Chapter Text
If you asked Sanji to describe himself, he would probably say "cook of the Straw Hat Pirates", "a master chef in the making", and "a doting boyfriend". Except, he wasn't, as he would like to claim, a doting boyfriend.
Boyfriend of whom, you might ask? A man, a crew mate, a stinky marimo whom he wanted to strangle twenty-four seven, former Demon of the East Blue, current King of Hell, Roronoa Zoro. Having the urge to choke the living daylights out of your boyfriend every second of your day wasn't a very "doting" thing to do as a lover, Sanji knew. So he would probably settle with just "a boyfriend" right now.
However, Sanji had always prided himself as the master of love and romance, so the title of "a boyfriend", understandably, couldn't satisfy the romantic cook of the Straw Hats. He would not allow himself to be proven otherwise even though he was in a relationship with probably the most unromantic man on the Grand Line. He had to do something to earn the title of "a doting boyfriend".
It was another peaceful morning on a windless sea when he decided to do exactly that.
A News Coo had perched upon the railing of the Sunny, and Sanji, as the earliest waker of the crew, dutifully took the rolled-up newspaper off the bird's beak and paid the amount they owed, and watched as it soared away.
He had paid the newspaper no mind at first, but as he unrolled it and took a casual glance, the blaring title on the front page caught his eye.
Are you treating your soulmate right?
Maintaining a relationship is hard. But fear not, because we've got your back! Here's 5 things you need to do this Valentine's Day for your significant other!
by Amy Price from World Economy Newspaper
Sanji's eyes widened.
He and Zoro had been dating for a month now. It had all started with a desperate, anger-fuelled kiss in a moonlit room in Wano.
Zoro had abruptly pulled him away from the celebrations after defeating Kaido and locked themselves inside a washitsu. He demanded an explanation as to why Sanji had asked him to kill him over the Den Den Mushi, and Sanji had finally given up diverting the conversation and screamed at Zoro to stop asking, because he was losing his mind and those disgusting genes in him were awakening and he wouldn't be who he was anymore. Then all of a sudden Zoro was kissing him, pushing him into the frail fusuma that felt like would crumble at any moment — and Sanji forgot how to breathe.
"Shut up, shut up. I will kill you if it came down to it. I swear on my swords," Zoro rasped as he pulled back, "But you need to know why I'd do it."
Because Zoro loved him. Sanji caught on the unspoken words immediately.
But even after that desperate kiss initiated by the swordsman, Sanji had a hard time wrapping his head around the idea. Or maybe it was the lack of oxygen talking. Either way, he had sobbed, clutching onto Zoro's shoulder and realised that his unrequited feelings had been very requited after all.
But that was it. That was the only time they had any sort of intimacy. And if anyone had to know, they didn't even do anything that night but cuddle up and sleep in each other's arms. They had kept a low profile the next day, not wanting to make a big fuss because they knew these juicy rumours spread like wildfire in Wano. They had only exchanged a few lingering glances and hovered around each other during the celebrations, and until they had to set sail, they never had any kind of close intimacy.
They weren't planning on keeping their relationship a secret to the Straw Hats forever, but Sanji knew they had a mutual understanding that affecting the crew was the last thing they wanted. They'd rather try out their relationship first, that way if they ended up breaking up, they wouldn't potentially fuck up the rest of the crew.
But their secret carried on even when they were back on the Sunny, and it had kept this way until now.
It wasn't bad, Sanji constantly told himself. Their relationship wasn't in crisis or anything, it was just… he and Zoro haven't exactly acted like a couple. They hadn't done anything inherently couple-y, in Sanji's opinion. No, it was more like things hadn't changed between them. At all.
They hadn't kissed (except that one time in Wano) or hugged or even held hands. Normal couples would do… intimate things at night when no one's around, right? But they hadn't even had a kiss on the cheek after the first one, for crying out loud.
And Zoro acted like nothing changed between them. At least that was the case at first glance. He had picked fights with Sanji and bantered with him like he always did, and he'd constantly reminded Sanji how stupid his eyebrows looked, which would trigger full-scale fights that always earned them solemn reprimands from Franky.
