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Zoro took in a breath. One point would win either of them the bout and he was determined to come out on top. With each intake, Zoro calmed himself and centered his mind. Control flowed down his arm, through his right hand, and into his weapon. The épée was an extension of him now.
“En garde!” The referee said, loud and clear.
Zoro stepped up to the line and took position. His eyes were set on his opponent. It had been a long match and their points were tied.
He let out another slow breath.
“Prêts? Allez!” The referee called and Zoro advanced.
Both of them wanted that point. They both needed to win. Zoro parried an attack and slid his blade along his opponent’s and towards his arm. The man retreated quickly.
Zoro reset himself mentally.
He retreated, parried, advanced, trying to find every opening he could. It felt like they had been fighting for an eternity when he saw it - his opponent’s weight shifted ever so slightly to his front leg.
With a sudden burst of power, the man charged towards Zoro in a flèche. Raising his arm across his face, Zoro positioned the blade down in a parry one position, blocking the attack. As his opponent passed him, Zoro turned his blade and, thrusting his arm backwards, landed a hit between the man's shoulder blades.
An alert blared and the referee shouted, “Halt! Point right. Roronoa wins the bout!”
Relief flooded Zoro’s body. He removed his mask and shook hands with his opponent. Only when he turned around did his sense of sound return to him, enveloping him in the loud cheers from the crowd.
He had done it. He was going to advance to the Regional Tournament.
Zoro woke up the next morning feeling energized. He jumped out of bed and stretched before making a quick breakfast. Rayleigh, his coach, wanted to meet at the club to discuss his matches from the tournament so they could prepare for Regionals. He grabbed his fencing bag and left the apartment, eager to start prepping for his next step.
“I’m almost there,” Zoro whispered to himself as he hopped into his car before turning on some music.
His goal, since he was young, was to beat the best fencer in the nation. Dracule Mihawk was consistently at the top, which was unusual in the fencing world where any given fencer’s fortunes rose and fell from one weekend to the next. It made Zoro want to fight and defeat Mihawk even more. He tapped the steering wheel to the beat, excitement infusing him down to his bones.
The club was quiet when Zoro arrived. Rayleigh would often let everyone have a day off after a tournament to recover. The only light came from the coach’s office and Zoro made a beeline towards it.
“Rayleigh,” Zoro greeted, knocking gently on the door frame.
The older man glanced up, his long white hair fell around his shoulders and he pushed his glasses up as he smiled at Zoro. “There you are. I was just checking over my notes.”
“Yeah?” Zoro asked, his interest piqued. He sat down in the chair in front of Rayleigh’s desk, plopping his bag next to him and leaned forward.
“Yes, I’ve pinpointed a few things for you to work on before Regionals, but I think we can fix some of these errors easily.” Rayleigh spoke as his eyes darted over his notes. He rattled off some of the problem areas he identified that Zoro could improve upon. Zoro took the ideas and added his own mental notes for the next time he fenced.
After their meeting they both put on their full fencing kits, turned on the lights in the club, and hooked themselves to the cables that ran to reels, which connected to the scoreboard on the strips to indicate a touch. Zoro loved fighting against Rayleigh. The man had gone to the Olympics several times and was the best coach Zoro ever had. His technique had never faltered and he never stopped pushing Zoro to do better.
Every day, Zoro went to the club to practice with Rayleigh and the other fencers. He worked on his weaknesses and adjusted his mindset and presence on the strip. He could push and pull his opponent much better to be where Zoro wanted them.
The day of the Regionals came with much anticipation. Five other fencers from their club were competing and they warmed up together, giving each other last minute tips before their matches started.
Once Zoro stepped onto the strip, he became a different person. He felt laser focused on what he wanted. From his first match onward he was on fire, winning bout after bout. Zoro felt his excitement growing with each step as each victory pushed him closer to Nationals - where Mihawk would be.
It was the last match of pools and Zoro felt invincible. He knew he could beat his opponent. His name was Squard, an older man with balding pink hair and a spider tattoo on his forehead. His attacks were aggressive, but weak.
Zoro lunged to score the final point to win the match but when his right foot landed he heard a crack. Then he felt it. Stinging pain raced up his leg and he cried out in agony. The referee halted the match immediately as Zoro dropped to the ground, holding his ankle.
Rayleigh ran up and helped remove Zoro’s mask. He was wracked with pain, but more than that he was swallowed by the sorrow for what it would mean - not just for the match, but for the entire tournament. As Zoro slowly stood up with the help of his coach and his opponent, all he could see was everything he worked for crumbling before his eyes.
The sounds of the TV filled the room, but Zoro didn’t hear any of it. He stared at the wall - his right foot in a cast, propped up on the coffee table - limply holding a bottle of beer. The doctors told him that his ankle would heal, but that he’d need to have months of physical therapy to get it back to the level it had been at. He knew he could get there eventually, but his motivation had been dropping steadily as he thought about the arduous journey just to get back to where he already was.
A sudden aggressive no-nonsense knocking at his door yanked him out of his spiraling thoughts. Zoro sighed. Only one person would knock on his door like that, and he didn’t want to deal with her at the moment.
“Go away, Nami!” He yelled to be heard over the senseless din of whatever show was on his TV.
There was silence for a moment and Zoro almost thought she had actually listened before he heard a series of mechanical noises, a sharp click, and then the door flew open, revealing the annoying red head in all her glory.
Zoro stared at Nami. “Did you just break into my apartment?!”
Twirling an object that looked suspiciously like a lock pick, Nami whistled absently. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Groaning, Zoro laid his head against the couch. This was never ending. He was in hell.
“What do you want?” He asked her while staring at the far wall.
Nami reappeared, striding into his vision, staring down at him in worry and frustration. “You need to get off your sorry ass and find a way to motivate yourself to get better!” She pointed at him, shaking her finger angrily. “You’re making me worried! And you know what happens when I’m worried?!” Nami paced back and forth in front of him, blocking the TV from view.
“What?” Zoro absently asked, not really caring about the answer.
Nami stopped in front of him and threw up her hands. “Wrinkles!” she cried in despair. “I’m too young to have worry lines like I’m getting because of you!” She massaged her face as she spoke. “So,” Nami’s attention directed back to Zoro, “I’m gonna make sure you get up and start taking care of yourself! Rayleigh has a plan to get you back fencing - as soon as you can - but you need to pull your own weight!”
Zoro raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Rayleigh spoke to you?” He scoffed, “You’re my neighbor.” Nami raised her eyebrow and he hastily added, “and my friend.”
“I know!” Nami placed her hands on her hips. “And I’m all you’ve got right now. Everyone else we know is busy and I live right next door. If only you weren’t single, I’d be making your partner come do this.”
Zoro cringed at the mention of his romantic life, which had gone sour in the last few years. No one he met made him feel any sort of excitement, and while all of the other fencers at the club were friends, he couldn’t see himself being romantic with any of them.
“Alright,” Zoro conceded. “What do you want me to do?”
A grin spread over Nami’s face and Zoro knew he wouldn’t like any of the words about to come out of her mouth.
The next two months were full of regular Nami visits to check on Zoro - making sure he ate, slept, and took a shower every day. His ankle slowly healed and before long he started to only need a boot in order to walk around.
A knock sounded on Zoro’s apartment door, he assumed it was Nami once again coming over for something, but was surprised to find his coach on the other side instead.
“Hey!” Rayleigh said happily, checking Zoro over. “You look better than last time I saw you! Can I come in? I have some information for you.”
Zoro couldn’t help but smile. “Sure.” He hobbled out of the way, allowing Rayleigh to enter. Last time he had seen Rayleigh in person was shortly after his surgery. Since then, he and his coach had only spoken over the phone about how Zoro was healing.
Motioning Rayleigh towards the couch, Zoro slowly sat down on the other end, feeling Rayleigh’s eyes on him, he tried not to shift uncomfortably in the seat.
“So,” Rayleigh started, “you’re going to be getting that boot off soon, yeah?”
Zoro nodded, “Yeah. Then I’ll just have a brace and I’ll have to start physical therapy.”
“That’s what I’m here about. Do you have any preferences for who’s your PT?” Rayleigh asked while he put his hand in his pocket, bringing out a business card.
“No… don’t know where to start looking,” Zoro admitted.
Leaning over, Rayleigh handed Zoro the card. Zoro took it - reading the words as Rayleigh spoke.
“That’s the number for the All Blue clinic. It’s run by Dr. Blackleg Sanji, his clinic has helped other athletes out over the years.” Rayleigh smiled when Zoro glanced up at him. “I trust him.” The look Rayleigh gave him was the same one he’d shown before Zoro’s matches - confidence that Zoro could get back on the strip and fence once again.
Zoro gripped the card and nodded.
The clear glass door to the All Blue clinic stared impassively at Zoro while he stood there glaring back. His right ankle was wrapped in a brace - he was finally out of the clunky one and into a smaller and slimmer model to help his tendons heal. Checking his phone, Zoro noted he was right on time - or would be if the damn door wasn’t in his way. He had no idea why he couldn’t move to open it - to take that last step to get back on the strip, to hold his épée again. He craved competition, but worried if he could get back to where he had been.
Zoro was so into his own head, he hadn’t noticed the door had opened until a voice jolted him back to reality.
“Do you need some help?” A friendly voice asked.
Zoro focused his eye on the figure - a new opponent in the way of him walking into the damn clinic and getting help. A man with black curly hair pulled up into a ponytail watched him. There was no hint of annoyance in his dark eyes, just patience. It was somehow more intimidating than if the man had been aggressive, but Zoro stood firm in the face of this unrelenting placid friendliness.
“No,” Zoro grunted, moving an inch closer to the door.
The man watched him for a moment. “You sure? Seems like you’re having trouble. I can hold the door open for you, if you want?”
Zoro grimaced. He felt ashamed this was so hard for him to do. Such a tiny goal to accomplish, but here he was, frozen by his own shame and worry.
Acquiescing, Zoro nodded and flicked his eyes away from the door, to the man’s face. “I’d… like that. Um…?” He left the question hanging between them.
“Usopp!” The man - Usopp - replied with enthusiasm. “I work at the front desk, so I can help you fill out all the paperwork to get you started. You’re Zoro, right? Sanji’s three o’clock?”
“Yeah,” Zoro said with as much confidence as he could muster. He held himself straighter as he strode through the door Usopp held open for him. When he crossed the threshold, Zoro felt a current of confidence with the accompanying rush of air conditioning, which further helped as the sweat he had gathered in the summer heat cooled on his skin.
Usopp rushed around him to get behind the desk and gather the papers he had prepared. Zoro took a moment to glance around, seeing that the place was relatively empty. The reception desk blocked part of his sight, but from where he stood Zoro could see different types of exercise equipment scattered around the room. A large mirror on one side showed him lines of beds around the corner and a single blond man sitting on a stool, typing on a laptop he had placed on a movable desk.
“Here’s the paperwork to fill out!” Usopp interrupted as Zoro stared at the unknown figure, alone in the clinic. “If I could get your insurance card to scan, please? You can have a seat while you fill those out.”
Zoro took out his wallet, handing Usopp his card, before grabbing a pen from the cup holder. It had a tiny duck at the top that smiled happily up at him. Sitting down, Zoro spent the next few minutes filling out his information.
He had just flipped to the last page when tennis shoes appeared in his line of sight. Glancing up, Zoro was face to face with an extremely handsome man wearing blue scrubs. His blond hair looked fluffy and soft, hanging across his face, nearly blocking out his right eye from view. The man grinned down at Zoro, his blue eyes shining with interest, above which sat strange curly eyebrows.
Extending his hand, the man spoke in a cheery voice, “Hi! You must be Zoro. I’m Sanji, the owner of the clinic and your physical therapist.”
Zoro put down his pen and grabbed the outstretched hand, his lips ticking up in a small smile. “Nice to meet you.”
Sanji released Zoro’s hand and took a seat beside him. Zoro figured he could return to finishing filling out his forms while Sanji did whatever he was there to do.
“So you’re a fencer, huh?” Sanji asked.
Zoro finished signing his name one last time before turning towards Sanji. “Yeah. I need to get back to it.”
Sanji hummed, his eyes sparkled in interest. “It’s your right ankle?”
Zoro nodded.
“Let me take those,” Sanji said while reaching his hand out, “I want you to walk towards the treadmill.” He nodded across the room.
