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On the morning of the Solstice, Zoro opened a cleft to the surface at the spot where he’d seen Sanji for the first time. The small lake was still there, as were the surrounding hills. But the lake was frozen solid, and instead of a green scenery of reeds, bushes and trees, everything was covered under a blanket of snow. A cold wind blew over the landscape, smacking Zoro in the face. He turned in a circle, one foot always inside the underworld, but the view was the same in all directions. The sky was a stormy grey, the landscape white. Utterly unwelcoming. Winter had descended onto the surface from one day to the next. He huffed to himself. According to the agreement, Sanji’s descent into the underworld was supposed to mark the beginning of winter. Only afterwards was Judge allowed to unleash his powers onto the humans. And Sanji hadn’t descended into the underworld yet. In fact, Zoro hadn’t even seen a glimpse of him.
“We should never have trusted him,” he mumbled to himself, still surveying the surrounding, empty landscape for a sign of Sanji.
“He’s just trying to make a point.” A voice behind him announced, sounding cheerful despite the very obvious winter already in place.
Zoro turned only to find Luffy hanging in the air upside down, a thoughtful expression on his face. The air around him crackled like it always did, but didn’t discharge.
“Is he in breach of the agreement?” Zoro asked. They had the agreement to prevent war, but if Judge broke the agreement, Zoro would wage war on him without blinking an eye. He knew he’d have the backing of some of the other gods as well. Judge wasn’t exactly the most popular god on Olympus.
Luffy slowly turned himself right side up and shook his head.
“Sanji left Mount Olympus already,” Usopp interjected, keeping himself above the snow with the help of his winged sandals.
Zoro eyed him critically. “What are you even doing here?” Neither of them was supposed to be here. They should be on Mount Olympus, doing whatever they did up there that he didn’t get to participate in. They saw Sanji all the time. Today was the day Zoro got Sanji back. He didn’t want anyone to interrupt or distract him.
“Keeping you company,” Luffy said, while Usopp quipped, “Making sure you come up at the right spot.”
Zoro glared at Usopp for insinuating he couldn’t remember the spot where he had first met Sanji. But there was no real heat behind it. Nothing could make him mad today. Sanji was coming home.
***
The first sign of Sanji’s arrival were the flowers. A few metres from the crack in the earth, a patch of snow melted to reveal vibrant green grass onto which flowers of all colours burst through the frozen earth. Sanji appeared a moment later, clad in a golden toga over a white tunic. His long blond hair was braided and hung over his right shoulder, hiding one of his eyes. In his right hand, he carried a torch, and a basket hung from the other. He turned once on his heels, and the white of his tunic turned to a blue so dark it was almost black, and his gold toga turned to a rich tyrian purple. It made him look like a Chthonic god, and the sight roused a swarm of butterflies in Zoro’s stomach. When Sanji walked towards them, with a smile as bright as the sun, the snow melted around him and more flowers bloomed. Out of nowhere, deer appeared and grazed at his feet. Sanji didn’t pay neither the flowers nor the deer any mind. His eyes were on Zoro, and his smile grew wider with every step.
Zoro could do nothing but stare. It was the most dramatic entrance he’d ever seen, and he’d done some dramatic entrances himself.
“SAN-!”
Usopp clapped a hand over Luffy’s mouth before he could get any further, and cast an apologetic glance at Zoro. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t bother you for a while. But I can’t promise more than 24 hours.” With that, the two of them vanished into thin air.
Zoro turned his attention back to Sanji who had come almost close enough to touch. “Are you going to do that every year?”
Sanji smirked. “Depends. Are you going to look at me like that ever time?”
“Always,” Zoro promised, and relished the blush that crept onto Sanji’s face. Sanji was now close enough to touch, so Zoro reached out with one hand to haul his lover close.
But Sanji sidestepped the attempt by moving closer to Zoro. So close that Zoro could feel his breath on his ear. “Not here, marimo. Judge’s watching. Bring me home first,” Sanji whispered, then stepped back so that they could look at each other.
