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Biology is a huge fucking drag.
Right now he believes that more than ever.
Ruts were annoying and while he preferred to skip them with suppressants, he did so in a healthy manner taking medical breaks when necessary. Chopper was always raving about suppressant abuse and Zoro listened to him for once knowing how disastrous suppressant failure could be.
Clearly Sanji didn’t get the memo.
Zoro is partly to blame for the situation they’re in. If he was more level headed in the moment he would’ve searched for his crew or at least separated himself from the situation. Have done something logical instead of emotional. He shouldn’t have gotten so caught in his instincts.
But when Sanji collapsed in battle in the middle of a marine base surrounded by enemies, Zoro acted before a single thought could cross his mind.
He left a bloody mess of marines, brutal even for a man like Zoro. Swords swung and he curled protectively over Sanji’s prone form while he slaughtered wave after wave of enemies. When it was done he dragged them both into a secluded area, somewhere they could be safe.
They’re in a spacious closet lined with empty shelves. A dim light flickers above them and the entire space is covered in a fine layer of dust. His swords are propped next to the locked door still dripping blood. Zoro himself is relatively clean, the occasional patch of red marrs his clothes but nothing extreme. The room is filled with his aggressive pheromones and it mixes horribly with the distressed smell Sanji was making.
People love to blame instincts for everything. Using it as an excuse to terrorize vulnerable people. Zoro always scoffs at alphas who claim they can’t help themselves, that’s it’s biological need for them to dominate defenseless people.
Even now as he comes down from his instinctual haze he knows they’re all wrong.
How could he think of sex at that moment?
How could he look at Sanji on the ground groaning in pain and think of anything besides having to protect him?
With the threat having passed and the cook’s safety confirmed, Zoro’s mind clears. With a more sane mind he should be able to help Sanji properly.
It’s not the first time he’s helped an omega in heat. It happens more often than people think, cycles can be unpredictable and when it happens in public for some reason every nearby alpha turns into a horny idiot. Zoro, who is not an idiot, will often find himself having to help an omega find safety while barring his teeth at any asshole who comes too close.
He’s the epitome of self control, he’s disciplined, he’s someone that can be trusted to restrain himself.
But even this is a scenario he’s not sure he can resist.
The cook’s face is red, flushed from his fever and Zoro’s body warmth is surely adding to it. He sits on Zoro’s lap, his arms are gripped around the swordsman’s neck like his life depends on it. Sanji’s legs are splayed wide over Zoro’s thighs, one on each side of Zoro’s own. He keeps nosing at Zoro’s scent gland causing his earrings to jostle in tiny chimes.
Zoro himself sits crossed legged while he gently embraces the cook. He tries to keep his hand soft, simply holding the cook’s back rather than gripping on it. He’s so tempted to do otherwise, to yank Sanji flush with him till they’re pressed so firmly against one another that their bodies become indistinguishable.
Suppressant failures aren’t common but then again most people have enough sense to not abuse them. It’s not really any of Zoro’s business on how Sanji decides to handle his heat cycle but he did once overhear the cook and Chopper arguing over it.
Why couldn't the cook just listen for once?
Sanji wriggles all over his lap, moaning sweet little noises directly into Zoro’s ear. A normally well ironed suit jacket lays abandoned in a corner and Sanji’s dress shirt threatens to join it. It’s unbuttoned all the way to his navel, having been ripped open when the heat first started. Luckily Sanjj doesn’t seem to have the dexterity to attempt to further unclothe himself or Zoro would truly be fucked.
He can control himself. That’s what he tells himself at least but then Sanji moans again and he has to bite his cheek to prevent himself from biting something else.
It’s different.
Normally these thoughts would never cross his mind. Claiming a distressed person. Taking Sanji by the waist and fucking him against the closet door until they break the entire damn wall down. Knotting the cook until he’s satisfied and contently purring in Zoro’s arms. Lapping at Sanji’s slick like it’s the world’s finest sake and he hasn't had water in days. He can picture it all, the faces, and noises Sanji would make. The way the cook would praise him while they did it. How he’d please Sanji and take care of him the entire time they mated.
