First ever attempt at One Piece fanfiction. Found it, and holy.

It wasn't the first time they'd been kicked out of a restaurant. Truth be told they'd actually lost count after Luffy managed to hit a record of twelve in three hours, but for once it was the first time they'd been kicked out under circumstances that didn't come from drinking everything, starting a fight or just being all out stupid.

No, currently the restaurant they'd all been celebrating their victory over some other group of pirates who'd thought they'd be filled to the brim with gold in (not that you could blame them, Luffy running around with a gold crown he'd nicked off of Nami shoved on top of his straw hat, screaming "I'm king of the pirates!" at the top of his lungs made people wonder things) was blazing with fire, a very hot fire that made Luffy think he was melting.

Idiot.

Zoro sighed as he followed the others down the lane leading away from the inferno, content with being the tale end charlie as Luffy babbled on about how exciting everything was to Usopp over a clearly angry Nami's head. The others trailed behind, keeping their distance as Nami began to get angrier and angrier, and Zoro had no doubt she was about to-

"SHUT UP MORON!"

And there she went, pounding the absolute crap out of her captain as he squeaked in surprise, not having expected the assault, and tried to desperately run away. Knowing that this might go on for a while, the crew gathered to a stop and looked over each other. They were all fine, kind of. Besides having singed clothing from the sudden fire, and Zoro and Franky bearing slight burns, Zoro's on his cheek and Franky's on his arm, from where the original stream of fire had come from.

It hadn't been a normal fire, hell no. A screw up in the kitchen lead to a huge beam of fire come shooting out from the back, burning the doors and heading straight to where the crew had been sitting, enjoying their time watching Zoro throw back mug after mug of alcohol and still manage to stay sober. Luckily, the noise was enough to alert the crew, and as Zoro threw the girls and Sanji to the ground, and Franky knocked the boys out of their chairs, the torrent of fire slammed into the wall, caught the curtains and then it was all on.

Zoro was thankful they were finally away from that unbearable heat, and he sighed once again as he watched Chopper look over Franky, knowing he was next.

"Um guys? Not meaning to kill the obviously relieved mood we're all in," Brook suddenly called out, making Nami freeze in her captain bashing and everyone looked at him, "But is it just me or are we missing someone?"

There was a dead silence as they all glanced at one another, their eyes growing wider and wider by the second as they realized just who it was that was missing.

"Sanji…" Zoro whispered out loud, his eyes flicking around just to make sure before he let out a groan. "That shitty cook must've hung behind. Probably after some girls or some shit like that."

Everyone exchanged glances, nothing being said but as if it was an unspoken agreement as they began to trudge back up the hill to find their missing cook.

…

For some unknown reason, Zoro felt both his brain and heart come to a sudden halt when it was revealed that Sanji was not only not with them, but he wasn't up by the burning restaurant either. No one they'd asked had seen any sign of a blond hair man with too long legs and curly eyebrows, and for some reason that made Zoro feel as if his world was coming to a stand still.

Behind him, the rest of the crew were devastated, having all come to the conclusion of just where Sanji was. Brook gently rubbed Nami's back, while Franky held Robin as they cried for their friend, the womanizer who just so happened to be the one guy who looked after them most. Where were they ever going to find a guy like him again? Luffy was sobbing dramatically with Usopp, tears and snot streaming down their faces as they cried out for their cook. Chopper was only a meter or so behind Zoro, and the green haired man could hear each small cry and hiccup the smaller one made.

Without even taking another look at the crew, he took one step, two steps, before all out sprinting towards the raging inferno, not caring about his crews cries to come back.

He had a useless, shitty cook to find.

…

Sanji coughed into his arm, his eyes screwed up as the smoke and ash tried desperately to claw their way at them. The blazing heat around made him want to cry out, his body completely drenched in sweat, starting to roast and letting off a painful stinging sensation.

He couldn't really remember how he'd gotten to be stuck underneath a table, trying to find a way out. One moment he'd been watching Zoro down another drink, before suddenly a wave of fire attacked them and he was on the ground, slowly passing out as his head smashed against the unforgiving floor. He'd woken up what felt like seconds later to find the whole place on fire, and a table trapping his legs in the most awkward position.

Sure, in other circumstances he could have just kicked the stupid hunk of wood of himself and bolted, catching up to the others and giving them, especially that stupid marimo, a lecture on how rude it was to leave him there. Except the girls, they were probably desperately wondering where he was.

Opening his watering eyes, from the heat not the pain, not yet anyway, he began to try look once again for an exit, somewhere he could just try to crawl out. His legs were gone, the circulation having been cut off from the awkward way they were twisted up, one behind his back and the other with the table right on his ankle, and he knew that if he threw all his strength into his arms he might just be able to at least get the table off himself before crawling.

Finally, he saw a small tunnel through the burning debris that if he squished himself flat enough, he could just navigate before hitting freedom through the front door. It was a long shot, but he did have a chance.

Focussing on the hunk of wood on him, he wormed out his hands, his delicate hands, and placed them against the wood. Taking two deep breaths, he closed his eyes and pushed.

Only to let out a large gasp as he realised that he would never, ever, have enough power to lift this huge hunk of wood, lined with steel. Steel! What kind of person puts that heavy crap on the tables of a restaurant!

As his hands dropped to his sides, Sanji heard a loud crack as burning debris began to swallow him up, and he quietly let the tears fall.

…

There was no way, no fucking way Zoro was going to let this stupid, shitty excuse for a cook die.

