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Sanji slipped. Sanji never slipped, especially not when he was fighting side by side with Zoro, whom he always seemed to get paired off with whenever there was some sort of “big bad” that they needed to fight, so the fact that he slipped and missed his target not only made Zoro a little pissed…it also made him a little worried.
“Oi, cook! Your footwork’s getting sloppy!” he shouted, expecting a snappy retort, but instead, Sanji just flicked his bangs out of his face and gave him a weak and tired smile.
“Sorry mosshead” he apologized. Alarm bells immediately went off in Zoro’s head as he narrowed his eyes at him.
“What is wrong with you?” he demanded. Sanji frowned.
“What do you mean?” he replied. Zoro motioned to him.
“You’re off” he stated. Sanji raised an eyebrow.
“Off?” he repeated. Zoro nodded.
“Yeah, off” he replied, making Sanji frown, just as another one of the many thugs they were fighting against ran up to him, causing him to glance over at them before he swiftly roundhouse kicked them in the head, sending them flying into a nearby wall.
“Does that look off to you, mosshead?” he inquired. Zoro huffed.
“Whatever” he grumbled before he turned and sliced another thug down. He didn’t want to be worried about the cook, he could honestly give two shits about him, but the fact that he gave him a weak smile instead of snapping of him and the fact that he slipped during a fight couldn’t help but make him feel…a little concerned. That’s all. Nothing more.
~*~*~*~*~*~
When the fight concluded, with them as the winners obviously, and they all headed back to the ship, Zoro opted to stay back and walk with Sanji instead of rushing off to join Luffy and the others, like he normally did. And it wasn’t because he was worried about the cook or anything, he just…was catching his breath. And keeping an eye on Sanji because the man was moving slower than normal and his breathing seemed more…labored than normal.
“You okay?” he asked casually. Sanji looked over at him with a small frown.
“What?” he replied. Zoro looked at him.
“I asked if you were okay. You’re moving slower than normal” he stated. Sanji was quiet before he quirked a smile.
“You worried about me, mosshead?” he inquired. Zoro scoffed.
“No, I just know that if we keep walking as slow as molasses, Nami might send a search party after us” he stated, making Sanji laugh weakly before he smiled.
“I’m fine, just feel a bit more winded than usual” he explained, making Zoro frown; Sanji was a good fighter, decent even, and while he knew everyone got winded or tired from fighting…he never saw that with Sanji. Just like him or Luffy, fighting never really seemed to wind him…it fueled him. Okay, maybe he didn’t like fighting as much as he and Luffy did, but he seem to enjoy it when they were fighting, so the fact that he was tired and practically hobbling along was weird.
“—head. Mosshead!” Sanji exclaimed, making him blink before he looked over at him and frowned.
“What?” he demanded. Sanji raised an eyebrow.
“Were you even listening to me? I asked you what I should make for lunch” he stated. Zoro was quiet before he huffed.
“I don’t care what you make, as long as there’s beer” he declared, making Sanji roll his eyes.
“Predictable” he grumbled before he looked at him.
“You shouldn’t be drinking on an empty stomach, especially not after a fight, so will you at least eat some rice balls or something?” he asked. Zoro sighed.
“Fine” he grumbled. Sanji smiled.
“Good” he replied before he reached out and patted him on the back, making him hum as they continued towards the ship. Once they arrived, Sanji turned and began to make for the kitchen when Zoro stopped and looked at him.
“Shouldn’t you go see Chopper?” he asked. Sanji turned to look at him.
“Why? I’m fine” he argued. Zoro frowned.
“Are you though?” he asked. Sanji rolled his eyes.
“Mosshead, I’m fine” he assured before he grinned.
“But since you’re so worried about me, I’ll go see him after I finish making lunch” he stated, causing Zoro to glare at him.