It’s different because Zoro is in love with Sanji.
No other person has ever made him feel this way. Made him feel so aroused and lovesick all at once.
Sanji is his equal, his other half, the only other person in the world who could possibly share the burden of protecting the crew alongside him. It makes sense that he’d be the only person Zoro could fall for.
Sanji may not love him the way he wants but Zoro knows the cook feels the same. Sanji trusts him.
He knows how precious that trust is coming from Sanji.
Sanji never said it out loud directly but he had confided in Zoro once before.
A newly liberated island always resulted in a village wide party that the strawhats never refused. Be it for food, booze or simply enjoyment, his crew could never get enough.
Zoro can’t complain either. It satisfies some deep instinctual part of himself to provide protection and then be rewarded for his effort. It’s nice to be thanked by grateful villagers and the amount of booze he’d been given causes a content purr to radiate from his body.
This time the village is especially bespoken with him. When they arrived earlier in the day the strawhats had found a human trafficking ring, specifically an omegan trafficking ring. A gang of traffickers had been kidnapping and drugging locals in order to ship them off to cruel buyers. Luffy didn’t hesitate and so Zoro followed.
Unfortunately the entire hideout was pumped filled with chemicals meant to weaken and kick start heats so neither Luffy or Sanji could enter. This left Zoro to enter the prison area by himself while the rest of the crew attacked from the outside.
The entire prison smelled of heat and misery, Zoro knows an alpha much worse than him would’ve given into the pheromones and further terrorized the trafficking victims. Zoro however just held his breath and opened every prison door he found.
He ended up having to carry many of the victims out as they were either too weak or deliriously stuck in heat.
Apparently this was some amazing feat and the entire village is happily pressing gifts into his arms like he’s their local deity or something.
Zoro doesn’t really care for all the stuff but Nami seemed happy about it at least.
“Marimooo” Sanji slurred, having taken a seat on the bench Zoro was occupying. He holds an almost empty bottle of liquor and he has a faint blush on his cheeks.
“Cook.” Zoro greets amusedly.
“How’s the big hero?” Sanji snickers leaning in but due to his drunken state he instead almost slips right off the bench. Zoro catches him sitting him upright in the blink of an eye.
“What’re talking about curls?” Zoro plucks the bottle out of his hands. He’s clearly had enough.
“They all keep talkin about it.” Sanji tries to snatch the bottle back but fails. He pouts but he seems too jelly limbed to argue.
“You jealous?” Zoro teases.
“Nah.” Sanji slumps against Zoro’s shoulder. “I think they’re jealous of us.”
“Oh?” Zoro consciously relaxes his body to provide a better cushion for Sanji’s head.
“Mhm.” Sanji's eyes flutter, he’s clearly fighting the urge to sleep. “Cause you're with us.”
Now Zoro is the one who’s blushing.
“Is good.” Sanji continues “That your a good alpha. Nothing like those jerks. Who say omegas are weak or useless.”
“Yeah?” Zoro internally preens at Sanji’s words, his ego immediately inflated at being called a “good alpha”. He’s proven himself worthy of Sanji’s praise, no easy feat for a man.
“You’re nothing like them.” Sanji's eyes finally close but he keeps murmuring “Nothing like them at all.”
“Go to sleep curls.” Zoro’s never felt so prideful in his entire life. Everything he’s been given today pales in comparison to Sanji’s words. It’s a rare show of vulnerability from the cook, probably from the booze but still it’s a novelty. Being praised like this does something to Zoro’s stomach that feels almost like he’s the one who’s been drugged.
“Mm, you're safe.” Sanji finally succumbs to sleep.
It’s a cherished memory for Zoro. Even if the cook didn’t remember shit the day after. It was so uncharacteristically like Sanji but Zoro knew he truly meant it.
Zoro doesn’t want to be another alpha who’s hurt him. Doesn’t want to prove Sanji wrong. He’ll die before he ever becomes like the people who haunt Sanji.
