Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece

Edited. Chapter Two.

Outbursts

Honestly, Sanji shouldn't have been surprised when everything began that it was heading for disaster. It was probably because he was the least amiable member of the Baratie ever, and Zoro was, well, Zoro. It was bound to bite them in the fucking ass, and judging from the soreness, it really had. He hadn't meant for anything to actually come out of that day. He'd never meant to encourage anything like this. He had known better. It should have been uncomplicated. But something had happened, which meant a helluva of a lot. In fact, it was probably the stupidest fucking thing ever to happen.

And now he was lying in bed, all alone, completely naked, with a sore ass to boot, and trying to figure out what the fuck he had just done.

It had begun a few months back. The sky was blue, bleeding with white clouds. Birds were serenading the fucking world with their goddamned songs of cheer and joy. Sanji had been in an awful bad-feeling mood for the last month. A really shit mood. A fantastically shitty mood. And his coworkers were suffering through his anger and pain.

"Fucking hell Carne! How the fuck do you not know to make a shitty fucking latte?!" yelled Sanji, smashing the cup down in front of the man, who was scowling right back at him. The day Sanji had been made assistant manager, Patty and Carne had wept.

"It's a goddamned delicious latte you asshole!" yelled Carne back, because he was definitely not willing to take shit from the kid he'd watched go through puberty.

"It's a fucking disgusting monstrosity!" hollered Sanji, "And nobody in the fucking world is going to want to drink this shit! Fuck do I have to do everything myself?!"

He was out of the kitchen area in seconds, leaving behind a thoroughly humiliated Carne. Back in front of the counter, the next customer was greeted with a smarmy fucking smile and politely kissing her hand, making a big show of being apologetic. Carne crushed the cup between his hands, furious. He was damned good at making lattes. Sure his speciality lay in the breakfast foods like croissants and danishes they baked, but he knew how to pull together a fucking latte. How dare the kid act like that?!

"Has Sanji always been so angry?" asked the jovial, innocently childish brat as he poured the perfectly good coffee down the sink, while munching on the leftover sandwiches from the tables.

"He's been fucking moody," said Patty darkly, as he brewed a new pot of coffee while working on the lemon tarts. "He's had a stick up his ass for the last month!"

"Fucking shit head," said Carne with a dark scowl as he returned to the pastries he was working on, gently piping the frosting along the cake, "I know how to make a fucking coffee!"

"Yesh you do," said the kid, eating away the last of the leftovers before getting to work soaking the dishes, this time managing not to break any. Yet. "Butsh I like your shanwiches better! Can I have a turkey sandwich with extra meat?!"

"Shut up Luffy and do the fucking dishes!" yelled Sanji, back to gripe at them some more.

When he left, Luffy, Patty and Carne put their heads together, plotting ideas for revenge. Well, Patty and Carne did. Luffy was bribed with sandwiches to do their bidding.

The first brilliant plan of revenge involved placing a nice big spider in the till. Unfortunately, nobody had bothered to inform Zeff. The old geezer had come in during the afternoon and sent Sanji on break, only to find the fucking spider. After he'd crushed it without a second thought, all three had received wallops on the head from the peg leg, and been sent back to work.

The second plan hadn't been their idea at all. It had been a combination of Nami and Usopp's plan. It had been decided when the two came in for an evening cuppa. Nami worked at the Arlong Company. She hated her job, but it was all to make money to head to the city when she graduated. Usopp was working over at the Merry Repair shop, and loved it there. So it was guaranteed that one would walk in happy, while the other walked in fuming.

"Hey guys!" said Luffy, having finished his hours and grinning ear to ear, "I'm done! And I only broke two plates and one cup today!"

"Congratulations," said Usopp delightedly as he sat down at the regular table beside Nami Luffy sliding in across from them.

"We ordered already," said Nami, before Luffy could open his mouth and ask them to order him some meat, "Did you finish the assignment for Math, Luffy?"

"There was an assignment?!" asked Luffy, his jaw dropped comically, and eyes bulging, "Since when?! Mr. Rokakku never said anything!"

