"Fuck, where is it?" Sanji cursed and riffled around in his duffle-bag.
His phone was ringing, and it was somewhere in his bag; but he just couldn't find it.
"There you are. Hello?"
"Hi baby-brother!" a female voice cheered on the other side line. "Is everything going fine?"
"Hey Maria", Sanji said and smiled. It was a while ago he had heard his sister's voice. She had mailed him a lot, but calling that often was just too expensive in the long run. That, and she barely had the time now when the launching of the brand had worked so perfectly.
"I'm sorry I not calling more often, but you know the reasons already. We're going to travel around the country now, attending on different meetings and fairs and such."
"Sounds pretty exciting… and tiring" Sanji laughed. "You're eating properly I assume."
"Don't start that again Sanji! I'm eating perfectly good food."
"With you I can never be sure."
Maria was a model and had, just like many else in that branch, suffered in anorexia. She managed to break free from it thanks to Sanji and her husband (who was boyfriend at that time) but Sanji was always cautious around his sister. She couldn't afford to get the sickness again, especially not now when she had a kid to take care of.
"I thought I was the older one", his sister said with a teasing voice. "So how's everything back home? How's Joshua?"
"Oh he's fine." Sanji said and looked over at the playing boy in the improvised baby chamber. "He's playing with some of my ties. You wanna speak with him?"
"No it's alright. Don't disturb him. I'm just checking up on you guys, updating myself on the latest news."
"I see. Well he has had no more sickness since the fever three weeks ago. Everything else is going smoothly, but I can't seem to get him eat broccoli."
"I'll give you a medal for stubbornness if you succeed."
"Oh it can't be that hard! I'm going to stuff it in pancakes next time."
"Just be careful so he doesn't end up hating that too."
"I'll be careful, promise", Sanji assured and sank down in the couch, tired of standing and watching Joshua so he didn't ruin his beloved ties.
"The old geezer has been here a couple of times, giving me left-over's from the Baratie, and Joshua met all my friends last weekend."
"Really, how did it go?"
"Perfect. He was a little scared of Brook though."
"Hm, wonder why?" Maria said with a sarcastic voice.
"Oh knock that off. Brook is the kindest man in the world", Sanji said defensively.
"When he's not asking if he can see you panties!"
"…Anyway", Sanji continued and left that topic. "Joshua really took a liking to Chopper, almost as much as he likes Zoro."
"Well, he has spent a lot of time with the two of you recently; if I should believe your e-mails. I'm so happy you've found someone special", Maria said, and Sanji could hear the smirk she had on her lips.
"Maria", Sanji said in a warning tone.
"Oh come on Sanji, you know I adore that muscle-head. The two of you are a perfect couple."
"There's nothing between us!" Sanji shouted and a blush painted his cheeks.
"Yet", Maria finished and laughed; she knew exactly how flushed Sanji was right now. "You even have love-quarrels all the time!"
"That's not love-quarrels", Sanji hissed. "Just normal fighting."
This was pointless fight and Sanji knew it. There was no way he could get Maria to change her mind about Sanji ending up being together with Zoro. The marimo had spent a lot of time at his apartment the latest month, but that was only because he wanted to help take care of Joshua, right?
"So when is your next date?"
"Maria", Sanji said with a sigh. "We've never dated and we won't start."
"He's coming over tonight, right?"
"H-how could you possibly know that?" Sanji blurted out.
"I do know now."
"Damn you, sly woman."
"All women are sly honey."
Sanji was about to answer something witty back, but was interrupted by the door opening and he heard Zoro's voice greet him.
"Is that him?" Maria asked and she had a giddy tone that Sanji didn't really like.
"Yeah it's him. It's Maria", Sanji explained to the questioning face Zoro maid when he walked over to the couch.
"Oh, say hi from me", Zoro said with a grin.
The swordsman had always liked Maria, and after she kicked his ass hard one time for bullying Sanji (something that the cook didn't really like, being protected by a girl and all), he had gained some huge respect for the woman.
"Say hi back" Maria said back before Sanji even had passed the message on.
"Maria, don't eavesdrop!"
"Come on, it's not like I can turn off my hearing! But I should hang up now, don't wanna disturb you lover-birds."
"Maria", Sanji growled.
"Sorry, I just couldn't resist baby brother. I love you Sanji, and I miss you both. I'll send a mail after our first meeting. I'll see ya next month."
"Love you too Maria. Take care, and say I to my lovely Keimi-chan!"
"Oh you're hopeless", Maria sighed. "I will, to Pappagu too. Bye."
"Bye", Sanji said and hang up, looking at Zoro.
"Is it going well over there?" Zoro asked and sat down in the couch beside Sanji.
"Yeah, it sounds like that."
"Choro!"
