Chapter Text
Weather's prognose said that it would be warm outside today, but Sanji definitely didn't expect having to strip into only jeans and shoes while taking care of the farm and almost downing 10 bottles of water just to stay hydrated. Sweat was layering his skin, dripping down his brows and coating his lips in salty liquid. The fact that he also had semi-large, fluffy orange ears and a bushy orange tail wasn't helping either. If anything, it only intensified the sun's harsh treatment and made bending down and moving around extremely uncomfortable.
Sanji reached into his pants and fished out a handkerchief from his pocket that he lightly dabbed across his forehead, soaking in whatever sweat had formed temporarily before moving onto the carrot fields. His adoptive father, Zeff the Red-legged fox chef; a famous chef that had great reputation for his delicious food, had insisted Sanji to step outside and do something since the weather was finally looking a little less depressing. Even though hot weather wasn't very appetizing for the annoyed blond, Sanji knew Zeff wanted what was best for him. So he didn't argue and marched straight towards the fields, and now here he was - yanking carrots out of the ground and removing weeds that could ruin their harvest. Sanji spent around 2-3 hours tending to the fields before he brought in a barrel full of freshly-plucked vegetables and fruit. Pausing once the shade of their large barn cast above him, and Sanji leaned his exhausted body against the old, red-painted planks. Grabbing his 11th bottle of water and was about to down that like no tomorrow when his father came into view.
"Nicely done, eggplant!" he hollered out. "Watched you the entire time. Come inside, you probably stink."
Sanji lowered the water bottle and sent Zeff glare of distain, but it was short lived. Pushing away from the barn wall and slowly making his way over to the main house. Zeff's pride and joy, as Sanji liked to call it. Pushing the front door open, the blond took off his shoes and yelped when Zeff suddenly threw something at him. Realizing it was a fresh set of clothing and some towels. Watching how Zeff motioned towards the bathroom directly afterwards and Sanji smirked amusingly. Zeff wasn't one that displayed affection and love like some fathers did, but whenever he did it was forever engraved into Sanji's head. Stupid old man, I could never replace you.
A few hours later, Sanji stepped out of the shower squeaky clean. Ears twitching to remove any annoying water-droplets and his tail swayed calmly back and forth behind him. Rubbing his face with a seperate towel, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. Around his left arm was a properly wrapped bandage pushing against some deep wounds. Remembering how he got them and why, about to softly run a hand over the area when a knock on the bathroom door snapped him out of it. "You fallen asleep or something? Dinner's ready," Zeff's voice grumbled from the other side. Sanji immediately got dressed and opened the bathroom door to meet a semi-irritated Zeff on the other side. Arms crossed as he let out a sigh and motioned Sanji to follow, which Sanji of course did. Heading into the kitchen as his fox ear twitched and he sniffed the air. A grin forming on his face.
"Smells delicious, old man. What's on the menu today?" He asked, and Zeff simply nudged his healthy arm a bit as if telling Sanji to stop with the flattery and then pulled out a chair for him. "Carrot and beef stew. The doctor said it would help boost your recovery," Zeff informed. The blond sucked in his bottom lip and glanced to the side in thought before he huffed a bit. "I'll be fine, old fart. It's just a wound."
Zeff immediately turned towards Sanji, a finger pressed in between his collar bones as Zeff's eyes displayed only concern, worry and fear. It was the type of expression Sanji dreaded to see, especially on Zeff's face. "It's my fault you got them. So let me take responsibility, you brat," Zeff spoke, although you could clearly hear the strain of keeping himself from tearing up. Then Zeff took a step away and ran a hand through his hair. "If I hadn't been sick, you wouldn't have-"
"Can you stop guilt tripping yourself?" Sanji immediately interrupted. Recognizing the downwards spiral that Zeff was almost getting sent into. Sanji then took the seat Zeff had pushed out and sat down on it. "I went over there because I wanted to. Because you needed help, and I was desperate. Breaching tiger territory always comes with a price, and I knew that. Now sit down and eat, stubborn oaf."
