Disclaimer: One Piece, and all of the characters belongs to Eiichiro Oda. I don't own any of this, nor do I make a profit off of this.

A/N: This is Day 23 of the ZoSan Christmas Exchange! Man, I'm sweating bullets over this fic. My bullets are sweating bullets. xD Whew! I'm glad to be done though! Please read and review! Hope you guys like it and Merry Christmas!

It's 2:23 AM and Sanji's not here.

Zoro would like to say that this was unusual. He'd like to say that he had an excuse for where Sanji was, but he didn't. When this first started happening in the beginning of November, or maybe it was the end of October, Zoro would just explain it away. Sanji was a chef he'd reasoned, and chef's had to keep late hours sometimes, didn't they? He'd reassured himself with that thought every time Sanji came home late. Sometimes Sanji would come home around one AM. Other times he was lucky if Sanji came home at all.

Each time Sanji came home, he'd strip off his clothes, hang them up neatly and fall into bed in nothing but his boxers, too tired to stay up long enough to brush his teeth, wash his face or even put his pajamas on. The first time Zoro had noticed anything different was the Wednesday of the week before Thanksgiving. Sanji had come home late as usual, he was tired, but he managed to kiss Zoro, something about missing his lover. They'd kissed for a short while, but Zoro had tasted it. Sanji had tasted of his brand of cigarettes, but underneath that, there had been the taste of alcohol and faintly on his lips, the taste of lipstick. Zoro could even smell for a brief moment, perfume. A sweet, smell that belonged on a 'delicate lady' as Sanji would phrase it and was definitely not something Sanji would use, even if he had all those prissy products.

Zoro had been shocked, it had thrown him for a loop, leaving him frozen, still as a statue for a long moment. Longer than he should have been. By the time he had the chance to properly react, Sanji was in bed and fast asleep. He didn't have a chance to get angry, to demand answers. Instead, Zoro had numbly finished his routine and gone to bed, feeling like he'd been wrapped in cotton and feeling everything through a muted filter. He'd laid awake in bed next to Sanji for hours, sick with the knowledge that Sanji was cheating on him. Zoro wanted to be angry, he wanted to be furious, but all he felt was sick. For the longest time, he'd known that something like this might happen. He'd expected it. Sanji had been straight before they'd met six years ago, not interested in anything with a dick. Sanji had been head over heels for women, and Zoro, Zoro had just been struggling to get by.

When they'd met, Zoro had been broke, and couch-surfing with nothing but a dufflebag to his name. Zoro had spent all of his money, savings and had sold everything he owned on his sister, Kuina's hospital bills. His sister, Kuina, had had cancer, and they'd tried every treatment the hospital offered to hopefully beat the cancer. Every costly treatment they could find, sending them deeper and deeper into debt. None of the treatments had worked and Kuina died anyways. Her funeral had hit Zoro hard. It hit Koshiro, their father, harder. The funeral had been terrible, and sad. Zoro had never cried harder in his entire life.

A month after his sister's death, Zoro had come home late from his part time job to find his father dead on the floor of their significantly smaller two bedroom apartment. A heart attack they'd told him later, after the EMTs had taken his father's body away. It had been painful to lose his family within a month of each other, but somehow, Zoro managed. He was tough, resilient like that.

After the funeral, eighteen year old Zoro had found himself neck deep in debt and he was drowning….fast. The debt had weighed heavily on Zoro. So, he'd done what he could think of at the time. He used all of his savings, all the money he'd inherited and just paid what he could off. But it still wasn't enough. He'd ended up pawning everything in the apartment and canceling the lease. Anything he could think of selling or pawning to get the money he needed. It wasn't enough, he still owed significant amounts of money, money that he didn't have. But, because of his drastic measures to try and at least take the edge off the debt, he'd become homeless.

In the end, Zoro had been forced to swallow his pride and go to his friends for help. He'd ended up going to friends and crashing on their couch when they would take him, nothing more than a scared eighteen year old kid with a duffle bag and two swords to his name.

The two swords had belonged to his father and sister. Zoro hadn't gotten his own sword yet. Or, as his father put it, his sword hadn't 'chosen' him yet. Koshiro's sword had been known as 'Shusui', it had belonged to a great samurai from long ago named Ryuma. His father had been honored to have been chosen by the sword. He had read countless books on the man and had greatly admired him. In turn, he'd preached to Zoro and Kuina how important that man had been.

Kuina's sword, Wado Ichimonji, had been hers and hers alone. There had been no known history on the sword, so it had been destined for her. At least that's what Kuina and Koshiro liked to believe. Kuina had given Zoro plenty of grief over it, bragging about how she was going to be an incredible swordsman because her sword was 'special'. That had led to a lot of fights, often broken up by Koshiro of course.

