Work Text:
3 days
“What if it doesn't work?”
Zoro tilted his head, still chomping on the bread crusts Sanji gave him to snack on, “Huh?”
“This,” Sanji gestured emphatically between them, “What if it doesn't work? What if we don't work? What if it all falls apart?”
Zoro shrugged and kept eating, “Then it doesn't work.”
Sanji growled. Of course the man with more moss than brains hadn't thought the whole 'dating a crewmate’ thing through before confessing his feelings. He wasn't sure why he was so surprised, charging ahead and damning the consequences had been Zoro’s MO since the beginning.
“What happens to the crew, dumbass.” Sanji hissed as he flipped the peppers in his frying pan, “If we break up, it's gonna make things awkward.”
“Who says we're gonna break up?”
Sanji scowled and gripped his spatula tight, using a considerable amount of restraint to stop himself from chucking it at his head.
“Break ups happen all the time,” Sanji bit out through his teeth as he turned back to the stove, “People get bored and grow apart. And if we do that while we're sailing together-”
During his diatribe, Zoro had snuck up behind him, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him against his chest.
“It's been three days, Cook.” Zoro muttered as he nuzzled the crook of his neck, “Give it a chance at least before you call it off.”
Sanji tried to stay mad, to keep his thinking rational, but Zoro’s touch was doing wonders to reassure him that this was real, and he found himself leaning more into it until he relaxed completely.
He still couldn't believe this was actually happening. He wasn't used to getting what he wanted, for his little crushes to lead to anything other than heartbreak. When he found himself falling for Zoro of all people, he'd locked the feeling away deep in his heart, content to ignore it for the rest of his life and never act on it.
But then Zoro had come out and confessed his feelings for Sanji instead, and what the hell else was he supposed to do except kiss him?
And here they were, three days later, and Sanji was already starting to have doubts.
As much as Sanji loved love and loved to spread love, he was always cautious when accepting it from others. He knew all too well that love had its limits, that it was never as unconditional as the stories made it out to be, that eventually he would be too much and people would leave him. They always did.
He didn't want that to happen with Zoro, but he knew even the swordsman’s patience had its limits.
Eventually he would fall out of love with Sanji. Eventually he would break his heart. And when that happened, where would that leave the crew?
“What if it doesn't work?” He said softly, more an exhale than a statement, “What if we break up and can't stand the sight of each other anymore?”
In response, Zoro placed a soft kiss on his neck.
“What if it does work?” He whispered in his ear, “What if it's great? What if we’re happy?”
He pulled away just enough to catch Sanji’s eye, “Don't you want to try?”
And damn it all to hell, he did.
Even if it ended, even if Sanji was doomed for heartbreak, right now in this moment, all he wanted was Zoro.
He closed the distance between them, kissing Zoro softly and sweetly.
“Okay,” he sighed when he finally pulled away, shifting the pan of peppers off the stove as he did, “We’ll give us a try.”
3 months
Sanji sat next to Zoro’s bedside, watching the steady rise and fall of his bandaged chest to assure himself the idiot was still alive.
His stomach turned when he thought about how close he'd gotten to losing him. Waking up after trying to sacrifice himself to Kuma was its own nightmare, but realizing Zoro wasn't there, his desperate search to find any trace of him culminating in spotting Zoro standing in a pool of his own blood, frantically searching for a heartbeat as he screamed for Chopper…
Sanji shuddered as he recalled it all, the sudden chill lingering the longer he stared at Zoro’s prone form.
His chest wasn't moving.
Sanji leaned in, placing his fingers under Zoro’s nose, barely breathing himself as he waited.
One moment, two moments, and then the soft warmth of his exhale.
Sanji sighed as he leaned back, content with the knowledge his mossball was still breathing.
“‘M not dead.”
Sanji blinked as Zoro’s eyes cracked open. He shifted on the makeshift bed Chopper had him confined to, turning until he was facing Sanji.
“Barely,” Sanji scoffed, doing his best to keep his worry out of his voice, “It's a shitty miracle I found you in time, you know.”
Zoro’s face softened, “Thanks for that. Glad you're okay.”
Sanji broke at that, all the feelings and worries he'd been keeping safely stowed away bursting forward in a messy heap.
“You're such a fucking shithead,” he croaked out as he burried his face in the blankets by Zoro’s leg to hide his face, “Why would you do that?”
Zoro stroked his hair, his fingers shaking with the effort, but still so gentle, "Had to protect the crew.”