Sanji hates men. He dislikes alphas.
He loathes alpha men.
Zoro had never questioned it before. It just made sense for the woman obsessed chef to hate domineering men. It was just another quirk to them, another thing for the strawhats to joke about.
After Sanji left and they all learned he was the only omega amidst his four alpha siblings, it soured any joke that could possibly be made.
So Zoro will never hurt him. Will never do anything to him when he’s this vulnerable.
Zoro begins to gently purr, he figures it’s a safe form of comfort after all it’s a common act amongst both friends and family.
Sanji reacts to it immediately, he stops squirming and relaxes, letting himself fall against Zoro completely. He starts to purr back although his is much weaker due to his body’s exhausted state.
“I got you, curls.” Zoro threads a hand through blonde locks, smoothing down the ruffled up hair.
“Zoro?” Sanji murmurs, his first word since his heat has started. The purrs seem to have relaxed him enough to speak.
“I’m here.” Zoro tries to soothe.
“Aren’t you going to fuck me?” Sanji whispers directly into Zoro’s ear.
This has to be some type of divine punishment.
“I won’t.” Zoro grits out his instincts yelling at him to comply with the cook’s request.
“Why?” Sanji's voice saddens.
“You don’t want that.” Zoro reasons, mainly to himself honestly.
“Am I not good enough?” Sanji starts to cry tears wetting Zoro’s coat. His sobs poke directly at his dumb alpha heart.
“It’s not that cook.” Zoro grips onto him a little tighter.
“You don’t want me.” Sanji sounds delirious, his hormones probably clouding his rational mind “you think I’m ugly don’t you? I’m not good enough for you!”
“No, no no.” Zoro denies “it’s not that Sanji.”
“Then why?” Sanji pulls back, allowing his face to be completely visible. His blue eyes are wet with tears and his cheeks are flushed bright red.
“It’s um.” Zoro scrambles, not wanting to say anything that sounds like a rejection. “Not safe.”
“What?” Sanji questions, tears still flowing down his cheek.
“It’s not safe, curls.” Zoro wipes Sanji’s tears with the edge of his sleeve “we’re still in a marine base. Gotta uh stay alert.”
Mentally Zoro pats himself on the back for coming up with that. It’s a reasonable excuse that will hopefully satisfy Sanji’s instincts.
“Oh.” Sanji sniffles.
“Just rest.” Zoro gently pushes Sanji’s head back to the crook of his neck “The crew will come for us soon.”
“But Zoro...” Sanji suddenly rearranges his legs, moving Zoro’s in the process until both of the cook’s legs are straddling one of Zoro’s thighs.
Shit.
Sanji grinds down once and gasps at the friction, his pants are soaked with slick and the single movement leaves a wet spot that Zoro can feel.
“You’ll protect us won’t you alpha?” Sanji purrs out. It was a huge mistake putting him back in Zoro’s ear range.
“Cook.” Zoro groans as Sanji rubs against his thigh again. For a moment Zoro hesitates wanting to give in to Sanji’s words, his tempting scent and his strong sexy legs.
“You want to don’t you?” Sanji pants “I’ll be a good omega for you.”
It’s a phrase straight out of a porn mag, something any alpha would kill to hear. It’s submissive and needy, how an omega “should” act. It’s a line that would work on almost anybody and perhaps in a different situation hearing that from the cook would be attractive. He could picture Sanji saying it in a sultry tone, teasingly to poke at Zoro’s inner alpha. The way he says it now however strikes Zoro as so unfamiliar it snaps him out of any deluded thoughts he was having.
The cook looks beautiful. The blush just highlights the bone structure of his face emphasizing every feature that Zoro loves. The curve of his nose, long fluttering lashes, plump lips, and the entrancing curl of his eyebrows. He can see Sanji’s chest, how his nipples have hardened and he learns that the blush trails all the way down that pale lithe body. He’s enticing, would be to anybody at this moment but If it were anyone else Zoro wouldn't care about all that.
But it's Sanji and that’s what makes this all so alluring.
