15.2.2022
woot woot another update~
many pardons as this was unbetaed
Three chimes from the intercom signals a stable cruising altitude and Sanji stands to head to the front galley. He passes the green haired man again and feels his eyes following him but makes no move to acknowledge it. Usopp greets him with a basket of mini pretzels and napkins and a pot of fresh coffee. They go through the rounds of preparing the beverage service when the captain makes his announcements.
"Helloooo Marines~ This is your suuuper captain speaking. First I'd like to welcome everyone on Grand Line Charter Flight 211. Here with me are First Officer Nami and Flight Engineer Koby to ensure you have a suuuper trip back to the homeland. We are currently cruising at an altitude of 30,000 feet at an airspeed of 350 miles per hour. The current time is … what was it … 11:27 in the morning! The skies look clear and with the tailwind on our side, we are expecting to land in Loguetown at around 4pm local time; that's approximately thirty minutes ahead of schedule. The cabin crew will be coming round in a few moments to offer you a light snack and beverage followed by our lunch service. Please do enjoy all the suuuper entertainment options on the TV screens in front of you. I'll talk to you again before we reach our destination. Until then, sit back, relax and enjoy the rest of the flight. AOW!"
Usopp giggles at the captain's wildly eccentric announcements; they're always something to behold. He unlatches a beverage trolley and piles on water bottles and cups while Sanji cracks open a bag of ice into the bin. They're about to make their way out the bulkhead, when Usopp freezes, knuckles turning white on the trolley handle.
"You okay, Usopp?" Sanji asks.
"N-no. I don't think so," Usopp adjusts his collar, suddenly feeling very hot. "I think my Can't-Serve-Scary-Marines-atosis is acting up again. I should go sit down before I surely die."
Sanji sighs and studies his friend. He'd always been this way, always fearful of people bigger and stronger than him, even more so now with all the weapons on board. This was his third ever charter flight serving for the military and he still wasn't used to the pressure. Sanji follows his line of sight to a tall, gruff man wearing a spotted faux fur hat with long ear coverings sitting with the other commanding officers seated in the Plus section. His face was pinched into a scowl but Sanji felt that that may have just been how his face looked.
"Hey, now, Usopp. It's okay, he probably just really wants a cup of coffee. I mean look, he's wearing a cute dalmatian hat. Surely, he can't be that terrifying."
Usopp considers this and nods, pushing the trolley forward. They greet the brave people who fight for their country and start pouring drinks. Though his longnose cohort may stutter a few times while addressing a pretty captain with glasses, they work in unison; serving sodas, coffee and the occasional alcoholic beverage fairly quickly. They're nearing the over-wing exit rows and Sanji feels those eyes again.
He pulls the trolley backwards as Usopp serves the rest of the drinks two rows ahead. Kicking the wheel brake down, he turns to inquisitive dark eyes before lifting his head up and addresses the freckled Marine by the window.
"What can I get for you, sir?" he asks with a small smile, handing the man pretzels and a napkin.
"A Mikan Maid and a Tomato Gang, please," he politely says, taking the pretzels with both hands.
"Would you like ice with that?"
"No thank you, but could I get another one of these, please?" He gently waves the blue bag in clarification and as if on cue, his stomach grumbles loudly over the jet engine noise.
"Sure thing," Sanji hands him two more pretzel packs and looks down at the man who decided to turn into an owl for the duration of the flight. "And you, sir?"
"Huh?"
"Would you like a drink?" He does his best not to grind his teeth as he says this. He's used to people not paying attention on flights and has more than enough experience dealing with idiot passengers, but there was something about this man that made him want to shove his shiny leather loafers right up his ass.
"Oh, um, a light beer?" the marine says softly.
"Pardon?" Sanji says unnecessarily loudly, handing that ravenhead his two cups. But seriously, speak up. The jet engines and air conditioner are so loud on an airplane, you don't just mumble a reply to the cabin crew.
"A light beer, please," comes the more audible reply.
Sanji pulls out a chilled can of Red Hair Lite, cracks the tab open with his pen and slowly pours the honey colored liquid into a plastic cup, careful not to produce too much head with his stance widening as a bump of turbulence rolls through the cabin. Usopp nearly spills coffee with a straw on a marine wearing a blue striped hooded neck pillow sitting across the aisle from the green haired menace. He stares down at the marine, who is still eyeballing him, and with a huff, undoes the latch on the tray table for the green idiot, placing both the can and the cup on top. He tosses pretzels and napkins next to them.
The Marine stares at his chest as he hands out more drinks to his side of the cabin, way too long for comfort, so he releases the wheel brake and continues on; going back a few rows to serve the next passengers.
