Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.
Sanji glanced at himself at the mirror and adjusted his tie for the sixth time. The tie was stubborn; it wouldn't stay and returned to a place that he didn't want it to. He first thought was to wear his favorite tuxedo, but then he remembered where he was going. But he was going with Nami. But it was his first time to visit Zoro's job. But it was filled with faggots. He had a mental debate over this for a quite a long time and he made up his mind that he could get Nami's heart by his way of speech, not his looks so he reluctantly put away his best suit.
His shoulders tensed when he heard his cell phone ring, rotating its plastic body a little as it vibrated on the sink. All of his friends had individual ring tones so he knew immediately who was calling before he looked at the screen. Sanji ignored it and continued to fix his tie. He never wanted to talk to that bastard ever again. The blond smugly smiled to himself when the phone stopped ringing. He frowned when the melody of the voice message beeped though.
I'll never going to listen to your stupid voice messages, your stupid ass lies anymore Koune. Sanji spat. He spun once to admire himself at the mirror once more.
Meh.
-.-.-
When he arrived at the meeting place, the Party's Bar, he felt like a dork. He was the first one there. Not even Luffy, who was living in the meeting place, was ready yet. "Wow, you're early." Luffy said when he was finally done and came downstairs to greet him. Sanji shuffled his feet and finally examined the boy.
Luffy was wearing a black tuxedo with the sleeves a little too big for him, so Makino came down and helped him fold the cuffs. He was wearing a bright red tie and thanks to Makino, it was folded neat. The pair of shoes he was going to wear was also loose. Sanji snickered, "What's wrong with you? It's all flabby on you!"
"They're my brother's."
"I guess your brother's taller than you." Sanji smirked when Luffy pouted.
A few minutes later, Nami arrived with a gorgeous long black dress. It was low cut and it showed the top of her breasts beautifully (in Sanji's terms). It even had a nice slit down the dress to show off her sexy legs. When Luffy complimented on how pretty she looked, Sanji noticed Nami's cheeks brighten and she smiled timidly. Sanji complimented too but he did not receive the same reaction from her. Disappointed but he let that slip aside.
Usopp arrived last, nearly stumbling into the doorway. His style was almost like Luffy's. The size of the suit fit him snugly on his lithe body, making him look a step better looking than the other first year. A brown hat was on his head, hiding his apparently nervous features.
Nami pulled out her wallet and leafed through her cash, "Host clubs are scary…They'll do anything to get money. Try not to waste."
"Okay." Luffy also clicked open his wallet and peeked in, disappointed, closed it.
"We'll be okay." Sanji said for Usopp.
Luffy giggled, "I wonder if a guy will like me? That'll be fun!" Sanji frowned. What's fun about that? That's...Once again he couldn't finish his sentence.
Nami frowned at Luffy who was begging for cash. She handed him some and smiled as he jumped around all over the place. She closed hers and stuffed in a small bag she held. "Let's go!"
"Wait!" Sanji interrupted, causing the cheering to stop, "D-did you tell Zoro I'm going!"
"No."
"What!" Sanji blurted out. "I-I thought he knew!" His heart felt like it leaped out from his lungs and into his throat. They just had a tremendously awkward moment a few days ago! He tried asking Zoro over to the restaurant, the safest domain in Sanji's terms, but the other did not come. To go to the most terrifying place in the world to meet someone who was still uncomfortable with him totaled up to make Sanji want to fall onto his knees. "I…I don't want to-"
"What?" Nami asked, her eyes suddenly turned fierce, "Are you still acting like a pansy?" Words stabbed him hard like a knife held by a madman. He never heard her say such harsh words to him before, except the day when he proposed to her in school and she cleanly declined. Sanji stood there small like a punished child and slowly shook his head. He replied in such a small voice Luffy had to bend over to listen, "I'll go."
Luffy glanced over to Nami, "I hope Zoro doesn't tell us to leave because of...yesterday..."
Nami frowned, "Again Sanji-kun! That's why you're acting like-never mind. Luffy, when we go home, you are going to tell me what happened."
Sanji lifted his head and stared dumbfounded at the two, but they quickly left the room.
Nami-san knows stuff that I know? Why doesn't Luffy tell me but tells Nami-san?
-.-.-
They all got out of that taxi and as the boys stared at the bright pink neon signs, Nami paid the taxi driver the tip. Luffy's eyes were sparkling in excitement, Usopp's body was crying in sweat, and Sanji felt dread push him down like weight. This was the same place where he told Zoro to get away. He prayed for anything he wouldn't react to something stupid and hurt Zoro again. This, he knew for a fact, was an incredible task.
Nami noticed this and slapped him in the back. The shock knocked all of his fear and nervousness and when he regained his posture, all three (Usopp was dragged in by Luffy) were heading to the door. Sanji scrambled over to them.
The door opened before Luffy touched the door handle and a man appeared. Sanji backed away without instinct because of what the man was wearing.
The man had long black hair tied up in different places into a long ponytail. He had a small mustache under his nose barely visible in his dark skin. There was a visible scar all the way down his left eye, making him look fierce. The look on his eyes Sanji didn't like, as if the man was inspecting him. Sanji broke away from the stare and focused on his clothes-er style. He was topless and was wearing pants with hibiscus flowers imprinted on them. He had flowers on his hair and some on his wrists. His pants went down only to his knees so he could see the thick curls of hair down his legs. He was not wearing any shoes. Sanji assumed he was supposed to look like some islander. Sanji could smell a strong stench of sake from this man even though he was standing away from him as possible.
The man smiled at them, "Welcome to Rose of Versailles. You're new here huh? Well, my name's Jyabura. I'll take you to a seat." And then with a quick bow, Jyabura lead them inside.
As they walked in, Sanji first noticed that the room was very hot, humid almost. The jacket he was wearing started to sweat onto his body and was making him uncomfortable. As he walked behind Usopp, his eyes skimmed through the room. He noticed that the host members were wearing the same type of clothes the man Jyabura was wearing; topless with Hawaiian pants. Sanji frowned; this was more like a kyabakura than a host club. Now his nervousness reached up to max. He watched for a brief second and turned away in disgust as one guest caressed his hand against a host club member's cheek who looked like he liked it. The nervous, sick feeling caught up to him again.