Sanji who kicks his ass on a daily basis. Who growls at any man who even attempts to get near his lovely ladies. The same man that spends hours cooking for their crew everyday like it's the easiest thing in the world. A person who doesn't hesitate to do the right thing and practically bleeds kindness, like generosity is some natural human instinct to him. He’s blackleg Sanji, a threat, a friend, and his fellow wing.
He’s also the love of Zoro’s life.
He tackles Sanji to the ground and squeezes, pinning him against his own body. Sanji squirms but Zoro is unyielding. He goes as far to wrap his legs around Sanji’s to completely immobilize the cook. They lie on their sides, Sanji's face still tucked into Zoro’s neck, he hopes his scent can bring some type of comfort in this situation.
“Ask me again later.” Zoro rasps out
Sanji whimpers and starts to speak again but Zoro cuts him off.
“I want to. I really want to.” Zoro confesses “But not here. Not when you're like this.”
Sanji just quivers in his arms, still attempting to gain leverage but his heat has weakened him enough to the point where Zoro is able to contain him. He begins to cry again and Zoro wishes he could make it stop.
He fucks Sanji to get his heat to calm down and then what? The cook would never forgive him for it, hell Zoro wouldn’t be able to forgive himself for it. It’s miserable to force Sanji to suffer but it’s temporary. Zoro keeps repeating that to himself.
It’ll pass. It’ll all pass and Sanji will be back to his normal angry self. He doesn’t want this, Zoro knows it. Sanji hates his heats, he wouldn’t be taking so many suppressants if he didn’t. Zoro hates his ruts too, hates how out of control he feels and how his body doesn’t care for the person that resides in it. He wonders how Sanji feels about his cycle, what exact part makes him avoid them.
Zoro doubts he acts like this in most heats. He surely must’ve been in shock from all those marines and their scents. They were already smelling aggressive and oppressive before Sanji had fallen, after he did the scents went into chaos. So many alphas and their arousal mixed with hostility had sent Zoro into a frenzy, he can’t imagine how that felt to Sanji.
Then to be stuck in an enclosed small space with the only familiar scent in this entire place…
It must’ve sent his inner omega into a hysteria.
And naturally Zoro reacts to his emotions as well which causes even more hormones to be released. They feed into each other in a cruel cycle where the longer this goes on, the more upset they both become.
Zoro stands strong amongst it all. He continually releases calming pheromones while purring to calm Sanji. It seems to help but he still remains in disarray the entire time.
They wait and wait for what feels like hours and minutes all at once.
But finally someone opens the door. The scent is familiar but it still agitates them both. Sanji gives out a sorrowful cry causing Zoro to strike out. Whoever it is, to Zoro’s inner alpha’s dismay, manages to dodge. He growls after the failed attack and the figure steps out the room before yelling out. There’s a scramble of movement and noise from many different people, his rational mind recognizing them but his instinctual one doesn’t seem to care. Anytime anyone approaches them Zoro claws at them and growls in warning.
It isn’t until he hears the discount click of hoofs on stone that he relaxes and in that exact moment when his guard goes down, he feels a prick in his arm and the world goes black.
Zoro jolts up as soon as awareness hits him, his body still primed for a fight and his mind still hyper focused on protecting the cook. When he takes in his surroundings however and sees the familiar sight of the infirmary, he relaxes. A familiar place and scents do wonders for his mind and he hopes the cook feels the same. He swivels his head looking for him but there’s no blonde hair in sight and his scent is just as absent.
He sits up ready to throw himself off the bed, he can’t smell the cook nearby, is he safe? Did Sanji make it out?
“Zoro stop!” Chopper wails out, eyes already teary.
“Chopper?” Zoro realizes there’s an iv drip in his arm “Where's the cook?”
“He’s fine- No stop!” Chopper screeches when he sees Zoro reach for the needle “Let me do it!”
Zoro huffs but allows Chopper to fuss over him. He removes the iv drip and checks Zoro’s body for any hidden injuries.
“I had to put you on some emergency suppressants.” Chopper explains the setup "Your rut was triggered by Sanji’s hormones, and due to how potent his pheromones were, I wasn’t sure how you would react.”
