ZoSan: The Flower

Chapter 12 - Zoro

His cook blushed all the way to the tips of his ears as he touched the silky strands. He swore again that today couldn't be real. But the few dozen nail shaped bruises that were probably on his legs now kept denying the likelihood of it being a dream.

Sanji thought he was attractive. Mysterious. Dangerous. "I've always liked your hands."  The words echoed over and over in his brain, circling underneath his skin and sending shivers up his spine. The heat didn't seem to want to leave his face. He withdrew his hand from the blond locks and threw it over his eyes, just in case Sanji looked back at him.

Flower or no damn flower, Sanji was going to be the death of him, he just knew it. He also knew he really should actually sleep — he hadn't had a proper night's rest in about three weeks, since the flower had made laying down for prolonged periods more difficult.

He'd stuck his legs over the edge of the boat so he could stretch out better. But as tired as he was, sleep didn't come. Instead what came was thoughts of the crew. How mad were they going to be at him for leaving?

Luffy had understood. Well, eventually. It had taken several private conversations with both Zoro and Chopper to get the Captain's permission to leave, especially without a send-off banquet or something. Luffy had cried and hugged Zoro like the world was going to end when he'd realized what Zoro was asking, and it had almost made Zoro cry too. He knew how dear Luffy held his nakama. Knew that his captain still hurt from Ace's death and losing someone else would seem unbearable. Perhaps especially Zoro, the first person who'd joined his crew. But once Luffy understood that Zoro was only leaving to try to spare them all from the flower and subsequent spores that might burst through his chest, permission was, hesitantly and begrudgingly, granted.

Chopper had cried too, blaming himself for not finding a remedy that probably didn't even exist.. Zoro had told him that it wasn't his fault over and over before they landed at the island where they'd part ways. Chopper was probably as tired as Zoro at that point — he and Zoro had spent months looking for a remedy. He'd enlisted Zoro into his research when Zoro'd refused to let the young doctor tell anyone else, and they had often worked late into the night. Frankly Zoro would be quite happy not to see another medical text ever again. Or another gross medicinal concoction that he'd have to swallow.

But Usopp, Nami, Robin, Franky, Brook? How had they reacted to the news?

"Nami's gonna hit me for 'scaring her like that', isn't she?" Zoro said out loud, more to himself than to the blond in the front seat.

But Sanji answered anyways. "Probably. But Luffy's gonna hit me for taking the mini-Merry after you without permission, and I can tell you which is likely to hurt worse..." There was laughter in his voice, and just a hint of embarrassment.

That got a chuckle out of Zoro. "Well, Usopp and Luffy and Chopper are probably going to get tears and snot all over me, maybe Franky too, if I'm unlucky.... Wait." Sanji's words finally processed through Zoro's head. "Without permission?"

"... I mean, I got Franky's permission, in a sense, which means he's likely in trouble with the captain, too. What, you thought Luffy, our Luffy, went back on a promise? You know he doesn't do that lightly."

"... Why would you risk that?"

"Someone needed to knock some sense into you, moss-for-brains. And Luffy clearly hadn't done it properly."

"So you basically took off in a rage, stole the mini-Merry, and then drove it for, what, fourteen hours to find me?" Zoro asked, sitting back up as amusement bubbled inside him.

Sanji didn't look back, but Zoro could see that his ears were red again. "Yeah, pretty much."

Zoro finally started laughing again. "So we're both going to be in trouble with both Nami and Luffy. Me for leaving, you for leaving without permission and wasting supplies."

"Shit," Sanji swore low. "Hadn't thought about that. Nami-swan is gonna be pissed, isn't she."

"I promise to stay in the infirmary with you until you're healed, if that helps?" Zoro's laughter had settled into a comfortable chuckle.

"I'd rather have my beautiful Robin-chwan beside me than -" Sanji stopped himself awkwardly. "Sorry."

Zoro ignored the twinge in his chest that accompanied Sanji's incomplete statement in favor of putting a hand on the blond's shoulder. "It's fine. This is all... different." Sanji didn't respond, didn't move. Zoro cleared his throat to ask a question. "Do you actually mean it when you flirt with them?"