Okay people, put down the guns! I'm not abandoning Mightier than the sword. Really! It's just ever since MuffinGirlBethan posted her Halloween contest on tumblr this idea has grabbed me by the throat and would not let me go until I wrote it. I tried to make it as scary as possible. Al those J-horror marathons are finally starting to pay off.

Keep in mind, I've never even written Zosan before. I always was of the opinion that they worked better as reluctant friends than lovers. However, I'm a huge fan of Zosan fics and I absolutely adore it when someone manages to pull of their relationship and make it work. I hope you guys like my take on it.

On with the show. And may you be appropiately spooked.

"Of all the invisible forces that shape the world around us, there's none more powerful, more beautiful and more merciless than true love."

Anonymous

Sanji was pretty sure he was losing his mind.

Though probably so did the old woman who had handed him the keys to the room ten minutes ago. She had looked more than a little peeved when he asked to rent a room for an hour and even though she had immediately agreed, he could see her frown behind horn rimmed glasses and look behind his back. As she fumbled with the change she had even casually asked him if he expected company but his muttered negation seemed to have stopped her from inquiring any further. As he closed the door behind him, Sanji could hear her whispering something to the maids but the exact words never reached his ears. The silent judgment in their stares, however, told him everything he needed to know.

Given the circumstances, Sanji could not blame them for thinking the worst. A quick look in the bathroom mirror showed him a sight that would make anyone in their right mind want to keep as far away from him as possible. His eyes, puffy and bloodshot, gave him a blank, exhausted stare and the dark circles under them made him look even more deranged. His pale face partially hidden by matted blond hair looked a bit distorted under the shadows of a rapidly approaching night. When he tried to smile in an attempt to make the picture look more comforting, the mirror reflected a twisted grimace.

He walked towards the door, turned the key in the lock twice and put down a small paper bag. Its contents clinked gently against one another. Sanji regarded it with a pensive look; then turned to the window. His hand hovered over the curtains for a while as he stared at the little town around him listening to the excited chatter and laughter floating in the wind. A group of shadows was slowly gathering on the streets and he could sense a faint smell of roasted pork. Somewhere in the distance, the first notes of a popular folk tune began to play.

Nami's new green dress spun in an ample wheel as she twirled among the dancing citizens. Her smiling face framed by long red bangs looked almost otherworldly under the orange light of the roaring fire. From his side of the little square Sanji saw her reach towards Luffy and grab his arm trying in vain to pull him away from the roasted pork stand and to the dance floor but succeeding only in stretching his arm to a ridiculous degree. Her brown eyes rolled in exasperation as she let go of Luffy's hand allowing it to fly free and smack the oblivious captain on the forehead. She laughed, grabbed the seams of her long dress and jumped back into the dance, light as a breeze.

A big callused hand smacked him upside the head. Sanji winced slightly and looked up to discover a tanned face topped with moss-green hair staring at him from above.

"What the hell, seaweed head?" He stood up from his chair and glared daggers at Zoro. The swordsman's annoyed gaze lingered on him for a second; then travelled towards the dancing navigator.

"You could at least pretend you're not staring."

Sanji's sour expression turned into a smirk as he moved closer to Zoro and rested his weight against him. He felt the swordsman's arms wrapping around his waist and leaned his head back enough to whisper into his ear.

"What's wrong? Are you jealous all of a sudden?"

He felt Zoro stiffen a bit as his grip on him tightened. His voice, however, sounded as calm as ever.

"Who would, idiot cook? I just hope you know it's never going to happen. You should give it up while you still can."

Sanji let out a soft sigh. He leaned his head on Zoro's shoulder and looked at the dancing crowd once again.

"There's nothing to give up, moss-head. Besides, Nami deserves better than any of us anyway."

Zoro rolled his eyes and threw him a glance of feigned disdain. His expression morphed into a frown as he followed Sanji's gaze towards the bonfire and the spinning shadows around it.

"That doesn't stop you from staring at her, apparently."

Sanji slid out an arm from under Zoro's hold and fished out a cigarette from his pocket. He fidgeted with the lighter for a few moments and smiled as he watched Zoro do his best to ignore him.

"Well, green has always been my favorite color."

He heard Zoro emit something between a grunt and a guffaw.

"Is that part of your repertoire for the ladies, love cook?" He felt him lean away from him, take a large swig from a glass and resume his position against the counter of the stand. "You might want to reconsider using that on me."

Sanji turned around to face the swordsman. The music on the town square was slowly changing its rhythm as one song flowed into another. Zoro just stood there, looking at him with an unreadable expression and for a second, Sanji could see a hint of sadness on his stony face.

A short laughter escaped his lips.

"You really are jealous, aren't you?"

The swordsman shifted uncomfortably as the grey eyes avoided his. Before he could say anything, Sanji wrapped his fingers around his wrist and dragged him forward.

"Come on, moss-for-brains! Dance with me! The night is still young!"

Something that almost resembled panic crossed Zoro's features as he desperately tried to wring his arm out of Sanji's grip.

"Forget it! I don't dance."

Sanji grinned as he threw his arms around the green-haired man's neck.

"I could teach you. It'll be fun. You know what they say about good dancers…"

Zoro growled something undistinguishable as he pulled Sanji into a kiss. The swordsman's arms travelled along his spine and settled on his shoulders before gently pushing him away and taking a step backwards.

