Appropriate Aggression

AN: no witty remarks today. just enjoy, guys.


Appropriate Aggression Chapter 8.3

The afternoon bled into evening and soon Zoro found himself alone in the crow’s nest once more. He sat down on the bench and stared out at the black night, wondering exactly what he was supposed to be looking for and how. Every once in a while, Zoro wished that he were back on land again, wandering around with Johnny and Yosaku, taking bounties as they came and hearts as they went; or so Yosaku claimed. Zoro laughed as he tried to imagine any person he had had ever slept with giving him their heart. Not a single person had ever left much of an impression in his mind, let alone done anything to make him feel the least bit emotionally attached. Kuina had been the first person he opened his life to and then the so called gods came and took her away. Since then, there hadn’t been any need for close companionship so Zoro took to bed random men to take care of his more primal needs.

Then there was Sanji. The man irritated the shit out of him and intrigued him at the same time. When the cook had stumbled upon Zoro in the alley fucking that guy against the wall, the swordsman never thought the night would end up with the two of them having sex; especially allowing Sanji to top him. The helpless look on the blonde’s face was the only thing Zoro could think of that caused him to give in. That look of desperation should never be associated with a man of Sanji’s strength. Other than Luffy, Sanji was the only one aboard the ship that Zoro felt was a worthy competitor in any sparring match. True, Franky was nearly indestructible, but that was because most of his body had been replaced with mechanical wonders. Zoro would never begrudge him his choice of weapons, but there was something about fighting a man who used only his body to defend with; flesh and blood against Zoro’s steel.

Luffy was Zoro’s captain and other than the time in Whiskey Peak and when Zoro had been misguided by a possessed Saga, they never truly fought against each other. Sure, Zoro told Luffy that if he ever got in the way of his dream he’d kill him, but over time Zoro had learned that the only way he would ever have a chance of seeing that dream come true was under the Straw Hat Captain’s command. He had learned and perfected several techniques in just a short amount of time, much quicker than he ever would have on land. And, with Nami and Chopper around, Zoro was sure to never get too lost.

Zoro chuckled as he thought about the ship’s doctor and how astute his senses were. When he and Sanji had come down for breakfast at the inn, Chopper had gone extremely quiet and continuously fought a blush every time either of them looked at him. During the walk back to the Sunny, Chopper had hung back to make sure he was ok before hurrying to catch up to listen to Usopp’s story. Zoro wondered again why the little reindeer had such a happy look on his face when the swordsman didn’t deny the fact that he and the cook had been intimate again. Maybe Chopper was just excited to be included in a secret of Zoro’s.

/-/-/-/-/

Zoro knew that something was wrong the moment Franky mentioned the cook hadn’t come back to the inn the previous night. When Sanji turned and bumped into him in the galley, Zoro wanted to tear into him with questions, but the defiant glare yet again had hints of pain and suffering behind it. He kept his eye on the blonde the entire time during the meal, wondering how everything had gone so bad this time. A slender hand patted him on the shoulder and Zoro looked up, surprised to see that it belonged to the ship’s navigator. Nami gave him a sympathetic look along with a small, sad smile as she passed by him on her way to her seat at the table. Even the reserved dark haired historian seemed a little more caring towards him this morning as she too ran a gentle hand across his arm on her way to join Franky and Chopper. The little doctor caught his eye and Zoro just shrugged, showing him he had no idea what was going on. By the end of the night though, Zoro intended on finding out. He didn’t like the unsettled feeling he got in his stomach each time he saw a crack in Sanji’s façade.

Zoro caught Chopper as soon as he came out of the infirmary, the blonde having exited only a moment sooner.

“Hey, what’s up with the shitty-cook.”

The doctor jumped and spun around, holding his hands over his heart as if to keep it from jumping from his chest. “Oh, Zoro. Um, I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

“I know that you’re supposed to keep quiet about things, but I need to know if he’s ok.” Zoro leaned up against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest as he looked out over the ship. He could hear the shuffle of small hooves as Chopper mulled over the request.

“It was just a few scratches, are you really that concerned about him?” was the small reply.

Caught a little off guard at the sincerity of the question, Zoro took a minute to reply. A month ago, Zoro wouldn’t have thought twice about the blonde’s moodiness and just dismissed it as him getting rejected by another girl. Unfortunately, now that Zoro knew the extent of the mental damage the cook was suffering, he found himself unable to just let things be. Sanji’s welfare was detrimental to the survival of the crew, as he kept reminding himself during this whole ordeal. This wasn’t personal, he was just looking out for Luffy.

