Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, but I do acknowledge using Eiichiro Oda's characters without his permission.

Warning: AU, OOC, profanity, slash, TWT (if it ever existed), modern-fantasy setting.

A/N: HI ALL! So sorry for this chapter's delayed posting - ! I swear it was finished a long time ago, but I kept messing up and brainlessly writing and deleting things - ! I was stuck. SO SORRY IF THINGS SEEMED MESSED UP, AND PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU SPOT MISTAKES AND SO ON AND SO ON SO I COULD FIX 'EM. So, hopefully, things still run smoothly from here out. THANKS TO ALL THAT REVIEWED, DEMANDED, WANTED, BEGGED ME TO CONTINUE! Without ya'll, I'd be hopeless. HUGE Halloween scares for you all!

:: Bad Boyfriend ::

The confrontation with Nami stayed with Sanji that day – through his classes, he drifted through them in a sort of fog, mentally reviewing and repeating her stunned words with a sort of exhaustion that was foreign to him. The woman avoided him, skipping classes they shared; though it was obvious that nobody else could have figured out his gayness from the weekend, nobody treating him differently, he felt that it was obvious.

It didn't help as Zoro met him as usual throughout the day with his snarky comments and looks that only made Sanji kick and curse at him. It could have also been the neon green mesh shirt over black tank top and jean shorts with combat boots and tube socks that made Sanji so violent. The goggles were back, hanging around his thick neck, his green hair popping up like grass from the rim of a visor worn upside down.

"How Nami could make herself love you is absolutely beyond me!" he spit between classes.

"How you can make yourself want to suck cock blows me," Zoro replied. Sanji was so startled at the newly accepted awareness towards it that he froze in the midst of a kick. Zoro paused in mid-step, took in this state, and gave him a frown. Pirates, ninjas and other aspiring seamen had to move around them with grumbles and protests.

Then Zoro stilled. "Did I just…make a winning comment? Hell, I'm oozing it today. I gotta rein it in."

Sanji straightened, flustered as he patted at his outfit and then fixed his hair. He straightened his vest over button-down shirt with rolled sleeves, slacks given a reassuring swipe. "Fuck you, ape-face. You're definitely oozing something, today."

"Please don't hit on me. I'm tired, curlique."

"I'M NOT!"

"I dunno, Rolling Pin, it's getting weird between us," Zoro said, indicating the space between them with a finger. When a pirate started to complain of their unmoving forms in the hallway, he sent a glare in that direction. As the pirate moved to challenge him, Sanji kicked him away, knocking over various students in his flight path.

"What's getting weird?" Sanji snapped, ignoring new protests from those that had fallen.

"You. Ever since you decided to be all…what's the word…yuh-oi on us, your entire attitude and drive just went…down that way," Zoro indicated 'that way' with a flick of a limp wrist. "It makes me uncomfortable when you try and practice your whims on me."

"I'm not practicing anything on you!" Sanji sputtered, outraged with the idea. "For some reason, you flatter yourself, you losing idiot! You want so badly my happiness that you accuse me of such things!"

Zoro looked outraged. "When I accuse, I speak the truth! None of what I say should be taken lightly!"

"Besides, why is it when we're having these disagreements, you're the one making the innuendoes?" Sanji then asked, stalking off through the path of destruction he'd caused amongst his schoolmates.

Zoro narrowed his eyes. With a disgusted look, he had to admit that Sanji was right.

After lunch, Sanji stalked across campus towards his Roasting class when he caught sight of students throwing the parking lot nervous looks. It was uncommon for such sights to be seen, and his curiosity was roused as he looked in that direction. Seeing that Gin was strolling casually nearby made his interest perk, and Sanji headed over – but then a sense of rising hesitation and uncertainty welled up in him, and he slowed his step; finally stepping behind some hedges as he realized what he was doing. The campus was busy with Monday classes, and as he scanned it, saw that most of those that were outside had already seen Gin. From their expressions, some of the students knew who he was – others reacted upon this by looking hesitant on their own.

It was the thought of exposing himself so quickly and so early to others that made Sanji have second thoughts of approaching the man. As delighted as he was to see him, he wasn't ready to 'out' himself to others. He felt his stomach knot up at the thought of it. He then hurried off before Gin could catch sight of him, taking a maze-like row of hedges away from the parking lot. In doing so, he completely missed catching sight of Zoro, who didn't approve of the man's proximity to his school.

