A/N: I don't even know how to begin to apologize for the wait! I got so busy with school wrapping up. Than I moved, which is always stressful. Than a string of wildfires broke out across my province and I was busy volunteering with evacuees for a few weeks. Not to mention the writer's block I experienced after returning to this story after not touching it for weeks. So once again I am sorry, and I really hope you will enjoy this chapter. And that its not a let down after such a long wait. And a special thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I appreciate it so much :D

…

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Zoro whispered as he slowly unbuttoned Sanji's shirt, exposing his pale, smooth, unmarked chest, the sight of which caused his stomach to give a pleasant churn. It was funny how he could see the other man nearly naked hundreds of times before and feel nothing, yet it was doing unimaginable things to him now.

"For the 20th time Marimo, yes I want to do it…. unless, do you even want to do this?" He asked, all of a sudden very unsure of himself.

As nervous as he was about the whole thing, he was confident in his decision. He cared for Zoro, for whatever reason, and wanted to have one night with him before…well, he didn't really want to think about it right now, he just wanted to enjoy the moment. But Zoro now asked if he was sure at least 15 or more times…which left him a little less confident that this was actually what the other man wanted.

"Of course I do cook, it's just…" Zoro trailed off, shifting his eyes away from the blonde.

"It's just, what?" Sanji asked after a few moments of silence passed between the two of them. He had no idea what the swordsmen could be thinking, but was that blush taking over the Marimo's face again? What was he so embarrassed about? Was he secretly shy and too nervous to do it with the guards so close by?

"I just…never mind, it's stupid. Let's just do it." Zoro mumbled, feeling as though his face was literally on fire. He dipped his head down, placing his lips on the other man's chest, desperately hoping that he could just distract him and that he would forget the whole thing, but his efforts were in vain, as Sanji grabbed the side of his face and pulled him back up to eye level. He was a stubborn ass…of course he wouldn't drop it. He should've known better.

"I don't want to do this if you're hiding something from me." Sanji said, propping himself up on his elbows, so he could see Zoro more eye to eye as they talked. "If you're not sure about me and whether or not you want to...I'm not going to force you."

"After everything you still think I'm unsure about you?" Zoro asked, trying his best to keep the hurt out of his voice as he saw hints of doubt in the other man's eyes.

"Well, I know I wasn't your first choice, and that we were kind of forced into this situation…after everything that I've done, I wouldn't blame you if…" The rest of his sentence was cut off when Zoro forcibly slammed their mouths together. A slight bit of pain resulted from the action, but the spark it sent throughout his body more than made up for that.

Zoro began moving his lips, shuddering at the way Sanji responded to his touch. Every single time they have done this now it just felt so…right…there was no other way to describe it. How Sanji could doubt his feelings for even a second, he wasn't sure…unless he didn't get the same spine tingling thrill that he got himself when they touched.

After a few minutes of enjoying the other man's impossibly smooth lips against his own, he pulled back, hoping that he proved his point.

"Don't you dare keep blaming yourself for what happened. And even though we were forced into this situation… who says you're not my first choice?" Saying the words out loud sounded even more embarrassing than they did in his head, but the smile that tugged at the other man's lips was more than worth it.

"Who knew you could say such sappy things moss-head?"

"Whatever…" He mumbled, unable to think up a suitable come back. Instead he placed a lingering kiss on the other man's lips, hoping to continue what they started. "So, are we doing this or what?"

"You're not getting off that easy…you still haven't told me why you were so hesitant earlier."

Damn…he was hoping he forgot about that.

"Can't you just drop it?" He asked hopefully, but received a look that let him know that it wasn't likely. "Fine," he sighed, already feeling his face heating up once again. "I just wanted to make sure that this was really what you wanted because…"

"Because…"

"Shitty fucking cook, it's because you're special to me! And I wanted our first time to be special because I know you're into all that romantic crap. I didn't want you regretting later on that our first time together was on some lumpy cot, in a damp, cold jail cell, with a couple of perverted guards watching…" he said the last part a little louder, shooting a glare at the guards, who promptly averted their gaze. He turned back towards Sanji, and was no longer able to read the look he was giving him.

A few moments of silence passed between them, Sanji taking in Zoro's words, before a smug smile slowly spread across his face.

"You really are just a big old sap aren't you?"

