(no subject)

[poet_at_heart]

Title: These Familiar Streets
Pairing: Zoro X Sanji, Luffy X Nami
Setting: Modern day Kyoto
Rating: M
Chapter: 5
Summary: After almost three years in Tokyo, Sanji now returns to Kyoto to fight in that war again. Problem is, now he also has to face the lover and the life he left behind.
Thanks to: My beta unseen_daydream  

 

"Love is a state of confusion in which the victim can not distinguish between spiritual aspiration, carnal desire, and pride of ownership." - Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (Moulin Rouge; 1952)

Chapter 5

Steel. His jaws and fists feel like steel as he clenches them and stares over the room. Walking around like nothing had ever happened, like he hadn't seen the green haired man, Sanji talks to the red headed woman.

The anger coils in his chest, like a tiger readying itself for a leap, for tearing flesh from bone and leaving nothing but a crushed skeleton lying behind. Just like he himself was left three years ago. Suddenly a hand grips at his right biceps, the fingers and nails digging into his arm and taking his focus off his ex-lover.

"Zoro, the hell is up with you? You're fucking tenser than a violin cord!" The hiss is low in his ear, rasping like every smoker's voice does. Smokers...

"Nothing." He grits the word out, his breathing even but forced through his nostrils. The hand grips even harder at his arm, obviously Ace doesn't believe him.

"Like hell it's 'nothing'. But do what you want, just don't crash this place too, you hear me? I don't want any shit 'cause you can't control your temper, whatever it is that upsets you." The raven lets go of his arm and Zoro closes his eyes and forces more air into his lungs. The questions are once again hammering inside his head, questions he never finds any answers to.

Why? Was it something he did? Did Sanji have a lover in Tokyo? Was it that orange haired woman laughing next to him? Could they exist in the same room without tearing down the walls and breaking each others' bones? Would the blonde ever look him in the eye again? Why couldn't his heart understand that it shouldn't beat faster every time the blonde smiled?

He shakes his head but a voice stemming from all of the pain and the anger still comes through as it rejoices over the simple fact of finally being in the same room as his beloved again, its optimism unbearable. Just because he's back in town again doesn't mean that everything will go back to how it was. Wait, there really was nothing to return to, materialistically speaking.

"Oi, Zoro! Come and meet Sanji!" A loud cheer and he is being pulled forward from his position at the wall towards one of the couches by the widely grinning younger man. The cook stands up too, an almost imperceptibly tense smile on his lips, even if the swordsman knows every single different shape those lips can take. Lips which used to burn on his skin, lips which gave him one of the biggest wounds he had ever received over a fucking cellphone.

"Zoro, this is Sanji who moved in here some weeks ago! Sanji, this is Zoro. He's one of my oldest and bestest friends." The grinning idiot wasn't aware of what he was doing, of how much the Byakko wants to grab the blonde, how torn he is between breaking the other's skull and kissing him until he can't breath.

"Good evening." A polite bow from Sanji's side, he doesn't search eye contact and his smile is now even more tense. "Good, be tense, feel like shit 'cause that's what I've been feeling like." The thought is sadistic and masochistic in the same row, since some place inside he still cringes at the mere thought of the blonde in pain, in any kind of pain.

"Same." He grunts the word, his jaw still clenched hard as he bows his head a little. Like hell he's going to show any kind of weakness against this man, he'll stand over this shit now, he's through with crying and loosing sight of himself. "But how many times havet you swore on that?" Ignoring his inner voice, he adds, as an after thought; "Do you play guitar? I think I heard you some days ago."

The cook cringes and inside Zoro howls in the joy of finally getting to him and in the pain of hurting him, his inner beast is shaking its cage and threatening to surface. But, Sanji finds himself fast, responding in a somewhat calm tone.

"Yeah. Sorry if I disturbed you."

"Whoa Sanji, you can play guitar?" Suddenly Luffy is there again, starry eyed and smiling in awe as he start to interrogate the older man about his musical talent, stealing the attention away. Knowing he is rude, the swordsman just turns around and walks away towards the refrigerator and the beer. He can't stand to look at the other, at his ex-lover who abounded him without any kind of real explanation.

