Chapter Text
It was an accident. He hadn't meant to, wasn't even sure how he got in this situation to begin with. It had been a simple trip to the kitchen for booze, a bump into the table, and a fluttering sheet of paper he couldn't help read. And now he was here, staring at the person who he'd given his heart to, and for the first time was wondering exactly how to refer to them.
"Uh… Hey," Zoro stuttered, sliding the dairy letter behind his back even as he watched Sanji's eyes follow it like some sort of predator.
Sanji shut the kitchen door behind him, smiling as he saw Zoro was alone. He placed the bag of tangerines on the table, stepping forward to greet him.
"Hey yourself, Marimo," Sanji kissed him lightly, feeling how stiff Zoro was. "Why so tense?"
Zoro didn't know what the fuck to say. He shuffled his feet nervously, shifting from side to side.
"Why, uh, why are you so loose? " He fired back, face heating up at the implications of his statement.
Sanji stepped back a little, staring at Zoro wide-eyed. After a few seconds, his expression turned into a smirk.
"Why? Do you need a reminder?" Sanji purred, stepping forward to wrap his arms around Zoro, pulling his stiff body forward for a kiss. Sanji paused when he felt the papers in Zoro's hand. "What is that?"
Shit. Shitshitshit. Zoro froze, never faced with such a perilous situation before. His mind raced fervently trying to figure out what to do next. In the end, he sighed, glancing away and holding out the paper with a reluctant expression. He wasn't going to lie to Sanji. He-- she , deserved better than that.
Sanji took the paper from him, giving him a strange look.
Her eyes skimmed over the words, blood draining from her face. She recognized the diary page almost immediately. One of the letters she had drafted to Zoro, telling him who she really was. One of her attempts at exploring how to break the news to him. In frustration, she’d torn the pages from her diary, before shoving them back in, afraid someone would find them.
Now someone had.
She cursed herself for not being more careful- she should have burned them as soon as they were written. But there was no going back now, no denying what Zoro had read. Even if she could think of a way to pass this off as a joke, there was no point in lying about it. Zoro didn’t deserve that.
"Zoro..." Sanji whispered, her lips trembling. "I... I can explain..."
Zoro watched as she began to fidget, his lover, so uncertain and the sight made him pissed. Boy or girl Sanji was supposed to be a confident asshole, and the swordsman wasn't going to let anything change that. Not now, and not ever . He grabbed her hands, heart plummeting as she flinched slightly. He held her wrist loosely, giving Sanji plenty of space to break through, and gave the softest smile he could muster.
"Hey...," The swordsman started, placing a kiss on the covered side of her face. "I love you."
Sanji relaxed a little, resting her forehead against his chest. A million emotions ran through her at that moment. Fear, anger- but mostly relief that it was now in the open.
"I love you too," Sanji mumbled against him. "I'm so sorry."
Zoro snorted, pulling her close.
"Sorry for what? As if I would think of you any less. Remember what I told you when we first met?" He asked, fighting the urge to trace the scar that Mihawk had given him. "The only person who's allowed to call my dreams crazy is me. I do things my own way, so don't give me any lip about it." Sanji laughed and Zoro couldn't help but grin as well. "If this is your dream, if this is what you want, then I'm with you all the way." He leaned in, placing a light kiss on her neck. "You're my girlfriend after all."
Sanji laughed against his chest, squeezing him tight. A well of warmth rose in her chest at the word 'girlfriend.'
"Your dreams make you a crazy bastard!" Sanji said with a smile. "I don't want to see you get hurt, but you're going to do your thing. I get that." Her fingers traced the scar on his chest, rubbing small circles over the raised flesh.
"Good," Zoro said primly. "I'd have to kick your ass if you got in my way." He laughed as Sanji punched his arm, distantly marveling at her upper body strength.
"So you're... Okay with this?" Sanji asked, taking both his hands in hers.
"Yeah. I am." He bumped their noses together. "Everyone else will be too. And if they're not, then I'll slice them all in half." He gave a small smirk, knowing that it was a threat he would never have to follow through with. The Straw Hats weren't a typical crew anyways.
Sanji pulled Zoro in for a deep kiss, joy overflowing in her heart. It flowed through her blue eyes, tears of happiness falling down her face.
"Thank you, Marimo," She mumbled against him, not surrendering his lips even for a second. "Did you have any questions?"
"When did you know?" He whispered, not worried so much as curious.