Seeing that the students around him were reacting to Gin with trepidation, Zoro crossed his arms tightly over his chest and decided to have a few words with the man.

"It's bad enough you like the taste of a cesspit - now you gotta show your creepy face out here to scare the kids?" Zoro asked him, as way of catching his attention.

Gin looked at him, not that surprised to see that it was Zoro facing him. Behind him, students taking note of the confrontation gathered with curious murmurs. Seeing that Sanji was nowhere in sight, Gin turned to fully face him, almost wincing at Zoro's ensemble. He wasn't flashy with his striped beach pants, white tee and wooden sandals, but at least he wore his visor the right away. Seeing Zoro's rather confrontational stance made him take immediate notice of the man-signal of encroaching his territory.

He put his hands into his pants pockets to keep them from making rash decisions and gave a carefree smile in Zoro's direction.

"Ah," he said, lifting his voice slightly to be heard. As it was, the space between them was a thirty-foot stretch. "The roommate."

Zoro narrowed his eyes. "I've got a name."

"I'm sure you do," Gin said, eyebrows lowering. "I just didn't catch it."

Everyone watching understood that this scene was of something immense weight – the way their classmate faced off with a 'known' pirate only drew in more attention and whispers; of what caused the confrontation, of who would attack first. Bets were being placed silently, beli passing with quiet movements.

"I doubt you're here to enroll in time for next semester," Zoro said slowly, lifting an eyebrow.

"As you can clearly see, I've no need for school," Gin said. "Experience is on my side."

"And I doubt you're here to see any…friends…here on campus, because if you are, I'll let you know right no, there aren't any friends here," Zoro stressed.

Gin chuckled lightly. He gave a gesture at some of the students that were holding onto their food boxes. "Well then…I apologize for interrupting your lunch recess. I'll be on my way…unless you can give Sanji a message for me."

At this, everyone erupted with more whispers and comments, and Zoro scowled as his friend's name was brought to attention. Seeing that people were more curious than ever to see what this situation would lead to, he lowered his arms to his sides and wanted to slash Gin's smug expression off his thin face.

Seeing that he had Zoro, Gin drew his hands out with a casual expression. "Just tell him I dropped by – "

"I'm no one's answering machine," Zoro said defiantly.

Gin paused, then let his hands fall with controlled action to his sides. Though his fingers twitched the longer Zoro continued to regard him with such insolence, Gin managed to control himself. To keep from drawing on the green haired man and his three swords, and making a huge mistake that would cost Sanji's attention.

"Oh?" he questioned, though his voice shook with just that utterance. "That's…unfriendly of you."

"Like I give a shit. I think you know why."

Gin's eyes narrowed as people grew silent, subtly moving forward to hear more of their words. Those that were closest to the situation tried to draw back, quietly unnerved by the suddenly overwhelming expansion of energy that started to radiate from the both of them –signaling colliding strength.

"Seems to me that you've gotten defensive even before you even questioned yourself why," he stated.

"I don't have to ask myself 'why'. I know what I know without having to doubt myself," Zoro replied.

At this, Gin smirked. "I know. That's why you find me such a threat…'roomie'."

Zoro snorted; crossed his arms once more. "You're no more a threat to me than a fly, pirate. Yeah, you got something on ya to make people afraid of you, but know this – I'm afraid of nobody."

"It's not smart – this…fearlessness of yours. You need to learn your boundaries in order to be successful," Gin preached. "Out there on those waters, to know your boundaries means to save your life."

"Boundaries are meant to be broken," Zoro returned with a grin.

Gin returned it with one of his own, hands noticeably twitching to his sides. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"GIN!" came a bellow that startled everyone watching, and made the two men scowl.

Fullbody pushed through the crowds, fists lifted with might. Nami was right behind him, looking confused once she realized Zoro was facing him. Fullbody approached the parking lot, giving Zoro a dismissive wave of his hand while Gin looked at him with some confusion.

"Hey, you mind?" Zoro asked him with irritation. "We're having a conversation here!"

"Which can wait," Fullbody snapped, attention fully focused on Gin. He reached into the inside pocket of his blazer, withdrawing a Wanted poster that made some of the students gasp as it displayed an older picture of Gin, along with a price that made Gin scoff. "Turning you into the proper authorities will ensure my Master's in law enforcement."