~(TFS)~

Shit, shit, shit and bloody fucking hell. He was here, in this room, moving, drinking, talking in his low baritone to a short brown haired boy. And he had left Sanji just as soon as Luffy had introduced them to each other and started talking about music. Not that the cook hadn't felt the green haired one's gaze all but boring a hole in him ever since the swordsman entered the apartment.

Eyes he never thought he would get to see again, even if he don't dare to look into them, too afraid of the anger and pain he's absolutely sure he'll see. Beside him, the younger Portgas realises that the man he's talking to isn't listening; a pout grazes his lips.

"Sanji~ you're not listening!"

"Ah, sorry Portgas-kun." Smiling lightly at the other, knowing that he can't get the other to stop calling him by his given name, the cook tears his eyes from Zoro.

"I've told you to call me Luffy!" The pout grows on the raven's face but Sanji ignores it, instead focusing on Nami whom comes up to him. As usual, she has put real thought behind her outfit, the blue pleaded skirt going oh so well to the white t-shirt, black vest and golden jewellery. Her cheeks naturally a shade of light pink, making her look even lovelier.

"Luffy-san, when are we going to start watching the films?"

"Ah, as soon as Robin and Franky are here!" As the same pink appears on the younger boy's face, the blonde snickers and takes some cautious steps backwards, leaving his friends to bask in that feeling of uncertain warmth. He smiles at Usopp who waves to him to come over to where the sharpshooter is sitting on the floor in front of the television surrounded by wires and cables, trying to get it all together with the blue-ray player he brought.

"Don't you worry Sanji-kun, Zoro is always on edge with everyone! When he moved here I thought he was going to kill someone just 'cause they played loud music. But of course, I wasn't afraid and played the loudest I could!" His partner smiles his cocky smile as Sanji leans against the wall beside him, letting his eyes drift over the room before they set on that one male. Damn, he still looks the same, if not even more alluring.

As the long nose keeps chit-chatting, the Seiryuu mumbles a approving sound ones in a while at the same time as he watches his ex interact with that short brown haired boy and a tall, black haired man with freckles. Neither of them looks bad, the tall one is actually quite hot in his red shirt and grin. But, they still got nothing on the swordsman. His muscles flexes beneath his clothes, even more ripped than they were two years and six months ago, his way of frowning still the same. Even though the wrinkles between his brows seems even deeper now.

"The men next to him, who are they? The tall one is Luffy's big brother, ain't he?" Bringing the subject up as smoothly he can, Sanji trusts his friend's ability to talk excessively and give at least some vital info in his babbling.

"Hm? Ah, yeah, he is. His name is Ace, pretty cool dude, good at SSBB. Well, not as good as me, the great Usopp-sama, the great Wii-master!"

"Yeah yeah, how about the short one? Does he live here?" Stopping the archer before he starts going on about his favourite Wii-games, the cook's hands ache for a cigarette. But even if the apartment smells of cigarettes, he won't light up in it, as it would be too rude.

"That's Tonitoni Chopper. I'm not really sure where he's from, but I know he's studying to become a doctor. And it seems like he and Zoro are pretty close, I think Zoro takes care of Tonitoni's dog sometimes."

"Yeah, I can see that, he never let's anyone he doesn't trust stand that close..." It was like that during school too, like any true Japanese, the swordsman never let anyone disturb his personal space, nor did he invade others', even in a packed subway train. Constantly he kept to himself, he didn't interact with the class more than he had to and was only social when they had group work, and he hardly was even then. Not that it kept girls from confessing their love to him behind the gymnastics's hall at least four times every month.

Sure, Sanji had had his admires too, he always got a stomach ache at St. Valentines by eating all the chocolate he received, but the females at their high school had seemed to have a huge thing for the "bad guy"-type. But every girl, every affection, had passed the man by with hardly a thought. Nowadays, Sanji could understand fully why he had trained so hard, why he had become the best in the kendo-club so fast and why he hadn't let anyone in school get close.