Figuring it was an easy task, Zoro gave Sanji his papers and stood. He casually walked to the treadmill, feeling Sanji’s eyes watching his every move. It felt like a competition, for some reason, like Sanji was sizing Zoro up.
When he arrived at his destination, Zoro turned around to see Sanji studying his feet. Blue eyes flicked up to meet his own. He handed Zoro’s papers over to Usopp without looking and walked up to him.
“Follow me. I want to see you do that again, but this time without your brace or your shoes.”
Nodding, Zoro followed Sanji into the bigger part of the clinic. He wasn’t sure why it was so empty at that time of day, but he wasn’t going to question it. Sanji led him to a bed near the middle of the room, gesturing to a spot next to it where he could keep his shoes. Zoro sat on the bed and took off his shoes and the brace. Rolling his ankle, he stood and looked at Sanji for what to do next.
“Walk towards that wall until you get to the stairs and then walk back to me,” Sanji instructed, taking a seat on a wheeled stool. He rotated towards Zoro’s path and stared at him. “Walk normally.”
Turning, Zoro strode towards the wall, trying to walk as normally as possible. Suddenly with an audience watching him, even if it was an audience of one, Zoro nearly forgot how to walk. When Zoro turned around, he made the mistake of glancing at Sanji. The look in his blue eyes were clinical, like he was cataloging every single weird thing Zoro did as he moved, but it allowed Zoro to realize just how blue Sanji’s eyes were. Zoro nearly felt entranced by them as he slowly strolled back to Sanji.
When he arrived at his destination, Sanji had a thoughtful look on his face and turned towards his laptop to type something. Notes, Zoro assumed, about him. Zoro hadn’t thought he was walking differently than usual, but his recovery felt like it had taken forever, so maybe his body had forgotten how to walk like normal? What if he had never walked normally and now that he was injured it was affecting his recovery?
“You can sit on the bed,” Sanji said without his eyes leaving the laptop.
Zoro sat and realized the bed was a little too high off the ground so his feet didn’t touch. Feeling awkward, he sat there mindlessly swinging his legs while he waited for Sanji to finish whatever he was doing.
After what felt like an eternity, but was probably only a few minutes, Sanji turned to Zoro and gave him a small grin. Zoro watched his eyes flick down to Zoro’s slightly swinging legs and his lips quirked into a smile.
“Alright,” Sanji said as he stood and walked to one side of the bed. “I’m gonna have you sitting up so I can look at your ankle.” He pulled something just out of sight on the side of the bed and lifted the back end upwards. The pillow that was sitting there slid down. Zoro scooted back, moving the pillow aside, and leaned against the newly formed backrest. It was oddly comfortable. Zoro’s feet dangled over the edge of the bed as Sanji sat back on his stool and rolled it in front of Zoro.
“So,” Sanji said while tugging off Zoro’s right sock, “I’ve been looking over your file from the doctor who performed your ankle surgery. While the bone healed up nicely, it seems you strained your tendon,” Sanji’s finger moved around the back of Zoro’s ankle bone. “It connects all the way up your leg and goes under your foot here,” the finger made a slow path on the bottom of Zoro’s foot. “With how you’re walking, it looks like your body has compensated for the healing ankle and the tendon issue by putting your weight on the outside of your foot instead of in the center.” He glanced up and met Zoro’s eyes. “Since you’re a fencer, this will affect your regular activities, so we’ll get to work on fixing it.”
Sanji pushed away and stood, retrieving a small container of lotion and a towel from a nearby drawer. He returned to his spot and continued to speak while scooping up some lotion on two of his fingers and running them up Zoro’s legs where he had indicated earlier. It felt oddly nice. “I also noticed that you don’t walk in a straight line, which I’m not sure if that’s a foot issue or a brain issue.”
Zoro’s brain, which had been enjoying the massage he had been getting, paused. “What?”
Sanji dug his fingers into different spots in Zoro’s leg, causing him to groan in both pain and relief. “Well, both times I told you to walk so I could watch, you didn’t go very far and somehow walked in a curve.” He flicked his blue eyes up. “You didn’t notice?”
“No?” Zoro replied. “I walked as straight as I could.”
“That’s why I don’t believe I can fix that for you,” Sanji spoke with a smile. “It’s not a physical issue, but I’ll keep it in mind if I have you doing any walking exercises around the clinic. Don’t want the mossball to get lost.”
“Mossball?!” Zoro nearly squawked. He tried to keep his voice down, but Sanji was starting to grate on his nerves.
Sanji nodded his chin towards Zoro’s head. “Did you not know your hair is green?”
“Of course I did!” Zoro protested. “Gotta lot of nerve calling me names because of it, curlybrow.” Sanji’s finger dug hard into the side of Zoro’s leg. “Ow!” Sanji only grinned unapologetically at him.
Sanji continued his ministrations for awhile longer, thankfully with no more comments on Zoro’s hair or his good sense of direction.
“Alright,” Sanji sighed, wiping his hands off on a towel. “I’d like you to come in every day if you can, so we can try to get you back up and running - or fencing.” Sanji sent Zoro a grin. “When you come in I’m going to have you do an easy warmup, then some exercises, and I’ll give you a foot massage.”
“Didn’t know a massage came with it.” Zoro huffed a laugh. “Thought you did that just to torture me.”
Sanji chucked. “If you think this is torture, you have no idea what I have planned for you.”
Zoro felt his face light up in a sudden blush. He tried very hard not to think about the possibility of Sanji flirting with him, but when he said things like that, it got extremely hard. He’s just doing his job, you idiot, Zoro cursed himself in his head.
Shaking himself of any thoughts related to Sanji and the idea of flirting, Zoro grinned. “Bring it on, curlycue.”
Zoro’s daily visit to the All Blue clinic became the highlight of his day. Every appointment he’d get a massage from Sanji while they lightly bickered and then Sanji would have him run through a series of different exercises to help his ankle. He had been given some home exercises to do, which he diligently completed. He finally felt like he’d be getting back on the strip sooner than later and the fact that he could flirt with Sanji without the other man knowing was the cherry on the top.
One day, while Sanji was digging his long fingers into Zoro’s calves while he rested on his stomach, Sanji brought up Zoro’s career.
“So, fencing, huh?” Sanji asked while sitting on his stool on Zoro’s right side. “Don’t know if I ever met a fencer before you. What’s it like?”
Zoro grinned, glancing over his shoulder at Sanji. “It’s amazing. The thrill I get from fighting someone has no comparison.”
Nodding, Sanji changed where his fingers were, causing Zoro to let out a hiss. “Painful?” Sanji asked, pausing his massage.
“Nah, just… sensitive.”
Sanji hummed. “Yeah, the muscle, especially in the calf, can get a bit tight.” His fingers started up again and Zoro nearly melted onto the bed. “I didn’t know you could do fencing as a career. What’s that like?”
Zoro laid his head back on the pillow, tilting towards Sanji so he could more comfortably speak. “Well, not everyone can. Most people have to work part-time while going to competitions and gaining ranks. I just got lucky.”
“Ranks, huh?” Sanji asked, his eyes never leaving Zoro’s leg. “What are those?”
“Every time you win a competition, you gain a rank. Everyone starts being unranked and can climb up to an A ranking, which is the highest.” Zoro watched Sanji dig his thumb into a muscle in his ankle, soothing the pain that had been bothering him. “Depending on the ranking of the tournament itself, which depends on how many high ranked fencers make it to the top eight, you can climb multiple ranks through placing high enough in a competition.” Zoro paused, worried that he had started to ramble.
Sanji glanced up at Zoro, a smile gracing his face. “Sounds like a complicated sport. I’d like to watch it someday.”
Zoro couldn’t help but return Sanji’s smile. “Well, once I’m back to it, you can come watch one of my matches. I’ll have to explain how the rules work before that otherwise you might be completely lost.”
He wasn’t sure if he was hallucinating, but it felt like Sanji’s eyes became soft for a moment, as if he was imagining coming to watch one of Zoro’s bouts.
“I’d like that.”
It was a random day that Zoro realized his feelings for Sanji were getting worse. The man was attractive, that was obvious, and it was fun to bicker with him. Zoro was in the middle of doing heel raises, while trying to remember to count. Up with two feet, he thought to himself, raising himself up on the half round foam roller, down with one foot. He lowered himself gently using his right foot, feeling the muscles in his calf burn. He thought he was on ten, so he just went from there.
His eyes kept flicking over to where Sanji was working with another patient. Zoro realized early on that his initial quiet day was an outlier after seeing how busy the clinic could get, and that each PT would often have two patients at a time. He wished he could have all of Sanji’s attention, but he wasn’t one to complain about how things worked. However, the smile Sanji gave the man was the same one he gave to Zoro. He’d seen Sanji show the same face while working with a woman as well, but having it given towards another man made Zoro’s heart squeeze.
Stepping off the foam roller, Zoro stretched the leg he just worked as his mind whirled. He knew he had a small crush on Sanji, but figured it was the “seeing a hot guy” kind and not… whatever this was. A heavy feeling sat in his gut making him realize he was jealous. Zoro didn’t know if he’d ever felt jealous like this before. Even while fencing, he’d learn early on not to be jealous of others that were better than him, but to use them to get better by watching how they fenced. But how did that work with his emotions about a crush? He couldn’t make them better - they just made him feel different and there wasn’t any way of getting around that.
“Yo ho ho! Zoro!” Brook, one of the clinic’s techs, glided up to him. The dark skinned man was tall with a large afro bobbing on top of his head. He’d told Zoro he moonlighted as a musician outside of working at the All Blue, and it showed as Brook sashayed around the place as if he had a song permanently in his head. “Are you doing okay? Need any help?”
Zoro realized that he had just stopped his exercises completely while staring directly at Sanji, who had just turned to check on him and was glaring in Zoro’s direction.
“I’m---” Zoro started before a yell interrupted him.
“Moss! You better be doing those heel raises or I’ll do more dry needling on you today!” Sanji spoke so loudly that everyone else quieted down. He didn’t seem to notice the sudden silence, keeping his eyes trained on Zoro.
Zoro felt his face start to heat up from the attention Sanji was giving him. “Fuck off. I was just resting my leg for a sec.” Zoro got back up on the roller to continue on the other leg. Sanji kept watching him for a moment longer before returning to his patient. HIs face immediately relaxed from his scowl into something softer. The noise of the clinic came back as everyone went back to what they were doing.
Zoro nearly groaned. He was an idiot.
“Ah. Young love.” Brook spoke up, startling Zoro out of his self-deprecating thoughts.
Zoro glared over to Brook, who leaned against the wooden stairs where Zoro was doing his exercises. “I’m not in love,” Zoro tried to defend himself. Brook raised an eyebrow at him. “It’s just a crush.”
“If you insist, young man,” Brook said, pushing himself up and struttinging towards someone else who needed help. “Still, just let me know if you need any advice.”
“Thanks.” Zoro sighed, raising himself up and down once more, trying his hardest not to look Sanji’s way.
Walking back into the fencing club after months away made any stress Zoro was feeling melt away. He’d truly missed this. Sanji had given him permission to start doing light fencing - as long as he didn’t overdo it - and Zoro was going to follow that to the letter. He had learned not to piss off the PT if he could help it. While Sanji was hot as fuck when he was angry, Zoro wasn’t sure he wanted to actually be confronted by that anger .
Zoro could tell that his ankle was getting better. Over the last few weeks, he’d worked so hard every day at PT to make it stronger and Sanji seemed to feel his drive to get back to what he loved, with his encouragement and warm smiles.
Fencing bag hung over his shoulder, Zoro grinned when he heard the clanging of blades clashing. A small cluster of people were there for practice and Zoro spotted Rayleigh watching over everyone as they took turns at matches, providing advice when needed. Zoro went and stood on the side, setting his bag down by his feet and sticking his hands into his athletic pants.
Johnny and Yosaku were fencing nearby. Neither of them took the sport seriously, but enjoyed it for the community and the exercise. Zoro loved doing a bout with them though - it always taught him something new about his skills. The crazy unpredictableness of how they fenced forced him to shore up his weaknesses in unexpected ways.
Yosaku was pushing Johnny back, and with a yell, he jumped. There was a loud beep and the light beamed for Johnny’s point. Zoro couldn’t help but crack a smile. No matter how much both Rayleigh and Zoro tried to talk to Yosaku, he never lunged and always jumped, making him an easy target for Johnny.
