ZoSan: The Flower

Chapter 59 - Zoro

"A plant?" Zoro growled. Bonney was not exactly being forthcoming, and it was beginning to annoy him. He was far more interested in returning to Sanji's earlier comment about growing old together. But that was a conversation they could have after they fixed the current problem.

Bonney watched them warily, clearly distrustful. "It's a rare plant, idiot. Expensive. A hybrid only grown here, in a particular lab. And it's heavily guarded. If I can get even a few leaves of it, that damn doctor can synthesize a treatment for my friend who can't afford it otherwise!"

Sanji sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose like he had a headache. Zoro let their hands brush, just enough to get Sanji's attention, and Sanji looked up. Their eyes met, and a silent conversation was had, ending with them both agreeing that this was a bad idea, but probably the only way The Glutton would reverse her little trick. Zoro idly wondered if that power showed an accurate version of the aging and de-aging process. Would Sanji really still look so ... delicious... in forty-ish years?

"Where? And how 'heavily' guarded?" Zoro asked, turning back to the smirking girl.

She pulled out a building blueprint and a small light. "Patrolling troops of ten stationed here, here, and here, on two-hour watch rotations." She pointed at various spots on the paper. "Good fighters, too. Armed with guns and knives at least, maybe more. Outer walls are nearly thirty feet high before the barbed wire on top, and solid enough to withstand the entire box of dynamite I set off."

"Could be worse. How many attempts have you made?" Sanji asked, lighting a cigarette. "How much are they going to ramp up their security?"

"This'll be number five."

"They weren't all dynamite, were they?"

Bonney glared at Sanji. "Yeah, 'cause I'm an idiot who WANTS to end up in Impel Down. OF COURSE I tried to be stealthy first! They didn't even catch on until the dynamite! The vents are lined with mousetraps and steel fans and who knows what else every fifteen feet or less. There's no tunnels or anything underneath, I checked. The guard crew is small enough that they all know each other by name, and apparently none of the scientists or guards or anyone is interested in pretty women, so disguisin' myself as a guard or a whore to get in didn't work, either. I'm runnin' outta time and I'm outta options. Will y'help or not?" She had the beginnings of frustrated tears in her eyes by the time she finished, and Zoro knew that would seal the deal, at least for Sanji, who hated to see a woman cry. He braced himself to see the heart eyes and noodle dance, but it didn't come.

"Did you target us, specifically?" Zoro asked, filling the silence that had followed the question, giving Sanji time to process. "Or were we random passersby who got in your way and you just decided to use us when we caught you?"

"Let's just say ya wouldn'ta been my first choice for a team-up."

"We'll help," Sanji said, but almost resignedly. There was almost no enthusiasm in his voice, just determination, despite the fact that they were being asked to help an admittedly pretty woman."But, you have to revert one of us now, and give us three hours so we can replenish our supplies as planned and warn our crew to prepare to leave at a moment's notice."

Bonney grimaced. "Fine," her hand lit up pink. "Who goes first?"

"Him," Zoro answered, an almost-unnoticeably tiny smile on his face as he watched his blond. "I can be old for a little longer." Sanji was so particular about his appearance most of the time that this had to be killing him. No matter how good Zoro thought he looked.

"No." Sanji said firmly. "I've got a plan, and for it to work, you'll need to be yourself again. Being old will be a good disguise."

Bonney nodded, and reached that pink hand towards Zoro, but Sanji held up a hand. "Just a minute. I wanna kiss my boyfriend once while we're both like this, since I won't get the chance again for a while."

"Boyfriend?!" Bonney echoed.

But neither Zoro nor Sanji cared as their lips met for a minute, tongues intertwining lazily.

"Okay okay, that's enough old-person-make-out!" Bonney said as they separated for air. "Geez. Just my luck that I had to find a couple to work with!"

She touched her hand to Zoro's back, and within a minute or two he was taller and stronger again. He could feel his skin tightening all over, could feel a weakness in his right knee correct itself. It was the most bizarre feeling. He looked down at Sanji, who was now a good eight centimeters shorter than him, and that beautiful blue eye sparkled back at him for a second before turning back to Bonney, businesslike.

"Alright. Choose a rendezvous point. We'll meet there in three hours to discuss the plan."

Bonney listed a bar in a remote location that she was familiar with, and Sanji noted the directions.

"Fine. Bring those blueprints. We'll meet you there." Old or not, Sanji was hot when he was taking charge like that.

"How do I know you lovebirds'll keep your end of the deal?"

"Why do you think I only had you revert him? Trust me, I have no desire to be forty years older than my boyfriend." Sanji shook his head, like he was trying not to shudder at the thought. "I'm unofficially your hostage. I'll make sure you get some of this plant, and before I hand it over you'll revert me, too. More than that, our captain'd have our heads if we promised to help someone and then bailed. We'll be there."

Zoro smirked just a little at Sanji's exaggeration, knowing that really, Luffy would probably just give them that disappointed look. Which was really more of a threat than decapitation, but Bonney probably wouldn't understand that.

"Strawhat's that crazy, huh?"

"Crazy, perhaps, but not for this. He believes in keeping his word, and expects us to do the same," Zoro answered, backing Sanji up.

"Fine. Three hours, then. Be ready." Bonney ducked out of the alleyway with a pink glow surrounding her.

Sanji sighed out a puff of smoke. "Geez. Trouble always finds us, doesn't it?"

Zoro smirked and wrapped his arms around the cook, fingers going to play with that long hair that was just starting to gray. "Always has. Always will." He leaned in to kiss him, but Sanji pulled away.

"Not with this age difference, love."

"Why not? You're still you, whether you're 21 or 61. Still handsome and still the person I wanna kiss."

But Sanji shook his head again. "I don't want to kiss when I look like I could be your grandfather. I know mentally we're still the same age, so it shouldn't matter, but... it just makes me uncomfortable. Once I'm 'back', I'll kiss you as much as you need to make up for it, okay?"

Zoro pulled back. "Fine. Then I guess I'll have to wait until your 61st birthday to kiss the 61-year-old you again."

Sanji blushed at those words. "Come on, Marimo. Let's get the shopping done."

Zoro nodded, a little disappointed at how small the reaction was. He'd been hoping to find out if Sanji had been thinking much about 'growing old together', about a lifetime of being by each other's sides, but Sanji's reaction didn't give much away. He was going to have to actually ask directly, at this rate. But fine. They'd do what they came here to do, then help Bonney with her little heist, and then they could talk about the future.