A/N: So I had this story kept in my laptop since Valentines. I got the idea from when the males from our group gave the girls of our group "Poor You, You Don't Have a Date" coupons which we could use to have them for the rest of the night. I just decided to finish it when I finally got inspired.

Erm, I also edited this from the original version, because that sucked. I'll try not to post before editing next time, I promise!


"What the hell is this?" Zoro asked as he stared at the small piece of paper handed to him and the rest of the crew by Sanji.

"That," Sanji pointed at the said paper as soon as he was finished giving Nami and Robin dozens of it, "Is a dating coupon. The coupon allows you to have me as a date for a day!" Sanji had twirled by then in front of Robin and Nami.

"Thank you for the nice gesture, Sanji," Robin smiled at him.

"Nothing but the best for Robin-chwan and Nami-swan~" he cooed. "And I figured that since Valentines day was coming, I wanted to let the boys feel less shitty."

"Why'd you give this to me?" Zoro stared at it like it was going to explode.

"If you don't want it, give it back," Sanji hissed.

"Nah, I'll keep it. Who knows when I actually need you to be nice to me for a day," Zoro shrugged as he pocketed the object. Sanji rolled his eyes and turned to explain the rules to everyone, though the rules were already on the coupon.

First, the responsibility of what the date consists relies on them. And Sanji will cater to them no matter how foolish or not-so-date-like the date was.

Next, the date will only last for one day, the same day when the coupon was used. So even if you decide to use the coupon midday, Sanji's services will only last until 12 midnight.

It wasn't unexpected that Luffy used up his coupon first, and it was while they were still on the ship and it was already lunchtime. He asked Sanji to cook him meat, and Sanji expected it, which was why he stocked up more meat than usual at their last stop.

"Saaaanji, more!" Luffy presented his empty plate, and for once, Sanji didn't remind him of their depleting food supply through his foot.

Throughout the day, Luffy constantly asked Sanji for snacks. Basically he was more of a waiter on Luffy's beck and call as the guy pigged out and ate like a king. Though that afternoon when Luffy was fishing alone with Sanji sitting beside him, Luffy had asked more about his dream.

Sanji gladly told him everything. Of the sea creatures he'd imagined that he would see, how he would cook them, and about a particular floating restaurant would relocate there.

Luffy, in turn, shared to him what he wanted to do when he becomes the Pirate King. He wanted to go on more adventures with his crew as the Pirate King, helping them achieve the rest of their dreams on the way. First order of business was to help Brook meet Laboon once more. And then they'll travel with Nami as she makes her own map.

"What about Robin, marimo, Usopp, Chopper and Franky?" Sanji asked him, curious as to what Luffy did have in mind.

"Hm… I actually thought they would have already achieved their goals when I become Pirate King. I think Zoro's strong enough to be the World's Best Swordsman by then," Luffy hummed.

"Franky already built the world's strongest ship and it will have sailed the roughest seas when we get to Raftel. Usopp will definitely be a brave warrior by then, and we can probably drop by Elbaf sometime soon. And I think what Robin's looking for is at the end of the Grand Line."

"How do you know that?" the cook asked.

"I dunno. Just do," Luffy smiled and laughed it off.

He needed a nap after that day, thinking he'd have nightmares about meat attacking him for feeding them to Luffy. But it wasn't bad at all. Luffy always surprised him at times.

He had yet to be Robin's or Nami's date. The next day, it was Usopp who decided to use his coupon when he asked Sanji to help him out with his and Franky's inventions. And Franky wanted Sanji's help too, though he claims it was a three-people date.

They had started on an invention

"Seriously, is this what you plan on doing on dates? I'm glad I was born for the ladies…" Sanji said at the end of the day when they had finished. His back felt like cracking. All he did was carry around things the two mechanics were too lazy to carry around. And make drinks and snacks for them without telling them the usual get-it-yourself-these-are-for-the-ladies speech.