Zoro held his gaze. Even though he didn’t like it, even though the only thing he wanted was to hold his lover close, Sanji was right. The less Judge knew about Sanji’s feelings and situation, the less he could try to exploit it. Judge would always complain about Sanji staying in the underworld since it deprived him of time to sow and harvest. Because Sanji was the only one of his children who was actually powerful and could bring along spring. But as long as Judge thought that Sanji hated being down in Hades, he would honour the agreement. He thought spending some time with the Dead was a fitting punishment for Sanji’s various imagined transgressions, and he liked punishing Sanji.
“Let’s go then.” Zoro took the basket from Sanji and held out a hand which Sanji took with a smile.
***
They went down through a back way. That was only possible because this was Zoro’s realm, and wherever he went, there was a way. It came with almost no contact with the Dead and faster travel. Once they passed the threshold of the house, Zoro could feel Sanji’s shoulders relax. He turned right then and there and raised their intertwined hands to Sanji’s cheek. “Can I kiss you now?”
Sanji’s eyes twinkled in the light of the torches next to the door, and his face broke into a beautiful smile. “Please.”
Zoro couldn’t help the smile that stole onto his own face as he leaned forward. He pressed his lips to Sanji’s in a simple, chaste kiss. A welcome home.
Sanji leaned into him and sighed against his lips. “I know it’s not possible, but I always feel like Judge is watching me even inside the underworld.”
Zoro pressed his forehead against Sanji’s in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. “He can’t. Without my permission, he can’t see or enter the underworld. And I’m never giving him permission. You’re free here.”
Sanji smiled and pecked him on the cheek. “I know.” Another peck. “Thanks for reminding me.” One more peck. “Shall we go inside?”
In answer, Zoro marched on, one hand still clasped in Sanji’s, the other holding Sanji’s basket. The heavy wooden doors fell shut behind them, sealing them in. The once bleak space held traces of Sanji everywhere: rugs on the cold stone floors, sculptures on pedestals and paintings on walls, cozy chairs and chaise longues dotted everywhere. In the Grand Hall, the spirits of the Dead were crowding around, waiting for judgment. But Zoro wasn’t doing any judgments today. He worked hard every day, and he wanted this one day with Sanji.
They passed into the kitchens before Sanji could ask about or comment on the Dead. Zoro knew what he would say – no neglect of duties because of him – and he didn’t want to hear it. He let go of Sanji and posited the basket on one of the small tables. A fire was burning in the kiln, but the kitchen itself was deserted.
“Where is everyone?” Sanji asked, turning around himself once in the empty kitchen.
“I sent them away,” Zoro shrugged.
Sanji was in front of him with one big step, a dangerous twinkle in his eyes. “Do you want to make me work for you?” He put his arms around Zoro’s neck and closed the space between them. “Or do you want to have me all to yourself?” He murmured close to Zoro’s ear.
Goosebumbs erupted all over Zoro’s back at the words. He put his hands on Sanji’s waist and breathed against his ear, delighting in the shiver that elicited from Sanji. “Take a guess.”
Sanji snickered and placed a kiss on his cheek, lips lingering against his skin.
Zoro hauled him closer, now that he was finally allowed, and trailed kisses along his jaw. He stopped himself when he reached his neck and put enough distance between them so that he could look at Sanji again. He would never get tired of those blue eyes watching him. “Let’s get you bathed first.” Even though Sanji wasn’t exactly a guest anymore, the laws of hospitality still applied.
“Very traditional, mossy”, Sanji commented and mussed Zoro’s hair playfully. But he didn’t complain or make any more snide comments when Zoro guided him out of the kitchen and into a square room that was mostly pool.
While Sanji shed his toga and tunic, Zoro went to the sideboard to retrieve what he’d prepared earlier. When Zoro turned back to Sanji, the other god had already pinned his hair up and submerged himself into the warm water. Zoro walked closer and put the platter with bread and cheese on the egde of the pool.
