oceansonland - Tumblr blog

oceansonland · 3 months

Text

Tears for Me | Zoro x Sanji |

Thriller bark. What happens after Kuma leaves?

Zoro x Sanji

Request : Open

Word Count : 2.1k

Leave a comment if you enjoy ! :)

"CHOPPER ! "

His voice reaches the crew before he does. Heads turn to the mountainous piles of ruble as Sanji emerges on top of it , Zoro's limp body held in his arms like an unfortunate bride. Was he dead ? The cook's fingers tremble against the swordsman's skin. He could barely keep himself up. All the strength he had used to keep Zoro in his arm, and the pirate was not a light load to haul . Especially when the cook's right leg trailed behind him . Nothing but dead weight.

"Don't die ! Don't die ! Don't die !"

The cooks thoughts raced to the same cadence as his heart .

"CHOPPER ! "

Sanji let out another woeful cry ! This time igniting his crew into action. Luffy arrives at the scene first, his hands immediately reaching for his first mate . Sanji doesn't move . He tightens his grip around Zoro burrowing white fingertips into his tattered body . For the first time since he'd emerged Sanji's eyes leave Zoro to meet his captain's. Luffy doesn't recognize the cook . He's never seen the broken expression that laid on his face . Tears flowing down his cheeks in rivers. Luffy's hands retreat to his side and he takes a step back.

Chopper arrives next.

"W- what happened?" Chopper stutters out . His mouth drops agape and he briefly hesitates taking a step closer. His breath caught in his throat. Red stained every inch of the strawhats clothing. Droplets fell from their bodies onto the rocks, red splatters trailing behind them like a treasure map leading to X.

"Help him !... He ne- Hel-"

Sanji couldn't breathe. Despite every bone in his leg churning to dust the only pain the cook felt was in his chest . He takes a sharp breath in accidentally forcing his knees to buckle beneath him . He stumbled, but didn't fall .

"We've got him !" Luffy reassured , settling his hand on top of Sanji's.

Sanji released his hold on the swordsman. Not really having much strength to do anything else . Even if he had wanted to. Luffy takes Zoro into his arms at the request of the doctor and they rush towards the sunny.

The cook can feel the blood seeping into the cotton of his suit. It's still warm . The swordsman was still bleeding . Another sharp breath leaves his lips . Sanji collapses to his knees, his wheezing evidence of his lungs betrayal.

Nami and Robin arrive next .

"SANJI!" Nami cries out . Her arms not long enough , and her feet not fast enough to catch Sanji before his body hit the ground . She clings to his arm . Both hands gripping his bicep fervently. Sanji shuts his eyes in an attempt to regain some control over his breath. The women continue to speak at him . Their voices muffled in the background of Sanji's thoughts.

"Breath! Breath ! Breath !"

"The Swordsman didn't sacrifice himself for you to die here."

Finally ! Air enters his lungs with a deep inhale. The new sound of his crew mates voices' draw his eyes open . It takes Sanji a few blinks to clear the tears from his vision before he was finally able to see Nami. Her lips trembled. Tears filled her eyes as her brows furrowed to the middle of her face . Sanji couldn't help his scowl in return. How could she be worried about him when the swordsman looked like that?

"What if he dies?"

Nami's breath gets seized before it has the opportunity to pass her lips. She doesn't know what to say . Fearful of offering her friend false promises, that were beyond her powers to keep. Nami had never seen Zoro injured this badly before. She examines the look in Sanji's eyes then decides not to speak. Instead her hands tighten around him.

Franky , Brook , and Usopp arrive last.

"Let's get you looked at."

The navigator waves the men over to help Sanji to his feet.

—

The cook sat and watched the swordsman's chest slowly heave up and down , as if the weight of the air was too heavy for his chest to bear . Each breath rigid , and sounding more labored than the last. Scratches and scrapes littered his body , the bandages only able to conceal so much from chef's gaze.

"Stupid ! Stupid ! Stupid Marimo !"

The tip of the cook's dress shoes clack against the wood as he tapped his foot . He drives his palms into his eyes dragging his hands down his face. An attempt to wipe the exhaustion away . The cook wanted to sleep . But Images of the ex bounty hunter's limp body plagued his dreams. Some nights he couldn't even make it to the swordsman's body. He was forced to watch from afar as his crew-mate drew his last breaths. Some invisible and unmovable force keeping him away. Better to stay awake . Where he could watch the air fill and leave the green haired pirates lungs.

"It should've been me. " The words were a whisper in the wind . Leaving the room just as quickly as they left the chef's lips . "You couldn't even let me do this one thing for you."

"Have you talked to Sanji ?" Nami asked .

The navigator was picking tangerines , while the swordsman laid against the foremast feigning sleep. He opened his right eye at her inquiry , his brows scrunched into a scowl.

"Why do I need to talk to the cook ?"

An exasperated sigh left Nami's lips. She refused to believe a man as observant as Zoro hadn't noticed the changes in Sanji's demeanor. Shifting the weight of the wicker basket to her hip , she turned her torso to face him. No words , just a glare . When she didn't answer his question , Zoro opened both eyes allowing them to meet hers . The two stare at each other before Nami breaks the silence.

"You're gonna make me spell it out for you ?" She scolded.

