He was still sitting in the bar stool, presently drinking a beer, but far from actually being present. If it made any sense, it was as though he was watching himself from another place, like a dream, watching himself intensely gazing at someone else, frowning.

Zoro.

What a cheerful guy, different from Sanji's original idea of him; but tonight he was extra jubilant and exuberant. Must have been the clandestine kisses he and Kuina shared when they thought no one was watching them, those casual brushes of their shoulders, or the manner in which the swordsman stared at his woman whenever she became distracted.

God, Sanji's chest felt stuffy. It was hot and so, so fucking suffocating.

In all honesty, Sanji was attracted Zoro, whether in a total platonic, man-to-man manner or not, the attraction was lucid, like iron with magnets. He could not deny that his heart stung when he saw those frantic touches of the couple, the way Zoro smiled so damn warmly at her, glowing like the sun just from talking to her. It was a stupid feeling on Sanji's part; stupid because Zoro was a male, with a dick and pecs, none of those soft curves he absolutely adored on a woman. And Zoro was a taken guy who was obviously content with his life, so why in the hell would he change any of that for someone like Sanji, whom he hardly got along with?

But dammit, it hurt.

Nami was right. Maybe deep, deep down, hidden underneath all his layers of pride, was a peeking romantic attraction for Zoro.

The blond groaned, he felt terrible and miserable and fucking despondent, like he needed this man whom he had only known for a few days. This man whom he had only met because he almost got ran over like a roadkill in the process. It was too fast, too fatuous for his feelings to be real and logical. If Zoro were to abruptly abandon Kuina's side to rush up to Sanji's, to confess his undying love to the blond, Sanji would probably be out of here faster than the man could finish his subsequent word.

A simple phase this was, because really, how could you possibly fall in like with someone over a couple of days of continuous fights and bickers and violence. He was only fooled by the buzz in his system and the beautiful woman's words.

He kept sipping his drink, to calm his nerves. Worked different than the cigarettes he always puffed on, but it helped nonetheless.

"Hello, Cook-san," A soft voice greeted behind him, elegant and soothing.

He was surprised that Robin had come to chat with him, the corners of her eyes wrinkling with amusement and lips curling into a soft smile. "Hello Robin-chwan," he slurred, feeling his heavy tongue sluggishly moving as he articulated his words.

She chuckled prettily.

"I've been talking to Nami and Luffy all night but I haven't talked with you much, how have you been? I heard you know Mister Roronoa over there," she pointedly gazed at the man sitting across the bar from them.

Sanji snorted, face burning red, "That bastard, Robin-chan? He's not even worth mentioning. Of course I know him, but I don't know him, we hardly had a worthy conversation in all our times spent together, not that it was a lot." He frowned, realizing how childish he sounded. "My point is, uh, that I don't like him and he hates me, and I only know him, but only a little teensy bit. More importantly, how are you, my dear?"

The pale blue eyed woman seemed rather surprised by the blond's rambles, knowing that he was usually an uncommunicative one with his emotions. "Well, I'm doing fine, cook-san. You seem rather... troubled by Mister Roronoa's actions... I know that he is someone difficult to understand or get along with, but you may need to give it some time."

"Ah, time is the only thing I don't have, madame."

The woman appeared confused, her brow raised. "Would you care to explain, cook-san?"

And he did. From the moment he had met Zoro until now, without the excruciating details on his part. He found Robin to be an amazing listener, her eyes boring into his, responding at the right places, and her attention never faltering. With such a listener at hand, he only wanted to talk more, and it relaxed him when he did because she did not seem to judge, not even a twitch of an eye.

After he had finished, she seemed to be contemplating. "And... Miss Navigator said you had feelings for him?" She was referring to Nami-san, of course, the best navigator in the world.

Sanji nodded.

"And do you have feelings for him?" she asked, no humor in her tone.

The blond was a bit hesitant to nod, but did it nevertheless. What has he got to lose, other than his pride as a man?

