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“But what am I supposed to do until it wears off? I can’t just go around telling the truth all the time. Lying’s my whole thing!”
Usopp’s plaintive wail echoes around the length of the deck, and Sanji bites down on a totally inappropriate urge to snicker. Schooling his expression into one that he hopes reflects the … gravity of the situation, as it were, he glances back at his crew mate, who’s now moved on to flapping his arms in agitation.
“It’s not that big a deal, bro,” Franky says, resting a hand on Usopp’s shoulder in what’s no doubt meant to be a comforting manner. It’d probably be more effective if it weren’t for the significant size difference between the two men, which sends Usopp staggering under the limb’s weight. “The nice lady swore it’d wear off in a few weeks.”
“Nice? You’re calling that miserable old hag nice ?!” Nami exclaims, her own words bouncing around the deck as she all but stamps her foot in a fit of temper. Sanji makes a mental note to whip up some of her favourite dishes to try and ease a bit of the strain she’s about to be facing. “Thanks to her, we can’t fucking lie!”
“You shouldn’t be going around lying to people all the time anyway, little sis.” Franky points out solemnly. He gives her a stern look, even going so far as to raise his sunglasses so she can see directly into his eyes. “It’s bad for relationships.”
“Oh, stuff a sock in it,” Nami barks, her face still beautiful despite the way it’s contorting with rage. “That’s easy enough for you to say, since you always blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. It’s not that simple for the rest of us.”
“Eh, maybe for you and Usopp,” Franky agrees, “but I actually think we’re about even when it comes to who got hit.” Jerking a thumb towards the remainder of the quartet who’d had a run in with the unusually powered devil fruit user, the cyborg grins. “The big guy doesn’t have much of a filter either.”
Zoro grunts from where he’s flopped in an ungainly sprawl with his back pressed up against the Sunny’s railing. “Beating around the bush takes too much effort,” he says flatly, without even bothering to crack his eye open. “I don’t have time for that shit.”
Sanji rolls his own eyes even though Zoro can’t see him. “That’s a funny way of saying that you’re too lazy not to be a blunt bastard, you mannerless oaf. Have some respect for poor Nami’s predicament. Just because you don’t care, doesn’t mean some people don’t have things they’d rather keep to themselves.”
A sliver of grey becomes visible as Zoro turns towards him and opens his eye slightly. “I have secrets,” he says, which is such a bizarre comment Sanji can’t help but blink.
“Oh yeah?” He asks, rallying as best as he’s able. “Like what?”
“Like -,” Zoro starts to say, and then his eye snaps all the way open, his face shifting into a horrified grimace as he honest to god slaps a hand over his mouth to stop whatever it is from coming out.
An awkward silence descends over the crew as they all stare at the beleaguered swordsman. Finally, it’s broken by the sound of Chopper clearing his throat.
“Zoro,” he says hesitantly, making his way through the crowd until he comes to a stop not far from the man’s elbow. “Were you about to answer Sanji’s question?”
Refusing to move his hand away from his mouth, Zoro nods.
“Okay. Were you about to answer it truthfully?”
Another nod.
Chopper rubs his front hoofs together nervously, before taking a deep breath. “Did you feel like you had a choice when it came to answering it?”
Zoro doesn’t respond right away, but after a few seconds have passed he shakes his head slowly back and forth, his meaning plain.
“Oh dear,” Chopper says worriedly, glancing up at the circle the rest of the crew have formed around them. “This might be a little more serious than we’d thought.”
*****
After a round of rigorous trial and error - IE asking a series of innocuous questions posed to each person who’d gotten hit by the so-called ‘truth spell’ - Chopper determines that not only do the affected parties have to tell the truth when speaking, they also have to answer any question when asked.
“Which is really bad,” the little doctor concludes in his report to the rest of the crew. Franky, Usopp, Nami and Zoro are currently elsewhere now that he’s done with them, safely sequestered away to allow them some breathing room. “Like, really bad.”
“I’m afraid I don’t quite see how,” Brook says, tapping a bony finger on the edge of his tea cup. Sanji had made himself busy preparing snacks while they’d waited for Chopper to finish his examination. “It doesn’t seem harmful, per se. I’d call it more annoying than anything else.”
