gone, instead replaced by animalistic ferocity and instincts, things Zoro knew well and could counter easily.
But, this was Sanji, and he knew Sanji, and yes, he loved Sanji. Against his better judgment, he considered Sanji an important and beloved member of his unconventional pack. He did not want to kill him.
If he'd hoped Nami - being his main source of temptation - leaving would calm Sanji down somewhat he was sorely mistaken. With nothing to direct his frantic need towards, Sanji became more erratic, lashing out aggressively, strong kicks and sharp scratches raining down on him. Zoro took the hits as best he could, trying to figure out how best to knock him out until he could get some blood into him, but Sanji's desperation was making him almost unstoppable.
He couldn't help but blame himself for Sanji's current condition. He should have noticed sooner that Sanji wasn't feeding, should have sat Sanji down and made him tell him what was wrong, forced some damn blood down his throat to stop him from turning into this.
A good mate - a mate worthy of Sanji - would have been more attentive.
He was supposed to take care of Sanji, and he had failed spectacularly.
But he didn't have time to wallow in could ofs and should ofs. He had to take care of Sanji now, in this state, and work on being better for him in the future later.
Because he would get Sanji out of his blood frenzy, and he'd do it without killing him or having him hurt anyone else.
He just had to figure out how.
Sanji was on him again, snarling and clawing at him, more beast now than Zoro's roommate and friend.
Zoro sunk his own claws into Sanji's thigh and flipped him, pinning Sanji under him as he bore down on him.
"Stop this," Zoro pleaded with him, knowing Sanji wasn't listening, probably couldn't even hear him in this state, but still hoped that somehow his words would break through to his Sanji.
But Sanji didn't hear him. Instead he bared his teeth and gnashed out at him, scraping one long fang against his arm. Zoro winced as the skin broke and his blood trickled into Sanji's mouth.
Sanji froze for all of a second before he surged forward, tongue darting out to lap the blood coming out of the wound. As Zoro leaned up and away he went with him, sucking up his blood like he couldn't get enough.
"So much for shitty dog blood," Zoro scoffed. "Here then," he released him, and Sanji surged after him, clinging to his arm desperately.
"Take as much as you need, stupid vampire," he said, more softly than he intended. He still didn't think Sanji could hear him, but he did open his mouth wider and sink a fang into his arm.
He winced at the bite, but remained still, knowing that suddenly pulling away now would just make the wound worse. Sanji sucked up his blood eagerly, pulling mouthful after mouthful from him and swallowing it greedily.
Zoro wondered, briefly, if Sanji would suck him dry, but he trusted him to only take his fill. He wouldn't bet Nami's life on it, but he was more than willing to bet his own.
If this was what Sanji needed, Zoro was more than happy to give it.
His free hand fell into Sanji's hair and he began petting him, comforting him as he slowly poured his life into him.
After a few mouthfuls, Sanji paused in his drinking, pulled away with a gasp, and gagged.
"Ugh, gross," Sanji said as he scraped at his tongue, "Wolf blood, disgusting."
He froze, his red eyes darting from his hands to the wound on Zoro's arm, finally landing on him, a wide-eyed, fearful look crossing his face.
"What," he panted, clenching his hands into fists, "What, happened? What did I…?"
He started trembling, and Zoro pulled him against his chest, holding him tight.
"Nothing," he whispered into his ear as he rubbed comforting circles into his back, "You didn't do anything."
"But," he clutched Zoro's shirt tight, "But, Nami was here, and your arm and-"
"Nami's fine," he said as he started stroking his hair again, "You didn't hurt her. And my arm's fine."
"I bit you," Sanji whimpered, sounding distressed, and Zoro held him tighter.
"I let you," he insisted.
"But-"
"No," he pulled Sanji back to look into his eyes, cupping his face and stroking his cheek with his thumb, "You needed blood, so I gave you mine. You did nothing to me that I didn't allow."
"I…" he shuddered, then fell in on himself, resting his forehead against Zoro's shoulder.
Zoro held him again, silently giving him the comfort he needed.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled against his skin, letting out desperate gasps and tearless sobs, "I'm so sorry."