"Cook-san, the problem has a fairly easy solution, but a difficult approach. You have to tell Mister Roronoa your feelings before your time is up, or all might be lost with regret," she told him, solemnly.

Sanji blinked. "It's hardly a feeling, Robin-chan. Just a fleeting crush, you see."

Robin calmly sipped her coffee, "Really, the choice is all yours."

There was a slight guilt on the blond's part. The responsibility of his own choice and actions felt crushing on his chest. "Thank you, my lady. You helped me so much and I've settle for a decision."

But of course he did not. He was far from it.

Her pale eyes observed him intensely, seeing through his lies; but she smiled, which broke all the tension that existed between them. She stood up gracefully and pulled down her shirt to straighten up her appearance. "I must be going soon, I have a night job." Her exotic features amplifies beneath the cowboy hat she placed on top of her head.

"Ah, yes. I'll hopefully be seeing you soon."

"Have a good night, cook-san."

As soon as she walked out the door, Sanji cursed under his breath, "Fuck." The veins on his head throbbing.

As he spun around to find his group of friends, he caught a wisp of the green hair treading out the door shortly after the raven haired woman, which piqued Sanji's curiosity. The blond furrowed his brows as his body impulsively followed after Zoro, struggling to walk steadily. And when he spotted the two, Zoro and Robin, around the corner of the bar, he placed his body flat against the wall and breathed softly to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"First Law, now you. Better fucking tell me what's up before I slice up the boss," the swordsman growled, vulgar and full of spite in his words.

Robin chuckled, "Fufufu, Mister Roronoa, that wouldn't be smart, would it? I assure you that this is nothing but a mere coincidence, I had no idea that you were close with Luffy and the others, and you shouldn't be so haste when you're so close to the end of the deal."

The swordsman grunted, "The deal better be kept, I did not waste all my years in this useless organization for nothing." Then his voice hushed into a whisper and the blond could not hear his subsequent words.

After a few seconds of hushed sounds, Robin's clear voice rang through the night air, "Goodnight, I must be going since I have more things to do than you, Mr. 1."

Following the sound of the woman's high heeled footsteps fading away, the heavy bulky sound of Zoro's footsteps neared where the blond was, but the sound was awfully close, too close. There was no way in hell that Sanji would be able to get out of there in time. He only hoped that the looming shadow would be enough for the swordsman to not notice his presence. As the heavy footsteps trudged by, the minutes felt like hours for Sanji who held his breath, his head thudding violently.

When the green haired man passed by, without so a much glance to where Sanji was hidden, Sanji slowly released the coiled air, slowly and tentatively, but too loudly apparently because the swordsman had heard.

Soon his collars were gripped tightly in Zoro's ball of fists.

"Oof," the blond let out when his back hit the wall, too drunk to react accordingly and kick-ass. The dull thuds in his head were much louder now, clamorously beating against his skull.

"Fucker, who are you?" Zoro asked, his grip around Sanji's neck tight and firm, cutting off the blond's breathing circulations. "Unlucky for you motherfucker, you are going to die here, right now." He was dead serious.

Shit, I can't speak.

"M-mar-marimo, fu-fuck, it's m-me!" Sanji choked out.

The grip around his neck slightly loosened. "Cook?"

Since Sanji was no longer under the threat of being murdered, he assured the other man more calmly. "Yeah, it's me" Although the hold against his throat had loosened, the man's right knee was still in between his gut, and his face so close to his own.

Zoro wearily sighed as he released the blond completely, "What the hell are you doing? I told you to stay out of my business, didn't I?" He sounded so tired rather than angry.

"I-I was going home... and I happened to hear it..." he tried so hard to keep his words from slurring.

"Bullshit," the swordsman spat. "I fucking drove you here. Just tell me what you've heard, shitty cook."

The blond's head was spinning, it throbbed and ached. He did not want to hold such a conversation when his mouth was so loose in his drunken state. "Can we... can we talk about this tomorrow, my head is fucking killing me."

