[ he likely could have gone ahead and met him by the pool, but he would simply say that there would be no point to it since zoro's right next door and it'd be easier to do the walk together, especially if it meant making sure zoro went in the right direction. it certainly wouldn't have anything to do with sanji's lack of ease with being alone tonight, or how since losing usopp, he's felt himself even more anxious about keeping his friends close.
there's no further explanation on the matter, since zoro doesn't ask and sanji wouldn't answer anyway, instead just handing over the bottle when zoro steps out. ]
Not usually. She had a shift to cover at the store.
[ figures that zoro knows he wouldn't bother asking him out here if he had wanda around for company. sanji's sure that he wouldn't have, probably. after all, what need would he have for being around zoro when he could be around a lady instead?
he pushes himself off from his lean at the railing, turning on his heel to start walking towards the staircase that works down to the first floor. ]
I don't want the place smelling like smoke for her. [ he knows he doesn't need to make excuses, and it's not like that gives any context for why he's asking zoro to join him. ]
[ not asking the question did spare them both from any uncomfortable answers.
zoro hadn't bothered to put a name to that restless tension he'd felt since usopp's disappearance. it wouldn't have changed anything, if he had - that line of conversation never led anywhere he was prepared to go. not when it meant admitting to the increased attention paid to the cook's whereabouts, or how his pointed texts held purpose now beyond petty complaint. (an annoyed response was still a response.)
thing was, it wasn't that zoro didn't think he'd understand. if anything, he didn't need to ask, to know that sanji was feeling it too.
with a bob of his chin, he took the beer before casting a quick glance down the length of the walkway. habit, at this point. ]
How's that working?
[ like the scent of tobacco hadn't already permeated every garment the man owned; if he felt the need to make up some lame excuse, he could at least make it semi-believable. zoro didn't particularly dislike the smell anyway.
drink in hand, he fell into easy step with him. not like there was any real danger of getting lost over this distance - yet, there was still some stubborn pride tied up in not fully allowing the cook to take the lead. ]
[ there's nearly a bite in his tone briefly, just enough to insinuate that he's ready to argue that despite his smoking habits, he makes it a point not to stink things up for anyone else — especially since he has a healthy habit of showering and cleaning himself regularly to avoid as such, along with taking care of the laundry to make sure his clothes follow suit. it's a point he's ready to counter zoro with, since the same can't always be said for the swordsman, even if the scent of smoke from his lungs wouldn't be a problem for him.
even in the darkness with only fairly dim lighting available from the outer lamps, familiarity of the motel has grown that walking down along in the steps come without a problem, and when he reaches the ground floor, he makes a turn towards the quiet pool area, where the complete lack of water has left it fairly uninteresting to the rest of the guests.
for sanji, it makes for a decent smoking spot. ]
She might not. But I still want to make things comfortable for her. We've gotten lucky, finding some of our crew, but she hasn't. She's on her own. So I want to make this feel as much as home as it can be for her, yeah?
[ not that there's been any luck in ending up here at all, but sanji's aware how much more distressing it'd have been if he'd been entirely alone all this time, if he hadn't found zoro soon after showing up — or if zoro had disappeared along with usopp too.
sanji steps up to the very edge of the pool, squatting down to take a seat before he lets his long legs dangle down into its emptiness. he doesn't invite zoro to take a seat next to him, but he lets the assumption hang there anyway since zoro's bound to do what he wants anyway. ]
Goes without saying that you should be good to her or my foot'll make sure you can't ever bite onto a sword again.
[ the jab was hardly subtle, the sharper edges of the words just enough to make zoro's jaw clench. he knew damned well this wasn't entirely about wanda; if he was that concerned about nami's living conditions, he was welcome to open his side of the room to her. provided that he got to watch, when she inevitably turned him down.
although he'd never made it a point to wander the grounds, his late night walks had veered off their intended course on more than one occasion. he'd passed the pool a few times by then, enough to catch the lingering scent of stale smoke and littering of butted cigarettes - which should have been reason enough to avoid it. and he would have, if he hadn't been keeping closer tabs on his crewmates in recent weeks.
or something. either way, he knew where they were headed. ]
There's nothing comfortable about being here.
[ it wasn't intended as cold as it came off, but zoro wasn't one to tiptoe around the truth of it. bullshit debt aside, the weirder goings on were becoming more and more apparent, both within panorama and beyond. it was stupid to pretend that good food and playing house was going to make it any better.
but, he got it. maybe he wouldn't have before, but wanting to have your people close - even when they were annoyingly adept at getting under his skin in ways he still couldn't quite square with.
head dropping forward for a moment, zoro let the threat hang before stepping up to the edge of the pool, not bothering to look at him. ]
You talk a lot of shit. Keep it up, and I'll expect you to start delivering.
[ he wouldn't say it so bluntly but zoro is right about nothing being comfortable. comfort is the gentle sway of the merry beneath his feet, the splash of the waves hitting against the wood as he settled down in his bunk for the night, the laughter of his crewmates in the galley as he fixed up a breakfast that their captain would hound down his throat in seconds.
comfort is the entirety of their crew all together out at sea again.
digging into his pocket, he seeks out the carton of cigarettes, already half empty despite being purchased just yesterday. he scoffs at zoro's words just as he places one of the sticks between his lips. ]
Name the time and place and I'll be happy to serve your order if you want it that badly.
