Disclaimer: I don't own them, nor did I participate in the process of creating them. BUT! I do like cheese.

Pairings: None

Warnings: I suck? None yet. My stories are so sloooow. Yar, there be no lemon in sight.

Rating: Your face is the rating. Nah, I'd say PG-13 simply because anyone under 13 shouldn't be reading yaoi fanfics anyway. o.O

Darkness Falls

Chapter 4

"His name... was Satsuya."

Engo looked at Zoro, encouraging him to continue with a graceful nod. Zoro sighed. He didn't like this. It was like trying to bathe an angry, sharp-clawed cat. The mental anguish of dredging up these not-so-long-ago memories was very painful, hence the lack of his doing it.

"Start someplace easy. Tell me how you two met."

Zoro rolled his eyes at the indignity of being forced to tell someone something he obviously already knew, knowing that Engo was enjoying it all the while. He propped his elbow on his knew and rested his chin on his hand.

"We met in Foosha village, right before I was arrested by Helmeppo and met Luffy..."

they won't let me insert signs for flashback, so i'm just going to tell you, that from now on, this happens to be a flash back. XP

"Ne, Zoro-sama. How long are you staying here?"

Zoro didn't look at the little girl at his side as he chopped wood.

"Diara... I-"

"Cuz I was thinking, you saved.... you saved my mom from those pirates-"

Zoro knew where this was going. He didn't necessarily dislike children. After all, what kinda of bastard hated children? But in the short time that he had left his sensei, he had saved the lives of countless widows, several whose children had become attached to him while he stayed around to help do what he could for the ransacked villages. He didn't know how it happened. He wasn't a particularly nice guy. He wasn't funny, or even friendly. The kids just kinda... liked him he supposed. Then they began making marriage arrangements so that Roroanoa Zoro would be their new daddy.

He shuddered at the thought.

The green haired man told himself that he wouldn't continue sticking around long enough to let it happen again. He had no patience for kids, no time to settle down, and no desire for a wife. But this time he was presented with an opportunity to counter this most deadly attack against his bachelorhood.

"Diara, do you know the baker, Charlie?"

The bespectacled, blond, freckled child looked at Zoro as he sat down on the tree stump he was using to chop wood.

"Anou... hai! He gives me muffins sometimes on the way to school!"

Zoro smiled. "Uh huh. He's a nice man, isn't he?"

The girl smiled brightly. "Mmhmm!"

"The other day... he gave you a bouquet, didn't he?"

The girl shook her head, putting her hands on her hips. "Uh uh. That was for mommy!"

"Does he give your mom a lot of stuff like that?"

Diara twirled his pigtail, seeming to be thinking about the inquiry. "Well.... yah. He does."

Zoro smiled. He had spent the last couple of days helping the baker Charlie repair his shop, among other things. All the man talked about was Diara's mother. Her smile, her hair, her kindness, her huge... eyes.

"Why do you think he does that?" Zoro said kindly, getting up to stretch. Diara followed suite.

"Cuz... um..."

"Does he do that for a lot of people, or just your mom and you?"

"Anou... just us, I think."

"He must really like you and your mom, to do those kinds of things for you." Zoro picked up the wood he had split and piled it in a sack.

Diara giggled. "Yah."

"Do you think it sounds like... maybe... Charlie... loves your mom and you?"

Diara gasped, eyes wide. "Does he really Zoro-sama? Ne, does he? Does he?"

Zoro picked up the sack full of wood and looked down at the girl. Part of him almost longed to stay. Belong somewhere, have a routine, be needed. But that part of him was very small, and very insignificant. He smiled and winked at the girl.

"I think you should tell your mom to invite Charlie over for dinner tonight."

Zoro said his goodbyes to the villagers that night after loading up on food and supplies. They insisted he take the few bellies they could spare in case he needed them. The swordsman started on the road that night, preferring to travel in the dark when it was cooler and sleep during the hot days.

The map he had been given showed a marine base to the west. He estimated a few days travel to get there.

An hour into his trek, which took him through a heavily wooded area with a small path to lead his way, he came across a small, bubbling stream. The moon was high in the sky, providing a decent amount of light, so he set down his pack and checked his map. Eventually is showed that the path would disappear, but how hard could it be to keep going west once it was gone?

But it can be said of Roroanoa Zoro that the legendary swordsman was directionally challenged. One might even say traveling impaired. Nay, a complete idiot when it came to finding his way on his own.

A few more hours into his trek, the moon still high in the sky, the map useless, and the path gone, our heroic swordsman was lost.

"Damn." Zoro gave up his plight for now, hoping that some daylight would help. How did it go? The sun set in the north, and rose in the east? Wait, that was impossible. The sun rose in the south, and set in the west?

Zoro sighed and propped himself up against a large tree. Nothing left to do except wait for the damnable sun to rise. He didn't fancy traveling in the heat of the day but options were few.

Author Insert - It really sucks that I can't insert symbols to denote that the story is being turned back to the present, so I'm telling you that that is what's happening.

Sanji turned restlessly in his sleep as strange dreams invaded his slumber.