Jyabura offered them a seat where most of the 'action' was and Sanji had nowhere to look except for the table set right in front of him. He implored his mind to fully focus on the exclusive dishware that was on the table. Jyabura put his hands on hips and spoke, staring at Luffy, "So, who do you want?"
Nami leaned into Luffy and whispered something. Luffy leaned away from Nami, thought about it, and whispered back. Nami nodded and smiled at the host member, "May we get Noa?"
Jyabura's sneer was like a wolf, "Noa? Oh, it's your lucky day. He doesn't have any customers right now so you'll going to have him all night. I'll go get him." When he left, everyone sank back into the cushion as if they deflated themselves. Immediately, everyone removed their jackets and threw them on the side. Nami and Sanji folded theirs neatly. After a few moments of shaking legs and deep breaths, all four of them started to skim through the host club.
The room was warm and everywhere they looked was pink. The decorations on the walls had coconuts, flowers, and some other stuff that were connected to the theme.
Sanji took the glass pitcher and poured himself and Nami a glass. At least the water was free. He swallowed and felt the water cool down his throat; he needed that. He felt he was going to faint from the heat or from the thought that gay people would surround him and grope him to death. From the poll result at his school, Sanji was a love magnet for men also. This was the only time he wished he wasn't attractive. He closed his eyes and tried to shut down all of his jittery nerves. Maybe he wasn't ready to see Zoro yet. But he wanted to see his job, didn't he? He heard footsteps and then Jyabura's voice, "Here's Noa." He heard him chuckle which ticked Sanji off, "Enjoy." Sanji cracked open his eyes and widened.
Zoro was in the same Hawaiian theme but for some reason, it was different. Unlike the other host clubs who were topless and were wearing pants, Zoro wasn't wearing pants, but a long skirt with only a knot to keep it from falling. He was topless too, but on his neck he had so many necklaces it looked like he was wearing a tank top made of tiny sparkling stones. All down his arm, he wore bracelets made from straw, leather, or pearls. On both of his ears, Sanji saw he was wearing long earrings and it tinkled when he titled his head to the side. Sanji let his eyes wander over Zoro for another moment and finally let himself breathe.
Zoro also looked like he was in shock and was staring at him as if the staring would make him go away. Sanji heart gave one painful throb but beat faster when a shade of red spread through Zoro's cheek. Zoro hesitated and sat next to Luffy, a complete opposite side from Sanji.
All of them had their hands on their knees, staring at the ground. Pushing all of the noise from the outside away, their table was silent as the grave. All except Nami swallowed, waiting for some kind of action from Zoro. Along with the timid feeling, Sanji had this annoying heat flickering across his face. He blamed it on the overly high heater of this damn host club. After waiting patiently, Zoro finally spoke, with much reluctance, "W-w…why are you here?"
"We invited him!" Luffy cheered.
The green haired teen slapped his face and all of the jewelry seemed to jingle at once, "Why…?"
"Because Sanji wanted to come, right?" Nami titled her body over so she could see all of Sanji.
"Right?" Luffy asked.
"Right?" Usopp said also, joining in the chain.
"…Right." Sanji cleared his throat and then smiled, "I told you I wanted to see where you worked."
Zoro's lips were flat and one eye was raised. The answer did not seem to amuse him but at least he wasn't yelling Sanji to leave. There was uneasiness in those green eyes though.
"Anyways…" Nami interrupted and turned to Zoro. Her eyes shot open at Zoro's chest and sparkled from all of the jewelry Zoro was wearing, "You're so pretty Zoro!"
"That's a lot of stone necklaces!" Usopp agreed.
"You look like a princess!" Luffy chirped.
"T-thanks..." Zoro said shyly.
"Why's the room so hot!" Usopp cut in suddenly, fanning himself with his shirt collar.
"Oh, that's because last week our air condition was fixed and Mother wanted an island theme."
"-in the middle of winter?"
"That's why we needed the heater to work."
Luffy smiled, pointed his thumb at Sanji, "I knew you'll be surprised!"
"Y-yeah..." Zoro muttered, not looking at Sanji in the eye. Sanji watched Zoro ran a hand through his hair and all of his bracelets clashed into each other and made intricate noises. Sanji noticed that Zoro looked healthy because of foundation spread evenly over his skin. A person who wasn't drunk yet might be able to see the shallowness in his cheeks and weariness in the eyes. He also saw numerous of scars hidden beneath the necklaces and bracelets. The wounds were barely visible on his arms but there were hints of burn welts, scratches, and a long scar on his left arm. Sanji felt a pang of guilt in his chest.
Zoro smiled at Luffy, but it wasn't the smile Sanji had seen, "No one's supposed to be coming tonight, so I can talk to you guys!...do you want anything to drink?"
All of a sudden, Nami squeezed toward Zoro and lay both of her elbows on Luffy's calf receiving a low grunt from the boy, "Well, can we have one of your best drinks, with your share because we're your friends?"
Zoro blinked but then laughed, "I'll try." He then walked up to the bar and began talking to Paulie who was also wearing the Hawaiian theme. Sanji watched as Paulie leaned back at what Zoro said but shrugged and began tapping his cheek. The blond didn't get what that meant but he turned around in time before Zoro scanned the room. When Sanji peered again to see what Zoro was doing, he saw the green haired teen just kissed the bartender in the cheek. Sanji gritted his teeth and his fingers fumbled at his breast pocket for his cigarettes.
Few seconds later, Zoro returned with bottles of alcohol Sanji had seen in stores that Zeff took him once a month. It probably cost over two hundred bellis. Nami awed at the bottles set in front of her as Zoro popped them open and poured her a glass, "So, is this all free?"
"Yeah." Zoro replied, his mind set only on the drinks. Nami and Zoro both grinned like children as the sweet aroma of the wine sprouted from the bottle. He filled three glasses and while handing them over, he noticed Sanji was holding his cigarette. Before Sanji lighted it up on his own, Zoro flicked open his lighter and lit his cigarette for him. When he did that though, Zoro's face exploded in red and rushed back into his seat, "S-sorry...habit." He forced a scowl but the blush on his face told Sanji otherwise.
"I-it's okay..." Sanji muttered and took a long whiff.
