Zoro was being tailed. It wasn't a very good tail, but he was nonetheless being followed, and that irked him. He would have taken care of it a while ago, but he was currently carrying about three bags of groceries, and Sanji would kill him if lost all this food in a fight.
Still, he didn't know what this asshole wanted - and he certainly didn't want him to know where he lived - so he took a few deliberate wrong turns as he got closer to the apartment and ducked into an alley the first chance he got. He found a safe place to stash the groceries and turned back just in time to see the man follow him into the alley.
"The hell do you want?" Zoro snapped, not in the mood. The full moon was only a few days away, and he was feeling pent up and antsy with its arrival.
The man was grinning as he stepped forward, and Zoro spotted a 7 tattooed just under his eye, "Zoro Roronoa, I presume? I thought I smelled a lone wolf in the area, but to think it would be one so renowned."
Zoro's eye narrowed and he shifted subtly to a defensive position, ready to fight if that's what this turned into, "Who's asking?"
His grin grew as he stepped closer, "My pack will be coming to the area soon, and my alpha is always on the lookout for distinguished new members to join up with us."
Zoro let out a low growl. The last thing he needed in his life right now was an upstart pack alpha thinking they could control him.
"Your reputation precedes you, of course," his gaze darted to Zoro's eye scar, then back, "My alpha would love to have you with us. Our pack isn't like other wolfpacks. Your place is determined by strength and skill, not longevity or nepotism."
"That so?" Zoro asked with a smirk, "Can I be the alpha?
The man frowned, "We already have an alpha. We don't need a second one."
"Then I'm not interested."
He took another step closer, "If I were you I'd reconsider. Most of us were once lone wolves like yourself. Lost, alone, nowhere to call home until our alpha came and gave us a place to belong."
Zoro's instinct was to snarl, but he held it back. He didn't need a wolfpack, or this shitty place to belong, he had his own. It was small and it was weird, and maybe he was the only one who thought of them all like that, but it was still his.
"Hard pass," Zoro said as he shifted into a fighting stance.
The man clicked his tongue and shook his head as he stepped closer, "Perhaps I should explain more clearly. My pack is coming into the area, and my alpha has no need for competitors. Either you join us or we will run you out. So it's in your best interest if-"
He stopped suddenly and leaned in to sniff Zoro. His eyes narrowed, his face morphing into a look of disgust as if he just smelled something foul, and Zoro had an idea as to what.
This close to the full moon, there was no way he wouldn't pick up Sanji's scent.
Zoro snarled as he shoved him back, "I said no. I'm not after any trouble, but if you don't leave me alone, that's exactly what you're gonna get."
The man took a step back, "I do hope you reconsider. Wolves should be with other wolves, not bloodsucking vamps."
Zoro growled, but the man turned and left without another word.
When he was sure he wasn't coming back, Zoro retrieved the groceries and went back to the apartment.
When he arrived he went straight to the kitchen, placing the bags on the counter and immediately began putting the food away.
"Took you long enough," Sanji drawled from the kitchen island, "Did you get lost again?"
"I don't get lost," he said as he turned to face him.
Sanji was reading another one of his romance novels, or so he assumed. He'd noticed that Sanji prefered period romances - whether because he felt nostalgic about the days of his youth or simply found the historical discrepancies amusing Zoro couldn't tell - but this one looked a little more modern. The cover had a woman with ample breasts - just like all the others - and her clothes were tastefully torn by what looked like claw marks. She was being held in the arms of a muscular shirtless man, with what appeared to be a large wolf in the foreground.
Zoro put two and two together and blushed, dreading the answer, but was compelled to ask anyway, "Uh, what are you reading?"
Sanji grinned and turned the book to show him the full cover. The Alpha's Mate: A Werewolf Pack Romance , the title read, and Zoro's blush deepened.
"Nami leant it to me," Sanji explained, and Zoro was going to kill her for real the next time saw her, "It's been very, enlightening."
"You know that's all bullshit," he grumbled as he went back to putting the food away.
"Of course," Sanji laughed, "But that's what makes it fun."
Zoro grumbled as he put the rest of the food away, determined to ignore the stupid book.
"It's funny though," Sanji said as he flipped the book open again, "everyone goes on and on about how alphas are so aggressive and territorial and possessive, but you're not really like that, are you?"
Zoro frowned as he put the canned peas in the pantry, "Like I said, those books are bullshit." He shut the pantry and glanced at Sanji, "And I'm not an alpha."
"Wait, seriously?" His eyebrows shot up as he placed the book aside, his full attention on Zoro, "You're not?"
Zoro shrugged, squirming a little under the scrutiny, "I don't even have a pack, how can I be an alpha?"
"I kinda thought that's why you don't have a pack," He said, leaning back in the chair a bit, "Too much of an alpha to play well with others."
Zoro frowned at the analysis. It wasn't wrong necessarily, when he was younger he'd bounce around from pack to pack, either leaving on his own when he got fed up with the alpha or being kicked out when the alpha got fed up with him. By the time he was old enough to take care of himself, he'd considered packs a waste of time, as something that would slow him down.
Of course, maybe he'd just never found the right pack.
"Alpha is a position, not a personality type," Zoro explained, "It's just the leader of a pack. You can't be an alpha if there isn't a pack."
"Huh," Sanji fiddled with the edge of the book cover, "So, if we were a pack, who would be the alpha?"