“I’m not worried about you” he snapped before he turned and headed off towards Chopper’s room while Sanji made his way towards the kitchen. When he arrived, he quickly stepped inside and closed the door behind him before he shut his eyes and let out a heavy sigh; damn that annoyingly observant mosshead. He was right, annoyingly enough…he felt off. Had been feeling off for a while. The problem was, he didn’t know what the “off” feeling was.
‘I must just be tired’ he thought to himself before he pushed himself off the door and made his way over to the cooler, pulling out everything that he would need to make lunch before he walked over to the island and pulled out his knife case, placing it aside before he got to work on making Zoro’s lunch first, since it was the easiest thing on the menu to prepare. Once he finished shaping the rice balls, he placed them on a plate and set them aside, placing a cold beer next to it before he reached out and rolled out his knife case, pulling out his yanagiba knife before he grabbed a hefty piece of salmon and began to slice it thin for sashimi. As he cut slice after slice, he noticed blackness beginning to creep in on the edge of his vision, causing him to quickly shake his head to clear it, only for his head to swim.
“Fuck” he hissed before he quickly put down his knife and clutched at his head as it began to throb, a sense of nausea coming over him as he sunk to his knees, clutching at the island like a lifeline.
“Get up. You’re fine…get up” he growled before he pushed himself to his feet, only for his knees to give out beneath him as he crashed to the floor and hit his head, everything going black.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, after finishing his checkup with Chopper, Zoro made his way back to his room when he heard the crash in the kitchen, making him look over at it with a small frown before he walked over and pushed open the door, stepping inside.
“Oi, cook, you making a mess in here or what?” he demanded, just as he noticed Sanji passed out on the floor, making him stare at him in shock for a good couple of seconds before he shook himself out of it and rushed over to him, kneeling beside him.
“Oi, cook. Cook!” he shouted, giving his shoulder a shake before he looked over his shoulder towards the door.
“CHOPPER! HELP! IT’S THE COOK!” he shouted, his shouts so loud that it not only brought Chopper, but Luffy, Vivi, Nami, and Usopp as well.
“Sanji?!” Nami exclaimed. Usopp looked at them in confusion.
“What happened?” he asked. Zoro shook his head.
“I don’t know, I just came in here because I heard a crash and I just…found him like this” he explained, just as Chopper walked over and looked Sanji over before he looked up at Zoro.
“I can’t really examine him like this…can you take him to his room?” he asked. Zoro nodded before he scooped Sanji into his arms, silently grateful that he worked out because the cook was surprisingly heavy.
‘He makes a better barbell than my own equipment’ he thought to himself as he carried Sanji to his room, carefully placing him down on his bed as Chopper hopped up and began to examine him, looking him over with a careful eye before he hummed.
“What is it, Chopper?” Nami asked from where she, Luffy, Vivi, and Usopp were standing by the door. Chopper looked over at them.
“Well…he’s sick” he answered. Usopp frowned.
“Like sick as in…when Nami was sick or like…Kaya sick?” he asked. Chopper frowned.
“Who’s Kaya?” he replied.
“A friend” Usopp answered. Chopper nodded slowly.
“Oh. Okay. Um…well, no, he’s not sick like Nami, but he is sick. As for what’s causing the illness, I can’t quite pinpoint it yet so I’m going to have to monitor him for a little while before I can diagnose it” he stated, making Zoro, Luffy, Nami, Vivi, and Usopp nod before Nami looked at the others.
“Why don’t we go finish the lunch Sanji started for us? It’ll at least keep our minds off of…things” she offered. Usopp nodded.
“Yeah…yeah that sounds like a good idea” he agreed before they turned and made to leave, only to pause and look back at Luffy and Zoro, who were still standing there.
“Luffy? Zoro? Are you coming?” Vivi asked. Luffy and Zoro, however, didn’t answer and instead just continued to stare at Sanji’s still form, making Vivi, Nami, and Usopp look at each other before Nami and Usopp walked over to them and took them by the arms, gently guiding them out of the bedroom and back to the kitchen to see if they could save the lunch Sanji was making for them.
