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“Oh fuck off marimo!”
“You’re repeating your insults shitty cook!”
“First you insult women, then you insult my food?!?” Sanji shouted back in outrage.
“Insult women?” Zoro scoffed. “You’re the one insulting Nami and Robin! Treat them like everyone else, that’s all you have to do, it’s not that fucking hard!”
“It’s not that hard to be a little more god damn respectful! Until you learn some fucking manners you and your stupid ass swords can get the fuck out!”
“What did you just-?”
“OUT! Now!“
The door shut with a thud, the only sign of Zoro’s defeat. Sanji pushed the stray hairs from his eye with a sigh and went back to work. They avoided each other after that.
——
Sanji’s eyes widened as he was thrown across the battle field. He landed on hid arm. There a sickness crunch and he felt himself scream. He wasn’t even sure if he was in pain.
——
“It’ll be okay Sanji, you heal faster than most, it will take three for four week, but you’ll be fully recovered in no time!”
Sanji didn’t have it in him to believe the young doctor. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be okay again.
——
“Sanji…” Nami’s voice was soft, and her eyes were sad, and pitying. So were Usopp’s, and Robin’s and Franky’s. He didn’t want their pity. He’d finally reunited with his crew, only to let them down.
“I’ll be alright. Chopper says I can still cook, I just need to keep it in the sling,” he told them all with a weak smile.
“You can cook? Meat!” Their captain exclaimed.
“Alright,” he obliged, slipping into the kitchen. As he shut door, his eyes locked with Zoro’s for a brief moment. Sanji scoffed and looked away.
——
Cooking was an adjustment, with the plaster cast and sling and all, but Sanji was nothing if not flexible. Although if Sanji did stop and thank the gods it was his left arm not his right that he broke, we are none the wiser.
He could still cut stuff up, and carry things around the kitchen. Everything took a little longer, especially since Sanji couldn’t multitask like he used to, something that frustrated him to no end. As days turned into weeks his irritation only grew, until eventually, they made landfall.
——
“We’ll be back in a little bit, make sure to keep the Sunny safe okay?!?” Luffy called from shore.
“Yeah we got it!” Zoro called back from where he stood, arms crossed and leaning against the mast.
“I’ll have lunch ready when you get back!” Sanji called.
“Thank you Sanji, we shall return shortly,” Robin said as she made her way down the gangplank. She gave the pair a wave before leading the rest of the crew into the jungle. Sanji waved back, his heart pounding before turning away, shooting a glare at Zoro as he passed.
“Fuck,” he mumbled, an hour later, staring down at his clumpy fried rice. He would have to start fresh, he could feed the failed plate to Zoro and Luffy who wouldn’t notice but his crew deserved better.
“Shitty sling making this hard,” he mumbled to himself.
“Stop your wallowing, cook, you can use those precious hands of yours can’t you?” Sanji spun, shoving the hair that fell into his eyes as they narrowed.
“That’s not-“
“Then what is it? What’s got you all out of sorts?” Sanji just groaned.
“What do you want, Zoro? Why are you here?” The swordsman, eloquent as ever, just shrugged. Sanji turned back to his work, pulling the tray of dumplings wrappers from where they sat.
“If you’re here to insult or argue with me then go away,” he said, bangs covering his view of the man as he leaned over the tray, his practiced hands now struggling to shape the dough around the filling. There was the scrape of a chair and Sanji felt Zoro’s eyes -eye, he supposed, they would still take some getting used to- bore into him.
“Your hair’s getting long,” Zoro commented after the third time Sanji was forced to pause to push the hair from his face.
“Oh,” Sanji blinked. “Yeah, I guess it is. I’d been meaning to cut it but then broken arm and all, so y’know. Kinda requires two hands.”
“I could do it,” Zoro replied evenly. Sanji gaped, searching the other man’s face. Zoro raised an eyebrow in response, completely serious.
“I don’t need your pity,” Sanji said cautiously.
“‘s not pity. Just an offer. It’s bothering you isn’t it? Don’t need to jump up my ass about it,” Zoro said, crossing his arms and looking away. “Are you gonna take me up on it or not?”
“Do you even know how to use scissors?” Sanji asked.
“I’m good at all blades, thank you very much,” Zoro shot back. Sanji’s eyes narrowed.
“Yeah? And have you ever cut anyone hair before?”
“Yeah, I have, actually. Perona made me cut her bangs. I didn’t just loose an eye on that island, it was two years what the hell do you know anything,” Zoro snapped.
Sanji felt his shoulders drop, guilt worming into his chest. Two years was a long time. There was a lot of life to live alone in that time. That gap in the life the crew used to live together and the one they lived now still stung, and old wound pulled open.
“Fine,” Sanji said with a sigh after a moment. It was Zoro’s turn to be taken aback. He just blinked at Sanji for a second.
“What?” Sanji asked, drying his hands and fiddling with his bangs. “She’s the ghost girl right? If you can cut straight it’ll be good enough.”
Zoro looked just a tiny bit nervous and Sanji had to force himself not to gloat. He simply pressed his lips together to stop from smiling and took a seat, shoving the scissors at Zoro.
The swordsman took them with surprising care and stood, a serious look at his face. Sanji forced himself to face straight ahead, his back straight. Then suddenly Zoro’s fingers were getting combing through his hair.
“What the fuck? what do you think you’re doing dumb ass?!?” Sanji pulled away to glare, his ears warming.
“Your hair all tangled what do you think I’m doing, stupid?” Zoro shot back. “Just hold still.”
Sanji wanted to fight the swordsman, but the brute was doing him a favor, he wasn’t one to argue with favors. Zeff had taught him better than that. For a long time the soft sound of scissors and shuffling fabric were the sounds. Unfortunately. Like most good things, Zoro broke the silence.
“You’ve been weird lately.”
“Is that an insult?”
“No, it’s a fact. You’ve been acting off.”
“I know.”
“It’s not really your hair that’s been bothering you. What is?”
“I thought I’d gotten stronger in two years,” Sanji replied carefully. “But I’m still weak.”
Zoro scoffed in disbelief and Sanji glared.
“Shut the hell up, I thought we were having a moment!”
“Sorry. Continue?” Zoro prompted.
“Oh, uh,” Sanji said dumbly. “You and Luffy have gotten so much stronger, I mean you saw him and Brook healing broken bones like it was nothing, and-“
“You really shouldn’t compare yourself to our captain,” Sanji turned slightly, meeting Zoro’s eyes.
“He’s not the one I’m really comparing myself to. Zoro you recovered from your wounds three days after Thriller Bark. Meanwhile it’s been a week in this damned cast and it still hurts.”
“So? It takes everyone else that long to heal.”
“It’s not enough! The crew needs a competent cook, and I-“ Sanji a hand through his hair, which Zoro batted away. “I always make things worse,” he said. The words hanging heavy in the air.
“Like when?”
“What?”
“When have you ever made things worse, cook? In Little Garden, when you tricked Crocodile? In Alabasta when you saved all of our lives? In Water 7 when you sabotaged all those ships so we could sail free? You’re clever, and you are strong so stop pretending you’re not. You don’t even have to be, because your job is to feed the crew, not fight for it.”
“I-“ Sanji was at a loss for words. For a long moment he just blinked, his mind trying to catch up with Zoro’s unexpectedly kind words.
“There, done. If you dare complain I’m cutting all your hair off in your sleep.”
“As if I wouldn’t wake up and beat your ass,” Sanji shot back, a smile finally creeping onto his face. “Come on, let’s see if I can find you some of the good sake.”