Summary

Sanji walks in on something private and struggles with his reaction.

Notes

I can't even talk about how cute Sanji and Franky's friendship is. :'D WARNING: Language, sexual content, and ZoSan (natch)

11. Caught

At the beginning, Robin and Franky agreed to be discreet about their newfound relationship, even when it came to their extremely nosy crewmates.

It went well for about a week—all the knowing little glances, the playful touches, walking side by side at the back of the group so they could hold hands unnoticed, passionate late-night rendezvous in Franky's workshop while the rest of the crew was fast asleep—but then one day he pulled her into the galley supply room before lunch, and they were both half-undressed when Sanji came looking for an extra tomato.

No one breathed for a few seconds. Then the cook bolted in silence, leaving the couple to stare, dumbfounded, in his wake.

Franky turned to look at her, hands still resting on her lower back. "Should I…?"

"Yes." She nodded emphatically, visibly unnerved.

That was all the incentive he needed to throw on his shirt, scramble out onto the deck, and run up to Sanji, who was leaning heavily on the mast with his back to the cyborg. The elder of the two sighed, steeling himself for what was bound to be an unpleasant conversation.

"Listen, Sanji—"

"Don't."

Franky winced at his friend's quiet, harsh tone. "… Look, I'm really sorry you found out like this, man. We should have told you sooner."

Sanji turned sharply to meet his gaze, and the shipwright was shocked when he noticed the younger man's terse, exhausted expression. "Oh come on, are you really gonna start with that?"

"I mean, I just figured you—"

"I'm not blind, you jackass. I've known about you and Robin-chan from the very beginning."

"… Y-you have?"

"Of course. I also know everyone's expecting me to throw a huge shitty tantrum about it, and if I don't, they'll want to know why not, and I'm just not in the mood for any of that shit."

"… I'm confused. Why are you so… relaxed about this?"

"That's just it. I have no fucking idea," the cook sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I mean, from the moment I met them, Robin and Nami have been everything to me, and now one of them is in love with someone else, so theoretically I should feel like complete shit right now, right? The Sanji you know would want to fillet you and feed you to the dogs, wouldn't he?"

Franky stared at him in horror. "… Um. I mean, I'd hope not…"

Sanji twirled his cigarette between two fingers, hiding his expression behind the curtain of blonde that hung over his eyes.

"… So, if you're not mad, then… what's got you so worked up, Cook-bro?"

The younger man paused for another long moment. Then, out of nowhere, he slammed his foot into the mast, making Franky jump and let out a yelp when the whole deck shook from the impact. "I'M JUST." Kick. "SO." Kick. "FUCKING." Kick. "HAPPY." Kick. "FOR YOU." Kick. "AND I DON'T." Kick. "KNOW WHY!" Kick kick ki-CRACK.

The mast split at its base, creaked ominously, and started falling like a timber at the young chef's feet. The shipwright let out a horrified scream, running and catching the enormous wooden piece just before it plunged into the ocean, mustering all his strength to pull it back upright on its stump.

"Shit! Franky, hang on!"

"LEFT THIGHSIDE COMPARTMENT," Franky shouted through gritted teeth, struggling to hold the mast in place—and his crewmate obliged, quickly pushing a button on the cyborg's leg. A door swung open, revealing a metal toolbox where Franky's femur should have been, and Sanji picked out a hammer and a set of metal braces to hand to the shipwright, taking on the weight of the mast as he did so. The cyborg fashioned a temporary support for the broken beam with his trademark lightning construction speed, all the while muttering something that sounded like "third goddamn time this month" under his breath.

"… Sorry about that." Sanji mumbled, letting go of the re-attached mast with an uncomfortable expression.

"It's fine," Franky sighed, putting away his hammer. "… Just… tell me what's going on with you. And don't break the damn ship when you do it."

Blue eyes glassed over, and for a moment the normally stoic, hardened, mature cook actually looked like the 19-year-old youth he was. He took a deep breath before breaking the silence. "… I've always loved Robin and Nami. I was so sure I wanted them all to myself. But then I found out about you two, and I realized I didn't really feel that way about her, and now I think there's someone else I really want to… be with. Exclusively, I mean."

Franky's mouth hung open in spite of himself. "You're kidding me."

Sanji fell silent, a bright red glow on his cheeks.

The older man laughed breathlessly. "Wow. I mean, no offense, but I never thought you'd be a one-woman kind of guy." He raised his eyebrows, grinning. "So, do I know the superrrrr lucky lady?"

"… Mm."

"Well, dish, man! Who is she?"

"Look, it's not gonna happen, so it's stupid to even talk about it."

"… Can you at least tell me what she's like?"

Sanji thought for a moment. "She… she's an idiot. She's an idiot and I hate her."

Franky's mouth hung agape. Sanji never spoke ill of a woman.

"And she has stupid hair, and no goddamn appreciation for the subtle art of romance, and she's completely self-absorbed, lazy, drunk, reckless… brave… loyal… really funny when she wants to be… did I mention the stupid hair?"

"… Heh. No, I don't think you did."

Sanji stared out into the stillness of the bright blue horizon, scratching his blonde head absently. "The point is, there's no reason for me to want to be with this person, especially compared to all the beautiful ladies I know. But I see you with Robin, and no matter how much I try and talk myself out of it… all I want to do is make him as happy as you make her."

Finally hearing what he needed to hear, Franky cracked a huge, knowing smile. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, just don't… talk about it with Robin. I don't want her or Nami-san to think they're less important to me than that asshole."

"Your secret's safe with me, bro," Franky patted his friend on the back heartily, a fond expression on his face. "But if you like somebody that much, the best thing you can do is tell 'em. Trust me, it's super worth it."

"… Thanks, Franky."

"Anytime, yo," he wandered off toward the cabin where Robin was waiting, shooting a smile over his shoulder as he walked. "… By the way… you said 'him.'"

The shipwright couldn't help but smile wider, walk taller, and feel prouder when he heard the hiss of the cook's cigarette falling onto the deck.