Fast tapping of tiny feet was heard before the blonde baby launched forward and into Zoro's lap.
"Ouff, hi kiddo", Zoro said with a fond grin.
"Oi Joshua, leave the marimo alone, we've got homework to do. You wanna watch a movie?"
"Tangled!" Joshua cheered and jumped in the couch.
"Yeah, yeah I know; you love the horse."
Zoro chuckled at the little boy jumping in the couch and the big boy crouching in front of the TV. Zoro usually saw Sanji wear school uniform, fancy costumes or things like that. It was a little weird to see him in grey sweatpants and a plain blue t-shirt. They shirt was tight over the slender shoulders and chest; a little more loose around the lower back and stomach. The pants hand loosely around his ankles and long legs, but they hug the blonde's thighs and butt perfectly. He wondered how it would feel like to touch it, squeeze it. Would Sanji squeak, or maybe curse and kick him out? The swordsman caught himself staring quite intensely at the blonde's behind, and he ripped his gaze away just before Sanji turned back to them.
"Joshua, don't jump in- Oi marimo, what's wrong? You're all red in the face."
"Erh, no i-it's nothing", Zoro muttered and turned his face away.
Sanji raised an eyebrow at the weird reaction, but shrugged it off and walked to the kitchen to make some snacks for them and a bottle of warm milk to Joshua.
Zoro's mind had gone down a dirty track, but he couldn't let himself go too deep into that swamp; if he didn't want the day to end in a very awkward way.
"You want a pencil?" Sanji said and sat down in the couch and held a pencil towards Zoro.
"Yeah, thanks", Zoro said and took it. "What are we starting with?"
"I would feel much less bothered if we did Smoker's assignment first. He can come up with so many other things to do if you're not finished in time", Sanji said with a shudder.
"Agree", Zoro said and opened his book.
They sat like that for one and a half hour, then the movie ended and Joshua had fallen asleep in between them on the couch. They kept going for another hour, until Zoro's stomach gave away a loud growling.
"Sorry", Zoro muttered with a slight flush.
"It's alright", Sanji said and suppressed a laugh. "I'll make something for a late dinner. Can you put Joshua to bed?"
"Sure", Zoro said and stood up, slowly lifting the baby up to rest on his shoulder.
The swordsman walked into Joshua's room and laid the kid down in his bed without problems. The kid was really fast asleep. Zoro could hear Sanji move around in the kitchen: opening the fridge, chopping something with a knife, boiling water and so on. The blonde really was something, being able to go to school, work and taking care of a two-year-old child for two months. But now when Zoro thought about it, Sanji hadn't worked at the Baratie like he usually did. He wondered how Sanji got around that.
"Hey marimo, will you set the table?" Sanji asked from the stove when Zoro arrived back from the baby chamber.
"Sure", Zoro said with a shrug and walked over to the drawers.
"Where do you have the glass?" Zoro asked when that was the only thing missing in the setting.
"They're in the cabinet over the stove", Sanji explained, not even realizing that he was standing in front of the stove himself and he was in the way.
"…right", Zoro said and slowly walked over and slid in behind the blonde. "Don't move then."
Sanji stiffened when he heard the dark voice so close to his ear. He didn't move, but got cautious when he saw the tanned arms circle around him.
"What are you doing, marimo?" Sanji asked and a not so calm voice.
"I'm getting the glass; they were over the stove, right?"
Sanji looked dumbfounded in front of him. He hadn't even realized that if Zoro wanted to get the glass, then the blonde had to move.
"You could have just asked me to move", Sanji mumbled and looked down on the pasta that was nearly finished.
"Nah, I didn't want to bother a man in his work."
Sanji spun around, both to properly see the marimo and to get away from the dark voice talking beside his ear; coming face to face with the taller man towering over him. This left the cook choking on his own words. Zoro was so close. Sanji could feel the body heat radiating from the tanned muscles and the intense dark eyes. They stared at each other for a while; then the marimo started to lean forward. Sanji's breath was caught in his throat; but before he could do anything the swordsman had made some distance and was walking away, back turned towards Sanji.
"W-what was that?" the blonde said with strange calmness.
"You asked me to get glass, right?" Zoro said with a confused look and held the two items he had picked so Sanji could see them. "Did you want me to do something else?"
"No!" Sanji said a little too fast. "The food is finished so let's eat."
They ate in something that would have been a comfortable silence, if Sanji wasn't so damn jumpy. If Zoro reached over to grab something near the blonde, Sanji would twitch or jump. He almost knocked the salads bowl down and it would have hit the floor if not his foot had been stretching out and caught it.
"What's wrong ero-cook?" Zoro asked and lifted the bowl from Sanji's foot and up on the table again. "You're nervous about something or what?"
