Work Text:
Zoro knew from the moment Sanji called him while on break at the Baratie that the day had been hard on him. His voice sounded tired, a sort of weary that wasn't often heard from the blond.
"Do you have to go in tomorrow?" Zoro asked, already looking at the cook's work schedule hung on their fridge.
"No, but that doesn't mean the old man won't call me in still!" Sanji grumbled and Zoro heard the telltale exhale that meant Sanji was smoking.
"Don't worry about it, Curly. When you get home, everything will be taken care of."
Sanji snorted and Zoro smiled, holding the phone between his shoulder and cheek as he opened the fridge to see what they had on hand. Not much, it was time to go shopping but Sanji had been busy with work and Zoro always got the wrong items so he wasn't allowed to do it alone.
"What do you have planned?" Sanji asked, "It better not be something ridiculous that you cooked up with that pea brain of yours."
Zoro rolled his eyes, cheeks warming. He knew Sanji probably already had an inkling of what he had planned, the blond knew him like the back of his hands after all, but Zoro didn't mind.
"Don't get your panties in a twist, I'll see you when you get home."
"What do you mean? I still have 5- fuck, okay yeah, see you at home Marimo." Sanji grumbled and there was a loud exhale followed by a rushed, "Love you," and an exaggerated kissing sound that made Zoro shake his head fondly. Zoro heard Zeff call out to Sanji and a cut off swear before the call ended.
Zoro reached up to grab his phone and pocketed it. With the ingredients on hand Sanji could make something great, like he always did, but for Zoro that wasn't an option. Zoro may be able to cook without burning their house down but his skills were nowhere near the level of Sanji's and he didn't want to torture the blond's palate with that when the day had already been hard enough. He closed the fridge, crossing his arms over his chest and tapping his fingers against his biceps.
That left a few options. He could ask Zeff to prepare some of Sanji's favorites and pick Sanji and the food up when the blond got off work or he could call in a to-go order from one of Sanji's preferred restaurants that wasn't the Baratie and have it ready and waiting by the time he got home. If he got take out he could turn it into a date night, food and a movie, a glass of the red wine Sanji had been raving about lately. It didn't sound bad.
Zoro weighed the options. If he were to ask Zeff, there was no doubt in his mind the older chef would tease the living hell out of him for spoiling his 'eggplant'. Zoro's lips pursed as he glanced at the saved menus stuck onto the fridge with a picture magnet. It was a photo from one of their dates to an aquarium, in it Sanji was staring awed at all the fish swimming by while Zoro's smiling face was pinned in the corner. He'd been proud of capturing that moment, glad to have the awestruck and bright look that had crossed Sanji's face saved.
It was one of Zoro's favorite pictures. It had also been the day they had surprised each other, both kneeling and looking at each other as if the earth was going to crack open and swallow them whole, fear and excitement mirrored between their eyes, overwhelmed by the unrivaled love they both felt and still feel. Zoro's thumb rubbed along the underside of his ring finger, the gentle turn and press of cool metal against his finger was grounding and as if that was the only answer he needed, he snatched a menu off the fridge.
Take out it was.