Last Promise

Fandom: One Piece

Author: lunaryu

Rating: Pg-13

Genre: Drama/Romance

Pairing/Characters: ZoSan

Language: English

Summary: It's a promise of a long time ago. Zoro visited his cousin's house near the beach when he heard a song that led him to remember a promise between him and a certain blond man.

A/N: A one shoot plot bunny? Yeah, suddenly I got the urge to write a story inspired by young Sanji's song—See Moon, See you. I thought the song is so…heart wrenching yet so beautiful, deep and meaningful. Somehow it really describes Sanji's love to the sea…and maybe a certain someone ("Hey, it sounds like that in my head!" XD). Anyway, I only want to write it down to relieve my stress. Please be kind and if you read it till the end, please leave some feed backs *winks*

Disclaimer: One Piece is Odachi's, the song "See Moon, See You" is young Sanji Character's song, sung by Ikue Otani (she's also Chopper's seiyuu). I don't have the English translation of the song lyric, so it might be a little bit off putting the song in the middle of fic. Well, forgive me if it doesn't really suit it. Anyone wants to translate it?

Warning: …it's pretty work safe though. Well, maybe hints of shounen ai (ZoSan). Oh, yeah, and this is an AU and un-betaed, so forgive me if there are lots of strange grammars or errors ^__^;.

Last Promise

Here in this sea, we gazed at the horizon together.

I turned my face to you, staring at your beautiful figure. Golden blond silk that was your hair fluttered gently from the breezing air. The pools of aquamarine those were your eyes, though only one was visible at that moment, sparkled with delight as you stare at the wide-wide sea, longingly, fondly.

"We're at the wits end of the world," you said and smiled.

My heart clenched at the sight. You're so sinfully beautiful that I could not stand it. You're so stunningly gorgeous that I could not afford to lose sight of you.

Then, you turned your gaze on me. "Hey…if by any chance, we're parted and died alone at this sea…would we meet again? Our soul?" you asked suddenly, surprising me a bit with the deep meaning of your words. Your baby blue eyes penetrated mine with the hints of unexpected gentleness, yet sad at the same time.

I smiled small and sighed. "I don't know," I said slowly, turning my gaze to the sunset now. "But…wherever we are…as long as there's sea nearby, we can be connected," I continued, now smiling on my own.

I didn't look at your face after that, but somehow, your silence was enough to provide me with information that you're stunned, but you also agreed. Then you chuckled slowly, bringing my gaze back at you.

"You're absolutely right. We're…connected by the sea," you said contently in a small smile. Then you brought your hand to my shoulder and rested your forehead on the back of your hand. "I will wait here for you to come back if we're parted unexpectedly," he said slowly closing his eyes. "I'll wait as long as it takes. Be sure to find me again, shitty Marimo."

Then I also smiled. "I promise," I said while closing my own eyes.

OoooZxSoooO

Zoro put down his bag he had been holding for almost two hours standing in the bus on the asphalted road when his ride hadn't even given him a chance to sit down. That public vehicle was exceptionally full today. Well, of course, it was summer holiday and all; so he understood that many people wanted to take this opportunity to take a vacation. Still…why would every one of them decide to go to the beach? He had no idea.

"It's hot…," Zoro said as he flapped one his hand to his face. It had been a long day. He had to wait his turn to get on the bus, and now it was almost sunset time; yet the burning sensation of summer still lingered strongly in the air.

"Need drink…," he said again as he sighed. Then he spotted a stand that sold many kinds of ices and juices. "Looks good…," he drooled a bit, looking at the supposed to be very refreshing drinks he really needed right now.

Maybe I ought to buy something before going to Kuina's house—he thought slowly, making his way to the stand. After all, his cousin liked sweet things very much, and her twin, Tashigi, was also fond of fruits flavored ice cream. They would be happy if he brought some for them home.

"Welcome!" the seller, a boy not older than fourteen or younger?-who cared, with soft brown hair and sparkling caramel eyes, said as he opened his hands and arms wide. "What would you like to order?" he asked friendly with a cute smile.

"Ah…two strawberry flavored ice creams and the mint one," Zoro said flatly before he paused and thought.

Maybe juice is also good…

"And two apple and an orange juices," Zoro added.

"Alright, would you like to enjoy them here or take them out?" the boy asked again.

"I take them out," Zoro answered and the boy shouted at the back of the stand to ready Zoro's orders. He bought the boy's suggestion to wait inside the stand and sat beside a small round table.

Zoro closed his eyes as he enjoyed the smell of summer in the breezing sunset air that brought salty taste of the sea. He didn't really know why, but the sea somewhat had a special place and meaning in his heart. It had always been, since the first time his parents brought him to the beach. The first time he saw the gigantic pool of water which contained so many secrets and mysteries inside her, Zoro had been in love with the beauty.

Somehow…by looking and gazing at the ocean, he was brought to another world he didn't know existed; and honestly he loved the feeling very much.

"Taking a vacation?" the 'seller' boy suddenly sat on the chair in front of Zoro and startled him with his sudden question.

Zoro opened his eyes and looked at the grinning boy. "Yeah," he said shortly and then he was silent.

"Aww, you're not the talkative type, are you?" the boy asked after several minutes of silence.

Zoro smiled apologetically. "Yeah, sorry," he said.

"No problem, then I'll just be the one talking," the boy said again, still smiling cheerily. Zoro smiled slowly at him. "You came from Tokyo?" the boy asked again.

"No, Hokkaido," Zoro answered.

"Got a family here?" the boy asked again and Zorro nodded. "By any chance...is it Yuu-san's dojo?" the boy continued more confidently.

Zoro raised his eyebrows. "How did you know that?" he asked wonderingly.

