Chapter Text
When Sanji had left the crew to get married, it had hurt. Zoro was the first one to be surprised when he realized that his mood had been soured by the rushed decision the omega had taken. It's not that he thought he would be happy by Sanji's depart, but he had not expected it to hurt that much.
Ever since the cook had joined the crew, the both of them have had some kind of rivalry going on, but Zoro knew that deep down they respected each other and would always have each other's backs. Or at least that's what he thought until Sanji left. Sure, the idiot was a self sacrificing asshole from time to time, but Zoro thought that all that was behind them, that the omega knew he could rely on the pack as much as the pack relied on him. But no, he just had to go marry some girl he didn't know, without warning anyone and without even properly packing his stuff.
The alpha sighed as he stood in the cook's empty heat room, though "empty" was incorrect. If anything, it looked like the cook would come back anytime. Usually, alphas didn't enter an omega's nest uninvited, but Zoro was only standing near the nest, and apparently its omega would not be coming back, so who cared?
Sanji's nest was not as the alpha had imagined it. Knowing the cook, he was expecting something frivolous, a gigantic pile of satin blankets on the bed or whatever, perhaps a corner dedicated to items belonging to the pack, comforters and pillows everywhere that would neatly draw the nest limits. But instead he saw a weirdly shaped oval on the floor, near a corner of the room, its borders thicker on the longer sides, perhaps to mimic the ambrace and support of a mate against the omega's back while he slept, and the thinnest where Zoro assumed Sanji's feet would go. It was barely big enough for two people, hell, if Zoro were to lie in it he was certain his back would take the entire space between those wonky borders and his feet would go over the bottom, meaning that the blonde was mostly curled in his nest. There were some items belonging to the crew, old shirts here, ripped fabrics from clothes there, a few trinkets too. But despite Zoro's initial surprise to the cook's nest, the alpha still crouched near it, hand hovering over it. Sanji had been in such a hurry to leave, that he didn't even bother to even take small things from his nest with him, almost like he never left. And it still smelled like him.
Sanji was back, and the crew accepted him back with open arms, especially the ones that went to rescue him. He didn't exactly apologize, as the reunion in Wano had not happened in the best conditions, but Zoro knew that it would be too awkward between them if the cook did. Still, he could see that, as much as the blonde was trying to pretend that everything was back to normal, Zoro knew it wasn't. They hadn't sparred once since he got back, and he hated to admit it, but he kind of missed it.
And then, when things were still fragile, as the cook was mending the trust he had broken, Zoro fucked up.
It all went south when, after Sanji had prepared the entire crew a hearty meal as they were still recovering from the battles, the omega had shyly asked if i was okay for him to go to his nest, if it was still there, to prepare for his upcoming heat in a few days. The preheat would explain why, on top of everything, the blonde had been weird lately, Zoro thought. Luffy made a confused face, asking why wouldn't his nest be there, and that of course he could go if he wanted, followed by the others who comforted the omega, saying that they would never get rid or even touch his nest, as it belonged in the ship, with them.
"Yeah, why would we even touch your wonky ass nest anyway? Just go and stink it back up," the alpha said, hoping that the blonde would see the comfort and meaning behind his words.
"Zoro." Said Nami, with a warning tone in her voice.
"What? You're gonna tell me that none you went into the room to make sure he had left?" he scoffed, not believing that nobody went to see if it was real. They all shook their head no.
"Make sure I had left?" repeated Sanji, lips pursing slightly, and Zoro understood how it must have sounded for the others. "Sorry to be back, then."
"That's not- ugh, whatever," he sighed, rolling his eyes. "Just go back to your ugly thing," he said dismissively, looking back to the sea.
He expected the cook take the bait and bicker with him, to show him that things were alright and back to normal between them. He expected Sanji to say something about how Zoro couldn't talk about stinking when he showered only when it rained, how it didn't matter what he thought of his nest because it's not like he would be invited anyway. But he was only met with silence.
When he lifted his head to look at Sanji, the omega's lips were pressed into a thin line. Then, he just turned around and slammed the galley door. Zoro could feel the disapproving stares of his crew on him, Nami's being the heaviest of them all. The swordsman shrugged it off and ignored the weight that bloomed in his stomach, thinking that the navigator was just closer to the cook because they were both omegas and because she had been part of the team who went looking for him.
However, as a couple of days passed, the cook barely looked at him anymore. He only spoke to him when needed, and despite having the unnecessary permission from Luffy, didn't go to his nest, even when his heat would be there soon, if his scent and amount of pheromones were any indication. This time though, it felt different, and perhaps it was because it was the first heat the cook would have since Whole Cake so because of the stress and whatnot, Sanji's pheromones felt heavier than usual, or perhaps because ever since two days ago the weight at the bottom of Zoro's stomach did not shrink one bit, but Zoro didn't like it.
The cook had always been a secretive person, he had never actually invited someone to his nest, not even someone from the pack, to nest and cuddle with him, or help during his heat. He had always done that outside of his nest room, with Nami in the girls bunk, in the galley with everyone before going to sleep. When his heat settled in, he either would lock himself up, or if they were at an island, he would book one of those heat-inns for the week.
This time, they all thought that the heat would be like always, Sanji would lock himself up and come out looking as if it had not happened a week later. Usually, they checked on the cook once in the beginning of his heat and once around the fourth day, usually, during the first check up, the omega would peak his head through the door, and tell them everything was fine, sometimes he would ask for more bottles of water and some snacks if he judged there weren't enough, and during the second check up, as he was too deep in his heat to answer, and because they didn't want to upset him during that vulnerable time, they just took in the state of the cook's pheromones. The door was thick, barely letting any sound and scent seep though, but just enough to judge if the cook was in distress.
Zoro and Robin weren't usually the ones tasked to check up on te blonde, especially not the second time as both were alphas. With an outstanding self control and will power, who would rather hurt themselves than harm their any of their pack mates, but alphas nonetheless. While Nami nested with all of them and asked for their clothes, Sanji never did, so sometimes they had to check on the cook and linger just enough so he would get used to their pheromones in his deep state of heat.