Sanji ground his teeth together, “You could've let me-”
“No.” He said firmly, his fingers tightening just a fraction in his hair, “I couldn't.”
Sanji pulled away and snarled, “I'm not weak you know. I could've handled it.”
“I don't think you're weak,” his hand shifted until he was cradling his face, “You're one of the strongest people I know.” His thumb caressed his cheek, “But you stood up with the full intent to die for us. I couldn't let that happen.”
Sanji's eyes narrowed. This shitty hypocrite, “And you didn't? You told that shitty bear to take your head!”
“If I died I died,” he said so casually, like that happening wasn't tearing Sanji apart, “But I was gonna do everything in my power to survive. You though,” his gaze softened as he stroked his cheek, “you'd already resigned yourself to death. I wasn't gonna let that happen, not if I could do something about it.”
“I almost lost you,” Sanji’s breath hitched at the mere thought of losing Zoro.
“I'm sorry.” Zoro's eyes were determined, his gaze steady and sure, “But I’d do it again if it meant I wouldn't lose you.”
“Idiot.” Sanji mumbled as he collapsed against the sheets again, “Fucking shithead.”
“Yeah yeah,” Zoro pet his head again, “Your shithead, though.”
Sanji clenched his fists in the sheets, his heart hammering at what he had to do.
“This…” he began, turning his face away from Zoro, “Us…I don't think it's working.”
Zoro froze, going so still Sanji had to glance back at him just to make sure he hadn't passed out again.
He was still conscious though, his eyes wide and face pale as he watched Sanji, and let out a soft, “What?”
“I don't think I can do this,” he admitted softly, his hand finding Zoro’s, “I already care about you too damn much. If I'd lost you…” He glanced away and grit his teeth, just thinking about the possibility had his heart aching anew, “I don't know how I'd be able to go on.”
He fell in love so easily, he knew that about himself going in. What had started as an ill-advised crush on his crewmate had grown and morphed into a full-fledged wildfire of love that threatened to take Sanji down with him.
If this was how he felt after only three months, what would it be like if he let himself fall further? What if Zoro died on him then, or he realized how much of a mess Sanji was and ended it himself?
What kind of husk would be left of Sanji in the wake of that heartbreak?
No, it was better to cut his losses here and salvage what he could.
Zoro grabbed his face suddenly, his grip still weak, but the force of his glare left Sanji following the touch anyway.
“You're giving up?” Zoro growled, his hand shaking against Sanji’s cheek, “One little hurdle and you're bailing?”
“You almost dying isn't little!” Sanji snarled as he bat his hand away, “I'm a shitty wreck as is, and you're here telling me you'd do it again!” He clenched his fists, “I know myself, okay? I'm just gonna fall more in love with you from here on out, and if you pull this shit again-”
Zoro grabbed his face in both of his hands and dragged him forward, meeting him halfway in a searing kiss that was more teeth than lips.
Sanji struggled for a moment, but fell into it easily, giving just as good as he got.
When they finally pulled away, Zoro stayed closed, resting his forehead against Sanji’s to give him his full attention.
“Love hurts, swirly idiot.” He stated so matter of factly, catching Sanji completely off guard, “The more you love the more it hurts, but it's worth the hurt. If you bail the moment things get tough, then you're missing out on all the good that comes with it.”
Zoro pulled away and grunted, “Besides, I'll still sacrifice myself for you whether we're together or not, and I know you'd do the same for me. That's how love works.”
“You…shitty moron.” Sanji grumbled, but fell forward until his head bumped Zoro’s chest, “When did you become a love expert?”
“Since I fell in love with a shitty love cook,” Zoro snickered as he ran his fingers through Sanji's hair, “We can make this work, if you let it.”
Sanji wrapped his arms tight around him, holding him close enough to feel his heart beating in his chest, reassured that Zoro was here with him, that he was alive.
“If you break my heart, I'll kill you.” Sanji muttered into his bandages, “I love you too damn much already.”
Zoro chuckled as he kissed the top of his head, “Like you even could.”
Sanji muttered something about ungrateful mossheads, but held him all the tighter.
Like it or not, Sanji was too in love with Zoro to let him go that easily.
He just hoped that when Zoro finally grew tired of him he'd be able to pick up the pieces.
3 years
“Okay,” Luffy fixed his straw hat as he glanced around at the gathered crew, “Let get started.”