A beat of silence, contemplative silence on Zoro's part.

"Fine, just wait in the car. I'll tell others that we're leaving..."

Motherfucker...

This was the third fucking time Zoro hauled the blond over his back. How he loosened his guard around Zoro was a damn surprise, seeing how prissy he was during the afternoons. He really shouldn't let his guard down around Zoro though, because if the swordsman wanted to, he could kill Sanji at anytime, anywhere without leaving a single trace behind.

But you wouldn't, Sanji's voice hissed in the back of his mind.

Zoro clenched his teeth. He wouldn't.

He threw the light body of Sanji's on top of the bed, took his shoes off, and begrudgingly threw the sheets on top of his body. Before he headed to bed as well, he meditated before a large stretch of window for a few hours, to cleanse his groggily state of mind.

When he was a child, it was much more difficult for him to cleanse his mind, to reach that pinnacle state of meditation. Since his adolescent brain was filled with useless thoughts and his body was fueled with impatience, it always made it impossible to for him to achieve a higher self; but as his brain developed rather philosophically and mentally, it became easier and easier to reach that state of total tranquility.

Subsequent to his meditation, his body felt exhausted more than usual, so he threw the covers on top of himself next to the blond, not realizing how normal it all seemed.

.~.~.~.~.~.

Along with the mouthwatering scent, Zoro was awoken by two voices from the kitchen.

"Hey, Zoro! You didn't pay for the drinks last night, you owe me 50,000 dollars," the red haired wench greeted him as he walked into the kitchen, her face a devious smirk.

"Whatever," he brushed off until he caught the outrageous number, "Wait, what? You wench, stop trying to rip money off me, I barely have any!"

"Too bad you already agreed. I recorded our conversation just now." Nami took out a recording device from the inner pocket of her jacket and pressed her thumb on the button.

You owe me 50,000 dollars.

Whatever.

"Clearly you owe me now," she stated as she plucked the bacon off her plate, sliding the device back into her jacket.

"You wench!" Zoro shouted, a perfect nickname for this greedy woman.

The blond bubbled with laughter, "Damn, what the hell happened when I was out?" He set a breakfast plate in front of the green haired man.

Zoro's brows burrowed, "You mean, you don't remember anything from yesterday?"

The woman curiously poked her head in between the two men, "What happened yesterday?"

"Nothing."

The blond appeared confused, his visible eye narrowed and curled brow raised, so he dropped the subject instead of pursuing it. "Nami-san, since it's the weekend, would you like to do anything today?"

"Well, Kuina and I agreed to hang out today. Can we all go to your house, Zoro?" Nami had her painted fingernail on her bottom lip, eyes opened wide.

Zoro looked up, "Huh?" he asked, menacingly. "When did you guys become friends and why my house?"

The red haired woman pouted, a tactic she used on Sanji quite a lot since it always turned him into goo at her feet, but a useless one against someone like Zoro. "Come on, we're always at Sanji's place. I live in a dorm. Kuina lives with her father. It would only make sense if we all go to your house instead." She turned to the blond, her fingers stroking his fuzzy chin, "Sanji, please convince Zoro."

The cook's expression became lecherous, mouth curled into a perverted grin. "Anything for you, my dear." Then, of course, as he turned toward the green haired man, that expression wore off.

"Marimo, just one day," he asked in a cold tone of voice.

"No."

Then, unexpectedly, Sanji dropped his face and stared up at him with his piercing visible eye, silently begging Zoro; and it really surprised the shit out of the swordsman. There was no fight nor an argument in the blond's face, just simple wordless pleads and an expanded eye, asking Zoro for something. It was fucking terrifying.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

"Fine," he heard his own voice say.

Damn, damn, damn.

And Nami's mouth stretched into a wide, catlike grin as though everything was going according to her plan.