The swordsman had been tasked, or more like forced, to do both check ups on the omega as the entire crew could see that the cook was still upset about the alpha's idiotic comment, and hoped that it would get them to talk it out a bit. During the first one, Sanji had barely bothered to answer, only making his eye visible though the door crack, and slammed the door shut when he had realized that it was Zoro on the other side. The alpha felt defeated, he knew his comment had not been well received, but he didn't expect it to be this bad. Things never were that bad between them, sometimes during their fights things went too far, but somehow they always talked or fought it out. At this point, Zoro would have prefered Sanji to snap at him, snarl, growl, yell and scream everything that went wrong so they could find a way to resolve it. But he was forced to stand in front of the locked door, willing his voice to sound confident as he still asked the cook if he needed something and if he was doing alright, to turn around, weight in his belly growing heavier as the oly response he had was silence followed by a loud thump in the door, probably meaning that Sanji had thrown a shoe at it, to make the alpha leave.
"Yeah, we need to talk," sighed Nami when the swordsman finished explaining the cook's reaction to the crew as she instructed Zoro to follow her, taking them to the galley.
"So uh- do you know what's going on? Because i feel like I'm the only one who doesn't get it," said the alpha, voiced laced with frustration and worry. "I know I fucked up but I don't know how-"
"Do you know why our nests are important to us?" interrupted Nami, not answering Zoro's question. "Because it's a place where we feel safe, and we want it to smell like out family, our loved ones," she started explaining before Zoro could even answer. "That's where we would cradle with our children, if we ever have them, and be with our mate."
She went on and explained that omegas spent time and effort to make their nests as comfortable and comforting as possible, that to be invited in an omega's nest was a privilege and that, on some degree, every omega was scared that their pack mates, family or partner would reject it. It was like a piece of its omega's soul, and Sanji, having major self worth issues, never showed his nest to anyone, not even his crewmates. After all, you can't reject what you don't know existed.
"And do you know how omegas learn to nest?" continued the redhead. "We learn from our parents, usually our moms", she said softly when the alpha shook his head no.
Now, Zoro had never really had parents, so he never learned how to nest, and he was an alpha, so he never got the need to make one either. Then, he remembered what he knew about the cook's past. He didn't know the whole story, not as much as Nami, but just enough to remember that the cook's mom died, and the blonde had been declared dead by his family and bullied by those colourful siblings of his. He also remembered that Zeff, who had been more of a dad to Sanji than his actual father ever was, was an alpha, so probably not very knowledgeable about nests either. Zoro nodded, slowly understanding that Sanji's nest was like that because he never learned properly how to make one, that ever since he was little he did his best with pure instinct and dread, that his family members probably never gave him proper items to nest with so he had to settle for scraps. It would certainly explain why his nest had only old pieces of clothing.
"So not only did you admit that you went into, or near, Sanji's nest without his permission," said the navigator through gritted teeth, making an inhuman effort not to whack the other dumbass on the head. "But you also criticized it, and clearly he didn't take it well."
The lump that had settled in Zoro's stomach was also coiling around his throat. He could lie and say that technically, when he was in the cook's nest room, he didn't know if the fool would even come back, but he knew. Of course the cook would come back, Luffy would make sure of it or die trying. He knew he had transgressed a rule, but at that moment, his body had taken him to the omega's nest on his own, because he couldn't believe that the blonde had really left them. He had hoped to enter and be met with insults, telling him to get out, perhaps a kick, something that would indicate that he was still there.
"I didn't mean- I wasn't rejecting him, I just- Fuck," he cursed, not finding the right words to convey his thoughts, or the lack of thereof when he made his comment to Sanji.
"I know you weren't rejecting him, and I'm sure deep down he knows it too, but the timing really was not... the best," she sighed. "He's very vulnerable right now so I'm not sure if we have to give him some space or check on him more than usual but-" she winced as she weighed the options they had. "Chopper will be the one checking up on him in three days," she announced.
Zoro was about to contest her decision but he knew it was useless, besides, if he went, what would he do? He couldn't confront the omega and force him to hear his apologies, especially if he was in heat. That's assuming the blonde would even open, or be able to, the door. And what if, in his hurt, Sanji reacted badly to the alpha's presence and attacked him? Worst, what if as he tried to comfort the omega, Zoro lost control and mated him? He was fairly certain it wouldn't happen, because he had the willpower of two thousand men, but still. As much as he wanted to make amends, he would probably need to wait until Sanji's heat was over, but mostly until the blonde was ready to hear him out.
Three days are not that long, especially with a crew like theirs, but the swordsman could feel his gaze flickering towards the door leading to the cook's heat room every hour when he was awake. He considered leaving one of his shirts, an old belly band, something that would tell the cook that Zoro was there for him.
He sighed as he ate one of Sanji's plates he prepared for them before he went in heat, and tried not to think about the news that Chopper would bring when he came back from Sanji's fourth day check up. The little doctor, not being human, did not have a secondary gender, and thus, when necessary, he could enter the heat rooms of Nami and Sanji if things were wrong, same with Zoro and Robin's den.
"Cheer up, Zoro," said Luffy as he stuffed his mouth with his portion. "He was hurt but I know you guys will fix it, don't worry," he declared, having faith that things would go back to normal.
"I'm not worried I'm just... I'm annoyed, it's a big misunderstanding," the swordsman huffed.
"Well, you had about three days to think carefully about your apology," chimed Nami. "That was plenty of time to find the right words, even for you," she chuckled as she added the last comment.
"What kind of idiot do you think-" he started to bare his teeth, even if both knew that he was not actually threatening the redhead, but Chopper's yell interrupted him, which made the entire crew whip their heads towards to door. Zoro's fingers were twitching around his cutlery, waiting for any sign to either relax and let Chopper handle what was happening, or run towards him and Sanji.
