high_seas | Bubble Trouble

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.

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.

[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]

[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...

[Goes with the tugging, moving toward Zoro, but then he takes it even further than that and steps right in close, both arms lifting to wrap loosely behind Zoro's back. He rests his chin on Zoro's shoulder.]

Can't change it now. Forget it.

[He doesn't want to keep being irritated about the whole thing, not when he hasn't properly touched Zoro in five days and he's allowed to now. Just...bury all that other shit. It really is kind of useless to keep letting it bother him.]

Just be glad I ain't actually a girl, I guess.

[Mumbled into the side of Zoro's neck.]

[he loops one arm around Sanji's shoulder, the other behind his back, and in seconds flat he's squeezing the cook tightly against him, burying his face in his shoulder.]

If you were, then that's who I would've been with all along.

[or not. He's pretty sure this masculine figure wrapped in his arms is what he's always been attracted to. But the what-ifs aren't worth contemplating.]

[Gives a light snort.]

Yeah, okay.

[The past few days say otherwise, but -- not worth contemplating, indeed.

He tightens his arms around Zoro, feeling that same relief from earlier flow through him again. Fuck, he missed this. It's just a hug, but he needed it.]

[Good, because he's not letting go. Clinging, even, as much as he knows he's keeping the cook from his duty. Breakfast can wait a minute while he holds on for dear life. Every time this crazy world conspires to drive them apart - make them forget one another, make them fear one another - they refuse to let it. Zoro has decided not to ever break his promise, he will be exactly what the cook needs him to be, somehow.

So he failed this time. Next time, he'll do better.]

[Breakfast can wait more than a minute, apparently, because Sanji's not letting go anytime soon. He grips at the back of Zoro's shirt, face buried in the juncture of Zoro's neck and shoulder for another long moment...

But eventually he loosens up, arms still around Zoro but maybe not desperately clinging quite so much, and he props his chin on Zoro's shoulder again, letting out a long sigh.]

...On the bright side, I got to see you as a shitty brat again.

[huffs. It's kind of a laugh. Sort of.]

You enjoyed that way too much.

[it's not exactly a complaint...]

Can't help it. You're tiny like that and when you're tiny and still all frowns and shit, it's the fucking cutest thing...

[He pulls back just far enough so that he can grin at Zoro.]

Maybe next time try not to be so grumpy about it. Not like you don't know you'll be tall and not shrimpy again eventually.

[grumbles!] It's not that. I was trying so damn hard not to touch a bubble, I'd gone five days with a perfect record and then...

[huff.]

Eventually. But I'm not that patient. I dunno how you managed to last that many days without completely losing your shit.

[Shrugs a little, finally dropping his arms and taking another half step back before sliding his hands into his pockets.]

By putting in a lot of effort not to. Not like I couldn't still do shit with that body, at least. Could cook and all that, distract myself... Nights were worse.

[Which is not a dig at Zoro, just...a statement.]

It's over, at least. [Gives a humorless smirk.] Now to wait for the next fucked up thing to happen.

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