"N-no I'm not", Sanji said and let out an exasperated sigh. "I think I'm just tired."
"Then go lie down on the couch, I'll take care of the dishes."
Sanji looked with surprise as the swordsman stood up and took their plates to the sink.
"Thanks, I'll do that", Sanji mumbled and walked over to the couch, crashing down on it.
The cook hadn't felt that tired, but it took just a few minutes for him to fall asleep, snoring slightly.
Zoro chuckled slightly when he saw the down-and-out blonde on the couch. When he was finished with the dishes he walked over to the couch and lifted the blonde walking him bridal-style to the bedroom.
"This is starting to become an interesting habit", Zoro said to himself as he put Sanji on the bed carefully. He removed the blue shirt, the sweatpants and socks; leaving the blonde in his boxers. This time Zoro didn't plan on staying over. He would like to have Sanji snuggling up to him again, but he hoped that if there were a next time for that, Sanji would do it and be awake. Zoro set the alarm on the clock beside the bed, so Sanji wouldn't over sleep.
A light sigh come from Sanji's pink lips and the swordsman couldn't resist giving the blonde a light kiss on the cheek.
"Night sleepyhead", Zoro whispered and rose.
Before he left the apartment he checked on Joshua. The little kid was sleeping heavy. The last thing Zoro did was locking the flat with the spare key he had got from Sanji almost one month ago.
Sanji walked out from the classroom with heavy steps. He had woken up in the bed after falling asleep on the couch… again. At least Zoro hadn't stayed over this time. But Sanji hadn't become any wiser during the morning, and now it was lunch-time. He had definitely changed during his time with Zoro. At first he didn't think much of it, but it all crashed down on him yesterday. He had started to get used to have the thick-head around him. When Zoro wasn't in his flat, it seemed empty and too quiet. He was lucky to have Joshua around.
Yesterday had showed him something else too; he had feelings for that Neanderthal! Not just some new friendly feelings, but lusting and heart-aching feelings. Sanji thought his heart would leap out if his chest when Zoro had leaned forward for a brief moment. It was a wonder the marimo didn't hear it.
How could he fall for Zoro, of all men on this planet? Sure he was the type Sanji usually went for: slightly taller than himself, good body and they had fun together (even the fighting was fun). But it was still the marimo. Sanji had better taste than that right?
'Seeing that I have flirted with Doflamingo a little too much, taste is probably the last thing I have', Sanji thought depressed.
The blonde banged his head on his locker door a few times in frustration. This thinking was getting him nowhere.
"Why are you taking out all your frustration on the poor locker Sanji?"
Sanji looked over at his side and saw that Usopp stood there, leaning against the lockers with a wondering look on his blonde friend.
"Isn't it obvious?"
Both men turned to look at Sanji´s other side, where Nami stood and wore a smug grin on her pretty face. "He's lovesick."
"Oh", was Usopp's simple answer, while Sanji turned bright red and tried to stutter something to defend himself.
"O-of course I'm lovesick", Sanji exclaimed and even managed to get heart-shaped eyes. "The lovely Nami-swan is standing here talking to me!"
"Oh zip it Sanji", Nami said annoyed. "We all know that's not likely."
With that said, Nami span around on her heel and walked outside, to one of the benches on the school ground. It was implicit that Sanji was supposed to follow. The blonde threw a look at Usopp, but the long nosed boy just shrugged his shoulder in confusion. They both followed the red-head outside.
"Here's the facts", Nami said as soon as all three of them had sat down, Sanji on the other bench across and Usopp on the table in between the benches. "You're frustrated because you don't understand your own feelings."
"But Sanji likes all the girls he sees", Usopp said with a confused frown.
"Oh please Usopp", Nami said and face-palmed. "Sanji's just born with some gene that tells him he has to treat all women like they're some delicate flower. Sanji doesn't like women, because he thinks they're too fragile"
Sanji felt kind of left out. Here Usopp and Nami talked about him, while he was there!
"Oi, I'm sitting right here you know", Sanji muttered and didn't feel like treating Nami like a delicate flower right now.
"Then Sanji has fallen for some really unwomanly woman then?" Usopp said in thought and tilted his head to the side.
"Oh my god, why me", Nami muttered at her friends thickness. "Not an unwomanly woman you idiot! A man."
"Nami-san!" Sanji hissed with an embarrassed flush
"A MAN!"
"Oh shut up!" Sanji said and kicked Usopp in the side.
"Both of you calm down", Nami commanded, and the boys sat down quietly.
"Yes Usopp, Sanji prefers men. It's not that hard to figure out, and if you have a problem with that then maybe you're not such a good friend."
"I don't have a problem with that", Usopp said with a reproachful expression. "But it's Sanji we're talking about!"
