Bubble Trouble

[meatthefuture]

Who: The Straw Hats
Where: Sailing log en route to Gamboller's Berth With a pitstop at Empieza.
When: March 30th-April 7th: Sailing, April 8th-11th Empieza
What: Bubbling and other shenanigans
Warnings: The usual




Have at. :3

Comments

[yourotherleft]

[boy that drink he's taking is extra-long and extra-deep.]

Dunno.

[He really doesn't. Night is a long way away, and a lot can change between now and then. Maybe he'll save them both the awkwardness and another fight and stay on watch all night.]

[serving_lovely]

[Purses his lips together, but then just sighs a little and looks away, finishing off the rest of his glass in another gulp.]

Okay.

[Has to keep reminding himself it's weird for Zoro, too.]

[yourotherleft]

We'll see.

[tersely. He's not making promises he can't keep. There's a little left in the bottle, which he offers to Sanji to top off his glass if he wants]

It's not that I don't love you now...

[boy, is it hard to finish that sentence after that word slips out. Even harder to admit that the cook's physical form is part of what he loves.]

[serving_lovely]

[Just holds his glass out, eyes still averted -- at least, until Zoro says that.

Not that he doesn't know, they did kinda talk about it and all, but they don't exactly throw that word around much. Or at all. Actually, what, this is only like the second time and the first time didn't have an "I" and a "you" included with it.

Sanji slowly turns back to look at Zoro, his face red and his eyes wide. He's not even sure what to say and just stares at him for a moment, before blinking hard and drawing in a deep breath.

That sentiment both helps and doesn't help. It's not that Zoro doesn't love him now, he just...what, wants nothing to do with him like this? Doesn't want to touch him when he's a girl? Thinks he's got shitty cooties or something?

Bah, no, none of that is fair. Sanji's gaze drops to his glass, and he absently swirls the liquid inside around.]

Yeah, I'm sure you do.

[Augh, lame response is shitty lame but it's all he's got.]

[yourotherleft]

[he looks away from the blushing cook, hideously awkward and finding the floor much more interesting to stare at.]

Yeah, I think I do.

[Where was he going with this, again?]

[serving_lovely]

[That makes a laugh bubble up in Sanji's throat, but he swallows it back down immediately and forces the grin to stay off his face, only allowing the corner of his mouth to tug upwards a bit. He looks back up at Zoro, arching an eyebrow.]

Now it's 'you think'...?

[yourotherleft]

Don't tease me, cook.

[pouting. This is hard enough without that feminine purr adding to it. Zoro feels like he's just fallen off a cliff, saying shit like that out loud.]

[serving_lovely]

[Aww... Sanji steps in closer, a hand coming up to—

Well, to nothing, because he freezes again before touching Zoro. And then slowly curls his fingers into a fist and lowers it again.]

M'not teasing.

[He feels like he should probably...say it back. But he doesn't want to when he's like this. So maybe he should at least do something else reassuring, but he doesn't know what when he's afraid to put his hands on Zoro.

Sigh.]

[yourotherleft]

[he can see the hesitation, and while he appreciates the forethought, Zoro also feels like he could lighten up a little. What wouldn't be weird?

He looks down, and then reaches to gently close his hands around the wrist of that hand that nearly touched him.]

It's okay. I get it.

[serving_lovely]

[Stares at Zoro's hand for a moment -- it makes his own look much smaller now. Then he lifts his glass to his lips with his other hand and drains the remainder of the booze before tugging free from Zoro's grip. He goes to set the glass in the sink (and hindsight says drinking anything at all was a pretty poor decision right now, oi...).]

Don't force yourself, marimo, I think I can manage to survive keeping our shitty hands off each other for a day. Less than a day. This'll go away soon.

[yourotherleft]

...yeah.

[Mingled disappointment and relief. This is really going to take getting used to, but hopefully the cook is right. Less than a day. He can manage.]

You gonna be okay? [you know, for now.]

[serving_lovely]

Well, I ain't gonna fall to shitty pieces or anything. Got a party to prepare for.

[He's as okay as he's going to be. He'll be better once he lets Keimi get him into some clothes that actually fit tomorrow, but it's gonna be a long five days regardless.]

[yourotherleft]

'Kay then.

[he goes to finish off the rest of his bottle, realizes he poured the rest for Sanji and there's nothing more than a dribble left, and then gives up and heads out to see if things have calmed down around the ship.

He just might brush against Sanji's back as he goes. It's a safe spot.]