"Sure, kid. It's nice to have dreams," Gin said, sullenly sliding his hands into his pockets again. He looked past Fullbody, who looked pissed at being dismissed so casually, the Wanted poster tossed onto the street. "Roommate. I'll see you later."

"'tch, I don't think so," Zoro returned, Nami looking at him and then at Gin with a questioning expression. She left Fullbody's side, the blond looking after her with irritation as he removed his blazer, revealing his armed knuckles.

"What's going on, Zoro?" she asked curiously. "Who's this guy?"

"I'll do it, I'll turn ya in for this bounty," Fullbody declared, rolling up his sleeves, Gin regarding him with some boredom. "Education doesn't come cheap, nowadays!"

"Nobody," Zoro told Nami, giving her a onceover, as if he hadn't seen her outfit that morning. "What the hell are you wearing?"

"Like you should be asking me that!" she nearly screeched, giving him a onceover of her own. She snagged his mesh shirt as Fullbody gave another boasting declaration over his own prowess in handing over wanted criminals. "This stays in the fucking fag district!"

"We don't use that word anymore," Zoro reminded her, a finger wagging in her face as he turned to leave. She clasped onto his shoulders with both hands, face wrinkling.

"I still don't – " she started to say when Zoro reacted quickly, sweeping her down and to the side with such speed that she had no idea what had happened until she saw Fullbody's flying form bypassing them by mere inches. They watched as he crashed into several parked vehicles nearby, denting metal and crumbling glass with spectacular sound. She caught herself with a startled gasp as Zoro dropped her, and returned looking back at Gin.

Once Nami realized what had happened to Fullbody, she followed Zoro's gaze, her mouth dropping open.

Looking quite smug, Gin gave them a tip of his visor and strolled off casually. All around them were faces of astonished expressions and trembling bodies, Zoro scowling as his chance to engage with this obviously strong person missed. Nami looked incredulously struck, unsure of what to say or do as she glanced from Gin's thin back to the destruction he'd caused with Fullbody's defeated form, lying crumbled within the pile of metal.

She reached out and caught Zoro's shirt again as he sought to leave. "Who the hell was that?" she demanded, voice high pitched and reedy. She then scanned the pavement, looking for the wanted poster Fullbody had before he'd dropped it. Seeing that it was a lost cause, possibly destroyed by the destruction, she waited impatiently for Zoro to give her her answer.

With a roll of his eyes, Zoro said with irritation, "Sanji's 'attacker'."

Nami stared at him, clearly confused. Then she gave a startled gasp, hand to her mouth as her expression turned understanding. "That guy?"

Zoro then paused, turning to look at everyone that was lingering around the scene. Lifting his swords and pointing in their general direction, he bellowed for all to hear, "If anybody, if any word of this situation gets to Sanji…I'll know who spilled."

Everyone stared at him with bewildered silence. Satisfied that no one was going to tell Sanji what had just happened, Zoro resumed walking away, wondering when his next confrontation with Gin was going to happen.

Nami quickly followed, latching onto his arms and making him heave an exasperated sigh. "Zoro, that's - ! That's the pirate Luffy was talking about? ZORO?"

"Hey Zeus, really? You really have to touch me all the time? Like your filthy claws – " Zoro complained, trying to yank his arm back from her without hurting her in some way.

"Zoro, this is wrong!" she nearly whined, giving his arm a shake. "This is wrong, wrong, WRONG! Why are you allowing this to happen? You can't let Sanji - !"

"Oi now, you're breaking your ugly nails on my manly forearms, and really just – ruining my casual stroll of contemplation, here. I've got things to think about, and you're screeching in my ear. Men can't think when their brain hurts."

"You can't let Sanji be gay!" she punctuated with a hiss, drawing up into him, to make him look at her. He rolled his eyes skyward, shifting to pull his goggles up and over his face in an attempt to block her out.

"Got my magic glasses on, Nami. Magic Anti-Woman Goggles engaged."

Nami pulled on the goggles and let them snap back, making him cry out. "You can be so friggin' - ! Argh! You're like a child, I don't understand why -! ARGH!"

