high_seas | Bubble Trouble

Every night.

[Keeps his eyes on the pancakes now, flipping them a final time before sliding them onto a plate. He adds more batter to the pan.]

The shirts Keimi-chan made me were fine during the day, but at night they were too...

[Makes a slight face, absently gesturing with a hand.

Too form-fitting maybe. They were comfortable, of course, but at night they seemed to keep riding up on him. Also, comfortable or not, hiding all that girliness in baggy clothes made him feel better.]

[Every night? Zoro kicks himself for not noticing. Sure, on the one hand, it could be assumed that he just stole one and decided it would be his new pajamas, but on the other...

Well, he doesn't wear that one very often but it likely does smell like him. A bit.]

Good thing she was around to fix things up.

[keeping the conversation casual and light is all he knows how to do, right now, while he sips at his coffee. Maybe once his brain is in gear, he can think up a way to clear the air.]

[Oh, it definitely smelled like him. That was part of it. Sanji's just not gonna admit that out loud, plus it probably wouldn't help anything. He's been guilt tripping Zoro plenty as is.

He snorts a little at that comment.]

Damn near forced me to let her. Might have to burn the shitty bra she made, though.

[if he looks uncomfortable for the briefest moment, it's only because he can just imagine what kind of a reminder that would be, staring at the cook from the depths of his locker. Taunting him with the memory every time he saw it.]

I don't blame you. The faster we can put this world's bullshit behind us, the better.

Mm...

[Pancakes are done, so he sets the plate in the oven to keep warm and starts peeling potatoes.]

Shame to get rid of Keimi-chan's work, though. But it wouldn't fit any of the ladies on board. [...The things Sanji just knows.] They can have the shirts, at least.

[She takes a deep breath and tries to calm down. The reassuring voice calming her frustration. She closes her eyes and just tries to move straight ahead. She's going to get this. She will figure it out...]

Ok I just need to stay calm. [She Smiles] Thank you

Hm. Yeah, there's that.

[ruining Keimi's hard work is something even he doesn't want to do, but it does happen. Accidental shredding of shirts in battle and the like.]

Guess this means mermaid tails are back on the right mermaids, and Celestia's a pony again, too.

[man, the warm, toasty scent of the pancakes is already making his mouth water. He's playing it cool, though, just like everything else.]

And Luffy is Luffy. I hope.

[Pauses for a moment to reach for his tea and take a sip, but then it's right back to peeling.

His brow is slightly furrowed as he works, and there might be some light tension working its way into his shoulders. He's not even sure why, just. It's like they're tiptoeing around talking about anything real, but yet he doesn't even know what else there is to say.]

Everything's back to shitty normal...

Is it?

[the opening is there, and Zoro sticks his toe into it cautiously. He finishes off his coffee and sets the mug aside for now.]

Or are you still pissed at me?

[there's nothing accusing his tone. If Sanji's pissed, he has every right to be. But what good would it do to say so? There was a time he wouldn't have cared so much, but now he feels an innate need to ensure that the cook isn't angry with him for any reason.]

[Stills for a beat, then his hands start moving again and he mutters:]

I don't know what I am.

[He shoots Zoro a quick glance before returning his attention to his work.]

I said on day one it ain't worth it to be pissed at you.

That doesn't mean you aren't.

[folds his arms tightly over his chest and leans on the counter, facing away across the galley]

I thought I was better than that, but I'm not. I'm not good enough not to let it get to me. I still have a lot to learn.

[and right now the only reason he isn't wrapped tightly around the cook is because he knows better than to interrupt him when he's cooking.]

[Rolls his eyes before he can stop himself, but since he's got his head directed at the potato in his hands, it might go unnoticed.]

Well, it was real good of you to fuckin' try, at least.

[...The sarcasm is strong in this one. That slips out before he can stop himself, too, and he practically bites his tongue to keep from blurting out something else asshole-ish. He doesn't want to be this petty, and even though he's back in his right body, there's still this lingering feeling of not wanting to sound overly needy and...ugh, girly, shit. Shit, he needs to stop thinking like that. He knows this isn't a case of needing some big, strong man in his life catering to his every desire, he just.