The blond wanted to burst in laughter at the green haired man's expression, but he bit his lower lip so his mirth would not show. It was uncanny how Zoro denied anything the beautiful woman requested, even when she used her adorable expressions, but listened when Sanji used the same tactic as she did. Perhaps he was truly talented at faking, and if cooking weren't his passion, maybe acting would be; and speaking of faking, he also faked the memory loss of last night. Of course he could not forget the exchange of words between Robin and Zoro, about an 'organization' they were both in.

"Are we inviting anyone else tonight?" Sanji asked Nami since he had enjoyed Zoro's friends' companies, a lot. They had not only been friendly, but inviting, and phenomenally weird as fuck. They were terrific.

Nami shook her head. "No, Kuina and I decided on a small group. Maybe next time," she promised Sanji.

The blond perked. Did this mean that he would see Zoro more often, even in the future? Did this mean that their end wasn't so soon, after all? He stole a glance at the green haired man, who was simply nodding with a blank expression that told Sanji he wasn't listening to a single word.

"My house is a mess and I have nothing in my refrigerator," the swordsman said.

Sanji rolled his eyes, "I could have guessed that much, idiot."

The green haired man shrugged, "Not everyone can be prissy like you, shit cook."

"What did you say, grass head? You wanna fucking go?" the blond growled under his breath.

"Bring it on, damn swirly brows!"

But before neither could impulsively attack the other, Nami's fury reigned down on both of their heads. The iron fists of the woman were very hard and painful to receive.

As a response, Zoro shouted, "Fucking witch!" as his hands reached for the growing bump on his head.

Sanji spun around in circles, "Nami-san, I felt the spark of our love again!"

The woman ignored their comments as orders flied out of her mouth. "Zoro, go home and clean. Sanji, go with him and buy ingredients. Make sure everything is perfect before Kuina and I step inside, okay?" She was so demanding and forward, and Sanji loved every aspect of her. She was so sure about everything she did because she was both instinctual and intellectual.

"Of course, Nami-san!" he answered without a beat.

But the idiot swordsman complained, "Hell no, I ain't taking any orders from you, damn woman."

You owe me 50,000 dollars now.

Whatever

Nami pressed the button on her recorder again, a impish grin on her face. "Want interest added to this?" she asked, threateningly, with an innocent tone of voice.

The swordsman grunted, "Let's go, cook."

Though he wasn't aware of it, the beautiful lady sure had a collar around him, too.

.~.~.~.~.~.

Sanji's jaw dropped to the floor when they had reached the swordsman's place; the place was a huge mess, with garbage piled to the top and empty cups of ramen everywhere.

Uncomfortable with the place, afraid that there were the unmentionables crawling around, he told Zoro, "I'm going to go shopping, you stay and clean."

"Hey," the green haired man stopped him.

I'm not afraid of bugs, Sanji was about to respond. But that wasn't what Zoro wanted to know. "Are you sure you don't remember anything from last night?" he asked.

The tense shoulders of his loosened slightly. "We'll talk after you clean up all this mess; by the way, what do you want for dinner tonight?" he shifted the subject since he wasn't too sure how to answer.

Zoro raised a brow at him, suspicious but not enough to pursue the topic, "I don't know, Japanese food?"

"Okay."

Then before slamming the door behind him, he grabbed the keys from the counter and shouted behind his shoulder, "I'm borrowing your car!" He hurriedly raced out of the house before he could hear the end of it.

The dribbles of the drizzle outside assisted the flow of her mind.

Concentrate... she told herself, though that thought was what diverted her off track, as a sudden image of last night flashed through her brain vividly.

"Sorry, I have to leave now," Zoro told him, light pants in between each word.

Kuina bit her bottom lip. Why now? Weren't they just having fun? Their drinking game had not even started yet! "Why?" she asked him.

"The cook is drunk out of his mind, gotta take him home."

