Work Text:
"Do you remember the time we fought our first sea king together?"
Zoro looked over from his chair, folding the newspaper in his lap. Sanji huffed, noticing the other man had forgone his reading glasses again. They even had one lens blacked out, like an eyepatch. A gift from Usopp for someone’s 40th.
"Are you reminiscing again? You act like you're 100." The swordsman muttered, not at all unhappily.
"Might as well be. My mustache is mostly grey now, did you notice?"
Sanji began fretting with his facial hair. He'd already examined plenty of silver hairs on his head and mourned over them. He didn't even know if Zoro's hair would ever fully turn grey, since for all he knew the green would still hang on until the end. A marimo for life.
"Did we even fight our first one together? I'm sure I would have come across one before I met you." Zoro pointed out, reaching for his cup of tea.
Sanji walked over to the kitchen, turning the oven on. He'd start making pie before the cherries got too soft, and tomorrow they could get strawberries from the summer market. He raised a brow at Zoro as he passed him.
"Well no shit, I lived on the Baratie, I killed hundreds of those things before you showed up." The cook said.
"Well then why ask? Those days I was just wondering around, nothing exciting happened 'til I met Luffy."
Sanji threw a cherry at Zoro.
"No, I mean the first sea king we killed together , dumbass. On Merry."
Zoro ate the cherry, chewing on the pit. He still had the bad habit of eating them despite how often the cook had threatened to kick his teeth in for it.
"Well what about it? It appeared, we killed it, you cooked it."
Sanji smiled, plucking the stems off the fruit with his wrinkled hands.
"That was the first time I noticed you had a nice ass."
He laughed as Zoro choked on the cherry pit.
-o-
"I'm not nervous. Are you nervous? I bet you're nervous."
Zoro gave Sanji a look.
"What's there to be nervous about? Usopp built all those Luffy traps around the cake."
Sanji kicked his shin. He didn't trust Zoro to hold the tuxedos, so he had both.
"This is a big fucking deal to me and you know-
"I was just teasing, cook."
Sanji's hand moved down, fingers interlocking with Zoro's. Their rings gave a small chime as they connected.
"So you are nervous. I knew even a bushido type like you would get at least a little jittery."
Zoro looked down at their hands, then back at Sanji. The cook was smiling, looking a little relieved at Zoro's nervousness. The truth was, Zoro wasn't nervous at all. He'd been nervous when he asked Sanji the question, but right now, walking next to someone he loved so fiercely with every bit of himself, he was just- happy. He felt like this was just another day where Sanji was by his side, and the next day would be just like that too.
When they stood at the altar with Sanji crying softly through his smile, Zoro just loved him all the more.
-o-
Sanji was getting annoyed with the marimo.
He'd been avoiding the cook every chance he got, and he's gone so far as to miss breakfast. Sanji was tempted to corner him and ask him to spill it, but Zoro just didn't talk unless he wanted to talk or he lost a bet. Or he was in a post-coital state. Or he'd lost a fight. And none of those were all that convenient for Sanji at the moment.
Sanji didn’t have any doubt he could use sex as bait to lure out the moss-head, but that would involve finding the moron on the All-Blue ship, and Sanji was the head fucking chef and had to cook.
He pushed his way out to the deck, lighting a cigarette he desperately needed. There were barely any customers left for the evening, and the sun had long set. The fairy lights were all strung up, and the candles were still bright.
"Cook."
Sanji blew smoke in Zoro's face, peeved. Zoro made a face at the smell.
"Where the hell have you been?" He demanded instantly.
"I-
"Save it, I was almost worried your sorry ass fell overboard and drowned. Dont fucking just disapear!"
"Ok-
"And you missed all the snacks for the second time! Did you break into the wine pantry or something?"
"Coo-
"I should just kick you into the aquarium-
"Sanji for fucks sake."
Sanji only stopped himself from kicking the bastard because Zoro so rarely used his real name outside of the safety of their room. The cook watched as Zoro suddenly knelt, reaching into his pocket.
To get a small box.
And to open it while kneeling.
"You never shut up." The swordsman muttered, lips twitching up into a smile.
"Fuck you."
"Is that the answer?"
Sanji kissed the moron as the ring slid on his finger.
-o-
Zoro knew he wasn’t exactly fantastic at the whole romance thing. There had never been a point in his life that he had cared for the stuff before Sanji, so the learning curve was sudden, steep, and swirly. He could count on one hand the amount of times he had flirted in his entire life, and all of them involved the cook and failing. Or they failed so spectacularly that it resulted in a fight with the blonde, which was actually fine with the swordsman.