“Well, it seems like he didn’t even really start” Nami mused, just as she noticed the finished plate of rice balls and beer set aside, making her raise an eyebrow.
“Oh…I guess he finished one meal” she mused before she looked over at Zoro and smirked.
“Looks like he has a favorite” she teased. Zoro frowned.
“What?” he asked. Nami reached over and picked up the beer and the plate of rice balls.
“Looks like Sanji made your lunch first” she stated before she held them out to him, Zoro staring at the food and drink for a moment before he reached out and took them from her, a small frown on his face.
“He didn’t have to make me anything” he murmured before he turned and walked over to the couch, making himself comfortable in his spot before he picked up one of the rice balls and began to nibble on it as the others started to work on their own lunch. As they continued to work, Vivi looked over at him and noticed he wasn’t really eating, causing her to frown before she slowly walked over and sat beside him.
“Not hungry?” she asked. Zoro glanced at her before he put down his rice ball and shook his head.
“Not really” he replied. Vivi nodded slowly.
“I understand. Your friend is sick and there’s really nothing you can do” she murmured before she laughed softly.
“You know, it’s funny, it’s almost like I had this same conversation with Sanji when Nami was sick” she mused, making Zoro look at her in surprise.
“Really?” he asked. Vivi nodded.
“Yeah…I remember finding him one night just holed up in the kitchen trying to figure out something for Nami to eat, since she wasn’t…he really seems to love cooking for you guys” she mused. Zoro huffed.
“I think he just likes cooking for Luffy, who’s has a black hole for a stomach” he muttered. Vivi laughed.
“Maybe…but he seems to enjoy it. I think he likes seeing your reactions…all of them” she stated, giving him a look. Zoro huffed and looked away as she smiled.
“I think he would be happy to know that you guys ate what he made for you while he was resting…I think that would make him feel a lot better” she murmured, making Zoro slowly look over at her.
“You think?” he asked. Vivi shrugged.
“I don’t know him as well as you guys do, but cooking seems to be really important to him. The least you could do is eat his food and let him know it was good” she stated before she pushed herself to her feet and walked back over to help Nami and Usopp with lunch, Zoro watching her walk away before he looked back at his remaining rice balls and reached out, picking one up just as the door to the kitchen opened and Chopper stepped inside.
“Hey Chopper. How’s Sanji?” Usopp asked, making everyone look over at the young doctor as Zoro frowned.
“What’s wrong with him?” he demanded. All of them shot him a look as Chopper sighed.
“He’s sleep deprived” he answered. Nami frowned.
“Sleep deprived?” she repeated. Chopper nodded.
“Yeah” he replied, just as Luffy frowned.
“What does that mean?” he asked.
“It means that he’s not getting enough sleep every night. There are a lot of reasons why he hasn’t, but the bottom line is, he isn’t sleeping and probably hasn’t slept for a long time…which is why he collapsed” Chopper explained before he looked at them.
“Did any of you notice anything…different about him over the past couple of days?” he inquired.
“I mean…he sounded tired whenever he would laugh at my jokes or whatever…but I never knew he wasn’t sleeping” Usopp murmured.
“He slipped during the fight today and missed his target…and he never misses” Zoro stated, making everyone look over at him just as Vivi looked at Chopper curiously.
“How do you treat sleep deprivation?” she asked. Chopper sighed.
“He just has to…sleep. There’s really nothing…medically I can do” he explained.
“Is there anything we can do for him?” Luffy asked. Chopper hummed.
“I think the best thing for him is to just…sit with him. Let him know you’re there” he stated, making everyone look at him for a moment before Luffy quickly turned and headed out of the kitchen, causing everyone to stare after him in surprise.
“Luffy!” Nami exclaimed, just as Zoro pushed himself to his feet.
“I’ll go talk to him” he assured before he quickly followed after his captain, only to find that he practically…disappeared.
