AN: Ba-dum-tshh... Let's start progressing with the romance~
Also, thank you so much for the great reviews. I am truly truly happy with every single word. Thank you so much! I hope you like this chapter.
Here ya go!
As Sanji slept, he heard a steady rhythm of someone's beating heart that was not his own; and it relaxed his body. It assuaged Sanji, reassured that everything was fine and will always be fine. He loved waking up next to a person, listening to their heartbeats until his mind slowly rose to consciousness. He loved the warmth another person provided him and the faint brush of their breath on his skin.
Sanji sighed in total contentment.
He knew the person next to him was Zoro, but strangely, he didn't give a shit. The person was a man, so what? They were simply snuggling next to one another for comfort and the heat that lacked in the room, like two male hikers camping high in the mountains searching for warmth and body heat. With that thought in mind, he peacefully laid there, half in daze.
"Beauty queen of only 18, she had some trouble with herself. He was always there to help her; she always belonged to someone else…."
Hearing that familiar ringtone formed a lump inside his throat. Sanji fumbled out of the bed, out of the swordsman's grip on him, and reached for his phone on top of the dresser.
"Hey, Nami-san."
In all honesty, he had forgotten about his dear, Nami-san, and that bastard, Sebastian, the last couple of days. His mind had been too occupied with getting fired from the job, getting threatened by the kendo teacher with a sharpened sword, and getting more problems hanging around with that damn marimo. But now that she was calling him, his painful one-sided love crawled back to his chest.
Her voice trembled as she cried out his name, "Sanji..."
Ah, memories flooded back. On prom night, Nami's high school crush, who she had liked for four years, was found sucking lips with another girl. Her mascara dripped down her rosy cheeks and landed on her beautiful white dress. Sanji, who had been completely head over heels for her as he is now, ran to the prom last minute and acted as her date, covering her dress with a jacket of his, using the excuse 'she's cold' to fool their friends.
But even earlier memories struck him...
When Bell-mère, her adoptive mother, died in an accident, the young tough tomboy Nami shed her facade for Sanji for the first time. That was also the first time the young blond boy felt protective of her, as he had felt for his own mother, except this time he was stronger and bigger. He wanted to wipe the tears away from Nami's face forever, even if that meant staying by her side for an eternity.
Because for him, this was love.
"What's wrong love?" He asked, alert and awake.
"I'm sorry to be a bother, Sanji, but S-Sebastian just broke up with me. You're the only one whom I could talk with," She sniffled after each word, voice cracking.
That bastard...
Sanji had a sad smile on his face. "Of course, that's what best friends are for, right?
A soft chuckle was heard in midst of her wet sniffles, "I'm so glad you're always there for me."
Sanji's heart lightened. "Would you like to come to my house today? I am completely free of work and we haven't talked in so long," he suggested. Of course, as he was saying these words, he had forgotten the marimo snoring away on his bed.
"Okay! I'll be there soon," she responded before the conversation ended with a click.
Left alone in the empty silence again, Sanji's heart ached. He knew, that she would never give him a chance because they had already set a concrete borderline between them years ago, when he had first wrapped his arms around her slender shoulders, promising, "I will be your friend forever." And Sanji wasn't one to risk what they have just to get rejected, because he knew he would be rejected. Though he jokingly hit on her and asked her to go out with him plenty of times, she never took him seriously. Nami never realized that, underneath that joking disguise Sanji built up, he had genuine feelings for her.
As much as he wanted to jump under the blankets and laze around, he now had a plan with the most beautiful woman, so he groomed himself all morning, even fretted over his clothes... well, he always fretted over his clothes... But today, he decided to wear a plain blue collared shirt and jeans, to look casual, because it would be bizarre to be wearing a tux in your own house.
When he heard the light taps against the door, he shouted "Coming!" in an enthusiastic manner.
The door swung open to reveal Nami, but the rims of her eyes were pitched red as well as her cornea. She definitely had been crying. "Hey, Sanji-kun, we haven't talked in so long." She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a friendly hug, which he accepted by coming around her small waist.
"We can make it up today," he told her as he lifted the coat off her shoulders. "Wait, let me make you some breakfast first, you probably skipped your meal again."
Nami grinned, "Good thing I didn't eat my breakfast."
"Nami-san, you have to eat regularly or your health issues will pop up again," he scolded with a light tone of voice, pressing but not demanding. In the past, because of financial situations, Nami had trouble scraping for food, which led to anorexia. When Sanji found out, he ran to the hospital to nurture her and bring her his meals made by his own hands, which was a feat for a young boy his age. She was one of the reasons why he was so inspired to cook healthy foods, because he wanted her to recover as fast as possible.