Both competitors took off their masks, walking up and tapping their blades against each other - both had huge smiles on their faces.
“Bro!” Johnny said as he bumped Yosaku with his ungloved hand. “You know I wait for you to leap at me before I get you!”
Yosaku laughed brightly. “One day it’ll work! I need to work on surprising you more!”
“In your dreams, man, in your dreams.” Johnny pat Yosaku on the shoulder.
“You both have things to work on,” Rayleigh said while walking up to the two men. He had a soft smile on his face. “I’m glad you have fun though. That’s the most important thing.”
“Maybe later, you guys can do a bout with me,” Zoro spoke up from where he’d been standing.
Johnny and Yosaku’s faces broke into wide grins as they both yelled in unison, “Bro!” And nearly tackled Zoro to give him a hug.
Zoro sidestepped them, lightly stepping over his bag, and watched, amused, as they face planted on the floor. “You’re never gonna catch me like that,” Zoro snarked down at them.
“Zoro-bro!” Johnny whined. “We missed you! Can’t we have a hug?”
Sighing, Zoro opened his arms and two full grown men attached themselves to him. “Yeah yeah. Just don’t jump at me next time. You can act like normal humans once in a while, ya know.”
“Never!” Yosaku cried while wiping happy tears all over Zoro’s clothes.
The sound of someone clapping for their attention pulled them apart. Rayleigh stood on the strip, looking at them fondly. “Alright you two, Zoro needs to start training so we can see how his ankle is holding up. And Yosaku, I want you to do ten laps up and down the gym to make up for your jumping attack earlier.”
“Aw man,” Yosaku moaned sadly. “You’re never fun, Coach Ray.”
Rayleigh walked up and put his hand on Yosaku’s shoulder. “I can be, if you take fencing seriously for once. You are an amazing fencer. Show it to me.”
Nodding, Yosaku jogged away. Johnny yelled after him and ran to catch up, saying that he’d join his friend in his laps.
Rayleigh turned his attention back to Zoro. “How’re you feeling?”
“Better,” Zoro began as he thought over the last month of his PT. “I still have some pain when I walk too much. Sanji said he wanted me to get back into fencing and see how that goes before he figures out how to proceed with treatment.”
Nodding, Rayleigh walked over towards their usual area for footwork, motioning for Zoro to follow. It was an open area the length of a fencing strip. “You like Dr. Blackleg as your physical therapist?”
Zoro nearly tripped over himself at the question, reminding himself it was a simple question with no ulterior motive. His mind, however, remained a whirl with one clear thought - he definitely had a crush on Sanji.
“I like him a lot,” Zoro admitted. “He’s a good listener and figures out what’s best for me.”
“I’m glad,” Rayleigh replied, a gentle smile gracing his face. “Let’s have you do some brief warm ups. Go a little slow at the beginning so we can see how you’re doing.”
Placing his bag down, Zoro stepped up and got into an en garde position. It had been too long since he had done this, but was glad his body still knew what to do. With his hand forward, Zoro started to advance the entire length of the footwork area. He went slow, as instructed, and glided along. This was different from what he usually did to warm up. No floating, no shadow fencing, just advance and retreat. He’d change it up to test his ankle and see how it handled switching directions. Advancing three before retreating two, repeating that for a few minutes, before doing another set.
Ten minutes later, Rayleigh called a stop. “So how does it feel?”
Zoro shook his head to come back to himself. He’d gotten into a flow that everything around him had disappeared. No thoughts of ankle injuries or beautiful blond physical therapists. Just him and the strip, flowing together as one.
As he got out of his en garde position and took a step towards Rayleigh, his ankle twinged and he winced. Zoro ran an agitated hand through his hair and wanted to scream. He hadn’t even been going fast or too intense. He was doing beginner’s footwork and it still hurt!
A hand on his shoulder forced him out of his headspace. “Even slow progress is progress.” Rayleigh’s soothing voice said. “We have a baseline of where you are now, you can take that back to Dr. Blackleg and see what he can do for you.”
Zoro nodded, picking up his bag and slowly walking towards the practice dummy. If he couldn’t actually fence someone, he’d practice his bladework.
The All Blue clinic was busy when Zoro walked in. He said hi to Usopp and caught Sanji’s eye nearly immediately.
“Mosshead, after you warm up, come to me and I’ll work on you.”
Zoro mumbled his agreement as he put his wallet and keys in one of the cubbies before walking over to the exercise bike.
A little over ten minutes later, Zoro found himself sitting up facing Sanji as he massaged Zoro’s ankle. Zoro watched as Sanji’s long fingers dug into the sensitive parts of his muscles, trying to help loosen them. He couldn’t help but dream of those fingers doing other things to his body. Rubbing deep inside until they touch that pleasurable place. Zoro felt his face heat up as his imagination went wild with fantasies of what Sanji could do to him in bed.
He shook his head to try to clear his thoughts. It was embarrassing that this was happening in a public place with Sanji right in front of him. He was screwed. This crush was going to kill him before his physical therapy was over.
“You alright, moss?” Sanji’s voice ripped Zoro completely out of his own head and he looked up to see Sanji staring at him in question.
Clearing his throat, Zoro tried to sound normal. “Yeah. I'm fine. Just... in my head, I guess.”
“Oh?” Sanji asked, digging deeper into another part of Zoro’s calf. “What kind of thoughts get stuck in your head?”
“Fencing, mostly,” Zoro partially lied. He did think of fencing a lot, but that was the last thing on his mind with such a beautiful man in front of him.
Sanji chuckled. “Of course that’s all you think about.” He stood up to grab a towel, returning to wrap Zoro’s foot before he started twisting his wrist - doing something to Zoro’s foot, even if he didn’t know exactly what. “You went back to training this week, right?” Sanji continued, his eyes remaining on his task. “How’d it go?”
Sighing, Zoro crossed his arms and leaned back on the upright table. “It was okay. I did some light footwork and my ankle started hurting.”
“You wore the brace?” Sanji asked, his attention turned fully to Zoro.
“Yeah.” Zoro let out a breath of air. “It’s frustrating that I can’t do a simple activity without pain.”
“That’s understandable.” Sanji smiled softly as he continued to work on Zoro’s foot. “But know that you are getting better, even if it’s a slow progression.”
Zoro tried to believe Sanji - even to just get his mind off the man himself for a moment - but as the days went by and nothing seemed to change, Zoro’s mood dipped.
The bass of the club grated on Zoro’s ears, he groaned into his drink and felt a gentle pat on his back. Raising his head, he met Nami’s eyes.
“Cheer up, bucko!” Nami nudged him playfully. “We’re here to forget your men troubles, remember!”
“I need more alcohol for that,” Zoro grumbled, signaling to the bartender for another rum. “Anyway, where’s Luffy?”
Nami laughed. “No idea. You know him. He’s probably found some new friends that he'll inevitably force onto us.”
Downing his drink, Zoro set it roughly on the bar. “How’d we become friends with him?”
“You’re asking me?” Nami sipped at her cocktail while glancing around the club. “You were here before me.”
“I know,” Zoro sighed. “He just appeared in my life one day and never left.”
Nami grinned. “Sounds like Luffy.”
Zoro returned the grin, opening his mouth to agree when he heard his name yelled from feet away.
“ZOOOORRRROOO!!!!” Luffy nearly had to scream to be heard above the noise. Zoro glanced behind him to find his extroverted friend dragging along two other people with him. Luffy always found new people to be friends with, but few of them stayed. Zoro wasn’t sure how the ones that disappeared escaped. Maybe they just never showed their faces again in any club in the city? Maybe?
Zoro was ripped from his thoughts when his eyes spotted a familiar head of blond hair being dragged towards them. Groaning, Zoro just knew this night would get worse. He wanted at least one night out where he could forget Sanji, but here the man was being delivered straight to him by his best friend.
“Nami! Zoro!” Luffy called loudly as he stopped behind them. “Meet my new friends, Sanji and Usopp!” He motioned to both men, who glanced at each other before looking right back at Zoro.
“Zoro!” Usopp smiled at him. “Didn’t know you knew this guy.” He pointed towards Luffy. “Small world, huh?”
“Yeah. Small,” Zoro mumbled, needing another drink.
Sanji chuckled. “Didn’t think I’d see you outside the clinic, mosshead.”
Nami’s head whipped around at Zoro. “You know them?”
“Why yes, lovely lady,” Sanji swooned as his eyes found Nami. “I’m this poor moss’s physical therapist and Usopp works at the desk at my clinic.”
“Oh,” the tone in Nami’s voice told Zoro she knew exactly who this was. “I’ve heard all about you both!”
Sanji lit up like a fucking Christmas tree. “You have? My, I didn’t know the moss talked about us.”
“All the time,” Nami smirked in Zoro’s direction, who was glaring at her in an attempt to silence her. It never worked.
“Then,” Sanji’s voice dropped into a soft tone, “it would be an honor to dance with such a beautiful woman.”
“Sorry,” Nami raised her hand, “I only dance with women. But Zoro here needs to get out on the dance floor. He’s been sitting here all evening.”
Sanji’s smile widened as he turned towards Zoro and put out his hand. “Well? How about a dance, mosshead?”
Sighing, Zoro stood up, resigned to his fate. Luffy and Usopp seemed distracted with their own conversation to see Zoro send one last glare back at Nami as he was taken to the dance floor by his crush.
Sanji brought Zoro in front of him and started dancing to the song currently booming out of the speakers. It only took a moment for Zoro to join in, finally letting go a little. Sanji’s body moved like fluid, it was mesmerizing. Zoro found himself drifting closer as he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the beautiful man.
It felt as if Sanji knew what was going on in Zoro’s mind. He smirked and lightly grabbed Zoro’s hips, bringing their bodies together. Zoro’s nerves ignited in heat - he knew his face was slowly turning red. Luckily, the lights of the dance floor hid his blush from Sanji, who was staring intently at Zoro.
Sanji leaned forward, his nose brushing against the three golden earrings on Zoro’s ear. “Is this okay?” Sanji whispered, wrapping his arms around Zoro so they were as close as they could be.
Zoro nodded. “Yeah.” The word came out breathy and he felt a single drop of sweat roll down his back, following the path of Sanji’s hand.
“Ya know,” Sanji said casually, his hand roaming around Zoro’s hips. “Right now. I’m not your physical therapist. I’m just a guy you met at the club...” His hand wandered lower, edging the top of Zoro’s ass. “…who asked you to dance because he thought you were hot.”
“Oh?” Zoro asked. Trying to minutely move to allow Sanji’s hands to slide lower. “You should know, I only dance with men I see as attractive.” Zoro felt Sanji shiver as his lips touched Sanji’s neck as he spoke. “Men I might want to kiss and fuck.”
Sanji pulled back from his neck and placed his forehead against Zoro’s. “Is that so?” He asked and licked his lips.
Zoro watched his tongue hungrily and met Sanji’s eyes. “It is.”
“Shit,” Sanji growled, snatching the back of Zoro’s head with one hand and bringing their lips together. His other hand finally grasped Zoro’s ass and he moaned into Sanji’s mouth as his own was plundered by an eager tongue.
They kept gyrating with the music while grabbing aggressively at each other. Zoro felt like he had died and gone to heaven. Having a crush was one thing, but getting to kiss said crush was on another level. His overwhelming desire for Sanji exploded as he pulled Sanji closer. He wanted to climb inside the man and remain there forever.
Sanji broke the kiss suddenly, and turned Zoro so his back was up against Sanji’s chest. He grabbed onto Zoro’s hips and rocked them both along with the music. Zoro could feel the contours of Sanji’s rock hard dick against his ass through their pants and he pressed himself back against it, grinding its hidden length between his cheeks. Sanji sucked along Zoro’s neck, his hands roaming across Zoro’s chest and waist while they moved as one. Zoro wanted to fuck Sanji right here on this dance floor in front of everyone - his mind was so far from rational thought, he didn’t care about anything else but the man behind him.
Placing his head on Sanji’s shoulder, Zoro moaned quietly. Sanji nosed along his neck before biting softly on his ear. “I want you,” He whispered and Zoro felt a shiver run through his whole body. He ground his ass against Sanji’s cock desperately, trying to get his message across as his voice didn’t seem to work any more. “You want me too?” Sanji asked. Zoro nodded earnestly. “Let’s go to my car. The backseat is plenty roomy.”
“Yes, please.” Zoro growled.