The distressed "Sanji, stop!" they heard was enough for him to bolt out of his seat and get out of the galley, ignoring Usopp's voice telling him to wait. As he reached the open door of the cook's heat room, he had to stop abruptly when the scent and pheromones of the omega reached him. The scent was horrible, it didn't stink, per say, but combined with the heavy pheromones, it was the embodiment of despair and pain.
Chopper was in his Heavy Point form, restraining the half dressed omega who looked absolutely feral. He was snarling, eyes wild and red, and looked like he had fought against a beast because his arms and chest were plastered with angry scratch marks. His blonde hair was dishevelled, just like when he would tug and pull it when he was feeling bad, and his face was puffy, stained with tears. He was writhing in Chopper's hold, growling with effort, movements frantic yet not hurting the reindeer. Before doing something rushed, Zoro closed his eyes and took a grounding breath, though his muscles were trembling with the instinct to comfort his crewmate. As he looked around the room, he realized that Sanji's nest was not there anymore, the items belonging to the crew were flung everywhere, its comforters and blankets torn to shreds, scattered across the room, in Sanji's hand, the alpha realized, was an old shirt of his, ripped and barely hanging in one piece by a thread, literally. The snacks and water, though mostly the snacks, that Sanji had prepared for his heat were almost untouched. It broke Zoro's heart.
"Let go!" the omega roared, voice a mix of anger and hurt.
Chopper denied, jaw clenched and eyes filling with tears due to the state his friend was in. Both of them turned to Zoro and while Chopper was pleading with his eyes to help, relieved that he wouldn't have to restrain Sanji alone, the omega seemed torn between attacking the swordsman or sobbing. His movements in Choppers hold grew more desperate, not to continue hurting himself or destroying his nest, but to get away.
"Let go! Please let go!" he begged, voice thick with a budding wail, and Zoro's chest was hurting, heart beating painfully.
Zoro took a step towards them when Chopper instructed him to, but the snarl the cook let out made him stop in his tracks. It hurt, he was the reason why Sanji was in that state, he wasn't welcome here. Still, Zoro walked over to them, ignoring the painfully sobs both Sanji and Chopper were letting out. He slowly grabbed the omega's wrists, and manœuvred with the teenager to be the one fully restraining the cook. Instead of fighting, scratching or pushing him away, the blonde curled onto himself on the floor, body wrecked by weak sobs.
"Let go..." he pleaded and Zoro felt his heart shatter. He looked up, hoping Chopper would give him instructions, but the doctor seemed as lost as he was, not to mention also devastated. To witness an omega destroying his nest, his pack mate, his friend, it was heart-breaking.
So Zoro did the first thing he thought about. He gently let go of Sanji's wrists, letting the omega melt on the floor, and carefully brought his hand on the blonde's nape, to cradle him in a close and protective embrace. Just as gently, though more hesitantly, the alpha brought the omega's face closer to his. There was a slight resistance from Sanji, eyes scrunched and lips pressed into a thin line, but he did not try to escape anymore, as if he had given up. The alpha took a deep breath, assessing Sanji's state, he was still hurting, with a tinge of fear, and then, Zoro dove his nose to the cook's neck, nuzzling the scent gland on the side of his neck.
"I'm sorry..." he whispered. "I'm so sorry," he said again, feeling his throat close up with what he assumed was the beginning of a sob.
Sanji made a choked noise, something between a snarl and a whine, trying to weakly push Zoro away as he kept apologizing and scenting the blonde. Somewhere along the soft nuzzles and gentle hands, the cook had stopped fighting, or even crying. His hands had gone from pushing the alpha to gripping his haori in an impossibly tight grasp as if he was afraid that Zoro would leave, to nothing. When he looked down, the alpha realized that Sanji had fallen asleep, tears drying on his cheeks and breathing still irregular.
The sound of Chopper clearing his throat popped the strange bubble he had find himself into with Sanji. The swordsman looked up, and felt shameful and self conscious under the gazes of the entire crew, all gathered at the entrance of the room. Thankfully, in a way, they were all looking at their cook, taking in how exhausted he looked, how heavy the pheromones in the room felt, even if slightly lighter and less bitter since Sanji fell asleep and how destructive he had become with his nest and himself. He could hear them whispering among themselves, and even if it was his fault, Zoro's arms still tightened protectively around Sanji.
"I feel like shit," he whispered, jaw clenched in anger and guilt.
"You better," agreed Nami with a disappointed look. "So what now? He's... This is the peak of his heat, when he wakes up there's no telling he won't start... hurting himself again, or if he will even remember what happened," she said, trying to think about every outcome of this shitty situation.
"If I may," spoke up Robin with a soothing voice, "Given that there's no nest, perhaps we could each bring some items of ours? If he's mostly driven by instinct and hurt, he might want to make another one when he realizes that it's gone," she theorized.
"We should each bring a shirt or something yeah," Ussop nodded as he entered the room and picked up what he recognized to be a shirt he hadn't worn since they reunited.
"Hey! Wait- Wait- What do I do?!" Zoro whispered shouted as he watched the crew nod and start to leave while he was still holding Sanji.
"You stay here and watch over him," announced Chopper. "With the pheromones he's letting out, I doubt you want to engage in intercourse with him, nor him with you," he explained. "And, if he gets feral again, you're the only one who can possibly keep him from... starting again."
"You kinda owe that to him Zoro-bro," said Franky with a soft voice.
And so Zoro waited, and watched as everyone in the pack brought something from their room which still smelled like them. Some brought whatever they had been wearing until now, other a clean piece of clothing that they rubbed on their glands, Franky had thankfully brought one of his floral shirts and not some kind of underwear and Ussop and Robin also brought some pillows and covers, so Sanji could, if he wished, properly restart his nest. They also gathered what once was his old nest near the door, should the blonde want to incorporate some of it in the new one, or throw it all together. Then, they started to leave, and Zoro understood that if the omega woke up and found too many people in his heat room, he might panic, but when he tried to softly put the cook down, he was met with the stern gaze of the little doctor, making it clear that he was to stay with Sanji until he got better, or until they would need his help. Until then, he had to do his best and make amends with him.