He took a deep breath as he fitted his hands underneath the table he'd finally located the blond under, having fought through fire and debris to get to the lousy good for nothing. He'd tried calling out, and even touching the guy, but he didn't get a single response. Not once. And his heart was pounding at the thought that this pirate, this stupid bloody pirate he'd finally started to actually like was dead.

With a loud groan, he threw all of his power behind lifting up this stupid piece of table holding down the other, having already noted the steel and moved into a position where it wouldn't add too much weight. Panting heavily, from the heat not the weight, he lifted things way heavier than this, he glanced for a place to put the table, choosing after a moment to just roll it to the side and leave it. Sanji was his priority right now.

Crouching down beside the unmoving body of the blond, he reached out and gently touched his neck, searching for a pulse while he pressed his ear close to Sanji's mouth, hoping to feel a blast of air hit his face.

He couldn't even describe the relief he felt when Sanji's pulse was strong, and his breath was normal. It seemed the guy had just passed out from exhaustion, or he'd cried himself to sleep, Zoro also noted as he trailed a finger down the tear stains that were drying quickly in the heat.

Knowing he was just mucking around now, Zoro tried to wake the blond, shaking him roughly but calling his name gently. It took a while, which by then the heat was almost unbearable, to wake the other guy and finally blue eyes popped open to stare up at the swordsman.

"Marimo…?"

"Come on, shitty cook," he instantly replied, ignoring the nickname and slipping a hand behind Sanji's back to help him sit up. "We've got to get out of here."

"You… you came for me?"

"Don't take it to heart."

He felt his face heat up, whether from the fire or embarrassment he didn't know, at the small smile that appeared on the cooks face, and he tore his eyes away to search for the way he'd come in, happy to see it still demolished enough to walk through without catching fire. He turned back to tell Sanji, but froze when he saw the blond barely standing and breathing heavily. He should've known the cook was going to have no feeling in his legs, and be out of breath, his lungs were being assaulted by ash or smoke or some shit like that that Chopper had chattered on about once.

Sighing at how annoying this was, Zoro reached out and tugged the cook towards him, refusing to make eye contact as he crouched down, gesturing at his back. Thankfully Sanji managed to get the message and, after a moments hesitation, pulled himself forward to climb onto Zoro, his long legs wrapping around the green haired swordsman's waist and his arms grabbed onto his shoulders tightly.

Without speaking, Zoro stood up, wincing as Sanji swayed and almost fell off from his slack grip but quickly adjusted his arms to lock around the swordsman's neck. After a moment of indecision, Zoro fought back the fact his heart was becoming way too excited as his own arms slithered behind him to awkwardly brush against Sanji's ass, holding him up.

And then they were off.

…

The echoing screams of their friends smashed straight into them as they emerged from the burning building, their eyes watering, Sanji's from the smoke or the relief of being rescued, and soon they felt bodies upon bodies slamming into them, making what precious air they'd sucked in leave again.

"Get off idiots!" Zoro snapped after a moment though, and hearing the tone in his voice everyone did as they were told, backing off and trailing behind the duo as Zoro made his way back down the lane. A good distance away, a little further than where they'd been originally, he stopped and slung the cook off his back, lowering him to the ground and calling for Chopper, who was there within seconds.

And for some reason, even as the crew surrounded them again, checking them over themselves for injuries, hugging them and wiping away the bodily fluids they'd been drenched in, Zoro just couldn't tear his eyes away from the blond, even going as far as to crouch down beside him again and listen to Chopper as he rattled off everything that was wrong.

Fucked if he knew why though.

"Zoro? Thank you."

The swordsman was shocked out his thoughts as he heard a new voice break through the constant buzzing that everyone else's had dulled down too. Glancing up from where he'd been boring holes into the ground with his stare, he was surprised to see solid blue eyes staring at him with a intensity he'd only ever really seen when Luffy wanted some meat and was determined for the cook to make some.

He swallowed back the lump in his throat, past questioning what the hell was wrong with his body, and gave the guy a smirk that Sanji was able to translate into some form of "You're welcome asshole, now you owe me". He flicked his own smile in the other man's direction before he did something that surprised quite literally everyone.

He reached out, placed a hand on Zoro's chin before pressing a light kiss to his lips.

Stunned gasps were heard, Usopp fainted, Franky sucked in a too big a breath and began choking, Brook slammed him hard on the back, Luffy started cackling madly whilst not really understanding just what the hell was happening, Nami and Robin exchanged knowing looks while Chopper squealed in delight and began hopping around with Luffy madly.

But the green haired swordsman stayed deathly quiet, his eyes wide with some unreadable emotion as the cook pulled away and offered him a small smile.

"I was scared I was going to die in there," Sanji mumbled, loud enough to be heard but only just, "Truly scared. And… And I just want to say-"

He was cut off as Zoro suddenly dragged him into a kiss that made his already hurt lungs scream harder, and his heart found its way into his head to begin pounding madly on the walls with excitement.

It didn't last long, just a brief chaste kiss, but enough to make Sanji completely breath and speechless. And by the half glazed over eyes on the swordsman's face, he could tell the feelings were mutual, almost.

"I though you were dead, dying. I couldn't leave you there."

That was as much of a confession, or whatever the hell this was, that Sanji knew he was going to get out of his marimo, and he felt a smile take over his face as Zoro traced one of his curly eyebrows, a smile of his own taking over.

Ignoring the rest of the crew, like they'd been paying attention to them before, Sanji crawled a little bit closer to the green haired man, and without caring about the fact that they were sitting in the middle of a lane, burnt, covered in soot and exhausted beyond anything, they entered a deep embrace.

Neither of them were willing to let the other go.

Felt kinda painful to upload this. But I promised a friend I'd upload my first ever. Yuk XD