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[Thursday, Zoro POV]
“Just do it already!” Luffy shoves at him a little too hard, snapping Zoro out of his trance.
His eyes had followed a certain blonde, who was currently leaning against the bar asking for the next round for all of them. That blonde was none other than his childhood friend, Sanji Vinsmoke. Although he might as well ditch the last name, with how abusive his family has been throughout the years.
In fact, almost everyone on his table tonight is a childhood friend. They’ve met by sheer serendipity and their compatibility has kept them together through thick and thin. It’s really great to go out with people that really know you.
Except it’s not. Because right now, every last one bastard sitting on his table knows exactly why he’s been staring at Sanji in a room full of guys, girls, gays and theys looking for a quick spark. And the reason is because, in not so many words, Zoro fell fucking head over heels for that blonde bastard.
It took a while, granted. They met as little brats and hated each other for nearly half their lives, until somewhere along the way, their compatibility became simply undeniable. These days, they’d both call the other good friends. Hell, best friends even.
That closeness is what eventually did Zoro in. You couldn’t get that close to Sanji fucking Vinsmoke and not get immediately blinded by the sunshine that is his smile.
Zoro’s waxing poetics because he’s well on his way to getting drunk… probably… but also because pining has become sort of a habit for him. The swordsman has tried to bring up the nerve to ask that bastard out but whenever he tries, he draws a blank. Completely. His legs literally twitch wanting to run away.
Shit like that has never happened to him before, so he’s barely just starting to understand what’s going on.
His friends, however, don’t want him to take his time to figure this out. They want drama. They want a fucking romance telenovela to unfold in front of their eyes. Which is why Luffy’s idiot ass decided to LOUDLY suggest he should just ‘do it already’.
‘It’ being asking the cook out.
He wants to, don’t get him wrong. And Sanji makes it look so easy. The bastard has taken to joke around about asking Zoro out. Where that joke came from, he’ll never know, but it’s been driving him crazy for a month. And that blonde piece of shit does it so smoothly, too.
But whenever Zoro tries? Words don’t come out. It’s as if his whole fucking brain just shuts down. Which is why he shoves Luffy back, “Shut the fuck up, will ya!?” As much as he would want a chance to take Sanji out, if he tried today, it would just go as it has for the past couple months: terribly.
Nami smirks, “He’s never gonna do it, I told you”. Oh, come on! She’s gonna shame him?! The redhead that cried about the girl she liked for two years before finding out the girl was gonna move out and didn’t even dared to tell her at the airport? “At this point he’ll be pining from the grave” she snarks.
“Speak for yourself, asshole” he huffs, reveling in the way Nami’s smirk falls, indignant. “I’m figuring it out, okay!? I’ll do it when I’m ready”.
Usopp chuckles, “If you’re not gonna do it today you should stop staring at him”. Zoro turns murderous eyes at the long-nosed bastard, so he amends, “Just sayin’… you’re kinda obvious…”
Shaking his head, he angles his whole body back towards their table, resisting the urge to turn back to the blonde by the bar. “There. Not watching. Now shut the fuck up before he comes back”.
Sadly, Luffy has other plans, “Oh! I know!” The smug grin should’ve been a dead giveaway that this was gonna be bad news, “Truth or dare, Zoro?!”
See, that game is banned among their friends. Mostly because Luffy, the cook and Zoro himself will always take things way too far in the name of honor. They’ve risked their lives quite a few times, and perhaps a few misdemeanors were involved back in their youth.
So mentioning the game now should be illegal or some shit, but nobody seems to want to stop the brunette.
“I’m not stupid” Zoro huffs, “Truth”.
Robin smiles, “Why don’t you tell him the truth about how you feel?”
Fuck. “Dare” he tries to backtrack.
“I dare you to do it already!” Luffy laughs, triumphant.
At that unfortunate fucking moment, the cook returns, “Do what already?” His stupidly innocent face as he hands everybody their drinks is not helping.
Luffy inhales, presumably to say something, but before Zoro has to punch him in the face to shut him up, the cook is the one to raise a hand.
“Wait—“ he sighs, making sure all the drinks are with their owners. Turning around to a nearby table, he scowls, “Can you three get a fucking life and stop bothering us?!”
Oh. There those idiots are.
The ones on that table were Ichiji, Niji and Yonji… the cook’s brothers. Or torturers. Those bastards have made Sanji’s life miserable over and over, to the point the cook has appeared at his friend’s places beaten and bloody, not wanting to discuss how or why he was so messed up.
They all know those ‘brothers’ and that Judge bastard are all just sadistic motherfuckers that enjoy picking on Sanji. As friends, they’ve rallied together innumerable times to give the cook the support he deserves. They’ve all made it very clear to those bozos the cook calls brothers that if they catch the blonde bloody again, there will be consequences.
Zoro has followed through with it, a couple times. After he nearly killed Niji last time, the random beatings stopped magically.
As frustrated as the cook must be in that situation, his friends are his safe heaven. And for that exact reason, they don’t question him. They just remind him over and over again that there’s a world out here worth living away from those abusive bastards.
Why does Sanji not leave? That’s a fucking stupid question. He wants to leave. He’ll leave when he’s ready. And they’ll all be here to help him if he needs it.
Back to the point though, those three were probably stalking the cook with not-so-great reasons. Surprisingly enough, they leave. No snide remarks, no nothing. They just stand up, throw back the last of their drinks and leave.
Even Curly’s surprised. “Jesus…” he huffs, shaking his head. “Anyway” he clears his throat, “What were we daring the Marimo?”
Oh. Right. He should be fucking panicking right now.
Before Luffy can try to say something again, Zoro states loudly a definitive “Not important!” It’s a little too harsh, but nothing unheard of between them.
His friends, however, are looking at him with pressuring gazes. And fuck, he’s feeling that fucking pressure. For some reason, being dared to do something makes it feel like he has to. Just bite the bullet. Face it. Do it.
Worst comes to worst, they shake it off and act like nothing happened. That’s how they are. “Fucking Christ” Sanji huffs, “Just say you don’t wanna tell me, damn”.
Watching Curly sit down feels like it goes in slow motion. In those milliseconds, Zoro considers his options. Acknowledges that he kind of wants to do it just on principle because it was a dare. That he’s wanted to do it for months. That after all these years, this won’t break them apart.
He can survive a ‘no’… which is probably what he’s gonna get, considering the cook is into women almost exclusively. If there’s such a thing as a bisexual with 99% preference for one of the genders, that’s Sanji.
Still… he could get this all over with in the blink of an eye…
Standing up and making his chair skid backwards, he looks at Sanji directly, “Let’s talk outside”. Nami gasps, Chopper starts whispering in Brook’s ear, Franky whispers a quiet ‘yessss’.
Confused by the turmoil, the cook turns to him, puzzled, “Me?”
“Yeah. You. Come on” he says, turning on his heels and walking out, forcing every fiber of his being to collaborate. It’s quite a cold April night, but the cold does nothing to ease the burning in his cheeks. Shit, what is he doing ?!
The blonde comes out a while later, his own coat half-on and Zoro’s on the other hand. He throws the thing as soon as he gets close enough, shivering slightly when the wind picks up. “What?”
The word itself isn’t hostile, more like curious. But it feels like a demand that completely paralyzes Zoro. “Th-Thanks” he gulps, holding his own coat in front of him, not doing much to shrug it on.
The silence stretches a little too long. “Hello? What’s so important nobody else could listen? Is this about Luffy’s birthday?” Curly asks.
Luffy’s birthday?! “No. That’s like in August or something” he huffs.
Sanji stares at him with a judgy quirked eyebrow, “It’s May 5th, dumbass”.
Oh… shit. They should probably plan something. “We can talk about that later” he suggests.