When Sanji started to wake up, Zoro didn't know what to do. He had kept the omega in his arms, feeling unable to let him go. However, if when he was fully awake, the cook was just as feral as earlier, being the first person he sees might not be the best idea. On the other hand, he feared that if Sanji woke up alone, on the floor without his nest, he might only be distressed.
He observed as Sanji's breathing became deeper, and his eyes would slowly stop moving behind his eyelids. Slowly, he opened his eyes, taking a few seconds to recognize where he was and to remember what happened. He tensed slightly in Zoro's hold before looking up, meeting the alpha's nervous gaze. Sanji looked at him for what seemed like hours, and the swordsman could not identify any emotion. Slowly, the blonde turned his head to look at a blank point in front of him, and the alpha felt more lost than ever.
"Cook..?" He asked softly, getting worried that even Sanji's pheromones weren't letting anything show of what was possibly happening within his head and heart. "Is everyth- How- Are you okay?" He asked, not knowing where to start, and feeling defeated when the cook didn't react. He didn't look at him, didn't huff, didn't snarl. Nothing, as if Zoro wasn't even there. If anything, his question, or perhaps simple presence, made the omega curl on himself again. Not in the same "I'm in pain" way as before, bur more like a turtle that would go back in its shell to be left alone. He made no further effort to get out of the alpha's hold, nor to urge the swordsman to leave, but he didn't acknowledge him either, still looking blankly in front of him, shallow breathing and barely even blinking.
They stayed like that for a while, until Zoro's eyes were starting to hurt because of the night that was starting to set and his stomach started to rumble a bit. As he saw that Sanji had no intention of moving, even when the swordsman displayed signs of hunger, the swordsman sighed in defeat and moved for the first time in hours. He lifted up the omega to scoot backwards a bit so he could let him down, realizing how stiff his muscles felt. The omega still didn't move a finger, so Zoro huffed and got up, walking towards the door. As he reached the exit, he looked back to the blonde, still nothing.
He went to the galley, where all the other were eating, and before they could ask questions and berate him for leaving Sanji, he explained that he was there to grab something to eat, for the both of them, as he was starting to get hungry and he was certain that the cook was too, even if he didn't show it, or if he even realized it himself.
Zoro wasn't sure what to expect when he came back. Would Sanji still remain unmoved by the alpha, whether it was his presence or not? Would he think that he had been abandoned and would feel hurt? Would he finally allow himself to move and perhaps really look his surroundings when he thought the swordsman had left him? He sighed before pushing the door, bracing himself for any outcome.
It seemed like the omega had not moved, seemingly unphased. But Zoro saw the way his body looked slightly smaller, more curled on himself, watched the way his head moved less than an inch when he heard the door opening, and smelled the cook's pheromones get heavier, tainted with sadness. He took a deep breath and turned on the lights, hearing a small whine from the blonde, whose eyes had gotten used to the dark. He put the plate of food on the nearest surface, and walked towards Sanji.
"I uh, brought us food... Thought you might want some," he spoke softly, even if he wasn't surprised by the omega's lack of reaction, but he wouldn't give up. "The crew, they brought you things, like- shirts and shit..." he said. "Nami brought you the shirt she had when you joined the crew and Robin- she gave you one of her spare comforters..."
He had hoped that the mention of his beloved ladies would get him something, a look, a finger twitching, a breath deeper than the others, anything. Still nothing, and he was starting to get frustrated. He was not really a man of patience, especially when it came with the cook, even less a man of words, that was very clear. He was a man of actions but with Sanji both so vulnerable and unresponsive, he couldn't afford to do anything rushed but he had to do something at some point. They couldn't possibly stay like that, in heavy silence for the next few days. Zoro had to take a shot in the dark, hoping that it would draw any kind of reaction from the cook.
He walked towards the gigantic pile of stuff the crew had brought, and after a moment where he weighted if his decision was a good one or not, he bent and picked up the comforter, as well as as much pillows his arms could grab. The alpha let them fall near Sanji, not enough to touch or disturb him, but enough so that the small air flow from the falling comforter would graze the omega's back. Zoro started to move, to spread, to shape the comforter until it took an oval-ish form, arranging the pillows and things from the crew until they made the longer sides of the oval thicker than the rest. He did his best, focusing on making this nest the closest to the old one. He was nervous, this was the first time he had ever tried to make a nest, and he didn't know how the cook would react, or if he would react at all, and at that moment he understood just how devastating his comment must have been received by the blonde because, while his goal was to get something out of the cook with this nest, if he hated it, it would sting a little bit.
Once he was satisfied, or once he knew he couldn't do worse even if he tried, he sighed and turned towards the omega, debating on whether he should stop or keep going. It wasn't too late to back down, what if he just made things worse? He finally settled on powering through, if he made things worse, then at least it meant that Sanji could still react and care about what he did. Even if it meant he would hate him. So he walked to him, and gently picked him up. The cook turned his head to the floor, still refusing to look at him, but it was better than nothing. Zoro then softly placed the omega in the nest he had tried to make himself, feeling a lump bud in his throat as he waited for anything, something.
He stepped out of the nest, and waited, tried to see if any of Sanji's muscles would move ever so slightly, and when he thought that he had failed yet again, he heard a sniffle, he saw the blonde's nostrils twitch and his eyes scrunch as well as his hands shake, fingers slowly coiling against the comforter fabric, which smelled like Robin. He watched as his slender body coiled and his face was buried in the nearest pillow, which was Usopp's. He heard the pained whine the cook made as he slowly brought is hands to his hair, tangling his fingers but never really pulling. Zoro didn't know what to do, he was paralyzed and felt like an intruder. He felt like this wasn't something he was meant to see, and if he drew attention on him by moving even an inch, he would do irreparable damage. So he watched, keeping his every breath on check, not too fast, not too deep, like an animal hiding. He would only intervene if necessary or move again when Sanji would fall asleep, because somehow, he knew that it was his only choice.
