Chapter Text
Zeff was just a forty-six-year-old man. Living on his own, working at his restaurant just below what he calls his tiny humble home. It wasn’t exactly a big home per se. The house was actually a two-story home with separate living quarters and a basement, which was perfect for him. He was just thirty years old when he decided to buy the house and started renovating the first floor and turning it into a restaurant and a kitchen, he then turned the basement into a storage for his ingredients and a tiny office and some shared living quarters for his staffs that doesn’t have a place to stay.
He wasn't exactly rich but he had saved enough for him to live through retirement. But alas cooking was his passion and he loved to cook for people who wanted to eat, He had worked for others before as a chef, but the way they waste their food always leaves a bad taste in his mouth.
Now at his age, he imagines himself living a quiet and peaceful life and cooking till he can’t move his hands anymore. Instead, he finds himself taking care of a baby nestled in his arms, crying loudly as he is woken up by the sudden noise downstairs.
The noise below had not cease, despite him stomping as loudly as he could. Annoyed, he picked up the phone and dialed the number for his restaurant. “SHUT THE FUCK UP, you damn bastards woke the baby!” he grumbled and slammed the handset back to the receiver. Thankfully that hushed the noise, and soon he could no longer hear noises, aside from the crying baby in his arms.
“There, there, little eggplant” he calls for the baby, who now started to hiccup from crying. His eyes still watering, blinking innocently as Zeff placed the nipple of his milk bottle in his mouth. The older man chuckled when he noticed the baby’s brows were furrowed. “And looks like you still hate the nickname I gave you, little eggplant” The baby who seemed to have understood what the old man was saying, raised his tiny hands and slapped the older man’s mouth.
“Goodness, already smacking me with your little hands, where’s your gratitude brat?” he grumbled, nevertheless, started swaying to put the baby back to sleep. It didn’t take long before the baby started to doze off again.
As morning came, Zeff regretted his decision to sleep on the chair last night. He just had carefully placed the baby on a baby box and groaned when he felt a slight sore on his lower back. “Should have gone to bed instead” he muttered, twisting his upper body from left to right and heard the crack from his back. Feeling relieved after the release of tension from his sore muscles.
“I think you should go back to exercising owner” It was Patty who called with his afro hair always puffy and round.
“Fuck off! You guys were too noisy last night. I know I allowed the anniversary party, but please be mindful that we now have a tiny resident in the house”
“Should you be cursing like that owner?” The man grinned and saluted, clearly not regretting anything.
Zeff turned his attention towards the baby and felt a sweat dripping from his forehead. “Whatever” he grumbled and left the spare room, grabbing for the tie on the doorknob, he hooked it on the nail stuck on the wall. To keep the door open at all times.
“What are you doing here anyway?” the older man sighed, hoping that the sudden purpose of the visit wasn’t what he had in mind.
“It’s already Ten in the morning owner, and we were starting to worry if something happened and came in to check on you”
The owner squinted back at the man, grumbling, reminding him whose fault it was that he had overslept. The man shifted in his feet, now acting all guilty for the noise they caused.
“And why the fuck are you here? I believe you damn bastards can take care of my restaurant while I’m away for a few hours, or are you still kids that needs supervision?”
The man stood up properly hands on the side, “No sir! I just bought you brunch. You can leave the restaurant to us, sir. You can take it easy and have an off day sir!”
The owner looked at the packed food on the table and a tiny Tupperware with a baby spoon on top. “Well, whatever. I assume you bastards will not cause any mess in my kitchen and handle my restaurant for a few more hours. Need to catch some sleep. Didn’t think taking care of a baby will be this hard.”
As soon as he said that, he could hear the loud wail from the room he just left. “And here he goes, not even ten minutes of free time” Patty followed suit and watched Zeff slowly pick up the baby. Despite being rough and acting cold on the outside, he was always aware of how kind their owner was.
Patty wasn’t exactly a good person at heart, and he would admit that. But as he got older, he only knew how to be a delinquent and unfortunately his appearance didn’t help him in looking for a job. Thus he was surprised when he read a poster about a job opening at a newly opened restaurant. He then grabbed Carne and off they went to apply and see if they could get the job. They were surprised when the owner was working alone in the kitchen and handling his customers all on his own. They were taken aback when they were just then handed an apron and had to start working. Only for Zeff to facepalm when he saw how they peeled the vegetables. But still, they got the job and even now have a place to sleep.
“Owner, we can take care of the baby. You need proper rest since you’re old an-” his words never left his mouth to complete the sentence, after feeling the glaring eyes of one forty-six-year-old man.