"Of course not," Franky patted him on the back. "This is our plan of a date with you. If it was with any other girl, it'd be a Suuuuuuper date."

Sanji just sighed. But he didn't really want to voice out a complain. He wanted to at least be fair to the males just for the Valentine's day..er, week. Or month. Depending on how long the crewmembers want to hold on to the coupon.

The third day of Valentines, no one wanted to use their coupons since they were still at sea and they wanted to make use of it well. But Robin decided to use hers at that time. She invited Sanji to the library to have tea with her and talk about some random things like Sanji's life story and some history and things he knew about North Blue.

Though he knew Robin probably knew about the things he said, she nodded enthusiastically at his versions of the stories. Robin shared some facts from what she'd read about the North Blue and about cuisine, and Sanji listened intently.

That night, he had felt like the day was given to him as a relaxation day. Finally, Nami announced that they were going to be in an island by tomorrow noon, and Sanji was gleefully spinning as he distributed food to the crew, thinking that tomorrow might just be the day Nami asks him to be her date… or better, she does it on Valentines day. Though she didn't need some coupon or holiday to have to ask Sanji. One word from her will have Sanji at her beck and call.

He mentally listed down those who haven't used their coupons. Other than Nami, there was Brook, Chopper, and the mosshead. He mentally cringed at the thought of having to spend time with the Marimo. He imagined how it would have just been better if he gave them chocolates, but it was too late now. He'd never back down on his word .

It was almost dinner time when they docked on the island. Everyone was excited to step on land once again. Nami instructed them to pick their straws, and much to Usopp's dismay, he was stuck with watching Sunny for the night.

"Alright. Guys, I'm giving you your allowances for the whole time that we're here, so spend it wisely!" Nami said, handing out their money. "First order of business, let's look for a place to stay."

And they walked off, leaving Usopp pouting on the deck.

"Oi Nami, I'll just sleep on the Sunny," Zoro called out. "Don't bother counting me in for the room."

"Okay~!" Nami smiled at him as the group went to a different direction, leaving Zoro in the middle of the road alone.

The following day was the day before Valentine's Day. Brook used his coupon and together with Sanji they strolled around the city with lecherous expressions. They emitted an aura so perverted that girls instinctively steered away from their direction. They went lady-hunting for the whole day, and it was an ideal date for the both of them.

Nami had learned that night that the log pose will take 2 days to set. Which meant that they'll be ready to leave by the night of Valentine's day. But Nami told them they'll leave the morning after Valentine's day, of course with Luffy's consent.

And so, Chopper used his date coupon the morning of Valentine's day for Sanji to go herb exploring with him through the jungle behind the town. Sanji was a bit disappointed that Nami didn't choose this day to use her coupon, but he was also glad the Marimo didn't use his for today.

They walked through the not-so-thick jungle talking about different herbs and their flavors, exchanging the information they gathered from the 2 years of training.

After that, they went back in town for lunch, and Chopper called off the date.

"Are you sure? You can't save up the hours, you know," Sanji said.

"I'm sure. I want to play with Usopp now, and I figured you'd want to spend this day with any of the girls. I had fun Sanji," Chopper smiled brightly at him before running off to search for the sniper.

Sanji was a little bit puzzled but was grateful for Chopper's consideration. He started looking for Nami and Robin and found them shopping for clothes.

"Nami-swaaan~ Robin-chwaaan! I've come to be you slave!" And there he did become their slaves for the rest of the day. He was more than happy to spend the rest of Valentine's day like that. Too bad it had to end.

An hour before dinner time, Robin told him that Zoro wanted to use his coupon for the night. Sanji was a bit puzzled for the swordsman's faulty timing, since not only was it during the night, but it was also on the Sunny, because Zoro was on watch tonight.

But he wasn't complaining for the minimal time he had to spend with Zoro. So he headed for the Sunny, leaving the rest of the crew eating at a diner about to run out of food because of Luffy.

