high_seas | A Water Park with Hammers

Mm. Yeah...

[that little touch is enough to send another pang racing through him, but a slightly different one this time - one of longing and loss, and deep memory. Zoro manages to swallow how it makes him feel, letting the water running down his body wash it away. He's totally fine when he shakes off the last of the water and turns around to reciprocate.]

C'mere...

[before Sanji can turn around, Zoro bends to grab one of his feet, and props it up on his knee to give it a good scrub. Not that his feet are terribly dirty, but he feels like doing it. These are dangerous weapons, after all, they have to be cared for properly.]

[—Oh okay. Well then! Sanji just blinks at first, the move taking him by surprise, but after a moment of Zoro's hands working over his foot he finds himself squirming a little and his face going warm.

Has anyone ever even touched his feet like this before? Not that he can recall. He didn't think he was ticklish or anything, but damn. And more than that, it feels really good.]

Mm, so apparently I will get a massage, huh?

[Wriggles his toes a little.]

Maybe.

[he's definitely no expert, but while he washes, he rubs the sole of Sanji's foot with his thumbs, so yeah. Massage. Then over the top of his foot and up as far as his calf, giving the muscle a good, appreciative squeeze. Zoro doesn't draw it out too much though, finishing up with one and moving to the other, and honestly doing his best not to tickle.]

Gotta keep the Black Leg in shape, you know.

[Accidental tickling happens anyway, whenever Zoro's callused fingers or thumb rub over the more sensitive arch of his foot. But aside from the occasional squirm here and there, Sanji manages to keep it together. Just keeps his gaze pinned to Zoro's every move, a little in awe of the care and appreciation being shown.

He hums a little under his breath at Zoro's comment, his lips curving into a smirk.]

Nothing to worry about there, it's always primed and ready to kick ass.

[While Zoro's busy with his feet, Sanji eventually remembers to scrub down his arms and chest.]

Good.

[it was a whim, but he's glad he went with it. And not just from a strength standpoint, although he is enjoying the chance to feel the power in those legs while at rest, won't even lie about that.

Zoro finishes up and drags another bucket over, so that when Sanji's done he can rinse off.]

[He wasn't exactly dirty having just showered that morning, as he do, so he's ready to go soon enough and reaching for the bucket to dump it over himself.

Yay, squeaky clean!

He tips his head toward the bath.]

Let's go soak, marimo.

[mmm and soaking wet, don't mind if he ogles for a moment before getting up from the bath stool, grabbing one of the towels off the pile as he goes. One of the little ones, which he folds into a square as he goes. Screw modesty, there's no one else around so he's not going to cover up otherwise.]

I think I like this better than hanging out by the pool in the water park.

[toes first, the water is blessedly hot and not likely to cool off, like a bath on the ship. Zoro eases himself in a bit at a time, until he can finally sit on one of the submerged benches, and rests against the edge of the onsen with a content sigh. Towel on his head, he's good to sit here until he's a walking prune.]

You don't get to be naked by the pool in the water park.

[Yeah, he feels you on the ogling. Obviously doing more than a bit of that himself as he watches Zoro ease himself into the water. Sanji is a little slower getting himself fully submerged, instead sitting on the edge for a couple minutes with just his legs in the water. Being SLIGHTLY more modest than some green idiots, he's got his little towel draped over his lap.]

Though there's a shitty lack of ladies in bikinis.

[Duh.

Despite their earlier conversation, sometimes these things just slip out of his mouth before his brain can approve them. He leans back a little, craning his neck as he glances over toward the wall separating the men's side from the women's.

Just out of curiosity, you know.]

[he's considerably less threatened than he was earlier, but still, tipping his head back to give the cook a look like don't even think about it.]

If you get us kicked out of here for peeping, I'm gonna laugh you all the way back to the ship.

[takes a huge breath and lets it out slowly, chest heaving, as he closes his eyes and lets go of his troubles. Mmm yes that's what bath houses are for. Too bad, all Sanji has to look at is his muscles, with his arms stretched out along the rim of the bath.]

Stare at bikinis later.

[Yes, poor him...]

I ain't peeping!

[Look at him, he's sitting here perfectly innocently and doing absolutely nothing untoward!

Though at least Zoro speaking pulls Sanji's attention back to him, and hey, maybe it's no bikini but that is a nice view.

He folds up his towel and sits it on his head so that he can slip fully into the water now, leaning back against the wall of the bath and letting his head tip back as he lazily watches Zoro from beneath half-lidded eyes.]

Not on any girls, anyway.

[cracks his eye to see that look, and a positively shameless grin spreads across his face. Funny, that he wouldn't give two shits about anyone else eyeing him (assuming he even noticed), but knowing that Sanji's eyes are on him fills him with a sort of pride.]

View's not so bad from where I'm sitting, either.

[seriously, cook. That chest. Those arms. He will never not be glad you filled out so nicely thanks to your training.]