"That's it. Relationship is over…" Zoro hissed, preparing to get up off the other man, when he was pulled back down by the collar of his shirt, and received what must've been the most heated kiss of his life.

Sanji plunged his tongue into the other man's mouth, taking his time to map out every inch of it, until Zoro's tongue began responding and sliding against his own. They pushed each other's back and forth a few times, in a lazy struggle for dominance, when Sanji pulled back.

"I really do appreciate the thought Marimo. And you're right, usually that romantic crap is important to me, but these aren't exactly normal circumstances…I want to believe that our crew is going to swoop in at the last minute and save us, I really do, but I also want to be realistic and not kid myself. The fact is this really might be our only chance to do this and I don't want to lose this opportunity…"

"I get it cook. And I didn't mean to make you doubt things. I just wanted to be sure…because I guess I'm naïve enough to believe that everything is going to work out in the end, and I didn't want you to regret anything…and I guess there's still a part of me that thinks…"

"That thinks what?" He asked softly, the gentleness of his voice almost surprising Zoro. He wasn't sure he had ever heard him sound so…caring, not even when it came to Nami or Robin. It was slightly strange to hear, but at the same time it actually caused him to relax, and finally lower the final wall he had been keeping up.

"That there is a possibility that you are either high on your medication and don't realize what you are doing and saying to me…or that you do realize, but you are only doing it because you are convinced that you're going to die tomorrow. And that if the crew does show up, and we're saved, that you might try to pretend that none of this happened…" He trailed off, hating how absolutely vulnerable he sounded. He wouldn't admit it, but the idea that Sanji really didn't mean some of the things he was saying was terrifying. He couldn't imagine trying to go back to the way things were before, not now, not after this.

He braced himself for laughter, or some sort of mocking comment, but instead received Sanji's uninjured hand gently cupping the side of his face, forcing him to turn his head until their eyes met once more.

"Zoro…" He said carefully, doing his best to keep his voice as even as he could…he would not admit to getting slightly emotional…nope, not him, not at all. "Listen carefully, because I'm only going to say this once."

Zoro nodded his head, keeping his eyes locked with the cook's, as he silently waited for him to continue.

"You annoy me more than anyone else in this world, and sometimes you make me so angry that my blood literally boils…seriously half the time I have to restrain myself from physically strangling you almost every minute of the day…"

"Wow, way to reassure me…"

"Shut up shitty Marimo, I'm not finished yet," he rolled his eyes, ignoring the annoyed look that crossed the other man's face. "Like I was going to say…despite all that, I trust you, and a believe in you more than anyone else in this world. So despite all logic, I think I love you, I do, no matter the circumstances...sure, being forced together this past week has probably caused these feelings to surface a lot sooner than they might've under different circumstances, but the more I think about it, the more I'm sure they've always been there, at least to some degree, I was just too stubborn and in denial to consider it before."

Zoro stilled at the other man's words, having a hard time attempting to comprehend what he had just said. Did he actually hear what he thought he heard? Or was he imagining things? Could the cook really love him? The man that he seemed to annoy merely by existing? That man…loved him?

Even though he knew there was obviously something developing between them, he would've never have guessed that the cook's feelings already reached that level. It was such a foreign thought that it literally took him a few minutes to process it all, and once he had, he came to a sudden, and somewhat startling realization.

"I love you too." He blurted out without thinking, feeling his face begin to burn with embarrassment almost instantly. He could feel his heart begin to race, and almost felt like he was about to vomit. Did he actually just say that out loud? He hadn't even had time to process it once the realization stuck him, before it came spilling out.

Love…it wasn't something he usually thought about. Ever since he was young it was something he tried to keep a safe distance from. After all nothing good came from love in his experience. He loved his parents, than they died. He loved, or at least deeply cared for, Kuina and than she died. So why would he ever want to experience the heart wrenching pain of losing someone he loved ever again?

He had come to the decision years ago that he would never allow himself to feel that emotion again, and for years he had done a great job at it. He had built a reputation that instilled fear, making it easy to keep a safe distance from people. That was until an insane rubber boy forced his way into his life, breaking down several of his walls, forcing him to feel things again. He had formed a deep seeded respect for his captain, and he was sure it was because of him that he even considered opening his heart again to others.

Then the cook entered his life, and he wasn't even sure how he would describe the rollercoaster of emotions and feelings the blonde had put him through. Sure most of those emotions initially involved frustration and annoyance, but over time they shifted into something completely different.