Sanji grabbed him by his hand and pulled him off the dance floor. The door to the club banged open as Sanji strode through with purpose towards the dark, near-empty parking lot. Along the back of the lot, Sanji stopped at a large blue sedan car with tinted windows. Zoro thought it matched the color of Sanji’s eyes, but that thought vanished as he was tackled into the back seat with the door shutting firmly behind them.
Without missing a beat, Sanji pulled Zoro onto his lap and continued their kiss, but now with the privacy of the car, their kisses were more desperate. Sanji nipped at Zoro’s lips, causing Zoro to moan, before diving back into his mouth. Drool seeped from their connected lips, dribbling down Zoro’s chin. Sanji’s hands roamed under Zoro’s shirt, grabbing at his tits and playing with his nipples. Zoro rolled his hips forward, enjoying the feeling of their clothed cocks rubbing against each other.
“Shit, I need to fuck you so bad, Zoro. Can I?” Sanji asked, his eyes filled with yearning and his lips wet from making out.
Zoro felt his face heat up. “Yes. It’s all I’ve wanted.”
Sanji started to remove Zoro’s shirt, but paused. “Really?” He peeked over at Zoro from behind his shirt.
“Yeah.” Zoro grabbed his own shirt and ripped it over his head, throwing it to the side. He gently picked up Sanji’s hands and placed them on his chest. “These hands of yours drive me crazy.”
“Fuck,” Sanji groaned, his hands kneading Zoro’s tits, pushing them together. “I’ve needed this, but I can’t just fuck you in my office.” He glanced up at Zoro with a sarcastic grin on his face. “It’s unprofessional.”
Zoro scoffed. “I’ll show you unprofessional if you don’t get this show on the road.”
“That makes no sense, moss.” Sanji laughed, removing his hands from Zoro’s body to take off his button-up.
Sanji only just got the buttons undone before Zoro impatiently dove back in and kissed Sanji urgently. He didn’t care how many clothes they had on. All he wanted was Sanji’s cock in him. His hands moved down to Sanji’s slacks, undoing them, and freeing the hard beautiful dick he found inside. It was bigger than he thought it would be, and Zoro was thrilled. Using some of the precum that sat on the tip of Sanji’s cock, Zoro began to stroke him, grinning at the noises that came out of Sanji.
His little breathy moans were driving Zoro insane with lust. He struggled to get his pants off with one hand while his other continued to pleasure Sanji but he was failing at multitasking.
“Let me,” Sanji said, more calmly than Zoro thought he should sound, and took over removing Zoro’s pants.
Even with the extra space in the backseat it was still awkward to get Zoro’s pants off. Sanji managed to get one leg out, but gave up when he couldn’t tug the rest off and just let the fabric hang down Zoro’s other leg so he could fully grab Zoro’s bare ass and squeeze.
“I just knew this would be perfect. All that fencing you do.” Sanji said as he pulled Zoro’s cheeks and slid a finger in between. “Shit. We need lube.”
Zoro tsked. “Do you have any in here?”
“Yeah, it’s in the glove compartment, but…wait-”
Before Sanji could finish, Zoro arched backwards over the console dividing the front seats and popped open the glove compartment, grabbing the only small bottle he saw in there, and slowly straightened back on Sanji’s lap.
He looked down at the man under him, who now had his hand pressed to his nose and glaring up at him. “What?” Zoro asked confusedly as he wiggled the acquired lube.
“You do not know what that shit does to me!” Sanji exclaimed in a nasally voice through his hand.
“What ‘shit’? Bending backwards?” Zoro grinned and reached out to remove Sanji’s hand. He was greeted with the sight of blood slowly dripping from Sanji’s nose. “Ah,” Zoro said in sudden realization, “I get it now. When you get really turned on, you get a nose bleed.” He leaned forward at Sanji with a grin, who stared up at him with wide eyes, and whispered. “What a pervert.”
“I’ll show you, you damn sexy moss.” Sanji grumbled, grabbing the lube from Zoro and slicking up his fingers. They returned to Zoro’s ass, easily finding his hole and sliding in.
“Ah… fuck,” Zoro moaned, rocking back on the two fingers. Sanji was perfect, able to reach deeper than Zoro ever could. He lost himself in his movements and chasing his own pleasure.
“Slow down,” Sanji chuckled, pulling his fingers out, forcing Zoro to pay attention to him. “My fingers are just the appetizer. You do want to enjoy the main course, right?”
Zoro nodded eagerly, desperate to hop on Sanji’s cock. He watched impatiently as Sanji slowly - painfully slowly to Zoro - lube up his dick before his eyes flicked back up.
“Ready?” Sanji asked.
“I’ve been ready since the dance floor.” Zoro growled, grabbing Sanji’s cock and sinking down on it. He threw his head back, bumping against the car’s ceiling, and moaned out, “Fuck yes,” as he felt Sanji go as deep as he could.
He felt Sanji run a hand through his hair, gently massaging the spot that hit the roof. “Careful, mossy. No dick is worth hurting yourself.”
“Yours is - dear god,” Zoro breathed out, trying to get a grip on himself, he placed his hands on Sanji’s shoulders. His fingernails dug into their flesh, but Sanji didn’t make any sound of discontent. Instead he sighed happily.
Sanji’s hands ran over Zoro’s thighs, pausing briefly. “Your right side seems more muscular than your left.”
Zoro grinned, “I fence right handed, so that side is stronger.”
“Interesting,” Sanji noted, distracted while his fingers moved along Zoro’s skin.
“I thought you weren’t my PT tonight,” Zoro snorted.
“I may have more questions later,” Sanji responded with a playful grin. “Right now,” his hands grabbed Zoro’s waist, “I have more important things to think about.”
Sanji tried to move Zoro’s body, to finally start fucking him, but Zoro pushed down against Sanji’s movements. “Curly, just sit back and relax. All you have to do is hold on and let me take care of it.” Zoro pushed himself up, causing Sanji’s cock to slide slowly out, and then slammed himself back down causing them both to gasp. “Yes,” Zoro moaned, “you feel so good.”
He started to bounce on Sanji’s lap, enraptured in his own pleasure, while Sanji grabbed his tits, squeezing like he was holding on for dear life. Sanji’s cock dug deep inside, hitting every single spot of pleasure including those that Zoro didn’t even know he had. It felt so good.
Sanji's hands grasped his ass, helping him move just slightly faster. The heat in the car rose, and the windows fogged. Zoro wrapped his arms around Sanji’s neck and laid his forehead against Sanji’s, staring down into his blue eyes. From the look of them, Sanji was just as lost in ecstasy as he was. Zoro didn’t want this to end - he wanted to melt on Sanji’s cock forever. All other thoughts fled and the only thing that mattered was their bodies crashing together in mutual ecstasy.
“Oh fuck,” Zoro breathed out, “I’m gonna cum.”
“Yeah?” Sanji asked, way too calmly. Zoro wanted to blow Sanji’s brain as empty as his felt. “Let’s get there together.” Sanji grabbed Zoro’s bouncing dick and stroked it. His other hand ran up Zoro’s body and held on gently to the back of Zoro’s head, keeping their foreheads joined, as they watched each other fall apart.
Zoro felt his orgasm crash into him suddenly and he tightened around Sanji. A deep moan vibrated from Sanji’s chest, and he gripped Zoro’s hair tighter as he came, filling him up. Slowing, Zoro’s hips came to a stop and he stared down at Sanji in amazement. He felt like the luckiest man alive in that moment - being attracted to someone is one thing, but finding out they are also amazing at mind blowing sex is another thing altogether.
More, Zoro thought. I want more of this man.
Zoro was already taking so much from Sanji, from the physical therapy to get Zoro back to his peak fencing ability to hot and heavy sex in the back of his car, but he still hungered. It was nearly all consuming, how much Zoro felt like he needed Sanji with him. Zoro was better whenever Sanji was there with him.
“That,” Sanji started, releasing Zoro’s hair and putting his head back on the seat, “was the best sex I’ve ever had.”
“Yeah?” Zoro grinned, feeling his ego puff up. “Want to do this again?” He deflated as the words fell from his mouth, cursing himself for asking so soon. He gritted his teeth and prepared for rejection.
“I do, but--” Sanji began, his eyebrows knitting together in thought.
“But?” Zoro asked, his voice shaking slightly.
Sanji laid his palm against Zoro’s cheek. “A doctor patient relationship like that is inappropriate. I don’t want it to interfere with your treatment.” His other hand ran down Zoro’s right leg, circling his ankle bone. “I want you to get better.”
There was a glimmer of hope in him as Zoro cocked an eyebrow, confused. “You’re worried it’s going to interfere with my treatment?”
Sanji nodded.
Zoro took Sanji’s face in his hands. “Don’t worry about that, Curly. It’s like you said on the dance floor - outside of your office you aren’t my physical therapist. I can handle it.”
It was quiet for a moment before Sanji sighed. “Ok. Let’s try out a casual sexual relationship. I’ll remain your physical therapist in the office and, hopefully, our new dynamic won’t affect it. Sound good?”
Zoro would have agreed to anything Sanji suggested. “Yes.”
“Well then, let’s clean up and I’ll drive you home,” Sanji said as he lifted Zoro off his lap, his limp cock slipping out. Zoro nearly wanted to beg to get it back in him, but now that they were done, he started to feel awkward.
Sanji gave him napkins he pulled out of a backchair pocket to wipe up while Sanji wiped Zoro’s cum off his chest and redid his pants. He helped Zoro redress and opened the back door without another word. Zoro followed him out and they both got in the front. While Zoro settled down in the passenger seat he opened his phone and texted Nami that he had a ride home and not to worry.
The ride home was awkwardly quiet. Zoro had no idea what to talk about after all that. He knew Sanji said they would keep it casual, but he found himself wanting to confess his feelings - that they went beyond the physical. But then, he didn’t want what they had just started to suddenly end because he moved too quickly and read the situation wrong. Instead no words were exchanged until Sanji pulled up to Zoro’s apartment.
“I'll see you on Monday then?” Sanji asked, turning in his seat to look at Zoro.
“Yeah,” Zoro replied quickly, getting out of the car and trying not to run to the door of his building. “See you then.”
He kept himself planted as long as he could while Sanji drove away before finally rushing inside. His anxious mind didn’t allow him much rest that night as scenario after scenario of how this would go ran through his brain.
Zoro’s physical therapy appointment on Monday was at the end of the day. When he opened the door to the clinic, it was quiet, except for the light clacking of someone typing.
Usopp glanced up and smiled. “Zoro! Welcome back! You’re our last one for the day.”
Returning Usopp’s smile, Zoro looked around to see if he could spot Sanji. “Never seen it so quiet. Not since my first appointment.”
“Yeah,” Usopp admitted, “It’s usually not this quiet, but it can happen.”
A door near the back opened and out strode Sanji. His eyes caught Zoro standing there and he waved. “Ah perfect timing, moss. Just got done with my notes.” He walked towards the front with a smile on his face and turned to Usopp. “Since he’s the last one, you can leave early if you want.”
“You sure?” Usopp asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sanji nodded, “Yes! You deserve a break from all the hard work you put in here. We’ll be good.”
“Well, alright.” Usopp started to power down his computer and gather his things. In a few minutes he was walking around the desk and out the front while waving at them. “See you later, Zoro, and Sanji, I’ll see you in the morning!”
Zoro waved, but his eyes were still on Sanji.
The moment the door clicked shut, Sanji turned his attention to Zoro. “Come.” He said, his smile becoming brighter. “I’ll work on you first, and while I’m at it you can tell me all about fencing, like you promised.”
Zoro felt like a fish out of water. He followed Sanji in a daze, not knowing how to interact with someone who had mind blowing sex with him just a few days ago. His relationships in the past had always been short, and his one night stands had been forgettable. Zoro wanted more from this, but he had no idea what he was doing. When Sanji sat in his usual chair and motioned towards the medical bed, Zoro took a moment and let out a long breath of air and with it he pushed away every single worry he had. Enjoy what you get, he told himself and he accepted it.
Sitting down, Zoro took off his right shoe and sock, allowing Sanji to lift his foot up in a position he could work with. As those long fingers started massaging his tight muscles, Zoro threw himself into the fencing conversation to get his mind off whatever this was between them.
“So there are three types of fencing, and they all have their own weapons and rules. There’s sabre, foil, and épée. I do épée, which is probably the easiest to understand.”
