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Zoro hated how observant he could be sometimes. Especially right now, because it was making him worry for, what he thought, was a stupid reason.
Whenever Sanji served any of the other Straw Hats, he served them with a smile, only tending to linger around them if it was a new dish so he could soak in Nami and Robin's praise for him. But he was different whenever he served Zoro his serving. He'd always linger around until he had taken his second bite before seeming satisfied and leaving to either serve the next person or get his own dish. This especially happened when desserts were served. Zoro knew he was a picky eater but he couldn't help his sensory issues or preferences, he was annoyed that Sanji felt the need to make a point of it constantly.
But in reality, he was actually worried. He knew that cooking was important to the cook, the most important thing to be exact, and he didn't like that he seemed to make him so unsure of his talent. He would think that after all this time, Sanji would know his preferences and texture icks without worry, but without fail, even with dishes he had served a million times, he watched to make Zoro kept eating.
"Maybe he just really cares about your input, especially since picky eaters are harder critics," Nami offered after Zoro finally relented his worried to her and Usopp. After about a half an hour of pestering, they finally got him to open up once in private. With Sanji doing the dishes, Luffy in a food coma, and the others entertaining themselves out on the deck, they had no prying ears left around them at the table. Little did Zoro know that the two people he was venting to also knew a little extra info that they were under oath to not tell him. Extra info that would tell him exactly why Sanji watched him so closely.
"Huh? What are you on about, even if I didn't like something, I'd hardly say I was giving any constructive criticism," Zoro said with an eyebrow raised.
"Maybe not, but you not liking something is still teaching him something about how to cook for all of us. Not to mention, he's got enough experience that if you think a dish is off, he could probably figure out exactly what it needs to fix it on his own in seconds. More than one way even," Usopp said while tinkering with something small he had produced from his pocket. Zoro just grunted as a response, finding that a good enough answer, so he leaned back and closed his eyes, finally allowing himself to relax.
Of course, Usopp couldn't just leave things be there, however. "I never thought I'd see the day that you'd be concerned about Sanji's feelings," he said with a knowing grin aimed at Nami. Zoro once again opened his eyes, mostly in surprise at the comment.
"Why wouldn't I care? Cooking is his dream," Zoro said, a little indignant at the idea of not caring about any of his crew mates dreams, no matter how much they pushed his buttons.
"I think what Mr. Blabbermouth was trying to say," Nami said with a weary look towards Usopp, "is that we're just not used to you showing a caring side for Sanji, considering you two are at each others throats most of the time."
Usopp got the hint to be quiet and just nodded in agreement, focusing his eyes back on his project. Zoro couldn't do much else other than shrug, but the wheels in his head starting turning again, starting a new thought process that he'd probably ruminate over much longer than need be.
"But still, why not fixate on anyone else's opinions on his food like that?" Zoro said, still a little hung up on how it was always him. Even if he was a picky eater, there were still dishes and foods the others didn't like either and he never lingered around them the way he did with Zoro. This question caused Usopp and Nami to quickly look at each other with wide eyes, conveying 'how do we answer this without blowing Sanji's cover', thankfully missed by Zoro as he was staring intensely at the table wood grain as if it would give him the answer.
"W-well maybe he just really cares about y-" Usopp was quickly cut off by a glare from Nami that could kill even a god.
"Your opinion," Nami finished for him. Luckily, Zoro somehow didn't pick up on the awkward sentence finishing, but he still let out a bark of laughter at the notion they offered.
"Real funny, I think he'd sooner let Luffy help him cook than care about my opinions, he knows his cooking is great, he doesn't need me to tell him," Zoro replied.
"Yeah, maybe he does, but have you ever actually told him that you think it's great?" Nami asked, seeing the opening she had to get the ball rolling, finally, without breaking her oath to Sanji. It was working too, as Zoro didn't reply, just squinted harder at the wood grain with a small mumble.
After a few beats of silence, Zoro stood up with a grunt. "Guess it's about time for me to go relieve whoever is on lookout duty now."
As he shuffled out of the dining area, Nami and Usopp just shook their heads, both of them knowing that he was going to think himself to ruin up in the crow's nest for the next few hours.
"I'll go let know that Sanji will be relieving a brain dead Zoro in a few hours, maybe if we're lucky this could speed things up so we won't have to hear Sanji's pining tirades whenever Zoro isn't around," Nami announced. Usopp just nodded in agreement, most of his focus on the object he was tinkering with now.
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Zoro liked the peaceful quiet of the crow's nest sometimes. It was a great place to take a nap, far enough away from the noisiness of his crew mates that it didn't disturb his sleep, but still close enough that if trouble arose he'd hear and be there quickly. Tonight though, was still amidst the calm waves, the rest of the crew had already partied themselves out for the night, and all he was left with was the waves and his own thoughts. And of course, after the talk he had had with Nami and Usopp earlier, his thoughts were back on that damned cook.