“Sure” Sanji huffs, half-smiling, probably finding it amusing that he has no idea when anybody’s birthday is. “So?”
Gods, this is harder than he thought. “Okay. Yeah… Shit. Okay” he says, trying to hype himself up.
Confused by the tension, Curly just teases, “What? You gonna tell me a dirty little secret or something, Marimo? Just come out with it!” His demeanor is relaxed and even a little smug, probably reveling in seeing Zoro so absolutely consumed by doubt. Fucking asshole.
“Right. Okay” he breathes, shrugging his coat on to buy some time.
The cook waits for a bit, and then, “Go for it, Mossy”.
Where is he even supposed to start, though?! A million things are going through his head, and honestly, he picks one at random and decides to say it out loud, “You’re not straight, right?”
Curly’s smile falters. They both know he got bullied about it in high school. Even more so after his brothers caught wind of it. Probably why he mostly goes for women. “I’m as straight as a zig-zag” he states confidently, crossing his arms, “You gonna make fun of me or something?”
“NO!” Zoro says a little too loudly, “No, that’s… it’s a good thing”. Yeah. Great even.
“In 2025?” he scoffs, “I should fucking hope it’s not a bad thing”.
Nodding for a couple seconds, the green-haired man breathes deeply, “Right…” He can’t for the life of him find the words to just say it.
Noticing a bit of his inner torment, Sanji curls in on himself a little, “Seriously, Moss-ball… what is it? You’re scaring the shit outta me”.
Fuck, that’s so not what he wants, he just needs time! “I’m trying, okay?! Just gimme a sec”.
Shaking his head in disbelief, Sanji huffs, “A ‘sec’ to what ?!” The goddamned pressure wasn’t helping, it kept interrupting his already fickle train of thought.
“To get my shit together!” he explains annoyedly. Fuck, he needed focus to try to string out a sentence he could say that wouldn’t sound creepy as fuck.
However, the cold had been enough to dissuade Sanji from standing here much longer. Bastard was already turning back to the door, “Why would you call me out here to freeze my balls off when you don’t have your shit together?!”
“Because if I didn’t I was never gonna do it!” he replies with exasperation, brain still trying to cling onto his own thoughts and failing. He does, however, reach out to grab the blonde’s coat.
Looking up to the sky, Sanji groans, “Do what ?!”
“ASK YOU OUT!”
Fuck. No. No, no, no, that’s not— no! Fuck…
Sanji drops his phone, doesn’t even move to pick it up. Eyes as wide as plates, he seems to process for a good while what he just heard. On his part, Zoro could feel his stomach hit the ground hard . “Wait— that’s not how I—“ he can’t get any more words out, “That’s not…”
There’s an awkward silence between them that feels agonizing. “That’s not what you wanted to do? You didn’t wanna ask me out?”
Shaking his head, Zoro tries to explain, “No— I mean— yeah! I was gonna ask you out but not… not like that ! I’m fucking it up!” he growls, hiding his face in his hands.
“Yes”.
Well, that’s cruel. “I know I’m fucking it up, you bastard” he scoffs, “Did you have to be an asshole about it?”
“ Yes ”.
Seriously?! “Oi, you don’t get to make fun of me for—!”
Taking Zoro by the shoulders and shaking him, the cook finally snaps him out of it. Enough that when their eyes meet, he notices Curly’s actually smiling . “Yes I’ll go out with you, you fucking moron!”
Wait… what?!
Zoro studies Curly’s face, assessing it thoroughly to not get his hopes up too quick. But all he can find is utter shock and a dash of… hope?
“You’re serious?” the swordsman breathes. He didn’t in a million years expect it to go easily like this, “I’m not joking, Cook, this isn’t a joke. I meant it”.
Rolling his eyes, the cook huffs, “If you’re serious, I’m serious”. That’s… unexpected.
“I…” this is just plain unbelievable. “I meant asking you out on a date , Curls. Like—“
“I get it, for fuck’s sake!” Sanji exclaims, exasperation and overexcitement mixing into a nervous chuckle.
Nodding to himself, Zoro smiles, “Great…” So that’s it? That was way easier than he’d expected.
That done, he turns to go back inside.
A hand on the collar of his coat stops him in his tracks, “OI!” Sanji scoffs, “ When, dipshit?! Where’re we going? What’re we doing?!”
Woah, he completely forgot that part. Speaks to how unexpected this turn of events really was, “Oh…” he thinks for a second. Considering he only has fantasies and no real plans, he’s gonna take a minute to figure out what to do. “It’s a surprise. I’ll go get you”.
“You?” Sanji smirks, “You’re gonna come get me? By yourself ?!”
Again with that stupid delusion about Zoro not having a great sense of direction. Bullshit. “Fine! Just show up at my place! I’ll have everything planned, all you gotta do is show up”.
“Really?” The cook let it show how surprised and flattered he was about something so stupidly small.
Shrugging, the swordsman nods, “Yeah, really”.
Ducking his head, Sanji does a terrible job of hiding his wide smile, “When?”
If he needs to really get his shit together and start planning, then… “Gimme a week” he suggests. Although he doubts already if he’ll be able to hold out to next fucking week. This is all just… bizarre! “You’re actually going, right?”
“Yeah” Sanji huffs, “I’ll be there”.
Fuck. This is so real. Gulping Zoro chuckles, “Good”.
They’re going on a date.
They’re actually going on a fucking date!
[Thursday, Sanji POV]
As they make their way back inside, Sanji excuses himself briefly and beelines to the bathroom. Once inside, he locks the door and lets himself slump against the door and all the way to the ground.
All he could feel was shock and awe. Zoro asked him out.
On a date !
Not even two months ago he was denying over and over again that he’d ever had feelings for that good-for-nothing Marimo, and Nami-san kept telling him ‘I don’t believe you’.
Deep down, maybe he’d known his hatred for the moss-man was just the tip of the iceberg. Sure, when they initially met, he hated the bastard with a passion. To be fair, he was just another bully, like his brothers. He had a right to hate that misshapen cactus.
However as time went on, Zoro really had a change of heart. And it showed. He came to respect the cook, for every time he stood up for himself, for his relentlessness… or at least, that’s what Sanji liked to think. Could just be the moron got bored of bullying him.
Regardless, they formed a very unlikely friendship. One mostly based on insults and stupid rivalry, but at the same time, one built on deep trust and understanding. Zoro didn’t need to ask how he felt, the bastard just knew somehow. Every time.
Even so, up until a month ago, he’d been unwilling to even consider the idea of wanting to be with a guy, let alone someone like Zoro. Slowly, but surely though, it became impossible to ignore.
He wasn’t really hopeful anything would come of acknowledging the damned feelings, but it really started to feel like something urgent he needed to address. So he did the unthinkable: he asked Zoro out. Once, twice. Twenty times, total. Give or take a couple.
Rejection after rejection, he kept thinking that maybe if he was rejected enough, he’d get over it.
To his fucking surprise, though, Zoro was the one to pull him aside. Out of fucking nowhere, but the way! Asshole just up and asked him out accidentally ! He laughs, ‘cause how clueless can someone be?
He said yes .
They’re actually going on a date!
His brain keeps trying to mess with his excitement, trying to make him feel ashamed or stupid, or even trying to doubt why. He feels excited at all. But Sanji knows what this is. Fuck, he knows this feeling quite well.
It’s not a matter of ‘when enough time has passed, you go for anything’. For once, Sanji has a very clear idea of why exactly he is so enthralled by Roronoa Zoro. The man is reliable, respectable, a fucking asshole, hard-headed, intelligent, immature, sweet and a cocky bastard.
If the Marimo’s gonna open this door, then Sanji’s gonna nail it open and never leave. He just has to find a suave and charming way of doing that.
