Chapter Text
Mevak
Part I
They were six years old when Judge tied them to a stretcher and injected a liquid into their veins. He could hear his brothers' voices screaming, but the joy in his father’s voice rose above their sobs. Instead of screaming, he felt exhausted, even numb. He wasn’t surprised when his father roughly untied him, letting him fall to the floor, rage bubbling in the man’s blue eyes.
"I had faith that you wouldn’t be a total failure, but here we are. You will be an omega." Sanji didn’t understand anything his father was saying. His brothers would be alphas, a great source of pride, no doubt, while he would be a worthless omega.
What did that mean?
He had no idea, but he was sure of one thing. It was bad, really bad, if this was his father’s reaction.
When they were finally released from the lab, with tears still in his blue eyes, he slipped away to the castle's medical wing to find refuge in his mother’s arms.
There, in the comfort of her embrace, Sanji told her everything that had happened, the experiment, and terms he didn’t understand at all.
Sora, feeling so powerless, trapped in that bed, decided to play her own mind games with her son to counter all the garbage his father had put in his little head. Wrapping him in her pheromones, she told him about alphas, betas, and omegas—how they originated, how they adapted to humans over the centuries, and how, currently, many people had those characteristics.
Thanks to his mother’s words, Sanji was finally able to understand, a little, what lay ahead in his future.
"People think alphas are the best, the strongest, the most resilient, but never let them fool you, Sanji," she warned him. "An alpha cannot create life, nor can they carry cubs inside them and much less give birth. That is a gift of ours. Without omegas, life itself cannot carry on. Every alpha is born from an omega. One is not better than the other; they are part of a whole."
Sanji believed in his mother’s words and used them as strength for everything he went through in life. He remembered her stories about family and destiny, about souls destined to find each other through a thousand and one lives, about manifestations in the light of the full moon, about rituals and love.
He nourished his soul with his mother’s words and found love in food. What better way to show love for the people you care about than with nutritious recipes?
He never gave up, not even when he was locked in that dark dungeon for six months after losing his mother.
After escaping Germa, he spent time on the Orbit before meeting Zeff on that rock. Sanji remembered one of his mother’s many sayings: “ There are old sea wolves, alphas who sail as pirates and care for their crew as if they were family, even if they have nothing to do with each other. ”
Zeff was an old sea wolf, a pirate who, even after losing his entire family, had protected a small sprout—him—simply because they shared the same dream.
The two stayed together after they were rescued, and since they both had blonde hair and blue eyes, it wasn’t hard for people to believe they were father and son. They paid their debts to the people who saved them by cooking delicious meals and eventually opened the Baratie.
The first night they sailed the sea, both were looking up at the stars in the dark sky when Sanji, uncertain about his place on the ship, decided to confess one of his secrets to the man who had saved him.
"What did you say?"
"That. They say I’m an omega," he confessed, looking down. "They got rid of me because of that."
Zeff fixed his eyes on the boy’s shoulders, hunched with fear.
"Do you think it’s wrong to be an omega?" he asked.
"No," he said, raising his gaze. "Before my mom died, she told me that we’re equals, that we’re a team. And that I can be even stronger than an alpha if I set my mind to it, because I’m capable of creating life."
Zeff nodded, processing the information the boy had shared with him.
"I like the way you think," he said, bending down a little to lift the boy into his arms, surrounding him with his pheromones.
"What are you doing?" Sanji asked, smelling the scent of fried rice with seafood, a dish the old cook had prepared in large quantities for the people of the town where they had recovered.
"If you’re going to be an omega, we have to make sure the whole world knows you’re my cub, so no one will dare touch you unless you want them to. And I hope that will be when you’re much, much older."
Sanji smiled and hugged the man.
His protection reminded him of Sora; Zeff was a good man behind his rough appearance. He believed that meeting him was a gift from his mother.
…
As the years passed, Sanji fit right in with the cook pirates, behaving like a perfect chivalrous gentleman with female patrons, while using every bit of the coarse language he learned from the other cooks for any man who crossed his path.