Before Kuina had gotten sick, Koshiro had run a dojo with Kuina and Zoro's help. He'd taught the students that came to him sword techniques. Kuina had wanted to take over the dojo when she got older, that had always been her plan. Zoro had just wanted to fight in tournaments and make a name for himself. When Kuina had gotten sick, they'd had to sell the dojo to raise the money for her hospital bills. After that, the swords had been fond memories of happier days.

With Koshiro and Kuina gone, Zoro had tried to keep the debt collectors at bay, tried to get two jobs just to get enough money to pay off the debts, but it hadn't been enough. Even with paying off a majority of the debt already, the piling interest was killing him. So, Zoro had made the toughest decision of his life. He'd called up an antiques dealer that he knew coveted the swords. Zoro had been very firm in the deal for the swords. After selling the treasured blades, Zoro had paid the debt off completely. What little he had left had been enough for a meager savings.

It wasn't long after that Zoro had met Sanji, at nineteen years old, Zoro spent his time working, or drunk. He'd felt like he'd been in a constant stage of stasis at the time. But then his best childhood friend, Luffy, had introduced him to Sanji. At first, they'd fought like cats and dogs. Vicious, unrelenting and unforgiving. Sanji had brought Zoro back to life. It wasn't long after that, a rainy night and too much alcohol that Zoro and Sanji had started sleeping together. A month later and Zoro was living with Sanji and they had begun sort-of-not-really-dating. He had, with Sanji's help and motivation, found a job at his father's old dojo teaching kids sword techniques.

Once Zoro's life had begun to improve again, things began to get better for them. Sanji and Zoro still fought, but instead of bruises and cuts by the end of the night, it was sore backsides and hickies. After two years of dating, Zoro had finally told Sanji everything about Kuina and his father. It had been hard to tell Sanji about them at first, especially Kuina. It had been too painful, hurt too much. But, in the end, Sanji forced and cajoled it out of him. It had been almost...therapeutic for him and they had been stronger than ever after that.

Which was why it had been so crushing when Sanji had started to keep these late hours, coming home smelling of women and booze. Never of sex though, never. Still Zoro was suspicious, and hurt. He'd gotten used to having his cook home for dinner, missed having a lover around to spar with, to fight and wrestle with. The missing sex didn't bother him. Zoro hadn't been active before Sanji, so it wasn't as if he needed it all the time, it was just the routine that Zoro missed. Zoro missed seeing Sanji, he missed his lover. He missed the time they got to spend together. Now, more often than not, Zoro found himself going to bed alone, and rarely waking up with Sanji next to him in bed.

He was lonely.

Zoro had decided that after New Years, it was over. Zoro was tired of waking up in bed alone, tired of missing a man that didn't seem to love him anymore. Zoro wished Sanji would just fucking say he wanted to break up instead of spending all hours of the night out with women. He missed his blonde, missed the lithe frame with legs strong enough to break more than bones against his. Missed the scent of tobacco on his clothes. Hell, he just missed Sanji. Now that Sanji wasn't home often enough anymore, his scent no longer lingered on the bed, as if he never slept there.

Zoro missed Sanji's scent in the apartment.

Zoro looked at the clock. 3:09. He rolled onto his side face Sanji's side of the bed. Empty as always. It was almost Christmas, where the hell was Sanji? While Zoro wasn't normally one to celebrate holidays, Sanji was. The apartment, Sanji's apartment, was decorated with Christmas decorations from a rare Sunday off earlier in the month. That had been nice. It had been the first time since Sanji had started coming home late or not at all that they'd actually behaved like a couple and done something as a couple. Zoro missed those days.

He sighed heavily, yanking the thick navy blue comforter up higher over his body. Shutting his eyes, it wasn't long before Zoro fell back asleep, once more sleeping in bed alone. It was sad that he was getting used to this. Sad that it seemed as if Sanji didn't love him anymore and didn't even want to come home anymore.

When Zoro woke up next, he was surprised to see Sanji in bed and nestled against him. Sanji hadn't been home in a couple of days, so this was really nice, nicer than he'd expected it to be. Zoro drew him in close, holding Sanji against his bare chest and inhaling Sanji's scent deeply. They'd been together for five years now, and Zoro never tired of Sanji's scent. Nuzzling in close, he grinned into Sanji's hair, happy to just have Sanji's arms. He hadn't really gotten to hold Sanji like this in a long while. Not that he could remember at least.

"...Iva."