“Yes, well, I suspect you’d be singing a different tune if you were in their place,” Chopper says. “The effects aren’t physically harmful, no, but there’s huge potential for a mental and emotional toll.”
“They can’t lie and they have to answer any question put to them,” he reiterates. “Any enemy could use that against them if we run into trouble, to say nothing of the potential invasions of their privacy. We all saw what happened to Zoro. How would you feel if someone asked you a question you desperately didn’t want to answer, but you had no choice?”
“I see your point,” Brook says solemnly. He fiddles with the handle of his cup, his expression grim despite his lack of facial features. “Those are troubling notions indeed.”
“Exactly,” Chopper says with a nod. Turning to Luffy, he fixes the captain with a thousand yard stare. “We need to quarantine them on the ship until this wears off. For their own protection. At least that way we can minimize the potential for damage.”
Luffy scratches absently at the side of his nose and then shrugs. “If that’s what you think is best,” he says, “but Zoro isn’t going to like it.”
Why he’s singling out the swordsman in particular, Sanji has no idea, but the mere mention of the other man’s name is enough to make him flinch. He’s been trying to get the look in Zoro’s eye out of his mind ever since he’d asked him what his secret was, and so far he’s been entirely unsuccessful.
He and Zoro don’t have the kind of relationship where they’re soft with each other, and things have been more strained than usual since Whole Cake Island. They’ve barely spoken since his return - partly due to the whirlwind that was Wano, but also partly not - and Sanji doubts this latest faux pas of his will help matters. As unusual as it may be for them, he thinks he needs to apologize.
It’s that thought that keeps him from lingering in the galley once their impromptu meeting has broken up. Despite it being his usual place of refuge, he’s well aware that Zoro’s unlikely to darken his doorstep anytime soon. Therefore, it’s up to him to make the initial move.
He checks the crow’s nest first because that’s Zoro’s space as much as the galley is Sanji’s, and sure enough the swordsman is sitting on the floor under one of the windows with his legs crossed and his hands folded in his lap. A steel grey eye cracks open as Sanji comes through the trap door, and then immediately looks away when Zoro sees who it is.
The reaction further cements Sanji’s belief that he’s overstepped, so he holds up the bottle of sake he’s brought as a peace offering. The way to most of the crew’s hearts is through their stomachs, and Zoro is no exception, even if his does tend to take a detour via his liver.
“Hey,” Sanji says, awkwardly clearing his throat when Zoro gives the bottle a wary look. “Brought you a drink.”
“Thanks,” Zoro says after a short moment of silence. “You can leave it by the door.”
“Are you sure?” Sanji asks, remembering too late that Zoro’s got no choice but to truthfully answer the question.
“No, but I really want you to leave.” Zoro replies, hacking out the last words in a manner that’s very clearly against his will. “Shit! Damnit, cook, stop asking me things!”
“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” he adds, punching the floor beneath him in frustration when his mouth won’t stop moving. “I meant - ”
“It’s okay,” Sanji says, taking pity on him. He’s not sure how well cutting off anyone affected by the spell will work, but it’s worth a try. “You’re good to stop talking, I swear.”
Zoro huffs out a quiet noise, nodding his head gratefully when the command seems to be enough to stop the flow of words. “You really can leave the booze by the door, though. I’ll drink it when I’m done trying to meditate.”
“Fair enough,” Sanji agrees, setting the bottle down by his feet. Once that’s done, he fists his hands in his pockets, scuffing the toe of one shoe along the floor. “There was one thing before I go, though. I, uh, wanted to apologize.”
“For what?” Zoro asks, tilting his head curiously to the side.
Sanji waves a hand expansively, as if to encompass the whole situation the crew now finds themselves in. “For the whole, asking you about your secret thing,” he says, ashamed. “I didn’t realize you’d be compelled to answer. So. Sorry about that. It won’t happen again.”
“It’s fine,” Zoro says, shrugging his shoulders for further emphasis. “You didn’t know what you were doing.”
“Just like usual, right?” Sanji says, aiming to get them back on track with their usual banter.