Zoro watched as Sanji tightly hugged Usopp's pillow, buried his face into it and sobbed softly. He turned, back facing the swordsman which he used as an opportunity to slowly and silently back up to a corner, and let go of the pillow, grabbing Franky's floral shirt before bringing it to his nose and sobbing again. The omega did that with every item of the makeshift nest, wriggling his body in the comforter, trying to find the familiarity of his old nest. When every single piece of the nest had been studied, sniffed and nuzzled, Sanji was still letting out a sour scent. He whined in frustration, trembling hand going to his chest where the red angry marks were still striping his skin. He clenched his jaw and snarled before angrily bringing his fist to a pillow. The omega got up, sitting in an awkward position before once again combing through every item of the nest, pushing the pillows and shirts to the edges, fluffing them up or balling them to his convenience, again and again and again. It was clumsy, still shaped weirdly but Zoro could see the frustration and sadness in Sanji's eyes. No matter what he did, his nest was not enough, not big enough, or pretty enough or good enough for him, or anyone and Zoro felt so guilty, he wished he could take it all back, he wished he had apologized when it was still time.
The cook's movements were getting rushed and desperate, rearranging his nest for the umpteenth time. He growled and whined, fists clenching in his hair and Zoro still couldn't get his body to move to help his friend. Sanji started to look around him, gaze frantically searching something on the floor, until his gaze locked with the remains of his old nest. His lips started wobbling and he crawled towards the pile of shredded clothing, shaking hand diving in it, small pieces of fabric slipping trough his fingers. He brought it to his nose, recognizing the scent, and the wail that tore his throat was pure agony to Zoro's ears, who watched powerless as the omega started to dig through the pile of shreds, weeping and sniffling with each handful of torn items. He sobbed and clutched something to his chest, a worn out piece of clothing that Zoro recognized as his, one of his old tees, the one that was almost torn when the alpha entered the room to help Chopper, that probably didn't even smelled like him anymore and Zoro realized that he was the only one whose scent was missing in the omega's nest. Sanji was looking for his scent, for him, even if he was the cause of his pain, his crew mate still wanted him in his nest. It shouldn't warm his heart, not in this situation, but it did, and it gave him hope. Maybe there was still a chance to make things right, to apologize, if the cook sought him out despite what he did to him.
Against his better judgment, he shifted in his corner, hesitated to make his presence known again to the omega, but it was all it took. The blonde whipped his head towards the alpha when he heard the slight creaking of the wood under him, eyes blown wide with fright, and the moment he recognized the swordsman, he started to shake, eyes darting between the fabric in his hands and his incomplete nest.
"Ah- wait-" the alpha stuttered as he brought his hands up before Sanji could react. "I- do you- Here- Take this-" he struggled to say as he hastily took off his haori and carefully handed it to the cook.
Despite not having a plan, it seemed to work, effectively preventing the blonde from attacking him or his nest. He hesitantly took the green haori from the swordsman's hands, looking like he didn't believe what was happening, having trouble believing that Zoro really was here, helping him with his nest. Even when he realized that the alpha was sincere, the cook refused to move and go to his nest, or even to look at it, and tensed when Zoro himself started to move towards it, to try and make the omega go back to it so he could finally place his scent in there.
So he still thought that Zoro hated his nest, the alpha understood. He once again went back to the blonde, letting his inner alpha do everything. He sat in front of the omega, and slowly cupped his face with his hands before pressing his forehead against the omega's. He felt Sanji tense in his hands, though he didn't shy away, and then the alpha let his hands lower, grazing the cook's neck and shoulders, grazing his scent glands in the process. Sanji was looking at him, searching for something in his eyes, rejection, disappointment or perhaps even judgement, and Zoro was doing his best to convey just how sorry he was for what he said, to tell through his gaze that he was glad the cook was back. His thumbs were making small circles on the blonde's skin, and he felt himself lean in. He didn't understand himself what was happening, except that by instinct alone, his inner alpha seemed to do a better job at comforting and soothing Sanji than he ever did, so instinctually so, that he leaned until his nose was once again nuzzling the cook's glands, pheromones getting milder, softer. It was intimate, it was strange, but the swordsman knew that it was the right thing to do because his heart had never felt so agitated yet so calm.
Slowly, the omega started to softly melt in his hands, body relaxing and scent finally somewhat sweet. They parted and Zoro moved his head towards the omega's nest, hoping he would understand that not only did Zoro wanted the omega to go there, but also that the alpha was there for him.
"Come with me, yeah?" the alpha whispered as he slowly backed up near Sanji's nest. "Please?" he asked softly and sighed in relief when the blonde nodded.
When he reached his nest, the cook looked at Zoro, as if unsure on how to proceed. Then, when the swordsman asked "Please..." once again, the omega finally went in, this time bringing Zoro's haori with him and wasting no time in arranging the swordsman's scent where it would fit the most. The alpha won't deny the low rumble of satisfaction he felt in his throat when the cook placed it right by his head, the closest to his nose. It was primal, stupid, but it didn't mean he couldn't like it.
Finally Sanji seemed satisfied with his nest, and as Zoro nodded and was about to go get their food, forgotten on the small dresser near the door, the cook looked at him with something in his eyes Zoro couldn't make out. Something between expectation and hesitation, he looked conflicted and the alpha wasn't catching on the subtle cues the blonde might have been showing. And then, Sanji was looking at his nest, then him, then his nest, and Zoro's eyebrows lifted with understanding. He chuckled and brought his hand to cup the blonde's cheek.
"It's a good nest, cook," he whispered with all the sincerity he could muster. "You did good," and it seemed to ease the last of the omega's worries, who sighed in profound relief, finally letting his body relax and his mind empty a bit.