Zeff had trained him in combat, placing great importance on not damaging his precious hands, so he could continue pursuing his passion for cooking. The omega’s kicks were something to fear, with a strength worthy of a dominant alpha. Zeff also taught him to swim, helping him lose his fear of the sea.
Sometimes, he remembered the competitions he had with his brothers, regretting that no one had the patience to teach him how to swim as Zeff had. He loved being in the water.
When Sanji had his first heat, Zeff closed the Baratie as a precaution. They didn’t know what to expect, but based on what he had heard and remembered, getting clothes from everyone around might help him feel comfortable. Zeff prepared water, fruit, and left him to lock himself in his room.
Sanji, accustomed to pain and suffering, tried in vain to make something out of the garments he was given, only to become frustrated. He vaguely remembered his mother’s nests; he knew he needed to make one but didn’t know how. Mentally exhausted from everything he was feeling in his body, he spent his first heat sleeping under a sheet filled with his father’s scent, calming every part of his body and soothing his inner omega.
…
Over time, Zeff got him a few books to read so he’d know how to better handle his heats. Sanji always thanked him with a smile, and the big-mustached man didn’t know how to react, usually responding brusquely and uncomfortably.
It was after this that Sanji decided he’d treat Zeff the same way he treated the other cooks or any man, and it worked. The dynamic of respect—although on the surface, it looked like they hated each other—quickly settled between them.
Nicknames and constant arguments became a form of love for him.
It was a good routine; he loved that place and owed so much to the old man.
But when he finally turned eighteen, that peaceful atmosphere started to become turbulent.
Zeff grew more hostile, questioning his skills, even going as far as kicking him out, despite the fact that Sanji had helped pay off the debts they’d incurred at the start of the Baratie.
Things stayed that way until he met Luffy and his newly formed crew.
The boy, despite being clearly younger than him, had the same energy he’d once known in Zeff. He, too, was a sea wolf—charming, stubborn, full of life and dreams.
From the moment they met, Luffy claimed him as part of his pack, filling him with his pheromones, which smelled of meat and rubber, and was determined to take him along.
Strange things happened in those days while the boy with rubber powers was at the Baratie; not only was he saturated with Luffy’s scent, but there was another smell in the air that put him in a bad mood. He couldn’t pinpoint its origin until Mihawk slashed the source of the scent in front of him, flooding the air with blood, making it nearly impossible to breathe, leaving him feeling suffocated.
It wasn’t until Mihawk left the Baratie that he could finally breathe again, though he had little time to dwell on what had happened. He had too many other problems on the horizon.
After freeing Baratie from the threat posed by Don Krieg, Sanji decided it was time to do things right for once and pursue his original dream. He would search for the All Blue—the legendary sea for chefs—in the company of Luffy.
Though he should have guessed nothing would be easy, especially with the personality of his new captain.
Sanji quickly found himself drawn into the rescue of their navigator. He ended up fighting alongside Zoro, the man who stinked of steel and blood, a scent that, for some strange reason, drove him crazy—in the worst way.
He didn’t quite understand why. Maybe it was because Zoro was still wounded, and the scent of his blood was overwhelming, but even so, they managed to be skilled enough to defeat their enemies.
After the battle, and after someone had done a decent job of patching up the green-haired man, Sanji tried to have a civil conversation with him to see if that irritating smell still came from him. Now that his wounds had been expertly stitched, the scent was fainter, but it still tickled his nose.
Maybe he should keep his distance—a cordial relationship, only for the sake of being on the same ship.
But although his intentions were good, and the polite attitude lasted a few days while they entered the Grand Line, everything went to hell in Little Garden.
Oh yes, if that moss-headed idiot wanted a fight, he’d gladly give him one.
…
When Chopper, the reindeer doctor, joined the crew, several things started to make sense, especially regarding his recent rivalry with Zoro.
“I need you to tell me your subgenders and cycles so I can be aware of any needs that may arise.”
“Alpha,” said Luffy with a huge grin. “What do you mean by cycles?”
The reindeer looked at his captain and then at the rest of the crew, sensing that this group of misfits barely understood who they were.
“Cycles are times of the year when your body feels tired, you drool a lot, and your canines stick out past your lips.”