[ a part of him wonders if maybe that's what they need, a good fight to let it all out, to channel all this frustration that he doesn't quite know where to place. with nami's arrival, he should feel lighter, better, and yet some of the tension remains, shoulders stiff in a way that's usually managed to relax when he gets a smoke break like this. it hasn't been lately.
despite the willingness of his biting threat, sanji's eyes stare down into the emptiness of the pool, to the scatter of crisp dry leaves that have clumped and stuck against the bottom. ]
Mosshead. [ it isn't spoken with the usual retort, calm in its tone as if he were simply saying zoro. ] We can't lose them.
[ they could've fought - not like zoro hadn't wanted to since the day he'd first flashed that irritating, pretty boy smile at him. but for all the time he'd spent fighting, knuckles still shadowed with the bruises from his last dome bout, it hadn't done a damned thing to help. he could push himself to his limits and beyond, but that weight was still there when the dust settled, heavy as before.
usopp was still just as gone.
yet the shift in sanji's tone chased off any lingering desire for violence, mirrored too closely to the weariness he'd been trying so fiercely to keep down.
the tension eased from his shoulders as he, finally, eased himself to the ground next to him. letting one leg hang over the side, he rested his arm across the knee of the other, full bottle still in hand. ]
We won't.
[ both of them. it still felt wrong on his tongue, to be talking about the two of them together like that - but he'd meant it. there was no crew without sanji, anymore than there was without nami, or luffy. or usopp.
[ joining the crew had felt so natural, and though he'd only been the last to join the merry, sanji had instantly felt as much a part of them as though he had always belonged there. luffy had made that feeling too easy, the way he'd invited him in, and usopp had been a fast friend to make. of course, everything about nami had been perfect from the start. but zoro — zoro — if it weren't for how much luffy had been attached, sanji would have said that he could do without him.
and yet now, with all the time they've been stuck in this world together, with members of their crew coming and going, sanji's become less sure what being without him would mean. without him, he would have been completely without a piece of home.
somehow, he manages to keep his hand from shaking when he brings out his lighter and flicks it to light the flame, letting it hover against the end of his cigarette. he breathes in the smoke and sighs, still not turning to look at the other man even as he sits beside him. ]
You ... don't get lost either.
[ easy enough to pass as just another joke towards zoro's terrible sense of direction. he hopes so. ]
Mm. And listen to you bitch about chasing me down? I'll pass.
[ they both had their vices. as sanji lit the cigarette, zoro raised the drink to his lips, pausing thoughtfully before taking a long pull. in hindsight, he probably should have told him to bring more than one - a demand which would no doubt have led to an argument.
predictable. familiar.
something about the way they spoke now, however, didn't fit quite so neatly into that particular box. the words were right, but the tone was off, the body language in a lower key than their usual rhythm. different, yet not entirely out of step.
he left the silence to settle between them, tilting the bottle just enough to feel the weight of the liquid shift, then back again. ]
There more where this came from?
[ meaning his fridge, because zoro wasn't planning on dipping into his side. and certainly not a deflection. ]
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no subject
there's no further explanation on the matter, since zoro doesn't ask and sanji wouldn't answer anyway, instead just handing over the bottle when zoro steps out. ]
Not usually. She had a shift to cover at the store.
[ figures that zoro knows he wouldn't bother asking him out here if he had wanda around for company. sanji's sure that he wouldn't have, probably. after all, what need would he have for being around zoro when he could be around a lady instead?
he pushes himself off from his lean at the railing, turning on his heel to start walking towards the staircase that works down to the first floor. ]
I don't want the place smelling like smoke for her. [ he knows he doesn't need to make excuses, and it's not like that gives any context for why he's asking zoro to join him. ]
no subject
zoro hadn't bothered to put a name to that restless tension he'd felt since usopp's disappearance. it wouldn't have changed anything, if he had - that line of conversation never led anywhere he was prepared to go. not when it meant admitting to the increased attention paid to the cook's whereabouts, or how his pointed texts held purpose now beyond petty complaint. (an annoyed response was still a response.)
thing was, it wasn't that zoro didn't think he'd understand. if anything, he didn't need to ask, to know that sanji was feeling it too.
with a bob of his chin, he took the beer before casting a quick glance down the length of the walkway. habit, at this point. ]
How's that working?