Augh.

Well, for one, he needs to stop letting that damn island shape his thoughts so much. He's allowed to want his partner's support, there's nothing negative about that.

Sanji sets down the peeler and reaches for a knife, letting it slice through the first potato a little harder than necessary so that it thwacks of the cutting board.

Fuck, and now he's taking it out on his beloved kitchen utensils.]

I ain't pissed. [There, that's a start.] I'm—annoyed. And...

[Hurt, maybe.

But he doesn't really want to say that one.]

[ouch, that cut. That sounded angry, all right.]

...and?

[there's something else there and he wants to know what it is. Zoro tilts toward him, trying to open up.]

Look, I'm not proud of the way I acted. There's no excuse for it and I ain't gonna try to make one. I just don't know what to do about the way I feel about you, every time I try something it's the wrong thing.

[Frowns a little, shooting Zoro a quick, confused look.]

What the hell's this every time bullshit, when've you ever been wrong before?

[He examines his knife briefly, but it's fine, so he starts dicing up the potatoes lightning quick. As he do. And properly this time, no more angry slicing.]

I ain't looking for an excuse, Zoro. It's just one of those things, right, it's not gonna change, it doesn't even matter now, so it's all a shitty moot point. You weren't gonna get past the weirdness of it all, or...there wasn't enough time to adjust or whatever, that's just how it was. And I had to suck it up, accept it, and deal with it, but I didn't do that so well.

So I guess I was, ah...disappointed.

[Ducks his head a little more, letting some hair fall into his eyes.]

It is what it is.

Not in the least. I still seem to possess the ability to do magic... and THAT I do not understand.

[Unconsciously, she rubs at her forehead, where she really ought to have a horn.]

Is it strange that I already miss my wings?

[She judged the ship, then breaks into an experimental jog for about a dozen feet or so. At the end of her short path, she slows, then turns to walk back to Sanji with a mild frown.]

Now that feels all wrong.

[he's pretty sure they've had tense conversations just like this before, right here in the galley. It's like it's their own personal place to talk in private. But that's neither here nor there.

Zoro softens a bit and edges closer, still not wanting to interfere with the knife work, but finding it harder to resist.]

I want to make it right.

[thoughtful pause]

But if I just grab you and hold you right now, it'll be like. Confirming, that I didn't want to touch you as a woman. [for which he feels like a total ass]

Ohhhh. [impressed] Well, that's good. Better than this world's weird shit stealing everything from you all at once.

[shrugs a bit more] I guess. If you want to spar, I don't mind, but me and the cook spar every morning so you can get a good look at it without being at the other end.

[They have, but Sanji doesn't think Zoro's been doing anything wrong... Aside from five days ago, but that and this fall under the same thing. The other tense kind of argument they had resulted in them stepping up their relationship, after Zoro told Luffy about the whole marriage thing, so that actually ended in a good way.

Probably there's something he's forgetting, but he doesn't want Zoro thinking he's stumbling through this in such a way that he's fucking up at every turn. Stumbling, sure. Have there been shitty bumps in the road, hell yes. But fucking up? Nah...

Sanji just kind of nods as Zoro speaks, making quick work of all the potatoes.]

Yeah, well. We already know that's true.

[Scrapes all the diced potatoes into a big pan, then looks at Zoro.]

Right?

[It's not likely anyone has ever seen Zoro look so thoroughly defeated. He looks away, mouth tightening into a tight line. He wants to deny it but he can't.]

I told you. I'm not good enough to look past that.

[Shifts a little, turning so that his back is resting against the counter. He crosses his arms over his chest, watching Zoro for a moment before looking away.]

That was an opening, you idiot.

Huh?

[talk about going right over his head. He turns back, eye widening a bit]

What do you mean...?

[Refrains from rolling his eyes, but he does reach back to absently poke at his knife on the counter.]

I already knew you didn't wanna touch me like that. So the hell does it matter if you confirm it or not?

[really, he just doesn't want it confirmed that he's an asshole.

But he notices, at last, and unfolds himself in order to reach for Sanji's nearest arm, hoping to pull him closer]

I didn't want it to be like that...

Bubble Trouble

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