Zoro froze, his eye going wide as his heart raced at the implication, "If we…?"
"Like, you know," Sanji shrugged as he shifted, "We. Us. You, me, our friends. If we were a pack." He fidgeted, looking uncomfortable all of a sudden, "I mean, I'm not saying we are or anything because we're not, I'm saying, like, if. Hypothetically."
Ah, of course. Zoro had been considering them all his little pack, his family to protect, his place to belong, but that had just been for him. Being a vampire, a pack wouldn't be something Sanji wanted.
He turned back to the pantry, his heart clenching at the subtle rejection, which was stupid. He shouldn't hold Sanji to his own standards.
"If we were a pack," he answered, trying to keep his hurt out of his voice, "I would be the alpha, obviously."
"What?" Sanji snapped, and Zoro smirked at the rise that got out of him, "In your shitty dreams, maybe."
"Who else would it be?" He finished putting the food away and turned to face him.
"Me, clearly," Sanji huffed, falling back in his chair as he crossed his arms, "This is my apartment after all, and I'm the one paying for everything and feeding everyone. I'm obviously alpha material."
Zoro laughed, "You're decent support for the alpha, but I'm the one who brought everyone together."
His eyebrow twitched, "You kidnapped Nami and Usopp - Brook too, technically - and I'm not unconvinced you didn't kidnap Luffy."
"Thus bringing everyone together," he grinned, enjoying how upset Sanji was getting over something so meaningless, "Like an alpha does."
"Unbelievable," Sanji shook his head, "You can't be the alpha. You don't even bathe unless I force you to. You're unqualified to be the alpha."
"In a standard werewolf pack, that makes me more qualified to be alpha, not less," he smirked, relishing the disgusted look that crossed Sanji's face, "Makes it easier to mark territory."
"I don't believe this," Sanji huffed as he stood up, snatching his book off the counter as he marched off, "Werewolves are disgusting, and I can see why vampires don't bother with packs."
Zoro sighed as he left, staring wistfully around the kitchen, a place that was so completely Sanji's, a place he couldn't even begin to belong, and it hurt.
He knew he couldn't expect Sanji to be anything other than what he was, but Zoro hadn't realized how much he wanted to be part of a pack until he met Sanji, needed to belong somewhere and be a part of something bigger than himself.
Vampires were generally solitary creatures. They gathered in covens under a coven leader, yes, but that was mostly for protection, not companionship. Even within a coven, vampires tended to stick to themselves.
Werewolves, on the other hand, were pack creatures by nature. They craved that togetherness, that belonging. Zoro had been an outsider in so many packs for so long that he'd all but forgotten what it was like to belong.
But maybe belonging wasn't something he deserved. He'd failed his first pack and his first alpha so spectacularly, it was only right that he'd fall for a vampire that wanted no part of his family.
The whine slipped out before he could help it, and he clamped his hand over his mouth in shock. The full moon was coming - and his more wolfish characteristics along with it - but it was still a few days away. If he was having wolf instincts while in his human form already, this was going to be one hell of a moon.
He sighed, pushing thoughts of Sanji and packs out of his mind as he dug in the fridge for a snack.
This was fine, he told himself. He could be what Sanji needed him to be.
If Sanji didn't need a pack, then neither did he.
Sanji was in his room taking a quick nap when he heard someone scratching and whining at his door.
He groaned and turned over, pressing the pillow against his ears to drown out the wolf's noises.
"Go away, Zoro," he shouted at the door, "It's only ten in the morning, let me rest!"
Zoro let out a loud bark, but thankfully quieted down, and Sanji let out a sigh of relief as he settled down again.
Finally, he could maybe get a little rest until nightfall when Zoro transformed.
Wait.
He bolted out of bed and yanked the door open. Sure enough, Zoro was sitting right outside, already in his full wolf form.
"What the shit?" Sanji went over to the window, pulling back the curtain just enough to let a small beam of sunlight through. He hissed at the blinding light as he let it fall shut again.
"It's still daytime," he needlessly pointed out as he turned on Zoro, "Why the fuck are you a wolf?"
Zoro tilted his head, as if he even knew why.
Sanji sighed as he went back over to him and put a hand on his head, scratching behind his ear. Zoro leaned into the touch as his tail wagged.
"How are you so calm?" He wondered aloud. He'd been feeding Zoro more and more each day leading up to the full moon to make sure he was properly carbo-loaded for the big transformation, but he hadn't fed Zoro at all today, and he was always hungry right after transforming, "I haven't had a chance to…"
He trailed off as he remembered the whole chicken he'd been defrosting in the sink for dinner.
"You fucking bastard," he snarled as he raced to the kitchen. Sure enough, the chicken was gone, replaced by scraps and bones scattered across his once pristine floor.
"You absolute shithead," he shrieked as he went back into the hall, "That was for dinner!"
Zoro was by the front door now, scratching and whining at it like he wanted to go out, tail tucked between his legs like he was holding something in.
Oh. Shit. Fuck.
"It's still daylight," Sanji groaned, "I can't take you out now!"
Zoro growled and pawed more forcefully at the door.
"No," Sanji snapped at him, "Just, hold it in until sunset!"
His eye narrowed, and he stalked away from the door and into the living room.
"What are you doing?" Sanji called after him as he followed, "Where do you think you're going?"
Zoro jumped up onto Sanji's favorite armchair and looked him right in the eye.