The first time he’d gotten Sanji a gift it had been a dead bear. He figured it was a fairly decent gift since it could be cooked, but apparently it left a lot to be desired. Go figure.
The second time it’d been a sort of giant lizard, which Zoro never did find out if Sanji liked or not because he got kicked out of the galley for being covered in weird, slimy blood.
He’d kept on bringing the cook dead things because he didn’t know what else to do, and it must have worked because at some point Sanji decided to end one of their fights with a kiss rather than a kick.
“It didn’t work, I just took pity on you.” He insisted.
The gift he wanted to give to Sanji now wasn’t a dead thing for once. It was a ring, and it had taken a hell of a long time to find because every single one of his nakama had an opinion on what it should look like.
He had originally planned on proposing after his fight with Mihawk, but he’d been injured and somewhat- Misplaced in his location. Then Nami thought she might have a clue where All Blue was, and Sanji was dragging him around looking at fish, and suddenly the cook's dad was there and Franky was building a floating restaurant.
So here he was, with a ring. Trying to figure out how to ask Sanji to marry him without messing it up. It should probably involve some sort of dead thing, for tradition at least. If it was a bear then maybe that would seem romantic, like the first time. Maybe he could even find two. Eh, he’d figure it out.
-o-
When people asked Zoro about his big, fated fight with Mihawk where he won the title of the world greatest, the swordsman always gave short answers. No one ever got the full details of the battle, and only three men in the whole world knew the whole truth.
The truth was that, even though the battle was epic and enormous and earth shattering, it was also somewhat hilarious. Most importantly to Sanji though, it was embarrassing for Zoro. And that made it amazing .
Mihawk and Zoro had essentially scheduled the fight after Luffy became pirate king, the changes of the world taking place in rapid succession with the change in power. The mosshead was ready, Hawk eyes was waiting, and the world wanted to know what the Strawhats would do next. There was a little island not far from Mihawk castle that they had decided on, and so it went.
Except Zoro had insisted on going to the island himself, and so, of course, he had gotten lost. In fact, he’d gotten so lost that he’d ended up calling Sanji from a stolen den-den mushi halfway across the sea, trying to figure out why the island Mihawk had decided on was populated and having some sort of celebration. It had led to some of the most awkward conversations the cook had ever had in his life, conversing with the war lord and at the time worlds greatest swordsman, telling him as politely as possible to please wait just a bit longer, I’m going to go get the idiot.
True love apparently made Sanji a much more patient man than he otherwise would be, because he sailed all the way over to fuck knows how many islands looking for the hopeless green man. He didn't even kick him that hard when he found him, just dragged his ass to the ship, sat him down and told him to stay put, for gods sake,
That was hilarious enough on its own, but the fact that Zoro won the fight and then got lost all over again was even better. It was a fairly important lesson for the cook about the astronomical levels of ineptitude that the swordsman possessed when it came to directions. Truly, the man was not allowed to travel anywhere alone, ever.
So what was reported in the newspaper was that the great and life-changing battle of Roronoa Zoro and Dracule Mihawk took full weeks to finish, so great was it. Blackleg Sanji, the sole witness of the whole thing, was the only one besides the two swordsmen who knew that the battle itself hadn’t taken more than a day.
“World's greatest swordsman and world's most directionally challenged man.” The cook muttered, glancing over at the idiot.
“It’s not my fault he picked such a hard to find island.” Zoro grunted.
Sanji chose not to comment despite the plentiful options for insults, and if that wasn't love.
-o-
When Luffy took his throne, Sanji didn't ask Zoro to stay with him because he already knew the answer. Zoro didn't ask either, they only shared a glance.
Who else in the world could there be, if not the cook for the swordsman, and the swordsman for the cook? There would be stories later, when the public watched them closer, when the people crowded for gossip and fact. Everyone would whisper about that cook and swordsman, how they were unstoppable as a force, and connected at the hip.
It was never a question of if . It was a question of where to first?
-o-
Counting the days apart was a self imposed punishment after Whole Cake. After all, he had never been so far from home on Sunny, gone so long from Luffy. He couldn't even remember the last time he hadn’t crawled into bed with the swordsman already scooted over to the side, arms still open.
His captain had forgiven him. His nakama, his family , had forgiven him too. But when Zoro forgave him, it was- too much. Sanji needed someone to say something about how he’d been an idiot and had been selfish and everyone was just being nice .
“I already said you were an idiot.” Zoro grunted- groaned, really. His blood was soaked into the fabric of his clothes in a way that reminded Sanji of Thriller Bark.