When Sanji leapt on the deck of Sunny, he was surprised by what he saw. There was a table set near the side of the ship where they could look out the ocean. The table was complete with table cloth and a candle atop, along with plates and chopsticks.

Zoro was leaning on the railing, his back facing Sanji as he looked out to the ocean.

"Didn't think you'd come when I gave the message," he chuckled casually, not bothering to turn around.

"I considered that. But we have to get this over with sometime," Sanji shrugged. "Didn't think you'd bother with this stuff." He gestured to the whole setting.

"The others' ideas for dates were… fine. I couldn't resist the challenge to top it," Zoro smirked, finally facing the blonde. He gestured for Sanji to sit on the chair.

"Baka, I still have to cook," Sanji told him and turned to the kitchen. But Zoro stopped him.

"Er, I already cooked for us…" he said, scratching the back of his neck. He looked a bit nervous, as if he was expecting some sort of insult. Well, this was Sanji, so of course he would.

Sanji stared at him wide-eyed. "You," he said, "cooked dinner? You?" he asked incredulously.

"Oi, don't say it like I don't know how. Before we had you, I was the best out of all of them," Zoro commented.

Sanji laughed. "Alright, impress me," he sat on the chair and leaned into the seat, like he was some sort of royalty waiting to be entertained.

Zoro pouted, determined to make the cook eat his words as he went into the kitchen and emerged with two huge platters. He placed them on the table and returned to the kitchen to take out more of the platters.

Soon, when everything was out, he took his seat and removed the cover. Sanji's eyebrows raised. It wasn't some high-class food, but it was more decent than he expected the Mairmo's cooking to be.

It didn't look half-bad at all. They were simple foods but nevertheless they looked appetizing. Onigiri, sashimi, different varieties of sushi, and sea king meat sautéed with vegetables and other condiments.

He noticed that Zoro was looking at him smugly. With a smile of his own, he reached for his chopsticks and took a piece of sushi and ate it.

"Hmm, not bad," Sanji commented offhandedly, imitating Zoro's voice when he approves of Sanji's food but it made Zoro smile. "I'll be back," Zoro said. He went back to the kitchen and emerged with a wine bottle. Sanji noticed it was red wine.

"Oi, Marimo. This is actually better with sake," Sanji pointed out.

"I know, but you like this girly shit right?"

Sanji chuckled and held out his glass for Zoro to pour in the wine.

"Only plants with unrefined taste buds would call this shit," Sanji commented as he took a sip.

"So even you agree this thing is girly?" Zoro smiled, causing a vein to pop out of Sanji's head.

Zoro sat in front of the blonde and had started digging in, Sanji occasionally making comments about his food. The nice and friendly suggestions were to be expected from him after all. Like "Where'd you get this shitty soy sauce?" or "The combination of meats aren't balanced enough, baka," and the occasional "Do moss normally eat this stuff?" and so much more.

Though he tried to hide it, he enjoyed their conversation a lot. He didn't know why he was having so much fun being insulted by the cook who kept dissing his cooking yet is eating everything.

That probably has something to do with his "No food is wasted" complex, but who cares.

Zoro didn't know what part of the insults made it different from their normal daily insults that made him smile. Normally all the crap that comes out of Sanji's mouth annoyed the hell out of him. Right now it was just plain fun.

"Fuck, you must have a hard time reading that dining etiquette for little children, huh?" Sanji mused, taking in the surroundings.

"Shut up, this is probably the only proper date you've ever been to your whole life. I'm doing you a favor before you die by Enel-knows-what," Zoro snapped.

"Hah? Well this is probably the only date you've ever been to where your partner managed to sit through the whole thing! My eyes are dying just looking at your ugly mug!"

"Yeah, well your eyebrows are making me dizzy. I'm still wondering why you don't just shave it off..."

"I could say the same thing about your hair. Want me to lend you some dishwashing soap*, see if it kills those weeds on your head?"

"Wanna go curly?"

"Bring it on, baka-marimo."

They growled at each other but made no move to stand up. At least not while there was still food on the table that might be wasted if they started fighting.