Sanji flicked his eyes up to meet Zoro’s. “Aren’t you just supposed to stab the other person?”
Zoro chuckled and replied with sass, “Yeah but since it’s a sport, it has these things called ‘rules.’” Sanji rolled his eyes and looked back down to what he was doing. Zoro continued, “In épée, the blade is longer and the guard is bigger because the entire body is a target.”
“Sounds like a dick measuring contest,” Sanji commented.
“Depending on how you fence, yeah, there’s some big egos in the scene.” Zoro leaned back on his hands as his mind drifted to the sport that had taken over his life. “To score, you just have to touch the opponent. When that happens, the tip of the blade has a mechanism where it depresses and sends a signal to the scoreboard, indicating that you scored.”
Sanji glanced up momentarily, before standing to get into a different position while saying, “For a sport that’s been around awhile, I’m impressed they figured out a way to make it electrical.” Once he was situated he tugged the ankle hard, and it felt to Zoro like the man was trying to yank his foot from his leg.
“It’s pretty cool,” Zoro said while bracing his other foot on the ground so he wasn’t pulled completely off the bed. What Sanji was doing was supposed to help his joints, but Zoro wasn’t sure if he believed it or not. “There’s a wire that runs through the blade from the tip all the way down to inside the guard, where you hook up a cord that runs to a box, and that is connected to the scoreboard.”
“Fancy.” Sanji grabbed around Zoro’s foot in another position and started moving it back and forth. “You said before that you were at Regionals when your injury happened?”
Zoro nodded, trying not to think too hard about the accident. “I almost won. Would have won. I lunged and stepped wrong. Never had that happen before.”
“Bad luck happens to us all, sometimes,” Sanji said quietly.
“I guess,” Zoro conceded. “Just worried it’s going to happen again, or worse. What if I’m stuck with bad luck now?”
“Nah. If you were, you'd never have met me.” Sanji gave him a smile. “I think that’s pretty good luck, personally.”
Zoro couldn’t help but chuckle. He’d relaxed to a point where all thoughts of where their sexual relationship was going to go were far away worries. “A pervert like you is just interested in the amount of ass you can get.”
Sanji gasped in fake shock, placing a hand gently on his chest. “Never! I do it for the money I get for massaging your foot.”
Grinning, Zoro leaned forward. “You got a foot kink there, curls?”
Sanji huffed, “I’m not telling you. You’ll have to learn if I have any kinks all on your own.”
“And when will I have a chance to do that next?” Zoro asked, his insides fluttering hopefully.
Sanji paused, looking up at Zoro. “You free after this? You could come to my house.”
“Sure.” Zoro tried to sound nonchalant, no matter how hard his heart may have been beating. Sanji smiled and nodded, returning to working his fingers into Zoro’s muscles. Zoro hoped he couldn’t feel the rhythm of his heartbeat through the veins in his leg.
Tonight would dictate how this relationship was going to go, and how Zoro’s feelings would manifest. He tried not to hurry through his exercises, but heat was thrumming low in his body. Luckily, Sanji was typing away at his laptop and not watching Zoro’s every movement - though he did look over once in a while and Zoro swore he saw the same fire in Sanji’s eyes that Zoro felt.
Sanji gave Zoro his address and told him to meet there. Hopping in his car, Zoro put the address in his GPS and told himself he would not get lost.
Sanji’s townhouse was nestled in a quiet part of town - away from the noise of the main thoroughfare. Zoro loved it. Sanji stood by his front door, waiting for Zoro to come in.
Later, Zoro wouldn’t remember much about how Sanji’s home was decorated, or how the furniture was arranged, but he did remember the smell of the pillows, groaning into them as Sanji fucked him with long deep thrusts. Sanji had taken Zoro’s hand and led him directly to his bedroom, where he proceeded to undress and open Zoro up like it was Christmas.
The weight of Sanji’s body on top of him grounded Zoro in the moment. Pleasure ran through him like a continual pulsing lightning bolt. Sanji managed to rub all the right places in Zoro - punishing those spots expertly with his cock like they’d done this thousands of times.
Sanji nibbled at Zoro’s shoulder and ran his tongue down his back. “Wonderful,” Sanji commented as he continued to rock Zoro’s entire universe. “Love watching your muscles twitch every time.” He punctuated his words with an aggressive thrust, eliciting Zoro’s loud moan. The cry of pleasure seemed to echo against the walls, vibrating into Zoro’s very soul.
“Your back is so smooth,” Sanji continued between thrusts, “but I also love your scars.” A hand snuck under Zoro’s torso, fingers lightly touching the one that ran across his chest. “You haven’t told me how you got it.” Sanji seemed to be talking absentmindedly as he focused on stirring Zoro’s guts with his cock.
Zoro didn’t know if he wanted to let Sanji in that much just yet. As much as he wanted it, he’d already let him in so much more than he had planned.
As his orgasm approached, Zoro didn’t even need to stroke his dick. Each thrust ground him against the sheets just so, and along with the feeling of being surrounded by Sanji, it was more than enough. He arched his back and came, followed by the joyful feeling of Sanji filling him up soon after.
Sanji laid on top of Zoro for a moment longer before sliding out and laying next to him. “Hungry?” Sanji asked, still sounding breathless.
Zoro hummed, not up to speaking just yet and worried he’d just shout how much he had already fallen in love with Sanji.
He never realized that for a few days every week this would turn into their new normal. Sex in Sanji’s bed, food in Sanji’s kitchen, and Zoro’s heart yearning for more.
When Sanji had told him that his ankle getting better would be slow progress, Zoro thought maybe a week or two, not several months. Everything seemed to take longer than Zoro wanted.
He had just gotten to his physical therapy appointment after a disappointing fencing practice. His ankle stung every time he stepped forward. He couldn’t lunge the same. It affected his bouts - losing more to stupid mistakes than he ever had. Zoro wanted to punch something, but instead marched into the PT office in the worst mood possible.
As he peddled way too fast on the poor exercise bike for his warm-up, Zoro felt a warm presence slide up next to him. “What’s wrong?” Sanji asked, already seeing something was up with Zoro. He cursed himself for falling for such a wonderful man.
“I can’t fence like I used to,” Zoro admitted, slowing his pace slightly. “My fucking ankle hurts all the time, even the day after, and I’m losing matches I shouldn’t.
Sanji nodded in that way Zoro knew meant he was already figuring out new exercises for Zoro to do. “After you're done abusing the exercise bike, come see me and I’ll work on you.” Sanji gave him a smile and walked away.
With Sanji’s help, they began to pinpoint different muscles Zoro needed to strengthen. Each week, Sanji showed him a new exercise. Then, most nights, Zoro found himself having his negative thoughts being fucked out of him by Sanji. Zoro told himself that he would keep his true affection for Sanji underwraps until he got to Nationals.
“I’m going to start doing tournaments again,” Zoro said while Sanji dug his fingers into a bothersome spot.
Sanji’s hands froze, his head whipping up to give Zoro his full attention. “Really? When?”
“This weekend.” Zoro tapped his fingers against the medical bed, telling himself to just ask. “You wanna come watch?”
“Yes!” Sanji blurted immediately. He cleared his throat. “I mean, yes, I would. Especially as your physical therapist, I might be able to tell if we need to change something.”
“Okay,” Zoro said, relief filling him. “That’s a really good idea.”
Sanji smiled and winked at him. “I know. I’m the best.”
Zoro rolled his eyes, leaning back to enjoy the rest of his massage.
The moment Zoro stepped into the gym where the fencing tournament was being held, he could feel the familiar pulse of excited energy that ran through him. The clang of metal against metal brought a smile to his face as he absently watched the foil and sabre bouts already in progress. He found the registration desk, scanned his fencing card, then headed straight to the next desk to get his gear checked.
Once his mask and gloves were stamped and his cords tagged, Zoro found a little empty area where he could set down his bag. Stuffing his gear back inside, Zoro stretched out his arms and legs before starting his warm-up.
It felt good to be in a tournament again. There was always a type of joy Zoro couldn’t explain that flooded him at these events. After his warm-up was complete, he suited up and found another épée fencer to do a practice bout with. The feeling of the blade in his hand made his soul sing.
Taking off his mask after the bout, Zoro high fived his partner and headed back to his bag, where he found Sanji glancing around looking completely out of place.
“Curls!” Zoro called loudly enough for Sanji to hear and waved his free hand.
When Sanji’s eyes met his, a stunning smile spread across Sanji’s face and he approached Zoro. “Thought I’d never find you in this place. There’s so much going on!” Sanji said in exasperation, throwing his arms out to indicate the crowds and the clashing sounds from nearby strips of ongoing matches.
“Yeah, I love it.” Zoro smiled brightly. “This is where I belong.”
Sanji chuckled. “I’d believe it.” His eyes looked over Zoro’s body. “So you’ve warmed up?” At Zoro’s nod he continued, “Good. How’d it feel?”
“Feels fine.” Zoro said while putting more of his weight on his right ankle. “Doesn’t seem to hurt right now.”
Putting his hands in his pants pockets, Sanji sighed. “Well hopefully it stays that way. Let me know if there’s any issues. I’ll be watching either way.”
Zoro tried to fight the blush that appeared on his face. “You and Rayleigh. If he shows up.” Zoro glanced around, hoping to spot his coach somewhere. It was getting close to when the pools would be announced. “He knows too many damn people here. Usually gets caught up talking and misses half of my pool matches.”
“Seems unprofessional.” Sanji crossed his arms with a frown on his face. “What kind of coach abandons you like that?”
“One who trusts his fencer,” another voice piped up, causing Sanji to jump and turn.
Zoro grinned and said, “Sanji, this is my coach Rayleigh. Coach Ray, this is Sanji - my physical therapist.”
“Rayleigh, sir!” Sanji stuttered. “My apologies. I know you’re an amazing coach and--”
Holding his hand up, Rayleigh cut Sanji off. “No need for apologies. We’ve both helped Zoro. You more than me, recently.” He put his hand out towards Sanji. “It’s nice to finally meet you Dr. Blackleg.”
Sanji grabbed Rayleigh’s hand, shaking it. “You as well. Zoro has talked a lot about you.”
“Same.” Rayleigh smiled, letting go of Sanji’s hand.
“Really?” Sanji raised a curled eyebrow, his eyes flicking to Zoro briefly. “You’ll have to tell me what he says.”
Rayleigh laughed. “That’s between me and Zoro.” Turning his attention to his fencer he said, “They’ve posted the pools.” He pushed a piece of paper into Zoro’s hands. “Should be easy for you to win every match.”
Zoro nodded, his eyes scanning the list of fencers he’d beaten before, hoping they hadn’t gotten better since he’d been away.
Finishing first in his pools gave Zoro a high he had nearly forgotten about. The closest he had gotten to this feeling was when he was with Sanji in bed, though nothing beat that. Still, being at the top of his game in fencing was right under it. Rayleigh patted him on the shoulder while Sanji smiled at him from his seat on the bleachers. He wanted to hug Sanji so badly, but resisted. If he won Regionals, he told himself, then he would confess the true depth of his feelings and live with whatever happened.
His first direct elimination bout was against a strong competitor. He barely won at 15-14, but a win was a win. Afterwards, he felt his right ankle burning in low level pain. Zoro walked up to Sanji and sat next to him.
“Good job, mosshead. That was a hard fought match.” Sanji quieted down as he noted Zoro running his hand along his leg. “What’s wrong?”
Shrugging, Zoro met Sanji’s eyes. “Dunno. Just a dull pain. It’ll probably go away if I rest it.” Sanji nodded, but his eyes were trained on Zoro’s foot. His next bout would be starting soon, so he stood to stretch it out a bit.
It still hurt after the next match, but Zoro was determined to see this tournament through. He didn’t approach Sanji again, too worried the man would want to stop him from continuing. It wasn’t until the semi-finals when Zoro realized he should have pulled out, even though he knew he wouldn't have. He was up against a fencer he knew he could defeat - but he began to struggle as the pain in his ankle began radiating up his leg, slowing him down. He was down five points and focusing on not moving as much as he could. By the end of the second period Zoro had tied it up, with only one point remaining for a victory. He knew he could do this. He had to.
Rayleigh gave him his water bottle. “Your ankle is bothering you?” Zoro nodded with a grim expression. Rayleigh gave him a single pat on the shoulder. “Let him come to you. Make him act and then counter. I know you can do this.”