The rest of the night is a dream. By that, he means he can’t remember the rest of it. It’s all a blur. He probably spent the last hour just staring at his drink like a moron. He goes back home almost floating on a cloud.
Here’s the part where everyone else would say ‘nothing could bring me down!’ Sanji has learned, though. Brothers like his will find a way to fuck everything up. Always. And sadly, he meets those bastards on the steps to his porche.
Instead of torturing him with taunts and harder-than-necessary shoves, however, Ichiji sends the other two stooges off to sleep and gestures for the cook to go up to his room with him.
The gesture is weird in and of itself. It sets off a billion alarms. Feeling as good as he felt, though, Sanji was ready to tear his brother a new one if he started being a little bitch about this. It’s been a while since the bastard has dared to actually take him in a fight, and after all the training he’s received from Zeff, that fight would go a lot differently now.
Instead of anything shifty, Ichiji sighs, closing the door behind them. “Brother” he turns, not managing any particular expression with his stupid emotionless face.
“What?”
The red-head narrows his eyes, clearly not liking the attitude, but not enough to do something about it. “Being the eldest, I have a duty to protect you…” he starts.
Now that’s laughable. “We’re quadruplets. And you make my life miserable” he huffs.
Grinding his teeth, Ichiji takes a second before replying, “you’re not allowed to go out with that swordsman guy”.
Seriously? Fuck no. They’re not gonna ruin this. “Excuse me?” He does his best to keep his tone level, ‘cause as soon as he raises his voice, he’ll be beaten to a pulp. He knows it. Sanji does, however, try to just. Head out of the room.
“You’re not allowed to leave, yet” Ichiji states dryly, not even moving from his spot seating on the bed.
Like hell he’s not. “You’re not the fucking boss of me” he says, keeping his tone low.
Now that prompts a reaction. The red-head stands, approaching and crowding the cook against the door. Sanji stands his ground. “I only want what’s best for you” he tries.
“Is that why you used to beat me bloody whenever you felt like it?” he defies, maintaining eye-contact.
Even through his bravery, he knows this isn’t gonna end well. “I was trying to make you stronger. Less naive” Ichiji defends.
Gods, what a load of horseshit. “I don’t need your ‘protection’, brother” he declares, lifting his chin, already bracing for impact.
Instead of hit, though, the red-head smirks, “Fine. I’ll just warn you then” he shrugs. Stuck against the door, the cook seizes the moment to slowly inch his hand towards the door handle, “He’s lying to you”.
Sanji sighs. That’s all he can do. Sigh.
“Roronoa” Ichiji emphasizes, “He’s lying to you”. The cook says nothing, but his silence is interpreted as an encouragement. “We stayed back because we overheard something… That Luffy friend of yours dared Roronoa to ask you on a date. As a joke”.
The accusation gives Sanji chills. That can’t be true… can it? Luffy would never do something like that. Even he knows that’s not something to joke about. And if not, at least Nami-san or Robin-chan, or even Brook or Franky would’ve stopped the stupid plan, right?! They all know how he feels…
“He asked for a week to get ready, right?” Ichiji rolls his shoulders back. He could’ve overheard them, that proves nothing. “I guarantee you he’ll want to get this over with as soon as possible, he’ll probably move up the ‘date’” he punctuates with air quotes.
Zoro’s a lot of things, but he’s not heartless like that. He’s proved it, these past few years… he wouldn’t do that. So why is a part of the cook already yelling at him to cancel the date?
Leaning in, Ichiji smiles, “It’s all just a prank, Sanji”.
That’s not true. “You’re lying” he huffs, hand grabbing the handle.
“I’m not” the bastard replies, impassive. “I’m genuinely just trying to keep you from making another mistake. Like the millions of mistakes you’ve made before, remember?”
He’s… not wrong. All his relationships have not been the greatest so far. The last one famously destroying him because she was allied with his brothers to supposedly ‘teach him a lesson’. Pudding-chan is the reason he hasn’t dated in over a year.
But Sanji can’t let the asshole win just like that. “I don’t believe you” he states, puffing out his chest, “You always do this. You like to sabotage the good things in my life. At this point, you’re not even intimidating, you’re just predictable”.
Ichiji laughs, but there’s fire in his eyes. He brings up a hand to ‘pat’ the cook on the cheek a few times, hard . “Fair enough. Ask him. Ask him if Luffy dared him or not. I guarantee you, he’ll say yes and you’ll come back home crying”.
Working his jaw, Sanji gulps “You done?”
“Yes” the idiot breathes, moving back.
Immediately, the cook slips out of that room before he can catch a beating, and locks himself in his.
Believe it or not, as soon as he’s in his room, his mind sort of… disassociated. He went about his routines like nothing had happened. His phone with a podcast on at all times, his brain could quite literally get lost in something else. At least, until he settled back to sleep.
He noticed a few new texts from none other than the moss-ball himself. As soon as he saw that name on his screen, his heart started hammering against his rib cage. He couldn’t help but realize his nerves weren’t as nice and exciting as they felt back at the bar.
>> Marimo: Oi
>> Marimo: Let’s move it to this Sunday
>> Marimo: You in?
>> Marimo: Don’t wanna wait ‘til next week
>> Marimo: It’s quicker this way
‘ Quicker ’?
That’s about when the cook starts finally processing what Ichiji said tonight. Despite his mind wanting to panic, he tells himself that his brother is not to be trusted. He probably just guessed this was gonna happen. Nothing meaningful. He’s using this opportunity to ruin him again.
Ichiji can’t be right. These are his childhood fucking friends. They’ve supported him through everything!
Meanwhile his brother is a manipulator that twists things around, and he’s not to be trusted. Ever . He revels in watching Sanji suffer, and he won’t have the satisfaction this time.
Zoro’s a lot of things but he’s not cruel like this.
<< Sanji: Sure
<< Sanji: Sunday
>> Zoro: Thank fuck
[Friday, Sanji POV]
Sanji worked nights only, so he spent most of the next day stuck in his room. It’s just a habit. In the past, venturing out into common areas meant he would most likely take some kind of beating. Either for speaking, for not speaking, for disobeying, for being too obedient, for tripping, for walking too fast…
These days, he wasn’t exactly afraid of a beat down anymore. He knew he could take it, which is a thought he’s told is very alarming. But most importantly, he knows he’s not alone. Sooner rather than later, Sanji’s gonna move into the room above Zeff’s restaurant and completely cut contact with these bastards.
Judge had proved time and time again he didn’t care what Sanji did with his life ever since he agreed to legally take the ‘Vinsmoke’ out of his name this year. He’d been ecstatic that Sanji wouldn’t related to them anymore, and told the blonde to ‘move out quick’.
As long as Sanji pays the supposed ‘rent’ he owes for his presence, and he didn’t take food from the fridge, he could very well be invisible. He just had to prove to Zeff for another couple months that he could handle the heat of being a Sous Chef to be given the job, and with that salary? He’d make do.
He had one foot out of this dump already.
All that to say, Sanji’s not harassed or picked on if he’s in his room most of the time, so he got to sit in silence and ponder Ichiji’s words from last night. It’s such a fucking pathetic tragedy that he can’t even text Nami-san and freak out about Zoro asking him out, because he’s seriously afraid she’s gonna confirm what Ichiji said.
He knows he should probably ask… probably… but he doesn’t wanna fucking do this just because Ichiji said it! Okay?! He’s not gonna let that bastard ruin this just like he ruins everything else! His brothers have meddled in his life before and it was all a fucking ruse!
Bastards have ruined shit so many times, and Sanji’s done letting idiots like Ichiji have that much power over his life. Fuck that red-headed moron.