"Hard to say." Sanji grabbed a bottle of gin from the rack, gesturing to the table for Zoro to sit down. "I guess things have always felt a little strange, out of place. Like I was this outsider looking in on everyone else. You remember when Law switched my soul with Nami's?"
"Can't forget," He said, giving a small smile. "It was an odd sensation seeing the witch as attractive for once." Zoro sat down, giving a low hum of recognition. "How did it feel?"
"I told you not to call her that!" Sanji scolded, but poured them both generous glasses. "It felt strange. I thought at first I was just happy because it was Nami-San's body and she's just so perfect! But then when we made our way back to Law, I realised I really didn't want my own body back. I was more comfortable in Nami's body than I'd been in my own."
Zoro didn't get it, not exactly, but he thought of how it'd feel to have been given Wado, only to have it taken away by Koshiro after so long and winced in sympathy. He couldn't imagine giving up the thing that made him feel whole.
"That must have been difficult for you. I'm sorry I didn't notice."
"It was selfish of me to want to keep it. It wasn't my body." Sanji lit up a cigarette and inhaled slowly. "I started to think about things after that. Things that confused me. I really didn't want the world to see me as..." Her face fell into her hands. "But meeting Okiku-Chan helped."
"Good." Zoro nodded, glad that it was someone like Kiku that guided her. She was a strong warrior, and in turn, could convince Sanji that she herself was just as strong. "I'm glad."
"Me too. She was so strong and beautiful, just her existence showed me it could be okay." Sanji picked up her drink, swallowing a mouthful to calm her nerves. She took several calming breaths. It was alright- Zoro accepted this side of her. "Was there anything else?"
"Nothing you aren't comfortable with sharing right now. Just this once I'll do things your way, Shit-Cook." Zoro grinned, trying and failing to hold in a snort.
"Actually using your head Shit-Swordsman," Sanji bit back. "That's new." She finished her cigarette, stubbing it out in the ashtray before standing up from the table. "Would you like to see?"
He cocked his head to the side, watching as Sanji moved away, forcing his body to stay still and not reach out for her. "See?"
"Yeah." She leaned in, kissing him tenderly. "You wait here okay? Don't let anyone else in." She turned around, slipping inside the pantry.
His fingers twitched, throat bobbing harshly. The hell was going on? He had no fucking clue. All the swordsman could do was wait, and if anyone even thought of entering the galley there were going to be some missing fingers.
Sanji pushed open the pantry door, her heart thumping at a million miles per minute. She stepped back into the galley, running her fingers through the short back of her hair. She'd put on some basic makeup, her eyelids a smoky grey and her lips a dark red. Her nails were painted black, Sanji holding them awkwardly as if she was still afraid they'd smudge. She was wearing the same button-up shirt and black dress trousers as before, only she'd taken her tie off and pulled a black fitted waistcoat over the top. Her red bra was visible, several of the top buttons of the shirt left open.
"Well, Marimo? What do you think?"
Zoro’s brain short-circuited.
"You kept all that shit in the pantry?" He questioned, mentally slapping himself after. "Ah, I mean. You look fucking hot."
"You expect me to keep it in the shitty bunk room where you fucks can get your shitty hands over it!" Sanji said, sputtering furiously.
Zoro cursed under his breath, eyebrows furrowing and eyes growing dark.
"I'm gonna have to talk with the Captain about his no-killing policy. If people were staring before, they're definitely gonna do it now. " Zoro shook his head, filing the conversation in the back of his mind for later use. He gave the blonde a wide, rare smile. "Really. You look good Sanji."
She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Zoro's waist. "You mean it? I look... okay?"
Zoro didn't even bother giving a retort, much too focused on whatever spray Sanji had used on herself. Something sweet, mixing nicely with the leftover scent of cigarette smoke. And underneath it all was her natural smell, so intoxicating it made the swordsman growl, pulling his girlfriend close and lowering his head in preparation for the most bruising kiss he'd ever had. And stopped, hovering hesitantly over those blood-red lips. He remembered distantly, hearing Nami complain about how long the application took and wasn't sure how Sanji would take to him messily ruining the make-up, however tempting. So Zoro just let out a low breath, that bordered more on a whine--not that he'd ever admit it, and gave a nod.
"You look more than okay Shit-Cook. Don't make me say it again, this level of romance isn't my thing."
Sanji purred at the feeling of Zoro against her. She grabbed his head, pulling him into a violent kiss. She could fix her makeup afterward. He felt so warm against her- she never wanted to let him go.