About a week ago, Zeff had caught a very serious virus. Especially for hybrids; half humans half animals. Sanji had come home to Zeff gasping for air and trying to stay on his feet despite his knees buckling and shaking. Obviously the old man had tried to push Sanji away, saying it was nothing and that it would blow over soon. Sanji knew better than that, he recognized the symptoms as something far worse. The thing is- society is a tricky place. Doctors were hard to find, since most clans had already taken ahold of them and claimed them as their own. Clans being different types of hybrids such as fox-hybrids, wolf-hybrids, cat-hybrids, tiger-hybrids and so on so forth. The closest clan Sanji had was one that consisted of tigers, higher up in the food chain than foxes. Highly territorial, highly dangerous and a bunch of loose canons. Sanji didn't care about these facts, and after he put Zeff into his bed he had rushed towards their territory. A sly fox amongst blood thirsty tigers. He knew that it could possibly lead to his demise, yet he refused to give up on Zeff. The only family he had left.
"Yeah yeah," Zeff grumbled as he took the seat across from Sanji, grabbing the spoon and tasting the stew he had made. Silence spreading inside the room as neither of them knew what to talk about. Sanji getting hurt was a heavy topic on both of them for different reasons. His thoughts drifted off towards when the accident occurred as he slowly chewed on the tender pieces of meat.
——— A week ago ———
"Who are you?", the voice had halted Sanji, and before he could say anything another tiger hybrid had pounced on him - pressing his slender yet built figure into the mud below them. Eyes were sharp, cautious, ready to kill in the blink of an eye as Sanji groaned a bit. Inhaling through his mouth and opening his eyes to look at the two of them. "I'm-.. my name's Sanji, we're neighbours," Sanji had pleaded, only to hear one of them let out a deeply amused chuckle that still vibrated through his body whenever he thought back to it.
"It's one of those annoying foxes down the street," the man holding Sanji down mused, as the second hybrid stepped out of the shadow. His eyes had landed on fierce, yellow eyes - reminding him more of a hawk's gaze than a tigers. "Bring him," he had said. "I want to know what he wants."
Next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair surrounded by apex predators eyeing him like he was their next lunch. "Sanji, was it?" The man with the intense gaze asked, and the blond gathered everything just to say "yes" in return. Causing the other to stand up and approach the fox, kneeling down in front of him to build up further tension. That's when Sanji also realized; this man wasn't even a tiger hybrid.
"You rushed in here without hesitation. Do you have a death wish or is something else going on?" He had asked. Something about him told Sanji that maybe he wasn't as brutal as the rest of them, and he swallowed down the fear building up inside. "M-my father," Sanji had started, enough to make the man flinch and his eyes widen. "Zeff, he's sick. We have no doctors. He needs help, please," Sanji had continued, now almost close to crying as his liquidy eyes met the still intense gaze of the man staring back at him. Before he could respond, another hybrid stepped up. One that radiated the words 'dangerous'.
"Don't listen to his bullshit, Mihawk. You know foxes are sly bastards, right? He's probably trying to extort you for money-" he started but in a second, said Mihawk had his hand wrapped around the tiger's throat. Or, more likely, his talons. Sanji realized Mihawk was a hawk-hybrid, as hilarious as that pun was. Wondering how a hawk has been able to gain the trust of tigers, but he never asked. Mihawk squeezed, causing the tiger hybrid to let out a small whine of pain.
"Get him a doctor, stat, or you're exiled from here." Was the words Mihawk had said. Sanji remember being confused, scared and greatful at the same time. Wondering why Mihawk wanted to help a fox. His talons released from the hybrid's throat and Sanji remembered them latching onto him for a good few seconds before storming off to do as Mihawk had asked. The rest of the hybrids muttering words Sanji couldn't remember, before Mihawk gently untied the ropes around the blond fox's wrists and legs.
"As a hawk hybrid, I can tell you're not lying. Zeff has cooked food for me before, I owe him this one," he explained in a hushed voice as Sanji felt himself relaxing in relief. Mihawk then ever so slightly tilted his head, curiosity washing up on his face a bit before he poked Sanji's forehead. "He never told me he had a son though, how curious."