"As I thought! Kuina-chan and Tashigi-chan often talk about their unusual cousin! It must be you! I know the moment I laid my eyes on you. Wow, you actually have green hair!" the boy talked excitedly with a wide grin.

Zoro couldn't help feeling nervous. Did Kuina and Tashigi always talked about him to other people? What in the world did they spout about him anyway?

The boy looked at Zoro's troubled face and giggled. "Don't worry, they only talk about how stunningly gorgeous you are. And if you're not their cousin, they definitely would date you," the boy said reassuringly.

The heat suddenly felt unbearable for Zoro as he heard what the boy said. His cheeks flushed a bit.

Is that the real reason behind their secret invitation...? Damn those girls. Not that I will complain. They're cute anyway..., but...with your own cousin?—Zorro felt like laughing. It was weird, really. They were like sisters to Zoro. He certainly would not date his sisters even though they were as beautiful as Venus.

"Hey, what's your name? Kuina-chan and Tashigi-chan always talk about you, but they never mention your name," the boy asked again.

"Zoro...Roronoa Zoro," the green haired boy answered slowly.

"Zoro, huh? Like...that Zorro? Cool! Mine is Chopper! Nice to meet you, Zoro!" the boy, Chopper, said as he grinned and offered him a handshake.

"Well, not the same with that Zorro, but I take it as a compliment," Zoro took the offered hand and they're officially acquaintances.

Chopper went to the back as his boss or whoever it was, called him to take out the order. He was back a minute later with every ices and juices ordered by Zoro in two square plastic boxes, one on each hand. "Here's your order. All will be 1500 Yen. The boxes are bonuses," Chopper winked at Zoro happily.

"Thanks," Zoro said as he took the boxes and paid for the order.

"Come again next time! Give Yuu-san and his daughters my regards!" Choppers waved at him while smiling widely. Zoro smiled small and waved back slowly before he turned his body to leave.

The sun had been falling to the horizon when he left the stand. On the way to Kuina's house, zoro drank his orange juices and ate his ice mint flavored ice cream in silence. Chopper sure knew how to maintain the ices in this massive heat. He had put dry ices in the boxes to prevent them from melting right away. At least he had some...many minutes before the dry ices melted all and the strawberry ice creams would start melting.

Now if he could just find that damn house! Zoro hated to admit it, but his sense of direction was really screwed. He could not really point where south or east was without a damn compass on his hand. And this would certainly be harder at night time. Luckily there was a map...and a compass. His dad had put them in his bag pack without him knowing it. He would thank him later.

Zoro then started looking Kuina's house with the help of the map and once in awhile he checked it using the compass if he was in the right direction. As he was busy trying to find a name sign of a certain inn before he had to turn to the left, he passed a beautiful western styled house near a cliff. He stopped suddenly, not knowing why, but the house caught his attention. The orange purple light of the sun illuminating the house facing it head on, creating high shadow on the ground before it became darker and darker as the sun disappeared completely behind the sea.

What kind of rich people living in a place like that...?—Zorro couldn't help wondering. Not that he cared or it was his business. He just wondered though. Probably there was a spoiled young master or something living there. Zoro shrugged and started to walk again in now completely night time, before suddenly he heard something.

Huh?—Zorro sharpened his hearing. Yes, his hearing was trained enough to hear the faintest sound ever. He learned kendo and other martial arts involving swords after all. He was sensitive to sound because it's important to read and feel the opponents' movements through that.

Still, what is this sound?—Zorro thought slowly as he heard again. It was not a sound. It's a voice.

"Umi ni nemuru monno tachi no

Komori uta wa SEE MOON"

A song...?—Zorro thought again as he closed his eyes to listen to it even better. The voice was high, he could tell. A child's one?

"Yoru o utsushita nami no SHEETS

Hoshi o yurashite

Sora yori kagayaku"

Zoro opened his eyes and looked at the sky. The stars had appeared and the moon was visible. There was no cloud hindering the view.

Awesome...—Zorro thought silently. It was not even a full moon yet, but the moon was beautiful. The light was like…glimmering silver crystal. The stars were also sparkling here and there, like the ocean of diamonds on the black sheet of the nightfall.

"Umi ni nemuru monno tachi no

Komori uta wa SEA MOON

Tsuki ga nijinde sore zore no

Aenai hito no

Egao e michibiku"

The tune of the voice brought Zoro to his consciousness again. It was not like him to admire a view until he forgot where he was, but somehow, the moon, the stars, and the night sky had entranced him completely he almost lost it.

Then Zoro began to wonder where the hell the voice came from anyway. There was no one around...well, at least near him and the sound of wave crashing on the rock at the beach was loud enough to cover the sounds of crickets around him. How come the voice could reach him very well without him seeing the owner of the voice?

Moreover...,

"SEA MOON SEE YOU

Mou ichido, aeru nara

SEA MOON SEE YOU

Yume o kanaeta, sonno ato de

tatakai o osorenai ottoko tachi o

shizukani...nemurasete...oyasumi, oyasumi..."

-this song...is an elegy...—Zoro realized it really well. It was an elegy for those sleeping under the sea, for those resting in the ocean. He closed his eyes again as he was carried away by that beautiful voice singing the grief and prayer for whoever they were under the ocean.

"Umi ni nemuru monno tachi no

Komori uta wa SEA MOON

Yasuragi shiranu sonno kata ni

Yasashii BLANKET

Otoshite ageyo"

Zoro opened his eyes again and was intrigued enough to find the source of the voice. It seemed the sound came from the cliff direction. Might be it was someone from the house. He would try to find the owner of the voice and might be he could ask whom was the song sung for, who was the brave men fighting and dying in the sea. He loved the sea and he was interested enough to know the history or everything about it.