Not that it had stopped him from fighting with the blonde. No, it never had, so Sanji had been the one closest to him during his high school years, in so many more ways than he had realized. If it hadn't been for their contact through constant bickering and fighting, the young swordsman would never have been dragged out to a karaoke-night nor a Korean barbecue once in a while. If it hadn't been for that, they would never have ended up together.

A tired smile drifts over the cook, memories of a lazy summer day when the swordsman unknowingly had lifted his spirits floods his mind and he wants nothing more than to go over to the other and press a kiss against his warm lips, sneak his arms around his neck and feel alive once again. But he knows he would probably get killed if he did that.

Ace laughs, his right arm around the green haired man's shoulders and a beer in his left. A grin almost graces Zoro's lips, but when his eyes darts to the blonde, it disappears just as fast as it almost appeared.

Before their eyes can meet, the Seiryuu looks over at the door instead, all but in desperate need of something taking his attention away from his memories and urges and wants and needs. Need to be the one standing next to the man he still loves, want to be the one who makes him smile and urges to be as close as two humans possibly can be. And their landlords entering through the door really helps to distract from those feelings.

Robin is just as dazzling as ever, her stomach round and growing with Franky's big hand on it, which stays there with his arm around her waist even as they greet everyone in the room. Nami walks over to them, a warm smile on her lips as she presents herself to the other woman and her husband.

The blonde keeps his eyes to the two females, does his best to shove away his own disturbing thoughts and crushing guilt and ignore how Zoro stares at him, bores a hole in his head as his freckled friend sneaks past the trio. That was a fight he didn't want to take part of now, but a fight he knew would come. They live in the same complex after all, apparently.

Suddenly, a sharp scent drifts in the air, growing stronger and stronger the more the cook inhales. It seems to come from the kitchen behind him...

"Yikes! It burns!"

~(TFS)~

The smell of burnt food stings in Zoro's nose, stealing his attention away from Sanji and instead towards the kitchen to where Luffy disappeared some time ago. The stench just grows in his sensitive nose as the seconds ticks by, before he hears the younger Portgas' yelp.

"Yikes! It burns!"

He pushes Chopper aside as gently he can before he rushes for the kitchen, in the corner of his eye he sees the blonde do the same a split moment after him. How had he..?

"Damn it Luffy!" The wondering thought quickly escapes his mind as he sees Luffy standing before the stove with a smoking pan lying on the floor between him and said stove. And from that pan, something that once might have been popcorn was spilling out and lying all over the floor, even beneath the swordsman's shoes. Soft crushing sounds are heard as both he and the cook walk over to the younger boy.

"What the shit were you doing Portgas?"

"Popcorn, Nami said she had a craving for it!"

"Luffy, I hate breaking it to you but as far as I know popcorn isn't supposed to be black, crushed and stinking."

"They're only crushed 'cause you guys are walking one them!" Sighing, Zoro grabs a hold of the Suzaku's collar and ushers him towards the door so that he can't do any more damage. The Gods knows this kitchen has been through a lot of shit already, letting it burn down from a failed try at popping popcorn would be far below its dignity.

"Get out of here, you'll only make it worse."

"But Zo-" He closes the door behind his friend, before he realizes what he has done. Behind him, seemingly looking for a brush to get the popcorn off the floor, is the man who had crushed his heart, tore up everything in his life and very existence. Left when he was the most needed...

"So, you're new here?" Slowly turning around, cautious as if on a hunt, the swordsman speaks in a fake-friendly tone, sweet poison coating the words.

"..."

"Hm, you're not the talking kind?"

"..." Even more silence, his bitterness surfacing more and more as Sanji avoids even looking at him and seems very focused on sweeping the floor. Not a single sound comes over his lips. And it pisses the Byakko off to no limit.

"Why, you who seemed so keen to talk with the girls and that long nosed friend of yours, what's the danger with talking to me?"

"Okay! Stop it Zoro, just stop it! I get it!"