"No!" Sanji shrieked as he entered the living room, "You get off of there right now! Don't make me get the spray bottle!"
Zoro did not get off. Instead he raised his hind leg threateningly in the air.
"Fine, you win!" Sanji threw his hands in the air as he marched over to the hall closet, grabbing his longest cloak and most fashionable sun hat. He put them on and dug around for a decent pair of sunglasses, "I'll take you out, you shitty dog."
Zoro's tail was wagging as he jumped down from the chair and made his way back to the door.
"Yeah yeah," Sanji sighed as he found a pair of elbow length gloves and put those on as well, "Stupid mutt."
Once he was sure all his skin was properly covered, he made his way to the door and opened it.
Zoro took off like a shot, stopping by the elevator to wait for him.
"You're so fucking impatient," he grumbled as he hit the button. When the elevator arrived, they climbed on and waited as it descended.
The elevator stopped a few floors down, and a pompous looking woman and a poodle got on.
She eyed him as the door closed again, "You're that eccentric fellow that lives on the top floor aren't you?"
"Uh," was all Sanji could come up with. For obvious reasons, he never really bothered to get to know his neighbors, so he wasn't quite sure what to say to her.
"You've got people traipsing in and out at all hours," she huffed, "And that green boyfriend of yours-"
"He's not my boyfriend," he corrected instantly, putting his hand on Zoro's head, "He's just my roommate."
"Is that what they're calling it these days?" She pressed on, giving the dog in her arms a pet, "Well, whatever. It's funny, you know. We don't normally see you during the day, or your roommate at night." She eyed him suspiciously, "And neither of you talk to anyone at all."
"We like our privacy," he said, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.
"We never see your roommate with the dog," She huffed and glanced down at Zoro, "That thing should be on a leash."
Zoro started growling, and Sanji scratched behind his ear to calm him down, "He's a very obedient and well behaved dog," he insisted, giving Zoro an adamant look, "Isn't he?"
Zoro's eye moved to Sanji, and he let out a little huff as he settled back down.
"Dogs don't belong in apartment buildings," she said as she pet her own dog, "I'll have to write another note to the building owner about this."
Sanji didn't think that would do her much good, since he was pretty sure he still owned the building.
When the elevator arrived at the bottom floor she stepped out and quickly walked away, much to Sanji's relief.
He and Zoro got off the elevator, but before they left the building, Sanji paused and stared at him. Zoro looked up and tilted his head, curious.
"We should get you a leash," he mused, "And maybe a collar."
Zoro growled at him, haunches raised.
"You're the one who wants to go out during the day," Sanji snapped at him, "People are going to ask why my giant shitty dog is off leash!" He sighed and rubbed his eyes, the sunglasses knocking against his hand, "I can only stay here for so long and do what I do as long as I don't draw attention to myself, and being the weird guy with the giant unleashed dog is going to draw attention."
Zoro's low growl continued, but he relaxed a little and looked away.
Sanji crouched down in front of him and scratched behind his ear, "You'll only have to wear it when we go out during the day, promise. And I'll get you a toy or a treat or something. Your pick, anything you want. We'll make an afternoon out of it, how does that sound?"
Zoro stopped growling and his tail started wagging, so he supposed that sounded good to him.
"Good," he held the front door open for Zoro, "Do your business first, then we'll stop by the pet store."
After both Sanji and Zoro hated everything in the first few pet stores, they found themselves in a smaller but more upscale pet boutique.
"How about this one?" Sanji said as he held out a large spiked collar, "The leather is padded, so it should be comfortable, and look!" He pointed out the spikes, "Intimidating, right?"
Zoro sniffed it, but eyed it warily, undecided.
"And," he turned it over so Zoro could see, "It has a GPS tracker, in case you wander off."
Zoro growled and turned away.
"You do need a collar with a tracker," he insisted. Zoro barked, so Sanji barked back, "No shut up, I'm right."
The only other customer in the store gave him a strange look as she passed by. Sanji smiled awkwardly and waved as she went over to the next aisle instead.
Zoro growled, and he sighed and put the collar back, "Well I don't know, then."
He had already found a leash that was long enough to give Zoro enough freedom to move around without actually restricting him that he liked, but they were having trouble finding a suitable Zoro-approved collar.
He glanced at the collars again. These were big enough to fit around Zoro's thick neck and were designed for comfort, so maybe Zoro was having an issue with the style?
"What do you want?" He asked him, gesturing at the collars, "Just pick something you'll like."
Zoro placed his front legs on the shelf so he could push himself up to get a better view, resting mostly on his hind legs. Like this he was about as tall as he was in his human form, and Sanji was suddenly struck by just how much bigger Zoro was than other dogs.
He wagged his tail, snatching one of the collars with his teeth and settled back down, holding it out to Sanji.
"This the one you want?" Sanji took the collar from his mouth. It was made of soft dark blue leather, with an intricate swirled pattern running along it. He ran his finger over the pattern and felt suddenly self-conscious about his eyebrow.
"You sure?" Sanji asked as he crouched down and held it against Zoro's fur. It didn't clash terribly with the green fur - it complimented it if anything - and it was large enough to fit, "Alright then."
He took the items to the counter, then paused and looked down at Zoro.
"I did say you could have a treat," he nodded towards the rest of the shelves, "If you want something else, go pick it out."
Zoro barked happily and took off down the aisles.
