Forty If We're Lucky

[maldoror-gw.livejournal.com]

Title:: Forty If We're Lucky
Rating: PG13
Word Count: 297
Pairing: ZoSan
Topic: Truth (of the hard-cold variety)
Warning: Grim subject mentioned.



Timeline: A few years after the series.

---


Zeff glanced up from his ledger. "Stop smoking, idiot."

Sanji coughed again and continued to go through their bills, ignoring the Head Chef.

"Moron. How'd you expect to see my age if-"

"Who wants to be that old?"

"Hah! And I'll live forever before leaving you the All-Blue Baratie, eggplant."

"Asshole."

Silence punctuated by the scribble of pens.

"But stop smoking if you want to reach any age at all," Zeff muttered.

Sanji laughed, a short, raspy bark of amusement. "Come on, geezer, you know guys like me and the marimo-head don't see a ripe old age. We live well, grab our dreams, hold tight and die hard at the age of thirty-five. Forty if we’re lucky."

Zeff gave a moody glance out the porthole where Sanji's other half - for three years now, not that Zeff was over the shock yet - was training, like always.

"He's good." Sanji's voice was oddly dispassionate as he watched his lover practice. "He's the best in the world. But one day he'll meet someone better, or simply younger, who'll kill him. That's the way it goes. And, it burns me to admit it, but anyone who can punch Zoro’s ticket will have no problem taking me down afterwards, so my life expectancy's the same as his."

Zeff knew full well how Zoro would die one day, however much he might like the stubborn 'marimo'. It was the destiny that came with the swords. But Zeff's baby-eggplant was a different matter; Sanji was- "Wait, you're just a cook. Yeah, I do know one day some bastard will take out the world's greatest swordsman, but why would this guy kill you along with Zoro?"

Sanji shrugged. "Self-defense. I'll be trying to rip his fucking heart out."

He lit another cigarette. Zeff said nothing.



END

(Sorry...)

Comments

[orange-smaug.livejournal.com]

...this is so wonderfully dispassionate in tone in contrast to what Sanji's saying, with the most heart-breakingly matter of fact second-to-last line ever. Argh, fantastic T_T.

[maldoror-gw.livejournal.com]

'Argh' was kinda the reaction I was expecting ^_^;

I think it's that contrast that caught me when this drabble popped into mind; it's what made me write it. The matter-of-fact acceptance of this future...Well, these guys have gambled with death a lot of times and won waaaaaaay more than the universe normally allows, so I'd say they're ahead of the game ^_^

[peroxidepest17.livejournal.com]

D'awwwwwww...

I get all melty-kneed whenever Sanji accepts the fact that he loves his big idiot. ♥

[maldoror-gw.livejournal.com]

Yeah, he's cute in denial but he's even cuter when he owns up to it. Of course, accepting a future death together is a bit more morbid than cute, but it's the thought that counts (or something)...

[denisitap.livejournal.com]

That was nice, short, in character, and pretty deep. I like it ^^

[kotszok.livejournal.com]

*sniffles* I love Sanji's last words.

[cosmiko-ling.livejournal.com]

Ditto what orange_smaug said. I like this a lot, the whole tone of the piece and its plausibility. And I love how you managed to convey this whole idea within the short 300 words limit.

[maldoror-gw.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, how I loathe that 300 word limit. But it is very, very good for my discipline. I think my writing has tightened up a tad since I started writing drabbles. Glad you liked it ^_^

[popcorn-oracle.livejournal.com]

Geez, its so true ._.;. That really is how it'd go for Zoro or Sanji(well, maybe Sanji, counting cigarettes and not being involved with Zoro).
Zoro being referred to as Sanji's other half made me melt, and the last bit about "self defense". Gah /sulks. Cute and depressing somehow ^^;.

Sad but true ._..

[maldoror-gw.livejournal.com]

Lol, cute and depressing pretty much sums it up.

[madnesshp.livejournal.com]

I...this is... *whimpers* I've always thought about it, how Zoro wants to be the best, but when he reaches that goal there'll be someone else down the line who wants the same dream. That's just how the circle goes. There was once upon a time where Mihawk desired to be the greatest swordsman, he achieved it, and then...