"You're fine," he muttered into his hair as he rubbed circles into his back, "you're okay."
Sanji shook in his hold, clinging to him like a scared child. He turned his head slightly, still mumbling his apologies, and his fang scraped against the skin on Zoro's neck.
Zoro froze, careful not to move lest he cut himself. Sanji may not be in a frenzy anymore, but he was still probably very hungry, and as unappealing as his blood was normally, he may still be tempted to bite. While Zoro was happy to give Sanji his blood, he wasn't sure how much more he could lose and stay conscious.
Sanji seemed to realize this too. He shoved Zoro away forcefully and crawled backwards until his back hit the kitchen island.
"Stay back," Sanji said, still shaking like a leaf, and Zoro's heart ached for him, "Don't come near me. I don't…"
"I told you it's fine," Zoro ignored him, coming forward to crouch in front of him. He held out his still bleeding arm, "You can have some more."
Sanji's pupils shrank, the red overtaking his eyes completely, and he reached out to Zoro's arm as if pulled by a magnetic force.
But he shook his head and pulled away quickly, like he'd been burned, "No. No, I can't."
"You can," Zoro reached out with his non-bleeding arm and ran a hand through Sanji's hair, cradling his head gently, "Is this about the taste, because you don't have a lot of options right now. You're hungry, you really can't be picky."
"No, no it's not that," one trembling hand came up to grip Zoro's in his hair tight, "It's your blood, I can't…I shouldn't…"
"It's fine," Zoro said as he pulled him ever so slightly forward, urging him on, "I'm letting you."
Sanji grabbed his arm with shaking hands and pulled it towards his mouth, but stopped, his panicked gasps ghosting across Zoro's skin as his eyes darted to Zoro's.
"What if I can't stop?" he asked quietly, more a breath on his skin than words.
"You will," Zoro said firmly, offering Sanji his arm again, "I know you will."
Sanji swallowed thickly but leaned in and latched onto his arm again, taking another small suck before gagging and letting go.
Zoro frowned, "Does it really taste that bad?"
"Like a rotten chicken carcass dipped in expired jello," he answered, breathing heavily. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "But, it's fine. Means I'll only take what I need."
"Okay," he held up his arm again, "When you're ready."
Sanji nodded then dived right back in. Zoro felt him gag a few more times, but he dutifully swallowed every drop.
As he sucked a few more mouthfuls of blood from him, Zoro felt something warm rise in his chest. Sanji feeding on him wasn't like how Nami's books described it, some kind of erotic foreplay or a barely concealed manipulation tactic. It was more like giving Sanji comfort, like putting a blanket over him when he fell asleep on the couch, or feeding him a warm meal.
He understood now why Sanji was so keen on feeding them all the time. He was giving Sanji something he needed, a little bit of himself - literally - and he couldn't help the warm feelings that burst from his chest at it.
He was providing.
Just as he was starting to get genuinely dizzy, Sanji pulled away with a gasp. He braced himself against Zoro's shoulders, blood and saliva dripping from his mouth as he trembled.
"Are you good?" Zoro's good hand cradled his head.
Sanji nodded, and Zoro pulled him fully into his lap, wrapping his arms around him in a gentle hug.
Sanji buried his face into his shoulder and muttered, "M'sorry."
"You're fine," he insisted again, rubbing circles into his back.
"I was stupid," he continued, running a hand down Zoro's arm and rubbing just above the wound, "You should never had been in that position and I…" He shuddered, and turned more into Zoro, "I shouldn't have taken."
"I told you, you didn't take anything I wasn't willing to give," he said as he held him tighter.
They sat like that for a bit, content to just be for a minute.
Eventually Sanji sighed and pulled away, "We should bandage your wound."
"We need to get you more blood," Zoro countered, "You're good for tonight, but-"
"I'll do a proper hunt tomorrow," he stood up and held out his hand, "Stock up my reserves again."
Zoro took the offered hand and let Sanji pull him effortlessly to his feet. Sanji continued to hold his hand, gripping it tight as he led him into the kitchen, and Zoro was enjoying the contact too much to pull away.