Zoro then, led by the song, walked nearing the western styled house. Looking at it closely, it was actually kind of nostalgic. He didn't know why he felt that way. The house, the view, the sea....

"Subete o konno umi ni sasageru nara

Subete o konno umi ni mitsukeru daro

Soshite mata..."

Zoro walked closely at the house and started looking for anyone. Then he found it, standing straightly at the end of the cliff, with loosely cut blue T-shirt and a black shorts, face facing the sky and the ocean, a boy (10? 12? Not sure…) with blond hair.

Zoro could tell even though it was quite dark because the moon light was reflected on his golden hair and he could tell that the boy's skin was really fair even though he didn't face Zoro directly. Zoro almost called him when the boy sang again, as if he was unaware of everything around him, as if he was in trance.

"Umi ni nemuru monno tachi no

Komori uta wa SEA MOON

Yume kara samenu kodomo tachi

Okosanuyooni okosanuyooni...

SEA MOON... SEE YOU..."

Then he stopped singing completely. Zoro blinked. The boy sighed slowly and turned his body, suddenly facing Zoro. Part of his hair covered his left face until his cheek. Still, even though the hair was in the way, Zoro could see the widened baby blue his eyes form the one that was visible. He looked really surprised.

"Ah, hey you," Zoro wanted to speak to him, but then....

"Zoro!" a woman's voice called him from behind, surprising him very much; and then, it was followed by another voice right away.

"Hey, damn it, man! Where have you been? We're panicked you're not at the bus station!" the other woman who wore glasses scolded.

Zoro quickly turned behind and found a fumed Tashigi and a worried Kuina. "Ah, I was just about to go to your house before I was distracted by a voice," Zoro said.

"Liar! You're just lost aren't you!?" Tashigi, the one with glasses, pointed at him accusingly.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. At least we found him. That's good enough, right?" Kuina tried to calm his twin sister in a small smile, giggling in amusement.

"I was not! I bring a map and a compass!" Zoro showed them to Tashigi and Kuina in a huff to prove that he was not lost. "And I am not lying either. This boy here distracted me when he sang a song," Zoro continued and pointed at the boy behind him.

Well...there was supposed to be a boy behind him, but Tashigi and Kuina's weird look made him reconsider. Then, he looked behind. There was no one there, just en empty space. "Eh?" he looked dumbfounded.

"Yeah right, as if we'd believe that," Tashigi shook her head in defeat at Zoro's antics.

"But...I was sure...!" Zoro wanted to protest again, but then it wouldn't make any sense. If the boy was there, he should have stayed there and not just vanished like that. An illusion? That wouldn't be...he really heard the song and he also saw the boy.

Golden haired boy with baby blue eyes.... Who can that be?—Zoro couldn't help wondering again. Somehow, he seemed familiar with the feature, but he couldn't remember where and when he had seen it.

"Anyway," Kuina's voice interrupted Zoro's thought and he was brought back to reality immediately from his train of thought, "let's go home Zoro. Dad is worried because you haven't been home yet even though it's already night," she said while smiling.

"Oh, okay...," Zoro said slowly. "Sorry for worrying you," he added while smiling small.

"I will forgive you if you treat me to something," Tashigi grinned.

"Right, almost forgot," Zoro then offered the boxes of ice creams and juices. "Strawberry ice creams and apple juices," he said flatly. "I bought it from Chopper's stand," he continued.

"No way! Chopper's strawberry ice creams!?" Kuina shouted suddenly, surprising the green haired man.

"What?" he asked, still a bit shocked with the sudden outburst.

"That's freaking rare, man! The strawberry ice cream in Chopper's stand is so delicious they're always sold off before midday. And you got it just like that?" Tashigi asked in disbelief.

"I actually got two," Zoro added.

"Seriously!? Wow, you're so lucky, Zoro! And you give them to us?" Kuina asked excitedly.

Zoro sighed in a small smile again and nodded. "Of course. I bought it especially for you two," he said slowly.

"Thank you, Zorro!" Kuina smiled happily at him and Tashigi grinned at him appreciatively.

"And Chopper told me to say hi to you," Zoro added again.

"Thanks," Tashigi said. "I will call the boy later," she continued happily as the three of them walked away from the house.

Momentarily, Zoro forgot the feeling he got when he saw the boy and hear his beautiful yet solemn voice.

OoooZxSoooO

Zoro was in his room at the second floor of Yuu's house beside his dojo. Yuu was a strange man, really. Instead of building a dojo inside a mountain of forest, he chose a place near a beach. The summer heat would kill the pupils if they were to train here.

Well, Yuu was a strong man, so Zoro understood that he would be okay. Kuina and Tashigi inherited the toughness from that man; that's why they were so strong. Zoro had a hard time beating those girls in kendo when they were younger. Now, he was fourteen, Kuina and Tashigi were sixteen. Even though they were two years older, he was able to beat them quite far and he could still get even stronger to protect them until they found suitable men to be given that task.

Zoro opened the window of his room. The summer bell hung on the upper windowsill jingled as the wind breezed in. Zoro could see the moon, the stars, and even the sea. The sound of wave tickled his ear as he closed his eyes. Then he remembered the song. He tried to remember the lyrics, but he couldn't really remember them.

Maybe if tomorrow I go there again…I can meet the boy and talk to him directly —he thought slowly without realizing it. Then Zoro frowned as he noticed it. Why am I so bothered by it anyway? It's not like I really need to know….

Still, he wanted to know. Zoro didn't know why, but he was so engrossed to find out. Some part of his feeling told him he would be very sorry if he didn't, and he really didn't like the idea of being sorry after a vacation.

There was a knock on his door and the sliding door was opened. "Zoro," Kuina's voice called him.