"Thank you, Zoro. Thank you so much."
He gave a huff of affection, burying his nose in her hair.
"You're welcome." Zoro rubbed his lips together, feeling the somewhat sticky concoction. "Now how the hell do I get this stuff off?"
Sanji giggled, reaching into her bra for her handkerchief. She dabbed at the red on Zoro's lips, grinning at him.
"Suits you, Marimo," She teased. Her hand lingered on his cheek, cupping the strong jaw. "Could you... Help me tell the others?"
"No shit. Course I will," He replied, standing up and dusting himself off. "One by one, or all at once?"
"All at once, maybe?" Sanji shivered. "Get it over and done with."
Zoro nodded.
"Okay then." He marched to the door, opening it a bit, before yelling. "Oi, dipshits! Get in here!"
"What? Now?" Sanji panicked, ducking behind the counter. "What the hell are you doing, Marimo-Barbarian?"
"Getting this over and done with. Ain't that what you just said?" Zoro looked back with a puzzled expression. "The hell are you hiding behind the counter for?"
Sanji whimpered, sinking slightly further into the floor. She knew Zoro was right- that it would be better to get everything out now so she could move forward.
"Okay," She said, taking a breath, but not standing up just yet. "Fine... Hand me my cigs?"
Zoro nodded, gliding over to the table and sliding the pack across the counter so that they'd fall on the side where Sanji was. He went back to the door and took post there, hearing Chopper's worried voice followed by Nami's exasperated tone.
"Here they come, Cook. Get ready." The swordsman murmured.
Sanji lit up a cigarette, her hands trembling, quickly fixing her make-up in the shine of the oven door. She counted backward from three before standing up, eyes closed. Luffy burst into the kitchen charging straight to the counter.
"Food!" He screamed out. "Are snacks ready, Sanji?"
Sanji blinked, staring into her captain's gleeful face. He stared back blankly, grinning wildly. Looking at her with the same smile he always had.
"Um... I'll make something now," She said, still shaking. She reached into the fridge for the onigiri and sweet rolls she'd made earlier before setting herself up to grill some meat slices.
Zoro watched in amusement, before directing a warning glare to Usopp, who had trailed in after Nami and Chopper, a stricken expression on his face. The navigator shot him a knowing glance, then gave a soft smile to Sanji, who didn't see, and sat down without a word.
Chopper stared with wide eyes before blurting out, "You look so pretty!"
Zoro fought to hold in his laugh at Sanji's blush and the way Luffy tilted his head in confusion.
"But Sanji always looks pretty," He stated and without meaning to, Zoro found himself nodding in agreement.
Sanji giggled at her captain, placing a plate in front of him for him to attack.
"Thank you, Luffy," She said, her voice shaking. "Thank you Chopper."
Robin entered slowly, her eyes glancing between Sanji and Zoro.
"You have lipstick on your teeth, Swordsman-San."
Zoro choked, reflexively raising a hand to his mouth before giving Nami a betrayed look. She only smirked and held out her palm, Robin flicking over a few beris. Sanji's eyes looked up from her cutting board, seeing the cash exchange from the corner of her eye.
"Hang on? What the-" She was interrupted by Brook pushing his face a few inches away from hers.
"Your bra is beautiful, Cook-San!" He said dreamily, leaning in close.
Zoro growled, unsheathing Kitetsu and pointing it at the skeleton's chest.
"Watch yourself." He growled before remembering Robin's comment and settling for a withering glare that only had the old man laughing.
"Yohohoho, that would curdle my blood if I had any!"
‘ I'll kill you, ’ Zoro thought and Kitetsu hummed, practically vibrating at the promise of death causing Brook to raise his hands, taking a step back.
"So Cook-San," Robin said casually. "Will you be moving into our bedroom?"
Sanji squeaked, folding her arms across her chest. She gaped at Zoro, eyes flicking to Nami. She hadn't thought about that aspect of this. She didn't like being in a room with the guys, more from the implication of it being the ‘guy’s room’ than the actual company. As much as Usopp’s feet stank and Luffy managed to get everything sticky! But she also liked crawling into Zoro's bunk after the others were asleep and letting him spoon her. She also feared that the others might see this as a ploy to get into the women’s bedroom, as ridiculous as that felt to her!
Zoro gazed at Sanji with a small grin.