He leaned against the counter as Sanji rummaged through some of the drawers, eventually locating antiseptic and a roll of bandages. He came back to Zoro and held his arm lightly, as if it was precious and he didn't want to break it.
Zoro hissed as he cleaned the wound, but remained silent as it was bandaged. His tail swished back and forth at Sanji's ministrations, brushing both of their ankles as it swept past.
Sanji tied the bandage tight when he was done, giving it a gentle pat as he said, "Thank you."
Zoro's ears perked up at his gratitude, and it took a concerted effort to stop his tail from embarrassing him, "For what?"
"For protecting Nami," he glanced away, "For stopping me. For your blood, and…"
Sanji sighed as he looked back at him, and reached out to cup his face.
"Thank you for being here," Sanji said as he stroked his face with his thumb.
Zoro couldn't help but lean into the touch, and he couldn't have stopped his tail if he wanted to as he gazed into Sanji's eyes, captivated by the bright red. He was sure Sanji could feel his heart racing, but he couldn't bring himself to be embarrassed by it.
Even like this, fangs out, eyes red, blood dripping from his mouth, looking every bit the monster that stalked humanity's nightmares, he was still the most beautiful thing Zoro had ever seen.
He swallowed thickly, and couldn't quite stop himself from speaking, "Sanji, I-"
The door burst open, surprising both of them. Instinctively, Zoro shoved Sanji behind him, hackles raised - even as the light-headedness from the blood loss threatened to topple him - as the intruder made her way to the kitchen.
It was Nami, her hair and clothes wet from the rain, holding a large grocery bag as she eyed Sanji warily, "Is he…?" she asked, gesturing wildly, "You know…"
"I'm fine," Sanji said as Zoro relaxed, just a little, making sure to stay between Sanji and Nami just in case, "But you still shouldn't be here. It's too dangerous, I could hurt you."
"Don't be rude, if you're fine then you won't," she held out the bag, "Here. For you."
Zoro took the bag, and he and Sanji looked inside, "Is this, blood?"
"Don't act surprised," she huffed and crossed her arms, "You're the one who told me to rob a blood bank."
Sanji took the bag with a puzzled look and set it on the counter.
"I didn't think you would actually do it," Zoro sighed as he rubbed his temple. He kept his eye on Sanji, but he wasn't even looking at Nami right now, just picking up one of the blood bags and examining it, "I'm sure this is, like, an ethics issue or something."
"My friend was in trouble, I had to do something," she sighed, "And I don't see the issue. That blood was donated to save lives. By drinking it, Sanji doesn't have to kill anyone, ergo lives are saved." She shrugged, "It's serving its purpose."
Sanji laughed, "Well, I can't fault that logic," he glanced up at her and smiled, "Thank you."
"Ah," Nami gasped and clutched at her chest, taking a reflexive step away.
Sanji winced, his smile falling and a hurt look replacing it as he looked away. Zoro felt the urge to growl at Nami for putting that look on his face, but he suppressed it.
"Sorry," she said, and she did sound apologetic, so Zoro let her continue, "I mean, I know you're a vampire, but seeing you actually look like one is, surprising."
Sanji ran a hand across his mouth, his fingers lingering a bit on his fangs, "Sorry."
"It's fine," she was quick to assure him, "Really, just shocking. I mean, you're still you, and that's the important part, right?"
"Right," Sanji said with a nod, the corner of his lips twitching into a smile, and Zoro considered that good enough for now.
"Thank you for the blood," he continued, snatching the bag up and bringing it to the refrigerator, "I guess I won't need to stock up on reserves for a while."
"So, you won't get frenzied again, or whatever," Nami asked cautiously, "Yeah?"
Sanji paused and glanced at Zoro, giving him a long hard look, like he was searching for something.
He must have found it, because a slow smile spread across his face.
"Yes," he said, his eyes never leaving Zoro, "I'll be alright."
Sanji lay in his bed, the blankets thrown over his head, and wished he could just disappear.
He was so stupid. How could he have let it get that bad, to the point where he'd attack Nami? Nami?
And Zoro. He took his blood. How could he have done that? He was desperate, sure, but enough to drink Zoro's blood? He couldn't even look him in the face after that.