It turns out to be a mistake that thoroughly backfires. Zoro’s face twists up in an expression that’s only a little less distressed than it had been down on the deck, and his mouth opens before Sanji can tell him he doesn’t have to reply.
“I never mean it when I say that,” he blurts, his voice strained. “You’re one of the most competent people I know.”
They stare mutely at each other for a moment. Zoro’s face is getting increasingly redder, and Sanji has no doubt his own is doing the same. Jerking his thumb at the trap door, he makes a show of shuffling backwards as he prepares to exit. “I’m just going to, um, you know,” he says lamely.
Across from him, Zoro nods. “Yeah,” he says, now sounding like he’s being strangled. “It would be really helpful if you left.”
“Right,” Sanji says. “That is totally fair under the circumstances, so I’m going to do that. Again, sorry about earlier.”
“Cook!” Zoro half shouts. “Would you please get out of here?!”
“Leaving now!” Sanji barks, scrambling through the trapdoor as quickly as he can without losing his balance and sending himself plummeting to the deck below. The door closes heavily behind him, and he doesn’t slow down until his feet are safely back on the ground.
As luck would have it, he’s not alone. Jinbe happens to be passing by at this exact moment, and the tall fishman gives him a concerned look as he comes to an abrupt halt. “Are you alright, Sanji?”
“I’m fine,” Sanji says quickly, straightening to his full height and shifting to adjust his jacket slightly. “I was just bringing the mosshead a snack and he’s in a bit of a mood, is all.”
“Hmm. I can’t say I blame him,” Jinbe replies, casting a wary eye up at the top of the crow’s nest. “I don’t think I would appreciate being in his place right now, or any of the others for that matter.”
“You and me both,” Sanji tells him. The crew may know the basics of his past with Germa now, but overall he’s been able to keep the finer details to himself. The thought that someone could force those details out of him simply by asking, even inadvertently …
It’s the stuff of nightmares, he concludes. He doesn’t know if he’s ever encountered a more frightening devil fruit power, at least where he, personally is concerned, and he once again finds himself awash with guilt thinking about the gross invasion he’d almost committed on Zoro’s privacy.
“I really hope this wears off soon,” he says weakly. “For all our sakes.”
Jinbe’s sole response is a commiserating nod.
*****
If Sanji was hoping that an apology would put him and Zoro back on equal footing, he is sadly mistaken. Yes, after it takes place the swordsman stops looking at him like he’s a threat to everything he holds dear, but it’s possible that’s only because he stops looking at him in general.
It takes Sanji perhaps longer than it should to realize the other man’s avoiding him. They’re currently sailing on an open stretch of sea with no one else in sight, and at Chopper’s suggestion they’ve stopped hosting communal meals until the truth spell wears off.
Between these two things, Sanji’s been largely devoid of company since the occurrence of what he’s taken to referring to as ‘The Incident’ in his head, and it’s not until several days have passed that it dawns on him how Zoro hasn’t darkened his doorstep the entire time.
That thought sits especially poorly with him when it becomes evident that it’s only Zoro who’s behaving this way. Franky and Usopp are as underfoot as ever, and Nami stops holing herself up in the library after a day or two. The mossball, however, is noticeably scarce.
At first Sanji manages to convince himself that there’s nothing personal behind it, that Zoro’s avoiding the entire crew, as opposed to just one person. Unfortunately, an idle comment about the matter to Usopp serves to soundly burst that bubble.
“Oh, no, it’s totally you he’s hiding from,” the sniper says around the bowlful of chilli he’s gleefully spooning into his mouth. How he can stand to eat the stuff given the current heat is a mystery for the ages. “He’s around as much as usual when you’re on watch or tied up in the kitchen.”
For possibly the first time in his life, Sanji fails to pay attention to the cigarette he’s trying to light and very nearly scalds his own fingertips. “Wait, what?” He asks, shaking the smoke as he finally gets it to catch. “What are you talking about?”
“Uhhh,” Usopp says, his eyes going wide as he makes to scramble out of his seat with his bowl in hand. “I’m gonna go. I have to … do absolutely nothing, actually, but the look on your face is really scary and I don’t feel like getting soft tissue damage today. Sorry!”
