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If you asked him, moving in with a couple wasn’t really in his plans or goals for his life. And Zoro and Usopp being the said couple he moves in with, well, much less. But money is tight, and running a restaurant with his father, Zeff, and having to commute from an apartment on the other side of town to and from the restaurant is much more complicated than he initially thought it’d be. So, seeing as the couple needed a roommate to cover for small expenses and he needed a cheap, much closer to the Baratie, alternative, he decided to go for it. A technically perfect solution to all of his problems. After all, he’s known Zoro and Usopp his whole adult life, so he thought it’d be fine.
First morning there he decided to make them breakfast before he left as a thank you for letting him move in so easily, though he knows they wouldn’t have objected anyway, being friends for years now. He hums and huddles around the stove, still in his undershirt so he doesn't stain his uniform but ready to leave for when he’s done. His hands are occupied with a skillet and cracking some finishing eggs in it when they wake up, lurking in the hallway kitchen entrance with sleepy faces. They’re still in their sleep hoodies and boxers, “Mornin’ boys, I’m making breakfast, I’ll get outta your hair soon, got a shift at the Baratie ‘till night today so you won’t see me ‘till tomorrow morning again probably.”
Zoro nods his understanding silently and yawns as he opens the fridge, being considerate enough to start serving drinks as Usopp takes a seat on the kitchen island to wait while he finishes up. He starts talking his head off after all their good mornings were said, talking about this week's plans, things he’s building, and whatnot, not that he minds the endless chatter at all, though. He appreciates the background noise between the couple, even if Zoro’s answers vary from a hum to a grunt, it wasn’t as bad as he thought it’d be. It feels sort of comfortable, a good atmosphere. When he turns with plates in hand, holding them up with their food, he watches as Usopp suddenly looks down at his wrist and back up to him, where his soulmark lays and freezes in time. He tries to brush it off with an awkward laugh, accepting the plates from where he sits and humming around a mouthful of food.
Soul marks are not the bane of his existence. He’s never been embarrassed about his soulmark, and truly, it doesn’t bother him anymore that he hasn’t gotten with his soulmate yet, what with knowing people who’ve found theirs well into their adulthoods. But the way Usopp looks at it irks him somehow like he should be ashamed to have it displayed the way it is; casually, without thought, “S-sorry,” though he has no idea why he decides to apologize, he clears his throat and looks away, looking for a way to leave, “I think I’ll join you another day for breakfast, I might be late and I just remembered we have a truck coming in with merch today” he quickly put on his powder blue uniform, running away from that nagging feeling at the pit of his stomach. Leaving behind his two roommates without letting them get a word in. And that’s what happens with Sanji, he freezes when he finds himself between a rock and a hard place. A full-flight response if he’s ever seen one.
The way to the Baratie, thank fuck, is about 15 minutes by foot now. Unlike when he lived on the other side of the city, having 2 hours to spare wasn’t even helpful, and falling asleep on the job much less so. He needed to guide and lead his chefs efficiently and falling asleep on the job was not the way to do that. Still, he enjoyed his job and he loved being a chef. On the way there he thinks of the expression on Usopp’s face, those eyes he made at him, caught staring at the mark of his wrist. It’s pretty obvious what it is, and who the mark is for, two people to be exact. Two people he didn’t think he’d be moving in with but did in his moment of need.
He needed to get his emotions under control, he knew that Usopp and Zoro were together, and he didn’t want to ruin that at all. And he’s never heard of anyone having more than one soulmate, not only that, he’s never known if Zoro and Usopp even are soul mates or if they’re just in a very serious, long-term relationship, and he doesn’t want to hurt what they have just because he has a mark that connects them.
After that morning things get weirder, he starts getting little notes in the bathroom mirror. It starts with “have a great shift” in Usopp’s loopy handwriting, then it shifts to full notes on the kitchen counter with hearts or reminders with smiley faces in Zoro’s neat handwriting and horrid drawing. It’s strange, it’s like Usopp seeing his soulmark triggered something. But neither have spoken about it to him, so he thinks he’s safe from any confrontation. The shifts at the Baratie help with that as well, he starts taking full day shifts, from 7 am to 10 pm, working his ass off and only coming home to his bed. He hasn’t even had time to fully unpack the things he brought from his old apartment.
One night though when he comes back the apartment is quiet, and as he enters his room and starts undressing he realizes the boxes inside have been unpacked, neatly folded, and fully empty behind the trashcan in the kitchen. His things are placed where they belong, from his closet full of uniforms and suits to the last underwear he kept. All of it was folded, cleaned, and put away for him. It’s strange, and he assumes it was Zoro and Usopp, of course, it was, it couldn’t have been anyone else. They’re the ones who’d seen his old apartment, and they’re the ones here most of the day. No archery events for Ussop to attend and Zoro does his accounting day job in their office.
He realizes that there’s a note on his dresser, addressed to him, with Zoro’s handwriting and Usopp’s small drawings in it. “We unpacked for you, we wanted you to relax while living with us and to feel welcome. I hope you enjoy your room, you can change whatever you like, and don’t hesitate to ask for help or hang out. We know you’re busy but we want to go out with you soon, maybe celebrate that you’re living here now. –Zoro”
“What?” He’s a little stunned at the great gesture, neither man has ever treated him this way before, and realizing that leaves him for a loop. It doesn’t matter, he’ll keep avoiding them ‘till they stop with the soft nonsense and the notes.
