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"I don't even give a shit, this crew can still function without you, go running away again as you like."
Sanji's eyes are now wide open. His mouth dry and his body stiffens at the sound of Zoro's voice. He knows he made some very reckless and stupid decision back in Whole Cake Island, but he never expect Zoro to be holding a grudge for this long. It's not like he didn't notice the swordman's cold behavior when he got back to the crew. Sanji had his reasons in Whole Cake and he was sure there was no need to explain himself into details, what mattered was he finally got back to his true family. But when he returned, Sanji didn't quite understand what suddenly happened between him and Zoro.
It was not like their usual banter. This time, it was rather more personal. Sanji felt the swordman's complicated emotions oozing through his gaze whenever the blonde is around. Well no shit, it wasn't his fault that Zoro's a shithead and didn't know how to express his feelings through words properly. If the swordman hated him now, fine. But the thought created an empty hole in Sanji's heart. He thought to himself, it isn't the first time someone hates him after all. He just didn't expect it to be someone he loves dearly and had been holding closest to his heart.
The Sunny rumbles, air filled with the smell of damp woods and seawater, with wind howling through the vessels, pans clashing against each other. Sanji didn't notice the unusual swing of the crew's ship because he was so tired of dealing with Zoro and also, his own trauma for the past few weeks. It may have been his breaking point. The blonde decided to walk straight out of the kitchen, away from a-certain-someone-presence.
Moments after Sanji stepped through the galley's door, something flew right into him with immeasurable speed. He didn't have the time to respond to the sudden threat. Next thing he knew, something was dripping down to his legs, hot and wet. The blonde then felt his body turned cold to the feeling of freeze running through his spine. His body itched everywhere. And then it was dark.
Thank God it was late and most of the crew were asleep. If there was someone else besides Sanji outside in the open, Chopper would have been devastated.
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Sanji blinks his eyes open. The smell of Chopper's infirmary and iron leaves him nauseous. He then brings his right arm to rub on his tired eyes, only to become aware of the greeny blob sitting right next to his bed. Zoro is sleeping, with one hand holding Sanji's. Tightly. The cook's eye are now wide open again, but this time, in disbelief. But since the injury on his head haven't quite settled yet, he let out a soft groan, accidentally wakes the swordman's up from his shallow sleep.
They stare at each other for a split second, Zoro then stands up from his chair, running hurriedly outside. Sanji hears the sound of the swordman screaming for Chopper, his voice almost crack, ringing across Sunny. Sanji has never seen Zoro so panick before. His eyes look tired and it looks like the swordman hasn't eat and drink properly too. Well, it's not his fault because the ship's cook has been unconscious for God knows how long now.
"No cooking, no smoking, and no standing up from this bed. You need to rest Sanji, seriously." - It takes a while for Chopper to finally finish with checking up on the blonde. Chopper looks whipped, as if he has been hit by a storm himself. Sanji nods quietly to the demand as he is just too tired to fight the doctor and well, based on Chopper's appearance, Sanji knows it must have been a serious matter this time. Of life and death maybe. He thank the little reindeer then proceeds to lay down on his back again.
The blonde only then, notices all his wounds. He has many scratches across his face, one very severe burn on the right of his torso. Something has definitely pierced into his body, and not to mention many small bandages here and there.
"What happened?" Sanji gear his eyes towards the other person who is now crossing his arms, back leaning to the infirmary's wall above the bed.
Zoro let out a soft breath, then proceeds to look straight at the cook's face.
"We ran into some weird ass typhoon and you got hit by ship's debris. You were out for two days" - Zoro grumbles.
"It happened out of nowhere and no one was able to predict it. They were all asleep and I found you after you got hit by another piece of wood, straight to your head, stupid cook. There are still woods and materials pinned to the walls and grounds outside, Franky and Usopp are working on that." Zoro then clutches his own hair in a irritated manner and try to look away from the blonde's piercing blue eyes.
Sanji notices the lip bite and if he is not hallucinating by all the medicines, Zoro's eyes where shimmering too.
"You almost died."
Sanji suddenly stops breathing. He now remembers all the emotions he had two days before. That night, when he thought Zoro hated him. Unable to let out a word, his mind is now running around all the theories he could have think of, wondering what could have gotten the swordman to be this messed up. Sanji looks down to the bandages on his hands, then he lifts his face up to meet Zoro's eyes one more time.