The other fencer was out for blood, though. The moment the last period started, he advanced towards Zoro strong and fast. Zoro wasn’t able to defend himself like he wanted. His strip presence vanished and he was being pushed around completely. His ankle twinged. That was it - he made a single mistake and felt the tip of his opponent’s blade strike him, causing the scoreboard to sound. Shaking hands with the winner, Zoro unhooked himself and wordlessly limped towards his bag.
He knew he should have been more careful with his damn foot. Zoro wanted nothing more than to cut it off and replace it with something better. Letting his fencing jacket fall to the floor, he felt someone standing nearby. Glancing over his shoulder, Zoro looked away quickly. It wasn’t Rayleigh. He wished it was Rayleigh.
Sanji stood there silently, watching Zoro angrily put away his gear. “I know what we should work on.”
That stopped Zoro in his tracks. “What?” He turned towards Sanji with wide eyes.
“I watched all your matches today carefully. I know exactly what we can do to help.”
Zoro stepped in Sanji’s space. “You’re being serious?”
“Of course, moss.” Sanji smiled.
A flood of joy overflowed inside him. “I feel like I could kiss you right now.” That’s all Zoro wanted. Just lean in and claim Sanji’s lips, even for a moment.
“You could just come over?” Sanji suggested.
Zoro wanted nothing more than to do that. “I need to find Rayleigh first.”
“No need.” Sanji waved in the direction of where Rayleigh had been. “He told me that he’d talk to you tomorrow and that you probably needed some rest tonight.”
“And are we going to rest?” Zoro asked, knowing the answer already.
“Nah.”
From then on, Sanji went to every single tournament, and when Zoro’s ankle began bothering him he was there to figure out what was wrong every time. Zoro could feel himself getting better and more confident. He tried not to show off when fencing, but with Sanji watching his every move it was hard not to. The sex afterwards always helped, it felt like Sanji knew just how to fuck Zoro to make sure he knew Sanji had found his fencing sexy.
Rayleigh also noted Zoro’s improvements at the fencing club. His training became more intense, and his drills were different every day. Zoro was able to beat everyone at the club - as he had been before his injury. Johnny and Yosaku always challenged him to a duel like they were living in the 18th century, but Zoro always agreed and felt relaxed in their bouts.
It was good to be back at what he excelled at.
With Regionals approaching, Zoro had a one track mind, but his brain still wandered to Sanji at the most inopportune times. He loved to watch Sanji stroll around the physical therapy clinic - his long legs striding quickly across the large room. He gave smiles to everyone, no matter if he’d spoken to them before or not.
Watching this on one occasion, Zoro sighed dreamily, then blushed and glanced around hoping no one else saw. Brook winked at him, causing Zoro to glare back.
“So,” Sanji started another day while massaging Zoro’s leg, “the big tournament is tomorrow.” Zoro hummed, not sure where Sanji was going with this. “Do you want anything tonight?” Blue eyes flicked up to his, staring into his soul.
“Yeah,” Zoro whispered, “I want you.”
Sanji’s face turned beet red and he stuttered. “That’s not--”
“I want you,” Zoro leaned in so no one could overhear them, “to fuck me over your couch so hard it bruises, and then,” he paused and relished in Sanji’s rapidly increased breathing, “I want to be cuddled.”
Laughter rang out throughout the clinic as Sanji threw his head back before wiping at his eyes. “You, silly moss, are so predictable, but yeah, I can do that.”
Zoro grinned at Sanji, a now-familiar joy blooming inside of him, waiting to explode.
When Zoro told Sanji to fuck him over the couch, he didn’t realize just how strong Sanji’s legs were. He knew there was some power there, but with those jackhammers behind his hard dick, ramming him into the back of the couch with every thrust, Zoro understood what real power was.
He clung to the pillows, breathing through the pleasure. Sanji hit his prostate every single time and Zoro could feel himself going crazy.
“Still alive down there, mossy?” Sanji asked breathlessly, but Zoro could still hear the shit eating smirk in his voice.
Zoro tried to respond calmly, “Yea-aaaaahhhhnnmm,” but it melted into a moan. “Just what I - mmm - wanted, asshole.”
Huffing a laugh, Sanji’s grip on Zoro’s hips tightened as he, somehow, sped up. “Still good?”
“You could… always go faster.” Zoro wasn’t able to speak as evenly as he wanted, but he would still try. “I’ve gotten hit by a blade harder than you’re fucking me.”
“Is that so?” Sanji took up the challenge eagerly. The couch began to scootch forward with every pounding. The feet scraping across the floor would definitely leave a mark, but it seemed that Sanji didn’t care. “Fuck. I can’t believe you like it this hard. We should do this more often, see if my bed can handle it.”
Zoro nodded as he bounced back and forth, Sanji’s cock driving in from the back and the couch grinding against his dick from the front. It was oddly pleasurable, the roughness of the back of the sofa was what his cock needed to balance against Sanji drumming on his prostate.
Zoro tried not to think of what would happen after tomorrow, that this might be the last time they were together like this, or at all. If his ankle was better, would they have a reason to see each other? What if Zoro blurted out his feelings and Sanji didn't feel the same? He wanted something to remember Sanji by - the bruises would take a week or two to fade, depending on how deep they went, and Zoro knew he would press them with his fingers to try to keep them longer. To feel him longer.
That night Zoro came more than he ever thought was possible. Sanji managed to draw multiple orgasms out of Zoro before he had his own. Then, showcasing his upper body strength, he gently lifted Zoro up and carried him to the bed where Sanji meticulously cleaned them both. Sliding in behind Zoro, Sanji pulled him closer and nuzzled against Zoro’s hair.
“Night, Zoro. You’ll do amazingly tomorrow.”
Zoro laid there for a few more hours, listening to the sounds of Sanji sleeping and basking in the feel of his arms around him. He didn’t know if he would ever get to savor a moment like this again.
Waking up to Sanji’s arms still around him was like a living dream. Sanji had always woken up first and started making breakfast before Zoro stirred even a little. Maybe the blond had truly tired himself out from their sex the night before. Either way, Zoro was not going to complain. He turned in Sanji’s arms and snuggled into his neck.
The chest beneath him moved with laughter. “Some moss is growing on me this morning, huh?” Sanji’s sleepy voice said as he ran his fingers gently through Zoro’s hair.
“Hm. This is comfy,” Zoro mumbled, feeling sleep pull at him again.
“If only we could stay all day in bed, but you have a tournament to win!” Sanji’s voice rose in a swell of excitement that had Zoro groaning. He was excited for the tournament too, but not when he had to separate himself from such a comfortable situation.
Sanji slowly extracted Zoro’s limbs from around his body and slid out of bed. Zoro’s arms flopped heavily into the empty spot where he had been.
“Mmm, warm,” Zoro murmured, running his hands in the dip of the mattress.
“Cute,” Sanji noted while he took out clothes to wear.
Zoro wanted to bury himself inside the bed and hide his blush. Sanji would often tell him he was beautiful or handsome or just adorable and it always made Zoro’s face heat up immediately.
Chuckling, Sanji patted Zoro’s arm. “Come on. I’ll make you a breakfast for champions!”
The breakfast was delicious as always, and gave Zoro a burst of energy he didn’t know he needed. Walking into the gym where the Regionals were being held, Zoro felt a surge of confidence that he could win this. The line to check his gear was long, but luckily Zoro had arrived early enough that he wasn’t worried. Once he finished the gear check and was able to warm up, he felt ready to accomplish his goal and make it to Nationals.
Rayleigh placed his hand on Zoro’s shoulder. “They’ve released the pools. Everyone you’re against is someone you’ve beaten before. You got this. Just remember what we’ve been doing. Draw them in and then parry when they strike.”
Zoro nodded, bouncing on his toes to hype himself up and keep his body warm. He glanced over to where Sanji was sitting and received a smile in return. He probably wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Sanji’s excellent physical therapy. His ankle felt better these days and rarely hurt. Sanji had mentioned that, after Regionals, they could assess how it was doing and likely discharge him soon after.
Not going to the clinic every day wasn’t actually something Zoro wanted to think about. Maybe he and Sanji could still meet up, if everything today went okay. It’s not like Zoro going to the clinic was the only thing holding them together. He repeated it to reassure himself.
Shaking his head free of such thoughts, he gathered with the other fencers in his pool where the referee had called them - checking that they had the appropriate stamps on their gear and distributing their numbers for the order of bouts. First, Zoro was going to be up against a guy he enjoyed fencing, named Cavendish. He always brought his all to each match, and Zoro loved experiencing it and countering it.
By the end of the pools, sweat poured down Zoro’s face but he was still grinning. He had made it through undefeated, even if some of the bouts ended 5-4 in his favor. Those were too close for his liking, but getting the win was what he truly needed. That should mean his first direct elimination match would be easier, as it’d be against the person who placed last overall in pools.
His direct elimination matches became harder and harder as he rose, and the semi-finals drove him to the edge. He was against a man named Nusstorte, who before the match had been wearing a large purple pirate hat and sunglasses. Zoro knew there were weird people who fenced, but Nusstorte might have been the most odd looking. The match was tied the entire bout and they kept scoring doubles, so that neither of them got ahead. Zoro attempted different tactics to get a single score, but Nusstorte would find the smallest opening and pounce on it. His breath came fast as the referee started the round for what would be the final point. They were tied, and in the third period, with one minute left. There was still enough time for Zoro to win this.
“Come on, moss! Get him!” Sanji’s voice broke through every other sound. Sanji had never cheered Zoro on before. Zoro had told him that in fencing the crowd could cheer, but only if they are not too disruptive while doing so.
The sound of Sanji’s voice soothed Zoro’s wrecked nerves and he calmed down. He took a slow steady breath and focused on the smaller figure across from him - catching the early moments of his next attack. Parrying his opponent’s lunge, Zoro squatted and thrust his blade up, striking Nusstorte in the stomach for the winning point.
After he took off his mask and shook hands, Zoro turned towards Sanji and gave him his brightest smile. Seeing it returned made his heart swell in joy. He was going to the finals, and he would win.
The energy in the gym pulsed as Zoro stepped up for the final match. It was against a fencer he had never encountered before, someone named Vista - perhaps the man was new to the scene. His handlebar mustache gave him a sort of flare and he had a distinct French accent that Zoro overheard during Vista’s blade test. After checking their guards, their bout began.
Zoro immediately felt overwhelmed. Vista charged at him relentlessly and though Zoro was good at countering, he felt cornered. Their blades flashed and clanged in a blur. He couldn’t follow up his parries with attacks, and found himself retreating back down the strip each round.
It was still early on and he was already down four points. Zoro took a large drink of water during their minute break between periods. Rayleigh was giving him advice on how to deal with such an aggressive opponent. He nodded along, listening, but he felt his attention drawn towards the stands. Zoro’s eyes flicked to Sanji before putting his mask back on, to see the blond smiling widely at him and mouthing ‘you can do it.’ Zoro smiled grimly, swelling with determination.
Hyped up from his break, as soon as he heard “Allez!” Zoro tore into his opposition. Vista clearly hadn’t anticipated Zoro rebounding this strong, as the round flew by again, this time in Zoro’s favor, as he regained his lost points and then some. Vista struggled under Zoro’s aggression, and it became obvious that - though he knew how to fence in a specific style really well - he only knew how to fence that one way and could not adapt.
A feral grin lit up Zoro’s face - he would be this man’s downfall. His moves became faster and his touches lighter, so Vista didn’t even realize he had been scored on. Zoro could see the frustration in his opponent’s body language.
Zoro needed just one more point to win. The second period was nearly over, but he didn’t want the guy he was against to have a chance to recuperate. Vista rushed at him in the last ten seconds, seemingly desperate to get at least one more point. Zoro moved the left side of his body out of the way, the opponent’s épée sliding just past his jacket, before retaliating with a hit of his own, stabbing the man in the chest as he went by. The scoreboard buzzed and the referee called, “Point left! That’s the bout.”
Taking off his mask, Zoro shook hands with Vista, who gave him a large smile and a nod, before turning and seeing Sanji running towards him. He welcomed Sanji into his arms and swung him around with a beaming smile before pressing their lips together. Sanji gasped out of the kiss and pulled away.
“Zoro? What are you-”
“I love you,” Zoro said before he could change his mind. The adrenaline and thrill of his victory made him feel undefeatable.