Luffy, Nami, Usopp, Chopper , Robin , Franky, and Brook : Everyone who had come to see Zoro while he laid bedridden in the retched infirmary. The ones who changed his bandages , Feed him his meals , and read to him while he could do nothing but stare at the ceiling . Those are the ones whom cared for him. Not the shitty cook. Weeks later and still the blonde only had the fewest of words to spare Zoro , if any at all. If he hadn't known any better he'd go as far as to say Sanji was avoiding him . He couldn't help but take note of his disappearance from the deck. His usual outside smoke breaks seemingly less frequent . But Zoro smelled the fresh smoke that lingered on him when he served their meals.

The cook had even decreased the snide comments and insults he hurled Zoro's way . Even when the swordsman provoked him the best he could conjure were eye rolls and disapproving scoffs. Zoro couldn't understand the way his blood boiled at the lack of acknowledgment. And now Nami stood in front of him subtly inquiring if he had noticed... Of course he did.

"Feel free." Zoro shuts his eyes closed , allowing his head to rest against the mast yet again.

"Damn it Zoro!" Nami grabbed an orange from the basket it and chunked it as hard as she could at the green haired pirate. "You didn't see the way he carried you back to us ... the tears he cried!"

Zoro's brows shot to his temples before his eyes opened. an immediate wave of heat crawled its way down his skin. Tears ? The cook had shed tears for him? The swordsman didn't recognize the feeling that swelled in his chest. Butterflies ?... No. What he was feeling was much more violent than that.

"Sanji sat there every night until you woke up. Every. Single. one." Nami continued . "Don't think you're the only one hurting." - Zoro knew where to find the cook . The same place he had been hiding for weeks . He pushes the door to the galley open and is surprised when he doesn't immediately see the blonde in the kitchen. Where else could he be ?

The faint scent of smoke lingers in the air. Zoro follows the scent until he see its source. The bar. Sanji sat at the edge of the cushioned seat , a cigarette in hand and a half finished drink on the table .

"So this is where you take your smoke breaks now?"

"Why do you care?" Sanji grumbled removing the cigarette from his mouth ashing it into the tray on the table.

"You're avoiding me."

"I'm doing no such thing!"

Sanji scoffs , rolling his eyes. A failed attempt to distract the swordsman from the way his shoulders tensed at his words . He had noticed. Sanji brings the drink to his lips finishing it in a single gulp before placing the cup back on the table . He's hoping it'll be the cure to the tension his body is so desperately fighting off.

The swordsman narrows his eyes decisively before taking a few strides closer to the cook. He brings his hand to his chin forcing his eyes to meet his . "Don't lie to me." Zoro's voice was stern , but also soft . What he had hoped would read as anger only came off as concern.

Sanji jerked his head out from Zoro 's hands. He stands then shoves him away with the bit of strength he could muster . The wince is automatic when he hears the painful grunt the swordsman unsuccessfully suppressed.

"Tell me why you would shed tears for me and then act like I don't exist!" Zoro demanded grabbing Sanji's wrist to keep him from wryly fleeing the scene. Although bandages still wrapped his body , he had the strength to pull the cook back to face him.

Sanji adverted his eyes turning his head to the fish in the aquarium refusing to meet Zoro's attentive gaze . His stare already threatening to consume him. Despite not being able to see his whole face Zoro still noticed the red tinge on the blonde's cheeks. Had he embarrassed him ?

"I thought you were dead idiot!" Sanji's voice breaks at the proclamation. "Why cou- why couldn't you let me do that for you?"

For the second time today Zoro's eyebrows reach his temples. He is stunned . The cook wanted to trade his life for his. Genuinely distraught that he hadn't allowed it. That blood boiling feeling Zoro was beginning to familiarize himself with had returned. The marimo border-lined enraged at the question. Sanji asks as if it were a trade of a chore, a switch of night watch. Zoro had told him then "it's a warrior's job to risk his life in combat" and the ex pirate hunter was the only warrior on this crew.

"You spoke of my dreams and ambitions but , what about yours ? Why does your life mean anything less than mine ?!" Zoro barked . "Does Luffy not need you too?!"

It was Sanji's turn to be stunned. Mouth slightly open while he searched for the words to say. He couldn't find any he thought would satisfy the swordsman, so he spoke the truth.

"I'm just the cook."

Sanji had boiled his life down to those three words. Said it like it was reason enough to justify his death, like no further explanation was required. As though it was a common belief held among the majority. "Just the cook", worthy of no other titles or accolades. Zoro grimaced at the declaration.

"Don't fucking say that!"

Zoro's teeth were clenched. He brought his hand back to the cook's face and squeezed his cheeks forcing his eyes to meet his yet again, this time not allowing the cook any room to escape.

"You are so much more than that ! Do you understand? To Luffy, to this crew.... to me."

Zoro doesn't hesitate before leaning in and smashing his lips into the cook's. The kiss soft , but passionate. Zoro can feel the tears that now covered Sanji's cheeks against his own. The cook curled his fingers into the black fabric of Zoro's shirt as though he would disappear if he didn't. When the two finally separated, Zoro leaned his forehead against the chef's .

"Sanji." Zoro's voice was a whisper. Just loud enough for the two of them to hear. "Don't you ever say you're just the fucking cook again!"

--------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Is there a such thing as too many thriller bark fics ?... Please tell me no. lol I think its only fitting that my first Zosan fic be thriller bark inspired ! I rewatched the arc after hearing about 103 mercies dragon damnation ,and just had to write this self indulgent piece lol (btw if there are any Ryuma fics in the works or already published , I would love a tag)

{If you would like to be added to my tag list just comment / message me. I would love to have you!}

@dinuxia-bhm

#finally got around to reading the fic you said my art reminded you of :)#they make me insane

118 notes · View notes