“Freeze, longnose!” Sanji barks, gesturing firmly with his cigarette. “I can and will put you on a diet of baked beans for a month if you cross me.”
“That’d be a punishment for the entire crew, not just me,” Usopp grumbles. He settles back in his chair, though, so Sanji’s going to take it as a win. “And if you take advantage of my current condition, I’m going to be pissed.”
“I’m not,” Sanji stutters, unsure of how to phrase what he wants to say. “I wouldn’t do that, but I am going to ask you to repeat what you just said.”
Usopp sighs heavily, even his hair drooping as he sags in his seat. “Guess I might as well, seeing as I know you already heard me. Zoro’s not avoiding the entire crew, only you.”
“Only me,” Sanji echoes, feeling hollow. “Do you know why?”
Usopp’s eyes go shifty as he visibly searches for a way to answer that question. “I have a theory,” he says, his expression brightening when this appears to be sufficient to satisfy the curse. “You just promised not to abuse your power though, so don’t be a jerk and ask for more than that.”
“Right, right!” Embarrassed, Sanji chews on the end of his cigarette, reminding himself how shitty he’d feel if their positions were reversed. “Sorry, Usopp. I was only - but that’s not an excuse. I shouldn’t be pressuring you.”
“S’okay, man,” Usopp says then with a philosophical shrug. “You were only making conversation earlier, and you wound up hearing something you weren’t expecting. I get it.”
“Still …” Sanji says, feeling more horrified the longer he thinks about what he’d almost done. “I have no right to pry into anyone’s personal business, especially after, you know, everything I hid from everyone for years. Nobody’s tried to make me hand over my secrets, so I shouldn’t be doing so either.”
“It’s okay, Sanji.” Usopp reiterates, jabbing a thumb at his own chest. “And I can’t lie, remember, so you have to believe me.”
“Right,” Sanji says weakly, dredging up a smile from somewhere. “I guess that’s a silver lining to this whole mess. At least I know where I stand with half of you.”
“You stand exactly where you do with all of us,” Usopp informs him. “No one blames you for what happened or thinks you did anything wrong by keeping your private life private. We’re just happy to have you back.”
“Usopp …” Sanji says weakly, trailing off when he realizes he has no idea what to say. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it,” Usopp says with an easy grin. “And, because I know you and I know you’re going to stress about it, when I say the crew is happy to have you back, I mean the entire group. Including Zoro. He’s just terrible at expressing himself, that’s all.”
“If you say so,” Sanji mumbles.
Usopp nods as he moves to get up for real this time. The galley door soon closes on his cheery wave, leaving Sanji alone with his thoughts.
Unfortunately, this is rarely a good thing, and right now is no exception. No matter what Usopp says, he doesn’t believe that the entire crew has forgiven him for Whole Cake Island. Even though no one’s said anything outright, some of them have been frosty with him since his return.
Luffy, he knows is happy to have him back, and he’s the kind of captain who would expect his crew to follow suit where something like that is concerned. What if he’d told Zoro not to bring the issue up with Sanji, and that’s why the truth spell is such a problem for the swordsman? There are few sources of authority Zoro won’t hesitate to ignore, but a rare captain’s order is certainly one of them.
The more Sanji thinks about it, the more he figures this must be the problem. After all, what else could be so important that Zoro wouldn’t simply say it to his face? He’s never had any trouble expressing his views on Sanji’s many foibles before, so it’s got to be something huge if it’s bothering him now.
The question then becomes - what the hell does he do about it?
*****
“Sanji, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. I’m sorry, but it is.”
The cook blinks, taken aback, and gives Nami a concerned glance. “Darling, you know you never need to apologize to me,” he says slowly, “but I’m afraid I really don’t follow what you’re saying.”
Nami sighs. “Look,” she says flatly. “Given the fact that you actually worked up the courage to talk to someone about this, I can only assume it’s been heavily weighing on your mind. However, you couldn’t be more wrong. Zoro doesn’t hate you. Zoro’s incapable of hating you.”
Given the assurances he’s already received from Usopp, this makes not one but two of the people who’re under the influence of the curse who think Zoro’s not angry with him. However, there’s a difference between believing something is true and actually knowing it is. Both Nami and Usopp might seriously believe what they’ve told him, but that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily right.