Zoro adjusted his goggles, watched her stomp off towards the school. He couldn't help but smirk, rubbing his fingers over the worn straps with an appreciative draw. "Magic Anti-Woman Goggles, mission accomplished. "

::

"It's real easy to understand, Nami!" Luffy said cheerfully. Nami had trapped the younger male in the lunch area, where he sat with Ussop at one of the bench tables overlooking the sea. Garbage and pieces of food lay in disarray around them, Ussop still plucking certain veggies from his lunch while on guard from Luffy's sneaking hands. "Chopper explained it to us, using pictures one day. I don't know, Nami, I don't think you should see what we did. You might like it. I know how you women are with dicks."

Nami stared at him as he giggled to himself, Ussop looking at him with his chopsticks paused in mid-air.

"Anyway, see, an attacker is the guy that gets it," Luffy stressed, face set with a serious expression. "He just goes in and gets it. The defender is the guy that tries to, like, defend himself? But he really doesn't want to. It's all for show!"

Nami looked away from him, and looked at Ussop for confirmation. Ussop shrugged.

"We decided that Sanji's a Defender, because he displays all the classic symptoms!" Luffy continued on, finger in the air. "Number one, he is only slightly girly, because he takes effort in his appearance. And only girls do that. Hell, it only takes me twenty minutes max, because sometimes I like to beat it in the shower after I'm done cleaning, and that only takes me - !"

Nami whapped him alongside the head with an exasperated growl. "Luffy!"

"Dude, we had a talk about that sorta thing," Ussop said, as Luffy rubbed his head. "We don't talk guy things like that in front of girls. Remembers? Panties and moist?"

Nami whapped him as well, face reddening. "USSOP!"

"They're two separate THINGS!" Ussop wailed, arms over his head.

"Oh my gosh, Ussop, combining those words together, 'moist panties', just ups the disgusting factor!" Luffy exclaimed, watching Nami's reaction as the woman's red-face intensified. "Ha, ha, awesome!"

"LUFFY! USSOP! I swear, if you don't stop acting like a pair of - ! "

"Okay, okay, whatever, calm down, Nami. So we decided Sanji's a Defender. And Gin is his Attacker. Gin's only slightly more manlier than Sanji, just cuz it looks like he throws stuff on that was lying on the floor. Casual, yet manly." LUffy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Plus, there's a certain man factor to him that just screams 'top'. Ussop's been looking, but it's unconfirmed whether or not he has a big dick. Tops are supposed to have big dicks, that's what those books said. It was mandatory."

"LUFFY!" Ussop screamed in horror, shaking his head wildly. "I wasn't looking! Why would I look? That's not even a factor! Nami, how could you just stand there and believe him like this?"

"Because you lie a lot, Ussop," Nami said impatiently. She looked at Luffy. "So…as much as I despise this sudden change to his…personality –"

Luffy stared at her, wide-eyed. "You're born that way, baby. You can't just change who you are."

"LUFFY!"

"Ha ha, sorry! C'mon, Nami…you can't just hate Sanji because he doesn't like girls. Girls treated him like shit, anyway!" Luffy said impatiently, giving her a pointed look. Nami had the grace to look shamed, clearing her throat and rubbing at one arm idly while looking around them. "And he's happy, Nami, so why's it so wrong?"

"Like watching a lil' school girl in love!" Ussop chimed in, voice high and lispy, making Luffy snicker.

"It's just something that I don't…really…agree with," Nami muttered slowly. She adjusted the fit of her skirt. "Look, anyway, Luffy – this guy…I guess he's seeing? I just don't like the look of him. He looks…addled."

"'Addled'?"

"Like…" she lowered her voice, covering her mouth slightly with her hand. "He's on something."

"Zoro calls him heroin chic, but I think he's just a real rugged pirate," Ussop spoke up from behind them, eyebrow lifted. "There are probably more important things in life for him than eating."

Nami stared at them both in silence, then crossed her arms tightly under her breasts. Both boys stared at the resulting formation, forcing her to drop her arms with impatience.

"I don't like it," she stated firmly, lips tight.

"You don't have to, Nami. Really, it's none of your business. If you can't be happy for Sanji, then it's obvious you aren't happy with yourself. And that's really sad," Luffy said, giving her a pitying look. "He's no threat to you. And Gin doesn't even know you, so he can't like you – you've changed, girlfriend. You used to be cool."