Zoro had known he'd had feelings for the cook for a while, but had yet to really tell anyone, though he could tell Nami had already figured it out, and if she had then she definitely already told Robin and Usopp. That didn't mean his own feelings didn't aggravate him though. Sanji still knew just what buttons to push to annoy Zoro more than anyone, not to mention how pervy he was with the ladies always made Zoro roll his eyes, but there was still something about him that caught Zoro's eye and made him really pay attention. Maybe it was how his passion was one that provided such vitality and it shone through him with every dish he made. Maybe it was how he was always so attentive to even the smallest of details for everyone and their preferences, showing how much he really cared even when he pretended not to. Maybe it was how he could imagine holding him around his wiry frame would feel just ri-
Zoro shook his head and cut off his train of thought right then and there, he needed to pay attention and be on look out. For what, amidst this calm night? Who knows, but he still didn't want to let his brain go to day dreaming, he still wanted some deniability to his own feelings in his head.
What Nami had asked him earlier still bothered him though. Had he ever said thank you, even once, for a dish Sanji had made him? Even when he made Zoro a separate dish from everyone else, knowing that Zoro wouldn't like the one prepared for the rest of the crew? He wasn't sure, he couldn't completely remember. He felt he must have at least once, but for some reason the fact he couldn't recall bugged him. He had given his oath that he would fight to protect his crew mates' dreams, and he always wanted to support and encourage their dreams as well, so he felt awful that he couldn't remember giving any thanks to Sanji for the creations pertaining to his own dream. He really had been taking him for granted.
But how would he rectify it without making it such a big deal? Things were always tense between them, if they went a day without butting heads it was a miracle, and neither of them were really the kind to be emotional and deep talk with one another either. He wondered how many times Nami had heard Sanji rant about Zoro being ungrateful (for anyone wondering, the answer is in the hundreds by now), and how many times he blew off a perfectly good opportunity to give his thanks without it being awkward or seemingly out of the blue.
For the next few hours, as he watched out over the open sea, Zoro thought and thought and thought to himself about all the ways in which he could do better, say thank you more, even help out a little without getting in Sanji's way and causing them to butt heads again. He ended up so deep in thought, that he actually didn't hear Sanji climbing up to the crow's nest to relieve him of his shift until the hatch in the floor popped open. Zoro started slightly as Sanji poked through, the moonlight catching on his blonde hair in a way that Zoro noted to be radiant. Even better though, was the offering Sanji had brought with him.
"Nami told me you'd likely be brain dead up here, so I brought this in case I needed to wake your mossy ass up," Sanji said, handing the bottle of sake to Zoro.
Zoro just looked at him a moment, all his thoughts of thanks still close to the front of his mind. A perfect opportunity. Overlooking the teasing tone of Sanji's statement, he grabbed the bottle and mumbled a thanks to the cook, whose eyebrows notably raised a bit upon hearing it. He turned out to look over the ocean so that Zoro couldn't see the soft smile it brought him, though.
Zoro popped open the bottle and took a couple swigs. "If ya don't mind, I'm gonna nap up here for a while, good night for it," Zoro said, already leaned back with his eyes closed. It was less of a question and more of a declaration, Sanji knew that Zoro would be staying there to nap whether he wanted him to or not. And truthfully, he didn't mind, he liked the company of Zoro, especially during quiet moments like this, not that he would ever admit that.
"Alright, but if you snore too loudly I'm kicking your ass overboard, and I won't tell the others, so have fun being lost at sea," Sanji shot back. Zoro just grunted in response, knowing that Sanji wouldn't actually do so. Tonight was one of friendly banter, they'd already butted heads at breakfast.
Soon, Zoro was out like a light, snoring lightly, but not loud enough for Sanji to consider following through on his threat from earlier. Unlike Zoro, Sanji didn't mind his mind wandering into daydreams of fancy while on lookout on such a calm night, and so, while watching the calm sea and occasionally his sleeping companion, the next few hours were spent happily within his own head.
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Over the next few weeks, the whole crew started to notice a bit of a change in how Zoro and Sanji interacted with each other around dinnertime. Of course, they still butted heads just as often, nothing had changed there, but Zoro would start to thank Sanji for his individual dishes and would compliment a dish if Sanji tried something new that he liked. If he didn't like a dish, he'd even apologize, which really spun everyone's heads, especially Sanji's. On calmer days, where they weren't biting each other's heads off, Zoro would even help Sanji clean the dishes afterwards now too. Some, like Luffy and Brook, just took it as a new step to the routine they were all used too, and were glad to see the two get along slightly more than before. Nami, Usopp, and Robin, however, would all give each other silent but knowing looks whenever these things occurred. While still no confessions had yet been made, they all considered it a huge step in the right direction.