Ahhh but Sanji, oh man! I can't read this fic without feeling a sort of strange pressure in my chest. ;_; Sanji's last line just made this fic.

[maldoror-gw.livejournal.com]

True true; in fact, it was while I was writing this other ZoSan fic that includes that cycle you mention that this drabble came to me. Of course, for Zoro and Mihawk, it's just the way it goes, part of the dream. For Sanji...well, there's a touch more bitterness, but acceptance too, and I think that's what got to people. *evil laughter*

[obsidianne.livejournal.com]

*whimpers* Ah~~ Sanji.

~Sanji shrugged. "Self-defense. I'll be trying to rip his fucking heart out."~

T_T.Heartwrenching but oh so true.

[fieryredqueen.livejournal.com]

grim, sure, but pretty sweet--almost comforting, in a made-peace-with-his-destiny kind of way, if that makes sense.

'punch zoro's ticket'--oh, that means kill him? you used it in 'Hamon' and i though it meant something like 'rock his world' or 'float his boat'. i wasn't sure why zoro thought luffy had a better chance of punching his ticket than sanji...now it makes sense.

[maldoror-gw.livejournal.com]

That does make sense; as Sanji says, they might not live long, but they'll have grabbed their dreams - and their other half - and held on tight first ^_^ Which is...both sweet and depressing.

Lol, yeah, I guess that expression is a bit obscure...which would make that passage of Hamon a bit hard to grasp too. I have a very strange vocabulary at times...comes from reading a lot of different books in my youth.

[fieryredqueen.livejournal.com]

heh, i think my interpretation of that phrase stemmed from when i was in europe and had to punch the ticket before getting on the train, and since i really liked riding the trains over there--despite the fact that one of the trains in spain had such small seating areas that you had to ride with the knee of the person across from you between your knees--i suppose my mind automatically put a positive spin on the phrase. plus, you know, it sounds suggestive if you say it the right way. ^_^

[(Anonymous)]

i cant believe how effing good this story is. it made me all tingly. sanji's line at the end just MADE the story, i agree.

its so touching T.T

i love how sanji loves zoro so much. T.T i adore this

[der_jemand]

I can’t believe (and of course will pretend I never wrote this comment in the first place) I’m just about to cry. Well, not cry, but something really close to it.
This is just… I love the unemotional tone of it, because it says so much more than a passionate, theatrical declaration of love.
And here there are two. Sanji admitting he loves Zoro, Zeff admitting he loves Sanji, both kept in character and… it’s plain perfect, I guess. *sniff*

Thank you so much for writing and sharing it. (Yes, I mean it.)

[maldoror-gw.livejournal.com]

Yay, I made someone cry! ^_^ Or at least tear up a bit.

A lot of people noted the SanZo, but yeah, there's some fatherly Zeff love coming dangerous close to the surface here too, despite the fact that they both like to pretend (badly) that they don't really care for one another usually.

[sabershadowkat.livejournal.com]

Fantastic fic. So real and full of emotion.

[maldoror-gw.livejournal.com]

Thanks ^_^ It's hard to pack that into a drabble, but it seems to turned out well!

[geekchic07.livejournal.com]

I don't think this is a grim subject matter at all, I think it's just a realistic outlook and excellently in character. This was awesome, I really enjoyed it.

[maldoror-gw.livejournal.com]

It sorta wanders into almost-deathfic territory, and some people are sensitive to that, hence the 'grim' warning. Glad you liked it ^_^

[mango-32.livejournal.com]

Zomg...whimpers *is totally overwhelmed by the emotion and sense in this*

Sanji accepting that he's Zoro's other half, or the fact itself melted me. For some reason, even though there's no contacts whatsoever in this, it's still incredibly hot. And Sanji's reasoning is so true...but sad...the last two lines just did it in ;_; This is wonderful.

[cptn-shinigami.livejournal.com]

I can say nothing more than win. Because this does.

[roach-chan.livejournal.com]

you make me cry D:
yet i love you for it ._.b

[maldoror-gw.livejournal.com]

Lol, thanks, or sorry, or thanks, or maybe sorry, or-