Nami frowned at him, then looked at Ussop for his opinion, but the long-nosed student was studiously focused on chewing. She heaved a sigh, rolled her eyes, then stalked off. Luffy crossed his arms tightly and watched her go.

He shook his head, adjusting his straw hat around his neck. "It's such a shame, Ussop. I do like watching her leave, almost as much as I like watching her approaching us."

Ussop gave him a lifted eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, she wears such tiny clothes - ! Ha ha, just kidding, but…while I like Nami a lot, I don't like how she thinks like that. Just because Sanji likes guys, he's not the same Sanji he was before? I mean, really…" He rolled his eyes skyward, hands on his hips. "Girls. They're so…complicated. They like making issues bigger than what they are."

"One big mystery of the universe solved!"

::

"So, Sanji…this guy…your…friend…" Zoro gave an eyeroll at this, Sanji frowning at him as both of them lounged in their lawn chairs and shared a pack of beer. "So, like…I've never noticed before but he's…like a man."

"Wow, really?"

"Yeah, hey, I was surprised when I realized this, too," Zoro said, eyes widened slightly.

Sanji gave him an exasperated glare, then took a delicate sip of his beer.

"No, seriously. Once again, I back up my situation, and I ask you – do you really know this guy? I don't think so. Yeah, he works for Don Kreig, right, and we all know this guy. This guy we learned about in History semesters back, yeah?" Zoro's brow furrowed, and he noticed Sanji shrugging lanky shoulders, tapping ash off to his right before returning the cancer stick to his lips.

"I don't know this guy, but he's got people that, like – so I ask you, how well you know him –"

"And I ask you, after that dramatic little outburst from the other night, why does it fuckin' matter to you?" Sanji returned with heavy exasperation. "I didn't come out here to discuss matters like that, I came out here to relax. Y'know?"

"Not like I give a fuck about things like this, y'know, but – when the kids start talking about inviting the guy over, and chaperoning – "

"Nobody's chaperoning me! What am I, 12?" Sanji nearly screeched in outrage.

"When Luffy said that we have to start chaperoning you, which, B-T-W, I did NOT enjoy because of the sights that burned my corneas –"

"You don't even know what corneas are! "

"- I told myself, Damn it, this is fucking stupid. Me, watching over cesspit breath," Zoro continued over Sanji's indignant scoff, "but then something happened to make me rethink this. Sanji. I had my first run-in with the guy. Y'know, you need to talk to your boyfriend meeting you at school. Teacher sees you sneaking off campus – "

"I'm not - !" Sanji tapped ashes once more, looking at Zoro with some bewilderment. "Wait, what? He….he showed - ?"

"-And I'm looking forward to it. y'know? To actually – like, seeing what this guy is like. Not to, like, whatever, y'know? But to test him out. Hey, he looks like a worthy opponent and all that. So why not?"

Sanji stopped himself from bellowing more outrage, and processed these words. Taking in Zoro's expression of content and fascination, he stared at his long time best friend and realized he didn't fully understand what had just been said.

"Wait, what?"

Zoro nodded grimly, crossing his arms over his chest with deliberation. "Yeah. I mean, I have to admit this. Part of being a man is to admit things – "

"REALLY?" Both of them jerked at the sound of Chopper's elated shout, which was followed by a few shushing noises from the house.

Both of them resettled in their chairs, Sanji giving Zoro a skeptical expression. " 'Worthy opponent'? You were saying?"

"Yeah, well…not like Fullbody's a man, or anything, but he got beat hard. Y'know how curiosity kills me, man! I didn't even see it, but – definitely someone worthy of my limited attention."

"'Limited attention is right, ape-face."

"A man admits to things that could be considered weaknesses, Rolling Pin!"

"A man admits - !" Chopper was once again silenced, Sanji furrowing his brow as he fought to ignore the obvious eavesdropping.

Sanji felt odd that Zoro was viewing Gin as more than…a threat? A rival? An opponent? He looked at his beer and wondered if something had been slipped into place, to make him think weirdly of things.

Zoro cleared his throat loudly, realizing how awkward it now seemed between them. Both of them looked up at the night sky and finished their drinks in silence, lost in their own thoughts over the sudden discomfort that had no concrete meaning.