Sanji walk out of Zoro's room and into the living room where everyone stood up at the sight of him. "Is he ok?" Vivi asks.
"He seemed upset, did we do something?" Kaya asks.
"Did he not like it?" Chopper asks.
"So what's going on?" Nami asks with her arms crossed over her chest. Sanji looked at everything then back at everyone. He could see in all their faces that they are worried and they really do care.
"He doesn't hate it it's just..." Sanji pauses trying to find a good way to phrase this. "He was just overwhelmed by his emotions." The cook says. Before anyone could ask anymore question he continues, "after his parents died he was put into an orphanage but because he was the only child with a birthday in November the caretakers never celebrated it."
"He never celebrated his birthday?" Nami asks wide eyed. That can't be right.
"What about before?" Robin says.
"He says he doesn't remember. The worst part is when he asked about not celebrating his birthday the caretaker told him he was selfish for asking that because the other kids had to share." Sanji says frowning at the last bit.
"That's wrong." Nami says. Everyone nods in agreement.
"Yeah well that's not the worst that they've done, Zoro's told me that they've mentally bullied him, grown adults telling a kid and young teen that he'll never be loved and that no one would want him. Then he ends up pregnant and they kick him out, either that or the one person who actually cared gets fired. Zoro just sacrificed his future for that one person, for all of us." Sanji says getting worked up about this. They all remembered back when Zoro was at the hospital that he said he was kicked out but they didn't know that one person was going to get fired if Zoro didn't leave. That was news to them.
"That's messed up." Usopp says.
"Poor Zoro." Kaya says. Chopper nods.
"No wonder he's the way he is." Brook says. That made everyone think and nod. He was always so reserved, never one for romance and he didn't think about himself. Always thought about others rather than himself. No one thought that it was because he was told he will never be loved by anyone and that he didn't matter to anyone. Nami was lucky to be taken in with Nojiko as a baby. Sanji was lucky to be taken in by Zeff. Sabo and Ace were lucky that Luffy's grandpa took both of them in. Robin had her mom and even her coworkers that cared for her, even if the person she was put in custody of wasn't the nicest she still had people. Franky was taken in by Tom. Everyone had somebody and Zoro had no one. If he did it's obvious they didn't stay long.
"This was not how I was imagining Zoro's birthday to go." Nami says sitting down.
They hear the door being opened and Megumi comes running out, distracting them from the sound of a door closing. Megumi runs up to Sanji and hugs him. He picks her up and hugs her tight. He could only imagine how she feels right now.
"Where's mommy?" Sanji asks. Megumi looks up at him.
"In the bathroom cleaning his face." Megumi says.
"Cleaning his face? Did something happen?" Chopper asks. Sanji and Megumi shake their heads.
"Zoro was just crying." Sanji says. Everyone kind of felt guilty but they didn't know why. They didn't do anything bad, and Zoro didn't cry because he didn't like it, he cried because he was overwhelmed and forgot about how it feels to celebrate the day he was born with people that care about him. Sanji set Megumi down and went to the kitchen to do some more decorating with Zoro's cake. He needed to ice the topping and decorate it. Dinner is ready, they are all just waiting for Zoro to come out of the bathroom.
They all sat or stood up talking to each other and cheering up Megumi. Now that she knew why Zoro acted the way he did, she didn't feel as bad but she still felt like she could have done something better. He took her to an amusement park for her birthday, she should have asked her father to take them somewhere special.
Zoro walked out slowly and avoided making eye contact. He became so embarrassed that he acted the way he did. "Mommy!" Megumi ran to him and he picked her up. The others smiled that Zoro finally came out of the bathroom. They could see Zoro's eyes are puffy, and his cheeks are red too. "Are you ok?" She asks. He smiles down at her and nods.
"I'm better." He says. She wraps her hands around Zoro giving him a tight hug, at least as tight as she can squeeze. Sanji smiles.