"Whatever you want, Cook," He tried to convey with his eyes. He loved having Sanji with him but wanted her comfortable above all else.
"I don't think I'm ready for that," Sanji admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. "Could I just sleep in the galley for a while?"
"I'll make a new SUPER amazing room that transcends all binaries," Franky cried out, sitting next to Robin. "Would you prefer that Cook-Bro? I mean: Cook-Sis!”
Luffy looked at his Nakama.
"Why can't Sanji stay in our room?"
"She's a girl," Zoro stated flatly. "And the rules are that girls and boys sleep separately. Yes, I know." He continued, seeing Luffy open his mouth to object. "We're pirates, screw rules, and all that other shit and honestly I agree, but we're doing this for Sanji remember? Whatever she's comfortable with."
Luffy paused, maybe sensing the serious atmosphere, before giving a decisive nod.
"Okay," He said and continued gulping down his food.
"Wait hang on, what the hell is happening?" Usopp cried out. "I mean... Sanji-Kun has..." He trailed off into whimpers as Zoro’s glare intensified. Changing tactics, he turned to Nami. "You can't seriously be comfortable with having him in your room? What if we go to a bathhouse?"
Sanji clutched the knife in her hand, her head spinning. This was all getting incredibly overwhelming.
"That's none of your goddamn business," She snapped. "I won't force myself into Nami-San or Robin-Chan's space, but they can tell me if I'm welcome or not you..." Sanji cut herself off, inhaling deeply on her cigarette. Her stomach was starting to churn. She knew this would be hard, it had turned out easier than she thought. But she was having trouble keeping her feet. She knew Usopp wasn't trying to be cruel, but she didn't have the energy to be sympathetic. This entire situation was proving to be very draining.
Robin gave Usopp a level stare.
“Nose-san, I understand your reasoning, however, I find it imperative to add that both Navigator-San and I already suspected Cook-San’s feelings about her gender and as such, have already made preparations." Her ice blue gaze hardened, if only a fraction. "I suggest you tread lightly with matters you know nothing about. If you continue, unfortunate accidents might happen."
Usopp shrank back, letting out a squeak and Luffy turned to him.
"I don't get it. I don't care. And I'm the captain. So if I don't care that Sanji's a girl, you shouldn't either. We're family Usopp, you hear me. Family. And families accept each other no matter what. It'd suck to lose a member because they were being mean to Sanji." Everyone sat in stunned silence at Luffy's implication. The teen laughed, giving a boisterous pat on their sniper's back. "But Usopp's one of the nicest people I know, so I know Usopp will come around."
They all ignored the silent "or else."
Usopp sank back in his chair and the scary looks from his Nakama.
"You're right," He mumbled. "I'm sorry Sanji. I'll try to... Well... Come around."
Sanji had stopped listening. She tried to hide the tears in her eyes as she looked over her family's faces. Hearing Robin and Zoro call her 'she' and 'her' was making her heart so warm. She stepped out from the counter, abandoning the raw meat, walking towards Robin. She tried to find the words but settled on throwing her arms around her friend.
"You and Nami-San," She said through tears. "You knew!"
Robin nodded, opening her arms wide for a hug.
"We knew." Nami smiled, standing to stroke Sanji's hair with a gentle hand. "We only waited for you to know too."
Zoro watched as Sanji broke down into tears, feeling light, knowing that it'd all work out. In silent agreement, the others waded out of the galley, murmuring soft words of encouragement. Luffy slapped his hat on top of her blonde locks, letting out a happy, 'I love you,' before bouncing off. Zoro stood in the corner as the girls all comforted each other.
Sanji reached up, more tears falling freely as she felt the straw-hat on her head. She wrapped her arm around Nami, holding both her friends close.
"I'm so sorry," She wailed, hiccuping loudly in-between words. "For all the times I was... When I thought that..." She couldn't quite bring herself to say the words that would apologize for her perverted behavior and misogyny. She squeezed both women tighter, hoping they would understand. "I'm sorry. You're both so wonderful."
"Relax, I'll add all of your fuckery to your debt, so don't worry your pretty little head," Nami responded, before giving Zoro a gleeful smirk. "Or maybe I'll just add it to Zoro's debt instead."
The swordsman sputtered indignantly but found himself unable to retort, especially with the way Sanji was laughing, golden hair displaced so that both her eyes were showing, bluer than the ocean on the clearest of days. Zoro wrinkled his nose, wondering when he became such a sap.