“Oh,” exclaimed the straw-hatted boy, “and your penis gets so hard that nothing calms it down.” Though the rest of the crew scolded him for saying it like that, Chopper agreed with his description. “It only happens to me once a year,” he continued. “It happened when I turned sixteen, and again when I turned seventeen.”
“How did you calm it down?”
“I was in the forest, so I just slept and ate.”
“Alright,” Chopper replied, looking at the others, waiting to see who would go next. Usopp introduced himself as a beta, so he could help Chopper if anyone had any issues, which the reindeer appreciated. Vivi hadn’t had her presentation, so she just shrugged.
“I’m an alpha, cycles every six or seven months, but it’s not regular,” Nami replied, crossing her arms. “I just sleep through them because I get severe migraines, and I don’t know any other way to manage it.”
Hearing Nami’s words, Sanji felt a tightness in his chest.
“I can make food to keep you hydrated during those times,” he said without hesitation, to which the orange-haired girl smiled. “I’m an omega,” Sanji continued. “Since I started, I’ve had cycles every four months. At first, they lasted a week, but I’ve managed to bring it down to three days. Usually, I just sleep and eat a lot of fruit to stay hydrated. My next cycle should be in two months.”
“Thank you, Sanji,” said Chopper, carefully noting the information. When he finished, he looked over at Zoro, who had been frowning the entire time. “Zoro?”
“Huh?”
“What are you?”
“Human,” he replied, making the rest of his crewmates look at him strangely, unsure if he was joking, being difficult, or truly clueless.
“You don’t know?” Chopper asked tentatively. Zoro looked up, embarrassed. “Could you all give us a moment?” he asked the rest, leaving the young man alone with the doctor.
Sanji stepped out onto the deck to smoke a cigarette.
–It’s incredible that he doesn’t know what he is – he thought, a bit irritated. To him, it was clear that Zoro was an alpha, everything about him was maddeningly aggravating for that reason alone. Then he looked around at his crewmates, scattered across different parts of the Merry Go, feeling a wave of concern for them all.
Luffy was definitely an alpha who hadn’t grown up in civilization. The five days Sanji spent alone with him were enough to confirm it. The fact that he had yearly cycles was undeniable proof of nutritional issues. He could have had biannual cycles, but a healthy person would never have annual cycles.
Usopp, though a beta, showed obvious signs of nutrient deficiency in his diet, visible in his skin’s appearance and the muscle tone of his arms.
The stress sweet Vivi carried likely prevented her from presenting.
And his beloved Nami—considering all they’d learned about her, it was obvious she’d never had a balanced diet to regulate her cycles, hence the migraines.
He silently thanked Zeff for the books he’d gotten for him.
Now he just had to prepare dishes rich in nutrients and vitamins to restore his crew’s health. He’d have to plan carefully with Chopper once he finished with the moss-head.
In the end, Sanji was right.
Zoro was an alpha who had managed to suppress a couple of cycles purely through concentration and meditation. His cycles were exactly like Sanji’s, occurring every four months, with the next one due in two months.
“Isn’t that going to be a huge problem?” Sanji exclaimed when Chopper hung up a chart in the kitchen showing each of their cycles. “An omega and an alpha in heat at the same time.”
“Don’t worry, shitty cook,” Zoro said, scratching his stomach and yawning. “Even if you were the last omega in the world, I wouldn’t lay a finger on you.”
“Huh?” Sanji replied, deeply offended. “That’s my line. Even if you were the last alpha in the world, I wouldn’t ask for your help.”
“And who says I’d come help you, anyway?”
As the two launched into one of their typical arguments, Luffy watched them with a grin.
“If neither of you wants any help, that’ll be perfect,” he said with a clap, heading off on their next adventure.
The real problem began in those two months. They liberated a kingdom from the hands of a Shichibukai, welcomed a new crewmate—an alpha, much to Sanji’s delight—traveled to the sky and back.
Something started changing in Zoro, though he couldn’t quite understand it. He’d look at his hands, trying to make sense of what was happening to him. One cold night, while he was on watch, Nami approached and sat beside him, wrapped in a blanket.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” she asked. Zoro looked at her, debating whether to share his thoughts—maybe she could help him understand.
