high_seas | A Water Park with Hammers

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...

[Ah.

Well, in that case, it's not like Sanji really has either.

But...]

Didn't you? What was it... [Feigns a thoughtful look, like those seven syllables aren't permanently burned into his brain.] Love is strange to understand?

[Pauses, sinking lower in the water until his chin is touching the surface. There's a red tinge to his cheeks, but you know, bath heat and all. He lets his head rest back and closes his eyes.

Not taking any facial cues, marimo, use your words. As few as they are.]

Not that I wanna make any assumptions or nothing...

[If he was any lower in the water himself, he would have snorted a nose-full of it at that. Good thing he just chokes on air. Shit, he remembers. It takes him a minute to wrestle himself back under control, to try to be all stone-faced even though it's nearly impossible by now.]

It's true, though. It's strange and hard and I'm not used to being bad at something so important.

Nothing I said was wrong. I don't regret any of it.

[Quiet for a moment before cracking an eye open to peek at Zoro, a small smile working its way onto his face.]

You're not bad at it. Could be worse. Could still be the you from a year ago. Compared to that guy, you're way improved. You've learned a lot, right?

[In terms of emotions and shit, at least.]

...Anyway, the feeling is mutual. [Turns his head a little more, looking at Zoro fully now.] You know that, right?

...yeah.

[it's soft and heavy, laden with all those feelings he has trouble putting into words. Some part of him might have always assumed that the love-cook would be adept at experiencing and dealing with emotions, regardless of the target of his affections, but maybe it hasn't been so easy after all. Zoro matches that smile with a small, shy one of his own. He knows, indeed.]

Shit, it has been almost a year, hasn't it? I know it started after Usopp's birthday, which is sometime next month...

[Easy? No. Definitely not. Not in the beginning, at least. Accepting that he had feelings for Zoro -- and having to do so twice, at that -- was the challenge, but...after that... Sanji isn't one to not express himself. Having to repress his emotions would probably be an even bigger challenge than accepting them in the first place, so on that end, yes, these things are simpler for him.

It's been a long road to get to where he is right now, but he doesn't have any regrets either.

He lets out a soft laugh.]

Hell, my shitty brain is still confused about how long we've actually been doing this. Technically a year, I guess, but sometimes it feels like two or even three. Lemme tell ya, I don't recommend having to live a year of your life twice. But yeah... [Squints a little.] What was it, like two weeks after his birthday, right? That's on the first.

Something like that. I don't remember the actual date.

[sorry, no sappy anniversary for you, cook.

Accepting isn't his problem, it's identifying. Knowing, being certain of what it is he feels. And, yes, expressing it in ways other than trying to jump Sanji at every other turn. Zoro is getting there, though, little by little.

He shifts to take his leg down out of Sanji's lap and moves in closer to him, gliding through the water up in front of him and resting his arms on the rim o the bath on either side of the cook's shoulders. For once he doesn't quite pounce, just sort of hangs out there gazing at him.]

Guess if we can make it a year, it really is a thing, huh?

[lol he'll survive.

Sanji looks up at Zoro as he moves in but doesn't answer right away. Instead, he reaches out to place a hand on Zoro's chest, idly stroking his thumb over Zoro's scar as he just gazes back at him for a moment.]

...Yeah, marimo. It's a thing.

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