The red haired woman, who sat at the table next to the bar stool Kuina sat on, turned toward Zoro. "If you leave, Zoro, you'll owe me money big time." And it appeared that she was serious; and since Zoro was short on cash, Kuina really expected him to stay, but he turned to leave without a further word, leaving Kuina behind... Then after he had left, it allowed the two women a chance to converse; Kuina found Nami to be very sociable and charming. She was the one who suggested the whole dinner party thing with Zoro and Sanji. The red haired woman sounded excited about bringing all four of them together.

But Kuina felt a bit hesitant. The manner in which Zoro acted around Sanji was very different from the way he acted around the rest of their friends and her. When he and Sanji talked, they were in a small argumentative bubble, as though the two males could not take their eyes off one another. Kuina wasn't exactly envious of Sanji, but she was wary of how the blond man seemed so close to Zoro when they had only known each other for a few days.

Her phone rang.

"Hello?"

Nami's voice resonated from the phone, "Kuina! Since I convinced Zoro, we're going over to his place tonight."

Huh. That took her back a bit. Throughout all these years, Kuina has rarely stepped inside where the swordsman lived, only when he first bought the house and refurbished the interior. Then over the years, he began to refuse, saying that it was too messy. It was a surprise how the red haired woman had managed to convince her stubborn boyfriend.

"Really? But he's so persistent on keeping people out, how the hell did you manage that?"

The woman on the line chuckled, "I didn't do anything, Sanji did."

Kuina's chest tightened. Of course... "I guess he really knows how to get through Zoro," she said, in an attempt to sound optimistic.

"Yeah, they're awfully close even though they've only known each other for... not even a week."

Kuina chuckled, "Yeah, they really are."

"Hey, are you picking me up? Because I get out around five o'clock."

"Sure, I'll pick you up. I'll see you then," she answered before ending the call with a small click.

The green haired man picked up the last empty cup of ramen from the floor and threw it in the garbage bag. Grudgingly, he set himself back to work, mopping the kitchen floor and vacuum-cleaning his living room carpet.

"Oi, mossy, I'm back! Are you done?" the cook asked, loudly, when he walked inside.

"Not yet!"

Sanji grumbled, "You're so fucking slow." He came in sight with a bunch of plastic bags in hand, mouth clamped on a cigarette. "I expected you to have been finished by now since I took my time coming here."

Zoro grunted.

"AHHH!" a sudden shout erupted from the kitchen, plastic bags and items flying in the air. "WHAT THE FUCK! GET THIS OFF ME, MARIMO!" The green haired man dashed to the kitchen to find Sanji in the weirdest fucking position. On the counter, crouched like a leopard, lips pulled back to hiss at the crawling roach on the floor. "I thought you cleaned!"

Zoro's mouth curved into a grin, laughter escaping his lips.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of that little thing? Eh, scaredy-brows?" Though he replied snidely, he crushed flat the bug with a tissue and threw it in the garbage bag.

Sanji flushed in anger, jumping off the counter gracefully. "Fuck you," he spat.

The cook picked up the ingredients off the floor and began to cook, as Zoro continued to clean up the rest of his house. After he finished vacuuming and mopping the floors, he began to dust and wipe his windows and furniture. It took a couple of hours for him to finish, but the result was satisfactory. It wasn't all that sparkling clean, but it was honestly damn close to it, and the fucking smell in the air as the blond cooked, it reminded him of Japan and encouraged him to finish faster.

"Oi, cook, you need help?" he asked, looking for an excuse to taste test the blond's food.

Sanji stared at him with wide eyes, in shock. "You? Help? Here?" He articulated each word separately.

Zoro glared at the blond, "Fine, I'll go lift some weights if you don't want my help."

Lightly, Sanji reached out to grab the man's arm, "Wait, come back, cut these onions for me." He handed him a sharpened kitchen knife and a bag of onions. "Peel the skin and chop them up into little square pieces, can you manage that?"

The green haired man rolled his eyes, "I practice with swords every single day, how different could this be from my katana?"

