Strong hands were kept on Sanji until his sobs died, caressing his back with random patterns atop of his shirt and combing through his hair. His head was still in Zoro's shoulder and he was making a huge effort to convince himself that all of this embrace received was good because he was in need of human affection, not because Zoro was his friend, or because his scent was intoxicatingly great.

"Are you calmer now?", just a gentle whisper above his ear, the hot breath made him shiver. As he didn't trust himself to move away or say anything, so he simply nodded. "Great". Sanji could feel the fucker smiling, his mouth found it's way to his temple, where he rested his lips leaving a soft kiss.

It took a while to restart the conversation, while Zoro waited for the breath on his neck to normalize his hands traveled down Sanji's waist, caressing his hipbones with his thumbs and carefully pushing the blond away enough to see those puffy, blue eyes.

"So, what do you need me to do?"

Maybe it was the fondness in his stormy gray eye, or maybe the caress, or even the quiet and comfortable atmosphere around them, he never managed to be quite sure about what made him say those words in such a rush.

"Make me feel needed".

No move was made, his response were wild eyes and agape mouth, pretty much the same expression he had, his nails dig the swordsman's shoulders as his face becoming more and more flushed by the second.

"What?". Zoro's mouth was suddenly dry, making swallowing hard, as if there was a golf ball in his throat.

The answer plus the shame and his shocked expression made Sanji snort laughter. Why was him. So. Fucking. Broken?

"You deaf, moss head? You want to help and right now I just want to feel needed, got it?", the hands in his hips grabbed him tighter while him nodded. "Great, then make me fucking forget who I am."

Zoro knew that wasn't what his nakama really needed, that if he did what he was told it would, sooner or later, blow up in his face, but fuck, it was so goddamn hard to think straight when his fantasies were happening right in front of him, he wished Sanji couldn't feel the sweat forming in his hands, still he managed to let out something close squeak.

"How do you expect me to do this?", there was only a frustrated groan in response. The hands digging his shoulders left to pull it's owners hair. "Okay, fine, we can do whatever makes you comfortable."

"Like?", his hands dropped to the sides.

"You tell me…", he couldn't hide his smile as he pulled him closer, so he could whisper every world into pale skin. "You want me to keep cuddling?", into the junction of his neck and shoulder, "or do you want me to do much more than that?", he began to nuzzle his jaw, leaving a sloppy kiss there and smiled when the goosebumps appeared.

"You should know this gay shit makes me want to throw up", though he didn't move.

"Well… there's no need to deepthroat right away", he bit his lobe before pulling back, laughing at the desperation in the other's face, he stopped laughing and waited for a comeback, so it was a huge surprise when his cloth was pulled, and their lips touched.

Yep, he was so fucked up.

There wasn't love, nor passion, just desperation, Sanji knew he could do best than that mess, especially if his "companion" helped him rather than only stay still. He licked his lips, trying to leave his message, but it only made Zoro get away from his embrace.

"Woah! Calm down, curly!", he brought his hand to remove the saliva in his mouth, frustrating the blond.

"Ugh… just…", he rubbed his flushed face, "Just, forget everything, okay?", he should just leave.

"Oi, shitcook, let me show how it's done."

His hand was removed and Zoro's were put in it's place, each holding his jaw in such a gentle way that still surprised him.

"Come on, close your eyes".

He did what he was told to. The kiss started pleasing, small kisses followed by his thumbs stroking his jaw, it was a good sensation, but not enough. His hands gripped the fabric of his vest needy, this time there was no removal, Zoro's lips formed a smile before going in deep, biting the bottom and pushing his tongue forward to explore the mouth he so long aimed, the content sigh was all he needed to move, fingers brushing the muscles of his back, abs, hips, leaving a trail of chills behind. When he reached the waistband, Sanji's body tensed, jumping slightly away.

"What the fuck you think you are doing?", barely a whisper duo his uneven breath.

"What you told me to do", he had a cockshy smile that made Sanji's gut twist up and down, "But, hey,", he raised his arms in mocked surrender, "whatever makes you comfortable."

The silence was so dense Sanji thought Zoro could hear his brain working, part of it, that old lover boy, was screaming, begging, for him to stop to run away and pretend this, all of this, never happened, while the other, this new empty dude, who was definitely in charge, just wanted to fell into pleasure and didn't care from where it came, as long as it was from someone else.

Zoro was analyzing him, anything could be a sign, he knew it would be hard to leave now, what was in his pants would certainly complain because he didn't accomplish their wishes, but he would leave, damn, he would run away if it would make Sanji comfortable. He hoped he didn't looked so startled when Sanji sighed and began to talk.

"Fine", he was so embarrassed, "just… let's not go all the… all the way through."

The swordsman needed some seconds to realize what was going on, biting his lip hard enough to feel the blood, trying to look as cool as possible in the current situation.