“I went into rut?” Zoro supposes it makes sense but he hadn't really felt like it was in rut.
“It's rare but when alphas feel like their pack or mate are in danger, it can trigger a rut.” Chopper finally finishes removing every strange wire and tube connected to Zoro “It’s different from a normal rut, you release less sexual hormones and instead produce aggressive and protective ones!”
Zoro flushes at the statement, the crew knows he can be overprotective at times but it’s embarrassing to literally have a medical emergency because of it.
“The cook?” Zoro asks.
“He woke up a bit earlier than you!” Chopper happily answers “After I injected him with some suppressors he was fine! I think your pheromones helped him recover faster.”
“That's good.” Zoro relaxes a bit more.
“You and Sanji both need to go through a cycle as soon as possible.” Chopper turns serious "Your hormones are both out of balance now, so it’s very important!”
“The one I just had doesn't count?” Zoro doesn't feel like that’s fair.
“No!” Chopper seems frazzled “You had a rut for like one hour before I suppressed it of course it doesn’t count!”
Zoro just huffs in response.
“Sanji will have his next week once he fully recovers.” Chopper sighs “you’ll have yours the week after.”
What a fucking drag to have to go through all the hormone bullshit again after what happened today. It must be worse for the cook, especially since he’s never had a heat with the crew before. Zoro is pretty sure that's insanely unhealthy but maybe he had them on land? It’s possible but the strawhats rarely get the chance to stay on island for more than a few days. It’s not like Zoro keeps track of him when they're on land so there’s no way for him to know.
It is rude to ask? Zoro’s never understands secondary gender nonsense but the cook probably cares about it.
“Everything seems okay!” Chopper finishes his exam “But you should still rest just in case.”
“Yeah whatever.” Zoro immediately stands up.
“Zoro!” Chopper protests.
“I’ll take it easy.” Zoro ruffles the kid’s head. “I’ll be fine, I got the best doctor in the grandline don’t I?”
“That doesn't make me happy you bastard!”
Zoro laughs as he shuts the infirmary door behind him.
Now to find Sanji.
It takes him longer than usual to find the cook. Usually he’s in the galley, but sometimes when he’s upset or tired he can be found in the aquarium bar or some random corner of the library. He wasn’t doing chores nor was he napping in the boys room. The crew is celebrating in town and a glance at the deck confirms its emptiness. He doubts Sanji would hide in the bowels of the ship, too claustrophobic and dark for him, so that leaves one option.
He pops open the hatch into the crows nest to find Sanji standing in the middle of it, facing away from Zoro. He’s not smoking for once and it occurs to Zoro that the crows nest is saturated with his scent, it's not an intentional thing but he spends hours here sweating, it’s just bound to happen. He didn’t think the cook would want to be surrounded by his scent again so soon after everything happened.
“Chopper clear you?” Sanji says without turning.
“Yeah.” Zoro’s thumb pops his sword out of its scabbard.
“Good.” Sanji's leg shoots out, aiming right for Zoro’s head.
Zoro parries the attack with a sword, grunting as he’s pushed back from the force. Sanji is relentless, giving him no time to recover from the attack. Another kick aims for his chest and Zoro has to step fully back to avoid it. The cook’s fighting is less calculated than usual, his attacks instead are brutal and quick picking apart any weakness Zoro shows.
While Sanji is eager for a fight, Zoro can still feel the effects of his short rut and despite his initial energy, Sanji is also feeling exhausted. No matter how much they both want to continue sparring, just mere hours ago their bodies were readying them for mating and nesting, not fighting. Their cycles may have been medically stopped but it doesn’t stop the lingering effects.
Zoro trips, his body’s balance is not as good as it should be and Sanji doesn't hesitate to take advantage of it. His sword skitters to the side and a foot slams down on Zoro’s throat pinning him to the ground.
“I’m not weak.” Sanji sneers down at him. His foot applies just a tad bit more of pressure; a silent threat.
