One Piece Storybook: The Little Mermaid, Section VIII
Title: One Piece Storybook-The Little Mermaid (In which I join with the mer!Sanji trend)
Fandom: One Piece
Pairing: Zoro x Sanji
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: One Piece, The Little Mermaid, and their characters do not belong to me.
A/N: Only two more parts to go!
VIII.
After a brief struggle, Sanji and Prince Zoro managed to make it to the castle, albeit a bit battered and bruised. The prince announced that the mute blond man had washed ashore after a shipwreck, and was to be treated as a welcome guest…despite how violent he may behave. If anyone found this strange, they didn’t have the guts to question it. Usopp only remarked that the man’s slacks looked remarkably like the pair of his own trousers that had recently gone missing off the clothesline.
Sanji soon learned how to use this freedom to his advantage and took over the kitchen. The foreign human ingredients intrigued and delighted him, and he ended up spending several hours a day experimenting. Prince Zoro was often the taste-tester of these concoctions, though his doubtful servants were concerned about his well-being and tended to try and dissuade him. Ultimately, however, it seemed that the prince had firmly decided that Sanji was to be his companion, and very little could sway him after he’d made up his mind.
Sanji was-obviously-pleased by Zoro’s decision, even though he soon found that the two of them disagreed on almost everything and were prone to engage in skirmishes at any given time. At first, he worried about how the fights would affect his chances of winning Zoro’s heart. But eventually, he came to enjoy them too much to care. He enjoyed the rush of adrenaline they supplied, the powerful and heady feeling he got when he bested his green-haired opponent, and the way it brought him in close physical contact with the prince on a daily basis. And judging by how ready and willing Zoro always was, not to mention the primal and almost heated glint in his eyes, it seemed as if the feeling was mutual.
Chopper and Franky, being sea creatures, could not keep constant watch on Sanji and his progress with the human prince. They were left but no choice but to put Luffy of watching over them. The seagull considered this a task of great importance, though his attention span was short and he was easily distracted by things that were shiny or smelled good. But whenever the two men stepped outside the castle walls, he was there, circling above. And at night, when Sanji retired to the room he had been given, Luffy was waiting in the window to decipher any messages the former merman had about his day.
Things were progressing at a fair speed when the end of the first week drew near. And on the last day of that first week, it looked as if the situation couldn’t even get any better.
Zoro had shown his guest the majority of his kingdom, but there was a lagoon that Sanji had overheard a couple of maids talking about, and he’d expressed an interest in seeing it. On that last day of the first week, Zoro arranged for the two of them to go on a boat ride to see the lagoon.
There could not have been a time or place more romantic. The lagoon was dark, shaded by the large and leafy foliage. Dragonflies were buzzing, their wings glistening against the surface of the lazy water. The boat moved at a leisurely pace and, except for the seagull that had been following them all day, they were alone.
“So-” When speaking to his companion, Zoro almost always started out his sentences with “so”, because he still didn’t know his name. “Does it meet your expectations?”
Sanji nodded, watching as he let the fingers of one of his hands trail along in the water. He did love the prince and he was glad to be living on land with him. But he did miss the ocean terribly. He tried not to think too often of his father and sisters under the sea. He didn’t know what Chopper and Franky had told them, if they’d told them anything. And he’d felt guilty from the beginning that he hadn’t even said goodbye.
Zoro, watching the unhappy emotions play out on his comrade’s face, frowned slightly and tried to think of something to distract him from whatever unpleasant thoughts he was thinking.
“So, I almost feel bad, not knowing your name. Let me try to guess it.”
Sanji looked up at him, then, eyebrow arched in skepticism.
“Oi, don’t look at me like that. Is it…Freddie?”
Sanji allowed a silent snicker and Zoro, pleased to see such a change of expression, continued.
“Percival?” He smirked at the face his blond companion made in response. “All right, no. Is it Bob?” He ducked the kick he almost received that time. “What, is that your way of telling me to give it up?”
Sanji nodded in obvious relief and Zoro rolled his eyes good-naturedly.
“All right, all right.”
The hint of a handsome smile tugged at Sanji’s lip and the prince felt a swell of something both wonderful and frightening fluttering in his chest.
The seagull, apparently hungry, dove suddenly to snatch a fish out of the water. In doing so, he jerked the boat, just a bit, but just enough to throw the two occupants slightly off balance, so that they needed to grab hold of each other to steady themselves. Their eyes met and their hands, gripping one another’s arms, did not move. Zoro swallowed, finding himself quite unsure of himself once more, and realizing with a touch of wonder that he wanted nothing to more than to stay this way, in this boat, with the other man’s warm hands on him. Or rather, there was one thing that he wanted more.
