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Zoro yawned, the heat burning through his skin and bones, sweat beading on his forehead. His back leaned against wood; not any better...
"You're not training? How surprising." Sanji came along, sitting down beside Zoro, cigarette in hand.
"I already did. Leave me alone." Zoro keeps his line of sight away from Sanji, not daring to look at him.
"Are you sure? You seem lonely, and bored. You're doing nothing either, at least let me give you company or something." Sanji consulted, his face full of pity. Zoro glanced away, because whatever Sanji wanted he wanted no part.
Afterall, he convinced himself he's always disliked Sanji.
"Are you here just to annoy me? I could care less." Zoro covers up his thoughts, but it probably wasn't the best move. Sanji was smarter than he seemed, and smarter than he came out to be.
Sanji's a better man when he doesn't sense a woman, which is very rare. Like right now.
"I have nothing to do. You glance a little too much at me sometimes. Like yesterday, or were you looking for something to criticize me about?" Sanji brings up, his smirk smug, cigarette dangling off his mouth now.
And here he thought he was discreet about it.
"What?"
Zoro glanced at the sea, avoiding as much eye contact with the cook as much as possible, his sight directed to the sea below.
"You know what I'm talking about marimo, or is that moss really getting to your brain?"
Sanji teases. Zoro swears he hates it.
"Shut up, love cook."
"It's hard to do so when your hair looks like a house plant."
"How many times do you have to mention that, dartbrows?"
"As many times as I want to."
"You're just trying to fuck with me now." Zoro finally looks directly at Sanji. He hates how he can feel his face slightly burning up, and he knows that Sanji can see it awfully clearly.
"What? I'm being honest. There's nothing to be embarrassed about." Sanji pushes a little more, his words shooting through Zoro like Cupid's arrow, because he swears his heart is beating a little faster.
"Are you here just to tease me? Don't you have anything else better to do?"
"Yes and no. I didn't expect you to think I was flirting —"
"I don't think that."
Zoro stares back at Sanji
He can feel Sanji basically staring straight into his soul.
"You're blushing."
Sanji brings up. Zoro doesn't want to face that truth yet.
"I'm not."
Zoro resists.
"Are you sure?"
Sanji persists.
"Yes. Now leave me be."
"I don't like being alone, you know."
"I do. Leave me alone."
"And what're you gonna be doing? Sleeping?"
"Yeah, what else?"
"Can't I sleep with you?"
The atmosphere becomes quiet for a moment. The slight breeze of wind passes by, and the waves splashed against the bottom of the Merry.
"That sounds off."
"What are you thinking?"
"After that, can you leave me alone?"
"No. Only until the crew comes back."
"Go fuck yourself." Zoro snapped a little. Maybe it was his tone, but he would like to have a short nap with the cook.
"So is it a yes?"
"Bring me sake after the nap, cook."
"Is it a yes?"
"Shut up, idiot."
"You're not answering the question, mossy."
"Yeah, it is."
"Thanks." Sanji finally gets his way with him, but Zoro couldn't be less proud and scared.
Sanji rests his head again Zoro's shoulder, his hair tickling Zoro's cheek a bit, but Zoro does the same, resting his head on top of Sanji's.
It feels odd to him. Why would he be in this type of position with Sanji of all people? Well, he wouldn't see himself with anybody like this anyway.
Sometimes he doesn't understand why he likes Sanji. Maybe it's how he fights, and how he holds himself. Zoro admires strength and determination, that's why he likes Luffy, but in a different way.
Maybe it's how Sanji looks. The way he dresses, or how his eyebrows curl, or how shiny and well-kept his hair is, or how his blue eyes reflect and shine like the ocean. (Speaking of which, sea water cleans germs, but no matter how much I say this, the cook refuses to believe me.)
"Cook. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
Sanji replies, but he already sounds like he's about to sleep judging by how he mumbled.
"Do you like me?"
Sanji blinks slowly, looking at Zoro for a moment. "As a crewmate? Yeah. Sometimes, actually. You're infuriating at times."
"I mean the other like."
"I like you, cook."
Sanji stays quiet to a point Zoro thinks he might've messed up, or it's a way of rejecting him. Either way, Sanji's still resting on his shoulder.
Zoro looks at Sanji. He's definitely still awake. "So..."
"Me too."
Zoro blinked at Sanji. He more than half expected a rejection. Only because Sanji likes women. Talk about a womanizer.
"Do you even know what I said?" Zoro asks for confirmation.
"I love you, dumbass. Maybe that how you need to hear it." Sanji shoots back, "I thought you would never grasp the idea of love, it's such a beautiful thing."
"Yeah, well I'm not that stupid, especially with how much you get on your knees for women." Zoro retorts, his tone coming out more rough than he anticipated it to be.
"Are you seriously gonna talk to me like that after you and I confessed to each other?" Sanji pulls his hand into a fist and pushes Zoro's head softly, just to tease. Just to annoy.
"You spoke to me like an asshole first."
"And you replied like one back!"
Zoro sighed, closing his eyes. Next thing he knows, he starts dozing off.
Sanji smiled softly, his eyes shutting.