Chapter Text
The infirmary door shot open just as he was adjusting the sheets, and the iconic straw hat flew past it. Zoro put his arm out before the captain could collide with the sleeping cook, effectively stopping him in place.
“SANJI!!! Chopper told me you’re awake!”
“Shh, idiot! He just fell asleep!”
“Ehhh?! Again?!”
Luffy sagged against his arm, his face one of disappointment.
“But I’m hungry… I miss Sanji’s cooking.”
Zoro sighed, an let go of his captain.
“Guess you’ll have to wait for the lazy ass to wake up.”
From the bed came a sleepy mumble which sounded like an insult. Then soft snoring again. Figures he would react to his taunts even when sleeping.
Luffy approached the cook’s bedside, staring long and hard at his relaxed face.
“He must be hungry too.” He said using his serious voice. “Alright! Zoro!”
“What.”
“Let’s go make soup for Sanji!”
“Wha- NO! I’m no damn cook!”
The rubber man grabbed his wrist and started dragging him out of the room. He tried to resist, really, he did, but Luffy was too energetic and wasn’t going to take no for an answer. When an idea got into his head it stayed stuck until he saw it to completion.
They left the infirmary and Luffy planted him in front of the stove.
“C’mon Zoro! You owe him!” He complained, and Zoro snarled.
“I owe him nothing!”
“Don’t be an ass!” Then Luffy stuck out his tongue. “Sanji can’t cook because he saved you!”
That… wasn’t not true, he begrudgingly admitted to himself. But it still annoyed him. He didn’t expect Luffy to rub it into his face, though. Must’ve learned it from someone, maybe Usopp.
He scowled at the rubber man, crossing his arms. Luffy kept his position, his face turned into an annoyed pout.
The galley door opened and in went the little reindeer. He stopped before going into the infirmary, staring at the captain and the swordsman with curiosity in his big round eyes.
“Did something happen?”
“Ah, Chopper!” Exclaimed Luffy. “I was telling Zoro to make soup for Sanji but he don’t wanna!”
“Soup would be pretty good for him!” Beamed the doctor. “He needs proper nutrition after being unconscious for three days. No meat, though!”
“No meat!” Luffy parroted.
“How about a chicken soup? It’s healthy and easy to digest.” Suggested Chopper.
“Yosh! Zoro! Make chicken soup!”
“How about I don’t.” He grunted. “‘Sides, the cook would get stupidly annoying if he heard I used his dumb kitchen.”
“Alright you dummy, then I’ll do it!”
“NO!” Cried Chopper, startling them. “Zoro, you do it!”
“Chopper…”
“Please?” He used his teary eyes, and how could he say no to such a creature?
“Tch, fine.” He conceded, still annoyed. “But you’ll be the one facing the shitty cook’s ire after he finds out.”
“That’s fine, I will! Thank you, Zoro!” He smiled, and Zoro clicked his tongue. He was really weak for this little guy. “I’ll go check on Sanji now, please let me know when the soup is ready.”
“Will do.”
Chopper entered the infirmary with a small smile, and Zoro turned towards the stove, resignation making him sigh deeply.
How hard can it be?
Turns out, plenty hard. More so considering he had a not-so assistant who liked to taste-test anything that got into his grubby hands. The onions, the potatoes, hell, even the raw chicken. Luffy almost got his hands into boiling water, almost threw some unwashed and unpeeled vegetables (and fruit) in the broth, and even wanted to add fish to a chicken soup.
By the time the hellish soup was done, he was tired, angry, irritated, and in desperate need of a nap. He had sent Luffy away after the fish suggestion, and it had been quiet in the kitchen for once, but it didn’t make him feel any less grumpy. That’s how he realized in some way, he understood a little bit of the cook’s behavior while cooking for this gluttonous man of a captain. It was so damn stressing! He almost committed mutiny for fuck’s sake!
No wonder the cook smoked like a chimney. Probably needed them to chill the fuck out after such an ordeal. And it repeated over and over again every week, more than four times a day.
But it was done. Finally done. And he was never cooking again.