“When we were in Alabasta, I thought I felt cook’s pain,” he said. Nami looked at him, both confused and intrigued. “And I think he felt mine too. In fact, I didn’t tell Chopper about a cut I got while fighting Mr. 1, but he somehow knew—he even knew the exact spot.” Seeing Nami’s silent but attentive expression, he sighed and continued. “In Skypiea, it happened again. I felt some strange sensations up there, like my body was exploding or being electrocuted by Enel’s deadly lightning—twice—without even being near it.”
“Wow,” Nami said, watching him carefully and feeling a mix of emotions. She’d read stories of alphas and omegas destined to find each other, bound by a special connection, intensified by the power of the moon. Could it be that this pirate crew was host to that kind of magic?
“Aren’t you going to say anything else?” he asked.
“You must be close to your cycle; you’re acting strange.”
Zoro scowled, irritated. “Why’d I even bother telling you?” he muttered, moving away from her. Nami just laughed at his reaction.
“I’ll find us an island where we can rest safely while you two beasts go through your cycles,” she said, standing up. “I’d rather not risk someone stealing my precious gold while you two are out of control.” Zoro just grunted. “Oh, and by the way,” she added, adjusting the blanket around her shoulders, “I think I know what’s going on between you and Sanji-kun, but it’s something you’ll both need to discover on your own.”
“By ourselves?” Zoro asked, and Nami nodded. “Is it serious?”
“I don’t know either, that’s for you both to figure out.”
With those words, she walked away, leaving Zoro more confused than before.
…
Three days later, an enticing aroma began to fill the air around the Straw Hats, like a feast of seafood and Sea King meat. Chopper perked up in surprise, while the four alphas of the crew seemed to lose themselves a bit in the scent. Luffy was the most obvious, only because Zoro was using all his concentration to resist the overwhelming smell.
His teeth tingled, making him salivate more than usual. Chopper had told him this was a sign of his cycle starting, but he’d never felt it this strongly before.
The reindeer quickly noticed that the scent of steel was starting to mix with Sanji’s scent, filling the entire Merry.
“You two need to isolate yourselves,” he said, in a serious tone that none of them had heard before. “Your cycles are starting, and it could be dangerous.”
“But…” Sanji said, stepping away from the stove, “we need to get the food ready for everyone.”
“Sanji,” insisted the reindeer, “we can manage ourselves for three days. And I’m pretty sure you already stocked the fridge with basics for various dishes.”
“We just have to put them together.”
“Where are we supposed to stay?” Zoro asked, crossing his arms and trying to look indifferent, though he felt his head getting warmer.
“Unfortunately, Nami couldn’t find an island nearby, so you’ll have to use the room for the five of us.”
“Both of us in the same room?” Sanji seemed concerned about that, glancing at Zoro, who was staring right back. “You gonna behave yourself, mosshead?”
“I already told you, you don’t interest me,” he replied, feeling more exhausted than usual from the effort of lying.
“Fine.” Sanji turned off the burners, and after grabbing a basket he’d prepared for himself, added a few more items.
“What’s that?”
“Stuff I set aside for you,” he replied without looking at him. “Since we’ll be sharing space, I’ll just take it with mine.”
“Sanji, do you have your doses?” the cook nodded, leaving the room. He just wanted to sleep. Chopper looked at Zoro intently.
“What?”
“Protect him, please” he ask “I know you'll be in heat too, but I'm concerned about Luffy’s meat obsession.”
“I’m on it, don't worry”
…
But, it was clear that it was not found to be something simple, when he went down to the room all of them used at the Merry. Sanji was in a corner, next to an armchair, hands full of clothes from different members of the crew, even a shirt of his.
“Do you need help with that?” he offered selflessly, putting down his three swords from his waist.
Sanji only gave him a side eye, before sighting and telling him.
“You didn't even know you were an alpha, and you want to help me?”
“It was a yes or no question, cook” he said, going to the opposite corner, sitting on the ground and hugging his swords, closing his eyes. He inhaled deeply to calm himself, but it was the worst thing he could do. Cook usually smelled of seafood and Sea King meat, one of the main reasons why Luffy loved hugging him, but, in this ocasio, the smell was sour, in fact it was bothersome. He moved his head trying to understand what was affecting him, when he heard Sanji again, sounding exhausted.
