high_seas | Bubble Trouble

How the hell should I know?

[Smacks the bowl down on the counter.]

Could be the damn bubbles. Or I might've breathed the wrong shitty air.

[Bends down to look for a cake pan in the cabinet, banging things around more than he normally would.]

Or maybe it just fucking randomly happened. Does it matter?

Course it matters! Because some of these things wear off and some of 'em don't!

[and he really really hopes this wears off, for Sanji's sake as much as anyone's. He vaguely remembers something about Roxas pissing off a witch and that didn't exactly just...go away.]

Or maybe if we figure out how it happened, we can undo it.

[Oi, oi, Sanji doesn't want to think about this not wearing off, what the fuck?! Although...he can't think of anything that's happened in this shitty world that's lasted more than a week. (He still hasn't talked to Roxas since coming back, so he doesn't even remember all of that.)

STILL, as disturbing as the thought it, Sanji stubbornly blocks it out as a possibility and instead stands up again, pan in hand, and slowly turns to face Zoro so he can give him a dangerous look.]

And if it doesn't wear off? And we can't undo it?

[the usual flush creeps up his neck all over again. No, he can't think of that, because he already doesn't like it.]

Don't say shit like that! It's gotta wear off. It has to. You can't...

[Zoro takes a breath and lets it out in a hard sigh. He's focusing too much on himself, and he knows it.]

You're not enjoying being in that body, are you?

[he remembers Punk Hazard very clearly, cook...]

Of course not!

[Snaps that out immediately, tossing the cake pan onto the counter and then throwing his arms out.]

Look at me, asshole! Does it look like I'm enjoying it?!

[His outfit is a far cry from Nami's skintight jeans and bikini top. Instead he's sporting a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that's too tight across his chest. Definitely stealing a new one later.

Then there's his hair. It's not any longer than it was before, but somehow there still seems to be more of it. It's thicker or something, he's not sure, but he hasn't put a brush to it yet so it's all over the place.

And Zoro's not the only one who didn't get much sleep last night.]

This ain't my body, I don't want it!

[It takes him a moment of really paying attention - looking, and listening - and he gets it. Like a brick to the head, he gets it. The fight ebbs out of him, and for a bit Zoro looks just as dumb as he feels.]

That's my shirt.

[Not the most important thing to be said, no. Taking another breath, he tries again.]

...you okay?

[and it's not about the shoulder this time.]

[Drops his arms with a scowl, glancing down at the shirt and plucking at it while making an unhappy sound.]

Yeah, I didn't like mine and I figured yours wouldn't be so shitty close-fitting but I guess I grabbed one of your tighter ones—

[Looks back up abruptly at the question, eyes widening a bit.]

...Yes.

[No.]

[finally edges into the galley and closes the door behind him. He doesn't get too much closer, no more than he ever would around Robin or Nami, but he's trying.]

Don't lie to me, cook. You suck at it.

[Frowns, noting that he closed the door, but also noting that he's keeping his distance.]

I'm fine. And even if I wasn't, what the hell would you do about it?

I don't know. [at least he's honest about that, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly] I don't. Just...what I said last night was shit. M'sorry.

[Falls silent for a moment, fidgeting a little, then he gives a short, harsh exhale and turns back to the counter, picking up the bowl with the cake batter in it again.]

I don't even remember what you said.

[Well, he does, but that wasn't what got to him.]

[prowls a bit closer, going to perch himself on the corner of the table. All the better to watch the magic.]

Where'd you go?

[he remembers hearing the door, and finding himself utterly alone.]

[Not much magic right now, he's just pouring the batter into the cake pan. And grabbing a spatula to make sure he gets it all out.]

Well, since you made it very obvious that you didn't wanna be near me, I came in here and smoked my way through a shitty pack of cigarettes while cursing Davy fucking Jones. You know, the usual.

[growls softly under his breath. Yeah, he knows, and there's probably no good way to make up for it.]

What do you want me to do? I said I was sorry.

[which is a lot better than the 'piss off shit-cook' he used to give out]

I don't want you to do anything.

[Because he's fine! MANLY MAN—aw, fuck it.

Sanji huffs, setting the bowl down again and bracing his hands against the counter. He glances at Zoro out of the corner of his eye.]

You apologized for what you said. But you fucking bailed on me, Zoro, what the hell?

[Angles a little more toward him, brow furrowing again.]

You looked at me for all of like...ten goddamn seconds and then took off like a shitty bat outta hell, what, are you allergic to girl parts or something? [Reaches up to palm his boobs.] Do these scare you??

[flushes all over again and lowers his gaze. The most contrite he's ever looked, possibly, outside of begging Mihawk on his hands and knees. And most certainly not looking at those breasts.]