“What the—” he started before he paused and turned, making his way towards Sanji’s room before he stepped inside to find Luffy sitting at Sanji’s bedside, tears in his eyes.
“Why didn’t he come to me? Why didn’t he tell me that he wasn’t sleeping?” he croaked. Zoro sighed.
“Because the cook’s a stubborn man and he probably didn’t want anyone to know that he has a weakness” he replied. Luffy looked over at him and shook his head.
“I wouldn’t judge him” he assured. Zoro nodded.
“I know that and he knows that…but if he didn’t tell us, he probably has his reasons” he stated. Luffy hummed, making Zoro look at him for a moment before he sighed softly.
“Nami and the others might be done with lunch…you should probably eat something” he stated. Luffy shook his head.
“I’m not hungry” he argued. Zoro huffed.
“You know the cook would scold you if you didn’t eat, right?” he asked. Luffy was quiet and glanced at Sanji’s sleeping form before he looked back at him.
“But Chopper said to sit with him” he argued. Zoro nodded.
“He did…and so I’ll sit with him until you’re done eating. How about that?” he offered. Luffy hummed and thought about it for a moment before he shook his head.
“I think I just want to sit with him for a while” he replied. Zoro nodded.
“Alright. Whatever you want” he agreed before he turned and headed out of the room towards the kitchen, stepping inside as Nami looked over at him.
“Did you talk to him?” she asked. Zoro nodded.
“He said he’s just going to sit with the cook for a while. I figured I’d just let him be” he replied. Nami nodded.
“Okay. Well, we finished making lunch, if you want any” she offered. Zoro shook his head.
“Nah, I’m pretty full. Thanks though” he thanked before he walked back over to the couch and sat down, letting out a heavy sigh. To be honest, seeing the cook laying there in his bed like that felt…wrong. He was so used to him either working on new dishes in the kitchen or laughing and cracking jokes with Luffy, Nami, and Usopp…or teasing him at every turn that to see him be so still just…didn’t sit right with him.
‘Damn cook better wake up soon’ he thought to himself as he grabbed his beer and took a swig, the bitter flavor a welcoming distraction. As he sat there, nursing his beer and wishing that Sanji would wake up already, he didn’t realize that Nami was walking over to him until there was a tap on the table before him, making him look up at her as she held out a plate of food.
“Give this to Luffy, will ya? He hasn’t eaten yet” she stated. Zoro frowned.
“Why don’t you give it to him?” he inquired. Nami huffed.
“Because I’m busy and you’re his first mate” she replied. Zoro sighed and pushed himself to his feet.
“Alright, fine” he agreed before he reached out and took the plate from her, heading out of the kitchen towards Sanji’s room.
~*~*~*~*~*~
When he arrived, he knocked on the door before he stepped inside and walked over to where Luffy was still sitting by Sanji’s bed, a solemn look on his face that did not belong there, in his opinion.
“Luffy” he called out, making Luffy look up at him as he held out the plate of food.
“You need to eat” he stated. Luffy grinned.
“Thanks” he thanked, quickly taking the plate from him before he began to scarf it down, Zoro watching him for a moment before he sighed.
“There’s more food in the kitchen and I know this won’t hold you…why don’t you just go and eat and I’ll stay here and watch him?” he offered. Luffy was quiet before he nodded and pushed himself to his feet, walking over to him before he patted him on the shoulder and headed out of the room, leaving him alone with Sanji. Once he was gone, Zoro looked at Sanji’s sleeping face for a moment before he huffed and sat down beside his bed, crossing his arms as he shut his eyes and rested his chin on his chest.
