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I have something important to show you. Come to my house, the doors open - Zoro
It was a weird letter to receive, first off. But it was especially weird to Sanji who received it at 9 o’clock at night when he was almost ready for bed, from a man he tried to keep at a friendly distance. The paper was slid underneath his door and a loud knock erupted through his apartment, before it fell eerily silent. This time of year, always freaked him out, with the longer nights and cold chills that sent goosebumps down his arms. Not to mention, all the pumpkins. He just hated pumpkin flavored shit, what could he say?
He braced himself for whatever the moss for brains had planned and got dressed, walking out of his apartment. The drive to Zoro’s was always quick, for how deep into the woods he lived. It was just on the outskirts of town, covered in brush and barely visible. The house itself was tall and rickety, barely being held together with nothing but spare wood planks and determination. The paint was peeling and chipped, with bars on the windows.
The bars… Sanji didn’t remember those being there the last time he was over. He shook his head and pulled into the driveway. It must have been some new decorations for Halloween, or whatever.
The man got out of his car and walked to the front door, where it was open. Dangerous and stupid like Zoro, he thought, but that was all the charm when it came to Zoro, wasn’t it? He brushed it all down and walked inside, letting the darkness consume him. It wasn’t super dark inside, but dull. No lights aside from one candle lit and set on an armoire in the front hallway that led to the stairs. It was creepy, it was something out of his nightmares.
“Marimo?” Sanji called, looking up to see if there was a light on upstairs, a signal that the other one was alive and not playing some dastardly trick on him. It had to be a prank to try and get the blonde into the Halloween spirit, and he wasn’t having any of it. It was mean and it was annoying, and damn, he was going to punch Zoro after this.
“Up here,” a gruff voice shouted back, letting a wave of relief flow through Sanji’s body. He pressed his lips together and went up the steep steps of the stairs, careful not to trip on how close together they were.
The upstairs was darker, making it hard to see where Zoro was calling from. But the blonde had been around his place enough times to know where his room was, feeling in the dark for the doorknob. He grabbed the handle and pushed it open to see the moss-head standing over his bedside, tying a chain around the first bedpost by the front of the bed. There were chains on either bedpost at the foot of the mattress, all long enough with cuffs attached to …
“I’m not playing with whatever sick shit you’re trying to do here,” Sanji frowned, a blush creeping on his face, and his arms crossing over his chest at the sight.
“It’s not for you,” Zoro replied with disinterest as he finished fastening the rest of the chain to the last post. He turned to look over his shoulder, eyes blown out with something akin to anxiety, “I just need your help setting up, and well, if you set up I gotta tell you.”
“Tell me what ,” he prodded.
“Robin typically helps me,” the moss continued, ignoring his friend and shrugging off his shirt, “But she’s out of town for the rest of the month, so now it’s gonna be you.” They made eye contact and Sanji could have sworn he saw the other man shake as he dropped his shirt and began to work on his pants.
“Zoro put your shirt back on,” Sanji narrowed his eyes, “What am I helping you with? What are you telling me!?” He tried to ask, to continue, but he was cut off when Zoro, did in fact, drop his pants, “Oh, you’re disgusting,” the blonde shuddered.
“I need you to cuff me to the chains,” Zoro sat down on the bed and watched his friend who was avoiding eye contact, “And then stand really far back.”
“Can you tell me why I’m doing any of this?” He raised an eyebrow and walked forward anyway, taking a cuff in his hands and locking it around his green-haired friend’s wrist. The other man shifted to lie on his back so Sanji could cuff the rest of his limbs.
“Technically, I can. But you need to see it to believe it,” his argument was stupid, but the blonde sighed and went along with it anyway. Once Zoro was chained up as per his own request, Sanji hastily made his way to the far corner of the room, warily watching the other man. He seemed nervous about the whole ordeal, oddly jittery for someone who was always so stoically annoying.
Then it started. Almost seemingly as the old grandfather clock in the corner turned to midnight Zoro let out a gasp and strained against his restraints, trying to break away from the hold it had on him. The curly-browed man stared in horror as his friend groaned and shifted in pain, before he simply … turned into a wolf. It wasn’t grotesque and there wasn’t much show to it. He very much poofed into a large werewolf, tied up to the bed and snapping. Foam dribbled from his mouth and canines glittered in the pale light.
“Oh, my fuck,” Sanji stared, slowly feeling behind him for the doorknob to escape. Zoro’s dog form slowly turned to watch him, before lunging as much as he could go. He pulled the bed and attempted to bite, snarling and chomping the air with malice. The blonde found the doorknob and threw the door open, rushing downstairs toward the front door. He had to get out of there, he had to leave, to protect himself! Zoro would be fine, right? He could handle it!
But as he held onto the front door, letting out shuddering breaths, Sanji couldn’t find it in his heart to leave. There was something so disheartening about the anxious way the moss stared outside, shaking with fear before he was about to transform. Like he knew he was going to do something he regretted, so he was forced to tie himself up. He wanted to be there for his friend forever and always, even if it was in ways he knew weren’t ever reciprocated. And clearly, he was in a violent daze, because the real Zoro would die before ever attacking someone without reason.