Sanji sat back finally, grinning wildly. She looked up at Zoro's eyes, the swordsman watching her with that strange look he'd get. The one he saved only for her.
"Zoro," She whispered, holding out a hand to her boyfriend. Before Zoro could react, however, the thoughts from earlier snapped back into Sanji's brain. "Hang on! What exactly were you betting about?" She whined, staring at Nami.
Zoro grabbed his girlfriend's hand, ignoring Robin's knowing smirk. Nami was smiling at Sanji, her brown eyes shining.
"We have a few bets running actually," She stated primly. "The one I just won was whether or not you'd confess to us or Zoro first. The other one we have is whether or not you'll ask or we'll have to force you to come linger---" A hand appeared over the navigator's mouth and Robin gave a wry grin.
"Let us not....overwhelm her okay?"
Sanji stared at them flabbergasted, unsure how to respond. Zoro squeezed her hand, grounding her, bringing her back to Earth.
"Well if it helps Robin-Chan, Zoro found out by accident." She stood up, wrapping her arms around him. "But I'm so glad he did!"
"It started with booze," Zoro whispered wistfully as if that hadn't occurred an hour ago. "And ended with this. What an adventure for the mighty swordsman of the Strawhat Pirates," He said, doing his best imitation of their rather enthusiastic fan clubs scattered all across the seas.
Sanji giggled, leaning in for a kiss, forgetting the other women at the table. Robin nudged Nami gently.
"Let's give our Cook a moment to gather herself," She whispered, rising from the table. Nami followed her, giving Zoro a playful wink.
Sanji reached up to cup Zoro's face gazing into his eyes. She felt so happy, so lucky to have the best boyfriend in existence.
"I love you," She whispered against him. She still shivered with the intensity of the situation. So much had changed in an hour! But she still had her family and, slightly more importantly, Zoro.
"I love you too Sanji," He said to her, closing the gap between them and loving the rush of adrenaline. Fuck, he'd be able to do anything as long as she was here. Make Luffy the Pirate King and conquer the whole damn world. "I love you so much."
"I love you as much," Sanji said breathlessly, moaning as Zoro's impossibly strong arms held her close. She looked into his eyes, giving him a playful grin. "So... I'm getting my own room?"
"Mh." He hummed, pulling her even closer, letting arousal bubble in the pit of his stomach. "What do you want to do first?"
"Hey, it's my room, shithead!" Sanji said with a smirk, ruffling his green hair. She pushed her chest up, rubbing her padded bra against him. "But I might let you join me sometimes if you're a very good boy and keep the noise down." She gave him a teasing glance, leaning in to run her fingers over his three earrings. Zoro shuddered as her hot breath entered his ear. "You snore like a fucking pig!"
"Oi!" Zoro exclaimed. "You're even worse Curly, so don't start." He put Sanji at arm's length, before leaning down, placing his head on her chest. The scent of her bra was soothing and he nuzzled there, his grip on her waist tight. "This is my spot now," The swordsman declared.
"Ah, wait a moment, you moron!" Sanji pushed Zoro off her chest. She ran back to the counter to wrap up her half-prepared ingredients, before shoving them in the fridge and locking it. The cook hurried back, laying back on the couch while pulling Zoro on top of her. He nuzzled into her bra, relaxing on her body. "Is that comfy, babe?" Sanji asked, petting his head.
He let out a grunt that doubled more as a purr and tightened his arms around her in lieu of an actual answer. Zoro enjoyed the way her chest rose and fell with laughter at his cat-like antics, hand stroking his hair languidly. Sanji chuckled as Zoro rested against her, making soothing noises as she continued to stroke him gently.
"Thank you, Zoro," She whispered. "I never thought in a thousand years this would go so well. Thank you for standing with me. I'm... lucky to have you." She blushed a little. Despite everything, it was still bizarre whispering sweet nothings to the damn swordsman.
"It was all you, cook. I didn't do anything," Zoro responded blankly, not used to Sanji giving such open praise. It felt even weirder to be equally nice back to her. "Now shut up. All this cutesy talk is making my ears bleed." But that didn't stop the swordsman from placing a light kiss in the space between her breasts before settling down once more.
"Alright you shit-talking swordsman," Sanji said, craning her neck to kiss his head, straw-hat falling forward over her face. "Don't nap too long, you know what Luffy's like if dinner is late."
Truthfully Sanji didn't mind having Zoro against her, making himself comfortable with her body.