“Stupid cook” he grumbled before he drifted off to sleep, the sound of Sanji’s soft breathing in his ears.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Over the next couple of days, everyone took turns at keeping Sanji company at his bedside as he rested, with Usopp recounting perilous but overly exaggerated adventures, Nami telling him all about the geography of the Grand Line as she navigated them through it, Vivi telling him tales of Alabasta, Chopper checking on him while also recounting his time with Dr. Hiruluk, and Luffy telling him about the daily going-ons of the crew. Zoro, however, never really said anything when it was his turn to keep Sanji company. Instead, he just sat quietly at his side as he knew that while talking to a patient to let them know you were there was nice, silence was something a patient needed as well.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Then one evening, as Zoro was resting during his turn, Sanji slowly stirred before he cracked open an eye and looked over to see him at his bedside.
“Mosshead?” he croaked. At his nickname, Zoro opened his eyes and slowly lifted his head to look at him.
“You’re awake” he replied. Sanji nodded before he frowned.
“What happened?” he asked.
“You fainted” Zoro replied bluntly. Sanji’s eyes widened.
“What?” he breathed. Zoro huffed.
“You passed out in the kitchen. I’m the one who found you” he explained. Sanji nodded slowly before he laughed weakly.
“I must have made you all worry about me…sorry about that” he apologized before he slowly pushed himself up and made to slip out of bed when Zoro frowned.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” he demanded. Sanji looked at him in confusion.
“To make dinner? It’s almost time for it, isn’t it?” he asked. Zoro huffed.
“It’s way past dinner time” he replied. Sanji paused before he laughed weakly again.
“Ah. Well, guess I’ll start prepping for tomorrow then” he mused before he made to leave again when Zoro reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“You need to rest. You’re not better” he argued. Sanji frowned.
“What are you talking about? I feel fine” he assured before he smiled.
“Besides, what’s the point of having a chef on board if he’s not cooking for you, right?” he asked. Zoro frowned.
“Cook—” he started when Sanji shook his head.
“I don’t want Luffy to think he made a mistake bringing me onto this crew…I can’t be seen as the weak link, you know?” he continued. Zoro’s frown deepened.
“What?” he demanded. Sanji, however, just smiled and removed his hand from his shoulder before he made to slip out of bed when Zoro quickly pushed himself to his feet and grabbed him by the shoulders, making him look at him in surprise as he glared at him.
“For fucks sake, Sanji, stop” he growled. Sanji’s eyes widened.
“Zoro” he whispered as Zoro shook his head.
“No one sees you as a weak link. Not Luffy, not Nami, not Usopp, not Vivi, not Chopper, not me” he growled. Sanji huffed softly.
“I’m surprised you included yourself in the equation” he murmured, just as Zoro gave him a harsh shake.
“Because I don’t. Yes, maybe in the beginning I thought there was no point to you joining our crew but you proved me wrong. You belong here, Sanji. Not just as our cook but as a part of our crew” he declared, making Sanji’s eyes widen in shock before they began to fill with tears.
“Really?” he whispered. Zoro nodded as he released his shoulders.
“Yeah. Now will you lie back down? You’re still not better” he grumbled. Sanji chuckled.
“You’re such a mother hen” he teased before he laid back down as Zoro sat down beside him, a comfortable silence surrounding them before Sanji looked over at Zoro curiously.
“Have you been here the whole time?” he asked. Zoro hummed.
“More or less. We took turns” he explained. Sanji nodded slowly.
“I see” he murmured before he looked at him again.
“How long have I been a sleep for?” he inquired.
“A little over a week” Zoro answered. Sanji shot up in surprise.
“A week?!” he exclaimed. Zoro looked at him.
“Chopper said you were sleep deprived, which would explain why you were acting weird during the fight and why you collapsed in the kitchen that day” he explained, causing Sanji to look at him for a moment before he laid back down and stared up at the ceiling.
“Sorry” he apologized. Zoro frowned.
“For what?” he demanded. Sanji huffed.
“For making you see me at my lowest” he murmured. Zoro scoffed.
“So? You saw me at mine” he reminded. Sanji was quiet before he hummed and smiled slightly.
“True” he agreed. Silence then fell over them again before Sanji looked over at Zoro and smiled.
“Hey mosshead” he called out, making Zoro look at him.