By the time they finished eating accompanied by their version of conversing, they had somewhat mellowed out and have started talking about random things. Like the real reason why Sanji did the whole coupon thing.

"It's not that big of a reason. I figured this was a way to get everyone into the holiday as much as I am," Sanji shrugged. "Back at the Baratie, I used to think of new ideas like this, always organizing for events and all."

"So it's just one of your whims… like some kind of a new recipe you figured out," Zoro commented.

"Yeah, something like that."

Silence.

"How 'bout you? What's with…this?" Sanji gestured to everything. Zoro stared at him long, his eyebrows slightly scrunched and suddenly he averted his gaze to the ocean.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just like you. I wanted to try something," he shrugged. "Believe it or not, even if it's just a coupon date, it's still a date, and my first, actually."

Sanji was shocked at that. Though it was probably expected. I mean, it's Zoro. He's not exactly the type of person who would be considered romantic enough to ask someone out on a date. Or want to ask someone on a date.

Well, in this case, it was Zoro who asked him on a date, through the coupon. But the coupon gives you reassurance that Sanji won't say 'no'. That's probably the main reason why he's Zoro's first date.

He had the sudden urge to try to participate in this as much as Zoro. He wanted to give him at least that for his first date.

Only the sound of the ocean and the faint buzzing of a lively town from afar was heard. Sanji couldn't help but feel so relaxed as he sipped the wine in his hand. He couldn't make out if his mind was so clear or so fogged up to be thinking of anything else but the date. And Zoro.

"Well, how's the date faring so far?" Sanji asked, a small smile playing on his lips.

"You tell me," Zoro smirked. "I wouldn't know."

Sanji leaned closer with his elbows on the table, not thinking about table manners. This was Zoro anyway. "Well, food's satisfactory. Setting, satisfactory. Companionship… it can't be determined at this point in time."

Zoro chuckled. He glanced to the lively town, seemingly thinking about something.

"Did you want to go into town or something?" Zoro asked curiously.

"Nah. I'm a bit tired from earlier today," he shrugged. "Chopper and I walked around the town and through the jungle. And I helped out Nami-san and Robin-chan with their shopping."

"I'm guessing that was with a side of your noodle dance with the girls huh?"

"My WHAT?!" Sanji grit his teeth, making Zoro laugh louder.

"You know. That dance you make when you act all dorky around the girls, and you spin around and start to look like walking noodles," Zoro said not bothering to hide his enjoyment in teasing the cook.

"It's NOT a noodle dance!" Sanji spat. "It's my expression of love and happiness to be serving them! Besides, wanna talk about how you act? Like a caveman. You act so uncouth around girls, it's almost as if a hybrid of a pirate and a caveman raised you! I bet you don't even know how to dance." Sanji resisted the urge to stick out his tongue childishly.

"For your information, I can dance way better than you, ero-cook. I bet I can beat you so bad you'd be embarassed to show your noodle dance ever again."

"Oh yeah? Wanna bet? I can dance your ass off on your way to hell!"

"Yeah? Well I'll meet you there! I'll introduce you to my demon friends there!"

"Hah, it's a date." Sanji scoffed.

The last word hung through the air before both of them chuckled simultaneously.

"Already planning the second date, cook?"

"Hmph. You'll be lucky if you land a second date with someone like me," he said haughtily, his smile no longer hiding.

"I could say the same to you, bastard," Zoro grinned.

They let comfortable silence take over once more. Sanji shook his head as he thought about how this setting felt so intimate. He was a romantic at heart, and he knew that being alone with someone, having a good time with them, and enjoying each others' presence itself suggested intimacy.

And the fact that it was Zoro didn't change that definition.

He glanced at Zoro only to find him looking back at him. They held each other's gaze for who knows how long until Sanji spoke up.

"I'm gonna have a smoke," Sanji said, his head nodding to the railing facing the ocean. He leaned out to look at it as he sported a cigarette on his lips and flicked his lighter on.