Sanji stiffened in his arms. “I, uh,” Sanji stumbled through his words, his face reddening. His eyes flicked wildly around them as if seeing if anyone was witnessing them. Removing Zoro’s arms from around him, Sanji met Zoro’s eyes with a serious expression. “I-I don’t know. I need to think about it. Sorry.” Stepping back, Sanji gave Zoro one last look before turning and walking as quickly as possible through the crowds.
Zoro’s mask slipped through his fingers. It didn’t make much of a noise when it hit the strip, but it sounded loud in Zoro’s ears. His heart sank and he felt a pressure behind his eyes, but willed them to remain dry. He felt his mind start to drift, taking him somewhere where he’d be safe, and this would just be a terrible dream.
“Good job, Zoro.” Rayleigh’s hand grounded Zoro back into reality. He turned his attention to his coach, who wasn’t looking at him, but was staring in the direction Sanji had gone. Shit, Zoro thought. Of course Rayleigh had figured out there was something going on between them. “That was some incredible fencing.” Rayleigh brought his attention back to Zoro. “Now we just need to keep working towards Nationals. I think this’ll be the year where you win it all.”
Zoro nodded, but inside he was wondering if he truly could win everything, when he had just so clearly lost. Their time together had become so integral in his life. His nights would be lonelier without Sanji sleeping next to him. The first place medal he received felt cold against his chest. He packed up his bag and went home, feeling more alone than ever before.
Walking into the physical therapy clinic the next week, Zoro sighed tiredly while his nerves spiked as he opened the door and heard the welcome chime. Usopp glanced up from his desk and gave Zoro a small smile - not the usual one, but something more subdued - and waited till Zoro reached the desk to actually talk to him.
“Congrats on winning Regionals!” Usopp’s smile grew before falling back into a neutral expression. “Sanji is doing paperwork today, so you’re going to be with Robin.”
Zoro had spoken to Robin before, but just in passing, though he had seen her interact with a lot of patients in the time he’d been there. She was one of the more calm therapists at the clinic, and it might be just what he needed after that shit storm of a weekend. He nodded and, after putting his keys and wallet in a cubby, mounted the exercise bicycle. He stared outside while he peddled, allowing his mind to wander away from his relationship troubles and back to fencing - his mind’s most reliable refuge.
The final bout flashed through Zoro’s mind and he picked apart every little thing he thought he did wrong. He was going to meet with Rayleigh after finishing at the clinic, and he was interested to see what issues his coach saw comparatively.
“Zoro?” A soft voice jolted him from his thoughts. He turned to see Robin standing next to him, smiling softly. “It’s been twenty minutes.”
“Oh,” Zoro said, surprised. “Sorry. Got lost in thought.”
“About?” Robin asked. He knew she pried into the patients’ lives a bit, but only so much. From what he could tell, Robin was attentive to what was going on in someone else’s life, but she wouldn’t force it out of them - instead she encouraged them to share.
“Fencing.” Zoro got off the exercise bike and followed Robin to a medical table. “I’m meeting up with my coach after this to go over my performance.”
Robin hummed, indicating that she was listening, and motioned towards the bed. “How’s your ankle, especially after the tournament?”
Zoro sat down and moved his foot around, rolling his ankle. “It actually didn’t hurt that much on that day, and it doesn’t hurt today either.”
“What about the day between them?” Robin asked, bringing over a stool to sit on.
Zoro didn’t remember much about the morning after the tournament. He drank to try to soothe his sorrows, but that just made him feel worse, so he ended up sleeping a lot. He furrowed his brow in thought until it came to him - he did go on a run, and his ankle hadn’t hurt at all during or after it.
“Didn’t really hurt.” Zoro stared down at his foot, like it had grown extra toes. “I didn’t notice that it wasn’t in pain,” Zoro tried not to grimace at the sudden thought that it was his heart’s turn to be in pain instead. “Does that mean I’m healed?”
Robin smiled. “Perhaps. You still have appointments scheduled through the end of the month, so let’s see how it goes. Nationals is in a couple of weeks, right?”
Zoro nodded. The thought of not coming to the clinic felt wrong - like he belonged here now, but with his heart crushed... he wanted to be done with treatment.
“We should have you discharged by then.” Robin grabbed the tub of lotion from the table next to the bed. “I’m going to have you sit up and we’ll see if there’s any pain.”
Robin’s massages felt like she had ten hands instead of only two. Zoro never understood how she did it, but he wasn’t going to complain.
Placing his hands behind him on the bed, Zoro relaxed under Robin’s ministrations. She was able to find his stiff muscles on the first try, and for the first time since Regionals, Zoro was able to forget about Sanji.
That was until a large man strolled up to Zoro and placed a hand comfortingly on his shoulder. “Zoro-bro!” Franky, one of the techs who had an eccentric blue mohawk and called everyone either ‘bro’ or ‘sis,’ cried. Zoro liked Franky - he made sure to welcome every single person that walked in with a loud “Super!” and also managed to sanitize the beds between patients in record time. Sanji had told Zoro he had the secret belief that Franky had to be half cyborg, since he worked so fast and efficiently, but had yet to find any proof.
“Hey, Franky,” Zoro responded cautiously. He had picked up that both Brook and Franky were gunning for Zoro and Sanji to get into an actual relationship. How it was known that they were in any sort of relationship was something Zoro never found out.
When he looked into the big man’s face it was red and swollen, and his lips quivered. “I heard what happened between you and Sanji-bro!” Large tears dripped onto Zoro’s shirt. “We were all hoping for a happy ending to your story! We can’t believe Sanji-bro rejected you!”
“Franky…” Robin warned, her eyes sharp. She stopped massaging Zoro’s muscles and turned towards Franky. “We agreed not to mention it.”
“Oh.” Franky stood up straighter, removing his hand from Zoro’s shoulder to wipe his eyes. He cleared his throat and cleaned himself up extremely fast. Zoro was beginning to believe maybe he really was partially a cyborg. “Sorry, Robin. I got overwhelmed when I saw Zoro-bro!”
“I know,” Robin said calmly. “Why don’t you go help Brook with the laundry while I finish working on Zoro?”
Franky nodded and turned, sparing Zoro a couple sympathetic looks over his shoulder as he disappeared down a back hallway. As Zoro watched him vanish into the corridor, he wondered if that’s where Sanji was holed up.
“Sorry about that,” Robin said as she turned back to Zoro, placing her hands in the exact spot she had stopped. “We all noticed how close you and Sanji had become and had hoped it would bloom into something more.” Robin paused and placed a hand on top of Zoro’s. “We’re still here for you, if you ever want to talk, but we will leave things be if that’s what you want too.”
Zoro nodded and felt relief flood through him. The people at the clinic had become like friends. Zoro didn’t want to lose that, even if he lost Sanji. The rest of his appointment had no further comments, and Zoro even found himself smiling a little as he left.
He spent the next few weeks at the clinic, not seeing Sanji once. Zoro asked Usopp every week, and every time he received the same response - “Sorry. He’s not available today.” Zoro kept asking, even though he knew what he would hear. He didn’t know if he was punishing himself or not.
Besides Robin, Zoro also had a new physical therapist who had just joined the clinic named Chopper. He was the youngest person working there, having just recently graduated from school, and he also was the most talkative doctor Zoro had ever encountered. Chopper wanted to know everything about Zoro, and especially about fencing, down to the minutia about how the tournaments were ranked, how a fencer got a new ranking, and what that meant. He kept telling Zoro how cool it was that he was a fencer - almost like he got stars in his eyes.
His conversations with Chopper caused Zoro to be able to forget his heartbreak for those little chunks of time while at the clinic. It was when he wasn’t there that all the negative thoughts crept back up.
Zoro lay in bed every night, staring blankly at his ceiling, wondering what he had done wrong. He knew it was likely the confession that got him where he was, and he cursed his mouth every time he thought back on it. He and Sanji had gotten into a strictly sexual relationship, but how Sanji treated him when they were alone made Zoro think, or at least hope, that there was more where there hadn’t been.
The food Sanji had cooked Zoro after every night he stayed over was delicious. It felt like something more than what a normal person would make for someone else, but Zoro had learned that Sanji didn’t do things by half. He put his whole self into everything.
A tear ran down Zoro’s face when he realized that he was the only thing in Sanji’s life that he didn’t seem to do that with - otherwise, why would he be here, crying over a non-relationship?
Rayleigh trained Zoro in the weeks leading up to the Nationals. After having an in-depth conversation about Zoro’s weak points, they worked to refine Zoro’s fencing, and he began to feel truly ready to take on Nationals.
To fill the void that Sanji had left, Zoro found himself watching old fencing videos from tournaments past, studying the one fencer he’d never met before, but wanted to beat the very most - the world’s greatest fencer, Mihawk.
Dracule Mihawk was a mainstay in the fencing world for longer than Zoro could remember. He was the face of many fencing brands and had gone to the olympics several times, winning gold in every event. Even though Mihawk was older, he would fence at Nationals every year and always won.
It was always Zoro’s goal to get to fight Mihawk. With this being his first Nationals, Zoro was gearing to get to the finals and at last meet the living legend.
A few days before his final physical therapy appointment, Zoro decided to take advice from Rayleigh and hand-write Sanji a letter. Rayleigh had mentioned that it would be good for him mentally to get all his thoughts down on paper, even if he never gave it to Sanji. Zoro had already decided he wanted Sanji to read whatever it was he wrote, just in case they could at least still be friends. Zoro didn’t want the man out of his life - he would even take a possible friendship with Sanji, just so long as he didn’t disappear because of Zoro’s own feelings.
After several attempts to write a letter with no mistakes, Zoro finally decided to draft what he wanted to say before he started writing. It was a messy process, but one Zoro knew he needed to do and he was proud of the letter after he wrote it.
Sanji,
I’ve tried to write this several times in different ways, but I kept failing. As you know, I'm not one to give up, so here’s my final attempt to explain to you how I feel.
While the sex was good, it wasn’t why I was with you. You made me laugh every day, and encouraged me in a way no one besides my fencing coach has done. I felt like I could conquer the world if you gave me just one of your amazing smiles.
I was being honest when I told you I love you, and I think I always will. I’m a better person because of you. You lit up my world in a way I’d never experienced before. I love hearing you call me moss, even in anger.
Even if you don’t feel the same way, that’s okay. I would like to still be friends, if we can. If not, I understand, and I hope you have the best life.
Nationals is on Saturday. If you came to watch, to cheer me on in whatever way you want, I’d appreciate that.
Love,
Zoro
Zoro walked into the All Blue clinic for his last day. He got to have conversations with everyone there, besides Sanji. They all wished him luck in the tournament and assured him that they knew that he would win.
As he was leaving, he stopped by the front desk.
“Give this to him for me,” Zoro asked Usopp, handing him a blue envelope with his letter inside.
Usopp stared with wide eyes, holding it like it was a treasure. “I will!”
Zoro nodded and with a smile, opened the door to the clinic one last time, the welcoming bell sounding his exit.
Nationals was another beast compared to every other tournament Zoro had been to. The space felt larger, even if it wasn’t, and there was an energy vibrating off the crowds swarming the venue. Vendors were set-up along one of the walls and lines were wrapped haphazardly around and through each other.
Zoro adjusted his grip on his fencing bag and walked towards the registration and gear checking stations. Warming up, Zoro felt focused on today. Writing out his feelings to Sanji had released his woes from the past weeks and allowed him to move on in his own way - at least so he could get past Nationals.
The first day was just the pools, with the direct elimination matches happening the next day. It wasn’t normal for a fencing tournament, but Zoro wasn’t going to complain. Rayleigh arrived and gave him tips for the pool he was in. It was made up of seven fencers, which was by far the largest pool Zoro had ever been in.
Each bout gave Zoro new insights on how much he had progressed in the last couple of weeks. Some matches were close, others were easily won. By the end of the day, Zoro was first in his pool, winning every match, and placed 2nd overall. Dracule Mihawk was in first place - defeating all his opponents 5-0. He’d been too focused on his own pool to take time to watch Mihawk fence. He would see him in person soon enough.
All the fencers in the tournament were booked to stay in the same hotel, which was a short five minute walk to the venue. Zoro flopped down on his bed when he was able to retire for the evening. He was exhausted, and it would only be worse the next day. There were a lot of matches coming up, and Zoro needed the rest to get through them all.
