Becoming One

The Hut Surrounded By Snow

When Sanji wakes up, he's warm and the room is a little brighter than before. He stares at the ceiling of the room, it doesn't look like the infirmary room or the bunk bed. His eyes snap open as he sits up, looking around trying to remember where he is and what happened. 

It came flooding his mind, the thunderstorm, getting knocked off Sunny, Zoro getting them into the forest, finding this house and how he fell asleep before anything more can be said. He looks to the side to see Zoro isn't there. He quickly gets up and goes out of the room to see Zoro sitting at the kotatsu reading the book he was last night. 

He seems warm with the wool shirt and a thinner jacket over himself.

Sanji walks over to him, his mouth moving itself, "you're reading?" Sanji wonder. Wouldn't Zoro be working out, not that he has anything to work out with. Or he could be out getting supplies. There are many things Zoro could be doing and he didn't think Zoro would be reading a book. 

Zoro looks at Sanji with an unimpressed look, slightly offended. "I do know how to read." Zoro answers back. Sanji shakes his head.

"No, that's not what I meant. I was just wondering why you're here reading and not outside." Sanji tries to save himself. Zoro raises his eyebrow at Sanji.

"You don't want me in here?" Zoro wonders. Sanji shakes his head so fast, Zoro isn't sure how he didn't break his neck. 

"No! I mean... that... just..." Sanji sighs in defeat. He can't think of anything to say that would be better. "I'm just going to make breakfast." Sanji says going into the kitchen. 

He cooks in silence, trying to think of a way to get things not so awkward with Zoro. He could hear the flip of pages from Zoro reading. Every flip of a page reminds him that Zoro is here, the blonde's heart beating rapidly.

Sanji couldn't think of anything, he didn't want to make anything worse like he just did. 

When he finishes they eat in silence. Sanji eyes the book. It didn't look like a normal book, more like a diary. When Zoro is done he sets his bowl in the sink. "I'm going out." Zoro answers, grabbing his swords, going to the door to put his boots on. Before Sanji could say anything Zoro leaves. 

Sanji just sighs as he finish eating. Will they survive not killing each other by the time the others get here? How ever long that takes. When Sanji finish his own meal he cleans the dishes. With nothing left to do he looks down at himself. The clothes he wore are nice and warm but he would like to be wearing his suit again. So he goes into the bathroom, he grabs his clothes, quickly getting his lighter and pack of cigarettes out, taking a break to see Zoro's clothes. Maybe he should clean them both, Zoro would be happy right? Would he be appreciative? 

There's one way to find out. Sanji goes outside to get the fire started to warm things up. Sanji starts the fire, putting blocks of wood into the small metal heater that warms both the bath and the small house. Sanji goes back inside to wash their things. When he's hanging them to dry he goes into the kitchen to see what he can make for lunch. Sanji pauses in shock to see on the counter is a small basket of vegetables, herbs and spices. He's going to need to make some more spices. There's not a lot, and they don't know how long they'll be here. They are going to have to work together to make it happen. 

He looks around and gets to work. Making spices, even boiling some salt water for the salt. He became so engrossed with it, with his element, what he loves to do that before he knew it he is done. He made enough salt, pepper, thyme, basil, and other spices and herbs to last them half a year at least. Still, it wasn't time to start lunch. So he checked on their drying clothes, to find that they are indeed dry. He fold Zoro's clothes and changes into his suit.

With nothing left to do he sits at the kotatsu, staring at the book Zoro had been reading. Curious, he opens it, to see not print but actual handwriting. Now more curious he flips to the first page and starts reading. It doesn't take long until he knows what's going on with this house in the middle of a seemingly barren island. 

The couple who first made this house got stranded on this island and made the best of it. They build this house for them to live in. The wife of the couple started this diary just in case they died here and someone was looking for them, they would know what happened. But they lived here for two years, having a baby boy when they were found. As they went to leave the wife wrote in the diary that wasn't completed yet that she hope if someone else were to be stranded on this island like they were to use the house to survive, and if they get saved to leave something for the next people. 

That's why there are so many different things here. From clothes, to jars, the showers and bath, towels, candles, soaps. After the first couple, other people began to write down what they went through while staying here. Some stayed for a week, while others stayed for a month, and some stayed for a year or more. Not everyone wrote down how they got stranded and what they did. There were many pages filled with just peoples names. A whole page filled with peoples names then someone would write their journey for a couple of pages until one page is used for people's names.

Sanji continued to read until he jumps in his skin as the door is shoved open. He looks to the door to see Zoro grunting as he pull a very large elk in. Sanji jumps to his knees, staring at the elk Zoro killed. It is massive. Zoro pulls it in until it fit, then he shut the door closed, after he sat down to take his boots off. With his boots off Zoro pick up the elk, way to big for Zoro to see in front of him. "Where'd you get that?" Sanji asks getting to his feet. He's got work to do. He's got to skin it, seperate all the meat from muscle, set aside the bones to use for whatever purposes they may find later on.

"I hunted it. There's a whole group around here. Along with sheep, cows and chickens." Zoro answers setting it down on the counter. Or at least trying to. It wont fit, and keeps slipping off. Sanji looks at Zoro. How are there cows and chicken here?

Wait, "were you the one who got all those herbs and spices?" Sanji wonder. He knows the answer, it could have only been Zoro. There's no one else here. 

"Yeah, from the greenhouse behind the hut. It's covered in snow but really warm. It connects to an indoor barn and farm. There's a lot of vegetables growing. Some of it gets automatically fed to the animals." Zoro explains helping Sanji cut the elk.

"Where you looking around?" Sanji asks, rather impressed by Zoro finding all this and for who ever build it. 

"No, I read it in the book, diary? I just went to check it out. I got turned around and found the elk when I was heading back here." Zoro answers. Sanji turns his head to the diary on the table. People really did build upon what the first couple build. "You were reading it weren't you?" Zoro asks.

"Yeah. I was curious. It's pretty amazing what all those people did." Sanji answers with a slight grin on his face. He takes a quick look at Zoro to see the man has a grin of his own. "After this I'll start on lunch right away. Then I'll check out the greenhouse and farm. With that, the meals we have will be better." Sanji grins, glad that they have more variety in food now. Zoro nods. Then blushes when his stomach growls. Sanji looks at the small clock on the wall. 

Wow, it's way past lunch. He's got to hurry this along.