Just A Shot Away

Hello all. This is something I've been working on for TOO long now :( so I'm gonna show it to you. READ NOW plz.

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Being on the run was never what Sanji would call idealistic or glamorous.

In the movies they always made it seem the heroes were completely in control. The cheap, dirty motel beds being split nearly in half by the explosive, adrenaline driven sex. The drugs spilling in and out, never causing harm, and always loving. The money, paving the way for each dream which rarely came true, but who cares because they were living on the edge.

"Rum. Strongest you've got," he ordered, head down at his seat at the bar. The old man eyed him for a second before obeying, turning around to collect a less-than-perfectly cleaned glass and a large dark bottle.

All he'd wanted to do was open a fucking restaurant. And now he was being chased...lone shark after fucking lone shark after him for every penny he was worth. Which, admittedly, wasn't that much. Nami had been right to leave...

He sighed. He knew they had fallen out of love long ago. His ridiculous dream-chasing had only been the final straw. She needed stability, someone able to look out for her when she got in over her head. He was never good at that...and silently he prayed that she would eventually fall for another woman. Perhaps that Vivi girl she was so close with...they seemed to be more than friends already, after all, and he'd already seen the eyes of a woman in love.

"Why so down, man?" the bar tender asked, cleaning a glass with a rag Sanji could swear he had just spat in. He sighed and shrugged, nursing his liquor like an angel.

"Ups and downs getting to me..." he replied, sinking the rum in one gulp and silently sliding the empty container back across in request for more.

"That's life for ya. But, if you keep focused on the ups...maybe things'll work out," the old man said with a nod, refilling the glass. Sanji scoffed, accepting the alcohol.

"If I had a penny for every time...well, I wouldn't be in as much shit as I am now..." he grumbled. The old man laughed in a way that made Sanji felt like killing himself, and walked away.

"What can I get ya?" he asked a new customer who, conveniently, had parked himself directly at Sanji's side.

"Rum," the newcomer ordered monotonously. Sanji ignored him. "Oi." Sanji ignored that too.

It was silent for a few minutes until the stranger had drained his first drink and ordered another.

"Oi," he said again, this time with a nudge. Sanji closed his eyes.

"What?" he asked, still not looking up. He felt the moron beside him shrug.

"Wanna get drunk with me?" he asked in a gruff voice. Sanji couldn't help the feeling of disbelief and looked up.

"Why the hell would I wanna do that?" he asked increduously, staring at everything from the impossible green hair which reminded him of the money he didn't have, to the three golden earrings which did the same, and the intensely dark eyes reminding him of the inevitable death he was running from.

The stranger shrugged again, sinking another glass.

"Looks like you need it," he offered. Sanji tapped the toe of his scuffed boot against the footrest of his barstool.

"I need a lot," he said eventually, turning away again to sulk over his booze. If this guy was another of those bounty hunters or whatever the hell they were, he'd just run again. His car was just outside, and he could slash the tyres of whatever this moron drove.

"What's your name?" the idiot asked, now downing a tankard of ale. Sanji frowned to himself.

"Zeff," he replied. If only his father could see him now...Sanji figured he'd be turning in his grave.

"Really? You don't look like a Zeff..." the Marimo mumbled. Sanji had a whole string of comebacks for the simple comment, but chose to ignore it. If this guy really was after him it'd be easier to escape without a hellraising argument in the middle of the dingy bar.

"What about you then?" he asked, glancing the other way and not really giving a damn.

"Zoro," came the clear reply, and Sanji glanced back round. He deffinately looked like a Zoro. "Roronoa Zoro."

Wait...where had he heard that name before...Luffy had said something when he'd crashed there for a few nights...

"I gotta friend up there where you're goin'! Yeah, Zoro. He's a cool guy. You should look out for him!""

Whatever fucked up twist of fate had dragged them both into this bar, Sanji didn't know. But, he might as well take his chances now.

"I know Luffy," he said simply, causing Zoro to choke on the booze and gape at him.

"Wow...I ain't seen that asshole since...phew, I dunno when. How is he?" he asked, clearing his throat with more ale. Sanji nodded.

"He's good. Him and Usopp run this store together...can't remember what they do but seems to be doing them fine," he said with a nod. Zoro grinned.

"Usopp...there's a name I won't forget either..." he said, smiling as he watched the slow-running clock on the wall.

"He married Kaya. They're having a baby," Sanji informed him. He had no idea why he was suddenly spilling all this out, but here he was.

"Yeah...always knew they'd get back together..." Zoro said with a nod. "So what about you?" he asked after a moment. Sanji sighed and turned back around, facing the bar again.

