AN: I'm still alive! AND SCHOOL IS OVER! AND LOOK! AN UPDATE! WOO!
Thanks to all of you guys for following this-I've been dying to get back to it for months, now...
So! Let's get some words on that screen! CHAPTER 2! WOOT!
/un-beta'd... find my errors... ;A;
Chapter 2
"God dammit, Ace. I thought you knew where this place was!" Sanji sat in his car [desc.] with a cell phone mashed against his ear and a spent cigarette crushed between his teeth. He'd pulled off on a small road, trees giving splotched relief from the winter sun. Apparently in the last few years he'd been gone, the whole town had changed. The old east side where he grew up was now closer to the center of town, the entirety of it having been remodeled and redone.
It wasn't a thing like he remembered it. Thus the unhelpful phone call.
"No, I do know where it is." The other end of the line buzzed, the click of a zippo lighter carrying through the speaker. "He's on the corner of 23rd and Newhaven."
Sanji stretched to look out the window at a nearby street sign, "Yeah, 23rd and Newhaven. That's where I am."
"Then what the problem?"
The cigarette split between his teeth, "the problem is that this street is all duplexes! You said your friend had an apartment or something! I can't afford a-"
"Huh? No no no." Ace interrupted, clicking the zippo again. "Zoro's got one half of those, ya know? He's paying it off but he's renting out a room so he can pay it off faster."
The cook rubbed a hand over his eyes before removing the remains of the cig from his lips, "Shit, Ace. You could've told me that sooner."
"Forgot."
"Yeah, I can tell that, asshole." Sanji sighed, leaning back in his chair as he heard his friend chuckle. "But I mean it; thanks Ace."
"Anytime. You know I've got your back."
"Yeah, I know." The blonde unclipped his seatbelt and got out of the car, standing up and shutting the door behind him. "So which number is it again?"
"113 Newhaven. It should be the one right on the corner."
Sure enough, Sanji saw a small red sign that read 'ROOM FOR RENT' in the far right window of the duplex across the street from where he stood. It was an old fashioned type of building, in need of general maintenance, but overall in good care. He stared at the dark blue curtains for a moment before making up his mind, "All right, I'm going to go check it out. I'll call later."
"Cool. 'Luck, Sanji."
"Thanks."
The cook snapped the phone shut and placed it back in his pocket, taking a deep breath of fresh air before looking in the side mirror of the car and adjusting his hair. He liked to make a good first impression, hence the goldenrod, black-pinstriped shirt and a pair of his favorite black jeans. Casual enough for everyday while still looking classy as fuck.
It was perfect.
He strode up the building, climbing the stairs and looking at the rightmost nametag—Roronoa. He was in the right place. Straightening his shirt, Sanji knocked on the door and waited.
…and waited.
Nothing.
Cooling his nerves, Sanji knocked again with a little more force; rapping the door harshly with his knuckles.
He waited.
…and waited.
"Fuck this," the cook swore. He took two steps back and proceeded to kick the door with the heel of his foot. "Oi! I know you're in there!"
"Shit—coming!" A voice sounded from the other side of the door.
Smirking to himself in satisfaction, Sanji lowered his foot and listened to the sounds of a person rushing around a room. Things were banging and it as very likely something very large tipped over. Before he had any time to question it, the door swung open and in front of him stood the guy he might be bunking with for a while.
He was about the same height as himself, far heavier on the muscles, though. His skin was also a lot more tan than Sanji's. He had that kind of face that looked pleasant enough but was probably almost demon-like when contorted with anger. The real kicker was that this guy had green hair and three piercings in his left ear.
Ah, hell. Did Ace try to introduce him to some punk? No, that was not what he needed right now, thanks. It was only those two little details that seemed to give off that impression though, otherwise he looked fairly normal. He wore a simple t-shirt and blue jeans; the aforementioned hair was short but still managed to stick up in weird angles. He'd clearly just rolled out of bed.
"Are you Mr. Roronoa?" Sanji asked, trying not to judge this book by its green-haired cover.
"Yeah." The other answered in a low rumbling voice, he didn't seem like he was too used to being called "mister," but Sanji was raised on good manners.
The cook stuck out his hand casually, "Sanji Black. Ace Portgas said you'd be expecting me." The confused look on the man's face prompted further detail. "I'm here to see about the room for rent."
"Oh! Yeah, Ace said someone he knew would be coming by," suddenly the tanned punk was all smiles, completely turning Sanji's initial impression of him upside down. "Come in, I'll show you the room. You can just call me Zoro, by the way."
"Like the masked swordsman?" Sanji chuckled, it was a pretty rare name to have, and he'd be damned if he didn't crack a joke about it.
Zoro just gave him a look as he removed his shoes, "I don't do masks."
Sanji stepped into the building, to his immediate right was a large bookshelf and just beyond it, the space opened up to be a good sized living room. A wall-mounted TV hung on the far wall above a small fireplace and a couch sat just opposite of the curtain-clad windows adjacent to it. A small coffee table sat in the middle of the room with an empty ashtray and some large books. Next to the TV on the floor was a sound system that took up the entire corner—it looked like someone mugged a DJ and shoved the equipment there.
"So, this is the living room," Zoro said unnecessarily, waving a hand at it before continuing forward. Zoro stopped at the first door on the left and opened it. "This is the room you'd be staying in. You'd have the bathroom next to it to yourself."
The cook stepped into a small room with one large window; the closet was just adjacent to the door on the right side and a bare, twin sized bed sat nestled in the far corner next to a good sized dresser.
"Cool," Sanji nodded, walking around the room and looking out the window. "Oh, is it alright if I smoke in here?"
The other shrugged from where he was leaning against the doorframe, "go for it. Just make sure you use an ashtray."
Sanji hummed in response before turning back to the green-haired landlord, "Can I see the kitchen?"
"Sure."
Alright, Sanji thought. This is what will either make or break this deal—it better at least have a stove, sink, fridge and pantry or this is just not going to work. Even though he'd pretty much decided that this place was exactly what he was looking for, if there was no decent kitchen, he was out the door.
He wasn't disappointed.
Though small, the kitchen was extremely well equipped—full sized stove top and oven, double sink, more counter space than he thought was possible for the small space and stainless-steel fridge. There was a small pantry nestled in the corner and a spice rack hung from a wall near a calendar next to rows of upper cabinets.
All it lacked was a microwave, and that suited Sanji just fine.
The blonde took a moment to walk around the space, noting pots hanging above the small island in the center and the bar that separated the kitchen from the small dining area. Three stools lined it on the opposite side and above them sat racks that normally held crystalline glassware.
Sanji turned back to Zoro who watched from one of the barstools, his fingers laced on the countertop. Zoro gestured to the space, "so. What'dya think?"
Sanji shoved his hands in his pockets, fiddling with his lighter as he weighed his options mentally. He nodded to himself with a slight smile, "it's good. I'll take it."
Zoro paused for a moment, clearly processing the words—it was likely he hadn't thought he'd ever get someone to take the deal, especially judging by how long Ace claimed he'd been looking for a renter. The green-haired man smiled then and stood up from his stool, reaching a hand out to shake Sanji's in a deal. The cook took it with a firm shake and the other nodded, "Now we just gotta sign some papers."
=x=x=x=
TBC...