However, while Zoro was glad the cook was doing better, they would still need to talk about it properly once his heat would be over and he would be himself again, though the swordsman supposed that at least having Sanji's inner omega be in peace was a good start. He nodded and stood up, deciding that perhaps he should leave the cook alone as he was feeling better, and promising himself that he would come back in the morning to check on him, but the synchronized grumble of their stomachs made him realize that he was still hungry, and Sanji was probably starving. So he went to retrieve the plate, and sat back in front of the cook, near his newly made nest to hand him the plate. It was filled with a small mount of meat and vegetable skewers that disappeared in the blink of an eye when met with two grown men, one of which needed an impressive amount of calories a day to maintain his muscle mass, and the other who had not eaten well for the last few days.
Sanji plopped himself in his nest, wriggling in it while he wrapped himself in the covers, and Zoro couldn't hold his surprise when he heard the other man purr. The alpha knew it was from contentment, which was well deserved after the emotional ordeal the blonde had just gone through, but he was still surprised, and also decided that he would definitely tease the cook about it later, when things would go back to normal. He took that as his cue to leave.
"No," Zoro heard the moment his hand touched the handle of the door. "Stay," he heard, coming from the nest, head poking on one end.
"I-" hesitated the alpha. To be invited in an omega's nest was an honour, but this omega was in heat, exhausted after days of being emotionally tortured and not entirely himself. "I'll come back, tomorrow morning, okay?" he said as he went back to Sanji, kneeling down to once again cup his cheek with his hand.
"Promise." Sanji ordered, brown knitting together in worry and resolve, hand coiling around the other man's wrist.
"I promise, okay cook?" he murmured, thumb softly going back and forth on the blonde's cheek bone and only then did the omega allow him to leave.
"Wait-" Sanji said suddenly when the alpha was standing, quickly searching around him for something. "Ah- here," he said, fumbling with the shirt he had on since the beginning, half ripped and only hanging on the cook's body by the last remaining button. "Here," he repeated, handing the shirt to the alpha with more intent.
When Zoro accepted it, albeit with a lot of confusion, the blonde was visibly relieved. After that, he wrapped himself in his covers again, and ignored the alpha, even as he exited the room.
When he closed the door of the nest room behind him, for a moment he wanted to go back. But it would be bad idea, who knows in what state the cook would wake up tomorrow? He took less risks by coming back in the morning than staying there for the night, though his inner alpha was conflicted by the idea of leaving their friend alone. Nevertheless, he slowly walked to his cabin, trying to listen for any sign of distress coming from the cook, but quickly understood that somehow, the omega was fine, even if Zoro could not understand the strange behaviour of the last moments.
In his cabin, he finally let the exhaustion of the day catch up to him, reminding him than Sanji was in a worse shape than him. But still, his eye was heavy the moment his body touched his bed, not even bothering to undress.
When morning came and he was clutching the shirt Sanji gave him to his chest, he took a quick shower and went directly to the galley, feeling strange not to have his usual haori on him, and opting instead for one of the things he hadn't worn since Wano. Besides, he wouldn't face the crew while smelling like the cook, it would lead to many questions and mental images that wouldn't be true, and he certainly would not admit that he had slept with the blonde's shirt, apparently clinging to it all night.
"Good morning Zoro," greeted Robin. "We didn't see you come back, yesterday," she said.
"We took that as a good sign," added Nami. "Is he doing alright?" she asked, hope and worry in her voice.
"He's... Doing better, not very uh, talkative? Very omega-y," was all Zoro offered, thinking about what to say without blabbing too much, or revealing something the cook wouldn't want them to know. "Nest is back up, and he's eating, so the worst is behind us, i guess," he explained vaguely, hoping the crew wouldn't pry too much.
"He built his nest again?" asked Chopper with hope and curiosity, followed by a relieved sigh from Nami. "He accepted our things, then?"
Zoro tried to tell as much as he could while keeping the part where Sanji asked him to stay, and then gave him his shirt, to himself. Mostly how he looked both distressed and yet happy when he had realized that the scraps he previously had were replaced by actual offerings with the real scents of his pack. Chopper said that he probably was overwhelmed and the only way his body could express itself was crying. The alpha didn't tell him about the haori situation either.
"Well, I was just here to grab a few things and go back," Zoro announced casually, hoping it would slip amidst their conversations once they changed the subject. "See ya," he said quickly before grabbing some coffee and bread before rapidly leaving and also picking a random shirt in the cook's cabin.
The alpha knocked softly and entered the nest room. With the morning light amd way less fatigue, the room looked warmer, allowing the man to properly see what the new nest looked like, it was bigger than the last one, though still oval and bigger on the sides. The clothes, pillows and covers, as they were newer than what he had before, seemed brighter, their colours more vibrant; and Sanji, who yawned and stretched, blonde hair shining like gold, seemed peaceful.
The swordsman was still feeling nervous, now that he knew just how important his nest was to the cook, but mostly because if Sanji was no longer in that primal state, very attuned to his inner omega, would he even remember that they kind of made up? That he asked the alpha to stay, the night before? That Zoro promised to come back in the morning? Or would he be back to his normal, bitchy self, and chase the alpha out with a hiss? Either way, he supposed, both were good, it would mean that he truly made things right, or at least okay, and he would just need to talk to Sanji once it would be over.
He wasn't expecting the cook to start softly purring when he recognized him, eyes darting with joy to the warm mug of coffee in his hands. Zoro cleared his throat and looked away, willing the warmth in his neck to stop there, and not go to his ears and cheeks. Still, he went to the omega, sitting next to him and handing him what he brought, that the blonde took with a sleepy smile which dropped in the same second. He started to sniff the air, and Zoro thought the over seeped the beverage, but then the omega started to snarl, eyes scanning Zoro up and down, setting his breakfast aside, crawling towards the alpha, stepping out of his nest angrily.