“I don’t know,” he says dubiously. “I can’t think of any other reasonable explanation for his behaviour.”
“I can, and it’s that Zoro’s an idiot,” Nami replies. “Oh, don’t look at me like that,” she adds when Sanji stares at her. “I don’t necessarily mean it in a bad way. It’s just - Zoro doesn’t like not being completely in control of himself, so now he’s panicking.”
“Zoro’s panicking ?” Sanji repeats. He wants to say that that’s ridiculous, Zoro doesn’t panic about anything, even things he should panic about, but this is Nami he’s talking to, and he’d never be so rude to her.
Oblivious to his internal monologue, Nami nods. “That’s right. He’s also being a coward.”
“Zoro’s never a coward,” Sanji says, so shocked by her assertion that he forgets the promise he’d just made to himself. “He - he wouldn’t even know how.”
“Oh trust me, he knows,” Nami informs him. “There’s different ways of being a coward, you see.”
“I have no idea what that means,” Sanji says honestly, feeling more like he’s the one who’s been hit with a truth spell. “What the hell else could be so damning that it has Zoro afraid to tell me about it? That’s never happened before.”
“That you know of,” she replies. “The thing that’s bothering him, that’s got him so twisted up? Well, it’s not my place to tell you what it is, so don’t you dare ask me to, but it’s something he’s been bottling up for a long time.”
“But that doesn’t make any sense,” Sanji insists, running a ragged hand through his hair. “There’s nothing important enough, that could have been going on long enough to make Zoro act like this. There just isn’t.”
For some reason this makes her roll her eyes. “Do you realize that you sound like a jilted lover whose feelings have been hurt?”
He freezes at this. “Nami. Dear.” He says slowly. “I assure you, the only feelings I have for Zoro are exasperation, disgust, and occasionally outright hatred.”
“That’s not true and you know it. Not the last part anyway.” Pursing her lips thoughtfully, Nami appears to be weighing the pros and cons of something, before finally she huffs out a tired sigh. “Zoro’s a lot more important to you than you like to let on. That’s probably why you’re so bothered by what he’s been doing.”
“I - alright, fine ,” Sanji says, deciding that he can answer her forced honesty with a little of his own. “Maybe you’re right about that, but it still doesn’t help me figure out what to do.”
Nami gives him a long, long look, and then sighs. “If you want my advice, you’ll talk to him, but not until after this stupid truth mess has worn off. Wait until he’s not in a position where he feels forced to answer, and then take a stab at it.”
“But we have no idea when that’s going to be,” Sanji whines, not too proud to admit that he sounds ridiculous. “I want to fix this now .”
“Well, you might not be able to, and you’re just going to have to accept that,” she replies bluntly. Then, most likely seeing the way he wilts in front of her, her expression softens. “Just give it a little more time,” she says gently. “Everything will sort itself out in the end. You’ll see.”
*****
Sanji tries, he really does . He goes about his daily routines; he cooks, smokes, and maintains the galley like a pro. He makes sure that the crew’s needs are met, and the whole time he tries desperately to convince himself that everything’s fine.
Unfortunately, it’s not long before he has enough. As much as it pains him to break a promise to Nami, he simply refuses to live like this any longer. Therefore, he corners Zoro in the crow’s nest, planting himself firmly in front of the hatch and therefore leaving only the window as a possible avenue of escape.
“Don’t even think about it,” he warns, placing his hands on his hips and scowling when the swordsman seems to be giving genuine thought to trying exactly that. “I don’t care how much you don’t want to, we are having this conversation.”
Zoro becomes suddenly fascinated with the largest of his weight racks, staring at it so intently that Sanji’s half expecting the metal to start melting under the intensity of his gaze. He looks like he’d rather swallow all three of his swords and then let Chopper give him a physical.
Well tough shit, Sanji thinks. They can’t go on as they have been, it’s simply not an option. This whole mess is starting to affect the crew dynamics, and it’s only a matter of time before something regrettable happens.