“When he’s off his game, he poses a threat to everyone. Whatever is going on with him needs to be fixed quickly.” Zoro pushed off the wall and headed for a sunny spot to take an afternoon nap, intent on keeping the cook out of his mind from now on.

/-/-/-/-/

The last marine fell at Luffy’s feet, the threat finally neutralized and Nami issuing orders to raid the weapons, food and treasure. Zoro found himself in the galley with Luffy as he watched the bottomless pit stuff himself full of every provision he could get his hands on. Hoping to find enough to bring back to the ship, Zoro began gathering miscellaneous vegetables and spices that were strewn across the counters into a burlap sack. One look at the meat storage and he knew that they would be set for at least another week. Zoro was in the middle of bundling up the food supply when he realized how quiet it was in the room, a concern in itself since he hadn’t entered the room alone.

“Ne, Zoro? Why didn’t Sanji come with us?” Luffy was sitting cross legged atop one of the prep tables in the kitchen, holding a leg of ham and studying it carefully.

“Fucking dartboard brow is probably swooning after the female marines we captured. Don’t worry, at least this way you get a snack before we take everything back,” Zoro pointed out.

Luffy nodded, seemingly impressed with the idea before he cocked his head to the side and studied his first mate for a moment. “Are you guys fighting again? Is that why he didn’t want to come?”

Zoro stiffened and kept his words guarded as he spoke. “We always fight, why would today be any different? He’s probably just in one of his moods and trying to cover it by paying more attention to Robin and that… Nami. I wouldn’t worry about him, Luffy. He’s a big boy; he can take care of himself.”

Luffy didn’t seem convinced and shook his head. “He’s definitely acting weird.”

“So what do you want me to do about it?” Zoro turned back to his task and almost dropped the steaks he had just picked up when Luffy answered him.

“Whatever you did last time to make him better.”

Zoro froze, swearing that his heart had just skipped several beats. “Last time?”

“Ya I saw him come out of one of the bars a few islands back and he looked horrible. I went to go get Chopper, but he was asleep and Robin said not to bother him so she came with me to check on Sanji and that’s when we saw you helping him back to the ship. After that he looked like he felt a whole lot better. I want you to fix him again.”

“I don’t know that I can,” Zoro told him honestly. “I did what I could last time, but I can’t keep fixing him like that. One of these days he’s gonna have to fend for himself.”

“I know, but until then you’ll keep helping, right?” Luffy hopped down from the table and walked over to drop his large ham in the stack of meat to take to the ship. “I trust you, and so does he.”

Zoro watched his captain leave, the insightful man’s words still ringing in his ears. Luffy wanted him to keep allowing Sanji to use him as a method of sexual release, and the swordsman wasn’t too sure he was willing to sacrifice much more for the sake of just one man. True, they needed the cook, but he wasn’t about to save the man’s sanity by giving up his own, because somehow his previously calm mind had now been laced with concern over a blue eye-eyed blonde who tasted of cigarettes and sharp spices. Sex had obviously helped the cook in the beginning, or so it appeared, but whatever had happened last month had sent Sanji spiraling downward again. Zoro looked at the doorway where Luffy had exited and silently cursed the man. It was only because Luffy was asking that he would do this.

/-/-/-/-/

The night after the attack by the marine ship, Zoro was sitting on the window sill on watch when he saw the disheveled cook emerge on deck. Finally seeing his chance to catch the man alone without the prying eyes of the rest of the crew, Zoro silently descended from the crow’s nest and approached the blonde.

“Oi, love-cook, shouldn’t you be in bed?” Zoro called out, going on guard when he saw the cook stiffen.

“Shouldn’t you be up there watching for danger,” Sanji waved a hand in the air, not giving Zoro the courtesy of even turning around.

Zoro tried to remain calm, repeating that if he killed the cook now he might not be able to get all of the blood off the deck by the time Brooke came to relieve him from watch. “Maybe that’s the reason I’m down here now.”

Sanji seemed genuinely surprised when he turned around to look at the swordsman. Dark circles stood out on his pale skin under bloodshot eyes, the fact that his entire face was revealed didn’t go unnoticed by the swordsman. Whatever was wrong might possibly be worse than the original problem.

