ZoSan: The Flower

Chapter 49 - Zoro

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. Is he really swaying those hips as he walks away? It's like he wants me to jump his bones. I only hope he wasn't drunk enough to regret it in the morning.

It could no longer be said that Sanji didn't know what he did to Zoro, not when he did it so intentionally now. Zoro finished the rest of the open bottle, then threw himself back against the grass in blissful torment, trying to will away the erection... again.

Sanji loved him.

Sanji loved him!

He might not be using the words yet, but he'd implied it. Intentionally. Hadn't even corrected himself when Zoro had asked if he needed to. He'd flirted and opened up again and come after Zoro with some of his favorite things and had apologized so sweetly. He'd been thinking about having sex with him to the point where he'd freaked himself out about it.

Okay, so he maybe shouldn't be quite so happy about the last thing. But Zoro had been expecting to be kicked when he'd asked to still eat the rice on the blond's butt. Or at least be shoved away, called a pervert. It would've been a risky question even if they hadn't just made up. But Sanji had let him. Had enjoyed it, by the looks of things, even despite the embarrassment. And instead of kicking him at any point, Sanji had opened up afterward, which had been beautiful.

The last six days had been hell, but now it seemed they were back on track. He probably owed Franky for the advice. Making himself a little more scarce seemed to have worked. He also made a mental note to never tell the blond that that's what he'd been doing, because clearly Sanji had no clue how hard it was to avoid someone for six days when you lived on the same fairly small ship.

But seriously, how the hell was the blond so damn good at flirting? Sometimes Zoro just wanted to shut that mouth, but sometimes those words...

Oh damn. Sanji would probably be a dirty-talker in bed, wouldn't he? Fuck. Zoro was not going to be sleeping much tonight. He dragged himself up, chugged the last bottle of sake in one go, so fast he almost made himself dizzy, and climbed up into the crow's nest. Time to do push ups until his arms gave out. Or until he was called for breakfast. Whichever came first.

—-

He hit four thousand, three hundred and fifty before he heard Luffy making a ruckus about breakfast. It was still lower in quantity and with less weight than he'd been at three months before. He was making progress again, but he kind of missed his even six thousand count with an extra two hundred pounds on him. Still, he only had four more days to go, including today, according to the calendar page he'd made. Maybe as it got closer he could bend the rules a little more. Tired arms pushed his own weight off the floor once more as he got to his feet and headed down to the galley. If the rest of the crew was shocked to see the swordsman at breakfast for the first time in a week, none of them showed it.

Sanji grinned cheerfully at him as he passed out plates, then sat down next to him.

"Alright, who had bets on them making up inside a week?" Nami asked, grinning nearly as cheerfully. Usopp and Chopper got smiles on their faces, too, as Nami paid up. Actually, even those who weren't benefitting from the betting pool were smiling warmly.

"You guys really oughtta stop betting on us," Zoro said, squeezing the cook's hand under the table. "Or we might have to start sabotaging the betting pool."

"You wouldn't dare." Nami looked scandalized at the very thought.

"Don't be too sure about that, Nami-swan," Sanji laughed and took a bite before adding. "He can be quite devious."

"And I'll use it — and my swords — if I hear of any bets regarding our sex life, hear me, sea witch? That's private and you magpies will not be getting details for a long time. Damn betting pool better respect boundaries."

Sanji hit him lightly. "Hey, don't call her that!" He turned to Nami. "Sorry, Nami-swan, still working on his manners. But I second the rest of his statement. Don't make me sic him on you."

"What am I, a dog?"

"No, just a brutish mossheaded Demon."

"Wait, I'm confused," Usopp interrupted the banter, fending off a rubbery hand that stretched towards his plate, "Are you guys back together? Or just friends again? You're talking more like you did before this all started."

Zoro met Sanji's eye, silently asking for permission. Sanji nodded, and Zoro leaned in and kissed him tenderly. With a smile, he turned to Usopp. "Clear things up for you?"

"Clear enough. Are you official yet, then?" Usopp's smile was back.

"Not yet," Sanji answered.

Several voices groaned in disappointment, including Luffy's, though it was muffled by the food in his mouth.

"Why not?" Robin asked. "If you are willingly kissing in front of us, it seems like you'd both be in agreement to at least call it a relationship."

Sanji looked at him like, 'You started this.' And he was right. Zoro should've just kept quiet and let the crew wonder.

With a sigh, Zoro answered, "There's still things that we aren't quite on the same page on, and until those pages match a little more, we're not calling it official." He stopped the hand that reached towards his plate with a firm grip on the wrist. "Luffy, quit trying to steal my food. I'm hungry, dammit."

Luffy tried to pull his wrist back sheepishly, but Zoro kept his grip with a feral smirk until there was just enough tension. When he let go, it snapped back towards Luffy, so that he smacked himself in the face.

"Ow! Zoro hit me...." But Luffy found no sympathy in the chuckling faces of his crew.

"You hit yourself, ya damn food thief," Zoro said with a smile. He loved these moments, when it was just the crew, just his family, having a good time. No fights, save for little family squabbles over silly things like food. Maybe he ought to express it more.

"I know this is... uncharacteristically sappy of me... but, thank you, everyone, for supporting us as we figure it out. I know we came together because we all chose to support that idiot," he gestured to Luffy, who was now eyeing a tidbit left on Robin's plate, "but you are not just my friends, but my family now. And I've come to really... appreciate this crazy, goofy, mixed-up family. And I don't think I've apologized for leaving that day without a proper goodbye. I'm sorry I did it like that."

Sanji's fingers interlaced with his under the table, and when Zoro looked over at him, there was a soft look shining in that eye.

"We love you, too, Zoro!" Chopper declared happily. Nami and Robin both nodded. Usopp and Brook burst into tears simultaneously, with Usopp hugging Zoro from where he sat next to him.

Franky used a spoon to catapult a glob of oatmeal at Zoro, declaring "Your sappiness is ruining breakfast!" But he looked to be on the verge of tears, too.

Luffy's head darted forward and he caught the oatmeal mid-air, then returned to the rest of his body as if he'd never moved. "Shishishi, of course we're gonna support you, Zoro! A pirate crew is supposed to be like a family!"

And with that, they went back to eating, Straw Hat-style — that is to say, messily and without remorse.