Chapter Text
Over the past few weeks, the temperature had dropped noticeably.
Despite their familiarity with the Grand Line’s swift seasonal changes, the sudden onset of snow caught the crew off guard.
The wind aggressively tugged at the sail, seemingly intent on tearing it apart.
Sanji despised the cold.
The numbness creeping into his hands, feet, and ears, coupled with incessant sneezing, was something he absolutely hated.
Seeking refuge in the ship’s interior, particularly the warm kitchen beside the running oven, provided him a cozy escape from the chilling cold.
Each member of the Straw Hat crew had their own preferences regarding the frosty temperatures.
Luffy, Usopp and Chopper reveled in the snow, oblivious to the cold until their extremities turned blue. Chopper, playing the responsible caretaker, would eventually drag them inside, wrapping them in thick blankets and offering steaming cups of tea to warm them up from the inside.
Robin found brief enjoyment in the cold, occasionally joining the antics outside but returning indoors after her fill of fun.
Nami, Franky and Brook, on the other hand, avoided venturing outside when temperatures plummeted below zero.
And then there was Zoro.
Zoro.
Who walked out the door.
Dressed in nothing but his pants, shoes, and the haramaki.
“You can’t go out like that”, Sanji admonished him at a mere glance.
“Why not?”, Zoro shot back, showing a clear lack of interest in whatever reasoning prompted the cook to call him out.
“Because it’s freezing outside!”
Sanji couldn’t fathom the need to explain what should have been blatantly obvious to anyone with more than one functioning brain cell.
Which Zoro apparently didn’t have.
“You’re going to catch a cold. Or worse.”
To add insult to injury, Zoro rolled his eyes, dismissing Sanji’s concern.
“Stop fussing. I won’t get sick. It’s good training, warms up the muscles, you know?”
“No”, Sanji replied, shivering at the mere thought of opening the door in such inadequate attire. “I do not.”
“Besides, I don’t see what you have to complain about. It’s not like I’m trying to drag you out with me.”
“And if you do get sick?”, Sanji questioned. “Do you know who’s going to be stuck with your shitty attitude all day? Me!”
Zoro just gave him that infuriating look again, intensifying Sanji’s desire to kick him in the head. “No one asked you to take care of me. I can handle myself.”
“Oh yeah?” Sanji folded his arms in front of his chest. “As I recall, it was you who specifically asked Chopper for me to come and stay with you the last time you told me you wouldn’t get sick and caught a cold. The only reason I agreed is because you looked like absolute shit.”
Zoro shuffled awkwardly, his boots scratching against the wooden ship floors.
Sanji remained silent, observing him standing there in uncomfortable silence.
Finally, he let out an exasperated sigh. “At least put on a coat, will you?”
Before another protest could be voiced, Sanji walked over to the wall where a hook held his coat. Retrieving it, he approached Zoro, who stood with a dumbfounded expression.
Sanji held the coat up, gesturing for Zoro to slide his hands in. Despite the anticipated protest hanging at the tip of Zoro’s tongue, he remained surprisingly silent. Instead, he raised his arms, allowing the cook to clothe him. Sanji adjusted the front and zipped it up.
“Better now?”, Zoro asked, a slight mocking tone present in his chosen wording.
Sanji gave him a quick once-over before deciding, “Not quite”, and went back to retrieve something from one of the cupboards.
“Ero-cook”, Zoro groaned. “It’s alright. I have a coat on. I won’t freeze.”
“It’s not enough”, Sanji disagreed, prompting another eye roll from Zoro. “You’re too damn much sometimes.”
“Shut up, you stupid patch of grass!”
Despite his complaints, Zoro waited for Sanji to come back with whatever he wanted to give him.
“A scarf?”, Zoro wondered aloud as he recognized the piece of clothing. “As I said, that’s not necessary.”
“It is”, Sanji insisted.
Zoro stood still so Sanji could wrap the scarf around his neck, making sure it was fastened appropriately to withstand the harsh wind, but also not strangling him.
The smell of cigarettes and traces of some expensive perfume still lingered on the wooly material, filling Zoro’s nose instantly.
Zoro nuzzled his nose into the scarf to get a full whiff.
“Smells just like you”, he said.
A rosy blush crept onto Sanji’s face, heating him up all the way to the tips of his ears. “So? If you want it to smell like you, put yours on next time.”
“No”, Zoro said. “I think I prefer this, actually.”
Sanji delivered a punch, prompting the swordsman to move. “Now go, before I lose my patience with you. Stupid Marimo.”
Without another word, Zoro exited through the door. A cold gust of wind rushed through the kitchen, making Sanji shiver. But not for long, as an unfamiliar warm feeling began to settle in his stomach. He wondered whether he had eaten something bad or if it was just a side effect of all the stress the swordsman had caused him in the past few weeks.
Oh well, at least he could ensure the man wouldn’t get sick this time around.