"What about me?" he asked, reluctant to give any damaging information away.

"Well, y'know Luffy and Usopp, so you ain't a bad guy. What you doin' out here?" he asked, and Sanji could feel his eyes on him, watching, waiting for seemingly innocent answers.

"I'm...just visiting someone..." he lied. He'd never been a good liar, which sucked. And he knew Zoro could tell. But for some reason, Zoro went along with it.

"Cool...well, if you need a place to crash-"

"I've got a motel room," he said immediately. Zoro chuckled beside him.

"Just offering," he said easily.

Sanji frowned. He didn't want to trust this man, or anyone. He was on his own, as he kept constantly reminding himself. No one was coming to bail him out this time, so he had to keep himself in check. If only he knew where the hell he was going next...

He felt a new presence at his side; big, and cold despite the evening warmth outside. And he heard the clink of coins, and the telling tap of a gun hitting the wood of the barstool.

"Beer," was the gruff order, and the old man behind the bar didn't even look up this time. Didn't smile in that mocking, know-it-all way. And Sanji knew this man was after him.

"Which one d'you work for?" he asked lowly, glancing to the side slightly to check Zoro was politely pretending to ignore them.

"Crocodile," was the reponse, and Sanji inwardly cursed. He owed that bastard more than his life...

"I ain't got it," he said, making sure this fucker knew. The man nodded slowly.

"You wouldn't be here if you did," he replied. Sanji closed his eyes, trying to think of his escape route this time.

"I'll handle it," came the voice to his left, Zoro's voice. He shot a dangerous glance up.

"You won't," he said sharply, but Zoro was already standing, arms folded at the man on Sanji's right. It was only then Sanji noticed three swords handing from his hip, and he frowned. What kinda psycho still used swords?

"This is nothing to do with you," Bones informed him, not looking up.

"Like I care," Zoro replied. Sanji only stared in disbelief at the idiot. "Get outta here, then," he said, nodding from Sanji to the door. With a small, humourless snort Sanji stood, and immediately an arm was blocking his path. A second later and Zoro had a sword at the man's throat. "Go."

Sanji glared and aimed a kick at the idiots leg before walking out. Pausing at the door, he kicked a decent sized dent into the cigarette machine, gathering up the loose packets that fell out. "You coming?" he shouted back, sparking a cigarette as he spoke. Zoro, still holding off the giant henchman, grinned.

"Be there in a sec..." he said, slicing through tough skin and muscle, leaving a substantial pool of blood, a barely living body, and a handful of shocked customers.

Sanji revved the engine, sucking happily on his nicotine, and waited for Zoro to emerge. He was covered in blood. Sanji was about to nod his thanks and drive off, before Zoro wrenched the door open, sitting beside him, and nursing a slashed arm.

"Don't you got a car?" Sanji asked boredly, pulling out and starting along the highway surrounded by desert, the dusky sun breezing across them. Zoro shrugged.

"Didn't like it. Yours is nicer," he said, ripping at his shirt to form a makeshift bandage, wrapping it around his arm carefully. Sanji glanced down at it, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"You...uh, thanks..." he said, refusing to look the idiot in the eye. He felt Zoro nod though.

"Gimmie some more booze and some painkillers and we're even," he said, hand flat on the roof as Sanji turned a sharp corner.

"Sure..."

*

It took longer to get to the motel than it usualy would have because of Sanji's overactive mind telling him to take unmapped routes to confuse any possible tailers. They arrived eventually, Zoro throwing himself onto Sanji's bed, tugging at his injury angrily as Sanji threw his keys down and searched for anything which resembled pharmacutical drugs. He found some vodka which he threw over to Zoro, and ignored the pained growl as he alcohol was poured onto the wound, then gupled desperately.

He ripped a pillowcase apart and rewrapped the arm as Zoro lay back, watching him hazily in a cloud of hard alcohol and cheap painkillers which Sanji had found in the drawer next to an out of date pack of condoms. Zoro promptly fell asleep after that, snoring loudly on Sanji's bed, taking up the whole space in a mass sprawl of arms and legs.

Sanji didn't sleep, and only sipped at a spare bottle of whatever he had found, watching the crappy television he wouldn't be able to pay for on the motel bill. The news was boring, the dramas even more so. And the only thing keeping him alert the whole night was the thought of the stanger who he knew distantly having defended him with absolutely no reason to. And how the bastard was now sleeping in his bed. Bleeding and drooling and snoring all over the place.

Being on the run sucked.

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Woo, prologue be done.

On to the main story, guyz.

xxx