Sanji snorted.

And apparently, wielding a katana slightly contrasted from cutting up onions. Along the process, his fingers had nicks and cuts; when he rubbed his eyes, tears began to form. How humiliating, he thought.

"Need help?" the blond asked after a couple of minutes, leaning against Zoro's back, the scent of his cigarette looming over his head.

Zoro's pride was too big for that. "No, I'm fine."

"Oi, what are those blood stains," Sanji asked, pointing out the red blotches on the chopped onion pieces. "Your cutting skill sucks ass."

The swordsman rolled his eyes, "I cut people, not onions."

Sanji tilted his head back to laugh, "Should I warn the cops or..."

Zoro grinned, "Don't worry about yourself, I don't cut idiotic people."

The blond growled, "bastard," surprisingly in a good-natured manner.

Then, gently, Sanji pressed against Zoro's back, his chin resting on his green head, his hands cupped on top of his own. "Let me help," he quietly murmured, "Since you can't cut onions yourself." As he talked, his throat vibrated, and it sent a chill down Zoro's spine. The green haired man felt weird having the man so close to him, touching him gently, whispering so softly— but he didn't pull away. Sanji guided Zoro's hand that held the knife and slowly, rhythmically diced the onion piece by piece. "This is how you do it," he whispered, voice softer and closer to the swordsman's ears.

Suddenly, the parts in contact with the blond were hyper aware, heating and burning, as though Sanji left traces on Zoro's body anywhere he touched. As his senses buzzed, all that was left were the sounds of Sanji's even breaths, soft inhales and exhales in his ear.

All of those senses alarmingly vaporized when the blond pulled off him. "There you go, that's how you cut onions."

When Zoro glanced to the cutting board, there were perfectly diced onions in replacement of his bloodied uneven ones. But he didn't care about the stupid onions or this whole cooking shit the cook was making him do, all he could think of was the intimate touch of the cook's, the rushing heartbeat of his own chest. Perhaps it was the blond acting all gentle and shit, but it sure got him, because he could not help the rising heat of his cheeks.

"We're here!" Nami's voice shouted, walking in with Kuina by her side, plastic bags hanging off their arms.

"My loves!" Sanji greeted, but still stationed to the pot he was tending to, "Dinner is almost finished!"

As the raven haired woman dropped the plastic bags, which had alcohol beverage in them, on top of the counter, she leaned over to see what was inside the pot the cook was stirring. "I heard you cook really well, Sanji."

Sanji grinned, showing all teeth, "I try my best."

The green haired man noticed how Sanji's behavior toward Kuina was a bit toned than his usual behavior toward other women— like Nami; it was still flirty, but a lot more respectful and well-mannered.

"I cooked a lot, so do take some home afterwards," he requested, politely, as he spread the meals from one end of the table to the other. A bunch of homeland Japanese dishes that Zoro recognized, from appetizers to the main courses, laid out in front of the three who awaited eagerly. "Of course if there are anymore requests, I'll take it..."

Nami shook her head, "Oh no, Sanji-kun, this is already a lot of food."

Sanji shyly scratched his head as his other hand fumbled at the knot of his apron behind his back. However, since the blond could not see the knot he was trying to untie, the green haired man stood from his chair to do it for him. "Let me do it," he lightly slapped Sanji's hands away as his own fingers loosened the knot Sanji had made worse. A few seconds of silence, the pair of women staring at them, as Zoro pulled at the strings.

"I could have done it myself," Sanji mumbled when the apron came loose.

The swordsman rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, whatever." He noticed the red haired woman smirking at Zoro; and it was fucking creepy, like she was seeing more to the eye than Zoro was.

The girls picked up their chopsticks and began to eat, and subsequently, their compliments flowed endlessly out of their mouths to blow up Sanji's already big head.

"Oh, my god, this is so good, Sanji."

"This is delicious!"

Sanji smiled, blushing a bit, "Oh, you ladies are too kind. I'm glad you like them."