Kissing the blond to hide his flutter behavior, his hands were fast working on freeing his penis and even faster on stroking it, he didn't risk seeing it, we couldn't afford acting like a nervous teenager now. His pace was rather slow, didn't want to scare him away, he trailed his mouth down to his neck, biting the flesh and licking right after as an apology, Zoro hadn't any idea when was the last time he was this tender before, he didn't even think he ever acted like this at all in his entire life, by any means, the quiet moans he was earning was enough to make him happy.

"Ah… Marimo, come on, you can…ugh… do more than this"

Though he didn't believe in any kind of god, he asked enough mental power to stick the "only the comfortable" plan.

"Uh, try not to scream, then"

Sanji knew his mind wasn't in it's best condition, but he didn't need to be sane to know that was the best blowjob of his whole life.

When they came back to the deck no one was anywhere to be seen, but it didn't take long for them to hear that cute voice calling them from up in the crown's nest.

"Hey! You two! Come here!", Chopper always liked company, but it was odd for him to intercept people that were on their way to sleep, especially if the person was being watched like a baby, it was so odd that both made their way up the mast after exchanging a confused look.

"If I hear anything about what we just did, I'm going to kill you", he whispers before opening the trap door.

"Sure, sure"

"Where's the trouble, kid?", Zoro said barely noticing the reindeer, dropping himself on the couch built-in the walls.

"Did I scare you?! I'm so sorry! It wasn't my plan, you guys can go to sleep if you want to…", his voice got higher, "Oh my dear! Sanji! You need to sleep! You haven't ha-"

"Doc, it's okay… I'm not", what had just happened went by in his mind, he had to cough to mask his embarrassment, "Well, I'm not really sleepy."

"Yeah, just ignore him, Chopper, maybe he will go away.", Sanji flipped him, making the small one laugh.

"It's just that… the stars are really beautiful tonight, and… I wanted someone to share the view", he declared shyly, hiding in the wrong side of the couch.

The answer had Sanji giggling, Chopper never stopped being cute, did him?

He moved to where Zoro lied his feet, climbing him so he could sit on the window stop, legs above the Marimo, patting his leg so Chopper could know where he wanted him to sit. He did, with a little difficult, so feeling the blond petting his head as a nice reward. They sat in silence for some minutes, that could have been hours, it was hard to say, then the two by the window started to point out constellations, Chopper, was almost an expert, he told them, even if Zoro was still lied with eyes closed, he would read and look for them at the rare clean nights of Drum, but liked Canis Minor the most, because he used to say it was him and Doctor Hiluluk was the Canis Major.

Sanji on the other hand only knew the Crux and the Pisces, because he used to sneak out his bedroom in Baratie just to see the stars from the roof, but his books were basically just about food and the sea, he just discovered those two names at one particular night that Zeff found him, he thought he would be livid, yet Zeff sat beside him and began to tell him about his golden pirate days. Thinking about the old man hurt, he was safe now and better without his burden, he probably didn't even think about Sanji at all, why would him?

He stopped overthinking when he felt a hand on his calf, caressing him discreetly, trying to calm him down, how he knew he was freaking out Sanji couldn't tell, it worked anyway and they both smiled, Zoro facing the celling satisfied with himself and Sanji, staring at the stars, remembering how his mom used to do something just like that

"Zoro, won't you join us?", Chopper voice made him look at the boys, his heart beating speeded up at the sign of Sanji peacefully lost in thought, he didn't want to watch anything else.

"Nah, this is too sappy for me.", god, he wished he could caress more than just his calf.

The days passed without much trouble, a record for the straw-hats, and calm days meant Luffy coming to the kitchen to check in the food at every 10 minutes, which meant Sanji would need to refill the pantry soon, today specifically.

It had been a week since the… incident, which repeated itself for the past seven days. Seven days that had Sanji muffling his cries of pleasure, Zoro dying inside to do something else, that would also bring him pleasure. Sanji's nightmares weren't so repeated, 3 at maximum per night, he even managed to eat a little bit more, he was starting to feel a little flame of what he was before, not that he would thanks Zoro for that, hell no, it was already embarrassed enough that what was helping him mas the other man mouth or hand… nope, he had a deal with himself: do not think about it; not until the Marimo called him at the end of the night anyway.

The was just one little problem, that was actually a huge thing, the night encounters weren't being enough anymore, he needed more, he needed to feel more.

Damn, he couldn't believe he was about to propose that.

"Oi! Aho-marimo, come!", he shouted as he came down the ramp that connected the ship to Wano's harbor.

There was a silence before Nami screamed at his back.

"Zoro! Didn't you hear Sanji-kun?! Go help him shopping!"

A confusion of loud voices in the deck before a grumpy grass came down, and passing by Sanji with heavy steps.

"Wrong side, Marimo"

They had just finished buying the non-perishable part of the list when heavy dark clouds appeared in the sky, a second barely passed by before the rain started merciless.

"Ah fuck, just what I needed"

Zoro might be pissed, but a storm was just the excuse Sanji had been searching the whole day. They ran the market street until Sanji bluntly stopped in front of a homely inn, shouting for Zoro to follow him.

He would make things enough.