The kitchen was a mess, but at least the dirtiest part was close to the sink. He could leave it for later. Maybe someone else could clean. He was no longer in the mood.
But his mission wasn’t over yet.
He went to the infirmary door, and glanced through the peephole. The cook was still asleep, but Chopper seemed to be working in his desk. He decided to knock in case he was interrupting something important; he knew the reindeer could get jumpy when doing his medical stuff.
“Come in!”
He let himself inside. It felt warm, more than back at the dinning room. Chopper turned on his desk chair, facing him.
“Soup’s ready.” He said. The doctor nodded. “Do I bring some or…?”
“It’s fine, Zoro. Sanji’s still asleep.” He answered.
Zoro noticed his concerned eyes.
“Something happened?”
“Ah, yeah.” He nodded, looking a bit dejected. “He has a mild fever. I was doing some tests to see what’s provoking it.”
The swordsman stared at the man in the bed, and he noticed a splash of reddish on his pale face.
“Is it serious?”
“I don’t know. Hopefully I can work it out fast before it is.” The doctor jumped off the chair and went to the bedridden cook. “It was bound to happen; his injury is really bad. I’m surprised he could move so soon.”
“And smoke.”
“Ugh yeah, the bastard.”
“I heard that.” A croaking voice interrupted them.
Speak of the devil…
“Sanji!” Exclaimed Chopper, jumping to his side. “How are you feeling?”
“Kinda cold.” He said. And after a few seconds of waking himself up, he added “And hungry.”
“Oh, that’s good! You’re making good progress.” He encouraged, and Sanji smiled.
“‘Course I am.” He sounded smug, despite his position. “Who do you think I am?”
“An idiot.” Answered Zoro.
“Oi, you shitty swordsman. Who invited you here?”
He ignored the cook.
“Chopper, I’ll go fetch some soup for the dumbass.”
“Sure thing! Thank you, Zoro!”
He left before the other man could keep complaining.
He caught Luffy about to steal from the hellish soup. Instead of sending him away, he placed a steaming bowl on his hands and sent him on the way. He was done, he needed a nap.
But then he noticed the captain had left the spoon back at the counter. He groaned, picked up the damn thing, and stomped towards the infirmary.
Inside, Luffy was chatting excitedly with Sanji, who was sat up at the bed and holding the bowl between his hands. The blue blanket was draped across his shoulders, and he was beaming at Luffy in a toothy smile. Luffy was smiling back, an equally toothy smile on his face.
It made the tiredness and grumpiness go away, if just a little. There was something charming in the way those two smiled, it felt like he was being hit by the first rays of the sun after a cloudy day.
He felt like staring at them for a little while longer, before Sanji noticed and his smile turned into scowl.
“Luffy told me you made this.” He gestured to the bowl. “Hopefully it’s not poisoned.”
“I wouldn’t dare waste food like that, don’t wanna get your ass all grumpy and whiny.”
“Also, you guys touched my kitchen. Don’t think that’s gonna be overlooked so easily.”
“It was either me or Luffy.”
“I would have preferred the ladies!”
“Too bad, they weren’t around. Now eat.”
He debated whenever to throw the utensil at him or be civil and give it to him. The later one won just because he didn’t want to make a mess and risk the ire of one small doctor. He watched, with surprising aprehension, at the cook scoop up a bit of soup in the spoon, bringing it to his mouth. Zoro gulped, expecting complaining and a whole lot of complaining and insults.
Instead, he got a lopsided smile.
“Heh, not bad for a shitty marimo-made soup.”
Zoro snorted, a snicker forming in his lips.
“Guess I’m better than you in more ways than the usual.” He taunted, a small playful smile on his face, relief sitting comfortably on his belly.
“Tch, don’t give yourself so much credit. I said not bad, not the best.” He stuck out his tongue, showing his childish attitude once again.
“Idiot cook.”
“Shitty swordsman.”
“Ero cook.”
“Idiot marimo.”
“Dartbrow.”
“Lost child.”
And through their bickering, Sanji continued eating his soup with Luffy laughing heartily at their usual shenanigans.