Disclaimer: er, OP doesn't belong to me, nor do any of the characters, Zoro and Sanji would be a couple if it did xD
Authost Note: umm, this is for caelumxiv from tumblr, its a little late, but its for TurtleFriedRice's valentines exchange, hope you like it n.n oh and also, the italics means its a memory... now onto the story, enjot.
Unexpected guest
Zoro laid down on his couch exhausted, allowing his thoughts to wander as he finished his third bottle of vodka of the night. The day had been exhausting and annoying to say the least. The security company he worked for had assigned him to act as a bodyguard for a rich old lady, and considering her reputation and the nature of the event she was planning on attending, he had dressed up on his best suit, gruffing at the mirror as he was reminded of a certain blond, suit-wearing asshole he hadn't thought about for a while. He had shown up to her house on his best outfit and carrying his three swords inside a case hanging from his back, looking as presentable as he ever could, only to have the lady freak out and think he had been sent to kill her. Fucking great start for his day to come. The day had only turned worst from then, with the old hag been a magnet for trouble, and her friends harassing him throughout the whole event; only becoming worst when some fifteen guys appeared aiming to take the lady's life. None of them were anything he couldn't handle, but at least one of them had managed to hit him with a gun he had previously been hiding. The bullet hadn't hit anything vital, merely managing to hit his shoulder, and really, firing the gun had been the last thing the man had done before losing consciousness, the man had kept his life merely due to Zoro's orders not to actually kill anyone during that assignment, a part that only served to piss off an injured Zoro even further. The evening had passed by without any further threats to the old lady, and her friend had continued to harass him 'til the end of the event.
'Sigh, they don't pay me enough to deal with perverted old ladies.' He thought, before his thoughts wandered for the second time in that day to a certain blond man he hadn't allowed himself to moss any longer than he had in the past two years.
It had been a long time since the last time he had seen, yet alone talked to the man, and his alcohol dazed mind oh-so-helpfully reminded him of the last time they saw each other.
It was still cold outside, probably due to the cold of winter fighting to stay for a few days longer. Zoro and Sanki had agreed to meet at their usual coffee place. It was meant to be a normal date. Except it wasn't. After over two years of dating, Zoro had thought that maybe it was time for him and Sanji to move in with each other. Sanji on the other hand, didn't have such good news for the green haired man.
Noticing the other seemed to have some news as well, Zoro motioned for the blond man to talk.
"What's on your mind cook?" Zoro finally asked when the other had been too distracted to understand what Zoro had tried asking him wordlessly.
"Huh?" Sanji finally looked up, still fidgeting with his hands, but now that he realized he was been spoken to, giving the other his attention.
"I said, what's on your mind, cook?" Zoro asked again with less patience than the first time. The more he looked at the blond expectantly, the more he noticed the blond getting more and more nervous and fidgety.
"Er…I hadn't told you…" the blond started clearing his throat and avoiding eye contact.
"I'm moving to France to study Culinary Arts." The blond finally continued, declaring it in a loud voice and leaving Zoro speechless for a moment, jaw hanging ajar in disbelief.
"When?" Zoro finally managed in a quiet voice, still not wanting to believe it. Sanji's eyes started wandering away from the swordsman again.
"Tomorrow." The blond quietly answered, suddenly noticing the room had gotten hotter and the air tense and suffocating. Zoro stared at him, mouth still ajar, for a few seconds longer.
"Why the fuck didn't you say so before, shit cook?!" Zoro finally snapped, his brain processing the anger he thought he should feel, and letting it out with his mind before he had a chance to think twice.
"Because I knew this was gonna be your fucking reaction, you shithead!" The blond snapped, suddenly getting up and causing his chair to fall behind him.
Zoro merely looked at him, realizing more than a few curious glances had started moving their way, but not entirely caring.
"So what the fuck were you planning on doing? Just up and leaving? Was that it?" Zoro asked, his voice betraying more pain than anger this time, making Sanji flinch from the foreign tone of voice.
"Not really… I don't know…" The blond finally answered, sitting back down. Zoro had his head on his hands, hiding his face from the blond and looking down.
"What the fuck are you planning to do now then? Did it all matter so little to you that you're now leaving like this?" Zoro questioned, starting to feel more and more defeated by the second. His words hit something in Sanji and his tone nearly killed the blond.
"No, that… I don't think this will work like this… not anymore." Sanji mumbled looking down, regretting not telling Zoro before.
"So what are you suggesting? That we just end it like this? After so long?" Zoro asked, keeping his head down.
"Er, yes… No, er… I'll let you decide that… I guess." Sanji managed to answer, getting up once more, but this time without making the chair fall once more. He left money for the bill and a note on top.
"I'm leaving tomorrow at three, it's up to you whether you want to show up at the airport… if you don't, I'll consider it all over,
Love, Sanji."
Moments after the blond left, Zoro stoop up and placed more money n the table, ever noticing the note the blond cook had left for him there, and walked out as well.
The following day, Zoro had woke up far too late, at 2:30 pm, not knowing at what time Sanji's plane departed. He had tried with all his might to reach the blond through his cell, calling and texting him, telling him he didn't want to end things there. Hoping to tell him he was willing to wait however long it took. He never reached the blond.
Little did he know, that the blond had lost his phone, and never saw his messages or calls.