But if he’s really intent on proving he’s not afraid of Ichiji’s lies… he could maybe just text Nami. Right?
Grabbing his phone he types out a message to Nami-san. A simple ‘ Guess what?! ’ But try as he might, after half an hour of doing his best to work up the nerve to send it… he finally gives up.
Whatever. When their date happens this Sunday, it’s gonna be proven once and for all that Ichiji is just messing with him.
He swallows around a lump in his throat, and decides to go early into work.
Going to the restaurant that afternoon helped keep his mind off things. He takes care of anything Zeff asks lately, and whenever the rush hour stops, he’s sent to be in charge of reservations.
Incidentally, thats how, on Saturday afternoon, he got to realize that the ‘aquarium’ (an elite spot of the restaurant that only works under reservation and the wait to get in is at least a couple months) was available Sunday night, because some Duchess decided to cancel last minute.
Zeff may look like a criminal, but the cook sometimes forgets this is a top tier restaurant. The best on this half of the country at least. They wouldn’t have an elite spot under water otherwise!
The empty reservation, though, piques Sanji’s interest.
So much so, that when some Richie-Mc-Richerton tried to ask what was the nearest reservation available for the aquarium on his way out, Sanji flashed his best smile as he told him ‘ June at the earliest, but I’m sure I can work something out for you in May, sir’ . He was even thanked for the lie.
He wrote an alias down so nobody thought the spot was free, and tried not to smile to himself like an idiot. The Marimo would love the VIP section. It was a nice moment. Felt good to finally connect with the excitement he should be feeling about an upcoming date.
As his shift came to a close, though, he hesitated again. Wasn’t it a bit presumptuous? What if Zoro changed his mind, or the date went wrong? What if… he was actually dared and he just wanted to get over with the date soon? Not that he believes that’s actually true, but it’s a possibility…
Shaking his head, he left his reservation in. He’d keep it, just in case.
“Eggplant” Zeff grumbles as he’s closing up the place.
Startled out of his thoughts, Sanji turns, “What’s up?”
The old man coughs as he takes the first drag out of his newly lit cigarette, “Something’s wrong with ya”. It wasn’t a question, but a statement.
“No” the cook replies on automatic. He’s not used to admitting he doesn’t feel great. It’s a weakness.
Finally the geezer turns around to face him, quirking an eyebrow, “Yes” he shoots back. “Just say you don’t wanna tell an old man and leave it at that” he smirks.
Asshole. But it does work as some sort of mini wake up call. He can talk with Zeff. It’s safe. “It’s something Ichiji said” he sighs.
Sanji’s not sure how much of the whole ordeal with Zoro he’s supposed to share. On the one hand, Zeff has been like a father to him, but on the other hand, the guy never asked to be considered a father figure to some kid that had a bad habit of hiding in his kitchen to run away from his abusive brothers.
More often than not, he assumes the old man doesn’t care all that much. More often than not, he’s wrong. “Don’t believe a word outta that bastard’s mouth, kid. That boy only has shit to say when he sees you happy”.
Sighing out of pure relief, the blonde lights his own cigarette, “Right?! That’s what I’m trying to tell myself!” After all, the whole date being a dare is kind of nonsensical to begin with!
“Whatever he said…” Zeff trails off, blowing off smoke to the side, “It’s a lie. If you can prove it, prove it. If you can’t, then just accept that Ichiji has never once told you the whole truth about anything”.
Prove it? Well… it would be easy to just ask via text if it was a dare or not, right? He’s been trying to avoid it, but… maybe it’ll give him some peace of mind. “What if he’s right this time?” he surprises himself asking.
Zeff snorts, “That bastard’s got a way to get under your skin, Eggplant. Don’t let him. Get a reality check, lemme slap you if you gotta. But expecting your brothers to tell you the truth is like expecting snow in June. Stupid as fuck”.
Well, when put like that… “Fucking asshole, why can’t he get a life?!”
“‘Cause yours is more interesting” the old man reassures, “And by that I mean, it’s a mess”.
Har, har.
That conversation helped a lot though, and by the end of it, Sanji asked to go spend the weekend at Zeff’s. He doesn’t want to have more conversations about Zoro or the date that could potentially ruin everything. He won’t let that moron get under his skin.
That decided, Sanji heads back home to pack a bag, planning to head off without another word. It’s not unusual, he works his ass off on weekends and Zeff’s place is closer to the restaurant. But he packs something nice to wear this time and a couple other stuffs before heading out.
“He moved the date like I said he would, didn’t he?” Ichiji chimes in from the front door, just as the cook was coming down the stairs. Sanji, however, doesn’t even reply. “I’m telling you the truth brother”.
That statement in itself is laughable. Sanji simply grabs his keys, shoulders his bag and opens the door behind his brother.
That’s when the red-head grabs his arm a little too harshly, “You shouldn’t go”. The blonde tries to shake him off. “This Roronoa guy is just a bum like the rest of your friends. You couldn’t even do that right. One day you’re gonna realize that the only ones actually willing to put up with you are your brothers. You’ll understand you’re better off being our maid than someone else’s”.
Gritting his teeth, Sanji shakes his arm free and shoves Ichiji away, slamming the door behind himself without even uttering a peep.
He has to calm down a little from that encounter, but as soon as he gets to Zeff’s place, he immediately feels better. It’s more home than the Vinsmoke house could ever be. It’s nearing midnight when he finally flops on the little squeaky bed Zeff has for him.
Only two messages are waiting for him, both from fifteen minutes ago.
>> Marimo: You okay?
>> Marimo: You haven’t talked all day
The smile he flashed his phone is immediately followed by a wave of shame and insecurity.
<< Sanji: I’m fine
<< Sanji: Working
<< Sanji: Whats up?
Not even for a second would Zoro believe everything was fine, but at the very least, he could pretend.
>> Marimo: Liar
>> Marimo: Is it about the date?
<< Sanji: No! Why?
>> Marimo: Dunno
>> Marimo: You’d tell me if you didn’t wanna go, right?
Sanji feels his chest tighten.
<< Sanji: I WANNA GO
<< Sanji: I SWEAR
The all caps may have been a tad too far.
>> Marimo: Good. Pick ya up at 4
<< Sanji: No, we said I’d go to your place
<< Sanji: I don’t wanna spend a whole “date” tryna find you in the city
>> Marimo: I’m taking the car and using Waze. I can’t get lost
<< Sanji: Your brain’s gonna take that as a challenge
>> Marimo: Shut up
>> Marimo: Just be ready
<< Sanji: Or what?!
>> Marimo: Or I’m taking you naked
<< Sanji: You wish
>> Marimo: Yeah
<< Sanji: Excuse me?!
>> Marimo: It would be hilarious
His heart was pounding so loudly he could hear it as waves of intense rumbling.
<< Sanji: Right
<< Sanji: Hilarious
>> Marimo: So
<< Sanji: So
>> Marimo: You’re sure it’s not the date?
<< Sanji: It’s not
Hesitating for a couple minutes, he types ‘ I really wanna see you ’ and then stops himself. He can already hear those words being spat back in his face to mock him…
He deletes the message and puts the phone away.
[Sunday, Zoro POV]
Shit, shit, shit, shit! If it weren’t for those goddamned streets that kept moving , he wouldn’t have left the cook waiting outside for ten fucking minutes! In the cold! He doesn’t know what’s worse at this point, the fact that he’s already messing this up, or the fact that Sanji hasn’t even said anything.
It’s like the bastard expected this!
That’s not gonna fucking do. When he finally pulls up to Zeff’s place, Zoro notices immediately. Maybe it’s the way the cook is standing, or the way his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes, but something’s wrong.
“Seriously?” Curly huffs, amused, “You got lost with this on?!” As soon as he gets inside, he grabs the phone with Waze on it, taking it upon himself to give out directions.