“But you took me back!” Sanji yelled, yanking the bandages around the swordsman’s arm. “After everything I did, how can you just, accept it?”
“Because you’re our idiot.” Zoro shot back. “For fucks sake, you’re my idiot.”
The cook began bandaging the other arm, wrapping everything so plentifully that the man looked like a mummy. Ridiculous, yes, but there was so much blood and the battle wasn't over yet.
“I need you to survive this fight because I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” Sanji said, pulling tight on the bandages once again. His hands trembled slightly, and he closed his eyes. “I have no idea how you’ve forgiven me, because I almost made the greatest mistake of my life by marrying someone who wasn't you.”
“Ha!” Zoro laughed, then coughed in pain. “So you admit you do want to marry me.”
“Why are you like this. I hate you.” Sanji grumbled, exhausted and red-faced.
“No you don't.”
The blonde grimaced at the smug look on Zoro’s face, then gave in and kissed him lightly on his bloody forehead.
“No, I don't.” He whispered, tense all over from the sudden, crippling fear that they were still in the middle of fighting Kaido and the swordsman was already so injured. What if he never got the chance to say all the things he wanted Zoro to know? Saying he loved him wasn't nearly enough. He wanted years worth of time to fill the day with his love, stuff it down the swordsman’s throat by the hour- by the minute.
“I love you too, cook.” The swordsman murmured back, clearly about to pass out for the foreseeable future. Fully laying his trust in Sanji to keep him safe for the time being.
Maybe that was where he could find redemption though. Using his all to physically protect the man he loved after failing him so much, with the promise that tomorrow they’d still be alive. Maybe by tomorrow he’d have found a way to say I love you in a way that condensed a lifetime’s hope for a place by Zoro’s side.
-o-
2 years was a long time to be gone from everyone. Even a week was a long time to be separated. Sanji woke up constantly thinking to himself what did they eat today? There was no way Luffy was eating his vegetables, and if someone wasn't making him food then what? The guy couldn't cook for shit, and neither could Zoro. The swordsman needed at least twice as many calories as the usual person, and three times the protein to sustain his constant muscle growth. If he was just wandering around and stuffing whatever he could find in his mouth then there was no way his body was performing to the best of it's abilities. Did anyone even understand that? That they had to always, always eat?
Considering how many times that thought had stressed Sanji out to the point of panic in the last 2 years, he had planned on it being the first thing he asked the other. Did you eat properly? What did you eat exactly? Did it taste good? Was it enough? He was willing to get down on his knees and beg his nakama to tell him every last detail of the very grains of rice they consumed.
Zoro was soaking wet, and now half blind apparently. Shit, Sanji thought, the body needs different nutrients when it's healing. What was he eating when he lost his eye? What if he got sick from it and needed soup? Who the fuck made the marimo soup?
He was working himself into a mental frenzy until he realized the swordsman was hugging him.
“Missed you.” He grunted into the cook’s shoulder.
“You’re soaking wet.” Sanji complained immediately, hugging him back regardless. Seriously though, who made the mosshead soup if he was sick? He’d have to ask later.
“And you’re still a priss.” Zoro said, his shoulders jumping as he laughed quietly.
The love in Sanji’s heart that had been kept in storage burst out of its confines and took control of his whole body, squeezing the swordsman in a death grip until he was sure their skin would break. His ribs and spine practically creaked with how hard Zoro held him back.
“Missed you too.” He muttered, green hair tickling his cheek as he buried his face further into the stained, wet, and frankly disgusting green jacket.
-o-
It had been three days.
“The internal injuries will need time to heal, and Zoro’s recovery process requires a lot of sleep.” Chopper explained.
Sanji nodded. After sustaining his own injuries during Thriller Bark and then taking Luffy’s damage on top of it all, it was a simple miracle the marimo was even alive. That was the only thing keeping the cook from murdering the man himself.
Chopper excused himself to get the little sleep he managed, making sure the cook knew to get him if anything changed. There was the small comfort that Zoro’s vitals were stabilized, but nothing was known for sure about the state he was in until he woke up. He’d need to rest of course, but to Sanji what mattered was what he needed to eat. What he wanted to eat.
They both got injured plenty, that was a fact of life as a pirate. The mosshead more than anyone, and Sanji had long accepted that being in a relationship with the swordsman meant sessions of waiting for him to stop bleeding. It wasn't ever going to get easier, no matter how much time passed.
He’d thought about ending things with Zoro. Spare himself some future heartbreak when the man died as he inevitably would in some violent way. He could separate himself, find someone who didn't want blood in their lives and settle down like countless old sailors. In another life, where he hadn’t given his heart away so completely, he might have been able to do that. For now, he waited.