They were so close! How fast his heart beat when Zoro leaned up to him just to light his cig. He felt his necklaces bounce against his chest, beckoning him. His hands wanted to pull those necklaces and pull his face close to his and-what was he thinking! Had he gone mad! Was the atmosphere of the host club twisting his conscience! That must be it! Sanji shook his head so fast he felt lightheaded. He stared at the glass Zoro just poured in and took a drink. The wine was rich in flavor, a little tangy than All Grey but it was delicious. He could drink the whole bottle with this, even if he wasn't a drink-a-holic like Zoro.
Luffy was the only innocent one in the group so he ordered a glass of milk, which was surprising that the host club offered some. Usopp ordered milk also because he started cram school and did not want to lose any thinking skills. Luffy was getting used to the place and decided to call the man he saw earlier, "Hey Jyabura! Come over and sit next to me!"
Jyabura raised his head out from one of the booths and immediately leaped to Luffy's side, excusing himself properly. He snuggled into Luffy's cheek like a lovable animal.
"So," Jyabura asked, peering over at the young guests, "Are you guys friends with Noa?"
"Yup!"
"Hou…" Jyabura continued to examine the group and stopped at Sanji, "Now, who might you be sexy?" He purred.
"Se-!" Sanji was about to yell back insults but was brought to a halt thanks to Nami's heel. The blond pushed down a scream and began speaking in a calm and gentle like manner, "I'm Blakleg-"
"Jyabura, can you pass me that wine?" Zoro suddenly asked. Both the host member and the blond were startled at the sudden interruption but Jyabura quickly handed over the bottle. Sanji felt offended but noticed the wary look on Zoro's face. He was confused at the sign but he decided not to poke on the subject. He didn't want the faggot to know his name anyways.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy!" Luffy said proudly, hitting his chest.
"Oh, you're Luffy!" Jyabura barked a laugh and slid his arm around Luffy's shoulder, "No wonder; you act just like your brother!"
"He talks about me?"
"Your brother works here!" Everyone except Nami gasped, their mouths dropping down. Usopp immediately pulled their jaws back up and scanned the whole room, trying to find a man of a similar resemblance. If Luffy's brother works at a place like this that mean three things. One, his brother is gay; two, his brother had no job and this was the only place that was open; three, he is working with a friend who is the gay one. Sanji hoped it wasn't the first idea, but it seemed to be correct. All of them went to Luffy's house tons of times and not even once they were formally introduced. Luffy wanted to keep Sanji's friendship too so hiding his gay family member was the right choice. Still he wanted to make sure.
No matter how many times they had eye contact with Luffy, the boy would break the contact so they didn't really get an answer they wanted.
"Are you guys in the same grade?" Jyabura seemed to not notice the sudden surprise at the table. He snatched an unopened bottle of sake and swallowed all of the contents in one gulp.
"We're first-years!" Luffy pointed to Usopp, Nami, and last to himself.
"What!" Jyabura's eyes nearly popped out of his sockets before rolling around in laughter, "You're not supposed to be in here!"
Luffy pointed a finger at Sanji, "He's a second-year."
"Just like Noa!" he grinned at Zoro who smiled back, "He got special permission from Mother to work here. Mother's so generous-"
Luffy suddenly lifted his head and turned to face the doorway. Everyone was curious to see what Luffy was looking at so they looked. Jyabura whistled. At the entrance stood a tall man towering most of the host members who greeted him, calling him shachou. He had short pale blondish hair and was pulled back, tugging the skin on his head almost. His skin was creamy white and glistened brightly in the well lit host club. He wore a white tuxedo that almost melted into his skin. On both of his ears he had heavy looking earrings and his poor earlobes sagged down from the weight. His eyes were narrow that Sanji couldn't tell if he was tired or angry.
When Nami saw the man, she clasped her hands over her mouth, "What? H-he's gay!" she whispered out loud so the members at the table could hear.
Luffy turned to her, "Who's he?"
She lowered her hand and hissed so only they could hear, "He's Eneru, the boss of the Enerugi Electric Company! You know what that is right?" Everyone nodded. It was the biggest electric company in the country. The news about the boss of that company being gay, that was new to them.
Sanji shot a glance of Zoro and saw his eyes were furrowed in anger. He was about to ask when a man who wore a multicolored floral dress appeared before them. He thought he saw the man skip and twirl around before stopping at their table. Sanji didn't want to look at the man because he looked really...weird. He noticed the too dark blue eyeliner, the thick mascara over his eyes, and the dark ruby lipstick over his lips. On top of his ghostly pale skin he had slick black hair with many flowers piled all over. Sanji was getting nauseous just picturing the man so he threw his eyes to the ground. He focused on the man's legs, the only part of the body that looked manly. His legs were sure hairy. He glanced over at Zoro's legs and was startled to find them smooth as a lady's. Something fluttered in his chest but he swatted it away.
The man spoke in a husky voice that startled Luffy, Usopp, Nami, and Sanji, "Noa darling! Ene-chan's calling you!"
Zoro, who was still glaring at the man at the entrance, sighed, "Yes Mother."
MOTHER! All three, except Luffy, screamed in their heads, eyes white as paper. In a host club, the boss of the host club was called Mother and usually wore kimonos. They were also mostly...gorgeous. Everyone sweat dropped and hoped it didn't show on their faces. When Zoro stood up, Mother stopped him and adjusted his skirt, "You have to look smashing for Ene-chan remember?" Zoro, whose face was expressionless, nodded. When Mother was done fixing Zoro's skirt, he held onto him until a host member came over with Eneru following him.
Eneru sat at a table away from where Sanji and the group were sitting. When Eneru relaxed into the seat, Mother pushed Zoro, ushering him to go near the guest.
When Eneru saw Zoro in the outfit, the boss made a smile that Sanji despised so much he wanted to kick him in the face. The boss boomed in a loud voice, startling Usopp, "Noa! You look beautiful today! Come down and sit next to me!"
Zoro stood there narrowing his eyes in fury. His shoulders tensed and his hands were tightened into fists, ready to punch the man. "I told you my friends were coming today!" Zoro yelled, freezing everyone in the club. Sanji sweat dropped. He never heard a host member yell at a guest to stay home. Usually, they would be ecstatic to see their customers; that's how they got their money right?
Eneru sneered, acting as if he didn't hear him, "I wanted to see you. Come here." He lifted his hand and gestured Zoro over.
Zoro sucked in a breath and threw his body next to him. Eneru wrapped his arms around Zoro's bare waist and pulled him closer to him. The taller man brushed his lips against Zoro's cheek and then nuzzled his nose along his neckline. All of the jewelry on Zoro's body twinkled softly as if delighted. "Hnhm...your skin's so nice..." Zoro snorted, arms still crossed.