The red haired woman frowned at him, "Hey, I do eat regularly! It's just that I like your cooking the best."
Sanji's heart melted at this comment. "Ah, thank you, Nami-san." He created a heart with his hands as he swished his hips from side to side, "do you love me now?" he asked.
If this hadn't been the sad Nami, she would have sighed or slapped him across his face, but today, she smiled. "You're so funny, Sanji."
The blond paused for a moment, hesitant to change the subject. "So... Nami-san, would you like to talk about what happened?" He reached inside his pockets to pull out a stick of cigarette.
Nami sighed, her eyes so young but weary. "It was just a small fling, but I wanted to believe he was the one, you get me? I am over that whole 'trying out guys' stuff, I am ready to finally settle down and have a family. But I found out that he was simply using me to get back at his ex-girlfriend." She stopped for a bit when her eyes threatened to leak. "I-I'm always being used, whether for sex or as an exhibition. It makes me wonder if something is seriously wrong with me."
The blond looked at her with an expression of shock. "If there's anyone wrong, it's Sebastian and those other bastards who dumped you. Not you, Nami-san. Anyone who had the idiocy to ditch you are the dumb asses." He spat the last words out, as though those words had bad aftertastes.
Her lips pulled into a wide smile, that childlike look she only had when she was truly happy. It was a reward to Sanji.
"What about you, Sanji?"
The blond raised a brow, "Hm, what's that?"
"I mean, do you have anyone you're interested in?" She had a spark of intrigue in her eyes. "Come on, you never talk about these things with me even though I always go to you for advice."
His face inadvertently flushed.
"Oh, my god, Sanji, you're blushing!" she cried out with excitement, "Who is it? Is it someone I know?"
Although it was against his morals to lie to women, he made an excuse for himself just this one time. "I don't have anyone I like. I'm currently single, mind and body."
Complete lie, you bastard.
"Bullshit," Nami's lips drew into a thin line. "You can't expect me to believe that. I mean, you always had someone you liked. In high school, I tried to help out discreetly and you always got awkward with them," she chuckled.
In high school, Sanji had always made up these fake crushes in order to hide the fact that he liked Nami instead. But she would try to hook them up, and it usually ended as an awkward situation.
"Oh, I remember." How could he forget? "But right now there's no one in my life."
Sanji put finishing touches to Nami's breakfast, a small amount of dosa (with wet chutney and sugar on the side), two sunny side up eggs, crispy fattening bacon, and square shaped fruits on the side. It was the healthiest meal he thought of off the top of his head. And when he placed the plate in front of the red haired woman, her grin stretched wider, almost as wide as Luffy's
"This is so good, Sanji!" She remarked when she took a bite.
His heart pounded in his ears as well as her compliment, and he couldn't help the overwhelming love to express for her, "Ah, do you love me now?"
However, the mood was broken by a loud yawn heard behind Sanji.
The blond alertly turned his head to see the marimo standing near the kitchen doorway, lips pouting and eyes slightly watery from yawning. "Oi, food, cook." Even as he glanced at the red haired woman sitting by the dining table, he did not bother to acknowledge her presence.
Nami's fork fell out of her grip, landing on the table with a noisy clatter. "Uh... Did he just come out of your room, Sanji?"
The reality of the situation slowly sank in for Sanji. Of course there shouldn't be anything Sanji should be ashamed about; after all, the only thing he and Zoro did was... cuddle?
Shit.
Zoro turned his eyes on the woman, snapping at her in an annoyed tone of voice, "So, what?" he answered for the cook.
Normally, Sanji would've scolded anyone for talking to a lady like that, especially Nami, but he only felt relief for being averted from the topic. "Oi, take a seat, I have some extra food."
The three of them sat around the table, Sanji and Nami next to one another, Zoro across from Sanji. As the cook and the red haired woman took their time savoring their food, Zoro swallowed everything whole. Then, after cleaning his plate, he burped afterwards, causing Sanji to flinch.
The swordsman left as quickly as he came, meditating by the window and ignoring the two who were still in the kitchen.
"Sanji," Nami began.
The blond swallowed.
"So, you like a man. It's nothing to be ashamed of, love is love. I mean, I admit, I'm a little shocked, but if you like him then there's nothing you should be ashamed of. You know I would never judge you like that," she whispered, a little hurt in her eyes.
"W-What?" he stuttered.