He started seeing Sanji as more than just a hindrance, at some point, he wasn't sure when, he started seeing him as his rival. His strong spirit, and inhuman abilities, spurred him to want to be better, to push himself just a little more. Their competitive natures fed off each other perfectly, and at some point a bond formed between them, a bond that meant more to Zoro than any other he had experienced in his life.

He wasn't sure when that bond shifted from being rivals, to wanting more…he couldn't even begin to pin point the moment when things changed. Maybe it wasn't until they were locked up in this dungeon together? Or maybe it went as far back as the first time he got annoyed at Sanji for making an ass out of himself in front of a woman? He would've never considered the fact that the annoyance he felt could possibly be linked to jealousy, but considering how things worked out, it definitely wouldn't surprise him now.

But in the end it didn't matter when it happened, or how it happened, all that mattered was that it did happen…and that he was here now with Sanji, who, despite all logic, seemed to return his feelings.

"Zoro? You okay?" Sanji's voice spoke, snapping him out of his thoughts and bringing him back to reality.

He wasn't sure how long he had been zoned out for, but if the look of concern on the blonde's face were anything to go by, he would guess it had probably been quite a few minutes.

"I'm fine," he finally managed to say, after taking another few moments to collect his thoughts. "It was just a strange feeling actually saying that out loud."

"You don't regret it do you?"

"No…" Zoro didn't even hesitate to say. "Of course I don't. There's a lot of things I regret in my life…but loving you isn't one of them."

Despite feeling that his words were once again embarrassing as hell, he gave a victorious smirk when he saw the blush light up the other man's face. And seeing him suddenly look so innocent and vulnerable was the last straw. He was going to shut up and give Sanji what he wanted, no longer able to hold himself back.

He reattached his lips to the blonde's, nipping at his bottom lip and sucking it into his mouth, nearly shuddering when he received a breathless gasp in response. Within a matter of seconds the other man was already driving him insane, and he just prayed that this didn't end too embarrassingly quickly.

He peeled away the rest of the shirt he had already undone earlier, taking in the full unobstructed sight of the blonde's bare torso, giving in as his animal instincts urged him forward, and took one of the cook's nipples into his mouth.

He whirled his tongue around the small bud a few times; unsure whether or not this was bringing the other man any sort of pleasure. He decided to give it an experimental nip, and was rewarded when he received a gasp that transformed into a low moan.

"I'll have to remember that you're sensitive there."

"I am not you shitty…" He trailed off when the swordsmen gave his nipple another light bite, forcing himself to hold back a moan, as a wave of pleasure shot through him. He was not going to allow the Marimo to think that he had complete control of the situation, and decided that it was time to take matters into his own hands…or hand, because unfortunately he was down to one at the moment. He took a moment to kick himself mentally for being so damn dramatic earlier and breaking his hand…having use of both would've made this a whole lot easier. But he was never one to give up, and he was determined to make the other man gasp and moan just like he had done to him moments ago.

He wrapped one of his legs around Zoro's waist, not giving Zoro time to process what was happening before he gave it a sudden jerk, effectively flipping them over, so now Zoro was the one lying on his back, and he was the one in control.

"What the hell cook!?" Zoro barked, feigning annoyance, as he gave the other man one of his best glares. He would never say it out loud, but seeing the blonde take charge like that was actually kind of a turn on, and the almost feral look he was now receiving sent a chill down his spine.

The blonde said nothing as he attached his lips so Zoro's neck, nipping and sucking every inch of skin he came in contact with, will simultaneously unbuttoning his shirt with his good hand.

Once he had the other man's upper body bare, he leaned back, allowing himself to take a moment to appreciate the sight before him.

He wasn't going to lie, seeing Zoro like this, given the current situation was still a little bit weird. It had only been a few days since the thought of actually wanting to be with a man had even entered his mind, and it was only since he had woken from his dream barely an hour earlier that he had actually accepted his feelings. So looking down at Zoro now, feeling his heart beating wildly against his chest, and feeling his arousal begin twitching to life, was a sensation that was going to take a while to get use to.

Zoro saw the brief look of confusion cross the blonde's face, followed by his cheeks tinting a bright red. He was about to ask what was wrong, when he felt the reason for his embarrassment pressing against his thigh. He had to hold back a laugh, wanting to ask Sanji what the hell he expected, but held himself back from doing so. He knew this situation was going to take some getting use to, for the both of them, but especially for Sanji.