"Wha- Curly, what's going-" the swordsman tried to ask, not sure if he had to leave, stay put or fight. Until the omega was grabbed his clothes and pulled Zoro towards him, burying his nose in the fabric before snarling louder and pushing the alpha away. "Huh? Curls, will you tell me-"
"Out." The omega ordered with a hiss as he went back to his nest and turned his back to Zoro.
"Wait, what?" asked the swordsman, confused.
"Out!" he hissed again, whipping his head towards him. "Now!" he growled when the alpha did not move.
"Okay- alright, just-" Zoro stuttered, bringing his hands up as he understood that he probably shouldn't upset the omega even further, again. "I'm leaving, okay? I'll-" he wanted to say that he would be back, to ask if he could come back later, but he didn't.
Defeated, he went back to the galley, where the crew was still eating and laughing, stopping when they saw the confused alpha come back way too quickly. Zoro could see in their eyes that they were gauging if they should let Zoro explain himself, or ask questions first. They waited until he was seated, looking uncomfortable.
"So uh- what happened?" started Usopp.
"Dunno, he just- threw me out," he shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "One second he was doing good because I brought him breakfast, and the next he was hissing at me to get out," Zoro explained with a huff, arms crossed.
"Just like that?" asked Nami, raising one eyebrow. "You didn't do anything that could have set him off?"
"No? He started sniffing me and he just-" he groaned. "It can't be that I took a shower earlier, right?"
"As if Sanji of all people would be angry that you showered," scoffed the redhead.
"Just a thought," chimed Robin. "omegas and alphas are more receptive to scents when in our cycles. So, was our cook smelling you, or your clothes?" she asked, eyes glinting with mischief.
Zoro frowned, remembering how the cook had gotten angry after he had yanked him by his clothes. He pinched the crumpled area, bringing it to his nose, to inhale and focus on what he could find. To him, it smelled like Wano, tea, good sake, the herbal balm that had been used on him as he recovered, and cherry blossom. Nothing that should have upset Sanji that much. Until it dawned on him.
"My clothes still smell like Hiyori," he said as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"She was an omega, right?" asked Jinbe. "She took care of you when you were injured."
"Indeed," nodded Robin. "She spent much time with him, so it makes sense that her scent remained on the fabric."
"Alright, you might want to refrain from bringing the smell of another omega, who is not part of the pack, into an omega's nest" tried to kid Usopp. "Specially if they're in heat, but I'm sure you already knew that."
The alpha groaned with frustration, finally understanding the cook's reaction. "Yeah, I got it, thanks Usopp," he answered with sarcasm. "Should I change and go back? Let him be? Maybe one of you guys should check on him instead of me," the swordsman sighed, inner alpha disappointed in himself for upsetting their omega crew mate.
"Uh, Zoro, why do you wanna go back?" asked Chopper.
"Because you told me to stay with him?" answered the alpha, recalling the doctor,s orders.
"Yes, until he would be alright," explained the reindeer. "You just told us, before leaving, that he was doing okay, right? He even built his nest again?"
"Uh yeah- But- I thought that-" Zoro stuttered, again, and frowned. Chopper was right, why did he want to go back there? "Yeah, I guess if he's doing better then I don't- I don't need to go back..."
"Ah, I'm not saying you shouldn't go back, I'm just... surprised," Chopper thought. "We thought that once Sanji would do better you'd tell us and leave him, it's unusual for you to want-" he interrupted himself, eyes growing wide as if he understood something. "Unless... Don't tell me you guys- mated," he said, and whispered the last word.
"What- No, hell no- That's not-" the alpha sputtered with indignation and a bit of embarrassment. "I'm gonna go exercise-" he said, making a swift exit and going straight to the crow's nest.
In the galley, some were snickering, others were tired, and a few had their own speculations about Zoro's behaviour. Nami and Jinbe, even if the latter had joined them fairly recently, shared a sigh, deciding to let the swordsman sort his own shit out, most of the men in the crew were giggling, pointing out the way the swordsman's neck was slightly red when he left. Robin and Chopper though, while also softly laughing, shared a look, and decided to do some research later, if Zoro kept acting strange, and if Sanji would also express some changes in his behaviour once his heat would be over.
Despite Chopper's words and his better judgement, Zoro went back. It was hours later, somewhere in the afternoon and the alpha felt guilty and bashful. Not only he changed his clothes, he also rubbed Sanji's shirt on him, but he also made sure that the rest of the crew was busy and would not be around to see him enter the cook's nest room. He was telling himself that he was acting like that because of what he did, he still felt guilty and his inner alpha just really wanted to make sure Sanji was okay, and wouldn't shut up until he checked on the omega. Things would go back to normal once the blonde's heat would be over and they would actually talk, or fight, about what happened. But whatever he told himself would not change the fact that he felt somewhat nervous at the idea of being forgiven or not by Sanji.
He checked one last time that nobody was around, and entered the room after a soft knock.
The cook was munching one of those cereal bars with fruits in it, wearing the shirt Zoro brought him earlier, and even if that shirt was the cook's and had always belonged to him, and the alpha just gave it to him so he could change, he still felt strangely proud of himself, as if an offering had been accepted.
Sanji turned towards him, surprised to see him, conflicting emotions in his gaze that Zoro couldn't decipher. Still, if that meant that the cook was no longer mad at him, then the swordsman would take it.
"You came back," stated the blonde, slowly getting up and walking to him.
Somehow, and perhaps because it was the first time since this whole thing started that Sanji was standing, the alpha only realized at that moment that the cook was quite undressed. The shirt was only buttoned in one place, no vest, no tie, no trousers. Only his shirt, his heart patterned briefs and one sock. As Sanji stood before him, Zoro felt uneasy, they had already seen each other naked, running into each other at the baths, but this felt strangely different.
The cook eyed him from head to toe, analysing and judging, and the swordsman caught himself straightening up his posture, lifting his head high and buffing his chest, and his inner alpha seemed pleased when Sanji nodded in approval. What did the cook approve of though, Zoro had no idea.