"And now you know Sanji's gay, but that's not the interesting part", Nami continued and lifted her finger at them. "That part is: who are Sanji interested in?"
"N-Nami-san", Sanji said with a weak voice. "I'm not interested in anybody right now."
"Bullshit", Nami said and leaned back with a cat-like grin, arms crossed over her chest.
"Then who is it?" Usopp asked with such an interest that surprised both Nami and Sanji.
"I'll give you a clue", Nami said and kept a delicate hand over Sanji's mouth, stopping the blonde from protesting. "He has the worst sense of direction of all times."
"Not possible", Usopp said and started to laugh "The one with the worst sense of direction is Zoro and no one could be worse than... ZORO?"
Nami snickered when it finally dawned on Usopp while Sanji felt like sinking through the ground.
"B-but, but Zoro and Sanji argues all the time! They never get along!"
"But they've gotten along quite well this last month don't you think?" Nami said with a knowing smirk.
"Yeah I guess", Usopp trailed off.
"Really you two, stop this", Sanji said with a sigh and lit a cigarette; he hadn't smoked a lately due to how it would damage Joshua. "Even if I was interested in the marimo that way, it would never work. The only thing he's interested in is training. I haven't even seen him look at a girl, or a boy either for that matter."
"They say that the one being in love is the last one to know", Nami said with a smug grin, but her expression soon became serious. "But if you really want to know how he feels about you Sanji, you'll just have to go forward slowly. Seeing each other like this and taking care of Joshua is a perfect way to do so. Just invite him more often, there's a month left after all."
"Yeah Sanji", Usopp filled in. "You and Zoro have become really great friends on this short time. Just get to know each other deeper than on a basic friendship."
Sanji looked up at the beautiful girl and then over at his long nosed friend.
"I guess you're right", Sanji said and grinned, thankful for his friends help.
"Excellent, let's get ready for class", Nami said and clasped her hands together.
While the boys stood up she picked up her cell phone and started to write a message.
"Ah, here you are."
Zoro didn't open his eyes. He knew Luffy climbed up on the school's roof he was currently taking a nap on, or tried taking a nap on; a stupid love-cook occupied his mind though.
"You know, class started fifteen minutes ago."
"Don't feel like going", Zoro muttered, still not opening his eyes.
Zoro knew without looking that Luffy was crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head a little to the side; like he always did when he tried to figure out what was wrong.
"But its character choice, that's the only class in school both you and me actually enjoy."
"If I can't focus, I might as well skip it", was Zoro's answer to that.
"Ah, is it about Sanji?"
Now Zoro's eyes flew open and he sat straight up from his lying position. He stared at Luffy who sat crossed-legs by his side.
"W-what? Why would I be thinking of the love-cook!"
"Because you like him", Luffy said matter-of-factly.
"I do not!" Zoro hissed, slightly lighter than his usual voice.
"You can say whatever you like."
Both boys turned and looked towards the stairway that led down from the roof. Robin was leaning against the doorway. She was looking at her phone, but she soon slipped it back into her pocket and walked over to her friends.
"The two of us can't decide your feelings for you, but in the end you're only lying yourself."
Zoro glared at the dark haired woman. Even if Zoro could handle three swords at once, or Sanji was an elite at the material art Savate, or Luffy could smash his fist through a wall or a skull; Robin still was the creepiest of them all. When she looked at you, it was as if she could read everything that was running through your head.
"Even if I felt like that for the love-cook", Zoro started with an exasperated sigh. "There wouldn't be a chance that he would feel the same. He's all into women."
A secret glance was switched between Luffy and the dark haired woman. They both knew the truth.
"How about testing it out?"
Both Zoro and Robin looked at Luffy with confused looks. The raven just grinned at them both, quite happy over his little comment.
"Well, you've been really close to Sanji this last month, so why don't just keep getting together and take it little by little? If you fell that something isn't right, then just stop. We don't want the situation to become awkward right?"
It was hard for Zoro to believe that such a simple idea could come from such a goofy face.
"Just leave me alone", Zoro muttered and left, passing Robin before he started to climb down the stairs.
"You got a gift in talking captain", Robin said with a tender smile.
"Naa", Luffy said and pushed his hat lower down on his head. "It's easy when you know what to say. So was the message you got from Nami?"
"Yes, she and Usopp have convinced Sanji to make him discover his feelings slow and keep these meetings with Zoro."
"Awesome", Luffy said with his usual trademark grin.
Sorry for the wait! Something just happened, a gap maybe… can't have that now can we? Well I hope I'm back on track again and that you have enough patience with me. Zoro and Sanji have lovely friends right? I want people like that too… oh wait, I have! Errm, just let me know what you think about this chapter and the story so far! Milow loves you, Ciaossu.