“I'm trying to make a nest” he explained without waiting for Zoro to answer. “Omegas are supposed to do them, nests. A place where they can spend their heats peacefully. Where they can rest, but I'm not managing to get it correctly” Zoro opened his right eye when he heard Sanji kicking the clothes he put on the floor. “It’s not working, I'm done.”
“What if I try to help you?” Said Zoro, closing his eye once again. “I don't know much about alphas and omegas, but maybe it's just an instinct thing.”
Sanji put his hands on his hips, watching the swordsman, the teal smell on the men was stronger now that they were locked up, but somehow, it didn't bother him, it made him feel relaxed.
“Well…” he said, making Zoro open his eyes right away to look at him. “Help me.”
Zoro left his swords against the wall and approached Sanji, they both looked at the clothes Sanji brought and he bent down to spread them out, the blonde watched as the swordsman made rows of clothes. He tilted his head as he watched him work, bending down when Zoro spreaded a large cover he brought on the floor, putting the cloth rows in a circle.
The cook was watching him work in such a delicate way that he couldn't help but feel relaxed and happy. Zoro gave him some clothes too to give him something to do.
When they finished, Sanji smiled at their finished work. Maybe talking about nests, the marimo thought of birds, because he had covered the clothes with a blanket, giving it the looks of any nest you could find up in a tree.
“Does it look horrible?” the green haired man asked, looking at his smile, intrigued by the fact that Sanji’s scent became lighter and nicer, similar to a dish of gratin Sea King meat.
“I believe that, for being the first we do as a team, it doesn't look that bad” He said, settling into place, surprised at how the clothes had been left to feel the scents of his loved ones on that ship, surrounding and protecting him.
“Sanji,” the blond looked at the swordsman surprised to hear his name, noticing that the latter had darkened eyes, only in that second he remembered that he was also in heat. “let me in” he asked, feeling his nostrils widen more with each breath.
Sanji watched him trying to sense some level of danger, but he didn't feel it, so he said yes, plus they had made a circle quite wide where they both fit. While Zoro took a step inside, Sanji stretched out to take the basket with the water bottles he had brought for the day. When he returned to his place, he found that Zoro had gotten close enough to him to rest his nose on Sanji's neck, breathing in his scent.
“Marimo?”
“You smell so good” he said with such honesty, that Sanji blushed completely. “I don't know why I can't stop breathing it in.” The blond closed his eyes and didn't push him away, he couldn't, he was lost in the swordsman's steel scent, a smell that reminded him of the knives he loved so much, with which he made dishes for his loved ones. He found himself exposing his neck more for the alpha's delight.
“Zoro…” he whispered when he felt the latter's warm tongue, passing over the skin of his neck, brushing it with his teeth.
“Kick me if I go too far” he begged with his voice full of something Sanji had never experienced before. The swordsman's tongue began a path down his neck ending at the jaw, where he began to leave small kisses. Sanji's voice faltered again. “I don't know what I'm even doing, I just feel like I need to make you feel good, make us feel good.”
Sanji didn't answer, he simply clung to the swordsman's clothes, while he felt his body temperature begin to rise the more they lost themselves in each other's scent.
What was going on? What the hell was wrong with them?
They had no idea, but putting aside everything they were thinking, it felt so good.
He also felt like touching the alpha he had let into his nest, he wanted to run his hands over the lean muscles of his arms and torso. He wanted to explore him, like he had never thought of before in his life.
When they felt the warmth of skin on skin, they realized they had stripped. The kisses began to be more impatient, the hands touched every unexplored place, they didn't seem to have enough.
They didn't even know what they had to do! They were just letting themselves be carried away by their instincts, as if the voice that warned them that this was dangerous, that they shouldn't cross that line, had disappeared, being replaced by the one that said "you only live once."
The real problem was when they were both hard from so many caresses and kisses, they looked at each other without knowing what else to do, or how to proceed. Perhaps it was a moment of clarity, that they decided, each one, to take their members and jerk off their erections until they could rest, burying their noses in the other's neck.
