(no subject)

[moe81]

Title: Blink and You'll Miss It
Rating: PG
Pairing: Zoro/Sanji and a few extra...people.
A/N: Random dictionary diving gave me 'time-lag: a gap or delay between one event and another'.
Summary: In the time between moments, the world continues to turn.


Swords glinted in the morning light and heavy shoes thumped across the deck. Sanji dropped to the ground and swept his legs out, aiming for Zoro's feet. The swordsman jumped back and crouched, sword poised and ready to deliver his next attack. The cook smirked at him and vaulted into the air and in a blur of spinning limbs, almost landed on Zoro. He crossed his swords, blunt side down, and caught one of Sanji's ankles. The swordsman whipped his arms around and sent the blond into a nearby wall.

Sanji used the wall as a launch pad and spun into Zoro, a foot aimed at his head. Zoro dropped his shoulder, swords held out to the sides, and swung into the cook. The foot slipped past his ear and he took another step in, Sanji's leg resting against the side of his head.

Sanji leaned in closer, his upper body lying flush against his raised leg. Zoro flicked Kitetsu up and behind his arm and reached out, fingers curling in the cook's collar...

Shuusui wandered past the motionless couple, gracing them with a quick glance. Their position was a little compromising but that was nothing unusual.

In the middle of the deck, swearing and shouting rose to a crescendo where Kitetsu and Wadou were arguing. The topic was so mundane that Shuusui tuned their voices out and watched them with a bored expression. A pale figure, young and still so seemingly innocent, made her way down the stairs towards him. He tilted his head at Kuina in greeting.

Kuina looked at the bickering couple and rolled her eyes before giving Shuusui a big grin. She crossed her arms and flicked her gaze back at them. "So how are you finding them?"

Shuusui's expression didn't falter even as the other two became louder. "They are but children to me. Their fights cause little damage and I have come to ignore the irritation they incur."

"You have a stupid face!"

"And you have stupid clothes! Who the hell fights in a skirt anyway?"

"It's not a skirt! It's a hakama, you dumb twit!"

Kuina's eyes bounced between them as the yelling match continued, glad that she didn't spend that much time with them. The bickering would drive her nuts. She turned back to Shuusui, pretending that she didn't see the small tic jumping above his eye and silently offered the stoic man her support. "And Zoro? How has he been lately?"

Both gazes switched to the green-haired man and Kuina stared fondly at Zoro's unmoving frame. Every time she saw him, she was still amazed at how much he'd grown and just how much raw power he exuded. She flicked her eyes to the blond, Sanji, and admired his form. She could easily see the attraction her friend had to the other man. Looks aside, he had honesty, power and from what she had seen, incredible cooking skills.

Shuusui's low voice interrupted her musings. "He has been well. Our interaction isn't strained but there is still a way to go before he becomes entirely comfortable with me. There are times, though they are becoming fewer, in which he mourns for his lost companion." Shuusui's eyes grew distant, remembering his own losses. "When you spend a long time together, it is hard to lose them but then along comes another who will help to fill that emptiness."

Kuina remembered the long months after her accident and having to watch her father and Zoro struggle through the days. Zoro had thrown himself into his training and her father, worried that Zoro would do something reckless, had given as much support as he could. It had taken time but the two of them had slowly healed. Kuina had felt herself lighten as time passed and her visits to them had slowly dwindled.

Kuina was torn from her thoughts when Kitetsu grabbed her shoulders and spun her around.

Kitetsu moved his face as close to her as he could and the serene gaze he got in return creeped him out but he wanted an answer. "How?" All he got was blank look. "How the hell did you put up with her?" He knew he probably looked crazed but he didn't care.

Kuina gave him a perplexed look and Shuusui cut in with an answer. "When humans are alive, they tend not to interact with their weapons on anything more than a physical level."

"He talks to us all the fucking time. I'm almost sure blondie's done it in passing, too." Kitetsu let Shuusui's words sink in and a horrified look crossed his features. His eyes shot to Zoro. "Is that why he's always cleaning us?"

Wadou sneered at him. "You're a sick, perverted bastard... and you enjoy killing things."

Kitetsu rounded on her and laughed, waving a hand in Zoro's direction. "No. That's him."

Kuina smirked and looked at her friend's current position. "Zoro isn't a pervert. He's just horny."

Wadou mumbled under her breath and Kitetsu stared at her. "You still have that idiotic little crush on him."

Wadou's eyes flashed before she launched herself at him, fists swinging wildly and connecting with his head. Kitetsu swore a colourful streak at her and began chanting 'master's pet, master's pet.' She bared her teeth and screeched at him.

Shuusui winced at the sound, glad that he wasn't actually able to be rendered deaf. Kuina's chuckles filled his ears and he wondered if being dead for such a long time tended to make one insane.

Kitetsu crossed his arms over his head as Wadou reverted to kicking him. He ran to the other side of his wielder and made a rude gesture. Wadou took a flying leap at him and she disappeared for a moment as she passed through Zoro. She let out a startled gasp and fell to her knees before the unmoving man, whispering apologies, then she turned to Kitetsu and growled.

He slipped out of her reach and trained his eyes on the cook. His gaze travelled the raised leg and he ogled the slight bulge in Sanji's pants. Kitetsu licked his lips and stared at the blond's pale neck. "Why don't they just do it and get it over with? This tension is a killer."

Wadou snarled at him and Kuina grinned. "Maybe they just need a nudge." The growling changed to a choked whimper and Kitetsu ignored her.

"A nudge?" He gave the pair a thoughtful look. "A nudge."

Kuina's amusement grew when Kitetsu continued to stare at the swordsman and cook. She shook her head and moved to the stairs. She paused, her foot resting on the bottom step and she looked back at her friend's companions and smirked. "I know you're only manifestations, but try not to kill each other."

Shuusui tipped his head at her and bowed. "Miss Kuina."

She faded out of view and Shuusui raised an eyebrow at Kitetsu as he stalked around the pair, eyes gleaming with intent. Wadou pouted and stayed silent as a plan seemed to form in Kitetsu's mind.

...Zoro blinked and tugged on the material, bringing the other man closer. Kitetsu's sheath tangled around Zoro's legs and he tripped, flinging his arms out to the sides and taking Sanji down to the deck with him. Sanji groaned under the weight and thumped Zoro on his head.

"Heavy ass. Get off me."

Zoro clicked his tongue and lowered his head. "No." His mouth brushed over Sanji's and all the cook could do was stare at him, his eyes wide and bright red infusing his face. Zoro pulled back and gazed at him.

Sanji sputtered. "W-what the hell?"

Zoro watched as the flush disappeared under the collar of the cook's shirt. He bent his head again and hovered over shock-parted lips. "Nudge."

Comments

[c-callosum.livejournal.com]

Ah ha ha ha, I love the personalities you gave the three swords! And Kuina's thoughts about her father and Zoro after she died were so sweetly sad...but Kitetsu's nudge was FTW! I'll bet the swords are just gonna be watching and making wry comments while Zoro and Sanji make out, too :-P

[moe81.livejournal.com]

Yay~ I'm glad you liked them. They were fun to write. The nudge seems to be winning over everything else.

Of course, Kitetsu will be commenting on their technique or lack thereof because he really is a perverted little shit. XD