(One Piece-General. 028. Disappointed.)
No response. No “fuck off.” No “bastard, I’m not pouting.” Not even a glare or glance in his direction. Nothing.
“Oi.” Zoro forced a smirk as he reached the other man’s side, unsure if he was attempting to be playful or irritating. “What’s so interesting about that damn ocean?”
“This isn’t it.”
“What?” Zoro’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“I saw this fish that looked like it was-” Sanji stopped, exhaling quietly through his nose. “But it wasn’t.”
It took Zoro a moment to understand what he meant, but then his expression cleared with the realization and he rubbed at the back of his neck, suddenly uncomfortable and wishing he’d just left the cook alone. The only response he could manage was a lame and unhelpful, “Oh.”
“I thought-it might be.”
Zoro looked down at the ocean, frowning faintly. The sun was setting, but he was able to see the fish beneath the water, their fins and scales distorting Sanji’s reflection. But still, Zoro could see the disappointment written on his face, as clear as day. It made something in Zoro’s chest tighten, made him feel things he didn’t like feeling (things that were tender, affectionate, loving-all those things were bad, bad), made him doubt his own dream.
“You’ll find it.”
Sanji scowled. “Don’t do that.”
“What?”
“Don’t do that-act all encouraging and shit. It’s unnerving.”
“Tch. Fine.” Zoro rolled his eyes and waited a moment or two before smirking and repeating, “You’ll find it.”
“Oh, shut up.”
The sun had gone down and the fish were gone from Zoro’s sight and the Sanji’s reflection was dimming, fading. But still, Zoro could see the disappointment was gone and he seemed to be almost, almost, smiling.
“Oi.” Zoro forced a smirk as he reached the other man’s side, unsure if he was attempting to be playful or irritating. “What’s so interesting about that damn ocean?”
“This isn’t it.”
“What?” Zoro’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“I saw this fish that looked like it was-” Sanji stopped, exhaling quietly through his nose. “But it wasn’t.”
It took Zoro a moment to understand what he meant, but then his expression cleared with the realization and he rubbed at the back of his neck, suddenly uncomfortable and wishing he’d just left the cook alone. The only response he could manage was a lame and unhelpful, “Oh.”
“I thought-it might be.”
Zoro looked down at the ocean, frowning faintly. The sun was setting, but he was able to see the fish beneath the water, their fins and scales distorting Sanji’s reflection. But still, Zoro could see the disappointment written on his face, as clear as day. It made something in Zoro’s chest tighten, made him feel things he didn’t like feeling (things that were tender, affectionate, loving-all those things were bad, bad), made him doubt his own dream.
“You’ll find it.”
Sanji scowled. “Don’t do that.”
“What?”
“Don’t do that-act all encouraging and shit. It’s unnerving.”
“Tch. Fine.” Zoro rolled his eyes and waited a moment or two before smirking and repeating, “You’ll find it.”
“Oh, shut up.”
The sun had gone down and the fish were gone from Zoro’s sight and the Sanji’s reflection was dimming, fading. But still, Zoro could see the disappointment was gone and he seemed to be almost, almost, smiling.