Zoro turned his face at the older woman. "Hey," he greeted.

Kuina closed the door again and approached Zoro before she made herself comfortable sitting beside him. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Letting the wind in and looking at the sea," Zoro answered slowly, turning his gaze back at the ocean.

"You always did that when you come to the beach. What is so special about the sea?" Kuina asked again, giggling. "It's as if you performed a ritual by doing it every time," she continued, joining Zoro to look at the view outside.

"Yeah, I think it is a ritual. Looking at the sea calms me down," Zoro confessed.

"Hmm…well, do you know this saying? 'The sea is the biggest graveyard in the world,'" Kuina said.

"Graveyard…?" Zoro tore his gaze apart from the sea and turned to look at his cousin once again with questioning face.

"There's also an elegy from this island for those who died and were buried in the sea," she continued.

"Is that…this song?" Zoro hummed slowly, showing the tune of the song to Kuina.

"That's right! It's 'SEE MOON, SEE YOU,' a folksong which is passed down on this island mouth to mouth through generation. There's no original script whatsoever, and nobody knows who made this song. Anyway…how did you know that song?" Kuina asked after giving so much information about the song.

"I heard it today…," Zoro said slowly, but refused to continue from where he heard it. His cousin wouldn't believe him if he said he heard it from the mysterious boy before. They thought he only made up some stories to hide his embarrassment for being lost and damned it, he was not lost!

"Now that's odd…. I believed the song is only sung if there's a sea-burial. There's no one dying lately," Kuina said, confused.

"It's a folksong, right? Children like singing folksong," Zoro said.

"Unn…it's still odd. Even if you ask the children around here, they wouldn't know this song. It's not as popular as it sounds. This is an elegy after all," Kuina said while thinking.

"Yeah, but there is one knowing and able to sing it beautifully," Zoro closed his eyes and smiled small.

Kuina looked at him fondly and sighed. "Damn, Zoro, you're so good looking! What a waste to be my cousin!" she said while hugging Zoro's neck tightly.

"Whoa! Calm down! Hey!!" he protested while flushing slightly.

"Let's get some food downstairs. Dad said our dinner today will be a feast," Kuina then released Zoro fast before tugging his collar to follow him.

"Wah, don't drag me like that!" Zoro still protested, but he made a move to stand and follow her.

OoooZxSoooO

"That folksong? I know it," Chopper said a day later, when Zoro decided to take Tashigi and Kuina to the beach and then decided to rest on his stand. Zoro actually asked him about the song and he would ask about the house near the cliff after that.

"It's a beautiful song, right?" Chopper asked while pulling the straw of his juice from his mouth.

"Yeah, and it's also sad," Zoro said.

"Nah, I will say it's full of hope," Chopper remarked gently.

"Hope…?" Zoro asked slowly, interested in the boy's opinion about it.

"Well, don't you think so? When I hear the song…I feel like I want to meet someone faraway. I want to be reunited," Chopper said. "Knowing that the person is also seeing the same moon, the same sky, and the same sea…I feel connected to them!" he continued cheerily.

It doesn't have…to be sad…— Zoro smiled.

"Yeah, somehow I really feel that way as well," Zoro said, agreeing. Chopper smiled happily at him.

"Oh, yeah," then Zoro remembered. "You know a western house on that cliff?" Zoro pointed at the cliff where he found the house before. It could actually be seen from Chopper's stand.

"Ah, that house…. It's a museum," Chopper said.

"Museum?" Zoro asked incredulously. He certainly didn't expect that. He thought it was a house or a villa. The shape and all didn't resemble a museum at all. It has a big veranda at the second floor, he remembered that, and the yard was also designed for homey feeling.

"Yeah, there was this gentle man from other country a long time ago. He built a house on that cliff. He was a collector of anything that relates to the sea. He died quite young without any wife and child, so he donated his house as a museum for this island. My grandmother said he was a good guy and a handsome one when he was alive. I often played there when I was little, but at that time he had already passed away and his house had already become the museum." Chopper told him the story.

"Hmm…how long has that building been there?" Zoro asked again.

"Not sure…, when my grandma was still a teen…a hundred or more years?" Chopper tried to count.

"A hundred? How old is your grandma?" Zoro asked again, a bit shocked.

"She's 149 years this year," Chopper grinned.

"Seriously?" Zoro couldn't believe that.

"Oh yeah, and she's still very healthy and young you would suffer a great pain if you try to call her granny," Chopper laughed at that.

A bead sweat ran down Zoro's cheek at the sight and the joke (or maybe not...). He tried to imagine but failed miserably. "Oh, yeah," he remembered again. "Is there any blond boy with blue eyes living near the museum?" he asked again.

"A boy…?" Chopper paused and thought. "Nn…I think there isn't. Well, the museum had been closed down. A boy? There is no one there anymore. The building is fragile now and it's dangerous. People are forbidden to go there," he said.

"Then…why is it still standing there?" Zoro asked again, confused. If it's not used anymore, they should have torn it down before it crumbled and hurt someone.

"It's a will. No matter what happens later, the man didn't want anyone to mess with the original building, so we respected his wish and let it be," Chopper sighed. "What a waste actually, If we're allowed to remodel it, we could maintain its life," he continued slowly, a bit sad.

"I see…," Zoro gazed down and thought. Well, might be the boy was a tourist like him. No, wait. That couldn't be. The boy knew about the song, so he must have been a local residence of this island. Still, what was he doing on that cliff at night time like that? Wasn't it dangerous?

"Why are you so interested in that story, Zoro?" the caramel eyed boy asked back at him, bringing him back from his train of thought.

"Aa, well…last night I heard this folksong…sung by a blond boy at that cliff," Zoro said.

"Really? But that's impossible. With the rule and all…and at night?" Chopper looked confused.

