🖤 Emotions♟ | angst 💔 | Zosan 💚💛

21 | A light.

Sanji lit the cigarette between his lips and sighed. He lowered the lighter back onto his med-bed and lay down. He blew the smoke out of his throat and flinched when the burnt ends fluttered onto his face. The feeling of smoke in his lungs may have hurt his throat, but it still felt nice. He had missed the sensation of a good smoke for a long while, but he still had to hide the packet and lighter from Zoro. Zoro would be so pissed if he found out that Sanji was back smoking. I mean, a habit is a habit, and once you get into it, it's hard to get out.

The door handle turned and the door slowly opened. Sanji panicked and fumbled around to hide the cigarette and lighter back into the bedside table.

Shit!

Please don't be Zoro,

Please don't be Zoro!

Sanji wasn't quick enough to hide everything, and looked already suspicious enough. The person who stepped through the door was in fact- not Zoro. Sanji could tell by the sound of hooves colliding with the floor. Chopper entered the room and stood in the doorway while Sanji waited for him to say something. Chopper's expression turned serious when he saw that Sanji was trying to hide something from him.

"Hand it over Sanji, whatever it is, you're trying to hide it, so it's not good." Chopper walked closer to Sanji before holding out one of his hooves. Sanji shook his head, Chopper would probably tell Zoro about this, and that was the last thing he wanted.

"Come on, I won't be mad... well, I might be just a little mad but-," Sanji was staying right where he was with no intention of moving. Chopper sighed and patted Sanji's head softly.

"I promise I won't tell Zoro, now please hand it to me," Chopper said calmly. This made Sanji's barrier fall down, he slowly opened the drawer and put his hand around the lighter and cigarettes, trying to make his hand fold around both the items so Chopper wouldn't see them. The look on Sanji's face was purely guilt and regret, he went against Zoro and Chopper's rules, and they weren't going to be too happy about it.

Sanji avoided Chopper's eyes as he handed over his stuff, he didn't look happy after all.

"Sanji, what did I say about smoking! Do you want to heal or not? This is really damaging to your lungs and could injure your vocal chords even more! I though you knew better than this, Sanji..." Chopper said, looking at Sanji sternly while he fiddled with his thumbs in his lap. Sanji lip quivered, he didn't like being told off, specially by someone he loves, but he also didn't like crying. Because crying is weak.

"I'm throwing both of these away-," Chopper turned towards the end of the room and made his way to the bin, but Sanji panicked and gripped his top. Chopper turned his head to look back at Sanji, who was shaking his head violently. 

"I'm sorry Sanji but I've got to get rid of it, it's a safety hazard for you." Chopper said, not quite understanding what Sanji's intention was. But Chopper realised, it wasn't the cigarettes that Sanji was after,

It was the lighter.

Sanji was pointing at it, trying to show Chopper that he needed it back, but he didn't know what exactly Sanji needed a lighter for.

"Sanji, I can't let you near flames, you could hurt yourself." Chopper said, his grip on the lighter loosening, now that he thought it might have an importance to Sanji.

"Do you really need it?" Chopper asked, Sanji nodded without hesitation. Chopper raised an eyebrow, now wanting to know why Sanji wanted the lighter so much.

"Is the lighter... somewhat important to you?" Chopper asked as he handed it back to Sanji. He had already grabbed his logbook and written in it, he turned it round and chopper read it slowly.

The woman reminds me of my mother.

Chopper smiled and patted Sanji's knee.

"Well, it's best you keep it then, huh?"

...