"Uh," Sanji turned back to find the girl behind the counter staring at him funny, "He's…well trained."
He laughed to himself a little at the ideas of Zoro and well-trained coexisting, "He does his best."
"He's, big too," the girl eyed Zoro warily, "What breed is he?"
"Oh, he's a mutt, so a little bit of everything," he chuckled and leaned against the counter, giving her a quick wink, "I think he might have some wolf thrown in there too, but you didn't hear that from me."
She laughed, and he relaxed slightly as she held out the collar, "Do you want tags for this?"
"Tags?"
"Yeah, that say his name and your phone number or something in case he gets lost."
"Yes," he said immediately, "I would like tags."
He glanced down the aisle where Zoro was still wandering, getting turned around as he tried to make his way back to the counter with a few bags of treats and what looked like a frisbee.
"His name is Zoro Roronoa," he said, giving her his number as he turned back to her, and adding, "And, is it possible to get a GPS tracker on there somewhere? Just in case?"
"No problem," she said as she made the tags and rang him up.
Zoro finally made it back and plopped his finds on the counter too, making her pause, "Uh…"
"It's fine," Sanji swept Zoro's treats and toys into the pile of stuff and handed her his card, "Just ring it all up."
"Okay," she shrugged and did just that.
Sanji glanced at one of the treat bags and frowned. It was artisanal and homemade, whatever that meant, and couldn't help but feel slighted somehow.
"Are my treats not good enough for you?" He wondered aloud.
Zoro blinked up at him, then butt his head against his hand and whined.
"Yeah, okay," he sighed and scratched behind his ear, "Nothing personal, I get it."
"Here you are, Mr. Roronoa," the girl said as she handed him the bag, and it took Sanji a moment to realize she was talking to him.
"Oh, uh," he grabbed the bag, feeling slightly embarrassed about the mix-up, but not sure how to correct it without making the situation awkward, "Thanks."
"Have a good day!" She smiled. He returned it with a nod and shuffled out of the store, Zoro hot on his heels.
Once outside, he dug through the bag and pulled out the collar and leash, fastening them to Zoro.
"There you go," he took a step back to take him in, "Now you look like a proper dog."
Zoro growled, and Sanji chuckled as he pet his head to calm him down.
"Just for now, I know," he smiled at him, "Thanks for doing this."
Zoro huffed and looked away, his tail wagging again as he started moving, and Sanji followed.
He glanced up as he adjusted his hat, wondering how much longer that stupid sun was going to be out, and spotted an unexpected orb in the sky instead.
"Zoro, look," he pointed up, and Zoro followed his finger towards the full moon hanging in the sky in broad daylight.
"You should have told me moonrise was going to be this early," he said with a huff, "I could have prepared."
Zoro glanced up at him and whined a little, looking incredibly guilty.
"Of course you didn't know," he ran a hand down his face, "You've been timing it by sunset, haven't you? Not moonrise?"
He growled, and Sanji shook his head, "They're clearly not the same thing, you dumb mutt."
He whined again and looked away, so Sanji pat his head and scratched his ear in that spot he seemed to like so much. He really couldn't stay mad at him in this form, "It's fine, don't worry about it."
He perked up, his tail wagging against Sanji's leg, and he couldn't help but smile at him, "C'mon, I promised you an afternoon, yeah?" He held up the leash, "Go where you want, I'll follow."
Zoro barked happily and bounded down the street, Sanji right behind him.
Zoro dragged them all over town, eventually ending up at the park.
"Huh," Sanji commented as they passed a familiar gazebo, "This is where we first met."
He paused to take in the scenery and reflect on the memory. Did Zoro bring them here on purpose, as part of his animal instincts, or was it a complete accident?
There was a group of people picnicking nearby, and as they passed by one of them broke away from the group and lunged at them, wrapping his arms around Zoro's neck as he shouted, "Sanji! Zoro! You made it!"
Sanji blinked down at Luffy, who was nuzzling the thick fur on Zoro's neck, "Made it, where?"
"To the picnic," he gestured behind him to where Sanji could now recognize the rest of their friends sitting, "Nami said not to bother inviting you because you wouldn't come out during the day, and Robin said Zoro was probably a wolf now 'cause the moon is up already, but you came anyway!"
"Yes, well," he glanced down at Zoro, wondering once again if this was pure instinct or if he was just that lucky, "If you don't want us intruding we could-"
"Of course we want you!" Luffy pulled away from Zoro and grabbed his wrist, all but dragging him towards the others, "Didn't you hear what I said? We wanted you guys to come, we just weren't sure if you could. But now that we know you can, you have to."
"Uh," he adjusted his hat, making sure the sun was completely blocked as they approached the others, "Sure."
As if Luffy was giving him a choice.
Not that he was complaining. He was surprisingly delighted to spend the afternoon with his friends.
Robin and Franky were seated next to each other, taking sips from the same lemonade, while Usopp dug through his bag and Nami pulled out a couple of drinks from a cooler. They all looked up as they approached, with varying degrees of shock and delight on their faces.
"Sanji," Nami blinked at him, "What are you doing out?"
"Well," he gestured with the leash, "I can't keep him cooped up in the apartment all day."
"Yeah, right, but uh," Usopp glanced around nervously, "Are you gonna be okay with the, you know," he dropped his voice to a whisper, and leaned in like he was telling the biggest secret, "Sun."