“Go back to work, I can handle this” he grumbled, while softly patting the baby’s tiny back. The baby however was not exactly a few weeks old, but rather a 9-month-old baby now based on the paper they found the baby with, who was now staring back at Patty.
When they found the little boy five months ago, he was lying on his tiny basket, blabbering things on his own while holding his blanket and piece of paper on top of his blanket. It was one of the staff who first found the baby and called the owner right away. They were very shocked and annoyed that someone could leave a baby that easily. They were worried and felt pity for the little guy. But they were already smitten when the baby giggled in front of them, which was very unusual. Somehow the baby had already won their hearts.
When Zeff picked him up, they saw the paper and found that the baby was born four months ago, and was named ‘Sanji’. An odd name they thought, but perhaps he was named ‘Sanji’ thinking he might have been born around 3 o’clock. ‘Such a straightforward name’ some had thought if what they speculated was true.
Zeff had turned around and saw Patty still behind him. He raised a brow, asking why he hadn’t left yet.
With a salute, Patty left promptly after waving at the baby who was now leaning his head on Zeff’s chest.
“Seriously if they burn my restaurant down, I’ll have their heads on the plate” He grumbled, rolling his eyes as he continued to check for the baby in his arms. Cringing when he felt the wet diaper.
Hours later, Zeff found himself woken up when he felt a wet smack on his face. He opened his eyes to see Sanji, now naked below and giggling while making a mess of his milk, and somehow was able to wiggle himself out of his diaper.
The baby giggled and started to grab on his mustache, and started to babble again.
“Oh dear” The man sighed, “how were you able to make a mess on your own, last time I saw you, you were sleeping peacefully beside me” he sighed, and picked up the half-naked baby, together with the soaked diaper and empty milk bottle. He cleaned up the baby first and placed him on a baby chair that one of his staff gave him saying his daughter had grown out of it and had no use for it anymore, which he gratefully accepted.
He started wiping the floor with a rag and was thankful that the spoilt milk didn’t reach the thin mattress that he had owned first and now used as a spare bed for sudden guests. He folded the mattress and put it back inside the cabinet.
Once he was done, he approached Sanji, who was kicking his legs and raising his hands towards Zeff. “And now you little eggplant needs some bath,” he mumbled and carried the baby out from the baby chair carefully while handing him a rubber duck. Thankfully, Zeff always had an easy task when it comes to bathing. Sanji likes to play with his yellow ducks, while Zeff busied himself in lathering baby wash on Sanji. As he was done, he wrapped the baby with a clean towel and carried him back to the room. He started patting him dry, while Sanji started biting on the duck’s butt.
It was already four in the afternoon when he checked the clock. Realizing that it’s almost time for another meal for the little guy. He dressed him up properly to protect him from the cold winter and hoisted him up to his chest after he cleaned up properly. He left the apartment and locked his door. Stepping down the stairs, and was relieved when there was no trouble happening in his restaurant yet.
Opening the door with a baby in his arms, he ignored the onlookers as he walked past the dining area. Noticing the missing wait staff that he had hired a few days ago. He got inside the kitchen and grumbled when there was not even one wait staff inside.
“And where the hell are my wait staff?” he loudly called to his chef. Carne turned around and was sweating already, giving Zeff the idea that they might have resigned again. “What happened to the one we hired yesterday? He did stay for the party you dumbasses held, or do you have any explanation why he’s not present and working?”
Zeff is already perfectly aware of why they didn’t have regular wait staff working on tables, as they get scared and intimidated when facing the hoodlums of chefs that he hired. He sighed when he heard he didn’t stay for the party but rather left in a hurry after his shift.
“Whatever, go back to work” he muttered and started preparing a tiny meal for the baby.
After Sanji had his fill, Zeff went back to his office and placed the baby on a makeshift baby bed composed of boxes and clean tablecloths inside. Sanji started playing with the duck still in his hands, sometimes blowing raspberries and babbling some sounds.
Zeff started on working his papers, listing ingredients that they would need, calculating their total sales, and tallying the total expenses, and wages for the month. He had spent a few hours on his computer and phone, trying to pay the restaurant’s and his apartment’s electricity bill and water usage, when the baby beside him decided that he was getting hungry. Thus he opted to shout a word that had taken Zeff dumbfounded.
“FUCK!” the baby screeched. Using his toy duck to smack his makeshift bed. “Fuck!” Sanji pouted, tears started to gather in his eyes. “FUCK!” he cried again, now facing Zeff and crying while repeatedly saying the word.