Finally getting a response, anger and old rivalry flares inside of his chest as he bares his teeth and all but growl at his once lover. His eyes narrow, shoulders tense up and his fists clench as he retorts, venom all but coating his tongue.

"You get what?"

"That you're pissed, I get it! I would be too! But you don't have to put up that show." Still avoiding eye contact, the cook's body is tense too and it's obvious that he's ready for a fight; his legs almost shaking, fingers twitching on the handle to the brush. Still, Zoro keeps a distance, not sure he would be able to hold back if they would fight. But oh how much he wants too... "You're not fooling anyone."

At those words, he snaps. He has heard them too many times from others' lips, too many times been seen through when he has hiding away his own thoughts and wishes. So he reaches for the cook's collar, punches the leg which comes at him away, not caring that they sends the pan flying and once again spilling all the burnt popcorns. Nor the curses coming from the other's lips, in his hurry not even noticing the other leg that hits him straight in the gut.

Scrambling backwards, he gasps for breath and tries to refocus, the beast in him remembering the feeling. That foot has knocked him breathless many times before. His blonde pulls back his right leg, standing in that familiar stance again with his right leg retracted. This is it, this is being alive. Gone are that pain and emptiness, fire and adrenaline running though his veins, washing everything else away.

But before he has a chance to gather himself enough for another attack, or a counter, someone grabs hold of his arms from behind, preventing any effective movements.

"Oi, calm damn you two! Please don't destroy my kitchen just 'cause you feel like it!" Ace suddenly stands before Sanji, blocking the view for the two fighters. A low growl vibrates in the back of the Byakko's throat, how dare he go between them! He tries to struggle against the arm hold his restrainer has on him but Franky is strong and has too good a grip. So unless he uses his magic, which he is not permitted to use in front of regular humans, he won't get anywhere.

"Leave me out of that bashing, it was that shitty marimo who started it!" The sound of that nickname sends a jolt down Zoro's spine, memories flood his mind over and over again as he grinds his teeth together. That amazing voice, no matter if it was used in anger or passion, it always got to him. Always.

"Sorry Nonohara-san, but you shouted just as loud as him. So I want you two to settle this outside, OK?"

"Wh- I didn't-!"

"Get out of here, both of you! I won't let you destroy my house!" The loud voice of their landlord almost passes him by, even if it's shouted right next to his ear, as the green haired man realises what this means. Settling things outside, finally a fight to clean out all this shit in his system, a chance to breath.

"Let go of me then, so we can get out of here." The sentence is just above a growl, his muscles contradicting and burning by the adrenaline his heart pump into his system. As Franky cautiously lets go of him, he breaths shallow and stands on alert, his eyes never leaving Sanji even as the blond continues to avoid eye-contact. They start making their way out of the kitchen, out to the living room where it's dead quiet and everyone looks a bit shocked as they avoid looking at the pair. But the Byakko ignores them, doesn't care about anything else that isn't the cook right now.

His eyes are glued to the other's back as they walk out of the apartment, Luffy's voice following them out to the staircase. "Hurry! We'll start the film now!" It seems like the boy doesn't care if they beat each other to a pulp, as long as they're fast about it.

In the staircase, nothing but the sound of their shoes hitting the floor echoes between the walls, not even Franky and Ace who follow them dare to speak any words. The air around the two is heavy, almost electric. So when they finally reach the bottom of the stairs and head towards the door, both men sigh in relief as the younger males leave the building to go out into the dark evening.

His heart is beating hard, almost painfully, as he watches blonde hair flutter in the wind when pale hands reach into pockets and brings out a package of cigarettes and a lighter. They move in that pattern he has memorized over and over again, bringing up the small flame to the tip, inhaling the first smoke before tugging the lighter and package down again into the pocket from which they came. Ache. Pain. Fucking hell to not being able to see that. To be all alone, left behind by all and scarred for life, he clenches his fist and takes a deep breath. It is time to straighten some things out.