“What the fuck did you do?” The scowl on Zoro’s face deepened when Sanji just scoffed at him and turned back to look over the water. Zoro waited until he had finished his cigarette and was reaching for another before giving his ultimatum. “You can either answer me or I’ll let Nami know you didn’t stay in the inn the last three stops.”

Zoro could have easily blocked the attack, but he needed the cook compliant and therefore refused to draw his weapon, instead taking the full brunt of the kick to the side of his face and stumbling back several feet. He stood back up, wiping the small trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth and glared at the blonde.

“Don’t you dare tell Nami-swan a thing, fucker. You have no idea what hell I’ve been living in since…”

“Since what!?” Zoro began closing the distance between them as he let all his anger show clearly on his face. “All I know is that you went out to get laid and ended up spending the night here on the ship. Chopper cleaned up some minor scrapes, though nothing that would suggest you got into any significant fight. But whatever you did, it’s certainly fucked you up royally.” With their noses almost brushing against each other, Zoro could see the trickle of sweat gathering along the blonde hairline. Still, Sanji refused to answer him, though he wasn’t turning away any more. But if he wouldn’t open up and talk, Zoro didn’t know what else he could do. Fighting with him would help relieve stress, but it wouldn’t solve anything. “Che, whatever it was, you need to fix it. Even Luffy is worried about you now.”

“I’m working on it asshole!” Sanji’s outburst caught him a little off guard and Zoro was glad to finally see a reaction out of the man. “This whole fucking problem is your fault anyway. Until that night, I was happy with my sex life.”

“Yah, it was so great that I found you crying your eyes out in an alley behind one of the shittiest bars on the island.” Zoro didn’t feel like pussyfooting around with the idiot any longer, having lost all sympathy for him now. “The way I see it, I gave you an option. You were the one who made the decision. Now all you have to do is own up to your choice.”

“So what? I’m supposed to satisfy myself with men now? Bullshit,” Sanji yelled and Zoro narrowed his eyes as he clenched his fists to keep from striking out at the blonde.

“You’re fucking stupid,” he said as he stepped around the cook, purposely knocking him a little with his shoulder as he passed. Luffy was just going to have to understand that some things couldn’t be fixed.

/-/-/-/-/

Zoro made sure that he was roomed with Chopper and Luffy that night before heading out into town to seek some much needed relief. He was tired of the mental stress that had accumulated with his dealings with the cook and the strange change in Sanji’s behavior on a daily basis. Zoro finally admitted he was worn out, mentally and for same strange reason emotionally. He ran a hand over his short hair and rubbed at the tight muscles in his neck as he tried to decide what he wanted to do first. He’d managed to stash some of the money he’d gained from the thief that had targeted Sanji so maybe he could look at finding a better than usual place to drown himself in ale.

Letting his feet guide him, Zoro wandered the village for the afternoon, just enjoying the change in atmosphere from the usual chaos aboard the ship. A few elderly women were gathered outside a teashop and smiled at him politely when he bowed his head to them as he passed. It didn’t take long before the swordsman found himself lost in the more rundown section, the evening casting its orange and red glow across the sky. The smell of roasting meat drifted from one of the windows and Zoro was reminded that he had yet to eat that evening. Trying to follow the smell, Zoro stepped into the street next to a decent pub across from another welcome site. Food, drink then sex, all in basically one spot; Zoro was set for the night.

Though the food wasn’t near as good as he was used to eating on the Sunny, Zoro polished off his meal and downed several mugs of strangely flavored ale before heading out. With only one last item left on his list, he immediately walked across the street and slipped inside the bordello doors. It wasn’t often that he had the luxury of fucking someone in an actual bed and Zoro was looking forward to the rare benefit. His eyes hungrily scanned the men in the parlor, looking for just the right something that would make this evening that much more interesting. Too often the men in these establishments were lithe and feminine, both of which Zoro had no desire for, but it seemed that the Madame (or Monsieur) here had taken in account that many of the patrons would be of a rougher status and therefore more durable whores would be needed. Two well built males stood as soon as they noticed him, each one shifting their robe or shirt open more so that the swordsman could see what they had to offer.