The incident the other night proved to him once and for all that he was too dangerous to be around people, too much of a monster. His only option was to be alone forever, rot away in some ancient castle in the middle of nowhere like the vampires of old.
He'd leave the apartment to Zoro, of course, it was the least he could do after all the trouble he caused him. He could get keys made out for the others so they could come and go as they pleased, maybe check up on Zoro and make sure he was doing okay. He could leave behind their favorite recipes if they wanted - just to make sure none of them came looking for him - and maybe a few hundred thousand dollars for their troubles. And maybe-
There was a knock on the door, and Sanji groaned and curled even more into himself.
"Go away," he shouted at whoever it was, "Leave me here to whither."
The knocker ignored him, barging into his room, and of course it was Zoro. Stupid dog, couldn't he see Sanji was indisposed?
"Are you still moping?" Zoro asked as he sat down on the bed, shaking the lump that was Sanji until he poked his head out of the blankets, "C'mon, we have guests."
At that, Sanji launched himself out of bed and slammed the door shut, turning a heated glare at Zoro, "Why the fuck do we have guests?"
"Because you've been avoiding everyone and they want to see you?" Zoro tried, "You went hunting last night - and every night this week. You're recovered, so you're good to receive guests."
"I am not," he hissed as he came back to the bed and tossed himself dramatically on top of it, turning away from Zoro, "Leave me be."
Zoro growled and grabbed his shoulder and turned him over so he was flat on his back, "No. Something's bothering you, and I'm not leaving until you tell me what."
"No shit, of course something is bothering me," Sanji growled back and batted his hand away, "I fucked up and attacked you guys!"
He caught sight of the small round scar on Zoro's arm. He'd healed quickly – as werewolves do – but the scar would never fade, giving Sanji a target and an access point should he wish to take Zoro's blood again, and he shuddered at the thought.
All things considered, he was lucky it was Zoro he bit. Not only did werewolf blood taste like shit, it was far more filling than human blood. If he had bitten Nami - or any of his friends - he could have drained them and still not been satisfied. With Zoro he needed significantly less.
He glanced away, staring at his curtained windows, "I almost hurt Nami and I almost drained you. How can you guys even stand to be around me?" He curled into himself again, "I'm a monster."
"Yeah, no shit."
Sanji turned to look at him, "What?"
"You're a vampire, you stupid fuck, or did you forget?" Zoro huffed and leaned back against his pillows, resting his arms behind his head, "You live off of blood, what, did you think you were human?"
Sanji ground his teeth, "I'm aware of that, you shitty dog! That's the whole fucking problem!"
"How?"
"Because humans shouldn't be around monsters, they're dangerous," Sanji looked away, "No one should."
"I'm a monster too, you know," he responded with an eye roll, "Why can't I be around you?"
"You turn into a wolf sometimes," he snapped, "I drain blood from people. I kill people."
"So? I've killed people," he shrugged, like it was nothing, "And humans kill each other all the time. Hell, a duck could kill a person if they were determined enough. You're not special."
"You don't understand," he shook his head, "I have to. To survive."
"Which makes you much better than the duck, morally speaking, who's just doing it to be an asshole."
Sanji turned his face into the pillow and screamed. Why was this idiot being so fucking frustrating?
A warm hand landed on his shoulder, and Sanji couldn't help but melt under it's comforting heat.
"It's not as big a deal as you're making it out to be," Zoro said, "We know you're just doing what you have to. None of us care."
"Usopp cares," he muttered into his pillow.
"Huh?"
He turned his head just enough to free one eye and gazed at Zoro, "Usopp saw me while I was hunting and…" He trailed off, glancing away before continuing, "I think I scared him."
Zoro's thumb started rubbing comforting circles into his shoulder, "Of course you scared him, idiot. You killed a guy in front of him." The words were harsh, but his tone was soft, and Sanji closed his eyes and sighed as he continued, "You're scary when you hunt, that doesn't mean Usopp hates you or is scared of you. Did you attack him?"
"No," he admitted, "But I did attack Nami."
"Yeah, 'cause you were hungry and desperate, which wouldn't have happened if you…" He blinked, as if he just realized something, "Wait, is that why you stopped eating? Because you were upset you scared Usopp?"