Sanji glared at him, but he wasn't sure how effective it was through the sunglasses, "I can handle the sun."
"Are you sure?" he asked again, "Don't you burst into flames at even the slightest touch of sunlight?"
Nami smacked his head, "He's standing right here in broad daylight, so clearly he doesn't."
"It's fine," he waved off his concerns, "I burn easily and the sun bothers my eyes, but it won't kill me outright."
"But in all the movies-" Usopp started before Nami smacked a hand over his mouth.
"Which we know are completely fictional and are not to be taken as actual vampire lore," Nami insisted, only releasing Usopp once he started nodding along.
"I mean," Sanji shifted, feeling awkward intruding on their fun afternoon, "We can go if you want."
"Don't be silly," Robin scooted over a bit, making room for him in the shade, "We merely didn't want to subject you to the horrors of burning alive under an unforgiving sun. We're always glad for your company."
"Yeah," Franky shot him a thumbs up, "Super great to have you guys around, dude!"
"Yeah," Luffy bounced between him and Zoro as he pulled his phone out. He wrapped an arm around each of them and pulled them all together, holding his phone up as he said, "Hang out selfie!"
"Wait-" but the phone clicked before he could say anything.
Luffy pulled away with a laugh, quickly bringing up the picture they just took. It ended up being a decent shot of Luffy's face with Zoro looking surprisingly cute as he looked curiously at the phone, but the space Sanji occupied was empty, save for a floating sunhat and a wayward pair of sunglasses.
"I don't actually, uh," Sanji fidgeted as he explained, "appear in photos. Sorry."
"Just like the movies," Usopp whispered, giving Nami a pointed look.
Nami sighed and shoved him away.
"This is awesome," Luffy grinned as he typed something into his phone, "I'm sending it to you."
"You don't have to-"
"Already done," he said as he scrambled away from them and over to Usopp.
Sanji sighed, but he knew he would set the picture as his lock screen.
"The boys were just about to go play frisbee," Robin nodded towards the disc in Usopp's hand, "I'm sure Zoro would appreciate the exercise, if you want to rest here?"
"Oh," he glanced down at Zoro, who's tail had started wagging at the mention of playing, "Sure."
He unhooked the leash. Zoro barked and took off like a shot, Luffy laughing as he chased him through the open area.
"Okay," Usopp jumped to his feet and carefully aimed the frisbee before shouting, "Go long," and tossing it as far as he could.
The disc sailed through the air, arcing perfectly towards the pair of them. Luffy leapt up to catch it, but Zoro was just a hair quicker, snatching it out of his grasp and biting down hard.
Franky laughed as he stood up too, "You're probably gonna need a new frisbee after this."
"Yeah," Usopp sighed in disappointment, "Didn't really think that one through."
"We picked up some toys earlier," Sanji said as he handed them the bag, "You could toss him those instead. And I'll get you a new frisbee."
"It's fine," Usopp waved him off as he took the bag, "It was like two dollars. Don't worry about it."
Sanji nodded as he and Franky ran after Zoro and Luffy with the bag, already calculating just how many frisbees he could buy Usopp before it got weird.
Sighing, he sat down in the shade next to Robin, grateful to be out of the accursed sun. He hadn't lied when he said the sun wouldn't kill him, but it was difficult for him to be out in it for so long. He rubbed his temples, already feeling a headache coming on, and Nami handed him an ice cold bottle of water.
"Thank you," he smiled at her as he took it, taking long grateful sips.
"Are you sure you're okay out here?" Nami asked as she settled down again, "You don't have to push yourself."
"I'm fine, really," he nodded towards where Zoro was running after a large tennis ball, "He needs to get out and burn up the extra energy when he's a wolf, or else he'll destroy my couch." He shuddered, "Again."
"Do you find it odd?" Robin asked, "Having a roommate that is sometimes an animal?"
"Not really," he shrugged. Maybe most people would be a little weirded out having their roommate sometimes turn into a wolf, but Sanji had first met Zoro as a wolf. He knew what he was getting into from day one, and he couldn't imagine a Zoro that wasn't partially a wolf most of the time, "It's just who he is."
"If it were me, I'd probably treat him like a pet," Nami shrugged, "Even when he was human."
Sanji laughed, "He'd kick my ass if I tried."
And honestly, Sanji had no idea how to treat a pet. He'd never had one when he was human, and it was impractical to have one now that he wasn't. Treating Zoro as his roommate no matter what shape he was in was the only way he knew how.
Although - now that he was thinking about it - Sanji didn't have a lot of experience with roommates either. He had a very lonely existence before Zoro, and he hoped he wasn't doing anything to push him away. He didn't want to go back to that lonely life.
He blinked, startled at the realization. Vampires weren't social creatures for good reason, and he'd accepted the loneliness long ago as part of his due. But these past few months with Zoro and the others made him realize that he didn't have to be alone, that he could be a part of something and belong, and how good that could be.
"The collar is a nice touch," Robin said, nodding towards where Zoro was fighting with Luffy over a tennis ball.
"It's just for appearances," he was quick to explain, "Since people might worry about a giant green dog running around without an owner in the daytime."
"It does make him look like he's yours," Nami agreed, and Sanji almost spit out his drink at the implication.
"Well, that's half the point, I guess," he said in a panic, hating the possessive thrill that went through him at her words, "But I'll take it off as soon as I can, since I'm sure he doesn't want to wear it."