But, a pair of strong arms wrapped around him from behind and Zoro turned his head to meet amused jade eyes barely able to be seen behind a fringe of dark red hair. The firm body pressed against his back and the man’s growing arousal rubbed against the curve of Zoro’s ass, the only invitation that the swordsman needed. The arms released him, but a smooth hand trailed down his arm to take his hand and pull him towards the stairs. Though not one to usually take orders, Zoro allowed the man to lead him to a nicely furnished room and was coaxed into setting his swords on the bench at the foot of the bed so they could lie down. At the last moment Zoro turned his head, causing the redhead’s lips to fall far from their destination and land on his jaw instead; for some reason he just didn’t feel like kissing tonight.

His shirt was removed along with the green fabric at his waist as soft lips trailed down his tanned neck and over his ribs, pausing at his waist while the redhead worked at removing his black pants. Zoro kept his eyes on the man, not completely trusting him when that close to such a sensitive area of his body. A pink tongue darted out and licked the head of his cock, his member now fully erect and free from clothing. Zoro moaned softly as the redhead’s tongue continued to lick him from base to tip. He kicked off his boots so his pants could be removed completely and watched as the other man stood and removed his thin pants and happi coat.

The man grinned slyly at him as he crawled back between Zoro’s legs and began to nip and lick at his inner thigh as he spread Zoro’s legs further apart. Zoro’s eyes went wide as he watched his cock slide deep into the redhead’s mouth and moaned loudly when he felt the man’s throat tighten around the tip as he swallowed. Zoro grabbed a hold of the shaggy hair and brought the man back up quickly before shoving him back down again. Fingernails dug at his thighs but the man made no effort to fight against him as Zoro continued to abuse the man’s mouth. One hand began inching towards his sack and Zoro growled warningly when a thumb brushed across his puckered entrance. The thumb began to press in and Zoro yanked hard on the red hair, pulling them man off his cock so he could look him eye to eye.

“Don’t,” Zoro threatened, a bit thrown off by the challenging gleam that seemed to light up the jade eyes.

“How will you know you don’t like it unless you try? I bet you’d be screaming for more if you just let someone-“ the rest of the sentence was cut off by a large hand encircling the pale throat.

“I’ve tried, and he’s the only one who ever will.” Zoro held the man’s shocked gaze as he let the words sink in… for both of them. His grip relaxed, though still kept one hand firmly tangled in hair, and the redhead gasped for breath but didn’t move from the bed.

“Is he important to you?”

Zoro turned and looked at his swords for a moment, his eyes settling on the treasured white katana as he thought about what it meant to have someone important. It was true that the cook held some significance in his life, but he was sure it wasn’t in the way the whore was thinking. The nutrition in Sanji’s cooking was what helped his body stay in peek condition and he kept him on his toes with their constant squabbling and competitions in every battle to see who could take out the most enemies. He counted on the cook to be there, nothing more.

Zoro looked back to the redhead and pulled him forward for a kiss, and found the feel of the man’s lips against his own lacking in so many ways. Soft hands began stroking him back to fullness and Zoro deepened the kiss as he pushed the man over to his back, careful not to hit his head on the ornate footboard of the bed. Pale, muscular legs spread apart and Zoro settled between them as he continued to plunder the redhead’s mouth. Next to his swords was a small basket filled with different bottles and Zoro reached out, grabbing the first one his fingers touched. Cool oil spilled into his hand and he quickly thrust two fingers into the other man’s ass, not bothering with any more pleasantries. As he assumed, the man relaxed easily and so Zoro wasted no more time in coating himself with the remaining oil on his hand and pulling the redhead’s hips higher off the mattress.

The whore reached back over his head and grabbed the hard wood frame, his body spread before Zoro wantonly as the swordsman eagerly lined his cock with the man’s entrance and began to slide in. Happy sighs mixed with lust-filled growls as Zoro sank completely into the man below him, doing his best to control himself so the exquisite feeling would last as long as possible. It had been too long since he had the chance to fuck someone and tonight Zoro intended on taking advantage of it as much as he possibly could. Pulling almost all the way out, Zoro slammed back in with full force, a satisfied grin emerging on his face at the scream of ecstasy that he ripped from the redhead’s throat. Over and over he drove in, his male pride swelling with each cry of pleasure that echoed in the room.