“And where the fuck did you learn that word?” Zeff asked the baby back, only to realize what he just said. “Never mind” he stood up from his chair and approached the baby. Placing a hand under his armpit and another on his bum.
“I have said a lot of words right in front of you and you choose that word as a first word?” Zeff asked the baby as if Sanji would understand. Instead, the baby leaned his head back and wailed loudly. “OH GOD! You’re such a drama queen,” he grumbled and grabbed his milk bottle from his pocket. “Fine! Fine! Stop crying and drink your milk. He continued while positioning the nipple of the bottle towards the baby’s mouth.
Sanji immediately started suckling on his bottle but refused to hold on to it. Forcing Zeff to hold the bottle with a messy tear faced baby in his arms.
“Is everything alright Owner Zeff?” one of his chefs asked from the door when he heard the loud wails from the baby.
“All’s fine. This bastard was just hungry and just started cursing!”
The chef chuckled, and closed the door, leaving Zeff in feeding the hungry baby in his arms.
Zeff went back to his chair and sat, letting Sanji Sit on his lap with his tiny hands on each side, his toy duck forgotten on his box. His tiny head raised towards the nipple, despite Zeff trying to adjust his hold, but it seems like Sanji likes to complicate himself, which causes him to cough.
Zeff rolled his eyes at the baby, and adjusted his hold, placing him properly, and allowing Sanji to rest his back on his arms, Zeff still held the bottle but at a safer angle. “See. that wasn’t hard, was it? Such a drama this little eggplant is”
A few minutes later, Sanji was already done nursing on his milk bottle. With his tiny chest pressed on Zeff, the small pats on his back, had successfully made him burp. Tired and already wanting to sleep, the baby pressed his face on Zeff’s shoulder and started dozing to sleep.
“There he goes, out like a light. And your first word is ‘Fuck’.” Zeff chuckled, and decided to have a break for now. Leaving his work undone, he left his tiny office and went straight to the kitchen.
“YA DAMN BASTARDS BE BETTER LESTINING TO ME!” Zeff shouted just enough for all his chef’s to hear. Once he got their attention, he cleared his throat. “From now on. No on will curse in front of the kid. Got it!” he warned. “You guys can curse whenever the hell you want but never in his hearing range. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes owner!” they all responded, nodding and agreeing for the sake of the little resident they have.
“I heard the brat’s first word was ‘Fuck’ is what owner told me” one of the chef, who had checked on him earlier giggled.
Carne chuckled back. “And I bet the brat heard it from him a hundred percent”
“Indded!” another added.
“Did you three say something?” Zeff asked, glaring at his three chefs’ back
“Nothing sir! We’ll make sure not to use wonderful words in front of him” Carne exclaimed, sweating buckets.
Zeff frowned at them, “Shut up and start cooking. Those orders won’t cook by themselves” he mumbled, and left the kitchen. He entered the dining and saw some of his regular customers eating and enjoying the meal his chef’s prepared. Satisfied from seeing the customer’s enjoying the meal. He walked pass the dining and went up towards his apartment.
Opening and closing his door with one hand had become an easy task as months passed by with carrying Sanji in his arms, but as he got heavier by the day. He really need to buy a baby carrier and a stroller so he can just put Sanji on it and push him around on their way for his checkups.
Carefully, he took off the baby's thick clothes, and placed him carefully on his baby box. Now that he’s thinking about buying those things, he suddenly realize that he nearly doesn’t have all stuffs needed for Sanj to use. Most of his bed where made out of cardboard boxes, and his clothes were hand me downs from his regulars and neighbors who learned about the poor baby. Some of the clothes were even for girls, but Zeff didn’t mind as long as the baby has something to wear.
He wasn’t actually planning to keep Sanji for long and was planning to drop him off at an orphanage which was at least three towns away. He had plans to drive his way there once the winter is done. That’s why he didn’t bother to buy some baby stuff that Sanji will need.
As he was about to put Sanji on his baby box, the boy already had his eyes open. Examining Zeff who was leaning towards him, while carefully placing him and adjusting him comfortable on the bed. Sanji had raised his arms, patting Zeff’s mouth. He started to giggle when his hand had brushed on Zeff’s mustache.
“ZeZe” The baby giggled, while pulling on Zeff’s mustache.
Zeff’s eyes widen upon hearing Sanji’s repeat of trying to call his name. He felt something had clutched his heart. Leaning his head towards the baby’s chest he made Sanji squeal with delight. He decided to go shopping for Sanji’s clothes and a proper crib instead once winter was done.