But Sanji could also spot the little smirk at the corner of Zoro's lips when they spar, as well as the overt admiration and awe in his face as Sanji stared down at him after a victory. Sanji also noticed how Zoro would always stay behind to clean up with him after a meal, then would proceed to plop down onto the sofa and watch Sanji prep ingredients for the next day. Zoro's company never used to be a constant as it was now, which was a significant change.
It wasn't like Sanji was complaining about the lack of couple-y things though. He wasn't. He didn't need those cheesy things. It was already enough to know that Zoro was his. That no one got to have the swordsman's time and his smirks that made Sanji's insides twist into a nervous knot. And the fact that Zoro returned his feelings was already mind blowing. Zoro loved him? Zoro harboured the same feelings Sanji had for him? As unfathomable as the thought was, there was no other explanation for that kiss in Wano. So it didn't matter if Zoro didn't initiate anything between them. It didn't.
But it did matter when Sanji stared up at the bunk above him where Zoro slept, his own bed cold and empty. It did matter when Sanji eyed the scarred hand Zoro rested on the edge of the island worktop as he watched him cook, his own hand twitching with an unnameable itch. And it had never mattered more than now, as he was staring down at the newspaper scrunched up in his hands.
Sanji read on.
1) Get them gifts!
Gifting is the simplest and the most direct way to show them love, and to show them you know their likes and dislikes.
It's always exciting to receive a gift. Go get them something that would put a smile on their face!
2) Create surprises!
Occasional surprises are the best way to keep things exciting and fresh between you. The lack of effort is the ultimate killer for most relationships!
Surprises show them that you care, and that you're willing to put effort into the relationship — all the more ways to assure them they're loved!
3) Try something new together!
Tired of slacking on the couch with your significant other on a weekend? Plan out something fun to do with them! Learn to bake, go on a little trip, anything!
Research has shown couples regularly trying out new things experience more happiness and rapid growth in their relationship. Find something that interests both of you and enjoy the quality time!
4) Get to know them better!
Ask questions about them. Yes, it sounds cheesy, but asking things about your significant other will pull your hearts closer. Ask trivial and important things — their favourite pizza flavour and their biggest insecurities.
Deep conversations are essential, as scary as they are. It's good to know more things about your other half that others might not know. It's not just all fun and games in relationships!
5) Tell them what YOU want!
Tell your soulmate what you want. Ask for a kiss on your birthday, ask for more hugs on normal days, or even a simple "I love you" from your soulmate. Don't hold back.
While it's important to know what your soulmate needs and wants, it's also important that they know what YOU want. A relationship is not a one-way thing, it's an equal exchange of love — so tell them what you want. Remember, communication is key!
As Sanji read on, he learned about love languages, where people express their love for their loved ones in five major ways. Words of affirmation, acts of service, physical touch, quality time, and gifting.
Which Sanji did none for Zoro. He doubted cooking for Zoro was an act of service since it was literally his job to cook for the crew. Shit. He was a terrible boyfriend, wasn't he.
What the article talked about sounded both exciting and horrifying to Sanji. If Sanji tried out these things, Zoro was bound to notice something was up. The thought made Sanji weak in the knees. How would he react? Would he tell Sanji to stop? Would he find Sanji weird to attempt romancing? Disgusting, even?
As scary as the prospect was, Sanji was never one to back down from a challenge. He and Zoro were drastically different, but that was the one thing he and Zoro had in common. They were both stubborn to a fault. Once they had eye(s) on a challenge, they wouldn't back out.
"Oi, Cook, I'm hungry!"
Speaking of the devil.
The morning breeze carried the swordsman's voice to Sanji as the other man climbed down from the crow's nest, a grin plastered on his tanned face. He looked smug and boyish, back dropped by the purple sky slowly giving way to navy blue, a sight that made Sanji's chest tighten.
That was it. Sanji made up his mind as he tore the page out and tucked the ripped-out excerpt of the article into his pocket. Just like that, "Operation Treating Your Soulmate Right" was in motion.