ZoSan: The Flower

Chapter 33 - Zoro

A/N: Thanks again to my loyal voters, @Raven_Kitsune and @OsitoArandano.

Three stores in, and Zoro was saddled with five large bags, carefully balanced around him so that he didn't fall over. Sanji had three and a box and was currently negotiating with a salesman to fill another, showing negotiation skills that Nami would be proud of. But the bags were heavy and the day was warm and getting hotter.

And as much as Zoro enjoyed spending time with the blond... this was kinda miserable. Not only could he not hold the other's hand, but Sanji was barely paying attention to anything but his 'mission' — including Zoro. There hadn't even been a single weapons shop that Zoro could peek into along the way. They'd stopped for lunch at a quaint little food cart that Sanji had chosen, which Zoro had gladly paid for, but even as they'd eaten, Sanji was quiet and distracted again.

The only good thing about Sanji's distracted mood was that he'd only stopped them once to flirt with an attractive girl — a vendor in an open air market — and it hadn't lasted very long. Zoro wished he'd moved closer so he knew what was said and what Sanji had slipped into his jacket pocket at the end of the transaction. But he had been a distance behind the blond, since the crowded street hadn't had room for as many bags as Zoro'd been carrying. Well, at least now Sanji had finally finished his negotiations and was carefully balancing his fourth bag, which hopefully meant they could return to the ship.

"Oi, Cook. You've been quiet. What's wrong now? Did I mess up again?" Zoro asked as Sanji began leading the way back to the ship.

"No. Sorry. Just that same thing that's been nagging at me."

"The quitting thing? Or the one you aren't ready to talk about yet?"

"The latter."

Zoro groaned internally, but kept his expression neutral. He couldn't help Sanji if Sanji wouldn't let him. "When you're ready to talk about it, I'll be here. Or even if you never are. We've already proven that I'm hard to get rid of." He tried to smirk at the blond, but Sanji didn't even look at him

"It's not the before-talking-about-it that worries me." Sanji's words were so soft it may not have even counted as a whisper, and Zoro honestly wasn't sure how he'd even heard it. But he had, somehow.

He stopped in his tracks and waited until his cook turned back to look for him. "You're worried that it's big enough to make me not want to be with you anymore?" He asked, looking into that uncovered blue eye.

Sanji turned pale and looked away as he nodded, just one sharp dip of his chin.

Zoro gave an exaggerated sigh, even though the knowledge that Sanji wanted to be with him enough to worry made him a little happy. "You're lucky my hands are full, though I don't know if I want to hold you or fight you. Look at me, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once, so I want you to believe that I mean it."

Sanji swiveled his head back to Zoro as if it was a monumental effort of will.

Only once that blue eye met and held his did Zoro continue. "It's. Not. It's not possible for anything to affect the way I feel about you. No matter how big or how bad you think it is. I've said I'll back off if you don't want me, and I will, but I never said I'll stop loving you because I don't think that I ever could." Embarrassed by his own declaration, Zoro turned. "So if you get it, let's get home already."

"What if I turned evil, betrayed Luffy and the crew, and started killing indiscriminately?" Sanji asked, laughingly. He seemed to be enjoying Zoro's embarrassment. "And the Sunny's this way, marimo."

Zoro reversed directions and caught up to Sanji, face still red. "Then I'd assume there was some outside force in play. Coercion or hypnotism or some weird devil fruit user, because that wouldn't be you. So I'd figure out what was controlling you or imitating you and destroy it."

"What if -"

Zoro interrupted, "It doesn't matter what it is. I'll always feel the same."

It was nearly another two minutes of silent walking after that statement before either spoke again.

"But you can't promise that. Feelings change. People change." Sanji's tone had shifted away from joking. Now he sounded like he was trying to hide desperation with curiosity.

"Yeah. But however we change, whoever we become, whatever else happens, there will always be 'love' for you within me, even if it somehow becomes a different type of love. Because if I change so much that that gets lost, I won't be me anymore."

Another few minutes of silence as the Sunny came into sight.

"So, were you always such a romantic, or is that a new development?"

Sanji's remark caught Zoro so off-guard that he couldn't help but laugh. "Well, maybe I was, on some level," he answered once he caught his breath. "I dunno. I've always said what I believe to be true, at least. Most people don't ask the questions that lead to the 'romantic' stuff, though. So whether it's been there or not, you're the first one to see it."

"Hey. What do you want for your first meal after surgery?"

Zoro grimaced. "Chopper's insisting on a liquid diet for two entire days. Without alcohol, unfortunately. So once I'm able to eat... surprise me. Anything that's not simple broth will be welcome by that point." A thought occurred to Zoro. "Actually, make your own favorite meal!"

Sanji stopped in surprise. "Mine? Why?" He caught up easily in a few steps.

"You've made it a point to know all of our favorites and preferences and try to serve them occasionally. But I don't think you've ever told us yours. So make your favorites. And maybe let me help, if I can, so I can say I learned something new about you." Zoro knew he was grinning like an idiot at the thought. He didn't care.