"Dinner is ready." Sanji says. Zoro walks to the table to see he had made quite the spread. Zoro smiled at it and looked at all the food. It's all his favorites. Rice balls, cooked meat, vegetables, and other foods Sanji knows Zoro likes. Zoro got served first, Luffy even knew and waited patiently which awarded him extra on his plate.
After dinner things got livelier. They talked and laughed. Zoro enjoyed his birthday party and Sanji and Megumi enjoyed watching Zoro having fun. Zoro was never one for the attention but it's ok if it's his friends. Sanji then took a cake out and everyone, including Megumi, sang 'happy birthday' to him. He blushed as he was sang to and Sanji loved it. He blew out the candles and Sanji cut him a piece of cake. Zoro smiled as he tasted the piece. No surprise, it's delicious. Sanji then served everyone else. They ate in mostly silence, everyone enjoying the taste of the cake. After that is the presents. Megumi and Sanji are first, she handed him the present and opens it with a smile. He almost cried right there when he saw what it is, a beautiful picture frame of two pictures, one is during Halloween of the whole group in their costume, the other one is of just the three of them, it's a picture that Vivi took of them at the amusement park. The picture is of Zoro hugging Megumi from behind with Sanji hug Zoro from behind. Their faces all bright with the biggest smile. Megumi seems to be laughing, Zoro also laughing and Sanji smiling. It's a picture he will cherish forever.
Next is Nami. She handed him bags and bags of clothes. He opened them and was shocked to see clothes, so many clothes. He was tempted to not accept it but Sanji stopped him. The cook convinced him to take it with a smile. Vivi got him a new camera, a better one for pictures and videos. Brook got him a copy of their senior year yearbook. Everyone went to look at it. They talked about the pictures that they saw, Zoro tuned out some talking and looked at the pictures. He's surprised how many pictures he's in. There he is, in the kendo club with the last trophy he won for the school. He smiled at all the pictures. There were even some photos of them after some fights. Him and Luffy smiling at cameras with patched up faces. Some photos of him and Sanji fighting in the background. Then Zoro turned the page to some graduation pictures. "Wow Zoro you look a little chubby in that photo." Vivi says. Hearing this everyone goes to look over to looks.
"I was pregnant with Megumi then. I was reaching eighteen or nineteen weeks." Zoro announces and everyone ran to get a better look. Even Sanji. After they had their look he showed the picture to Megumi who couldn't help but stare at the picture. Next best thing is Robins. She had taken pictures of everyone all through high school and made a photo album of them. She wanted to make it of just him but Zoro didn't have many pictures taken of him by himself. He was always with someone or in the background. The other's didn't know what to get him so they got him gift cards so he could buy whatever he wanted. Luffy got Zoro a gaming console which made him laugh.
Sanji and Zoro cleaned the living room and kitchen while Megumi went to sleep. Zoro stood next to Sanji as he washed the dishes and Zoro dried them. "You seem upset." Zoro says. Sanji flinches. He thought he was hiding it well. He thought about telling Zoro it's nothing, cause it is, but Zoro has told him things too, even if he did have to beg.
"I'm just not feeling happy about next weekend."
"The beach gathering?" Zoro asks. Before everyone left Zoro had told them that the school is having a beach gathering for all students. Each class is going to gather at the school then drive to the beach and just hangout and have fun. Make memories as a child. Family and friends are invited too so Zoro invited them. Which is a good thing because Megumi and Sanji forgot it was happening, with all of their focus going to Zoro's party. Now thinking about it though, it made Sanji unhappy. "Why?" Zoro asks confused. He stops and looks at Sanji.
"People will be touching you..." Zoro looks at him shocked. Zoro would never let someone he doesn't know, or someone he doesn't want to touch him. Unlike back then, there is no reason for someone to touch him. "With their eyes." Sanji finishes.
"You mean look at me?" Zoro corrects.
"I don't want that, I have seen your body. I know I shouldn't be acting like this especially since we aren't dating but I don't want others to look at you or be near you when we get there. That feeling gets really intense when I think that you don't belong to me because you don't and that makes me frustrated which makes me even more frustrated because I shouldn't be feeling that." Sanji says, gripping onto the edge of the sink, head down, not able to look at Zoro.