After hydrating and cleaning themselves with wet cloths that Sanji had brought, they laid down next to each other, not bothering to put their clothes back on, the contact of their skins giving them tranquility, which led to a deep sleep in no time.
The second day, they both slept almost the whole day, but Zoro woke up to a wave of Sanji's scent that made him salivate. Again, guided by his instinct and by the hunger that Sanji's scent awakened in him, he ran his mouth over him again, but this time, going deeper, tasting Sanji's hardness, cleaning with his tongue the natural lubrication that the omega had between his legs.
Without a doubt, one of the best meals that the cook had given him.
He also got hard immediately, almost feeling it painful. He gritted his teeth, in pain. Making Sanji come down from his cloud of pleasure and reach out his hands to him to help him make it more pleasurable for him.
Exhausted after cumming, they cleaned up once more and ate something. Meanwhile, Sanji peeled an apple and cut pieces that he gave to Zoro. Zoro bit into each piece without being able to take his eyes off of him. Perhaps the cloud of jealousy was passing, because now that he saw how he had left his teeth marks in several places on the cook's body, he began to feel very bad about himself. For having been weak, for having taken advantage of his partner.
Sanji, in counterpart, was ashamed of having given himself so easily to the Marimo, not because of how he felt, but because he feared what his partner would think of him. He was debating what to say, when he heard the swordsman apologize.
“Come again?”
“That” he said, looking at him annoyed at having to repeat the apology. "I'm sorry for what I've done to you, to your body" he pointed at him, making Sanji finally look at the skin on his shoulders and chest, teeth marks and bruises that Zoro had made with his mouth painted his fair skin, he felt the temperature rise to his ears. "I was supposed to have very good control over myself, Chopper asked me to protect you, and the real danger was me..."
Zoro lowered his head, completely defeated by what he had done, but Sanji couldn't help but smile at that. He felt scared for a moment, but the moss was still a sensitive person under those muscles.
"I was scared," Sanji confessed, as he relaxed his shoulders making Zoro look at him again worriedly. "I thought you would look at me badly for having let myself go."
"I'm not better than you, cook," he said, feeling that he could breathe again, bringing his hand to his neck. "I can't deny that it felt good."
"Yes," the blond agreed, as he looked down at the apple he was cutting again. He didn't know that sharing a heat made it easier.
"You can always ask me for a hand next time," he said, regaining some of his self-esteem, Sanji just laughed before passing him another piece of apple.
"I can lend you mine too," he replied.
They were silent for a while, before sleep overcame them both. They stayed curled up, one with the other, feeling like they didn't want to be anywhere else but there.
If before the heat left them for that cycle, they held each other's promised hand, it is something that would remain between them.
…
When they came out of their confinement, Luffy welcomed them both with a strong hug claiming that he missed them both very very much, but they stank, so he imprinted them with their scent by pressing them against him once again.
With a laugh from both, they separated from their captain, to take a shower before returning to the routine of the Merry Go, on the way to Water Seven.
Sanji returned to long-sleeved shirts and tightly-tied ties to hide the marks that Zoro had left on him. He felt strange when he saw them, he felt that nothing had changed with his partner, but at the same time it did change.
Maybe he should investigate a little more.
And they really had opportunities to find out.
When they were involved in a Davy Back Fight, they found a new way to work as a team, in the great test they had in Water Seven when their crew hung by a thread. When he got into a train full of enemies alone, when they faced Jabra and Kaku respectively and managed to get out of Enies Lobby.
Zoro always tried to appear indifferent, that nothing they did could affect him, but Sanji would have made his hair go green in exasperation, if it weren't for the fact that his hair was already that color.
The feeling he felt when he knew he was alone on a train, when they were fighting on the bridge and he was nowhere to be found. He hated the feeling of the blond disappearing from his sight.
So taking advantage of the fact that they were alone in the cabin that the Galley-la Company made for them, he cornered him against the wall and without giving him a minute of action he kissed him desperately.
“Don't do this to me” he begged him in a low voice, against the cook's lips.
“Do what?” he asked.
“Putting yourself in danger, disappearing from my sight” he asked, resting his forehead on the blond's shoulder. “It makes me feel bad, I don't understand why it affects me so much.”