"Yes he did," said Nami bluntly, "I'm not even in your class and I know!"

"I'll copy Usopp," said Luffy decidedly, before the two dissolved into an argument about Luffy failing math.

"Your coffee my darling mellorine!" came Sanji's voice, as he laid the cup, already foamed with two little hearts, alongside raspberry and lemon tarts that looked crumbly to the touch. Usopp's cup, though not decorated, was laid with equal care beside the younger boy. Luffy's bowl of leftover sandwiches and deli items from lunchtime was thumped down in front of him. They all thanked Sanji, who gave a beaming smile at the ladies, before heading back to the kitchen. A few minutes later, there was a sound of yelling.

"Yikes! What's he upset at?" asked Usopp, surprised at the sound. It wasn't uncommon for Sanji to yell in the kitchen, but to do so without fawning over Nami's appearance first was the strangest thing they'd ever seen.

"I dunno," said Luffy with a frown, "He's been yelling all day!"

And then he regaled two with the story of the spider and Patty and Carne's plot for revenge. Usopp's eyes were comically wide and amazed behind his impressively long nose, and Nami laughed at Patty and Carne and Luffy's misfortune of being caught by Zeff.

"Y'know, maybe he just needs to get laid," said Nami flippantly, her brown eyes rolling at the seriousness with which Luffy and Usopp were evaluating this situation with, "I think he's just been single too long! I mean, he did date Roxanne for a while, but that panned out."

"So who should date him?" asked Usopp curiously.

The two boys turned to Nami, who scowled ferociously as she said, "Nuh uh. Not me! No way! I don't have the time for that!"

"Oh c'mon, he doesn't even charge you for coffee! Think of what else you could get for free," cajoled Usopp teasingly, only to be met by a dangerous glare.

"I thought the plot was about revenge?" said Nami, as Usopp winced at the light throbbing in his head from where Nami had smacked him.

"Well, it might be nice to see Sanji with another girl again. You know how he adored Roxanne," said Usopp thoughtfully, "Maybe he just needs to meet someone? Never fear! I have a specialty with match-making! I've made thousands of people happily married couples today!"

The conversation dissolved into Luffy being amazed, and Nami being skeptical. However, after school the next day, Luffy ended up sharing his conversation with Patty and Carne. The two ended up snickering as they got Luffy to finish writing on their specials board by the front entrance.

Sanji made his way over to the Baratie Cafe after school on his bike. He always went in through the back, so he had no time to see the sign. If he had, he may have figured out the giggles from his customers far sooner. Be as it was, it wasn't until two hours after his shift started that it all made sense. Someday, he'd think back and wonder what would have happened if he'd checked that sign.

Zoro sighed and rolled his neck to weed the kink the in his neck out. Practice had run later than usual. It wasn't a big deal, considering he was Captain, and considering nobody was waiting for him at home. As Zoro left, his mind kept running over the words Coach Koshiro had said to him. Apparently he was being too single-minded. What the fuck did that mean?!

Okay, so his grades had slipped a bit since he had become Captain. But did it matter? The sword was his life. Just like it had been Koshiro's life. Who cared if he failed math or geography? As long as he could fight, he'd be alright. Nothing mattered beyond his swords. He sighed as he walked down the familiar winding road to his house. He was sore all over and now he was getting a headache. They wanted him to consider getting a tutor. Or at least to put in more effort or they'd email his dad, and then he'd get shit from him.

It was with that thought that Zoro decided it was time to grab something to eat or drink. He would have gone for booze, but his stores were depleted at home, and he wasn't going to break out the good shit for no reason. He could get more liquor, except for the little problem that he had no fucking clue where Johnny and Yosaku lived, and even if he did, there was no guarantee they had any booze to give away. Instead, Zoro had to make do with his second option. Coffee. He sighed at the thought as he walked towards the coffee shop he knew was along the way to his house.

The Baratie.

He'd heard of the place before from Johnny, Yosaku and Luffy, but he'd never really gone inside before. He usually just headed home after training to continue training some more. His friends had grabbed him treats from there, and Koshiro usually got the team some snacks from there, so he knew the good was good. Plus, Zoro knew Luffy worked here, so that was probably a plus. Possibly. Maybe. If Luffy made coffee, he was walking out. Immediately.