Sanji had always loved women, worshipped them even, so to all of a sudden be faced with the reality that he was attracted to a man, not only that but falling in love with him as well, must've been a hard reality to face. Zoro on the other hand had never really thought too much about his sexuality before. On the rare occasion he had gotten the 'urge' he would simply go to the nearest town and find the first willing partner. The majority of the time it was women that he had taken to bed, but he couldn't deny the fact that there had been a man or two he had also bedded on occasion. So he wasn't quite as nervous as the other man seemed to be, but this was his first doing it with some one he actually cared about, so there were still a few nerves there for sure.

Zoro's member, which had already come to life after hearing that first low moan coming from the blonde's lips, gave a throb when he saw the other man bite his bottom lip looking sheepish.

This was a completely new side to Sanji, one he had never seen before. He looked so shy, so innocent…and as enduring as he found it to be, in that moment his body ached for that feral, wild Sanji to return. The one that had flipped them over and took control in the first place.

He decided to snap the other man out of it, hoping that he could reassure him that he wasn't alone, and that he had no reason to be embarrassed by how his body was reacting, because his body was reacting exactly the same way. He placed his hands on either side of the blondes hips, shifting his entire body slightly so their arousals now lined up, before bucking his hips up, while simultaneously holding Sanji's down, causing the perfect amount of friction.

The pleasure that rushed though Sanji's body at the heavenly friction finally snapped him out of his frozen state. The sensation was still strange, having another man's erection rub up against his own, but it wasn't strange in a bad way. And just knowing it was Zoro, and knowing how they felt for each other, made any lingering hesitation melt away. This was Zoro, and it felt so good, there was no way this could ever be wrong.

Sanji leaned back down, anxiously capturing the other man's lips again, as they started a steady rhythm with their still clothed groins, meeting each other's thrusts with enthusiasm.

Zoro's hands wandered from the sides of his hips, to Sanji's back side, the sensation of which caused him to momentarily tense up, but he quickly pushed that feeling aside, and flawlessly fell back into the rhythm. It was a little too late to protest about anything now, especially since he was the one that initiated this in the first place. Besides, it didn't actually feel that bad. Zoro was kneading his backside, causing the friction and timing of their thrusts to be even more perfect.

"Shit, Marimo," Sanji panted against the other man's lips, embarrassed because he could already feel an all to familiar heat begin to pool in his lower abdomen. He felt like a blushing virgin in that moment, not able to believe that he couldn't even hold on long enough to be able to finish undressing each other.

If he stopped the thrusts now, he may be able to compose himself long enough to finish undressing and actually get to the deed they had set out to do. But in that moment, feeling Zoro pressed against him, and seeing the look of absolute pleasure on his face, he knew he couldn't stop what was coming now even if he tried.

With one final thrust, Sanji was pushed over the edge, coming hard into his dress pants, feeling his whole body temporarily go numb as his orgasm took over.

"Shit," Zoro moaned, seeing the look on the cook's face as he came. He had never seen anything so erotic in his life, and he briefly wondered why it had taken so long for him to realize his feelings for the blonde…he was absolutely breath taking. With that thought in mind, and knowing he was the one to bring the blonde to his climax, was enough to push him over the edge as well, coming with Sanji's name leaving his lips in a low moan.

After a few more lazy thrusts, riding out the last of their orgasms, Sanji collapsed against the other man's chest, still attempting to catch his breath.

After a few moments passed by, Sanji couldn't help but burst out laughing, the reality of the situation sinking in. Another moment past before Zoro joined in as well.

"Did we just…"

"Dry hump in a dungeon?" Sanji finished for him, still chuckling to himself.

"That is so…"

"Embarrassing?"

"That's putting it mildly." Zoro laughed.

"So much for doing it while we still had the chance…between the medication they have me on, and what we just did…I don't know if I have the energy to…"

"Don't worry about it cook," Zoro interrupted, seeing the slightly disappointed look spreading across the other man's face. "This way when we actually do it for the first time, it won't be in a dank prison. It will be special…it will be what you deserve…what we deserve."

Sanji sighed, nodding sadly, not having the energy to say anything to contradict the other man's words. He wanted to believe them so badly, but he still had a nagging feeling in the back of his head telling him to prepare for the worst. And no matter how many times he tried to silence the voice, he just couldn't seem to make it stop.