Marine cannon fire went off in the distance, but Luffy ignored it as he cleared his throat, “We are gathered here for a very important reason. The most important of all, really.” He grinned at the rest of the crew, “We're here for love. And not just any love, a love so strong that nothing could tear it apart, even if the Marines are trying to interrupt us. And that's why we're gonna make it official.”
Finally, they were here. After three years of struggles and testing their relationship at every turn, Sanji and Zoro were finally doing this.
Even after two years of separation, even after all of Sanji’s fears had come to fruition, his past as Germa’s failure prince exposed and laid bare for the crew to pass judgement, even after Sanji ran off to get married to someone else, they still made it.
That had almost been the breaking point for them. After all the trials and tribulations of Whole Cake Island, when he did finally see Zoro again, he was met with a predictable rage.
“We’re supposed to trust each other,” Zoro had said, gesturing between them, “That's what this is all about.”
“I'm sorry,” was all Sanji could think to say, “I'm sorry I didn't tell you-”
“I don't care that you're a shitty prince of a shitty kingdom!” Zoro snapped, “I care you tried to do everything yourself when we could've helped! If you don't trust me this isn't going to work.”
So to prove to Zoro that Sanji did trust him, that he was serious about this, that he wanted them to work, he placed his death in Zoro’s hands.
If the worst should happen, if he stopped being himself and instead became the heartless soldier Judge always wanted, he trusted Zoro to decide his fate.
Would that act be enough to prove he was serious about this? That despite everything he trusted Zoro completely?
It must have, because when Zoro woke up after the battle, the way he held Sanji so gently and made love to him so sweetly spoke volumes.
Which led them to this moment, three years almost to the day of the start of their relationship.
The One Piece was found, Luffy was the pirate king, Zoro was the greatest swordsman there ever was, and All Blue was just on the horizon.
But there was something they had to do first.
More explosions sounded, but Luffy ignored them as he turned to Sanji, “Sanji, do you wanna marry Zoro?”
Sanji grinned, blood staining his shoes and his pant legs singed at the cuffs from his fire as he grabbed Zoro’s hand, “Yeah, I do.”
“Cool!” Luffy laughed then turned to Zoro, “Zoro, do you wanna marry Sanji?”
Zoro laughed, blood running down his face from a cut in his forehead and dripping off the tip of Wado, still unsheathed, and squeezed Sanji's hand, “You know I do.”
Luffy laughed as well, then clapped his hands, “Okay! By the power tested-”
“Vested.” Robin corrected as she sprouted several arms on Marines attempting to close in on them, snapping their necks cleaning and efficiently, "But the power vested in you as our captain.”
“Right,” Luffy nodded, “That. Because of all that, you're now officially married!” He threw his arms in the air just as Franky launched off a few grenades and Nami’s lightning struck a nearby ship, "Congrats guys! Now kiss so we can get out of here.”
Sanji laughed, but was eager to close the distance between him and Zoro. As always Zoro met him halfway, taking everything Sanji gave him and giving it back tenfold.
When they parted, Sanji was giddy, practically floating on air, his lips tingling as he buried his hand into Zoro’s hair. Zoro wrapped his free arm around his waist and held him close, as if he didn't want to be anywhere but here in this moment with Sanji.
Sanji had fantasized about his wedding when he was younger. He'd wanted a beautiful ceremony with a beautiful bride, flowers everywhere, doves flying about, a huge cake, everything he needed for a perfect fairytale wedding. After the mess his first wedding became that had all of that, he realized those trappings mattered significantly less than who was standing next to him at the end of it.
An explosion went off in the distance, but Sanji didn't even flinch.
He was exactly where he wanted to be, married to the love of his life, a man who took every broken, messy part of him and loved him like he was the greatest thing in the world.
Zoro’s smile grew into a wide, delighted thing that made him look younger. Sanji had a sudden need to taste that smile for himself, and leaned forward to capture his lips once more.
It had only been three years, but Zoro had made those the three happiest years of his life.
And Sanji couldn't wait to see what the rest of their years together brought.
Bonus: 3 decades
Sanji woke up to soft kisses all across his face. He hummed as he leaned into the affection, his lips moving around as he tried to find the source and kiss him back.
Zoro’s chuckles were deep, his breath cascading across his face before he finally kissed his lips.
Sanji moaned into it, his arms reaching out to hold his husband as he cracked his sleepy eyes open.