"Yeah, but then he suddenly disappeared before I could say anything," Zoro told him, confused himself.

"That's…odd…," Chopper then paused and thought deeply before suddenly he chuckled.

"What?" Zoro asked, more confused now.

"I see…that must be it," Chopper hit his own palm with his fist. "It's a spirit," he said while winking one of his eyes, forefinger in front of his face.

"…excuse me?" Zoro didn't think he had heard him right.

"A spirit! The spirit of the sea!" Chopper then talked enthusiastically with open arms. "It's quite popular here, you know? The spirit of the sea sings her song for brave men that died and were buried inside her. She turns herself into human to gain voice and then she will sing at night while lulling the residences of this island into the dreamless slumber. This story is very romantic! And even though no one has actually seen it, there's always a time where all the residences of this island hear the song from the sea direction. No one bothers to check who is singing because everyone believes that the sea is singing for them!" the boy looked very happy and cheery when he spoke his speculation that Zoro had no room to interrupt.

"I…I see…," Zoro responded slowly, sweat dropping. Well, he was not skeptical about ghost story and all, but the spirit of the sea turned into human? He certainly would doubt that. The boy was human…well, he looked like human. Okay, might be the boy was spirit, but he wouldn't be a spirit of ocean. It was a boy…and not a girl. Or…was it? The boy was beautiful indeed. His blue eyes were also like the color of the ocean and sky.

Is he the ocean spirit?—Zoro began to doubt his own belief.

"You're lucky, Zoro, to actually meet her," Chopper said suddenly.

"Uh…, it's a boy, Chopper," Zoro said again, more sweats droppings. Chopper laughed at that.

"Doesn't matter! She can turn into baby if she wants to. Old man, old woman, girl, boy, she can turn into anything. She's a spirit after all," Chopper said again happily.

Zoro sighed and smiled back. "Yeah, might be you're right," Zoro said, agreeing again. Considering the boy was the spirit of ocean that he loved…was not that bad. And he was cute and all. Zoro chuckled at his own thought.

OoooZxSoooO

Zoro was back near the cliff after sending his cousins home. He still wanted to check it with his own eyes once again. Or might be that was just an excuse. He silently considered that he was quite captivated by the song, the voice, and the owner of that voice. He could not erase the image of the boy singing beautifully to the sky and ocean, to the stars and the moon. He could still perfectly imagine his golden hair and blue eyes, his expression when he found Zoro behind him.

Zoro wanted to meet the boy again. He admitted that.

Zoro stood at the end of the cliff where the boy stood the night before. He closed his eyes and sharpened his hearing again. He heard the sounds of water and wave, the sound of life emitted from the sea.

"You came back."

A sudden voice startled him very much Zoro almost fell. "T-that's dangerous…," Zoro said with heartbeat thumping furiously in his ribcage, breath panting hard. He looked at behind him slowly and found the blond boy, grinning at him naughtily. "That's a bad habit, surprising people like that…, what if I fell just now?" he said, wanting to sound a bit scolding, but seeing the wide grin and the cheery beautiful face, he was more stunned than anything.

"You won't," the boy said confidently. "And if you did, the sea would embrace you, you would not even get hurt," he continued while smiling small, blue gaze penetrating Zoro's darker ones and he couldn't help blushing a bit.

"You…what are you doing here?" Zoro asked sometimes later after checking that the boy got any feet and stood solidly on the ground. He was not a spirit after all.

"I want to sing!" the golden haired boy shouted suddenly, hands high above his head, surprising the green haired one.

"You don't have to shout…," Zoro grunted as he checked if his eardrums were alright. The boy unexpectedly had a very loud voice. Well, if he always sang while facing the ocean, of course he would have a strong voice chord. "You often sing here?" he asked again, not wanting to end their conversation so fast.

"Yes, almost every day," the blue eyed blond responded with a smile, not looking at Zoro though, but to the sea.

"…why do you sing here? This place…is dangerous, right?" Zoro asked again, looking at the boy curiously, trying to figure out why he was so interested to this boy.

"This place is special," the boy said slowly, tearing his eyes away from the sea and once more resting his gaze at Zoro, now his eyes looking solemn. "I am…waiting for someone here," the boy continued slowly, really slowly as if wanted to tell Zoro something, his eyes boring so much longing. "I am waiting…for him to find me," now the boy was smiling while closing his ocean-like eyes. His expression was really soft, almost making Zoro squeal if he were a girl.

Zoro was stunned again seeing the boy. He was such a wonder. It was the first time Zoro felt this way about someone. It was so foreign, yet so familiar at the same time. His thumping hearts, the fluttering feelings in his gut…he wondered if he was sick. Still, the feeling was really pleasant, even the stupidest person in this world knew it was not a sickness.

"Who are you waiting for?" Zoro asked without even realizing it. He quickly clasped his mouth shut when he came to realization that he had intruded a stranger's private life. The boy opened his eyes and raised his curly (?) eyebrow. Zorro almost laughed when he saw it close up. It was somehow funny, but he could mask his expression with the hand on his mouth. "Sorry, my mouth just ran on its own. You don't have to answer it if you don't want to," Zoro quickly added before the boy got bothered.

"It's fine," the boy chuckled. "But it doesn't matter. I wonder if he even remembers our promise," he said as now he looked at the moon. "It's been a long time…maybe he has forgotten about it completely." The boy said it in such low and heart wrenching voice Zoro could not even stand it, as if his heart had been clenched hard it was painful.

"That's impossible, right? He's a man," suddenly Zoro had touched the boy's shoulder as if he was protesting, earning a surprise yelp as the boy was forced to look at Zoro's eyes. "A man would not break his promise. He will find you, definitely!" Zoro said sternly, widened blue eye looking at his in surprise.

