high_seas | Bubble Trouble

[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.

[grunts his agreement. Because really, by now? They should have known.]

Up till this week it's been...months, since the last time shit like that happened. Lulled us into forgetting, or ignoring the possibilities.

[contents himself with one quick brush of his hand through Sanji's hair as they step apart.]

Least we've been lucky that this shit doesn't happen at the same time as someone attacks, or worse. Can you imagine what would happen if none of us were in our right bodies or right minds the instant the Navy fires cannons at us?

Mah, well, not like we can really prepare for it anyway, even if we didn't forget it could happen.

[He does frown at that, though, making a soft, annoyed sound under his breath.]

But yeah, that'd be a fuckin' problem... It's one thing to be...not a guy, I mean, I could still fight in that form. But if we were all kids or something? I'd have zero range in a shitty brat's body, not to mention a total lack of strength.

[...That would really be a sad sight to see, ahah.]

Yeah, exactly. [and it is sort of his job to worry about those kinds of things - or find ways around them]

I know, you're right, we can't stop it or even brace ourselves before that shit happens. But I'm not about to let this crew get wiped out because Jones or whoever is pulling that on us decides to get funny at just the wrong moment.

We're not gonna get wiped out.

[Starts to lean back against the counter, before abruptly remembering -- oh yeah, breakfast. So he goes back to getting things ready.]

Something would work out somehow... The best thing we can do is have a good mindset about it, I guess. It'd just be a shitty inconvenience.

[Well, it'd be more than that, but why go there. Kid Sanji might well be useless but he'd do his damnedest either way.]

Mm. [it's an acceptable idea for now. As long as it's somewhere in the back of their minds, Zoro is fine with it.

He watches Sanji fiddle around with the rest of breakfast, just sort of lingering near, but then figures he's probably in the way and brushes against him before he goes to sit at the table]

Instead of our usual sparring session, after breakfast, want to go have a nap? I didn't get much sleep last night.

[well, he'll probably nap regardless, but it would go a long way toward patching things up if he had a cook in his hammock.]

Yeah, alright.

[Says it casually enough, like he could go either way, but no, he's exhausted. And he misses being near Zoro. Frankly, he'd dive into the hammock with him right now if he wasn't in the middle of cooking.

He pauses for a moment, glancing back at Zoro over his shoulder.]

Hey...

Mm? [glances up as he slides into a chair]

[Silent for a beat, just watching him, brow slightly furrowed -- then he turns on his heel and follows him right over to that chair and sort of just keeps plowing forward to get even closer, planting a knee on the edge of the seat as he straddles one of Zoro's legs and leans in. His hands find the sides of Zoro's face, fingers just starting to thread back into his hair as he tips his head back.]

You're an asshole. And an idiot. And a goddamn shitty moron sometimes.

[None of which stops Sanji from closing the remaining distance between them to smack a quick kiss to Zoro's mouth. When he pulls back, he doesn't go far, his breath ghosting over Zoro's lips. And he sort of has to force himself to meet Zoro's gaze because this is kinda embarrassing, but whatever, it's okay—]

I love you.

[the demanding pounce isn't all that surprising, but the words that follow are - enough that Zoro finds himself staring back even as heat rushes through his chest and takes his breath away for a second or two.

Once he can pick his mouth up off the floor, he lifts his arms to wrap around Sanji's waist and prevent him from getting away with that. His lips twitch and then curve into a grin, and he tips his face up to find the cook's mouth and kiss him back.]

I fucking love you too, you stupid jerk.

[Promptly kisses him again, grinning into it and letting his weight settle against Zoro as his hands slip from the sides of his head so that he can wrap his arms behind Zoro's neck instead. There's warmth flowing through him and whatever slight tension was in his shoulders instantly dissipates. And there's something else, too -- not relief, per se, he already knew how they felt about each other and he wasn't worried he was gonna be rejected out of the blue or some shit, but he can't deny there's just...something. He feels lighter. And happy.

And a little proud of both of them that they managed to actually say it instead of tiptoeing around the word.

He's content to stay pressed to Zoro for awhile -- or at least for a few minutes, until he has to go check on his food. Shorter, more playful kisses find themselves peppered in between the longer, lazily drawn out ones, and the occasional pleased sound escapes him, too.]

[he ought to be annoyed with himself that the cook was able to say it first, but really, hearing Sanji murmur it against his mouth was what Zoro needed to break through his stoic bullshit and push him to speak the words, too. And now that he has, he can feel that same relief running down his spine, part that wasn't so bad and part could've done that sooner. It's good to know that he doesn't have to match that hurricane of love in order to still admit to feeling it, and further, say so.

His arms tighten around Sanji, settling him comfortably into place so he can meet and match every one of those kisses, nibbling at his lower lip whenever he can get the chance. Anything to fill the few minutes between right now and breakfast with the cook's scent and taste, his warmth and strength. Besides, even when they have to break apart to handle food, he knows they'll be back together soon enough. No worries, no fears.]

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