Author Insert - It really sucks that I can't insert symbols to denote that the story is being turned back to the flashback, so I'm telling you that that is what's happening. Annoying, no? Ruins the whole affect, really.

Zoro distinctly felt that something wasn't right. Something was out of place, missing, or different from what it once was. It was slowly dragging him from his sleeping, poking his unconscious into conscious.

He thought he heard a whistle, like the kinda of whistle someone made when they were looking or hearing something impressive. Zoro thought vaguely that he'd like to see whatever it was the person thought was impressive.

"Wow. This one's really old..."

Zoro's eyes flew open. His left hand gripped for his swords only to find that all three were missing from his grasp. He lay where he had being lying last night, only now he was tightly bound, ropes wrapped around his chest and his hands tied separately out in front of him. His mouth was gagged. The voice behind him drew his attention. Whoever it belonged to was sitting on the other side of the tree, completely out of his sight and reach.

"I don't think I'd have the heart to sell this to anyone is Foosha. But these two might fetch a fair price..."

Zoro immediately began working his body against the ropes. He growled angrily through the gag. His efforts didn't go unnoticed.

"S'no use my green haired friend. You'll never get out of those knots without a knife."

Now he was angry. Moreover, someone was obviously handling her sword. His sword.

Dammit someone was going to get their ass kicked, and he simply couldn't provide the ass kicking tied to a tree. He stopped struggling and concentrated.

"That's better. Don't waste your energy. I'll be gone before you know it, along with anything else... of... va... lue-"

Zoro centered his strength to apply immense pressure to the thin ropes that bound him. One by one they started to snap. He snarled as he snapped the lat rope binding his hands. The swordsman crawled to his feet and tore the gag from his mouth.

Breathing heavily he leapt from behind the tree to see who had managed to sign their death warrant so early in the morning.

Onyx eyes met the largest, silver blue eyes Zoro though imaginable. But he quickly tore his gaze from the boy's to locate his katana. The culprit held the other two, while hers lay propped against the tree. With a motion too quick to follow with human eyes, Zoro snatched the unattended sword, unsheathed it with a click and a swish, and held the boy from behind with the blade pressed dangerously to the thief's neck. The boy simply stood there with a look of shock on his young face.

Venom dripped from Zoro's voice. "Drop them. Now." To further his point, Zoro pressed hard enough to draw blood from the boy's delicate neck.

"A-alright. Just don't scar me, alright?"

The boy dropped the swords to the ground. Zoro pushed the boy roughly against the tree. He kept his katana's tip in the boy's throat as he gathered the other two swords and tied them around his haramiki.

The thief simply watched him, not daring to move.

When Zoro finally spoke, his voice was low and angry. "Who are you and what did you think you were doing with my swords?"

He smirked as he pressed the top of the blade into the boy's neck once again. He got a good look at the thief while he had him cornered.

He was young. Younger than Zoro. Maybe 17 years old. He had wild, spiky, silver gray hair that was held back in a rough pony tail. Well built, muscular, but lanky. He wore a sleeveless, black vest that was threaded to the mid drift, where it lay open the rest of the way down. His exposed abdomen bragged a navel piercing and a tattoo on the right of the belly button of which the design Zoro did not recognize. The boy wore dark green pants that were tucked into large black combat boots at the calves. Both his wrists bore black cuffs, and on his right index finger he wore a silver ring. His features were sharp, good looking, and boyish. He had the look of a trouble making school brat, at most.

But his eyes... were beautiful.

"If you're done eyeballing me, you pervert-"

Zoro pressed the top of his katana in harder. "Sorry, but I'm not interested in cowardly, thieving, street rats. Or boys for that matter. I asked you a question."

The boy glared at Zoro. "And I answered it. But you must've been too busy not being interested in a cowardly, thieving, street rat like me to notice. Or a boy like me, for that matter."

Touché.

Zoro scowled "Just tell me who you are, bakayarou, and I may let you go back home to your mommy with all your limbs."

The boy rolled his eyes and sighed. "My name, once again, is Satsuya."

Zoro grinned. "And you were stealing my swords for what reason?"

Satsuya threw Zoro a dirty look. "Why the hell do you think?"

Zoro knew the boy wasn't a threat. Not in the slightest. He was just a dumb kid. A dumb, annoying kid. With dumb, annoying, crazy beautiful eyes. He lowered his sword.

"You've got nerve kid. But today is your lucky day. I'll forgive you, but I want something in return."

Satsuya grimaced. "Well forget it! I'm not going to sleep with some crazy old pervert like you!"

"NANI?" Zoro's eyes bulged. "Just what kinda person do you think I am!? I don't want to sleep with you, you freak! I think I've already made this clear!"

Satsuya pointed his finger at Zoro, accusingly. "I know what kinda guy you are! You kidnap little boys and-"

"URUSAI! I'M JUST TRYING TO GET TO THE NEXT TOWN!!!"

Satsuya smirked. "You sure do get worked up easily. How do I know you're not some crazy axe murdering pervert?"