Eneru pulled Zoro's chin with his fingers, "Don't be angry. I'll buy whatever you wish."
Zoro, still frowning and his arms crossed, pointed to the almost empty bottle with his eyes, "That one."
"All right then." He smirked and then he called the bartender. The smirk was worn away into a frown. He put an arm around Zoro's shoulder and pulled him closer, "Are you mad?"
Zoro titled his head away, "No."
Eneru smiled and brushed his lips along Zoro's neckline. "How's your asthma?"
"Nn…" Zoro's frown tightened.
Sanji realized he was watching the two and snapped himself out of reality. He felt pissed all of a sudden. Why was he so moody today! He turned and gaped when he saw another gay host sitting between Nami and Luffy and were laughing at a joke Usopp made. Creepers crawled up Sanji's back and he scooted away from the closest host as possible.
At least they were having fun.
He turned to where Zoro and the pervert were. Zoro was popping open another bottle of what they just had and poured Eneru and himself. Eneru accepted the glass and kissed Zoro's cheek once more before drinking. Zoro took that chance and moved his eyes away from Eneru and at Sanji, realized he was staring at them, and all of the pigment disappeared on his face. The boss noticed the change on his face and leaned against him more, "What happened Noa?" Sanji ground his cigarette against his teeth as he watched Eneru's large hand ran up Zoro's bare legs and into the skirt, "Is that man scaring you?"
The color returned in Zoro's eyes and he shook his head, "H-he...uh, they're my friends."
"Oh are they?" Eneru smiled, nudged his cheek, and whispered in a low velvety voice, "I would like to meet them."
Zoro shivered slightly from the voice and gave a worried glance at Sanji.
Sanji froze at the look. What should I do? If I say no, Zoro would think I'm creeped out with this whole thing and it'll be awkward again...if I say yes, he...he...HE will come and if he comes close to me, I will kick that bastard in the ass! Whichever choice he picked, he was the loser. At least one of them had a plus, very tiny. The blond looked at Zoro and gave a smile of approval.
Zoro looked astonished by the smile and quickly turned to Eneru, "S-sure..." With this, Eneru swiftly got on his feet and with one of his arms on Zoro's waistline, pulled him up with him. Luffy, Nami, and Usopp saw Eneru approach his seat and all gave their formal bow. Sanji on the other hand, glared at him.
Zoro tried to smile, "Uh...guys, this is Shachou...Shachou...my friends."
The taller man gave a clean bow, "Nice to meet you this evening." Everyone who was sitting down quickly bowed as low as they can. Sanji stood but didn't lower his head, Jyabura and the other host sat casually in their seats, waving at the taller man. When Eneru straightened himself up, he caressed his fingers along Zoro's jaw line and pulled them up to meet his eyes, "How many times do I have to remind you to call me by my name?"
"I forgot." Zoro snapped, obviously still angry.
Eneru smirked at the coldness in Zoro's voice and grinned at Nami, "Do you mind if I sit at your table?"
"N...No." Eneru smiled and moved to sit in the empty space near Sanji. But before he seated himself, Sanji grabbed Zoro's hand and dragged him in his seat first. The boss was taken aback from the rude manner, but sat next to Zoro without saying anything. Eneru glared at Sanji who equally gave back a glare.
Zoro, who sat in the middle of them, was breathing oddly. What...why can't I breathe!
He felt as if the air was entering his lungs too much and was expanding his lungs. The way he tried to inhale and exhale made it worse; the air was running around throughout his body like Olympian runners in a hundred meter dash. Worst of all, his body was exploding in heat and he was panting. He felt so embarrassed but it felt so good, just like the time when he encountered with Robin. Why is this happening! Zoro felt the extreme heat on the left part of his body and he peered down and saw what the reason was. Sanji was still holding his hand.
Quickly, but not fast that it would look strange, he removed his fingers away from Sanji and scooted a few inches away from him. Sanji didn't notice Zoro moving away from him, but he did realize he grabbed his hand.
Oh god, I just touched him! T-that means...will he...cough out blood! Was that called affection? Y-yeah...couples hold hands...Sweat was pouring down his temples. He didn't want the host club to go crazy because of him. He was glad that there was a small space between him and Zoro. Please don't cough blood Zoro...please don't- Sanji prayed silently. Seconds passed but he didn't hear the coughs, only the laughter and the clatter of glass. The air was filled with the smell of wine, cigarettes, rose petals, and cigars. Not a hint of metal. He peered over to Zoro, and scowled as he watched Eneru hold Zoro's hand and stared at him dreamily. He was relieved that Zoro didn't look sick, he actually looked better.
So...does that mean...I could touch him? Why did he have to be cautious while other people were fine? He suddenly missed the days when he and Zoro were playing video games, sitting side by side, not caring if their elbows brushed over each other. Zoro didn't look like he cared then...why now?
Y-you're only going to make it worse!
The words were clear into his mind. Why was he the only one who was going to make him worse? Sanji shot a nasty glare at Eneru who was literally rubbing his scent all over Zoro. Why was he okay? Why is Zoro allowing that pervert molest him! Sanji's been friends with him for-quite a while and probably that shitperv only seen him few times a month, he should have more trust!
Sanji stabbed the cigarette on the crystal glass ashtray. Is it because I hate gays and he doesn't?
-.-.-
Zoro stole his glance away from Eneru for just a moment and stared at Sanji. His furrowed eyebrow, his visible eye narrowed more than usual, mouth twisted into a scowl, his second cigarette running out, and all were aiming at him and Eneru. He looked pretty pissed. Zoro lowered his face. Of course he's pissed. Luffy must have brought him over by force. Didn't Luffy already know that Sanji hated homos?
Zoro frowned, squeezing his eyebrows together. Wait, Sanji is the leader of the group. Didn't he have the power to say no? So if he's here, does that mean he's comfortable with gays? Then why the hell is he angry about! Zoro paused and traced back to what he just thought for a few seconds. H-he's comfortable with gays! He looked back at Sanji again and realized that the blue eye wasn't looking at him, but at Eneru. Zoro turned back to his guest. He's angry about him? Zoro locked eyes onto Eneru and the man smiled. Eneru did get him on his nerves sometimes, but he gave off the same relaxing feeling like other members in the host club.