Sanji pressed his lips together, he felt that too. He didn't know if it was because of the jealousy they shared or not, something inside him told him no, it was always like that, ever since he saw him on the Baratie. He moved his hand and placed it on Zoro's neck.
"I can't promise you that," he said, making Zoro stare at him. "We're pirates, no one is guaranteed tomorrow, only today." He closed his eyes when he saw the desperation in the alpha's gaze in front of him. "Fine, I'll do my best."
"Thank you," he said, before kissing him again and moving away from him, to continue acting as if they were two rivals on a crew.
Sanji took advantage of every free minute he had to look for books in the Sunny's library to see if he could find out what was going on between them. He remembered his mother's stories, the ones they told him about connected souls. Could that be what was happening to him and Zoro?
The more he read, the more he could assure that they were either kindred souls, or destined to meet in a thousand lives.
He should feel desperate about this, but he found himself at peace. Zoro was not a person who minded about his sub-gender, in fact, he didn't care. He also didn't care that Sanji was an Omega, it didn't make him any different to fight with him or alongside him.
They had power struggles, but he knew it was one of men, of equals. Just like his mother had told him so many times.
He was looking for the ideal moment to talk to Zoro, but since they were quite prone to getting into trouble, they found themselves on an island full of zombies, shadow thieves and another shichibukai.
Well, two of them.
As soon as they finished off one, hardly, another one appeared, stronger, and knocked them out with ease.
Was this their end?
Sanji felt his heart sink when Zoro stood in front of Kuma, giving his life for all of them. He clung to his leg, so he could straighten it and stand up. He was used to always managing to stand up after any blow, this time wouldn't be the first time.
With difficulty, he walked and stood between him and Kuma, giving himself to whatever he was going to give him. What about Zoro's dream? What about his promise with Luffy? With his old friend?
He couldn't allow it.
But, it was clear that, if we're talking about sacrifice, Zoro couldn't allow it either.
Zoro knocked him out and left his swords with him, not too close so that their meaning wouldn't be obvious, but close enough for him to see them when he woke up.
He walked away and for the sake of everyone, for the sake of his captain, he took his pain and felt every part of his body being torn apart.
…
Sanji woke up when a very strong pain went through his chest, he put his hand to his heart and the other to the place where Zoro had hit him. He looked for him with his eyes, noticing the swords next to him.
In desperation, he stood up while looking for him everywhere. When he saw him standing, he lowered his revolutions and tried not to look worried, as if nothing had happened, but soon, he noticed the blood around him, the same blood that seemed to come out of every pore of the swordsman's body.
"What happened?" he exclaimed, not caring about showing his fear in his voice.
“Nothing happened” Zoro said, before closing his eyes and letting himself fall backwards. Sanji reacted in time and picked him up. Falling with him to the floor.
“Zoro?” He whispered, trying to move the man's cheek, his hand getting bloody. He searched for a handkerchief in his pocket and wiped the blood off his face with it, feeling his eyes filling with tears. “Moss, don't do this to me... If I can't do it, neither can you, you fucking bastard.”
He wiped his face with his free arm, before passing it under Zoro's legs, lifting him up. Luckily, he was unconscious enough not to protest being carried like a princess.
When Zoro was in Chopper's hands he knew everything would be okay, but the blood on his hands made him want to cry again. He hid in the Sunny, to get that smell of blood off of him, while he rubbed soap on his body, tears falling without his permission. He felt suffocated, as suffocated as that time in Baratie when Zoro was split in two by Mihawk.
He didn't like the feeling, he hated it.
Stupid Moss.
…
He washed himself until his skin was pink from scrubbing. He didn't feel ready to put on a tie, so he simply put on a sweatshirt and black pants to go find Chopper to check him out.
Although he put some bandages on some small cuts on his forehead, the bone he thought he had broken was in perfect condition. He was surprised. But, perhaps it was because of the number of times he has broken bones in his childhood and training with Zeff.
Without giving it importance, he dedicated himself to hating the sleeping moss, but also to feeling that he was not good enough for him.
At night, he couldn't sleep, so he relieved whoever was on duty and took care of the green-haired man while reading books that Robin supported at his side while cooking.
