ZoSan: The Flower

Chapter 27 - Zoro

A/N: Today's chapter is dedicated to my newest recurring voter, @Raven_Kitsune! Thanks also to OsitoArandano for your continued love! Hope you all enjoy!

Zoro grinned as his cook's call rang across the ship.

"You heard that, right, Chopper?" Zoro asked, standing to abandon his mostly-finished task. He knew the doctor could get so lost in books and research that he drowned out the noise of the ship. Sure enough, the reindeer hadn't moved from the text he was reading, so Zoro tapped his shoulder. "C'mon, doc. It's lunchtime. Luffy'll eat all the food if we don't hurry."

But Chopper had fallen asleep sitting up, and must've been exhausted to not be responding. With a sympathetic chuckle, Zoro picked him up and placed him on the unoccupied bed, and set his book, open to the page Chopper had left it on, on the desk.

The delay made him again the last one to arrive in the galley, save for the sleeping doctor.

"Chopper fell asleep. Mind setting aside a plate for him?" Zoro asked, making eye contact with the cook, who was fending off Luffy from the trays of onigiri.

Sanji nodded, and with one last thwack of a serving spoon to Luffy's reaching fingers, quickly plated Chopper's serving and locked it in the fridge.

The meal was delicious, as usual, but it could not go by fast enough for Zoro, who very much wanted those minutes Sanji had promised. But as he ate (and gulped down the water that Chopper had ordered him to drink), he noticed that the cook's earlier happiness had faded again. He looked... distracted. Which on Sanji usually meant upset.

Is he regretting the kiss? Or did something happen? Zoro would get to the bottom of it later.

Well, if Sanji would let him.

But the New World had other plans for their afternoon, judging by the storm that whipped up about the time they finished lunch.

The waves crashed against the Sunny like Luffy in a fight. Whirlpools and cyclones formed and disappeared as the wind seemed to come from every direction at once. The devil fruit eaters aboard were ordered to tie ropes around themselves for easier retrieval. Luffy, of course, ignored that.

Nami gave order after order to keep them upright and steady during it, and as usual, the crew obeyed. They ran around the ship, tying and untying the lines as directed, furling and unfurling sails in various increments. Zoro had to drag his captain from the water not once but twice, which strained the wound under the bandages on his side. Well, he'd been wanting to get them off anyways.

Finally, after several hours, they made it through and the pounding rain, whipping wind, and rolling thunder tapered off.

They all collapsed onto the deck, panting and exhausted. Someone, Zoro suspected Luffy, started laughing that relieved, we-survived laugh, and it wasn't long before everyone joined in. Zoro let his head turn left, and found Sanji there, still drenched and laughing and catching his breath like the rest of them. And Zoro couldn't resist reaching for the cook's long slim fingers that were just barely in reach.

Sanji didn't push his hand away, but his smile faded some.

Ignoring the twinge caused by that reduced smile, Zoro declared exhaustedly, "Roll call to make sure we're all here. Captain?"

"Shishishi, still here!"

And who do you have to thank for that? Zoro thought sarcastically, moving on to the next name. "Nami?"

"Made it.... I oughtta check the tangerines... and make sure my maps are safe..." She made no effort to move.

"Usopp?"

"Someone remind me why I wanted to set out to sea again?" Usopp complained weakly. Zoro guessed with a chuckle that the churning ocean had caused some seasickness in the sniper. It had been close to causing it even in him.

"Robin?"

"Here, Zoro-kun."

"Chopper?"

Chopper sat up, untying his rope. "Yep, I'm here. Is anyone hurt?" There was a chorus of various forms of no, which was met with a sigh of relief from the reindeer.

"Franky?"

"SUPER!" Even from where he was he could see the cyborg's arms go up, a half-assed attempt at Franky's signature pose except from a laying down position.

"Brook and Sanji?" Of course Sanji was fine, Zoro could see him and hold his hand. But Sanji may not have wanted the crew to know that, so the blond was included in the verbal roll-call.

"Yohohoho!"

The fingers in his hand twitched. " 'Course I'm here, idiot. Like I'd be taken out by a storm."

Zoro sighed, relaxing. Family safe again. "Good. Then all present, Captain. And I'd like to recommend that next time we tell the power holders to fucking attach safety ropes to themselves, that you, Captain, do it, too. For all our sakes. Or I will sic Nami on you, no matter what it may cost me later."

Luffy just laughed and rolled over into a criss-crossed sitting position. "Nah. Don't wanna. It's no fun." A mixture of sighs and exasperated laughs sounded from his crew. "Sanji, can we have dinner yet?"

Sanji pulled his hand quickly out of Zoro's like it had never been there. "I'll see what I can do." He somehow managed to light a wet cigarette as he stood and sauntered to the kitchen.

Zoro felt a cough brewing and finally sat up, preparing to dig flowers out of his throat again. And the coughing fit came, rough and dry as usual, but the flower didn't.

Chopper appeared at his side, summoned by the sound of a patient's cough. "You okay?"

When Zoro got his breath back, he answered quietly, barely above a whisper, "No flowers."

Chopper looked confused for a minute, then his eyes widened when he realized what Zoro was saying. "How many have you coughed up today?" He lowered his voice accordingly, probably picking up that Zoro didn't want to tell the crew just yet.

"One, first thing this morning."

"So what, ten hours or so?"

Zoro nodded. He hadn't really even thought about it all day.

"That's great! It's improved so much!" The reindeer tackled Zoro with a hug, and Zoro laughed. "I'm moving up the next exam. This much progress in one day, we're checking it again tomorrow morning. So decide about the question I asked, okay?"

Oh yeah. That. "Okay. I'll have a decision by morning."

"Good. And how's your injury from earlier?"

"Sore. But doesn't seem to have opened." Zoro had spent enough time injured to be able to tell without a visual examination.

"Make sure you swap out the bandages and clean it as you dry off. You know how and I will check it tomorrow. That reminds me, I gotta check on Sanji, make sure there's no spores in him and get those times from yesterday. He managed to dodge me yesterday and all day today, so better get him while he's a captive audience." Chopper turned to trot away.

"Wait, Chopper."

The doctor paused obediently, humming an unspoken question.

"Don't, don't tell Cook about my improvement today. At least not yet. I wanna see the results tomorrow first. Don't want to get his hopes up." Zoro wasn't sure which hopes Sanji might get up; that Zoro would live or that the cook wouldn't have to keep trying to fall for the swordsman.

Chopper nodded his understanding. "But I have to tell Luffy, you know. You know how terrible he is at keeping secrets, especially good ones...."

Zoro nodded, hearing the unspoken message: Don't be surprised if Sanji finds out anyways. "Thanks, Chopper. You're the best."

"That doesn't make me happy, bastard!"

How he managed to do his happy dance while walking would always baffle Zoro.