The Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 12

 Back in the infirmary, the cook was starting to notice he was no longer in the kitchen with Zoro and the girls but was now staring at the infirmary ceiling with the swordsman sitting by his side. He could feel the worry coming off of him and suddenly everything that happened had come flooding back to him. He instantly shot straight up in bed with a terrified look on his face. This caused the swordsman to quickly jump up and grab him in a strong embrace, trying to calm his partner down. As the cook felt the wait around him change he began to calm down and process things properly. This was about to be one hell of a conversation.

He slowly pulled away from his fiance's release and looked him in the eye as tears started to form on his own. He just wanted to get this talk over with but he couldn't seem to find the right words to start it. How do you even start a conversation like this? I mean it couldn't be that odd right? They were in the New World after all and almost anything is possible here. The swordsman wiped a tear from the cook's eyes before speaking "I don't know what your family did but no matter what you are still you. You could never be one of them". This reassured the cook as he began to speak. "I may not be a murderer but I am still one of my father's freak experiments," he said looking at the floor not wanting to face his lover head-on. "I don't care what you think but you are perfectly normal. I think so and so does the crew," said his lover. "No, you don't get it, I am not normal and before you say no one on this ship is normal this is different," he said with mild anger in his voice. This took the swordsman back a little not expecting the cook to snap back with such a response. The cook took a deep breath before apologizing. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to sound angry. There are some things you don't understand and that is partially my fault. I felt like if I didn't tell you everything about what happened then it would all just go away but I will never be able to escape it" he said slightly shaking. "I need to start at the beginning and tell you everything about my family this time just promise you will stay calm" Sannji said before grabbing Zoro's hand gripping it tightly. "Ok I promise" Zoro responded squeezing his lovers hand back for reassurance.

Zoro was stunned, to say the least. The cook had just finished telling him everything about his family and childhood and was now a sobbing mess. Zoro knew his family was evil and treated him horribly but nothing could have prepared him for just how obscene it all was. He had promised the cook that he would not get mad but the more he sat there holding him the more mad he got. He made a promise to himself that even if it killed him he would hunt those bastards down to the ends of the earth and kill every last one of them for what they had done. Well, all except his sister maybe. Unfortunately though after hearing everything he was still lost as to what this had to do with the girls but he was not going to push it and decided to let the cook settle back down before he would ask any questions. The cook looked up at his partner now somewhat composed. "You still don't understand where this is going do you," he asked now more annoyed than concerned. The swordsman just stayed silent while shaking his head no. The cook sighed. He loved Zoro but man was he stupid sometimes. "You said earlier in the kitchen that the girls looked so much like us for having been adopted. That can be possible sometimes but did you not realize anything else about them?" he asked causing the swordsman to think intently but still give another shake of his head of no in response as he was almost scared to say anything in fear of upsetting his lover even more. "They don't just look similar to us. Their personalities and interests are similar. Hell, Kuina even has the same damn eyebrows as me which is not something someone just has its a genetic trait." he stated matter of factly. The gears in the swordsman's head began to turn, just now starting to process what the cook was implying. His eyes went wide at first alarming the cook but then making him feel relieved as he now was starting to understand "Zoro I don't think the girls were adopted....." He began but then trailed off into silence as he remembered he may lose his lover now that they had uncovered the dark truth behind some of Judges' experiments. "So does that mean that...." the swordsman managed to silently get out. "Yes, and I can understand if you want me to leave and call off the wedding. I am almost positive the crew will want me gone after they find out." Sanji said answering his fiance's question while also tearing up again. "Zoro sat there in utter disbelief and shock but only partially because of the news. He was mainly shocked at what the cook said after confirming what he had insinuated. Why in the hell did he keep thinking this wou,d change anything? If anything the swordsman was even more excited and in love with the cook than before. How could he not see that there is no way the crew would kick him off of the ship for this he still felt like he needed him to know that they had a package deal just to reassure the blond.

The cook felt the swordsman's presence shift behind him as he was now, once again, engulfed in his lover's embrace. "Stop Saying that you will leave and that everyone will want you gone because that is the farthest thing from true and you know it hell if they do then they would lose me too because we are a package deal now and I am not going to leave because even if this is because of an experiment I still think your pretty fucking incredible." the swordsman stated. Sanji couldn't hold it back any longer and burst into tears as they both stood in the middle of the infirmary wrapped in each other's embrace as they both dreamed about the future that was sitting out on the deck waiting for them to return.