Sanji was different from the host members, but Zoro knew the feeling. It was the feeling that roamed endlessly throughout his old home, wrapping its fingers around Zoro's neck and suffocating him. When he first felt the air change when Sanji saw him at his job a few months ago, his breath was caught in his throat. It was so icy and cold and his eyes, his eyes reminded of his mother so much it hurt. Zoro couldn't tell if Sanji still had the air, but he was afraid. He didn't want to dare to touch him. He knew it was impossible to 'fix' Sanji back. Sanji would never be the same. He'll never be kind to him like he did before he found out he was gay. He'll never talk to him with compliments or any positive words anymore.
He knew because Sanji was...and it was destined to happen.
Zoro felt a dull pain in his chest and pressed his hand over it. He sighed, it was horrible that he was getting used to it. His mind snapped out of it when a huge hand covered the hand that was over his chest. His eyes followed the arm and it lead him to Eneru. When their eyes met, Zoro saw a tongue slid through Eneru's thin lips.
Zoro thought about it, reached down, and handed Eneru an apple. The boss stared blankly at the fruit for a few seconds and then laughed, "Thank you Noa!" Behind Eneru, Mother was suppressing a laugh. Zoro frowned. Mother always did that for some reason. He ignored it, but this time, instead of talking to Eneru, he decided to talk to Sanji. His friends did request him.
But what should he say?
Since he was little, he learned from experience that he was never allowed to talk first until his parents spoke to him, which was hardly ever. When he did, he was returned with, 'shut the hell up Zoro' or 'I'll beat you if you speak one more time.' So starting a sentence was hard work for Zoro. What do people usually say? He read some books, the only help he got and they all sounded really cheesy.
He felt miserable. He was working at a host club and he still didn't know how to communicate with customers; even when the customers are his friends. He at least learned how to talk to Luffy-and Ace. Zoro's cheeks reddened when he saw Ace in his head with his usual charming grin.
His skin nearly leaped out of his body when he heard Sanji's voice. "Hey..."
When Zoro turned, winced when the earrings slapped the side of his cheeks. He was going to ask Mother to give him smaller earrings next time. "W-what?"
"Um...h-how...are you feeling?'
Zoro turned away in fear, they were getting a little too close again, "...great." He didn't mean to sound sarcastic, but this was the only way he could talk to Sanji. Short and cold. Just like the way he talked with his mom. The colder he was the less chance he wouldn't hurt himself.
He saw Sanji hesitate for a second. Zoro doubted himself. Sanji hesitate? Probably the whole host club thingy's getting him, "Uh..." Zoro closed his mouth involuntarily, suddenly fearing for a yell. This is not my home you idiot! Zoro scolded himself. How he hated it when he reacted when his parents were not even there. "D-do you-"
"So, introduce me to your friends Noa." Eneru cut into their conversation. Zoro's mouth was flown open and couldn't bring out the words. All of them were lodged in his throat and were thrown back into his head and instead, Eneru's question swarmed in.
"Uh…" Zoro reluctantly pushed away the question he wanted to say to Sanji. He pointed to Luffy first, "He's Monkey D. Luffy. Remember Ace? He's his brother."
"Ah, you speak about him all the time!" Eneru barked a laugh which Zoro's face exploded in red, "So that means…that's Nami and that's Usopp…am I right?" The company boss looked over at the two. Nami nodded quickly without thinking and grinned at the thought of a famous boss knowing her name. Usopp on the other hand stood out of his seat and bowed in a perfect ninety degree angle.
Sanji gritted his teeth. He hoped that Zoro didn't mention about him because he did not want to be surrounded by men if he was their attractive type. Bulky, muscle brained men wrapping their calloused fingers around his body…The thought of it suddenly made him nauseous. He felt as if the room was spinning; swirls of pink rushed through his vision. The temperature of the room did not help at all and it boiled his blood to a point of fainting. He blinked a few times before his body collapsed onto Usopp; barely supporting his weight with his arm.
"S-Sanji-!" Usopp shouted. All of his friends turned to why Usopp had yelled and saw the blond grunt and sit back up.
"Are you okay!"
Sanji's hand was pressed against his forehead and he grumbled out annoyingly, "Shut up Usopp, I'm fine."
"Ah, that scared me! I thought you-" Luffy suddenly stopped laughing because he felt a million eyes on his back. Precisely, all of the eyes were towards the members at the table. The whole host club seemed to stop at everything; even the heater felt like it dropped to fit the atmosphere. "D-did I say…something?" Luffy scratched the back of his head, confused.
"S-Sanji…?" Jyabura growled and leaped out of his seat, "YOU'RE SANJI!"
Usopp shrieked and covered his mouth. Nami was pressing her body close to Luffy's, fear written all over her face. Luffy held her tight but he clicked his tongue in distaste. What were the host members going to do since the man who hurt Zoro tremendously was right at the clutch of their fingers? Most of the members abandoned their guests to approach their table with flames burning in their eyes.
"How dare you hurt our Noa!"
Zoro got up and threw his arms out, guarding Sanji, "Stop! He's not-"
There was a laugh and the bartender appeared, pushing through the crowd. Paulie bent over and grabbed Sanji's arm, "What are you fools talking about? Didn't you hear him; his name's Kenji." the bartender helped Sanji up and out of his seat, "You look sick; let me help you. Sorry 'bout my men, they get hyped up when they hear pretty people's names."
"-but I swear I heard-"
"You're dreaming buddy!" Paulie laughed and threw Sanji's arm over his shoulder, "Come on kid. I'm going to take you to the back." He turned to the members, "What are you looking at! Go back to work!" There were murmurs among the host club members as Paulie escorted the limp body into the back room. Nami, Usopp, and Luffy collected their stuff and followed after the two. Zoro sighed and slumped back into his seat and a shadow fell over his face, trying to hide the relief.
All of the club members huddled over to Zoro, "Zoro," hissed one of the members and even used his real name, "Are you alright? Are you sure it's not him?"
He sucked in a deep breath and Zoro lifted his head. A beam of smile was on his handsome face, sending all of the members on the ground with hearts in their eyes, "I'm fine. See, my asthma's okay." He hit his chest to prove it. His attempt of lying failed in front of Mother but the manager kept his mouth shut.
