La la la la, Hey hey-ey...

[bronzetigress.livejournal.com]

Title: Turning Point
Topic: crisis
Word Count: 300
Rating: PG14 (language, mostly, and canon vices)
Pairing: mess/mess (mostly San->Zo and Zo->Uso)
Disclaimer: Characters and setting? Not mine. Probably just as well. Here, have them back...
Summary: Nami is always right. Right? Trouble is, she's just told him to talk to a man with whom he usually communicates best without words.

Excuse: 'Cause it had to be done?

Notes: Belongs to the Tesseract Arc. Currently last in the series, coming right after "Intervention".

~~~

Sanji stretched up and gently extracted a bottle of high-grade liqueur from the upper cabinet. He grabbed a small tumbler as well, checked the stew, and headed for the anchor deck before he had time to think about what he was doing. What he was planning to do.

Nobody was out on deck, mercifully. Nami's voice drifted up from the hatch to the men's bunk, then Usopp's, and as Sanji reached the door, Luffy's laughter boomed.

Zoro was where, and as, Sanji had left him not ten minutes before. Sanji shut the door behind himself and crossed the floor to sit beside the swordsman, pushed the glass into Zoro's hand, and ignored the startled grumble to fiddle with the cap. "Just hold it, already." He poured the glass three-quarters full -- any more, and he'd be too unsteady to cook, he knew -- then took it back with a practiced twist and replaced it with the bottle and a gruff, "Here."

Zoro took an experimental sniff, and then a mouthful, breathing shallowly for a moment before swallowing, and taking another mouthful. He didn't set the bottle aside until he'd taken a fourth.

"I'm not going to ask you again," Sanji began. Zoro's head swiveled, disconcertingly sharp hazel eyes pinning blue ones. Sanji blinked, shook his head. "It's... I'm an idiot, and I... It was never Luffy."

A beat, a pause, another beat. "Then...?"

"It was always you," Sanji got out. "And I don't... I'm sorry? I just, it never... I didn't."

Apparently that actually made sense somehow, because Zoro nodded. "And now?"

"It's up to you. But he is below, trading tales with Nami and Luffy. Oi, Zoro..."

"Yeah?"

"Would you have, still, if?"

Zoro made no reply, only took another swig and stared blindly into space.

Silently, Sanji drank his comeuppance.

Comments

[yuki-kokoro.livejournal.com]

OH GOD, IT HURTS SO BAD GOOD BAD GOOD. Thank goodness you posted this today as well. Intervention would've been a bad way to end it.

I mean, not that this is a GOOD way, but at least Sanji got it out.

Still lovin this. reminds me of happy times when I didn't feel so behind on all things internet I can't wait to see what Zoro does. I'll wait with bated breath.

Also, you are QUEEN of the 300 word limit. Everything comes out so concise and the clipped dialogue works perfectly here and everything is just placed. ♥ This somehow seems to work for V-Day. I even like the holiday but... OH THE LOVE COMPLICATIONS AND PAIN.

[bronzetigress.livejournal.com]

*grins* Well, y'know, at this critical point in the proceedings, just about anywhere is a bad place to leave things, but, y'know, yeah, Sanji did at least get that out. And then overdid it, the dork. :S Ah, well. Don't forget to breathe in the meantime, eh? I'mma be kinda busy next few days, might take a while...

That 300-word limit? Is kinda fun to play with. I write, I word count, I delete a few unnecessary sentences, I word count, I add new important stuff, I word count, I twiddle with the last three words' worth for hours. ;)

And, yeah, it did sorta fit the day, didn't it? Sanji finally got to tell Zoro how he really feels, after all - even though this is hardly a romantic sort of deal... :)

holy crapola

[i-are-monk.livejournal.com]

I'm a long-time lurker of this forum, and this fic inspired me to say something. Not only do I love it, but I can relate to sanji EXTREMELY well right now. I have very strong feelings for a friend of mine, and he actually likes me too, sorta, BUT he has a crush on my other friend, and doesn't want to ruin his friendship with me, and a few other reasons. It sucks so much, *hugs sanji* we'll get through it!

Re: holy crapola

[bronzetigress.livejournal.com]

Wow, I feel honoured, luring lurkers outta the woodwork...

*offers encouraging hugs* You, and Sanji, will get through it I'm sure! Thanks so much for the comment, and so glad to hear you're enjoying the series! :)

[sweetmoons.livejournal.com]

*throws more love at you* I've been waiting for this since 'Close Your Eyes' way back when! Gah it's just sooo good. Every new part just makes it all the better. Zoro! You bastard! Don't pretend you didn't like being "Number One Bitch!" Argh, I am drooling at the thought of Zoro being burned by Usopp, though I still want a foursome!

[bronzetigress.livejournal.com]

*happy smile* Glad you're still enjoying!

Ah, poor Zoro though! He did just get rather a shock and then another and a vivid flash of potential consequences, and now he's getting new (*correct*) information to shuffle in, and it's a lot to deal with, no? It might take him a while to figure it all out and process...

Another vote for a foursome, huh? ;)

[bronzetigress.livejournal.com]

*laughs* I'm getting a lot of votes for an orgy, y'know. Which, y'know, would be *fun*, really... I guess I'll just have to see, hmm? :)

Glad you're still enjoying this little series! :)

[fieryredqueen.livejournal.com]

woo! zoro's side next? *bounces*

[bronzetigress.livejournal.com]

Well, I was kinda thinking so. It is sorta his turn, after all. Of course, there's also Usopp's and Luffy's and Nami's (again, because I know I wanna know what she's doing down in the boys' room, don't you?) to do as well, and then there's other crew to consider after that, too, no?

*happily watches you bounce* :)