No, it was wrong! He didn't like men. He loved women! He was a ladies' man!
"Come on, Sanji. I'm a little offended, did you really think I would judge you for your sexual preferences?" She did look offended, but in a cute way.
The blond heard a loud cough from the living room, where Zoro meditated, causing Sanji to flush in embarrassment.
Dammit! He probably heard.
"Nami-san, can we please not talk about this?" he begged. It was damn awkward with Zoro so close to hearing them.
"Fine, Sanji. But you have to tell me sooner or later," she snapped with a pout, which allured Sanji. She was so cute.
For the next few hours, the pair of them shared a nice conversation. He told the story about how he was fired from Baratie and she told him about her part time job as a model that sufficiently earned her enough money for her college tuition. She apologized to him severely for her rude actions for the last few days towards Sanji, due to Sebastian by her side, and the blond accepted the apology immediately, light heartened by the fact that she cared for him. And the whole time, the green haired man did not even budge from his spot. He remained intact to the floor and was silent, as though he wasn't even in the room. Sanji wondered how one could stay so motionless for an elongated amount of time.
"Sanji-kun, do you want to go somewhere tonight?" she asked, crossed legged on the wooden chair, her large breasts resting on top of the table. And although the blond would never admit it, he couldn't help occasionally glimpsing at her deep cleavage.
He wasn't a pervert, he was just a healthy man.
"Depends on what you want to do, my love!"
She sighed, used to these kinds of things from the lovesick blond. "I want to go to the bar and get really drunk, you know any good bars around here?"
Sanji didn't. He hardly drank in the first place, other than sharing a few cups of expensive wine with the old geezer during Christmas days.
"I do," a deep voice answered behind them. "But first, I'm hungry again, cook."
"Again?" Sanji complained, not that he really minded. "We ate an hour ago!"
Zoro stared at him with a deadpan expression.
The blond sighed, "Fine." He turned towards the red haired woman, "What would you like for lunch, or should I call it brunch?"
Nami raised a brow at the green haired man then back to Sanji, "Something that watches my weight. My manager is anal about this stuff so I can't cut loose."
He loved how she could be vulgar with her language.
"Something quick, chop chop," Zoro cut in, smirking at the end of his sentence.
"No one asked you," the blond hissed at the swordsman. "And of course, Nami-swan!"
For the red haired beauty, he decided to toss some chicken salad for her, topped with a special dressing he created himself, with olive oil and a bunch of spices. As for Zoro, he grilled some leftover chicken and coated it with a thick meat sauce with a small portion of the salad on the side. Then, for desert, he made a light peach and mint flavored mousses in glasses, a refreshing and light set to finish the meal. He felt pretty satisfied after finishing the lunch within half an hour.
He found Nami and Zoro immersed in an argument in the living room.
"No one has beat me since high school. I have a really high tolerance," she said with a deep scowl on her features.
"I'm just saying, Nami, that you have no chance against me." Zoro competitively remarked with a cocky smirk pulling the edges of his lips.
"That's it, I'm going to fine you if I win tonight. You have to pay for the drinks, too."
You're screwed, thought Sanji. He knew exactly what his cutie pie was doing, and that was ripping Zoro out of his money. She always knew how to take cash from competitive idiots.
"Bring it on, you wench!" Zoro declared.
Idiot...
"Oi, watch your damn mouth, marimo." He handed the plates to the two of them who sat next to each other on the couch across from the television screen. Admittedly, he felt a pang of jealousy when he heard the swordsman call Nami by her actual name and not some shitty nickname like 'curlicue.'
"Hey, Sanji-kun," Nami asked, breaking the blond's unconscious concentration on the swordsman's face.
"Hm, yes?" he turned his attention back to the woman, who had a mischievous grin on her expression, probably from the earlier assumption about he and Zoro.
She darted her eyes to the swordsman then back to the cook. "Are you dating anyone?"
"W-What?"
What a sudden question...
"Come on guys," she sighed.
Zoro turned to glimpse at her, taking his eyes off the television screen, "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing, go back to your food," Sanji ordered with a calloused tone of voice, desperately pleading the red haired woman with his eyes, wondering where in the hell she got this piece of imaginative idea from, because all he and Zoro had done the whole day was aggravate one another- as they had always done. Relationship with a man? That was just a ridiculous notion. Even if his libido was flying up in the air and Zoro was the last person on earth, he still would not have sex with him. Hell, his hands probably could do a better job.
Nami remained silent, but it was unnerving how her devilish grin remained.