-.-.-
The door closed behind Usopp as he scrambled over to where Paulie was dragging Sanji over to a flat bed. Luffy got a chance to see what this room was. It wasn't a big room and not the cleanest. Lockers were lined up along all of the walls with names written on the door. Clothes, jewelry, and many other accessories were scattered all over the place. Stacks of papers covered one desk like a mountain of white. Either this was the normal or today was a very busy schedule and had no time to clean up. Luffy went up next to Paulie to help but Sanji suddenly started to move, shoving the bartender away, "G-Go away! I'm fine!" The blond gave the savior a glare many of the weaklings Sanji had fought have cowered from.
Paulie did but just as the other three friends thought, the bartender's face was red. "Is that how you treat someone who just saved your sorry ass!" he jabbed a finger into Sanji's shoulder, "You know I could've just not said anything!"
Sanji rudely slapped a hand away, "Who said I needed any help from some fag! I could kick their asses anyday!"
Luffy gritted his teeth. This was a bad time for Sanji to start talking about his pet peeve; either he had to break up the fight or grab Sanji and make a run for it. He chose choice number two and reached out to grab him when a sudden action from the bartender stopped him dead in his tracks. Paulie's hand collided into Sanji's cheek and sent him off the bed and onto the hard floor. Nami clasped her hands over her mouth to suppress a scream; Usopp did the same however not as cute.
The bartender was furious now with his hands still tight in fists ready to slam another on in the other's face. "If you weren't as pretty I wouldn't hesitate to beat the shit out of you." He said between uneven breaths.
Sanji tasted blood in his lips and cursed silently. Where Paulie had punched, the flesh tinged, almost numb. He got up, using the bed as support, and launched a kick towards the bartender's face. It was avoided easily and this time, Sanji was shoved hard against the wall next to the bed. The distance between Paulie and Sanji's noses were mere inches.
"I don't care shit about you, kid," Paulie's heated breath singed Sanji's bare flesh, "I care about Zoro…we all do."
Even Usopp who was fidgeting around stopped his movements to hear their conversation. Paulie growled under his breath and threw his body against a chair. The poor metal seat creaked from the sudden weight. The bartender bent his body forward, putting his elbows on his knees, and ran one of his hands through his blond hair. Unlike Sanji's, his hair looked rough from the lack of shine. "You don't know what happened…you don't know what he had to go through…"
"No I don't," Sanji stepped off the bed and stood before him, "That's why I want to know. You guys were talking about it, at the PARTY'S BAR." Paulie raised his head with a trace of surprise, "Am I right?"
The bartender remained still, staring at the blond with a hard expression. Sanji was about to ask again when the other chuckled, weakly. "...let me tell you this before the cause of all this commotion."
Paulie sat up and bid everyone to take a seat. Luffy, Nami, and Usopp all sat squished together on the iron bed while Sanji chose a seat close to Paulie. The bartender waited until everyone was settled and began speaking, "When he first came here for the job, he was a really quiet person, never talked much. It was kind of hard for us to accept him in this job since, you know it's a talking job, but Mother was dead on about the kid. I thought it was because he was pretty cute but knowing Mother, he'd seen through him. The troubles at home, school…it's all written on the poor guy's face-he needed help.
"He got used to the place really quickly. The customers…well that took a while. That's because Zoro's job was just to escort the guests in and out of the host club and deliver the cocktails I made. While he had some breaks, he talked with us; that how we got to know you guys." Paulie stared down at the floor, "-when he started getting used to us more he began talking about his family…Mother first and then with us."
Sanji shot a glance at Luffy and saw the darkness in the other's eyes. Nami's eyes had fallen the same way too.
"Well anyways, whenever he started talking about you guys, Zoro gets all happy, just like a little kid. Sometimes while he delivered the drinks, the guests began talking to him. It's kind of hard to ignore such a hot kid wandering around. He was getting popular since he's the youngest out of everyone but he had school and his health issue so he couldn't work as long. He said he had asthma but he looked healthy all the time." Paulie sighed and stuffed a hand down his pant pocket, "Until that day."
In the whole room it seemed that Sanji and Usopp were the only ones new to the information. The rest knew what was going to happen next.
"One night, just like any other day, Zoro and Shuraiya were escorting the host members out. I was there making a cocktail for some random dude when all of a sudden Shuraiya came screaming into the host club with Zoro, covered in blood. We were all freaking out-I was freaking out because I never seen so much blood before in my life!…I went over to Shuraiya, asked him what the hell happened and he started talking about two kids meeting up with Zoro.
"It was the usual…someone bashing us because we're gay; it's not a big of a deal. We're all used to it.
"What I heard, when they left, Zoro grabbed his chest and he fell to the ground…and when Shuraiya went to help he started coughing out blood. Poor Shuraiya was breaking in tears. He didn't know what to do. Of course, all of the guests in the club were out of control too…Some said they were doctors, but they just wanted to strip his clothes off and molest him. It was just…total chaos.
"Finally, Mother came in and calmed everyone down. While he was holding them down, we took Zoro here. We bandaged him up because he was bleeding all over the place but we didn't know what to do with the coughing of the blood…Jyabura and I were holding him up so he wouldn't choke but he was thrashing and pushing us away…it was so hard to keep him still…he coughed for hours." Paulie finished with a heavy sigh and stared down at his hands, "We were covered in blood when Zoro finally calm down."
Luffy, Nami, and Usopp took a look at the iron bed they were all sitting on. The sheets were soft and white, no trace of blood whatsoever. Still, they shuffled in their seats uncomfortably at the thought of this bed once covered in dark red blood.
Sanji paled so he lowered his face so his hair could hide his shame. His heart stung as the idea of Zoro being in that state. He was in terrible pain and he needed help-and Sanji abandoned him like there was no care in the world. No wonder Zoro was so distant whenever they met. The shock was too much for him. Sanji knew about Zoro's condition and how weak he could get from it yet he was able to perform such a cruel act on him. A cruel act…all thanks to Koune. Sanji slammed his fist against his knee, cursing silently to himself.
"H-how much did he b-bleed?" Usopp asked in such a quiet voice.
"A lot." Paulie shivered, "I thought he was going to die…he was so cold…and when he stopped coughing, he was trying to stand up…to go home. Mother came just in time again to put Zoro back on the bed…and then Mother asked him some…weird questions…"
"Weird questions?" The school news reporter asked. The blond wanted to say it also but he didn't want to feel like an idiot. Usopp was used to these activities. If he were to ask these kinds of questions he felt like a curious dork. What made his courage shrivel was that a dreadful feeling bound him down, telling him something wasn't right.