He had just decided to get off the alluringly comfortable bed to shower when an insistent knock sounded on his door. It definitely wasn’t housekeeping, and Rayleigh had told him he’d see him in the morning. Curious, Zoro got up and went to the door, not bothering to check the peephole. Opening the door, Zoro froze.
Sanji was standing there, one hand at his side, and the other behind his head, looking sheepish. Zoro’s mouth hung open while his eyes took in the state Sanji was in.
It seemed like Sanji hadn’t slept well. There was a dark hue forming under his eyes, and his hair was an unkempt mess. He wore a baggy shirt and joggers, which wasn’t Sanji’s usual style - the man enjoyed dressing nicely as much as he could - but what really caught Zoro’s eyes was the crumpled blue envelope gripped in Sanji’s hand. The paper seemed on the verge of falling apart from how often it had been handled.
“Uh…” Zoro tried to say anything, but his brain had short-circuited at the sight of Sanji.
“Um,” Sanji started, glancing away and gripping the letter even harder, “can I come in? I want to talk.”
Zoro nodded, “Sure,” and moved aside so Sanji could enter. He stepped inside cautiously, like a scared cat that was about to run at any noise, and walked to stand awkwardly in front of Zoro’s bed.
Closing the door and locking the dead bolt, Zoro turned, placed his hands in his pockets, and walked to the edge of the bedroom. He leaned against the wall and waited.
“So I read your letter,” Sanji said, motioning to the crumbled paper in his hand, “a lot.”
“I see that.” Zoro tried to remain calm, no matter how nervous he was.
“And I wanted to apologize.” Sanji wouldn’t look at Zoro, and he felt his heart clench, ready to be torn apart again. “I handled your confession badly. What we had… felt easy... like nothing could come between us if we kept it purely sexual, but, I…” Sanji’s eyes finally flicked up to meet Zoro’s, “I feel the same. I'm just shit at realizing it.”
“What?” Zoro asked breathlessly, feeling like the air in his lungs had evacuated.
Words began to pour out of Sanji. “I took those weeks after Regionals, and really thought about - about what I felt for you.” Sanji continued, “Removing myself from being around you seemed like the best idea at the time, but now I realize how wrong I was. I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but I missed you so much.”
Sanji’s expression turned painful. “I slept like shit every night. I couldn’t cook anything edible. Everything just seemed awful.” He held up the nearly destroyed envelope. “Reading this made me figure out what was wrong. I’m… bad at feelings - my family was never open with their emotions. Pretty much the exact opposite, actually, and so I struggle constantly. But that isn’t an excuse for the way I treated you!”
Sanji took a small step forward. “I love you, Zoro.” Tears formed at the corners of Sanji’s eyes. “I think I’ve loved you for a while. Sorry it took me so long.” Sanji wiped his face with his arm and sniffed. “I know this probably won’t change anything, because I see how amazing you are even without me. You fenced so well today. I was proud of what you accomplished. If you’re okay with starting over, I’d like to try this again.”
Silence descended on the hotel room. Zoro wanted to hear Sanji out completely before responding, and now, at last, he had his answer.
Sanji nodded, dejectedly. “I get it. Sorry to bother you. I’ll cheer you on tomorrow.” He began to walk towards the door, but was stopped by Zoro’s hand on his arm.
“Curly, you’re not even going to let me say anything?” Zoro asked, meeting the red-rimmed eyes of the man he loved with his whole being. “You’re right - you really are shit at emotions, even if you portray yourself like a ladies man to everyone you meet.” Zoro laughed as Sanji’s mouth dropped open as he tried to protest. “That’s why I love you. Even with your faults, you’re still you, and that’s who I fell for. That’s the person who made me better just by being around him.”
Zoro tugged Sanji forward, wrapping his arms around Sanji’s waist and bringing their lips together. Sanji gasped at the first touch before melting completely into him.
“I love you,” Sanji whispered between kisses.
“Then show me,” Zoro replied with a challenging smile.
Sanji leaned back and took Zoro’s hand, leading him towards the bed before gently pushing him back onto it. Sanji slowly removed Zoro’s clothes, kisses dancing across Zoro’s skin as he pushed the fabric away. Sanji’s own clothes were smoothly stripped, and he crawled over Zoro’s body, allowing them to feel their skin caressing each other fully.
A finger slid gently, if eagerly into Zoro, which became two, and then he was asking for more - always wanting more from the beautiful blond man above him. Sanji entered him easily and began to rock his hips. He grasped Zoro’s hand and feathered kisses all over Zoro’s face, whispering sweet nothings into Zoro’s very soul.
Their sex was slow, not hurried like usual, when they were caught up in the thrills of lust - instead it was like a gentle wave cresting back and forth. Sanji covered Zoro like a blanket, warming him from the outside and inside. Sweat dripped down Zoro’s forehead, only to be swept up by Sanji’s tongue as it carved ditches into his skin.
Zoro came with Sanji’s name on his lips and his grip tightening on Sanji’s hand. A few thrusts later, and Zoro felt Sanji fall over the edge as well, moaning into Zoro’s chest as his hips stuttered with his release.
That night, Zoro fell asleep curled up into Sanji and inside his encircling arms, breathing in his musk, fingers playing along Sanji’s chest as he drifted off.
Zoro woke up the next day alone. The sheets were still warm and his body was sated in a way that only sex achieved. Glancing around, Zoro saw no sign of Sanji, and his heart started to crack as he suddenly suspected that maybe Sanji truly didn’t feel the same for him - no matter what he said the night before. Sanji must have gotten cold feet and left when he could.
The door opened, and Sanji twirled in with two plates in his hands. The smell of hot food filled the air and Zoro stared up at him, confused. Sanji stopped when he saw Zoro’s expression.
“Oh, my moss.” Sanji placed the plates down on the dresser and rushed over to Zoro. Arms wrapped around Zoro’s head and kisses were pressed into his hair. “I’m sorry you woke up alone. I was hoping I’d be back before then and surprise you with breakfast in bed, but I failed. Please, don’t cry.”
Zoro didn’t realize that tears had escaped his eyes until Sanji mentioned them. He hugged Sanji back and breathed in his comforting scent. “I didn’t know if it was a dream or not,” Zoro admitted.
“I’m here, and I will be from now on, if you’ll have me.”
Zoro huffed a laugh into Sanji’s shoulder. “Of course I will, you idiot. You can’t escape me that easily.”
Sanji blushed and kissed him gently on the lips before grabbing a plate and presenting it to Zoro like it was a home cooked meal, and not just from the hotel buffet. “I made sure to get you food that will give you energy for today!”
Stuffing his cheeks with food that, while it tasted fine, wasn’t as good as Sanji’s, He watched Sanji eat with him, and noted to himself he’d need to have Sanji cook him something after the tournament.
They playfully bickered as they got ready. Zoro had a bounce in his step when they left the hotel room to walk to the venue.
Three direct elimination matches later, Zoro felt exhausted. Every single bout had been a challenge, pushing him to his limit, but now he was here, at the finals. He hadn’t had time to speak to Sanji between bouts with all the chaos of the day, but Zoro knew exactly where he was sitting and received smiles in return whenever he glanced over.
He approached the referee to have this blade checked for the final match. That was when he caught sight of his opponent - Mihawk was a tall, sharp-faced man, with perfectly trimmed hair and piercing eyes. Zoro was not short, but between Mihawk’s extraordinary height and his long arms, he had exceptional reach with his épée. He had just finished having his own equipment examined, and was observing Zoro like a bird of prey studying a sparrow. He set his jaw in defiance. He would show the man that he wasn’t the only fencer here with claws. He tried to concentrate on what the referee was doing through the inspection, and thanked him afterwards.
When Zoro walked up to Mihawk to test their guards, he said, “I’ve been watching your progress since your injury.” His voice was deep and resonant. “I look forward to our match.” He smiled when Zoro nodded.
Going through the motions of saluting the referee and putting on his mask, Zoro assumed an en garde position and breathed. He let out all his worries and stress with every steady breath. It was just him and his blade right now - nothing else mattered. The fencer across from him was just another opponent.
“Prêts? Allez!” The referee called, and Zoro moved.
He felt light on his feet - dodging and parrying the attacks that came towards him - but he wasn’t able to find a way in. Mihawk wasn’t as aggressive as some of the other fencers he had faced this tournament, but he wasn’t passive either, showcasing a tight control that prevented Zoro from making any ground. He lunged, but a swift flick of Mihawk’s sword struck his wrist before his own point could strike home.
He grit his teeth as they returned to their lines. Mihawk’s form was too perfect. He breathed, pushing the thought from his mind. No one was perfect. Do what they had practiced. He had this.
“Allez!”
He floated forward, letting his training and instinct guide his blade. Parry, counter, parry, lunge, retreat, continuing on until there it was, the tiniest crack in Mihawk’s guard - with a swift strike he got his first point. He grinned.
It was further along in the round, and he had gotten another lucky hit that led to a 2-3 score at the end of the first period.
Rayleigh handed Zoro his water bottle. “You’re doing good, Zoro. He’s taking advantage of your right side - try to close that off.” Zoro nodded, his eyes searching the crowd for blond hair. A blinding smile met him and he felt energized. If Sanji believed in him, then he could accomplish anything.
Feeling invigorated, Zoro dove back into the bout, scoring more points against Mihawk, even as he gave up some of his own. He couldn’t see Mihawk’s expression through his mask, but he could tell by his body language he was growing frustrated, but also impressed, as he nodded Zoro’s way between each touch.
Near the end of the second period, Zoro wanted to grab one last point to even it out. Putting all his weight on his right foot - thankful for the work Sanji and others did to heal his ankle - he burst forward in a flèche, aiming straight for Mihawk’s shoulder. His blade met Mihawk’s, metal sliding against metal, and Zoro’s weapon was pushed just off target while he felt Mihawk’s tip dig into his left shoulder.
A halt was called and Mihawk was awarded a point.
Zoro glanced towards the scoreboard and saw there were only five seconds left in the period. Not enough time to do much. As they started again, both fencers stayed back, waiting for the time to run down. Zoro used it to calm himself down and consider his strategy. When the referee signaled the end of the second period, Zoro saluted Mihawk and tore off his mask, stalking towards where Rayleigh waited.
“He’s in your head,” Rayleigh said calmly, handing Zoro his water bottle. “You need to calm down and not worry about the points as much. Play your game and you’ll win. I know it.”
Zoro nodded, trying to calm his breathing and wiping the sweat from his face with a towel.
Approaching the en garde line, Zoro kept himself calm, the referee calling out, “Period three, the score is twelve to ten and there are no cards.” Zoro was only down two points, he knew he could bring this back and win in the last three minutes of the bout.
Two minutes later, after utilizing Reyleigh’s advice, Zoro was able to score enough points to bring himself even with Mihawk to be tied at 14-14. One more point could decide the whole thing. Zoro knew he had this, but he couldn’t risk making a mistake. Despite his calming breaths, his stomach fluttered with nerves. They assumed their stances, blades ready.
“Allez!”
Mihawk was aggressive, thrusting his épée forward, nearly catching Zoro, but he had grown too impatient and Zoro noticed the slightest lag in his reaction. He parried Mihawk’s blade, feeling the pressure weighing down on his wrist, before disengaging and, with lightning fast reflexes, he lunged forward, striking Mihawk straight in the chest. The scoreboard sounded and the referee called the bout for Zoro’s win.
Taking off his mask, Zoro had a large smile on his face as he approached Mihawk, touching blades and shaking his hand. Over the sound of the crowd cheering he said, “Good bout. I’d love to do it again sometime.”
“I concur,” Mihawk agreed. “You have potential to go as far as you want in fencing. Enjoy your win.”
Zoro nodded and turned to see Sanji running towards him. Wrapping his arms around Sanji, Zoro lifted him in a tight hug.
“Moss, you’re going to squeeze me like a lemon if you continue,” Sanji said through his laughter. “Congrats, Zoro! I knew you could do it.”
“Couldn’t do it without you, curls.” Zoro smiled and brought Sanji in for a kiss. It wasn’t like the last time he had kissed Sanji after winning, this time Sanji grabbed Zoro’s head, his fingers running through Zoro’s sweaty hair, and kissed back with a vengeance. They were too caught up in each other to notice anyone else.
Zoro was excited and overjoyed - not just to enjoy his win, but to bask in Sanji and their new beginning together. Rayleigh had been right. This was his moment and somehow, like a miracle, he had won it all.