Title: Overtime - Recipe for Sour Hearts
Author: Dai Otenba
Disclaimer: One Piece and its characters belong to Oda Eiichiro, not me. But like any crazy fangirl, I wish they were.
Pairing: implied Zoro/Sanji
Rating: PG
Summary: Please thoroughly review the rules of conduct in order to make a professional yet enjoyable atmosphere in the workplace. Continuous failure to practice these rules and regulations will result in extended hours, decreased pay, and possible blackmail depending on whether Nami catches it on camera or not.
Author Notes: Set in a later timeline within my story Recipe for Sour Hearts, a little bit after Zoro and Sanji start going out and having stupid fights that lead to lots of angry, sweaty sex. Unfortunately a lot of it happens inside the cafe. There are many porcelein and glass casualties. :(
"Ah, excuse me, are you still open-"
"What the hell did I tell you about shutting that back door when you're the only one here?!"
"It was shut! Nami was the last one to use it so it was-"
"Don't go off blaming your stupidity on Nami-swan! She has wisdom and intuition far above anything your pea brain could even understand and would never do something like that!"
"Well obviously it goes for you too if you think a shady, corrupt woman like that would bother with any actual work around here!"
"What the fuck did you just call her, shitty marimo?!"
"You heard me, perverted cook!"
The young woman cringed as the chaotic sounds of pans crashing to the floor and a plate or two smashing echoed from the backroom located behind the counter she was steadily walking away from.
"Um..." She jumped as a hand placed itself atop her tensed shoulder, turning her head to see an apologetic smile across a very calm (though obviously furious) orange-headed girl.
"Sorry about the scare. We're going to be closing soon so you're going to have to come back tomorrow. Because of the embarrassing situation my lunkheaded fellow employees have caused, I can pull some strings and get you a free meal any time you want. Is that alright?"
The young girl's brow furrowed. "Oh, but I thought you don't close for another hour?" She flinched as the side of the woman's mouth gave a twitch and a very very unpleasant and quite frightening look flashed over her features for no more than a second.
"Believe me; you can't get to them when they're like that. Plus, you don't want to be here when they're done."
As Nami quickly jotted down a note to the others informing them that she'd be leaving early and that they could close up themselves, both women headed out towards the front doors. They stopped in their tracks however at the realization that a peculiar unnerving silence had settled from the back room. That was until-
"Ah, did you hear something? It sounded like a moa-"
"It was nothing!" Nami shrieked out as she quickly pushed the girl outside and managed to close the door softly behind her. 'They are so owing me big time tomorrow.' She mentally grated out as she faced the girl once more and sighed heavily. "Want me to walk you home Vivi?"
Vivi turned her eyes away from the cafe and faced her good friend, smiling kindly. "Oh, that'd be nice. I wish I would have been able to try the food here though. You had been mentioning it forever and I really wanted to meet your co-workers too."
"Don't worry; there will be plenty of time in the future for you to try everything out and meet them hard at work."
Work that didn't involve replacing broken kitchenware, mysteriously tattered uniforms and missing ingredients.