"No way in hell, cook! Dancing is not my thing."

Sanji held back a chuckle as he gave Zoro an appraising look.

"Oh, is that it? Was the great Roronoa Zoro born with two left feet?"

Zoro's eyebrows twitched as he threw him a sharp angry glance.

"Shut up, I bet I could beat you if I wanted to!"

Sanji slid a hand over his face and shook his head.

"It's a dance, not a sparring match. Do you have to turn everything into a competition?"

"That's my line, goddamnit!" Before he could do anything, the swordsman's arms enveloped him again and pulled him closer. "I already know you're a good dancer, shitty cook. You should focus on other things more. Like your personality, for example."

Sanji snickered as he settled into the warm embrace. The last notes of a slow violin-heavy song were dying in the night air and the other musicians seemed to be packing up already. The last dancers including Nami looked around disappointed, bowed profusely to one another and moved away from the square.

A loud explosion tore the night apart and was immediately followed by a choir of awed exclamations. A large flower of orange and white fireworks bloomed above their heads and slowly dissolved in the darkness. Captivated by the display of lights and color, Sanji noticed too late when a shadow separated itself from the crowd and moved behind them stopping a couple of steps behind the swordsman.

Something clicked two centimeters away from his ear. Another flash of orange and white reflected on a cold metallic surface. An equally cold voice slithered in between the exploding rounds.

"What's that, Roronoa Zoro? A pirate caught off his guard?"

Someone was standing right behind him.

Sanji was not exactly sure how he knew that but the familiar sensation was too strong to ignore now. He froze as he felt the temperature in the room drop ever so slightly. A faint smell of sea-salt floated in the air.

The hair at the back of his neck stood straight as he noticed a thin shadow reflected in the windowpane with its head cocked to the side and a long mane of dark hair covering its face. It stood there, looming over his right shoulder, so close that Sanji could feel its cold breath on his skin. His stomach dropped to his feet at the thought of just taking a step back and colliding with the dark figure that had haunted him for the last three days but he could not bring himself to move. As he peered closer, the image shifted and dissolved in the light of another round of fireworks.

His memories slipped back to the night of the festival. This night. The night that never was.

For a moment, it all came back to him. Nami dancing in a green dress, Luffy, stuffing his face with roasted pork and rubbing his very red forehead, Chopper looking at the sky in mute amazement. He remembered the smell of burning firewood, the sound of delirious laughter and his own strange euphoria when the orange and white lights illuminated the square. He remembered when a strange feeling of peace overcame him, when nothing mattered except each other's company, the bright flashes that lit up the night and the warmth of the swordsman's arms around him.

Sanji closed his eyes as his fingers clutched the frayed curtains. He was on the verge of losing his mind. For as long as he could remember, he and the green-haired pirate had been at each other's throats. Hell, the only compliment Zoro had ever given the cook was to manipulate him into being the Ball-man during the Groggy Ring game. The image of the swordsman kissing him under the fireworks burned itself in his memory and with it, came a sensation of absolute bliss. The feeling was so intense he almost felt dizzy.

He shook his head and rubbed at his already red eyes trying to pull himself together and think straight. Something or someone was clearly messing with his head ever since the Straw Hat pirates had stopped in this godforsaken town. None of this seemed right.

Then why the hell did it feel so right? Why did it feel so natural? Like it was exactly how everything was supposed to turn out.

The shadow in the windowpane was still there.

Startled, Sanji backed away from the window almost dragging the curtains with him. The image rippled on the glass and disappeared from his sight. Still panting slightly, Sanji cursed and released the frayed cloth in his grip. The smell of sea-salt was back again, tugging at an evasive memory. Something deep inside his mind stirred as a new flash of orange and white set the sky ablaze.

Something else had happened during that night. This night. The night he shouldn't, that he couldn't remember.

He slid the curtains shut and turned around.

The room was empty and cold. The weak yellow light illuminating it began to flicker as he stepped away from the window and made his way towards the brown paper bag. It had toppled over and its contents now lay in disarray on the floor. He kneeled down and picked up a crumpled sheet of paper torn out of a notebook on which a smudged list in a fluid cursive handwriting read:

Seastone to build an altar

Sanji reached out and gathered a handful of flat grey rocks scattered all over the floor. He stacked them together to form a crude structure resembling a small temple.

At the corner of his eye, a tall dark shadow moved closer. The room smelled like the sea again.

Salt to close the circle

His hand dipped into the bag and took out a leather poultice. He gave it a small shake and spilled its contents around the stone structure forming a tight white circle.

The yellow light flickered violently and went out. Outside, another firework illuminated a pair of bare feet walking soundlessly across the floor leaving wet footprints behind.

Blood to prove your will

A small pocket knife flipped open in his hands. Sanji let out a hiss of pain as he slid the blade over his open palm and let the red liquid slowly trickle on the grey stones.

"Come and face me if you have the guts."

A cold, damp hand settled on his shoulder. A female voice let out a dejected sigh and whispered softly.

"We meet again, Blackleg."

Aaaand that is all for today, folks. Next chapter's gonna be up tomorrow, I promise. The deadline is this Wednesday after all and I'm only allowed three chapters tops.

As always, don't forget to review. Or the thing in your closet will get you. You've been warned.