After she finished chewing and swallowing, Nami said, "I swear you could be a professional chef anytime you want, Sanji. You should go for it."

The blush on his cheeks deepened, heavily drunken by these compliments by the pretty ladies. "I thought about entering a competition so I could own my own restaurant, but I wouldn't know where to begin and it would be a waste of time if I lose."

Nami argued, "I doubt you could lose since you know everything about food. If you published a recipe book, I would totally buy it."

"You're too sweet, Nami-san," he swooned. "But I was thinking of quietly taking over Baratie after my old man. Though I'm fired at the moment, I'll be called back since that geezer needs me."

The woman shook her head, "That's such a waste, Sanji. You could be doing so much more."

Sanji grinned, his chin on his palm, "As long as I can cook and feed others, I'm satisfied."

The mannerism in which he spoke, so carelessly and generously, tugged at Zoro's heart. It was truly rare seeing someone's passion so open and bare, almost like himself and Kuina. Maybe this cook was more than what he first appeared to be...

"But, isn't every cook's dream to be the best?" the swordsman blurted out. Seeing this competitive cook, he had to have some drive or passion to be the best. Just like swordsmanship, he wondered whether everyone thrived to top others and reach the pinnacle of their abilities.

The blond shook his head, "No, idiot. There is no such thing as 'the best cook,' since every cook in the world holds different types of knowledge and different set of skills; and also, everybody owns different taste buds. No chef can be the 'best,' but I guess he can be the most knowledgeable in the field of cooking. But my dream isn't as simple as that, though I wish it were."

Zoro raised a brow, "What's your dream?"

Sanji's eyes widened, sudden excitement flaring in his corneas. "Have you... have you ever heart of All Blue?" he asked, voice wavering. Nami grinned by his side.

The green haired man scrunched up his forehead. He had never heard of such a thing.

"No."

But it did not damper the blond's mood, instead, he went on about explaining what it was. "You haven't? Well, it's this legendary sea that ties all seven seas from all around the world, holds all the sea creatures that you've always heard about and those you've never even thought about. It's a chef's paradise, every cook's greatest dream, but no one knows where it's exactly located. The sea's greatest treasure, every chef's dream."

Why.. why is this important? Zoro silently wondered. It's just a sea, right? But he wasn't one to judge. Although he did not fully grasp the man's passion, a dream differed from person to person, and just because he did not understand did not mean the blond's dream wasn't just as important as his own. "So, why don't you go after it," he asked since it seemed like a reasonable question.

But Nami glared in his direction as soon as he asked.

The blond dropped his gaze, downcast eyes staring at his plate. "Because... it's not real. It's just a silly story I heard as a child from someone I knew. He told me he was joking after he told it."

Zoro growled, "Stupid, but what if it's real? You can't just give up on your dreams like that." The stupid, dumb-ass cook was cowardly backing out with his tail tucked in between his legs, it pissed him off.

His eye twitched, "Don't fucking tell me what to do. It's a fairy tale or one of those shitty urban legends, it just got to my head, that's all."

"Prove it then! Prove that it's a shitty legend! Tell me that, I dare you, after you search every corner of the sea." Dammit! His own dream was damn impossible but no one gave up on him, no one should give up on Sanji either. No matter how shitty he was, he deserved a little push, as Koshiro was for him.

Sanji's piercing blue eye stared back in incredulity, frozen; his mouth open, but without a sound, as if the green haired man struck a nerve and Sanji could no longer function.

The red haired woman broke the silence with an uncomfortable cough, "Sanji, can I get seconds on these noodles?" she asked, snapping the blond out of his state of shock.

"Ah, of course, Nami-san."

The dinner proceeded smoothly afterwards. Zoro and Sanji spoke little to each other as the two women began a topic that averted from the argument completely. Kuina shot the swordsman a lot of curious stares, but without any context behind her looks. The group of them watched 'Men in Black' while drinking cans of beers after dinner, but Zoro was quick to fall asleep when the movie played and only awoke when it was finished.