'What the hell was that all about? He really lives up to the name 'jarhead'.'
"Ace, Ace!" Zoro scream-whispers through clenched teeth.
"Wha-?" a crunchy reply is returned. Ace had an open pack of pretzels in each hand, double fisting the carb-rich snacks as salt and crumbs decorated his undershirt.
"Dude, I think he's gay."
"Who is?"
"That flight attendant, Sanji. He has a pride pin." He finally got a good look at the flight attendants lapel pins and finally learned that his name is Sanji, and that he indeed had seen a pride flag earlier.
Ace shakes out the rest of the crumbs from the baggies into his mouth and chugs his orange juice. "So? That could mean anything. He could be an ally, or ace, or bi."
"But wouldn't he wear an ally, ace or bi pin instead?" Zoro reasons. His hopes are getting really high - no pun intended.
"Roro, anyone can fly the rainbow flag. Even I do, and I'm ace." The raven haired marine gives his seatmate a pointed look and opens his last bag of pretzels; this time eating them one at a time as he sips on his clamato. "I mean, you're gay but I've never seen you near a rainbow, not even after a storm."
Zoro grumbles and sits forward again, crossing his arms. He's really interested in the blond man and that pin was the only evidence so far that meant he even had a fighting chance. From behind, Zoro felt a hand reach over the seat and tap him on the shoulder.
"Yo, who're we talking about?" Yosaku has his face squeezed into the gap between the seats; his boyfriend, Johnny, stands up to adjust the air valve as he listens in.
"Roro's got a crush on the flight attendant." Ace tucks his feet under him and sits on the armrest so he can see them all more clearly.
"Which one? The long-nose guy?" Yosaku dips his head low and looks back at the two men serving drinks, He hums in consideration at the flight attendant's ass, earning him a whack on the back of the head from Johnny. "Hey?"
"No, not him, idiot. The blonde one." Zoro risks another glance behind him and he meets the gaze of the object of his affection. The other man's brow furrows and Zoro sits forward once more during the flight. How long have they been airborne now? 20 minutes? 2 hours?
"Oh yeah, he's hella fucking cute." Johnny pipes up as he sits back down, earning himself a whack of his own to the chest from Yosaku. "Hey!"
"Hey, yourself," the sandy blond chides before taking hold of his hand on the shared armrest.
Ace smiles at the two and looks back at Zoro. "So what are you gonna do about this? I don't want to sit here for nine more fucking hours listening to you pine over Mr. Never-spoke-more-than-three-words-to-you."
"I'm not going to do that for nine straight hours jeez."
"Well you've already been at it for half and you still barely know anything about him,"
Zoro scowls and fidgets in his seat. He finally takes a sip of his beer when Johnny speaks up from behind. "You should ask if he's single."
He chokes. Foam makes its way up his nose and he coughs into his napkin. Zoro stands up as best he can with his seat belt still on and looks at the man with sunglasses.
"Are you serious? I can't just ask him that!"
"Why not?" asks Ace. "The worst that could happen is that he's in a relationship."
"That's what I don't want to find out. Agh!" Zoro looks toward the back of the back of the plane and sees the two men stir the trolley into the rear galley. The blond is looking at him, says something to the long-nose flight attendant and starts making his way towards them.
Zoro drops back in his seat, hands in his lap as he waits for the man to approach. The tall, hot blond is standing next to him now and he stares back with an irritated scowl. Zoro opens his mouth to say… anything, but the man looks pointedly at Ace behind him.
"Sir. The fasten seat belt sign is on," he says with a serious tone. Zoro looks over at Ace whose eyes go small as a wide thin smile spreads across his cheeks. His booted feet effortlessly drop to the floor and he slides back into his seat, feigning innocence.
The blond stares all four men down, catching Yosaku whisper something into Johnny's ear before jerking his head back to Ace.
"Fasten. Your. Seat belt."
Ace's hands scramble, reaching under his butt to grab the buckles and with an audible click, Sanji gives one last pointed look and returns to the galley.
"Look what you did!" Zoro scream-whispers through clenched teeth again. This is not going well.
"My bad," Ace holds his hands up in surrender and pops a mini pretzel in his mouth. "He's mad at me, not you."
"Hey yo," Yosaku reaches his hand through the gap in the chairs, getting their attention. "Blondie is hot when he's pissed."
"Agreed," Johnny nods.
Zoro rubs his face and groans before turning back to his movie. He forgot to pause it when drinks were being served and doesn't remember where he left off. He grabs his beer and thinks about how he should talk to the flight attendant.