“I know.” Zoro stares him dead in the eyes. From this angle he gets a clear view of Sanji’s bright blue eyes, both of them dark with rage.
“I don’t need you to save me.” Sanji tries to direct that anger towards Zoro.
“I know that too.” Zoro states.
“I’m not thanking you either.” Sanji finally lets up removing his foot but still staying close.
“Wasn’t waiting on it.” Zoro sits up now that he's not being threatened by a well polished dress shoe.
“Then why’d you do it then? If it wasn’t to gloat then why?” Sanji's anger flares again and he grabs Zoro by the collar of his coat dragging him up. Zoro allows it only so he can look at Sanji directly.
“Do what?” Zoro is baffled by the insinuation “Not assault you? Are you fucking crazy?”
“Don’t fuck with me, mosshead!” Sanji hisses out.
“Cook-“
“Its probably a wet dream come true for an alpha, isn’t it?” Sanji spat out “Having an omega throw themselves at you right?”
“I don’t want that.” Zoro defends himself.
“Like hell you don’t.” Sanji growls “Seeing me act like that you probably think I’m just another omega whore huh?”
“I don’t!”
“I’m not like that. Omegas aren’t like that.” Sanji is obviously distressed, his scent fills the room with a smell that hurts Zoro beyond biology “it was just the suppressants and all those stupid marine hormones.”
“Sanji.” Zoro grasps his shoulders as if he could physically shake the self loathing thoughts out of him. “I know omegas aren’t like that okay? Don’t be thinking stupid shit.”
“I was only like that because it was you!” Sanji blurts out “if it was any other alpha I wouldn’t have, I would’ve, I don’t know okay!”
“What?” Zoro doesn’t move away but he freezes not knowing how to interpret those words.
“All those marines were there and my brain was just so overloaded I-“ Sanji clutches at his hair pulling on the blonde strands “and I, you showed up and I was scared-“
Zoro pulls him in, tucking Sanji into his arms to silence him. The cook seems shocked by the action and freezes, one hand still tugging at his hair. He allows it though and that’s what Zoro was hoping for.
“Sanji.” Zoro says quietly “Relax. I don’t think any of that bullshit”
Sanji stays silent, shaking from emotion. Zoro can’t tell if it’s rage, fear, or something else entirely.
“I’m not stupid.” Zoro corrects himself “Not as much as you think I am. We were in a tough spot, I know your hormones were probably freaking out. I’m not judging you for something you couldn't control.”
“It’s still fucking stupid.” Sanji finally let’s go of his hair “I acted like a-“
“Shut up.” Zoro chided “I wasn’t completely normal either was I?”
“You were acting reasonably at least.” Sanji argues “I wasn’t.”
“I don’t care if you weren't." Zoro dismisses his point “I’m not thinking differently of you or of omegas in general.”
The cook acts as if he's supposed to be some impenetrable wall instead of a human being, like a single second of weakness is a personal failure indicative of his character. Like he isn't one of the strongest men Zoro has ever met. Like he couldn't have destroyed that entire marine base if he weren't in a medical emergency. Zoro has his moments of self doubt, times where he felt like he’s failed his crew, his family due to weakness but at the end of the day he knows his value. There’s always more to train for, more to achieve but he has full confidence that he is strong and that one day he will achieve all his goals.
Sanji doesn't have that confidence.
“I know you have this whole complex about needing help-“
“Okay, fuck you.”
“-but everyone has their moments curls.” Zoro continues “We’re a crew. You're supposed to depend on us. On me.”
“I know.” Sanji concedes, “Its hard, okay? I don’t want help, I just want to be in control of my own body. It reminds me of too much, not being able to do anything when I’m in that state. I’m not some helpless weakling who has to be protected all the time.”
“Of course you aren’t.” Zoro reassured "Couldn't stand you if you were.”
“I'm not some easy slut either!” Sanji rants “I’m so tired of people judging me all the time, assuming bullshit just because of who I am. All those fucking marines insulting and berating me like that and I couldn’t even do shit about it.”