Story of bonds, support and sacrifices.
The more he read, the more he could confirm his suspicions, resting his forehead on the swordsman's shoulder.
"Why, of all the human beings in the world, did I have to be destined to be the man who has the least appreciation for his life?" he protested.
He heard a laugh and then a cough that made him pull away and look at Zoro who was suffering from his dry throat, he handed him a glass of water.
"Take small sips," he reminded him. Zoro obeyed and when he felt that his throat was hydrated once more, he lay down again without removing the smile from his lips. "What's so funny?"
"You tell me," he answered looking at him, "that I have no appreciation for my life, and you? What? You are the same or worse than me…"
“Marimo…”
“I'm sorry…”
“Why? For the scare you gave me?”
“No,” he shook his head carefully, closing his eyes. “because I know you felt everything I absorbed.” he took a deep breath and then exhaled. “I just wanted to save them all.”
“And you did, congratulations” and although Sanji's voice was full of sarcasm, Zoro laughed again, as he fell asleep, tightly holding the cook's hand.
…
With Zoro able to stand up, although Chopper was really angry with him, they resumed the trip to Fishman Island.
Sanji was very excited to be able to know the magical world of mermaids. He talked about it so much and loudly, that Zoro started to get upset by it. Something that did not go unnoticed by Sanji at all.
So he waited for the night, after making sure to give them an excellent meal that left everyone satisfied and ready to sleep the next day, and went up to the crow's nest with one goal in mind.
Zoro was looking at the window while moving one of his many weights on his right arm.
"Are you bored of talking about Sirens?" he asked with a heavy voice. Sanji felt a tickle at the tone of his voice, but not in a bad way. He pressed his lip before moving the steps that separated them. He made Zoro put down the weight and sat on his lap, resting his elbows on the swordsman's shoulders. "What’s this?" he asked, unable to stop his hands from going to his waist.
"Your shirt is really hideous," he said, while moving his hands under it to touch the skin of his waist.
"It only offends you," he said with a smile. "I chose it thinking of your hair." Zoro frowned at the cook's mocking smile. “At least it doesn't look like a festive treat like someone has put on.” Zoro tilted his smile, while his hands met and intertwined on Sanji's back.
“What are you looking for?”
“I want to be with you” said the blond, without beating around the bush. “Because I want to, and not because heat makes me do it” at his words, Zoro felt the temperature of his cheeks rise at the blond's words.
“Are you sure?”
“Very sure” he confessed, bringing his face closer to Zoro's, so that their lips touched. “I want to be with you, I want us, with what we feel, to be the ones who guide the situation and not our instincts.”
“Are you telling me that you love me, cook?” said Zoro amused, using his hands on the latter's back to bring him closer to him.
“Unfortunately” he complained, but the smile on his face indicated the opposite. “I've been doing research, so I think I know what to do this time” he moved his head, to start kissing the alpha's neck.
“Just tell me what to do” he said, surrendering to the contact of Sanji's lips on his neck.
“You don't do anything for the moment” he answered, looking at him. “You're still half convalescing, let me guide the situation.”
“I'm all yours.”
“I love the sound of that” he answered, tilting his smile before kissing Zoro's neck again, putting his hands inside his shirt to let it fall against the back of the chair. The swordsman only threw his head back, letting the emotions and appreciation that Sanji was giving him, completely envelop him.
Sanji took the time to admire him completely, his sun-kissed skin, his defined muscles. He really feasted on the man.
And as he explored and stripped both of them of their clothes, they rested their foreheads against each other as Sanji slightly rose so they could finally connect their bodies.
Both of their mouths opened at the new sensation as they advanced in the penetration. They hugged each other hoping to adapt to each other before they were both sure they could start moving.
It was a night full of discovery, of sensations and pleasure they didn't know they could experience.
They liked it so much that they couldn't wait to have the chance to be alone again and repeat everything and try new things.
Unfortunately, meeting the Mermaid Camie, saving the life of Hachi, the fishman they had met in Cocoyashi and meeting Duval, didn't give them time to have those expected minutes…
And Kuma's power to send them flying would separate them all for two years.