[ like the scent of tobacco hadn't already permeated every garment the man owned; if he felt the need to make up some lame excuse, he could at least make it semi-believable. zoro didn't particularly dislike the smell anyway.
drink in hand, he fell into easy step with him. not like there was any real danger of getting lost over this distance - yet, there was still some stubborn pride tied up in not fully allowing the cook to take the lead. ]
Doubt she cares anyway.
no subject
[ there's nearly a bite in his tone briefly, just enough to insinuate that he's ready to argue that despite his smoking habits, he makes it a point not to stink things up for anyone else — especially since he has a healthy habit of showering and cleaning himself regularly to avoid as such, along with taking care of the laundry to make sure his clothes follow suit. it's a point he's ready to counter zoro with, since the same can't always be said for the swordsman, even if the scent of smoke from his lungs wouldn't be a problem for him.
even in the darkness with only fairly dim lighting available from the outer lamps, familiarity of the motel has grown that walking down along in the steps come without a problem, and when he reaches the ground floor, he makes a turn towards the quiet pool area, where the complete lack of water has left it fairly uninteresting to the rest of the guests.
for sanji, it makes for a decent smoking spot. ]
She might not. But I still want to make things comfortable for her. We've gotten lucky, finding some of our crew, but she hasn't. She's on her own. So I want to make this feel as much as home as it can be for her, yeah?
[ not that there's been any luck in ending up here at all, but sanji's aware how much more distressing it'd have been if he'd been entirely alone all this time, if he hadn't found zoro soon after showing up — or if zoro had disappeared along with usopp too.
sanji steps up to the very edge of the pool, squatting down to take a seat before he lets his long legs dangle down into its emptiness. he doesn't invite zoro to take a seat next to him, but he lets the assumption hang there anyway since zoro's bound to do what he wants anyway. ]
Goes without saying that you should be good to her or my foot'll make sure you can't ever bite onto a sword again.
no subject
although he'd never made it a point to wander the grounds, his late night walks had veered off their intended course on more than one occasion. he'd passed the pool a few times by then, enough to catch the lingering scent of stale smoke and littering of butted cigarettes - which should have been reason enough to avoid it. and he would have, if he hadn't been keeping closer tabs on his crewmates in recent weeks.
or something. either way, he knew where they were headed. ]
There's nothing comfortable about being here.
[ it wasn't intended as cold as it came off, but zoro wasn't one to tiptoe around the truth of it. bullshit debt aside, the weirder goings on were becoming more and more apparent, both within panorama and beyond. it was stupid to pretend that good food and playing house was going to make it any better.
but, he got it. maybe he wouldn't have before, but wanting to have your people close - even when they were annoyingly adept at getting under his skin in ways he still couldn't quite square with.
head dropping forward for a moment, zoro let the threat hang before stepping up to the edge of the pool, not bothering to look at him. ]
You talk a lot of shit. Keep it up, and I'll expect you to start delivering.
no subject
comfort is the entirety of their crew all together out at sea again.
digging into his pocket, he seeks out the carton of cigarettes, already half empty despite being purchased just yesterday. he scoffs at zoro's words just as he places one of the sticks between his lips. ]
Name the time and place and I'll be happy to serve your order if you want it that badly.
[ a part of him wonders if maybe that's what they need, a good fight to let it all out, to channel all this frustration that he doesn't quite know where to place. with nami's arrival, he should feel lighter, better, and yet some of the tension remains, shoulders stiff in a way that's usually managed to relax when he gets a smoke break like this. it hasn't been lately.
despite the willingness of his biting threat, sanji's eyes stare down into the emptiness of the pool, to the scatter of crisp dry leaves that have clumped and stuck against the bottom. ]
Mosshead. [ it isn't spoken with the usual retort, calm in its tone as if he were simply saying zoro. ] We can't lose them.
[ not like usopp. not again. ]
no subject
usopp was still just as gone.
yet the shift in sanji's tone chased off any lingering desire for violence, mirrored too closely to the weariness he'd been trying so fiercely to keep down.
the tension eased from his shoulders as he, finally, eased himself to the ground next to him. letting one leg hang over the side, he rested his arm across the knee of the other, full bottle still in hand. ]
We won't.
[ both of them. it still felt wrong on his tongue, to be talking about the two of them together like that - but he'd meant it. there was no crew without sanji, anymore than there was without nami, or luffy. or usopp.
he wasn't doing this without him. ]
no subject
and yet now, with all the time they've been stuck in this world together, with members of their crew coming and going, sanji's become less sure what being without him would mean. without him, he would have been completely without a piece of home.
somehow, he manages to keep his hand from shaking when he brings out his lighter and flicks it to light the flame, letting it hover against the end of his cigarette. he breathes in the smoke and sighs, still not turning to look at the other man even as he sits beside him. ]
You ... don't get lost either.
[ easy enough to pass as just another joke towards zoro's terrible sense of direction. he hopes so. ]
no subject
[ they both had their vices. as sanji lit the cigarette, zoro raised the drink to his lips, pausing thoughtfully before taking a long pull. in hindsight, he probably should have told him to bring more than one - a demand which would no doubt have led to an argument.
predictable. familiar.
something about the way they spoke now, however, didn't fit quite so neatly into that particular box. the words were right, but the tone was off, the body language in a lower key than their usual rhythm. different, yet not entirely out of step.
he left the silence to settle between them, tilting the bottle just enough to feel the weight of the liquid shift, then back again. ]
There more where this came from?
[ meaning his fridge, because zoro wasn't planning on dipping into his side. and certainly not a deflection. ]