The morning sunlight streamed through the window, making Zoro glow above him. Sanji smiled softly as he watched him, his fingers playing with the two earrings dangling in his ear, “G’moring.”
“Morning,” Zoro kissed his cheek, then shifted his head to nibble at the third earring in Sanji’s ear, “I made you breakfast.”
Sanji could only blink at him, “You did?”
In response, Zoro pulled away and grabbed a serving tray that was in the nightstand. Sanji sat up, leaning back against the mound of pillows on their bed as Zoro placed the tray gently in his lap, careful not to spill a single drop of the drinks.
Sanji smiled as he took in the spread. French toast with maple syrup and strawberries, sizzling bacon, black tea prepared just like he liked it, freshly squeezed orange juice, with a single rose in a small vase in the corner to complete the set up.
“Zoro…” he smiled softly, then leaned in to kiss his husband gently on his lips in thanks.
He pulled away with a sigh, “No fucking way did you make this.”
Zoro pouted as his eye darted away, “It's possible your sous chef helped a bit.”
Sanji hummed as he took a bite of the french toast, "Considering it's not charred beyond recognition, I think she did a bit more than just help.”
Zoro scowled, his gaze returning to Sanji as he muttered, “I did prepare the tea.”
Sanji chuckled and took a sip of it, letting the flavors sit on his tongue for a moment before he said, “It's perfect.”
Zoro grinned wide, making him look twenty years younger, then moved to get out of the bed.
Sanji grabbed his wrist before he could, not wanting Zoro to part from him for even a second today, “Stay? There's plenty here for both of us.”
Zoro's smile softened as he relaxed against the pillows with him, picking at the bacon as Sanji made his way through the pile of french toast.
It was rare they had quiet mornings together like this. Sanji was usually up before the sun getting things ready for the restaurant, and Zoro joined him before going out to fish and see just what the All Blue had to offer. But today was a special day, so Sanji had given himself the rare gift of a day off.
After they finished their breakfast, Sanji sighed and fell more into the pillows as Zoro moved the dirty dishes back to the nightstand. When he was done, Sanji tugged on his arm until he lay in the bed alongside him, wrapping his arms around his husband tight to hold him close.
Zoro chuckled, a deep rumbling sound that Sanji felt more than he heard, “You're very clingy this morning.”
“Shut the hell up,” Sanji snapped, the harshness of his words lessened some by him nuzzling Zoro’s chest, “It's my anniversary. You've gotta be nice to me.”
Zoro nipped at his ear as his arm wrapped around Sanji’s waist, “It's my anniversary too. I can treat you however I want.”
“Shitty Mosshead,” Sanji grumbled as he burrowed further into his embrace, “Can’t believe I've put up with your dumb ass for thirty years.”
“Yeah yeah,” Zoro pat his head condescendingly, “Your life is nothing but suffering. Woe is you.”
“Glad you agree.”
Zoro huffed a laugh, pulling Sanji even closer as they settled back against the bed.
Sanji was content to sit in the moment for a bit, basking in Zoro’s warmth and the feeling of love and home that he gave off. When he had his fill of it, he reached over to the other nightstand and dug through the drawer until he found a small box, then placed it on Zoro’s chest with a, “Here.”
Zoro frowned as he released Sanji to pick it up, “What's this?”
Sanji remained silent as he opened the box, his eyes widening when he saw the gold band inside.
His eye quickly darted to Sanji, who held up his own hand so he could see the matching ring on his finger.
“Happy anniversary,” he said, his smile soft as he ran his fingers through Zoro’s hair, “I figured after thirty years we could finally put a ring on this.”
Zoro laughed, his fingers brushing Sanji’s hair behind his ear so he could play with the earring there, “This not enough for you?”
“It shows that I'm yours,” Sanji admitted, shifting his head so he could kiss Zoro’s palm, “But I want you to be mine too.”
Zoro’s gaze softened, and he pulled his hand away to slip the ring onto his finger.
“It's perfect,” Zoro said as he pulled Sanji down to bring their lips together once more.
Sanji let the kiss go on for a moment, enjoying the feeling of Zoro against him. When they pulled apart, Sanji laid his head on Zoro’s chest, feeling the new ring on Zoro’s hand catch in his hair as he stroked it.
“So how about it?” Zoro asked, a confident smirk plastered on his face, “Think we can make us work?”
Sanji hummed as if it was something he had to consider.
“You know, Mosshead, I think we just might.”