He finally accepted the fact that things he use to blame himself for, weren't actually his fault, and that he deserved to be happy just like everyone else. But whether he believed that it was actually in his future or not was a different story. When he had already experienced so much pain, why should this time be any different?

"I know that look," Zoro sighed, lifting one of his hands up to start stroking the slightly sweaty blonde locks. "You trust me right? You said earlier that you trust me more than anyone else didn't you?"

"Yes…" Sanji answered hesitantly, blushing slightly when he remembered his sappy words. He had been caught up in the moment, and hadn't realized how embarrassing he had sounded.

"Then trust me when I say that everything is going to be alright." Zoro said softly, placing a gently kiss on the blonde's forehead. "We are going to get out of here, together. And then once I have you alone…after we've both showered of course…I'm going to find the nearest bed and make love to you as many times as you want."

Sanji smiled despite himself, the swordsmen's optimism was infectious. Despite his doubts, he did trust Zoro more than anyone, and for tonight, he would push his worries away and allow himself to believe the other man's words. Whatever tomorrow might hold for them, be it death or freedom, they still had tonight. He would hold on to Zoro's words, and pray that tomorrow never came.

He could feel his mind becoming cloudy, wanting to slip away into unconsciousness, but he forced himself to stay awake, when a sudden thought crossed his mind.

"What did you mean when you said you would make love to me? Are you implying that you would top?"

"Well yeah…" Zoro yawned, feeling the long day finally catching up to him. Well if he was being honest he hadn't actually slept in over two days, not since the stupid cook went and nearly died on him. How was he supposed to sleep when he was worried the blonde might never open his eyes again?

"And who says you get to be top?" Sanji asked curiously. As slightly horrifying as the idea of bottoming might be, it wasn't as horrifying when he thought of doing it for Zoro…which was horrifying in itself. When did he turn into such a submissive push over?

"Don't you remember when we first got to this island, and Nami first came up with this charade?"

"Yeah…"

"Well if you remember correctly, I called dibs on being the top."

"Yeah, b-but that was when…that wasn't even…that doesn't count!"

"Sorry cook, I called it. Rules are rules."

"You are such an moss-headed idiot!"

"Curly brow…" Zoro yawned again, feeling his eyes growing heavier.

"Marimo…" Sanji shot back, the annoyance slowly draining out of him, relaxing into the warmth of the other man's body, feeling more and more comfortable as the familiar teasing continued.

"Pervert cook…"

"Brawn and no brain…"

"Fancy feet…"

"Stupid drunk…"

"Sanji…" Zoro muttered softly, before finally drifting off to sleep, a content smile present on his face.

"Zoro…" Sanji replied, knowing the other man could no longer hear him. Despite his earlier conviction to not let what was going to happen tomorrow get to him tonight, he couldn't help as certain thoughts entered his head. Such as the thought that Zoro might be killed because of his slip up…it was a hard enough thought to process when he was thinking of Zoro as nakama, as his rival…but knowing what he knows now, feeling what he felt now…he couldn't, he wouldn't accept that outcome.

"I have a back up plan, if the others don't end up showing up," he said quietly, not wanting to wake the other man. "One way or another Zoro, you will walk away from this…unfortunately I can't say the same thing about myself. But that's alright, really…being here, now, with you…it's enough."

He placed a soft kiss on the swordsmen's neck, careful not to wake, before lying his head back down on the other man's chest. Falling asleep to the strong steady rhythm of Zoro's heartbeat.

…

A/N: So I hope you don't hate me too much after that. After last chapter I know you were all expecting some actual smut, and to be honest, when I first started writing this chapter weeks ago, I myself was expecting smut. But as I was writing it, and including all these fluffy fuzzy moments, the more I felt like this wasn't the time for smut. Especially given their situation. They both just realized they love each other, which is a first for both of them, and I couldn't bring myself to have their first time together to be under these circumstances. But I couldn't resist adding a little something dirty in, so I hope the little dry hump was enough for now, haha. But don't worry there will be some actual smut in the future. Sorry again if that was disappointing after waiting for so long, but this was just the direction the story took. And sorry if the amount of fluffy OOC-ness made you cringe, I just couldn't help it.

Anywho, enough rambling. Let me know what you thought, and I will try my best to get the next chapter up in a far shorter amount of time than this one. Thank you for reading, until next time!