Maybe he could break it. The thought rang in Sanji’s head once, before taking over his mind. I mean, he had seen enough Cesar Millan to know how to train dogs. And Yonji had always begged for a dog when they were younger, so he grew up with a rather large St. Bernard always running him over with little care for him and his well-being. He could do this. He could defeat Zoro’s haze and get him to at least not be as violent, maybe even more normal.
The blonde looked up to the stairs, where he heard a mix of barking, whining, snapping, and howling all from the werewolf’s bedroom. It was creepy, but he was going to power through. So, he went to the kitchen and found his new armor for the night. Tongs, so he wouldn’t have to put his hands anywhere near the beast. A pillow taped to his front as the actual armor. Oven mitts, to protect said hands. Bacon bits, as a bribery. And a spray bottle, as the last resort.
He crept up the stairs and peaked inside the room, where Zoro had gotten ahold of a pillow and was ripping it to shreds with his teeth, sending bits of stuffing everywhere with the shake of his head. Sanji swallowed at the sight and braced himself, knowing what he had to do.
He inhaled and stepped inside, clearing his throat to get the mutts attention, “Moss! I’ve co-” And before he could speak Zoro started barking, throwing himself at the blonde and trying to attack without a second thought. Thankfully, those chains and handcuffs were strong enough to keep him at bay, and strong enough that he didn’t lunge too far.
“Okay, okay, who wants a treat?” Sanji raised his oven mitted hand, which held tongs, which held a bacon bit. The werewolf sniffed the air for a moment then bared his teeth, snarling when the blonde attempted to approach him any further. He threw the treat at his friend, who caught it, ate it, enjoyed it, then went back to barking.
“Okay shut up,” Sanji tried but he was cut off with more barking, “Moss I said- SHUT UP YOU DAMN DOG, GODDAMMIT!” He pulled out the spray bottle, spraying Zoro once. The [might I add very green] werewolf paused and tilted his head, going to bark but he was silenced with another spray, “SHUT UP! OKAY? BARK! YEAH, I CAN BARK TOO!” Another spray, “BARK BARK BARK!” While he sprayed, “JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN BARK DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE SPECIAL! I CAN BARK!” He continued to douse the mutt until they were staring at each other, one sopping with water, and one incredulously panting.
Zoro raised his dog eyebrows and blinked a few times, opening his mouth to even think about barking, but was quickly sprayed again, “I can do this all-night doggy,” the man narrowed his eyes and raised his tongs, with another bacon bit encapsulated in its grasp, “Now who wants a treat?”
The moss’s tail started to wag, his mouth opening and tongue lolling from its clutching, “Of course you do,” Sanji threw him the treat and became pleasantly surprised when he ate it and smiled [as much as a wolf can smile], “You’re nothing but a pig.” At that Zoro growled, furrowing his eyes and flattening his ears. The blonde didn’t cower though, because he saw the werewolf’s tail wagging, giving him a clue he was all bark and no bite [get it].
“Okay now if I let you out, you can’t bite me, okay?” Sanji cautiously approached his friend, whose tail sped up in small circles underneath him as he baby-talked, “Cause I’ll fucking skin you, yes I will,” he laughed when Zoro frowned, but nuzzled his snout against the blondes front regardless.
Never was the moss for brains this clingy, but he seemed grateful. The way Zoro’s nose pressed against his friend's stomach and his eyes looked up showed he was trying to thank him in some way, for breaking whatever haze he was under. For taming him. Sanji hesitated for a moment then placed his hand over top of his werewolf’s forehead, lightly combing through the thick strands of forest green.
“God you probably need a bath,” the man sneered playfully, unclasping the handcuffs at his front, then moving to the foot of the bed to get the rest. Zoro flopped onto his side and stood up, shaking a bit and letting random twigs and leaves fall from his coat. Sanji didn’t question it but exhaled relief. This was one hell of a night.
“So,” he clasped his hands together, “I should probably walk you or something,” the werewolf perked up and leaned forward, so he was in the stereotypical play pose [butt in the air with his head down], barking like an idiot. His tail hit the wall behind him with a loud thump, causing his friend to stare at him silently for a few minutes, “...Seriously? You’re that excited over a walk?”
Zoro barked playfully in response; eyes wide with excitement.
“God, okay okay. Do you have a collar or leash I could use?” At that the dog snapped, causing Sanji to raise his hands in mock surrender, “Fine. Just don’t wander. At all.”
The two found themselves outside, greeted with the dark world around them. Now it made sense to Sanji, why his friend bought those metal bars or lived in the middle of butt fuck nowhere [outskirts of town, but it has the same vibe]. The grass was freshly cut and damp underneath his feet as he perched down, watching as Zoro ran around like a maniac. The wind blew his fluffy fur back and his tongue hung out as he ran in circle after circle after circle. There had to be so much pent-up energy from all that transforming, the blonde wouldn’t be surprised if he conked out then and there.