"If he didn't want to wear it, he wouldn't be wearing it," she reasoned with a shrug, "Besides, it looks good on him. He really should accessorize more."
Sanji glanced over at Zoro. He did look happy playing with the others, just a big goofy dog, and he didn't seem bothered by the collar. A part of him sung in contentment at the sight, at Zoro being his. Whether it was part of his vampiric or human nature he couldn't tell, but if Zoro was happy and he didn't mind, he saw no harm in indulging it a little.
They were all his, he realized. He wasn't out to turn them into his coven or anything sadistic like that, but he did want to keep them all in his own way for as long as he could, as long as they'd let him.
With that in mind, he settled back to watch his friends play around in the afternoon sun.
Zoro was happy. Moon was out. Sun was gone. Friends went home, but Sanji was still here. Sanji could still play.
"C'mon, you Marimo menace," Sanji said, "Let's head back."
Sanji took off his dark glasses, and Zoro saw his blue eyes. They were pretty eyes. Zoro liked Sanji's eyes. Zoro liked Sanji.
Zoro ran to Sanji. "Play some more?" He barked at him, "It's dark now, you can play too."
"How are you still so fucking energetic?" Sanji sighed, "You've been running around for hours, and you're still barking up a storm."
Sanji pet his head. Sanji scratched his head in the Good Spot. Zoro sat still and leaned his head into his hand. Zoro liked when Sanji pet him. Zoro liked Sanji.
Zoro was happy.
"Alright," Sanji said, "Let's go back and-"
Sanji paused, eyes narrow. Zoro heard it too. Zoro growled.
Wolves.
There was a group of wolves, like him. They were coming closer. Zoro stood between them and Sanji. They would not hurt Sanji. Zoro would hurt them first. Zoro would protect his alpha. Zoro would protect Sanji.
Sanji backed away, but there were more wolves. They had Zoro and Sanji surrounded.
Zoro growled at the wolves. A warning, "Leave us alone."
The leader growled back. He smelled familiar. He was the man from the other day with the seven.
Zoro growled, "Go away."
Seven growled back, "I warned you, Roronoa. This is our turf now."
The wolves circled them. Sanji lit a cigarette and watched them, "Friends of yours, Marimo?"
"No," Zoro growled.
Sanji understood. Sanji always understood, even when Zoro could not use words. Sanji got ready to fight.
"You should have left when I gave you the chance, Roronoa," Seven growled, "We have a low tolerance for lone wolves on our turf, and none for vamps."
"This is not your turf," Zoro growled back.
Seven laughed, "You think you can stop us? There's ten of us and one of you! You're all alone, Roronoa. Always have been, always will be."
Zoro snarled. Zoro was not alone. Zoro had Sanji.
Sanji put his hand on Zoro's head.
"We're more than enough to stop you," Zoro growled.
Seven laughed, "Are you really? Look at you," Seven nodded at Zoro's neck, "The great Demon of the East, the wolf who once slaughtered a hundred vamps in one night, collared and tamed, reduced to a mere pet for some pretty vampire."
The other wolves laughed. Zoro growled louder.
"Are you his bloodbag, Roronoa?" Seven started circling them, "Or his slut? Or both?" Seven leered at Sanji, "Or is he your slut? Is that how he tamed you, Roronoa? He spreads his legs for you whenever you want?"
Zoro was angry. He did not get to talk about Zoro like that. He did not get to look at Sanji like that.
Zoro would kill him.
"But don't worry," Seven continued, "We'll put him and you out of your misery soon."
Zoro bared his teeth, "Just try it."
Seven howled. The wolves attacked.
Zoro scratched and bit the wolves coming at him. Several went down, but some more attacked him back. Sanji kicked them away. Several more wolves lunged at Sanji.
Zoro got to them first. Zoro bit them until they bled and scratched at them until they went down and stayed down.
"Zoro!" Sanji shouted.
Zoro turned but was too late. Seven lunged at Sanji while he was distracted by Zoro. Seven's claws sunk into Sanji's side. Sanji started bleeding.
Zoro saw red.
Zoro growled, low and threatening. The wolves still standing backed down. Zoro bolted for Seven.
Sanji kicked Seven off. Seven lunged for him again, but Zoro got there first. Zoro bit into his neck and clamped down. Zoro tasted blood but he didn't let go.
Seven lashed out at Zoro. Seven's claws sank deep into his side. Zoro didn't let go.
The other wolves attacked Zoro's other side. Their claws left deep gashes too. Zoro didn't let go.
Zoro scratched at Seven's eyes. Seven howled a pained whine. Zoro didn't let go.
Zoro didn't let go until Seven stopped breathing. Then Zoro dropped him on the ground.
The other wolves stopped fighting. They cowered in fear as Zoro stood over their dead leader.
Zoro howled. Zoro made sure it echoed, made sure his message got through. This was Zoro's turf, his and Sanji's, and they were not welcome.
The wolves fled. They left their dead behind.
Zoro turned to Sanji. Sanji was clutching his side, but there was less blood than Zoro thought. Sanji was fine.
Sanji was okay.
Zoro collapsed to the ground. Zoro had lost more blood than he thought.
"Zoro!" Sanji was by his side, petting his head. Zoro liked when Sanji pet him. Zoro liked Sanji.
"Don't die on me you shitty wolf." Sanji sounded sad.