As he walked inside, the first thing that caught his eye was the special's board. It was a blackboard posted by the entrance, in front of a potted bush with flowery pink things sprouting out of it in a combination of aesthetically pleasing but also completely and utterly useless. The board itself was simple, and had the words Baratie Coffee House printed neatly across the top. No utterly repulsive curly lettering. Just neat and common words. Already a plus.

Below in white chalk, however, was the most interesting message. In untidy scrawl at he top, it said 'Today your barista is' and then, instead of writing a name, it had a little doodle of a stick figure, with hair going across where one eye should be, and a tie apparently strangling it. Beside the stick figure, in point form, two short sentences were written, completing the message, 'Today your barista is,' with the points, 'hella fucking gay' and 'desperately single'.

Underneath that obnoxious and proud message was the drink recommendation, which instead of a typical chai tea or something fruity, was the emblazoned message, 'I recommend you give me your number.'

Zoro thought nothing of the message, merely shrugging it off. So some fruitcake at the counter was looking for a date. Good for them. Again he was stuck on Koshiro's words. Tutor and fucking socialize instead of practicing. Koshiro thought it would be good for him. He scowled, and walked into the coffee shop through the second set of doors.

The shop was pretty grand. It had neat little black booths across the edges and by large, open windows. The lighting was dimmed, considering those windows let in more light than necessary. The walls had art work of ships and the ocean across it, giving a quaint, sea side atmosphere, which made sense considering that the town of East Blue was by the ocean. To the left of the entrance was a small stage, with a piano set up. They probably did jazz or open mic nights or some artistic bullshit.

The main counter to order was at the front. Delicate pastries and croissants and other food items were placed in an open window for display. They looked more like art forms than edible crap you'd see at Starbucks. Each dessert was delicately presented. The brownies were drizzled with swirling designs and patterns. Made with care. If Zoro was into sweets, he might have been interested. Be as it were, he had no fondness for sugary shit.

The menu billboard was solely made up of various drinks in the center. Spanning out from the central billboard was food items and desert. Apparently this place did more than just the regular coffee shit. It also made lunch items and a dinner menu. Zoro was taken aback at the amount of choice. No wonder Johnny, Yosaku and Luffy were in here all the time. Those three liked to eat.

"How can I help you?" came a deeper voice than Zoro anticipated, and he turned to see the barista.

Instantly his mouth dried up, and his eyes widened a bit more. The barista was blonde, and lean, but not the least bit fruity looking at all. He wore a crisp white shirt, with a black tie around his neck. His delicious, white neck was highlighted by the collar and black fabric leading up to it. His neck headed up to an equally fair face, with blonde- natural yellowy blonde, not some bleached fake shit- hair that swept across his head, covering one eye, but leaving the other, a natural blue eye, completely exposed. He had a slightly curly eyebrow above his head, which was totally bizarre but intriguing all at once.

Why the hell was this guy promoting himself so cheaply?

Now, to make some sense, Zoro had no qualms about his sexuality. As far as he was concerned, men and women were equal in all senses, and therefore, he saw no issues with being with either. Nor was his bisexuality any secret. He was, after all, pretty popular around East Blue High, being the school's kendo champion and the 'Demon of the East Blue'. People who had a problem with him often found themselves on the other end of a sword, if they were lucky. Attraction was attraction. Fuck all who tried to tell him otherwise.

And god was he attracted to this blonde.

"You going to order something?" asked the barista, impassive and unimpressed.

Zoro snapped out of his daze, and gave the menu a look over with his dark eyes. It was thanks to years of meditation and control that he didn't fidget about the fact that he was dressed in a ratty pair of jeans, and ugly band t-shirt from some concert Johnny had dragged him out to. His green hair was still damp with sweat. And he probably reeked, whereas Zoro could smell the blonde's cologne from all the way across the counter.