Upset and lovesick by the blonds lack of answer, Zoro did what he thought was best… try to move on. He had spent too many nights on bars drinking 'til he could no longer walk (which was a lot,) been unable to sleep, disregarding his health, and over all, depressed over Sanji's departure. That is, until two months later when his friends had finally convinced him enough was enough. He had gotten a new phone and decided to concentrate on his work and really leave the blond behind. And so he'd been doing the next two years.
A few month ago, on his 24th birthday his friend had decided it was time for him to find someone new, and had tried to hook him up with a person they thought he would be interested in. knowing full well their friend didn't consider gender when looking for a companion, they introduced him to a blue haired woman with as much love for swords as he had. He woman, of name Tashigi, had smiled and told one of his friends from work, Franky, that although she would love to get to know the man more, she could he was in no way ready to see someone new, especially with the way he looked at her as if she were some sort of ghost.
His friends had given up on finding him someone, and that let to him now, drinking on his couch, with his thought running to the blond cook once more, and now reminding him that Valentines was the next day. He stood up and dragged himself to his bed, and fell asleep soon after his mind reminded him of the Valentines three years ago with his now ex-lover.
The next day he was woken up by someone knocking on his door like they were been chased. He reached for his phone only to discover that it was 12:00pm on his day off, which led to the question… who the fuck was waking him up this early on his day off?
Zoro walked grudgingly to his door, grumbling about all the things he would do to whoever had woken him up so early on his day off.
When he got there, however, he was not expecting to find the same blond he had been thinking about the night before, fidgeting right outside his door. Thinking it was his sleepy mind playing games with him again, Zoro walked back and started closing his door.
"Wait!" the blond exclaimed before the door could completely close, getting on the way of the door with a pained expression. It was then that all sleepiness drained from Zoro's body and he realized that it was indeed Sanji standing outside of his door.
"Er, shit… come in, I guess?" Zoro said, regaining his ability to talk but still unsure of what to say, and stood aside, leaving the door open once again, allowing the blond man in.
"Thanks." The blond said, once in and sitting down. He looked awkwardly around, not surprised to see that nothing had changed since the last time he had been there.
"I wasn't sure if you still lived here." Sanji finally commented, noticing the swordsman wouldn't start a conversation any time soon. Zoro continued sitting on the couch next to Sanji, looking down and scratching his head awkwardly. The green haired man merely grunted in acknowledgement, unsure of how he was supposed to answer the man.
"I tried calling you… to check whether you were busy today. You know, it Valentine's day… any dates Marimo?" Sanji asked, not knowing what else to say, but not really wanting to know the answer. Zoro looked up at him and snorted.
"As if. That's more of your thing, shitty blond." Zoro answered, feeling a little less awkward. He expected the blond to fight back. Instead, the blond man looked away.
"Right… I guess not this year." He didn't seem willing to fight. As a matter of fact, Zoro noticed the man looked more troubled than anything else.
"What's wrong?" Zoro finally asked, curious and not wanting to see the blond like that. Even after so long, it still hurt to see the man like that.
"No, it's just… this is a really shitty day to return. I'm not even sure I'm welcome here. The blond sighed, looking down.
"Why wouldn't you be?" Zoro answered before really thinking about his answer. Sanji looked up at him and laughed, a short, sad laugh.
"You never showed up…" the blond mentioned, not making any sense to Zoro.
"…I waited for you." Sanji added as an afterthought, not leaving Zoro any chance to answer.
"Show up where/" Zoro finally asked, confused/
Sanji merely looked up at him, observing him for a while. Zoro started feeling nervous under the blonds unwavering stare. He kept going over things he could possibly say to take the blond stare off of him, unable to come up with anything.
"You never saw my note?" Sanji finally asked, hardly believing it, but breaking Zoro free of his stare.
"What note?" Zoro asked back, confused out of his mind by the blonds strange questions.
Sanji couldn't find it in him to answer. Instead, he threw his head back in laughter. The idiot had never meant to end things, he merely didn't see his note!
"I tried calling you that day…" Zoro commented in a quiet voice, finally getting a hint as to what the blond had been talking about. The comment made the blonds laugh die down.
"I lost my phone that day. I never realized you called." The blond finally admitted, guiltily.
"I tried calling you though, a few months later." He added shyly, not sure if would make a difference. The blond looked up to notice Zoro looking away, face taking a pink tint.
"I changed my number two months after you left, you probably tried after that. Zoro admitted quietly, not really wanting to be heard.
Realization hit Sanji once again and he saw how Zoro must have felt for those two years. The idiot must have drank himself stupid until one of their friends had had enough and forced him to move on.
"So we never meant to end things." Sanji finally commented, unsure of what else to say. Zoro looked back to him and the cook could see his brain slowly processing the words.
"So…" Zoro says careful, unsure of what exactly the blond was insinuating. The blond slowly stood and walked towards Zoro, not wanting to move too quickly.
Zoro instinctively moved towards Sanji, following the blond's movements until they were in each other's arms, kissing and falling into the couch behind them.
"Happy Valentine's." whispered Sanji trying to catch his breath from the kiss, and soon after coming back for more.
"How 'bout you stop biting my lips and we take this to the bedroom, cook?" Zoro whispered breathlessly, breaking the kiss again and attempting to get up. Sanji nodded earnestly and wrapped his legs around Zoro as the man carried them both to the bedroom.
"You know I love you, right/" Sanji whispered.