Zoro stiffened as he heard Sanji breathe that name like a sigh. So… that was who he was seeing. Zoro shut his eyes, swallowing the hard lump in his throat. Iva. Zoro wanted to hate her, he really did, but….he couldn't. Zoro nuzzled his face into Sanji's hair, feeling hot, wet tears slide down his cheeks. Shit. He was fucking crying. Releasing Sanji, he carefully slipped out of bed and sat on the edge of the bed, head in his hands. Shit, Sanji really was going to leave him, wasn't he? Zoro choked back a sob. He didn't want Sanji to leave him. He didn't want Sanji to leave him for this 'Iva' chick or whatever her name was. He couldn't handle it. He had thought he could be strong, thought he could put up a mask of indifference about Sanji leaving, but he knew he couldn't. He'd be devastated if Sanji left him, especially after he'd opened himself up to him and since they'd been together for so long.

Zoro quietly got to his feet and walked into the bathroom. Splashing water on his face, he looked at his face, and Sanji sleeping behind him, in the mirror. Sanji was going to leave him soon. For her. A brief thought crossed his mind. He could- no. No, he wasn't going to do that. He couldn't, wouldn't do that to Sanji. Not if Sanji really loved this woman. Zoro, more than anything, wanted Sanji to be happy. It'd kill him if Sanji wasn't happy with him, but he'd get over it eventually. Zoro stood and turned to face Sanji. Leaning against the counter, he watched his sleeping lover from the bathroom. It was times like this that he truly appreciated how beautiful Sanji was.

Zoro inhaled and exhaled slowly, calming his breathing. Crawling back into bed, he checked the time; 5:23 am. Sanji should be asleep for a couple more hours. According to when Zoro had last seen Sanji a couple days ago, Sanji had the day off today. Still, as Zoro smelled the perfume on his lover's skin, his stomach churned. Iva, Sanji obviously loved this woman. Especially if he was going to see her practically every night. Zoro may not have heard Sanji mention her, but he supposed that was the point of cheating, wasn't it? You weren't supposed to know who the other woman was.

Sanji stirred then, his eyelashes fluttering as he sleepily opened his eyes. Smiling sleepily up at the male, he greeted Zoro with an affectionate pet name "Marimo." Zoro's heart clenched at that. Would he never hear that nickname said in that affectionate manner again? Would this Christmas really be the last one they spent together? Zoro didn't want that. He really didn't. Something must have cross his face because Sanji's expression faded from a smile to a concerned expression.

Sanji seemed to wake up a little more at this, and asked, voice concerned "Zoro? What's wrong?"

Zoro shook his head. He said, almost choking on his words "It's nothing."

Sanji frowned and said sitting up "Like hell it's nothing! Tell me what's with that face, asshole. You look like someone died. As far as I know, none of our shitty friends are dead, so? Spill it asshole."

Zoro hesitated. But, he panicked. Zoro couldn't explain why, but, ignoring Sanji, he'd calmly gotten out of bed and walked into their living room. Sitting on the couch, he drew a knee up to rest on the couch. Crossing his arms over his knee, he buried his face in his arms, silent as he tried to gather himself.

Sanji didn't leave him alone for long. Zoro could hear the soft padding of Sanji's feet as he sleepily padded out of the bedroom after pulling on a pair of sweatpants. Soon enough, Zoro felt the dip of the couch as Sanji sat next to him. Zoro tensed briefly when he felt Sanji lean against him, but he quickly relaxed, the familiar weight of Sanji leaning against him relaxing him. Zoro tilted his head to rest his cheek on his folded arms and stare at Sanji. He said softly "M'sorry."

Sanji sighed and said "You're lucky I love you shithead, I don't think anyone else could put up with your dumb ass." Sanji needed a smoke, but he was too tired for one. Instead he tilted his head to get a better look at his lover's face. Zoro looked...sad almost and Sanji couldn't figure out why. Impatient, he asked "So? What's got you upset, marimo? You can't avoid me forever."

Zoro hesitated for a moment, feeling Sanji's eyes on him. Should he ask? Did he really want to know? No, he didn't want to know, but he wasn't a coward. He would rather get this over with now than wait a moment longer. He was sick of the uncertainty, sick of the not knowing. It was time he got things sorted out. Inhaling deeply, filling his lungs with the courage he couldn't find before, he asked "Who's Iva? I-Is… Are you going to leave me…..for her?"

Zoro watched a different array of emotions play across Sanji's face. Surprise, panic, guilt, panic again, and...embarrassment? Sanji looked so embarrassed now, he looked like he might explode. He was red as a tomato. Why would Sanji be embarrassed if he was cheating on Zoro with this woman? Or was he embarrassed that he'd been found out? Zoro didn't understand.