"Are you... jealous that others would see me?" Zoro asks. Not having registered the rest of what he said.
Jealous?
Jealous.
J-E-A-L-O-U-S.
Sanji's eyes widen. He's never been jealous before. He's never liked something this much before. He wants Zoro all to himself. If he could he would have denied going, well he wanted to but they agreed months back to go. "I am." Sanji says looking at his reflection in the water. He takes a deep breath and looks at Zoro. Here goes nothing. "I want you Zoro. I want to date you. I want others to know you're taken. That no matter how much they look it's not going to change the fact that I get to look longer or closer. That I get to be closer to you than anyone else. I want to take you out on dates, I want to shower you with how much love I have for you, I want to show, no, I want to tell others that I'm your boyfriend and we have an amazing, beautiful, mature daughter. I don't want to be just Megumi's father, or your roommate. I want to be something more. I want to do more." Sanji says never once breaking eye contact with Zoro.
The green haired man stayed silent for a few seconds before everything Sanji said processed through his brain. His eyes grew to the size of saucers and his face reddened to the shade of a strawberry. "Y-y-you actually want to..." Zoro swallowed before continuing, "date me?" Zoro clarifies. He didn't know Sanji felt that way.
"Yes." Sanji says. Zoro looks away, to embarrassed to look at Sanji in the eye. "What did you think I just like you and that's it?"
"I don't know, I've never liked anyone before you, and I've never dated before." Zoro says, face still red. This time Sanji's eyes grew wide.
"You've never dated anyone? Never liked anyone?" Sanji asks. Zoro just shook his head. "Soo, I'll be your first?" Sanji smiles and it grew wider when he saw Zoro nod. "Well what's your answer?" He asks a little impatiently. Zoro looks at him, being put on the spot like that.
"Answer right," Zoro thinks about this. He knew he like Sanji but never wanted anything more because of Megumi and the fact that it's Sanji. He thought Sanji just wanted to tell him and he wouldn't need or want to act on those feeling or anything. He knew that this might not be such a good idea and that he shouldn't do it but a bigger part of himself wants to. He wants this. He likes Sanji, enjoys the times they are together, with Megumi and without, likes those sweet moments Sanji gives him and feels so comfortable around him. Something he didn't know he would feel around the chief. He can't lie to himself, and he knows that, as much as he wants to he knows he wants Sanji and is happy that Sanji wants him. No one else has.
Sanji on the other hand started to get nervous. Zoro might reject him because of Megumi. If so he would understand but he doesn't know if he could continue to be sane if the answer is 'no.' He's waited so long. It's been so long, he's gotten wet dreams of this god of a man.
Zoro looks up at Sanji and their eyes meet, Sanji's holding fear, the man nods. "ok." Zoro says quietly, shyly, face having not gotten any less red. Sanji's smile returned to his face. His heart felt like it could burst out of his chest any minute. He rushed to Zoro. Pinning the man against the refrigerator and kissed him. Sparks flew between both men. It wasn't like Zoro's kiss but it still is something. They stayed there, Sanji's hands cupping Zoro's cheeks and Zoro's hand holding onto Sanji's arm and the other onto his waist.
It wasn't perfect and it wasn't glamorous but it was them. They slowly opened their eyes as they pulled away. Sanji's smile still there but Zoro stare at the man. The cook opened his mouth to ask what was wrong but Zoro silenced him with a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for the birthday party. A-and the comfort from before. It means a lot to me." Zoro says. They stare into each others eyes before it's broken from the cook pulling Zoro in to hug him.
With their arms wrapped around each other the cook talks, "I like the way you smile and want to keep it that way." They pull away and Sanji caresses Zoro's cheek, the latter feeling a little uncomfortable, having never experienced something like this before. Sanji could see it too, could feel it, sense that that's what he's thinking. "Why don't you go to bed. It's still your birthday after all. You should sleep." Sanji says taking a step back to continue with the dishes that are left. Zoro gives a quick nod and leaves without another word.