Zoro slowly started to lean forward and Sanji, eager to seize the lovely opportunity, did the same. His heart pounded as the moment he’d been waiting for came closer and closer, his eyes falling shut as he felt the warm of Zoro’s breath against his lips…
“FISH!”
Sanji’s eyes snapped open when he heard Luffy’s squawk of glee right by his ear, only to have his vision filled with lagoon water as the boat was turned over in the seagull’s enthusiasm. The moment was officially over.
Zoro was training late that night. He didn’t go down to the beach, since it was so dark, but rather to the castle gardens. Which just happened to be beneath his new companion’s window. His new companion…who he’d very nearly kissed. Zoro tried to push that thought aside. He tried to focus on how many push-ups he’d done, how many more he needed to do, how appealing the other man had looked with his eyes closed and his lips parted-
“Damn.”
Zoro stopped, wiping sweat from his brow, and looked up at the bedroom window. He couldn’t figure out how, exactly, this strange man with no voice and dangerous legs had managed to capture him so quickly, so completely. He didn’t mind the attraction, but he wasn’t sure what to do about it. He hadn’t meant to try and kiss him-the moment had just felt right. And he hadn’t seemed to mind.
“But…what do I do now?”
“Sire?”
Zoro turned to see Usopp standing behind him and cursed inwardly. He couldn’t believe he’d been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn’t heard him approach.
“What is it, Usopp?”
“I just thought you might like to know the latest on the marriage arrangement.”
Zoro stared at him blankly.
“What marriage arrangement?”
“…Y-Your marriage arrangement…sire…”
“Oh.” Zoro frowned. “I forgot about that.”
“How could you forget about that?!” Usopp sighed loudly in exasperation when the prince shrugged. “Let me refresh your memory, sire. For the past few months, a proposal for marriage has been in the works for you and the princess Tashigi. Remember-the princess we were on our way to see on the night of the storm? And we just got word tonight that the princess has accepted the proposal!” Usopp waited for some kind of reaction, and got none. “Sire,” he prodded, “you’re getting married!”
That got him a reaction, but not the one he expected. Prince Zoro’s face fell and he quickly turned his head, looking away from him, looking up at an open bedroom window.
Fandom: One Piece
Pairing: Zoro x Sanji
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: One Piece, The Little Mermaid, and their characters do not belong to me.
A/N: Only two more parts to go!
VIII.
After a brief struggle, Sanji and Prince Zoro managed to make it to the castle, albeit a bit battered and bruised. The prince announced that the mute blond man had washed ashore after a shipwreck, and was to be treated as a welcome guest…despite how violent he may behave. If anyone found this strange, they didn’t have the guts to question it. Usopp only remarked that the man’s slacks looked remarkably like the pair of his own trousers that had recently gone missing off the clothesline.
Sanji soon learned how to use this freedom to his advantage and took over the kitchen. The foreign human ingredients intrigued and delighted him, and he ended up spending several hours a day experimenting. Prince Zoro was often the taste-tester of these concoctions, though his doubtful servants were concerned about his well-being and tended to try and dissuade him. Ultimately, however, it seemed that the prince had firmly decided that Sanji was to be his companion, and very little could sway him after he’d made up his mind.
Sanji was-obviously-pleased by Zoro’s decision, even though he soon found that the two of them disagreed on almost everything and were prone to engage in skirmishes at any given time. At first, he worried about how the fights would affect his chances of winning Zoro’s heart. But eventually, he came to enjoy them too much to care. He enjoyed the rush of adrenaline they supplied, the powerful and heady feeling he got when he bested his green-haired opponent, and the way it brought him in close physical contact with the prince on a daily basis. And judging by how ready and willing Zoro always was, not to mention the primal and almost heated glint in his eyes, it seemed as if the feeling was mutual.
Chopper and Franky, being sea creatures, could not keep constant watch on Sanji and his progress with the human prince. They were left but no choice but to put Luffy of watching over them. The seagull considered this a task of great importance, though his attention span was short and he was easily distracted by things that were shiny or smelled good. But whenever the two men stepped outside the castle walls, he was there, circling above. And at night, when Sanji retired to the room he had been given, Luffy was waiting in the window to decipher any messages the former merman had about his day.
Things were progressing at a fair speed when the end of the first week drew near. And on the last day of that first week, it looked as if the situation couldn’t even get any better.