Maybe. I don't know! I don't know if this means I'm not into women or if it's just...if it's like I said before. It's just you.

[so quietly, under his breath:] You were talking about it being gone and I guess I panicked. Sorry.

You weren't the only one who was panicking, you shitty jerk!

[Though he does let go of his chest, at least, and crosses his arms over it instead like he's trying to hide it.]

No one said you gotta be into girls, marimo, jesus. And dammit, I'm not even a girl, I'm still a man! I will ALWAYS be a fucking man, it doesn't matter what I look like or what I'm wearing or what I like, no matter what anyone else fucking says or how hard they try to—

[He cuts off with a scowl, jerking his gaze off to the side and quietly seething. There's a beat before he speaks again.]

...I don't know why that even matters, the hell did you think I was gonna do? Jump you in the middle of the shitty night? Like this?

[IT'S A WEIRD THOUGHT, actually he doesn't really know how he feels about that and...doesn't want to think about it right now. Nngh.]

Edited 2015-04-02 16:28 (UTC)

No! [the shame evaporates with sudden energy, at that last question. Of all the things that might have freaked him out, that never even entered his mind.] It's not like that! Look...

I know I fucked up. I ain't making a single excuse! I was wrong and that's that. You're just not you right now and I don't know what to think about it!

[wait, something about that sounded...different. Zoro gives him a hard look, like he's suspicious of someone teasing his cook behind his back.]

Someone else say something about it?

[Sanji could really stand to be more understanding, but somehow he just bristles up even more. He knows he's different right now but he doesn't want to be, he doesn't want this body to make people look at him in a new way or think it's gonna change anything...

It all comes back to that, really. And he shouldn't be freaking out about it, logically he knows that it's likely temporary and isn't going to change anything and certainly doesn't mean he's secretly got a shitty heart of a maiden or whatever. And who the fuck cares what anyone else thinks anyway? Sanji knows who and what he is.

But it's everything he ever dreaded happening in that damn hellish place.]

I am me!

[He is he is he is. On the verge of sounding desperate now, fuck, he hates this. He needs to calm down. Take a step back, fucking breathe, and handle this better.

It's hard, though.

Zoro's question gets a sharp look.]

No. No one's said anything. Just you.

[No one's said anything lately anyway. Not since he was in Hell!]

[watching him seethe brings a sudden, sharp, painful memory of Zoro's to mind. Kuina's tears. He takes a sudden breath and claps a hand to his face, feeling absolutely awful.

As a child, he always said it didn't matter and believed it. He still believes it, he's said as much to that Marine captain chick. So how does it not apply to the cook, temporary situation or not?]

...no, you're right. You are you, somewhere in there.

[god, he fucked up bad, here. He still can't bring himself to go over there and grab the cook and squeeze him tight, but that won't make things change anyway. Zoro covers his face with his hands and tries to calm down, tries to think of anything he could possibly say or do to make this right.]

[Sanji backs down as he watches Zoro cover his face, the tension bleeding right out of his body and leaving him feeling even more tired than before. He winces slightly, a little remorse starting to creep its way in, and drags a hand over his own face before pushing it back into his hair.]

Stop that. It's fine, Zoro.

[Turns back to his cake, opening the oven so that he can slide the pan inside. He still has to make the other layers, too, so he starts measuring out various ingredients again in a robotic kind of way.]

Don't worry about it.

No, it's not. I wasn't fair to you.

[still, he has to keep his eye lowered, because it doesn't look like Sanji but, actual voice aside, it sounds like him, and that helps. The scent of cigarettes is the same, he can fixate on that.]

You have every right to be pissed. You're the one going through this, not me. I don't know what to do to fix it or make it right again, but...

[he's apologized so many times now it feels like one more would ring hollow. But he won't run away, he'll sit there and let the cook finish his cake.]

It ain't worth it staying pissed. And anyway, not your fault this happened, the hell good is it gonna do me to be mad at you?

[Measure, pour, mix, mix, mix. Different flavor for this cake layer, too.]

Look, you're not gonna fix it. I don't need you to fix it, I just need you to— [Ugh, don't say 'need'. He purses his lips together for a moment, then sighs.] ...Not run away from me.

Kick me in the face later, it'll make me feel better.

[he might be kidding, he might not]

...I'm not. I won't. I just gotta remember that it's still you.

[sure, he's been a shithead toward the cook before, but this is a different level of shithead. He should be above this, and will silently discipline himself if no one else will do it for him.]

[Snorts.]

Could kick you in the face now, what, you think it wouldn't hurt just as bad?

[Squats down to dig out another cake pan, shooting a look at Zoro over his shoulder.]

Yeah... Don't forget that, ya idiot.

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