He should probably apologize for the delay. Probably. But his defensiveness wins out, “The streets must be new or some shit, I swear it was sending me weird places!”
At that, Sanji smirks, his eyes lighting up and his shoulders relaxing. Zoro has to admit, there is something reassuring about them keeping up some of their usual dynamic. “Jesus Christ, Marimo, you’re a mess” the blonde shakes his head.
The insignificant jab makes the swordsman feel giddy for some reason, or maybe it’s the fact that they’re actually going on a date. “So? How the fuck do we get outta here?” he gestures at the phone, and for a brief moment, they exchange smiles.
“Take a left up ahead” Sanji instructs. Somehow, even when Zoro proceeds to take a left, the cook shouts “A LEFT!” Apparently, he was turning the wrong way.
Who even knows their lefts and rights just like that?! “Just give me normal instructions!”
“I’m gonna kill you!”
Aside from a few arguments over who even determines what is right and what is left, and how valid it is to get lost on a straight path, it all goes smoothly. In fact, the argument feels comfortable and familiar.
It definitely helps Zoro relax a little. He spent the past two days researching about places he could take Sanji that would wow his little pants off. He believes he found a couple spots that will do the trick. He can always outdo himself next time.
…If there’s a next time.
See, usually he’s confident when it comes to dating. Not optimistic, but not pessimistic either. He’s prepared for shit to go either way, and he’s ready to accept that something did or didn’t work out. He lets it flow.
Here, though?! Letting it flow would be considering a future in which he and Sanji barely even talk anymore…
And also to that all-consuming anxiety, there’s also the teensy-weensy detail about how shifty the cook is being. Not in a bad way. In a ‘ I’m hiding something ’ way. That doesn’t bode well.
But he’s set on making this worth it, all he has to do is focus on the present. They’re bantering naturally, smiling a little more than usual, and they’re going on a date. It’s going well.
Their first stop is about half an hour out of town and up a mountain. He never even imagined such a place existed, but here they were, already parking in front of what looks like a gigantic building that looks like it was taken right out of the Hobbit.
“Uh… Marimo?” Sanji asks, closing the car door.
Getting out and readjusting his leather jacket, Zoro braces himself, “Hm?” Aside from the giant building, the place looks deserted. Almost abandoned. And all around them is essentially a huge field.
They walk to meet behind the car, “You sure you didn’t bring me out here to kill me?” Hey, he’s not a murderer. A pervert, maybe, and one day he IS gonna bring the cook out here just to do other stuff.
But no, no murdering is gonna happen. Hopefully. “Depends” he throws out with a smirk, “If you yell ‘ THAT’S NOT YOUR LEFT ’ one more time I just might kill you and leave you here”
Sanji chuckles, and as soon as the swordsman turns to catch sight of that, he finally process what the cook is wearing. A tightly fitting turtleneck and flowy dress pants. His interest wasn’t so much on the clothes, so much as on the way those mind-numbingly narrow hips were accentuated by the neutral colors.
“What?” the cook asks, catching him staring.
Fuck. “Nothin’” he clears his throat, “You look…” Incredible. Mouthwatering. Insanely perfect.
“Good?” Sanji prods, smiling a little shyly. Fuck that had to be on purpose, this asshole knew what he was doing!
Good didn’t even begin to cover it! “Sure, that’s what I was gonna say” he sighs. He still has Nami’s voice in his head, about how being sexualized isn’t actually a compliment, and he should really avoid shit like that with Curly, because he doesn’t really appreciate it coming from men.
Seems like a double standard, as far as Zoro is concerned, but he’ll bite his tongue if he’s gotta. He notices the cook laughing at his idiocy, guessing they’re supposed to go into the building and walking a little in front of him.
Thanks to that, he also catches the way Sanji’s shoulders start tensing again, his hands bunching up his flowy pants at his sides and then releasing… He’s… nervous? Upset? Anxious?
This is exactly what he’d been fearing. The cook being weird all of the weekend has to have something to do with their date, he knew it. Usopp did say that the cook stopped dating for a reason, and even when he refused to tell him what it was (because he would’ve killed Pudding, he still might), he knows it’s a touchy subject for Sanji.
Maybe he just wasn’t ready.
The cook stops walking abruptly as soon as they get to the main hall, “This is incredible!” His bright genuine smile, and the way he turns excitedly to look at Zoro… it really throws him off. How is he supposed to deal with these mixed signals?! Is he just supposed to ignore them?
Placing his hand on the small of Curly’s back, the swordsman smirks, “You’re gonna love this”. To himself, he adds, “I hope”.
See, two days ago when he called Nami to his apartment to talk logistics and strategy, he knew it had to be something the cook loved. And- well… not to stereotype him or anything, but he loves food. Fancy food, street food, any kind of food. The guy is always so excited to try new things, to guess what ingredients it has, to try to replicate certain dishes on his own…
And after a lot of mindless research on a billion restaurants on a thousand mile radius, he came up with this place. It’s not really a restaurant. It’s an experience , whatever the fuck that means.
You pay for ‘the experience’, which includes a few courses of fancy weirdo meals, and then they take you on tour out back, where they grow their own spices and the flowers and shit they use for cooking. And, this is important, they apparently have one of the best rice wines in the continent!
Sanji’s happy, Zoro’s happy… it could be the perfect date.
“Any guesses what this is?” he asks after giving out his name and being told their host would be over in just a moment.
Curly’s startled out of his thoughts, “Uh… looks like a restaurant, Mossy. I figured we’d be here to eat, right?”
See?! It does look like a restaurant! Not a fucking ‘experience’! “Something like that. We’re gonna eat some weirdo food—“
“Fancy. You mean really fancy stuff, this place looks so expensive!” Sanji exclaims, eyeing him with trepidation.
It would be expensive. Except he had Nami on his side. When she was done with the manager of the place, the price was less than half and more than manageable. “It wasn’t that bad, calm down. Plus, after we eat, we’re gonna go see the garden out back”.
The cook blinks, “The garden?”
“Yup. They have leaves and spices and shit… you could take a few if you want, they sell whatever you wanna get” Zoro explains.
Blue eyes went wide as plates, “You’re kidding!” See, this is exactly what has him confused. That smile says ‘I’m so glad I went out with you Zoro!’ So really the anxiousness must be about some other thing.
Which means, he has to do his best to distract the cook from whatever’s plaguing his mind, and keep him in the present. Easy. They were already having a blast.
His hand hadn’t moved from the small of Sanji’s back, too, and it somehow felt like he was getting drunk off it. Best drunken stupor of his life.
[Sunday, Sanji POV]
Fuck, this place was perfect! How did he never hear about it?! It has all the strange rare spices you can’t really get anywhere fresh unless you grow them! It was fascinating to be able to look at the way they all grow. It really does make you appreciate ingredients on a whole other level.
He just hopes it wasn’t unbearably boring for Zoro. Although, from the moment they sat down until they got out, their conversation never stopped, their back and forth getting more and more entertaining as time went by. Not only that, whenever Sanji worried it was getting a bit boring to hear him yap about spices, he turned to the Marimo just to find him listening raptly.
That stupidly soft smile, the way the moss-ball couldn’t stop reaching out and touching him ‘casually’ (even when they both knew it wasn’t casual)… fuck, this feels real .
They get in the car, putting the stuff Sanji bought in the car (and yes, he bought his own stuff, it was way too much and as much as Zoro hates to admit it, he’s a broke college student working a part time job).
“So, where to?” the blonde asks, “Is it over?” Considering how expensive that place must’ve been, he wouldn’t be surprised.
But Zoro huffed indignant, “Hell no!” He puts in some other location on his phone and hands it over, “Get us outta here, Curls”.