[Preens a little at that, a grin spreading across his face before he can stop it. He curls an arm up to brush some damp hair off his forehead.]

Yeah, you're pretty damn lucky, huh? Fucking good catch.

[He kids. ...Well, maybe not, but shhh.]

Could've been worse.

[always understating everything. He stretches out a foot under the water to reach across and nudge Sanji's knee]

C'mon, not like you need me to fill your head with hot air.

'Course not.

[He catches that foot and settles Zoro's leg across his thighs as he scoots closer.]

But maybe I like hearing that stuff sometimes.

[lowers his gaze, a touch shy]

You know I'm not that good with words.

[the relative length of their poetry being example number one. Zoro relaxes with his leg in that nice new spot, and reaches up just to keep the towel from sliding off his head]

So I guess that's one area where you're better than me.

One of many, yes.

[Nods like he just so very much agrees that he's better than Zoro, of course, duh, isn't it obvious?

And he's still grinning, now in a teasing kind of way as he absently trails his fingers over Zoro's knee.]

Want me to teach you the art of flowery bullshit?

Just the one.

[ooh, shivers. It's not quite ticklish but it feels nice]

Nah, you can keep that shit to yourself, Mr. Driftwood.

[that's right, he remembers all the way back to that weird thing you said to Robin when she first came aboard. It was ridiculous. Never forget. There's a fondness to his smirk, though.]

You gotta learn to savor what you get from me. Since it's so rare, yanno. That means it's special and you can't let that moment get away from you.

[...Wow, Zoro remembers, but it takes Sanji a moment to place the gibe. He babbles so much nonsense on a daily basis, half the time he can't remember what sappy words of love come pouring out of him. So long as it gets him a pretty smile, then he's done his job! ...Well. Pretty smile, slightly scared smile, smiling while clearly thinking he's insane, you know. It's so hard to tell the difference sometimes.

In any case, he blinks across at Zoro, eyebrows lifting a bit. Then he hums a little.]

See, now I wonder if Robin-chan remembers me saying that...

[And if she does, it's probably just because she's Robin-chan. He's not sure Nami-san would remember any of his more...creative...poetic verbal vomit.]

Uh-huh, special... What if I give you a compliment first? Look, it's real easy.

[He clears his throat and then graciously lays a hand on his chest.]

I don't hate your shitty hair.

[See? SEE? So easy.]

[completely deadpan]

Yeah, real complimentary. That's like me saying, I don't actually hate your cooking.

[because no, he genuinely loves it, but he can never say so. At least, no more than he has on accident lately.]

You don't gotta be flowery to say shit like that.

I wasn't doing flowery. You gotta work up to that.

[And it's so dumb because Zoro's just throwing his own game back at him and he already knows he likes his cooking, of course, AND YET.

That shitty backwards compliment still makes him perk up a little as a pleased expression settles on his face.]

You love my cooking.

[Just like Sanji loves that stupid green hair.

He brushes his fingers over Zoro's knee again, going for another obvious one as his eyes lower slightly to stare somewhere around Zoro's collarbone.]

I like watching you fight. Especially when you put that shitty bandana on. Even if it means everything's going to fuckin' hell, you're amazing to watch when you get serious.

[...Not that Zoro is ever not serious when he's fighting, but when the stakes are high and all three swords come out... Oh yeah. That's the good stuff.]

[grumbles under his breath; he didn't say that, and yet, that really is true. He loves Sanji's cooking and anything else pales in comparison.

So even this is a competition - and Zoro can't let himself be outclassed, not even after he knows how poetic the cook can be. The admission takes him totally by surprise, though - he wasn't expecting that.

Okay, gotta come back with...words. Guh. Words are hard.]

Yeah, well...same to you.

[SO ELOQUENT FOREVER. Yet, that's also true. He loves watching Sanji kick the shit out of things.]

[Tosses his head back as he barks out a laugh, and has to quickly reach up to keep the towel from falling off. The laugh softens into a chuckle almost immediately, though, as he gives Zoro an amused look.]

Wow. Thanks. Never thought you'd bare your soul to me like that, marimo-kun.

[Nah, he knows words and shit are hard for him... But he can't help poking a little fun, though he gives Zoro's leg a soft squeeze just above his knee like he's trying to keep him from being grumpy about it.]

[ducks his head with a little growl, but he's not really that grumpy over it. Just a little embarrassed.]

Shut up. It's not easy! Maybe for you, but...

[huffs] I'd rather show it. But I guess it's not like you have any doubts or anything.

...do you?

[the speed at which his brain moves, rethinking itself, could use some improvement, but he will blame the haze of the heat of the bath right now]

Do I have doubts?

[Blinks.]

What, you mean like... [Gestures between the two of them.] About this?

Mm.

[he feels dumb even asking, but he wants to be sure]

It's not like I've really...said...anything...

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject