Sanji watched as Luffy stuffed another plate of food down and sighed, Zoro had killed a massive boar but if the King kept up this pace there would be no leftovers at all.
Usopp was finishing a story about how he had once saved everyone from a giant seaking, he'd worked out the teen was lying ages ago but he was working on making a good impression.
'So how long have you been with Luffy?' Sanji asked once he'd finished.
'Well I the great knight Usopp' Sanji couldn't handle another fantasy.
'I meant the truth please' he pleaded, he didn't want to come across mean but he also didn't want another long story.
'Ah well in that case it was about six or seven years ago, King Garp came when my village was under attack, my mum was killed and my dad's at sea.' The younger man paused looking upset 'He knew my dad and I'm good at making things so he took me in' Usopp laughed 'Plus Luffy insisted I was his nakama and as you've seen he tends to get his way'
'Is it normal for the royal family to go when there's an attack?' surely they had an army for this kind of thing.
'The army handles small local issues but if there's a chance of a devil fruit user being involved then Luffy or Garp tend to go' Usopp answered
'So they think one of the bandits has an ability?'
Usopp's face paled 'I hadn't thought of that, I thought he was just bored' he stood up looking round nervously 'I'm going to go ask Nami what's going on'
After a few minutes he felt Usopp sitting back down next to him.
'Just bandits apparently Luffy hasn't been there since' the younger man stopped and looked nervous
'Since he met Zoro there?' Sanji finished for him.
'Uh yea, I didn't realise you knew' Usopp looked surprised and slightly relieved.
'Ah yea Zoro told me not long after I arrived'
'Took him years to tell me' the sharpshooter looked a bit put out 'You two seem to get on really well'
Sanji stared at him in disbelief, had he not heard the pair of them arguing the entire way here. He swore if he said the sky was blue that Zoro would spend the next hour arguing that it was green.
Though he had to admit he liked the arguing, it was fun, he liked being challenged even when it was over the most ridiculously stupid things.
'You think so?' He couldn't quite understand why but hearing it from someone else made him more hopeful of a relationship.
'Yea, I think I've heard him talk more since you arrived than I have in years. He's the quiet hard headed kind of guy' Usopp laughed until he noticed the shadow looming over him. He looked back eyes locking with the looming swordsman 'Ah um' he glanced around frantically 'Ah Nami, yea I'm coming, cya later guys' he swiftly got up and ran over to a confused looking Nami.
Zoro chuckled and sat down next to Sanji 'Man it's too easy, so what was he saying about me that got him so freaked out' he took a swig out of the bottle he was carrying.
'That you're a directionless hard headed moron' Sanji grinned at him 'or at least that's what I took from it'
'I think you just hear what you want to hear'
Sanji laughed 'Probably, so how you feeling? I'm surprised you came'
Zoro shrugged 'If it was anyone but Luffy I wouldn't do it'
Sanji's stomach twisted, maybe he could use this as a chance to work out more about the group.
He glanced around at the tents: there was one large one, one that was a bit smaller than that and two tents that looked like they were for two or three people.
'So who sleeps where? He asked pointing at the tents that had been put up whilst he had been cooking.
'The biggest is for Franky and Brook, they don't really fit well in smaller tents. So Robin and Nami have the one smaller because Nami is in charge of packing' Zoro glared over at the beautiful red head, Sanji kicked his ankle to hopefully remind him of his manners 'One of the others is for you and me, because Usopp and Chopper are too scared to share with you and Luffy will either sleep in with those two or wherever he feels like ' Zoro looked over at Luffy who was currently bouncing around Brook begging him to sing.
His nervous energy made him let out a chuckle, he was a bit disappointed that the others were still scared off him, he could be a bit blunt with men but he was still reasonably nice to them. He just preferred saving up his doting and adoration for those who truly deserved it, the beautiful divine angels that he was so lucky to get to share the world with.
'Suprised your not sharing with Luffy now he's back' wow real smooth Sanji, he mentally berated himself.
The swordsman's face screwed up in confusion 'Why?'
'Uh well you know you'd said before' he fumbled with the words god dammit where the hell was suave Sanji when he needed him.
He noticed that not far behind Zoro was a grinning Franky, how he had missed the giant he had no clue but now that he was leaning in and whispering in Zoro's ear, he was impossible to miss.
Sanji swore he could almost see the colour draining out of Zoro's darker complexion, the other man had his eyes locked onto his.
The older man laughed loudly thumped Zoro on the back and wandered over to his wife.
'Why the hell would you think that I was having sex with Luffy?' he looked horrified at the idea.
'um well you said' Sanji silently prayed for anything to end this conversation, the ground swallowing him up would be mighty helpful right now.
Then he heard it as though the man was singing just to save Sanji.
'Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho'
He jumped up, glancing at the other man 'I love this song' and ignoring the pang of guilt he felt, he ran off and slung his arm round the sharpshooter and enjoyed singing one of the songs he'd known since he was a child. He couldn't just pass up a sea shanty, he was after all from seafaring folk or at least that's what he was telling himself.
'Ah you know Binks' Sake Sanji-san' the skeleton smiled? at him or at least it felt like he was smiling.
'I'm from the Baratie Islands it gets sung a lot there'
'Ah I was there once with my crew, beautiful place' Brook said nostalgically 'Though it was around sixty years ago, I wonder what it's like now'
Sixty years? Just how old was the giant skeleton and just how long had he been a skeleton. He figured that it would be rude to ask, such as one should never ask a lady her age.
'You should come visit again, maybe we could all go' well he would have to face his dad at some point and the song had left him a little home sick.
He felt a hand grab onto his shoulder, he didn't even need to look round he just knew.
'Brook, Nami says it's time to go to bed so we can head out early tomorrow.' he felt Zoro's hand tighten on his shoulder 'Come on Curly'
Zoro had a predatory look on his face that told him he wasn't going to be able to escape the questions this time.
Sanji glanced round and could see Nami speaking to the others, they all began wandering away from the fire towards the tents; except for Luffy who sat staring sulkily at the fire.
He felt the force on his shoulder pushing him towards the tents as well, he managed to twist himself out of the other man's grip.
'I'm just gonna go' he nodded in the direction of the woods.
Zoro stared at him for a minute before grunting in acknowledgement and grabbing his bag at the tent's doorway as he went in.
Sanji wandered over to the edge of the woods and stood, he didn't actually need he'd just wanted an excuse to get away from the other man.
How the hell had Franky known that he thought Luffy and Zoro were sleeping together? The man must have picked it up from something he'd said or maybe Robin had worked it out she seemed like she knew everything. He sighed and realised he could have saved himself all this bother if he had just instantly denied it when Zoro asked, bit late now though.
Ah well he may as well get this over with, at least he was going there by choice rather than being herded by the other man. He picked up his bag and walked into the tent, Zoro had already put down his bedroll and was waiting for him. He untied his bedroll and lay it down, he grabbed his pyjamas and quickly got changed into them ignoring the eyes he could feel on him.
He settled into his bed knowing that this is what Zoro had been waiting for he decided to just start himself.
'So about earlier' he nervously rubbed the back of his neck
'Sanji! Zoro!' the door to their tent burst open and Luffy landed in-between the two men.
'Nami says I can sleep in here as long as I actually go to sleep' he grinned at the pair.
Sanji couldn't help it he burst out laughing, it was as though fate was saving him. Though the look on Zoro's face told him that the other man was anything but amused at the interruption. It was too late to argue though because Luffy had sprawled out between the two beds and started snoring away.
'Ah well night Zoro' he called over as he rolled over to try and get some sleep.
All he got back was silence, ok so Zoro was definitely pissed off at him, great. He'd just have to make it up to him tomorrow, he would explain the misunderstanding and things would go back to normal.
Sorry for the long delay I've been stuck in bed ill for almost a month.