“What?” he demanded. Sanji motioned him over.
“Come here” he whispered. Zoro frowned but did what he was told and took a step towards him, just as he reached out and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, making his eyes widen in surprise as he pulled him down and pecked him on the nose.
“What the hell was that?” he demanded as he pulled away. Sanji laughed.
“A kiss” he replied. Zoro huffed.
“Why?” he demanded. Sanji smiled.
“Felt like it” he replied before he removed his hand from his shirt and gently grasped his wrist, giving it a tug.
“Join me” he insisted. Zoro frowned.
“Why?” he asked. Sanji smiled.
“Because the bed is more comfortable then just sitting there” he replied. Zoro was quiet before he sighed softly and removed his swords from around his waist, placing them aside before he gave him a gentle shove.
“Scoot over” he murmured. Sanji smiled and nodded before he scooted over and allowed Zoro to climb into bed with him, neither man saying anything before Zoro took a deep breath.
“You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to…but I’m here to listen if you do” he murmured, making Sanji look at him before he looked away, silence falling over them again before he sighed heavily.
“When uh…when Nami got sick…it…it reminded me of my mom, who was really sick when I was little and it uh…it brought back memories that I would have rather not remembered” he murmured, making Zoro look at him for a moment before he hummed softly.
“Did you have nightmares?” he asked gently. Sanji nodded.
“Yeah” he croaked before he shook his head.
“They would get so bad…that it was just easier to stay awake” he whispered. Zoro frowned.
“So…you haven’t been sleeping since…the time Nami got sick?” he asked. Sanji hummed.
“I dozed, here and there, but even then…just shutting my eyes…” he started before he shook his head.
“Like I said, it’s just easier to stay awake” he declared. Zoro’s frowned deepened.
“That’s not healthy, you know” he chided. Sanji scoffed.
“I’m well aware, mosshead, thank you. But what else was I supposed to do?” he demanded. Zoro huffed.
“You could have talked to somebody. You could have talked to me” he argued. Sanji scoffed again.
“Yeah right. You would have just made fun of me for it” he grumbled. Zoro was quiet before he shook his head.
“No…I wouldn’t have. I get nightmares too” he admitted, making Sanji look at him in surprise before realization dawned on him.
“Your fight with Mihawk” he murmured. Zoro nodded.
“Yeah” he agreed before he paused, wondering if he should tell him or not, before he huffed internally.
‘Fuck it’ he thought to himself. They were already sharing some pretty…deep, personal stuff…might as well tell him.
“Or Kuina” he continued. Sanji frowned.
“Who?” he asked. Zoro was quiet before he let out a shuddering breath.
“My friend…my only friend. She’s the one I made the promise with that one of us would become the world’s greatest swordsman. And she…died. There was an accident and…” he started before he bit his lip, refusing to cry. He had never told anyone about Kuina before, so the fact that he was admitting all of this to Sanji meant that he had to trust him…just a little. He then took a deep breath.
“And while I know it was an accident, sometimes I dream that during the last duel that we ever had, I…won…and dealt the killing blow. Or sometimes I’d dream that instead of her father finding her…I found her. Which is why when I found you on the ground in the kitchen…it was like my worst nightmare came true” he croaked, causing Sanji to look at him in horror before he reached out and pulled him against him, hugging him tightly.
“Oh mosshead. I’m so sorry” he whispered. They then stayed like that for a while, both of them clutching each other tightly, before Zoro let out a self-deprecating laugh.
“See? You’re not the only one who gets nightmares” he declared, just as Sanji frowned.
“Zoro. That’s not funny” he chided. Zoro was quiet before he huffed.
“Yeah…it’s not. Sorry” he murmured. Silence then fell over them again before Zoro took a deep breath and clutched at Sanji’s shirt, clutching it so tightly in fact that Sanji thought he was going to rip it.
“Hey. Talk to me. When it gets bad. I’ll listen” he promised, making Sanji pause for a moment before he rested his chin on his head and hummed.