After a few long moments, Sanji admitted haltingly "Iva…..Iva is… Well, he's my boss…" Sanji's face was red, and if Zoro didn't know any better, Sanji had the kind of expression that said he'd rather be anywhere other than here.

This prompted Zoro's next question "I thought you were a chef working at your old man's restaurant?" Wasn't he? Or had something happened that Sanji didn't want to tell Zoro about? Zoro had thought Sanji trusted him, but maybe, maybe he didn't.

Sanji inhaled and exhaled sharply. Annoyed, he said "Fuck it. You were gonna find out sooner or later. Just don't go bitching to me Christmas morning when you don't have any goddamn Christmas presents." Sanji got to his feet and walked over to their hall closet. Zoro watched Sanji the whole way, slipping his leg off the couch in the process. Now he was more confused than ever. What did Sanji even mean? Zoro watched as Sanji opened the closet, and pulled out a bag that Zoro recognized as one his students used to carry their kendo swords. However, unlike the ones his students this one was new. Sanji walked over to Zoro carrying the bag.

Zoro had to admit his curiosity was piqued. At the same time, he was still angry. He was just supposed to forget that Sanji was cheating on him, just because Sanji had bought him a sword? Zoro bit back a snort. If Sanji thought he could distract Zoro like that, Sanji had another thing coming. Zoro watched as the bag was set on the coffee table in front of him. Looking at Sanji questioningly, he watched Sanji sigh and flop onto the couch next to him. Sanji said finally "Open it."

Zoro shook his head. He wanted to know what was in the bag, but he wanted to know if Sanji was cheating on him first. That was more important. People gave him gifts all the time. No one cheated on him all the time. A relationship was far more important than some stupid present. Glaring at Sanji, Zoro set his jaw and said stubbornly "No. What's going on? Why aren't you working for your dad anymore and why the fuck are you working for Iva?" Zoro couldn't help the fact that his voice raised a decibel as he demanded the answers he felt he deserved from Sanji.

Sanji said, just as stubborn as Zoro "I told you marimo, open your damn present already. You won't understand anything I tell you until you open your damn present!" Sanji clammed up, he could be just as stubborn as Zoro, if not more so, depending on the occasion.

Zoro wanted to argue with Sanji some more, but he could tell by the familiar look on Sanji's face that he wouldn't get the answers he wanted until he opened the present Sanji had gotten for him. Zoro reached over and pulled the bag into his lap, feeling a heavy weight settle into his lap, he unzipped the top of the bag. Flipping it open to expose the contents inside, Zoro reached in and pulled out the first sword, because he could feel two in there. Pulling out, he stared in stunned awe at the sheathed Shusui. Did that mean? Zoro carefully, reverently, set Shusui down on the coffee table.

Reaching into the bag, he pulled out the blade by the familiar handle. He stared at the familiar white sheath of Wado. Reaching out, as if he didn't believe what he was seeing, Zoro carefully removed the sheath to study the blade. It was dull, as if it hadn't been sharpened in a long time, but other than that, it was very well taken care of. The sword had been polished, and the cracks in Wado's sheath were gone. This was a sword that had been taken care of, apart from the sharpening of course. Sheathing Wado carefully, he gently put the sword on the coffee table next to Shusui.

Turning to stare at Sanji, his expression probably looking like a stunned, gaping fish, he managed to get the word "How?" out. He could hardly believe he had the swords back. How had Sanji done this? What had Sanji done to get this? Zoro could hardly process it, that Shusui and Wado Ichimonji was his again. It was as if a part of him had come home, a part he hadn't forgotten was missing, but a part he'd ignored for fear of the pain that would come from acknowledging it.

Sanji had watched the display of emotions flash across Zoro's face as he discovered just what it was that Sanji had gotten him for Christmas. It had made Sanji ridiculously happy to know that Zoro liked it. That meant that all those late nights he'd spent working not coming home, or coming home late hadn't been for nothing. Sanji was glad. Although, he supposed it was time to give Zoro the answers he was looking for.

Zoro watched Sanji fidget, hesitating to tell everything. Soon enough though, Sanji exhaled and finally started to explain. Sanji said "A couple of months ago, the middle of October actually, I happened to walk past an antique shop with two swords displayed in the window. I didn't think much of it when I walked past it the first time, but the second time I walked past it, it occurred to me. So I took a closer look and realized… That it was the swords you had told me about. I hadn't even begun to think of your Christmas present yet, but I knew I wanted to get that for you.