Zoro can't remember much of what happened with the marines and he is partly glad he doesn't. He might’ve marched right back to that base and slaughtered any survivors if he had remembered the things they said to Sanji.
“I’m so tired of it all.” Sanji fumes finally fizzle out “Even those bastards thought the same of me. Thinking I’d just let some random alpha claim me.”
Zoro wants to burn that floating kingdom to pure dust. He’s supposed to be supporting Sanji right now instead of getting pissed off at enemies that have already been dealt with. Even when he isn't directly the cause, Sanji somehow manages to ignite flames of rage in him.
“But you do think like that at all do you?” Sanji finally gives into the hug, tossing his arms around Zoro’s neck and squeezing.
“Cook, I would never.” Zoro repeats his previous sentiments. Again.
“I’m use to hating my heats, the entire time I’m fucking miserable but when you were there…”
Sanji’s face blushes and Zoro’s mind is sent right back to that pheromone-filled closet.
“I didn’t hate it.” Sanji whispers.
“What?” Zoro’s the one blushing now.
“You could’ve fucked me in that closet.” Sanji says far too casually “Probably wouldn’t have been that mad about it.”
Oh.
Holy shit?
“But I’m glad you didn’t.” Sanji smiles into the skin of Zoro’s neck “Cause you were right. I wanted to do this on my own terms.”
“Curls?” Zoro's heart thumps so loud he thinks the entire island might be able to hear it.
“You said to ask you later.” Sanji’s scent has changed, something sweet, something more seductive “It’s later.”
It is later and Sanji is completely aware. Sanji has been awake for hours now, so he’s had time to think this over. The idiot probably panicked over the whole situation way too much. He’s always been like that stressing himself out for nothing until it bubbles over into something unhealthy. At least this time he let everything out while sparring.
How long has Zoro wanted this? Not just to have the opportunity to be with Sanji but to hear the cook say it outloud?
He drops to a knee, the sound of it reverbatting throughout the entire room. Zoro looks up at Sanji’s confused, but sober and aware face, and feels such a rush of joy it floods his body with a wave of happy hormones. Surely the cook must smell the pure happiness radiating off of him, it would be embarrassing if he couldn't smell what Sanji was feeling: Nervousness and excitement.
“Let me court you.” Zoro says as he takes a calloused hand into his, pressing a soft kiss to it.
“What?” Sanji squeaks out.
“Let me do this right.” Zoro declares “Let me do it the way I know you want.”
“Marimo.” Sanji chokes up, his eyes already watering.
“I know you want all that mushy stuff.” Zoro knows Sanji like the back of his hand, knows he’s a hopeless romantic who’s constantly treating other people with the reverence he doesn’t think he deserves. “I'm serious about this, curls. I want the whole nine yards with you, and I want to do it the way you deserve.”
“I didn’t think this is the way this would go.” Sanji laughs.
“What else could this have gone?” Zoro can’t think of another possibility.
“Thought we where gonna fight then fuck that’s pretty much it.” Sanji smirks at him.
“That’s hot.” Zoro admits “but I know it’s not what you really want.”
“You don’t know shit.” Sanji tugs on his hand gently, silently telling him to rise and Zoro does. He’s been getting on the ground a lot for Sanji today hasn’t he? “I thought courting would be too old fashioned for you.”
“Stop making excuses.” Zoro says but in actuality, Sanji is right, it is too old fashioned for his taste. If it were anyone else he wouldn’t have bothered with traditions and social rules but he’s helpless to deny Sanji something he so obviously wants.
“Fine.” Sanji scowls at him but his eye is bright and burning with emotion “I accept. Even if your courting proposal is technically incomplete.”
“What the hell? How?” Zoro frowns.
“You don’t know anything about courting do you?” Sanji flatly says "You're supposed to have a courting gift.”
“Shit.” So maybe Zoro doesn't know.
“Idiot.” Sanji’s words are harsh but his voice is filled with pure fondness.
“I’ll figure it out, Cook.” Zoro promises “Just wait, I’ll knock you off your feet.”
“I can’t wait mosshead.”