Was there something he was missing?
"Yeah." Paulie cocked his head to the side, "Now that I remember it, they had nothing to do with the bleeding."
"What kind of questions?" Again, Usopp.
"Well one of them, he asked Zoro who the people were and what they told him. Zoro mouthed it out because he couldn't talk. Somehow Mother got the answers." Paulie brushed back his hair, "Right after that was done, Mother drove him home and didn't come back until the next morning. Said he was alright. We were worried because he was absent for a few days…but…" The bartender straightened up in his seat, "That's what happened."
Sanji held his urge to fall off the chair while Usopp performed a wonderful double flip. What was the 'but?' The blond caught an eye gesture between Luffy and Paulie. Luffy seemed lost at the eye contact first but moments later, he acknowledged it. They were obviously hiding something but what? Did it have something to do with Monkey D. Ace? Sanji was fascinated with Luffy's ability to get along with people easily; already they were giving each other silent conversations.
I guess I'm not really trusted yet…Sanji thought bitterly. Who knew it would take this long? Making friends is easy to make as breaking them.
To Sanji's surprise, Paulie continued on his story, however, he didn't start with the mysterious 'but.' "Well after that happened, we all heard the names of the people who were talking to Zoro that day and it pissed us off. Zoro was talking about you so much and after all that happened Zoro looked so depressed…we couldn't take it. He stopped talking about you guys, stopping talking to us all together. It took days for Zoro to come back to himself again…So that's why everyone got all heated up when they heard your name…no one knew what you looked like because Zoro only told us about your name and how you and he were friends."
A sigh escaped Sanji's lips. It was out of instinct. This was all his fault. Still, there was an empty gap in Paulie's story but he didn't know what he was hiding.
The door flung open and Zoro appeared. By the looks of Zoro's heavy breathing, he just ran all the way here. Paulie quickly helped the other stand up still.
"A-Are you okay?" Zoro asked wearily. He titled his head to the side so that the earrings jingled cheerfully. Sanji stared at the effects of the earrings and quickly switched his mind back to the subject before it got awkward.
"Y-Yea, I'm fine. Just got a little dizzy."
"…I didn't know you were going to come…" Zoro wiped away a sweat, "If you told me I would've warned everyone…"
"-so they won't beat the hell out of me?" Sanji raised his voice in a sarcastic, comical matter so it didn't sound like he was angry. Every action Sanji did needed to be measured carefully. In the situation he was in, all of the angry remarks and scolds would hurt Zoro. Hurt to the point of dangerously bleeding. Thankfully, Zoro got the tone of his voice and his lips tugged into a smile. "I'm sorry that today was ruined."
Zoro shrugged, "That's okay. It's all Shachou's fault." He finished it with a sigh. When he did that though, his mask had fallen showing his fatigue form. His eyes had sunken in just like his cheeks. It seemed that all of the blood had drained down his face because it was white as bone. His knees bucked and pulled Paulie down with him. Luffy and Sanji scrambled up to help because it looked like the bartender was having a hard time. Zoro was now just plain heavy weight and his head rolled back as they lifted him up. Sanji heard Zoro curse out as they hoisted him onto the bed.
It seemed unreal that Zoro just asked him if he was okay.
Paulie stroked Zoro's shoulder in rough movements, "Z-Zoro…? Zoro are you-" Zoro covered his mouth to suppress the coughs that ruptured in his chest. He jerked his back as the coughs exploded in his body but quieted down by his hands; almost like underwater bombs. Nami slammed her hands on her ears to deafen the coughs, face pale from the horrid and painful spasms the other was bearing. She couldn't hold her scream, however, when she saw blood pouring out from between his fingers.
Usopp's jaw fell in horror at the sight and he quickly turned away, squeezing his eyes shut from the image. "W-w-what…was that!" The news reporter whispered out loud, high pitched and still looking away. "T-Tuberculosis?"
The bartender reacted to the blood and slipped his hands under Zoro's back and pulled him into a sitting position. Paulie shot a glare at Sanji, "If you don't like it, you should look away." The blond was dumbfounded at what the bartender was saying until he saw the next move. Paulie then brought Zoro into his body and hugged him tight.
A smothering feeling dripped onto Sanij's heart when the scene was folded in front of him. Paulie had his hand securely held behind Zoro's head, supporting it. Sanji clenched the fabric of his tuxedo when Zoro moaned weakly in Paulie's chest. The coughing had ceased completely and Zoro only had the problem of breathing. He wheezed and gasped for air that seemed to be hard to reach. Blood fell onto Zoro's bare chest and the necklaces smeared it, painting a thin line of red. Luckily, Zoro wasn't in the worst condition because he was able to sit back up and clean himself. He still looked sick, maybe worse.
"…G-god…idiot…" Zoro growled in a hoarse voice. He then looked up to see the others and smiled grimly.
"W-what was that?" Usopp asked once more after everything had calmed down. His eyes were barely open and peeked through the narrow area of his fingers.
"…I can't say asthma anymore huh?" Zoro laughed but with no humor. His voice was dry and cracked from the coughs. He slipped away from Paulie's hold and it seemed that finally Sanji was able to breathe. Zoro frowned and a dark shadow casted over his cheeks, "I'm sorry for lying to you guys…I-it's…not really a disease…it's a…"
"ZORO~!" The backdoor blew open with a loud blast. All of the host members were trying to enter at once which much effort. Everyone inside stared wide eyed as the host members finally were able to spill onto the floor making a huge mountain. Why whenever something incredibly important was going to happen, somebody or something interrupts? Sanji had encountered many of these before. It must be karma or some odd twisty coincidence. At least this time Sanji didn't feel left out. He knew what Zoro was going to say anyways-and probably Luffy and Paulie knew also. Nami looked disappointed but knowing her she would find a way. Mother squeezed from the bottom of the people mountain and took hold of Zoro's hands.
"Are you alright darling!" He stroked Zoro's cheek gently, "Oh dear! You coughed again! Oh my poor child!"
"I-I'm fine Mother." Zoro smiled as he still squeezed the other man's hand. Another boiling feeling bubbled Sanji's chest when the green haired man's face lit up. He pressed the anger down with his greatest effort. It was easy for the fags to make him smile.