"What's good?" asked Zoro casually, as he stepped closer to the counte and crinkled his nose at that smell of something that was a lot like woody, herby and fruity all at once.

"Everything shit-head," snapped the barista, and for someone making a desperate with the sign at the door, he was rather obnoxious. It ticked Zoro off.

"Isn't their a manual saying be nice to the customer, asshole?" tossed Zoro back, his usually calm exterior slipping, "No wonder you're desperately single."

The barista's jaw dropped, and the kids behind Zoro giggled as he stared at the blonde, before the blonde suddenly flushed. A delicious, pink flush climbed across his cheeks, and god it was hot. That train of thought was broken off by the angry splutter that slipped from the blonde as he said, "What- You fucker- How dare you?!"

"Whatever," said Zoro impassively, "I'm not interested in the recommendation anyway. Get me a medium Americano."

The blonde glared hatefully at him, and Zoro was under the impression that he was two seconds away from being kicked out, until the other teen just dutifully typed it into the cash register, before glaring coolly at him and asking, "Anything else, moss-head?"

Zoro's hand automatically went to his green hair, and he scowled. The blonde was smirking at the petty victory, but Zoro snapped back, "A sandwich. The one with wasabi and tuna, curly-brow. To go."

"Curly- Fine, bastard," snapped the blonde, glaring hatefully at him before ringing the order up and charging Zoro six beri and ninety three cents. Zoro handed him a tenner, and the fucker made sure to give Zoro all his change in fucking pennies. Zoro scowled at the handful of tiny coins he now had. The blonde had even gone to the extent of opening up three rolls of coins to annoy the hell out of him.

Zoro dutifully stepped aside, shoving the pennies into his wallet with a scowl and watched as the next set of customers went up while his coffee was being brewed. The customers behind him were three kids. They were Usopp's neighbors if he remembered correctly, having recognized their faces as the little shits that followed Usopp around on Syrup Street, which was only really a block away from Zoro's place. The four shits were always coming over to watch Zoro train or go on adventures.

They ordered, giggling as Sanji turned his back and pulled out two brownies and headed off to get the third brat a fresh lemonade. He was back in seconds, and didn't even flinch when the kids handed over the money. Zoro realized they were short two beri, but the barista merely waved them off, before heading to grab Zoro's sandwich and coffee from the kitchen behind him.

That confused Zoro. He'd never seen a coffee shop that had a kitchen where food and drink were made. As far as he knew, those things were always made directly in front of the customer. But this shop was different. Unique.

He kind of liked it.

"Here," said the blonde, shoving the sandwich and coffee at him. It smelled fucking fantastic, and the sandwich was kind of amazing.

Zoro gave the blonde another look-over, trying to figure it out. He wasn't an ugly sort of guy, and he had a terrible personality, or at least, to Zoro he did. And yet, he seemed sort of nice. Besides, Zoro was still wondering how passionate he could be when he wasn't arguing with Zoro, and just how deep of a blush he could have.

"You got a napkin or something?" asked Zoro, as the barista saw some customers heading over to the booths to sit down. Normally, at this point, a waiter should probably head over. The barista was the fucking waiter, judging from the notepad he pulled out of the blue apron tied around his waist, that Zoro only just noticed. Did he do everything in this damn shop?

"What do you want napkins for? Just wipe it on that shit shirt you assho- Hey!," said the waiter-barista hatefully, but Zoro ignored him as he took the pen and notepad from his hand, and the waiter cried out angrily. Zoro ignored him as he quickly scribbled his number across, and at the bottom left his name.

"Here," said Zoro, tossing it back at him, before he left, a little lift in his step at the day he just had.

References from the One Piece Verse:

Luffy as the bus-boy: He works in the Baratie for a bit to pay off a debt

Patty/Carne: Workers from the Baratie

Nami at the Arlong Company: Nami works for Arlong in the universe.

Arlong as bankers: They did keep Nami's home-town in eternal debt

Johnny/Yosaku: Bounty hunters who worked with Zoro- Appeared in the East Blue saga and Baratie Arcs

Merry Repair: The guy Merry, who makes the Merry from Usopp's old town.