~(TFS)~

The breeze chills his almost damp skin, cold sweat releasing his body heat out into the spring evening. He can feel the man behind him, power and heat radiating against his back like he's standing before some kind of beast. Which he, in a way, are. Not that this particular beast will eat his flesh, only break his bones and heart if it gets a chance. A chance that he deserves.

"Asshole. Ero-cook. Fucking eyebrows. Lovesick idiotic fool." The words are spoken in a normal tune, with the voice growing more and more like a growl. Taking his cigarette from his lips and blowing out a puff of smoke, Sanji speaks up too.

"Come on, shit-head, I know just words won't do it."

He turns around and in the same second a fist comes rushing against his ribs. He knees it away, hands in pockets and feet ready to land on flesh and bones, to beat the anger out. Another attack, this time aiming for his head, so he ducks and sweeps his leg at Zoro's shins.

But he jumps over it and once again aims for his head, curses pouring over his lips. They're familiar, Sanji can't deny that as he fails to avoid the fist but also manages to land a blow himself. Eyebrow, perverted, Mr-Nice-guy, those are all familiar and dear in their own way, mementos from the time they spent together. As the fight goes on, the blonde feels his memories flood his mind with every hit and block, they have done this so many times before.

Insult, attack and block, he gets caught up in the old pattern even if the anger behind the swordsman's attacks makes them hit harder than they used to. Still, something in it is off, his voice seems almost thick as he curses over the cook's idiocy. And the fist aiming for his head, which in full power and speed probably would have knocked him unconscious, is slow and easy to avoid.

A kick and a blow. Blocking. Fists. Hoarse screams. The neighbours will probably complain and whisper about this many months from now on.

Inside, Sanji feels a need boil up again, a need to take a hit, to let Zoro hit him as much as he wants so the anger will go away. Since he can see the pain, the hurt shining through his grey eyes and the remaining love in the way his hits and kicks slow before they connect. Caught up in that realization, in finally looking into those eyes he avoided the whole evening, the Seiryuu suddenly finds himself pushed up against a wall with an arms pressed against his throat.

"You fucking pig-shit! Do you get what the hell you did!"

He feels dizzy, hypnotised as he tries to make out what his former lover is saying. But it's futile, he can't understand the other's reasoning.

"Of course I do, you shitty marimo! I left yo-"

"You left when I needed you the most!" The words are punctuated by the arm pressing even harder against his throat, now just shy of choking him. But the doesn't care, the words he just heard is too shocking. "Fuck, you claim to be sensitive but you're just full of shit!"

"What the hell are you talking about!"

"Nothing of your concern! You left, remember? Broke up with me, right?" The love is still there, just the wounds and hurt overshadowing it in Zoro's eyes. Slowly, the arm is eased of his throat and he is released from the wall. The warmth of the other's body quickly disappears in the night as words falls from lips once again. "But can't you at least tell me why?"

He had dreaded that question, ignored it utterly, cruelly, the last time, but now he can't hang up and ignore a ringing phone. Now he must look into those eyes and tell a lie, say that he doesn't love the only person who has ever accepted all of him as a human, the only on who would be able to understand if he told him everything. But as he opens his mouth, his cigarette lying discarded on the ground somewhere, he can't lie. Only faintly begging for more time.

"I... can't tell you. Please, understand that I can't tell you."

The pain is burning even more clearly in those eyes now, a twitch in thin lips betraying feelings in otherwise calm features.

"Why? Why should I? If you don't love me, then just say so, so I can move on!"

"That's why I can't tell you... I still love you..." He utters the words so silently he can with a breaking voice, his heart beating so hard it feels like it will break and his throat thickening even more. But he can't take it back now, just as little as he can let it go. After two years, six months and five days, he still loves the idiotic Byakko standing before him.

~(TFS)~

To be honest... I almost forgot about this 8D
But here you go, I hop you enjoy and that you'll stop asking what will happen when they meet again XD
I will still heart every little word you send to me, though!

Btw, here's that memory Sanji thinks of;
http://community.livejournal.com/op_songfics/6738.html#cutid1