There was a certain look on the cook's face that he had never seen before. A tender smile as he brushed his fingers against that porcelain, soft skin of her's. His eyes at peace, endearing and loving at the face of Nami, as affectionate and longing as Zoro once felt with Kuina. But as soon as the blond sensed Zoro's presence nearing him, the gentle gaze turned cold and rigid, lips twisting into a small frown and eyes narrowing dangerously.
Zoro's hands clawed at his chest unconsciously. There was an emotional pain stirring in his chest that blocked his breathing, suffocating him with a sudden flare of anger and annoyance. He could not help but think, why? Why did Sanji antagonizing him bother him so much?
"Oi, marimo, what's wrong?" the cook asked, his small movement stirring the red haired woman on his lap on her peaceful nap.
"Mmm..." she rubbed her eyes, smudging her eyeliner.
Zoro blinked. His hands dropped to his side again, the ache in his chest fading away like a washable marker but his heart still thumping in his ears as he stared at the cook's eyes, who stared back with a curious stare. "Do you... I mean... are you ready to go to the bar now? My friends called and asked if we wanna go."
"Oh, your friends?" Sanji had a sudden spark in his eyes. "Are any of them pretty ladies?"
Nami, who had sat up next to the cook, rolled her eyes.
"Kuina and Kaya are the only girls coming, but I'm not too sure," Zoro answered.
The blond's expression became idiotic once again, both hands interlaced as hearts bulged out of his sockets. "Oh Kaya, just by your name I feel the love igniting in me. For sure, even Aphrodite, the goddess of love, her beauty will pale to yours."
"She's taken by Usopp."
The blond's face was damn priceless.
Zoro's friends welcomed Sanji with enthusiasm as though he was already part of their group, bringing him to sit among them, telling him stories about the dumb things Luffy did a few minutes ago as well as random facts about others that made Nami double over with harsh laughter. The blond met Kaya, who had platinum blonde hair and soft features, leaning against Usopp, who had a harsh streak of red across his tanned features. The shy couple was making Sanji feel innocent, the way they made the gentle touches of their hands accidental.
"I wonder how they are gonna have sex," Ace asked out loud.
Sanji chuckled. They would have a nervous attack trying to touch one another.
How nice...
"Yohohohoho," Brook laughed in that obnoxious manner that Sanji hadn't got used to the sound of yet, "I wonder if she'll let me see her panties."
Pervert.
It was strange because this musician was a damn pervert but a gentleman simultaneously.
"Hey, if you wanna see anyone's panties, I'm always available with my speedo," Frank announced proudly, pushing back his sunglasses above his eyes with his meaty thumb.
Ace stare at him with dull eyes, "You do that every day, we saw enough."
Brook had a deadpan expression. "I don't want to see your panties."
The conversation became a nice buzz in the background inside the blond's head, and in the distance he saw the odd green hair of Zoro's poking out among the crowd of fair headed people. He had a calm, pacified face until the most beautiful, sophisticated woman, beauty matching Nami's, named Nico Robin came in through the door. She had jet black hair that cascaded down her dusky shoulders, finest sparkling blue eyes full of a scholar's wonderment, and a revealing ebony skin-tight dress that had Sanji gaping and drooling.
The expression on Zoro's face was certainly shock, but not one that was starstruck with love; more like shockingly disturbed. The one who did seem starstruck with love was the blue haired man who sat next to Sanji, who had stopped the flow of all conversations occurring in the group to gape at the woman who was walking towards them.
For a split second, Nico Robin's eyes met Zoro's, and their eyes locked as though they were conversing telepathically, then they both simultaneously turned away from another.
"Robin!" Nami shouted.
Robin's face broke into a delighted smile, "Nami?" Her tone of voice matched her refined appearance, low-pitched and pleasant to the ears. "What are you doing here?"
"Robin!" Luffy shouted, enthusiastic, his mouth filled with food. But the older woman did not seem to mind, as she chuckled softly instead.
"Fufufu, I see that you're here too, Luffy."
Sanji stood up to take her slender hands into his own before formally greeting her, "Your beauty is as intoxicating as always." But before the black haired woman could respond, Nami pushed him out of the way to catch up with Robin.
"Idiot cook," Zoro grunted before sipping his drink.
Sanji twitched. "What did you say, idiot marimo?" He stepped forward, threateningly, into Zoro's personal bubble to grab a hold of him. "Why did you look so shocked when Robin walked in?" The blond quietly whispered next the swordsman's ear so no one could hear other than this man, lightly breathing on the skin of his neck.
The green haired man pushed him back, eyes wide, "None of your business."