Sanji turned and spotted the offering immediately. His eyes lit up as he moved back to the edge of the pool. He picked a piece of bread and looked up at Zoro through his lashes. “Are you gonna do the traditional washing as well, marimo?”
“If you wish,” Zoro conceded.
“I wish.”
With a smile, Zoro shed his own clothes, joined Sanji in the water, and grabbed a sponge from the side. While Sanji nibbled on the bread and cheese, Zoro performed the ritual washing with slow and deliberate movements. Sanji chatted lightly about the humans he’d met through his activities on the surface, whom he’d helped with their sowing and harvesting, who had taught him new recipes, and who had sung the most delightful songs.
***
After the rituals of xenia had been observed to Zoro’s satisfaction, and both Zoro and Sanji were dry and back in their clothes, Sanji tried to drag Zoro in the direction of the kitchens. Zoro resisted and tugged Sanji towards the garden.
“Where are you going? There’s something-” Sanji complained.
“There’s one last thing I want to show you,” Zoro interrupted, trying to keep a straight face. It had been a long few months without Sanji, and he’d had a lot of time to think about how he wanted this to go. Not just this first time, but for the rest of eternity. The agreement stated that Sanji would go back to the surface to bring along spring, and from the little talking Sanji had done since he came back, Zoro knew that it was something Sanji wanted to do. He didn’t do it for Judge, and he didn’t do it because of the agreement. He did it because it was his duty and it gave him pleasure. Many people had died in the year Sanji had fled to the underworld, and nobody wanted a repeat of that, least of all Sanji. He’d fought for his independence from Judge and he’d held his ground, and he’d also mourned all the Dead that had streamed into the underworld from death from cold or hunger. Sanji would go to the surface every year, and every December solstice he would come back home. Zoro wanted that day of return to be special. He wanted to show Sanji how much he treasured their time together. He knew the humans sometimes gave gifts to each other for special occasions, and Zoro thought it was worth a try.
The garden that belonged to the house had fallen into disarray in the time that Sanji had been absent. Zoro had done his best, but the more fragile plants Sanji had planted during his first year in the underworld had withered away. One touch by Sanji would be enough to restore the garden to its former glory, but that could wait. They didn’t have to bring everything in order on the first day of Sanji’s return.
Zoro led Sanji over to one corner of the garden where a small shrub grew in a pot. It bore exactly three dark red, not yet ripe bulbs, a miracle in itself that the tree bore any fruit in its first year.
Sanji stilled next to Zoro and squeezed his hand. “What’s this, mossy?”
Zoro squatted next to the pot and drew Sanji down with him. “This is a pomegranate tree, curly. It’s yours to do with as you wish.” Zoro had carefully coaxed the small shrub from a seed over the last couple of months, checking on the plant every day to make sure it survived. It was a reminder of what bound Sanji to the underworld, and one way for him to take a part of the underworld with him.
Sanji pulled Zoro close into a fierce hug, toppling both of them onto their knees in the process. “Thank you.” He pressed a soft kiss to Zoro’s temple. “Let’s plant it on the surface together before I leave for spring.”
Zoro nodded and held onto Sanji, taking in his distinct scent of cut grass and freshly baked bread.
After a few moments, Sanji drew back so he could look at Zoro. “Will you come with me to the kitchen now and look at what I brought?”
“Of course.”
Back in the kitchen, Sanji folded the towel back over the basket to reveal a few bottles with shimmering gold liquid and food wrapped in leaves. Carefully, Sanji took everything out and arranged it on the kitchen table. “Nectar and Ambrosia,” he announced with a sweeping gesture. “Made by yours truly.”
Zoro’s mouth was already watering at the sight. Nectar and Ambrosia was usually only served on Mount Olympus, so Zoro didn’t often get a taste of it. When he grabbed for a piece of Ambrosia, Sanji swatted his hand away. “Later, mossy.”
“Why not now?” Zoro pouted.
“Because,” Sanji stretched the word with a mischievous smirk, “I actually brought you another gift. This is just garnish.”