Zoro didn't know why, but he didn't want this boy to give up. He didn't want to let those eyes and voice break. He didn't want to see such heart-breaking expression on the boy's face. He wanted to reassure him that he was not abandoned. He wanted to…, he wanted to…

What?—Zoro thought confusedly. What do I want to do?—he asked himself silently, still staring at the boy's visible eye.

The boy softened his gaze and chuckled. "Why are you being so emotional so suddenly?" he asked, holding Zoro's hands on his shoulders with his both hands.

Zoro was surprised and released the boy immediately. "Sorry…, I just…," Zoro could not find any excuse. He didn't even know why he did that. He covered his face again in shame, blushing a bit.

"Well, you're absolutely right though. I have faith in him," the boy looked at the sea again. "Maybe if I sing more to the sea, he will remember."

Eh…?—Zoro uncovered his face and looked at the boy once again.

The boy turned his eyes at Zoro again and now smiled wide. "We're connected by the sea after all," he said as he began to sing again. The same song, the elegy of the sea, but now it held such strong hope, a hope to be reunited.

Chopper was right. It was not sad at all. This boy…sings this song with a strong hope that he will be reunited with that someone…someone far away…!?

"Zoro…let's meet again…in this vast-vast ocean…!"

Zoro widened his eyes as a memory entered his head and his vision. Blond golden hair as shiny as the sun, baby blue eyes as blue as the sky and the ocean, a wide cheery smile as bright as the summer day, a tranquil and calm voice that called his name with such strong feeling for him…

Sanji…!

The name flashed on Zoro's memory. The green haired boy frantically raised his face to look at the boy who had run around as if he were dancing under the moonlight. His voice was still tuning the lyrics with so much feeling into it Zoro almost cried hearing it. He walked slowly, approaching the singing boy unnoticed by the blonde.

"Umi ni nemuru monno tachi no

Komori uta wa SEA MOON

Yume kara samenu kodomo tachi

Okosanuyooni okosanuyooni...

SEA MOON... SEE YOU..."

When the boy finished the song, Zoro's strong arms had made their way to the boy's waist and shoulders. Zoro closed his eyes, holding the tiny body in his arms dearly, tightly, as if he held the life itself. He didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. The feeling was incredibly strong and overwhelming he could not put it into words.

"Finally…you realize it," the boy said slowly, breaking the silence while holding Zoro's arms, closing his eyes contently, pressing his back further to feel the warmth of the boy behind him, the boy whom he cared so much; the boy whom he was waiting for forever.

"Sorry…my bad…," Zoro said slowly, really lowly, feeling really bad suddenly. "It took me a really long time to come here. I've made you wait for me…for such a long time…," Zoro still had not opened his eyes, his hug tightening more. He was afraid of the boy's rage for making him wait for that long. How long was it again? A hundred? Two?

"Hell yeah, you've made me wait for you for four hundred years long," the boy said with a scornful voice. Zoro flinched, feeling like his gut was jabbed; and he was absolutely sure that the boy would break free forcefully from his arms and kicked him in the head as a punishment. However, the expected attack never came as the silence fell again between them, the sound of wave tuning as if it had become background music.

"I missed you…Zoro…," suddenly Sanji spoke lowly with trembling voice. Zoro opened his eyes widely as he heard that. Looking Sanji's feature from behind, he could see the taint pink on the boy's ears. If the situation was not so serious, he would laugh very hard at this out of character Sanji, but since he had made him wait for a very-very long time, he couldn't help tightening his hug even more if it was possible.

Zoro slowly released the boy after he was satisfied with the ten-minutes-full hugging as well as to give the boy time to fix his expression. He was sure as hell Sanji was still Sanji even though four hundred years had passed. Sanji would kick his ass if he dared peek at his embarrassed expression. Then Zoro turned Sanji's body to face him. Sanji looked at everywhere but his eyes. It seemed he was still a bit embarrassed.

Zoro smiled small at him. "I missed you too," he said then, earning a surprise look from Sanji. The boy looked at him with wide eyes.

"Even though you didn't remember anything just ten minutes ago?" Sanji asked incredulously.

"But I remembered now. Four hundred years of not seeing you came back to my heart at full force, I felt really lonely suddenly," Zoro put his forehead at Sanji's and closed his eyes again. "God…four hundred years…that's hell a long time…. I can't believe I have made you wait for that long by yourself…. Shit, I am really sorry, Sanji…." He said feeling worse now as he thought it again. He was such a bastard for doing this to his dear lover.

Sanji chuckled. "It's fine. I had a lot of fun while waiting. People in this island are very good to me. No matter how many times I come back here to sing, they never mind it. And I don't know since when…they've called me the spirit of the sea…," Sanji said, holding Zoro's cheeks with his smaller hands. Zoro opened his eyes to look at Sanji's gentle one. "I've…never been lonely because I know you're there…across the ocean, seeing the same moon, the same stars, the same sky and the same sea. I feel connected to you, so I am not lonely," he said more softly, gently, their nose touching, their breath tingling each other's faces.

"Sanji…," Zoro called his name slowly and closed their thin distance with a soft sweet kiss on Sanji's lips. Sanji closed his eyes, feeling the warmth and the soft texture of Zoro's lips he had been so familiar with four hundred years ago. He was mesmerized. It was still the same, everything that was Zoro…his Zoro.

Zoro slowly released the kiss and looked at Sanji's dazed blue eyes. "It's been a long time huh?" Zoro snickered.

"Hell yeah, it has. I feel a bit light headed," Sanji said as he crashed his body at Zoro, made hem fall to sit at the ground, and hugged him again tightly. "I am glad I was able to fulfill this promise. I am glad you found me, Zoro," he said as they stayed close in each other's arms.