Kuina shook Zoro awake but Nami and Sanji were already at the door, planning to head out.

"I'll see you guys soon," Kuina waved to them as they strode out, Nami thanking Zoro again for letting them use his place.

He grunted, "Yeah, whatever."

The blond unnervingly glanced between him and Kuina, but he simply murmured, "It was great hanging out with you guys, we should do this again."

"Of course," Kuina responded before Zoro could, who bit his tongue from spitting out rude comments at the leaving Sanji.

After Nami and Sanji had left, Kuina and Zoro headed for the kitchen to wash the dishes in the sink and wrap up the remaining leftovers from the table. It wasn't much since the blond had already taken care of most of them earlier. They washed in silence for a couple of minutes until Kuina spoke up in a nervous manner, fidgeting a bit and biting her bottom lips, "Zoro?"

The green haired man passed her the last washed plate for her to dry and stack in the cabinet above her forehead. "Hm?"

Kuina cleared her throat.

Whatever she has to say must be killing her, Zoro thought.

"Do you... do you like... Sanji?" she asked, humorlessly. Not a glint of joke in her eye.

Zoro raised a brow. Why was she asking this? "I guess? I mean, he can be a giant asshole and prissy at times, I should know, but he's also earnest and kind. It's fine if you don't like him, I understand that he's annoying, but you should give him a chance."

Kuina rolled her eyes, huffing in aggravation, "You know what I mean, Zoro. Do you feel attracted to him? Physically, emotionally, sexually?"

"I-" he hesitated but, without a second thought, rejected the idea. Again, why was she asking this. Obviously he did not, did she see how they had interacted all night? "Why would I? How could I? We are two complete different people."

"No, Zoro," the raven haired woman rubbed roughly at her eye. "I think you feel something for him," her voice cracked at the end as her lips quivered and eyes blinked rapidly. "It's okay, you should go after someone you like, even if that someone isn't me." She sounded damn strong, urging almost, but her expression held profound sadness and despondency.

"Kuina," he growled, "I fucking love you and only you." Swiftly, he stepped forward and lightly placed a kiss on her forehead; his arms wrapped around her slender waist, gently pressing her body against his. He hated the moments of her unhappiness.

"I love you, too," she told him, with such passion in her voice that it stung Zoro.

He, for some reason, felt guilty as hell.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, lips traveled from his neck, to his chin, then eventually found its way to the salty residue on his lips. And Zoro met her needs by fervently kissing back, rhythmically moving his lips to match her pace, the steady tempo of her mouth. Their tongues danced against one another, playful and intense, as it were one of their swordplay. They had found their way to the floor, her locks of short hair sprawled across the cold stone, Zoro's lips tracing its way from her soft navel to one of her breasts as his fingers fondled with the side of her thighs; on the other hand, her hands tugged at his shirt and pants, patiently unbuttoning his black dress shirt.

He loved the sound of her moans when he grazed his teeth across the bare skin of her breasts.

He loved her.

You fucker, Sanji's voice hissed in his mind, sounding indignant over such betrayal.

Zoro frowned, stopping in his tracks. Why did he think of the blond at such an intimate moment with Kuina?

"Zoro," the woman sighed his name, and all that was blond and curly brows were taken out of Zoro's mind. "Let's head to the bedroom," she said, stroking her fingers through his green locks.

Of course, at her request, he scooped her up in his arms and obliged. He loved her. He would do anything for his dear childhood friend.

Too bad neither of them realized that a set of keys were left on the kitchen counter.

AN: In all honesty, my writing became sloppier as the chapters continued along. Sorry about that!

Ahem, so... a set of warning... Zoro with Kuina. I will not be adding too much details because, what can I say, I can only ship Zoro with Sanji. But anyways, I think the happy level of this fanfiction will start to go down from this point on. Oops...