The manly woman-or womanly man-spun around in circles like an elegant ballerina, "Good evening Zoro's friends-oh before that…" He leaped into the air, spun in midair and thrust his high heel into the center of the mountain of people. The sudden impact caused all of the host members to explode in many directions, mainly toward the doorway. When everyone tumbled out, the host manager shut the door closed and locked it shut with grace. There were tons of grunts and shouts on the other side of the wall but Mother pretended not to hear it. "So," Mother continued with a flamboyant tone, "Is everybody all right?" He flailed his arms around and shot a finger at Sanji, "Especially you child!"
"Hey, why is everyone-"
"Silence~!" Mother yelled in a singsong voice. Sanji clamped his mouth shut.
"I apologize for my host members' behavior." He put his hand over his abdomen and bowed, "I will tell my children to behave the next time you visit." The flowery dress bounced around his manly body.
N-Next time? Sanji paused at the comment.
Mother finished with a wink which even the bartender shivered, "How about it? Would you like to stay a little bit longer?"
Luffy's eyes shined but Nami pushed him away, "We would love to, but no. It's getting late…"
Mother booed, "Then, the next time you come, I will give you a discount!" he glanced over at Zoro, "Are you going to go home too? You should go home baby. You aren't looking well."
A quiet smile spread across Zoro's lips, "If you say so…I'll go home with Luffy." Luffy wrapped Zoro's arm over his shoulder and helped him up. Paulie came over with a large t-shirt and pants. He removed all of the jewelry off and watched as Zoro covered his bare skin with his clothes.
"Oh, go to the back door because I think my men are still outside." Mother pointed his thumb behind him. Indeed, there was a door, hidden between long glittery jungles of dresses. Paulie pushed away the dresses and unlocked the door. Everyone squeezed through the narrow passage the bartender made. Nami adored all of the dresses as she passed by, touching the silky fabric and let the glitter stick to her fingertips. Once unlocked, the bartender let all of them out before closing it shut.
"This is not formal." Paulie chuckled as he locked it. He turned and faced the group, "Well I hope you guys had a fun time. Visit us again next time!" By the easiness of his voice, the phrase was rehearsed plenty of times. Everybody took a simple bow while Nami handed some bills as a tip for helping them.
As they approached the end of the street, two taxis swerved right where they stood. The back door automatically flew open, welcoming them inside.
"We'll split up." Nami glanced over at Luffy and Zoro, "You guys go on that taxi and we'll ride on this one."
"Got it!" Luffy saluted.
"Wait, why is Luffy and Zoro going on a different car?"
"The taxi won't fit five people and Luffy had to drop off Zoro which is the opposite route."
"Oh yeah."
Luffy grinned, "Man today was crazy! I thought we were going to get beaten up by pretty men!"
"P-pretty?" Usopp itched himself, "Even Mother?"
"Mother was really pretty in the dress. She looked like an island queen!" Luffy nodded, not noticing the odd look on his friends' faces, "I want to go here again!"
"Next time I hope they won't be scary and mean…" Nami placed her hand on her cheek and sighed. "That ruined the fun moment…maybe it wasn't a good idea…" For a split second, Sanji saw her eyes were directing to him. He gulped and averted the gaze.
"Okay then." Luffy waved a hand awkwardly because Zoro's weight was on him, "See you guys on Monday!"
"Okay! Good night!"
"Bye-bye!" Nami grinned and slipped into the taxi.
"Y-yeah…" Sanji raised his head, "Hey Zoro…" Zoro slowly raised his head and uttered a noise of a 'huh.' "See you at school?"
"Sure." That's all Zoro said. Sanji frowned at the lack of communication from the other when Zoro smiled. His thought went blank. With the streetlamp shined over them, he saw his expression clearly. It was peaceful and sweet, like cherry blossoms blooming in the springtime. His heart felt like it stopped momentarily before it began working again. A rush of heat shot up into his face and sweat broke out. He blinked a few times to overcome the sudden wave and looked away. What was that? Am I getting sick? This was the second time this happened.
Luffy waved one more time before crawling into the taxi, pulling Zoro with him.
Sanji entered after Nami. Usopp was the last one entering the car. The engine started up with a low humming sound and it glided out of the driveway and into the street.
Sanji slid down in the soft seats. Everything in his system flew out of his body leaving nothing for him to think. Thank goodness Nami was here or else he wasn't able to go home. Even his senses were dulled out; Nami's heavenly voice sounded far and distant in his eardrums.
He couldn't say if he liked it or not. He still had goose bumps whenever the images of Mother flashed through his mind. He felt contaminated, stained. They only stayed in the main club for a few minutes but it felt like years. Years of hell in a hot scorching desert, seeing nothing but sand and men in flowery pants. He didn't want to go there for a while.
The visions of Zoro were upgraded too. Not only he had images of Zoro grinning and laughing in his head now he had him in the islander's theme. Every detail of the clothing was stuck in his mind like concrete. Thinking on the bright side, it brightened up his mood to think that it wasn't gloomy Zoro anymore.
Well…he said he'll see him at school and Zoro said yes. A little step to trust.
At least for now.
To Be Continued
Japanese lesson:
Kabakura-it looks like this:キャバクラ. I only seen a few dramas (one of them was called Kuzu) and the host members had themes. Depending on that theme they wear costumes and other stuff. Even though Kyabakura is a club with females members only...I imagine host clubs have an elegant high class look to it. Some Kyabakuras are high ranked too.
Shachou-it looks like this: 社長. It means the boss of the company which I mentioned with my attempt of context clues. From the dramas I've seen the bosses who visits these host clubs were called by that name so I kept it. It flows and it sounds like a name too. Boss, boss sounds like the host clubs are in an evil gang or something.
Mother-The manager of the host club. In Japanese the manager have two names, both mean the same thing: Mama and Okami. Now I first thought of making everyone call Bon Clay Mama, but imaging Zoro saying "mama"...I couldn't imagine no matter how hard I tried so I stuck with Mother. Okami sounds cool like Shachou but it didn't seem to fit Bon Clay's character. Plus, Mother fits with the mood of the story, like a different meaning.
This is sudden but this whole story was inspired by this one picture I saw in chapter 494 of One Piece. It's on the first panel; can't miss it. It's big.