Zoro slid a hand up the pale ribs, brushing a thumb across a pert dark nipple and instantly the redhead seized and came, the thick white fluid shooting across both of their chests. The swordsman continued to drive harder into the man, desperate to find his own release. The whore clinched his ass around Zoro’s cock and the increased pressure was just what Zoro needed to reach his climax. Zoro looked down on the redhead’s content face and wondered why he didn’t share the same feeling. It was as if something was missing and he couldn’t place exactly what it was. Zoro slid out and though spent, his cock still held more firmness than it should.

“Give me a few minutes and I can go again,” the redhead sighed happily. “I was pretty sure a guy like you would need more than just one round to be satisfied.”

Zoro nodded numbly and rolled over to his back, trying to ignore that he still wasn’t fulfilled. The redhead got up from the bed and walked over to the dresser, the sound of a match being struck gaining Zoro’s attention only a second later. A thin brow over green eyes rose as the man lit the cigarette between his lips.

“I could smell the smoke on you so I assumed that you wouldn’t mind. Does it bother you?”

“Yes,” Zoro snapped. He narrowed his glare when the redhead just laughed and continued to enjoy his smoke. Zoro wondered when he had started smelling like the cook; did the rest of the crew notice?

“So what did you do wrong?” The man chuckled at Zoro’s confused look. “I’m assuming you and your lover got into a fight and that’s why you’re here with me and not him. I bet that’s also why you’re still hard.”

Zoro got up off the bed slowly and stood before the cocky redhead, fury building deep in his gut at the idea of this man thinking that he and Sanji were lovers. The bastard wasn’t anything more than an annoying pest and a shitty-cook. Zoro decided it was time to prove the whore wrong and pulled the slightly smaller man flush against him as he crushed their mouths together; the cigarette snubbed out against the wood surface to keep it from burning anything. The kiss was more of an attack, as Zoro let his frustration and anger take over his actions. He ignored the whimpers coming from the redhead as he continued to suck and bite at the swollen red lips. Hands wove into his short hair and Zoro moaned lustfully when he felt the redhead’s member begin to swell again.

Zoro spun the man around and pushed him forward onto the dresser as he kicked the man’s heels to widen his stance. Knowing the whore was still slick and ready from before, Zoro grabbed strong hips and pressed in without warning, immediately slamming over and over into the redhead. Items were knocked off the dresser top as the man scrambled for a hold on something to help steady himself against the steady onslaught of raw lust coming from the swordsman. Zoro growled louder with each whimper and cry that escaped and increased the power of his thrusts after being begged to do so. This time, when the redhead came, Zoro wasn’t far behind, his hands still gripping painfully at the jutting hipbones beneath him as he slumped over the man’s back.

Tremors from well worked muscles reminded him that he should probably move them to the bed, so Zoro wrapped his arms around the redhead and helped the shaking man to lie down. The swordsman looked down on him and wondered if the guy was going to be ok; he looked a little more pale than before and he refused to open his eyes.

“Hey…” Zoro kicked him lightly in the leg that was dangling off the bed.

The man started chuckling which soon turned into giggles, much to Zoro’s chagrin.

“You’d better fucking apologize for whatever you screwed up, you dumb shit.” Jade eyes opened and looked up at Zoro with amusement. “Because if he can fuck you anything like you just did me, he’s worth a little humility.”

Zoro snorted derisively and grabbed his pants, shoving his feet in and quickly looking for the rest of his clothing. He pulled his shirt on and slipped into his boots at the same time, trying to get out of the room fast before the asshole said anything more. Zoro attached his swords back at his hip and reached for the door.

“You’ll regret it if you lose him,” the whore sang out and Zoro slammed the door behind him as he all but ran out.

He looked down the hall and watched a familiar blonde exit a room on the other side, the door opening enough for Zoro to see the naked sleeping man on the bed inside. Something twisted in his gut and he found his hand on Sanji’s shoulder as his mouth opened. “What the fuck are you doing here love-cook?”

The pitiful look that the cook had sported the last few times he had returned from the pleasure houses was completely absent, telling Zoro that the man had thoroughly enjoyed himself and his problem had been solved. Sanji was fixed, or as much as the swordsman could possibly hope for. Zoro didn’t wait for the blonde to answer, instead turning and walking down the stairs, tossing a bag of coins at the waiting okama behind the reception desk as he exited through the front doors. He stood in the middle of the road for a moment trying to decide which direction the inn was when Sanji appeared at his side. The cook said nothing as he lit up a cigarette and with a gentle nudge of his elbow, Zoro began walking along side Sanji as they headed back to the inn in silence.