“You look like a really bad Christmas card when you’re all covered in blood y’know.” Sanji muttered, eyeing the grassy mop of hair that needed at least 3 good washes.
Zoro made a small groaning noise, as if just the sound of Sanji’s voice called for a protest of some way. The cook rolled his eyes, reaching out to interlock their fingers.
It was going to be a lifetime of waiting like this, he realized. Bedside conversations and cold hands. The smell of disinfectant. He’d have to learn to be more patient, maybe ask Robin-chan for books to read while he sat still.
“What a pain in the ass.”
God damn it though, love was worth it. And Sanji would wait for however long it took, every single time.
-o-
It'd been two days.
"He lost a lot of blood, his body needs to recover. Sleep is the best way to do that."
Zoro nodded. Chopper had been in and out of the infirmary all day to repeat that as he took Sanji's vitals. Above the blanket the tube connected to the cook's arm could have been mistaken for stealing his blood rather than giving it. Zoro held on to the pale, limp hand, trying to give it his own warmth. The cook was fine. Everyone knew he was fine. Chopper said he'd be fine.
"I'll be in the aquarium with Robin, come get me if anything happens."
Zoro nodded once more, and the infirmary door closed. He was angry at himself, for a multitude of reasons. He knew Luffy was his priority, and protecting his captain was his job, but in the midst of battle he had left the cook. Even if he had stayed behind though, there was no guarantee for Luffy's safety, and it wouldn't have been right. There was never allowed to be a choice between the captain and the cook; it always had to be the captain. And yet Sanji was in the bed, with blood bags filling his veins.
"Just wake up already."
Sanji was great at not listening to Zoro, same as always. He slept on, cool skin under the swordsman's fingertips while Zoro thought about the last time they'd kissed. He was supposed to be living each day so carefully, ready to depart from this life so easily, and here he was with his regrets. Maybe it was because none of those regrets came from his own death. Everything stemmed from the bitten off fear that he would lose another again, and somehow he would still have to find more reason to live.
The hand in his grip twitched, and he loosened it, afraid he had been crushing it. The fingers moved again, and suddenly Sanji was blinking at him, tired and pale. His lazy smile came up, the kind that begged for a dangling cigarette and a kiss.
"Hey."
Zoro poured him some water, looking away like it could somehow hide his own shaky grin. He let Sanji sit up on his own, because Sanji never wanted help and he wasn't struggling enough to need it.
"'Bout time you got up."
Sanji drank the whole glass slowly. When he put it down his hand returned to Zoro's.
"Next time you should try a kiss. I hear that wakes up sleeping beauties real fast."
Zoro smiled, leaning into blonde hair to hide it. He didn't put any weight into his movement, since cracked ribs hurt anyway you put it. Sanji's skin was still more cold than warm. He opened his mouth to say he'd go get Chopper.
"I love you."
It took him a moment to realize the words he'd said hadn't been that he would get Chopper. He'd been so lost in his fatigue catching up and the relief free flowing, and he had leaked. He could feel his muscles tensing up, ahead of his brain as the panic began to start.
"I know."
He didn't know how to respond to that though. All he wanted to do was keep his face pressed to gold hair, hiding until he understood just how far he had to run away. The cold hand stroked the curve of his fingers, reassuring.
"I love you too, stupid marimo."
Sanji dragged him down and kissed him until the shock wore off, and then Zoro kissed him back until Chopper kicked him out of the infirmary.
-o-
There was a sea king just waiting to be served up for dinner, and Sanji normally would have thought out all the right herbs to pair with it by now, but he was having trouble.
He hadn't known Zoro that long, and therefore hadn't been able to observe him fighting that much (he was plenty used to fighting against the moron by now) and so it came as a shock that the swordsman was not- clumsy. Or barbaric in a sense. Somehow, here was Zoro, fighting a sea king alongside Sanji, and there was something so smooth and addicting to his movement. Rough, yes, but not without purpose and precision. Beauty hidden under all the hardened layers. It shouldn't be that surprising, but. It was.
"Can’t keep up, curly?"
a quicksilver fast smile, all white teeth and sharp eyes cutting right down Sanji's core.
Maybe this man was something more than steel and hard edges after all.
-o-
Zoro eyed the blonde across the room, recognizing the way he carried himself. Fighters were a dime a dozen though, and some pretty-faced waiter wasn't likely to start up any action, despite the earlier disturbance. Luffy would finish his business here sooner or later, and then the four of them would make their way towards the grandline.
He glanced back at the man one last time.