“And what if I don’t want to talk?” he mused.
“Then I’ll just sit with you, if that’s what you need” Zoro replied, making Sanji smile as he pulled him close and buried his face in his hair.
“Thank you” he murmured. Zoro hummed before he cleared his throat and pinched him in the side.
“Now go back to sleep, you still need to rest” he ordered. Sanji chuckled fondly.
“Alright” he replied before he relaxed into the bed, Zoro relaxing beside him just as he gave him a gentle squeeze.
“Hey Zoro?” he started.
“What?” Zoro grumbled.
“Thank you. For telling me” Sanji thanked. “About Kuina” went unsaid, but Zoro knew. He always knew, surprisingly, what Sanji meant, whether it was through a look or through things unsaid. He always knew.
“Thanks for listening” he mumbled. Sanji smiled slightly as he pulled him closer.
“I’ll always listen” he replied before he shut his eyes and drifted off, Zoro soon following after him, both of them wrapped in each other’s embrace.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning, when Zoro woke up, he found himself alone in bed, making him frown slightly before his eyes widened and he quickly shot out of bed, grabbing his swords on the way before he stepped out of the room and made his way to the kitchen, as that was the only place he could think of where Sanji would be. When he arrived, he stepped inside, only to pause at the sight of Sanji standing at the stove and humming a melody he didn’t recognize, a small, content smile on his face. As he stood there, watching Sanji cook as the sun’s morning rays streamed through the window and cascaded over his face, Zoro couldn’t help but smile slightly as warmth bloomed in his chest. This was where Sanji belonged. Here, in the kitchen, happily cooking away, not lying in some bed looking like a corpse. As he continued to stand there and watch, Sanji glanced over at him before he smirked and turned back to the dish he was working on.
“You’re up early” he teased. Zoro huffed as he walked over and leaned up against the island.
“Yeah, because you weren’t in bed. Shouldn’t you still be resting?” he inquired. Sanji huffed.
“If I stayed in that bed any longer, mosshead, I’d be getting bedsores. Besides, I feel better…better than I have in a long time” he murmured, making Zoro hum softly before he placed his hands on the edge of the island and pushed himself up onto it, making Sanji turn to look at him with wide eyes.
“Oi, no mossheads on the counter!” he exclaimed. Zoro smirked.
“Make me get off then” he replied. Sanji raised an eyebrow.
“You think I won’t?” he asked. Zoro grinned and leaned forward.
“I’d like to see you try” he purred. Sanji was quiet before he walked over and stood before him, both men looking each other in the eyes before Sanji kissed Zoro on the nose and turned back to his cooking.
“Just don’t get in my way, understand?” he instructed. Zoro blinked, stunned by the kiss, before he leaned back and hummed.
“Fine” he agreed. He then sat there quietly and watched as Sanji worked his magic, turning simple ingredients into something truly befitting of a chef who worked in a fine-dining restaurant, just as Sanji turned around and held out a plate of fried rice to him.
“Here” he offered. Zoro frowned.
“What’s this?” he asked as he took it from him. Sanji huffed.
“Breakfast. You can’t just survive on beer and rice balls alone, you know” he teased. Zoro huffed before he picked up his spoon and took a bite, letting out a soft hum.
“It’s good” he murmured, making Sanji perk up like an excited golden retriever hearing his favorite word.
“Yeah?” he asked. Zoro nodded.
“Mm. Missed your cooking” he admitted before he took another bite, causing Sanji to look at him as if he hung the moon and stars just as Luffy and the others stepped into the kitchen, lured in by the smell of something delicious.
“SANJI!” Luffy exclaimed before he ran over to him and threw his arms around him, hugging him in the tightest bearhug known to man. Sanji laughed and patted his head fondly.
“Hey” he replied, just as Vivi, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper ran over to him as well, all of them throwing their arms around him.
