His arms wrap around Sanji to pull him closer, while he runs his hand through his soft blond hair. This scene reminds him a bit of one that occurred a few months ago.


The whole crew was at the restaurant, eating and drinking in large quantities. Everyone was having fun until a head rested on his shoulder. Surprised, he looked at the clearly tipsy blond who had fallen asleep on him. Of course, this did not escape the witch.

"Aww ~ You two look cute like this..." She sang with a mischievous smile. The swordsman shot her a dark look and prepared to push the cook away, but he was stopped by Luffy, who had a broad smile and placed a finger on his lips.

"Shishishi, you should let him sleep. He looks tired, he probably hasn't slept much lately." He said, toning down his smile and looking a bit concerned. It was enough for the Marimo not to push the blond off his shoulder. Indeed, upon closer inspection, he could see dark circles that plagued his face.

"Hmmm, OK..." Luffy widened his smile before joining Usopp and Chopper in a grilled meat contest. The swordsman grabbed his beer for a sip while trying to ignore the blond leaning against him. He noticed Nami looking at him with a big smile, hand covering her mouth. "Shut up!" He grumbled, which made the redhead chuckle, but at least she didn't say anything more.

Then it was time for everyone to go home, but the problem was that no one knew the blond's address, which he had always kept intentionally vague. Now he understood why.

And of course, since he lived next to the restaurant, he ended up with a cook who couldn't walk straight.

"Shishishi! Watch out on the road!"

"You better not leave Sanji-kun in the gutter, or I'll double your debt!"

"Shut up, witch!" He growled, throwing an arm around the blond's waist to keep him from collapsing to the ground. "And you, could you walk on your own?" The cook shot him a dark look despite the alcohol coursing through his veins.

"Shut up, Marimo! I never asked for your help!" He grumbled, almost stumbling if his rival hadn't held him firmly.

"Yeah, right. You know damn well you can't handle alcohol, so why did you drink so much?"

"Shut up, it's none of your business." He muttered, trying not to fall again.

The path wasn't easy for the green-haired man, who had to tell the blond to be quiet so as not to wake the neighbors, especially in the hallway of his building.

He quickly opened the door and threw Sanji onto the couch, who let out a cry upon impact.

"Hey! Watch it! I'm not a sack of potatoes!"

"You should consider yourself lucky I didn't throw you on the floor!" Replied the homeowner, who hung up his jacket and took off his shoes. "And take off your shoes!" With a pout, the unwelcome guest complied before looking around. There wasn't much of interest in the living room, so he decided to explore the Marimo's apartment a bit.

Surprisingly, he managed to stay stable enough to reach the first door in the hallway. Opening it, he discovered a bedroom with a double bed, and notably, three swords hanging above the bed. Curious, he climbed onto the bed and ran his fingers over the first one, noticing its white sheath.

"Can I ask what you're doing here?" He startled and looked at his rival in the doorway, arms crossed and with a gaze alternating between annoyance and amusement. He had to admit, seeing the blond blush with embarrassment was quite amusing.

"Um... I..." Clearly, the alcohol had diminished his ability to respond. Wanting to tease him a bit more, Zoro headed toward his bed with a smirk. Sanji shot him a glare, pouting. "Mind telling me what's so funny?" The green-haired man climbed onto the bed and approached him like a predator closing in on its prey. The blond felt his face grow warmer as Zoro drew nearer, until he was standing right in front of him.

"You." The swordsman replied with a deep voice that sent an uncontrollable shiver through Sanji. If the blond was already red-faced before, now he was a full-blown tomato. With a whimper, he turned away, hiding his face in his hands, trying to conceal the turmoil building inside him—a turmoil he always hid whenever the green-haired man got too close.

"Don't say things like that." Seeing Sanji in this state amused the swordsman to no end. Wanting to revel a bit more in his rival's vulnerability, he grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to see his flushed face.

Sanji's blue eyes widened at the forced approach, too surprised to attempt to pull away. He immediately felt his body heat up and become hypersensitive to the touch of the other man's hands on him. His breathing quickened involuntarily as he swallowed hard, unable to control the rush of emotions, all while meeting the attentive, slightly mocking gaze of those emerald eyes.

This change didn't escape the swordsman, who finally realized his predicament. The sight of Sanji's face so close to his and those pleading blue eyes stirred strange sensations in his stomach and heart. But when those beautiful sapphire eyes glanced down at his lips and then back up, a warmth surged through his body. His breathing quickened slightly, and he felt a strong urge to bridge the gap between them. He wanted to capture those parted lips that seemed to call out to him. He wanted to touch that pearl-like, flushed skin. He wanted to hear Sanji moan for him.

His face leaned forward to satisfy this sudden urge, but a flash of clarity held him back at the last moment. Instead, he turned his head to rest it on the blond's shoulder. His arms wrapped tightly around the slender hips in an attempt to control himself.

He couldn't do this. Sanji was completely drunk and unaware of what he was doing. If he took advantage of this situation, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

"Marimo?" The whimpering voice so close to his ear made him shiver, but he held firm. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, savoring the gentle fragrance, he then pulled away.

"You're not in your right mind. Go sleep, I'll give you my bed." He moved away completely, preparing to leave the bed. But the blond grabbed his arm and quickly planted a kiss on his cheek. Zoro was taken aback by the gesture, looking at Sanji with wide eyes.