That made Zoro sad. Zoro did not want Sanji sad. Zoro was supposed to keep his alpha safe and happy. Zoro had to get up and make Sanji happy.
Zoro could not get up.
"Shit," Sanji said. There was blood on Sanji's hands. Zoro was worried, but realized it must be his blood, not Sanji's.
That was okay then.
Zoro was supposed to protect Sanji. Zoro could bleed as long as his alpha did not.
Sanji was safe, so Zoro had done good.
"There's so much shitty blood," Sanji was crying. Sanji shouldn't be crying. Sanji should be happy. Zoro had to make Sanji happy.
Zoro reached up and licked Sanji's tears. Sanji buried his face into Zoro's fur.
"Don't die on me," Sanji said again, "I'll get you help. Just stay alive, okay?"
Sanji had asked, so Zoro would. Zoro would do anything Sanji asked, anything his alpha asked. Zoro loved Sanji.
But, Zoro was sleepy. Zoro needed a quick nap.
Zoro closed his eyes.
It had been a quiet night at the vet clinic so far, which Dr. Chopper was grateful for. Quiet nights meant no one's pets were hit by a car, or accidentally fed chocolate, which overall was a very good thing, in his opinion.
It was just past midnight - he was dumping four packets of sugar into his third coffee of the evening - when the door to the clinic burst open, and in came a thin blond guy carrying what looked to be a giant green dog.
Chopper's eyes bulged as the man's eyes darted around. They eventually found him, and Chopper could see the frantic look in them, could tell how worried he was when he asked, "Are you the vet?"
"Y-yes!" Chopper cleared his throat as he straightened up. This may have been his first year running the clinic, but this was why he opened it. To help animals like this dog and bring comfort to people like this man.
He was a full fledged veterinarian now, he had to be more confident in himself.
"I am the vet, yes," Chopper jumped out of his chair and came around to the other side of the counter, "What's wrong?"
"He's hurt," the man shifted the dog, and Chopper could see large, deep gashes in his side, "Please, you have to help him!"
"Yes, of course," he hurried towards the operating room in the back, holding the door open so the man could follow, "Put him on the table there."
He did so immediately, glancing down at the dog and biting his lip with worry.
"What happened?" Chopper asked as he quickly washed his hands and put on gloves.
"We were attacked," he explained, a hitch in his voice as he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, "He, he protected me."
He looked over at him and noticed a gash in his side too. Chopper's eyes went wide as he sputtered out, "You need a doctor!"
"I'll be fine," the man snapped, a hand running through his hair as he glanced back at his dog, "Just help him! Please!"
Chopper slipped on his surgical mask and went over to the table to examine his patient. He tried to clock the breed with a quick look over - his initial thought had been a strangely colored husky or a wolfdog of some kind - but he was much bigger than the standards for any domesticated dog breed, and the missing eye and numerous old scars had him worried.
"What breed is he?" he asked as casually as he could.
The man stopped his frantic pacing and looked at him with wide eyes, "He's just, a dog. Just a normal dog. Does it matter?"
"Different breeds respond differently to different treatments. And uh," he opened the dog's mouth to show off the large, sharp teeth that no dog breed should have anymore, "He kinda looks like a wolf?"
The man flinched, but remained silent.
"I won't ask questions or call the authorities or anything," Chopper promised, "But if I'm going to help him, I need to know what I'm working with."
"He's," he clenched and unclenched his hands, but glanced down at the dog, face morphing into a look of sadness, and relented, "He's, a wolf."
He glanced back up at Chopper, looking pleading and desperate, "Can you help him? Please? I don't know where else to go."
Chopper looked back at the wolf. He'd opened this clinic with the expectation that he'd only be working with companion animals like cats and dogs, but he was always an overachiever, and was certified to handle exotic animals as well. Granted he'd been expecting the exotic animals to be more like lizards and birds and not wild wolves, but he did have the knowhow and knew he could do it.
And if he didn't help, who would?
"I can help him," he told him as he undid the wolf's collar and handed it to the man, "Just wait outside."
His eyes went wide as he clutched at the collar, clearly reluctant to leave his friend in such a state, "But-"
"You'll just be in the way in here," Chopper explained as he examined the wound. It was deep, but luckily it didn't look like anything vital was ruptured. Still, he needed to stop the bleeding soon or else he'd bleed out. He rushed around, grabbing everything he'd need to stitch him up and a few tranquilizers to keep him under.
As he injected the first tranquilizer, he looked up to see the man still standing there, staring forlornly at the wolf as he absently played with the collar.
Chopper had no idea how he'd come to have a wolf in his care, but it was clear that he cared about him very much.
"What's his name?" he asked, realizing he hadn't earlier. A misstep on his part, he'd have to try harder in the future.
"Zoro," the man blinked and looked at him, "And I'm Sanji."
"Ah," he blushed under his mask, wondering if Sanji thought it was rude he didn't ask, "I'm Tony Chopper."
"Yes, I saw the sign outside," Sanji glanced up at the clock, nervous suddenly, "Will you, uh, be done by sunrise?"
"I will be," he said as he turned back to his patient, "If you give me space to work."
"Right," he nodded and walked towards the door, glancing over his shoulder one last time to say, "I'll leave him to you then, Dr. Chopper."
Chopper's blush deepened at being called doctor as Sanji left, but he shook it off and turned back to Zoro.
Right now he had a patient to heal.