“You’re back!” Chopper wailed from where he clung to Sanji’s leg, making Sanji laugh softly.
“I never left…I just took a nap” he teased, making Usopp shoot him a glare.
“Yeah…a long one” he grumbled. Sanji laughed again before he sighed.
“Sorry for making you all worry. I promise it won’t happen again” he assured. Nami pointed a finger at him.
“It better not” she warned, making him smile.
“Of course” he promised before he glanced over at Zoro, who nodded slightly, and smiled a little wider before he gently pulled away and clapped his hands together.
“Who’s ready for some breakfast?” he inquired. Luffy’s hand immediately shot into the air.
“ME!” he exclaimed. Sanji rolled his eyes fondly.
“Of course you are” he murmured before he waved his hand.
“Alright, take your seats, I’ll bring you your food shortly” he stated, causing everyone to quickly let go of him before they made their way to their seats as Zoro slipped off the counter and made his way over to the couch, sitting down in his usual spot just as Sanji walked over and placed plates of fried rice in front of them.
“Enjoy!” he bid before he turned and made to head back to the stove to continue cooking when Luffy looked at him.
“Hey Sanji” he called out, making Sanji stop and turn to look at him.
“Hm?” he replied. Luffy smiled and motioned to the table.
“Come eat with us” he insisted. Sanji paused before he smiled and quickly grabbed a plate himself before he walked over and sat down beside Zoro, conversation soon erupting from everyone as they all began to eat.
“Oh my god, I’ve missed this” Nami declared as Vivi nodded.
“It’s so good, Sanji” she complimented. Sanji smiled.
“Thank you ladies” he thanked as Chopper looked at him.
“Are you feeling better?” he asked. Sanji looked back at him and nodded.
“I am” he replied before he looked at all of them and smiled.
“Thank you for watching over me” he thanked. Usopp nodded as he reached over and patted him on the shoulder.
“Of course, dude. You’re our friend. There’s no way we’d leave you alone” he declared, causing Sanji to look at him with teary eyes just as Zoro nudged him with his foot.
“So don’t faint on us again, got it?” he grumbled. Sanji laughed weakly and nodded.
“Got it” he replied before he wiped his eyes and motioned to the food.
“Eat, eat. It’ll get cold if you don’t and we don’t waste food on this ship” he declared, causing everyone to grin before they went back to eating, Sanji soon joining them. As they ate, they soon began to laugh and joke, just like before Sanji had collapsed, causing Zoro to smile slightly as laughter continued to fill the room. He missed this. He missed the laughter, missed having Sanji by his side, missed the way he just…lit up the room (though he would never outrightly tell him that), just…missed him. He then paused as realization hit him like a lightning strike. He missed…Sanji. Huh. He honestly never thought he would miss anyone other than Kuina. He then looked over at Sanji and stared at him for a moment before he smiled a little wider, just as Sanji looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.
“What?” he asked. Zoro shook his head.
“Nothing” he replied. Sanji rolled his eyes.
“Oh don’t give me that. What?” he demanded. Zoro shook his head again.
“It’s nothing, just…” he started before he fell silent, causing Sanji to tilt his head curiously.
“Just?” he repeated. Zoro was quiet and glanced around, just to make sure that everyone was off having their own conversations, before he looked back at him.
“Just missed you” he confessed. At his confession, Sanji’s eyes widened slightly before he smiled fondly and reached out, giving his ankle a squeeze.
“Missed you too, mosshead” he whispered before he removed his hand and turned his attention back to the others as Zoro leaned back against the cabinet that was beside the couch and smiled to himself as he watched his friends eat and laugh and joke with each other, Sanji’s thigh a comforting and grounding presence against his boot. It was nice to have him back. And while he knew it would probably take a while for him (for both of them, to be honest) to sleep without nightmares, he knew that Sanji knew that if it ever started to get bad that he, and the rest of the crew, would be there, by his side, to talk or to just sit and listen. Whatever he needed. They would be there. Always.