He watches Zoro for a little longer, his mood continuing to sour when the other man resolutely keeps his jaw clamped shut. Shifting his hands slightly, he stuffs them in his pockets, letting out a tired sigh at the same time.
“Look,” he says finally. “It’s no secret that you hate me, and after the last few months I can’t say I blame you. What I don’t get, though, is why you’re so stressed about admitting it. It’s not like you’ve ever had any trouble telling me how you feel before.”
Zoro jerks at his words, turning to look at him with a stricken expression that makes Sanji take an unconscious step back. “What are you talking about?” He demands. “I don’t hate you. I’ve never hated you.”
Now it’s Sanji’s turn to stare, not comprehending what he’s just heard. Zoro can’t lie. Zoro. Can’t. Lie. Therefore what he’s saying has to be the truth, but that makes even less sense than his actions in recent weeks.
Unless … “The spell didn’t wear off just now, did it?” Sanji asks, figuring that’s the only possible explanation.
“Of course it didn’t,” Zoro snaps. “I’d fucking know if it had, okay? It’s like going around with this constant need to spit out every honest feeling I have. I’m gonna be able to tell right away when it stops.”
“Then what the fuck’s the matter with you?” Sanji explodes. “I’ve spent the whole time thinking that your big secret is that you’re pissed about Whole Cake and want me off the ship. If it’s not that then what the hell is so bad that you can’t even look at me?”
“It’s because I don’t want you off the ship!” Zoro shouts back. His face is frantic, his breath coming in sharp pants and his movements flustered.Sanji thinks he’s mere seconds away from honest to god wringing his hands. “I know you’re not going to like what I have to say and I am - I am fucking terrified that you’ll leave again after we just got you back.”
“I’m also scared that you’ll hate me,” he finishes quietly, his entire body sagging like a puppet whose strings have been cut. “And I can live with a lot of things, Cook, but that’s not one of them.”
Sanji gapes at him, his mind racing. There’s a churning sensation in his gut that tells him he absolutely can’t leave things unresolved between them, not after this, but also that he has to be very, very careful about how he approaches things.
“I need you to be honest with me,” he says, ignoring Zoro’s derisive snort. “But at the same time I need you to tell me only what you’re willing to share, okay? I mean it, don’t you dare tell me one thing that’s not of your own volition. What’s going on, Zoro?”
“What’s going on is that I’m in love with you,” is the reply, snapped out as easy as breathing, never mind the way it rocks Sanji on his feet. “Have been since … forever, really. At least Alabasta, maybe earlier. But I know I’m the last person you’d ever want, and I’ve been trying not to make things awkward thanks to the damn truth spell.”
“Congratulations,” Sanji retorts, feeling a flash of irritation that he nevertheless thinks is justified. “You couldn’t have failed harder if you tried.”
“Yeah,” Zoro says, and at least he has the decency to look sheepish. “I know.”
“Good,” Sanji replies. And then, as Zoro’s words finally begin to sink in. “Also, what the fuck?”
Now it’s Zoro’s turn to look exasperated. “What do you mean ‘what the fuck’? It’s pretty simple, Curls. I’m stupid over you, and I know there’s no way that won’t do anything besides piss you off, so I’ve been keeping it to myself.”
“Since Alabasta,” Sanji reiterates, his nose wrinkling when Zoro nods. “Huh.”
“‘Huh’?” Zoro echoes. “That’s really all you have to say?”
Sanji holds up a hand to stall any further commentary. “I think I need to sit down for a minute.”
Without bothering to wait for an answer, he stumbles over to one of the padded benches that line the crow’s nest, moving on legs that feel like they’re made of jelly. He then proceeds to collapse down onto it, all while watching Zoro out of the corner of his eye to make sure the brute doesn’t try to bolt while he’s incapacitated.
Thankfully, Zoro seems to understand that they need to clear the air now that the cat’s out of the bag. He turns as Sanji passes him, following his trek over to the bench with his good eye, but otherwise makes no move to run. Several minutes pass in silence until the swordsman lets out an annoyed grunt and opens his mouth to speak.
“No.” Sanji says, jabbing a finger in his direction.
“But - ”
“I said no,” Sanji stresses. “I need a moment to process this.”