Sanji looked away, "Maybe."
Zoro laughed, "You're so stupid sometimes."
Sanji growled as he sat up, ready to give Zoro a piece of his mind.
Before he could, he continued, "You were so damn worried about being something you're not, that you did exactly what you needed to to become it."
"But I am that," Sanji insisted, "Deep down, that's what I really am. That's what I'm always going to be! This incident proves that."
"You're not really who you are when you're frenzied anymore than I really am who I am when I'm crazed," Zoro scowled, "People get desperate when they're hungry. That's not the real you."
"But-" Sanji started to protest, but was cut off by Zoro cradling his face with his warm hand.
"The real you is the guy who feeds me every full moon so I don't get hungry and hurt people," he said, "Who gives Usopp and Nami a place to hang out, and keeps Luffy out of trouble. Who found Brook a place to belong because he was lonely. Who feeds us and cares for us."
His thumb rubbed his cheek, and Sanji leaned into it, feeling the warmth spread through him from his touch, all the way down to the tips of his fingers and toes.
"You're not who you are when you're desperate," he continued, "You are who you are when you have a choice, and you have always chosen to be kind."
Sanji stared into Zoro's eye, bright and wide and as it bored into him, but he wasn't nervous at the intensity of the gaze. He revealed in it, something in his chest tightening at the look and releasing at the words, making him feel light and fully cared for for the first time in a while.
His hand came up to cover Zoro's as he said, "Thank you."
"Of course," Zoro said as he leaned in, and Sanji held his breath, his eyes darting to his lips for some reason, but Zoro stopped inches from his face, "And if you need help, just fucking tell me so I can help. You don't have to struggle by yourself. You're not alone anymore."
"Right," he said, but it came out more as a soft exhale.
There was another knock on the door, and they pulled apart as Sanji shouted, "Yeah?"
The door creaked open and Luffy popped his head in, "Sanji, can we have chicken nuggets?"
Sanji chuckled as he got up out of the bed, "Yeah, sure."
"Awesome!" Luffy grinned, then turned to shout, "Guys, we're getting chicken nuggets!"
Cheers sounded from the living room as they exited the room. Robin, Franky, and Brook were occupying the couch, while Nami and Usopp were spread out on the floor. Luffy was quick to join them as Zoro flopped in an armchair.
As soon as Sanji appeared though, Usopp sprang up to follow him into the kitchen.
"Hey, Sanji," he said, stopping by the island, and Sanji glanced over at him as he started preparing the nuggets, "I, uh, never got the chance to thank you for saving me the other day. So thanks. For saving me."
"Oh, yeah," Sanji rubbed the back of his neck and glanced away, nervous, "No problem. Sorry about scaring you."
"Oh, don't worry about that," he chuckled, "I mean, was it the most terrifying thing that ever happened to me? Yes. Did I have nightmares about it for a week? Of course. But at the end of the day, I'm alive and you got to eat, so I'm just gonna call that wins all around."
"Well, that's good, then," he gave him an awkward smile, "I am sorry about the nightmares though."
"Well, if I didn't have them, I'd of had nightmares about my midterms, and trust me, nightmares about you are a thousand times better than those," he shuddered, "At least in those I got to see a friendly face."
"In that case, I'm happy to help," he smiled and went about his preparations, a knot releasing in his chest as he truly relaxed for the first time in weeks, "And if you need more nightmare fuel, you're welcome to come hunt with me again."
"Appreciate the offer, but hard pass. Mega hard pass. Like, titanium grade hard pass." He moved to the other side of the island and asked, "Can I help with anything?"
"Uh," Sanji hesitated, reflex to tell him not to worry about it kicking in, but reconsidered, "Yeah, can you get the plates ready?"
Usopp grinned as he sprung into action.
Sanji smiled as he watched him, a warm feeling forming in his chest. The feeling grew as he glanced into the living room and saw his friends laughing and enjoying themselves. His friends, his weird little coven, and he recognized the feeling as love and affection.
Because Zoro was right. He wasn't alone anymore.
And he was so damn glad about that.