Zoro had shown his guest the majority of his kingdom, but there was a lagoon that Sanji had overheard a couple of maids talking about, and he’d expressed an interest in seeing it. On that last day of the first week, Zoro arranged for the two of them to go on a boat ride to see the lagoon.
There could not have been a time or place more romantic. The lagoon was dark, shaded by the large and leafy foliage. Dragonflies were buzzing, their wings glistening against the surface of the lazy water. The boat moved at a leisurely pace and, except for the seagull that had been following them all day, they were alone.
“So-” When speaking to his companion, Zoro almost always started out his sentences with “so”, because he still didn’t know his name. “Does it meet your expectations?”
Sanji nodded, watching as he let the fingers of one of his hands trail along in the water. He did love the prince and he was glad to be living on land with him. But he did miss the ocean terribly. He tried not to think too often of his father and sisters under the sea. He didn’t know what Chopper and Franky had told them, if they’d told them anything. And he’d felt guilty from the beginning that he hadn’t even said goodbye.
Zoro, watching the unhappy emotions play out on his comrade’s face, frowned slightly and tried to think of something to distract him from whatever unpleasant thoughts he was thinking.
“So, I almost feel bad, not knowing your name. Let me try to guess it.”
Sanji looked up at him, then, eyebrow arched in skepticism.
“Oi, don’t look at me like that. Is it…Freddie?”
Sanji allowed a silent snicker and Zoro, pleased to see such a change of expression, continued.
“Percival?” He smirked at the face his blond companion made in response. “All right, no. Is it Bob?” He ducked the kick he almost received that time. “What, is that your way of telling me to give it up?”
Sanji nodded in obvious relief and Zoro rolled his eyes good-naturedly.
“All right, all right.”
The hint of a handsome smile tugged at Sanji’s lip and the prince felt a swell of something both wonderful and frightening fluttering in his chest.
The seagull, apparently hungry, dove suddenly to snatch a fish out of the water. In doing so, he jerked the boat, just a bit, but just enough to throw the two occupants slightly off balance, so that they needed to grab hold of each other to steady themselves. Their eyes met and their hands, gripping one another’s arms, did not move. Zoro swallowed, finding himself quite unsure of himself once more, and realizing with a touch of wonder that he wanted nothing to more than to stay this way, in this boat, with the other man’s warm hands on him. Or rather, there was one thing that he wanted more.
Zoro slowly started to lean forward and Sanji, eager to seize the lovely opportunity, did the same. His heart pounded as the moment he’d been waiting for came closer and closer, his eyes falling shut as he felt the warm of Zoro’s breath against his lips…
“FISH!”
Sanji’s eyes snapped open when he heard Luffy’s squawk of glee right by his ear, only to have his vision filled with lagoon water as the boat was turned over in the seagull’s enthusiasm. The moment was officially over.
Zoro was training late that night. He didn’t go down to the beach, since it was so dark, but rather to the castle gardens. Which just happened to be beneath his new companion’s window. His new companion…who he’d very nearly kissed. Zoro tried to push that thought aside. He tried to focus on how many push-ups he’d done, how many more he needed to do, how appealing the other man had looked with his eyes closed and his lips parted-
“Damn.”
Zoro stopped, wiping sweat from his brow, and looked up at the bedroom window. He couldn’t figure out how, exactly, this strange man with no voice and dangerous legs had managed to capture him so quickly, so completely. He didn’t mind the attraction, but he wasn’t sure what to do about it. He hadn’t meant to try and kiss him-the moment had just felt right. And he hadn’t seemed to mind.
“But…what do I do now?”
“Sire?”
Zoro turned to see Usopp standing behind him and cursed inwardly. He couldn’t believe he’d been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn’t heard him approach.
“What is it, Usopp?”
“I just thought you might like to know the latest on the marriage arrangement.”
Zoro stared at him blankly.
“What marriage arrangement?”
“…Y-Your marriage arrangement…sire…”
“Oh.” Zoro frowned. “I forgot about that.”
“How could you forget about that?!” Usopp sighed loudly in exasperation when the prince shrugged. “Let me refresh your memory, sire. For the past few months, a proposal for marriage has been in the works for you and the princess Tashigi. Remember-the princess we were on our way to see on the night of the storm? And we just got word tonight that the princess has accepted the proposal!” Usopp waited for some kind of reaction, and got none. “Sire,” he prodded, “you’re getting married!”
That got him a reaction, but not the one he expected. Prince Zoro’s face fell and he quickly turned his head, looking away from him, looking up at an open bedroom window.