"I'm fine dumbass, and I'm sorry that you have to look after me." - Sanji's voice cracks, he tries to let out a bright smile, but it turned out looking so painful. Well, it's not his fault that his fragile heart is now breaking into trillion pieces, Sanji knows he is now facing the emotions that he hated the most in his entire fucking miserable life. Again, being hated and worthless. The blonde looks down again. He isn't going to look at Zoro anymore.
Out of all the people in this crew, Sanji just has to fall for the shitty swordman, his nemesis, his fighting partner. It pains him to see Zoro sacrificing his precious sleep and training hours to look after his worthless self. Sanji suddenly feels his eyes becoming watery. Something boils from inside his belly, his chest aches and he couldn't help but has to grip tightly to his shirt, trying his very best to not let a tear falls down.
But Sanji can't do this anymore. He has been hiding this feeling for so long. A human-being can do only this much. First it was a sniffle, then it was a sobs, then a big cry. The infirmary's drape is now darken with spots of tears and sniffles.
Zoro's eyes are now wide open. He stops in his place for a few seconds, then rushes to the cook's side, patting and stroking his back. Zoro bites his lower lip again and reaches his arms out to hug the trembling blonde. The swordman gritted his teeth, his eyes close tightly to hear the sound of the person that he is now holding so tight.
"I'm s...sorry, I...i didn't m...mean to be s...such a bother..." Sanji cries out his words.
The blonde keeps on wiping his watery eyes with his boney fingers. He now feels like the kid in the metal helmet, so small and useless. It just hurts to know that the person you love thinks of you as a burden. Sanji also doesn't understand why all his emotions just suddenly outbursts, it could have been because of all the trauma and memories from meeting his family again, he isn't going to deny it anymore, the experience did unlock some of his deepest darkest emotions. And a human who bottled up too many things in his heart will definitely break someday.
Zoro is still closing his eyes. He uses all his strength in those strong arms to keep the blonde from trembling too hard. Zoro doesn't know what to say. He keeps on stroking Sanji's blonde hair, trying to create some kind of physical comfort. Zoro then let out a heavy breath.
"You're not a bother cook. I'm sorry, I said some really stupid stuff before, I didn't mean it..." - the swordman grits his teeth.
"And stop crying, it hurts me seeing you like this..." Zoro hugs the blonde tighter, he can feel the trembles starting to soothe now. His brows relaxes as he felt a sudden urge to lift the blonde's head up, giving the other person a kiss on his eye. Sanji's body freeze at the sudden motion, his eyes once again, wide open in disbelief, he then mutters something under his breath.
"You don't hate me?" - Sanji asks, his blue eye shimmering, but this time, cover with a different kind of emotion.
"On the other side of the spectrum, I think I love you so much, I don't ever want you to leave me again. That shit made me uncomfortable for a while." - Zoro then kisses Sanji head. He let out a small huff and closes his eyes, letting himself buries his face into the blonde's hair.
"I didn't know what to say when you came back. I was still mad at you for leaving me, and then returned like nothing happened. But I have loved you for so long I couldn't just let everything back to where we were before, you know, rivals..."
"It makes me mad that I can't live without you..." - Zoro finally confesses.
They are now sitting face to face, the swordman drops his eyelids, eyes slowly running away from Sanji's gaze. In front of him, the cook is currently in a complete state of shock, his tummy fills with weird butterflies. Out of all the outcome he had expected, he never have expected this for his unrequited-love. He loves the person in front of him for so so long now, watching his back, trying to create any chances possible to feel their body collides, sacrificing himself to let the other live on with his dream and so many more he had done. He had live for the other, breath for the other, and exist for the other, just to one day being able to see the other man achieved his dream, while he just hope for a place to watch as a nakama. He never expected any of this to happen, for he thought no one is capable of loving someone like him, someone so broken on the inside.
Sanji feels like he can still cry more, but this time, he pulls Zoro in for a kiss, leaving the swordman dumbfounded by the declaration.
"And I love you so much that the idea of you hating me makes me want to die." - Sanji smile softly, he then jumps in for a tight hug and closes his eyes.
"You almost did though" - Zoro chuckles.
"Shut up". - Sanji groans, let out a small soft breath into the swordman's neck.