However, now that he was back, Zoro didn't know why he was there. In the morning, he had gone to see the cook to make sure he was really doing alright and bring him something else than protein bars and plain water. He had thought that they would eat together and then he would leave again, come back for lunch, or dinner. It wasn't time to eat, Zoro knew that the cook was doing fine, he didn't bring anything with him, he willingly rubbed Sanji's scent on him and went into his nest to spend time with him, while he's in heat. It's no wonder Chopper thought they had mated because the alpha had literally no reason to come back, yet he did. Maybe, as a result of Sanji's distress in his heat, his pheromones didn't entice alphas sexually, but rather in a way that would make them want to take care of the omega?
Zoro was pulled out of his train of thoughts by the sound of Sanji clearing his throat, back into his nest looking at him expectantly, and even if the alpha still had no idea of what was happening, his legs moved him to the blonde, stopping right before him, and sitting down.
Both men were looking at each other, neither moving or saying anything, and the silence was stretching into something uncomfortable.
"Why did you come back?" asked Sanji.
"Are you uh- doing better?" asked Zoro simultaneously. "Ah, go first," said the alpha after another few seconds of silence where both expected the other to repeat.
"I'm... me again, mostly," answered the cook, no longer feeling like his inner omega was the one running the show. "So I guess that yeah, I'm doing better," he shrugged. "But you already knew that, no? Which brings us to my question, why did you come back?" he asked again, softly, blue eyes digging into Zoro's soul.
"I... don't actually know," he confessed. "I think I'm feeling guilty and- I want you to know that it's all a big misunderstanding," he said, swallowing his pride. It wasn't like them to apologize, but he didn't have a choice, not after what he caused, "I never meant for you to think that your nest wasn't- I..." the swordsman sighed, struggling to find the right words. "I just wanted to rile you up and spar, like before you left," he admitted.
"Spar? Haven't we sparred since I came back?" asked the cook, remembering the few times they fought.
"Yeah, we did but it's different, you're not-" once again, the words didn't come to him. "Listen, I fucked up, that's all, and I shouldn't have entered your room when you were gone," he said, apologizing in his own way. "I just wanted that to be clear, between us. What I said was never meant to actually cause you any harm."
"Oh," was all Sanji answered, not sure how to respond to that. "Didn't know you cared that much about me, marimo," he joked with a snort, deciding that that was the best course of action to take with the swordsman.
"Shut up, dart brow," Zoro groaned while he pushed the blonde.
The cook retaliated with a jab in the swordsman's ribs, earning him a playful flick in the sole on his foot, which he responded to with a more powerful kick, aimed for Zoro's chest. It escalated, and soon they were having a very light, but still intense sparring match, bouncing and spinning around the room, a very familiar and well practiced dance between them. The atmosphere in the room was almost perfect, the pheromones Sanji was letting out were sweet and warm, filled with glee. And Zoro knew his were probably just as joyful, heart free from the guilt it was carrying. At some point, as they always tended to do, their well practiced choreography became a childish brawl, rolling on the floor like children, until the cook started to get more feisty with a newfound energy, scent getting wilder, to a point where the swordsman thought Sanji was shaking.
"Curls, maybe we should- oh shit, sorry-" Zoro cursed as he held the cook still by the shoulders to offer a small break, and realized they had rolled around and had ended up in the cook's nest, messing it up. "Don't worry I'll, uh, I'll fix it, okay?" the alpha said, hurriedly gathering the items that had moved around and tried to put them back were they belonged, clumsily shaping them.
The swordsman looked at Sanji for a brief moment, to know if the cook was upset or not that he entered in his nest, albeit not on purpose, without his permission and also messed it up, but something felt off. His eyes were blown wide, hands shaking a bit, breathing getting heavier by the second and a very unsettling smile on his lips. He was not about to crash out, to scream or cry, Zoro didn't even think that what was happening was necessarily a bad thing, but it felt so primal even the alpha understood that Sanji was not really there. Still, when Sanji stood up, Zoro couldn't help but to do the same.
"Chase me," the omega breathed out, muscles twitching with anticipation.
"What?"
"Chase me," he repeated, he dared. "Chase me, alpha."
A shudder went right through Zoro's spine. The cook was provoking him, and he wanted to give in, he could feel within him an unknown need to run after the blonde, show him he could catch him. And then he smelled it, recognized it, the sweetness in the cook's scent, the budding lust, the heat. Sanji was no longer in distress, he was in heat and Zoro wanted to cave.
"Fuck-" the swordsman choked, forcing himself to take short breaths as to not inhale too much of Sanji's scent anymore.
"Shit-" the cook hissed, some clarity in his eyes. "You have- you have to leave-" he breathed out, clutching his lower stomach as cramps started to wreck him.
Zoro hesitated for a second, inner alpha trying to convince him, to coerce him into staying and taking care of their friend, it didn't even have to be sexual, just being here for him would be enough. The blonde grunted, averting his eyes from the alpha and tried to shift towards his nest, staggering a bit and the swordsman wanted nothing more than reach out and help, guide him to his nest safely, comb his hair and perhaps scent him, just a little.
With a last effort, Zoro bolted towards the door, ignoring the way his instinct and inner alpha were telling him to stay. He slammed the door shut, yelling at the cook to lock it, just in case, and ran. The fresh air, unchanged with heavy pheromones, helped a lot to clear his mind, not enough to duck under one of Franky's metal arms and not fall on the floor.
"Woah, hey, are you feeling alright?" asked the cyborg, offering a hand so the swordsman could get up.
"Not really-" Zoro wheezed, doing his best to clear out any remains of Sanji's scent in his lungs. "The cook- he's in heat and I-" he blinked a few times, feeling his usual focus and heartbeat come back. "I'm going to my cabin," he announced, dusting his clothes. "Need to meditate."
He didn't wait for Franky to answer, nor to check if the shipwright even minded his nonsensical rambling in the first place. He needed to think. What had just happened?