Zoro was already frustrated. He had been tied up, this jerk had touched his swords, and now he was accusing him of indecencies.

"You didn't bother to ask who I was before YOU tied ME up and tried to steal my swords! I'm Roroanoa Zoro, the man who will become the greatest swordsman in the world BUT RIGHT NOW I NEED YOU TO TAKE ME TO THE NEXT TOWN." The last few words Zoro ground out through his clenched teeth. He sheathed his sword.

The boy seemed taken aback. "Roroanoa Zoro?" He looked Zoro up and down. "THE Roroanoa Zoro? The pirate hunting, ass kicking, three sworded Roroanoa Zoro? Are you saying that I outwitted and robbed the infamous Roroanoa Zoro?"

Zoro glared at the boy. "Don't get too cocky, brat. Or I might just change my mind about returning you in one piece. I said you were lucky. Don't push it."

Satsuya smirked. "So... why do you need me to take you to the next town? Are you... lost?"

The swordsman narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Yes. I am. But an opportunity to become unlost has just presented itself. Now, I have two options. I can take advantage of this opportunity, or I can kill you and find my own way back. Either way, I think I'm going to get what I want. You on the other hand may not come out of this as well as I."

Satsuya scoffed. "You won't kill me. You're a pirate hunter. Defender of the common man. You're not going to kill a sweet, innocent little boy like me." The silver haired boy smiled sweetly.

"Sweet and innocent. Strange words to be said about a thief who preys on others. One might say you're as bad as a pirate." Zoro said as he sat down under the shade of a large oak. "What did you do with the rest of my stuff, brat?"

Satsuya glared as he sat down against the tree Zoro had formerly been tied to. With a look of defeat on his face he sighed and said, "It's over there." He pointed to a large back pack that looked as though it was about to burst. It was brown and had scribbles and doodles all over it.

Zoro gave Satsuya a look. "Busy this time of year, are you?"

"Look it's what I do." He picked up a twig, examining it. "I don't know anything else. I'm on my own out there, I've gotta survive somehow."

"Get a fucking job. Chop wood. Hell, bus dishes at some shitty restaurant. You're the worst kinda man if you use inexperience as an excuse for mooching off of others. You're no better than a murdering pirate, taking advantage of people weaker than you, kid." Zoro said, his voice displaying how tired he was, and not just physically. What got him was how familiar this situation was. Kids like him grew up to be pirates. Bad childhood. They blamed everyone else, became angry, and started killing. They never really grew up and took responsibility for their own actions.

"Yeah, you say that but you don't know a damn thing about me. And stop calling me kid. I'm not much younger than you and I have a name so use it. And it's easy for you to say, Mr. Savior of the world. I bet you haven't had to work for a day's wages in your life! You just walk into a town and people start rolling out the red carp-"

Zoro was up in a flash, the tip of his sword stopped dead against the boy's chest. "You.... don't know a damn thing about me either. Quit whining about how life is so hard for you because no one gives a fuck. You either make what you can out of life, try to live honorably, or you're a pathetic asshole with nothing but a bag full of excuses."

Satsuya didn't pale this time. He jerked against the sword, forcing Zoro to pull back before the boy impaled himself. Satsuya leapt to his feet and got right back up in the swordsman's face.

"You know what?! I'm not impressed! You're self righteous arrogance really pisses me off! Go ahead and kill me asshole, because I'd rather die than help an ignorant piss ant like you any day! You don't know me, so DON'T START LECTURING ME!" Satsuya's eyes flashed angrily.

Zoro met his angry stare with an equally deadly one. "YEAH WELL YOU DON'T KNOW ME, SO DON'T START MAKING JUDGMENTS ABOUT ME!!"

"WELL OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER VERY WELL!"

"I GUESS YOU'RE RIGHT!"

Neither had anything to say to that, so they both sat back down opposite from each other, fuming. Zoro didn't quite know what to say. No one had ever tempted fate by pressing themselves against his sword. He'd never met anyone that defiant, or brave. Or maybe just that dumb.

"Keh."

"Hmph."

The both sat across from each other, arms crossed, pouting and refusing to meet the other's eye. Zoro knew how childish this must seem. He risked a glance at the boy, hoping he wasn't looking.

"How old are you, then?"

"I'm almost eighteen. And what are you, thirty something?"

"Cheap shot, but you just said you weren't that much younger than me, so you can't possibly think I'm that old." Zoro sneered. "I'm 19." (1)

THE END OF CHAPTER FOUR

Yes, I do exist. I'm still alive. BWA HA HA. I shall never stop popping in and out of posting randomly, leaving stories half finished here and there.

1. I have come to the conclusion, I'm not really sure how, that Zoro is 19. I think somewhere it said Luffy was fourteen or fifteen and Zoro was 19. I know they seem like grown men in the anime (leastways Zoro and Sanji do), but I'm sure that Zoro isn't any older than twenty two. So give or take a few years. Forgive me if I'm wrong, and please let me know if you've seen their real ages anywhere.

Reviews if you would. Thank you.

CAKE OR DEATH?!

Cake please.