Zoro blinked awake slowly. His head felt fuzzy and floaty, and his side hurt in that weird way where he knew it should be in pain but he couldn't quite feel all of it. He was probably on pain meds or something.
He groaned and rubbed his temples, remembering the wolves and the fight and Sanji bleeding and-
He sat up as quick as he could, eye darting around the room for the vampire.
He had protected him, hadn't he? He hadn't failed again , right? Sanji should have been okay, Sanji should have been safe, Sanji-
A cool hand pressed against his chest, slowly pushing him back down. He went with it and was greeted by Sanji's face hovering just above his, blue eyes bright and full of concern.
He relaxed instantly.
"We need to find you some pants," Sanji said, his hand coming up to run gently through Zoro's hair, "Before the vet comes back."
The cool hand felt nice on his flushed skin, and he leaned into the touch. His head was still groggy, but he managed to say, "You brought me to the vet?"
"You were a fucking wolf," he murmered, his voice lacking its usual heat, "What the hell was I supposed to do?"
Zoro's eye slid closed as Sanji kept petting his hair, "Were you worried?"
Sanji's hand clenched suddenly, and Zoro's eye shot open. He saw the distressed look on his face and made to sit up again, "Sanji…"
His hand fell away from his head, instead tracing along the bandages on his sides.
"Yes," he hissed out between clenched teeth, hand pulling away and balling into a fist, "I was worried."
Sanji turned his heated glare towards him, "Why did you do that? You could have died!"
"I had to protect you," his head was swimming as he sat up fully.
"I can protect myself just fine," he snapped, crossing his arms.
"I know that," he shook his head, "But it's my job to protect my alpha." He held his head in his hands, "I already failed once. I was supposed to protect my first alpha, but I couldn't and she died." He clutched his hands in his hair, "I wasn't going to let that happen to you."
"You…think I'm your alpha?"
Zoro froze, not even daring to breathe. Shit, he wasn't supposed to let Sanji know that, know that he wanted him not just to be part of his pack but to lead it. He was supposed to be okay with whatever Sanji wanted to give him, not be selfish and ask for more than he could.
"Hey," cool finger knocked his own desperate hands away as Sanji cradled his face, lifting it so he had no choice but to look at him, "Is that true? Do you see me as your alpha? Are we your pack?"
Zoro scratched his blunt nails on the surface of the table he was lying on. His first instinct was to lie, to keep Sanj in his comfort zone so he can stay close to him. But the fierce intensity of Sanji's gaze made it impossible to say anything but the truth.
"Yes," he admitted, eyes darting away in shame, "I think that."
Sanji inhaled sharply, so he continued, "But it's fine if you don't, or if you don't want that. It's just a me thing, and I don't expect you to-"
"I want it," Sanji quickly cut him off, his sharp nails digging into Zoro's skin, clutching at him desperately, "I want to be part of your pack, to lead it. To be your alpha."
Zoro's heart beat hard in his chest, a blush spreading across his face as the corners of his mouth twitched upward, "Really?"
"Yes," he exhaled softly, his hands slowly falling from his face, "I like you - all of you - a lot, and I want to keep you around. But the only way I know how to do that is, well, making you my coven."
Zoro growled to show exactly how he felt about that idea, and Sanji nodded, "Yeah, I know. I don't want a coven. I don't want you guys to be my coven. I don't really know what I want, I'm just," he bit his lip and pulled fully away, cradling his arm close to him and looking far more vulnerable than he ever should, "I'm just tired of being lonely."
Zoro held back a whine as Sanji unfurled from himself and continued, "I don't know if I'll be a good pack member, but if you want-"
"I do want," he lay his hand on top of Sanji's, "I know I'm not a good pack member, but I do want you as a part of mine."
"Okay," Sanji threaded their fingers together as a smile slowly spread across his face, "We'll be a pack."
Zoro's heart fluttered in his chest, a happy warmth spreading through him at Sanji's words, and he knew that if he still had his tail it'd be wagging like crazy. Instead he squeezed Sanji's hand and said, "Okay."
"And I'm the alpha," Sanji smirked.
"Uh, no," Zoro scowled, "I never agreed to that."
"Too late, you already admitted it," he snickered and flicked his nose, making it scrunch, "I'm the alpha that you want to protect."
His scowl deepened, an embarrassed flushed spreading across his face, "That's not what I-"
He was interrupted by the door opening, and in walked a small man in a white coat with messy brown hair and a nametag reading 'Dr. Tony Chopper, DVM.' The vet, presumably.
And Zoro was suddenly aware that he was still very, very naked.
Dr. Chopper looked up from his clipboard and blinked, just as startled to see him.
His eyes darted back and forth between him and Sanji before finally asking, "Uh, where's the wolf?"
"Ah, yeah, see," Sanji rubbed the back of his head and chuckled nervously, "about that. So, funny story…"
Zoro leaned back as Sanji explained what happened to the wolf he'd brought in and why there was a naked man on his examination table instead to the awestruck vet. As Dr. Chopper's expression went from worry and confusion to excitement, he figured they'd just acquired a new pack member.
Which was fine. Sanji could expand their pack as much as he wanted.
Their pack. Just thinking it made him feel giddy, like he could do anything. Finally, after all these lonely years he had people to protect again, a place to belong.
Their pack may be weird and small, but it was theirs, and they would make it work.
He squeezed Sanji's hand, and to his delight Sanji squeezed back.
They would make it work together.