“Like it’s easy to tell you which one’s right and which one’s left while you’re going ten hundred over the limit!” he teases back, waiting for the moss-ball to back out from his parking spot.
Looking ahead on Waze to try to anticipate the turns they’ll need to take, he notices… they’re essentially going got the middle of a road. That’s odd. It doesn’t say there’s anything there, not a building, or a store… nothing.
Like his mind has been doing during this whole date, it supplies a very unhelpful ‘ What if this is the prank part’ . This same thing happened when they were going in the restaurant from before. It just looked so desolate that for a moment he really thought…
He shakes his head. Fuck, he needs a reality check. “Where exactly are we going? It’s the middle of a road” he pries.
“People from around here started buying the spices from the place I sent you and they do street food” Zoro explains, “I know we just ate, but I figured you could like trying a few things”.
Oh…
That’s… the most thoughtful shit ever, holy fuck. “Is the food any good?” Sanji asks, already intrigued.
“No idea, never been” the Marimo shrugs, “But I heard it’s been there for decades. Food must be good”.
Decades?! Food must be AMAZING! “How’d you know about a place like this?!” he presses excitedly. He’s never even heard of these places and he’s constantly looking for new experiences!
“I… found out” is all Zoro offers.
It was supposed to be a cheeky mysterious response, Sanji knows. But in his mind, alarms start to go off. Last time he went on a date like this one, where he didn’t know where he was going, was with Pudding-chan. It had been worse than a prank. He was trick into going on a date and instead found his brothers and his supposed girlfriend recording him as they verbally tore him to pieces.
The memory has his heart pounding for a second.
“What? You don’t like the idea?” Zoro asks, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Jumping slightly, the cook gulps, “No, I…” Fuck Ichiji, remember? Fuck him! “I love it” he tries to muster up a smile, “Eating’s always the answer Marimo. To every question. Every date should include good food”.
Zoro’s eyes keep trailing back to him, eyeing him worriedly before he lets it go. “No, drinking is the answer to every question. I’d know. I always showed up drunk to my tests and passed the first three years” he declares smugly.
Scoffing, Sanji retorts, “You’re almost out, Mossy. You’re gonna be getting your respectable degree in being a jerk soon”.
“What’s your degree again?” the Marimo throws back, knowing full well the cook preferred to work than to go to college.
“At least I have a talent” the blonde shoots back.
The moss-ball gasps, “You do?! Shit! You shoulda showed me sooner!”
Confident in his abilities, the cook shrugs, “I’ll bet you forty bucks that I can replicate whatever food we find in this fair to a tee, just by tasting it”.
Interest piqued, Zoro ponders it, “Forty? Let’s make it sixty and you got a deal. I need a new pair of boots”.
“Let’s make it a hundred and you pay for the next date, too” Sanji throws back cheekily.
“Ha! Shut up” the Marimo chuckles.
Even when laughing along, something within Sanji kept the paranoia alive. Did you see? How Zoro didn’t exactly agree to a second date, he just sort of laughed and brushed it off? Was that a bad sign?
He tries not to dwell on it too much, and in less than ten minutes, they’d made it to these few tents offering street food. To his surprise, this place was packed. Everybody wanted a piece of whatever they were selling apparently, and this improved Sanji’s mood quite a bit.
Walking from tent to tent, they’d queue up, try the food, they’d laugh and enjoy and tease and then Sanji would hear a comment or get insecure again, and the momentum they had would sort of screech to a halt for a couple minutes.
His mind was torturing him with pessimistic thoughts he didn’t know what to do with.
Zoro never showed interest, why would he ask now all of a sudden? Didn’t I ask twenty times and he shut me down?
Maybe Ichiji just took satisfaction in just breaking to Sanji the bad news and he didn’t manipulate the facts because he didn’t have to.
Zoro’s laughing more than usual and smiling like he never does, but he also looks nervous and weird… antsy… maybe he really wants this to be over.
Maybe Ichiji’s just full of shit and he managed to get in his head!
Fuck!
After trying a few of the foods and settling on which one the cook had to replicate for their bet, they finally decided they were stuffed, and started walking back to the car.
“So… what now?” Sanji tries to ask, not wanting to get lost in thought again.
“There’s one last place, but…” Zoro sighs, turning to look him in the eye as they walk. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take you home? You’ve been stressing out over something ever since I picked you up”.
Shit. It’s that obvious?! “NO!” he exclaims a little too loudly, “No, I swear. I’m fine, I just… it’s nothing. Seriously”. They both know he wasn’t all that convincing. “So where to?”
This time, they were going to a field. A familiar field, that they used to frequent whenever their original gang wanted to run away from their families. It was their place. They joked around there, fought there, cried there… that place represented their childhood.
They hadn’t gone to the field in a good while, mostly because when his family and then Luffy’s moved further into town, their hangout spots shifted.
As soon as they arrive and the Marimo parks the car haphazardly, Sanji marveled in how beautiful the view was. He didn’t remember it being so perfect. The stars, the buzz of the Forrest nearby, the moon beaming down at them…
“Holy shit…” Sanji laughs a little in awe, jumping out of the car.
“I know, right?” Zoro smirks, “It’s been ages”.
Ages?! It’s been centuries! “How did you even remember where it was?!”
“Nami may have helped… a little…” the Marimo admits begrudgingly. Fuck, this was so perfect! “Figured it was a good spot… I remember you coming here when shit was going down overnight. We talked for hours whenever I found you”.
It’s true. Although, their past wasn’t always so wholesome. He and Zoro had a complicated relationship when they were kids. In this very field, it was common to hear a lot of name calling, stuff like ‘weird eyebrow’, and mini-Marimo thought it was hilarious to yell ‘Ewwwww!’ whenever they touched.
For some reason, remembering that makes the anxiety come back.
Zoro rounds the car to walk close, “Seriously, Curly, what’s wrong? I know something’s not right, you can’t keep denying it forever”.
Fuck… he’s right. Denying it is clearly not helping. “Can I ask you something?”
The question takes the swordsman by surprise, “What?”
Fuck. Here goes nothing.
“Did you…” he sighs, “Did Luffy dare you to ask me out?” There’s a beat of silence and then he adds, “Is that why you came up to me outta nowhere?”
Please say no, please say no, please say no.
“Yeah” Zoro shrugs, “He wanted to give me a push”.
Every other word after ‘yeah’ didn’t quite register. Sanji felt shame pouring over him like warm honey. He’d been so fucking stupid. Why did he let it get this far?! He should’ve asked from the beginning and get it over with! Holy fuck, why didn’t his supposed friends say anything!? Nami knew exactly how he felt, why wouldn’t she stop something as cruel as this?!
Having ducked his face to hide his deep hurt and disappointment, Sanji just starts nodding. His eyes are filling with tears that are half anger and half just pure devastation.
“Cook?” Zoro tries, taking a step closer.
No. He can’t do this. He can’t do the whole ‘I thought it wouldn’t matter’ spiel. “Right…” is all he confirms, voice husky. Wordlessly, he turns back to the car and opens his door again.
The movement alerts Zoro immediately, “Oi, what?! What the hell?! What’s going on?!”
He really just wants to go home. At this point, though, it really seems a better option to walk for an hour and a half to get back. “Whatever, I get it. It was a dare, you couldn’t say no. Peter pressure and shit” he tries to explain, already anticipating the bullshit, “I don’t care, can you take me home?”
Shoulders sagging in defeat, the Marimo shakes his head, holding the door open, “You’re getting it all wrong!”
Instead of waiting for them to get in the car, Sanji decides he’d really rather walk til the end of the earth right now. So he circles past Zoro and starts walking towards the road.
Panicked, Zoro grabs his wrist, “Sanji!”