Sanji softly wafted the man's finger away from his forehead and scoffed in slight hurt that Zeff hadn't mentioned him, but then shrugged. "I'm his adoptive son, he probably forgot to mention."
Mihawk chuckled shortly and stood up straight, giving a warning glare to the other hybrids around so none would try anything on Sanji- before his eyes returned to the blond fox. "I also have an adoptive son. To be fair I haven't told Zeff that either," he admitted. Rolling his shoulders a bit but before he could tell Sanji more about his son - the doctor stumbled into the hut they were in and immediately walked over to Sanji. "Oh god, are you okay?" He asked. Stressed. Mihawk had then rolled his eyes a bit.
"He's not the one you're helping. He'll take you to him, please do your best to treat him."
The doctor perked softly before his face filled with determination and he bowed promisingly towards Mihawk as Sanji slowly got up from the chair. His eyes looking at Mihawk before he also bowed, way deeper than the doctor did. "Thank you, with all my heart. I owe you one," he said. Mihawk then smiled, even though it was short lived, and pushed Sanji's head up with one of his talons without hurting him. "No need. It's the least I can do for the old man."
Sanji had then flown out the door, the doctor close behind. What he didn't know however, is that they had a third stalker follow them as well. Someone that was pissed off, and seeking a form of revange. Revange for being humiliated by a hawk in front of the other tiger-hybrids, the fury seeping within every crack of his being.
Sanji reached the front door, letting the doctor in first before he hurriedly lead him to where Zeff was still laying - chipping for air. While the doctor immediately got to work, Sanji stayed outside the room in order to regain his calm and gather his thoughts. That was until sharp claws dug into his arm and dragged him towards the front door, tossing him onto the gravelled grounds outside. The pebbles and rocks digging into his side before he spotted the figure in the shadows. Glowing yellow eyes and sharp feline teeth, sharp claws on both hands. It was the man that had told Mihawk to not trust him.
"Man I hate your kind," he started. Slowly approaching while Sanji scooted away from him, trying to get a good footing so he could get back up again. That was also short lived, as he felt a heavy boot slam down on his chest a few seconds after. Pinning him down firmly. "Foxes. You manipulate and get what you want, like some selfish little pricks."
Sanji tried to stay calm. To not escalate the situation, trying to find ways to make the man cool his jets. Then again, he was afraid there were none as the look in the tiger's eyes were dripping with bloodlust. Too far gone. Too determined to hurt.
"I wasn't manipulating anyone-" Sanji had tried, only to be interrupted by the other's boot digging further into his chest. "Shut up. I'm not listening to your bullshit. You made a fucking hawk put me in place. Do you know how that feels for a tiger?" He asked. Before tauntingly leaning down, hot breath hitting against the jugular of Sanji's throat. Mere inches away from it. "It's disgraceful."
"Step away from him."
The words were heavy. Cutting through any of the tension built in the air, and it even caused the other tiger hybrid to yank back a bit. Whoever it was, his voice was deep. Baritone. Dripping with authority that he probably didn't even have. Next thing Sanji remembers was a fight breaking out between them - claws clashing and teeth scraping, while Sanji was left with a bleeding arm and a battered body. The only thing Sanji knew was that he was somehow brought inside the house safe and sound, and that Zeff was feeling much better. Whatever happened to the two tiger hybrids still remained a mystery.
"Sanji?"
"Saaanjiii..."
"Oi dipshit!!" The words snapped Sanji back to the current as Zeff was glaring at him annoyingly from across the table. "Food's getting cold, eat or I'll forcefeed it to you," he gruffed once he realized Sanji's focus was back. Already done with his food as Sanji gazed down, immediately digging in before it could get any colder. That was the past, and as long as Zeff stays healthy - there won't be anymore unecessary danger.
At least that's what the blond hoped for, as he thanked Zeff for the food and put the dishes into the sink. He then looked out the window, staring at the still blazing hot sun touching the ground.
I wonder if it will be this hot tomorrow too.