"Yes…, I am glad I found you…," Zoro said slowly closing his eyes as he kissed the hair at the top of Sanji's head. He smelled just like the ocean, his Sanji.

"Now…at last…I can go and rest peacefully," Sanji spoke slowly and lowly. Zoro flinched at that and tightened his hug on Sanji smaller body. Sanji felt the other boy's uneasiness and smiled solemnly. "Hey…, it won't be that long," the golden haired boy said as he looked at Zoro's painful eyes. "I'll try to come back as soon as possible. Will you wait for me this time?" Sanji asked in a small gentle whisper.

Zoro couldn't help nodding at that, but he didn't want to part from him ever again. He held his Sanji dearly and strongly, not wanting to let go. "I'll wait…this time…I will be the one to wait," he said, almost chocking, but he still could control his almost breaking voice.

Sanji smiled again at him and kissed him once more time on his lips and then his image began to vanish.

"Sanji!" As he thought, Zoro didn't want to let go. He couldn't.

"It's a promise," Sanji's voice had also become echo-like voice, it's almost humming.

And then with a smile…he was gone from Zoro's arms. Zoro looked at his hands and covered his face slowly.

It's a dream…. Yes, a one night dream. The memory of four hundred years life…will disappear tomorrow.

"Still, I won't forget. This time…definitely," Zoro released his face, a determined expression was there. He was resolute. He would definitely find Sanji once again and they would be together this time, without fail. It's a promise.

OoooZxSoooO

Zoro was woken up by a ruckus downstairs. He blinked and yawned, and then sat up slowly. "What's that…?" he asked slowly as he got up and went down to the first floor still using his sweatpants and plain white T-shirt.

"Hurry up! We need to get on to the taxi now!" Tashigi shouted at his sister.

"Wait a sec! The fruits haven't been wrapped with the ribbons!" Kuina shouted back from the kitchen.

"Do that on the taxi! We're in hurry!" Tashigi shouted more.

There were grunts, thuds and crashes here and there before Kuina made her way to the front door. Zoro looked at them weirdly, sweat dropping. "What's with the ruckus?" he asked, plainly confused.

"Zoro! Our friend is awake!" Tashigi shouted suddenly with such enthusiasm that even shocked him.

"What?" Zoro asked incredulously. "So what if I am awake?" He really couldn't understand his cousin sometimes.

"Not you! Our friend! He had been in a coma for almost six years. It's like a dream! He actually woke up again!" Kuina shouted dreamily as she held the plastic of fruits and ribbons in front of her chest.

What…?—Zorro was surprised at that.

"Kuina-chan! Tashigi-chan!" Chopper suddenly barged in from the front door, surprising Zoro. "Are you ready yet!?" the boy also spoke with the same enthusiasm as everyone.

"Yes!" both sisters yelled at the same time with such wide grins on their faces.

"Ah, Zoro!" Chopper then spotted him. "You should come too. Our dear friend is awake! We want to share how glad we are to you too!" the boy practically dragged him to come with them.

"Eh, wait—! I haven't changed my clothes—," Zoro wanted to protest as he was pushed outside the house by the twins as well.

"You don't have to do that! You look gorgeous enough with that outfit!" they shouted at the same time and pushed him inside the taxi and quickly closed the door. Chopper got on passenger seat at the front.

"Let's go to the hospital!!" Chopper cheered and the sisters shouted 'banzaaai' while throwing their hands up in spirit. The driver somehow was also pumped up and started driving like there was no tomorrow.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys…?" Zoro muttered slowly, still really confused by this situation. And hell, the speed of the car rather freaked him out. He even extremely wondered if he could get off alive from this.

"This friend of ours…he was in accident almost six years ago, when we're still a kid," Chopper suddenly said as he looked behind. "He had been asleep since then for five years and eight months."

"We actually kind of considered he wouldn't wake up again," Tashigi said, feeling bad.

"But he woke up now! I am so happy! Now we can play again together!" Kuina added, almost crying with happiness.

Zoro looked at the joyful face and the happy atmosphere his cousins and Chopper showed with a small smile. "I see…, he's also important person for you," Zoro acknowledged it.

"He is! He's such a beautiful guy!" Kuina added.

"I can't wait to touch and play with his soft blond hair and put hairclips on it! And look at his baby blue eyes again! Aaah! Can't wait to dress him again in a blue dress and take a picture of him like that!" Tashigi added again excitedly.

Eh—? Zoro was taken a back at the mention of blond hair and blue eyes. It's…impossible, right…?

"Hey, you can't do that, Tashigi-chan! Sanji is not a doll! You can't play dressing-undressing him like that!" Chopper protested. He didn't know Tashingi was such a cross-dress mania.

"Wha—! Wait, wait! What did you say!?" Zoro didn't just hear that. He didn't—!

"Say what? About Sanji?" Chopper asked, confused with the sudden outburst.

"Sa—SANJI!?" Zoro was obviously shocked. "But—, wait a sec! Yesterday he just—!" suddenly he remembered.

"It won't be that long…."

T-that stupid dart-brow—! Zoro suddenly covered his face, blushing really hard. That damn curly eyebrow actually teased him this much. He must have thought this as an equal punishment for making him wait, Shit…he could almost see the guy laughing his ass off.

"W-what's wrong, Zoro? You just burst out and then quiet all of sudden?" Chopper, Tashigi and Kuina looked at him weirdly.

"Aah, no, it's nothing. I just feel like punching someone right now," Zoro smiled…well, forcefully, while twitching visibly, and menace emitting from his body. Tashigi and Kuina flinched at that, sweat dropping in confusion of their cousin sudden foul mood.