“It’s been like ten minutes already!”
“It’s been three at most,” Sanji replies with a snort. Shifting his hand, he roots around in his pocket until he finds his lighter and a fresh smoke. “Just - hold your horses, or whatever.”
His piece said, he lights the cigarette, bringing it to his mouth and inhaling perhaps a little more forcefully than he should. Regardless, he welcomes the steady rush of nicotine, pleased to have something to help settle his nerves.
To his credit, Zoro shows a remarkable amount of patience and keeps quiet while Sanji smokes. They both watch as the filter gets smaller and smaller until there’s nothing left but the butt and a faint sheen of ash.
Zoro opens his mouth.
“Still no,” Sanji insists.
“But - !”
“Uh huh, not yet.” Avoiding Zoro’s gaze, Sanji searches around for the tiny garbage pail he knows is up here. Eventually spotting it not far away, he flicks the cigarette butt towards it, pleased when it glides into the can with virtually no effort.
Taking a deep breath he glances back at Zoro, who raises an annoyed eyebrow.
“Now?” He asks, a petulant note in his voice that makes Sanji’s lips twitch in a weak grin.
“If you must,” he allows, his grin getting bigger as Zoro looks increasingly irked.
Despite being given permission to speak, the other man doesn’t immediately say anything. Instead, he cocks his head to the side, his single eye narrowed as he gives Sanji a puzzled once over.
“Why aren’t you freaking out?” He asks suspiciously.
Sanji considers this. “Delayed reaction?” He suggests, even though he doesn’t really think that’s it.
Based on his resulting snort, neither does Zoro. Grunting, he briefly crosses his arms over his chest, but then seems to decide that isn’t what he wants to do. He proceeds to shove his hands in his pockets, the motion looking forced what with the way it’s not one he usually does.
“You’ve never had a delayed reaction in your life,” he decides. “You’re always,” he briefly pulls one hand free to snap his fingers, “like that. I expected you to have kicked me through the roof by now.”
“Don’t be an ass,” Sanji snaps. “This is serious,” he adds. “I was upset and trying to chase you down because I thought you hated me. Why would I be mad to find out the opposite? Obviously I’m happy.”
Zoro blinks. Several times. In rapid succession. Thanks to the fact that he only has the one eye, it’s both impressive and moronic by turns. “What does that mean?”
Sanji gives him a pitying look. “Marimo,” he says tiredly, forcing himself to his feet when all Zoro does is continue to stare at him like a confused child.
“You are exceptionally stupid,” he says once he’s standing. Slowly, he starts taking careful, measured steps towards the other man, approaching him not unlike one might a wild animal. “You’re irritating and rude. You’re distressingly fascinated with pointy objects, don’t bathe nearly enough, and have the directional senses of something that’s dead.”
“Additionally,” he says, noting the way Zoro’s eye is narrowing, “you’re one of the strongest people I know. You’re loyal to a fault, always willing to help out even though you pretend to complain the whole time, and, much though it pains me to admit it, not entirely unattractive.”
“You’re also,” he adds quietly, “one of the most important people in my life, and the very thought of you possibly hating me has been making me miserable for days now. So yes,” he says, reaching out and fisting his hands in the front of Zoro’s robe, “I’m happy.”
“Cook …” Their close proximity means Sanji can feel Zoro’s pulse speeding up, and the other man looks nervous in a way he’s never seen him. “What are you doing?”
“Well,” Sanji says, sounding remarkably calm considering the way he can feel his own heartbeat thundering in his chest. “Since you apparently have feelings for me, and I might just have feelings for you, I rather think I’m going to kiss you now. Is that okay?”
Zoro’s wearing the kind of gobsmacked expression usually reserved for those who’ve just presented Luffy with meat after he hasn’t eaten for twelve hours, but that doesn’t stop him from nodding jerkily as Sanji leans in.
“Yeah,” he rasps. “That’s okay.”
“Good.” Sanji says, and then he adjusts his grip so he can cup Zoro’s face in his hands and bring their mouths together.
Despite the ample warning, Zoro still squeaks in surprise at the touch. Unable to keep himself from laughing at the sound, Sanji holds him tighter as he deepens the kiss. Then he feels a pair of large, warm hands settle tentatively on his waist, and he knows they’re going to be alright.
