Chapter Text
“Zoro, come on, please, just take a look.”
"No, Luffy" Zoro said with a huff.
Luffy flopped dramatically on the diner booth, sighing loudly, still holding his phone in Zoro’s face with the screen bright with those pastel colours. “I’m literally showing you the coolest people ! Look, this one says you can play with his superheroes plushie collection, how can you say no to that ?!”
Zoro grunted, elbow on the table, cheek in palm, looking one sigh away from tossing Luffy into the nearest boiling pot. “I’m not getting a caregiver from a "Tinder for littles", Luffy.”
Luffy gasped loudly as if Zoro just insulted him personally. “It’s not Tinder for littles! It's a trustworthy website with cool and caring people.”
“It's not a package I'm ordering. I can't just look for "someone" online, that's not safe neither it's believable.”
Luffy rolled his eyes, sliding down in the booth's couch, then quickly sat right up when he caught Law walking past the window outside the Baratie, his white coat moving with the wind, which was filled with doodles from Luffy himself. Luffy squeaked audibly. “Shhhh! He’s here he's here.”
Zoro chuckled. He's seen this scene quite enough he can rehearse the coming 10 minutes conversation from the back of his heart.
Luffy perked up. “That's a smile, I got a smile from the grumpy green pants.”
Zoro rolled his eyes, sipping his drink instead of insulting this dumb bundle of sunshine.
The bell above the Baratie door jingled, and entered the very tired of shifts, Luffy's personal handler, Trafalgar Law.
He head straight to their booth, ruffling both of their hairs, granting a sigh from Zoro and a happy squeak from Luffy.“Afternoon, boys.”
"You're back early, I thought you'd come after we finish" Luffy said almost questionably, not that he's complaining.
"Shift ended early today, so I thought why not come and eat with you guys." Law answered the curious one, sitting right beside him, in front of Zoro who's attention now got stolen by someone. Law raised an eyebrow before almost chuckling as he saw the "stealer".
The blond almost drifted between the booths, putting plates here and there, taking orders from others, all with a very charismatic smile and a little flirt with the pretty ladies, he walked around like he owns the place (which he almost does), his golden hair was gathered back with some pins except for his iconic bangs over his eye.
Once he noticed the three in their usual booth, he walked towards them instantly, a smile wide on his face. "If it's not my favourite customers! How are you doing today?"
A mumbled good, and fine from Law and Zoro but Luffy lit up, standing from his place. “Sannnjiiii! You look like a prince! Can I draw you in Law’s scrub coat?”
Sanji chuckled, ruffling Luffy’s hair with a practiced hand. “Only if I can frame it later, petit désastre.”
Zoro just blinked. Once. before staring at the hand in the other's black hair, almost almost pouting.
Sanji turned to Zoro with that usual grin soft edges, not teasing, oblivious about the pout but his voice almost softened. “You alright today, sweetheart?”
Zoro stiffened. He hated that. Not the question. The tone. It was gentle. Honest. Not a joke. Not a tease. Just… genuine concern, wrapped in that voice that made him both want to run away and melt in his place.
He swallowed. Nodded once. Mumbling loud enough to be heard by the blond. “Yeah. Fine.”
Sanji didn’t push. Just reached out and ruffled his hair. “You look like you need something to eat, so what can I get you guys? The usual or are we trying something new?”
While Law handled ordering their food, Luffy wiggled his eyebrows so smugly at Zoro, noticing his friend's state caused by the chef. Zoro didn't reply, but he kicked him under the table.
Luffy kicked back with pout. “Ow, rude! I’m wearing my dinosaur socks! You can’t get them dirty!”
Sanji chuckled but didn’t intervene, walking back to the kitchen to get them their usual Ramen with smiley onigiri (yes smiley, Sanji makes those specially for Zoro and Luffy)
Zoro stared at his finished drink. “…Don’t say it,” he muttered.
Luffy grinned. “You're cruuuushiiing”
Zoro rolled his eyes so much he almost went blind, and just looked away waiting for his food.
For Zoro the Baratie smelled like heaven. Like soup, a bit of garlic, fresh bread and Sanji’s cologne.
He sat across from Law in their usual booth, Luffy now fully focused on his game on Law's phone, waiting for the food to come.
Law had his elbows on the table and eyes as sharp as scalpels. The medical director look never left him even off-duty, he could probably intimidate death itself with one glare but Zoro could ignore it sometimes, not like he's Luffy who's scared shitless from that glare. “You’re not taking care of yourself, Roronoa.” Law said trying to sound casual.
Zoro looked away, not answering.
Law sighed. “Luffy told me you’ve been stressed, and I can see that you're more silent that usual.”
Zoro replied, annoyed by the subject. “I'm always silent what's the difference?”
Law continued, steady. “Do you really think that I wouldn't know the difference between your silence and the stressed kid silence?”
Zoro bit his lip. Pride hung around his neck like iron.
“All I'm saying is, you don't need to put yourself in the tough guy image all the time, we know you're soft”
Zoro scoffed, this felt like accusation “oh really? What gives?”