Zoro came up to the curly-browed man and jumped, placing his large front paws on his chest. He wheezed out a response before stumbling and falling back into the grass with a small thud, “Oh you... Big bitch,” Sanji heaved, leaning his head back against the blades of green.
The werewolf laid beside him with a heavy sigh, before barking to get the male's attention. He looked up and watched as the dog flipped himself onto his side and started to roll around. Sanji propped himself onto his elbows and gazed with a new fondness as Zoro rolled around, picking himself up to run around a bit, before plopping back down in the same spot and rolling on his back. He was like a new person. He was free.
It was cute in a way to watch Zoro without a care in the world, lounge and run as if he had no responsibilities. Moments like these pulled at Sanji’s heart and made him never want to leave, made him never want to acknowledge the depth to which his feelings ran. The lengths in which his feelings delved to, turning from something platonic into something more. It was stupid to think the moss would ever realize, or even feel the same way. So, he preferred to keep his feelings locked away in a box where they could never come out.
“God,” Sanji let out a laugh, wiping some damp grass from his cheek as Zoro came to plop down beside him on his back, “You’re so stupid…” He smiled down at the dog, who opened his mouth and barked in response, “I don’t know why I love an idiot like you.”
Time froze after he spoke.
Sanji didn’t mean to say that. He didn’t mean for it to come out. It just slipped from his tongue in a moment that felt too natural, too right. In a moment that felt as though it was made for him and Zoro to share. As if everything in the universe happened to lead up to that moment, to confess. But he didn’t mean to.
Zoro sat up and tilted his head to the side, letting green ears flop on his forehead, “What? I didn’t say anything, moss. You’re looking at me weird.” An embarrassed blush crept onto the blonde's cheeks as he sat up himself and brushed some hair behind his ear, “I said nothing.”
The werewolf extended his paw and attempted to put it on his friend's shoulder, but he missed and ended up continuously pawing him to get attention instead. They made eye contact with something sincere in Zoro’s eyes, as if he was trying so hard to speak. He opened his mouth and closed it furiously, trying to will the words to come out instead of garbled whines that followed suit.
If only he understood dog, Sanji supposed.
Being rejected by someone while they were a werewolf stung; he knew that much. But he hoped that maybe this whole night would be nothing but a faint memory for Zoro, that he’d recall none of it and the blonde could die happy.
“You don’t have to say it,” the man spoke for him, “You don’t have to say anything. You probably won’t even remember this,” knowing his luck the moss-head definitely would, “I’ll be okay.” Sanji put on a smile and put his hand on his friend's head, ruffling the fur, “Maybe we should go inside, and I’ll tuck you in for bed, wittle baby.”
At that Zoro snarled, with his tail up in a zig-zag motion.
The man stood up and let the werewolf lead him inside and travel up the stairs to his bed which had seen better days. The green-furred wolf jumped onto his mattress and started to dig on it to make it more comfortable, although with his paws he was going to make a hole in no time. Sanji stood by the doorway and watched fondly, seeing him curl up into a ball before stretching out against the far side of the bed. Leaving plenty of … room.
“I’m not staying here,” to which Zoro whined and pressed his head into the bed, “You can survive on your own for a night, Marimo.” He crossed his arms as if to say that was final, although Sanji wished he could let himself say yes. That he could let this mean more than he knew it was going to mean. The moss whined again and sat up, lifting his paw in the air and attempting to grab at him. But there was so much distance, it fell flat.
“I can sleep downstairs,” he proposed to a dissatisfied bark, “You want me to sleep in the bed!?” Zoro nodded his head and let his tail wag, barking to signal a yes. God, he was so clingy as a dog.
“I’m not.”
Bark.
“I said I’m not, idiot!”
Another, louder bark.
“Zoro you- you- fine! Okay! Fine. But when you turn human put on some fucking boxers, okay!?” Sanji marched into the room, against all the protests in his head telling him to turn away, and he sat on the edge of the bed, “And keep your distance you smell like wet dog.”
The two found themselves cozied in bed, Zoro pressed against the wall while Sanji attempted to lay by the edge, with his back to his friend. The blanket covered them both and smelled so much of Marimo, it was intoxicating. He couldn’t help but indulge in the scent for a little bit, since it would only be for that night.
Every so often the werewolf would stretch and whine, gently pawing at his friends back. As if he was asking him to come just a little closer. Break the distance just a little bit. As much as he wanted to, Sanji tried to feign sleep and push him away. When sleep did hit him, it was dreamless and dark. Something quiet, almost like a warm blanket had taken over his mind and trapped him in a void of nothingness.
When he awoke, something was different. There was a new warmth pressed against his back, a hand underneath his shirt rubbing circles on his stomach, and a nose pressed against the nape of his neck. It was perfect, it was heaven, it was right. As if everything Sanji had ever done had led up to this moment, to every moment with that blundering moss.
It didn’t even register in his head that this warmth was Zoro in human form, or the idiot did not put on boxers like he had agreed to.
It all came to ahead though, when he felt a pair of lips pressed against his neck, in a chaste yet loving kiss. And he heard those words, “I love you too.”