TITLE: The Pain of Being Broken

PART: One-Shot Drabble Fic

GENRE: Implied Yaoi (Pure angst/acid humour)

PAIRING: SanjiZoro

DISCLAIMERS: The series I'm referring to does not belong to me… ^_^ only this weird story does.

THE PAIN OF BEING BROKEN

No one would ever contest the fact that Roronoa Zoro was a force to reckon with. He was physically capable of killing anything that offended him, though oftentimes he chose not to because of reasons only he knew. He was spiritually capable of maintaining his chi's balance through constant meditation, rendering him peaceful enough to drowse off any time of the day - even though he chose not to. Yes, Roronoa Zoro was quite an invincible piece of nature's artwork... and everyone commended him for it - even his own captain.

Well, not exactly everyone.

There was the special case of Sanji, their group's infamous human chimney - erm, cook.

He knew, instantly knew that Roronoa Zoro was not as powerful as he looked... that he can be overpowered... and he wanted to show the world that it can be done. Such was the most probable reason for his sense of rivalry... even if it all boiled down to having contests on who would take back the most meat during their frequent stopovers.

But there was something truly bothersome about him that irked Zoro to no end. It was not his perception, nor boldness, nor his endless supply of confidence.

It was his habit of atoning for everything he had and hadn't done.

After a long and arduous battle, he never failed to cook all of them something that would extinguish their hunger. After a long hot day, he never failed to make them something soothing to drink. After risking his life to save the whole ship from stupid pirate attacks, he risks his life once more just to catch a mean-looking giant monster for Sunday dinner.

Yes, he actually atoned too much... for everything.

Sighing softly, he trudged wearily, and finally stopped, finding the perfect spot for a quiet time to himself. The sky was dark and cast, shadows overwhelming the dense shrubbery of their temporary port... it was all too perfect. He was resting quite comfortably underneath his chosen oak tree, reminiscing about the past - his past. And what would become his future.

Then he came.

It was the steady footsteps that alerted Zoro. He knew who it was. Nobody sauntered like that in their crew other than him.

"Oi, stupid swordsman, what are you doing sitting in here when the rest of us are toiling under the heat of the sun, looking for food?" Sanji grated out after a puff of cigarette smoke.

"There is no sun, love cook." Zoro replied just as bitingly. "Go away and let me rest."

Sanji puffed once more and stepped over him, plopping down beside him easily, back resting against the tree's gnarled trunk. "Zoro." He said almost weakly. Just that, his name.

Zoro did not dare open his eyes. He did not want to see him this close. He never wanted to see him this close when they were not doing something productive... he did not want a repeat performance of last time.

"Zoro." Sanji repeated, firmly this time, hands patting him awake. Hands that he batted away even as his body shuddered with electricity. "Zoro..."

"Stop it!" He growled. He did not dare look at him still. The pain was still there... and he absolutely hated it. It wasn't doing him any good harbouring such thing when he could be out there concentrating more on his dream of becoming the best swordsman in the world. "What do you want from me now?"

Sanji sighed yet again, and slowly, as if teaching some random kid a lesson in manners, he spoke. "Zoro, stop sulking. Just get up and help us. We have to get back or Nami-san and the others would needlessly look for us."

His blood almost boiled over. "Love cook." He growled back, eyes snapping open, full of fire, and glaring at the blonde chef with as much murder as he could exude. "If you're so bothered being away from the others and your capricious lover, just go! I'll come back when I want to!"

"What about dinner?" Sanji replied back calmly. He was clearly displeased, Zoro knew. He usually snaps back - even harder - if he got into a verbal argument with someone... especially if that someone was Zoro himself.

He reached up and ran a hand through his cropped green hair. "What are you saying, you stupid love cook? YOU are the one who's going to cook dinner, not me! So just get out of here and shut yourself up in your precious kitchen already!"

"Why are you so irritated? I just came to fetch you." Sanji let out another cloud of smoke calmly, eyes hard and obviously pissed off. Yes, Zoro decided, he was being too calm about all of this. He was being too calm for someone who destroyed his life just the other day... and being awfully chummy too. "Nami-san said you should help us, so I volunteered."

Zoro sneered. "So, what am I, your problem now? Someone who takes you away from your precious Nami-san?"

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"Saying what?"

"That word... 'Precious'." Sanji responded quietly, eyes losing their hard edge, softening as he gazed down at the livid Zoro.

"Because it's true, isn't it?" He felt drained. The anger he felt just a second ago vanishing completely, leaving behind the feeling of something resembling emptiness. He was hopeless, he knew, and he did not know what to do about it. Robin told him a few days ago that he should be careful not to break... that what he raced headlong into without even thinking much about would land him in some serious trouble...

/"Zoro... if you fail... you will know what I mean."

"And you're praying that it would come to that, aren't you?"

"No Zoro. It's just that I don't want you to make this mistake... I've experienced it before... and the pain that comes with being broken... into tiny pieces... I don't want you to taste it..."

"It would never happen, woman... I trust him with my whole life."

"Zoro..."/

It pissed him off to realise all too late - that she was correct.

Maybe he should start listening to her most of the time instead of mocking her. She was clearly wiser than most people he knew - even himself.

He knew in his mind that it was embarrassing, but he also knew now, that it was every bit true.

Just like the way he knew that past was past, and yet feeling a certain brand of hope... something that made him wait anxiously for Sanji's answer to his question. He knew that Sanji knew what he exactly meant. It was clear in those gleaming eyes.

Those clear gleaming eyes.

Perhaps, he knew what the answer was... but he had to hear it from him just to be sure...

"Yes."

Wordlessly, Zoro leant back and closed his eyes. He could hear Sanji getting up, hurrying to get away from him probably.

"Nami-san!" Zoro heard him call out in an almost loving tone as he sauntered purposefully away. "I found him! The stupid swordsman is in here!"

"Great Sanji-kun!" Nami praised cheerfully. Zoro knew what Sanji's reaction to that was. "Please make something for me Sanji-kun, I'm pooped!"

He did not need to open his eyes to see it.

"Yes Nami-sa~n!"

He did not want to see it.

Now I know Robin... about what you said.

The painful thing about being broken...

Is the fact that you can never be fixed.

OWARI

A/N: Hey! ^^ My first One Piece fic! ^_^ I absolutely LOVE the Manga and the first parts of the anime. *Huggles Zoro plushie* and I'll probably continue to fall in love with this for a LONG time. ^___^