Zoro stood next to him, facing the sea, his gaze lingering long. He released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

They stood there, close to feel each other's presence but their bodies refused to come in contact.

"You were right, y'know."

Zoro stared at Sanji. About what? He thought.

Sanji continued. "This is by far the best date I've ever been to in my entire life," he confessed, chuckling slightly.

Zoro didn't say anything.

"This is the only date I've had where my date bothered to make me happy instead of the other way around," Sanji sighed.

"It's not like you don't deserve it," Zoro replied, a little too fast. But he continued.

"You give so much to everyone, I just… wanted to give some back to you." This time he faced Sanji, who was facing him too, looking at him with surprise and gratefulness? Awe? He wasn't sure. "I thought about how I want to use my coupon since you gave it to us. At first I wanted to just make you be my slave for a day-" Sanji snorted at that. "-but I saw how tired you were for the past few days, trying to make everyone happy. I just thought I'd return the favor…"

Sanji smiled, and his eyes felt like tearing up. But he didn't. "Thanks," he breathed out.

"It's probably not me you'd want to do this with. Nami or Robin could have made you enjoy this better," Zoro said as he gestured to the setting.

Sanji wanted to say something, but snapped his mouth shut. What exactly did he want to say to that?

"But… you probably would have ended up acting like some desperate idiot trying to impress them…"

"Oi!" Sanji shouted. Way to ruin the moment. Zoro chuckled but he continued. "I don't know if this will be the best date you will ever have, but I want it to be that way for now."

Zoro stepped closer as his voice grew softer into a whisper. "You've loved almost every woman you've come across. I want you to…" his fingers lightly touched Sanji's cheek, "…know what it's like… to be loved back…"

Something touched Sanji, he wasn't even sure how to explain it, but his chest clenched, his heart beat so fast he could hear it. His eyes stung as tears threatened to pool.

"Z-Zoro…" he whispered. He felt drawn to Zoro as he stood intimately close to him, his gaze never breaking contact from Zoro's gray-steel ones.

Zoro's hands rested on Sanji's waist as the blonde approached. He leaned his forehead against Sanji's. They eyes met, Sanji searching Zoro's-er- eye for any kind of mockery or teasing and found none. Zoro's hands slowly slid around him, wrapping his arms around Sanji's waist, pulling him flush against his body. He rests his chin on Sanji's shoulder.

"This okay?" Zoro whispers in his ear.

Sanji's hands crawls up Zoro's bicep, to his chest, and he ends up wrapping his arms around Zoro's neck. "Hell no," he mutters, "Some idiot moss is hugging me." Zoro chuckled. They stayed like that for a while, Zoro lightly rubbing circles on Sanji's back, Sanji's fingers massaging behind Zoro's neck and occasionally threading through the soft hair.

At some point Sanji closed his eyes as Zoro inhaled Sanji's scent before nuzzling into his neck, jaw, ear. Zoro leans back and rests his forehead against Sanji's once more, lips so close they could actually feel it.

Sanji could feel his heart beating fast, tingling pleasantly as he felt Zoro's lips touch the corner of his lip.

The clock tower from the town makes its melodic ringing signaling that it's 12 midnight.

"My coupon's expired," Zoro whispered, his breath puffing on Sanji's lips, their lips touching in the lightest way possible.

Sanji was too preoccupied by the overwhelming feelings he was having when Zoro's words registered. He slowly opened his eyes, not noticing he closed them in the first place. Zoro looked at him expectantly.

He cleared his throat. "That was a good date," Sanji straightened up, pushing himself off Zoro a bit roughly. Zoro reluctantly released his hold of the blonde.

"Good job for your first date, Marimo," he said casually as he turned his back to Zoro, walking to the other side of the Sunny, and leaping off to the docks. He strolled towards the town, not looking back and leaving Zoro watching his back with a pained expression.


*dishwashing soap-I searched about it, apparently it can be added to weed killers to make it more effective or something.