WINTER HEAT | ZoSan ❄

7

The Cook exclaimed in utter disappointment after seeing a light reflecting off of Zoro's swords as the man approached him.

"You're screaming at me as if I were some type of a polar bear. Were you scared?" The Swordsman asked, walking towards his rival.

"I wish you were a polar bear. Taking a polar bear down is easier than the likes of you." Sanji responded, earning Zoro's attention.

"Not that I'd ever challenge you. I only fight people worth defeating. Winning a fight against you would make me feel like the loser."

Just a few seconds after their reunion, the men had already moved onto round two of their argument, having a different reason to fight.

"Just so you know, I'm not staying here. So you can hibernate all winter long if you want."

Zoro informed the younger, getting ready to leave the cave.

"Hey, asshole! Take this... I don't want nothin' to do with you."

Quietly approaching the Swordsman with a hand in his pocket, Sanji casually held the man's earring up to his face, spotting an empty spot on his ear.

"I can do it on my own."

Swiping Sanji's hand away, Zoro held the earring in between his fingertips before putting it back into his ear.

There was a moment of deafening silence left lingering in the dark cave as the men stared at each other's shadows.

"I'm off now. Got better stuff to do.."

The Cook dug his hands into his pockets, breathing out a puff of cold air on his way out of the long cave.

Watching him leave, Zoro swallowed his pride for a second and parted his lips to deliver a message to the younger man.

"Hang on. I got something for you too."

Stopping his tracks before walking any further, the curious Cook turned over and hummed in response to Zoro when he held his fist out to him.

"What? You wanna punch me out or something with that puny hand of yours?"

He sarcastically questioned, pushing his bangs out of the way to stare at the Swordsman.

"Don't be stupid... And don't tempt me either, because I might just use my swords to slice your toxic tongue off."

The Swordsman smirked, dropping something in Sanji's hand, leaving the man to stare at it in complete disbelief.

"Wait, this is-"

Sanji's facial expression altered from an insipid semblance that was lacking emotion, to a euphoric gaze, marked by great satisfaction.

"I'll be damned. He had my lighter the whole time."

The Cook unknowingly found himself smiling down at his golden lighter before storing it away in his pocket.

Readjusting his jacket, the man zipped it up all the way, eyeing the Swordsman who had made it a few steps out of the cave and was already facing the wrong direction in hopes of finding his way back to the Sunny.

"Oh... Yeah... Maybe I should've gone left, after all."

The man rubbed the back of his head with a mystified look on his face.

"Don't move. I've got a question for you."

Even though the Swordsman was already annoyed enough with his own self for not knowing his way out of the snowy Island, he decided to listen to what the Cook had to say.

"Why did you keep it with you?" The blonde man asked, holding the lighter in his hand.

Staring back at it, Zoro remembered picking up the small item wondering how it ended up so close to him after Sanji and him parted ways.

It was never his intention to stay with it, but there was a very specific reason as to why he never threw it away.

And before he could explain the meaning behind it, he wanted an answer of his own from Sanji.

"You first. Why did you keep my earring, huh?"

His inquiry was simple, yet Sanji took his time to answer it as he found himself baffled by the Swordsman's response.

"That? Who knows..."

Staring down at his shoes to not look directly into Zoro's face, the Cook thought about the other answers he could have given him, but held back on doing so, to keep their conversation as short as possible.

"About the same, heh."

He heard the man's voice, but still couldn't face him. Something inside of him was preventing Sanji from looking at his ex-lover.

Be it the grudge he held against him and their breakup, or the bothersome feeling in his heart that made the man run out of air... But something always felt out of place for the Cook, whenever Zoro was around.

"You stay here. I'm better off out there."

He said, taking a few steps ahead of the Swordsman until he passed him by.

Seconds later, he turned around and noticed that the Swordsman was standing outside, pacing down a distant trail, a few miles away from him.

"Dumbass! I left YOU the cave, why are you over there!?"

He shouted, feeling offended by the Swordsman's lack of gratitude towards him.

"Because I don't take orders from you. And because I need to collect some wood to start a fire in there to keep myself warm."

The neon haired man explained, chopping down a few tree branches to drop them off within the cave.

"I see."

Were the last words Sanji thought to ever say to the man, only to be shocked by the sound of him struggling, a few seconds later.

Once Zoro gathered as much wood as he possibly could fit into the large cave, he started to groan in silence.

"How the hell do they always start a fire by rubbing two twigs together? I can't do it."

He asked himself in a frustrating voice, rubbing a pair of sticks in his hands.

"Huh?"

Hearing a constant foot tapping against the concrete ground, the Swordsman noticed Sanji standing in a corner.

"Need help lighting that up?"

The Cook asked, waving his lighter around.

"Receiving help from a man who can hardly even look me in the eye? Hard pass, but thanks."

~~~