“Garnish,” Zoro repeated, his eyes still fixed on the food of the Gods.
“Yes,” Sanji insisted and guided Zoro to look at him with a hand on his cheek. “My actual present was too big for the basket, so I asked Usopp to bring it to the entrance of the underworld.” He tilted his head with a frown. “I don’t think he liked that task very much.”
“What did you do?” Zoro asked. If Sanji irritated Usopp enough, the other god wouldn’t keep Luffy away. And Zoro really wanted this time with Sanji alone.
“Let me show you.”
***
This time, they took the long way through Tartarus, the Meadows, and the Fields, walking along the Lethe, the Acheron and the Styx. The Dead crowded around them everywhere, but they couldn’t touch them and Zoro was determined to ignore them for today. The most important thing about the Dead was that they didn’t leave the underworld. He didn’t have to listen to their woes after his judgment.
When they finally reached the huge gate back to the surface which was Zoro’s biggest headache, Usopp stood next to it with a leash and a big dog-like creature. Before Zoro could even register the creature, Usopp was already talking. “Don’t worry, I left Luffy with Franky, so he won’t come down today.”
Sanji stepped forward and held out a hand to the creature which bend down one of his massive heads to lick Sanji’s hand. “This is Cerberus.” Sanji beamed at Zoro over his shoulder.
Zoro took his eyes off Sanji and looked at the creature instead. It was massive, with three dog heads, four legs, and a snake for a tail. His breath smelled so foul that it would knock out even the most determined spirits. In fact, the Dead had gathered in a respectful distance away from the creature, and the huge door behind it. Zoro eyed them carefully. If it was like this, Sanji might have just solved one of his biggest problems.
“Can you take it off my hands now?”, Usopp asked, his voice wobbling.
With decisive steps, Zoro marched forward and tugged the leash out of Usopp’s hands. “We handle it from here.”
“Great! Best idea you ever had. See you!” Usopp disappeared into thin air again which left Zoro with the creature and Sanji.
One of the heads was still licking Sanji’s hand while the other two eyed Zoro and the leash. One bared its teeth at him. Zoro patted its flank while he turned his attention back to Sanji. “Cerberus?”
Sanji shrugged and patted the head still breathing in his face. “I know this door is what gives you the most trouble. I thought Cerberus could guard it.” Now, Sanji took the huge head in both hands and put his own forehead to the creature’s. “You could, couldn’t you?” When Cerberus growled, either in affirmation or threat, Zoro couldn’t tell, Sanji laughed. “You’re a good boy, aren’t you?”
This time the growl did sound delighted, but the two other heads were still fixed on Zoro. With a last look at Sanji who seemed enamored with the creature, Zoro waved the two heads closer. Both of them bared their teeth at him, but Zoro kept eye contact. “If I take the leash off, will you guard this door?”
All three heads roared in unison, and Zoro decided to take that as a yes. He yanked at the leash and it came loose from all three necks. Cerberus shock his three heads like a regular dog would and the tail hissed gleefully. Zoro threw the leash into the Styx without a second thought.
Now that the creature was loose and inspecting his new home, Sanji looked worried. “What do you think?”
Zoro crossed the distance between them in three big strides, took Sanji’s face in both hands and planted a kiss directly onto his lips. “It’s perfect.” As if it agreed, Cerberus dragged one wet tongue over the both of them.
“Eugh,” Sanji made, but his smile never left his face.
***
In the end, they took another bath before they retreated to Zoro’s bedroom. A platter with bread and cheese stood next to a plate with nectar and ambrosia and a few pomegranates on the bedside table. Zoro lay back against the propped up pillows, Sanji against his chest. Zoro carded his fingers through Sanji’s hair, slowly untangling his braid. Sanji played with the folds of Zoro’s toga, his fingers slipping beneath the fabric from time to time. They ate, they talked, and they basked in each other’s presence. Sanji’s first return to the underworld couldn’t have gone any better. In the privacy of his mind, Zoro was already wondering how he could top this day next year. Maybe he could gift Sanji a constellation.