“What?!” he snaps, turning around to where his tears are now evident. The swordsman’s face crumples at the sight.
“You’re getting it twisted! Let me explain!” Zoro begs.
Explain? Explain what?! “What am I getting twisted, exactly? You said Luffy dared you” Sanji states.
“Yeah, but—“
That’s not even the worst part. “You knew I’d been asking you to go out with me for a month now, you knew I was desperate—“ his voice grows raspier and raspier the more he tries to contain his anger.
Zoro has the nerve to shake his head, “That’s not fair, you were joking all those times! I was serious! I am serious!”
Joking?! “I wasn’t joking!” Sanji yells, feeling so ashamed of it now, “Everybody knew it!”
Face going lax in confusion, the moss-ball stares for a while before speaking up, “You ask everybody else out! You know you weren’t serious! Every time you see Nami you ask her out too!”
Seriously? “I tell her she’s pretty, I say her clothes look nice- I never tell her we should go to this specific place at this specific time if she’s interested!” And that’s what he did. So many times. Why couldn’t he just take the hint.
“W-Wait” Zoro pauses, his expression showing emotions the cook won’t even pretend he can read anymore. “All those times… you weren’t joking?”
This just has to be the cherry on top of everything, really. “Lemme get this straight. I asked you consistently to go out with me for a month and you didn’t just blow me off. No. You thought it was so ridiculous it had to be a joke, and then-?!”
“That’s not it!” the swordsman insists, taking a step forwards, but Sanji just walks back a few more steps. “I didn’t know you liked me, I swear to god! I’m a man! I thought you barely even went for men!” he argues, “I thought you were just teasing or fucking around, I—“
This is getting tiring. “You thought wrong” he says with finality. “Okay? You didn’t have to actually take me on a date just for the joke”. With that, he turns and tries to walk away again.
This time, Zoro walks in front of him and grabs both of his arms, “This isn’t a joke to me!”
It’s not? “What, then?” A transaction? Vengeance?
“I’ve waned to ask you out for real for months !” Zoro reveals, voice a little too loud and raw.
Still unable to believe it, Sanji huffs and looks away, “Right. Is that why it took a dare for you to ask me out?!”
To his surprise, the Marimo goes “YES!” Stepping forwards to look him in the eyes properly, Zoro explains, ”Asking you out is the one fucking thing in my life I couldn’t find the courage to do, okay?! I wanted to, dammit, I’ve wanted to for-fucking-ever!”
From this close, it’s really not possible to ignore the way Zoro’s eyes are glinting with genuine panic and desperation. “Did Luffy dare you or not?!”
“He did!” Zoro says, “He saw how I couldn’t stop staring at you all night, he knew I’d been trying to work up the nerve and I just couldn’t for some reason, and he knew I needed a push, so he dared me!” Their pants are the only noise around them for a couple seconds. “It was just to push me to do something I wanted to do, it wasn’t anything bad!”
Wait… so this was… real?
“I planned all this, I was taking it seriously, I swear this isn’t a joke to me… please …” the Marimo all but begs.
Lowering his head in thought, Sanji mumbles, “So Ichiji just said that to…” that bastard took the truth and made it sound so awful that it would mess with his head. He tried to ruin this on purpose.
And the cook let him.
Zoro scoffs, “Ichiji?! That bastard’s the one told you?!”
“He said Luffy dared you. He heard us when you asked me… he guessed you were probably gonna move up the date and tried to convince me it was all because you wanted to get it over with. Tried to make it look like it was just a prank” Sanji explains, “I’m such an idiot”.
Feeling a little more free to move, the Marimo comes closer until their heads are inches apart, and nudges Sanji’s chin up so that their eyes would meet. ”I like you. Okay? That’s the only real reason why I asked you out, and I moved up our date because I genuinely couldn’t wait. I spent all weekend researching the perfect spot, Curly, I… I really wanna do this right”.
Well, fuck. And the prize to the most sappy moss-ball goes to this bastard right here.
“This isn’t a joke, Curly” Zoro insists, “I wanna go out with you”.
Thank fuck. “Yeah… okay…” Sanji nods, letting out a relieved sigh. “I’m sorry I believed that bastard, I just- after Pudding, I—“
Shaking his head, the Marimo cups his cheek firmly, “Forget those jerks” he says a bit forcefully. “You like me back…. Right?”
The fact that the question still existed was preposterous. “Yes!” he chuckles, “Obviously. I wouldn’t have asked you out for a fucking month if I didn’t”.
It seemed as if Zoro finally took a breath for the first time since they got to the field. “Good…” he smiles, “So you did wanna go out on the date?”
“Yeah!” Sanji replies, as if to say obviously . Then again, he must’ve been such a depressive date all night long. “Shit, sorry, I ruined all of it. I’ve been wondering ever since that night if it was all just a big prank or not” he sighs, “It would’ve been perfect if I didn’t—“
Shaking his head, the Marimo states “It’s not ruined”. His eyes study all of the cook’s face as if he was getting lost in every detail.
It may not be ruined, but “I was sort of a sad asshole most of tonight”.
Tilting his head to concede the point, Zoro shrugs, “Kinda… but night’s still young”.
Is he… suggesting even more of this date? After this whole debacle?! “What’re you thinking?”
“I’m thinking…” he smiles, “I planned the first part and it was awesome. Sad thoughts and psycho brothers don’t count. Now it’s your turn… take us somewhere else to have fun”.
Sanji smirks, “We could go to the restaurant”.
Rolling his eyes, the swordsman scoffs, “I’ve seen the restaurant a billion times, Cook, come on!”
“You’ve never seen the VIP section. None of our friends ever have” he offers.
This intrigues the moss-ball immediately, “What’s in it?”
“It goes out to the middle of the lake and then down” Sanji smiles wider, getting excited at the prospect of showing that space off. .
“Down?!”
See? It’s exciting! “Yeah! It’s an underwater spot! Like the lake is our aquarium!” Maybe he’s a little too excited about a spot he’s worked in millions of times, but now that his brain is free from doubt of what’s going on, finally his excitement is coming out in full swing.
Maybe it’s a little much, considering he just made a scene like a fucking idiot. But then again, Zoro seems just as excited, “And we can just go to this place?!”
“Well…” his cheeks grow a little red, “I happened to accidentally avoid booking reservations for today… for no reason…” The swordsman just stares at him in what could only be called awe. “So… should we…?”
Clearing his throat, Zoro caresses his cheek with a thumb, while his other hand is settled on the cook’s hip. Sanji’s heart goes on overdrive for only great reasons now. “Just…” he hesitates, “Can I…?”
Sanji doesn’t wait for it, he leans in and goes for it. Their lips graze against each other at first, and their eyes still half open meet for just a second. Taking a better hold of him, Zoro pulls him in, their lips slotting perfectly against each other.
The moment that happens, they forget to breathe for the next couple minutes. It’s still a bit awkward (as it always is with first kisses), but it’s still so fucking great. In fact, it’s a little too great, because the cook starts getting a bit hot and bothered.
Parting ways, Sanji vaguely realizes he’s got a hand already under the Marimo’s shirt.
Noticing as well, the moss-ball smirks, “Cook?”
“Hm?”
“Sticking your cold hands under my shirt is not sexy” he says, barely containing a giddy chuckle.
Clearing his throat, the cook takes his hand right out. “Prude” is all he mumbles between them, earning himself a few more pecks on his lips.
“I’m trying to be nice, don’t push me” Zoro confesses amidst kisses, “Nami said you hated random men to be perverts with you, but I’m at my wits end Curly”.
Wait, what?! “I don’t like random men to be perverts, that doesn’t include my fucking boyf— date!” he clarifies.
