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Another dead end. Stupid. That was what he was. Plain old stupid. He grumbled and turned around. If the ceiling hadn't come down, he'd be halfway across the country by now. Wouldn't he? Now it looked like he was caught in this stupid little cavern with his only exit blocked.
Voices drifted to him, and Sanji froze and tried to listen to them.
“What's so special about a mating bond anyway?”, asked the curious voice of a child. He heard that voice before in the village, he pondered distantly. Seemed like it came from somewhere above him on the mountain, and he could hear them through the little holes leading up in the ceiling.
There was a short, thoughtful humming sound before an old voice answered. “A mating bond is… special. You can't compare it to anything. Your mate is your other half. The person completing you, the yin to your yang. it also makes both of them stronger because their power will be amplified between them.”
“So why did Sanji leave?”
He flinched at his name. Their voices trailed off, and he had to focus with everything he had to hear the answer. Should he make a sound so they'd find him? Still considering, he listened and felt his heart break at the answer.
“I don't know, child. He doesn't either, that's why he's so distraught. It's always a terrible thing when a mating gets rejected, but to do it this way? To prefer death over your mating? I'm afraid of what it will do to young Zoro…”
Did they think he wanted to kill himself? Fuck that. That… wouldn't do. Sanji winced. Zoro would be heartbroken over that. Undoubtedly. Blame himself, like he did for everything else bad happening around him.
And he? He… his eyes widened in realization. He loved him. His fingers came up to pinch his nose, and he let his head fall back against the wall. A few times. Because he knew what he had to do. Couldn't let the Marimo live with this agony.
And so he pushed through his doubts and the feelings of duty that led him to this wretched cavern in the first place and let the mating bond snap in place. Felt it rattle him and heard the answering roar somewhere above him.
All that was left for him to do now was to prepare himself for the lashing out he'd get by Zoro. His face became pinched - he couldn't even complain because the Mosshead would be right.
Sanji had left. With barely a reason, just a shitty letter that didn't really explain anything. How could he explain his self-doubts and fucked up childhood to anyone? The misery he caused the people he loved? And so he ran when he felt the beginnings of a mating bond. Like a coward. He bit his lip and wished for a cigarette. Gods, he hated himself sometimes.
Hard thuds in a fast rhythm above him. Someone was running. Mosshead, without a doubt. Sanjis lips quirked up a bit. That was fast. He felt the power of the slashes against the rock before he could hear them. Felt it give way to the enraged swordsman that was breathing heavily in the entry to the cavern he just cleared. His eyes merely slits as he looked at the blonde. “You left” came the growled accusation.
And yes, he was pissed. Sanji wasn’t sure he had ever seen Zoro look that angry, but he couldn’t focus on that when his eyes were roving over his mate. Sweaty, panting and growling as he was. He was beautiful. And his. His mate.