"Uh... Thanks." The cook murmured with a shyness too cute for the swordsman, who leaned in to gently kiss his forehead.

"Sleep, we'll talk about this tomorrow if you remember." Zoro said. Sanji nodded before slipping under the covers and grabbing one of the pillows, hugging it close. He buried his head in it, taking a deep breath that seemed to relax him.

The sight nearly drove Zoro mad, who managed to escape with some difficulty due to a little problem down south.

"Damn..." He took an ice-cold shower to relieve all the tension in his body, then collapsed on his couch, wondering what would happen the next day.

Unsurprisingly, the cook had forgotten everything about the night, but at least he had the decency to thank Zoro for his hospitality with breakfast.

Since then, the cook had always refrained from drinking too much, and the swordsman locked away the memory of the blushing and desirable Sanji in a corner of his mind, knowing he'd never see him like that again.


The sobs gradually subside, and an eerie silence settles in the room, broken only by a few sniffles and the continued flow of tears.

"Cook?" Zoro asks, gently stroking the silky hair under his fingers. "Are you ready to talk?" A few more sniffles respond, and he feels the blond bury his head deeper against him.

"Promise me first that... that you won't leave..." The uncertain voice hurts his heart. In response, he tightens his embrace and rests his head on top of the blond's.

"I promise I won't go anywhere." Sanji nods, trying to regain control of his voice so it doesn't break.

"As I said... There's a big client who requested to eat a human, but... he asked for someone special." He slowly lifts his head to look into the emerald eye watching him intently. "You..." Zoro feels something stir inside him, reminding him of what happened several months ago, but for now, he needs to stay focused.

"Me?" The blond nods.

"Yes... well, to be more exact, it's the King of Hell they requested."

"So this mission was a trap?"

"Yes..."

But something was missing from the story.

"But if it was a trap, why are you alone? Wouldn't it have been better to have a multitude of guards and other mercenaries to catch me?" Sanji tensed, trying to calm the anxiety rising in his throat.

"It's... it's my father... He... He..." He struggled to speak, starting to hyperventilate, but Zoro's reassuring gestures helped him maintain a minimum of calm and clarity. "He promised that if he couldn't have you, then... then it would be one of his sons who would take your place... and... I know he doesn't love me and has wanted to get rid of me for a long time, but never had the chance... I'm a burden and a disgrace to him... so... if I die by your hands... at least..." His voice broke and fresh tears flowed as this revelation hit the swordsman.

"You're telling me that if I kill you or if you fail, you'll be the one served as dinner?" The assassin cried out incredulously, pushing Sanji away to look him in the face. At this abrupt movement, the prince felt fear, fear of being rejected from those warm and reassuring arms that managed to calm and anchor him in reality. In a desperate gesture, he pressed himself against Zoro and began to tremble, fearing he would be pushed away again, rejected by the only person he could talk to that night.

The movement startled Zoro a bit before he realized what he had done and how the blond must have interpreted it.

"Shhh, calm down. I'm not going anywhere. Calm down, shhh, it's okay." His voice was calm and gentle as his arms enveloped the trembling body against him. "Don't be afraid. I'm here. I'll never leave you alone. We'll find a solution together. You won't die, I promise you." The blond head lifted to look at him with eyes that were completely red.

"It's impossible... I can't run away because they'll find me. I can't hide with someone because they'd be in danger. I can't fight them because they're stronger... I... I have no way out. And there's no way I'm letting you put yourself in danger because of me. You... you need to leave... They'll come for me in the morning..." He whimpered, closing his eyes. A warm hand rested on his cheek, wiping away the tears that continued to flow.

"Have you forgotten who I am? I'm the King of Hell. The best assassin in the country. They've never found me, and I intend to kill them one by one, right at your doorstep if I have to." They looked into each other's eyes, then Zoro moved closer to the face he had seen so many times in his unacknowledged dreams. "Do you trust me?" He whispered against Sanji's lips, who felt safe in his powerful arms and gentle gaze. His body warmed and his heart started to beat faster under the emerald gaze. His blue eyes swept over a face he had seen so many times angry or irritated, but now expressed so much gentleness and something he never thought would come from the Marimo, especially for him: tenderness.

"I trust you." He leaned in, closing the distance between them, a gap he had longed to bridge months ago during that unforgettable night he pretended to forget. The sensation of Zoro's lips on his made him moan, his body shivering as he wrapped his arms around his future lover's neck. Another shiver ran through him at the feeling of Zoro's hands on his hips. His body felt like it was on fire, yet at the same time, electric arcs coursed through him, making his muscles twitch in small spasms that elicited a growl of desire from Zoro.

For once, Sanji decided not to hide, lie, or think about tomorrow. He wanted to fully savor the warm, desirable body against him, just once, a first and last time.

His slender fingers tangled in green hair as he deepened the kiss, sensually tracing Zoro's lips to seek entry. Zoro granted him full access, and their bodies began to heat up more and more, moving in sync with each other.

They were going to make this night unforgettable, something they both had wanted for so long but had never had the courage to express. Tonight, there would be no hiding, no secrets; tonight would be magical.


Hello everyone, how are you?

Just a quick note for those of you who don't like lemon.

The next chapter is ONLY lemon, so feel free to skip to the next chapter if that's not your thing.

You've been warned!

Kisses!