Sanji sighed and loosened his grip on the man, tired of that sentence from Zoro's mouth. Of course it wasn't his damn business... but he wanted to know, dammit! He needed to know. He was tired being in the dark about everything... everything about Zoro. He understood that they had hardly known for a few days, but was it so bad that he wanted to be closer to Zoro? As friends... of course...
The green haired man flicked his gaze towards the entrance, and instantaneously his whole face relaxed and brightened. "Kuina..." he breathed out. That stupid amiable expression was back; that face he only expressed towards the kids, his friends, to Kuina, and basically everyone else except for the blond cook.
There was this uncanny sensation tugging at his chest as he followed Zoro with his eyes, who walked away to greet Kuina. Almost a yearning sensation, drying up his throat and making him crave... but, for what? Even though Zoro was so close, within Sanji's reach, he felt so far, almost unreachable, like one of those dreams that always got away no matter how fast you ran.
"Sanji," A sweet voice intervened his thoughts.
The blond recognized the voice even before turning his head away from the moss head.
"Nami-san."
He didn't like the look she was giving him, as though she was seeing him bare- not nude or anything, but as though he had peeled his skin, so she could see his insides and analyze them. Sanji didn't like this Nami, this clever Nami, who knew more about Sanji than he did himself. She really was too clever for her own good. Behind her, Franky was timidly shaking Nico Robin's hand, introducing himself as a mechanical engineer who was Luffy's friend; and Luffy, who sat next to him, slapped the blue haired's back, laughing loudly. The refined woman chuckled, her almond eyes twinkling and the edges of her lids crinkling.
Then he saw Zoro again, who was grinning happily and drinking with Kuina, sharing a private joke. The pair of them were in a corner, apart from others where no one could or would disrupt; and damn, it would be a complete lie if Sanji thought that Zoro didn't appear downright content and happy with her by his side.
"Sanji," Nami called out his name again, grabbing his attention out of thin air.
The blond's head was swirling with images and intangible thoughts. "Sorry, Nami-san, the alcohol is affecting me. My mind is a little woozy right now," he excused himself. His focus was loosening, her face was zooming in and out like a camera in an amateur cameraman's hands.
"I was saying, if you like him, you should go for him."
Sanji blinked a few times. He wondered who for a few seconds, then wondered if he heard the woman correctly. "What are you talking about Nami-san? He is a man. I am a man," his voice wavered a bit.
Nami's face contorted into frustration. "It doesn't matter, Sanji, you know. Your happiness comes first," she paused. "If Zoro had been born a woman, would you have taken this chance?" she asked.
The blond trembled.
Why couldn't she understand? Why could she not understand like he understood her. He loved her, not Zoro. Sanji loved Nami! He could have shouted that to the heavens and wouldn't have been ashamed of it.
"Nami-san, even if we play this 'what if' game, it's never going to happen because he is and will always be a man, and I am not gay. I will never be attracted to a man, especially not to a brute like him who's already taken."
In his drunken state, he didn't realize he had raised his voice at her. He couldn't grab a hold onto his senses. His practical morals were hard to grasp.
The red haired woman visibly flinched at the raised tone, afflicted by the man who had never spoken so harshly toward her. "Sanji," she spoke low. "Gender does not matter. Love is love."
Who said anything about love? Sanji did not even like the man. Actually... did he? But does it matter what I think? God had never been kind enough to give him a single thing he desired in the past, so why begin now?
"It does matter," he began, emotions wringing in his words. "Society will judge you no matter what, if this, whatever this is, ever happened," he motioned between himself and Zoro with his fingers, cheeks soaked with the tint of red. The feelings, wherever they had been hidden, overflowed, to show its true colors to Sanji and others.
The worst thing was, that he was not even sure anymore. Whatever the woman said, whatever he said, they only evoked and brewed frustration.
Nami pursed her lips, appearing stern, as though she was dealing with a child who had been acting wrong. "You may not realize it yet, but you like him. I can sense it. Your eyes follow him wherever he goes and there's this painful longing in them when he walks past you or away from you. As a friend who had been by your side for many years, I had never seen you so full of emotions before, and not only anger but pure happiness too. I had never seen you so... human."
Sanji paused. His head was spinning, but her words swirled around his head.
He wasn't really grasping what she was saying but they weren't really complimenting his mood. "You're wrong," he hissed, his words really slurring now.
With those brilliant gaze of hers, she stared at him, auburn eyes as striking as the leaves on an Autumn day.
"Am I?"
Now, that was a great question.