“Well, how about that?” He murmurs as he pulls back. “You’re a half decent kisser, Marimo.”
“You, uh, you too.” Zoro stutters, and Sanji’s going to chalk that one up to the truth spell, what with the way the tanned skin of his face flushes as soon as he makes the admission.
Deciding to take pity on him, Sanji holds back the myriad of teasing comments that immediately spring to mind. Instead, he lets his right hand trail upwards, briefly carding it through Zoro’s hair before idly thumbing the scar sealing his left eye shut.
“I think this could be something really good,” he says carefully, still wary of spooking Zoro what with how skittish he’s been lately. “I need you to promise me something, though. Even though I know it’s rich coming from me.”
“Whatever it is, it’s fine,” Zoro says quickly. “And you know I mean it when I say that.”
“Don’t remind me,” Sanji replies, fighting a sudden urge to scowl. “The sooner this foolishness wears off the better, so you can get some semblance of privacy back. Having said that,” he adds, taking a deep breath. “I understand why you did it, but please, please for the love of god don’t shut me out like that again. You know how good I am at catastrophizing things, Mossball. I was about a day away from threatening to leave the crew if it’d make you feel better.”
“It wouldn’t have.” Zoro says hoarsely, leaning forward to press their foreheads together. “Fuck, it absolutely would not have.”
“Well sure, I know that now ,” Sanji grumbles. “But that’s how desperate I was getting.”
“M’sorry,” Zoro says contritely. “I didn’t mean to make you think I hated you, I was trying to do the exact opposite basically.”
“I get it,” Sanji says, feeling generous with relief. “And if I’m being honest that was oddly sweet of you. Even if the end result wasn’t something either of us wanted.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Zoro murmurs, his grip on Sanji’s waist tightening as the corners of his mouth turn up in a wicked grin. “The middle may have been a mess, but the actual end result looks pretty damned good from where I’m standing.”
“Hmm,” Sanji says, making a pleased noise when Zoro shifts to begin trailing a line of heated kisses along his throat. “I’ll say this for you, Mossball. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes you have quite a way with words.”
*****
The truth spell takes about another week to wear off, its end heralded by a gleeful Usopp bouncing around the deck and crowing about how Chopper had believed his latest story involving fighting a sea king all on his own. The two of them are soon joined by Luffy, Brook, and Franky, all of whom are positing on the possibility of holding a lying contest to see who can tell the best story.
Sanji watches their antics from the level outside the galley, smoking a cigarette with his hands propped on the railing in front of him. He’s idly contemplating returning inside to start preparing some snacks, when he feels a presence behind him, and a pair of strong arms snake their way around his middle.
He takes the cigarette out of his mouth, tossing it overboard with practiced ease. “Shouldn’t you be down there celebrating?”
There’s a sharp stinging sensation where Zoro nips at the hinge of his jaw with those goddamned demon teeth of his, but the ache is quickly soothed with a following kiss. “Rather celebrate up here.”
For a brief second, Sanji contemplates playing hard to get, but in the end decides it’s not worth it. Instead, he melts into the other man’s embrace, letting his head fall back to give Zoro easier access and at the same time bringing a hand up to card through tousled green hair. “Are you excited to be able to lie again?”
Zoro snorts. “I never cared about lying in the first place. I just didn’t want to blurt out anything you weren’t supposed to know.”
“Blunt bastard.” Sanji comments. “I bet you’re bluffing, though. I bet you still have things you’re afraid to say.”
“You think so?” Zoro asks, and before Sanji can even finish nodding, he uses his grip to force the cook around, still caging him in with his arms, but leaving them standing face to face. “There was only ever one thing I was afraid to say, and now I’m not anymore.”
“Oh yeah?” Sanji asks breathlessly, his heart thumping heavily in his chest. “So say it, Marimo. Where everyone can hear you.”
Zoro’s expression softens minutely, but there’s no hiding his answering smirk. “I love you,” he says firmly, speaking the words for the first time without any possibility of outside influence.
Then he kisses him for all the crew to see, and sets half of them whooping.