The next morning he’s greeted by Zoro already being awake at 6 am, the sun’s not fully out yet, and he’s scratching his belly and waiting for him with a meal prepped breakfast and a box of juice. He yawns before he greets him, his voice mellowy soft and deep with sleep, “Mornin’, Curls, just wanted to give you breakfast. And since you keep avoiding us I wanted to check on you which day you wanna go out,” he’s a little surprised that Zoro is awake, and that he made him breakfast, he holds onto the food, looking down and then at him. Dark green eyes staring back at him, his earrings glinting in the kitchen night light, “Thanks, man, I, uh— I’m not sure when I’ll have a free day, I’ll text you my shifts?”
He shifts his feet, suddenly feeling bashful of his behavior until now, “Look I–” Zoro stops him, hand in front of his face, “Save it, cook, just tell me your shifts later and go, you’ve got an early morning. I don’t wanna get my ass kicked by the ‘ol man” he grins, he chuckles back at him, “I thought you were the world’s greatest swordsman,” he gets a laugh out of him, “I am, but I am also a simple accountant who wants to sleep and maybe not die at the hands of your NYC grown dad. Now ‘get.”
He softly pushes him out the door, both laughing. He gets to work in an upbeat mood, he doesn’t even scream at Patty today. And around lunchtime, it’s his turn to serve customers. He’s the only one who smells even remotely well of all the chefs and can actually attend to customers without attitude. There he sees them—the reason for his avoidance of their apartment and working for such long hours. To the point where Zeff noticed, and promptly told him off earlier in the week that he wanted him to take a free day.
Zoro and Usopp seem to be in their own world, talking animatedly with each other at one of the tables he attends. No way around it, he walks to their table, handing them a menu each, “Boys, what brings you to the job?” he smiles and acts as though he hasn’t been avoiding them the whole week. Usopp is first to greet him, he’s dressed in overalls with a mustard yellow sweater, showing off his wide frame and strong arms, his thick legs crossed under the side of the table. Zoro sat next to him, silently paying attention to the starting conversation; he was in his usual loose wide pants and tight shirt, showing off his arms and softer belly. They both look great, casual, and comfortable with each other as they gleam and smile at him, “We’re here because we wanted to see you, we haven’t seen you all week! It’s not fair that ‘Zo saw you this morning and I haven't.”
Zoro speaks up next, “Usopp wasn’t gonna wake up that early, anyways. C’mon, cook,” he pats the empty third seat next to him, signaling for him to sit down as well, “Come spend some time with us, we missed ya,” he looks around for a way to escape, anywhere, but instead, he meets gazes with his own dad through the kitchen window. He signals for him to take a break with the watch on his wrist, his own dad-speak for “ take yer time” as he says.
He’s gotten softer over the years, even if he won’t admit it. But still, when he’s trying to run away from his friends/crushes, he should be a cooperative parent and maybe not let him off the hook in the middle of a shift. He sits down hesitating, he doesn’t know what to expect when it comes to these two, “So, uh, you missed me?” he tried not to look at them, failing when they both stared intently at him, “Yeah man, it seems you’re always missing after that first morning. We uh– ‘Zo, you wanted to tell him something?”
Usopp looks like he’s getting as nervous as he feels, and then Zoro, ever the subtle man, goes for the kill without any hesitation, “So, when were you going to tell us you were our soulmates?” his heart leaps out of his throat and he chokes on his spit, stuttering his way into this conversation, “W-what could you ever mean, I don’t know what you’re talking about– Oh, hey, I think—” Zoro stops him right there with a hand to his arm, “It’s alright, cook. We know about the soulmark on your wrist, we have the same one”
His voice is soft, but firm, like trying to not spook an animal away. The animal, in this case, being himself, “I– I didn’t mean to show you, I don’t– fuck, I don’t want to ruin what you and Usopp have and I thought that moving in with your guys would be fine, you wouldn’t find out, I’d move out at some point. I didn't mean to have to avoid you either…” they let him speak, unburden himself of the secret he kept. He sniffles when he finally looks up at them, Zoro has a smug smile on his lips, and Usopp looks happy, teary-eyed though, like the revelation made them happy, instead of all he was dreading before, “Why’re you guys smiling? Did you not get that I could ruin your relationship just by being here? Because of this stupid soul mark?”
Usopp reaches over the table and places his hand on his own, “Sanji, you’re a little stupid sometimes, y’know that? If you have both of us in your soul mark, both of us are your soulmates, that doesn’t even remotely ruin anything. If anything, it completes us.”
“We’ve been trying to flirt with you the whole week. You’ve been avoiding us like a sourpuss though” he looks pouty, which is strange for a man as big as Zoro, “I haven’t– well… yeah, sorry.” Both of them hold his hands now, leaning forward to address him properly, Usopp is the one to ask, “So, Sanji, would you like to be our soulmate? Officially?” he thinks about it for a second, their hands are warm in his, and he thinks of the comfort they’ve brought him over the years they’ve known each other, “Yeah, I– I want to be your soulmate, I want to accept this soul bond”
After that Zeff lets him have the day off, grumbling over “finally getting your head out of your ass when it comes to those two”. The two men promptly took him to eat somewhere completely different, classifying this as their official first date. It felt good to be between them, comfortable, he felt happy he didn’t have to hide how he felt about them.