"Did you know Sanji by any chance?" Chopper asked, oblivious at Zoro's mood.

"Yes…, he's a dear friend of mine," Zoro smirked evilly, making Tashigi and Kuina went further to the corner.

"That's cool! He must be happy to see you again then!" Chopper said in happy look while Tashigi and Kuina began to whisper at each other worriedly if Sanji had ever made Zoro bear a grudge to him.

When they arrived at the hospital, there were so many people waiting for the nurses or doctors to give tem chances to meet Sanji. The hospital staffs were quite troubled handling the girls and boys and some old people.

"Ah, umm…is there any Roronoa Zoro here?" one of the nurse called suddenly.

"Huh?" Tashigi, Kuina and Chopper looked confused.

I thought he would do that—Zoro sighed and raised his hand.

"Yes, I am Roronoa Zoro!" the green haired man said.

"Aah, Sanji-kun wants to meet you," the nurse smiled at him friendly.

"Hey! That's not fair! We want to see Sanji-kun too!" a girl shouted in protest.

"I am sorry; it's the rule of the hospital! Only one per visiting! And this is a request of the patient! We cannot let anyone in without their agreement!" the nurse said sternly.

"But, why Zoro!?" Tashigi and Kuina asked at the same time, really confused now.

"Bet he missed me so much," Zoro grinned and waved at his cousins and Chopper who just gaped in disbelief as he walked to the nurse to go to his dear friend's room.

"It's here," the nurse opened the door and let Zoro come in. There's a bed in the middle of the room, a small iron table and cupboard at the left side. A middle aged man was sitting beside the bed on the right side, his hand holding a small limp fair hand.

Zoro moved his gaze to the bed. There, a weak-look Sanji was laying. He looked pale, paler than Sanji he met yesterday on that cliff. Still, it was Sanji. His gown was loose around his neck and pads and wires were attached to his sallow fair skin. Sanji still had a tube taped to his face, and his chest rose and fell evenly with the wheeze of the machine. However, his eyes were open, and he stared at him with the hints of happiness in his eyes even though he hadn't said anything and was still too weak for that.

The middle aged man beside Sanji also looked at Zoro and then he leant his face a bit to Sanji as Sanji seemed speaking to him. Zoro couldn't help gulping as the man stood and walked approaching him.

"Umm…," Zoro wanted to say something, but then the man just smiled and tapped his shoulder.

"Go on. My son wants to speak to you," the man said. "I'll leave you two now. Call me or nurse or doctor if you need anything," he said as he opened the door and out of the picture.

Zoro was stunned in silence before he heard the faint grunt and chuckle from the bed. He turned his face at the source of his annoyance sometimes ago. "You actually have gut to tease me like that, you curly eyebrow," he protested as he approached the bed and sat down on the chair.

"Well, it's a punishment for making me wait for so long, marimo," Sanji spoke slowly, voice hoarse and dry.

Zoro leaned his face a bit at Sanji. "How are you feeling?" Zoro asked slowly.

"Not good…! I prefer my form before this. My body feels numb, my head spins, my throat burnt and my tongue feels like sandpaper," he said again with croaky voice again. "The spirit form feels 100 times better than this…," he sighed weakly.

Zoro chuckled. "But then we will not be able to do this and that if you're in that form," he whispered seductively at Sanji's face with his enticing gaze.

Sanji actually blushed at that. "Pervert…!" he said a bit painfully. "I am so damn tired…," he said again, consciousness began to fly away and he was pulled back to darkness.

Zoro smiled small. "I'll wait for a bit longer until you get better. Then we can go to date," Zoro kissed Sanji's forehead and let his love to sleep undisturbed after that.

OoooZxSoooO

Some months later….

"Wait a minute, marimo! Who says I want to live with you!?" Sanji protested as Zoro dragged the blonde's suitcase with him to the direction of his apartment. Oh yeah, Zoro decided to move near Tashigi and Kuina's house and enrolled to their senior high school so he could be with Sanji.

"Eeh, but your dad said it was okay," Zoro said.

"Huh, how come my dad suddenly enters this conversation?" Sanji asked Zoro incredulously.

"Well, awhile ago I asked him to give me his son," Zoro said and Sanji's jaw dropped unceremoniously on the ground. "And he said it's okay if it was me," Zoro grinned teasingly.

"Bastard! How can you propose when I am not around!? You-shitty Marimo!" Sanji blushed really hard at that, feeling really angry and embarrassed, but then he felt happiness as well.

"Hahaha, a proposal is too much. I asked him if you can live with me from now on," Zoro said.

"That's practically the same, moron!" Sanji protested again, still red and fuming, Zoro only laughing.

They walked and chatted together after that as suddenly they were on the cliff again. "We're here again," Zoro sighed, looking at the sea from top of the cliff.

"Yeah… We're at the wits end of the world," Sanji chuckled. "And with this…our promise is really fulfilled," Sanji held Zoro's hand slowly.

"No…, it's still being carried out," Zoro said as he put Sanji's suitcase down and pulled the blond boy to his embrace again. "The promise I made the second time, when you're disappearing…, is that I will find you and be together with you until the time ends," he said and kissed the blond boy's hair softly. "Don't go disappearing on me again," he whispered gently.

Sanji held the larger body in his arms while smiling gently as well. "I promise," he said as he looked up at Zoro and then they sealed the last promise with a kiss.

Done~

A/N: Damn, who says it's a plot bunny!? It took me longer to make and post it. Aww, such a fluff. Sorry if in the end they look OoC. I tried hard not to make it oOC, but I can't deny I like it when they're like this *dreamy sigh*

Well, maybe you have some feed back? Hope you like reading it as much as I enjoy making it. Jaa, see you next time in other project.

With love,

Lunaryu~