When I went into the shop to inquire about the price, the owner told me it wasn't for sale….. So I asked how much he paid for it. I had enough to cover just a little less than what he'd paid you for it… But I wanted to get them for you. My father's friend, Ivankov, Iva for short, owns a drag club." Sanji sighed, taking a deep breath before he continued his story "Iva's always wanted me to work for him, but I always turned him down. I didn't want to dress for that crazy asshole. But, fuck if I didn't need the money. I wanted the money to buy my shitty boyfriend his precious swords, so I made a deal with the fucking devil." Sanji shivered.

Zoro was enthralled by Sanji's story, listening raptly as his lover continued on "So, I made a deal with Iva, only if he paid me enough to cover the other half of the payment of the swords. I had already calculated it and everything. Including the tips I knew I would get, so, as long as he paid me the amount i asked for, and I got the minimum tips I'd calculated, I'd have more than enough money to pay the price. Unfortunately for Iva, he thought I'd be there for months, but fucker didn't know I had it planned to the last dime. I managed to make the money I needed by tonight."

Zoro interrupted Sanji then "But how do you have the swords now?"

Sanji shrugged and said "I borrowed the last bit of money from my old man. I'll go over and pay him back later today, but I went and got them yesterday. That antique dealer you sold the swords to is a fucking prick. Asshole wouldn't even sell them to me, even though I offered to pay him double for them both." Sanji looked smug, Zoro was half-tempted to wipe that smug look off of Sanji's face, but instead, he let the prissy cook continue talking. "So I told the fucker I knew about his 'off the books' dealings and the fucker went white as a fucking sheet. I told him I wouldn't call the cops if he sold the swords to be for the price I was offering. Needless to say, the dumbass agreed."

Zoro watched as Sanji sucked on his lower lip. That was Sanji's favorite habit whenever he was craving a cigarette. Zoro had to admit, the whole story cleared a lot of things up, and made a lot of sense. Zoro wordlessly drew Sanji into a hug, ignoring the male's noise of surprise, and squeezing the other male tight. He was really happy that Sanji wasn't cheating on him, and was really happy to know that Sanji loved him enough to care enough to buy his precious swords back for him.

Zoro grinned into Sanji's hair, feeling a million times lighter, and a billion times happier as Sanji hugged him back just as tightly. Things between them weren't 'fixed', not yet, he was still hurt, even if he understood why Sanji had lied and hidden this from him. But, he'd talk to Sanji after the holidays were over, and they'd work things out. Zoro was determined to get through this rough patch, even if it was just on his end. He loved the curly-browed, prissy cook too much to let him go, especially after the cook had gone so far as to get him the best Christmas present ever. There was no way Sanji would ever top this Christmas present. For right now, the happiness of having both his lover and possessions he'd never dreamed of getting back in the same room was more important to him right now.

Kissing the top of Sanji's head, Zoro grunted, "Thanks for the presents, cook." Words couldn't even begin to convey how happy he was to have Shusui and Wado Ichimonji back, and how grateful he was to his boyfriend for buying them back for him.

Zoro inhaled Sanji's scent, savoring the familiar scent of his lover with appreciation. He hadn't had a chance to hold the love-cook like this for awhile, and it just felt amazing. Zoro didn't even care that he had a stupid looking grin on his face as he grinned like an idiot into Sanji's hair. Clearing his throat, he said conversationally, a note of teasing in his words "So….a drag club huh? You should see if you can work Christmas Eve, curly brow." Zoro's smile slowly changed into a smirk as a rather wicked idea came to him.

Sanji pulled back from the hug, a suspicious expression gracing his features as he puzzled over what Zoro meant, "No way in hell marimo. I don't need to work there anymore, and there's no fucking way I'm going back to that hell!" He didn't need to work there anymore, so there really wasn't a point in him working there on Christmas Eve. He'd already achieved his goal and working there was pointless now, even though the extra money might be nice. Besides, he'd already told Iva that he'd quit, and had no plans of coming back. Ever. He was done with that hell, and good riddance.

Zoro grinned and said smugly "Because it's Christmas Eve."

Sanji bristled and said "Fuck off marimo, I'm not working there Christmas Eve, I already quit dammit! Why should I go back?"

Zoro said, still smirking that smug smirk of his as he said "Because shit cook, I never got to see you perform." Getting to his feet, he hauled Sanji up and over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He shamelessly groped Sanji's butt as he said "Don't worry curly brow, we can practice your routine a bit early, so that on Christmas Eve, you can at the very least give me a private performance." Ignoring his kicking and cursing lover, Zoro jauntily walked back to their bedroom, cheerfully whistling 'We wish you a Merry Christmas'.

Zoro had another Christmas present to unwrap and he was going to savor it slowly.

Ho Ho Ho.