Smiling wide, Zoro replies, “So it’s okay to say your ass looks great in those pants?”
Sanji shoves the bastard away, walking back to the car, “Shut up”. The moss-ball follows right behind, “Let’s go then”.
“You said it was okay!”
“Shut up!”
[Sunday, Zoro POV]
After that whole ordeal in the field, their trip back was so easy. They were laughing, joking around, making stupid innuendos… this is exactly what he’d fantasized a date of theirs being like. Sanji looked at ease, genuinely happy. No more mixed signals.
That Ichiji bastard better keep his guard up, because if they catch each other on the street? It’s gonna be on sight.
It’s a welcome surprise that as soon as they get back to the restaurant, Curly’s a lot more touchy. A lot more. He’d been holding back, probably, just in case. Which is fucking heartbreaking.
He’s really gonna ask one day what that whole Pudding debacle was about, because if it had the cook acting like this? It had to have been horrendous. If he ever sees that bitch again she better be prepared to lose an arm.
Zoro’s been trained on swords, it’s his fucking job to teach that shit. He won’t even break a sweat.
Inevitably, Zeff was there when they arrived. The man asked what was going on, since they saw them a little closer than usual, and to everyone’s surprise, Sanji just told him. Straight up. ‘We’re on a date’.
Zeff laughs his ass off, but at Zoro for being a little scared of what that old geezer was gonna say. He gets heckled for a little while, but it’s evident that the man approves, and even more evident that Sanji’s ecstatic about it.
Without even asking they go to the VIP section and walk down a set of spiral stares. It’s a few meters down, which is a little trippy, but once they get there, the place is truly amazing. They’re really in the middle of the lake. Fish and the occasional snake-looking thing approach the glass and move around it with the ease of practice.
There’s a large table in the middle, and then against each of the four huge windows there’s a little sofa that protrudes from the wall. Having eaten literally the whole night, they’re not in a rush to have dinner just yet. It’s like 8 pm or something, it can wait.
So they sit by the windows, one on each side, facing each other and staring out the windows into the lake. After a while of ooh’s aah’s and casual conversation, Zoro smirks “I wanna se an alligator”.
“There’s no gators here, you moron” Sanji chuckles.
Smiling at a little orange fish that has come to stare directly into his eyes, he huffs, “Yeah, but a gator’s better than these plain fucking fish”.
“You shoulda seen the size of the eels that came around last week… those shits were longer than your car” he recounts.
Larger than his car? Yeah, that’s something. “How come we don’t ever eat here? This is cool” he says earnestly, “Boring fish aside”. They’re not that boring, though. This is pretty great as is.
Sanji sighs, “You usually need to wait like two months to come down here”.
Huh… so how did the spot get freed? “There just magically wasn’t anyone booked tonight?” He turns to the cook, who’s looking a little bashful.
“Magically, someone cancelled. And magically, everyone that wanted this spot was told it wasn’t available anymore” Sanji shrugs, scratching the back of his head.
That’s badass. They smile at each other for a little while, “So…”
“So?”
Zoro shrugs, “You believe me now?”
That curly eyebrow bounced a couple times as the man oscillates between shame and happiness. “Stop bringing it up, I said I’m sorry…”
“I’m not mad, Curls” he rectifies, “I’m just making sure. You looked miserable before”. Maybe not all the time. But some of it.
Looking away, Sanji reassures, “I swear I wasn’t most of the time, the date was great, as much as I hate to admit you did something right”. The joke definitely takes the edge off. “Every so often I just started to think it was all a prank and it messed with my head”.
“Why would anyone ever do that, Curly? That’s insane”
The question seems to strike a nerve. “Well, believe it or not… it wouldn’t have been the first time it happened to me” he admits quietly, face going red with embarrassment. “Although that other time wasn’t a prank… it was to teach me a lesson supposedly”.
Zoro’s heart drops. Is that what Pudding did?! He had so many questions unanswered, but getting into it on their first date seemed like such a terrible idea. “It wasn’t a prank. Nami and Usopp probably hate me now ‘cause I didn’t let them sleep until we had all the date figured out”.
With a soft smile, Sanji shrugs, “Where was that energy when I asked you ou t. Like twenty different times!” They’re both laughing now, but in the moment, the revelation that those had been real date requests blew his mind.
“I didn’t know you were for real!” the swordsman defends.
Sitting up, Sanji shoots back, “And I didn’t know. You were for real either!” He sighs, “And then Ichiji went and ran his stupid mouth off and confused the shit out of me…” lowering his tone to something more sincere, “I’m sorry”.
Sorry? Sorry?! He didn’t do anything wrong! He was freaking out! “Does Ichiji forget I’ve kicked his ass before? I nearly killed Niji last time, I could do the same to him”.
Oops. “What time?”
Not wanting to get into that either, Zoro shrugs, “He provoked me”. Having to take care of Sanji for two weeks after they broke his leg and left him bruised all over was the provocation.
“When does he not provoke all of us? The three of them are insufferable” Sanji huffs. “But to answer your question, yeah, he probably forgot. His pride erases those memories I think”.
Curly’s taking it way too nonchalantly, “This was a low fucking blow” the swordsman says, working his jaw.
“I’ve been through worse” the blonde shrugs.
Pinching his eyebrows, Zoro can feel a little more anger brewing, “Don’t say that, or I’m really gonna kill ‘em”.
“Only I’m allowed” Sanji reminds him, “But I’m not even as mad with him as I am that I believed his stupid lies… again …”
In a way, the swordsman gets it. The cook didn’t choose the family he’s got, but he sure as hell can choose to not give a fuck about what those sick idiots do or say. He usually is really good not caring about any of it, but today all those thoughts won over for a second.
To ease that misplaced guilt, Zoro shrugs, “Anyone in your shoes would’ve doubted it, Curls, don’t be so hard on yourself”. Smiling, he leans forwards, “For the record, though” he starts listing, “I like you a lot, I’m not so braindead to prank you like that, I’d never do a fucking thing to hurt you for real, I really fucking like you and you should go out what me again”.
Sanji laughs, shaking his head as if put-upon. He replies with a sarcastic, “Jesus, how many more times do we gotta go out, exactly?”
“You want me to set a number? Fine” Zoro smirks, “Seven billion”. That should be enough to have their relationship last a good long while. Hopefully.
Leaning in, too, the cook lifts an eyebrow, “That’s a lotta dates”.
“Hm…” the swordsman smirks, scooting closer, “Depends. How serious is this?”
Instead of tossing the question right back, the cook answers for the both of them, “Dead fucking serious”.
Thank fuck. “Really?”
“Dare you to go on those 7 billion dates with me before you dump me” Sanji jokes, his coy smirk enough to disarm Zoro completely.
7 billions won’t be enough dates, the swordsman is sure of it. “When you dare me to do something I do it, Curly. No backing down now”.
Leaning in, the blonde remarks, “I know. Call me an optimist”.
“I would never insult you like that” Zoro shoots back letting their lips meet again in a much more relaxed give-and-take.
He ends up with a lap full of cook, their legs awkwardly tangling as they scoot closer and closer, but still not close enough that they could get derailed, if you know what he means.
The kiss is slow, sensual… it’s all the sparks he’d once hoped for and more. He feels genuinely drunk every time their lips so much as brush together. They keep at it until they can’t anymore, because they’re just sort of pressing their overexcited smiles against each other’s faces.
Eyes studying the cook’s face from this close, he gulps, “I can’t believe this is happening”. There’s genuine awe in his voice, simply because he’s been wanting to do this for months. The dates, the kisses, everything that comes after that.
It’s bizarre to think they finally can just… be together.
“Believe it, Marimo” the cook teases, “You said it. We’re gonna do this right”.
Fuck yeah, they are.