Law raised an eyebrow, he literally saw Zoro regress multiple times with Luffy, both babbling nonsense to eachother which somehow they understood, but still Zoro refused to admit he does, despite the videos they recorded themselves doing the stupidest childish things that could come to their minds (Luffy's mind) when Law left Zoro in charge when he gets sudden shifts. “What about that yellow ca–”
“DON'T” Zoro cut him off so fast at the mention of that plushie, two reasons.
1 - We don't talk about that plushie in public or anywhere outside Zoro's own room.
2 - Sanji literally came with their food right now.
Law's face was now smug, and Zoro couldn't do anything but glare at him in pure rage.
Sanji, bless his heart, smiled at them, and at Luffy's instant shift from playing to eating, not paying attention to the tension between the two, he pat Zoro's head before he ran to -handle the pretty lady with her order-
“I’m not saying rush into anything,” Law said, softer now, eating some and helping Luffy some.“But Caregivers are there, we are here, and maybe you can give that site a chance, maybe you do find someone, people there are cool.” Law shrugged in the end.
Luffy jumped, pointing at Zoro, “See! I told you they're cool! No excuses now.”
Law continued, wiping Luffy's mouth after he finished (yes he finished my little boy was hungry) "Not all sites are scams, not all Caregivers are creeps. Not all Littles have to suffer through the weight of their own silence.”
Zoro’s fingers twitched. He didn’t reply. Slurping his noodles slowly.
After what felt like ages, Law stood, slipping on his coat, Luffy's hand in his, “Just think about it. That’s all I’m asking.”
He ruffled Zoro’s hair before leaving, like he did with Luffy, but a little gentler. As if he knew Zoro wasn’t quite big at the moment. He paid for their meals, before heading out, leaving the mosshead in shambles.
That night, Zoro stood in his apartment in nothing but his blue shorts and a too-long hoodie. He stared at the screen of his phone like it might explode in his face.
The website blinked back at him. Soft colors. Gentle fonts. Profiles of people offering warmth and care and sleepy voice calls. It felt like heaven, but for Zoro it was tugging at his throat, he wanted a caregiver, oh god he wanted one so bad, but he can't just go "find" someone like that, it felt strange.
His plushie a yellow cat with a dumb crooked grin and cruly eyebrows drawn with Sharpies over both eyes, sat in his lap, squished under one arm.
“…maybe just looking,” Zoro muttered. “Not serious. I'm just curious. Just ... just to see if it’s as weird as I think it is, that's okay right?” He looked at the plushie, and it felt like it nodded so he went on.
He made an account. Anonymous. Safe.
Username: ramen_bowls3
Profile pic: A blurry shot of his yellow cat plushie.
About Me: “Not looking for anything. Just peeking. I like salty snacks and napping in hoodie piles. I’m big. Usually.”
Click. Done. He started browsing
He filtered like hell, as if he didn't want to find anyone.
Age: +25
Gender: Any (male preferred)
Interests: Can cook, reading bedtime stories, gaming, I'm easy to handle so not strict.
Scroll. Scroll. Scroll. Nothing interesting. Nothing comforting. Nothing—
Then he saw it.
One profile.
One picture.
And the blood in his face vanished.
His soul left his body with no return.
Username: noogies_11
The profile bio was literally:“Willing to give my baby anything they need. Soft voice, strong arms, and a love for sleepy cuddles and little rants about dinosaurs or snacks. My heart’s already half yours. Come take the rest.”
The profile photo?
In a black black hoodie. one photo Luffy took of in the kitchen, holding a tray of cookies, laughing with his whole face.
Was Sanji.
Zoro remembered that moment. He was literally standing right there.
Sanji was a CG.
Sanji was on the site.
Sanji was offering caregiving to someone else.
Zoro dropped his phone.
“Shit shit shit shit—” His heart pounded so hard he thought he’d puke.
His first instinct?
He wanted to disappear right away. Delete the account. Erase his existence. Dropkick the phone into the sea. And himself afterwards.
But… he froze, holding the phone again, staring at the screen.
Because what if Sanji never know who's he? What if he just… try and maybe see? Read the way Sanji replies to others, on posts or even himself? Watch the way he talks about his Littles.
What if—what if he– just messages him without saying it’s him? Just… to talk? Just to feel it.
Just once.
His hands shook as he looked more at that profile, Plushie cat stared at him with its crooked grin. “Oh, you’re not helping.” Zoro whined, throwing the phone beside him again.
“I shouldn't do this” he whispered to himself, the mere thought of Sanji his -ehem- crush being his caregiver made him want to cry from the amount of butterflies it gave him.
So he held his phone again, stared at the profile, his throat tight, and he whispered, “Please don’t recognize me…” and finally he sent a request.
“Just a request of course he won't notice this one specific notification Sanji is a busy person he wouldn't–” his train of thoughts got cut.
notification
a message
“Hey there, cutie. How can the Snoojie help you?💛”