Work Text:
Zoro and Sanji are cuddled up in the crow’s nest, comfortable and content. They used to come up with excuses for why they came up here: discussing battle strategies; stargazing; assessing the success of the day. But they’ve stopped coming up with reasons when they both knew asking “crow’s nest?” was shorthand for asking for cuddle-time.
They know their crew won’t care if they knew what Sanji and Zoro were actually doing up here, but they both feel inexplicably embarrassed by the idea of telling their crewmates. They know all it will do is prove to them that they had been right all along about Zoro and Sanji, and the truth about their relationship.
Zoro holds Sanji in his arms, fighting his sleepiness, feeling at bliss. He brings Sanji closer, relishing the warmth of their bodies pressed together.
Sanji strokes Zoro’s chest with his eyes closed, enjoying the moment. But there’s also something that’s on his mind. “Zoro?”
“Hm?”
“Would you mind telling me about ‘em?”
“Tell you about what?”
“Your scars.”
“You know how I got my scars-”
“No, not your battle scars.”
Zoro stills. “All my scars are battle scars.”
“Then I mean the ones you got from fighting a different kind of battle.”
Zoro inhales deeply, making Sanji regret bringing it up. “I’m sorry, I know it’s kind of a sore subject-”
“No, no, it’s fine,” Zoro interrupts curtly. It’s true that talking about his transition is hard sometimes. He’s proud of his chest, but there are so many implications and references to past memories that makes Zoro want to forgo talking about it all together sometimes. “I just…I just thought we were going to fall asleep.”
Sanji relaxes with a soft chuckle, breathing out a sigh of relief. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. I just…I just want to understand you better. All of you.”
“I know what you mean,” Zoro assures him. “And I appreciate it. Truly. It’s just…the past is painful, you know?”
Sanji sucks his teeth. “Indeed I do.”
“But I’m proud of my scars. All of them.” He strokes his scars on his chest softly. “Especially these. These are the scars that freed me and helped me start living as me.”
“How long ago was it?” Sanji asks. “Was it painful? Who did it? Did you ever regret it? How long had you been wanting it? How was-” he stops himself. “Sorry. Too many questions-”
“One year ago,” Zoro answers smoothly. “Only a little. My sensei who taught me how to sword fight knew a physician. Never ever. Ever since my body betrayed me.”
Sanji takes a moment to register the answer to every question. Taking it all in. “When your body betrayed you?”
“That’s what I call puberty,” Zoro explains. “Because it’s when my body betrayed me. Before that, all kids are equal. There’s not much difference between them. So I could live with my body. But then it changed…” Zoro shakes his head as if to clear the bad memories. “It was hard. But it’s over now.”
Sanji ruminates on that. “I can’t imagine being uncomfortable in my own body like that.”
Zoro chuckles wryly. “You don’t ever want to, trust me.”
“But…it’s better now?” Sanji questions. “How you feel?”
“Of course,” Zoro responds. “For one, I have a huge weight off my chest--pun intended--and I’ve been able to sculpt my body how I want through various trainings. There are…definitely some things that I still very much would like to change, but I’m okay right now. And what matters is that you all see me as a man.”
“And everyone does, don’t worry,” Sanji assures him quickly, still a little nervous. He’s trying to be as supportive as possible. “You are most certainly a man.”
Zoro stays quiet for a moment, contemplating. Sanji’s heart rate quickens with every beat of silence. Did he say the wrong thing?
“How do you feel?” Zoro asks uncertainly, taking Sanji by surprise. “Dating a man who was born a girl.”
Sanji swallows. What a loaded question. And the way Zoro said girl like it was a thorn in his throat didn’t go unnoticed. But Sanji knows why he’s asking. Because they all know how girl crazy Sanji is, and how he never thought of himself dating a man. And now he is, but…not all men were created equally. And it seems Zoro might have some concern that Sanji is only dating a man because he found a loophole to it.
“It doesn’t matter what you were, or what you are made of,” Sanji murmurs quietly. “You are still the man who has my heart. No person out there can compete with that.”
Zoro smiles and hugs him closer. Sanji grins. Right answer.
“Can I see them?” Sanji asks after a moment. “Your scars.”
Zoro responds by beginning to unbutton his shirt. Sanji does the rest.
Sanji’s face heats up. “May I…touch them?”
Zoro nods in response.
Sanji traces Zoro’s scars with wonder, noticing when it’s even and when it’s a little bumpy.
“They’re beautiful,” he whispers.
Zoro only smiles.
Sanji looks up at Zoro. “Have they healed?”
“They have,” Zoro responds. “Some of the nerves are still growing back, and sometimes it hurts, but I love feeling it. I fought hard for this chest. And I’ve loved every single moment I’ve had with it.”
Sanji smiles. “Then I’m happy for you. Really, truly happy that this is your reality.”
“Me too,” Zoro smiles back. “I also am so lucky that I have you.”
Sanji blushes. Then without thinking, he pecks Zoro on the lips. Zoro pecks him back.
Then Sanji rests his head on Zoro’s chest again, this time on his bare chest, his chest full of scars, and wonders how he is so lucky to be with this man who has scars from every kind of battle.
Maybe he doesn’t know much about switching from one gender to another. But he’s going to support Zoro in every way he can.
Zoro feels his boyfriend nuzzle peacefully on his chest, his chest he fought so hard for, and can’t think of a better place to be.
He sees a shooting star.
I wish for it to always be as good as this, he wishes silently, before closing his eyes and falling blissfully asleep.