Swings

They'd been sniping and fighting with each other all morning as a cover. They knew the Sunny would reach an island in a few hours and the crew would be away and give them some alone time. It had been weeks since they'd been able to do it and relax.

Sanji and Zoro had a secret. One that the crew never could have guessed. One that even surprised them. They hadn't realized it until they lost Merry and gained Sunny months ago.

When they first stepped on board they were amazed like the entire crew by Franky's handiwork. His baby was a work of art and had everything the crew would need. The Straw Hats had raced all over the ship checking it out. Sanji had been unable to stop smiling after seeing his galley. He knew he would really be able to cook anything he wished and with the aquarium they would have fresh fish daily almost guaranteed. Zoro had been happy with the new crow's nest and gym. It would give him a place to go to get away and have a quiet moment for meditation or work out as much as he wanted without having an over protective fur ball of a doctor yelling at him. Or for that matter a fiery chef criticizing.

But both men had been drawn to two things on deck, one in particular. Neither could express how happy and childlike the things made them feel. It was simple a swing and a slide. Neither had much of a childhood. Sanji had been under his father's iron rule then felt the need to prove himself to the man who saved him. Zoro had been mostly on his own and once taken into the dojo had focused on training and beating Kuina.

It was easy to pass up such innocent joys before but with the swing and slide a constant sight it was harder. One day when the other crew members disembarked Sanji thought he was alone and walked over to the swing. He looked out checking that no one was around and sat down on it. He rocked his feet back and forth until he was swinging through the air. His hair sailing back and forth as his legs pumped sending him higher. He smiled then laughed and felt younger.

He felt he always had to put on a front so when he stopped swinging and saw Zoro he froze. He was mortified. If Luffy had seen he would laugh and join him playing but would in the end tell everyone. Usopp would be too afraid to utter a word of what he saw. Chopper and Franky would keep their mouths closed. His ladies seeing him would have been a disgrace but one he could live with but Zoro he knew the man wouldn't let him live it down. He would hold it over his head and taunt him. He was bowled over when Zoro looked at him sheepishly and said, "My turn."

After that they took turns on the swing and slide. The slide had become a place of contest to see who could go down it the fastest, or who could come up with the craziest way to come down it. When the crew returned it was business as usual. But the swing and slide called to them. It was a silent agreement never to talk about it.

Today they viewed it as an opportune time to play. It had been too long. There had been far too many stressors and not enough down time. Their game of fighting worked and as they docked Nami yelled at them that they had to stay on board while everyone else left. Sanji counted the crew members and once they were out of sight it was on.

Somehow they reverted back to little kids in the blink of an eye. Zoro propped his katana against the mast and started pushing Sanji for his chance to swing first. "I'm first!"

"No me!" Sanji yelled and he pushed and slapped at Zoro.

After a brief struggle Zoro sat in the swing with a smug smile on his face. "I bet I can swing higher than you."

"Prove it Marimo." Sanji laughed as Zoro pumped his legs and was soon high in the air. Sanji ended up winning that contest. Later it was who could jump the farthest and land on both feet. It was a close call but Zoro won.

They had been so caught up playing that day. Normally they would stop in time and no one would be the wiser. Today they were caught by a silent crew.

Nami had been trying to con a poor clothing business owner into a heavy discount when she didn't get it she drug the others back so they could all go out to dinner. She also wanted a bit of Sanji's cooing, just a bit to brighten her day.

What the crew saw had them all stunned for a moment. At some point Sanji and Zoro had tied their blankets around the necks to use as caps and were running around the ship going up the stairs and down the slide striking a heroic pose as they did. Once they noticed the others they stopped and turned beet red, shame and embarrassment running through them.

"Huh." Nami said as she handed belli over to Robin. Her money was on a romantic relationship. Robin had bet it was something innocent like playing.

Luffy whooped for joy and joined the fun. He launched Usopp and Chopper with them. Robin used her devil fruit powers to pull the captain, sniper and doctor's blankets out on deck where they were immediately used as a cape. The two men had no choice but to join in.

Zoro and Sanji's secret was out and after days of jokes life returned to normal with the exception that they could swing or slide whenever they wanted.